I'm going gray... and I'm OK with it

What floors me is that two people this weekend have outright told me that it was time to dye my hair. One who is supposed to love me unconditionally, and the other is his mother. My brother also pointed out that I am going gray... he seemed surprised.  I guess it is coming on fast.

I think the reason I am going gray so quickly, is that I recently had quite a bit of hair fall out due to stress, and probably medication, and now it is growing back, but it is no longer dark brown... It is white.  It is around the circumference of my head, and in the center, where I lost the most hair...  and the grays are not confined to my head.

So what's the big deal.  I will be 46 years old in less than 2 months.  With the average onset of graying in black persons being age 44, I'd say I was pretty much on schedule.  ... and I kind of like it. I am appalled that I have been asked to dye my hair... it makes me really really mad.  Am I out of line for thinking that request to be rude, unthinkable, and uncalled for?  Am I out of line for inferring folks can kiss my butt?   Especially when those people are grayer than I?

Besides, I do other things to beat back age a little.  I pluck my chin at least once a week, I exercise 3 or more times a week, I use face cream, and lotion my body dutifully.  Gray hair to me is a symbol of wisdom, that I made it this far... that I am perhaps a little wiser than the average bear.  Is it not?

But the idea of dyeing just might win me over, but not in the way people think.  I will never cover the grays on my head to hide the fact that I'm not a kid anymore, but I may strategically dye my hair to emphasize a nice gray streak coming in on my left temple.  That could be fun.

The journey toward downsizing

Some people think I'm crazy, but I see no reason to have a 3000+ sq house (with a basement that is probably 1500 sf) with just my husband and myself.  We bought this house for our kids, to allow them a place to grow and enjoy and feel safe and entertain their friends, and honestly it hasn't even been used to its fullest potential.  Right now is probably the closest it has come to being utilized fully and that is because I have family members staying with me right now... So, our plan is to downsize.

I not only want a smaller home, but I want to put an end to this sub-urban living.  After all, I am a city girl. I grew up in the city, and some of the best homes we have had were in the city... like our Corn Hill apartment in Rochester NY, or our warehouse apartment in New Orleans.  Those places really made us happy, and that is what we are looking for... but I know it is  not going to be easy.

The good news is that house prices in our area are above what we paid for our home and are still rising.    so will will walk away with a little equity money.

The bad news is that we would still like 1800 sq, and I am only seeing 1400 sq tops in the Atlanta area.  We still want to kids to be able to visit and even spend the summer with us for the next few years, and after that, wayyyyyy after that, grandchildren, so we can't go from 3000 sq ft plus basement to 300sq ft plus a storage room.

So much to sort out.

Things I know I want:

• Walking communities
• Live, work, play
• I especially love Atlantic Station (Atlanta), but it is kind of pricy.
• Open floor plans

We can purchase or rent... I don't care, but I think hubby wants to purchase.  I expect this to be a 2 year journey.  Stay tuned.

What are you going to do when the kids are gone?

With my son graduating this year and my daughter graduating next, the end of my years as a homeschool mom are fast approaching.

But people keep asking me "What are you going to do when the kids are gone?".... in a response, I do a little dance.

Aren't you sad, they say... NO I reply.