Good news!

For months the word has been, "the Governor signed the bill with your program's funding, and we're waiting on the feds to sign off on it. We're optimistic, but we've heard there are additional recessions. No, we don't know when they're going to do that. No, they don't have a particular timetable for doing that either." And then from our state legislator, "I wouldn't be dancing a victory dance if I were you, I heard there are to be additional cuts at the federal level."

Cue to a closeup from a 1950's movie, the wind pulling the pages off a wall calendar one by one, the days, the months, just flying by. And all the while, not knowing when the news was to come, my life was just hanging there. I'd beaten the anger about it, worked through the periodic loneliness, and had come to the point of just trying to get as much out of the experience as I could. For the past few months, I just put my head down and wrote, promoted, uploaded, sat through meetings, made connections, and did everything I could so if the job ended, I'd know I'd made the most of the opportunity.

So coming back from the holiday (a good one) in Houston, I stopped at a rest area (all Texas rest areas have wifi!) to check my email.....and the word was there from the state director of the heritage trails program. The feds approved our funding. (long happy pause taking in the magnitude of it all)

The long year of uncertainty is finally over. There are still many details to learn--how much funding will we get (the initial proposal asked for 50% more and for five years), and when it will be available to us. Our funding agency also asked for a boost, so we anticipate even more services from them, if all goes well.

I have a board meeting today which makes for a very busy day, but will start posting again more regularly. I promise. There is value to living as if each day were your last, and that's how I've approached the job the last few months. But really that's kind of a burden too--squeezing every last value out of an experience--it feels very very good to have this feverish period over and finally, finally look forward to thoughtful planning for the future.