Possible stories to share

A year ago at this time, I was in New Jersey for a visit and to visit public gardens to gather information for the place I was working. Shortly after, I became aware that things were going downhill at that place. I was devastated, to say the least. I didn't see alternate paths; I saw a dead end. Now that I'm pulled out of that dim place and into well-lit reality, I see the multitude of paths and options. It wasn't, "Stay in Portland doing this one thing or move back to New Jersey ashamed."

Two years ago at this time, I had just made a dramatic escape. Actually, I was in Honolulu, but a few days before that, I was making a dramatic escape aided by a friend who is no longer a friend. You can see how there are a lot of stories there. I waited to tell the story of that escape because I was afraid of it being discovered by one of the other people involved. But two years have passed, so I guess it's time now. I started thinking and talking about it on Halloween, and I could have written it then as, "a real life scary story." Well, only a little scary.

So in a way, both stories seem to be about making an escape--feeling trapped, like one's options are limited, and finding relief.

And since three years ago, that year I was concurrently becoming miserable in and plotting an escape from New Jersey, trap and escape was an ongoing theme. That's kind of sad!

I don't feel trapped at all now. I'm not longing for any kind of escape. Perhaps that theme has finally run its course. Now is a time to tell you the stories. But first, I'm going to the farmers' market and then, if there's still time, to the credit union to open an account. (I had to really think about this - I didn't want to do it just because all the cool kids are. But the checking is really free and the credit card has rewards AND the APR is 10% lower than that of my current rewards card.) So I guess there's a little bit of escape happening right now - escape from Chase Bank.

Now I present you with a completely unrelated picture of challah bread that I made a month or so ago. That black part in the corner isn't burned bread, it's where I got overzealous with poppy seeds.