Movers & Shakers
October 18, 2026
As October rolled in with cooler temps, our 4-month housing search came to an end. Finally, we found a house that checked most of our boxes in a quiet, attractive neighborhood, and everything lined up. We were hoping to get in before the holidays, and now we can.
We’ve scheduled the movers for mid-November, and have started going through our garage and closets to sort, sift, and pack. Time to let more things go and lighten our load. This always makes sense and feels good.
A move, like a change of seasons, is an opportunity to release and reimagine. We carry more than we realize and it begins to feel normal, even as our shoulders droop and our outlook dims. We need fresh air, fresh eyes, and refreshed spaces inside and out. This takes awareness and intention, along with self-care. How can we unload what we have accumulated and give ourselves more love?
Moving requires a tremendous amount of time, energy, and strength. I told Art that we need to continue to exercise, eat well, and get good sleep through all of this so we don’t wear ourselves out (which is inevitable). We also agreed to have fun along the way so it doesn’t feel so hard. Today, before starting work in the garage, I put some beef stew in the crockpot and made some trail mix.
Tomorrow Early Voting starts in Texas, and we will be going to the polls. Day One, get’er done! Election Day falls on the same week that we are scheduled to close on our house, so it will be an intense and exciting time. America is certainly ready for a change of seasons, and I’m seeing lots of movers and shakers working to bring that about.
Here again, we can release the past and reimagine a better future for our country. It’s been a long, hard season and we still have a long way to go. However, we can all agree that it’s time for fresh air (literally and figuratively), fresh eyes, and refreshed space for healing and rebuilding.
We know it’s time for a sea change when school children are being shot and killed, innocent immigrants are being arrested for no reason (and sometimes shot), and an unnecessary war is driving up the cost of everything. It’s safe to say we are on the wrong track and new leadership is crucial. We may feel powerless at times, but we can still vote, and that is the best way to use our voices.
We, too, can be movers and shakers in our own communities. We can move away from fear and distrust and toward compassion, generosity, and kindness. This has a ripple effect and moves the needle on a larger scale. Giving ourselves nourishment, exercise, rest, and fun ensures that we will have the energy and strength to do the work that is before us.
The next time I write this blog, we will be in our new home and the election will be over. I remember from past moves that it always takes longer than expected, that we always have more stuff than we thought, and that it feels great to be in a fresh, new space. This seems to be true for our country as well. We can turn the page and start a new chapter.
As we each continue to write our own story, may we never lose hope or courage. May we know that a larger story is unfolding and we are helping to write it. We do this by keeping on, day after day, with gratitude, good humor, and grace.
Some days there seems to be little reason for hope, in our families, cities, and world. Well, except for almost everything. The seasons change, a bone mends, Santa Rosa rebuilds after the fire. In the days after a cataclysmic school shooting, thousands of students took to the streets and the public squares. They got us back up on our feet and changed the world. Still, we hold our breath. In times of rational and primitive fear, hope has to do push-ups in the parking lot to stay pumped–and it does.
-Anne Lamott, Almost Everything
Rise & Rock On,
ej
Elisa J. Juarez
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