After a four and a half year hiatus, I have decided to start blogging again.
What brought about this change?
To put it simply, I miss it. I enjoy writing, I like the power of words, and a blog gives me an outlet to write. As I'm not sure that anyone actually will ever read this, it is mainly for me.
Also, I got a new laptop. I've been using my iPad and my smart phone for years now as my primary access point to the internet. I'm on a computer all day at work, so I didn't really feel much of a need to have a computer at home; however, there are some things that a tablet just doesn't do well. And anything that involves large amounts of typing is one of those. Husband and I decided that it was time to take the plunge and purchase a family laptop. And by "family laptop," I mean a laptop for me, since Husband has his work laptop that travels back and forth to work every day.
I haven't fully thought out my plans for my reentry to the blogging world. I know I want to continue to write about my knitting, with such fun days as "WIP Wednesday" and "FO Friday," and I'm certain that I'll review books I've read, and my other current plan is to start to chronical my journey towards my AAP Certification (more on that in a later post), mainly hoping that it will help hold me accountable to a study schedule as I prepare for the test in October. I'm sure there will be a story or two about my toddler (recently turned three) and my life in small town Wisconsin. I'm sure there will be more as I go along.
Showing posts with label life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label life. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 8, 2017
Friday, July 13, 2012
Yes, I Can!
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| Rainier cherries, all year long, or while supplies last. |
But this year, I decided to change all that. I decided to stock up and can the cherries. Last year, I canned peaches, pears, and homemade salsa, all with good results (which reminds me, I need to pick up some peaches and can those, too), so I was reasonably sure that I could handle cherries as well.
I didn't go overboard at the store, I bought about 5 or 6 pounds of Rainier cherries (and ate a fair amount of those). I opted to can whole cherries, with the pits, for two reasons, 1, I plan on eating them whole anyways, and spitting out the pit is no big deal, and mostly, 2, I'm lazy and didn't want to pit 5 ponds of cherries.
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| Ready to be canned! |
Once it was all ready, I packed the cans with cherries and syrup, processed them and let them cool. I ended up with ten pint jars of cherries, and I figured there are 25-30 cherries in each jar, so I canned somewhere between 250 and 300 cherries. That should be enough to last me at least a couple months.
Posted with BlogsySaturday, April 14, 2012
Massive Writer's Block
It’s been awhile on here, but to be completely honest, I’ve suffered from a bit of a writer’s block. And by a bit of a writer’s block, I clearly mean one that could encompass the state of Texas in its shadow. Lots has been going on, but nothing to write about. There have been several times that I’ve set down, determined to write a post, only to discover that there was nothing going on in my head but a tumbleweed blowing around, putting words on paper (or in my case, on a laptop screen) seemed to be an impossible task.
But, I figured, the only way to move past this was to sit down and actually write something, anything. Actually get words onto the paper (or screen). So here I am, staring at the screen, waiting for words to come to me, and I’ve got nothing. Zip, zilch, nada. So we’re just going to go with some general life updates and hope that the writing muse comes back to me.
Life at the bank is still going pretty good. I’ve now passed the 90 days of work mark, which means not only to I now get PTO, but I also am able to sign money orders and sell prepaid gift cards. Now there’s a reason to get out of bed in the morning. As time passes, I’m feeling more and more at home with my co-workers. It just takes a while for me to warm up to new people. And every day I feel more and more like maybe I might know what I’m doing (which is usually followed by a moment where I do something so unbelievably stupid that I feel like a complete and total moron). Overall, I’m feeling much more comfortable, and it seems much less likely that I’ll search too terribly hard for a teaching job come fall. I’m content to have a job to fill somewhere between 30 and 40 hours per week, supply Husband and I with decent benefits, and leave me with free time to do things I like to do (you know, like write blog entries).
Most of my free time lately has been absorbed by my latest toy, Husband finally gave in and let me get an iPad. Since its arrival at the house, I’ve spent lots and lots of time getting it set up, learning how to use it, and finding apps to make my life easier (or just apps that do cool stuff). I have found some apps that quickly became indispensable in my life, but that’s most likely a whole separate post (yay, stuff to write about!).
