Take a Second Glantz has moved!

Dear Readers (assuming there is still more than one),

After seven years, Take a Second Glantz has a new home. This blog, which can now be found at http://secondglantz.com/blog (you can follow via RSS, email, WordPress, or BlogLovin') will remain the same in content, but it's been redesigned to be part of a larger site that fulfills all my online needs, both personally and professionally. I hope you'll hop on over there, as I already have a new post up for you revealing another tiny - yet life-altering - reason I've been away for so long. I look forward to our continued friendship!

Bronzed love

Twelve years ago, I started dating this cutie.

Youth and red hair, how I miss you both.

Four years later, we became man and wife.

I was totes excited about it.

He makes me laugh today just as much as he did then.

And we continue to celebrate over delicious food, as we did on our honeymoon.

My travel agent friend surprised us with a table for two on our cruise.

Tonight, we celebrated our eight-year (bronze) wedding anniversary with food (hello, honey & bacon cornbread and fancy-pants S'mores), laughter, and happy smiles.

I'm grateful for these past eight years and look forward to the next eight years and beyond...

A Glantz Back - Part 2

I'm joining up with Shell, who is co-hosting a year-in-review extravaganza, to "Glantz" back at this year's highlights and fill in some of the gaps. You can read Part 1 here.

April
It was four months into the year before I really started practicing my one little word of 2013. I attempted to achieve more balance by relaxing at night with a good read (and an even better reading buddy).

I cheered on my friend Amy, as she launched the second book of her Ripper series.

I busted my tush helping to publicize a community event and made my Israeli dancing debut in the festival. I was in such a good mood that I even posed with Cocky without displaying Gator shenanigans.

May

I began the month spending one week doing what I love.

Religious School ending for summer break, there were Sunday bubbly brunches with girlfriends.

I discovered that being the Communications Director of a small congregation sometimes means fixing a cake. It should be noted that this is the before picture.

Hubby and I enjoyed summer date nights and nights out with friends. Of course, I had to brag about this win on Instagram.

After 21 years of abstinence, I started eating meat again. This was my favorite foray to being a carnivore again.

Hubby and I enjoyed our final Bat Mitzvah party of the year. There were NINE of them, which is still less than the FOURTEEN we attended the year prior.

June

One of the many perks of my job is having a beautiful sanctuary (both literal and figurative) in which to quiet my soul. It's a perk I took advantage of many times throughout the month.

There was spring cleaning (a few months late) at home.

And there was the Never-ending Office Remodel of 2013 at work (the remnants of which still linger in December).

Sunday nights were spent relaxing, curled up with one of my favorite vamps.

I ended the month by redefining balance, looking forward to a diverse second half of the year.

Paw prints on my heart

I'm no stranger to loss. In the last few years of high school and the first few years of college, it felt like I spent more time at funerals than I did at parties, saying goodbye to friends who were gone way too soon. With all the grief I've experienced, never did I expect it to be the loss of a furry, four-legged friend that would be among the hardest with which to cope.

My sweet snuggle bunny, Mimi, came into my life 11 years ago. It was only a matter of months before I couldn't remember what life was like before her.

As she started showing her 17 years of age in the last few months, I was scared of what I knew would eventually come. Just the thought of it caused a separation anxiety of sorts and several bad dreams.

On Friday afternoon, my nightmare came true: Mimi let us know that she was ready to go, and we had to say goodbye to her. That was - surprisingly - the easier part because it was a blessing that we could give her one final gift of love: the gift of peace.

Coming home without her, though, ripped a hole in my heart. The sudden quietness of our apartment is deafening. Her absence is profound; we didn't truly understand how much she was a part of our everyday routines until she no longer was.

There is no meowing when I put ice in my morning water.

No begging to share my milk during breakfast.

There are no longer two eyes peering into the bathroom, waiting for me to get out of the shower.

There is no keeping my spot on the couch warm while I'm at work.

The "welcome home from work" reception is less enthusiastic when there's no flopping in delight at my feet.

This is no longer the scene as I change into my PJs.

Burning the midnight oil is lonelier.

Vacuuming is not nearly as entertaining.

There's no longer competition to sit in my chair.

Or lie in the bed.

My fellow TV buddy is gone.

As is my reading buddy.

And also my "thunder buddy," who was always ready to lend a comforting paw and purr.

Nearly every aspect of my daily life at home is scarred by her absence.

Mimi could have lived another 17 years, and it still wouldn't have been enough time with her. I'd always want to enjoy one more snuggle, hear one more meow, feel the vibration of one more purr. I'm so grateful for the ones I got to share with her for the last third of my life. She brought such joy to us. Her paw prints are forever on my heart.

A Glantz Back - Part 1

If you've been around this part of the blogosphere for a while, I don't have to tell you that my blog posts have been few and far between (or practically non-existent) this year. So when I read that Shell was co-hosting a year-in-review extravaganza, I thought it would be a good opportunity to not only "Glantz" back at this year's highlights, but also fill in some of the gaps.

January
At the end of 2012, I was working two part-time jobs, as well as freelancing. In January, I said goodbye to freelancing and the part-time job I had been working for about 18 months. My co-workers sent me off in the best possible way, with laughter:

 

The second part-time job I had picked up in the fall of 2012 offered me a full-time position, and I jumped at it.

"The work you do while you procrastinate
is probably the work you should be doing
for the rest of your life." - Jessica Hische

I remember hearing this quote a few years back and thinking, If only I could get paid to Tweet and Facebook and tinker with online design all day... Pfft, like that would happen. In January that pie-in-the-sky dream became a reality when I accepted the position of Communications Director for a local non-profit organization.

On Sundays, I got to play with one of my favorite people, co-teaching at our Religious School. 

Working only one job, I found more time to relax at home.

February

A fun month, it started with a yummy lunch in Charleston, SC.

And it ended with finding out whether blondes have more fun during our Purim celebration. (I got major props for going to Temple dressed as a pig.)

March

Hubby and I spent many a night at Bar Mitzvah parties. This one was at The Zone at Williams-Brice Stadium, where I proved my true allegiance as a Florida Gator.

My mom came to visit to celebrate both our birthdays. We celebrated hers with surprise tickets to Les Miserables.

In between birthday celebrations, I led a super small, 15-minute Passover Seder.

And I admittedly cheated at the end of Passover to celebrate my birthday by sharing my favorite Charleston restaurants with my mom...

...and to EAT CUPCAKES!

All in all, it was a fun and satisfying start to the year.