Welcome to the May 2026 edition of the Ultimate Coffee Date link up Deborah and I host the first Friday of every month. This year sure is moving right along—it’s hard to believe we’re already 1/3 of the way through.
You know how this works—grab the badge, link your post, and comment on the other blogs in the link-up.
Moving Right Along
If we were having coffee, I would tell you my daughter hopes to be moving right along to Florida in June! She and her boyfriend found a house in the Gainesville area and their house in Longmont has gone live on MLS! Fingers crossed everything falls into place—there is so much work to do for a cross-country move.
If we were having coffee, I would tell you about another “life” transition that’s affecting me—our Priest retired a few weeks ago, so our church is searching for a new Rector. I know different religions do it differently, but in the Episcopal Church it is a parish-led process with lots of meetings. 😉
While Search by Michelle Huneven is about a Unitarian Universalist church searching for a new Rector, the general process wasn’t too different—although we have more guidance and assistance from the Diocese of Virginia than the fictionalized UU church seemed to have!
With our priest leaving, our Deacon had to leave too. During her send-off service (not the official name!), one of the exhortation prayers really struck me:
The time has come to release your active role in the ministry of this congregation. Do you now surrender your tasks and ministry to others, trusting in God’s provision for this congregation ….
Of course, the proper answer is Yes, but as a type A control freak, I am going to have a hard time being able to “surrender” my work to others whenever I leave (retire from) my less important job as an attorney. Hopefully when the time comes letting go will be more freeing than stressful and I will trust my colleagues to carry on!
If were having coffee, I would ask if you’ve read any good books lately. After stalling out with The People’s Library (which took me forever to get through), my reading list is finally moving along. These are the books I’ve enjoyed so far this year.
You may have seen Wendy’s mini reviews of many of them.
I did like Yesteryear, but I can’t help but wonder if I would have liked it better if the second half was more integrated with the first rather than being introduced as a fever dream. Maybe I wanted more of a reckoning with reality than I got!
Have you had to let go of a role that was important to you?
![The Ultimate Coffee Date](http://got2run4me.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Ultimate-Coffee-Date.png" "The Ultimate Coffee Date")
Aww, glad that they found a house! Best of luck to them on their move!
I’ll be doing a My Month Is Booked linkup on Monday, so feel free to link up! :] I really liked 3 out of the 5 books I read but they were a little heartbreaking, so if you’re looking for happy, I wouldn’t recommend mine, haha. I heard about Yesteryear recently + it’s on my TBR!
It took me a while to get through The People’s Library too. I really liked the concept but not so much the execution. :/
I saw your review on the People’s Library and agreed with it!
For someone used to being on top of things, handing over control when you retire will be difficult. Things will be done differently. Not necessarily worse, just not your way.
But there’s also something quite powerful in stepping back – it’s proof you were part of something bigger than your own effort.
I’d be surprised if it feels freeing immediately though. More likely a mix of relief, restlessness, and the urge to “just get one more thing done.”
How great that your daughter is moving closer to you! Do your Florida business trips (December, right?) take you anywhere near Gainesville?
I’ve not read any of the books you listed. I’m reading one right now that’s not particularly engaging and need to set it aside and start another one…
Do you have a retirement date scheduled?
I’m not that close, but with my husband retired, it’s on my mind.
All the best with your daughter’s cross-country move! I was last in Gainseville when we were looking at colleges. I am up on retirement age now and, even though I “surrendered” my career job a long time ago, the thought of not working at all seems daunting. Maybe cuz I’m not ready, idk.
Yeah, me too. I’m a workaholic and would need to find something else to do.
Ooh, books! I’ve heard really good things about The Search. I read Lake Effect and loved it. Yesteryear… hmm. I like the premise, but now that you describe the second half as a “fever dream” I’m not so sure about it.
Gainesville is nice, although it’s farther from us than I was hoping (I was envisioning a blogger meetup when you came to visit your daughter!) But I think they’ll like it there.
Oh, don’t let my description scare you off from Yesteryear, I was trying to refer to something without creating any spoilers. 😉
Yeah, Florida is a long state and Gainesville is not close to you.
Well, you beat me to Mad Mabel, so there’s that! :p Glad to hear you liked it! It’s in my TBR. I just have so many books to read right now. Ooops.
Yesteryear was a lot to do a mini-review, as you can imagine. I did find that transition a little jarring, too. But ultimately, what a great story!
I think you’ll like Mad Mabel.
Oh are you helping with the search for a new minister for your church? I think the rabbi process is very involved and they usually stay for a while. I’m currently reading the fury by Alex Michaelides it’s different and good
I am not on the search committee, but there is a lot of parish involvement — meetings and questionnaires. In the meantime we have visiting priests, which is nice to hear fresh sermon styles and perspectives.
How wonderful that your daughter will be moving east!
After the non-profit I was working for merged with a larger chapter last year I’m in what I like to call semi-retirement now – definitely hard to turn over the reins to others…I’m very type A LOL. While I’m not sure I’m ready to stop working yet, I will say that I don’t miss the grind. When the time comes, you may surprise yourself 😉
Yeah, I think when the time comes I will walk away and not look back!
I have Mad Mabel and Meet the Newmans on my TBR. I enjoyed Yesteryear and thought it was cleverly done, but I see your point, too. I read Strangers and that was well written but a tough story – especially because it’s a memoir.
I hope your daughter’s move goes smoothly.
My husband did retirement the right way… never looked back, but I imagine it’s hard in a job in faith or as a partner in a business like you.
My husband retired well too, but there was a process leading up to it. I think that helps.
I can relate to your anxiety (?) about eventually surrendering your reins to someone else. On a different level (as I’m not an attorney with an extensive career), when I walked away from the prom committee, it was with MUCH reservation. I’d been in charge for 10 years, and had molded the routine to one of efficiency & creativity. It was tough to step away, but it was necessary (I even hung around a “bonus” year after our youngest had graduated).
I think that’s a perfect analogy, actually. I guess prom has gone on since you did move on, but maybe not as well. 😉