I’m also planning out a garden for this spring. The spot Husband and I have picked out for it was rather low lying, so I think we’re going to put a little extra effort into it and build a raised garden. After my excellent experiences with canning last fall, I’m excited to grow my own stuff to can for next fall. Especially the ingredients for salsa, that turned out super yummy! I’ll also be either digging in or building a flower bed for some lilies in front of our fence, but that should be easy enough to do. I also took a little time to read the Hunger Games trilogy. Despite no longer being a teacher, I haven’t lost my fascination with literature geared toward young adults, just my primary excuse to read it (however, one of the beautiful things about a Kindle, or other e-reader, is that no one has any idea what you’re reading).
Despite being enamored with the iPad, I have, of course made at least a little time for knitting. I have discovered that I’m deeply unhappy with the current socks I’m working on. I intend to frog them, but somehow just haven’t gotten around to it. I’m waiting for inspiration to strike on what socks I’m going to make next, so for the moment, they are just sitting on the needles, waiting. I finally finished the Sheetcote pullover and cast on for the February Lady sweater, which was a personal victory, because I bought the yarn for it a long time ago and it’s been on my Ravelry queue for even longer than that. I’m extremely pleased with how the Sheepcote pullover ended up, and somewhere between pleased and annoyed that it turned out I could have made it at least one size smaller.
Speaking of one size smaller, my new year’s quest to become healthier was going great, but I’ve hit a bit of a stumbling block as of late. I had been consistently making it to the gym, at least three times a week, and doing yoga at home on a less consistent basis. I managed to drop almost 20 pounds and about 2 inches, but then hit a wall. I wasn’t feeling the greatest for a couple of days, compounded with an increased number of evenings where I’m scheduled at work until later, and my gym attendance dropped. I’ve made a promise to myself to get back into the habit of going, however. I’ve just got to grit my teeth and get through it on the days I don’t feel like going and adjust to going later in the evening on days when I work later. I’ve just got to renew my commitment to a healthier lifestyle and stick to it.
That’s pretty much the highlights of what’s going on now. Let’s hope I also get over this writer’s block and back into the habit of regular posts.
But, I figured, the only way to move past this was to sit down and actually write something, anything. Actually get words onto the paper (or screen). So here I am, staring at the screen, waiting for words to come to me, and I’ve got nothing. Zip, zilch, nada. So we’re just going to go with some general life updates and hope that the writing muse comes back to me.
Life at the bank is still going pretty good. I’ve now passed the 90 days of work mark, which means not only to I now get PTO, but I also am able to sign money orders and sell prepaid gift cards. Now there’s a reason to get out of bed in the morning. As time passes, I’m feeling more and more at home with my co-workers. It just takes a while for me to warm up to new people. And every day I feel more and more like maybe I might know what I’m doing (which is usually followed by a moment where I do something so unbelievably stupid that I feel like a complete and total moron). Overall, I’m feeling much more comfortable, and it seems much less likely that I’ll search too terribly hard for a teaching job come fall. I’m content to have a job to fill somewhere between 30 and 40 hours per week, supply Husband and I with decent benefits, and leave me with free time to do things I like to do (you know, like write blog entries).
Most of my free time lately has been absorbed by my latest toy, Husband finally gave in and let me get an iPad. Since its arrival at the house, I’ve spent lots and lots of time getting it set up, learning how to use it, and finding apps to make my life easier (or just apps that do cool stuff). I have found some apps that quickly became indispensable in my life, but that’s most likely a whole separate post (yay, stuff to write about!).
I’m also planning out a garden for this spring. The spot Husband and I have picked out for it was rather low lying, so I think we’re going to put a little extra effort into it and build a raised garden. After my excellent experiences with canning last fall, I’m excited to grow my own stuff to can for next fall. Especially the ingredients for salsa, that turned out super yummy! I’ll also be either digging in or building a flower bed for some lilies in front of our fence, but that should be easy enough to do. I also took a little time to read the Hunger Games trilogy. Despite no longer being a teacher, I haven’t lost my fascination with literature geared toward young adults, just my primary excuse to read it (however, one of the beautiful things about a Kindle, or other e-reader, is that no one has any idea what you’re reading).
