Big Decision To Make

 Not a lot of knitting or sewing got done this week.  In fact, productivity was down all around.  I've been preoccupied with a big decision to make.  My place of employment is going to offer an early retirement package.   I have been at the same company for over 31 years.  I started there while in college, working as an intern.  I spent 18 years on the revenue generating side of the company and now work on the support side in the corporate IT group.  

The package may amount to a substantial sum of money, but it won't be enough to truly retire.  If I took the package, I would have to roll everything over to a tax-deferred account and find another job. I would love to go into a life of leisure, but that has to wait another 10-15 years.  Maybe.

When considering the package, I keep coming back to the thought that the timing feels right.  Over the past year or two I haven't been entirely happy with my job anymore.  I don't enjoy what I do anymore and I don't feel as if my contributions are valued.  If I stay at work I run the risk of getting laid off anyway. It is no secret that if the company doesn't get the number they want through voluntary departures they will implement involuntary actions.  Or, if I stay and not get involuntary terminated, I will be assigned to a project that I don't want to work on.

The answer seems pretty clear.  The only remaining question is finding another job.  People tell me that I could be successful as a consultant.  Being a consultant, however, may involve travelling away from home during the week.  Now that my children are older, I don't need to be at home so much.  The girls are in college and Blake will be heading out in a year.

Stay tuned for further developments.  My decision will be made by mid-August.

But before then, I am enjoying the last few days of having all of my children home.  Both girls will be moving during the second week of August into their apartments for the next school year.  Before they go, I'm enjoying as much family time as possible.   Last night we went for ice cream to a shoppe we hadn't visited in several years.  We got to see an incredible sunset while we waited in line.

This morning I decided to make a treat for breakfast.  This is a berry puff pancake.  This is an adaptation of this recipe.  I substituted vanilla for the lemon zest, added strawberries and blackberries and made it all in a flan dish since I don't have a cast iron skillet.  I melted the butter in the dish as it heated in the oven.  Once the butter was melted and the oven was preheated, I brushed the dish with melted butter and poured in the batter.  I scattered the berries around and popped it in the oven.  After 20 minutes it came out looking like a dream.

Kristin agreed that it was delicious.  The recipe is adaptable.  We may try it next time with some fresh peaches.  Yum!