I'm Back

It's been almost 9 years since my last blog post.  I am still here and I am still Catholic. 

On October 15, 2016,  we came home from my youngest son's last high school football game and thought we had been robbed. Chris said he had to stay home to work on my car, the better of the two cars we had at the time. He lied. He had friends come over to move furniture out.

At the time, I thought my life was over. After 24 years of marriage and being a devout Catholic, I wasn't sure what the future held for me. As silly as it sounds, I kept saying to myself, "You can't be Catholic and divorced."  I took my faith and my vows seriously.  Once he filed for divorce, I petitioned for an annulment and it was granted.

It was a long, hard road to get back on my feet, but I am happy to say that my life was just beginning.  I just didn't know it. I stopped crafting and writing- too busy with work. I was purely in survival mode. Looking back, I am not quite sure how I made it. God's grace and mercy are the only explanation. 

I focused on healing and remembering who it is that God says I am. The legal battle went on for almost two years. I went to therapy regularly, joined divorce care and started doing all sorts of outside activities--cycling, kayaking, camping and hiking. After the annulment was granted I started dating again. Boy do I wish I had blooded through that period. I met some crazies. 

Five years ago February 8th, I met Marty. I can honestly say that I never knew what it felt like to to be loved until he came into my life. I tell a little about how I met Marty on this post on my adventure blog here.  I had big dreams about writing these fantastic posts about all the places we adventured. Sadly, I work too much and between that and adventuring never find time to write. 

Why an adventure blog? My Catholic faith has never left me-- it is who I am. I think for the last 8 1/2 years I have been struggling to find my balance again. Marty and I did get married in the Church.  I think until recently, I have been stuck on being a divorced Catholic, though the annulment means Marty is my first marriage because the first was not a sacramental marriage.  I wrote this the other day: Ramblings of a Newlywed Mother on my adventure blog.  

Night before last, I was going through some old videos and realized this blog still existed, so I am going to try. to keep My Little Red Bike for Adventures and this for more faith related things and daily ramblings. I also still have my political blog, Catholic Tea Party Hippie. -- I haven't blogged a lot of the latter. It has been many years. 

I think I'm ready to start writing again.....