Despite being enamored with the iPad, I have, of course made at least a little time for knitting. I have discovered that I’m deeply unhappy with the current socks I’m working on. I intend to frog them, but somehow just haven’t gotten around to it. I’m waiting for inspiration to strike on what socks I’m going to make next, so for the moment, they are just sitting on the needles, waiting. I finally finished the Sheetcote pullover and cast on for the February Lady sweater, which was a personal victory, because I bought the yarn for it a long time ago and it’s been on my Ravelry queue for even longer than that. I’m extremely pleased with how the Sheepcote pullover ended up, and somewhere between pleased and annoyed that it turned out I could have made it at least one size smaller.
Speaking of one size smaller, my new year’s quest to become healthier was going great, but I’ve hit a bit of a stumbling block as of late. I had been consistently making it to the gym, at least three times a week, and doing yoga at home on a less consistent basis. I managed to drop almost 20 pounds and about 2 inches, but then hit a wall. I wasn’t feeling the greatest for a couple of days, compounded with an increased number of evenings where I’m scheduled at work until later, and my gym attendance dropped. I’ve made a promise to myself to get back into the habit of going, however. I’ve just got to grit my teeth and get through it on the days I don’t feel like going and adjust to going later in the evening on days when I work later. I’ve just got to renew my commitment to a healthier lifestyle and stick to it.
That’s pretty much the highlights of what’s going on now. Let’s hope I also get over this writer’s block and back into the habit of regular posts.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
In Loving Memory of Sirius J. Cat
Eight years ago, Husband (well, fiancée at the time) and I had just graduated from college (the first time, for me, the only time for Husband), we were planning a wedding for the upcoming July, and had just moved into the house we were renting (living together for the first time). Knowing that our house would be lonely with only two human companions, we decided that we needed some cats to help keep us entertained. We took a trip down the our local cat shelter to check out the available kittens.
Now, I’m not sure if you know much about cats, but January in Wisconsin is not prime kitten season. We lucked out and found an adorable six month old grey kitten with a white belly and four white paws. She was sharing a cage with a black, long haired adult cat. Husband had already made it clear that he didn’t want a black cat, and I was insistent on getting kittens, so despite the friendly nature of the black cat, we didn’t pay him much mind. We found a different kitten in another cage, but it was little and sickly (truthfully, I don’t remember much about that particular kitten). Originally, we planned on the grey kitten and the sickly kitten but the shelter felt that the latter was too sick to be adopted (though, I’m quite certain things would have turned out better for the kitten had they let us take it, the shelter was not the nicest, we have a much nicer one now). Instead, they suggested the older cat that was sharing a cage (kennel?) with the grey kitten.
Long story short. The grey kitten became Lily and the black cat became Sirius. I don’t think we ever regretted getting Sirius instead of a kitten, he was one of the best cats ever. There was nothing he loved more than to sit on a lap and be petted, except maybe cuddling with Lily. He was affectionate (sometimes) to the point of annoying.
About a year ago, we noticed some changes in Sirius. He lost a lot of weight, we had some problems with him urinating outside of the litter boxes. Taking him into the vet, we discovered he was only at 20% kidney function. Though we could have opted for a $25,000 kidney transplant for him, we decided to switch him to a special food. The vet assured us that his condition wasn’t painful, he gained a little weight, and seemed to be happy.
Over the past few weeks, we noticed that the symptoms were returning. He was dropping weight again, he was always on top of the heat vent, or curled up on his fuzzy black blanket, we could tell he just didn’t feel good.
The day after Christmas we returned from the Packer game in Green Bay, to find Sirius absolutely miserable. He wasn’t eating, wasn’t drinking, and was barely moving around. We immediately got him into see the vet, and she confirmed our fears, his kidneys weren’t functioning at all and he was suffering from the toxins that were built up in his system. There really wasn’t much we could do for him at that point
.
So, in the middle of the holiday season, Husband and I found ourselves in the vet’s office, petting our beloved cat as he fell asleep for the final time. It was heartbreaking, but at the same time comforting to know that during his final moments Sirius was curled up on his fuzzy black blanket, being petting by his human parents, and he was purring.
