I just spoke with my boss and it appears my job is not nearly in as much jeopardy as I thought. The suggestion to check local job opportunities was actually made by his boss, but not because my position is threatened. They are still working through some details, mainly administrative stuff (should they take out taxes?), before I can start working again. The thought was instead of leaving me hanging while they worked out the details, perhaps I should look locally. PHEW! I told Rich up front that I would rather continue working on his team, and he agreed that was his preference, too.

Needless to say, I am very relieved. This job is an important outlet for me and I was wrestling with whether I'd be content with being just a mom & homemaker. I'm sure I could have found something else to do (volunteer opportunities abound!), but I'm just as happy to stick with this arrangement.