There is definitely a Sirius shaped hole in our lives, but we know we gave him a good life for almost eight years. Rest in peace, buddy, we miss you already.
Now, I’m not sure if you know much about cats, but January in Wisconsin is not prime kitten season. We lucked out and found an adorable six month old grey kitten with a white belly and four white paws. She was sharing a cage with a black, long haired adult cat. Husband had already made it clear that he didn’t want a black cat, and I was insistent on getting kittens, so despite the friendly nature of the black cat, we didn’t pay him much mind. We found a different kitten in another cage, but it was little and sickly (truthfully, I don’t remember much about that particular kitten). Originally, we planned on the grey kitten and the sickly kitten but the shelter felt that the latter was too sick to be adopted (though, I’m quite certain things would have turned out better for the kitten had they let us take it, the shelter was not the nicest, we have a much nicer one now). Instead, they suggested the older cat that was sharing a cage (kennel?) with the grey kitten. Long story short. The grey kitten became Lily and the black cat became Sirius. I don’t think we ever regretted getting Sirius instead of a kitten, he was one of the best cats ever. There was nothing he loved more than to sit on a lap and be petted, except maybe cuddling with Lily. He was affectionate (sometimes) to the point of annoying.
About a year ago, we noticed some changes in Sirius. He lost a lot of weight, we had some problems with him urinating outside of the litter boxes. Taking him into the vet, we discovered he was only at 20% kidney function. Though we could have opted for a $25,000 kidney transplant for him, we decided to switch him to a special food. The vet assured us that his condition wasn’t painful, he gained a little weight, and seemed to be happy.
Over the past few weeks, we noticed that the symptoms were returning. He was dropping weight again, he was always on top of the heat vent, or curled up on his fuzzy black blanket, we could tell he just didn’t feel good.The day after Christmas we returned from the Packer game in Green Bay, to find Sirius absolutely miserable. He wasn’t eating, wasn’t drinking, and was barely moving around. We immediately got him into see the vet, and she confirmed our fears, his kidneys weren’t functioning at all and he was suffering from the toxins that were built up in his system. There really wasn’t much we could do for him at that point
.
So, in the middle of the holiday season, Husband and I found ourselves in the vet’s office, petting our beloved cat as he fell asleep for the final time. It was heartbreaking, but at the same time comforting to know that during his final moments Sirius was curled up on his fuzzy black blanket, being petting by his human parents, and he was purring.
Monday, January 2, 2012
So You Want a Resolution
Every year, I struggle with the idea of resolutions. I feel it is good to keep on improving yourself, and setting goals gives you a target to shoot for. On the other hand, New Year's resolutions seem to be setting yourself up for disappointment, they almost always seem to fail. But knowing this, I still dive into every new year with a hopeful attitude and a list of changes I need to make. As I start on this path, my current plan is to continue to keep updates on here, hoping that writing about the process will keep me on a better path.
So, here is what I'm aiming for in 2012:
So, here is what I'm aiming for in 2012:
- Eat at least 2 fruits and/or vegetables per day at least 5 days a week (yes, this goal is sadly below the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables in your diet, but I've got to start somewhere).
- Drink 64 ounces of water per day
- Cook with actual ingredients (I'm actual pretty good at this one, but I can always be better), avoiding processed foods and increasing whole grains.
- Get more active with 30 minutes of cardio, 3 times per week, and 10 minutes of activity the other 4 days (if this sticks, I'll be adding some sort of strength training, but let's start slow).
- Read more, rotating between non-fiction and fiction, review the books, and post the reviews.
- Write more, both on here, and the other stuff I'm working on.
- Knit using the yarn I have in my stash, crossing some of the projects off of my queue that have been there a long time (February Lady Sweater, I'm looking at you).
- Continue attending church on a (mostly) weekly basis.
Out With the Old, In With the New
Of course, Sunday marked the beginning of 2012. Husband and I rang it in with true "over thirty" style. We joined two other couples, one with children (ages 3 and 11 months), and another friend. We actually ended up deciding to celebrate the ball dropping in New York and heading home before midnight actually arrived in Wisconsin. Despite Ian (the 3 year old) kicking a glass of red wine out of my hand which spilled all over my pants, it was an enjoyable evening.
Sunday brought the last of our Christmas celebration, unless you count theChristmas party Awards Banquet at husband's work (but that has now been moved to April to make it less Christmasy) which was my dad's family. Somehow that particular branch of the family managed to ignore the fact that they scheduled dinner during the last regular season Packer game, giving Husband and I the options of crowding into my aunt's family room to watch her minuscule tv, or huddle over his phone and watch the play by play courtesy of G3 and Yahoo Sports. We went with option B, but did manage to make it home for the last half of the final quarter. Thankfully, it wasn't an important game, but I was still bummed to miss Flynn's amazing performance (and most likely the last time we will see him play as a Packer).
Today was another fairly quiet day. I got my hairs cut and enjoyed lunch with Husband and some family. Then husband and I spent some time putting away the Christmas decorations (I know, technically it is too early to put them away...but tell that to Husband). Then we enjoyed some delicious chili, grilled cheese, and attempted to enjoy the Rose Bowl (sadly, that ended with a Badger loss).
I've also joined the Words with Friends craze over the weekend. It may have become one of my new favorite ways to waste time and spent some time thinking about resolutions for the New Year, which will be another post coming soon!
Sunday brought the last of our Christmas celebration, unless you count the
Today was another fairly quiet day. I got my hairs cut and enjoyed lunch with Husband and some family. Then husband and I spent some time putting away the Christmas decorations (I know, technically it is too early to put them away...but tell that to Husband). Then we enjoyed some delicious chili, grilled cheese, and attempted to enjoy the Rose Bowl (sadly, that ended with a Badger loss).
I've also joined the Words with Friends craze over the weekend. It may have become one of my new favorite ways to waste time and spent some time thinking about resolutions for the New Year, which will be another post coming soon!
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Back to Work
Way back when, in late September, I received a bit of a crushing blow, career-wise. My longtime goal of being a teacher wasn't going to work out, at least not a this point. I didn't want to talk about then and still don't. But I will provide a bit of an update what I've been up to.
The first month or so were pretty tough on me. A lot of soul searching, and trying to figure out what it was I really wanted out of my life, a lot of fretting about getting older (turned 30 last week) and a lot of applying for jobs that, well, frankly, I wasn't sure if I actually wanted to get or not.
A conversation with my sister offered an interesting theory. I'm not the sort of person who is defined by their career. I'm a wife, daughter, sister, aunt, friend, along with being a knitter, reader, and aspiring writing. I want to spend summers growing things in a garden and fall canning homemade food.
There are few things I love more than curling up on my couch with my pets, a ball of wool, and two sticks. Maybe a career isn't what I need right now, maybe I just need a job.
There was a teller position open at one of the local banks in my hometown, I applied, interviewed, was hired, and started last Monday. It is full time, good hours, with some pretty good perks.
Is it a forever job?
I honestly don't know.
Is it a right now job?
You bet.
I'll be working between 30 to 39 hours a week, mainly Monday to Friday, eight to six with a hour for lunch. Sure, I'll have to work the occasional Saturday, but it works out to about one a month. The pay is not the greatest, and I'll supplement with extra hours at the grocery store, (okay, with grocery hours, it'll work out to every other weekend). There seem to be oppertunities for advancement within the bank. And, one of the main things I like right now, I can leave work at work. I'm not devoting my hours at home to my job. I can come home, have dinner with the husband, and spend the evening doing activities of my choosing. It should work out just fine for the foreseeable future, maybe longer.
Things are still new right now, I'm not entirely sure what my typical schedule will look like. I'm expecting things to settle down a bit more after the holiday season, and am looking forward to getting into a bit of a routine in January.
The first month or so were pretty tough on me. A lot of soul searching, and trying to figure out what it was I really wanted out of my life, a lot of fretting about getting older (turned 30 last week) and a lot of applying for jobs that, well, frankly, I wasn't sure if I actually wanted to get or not.
A conversation with my sister offered an interesting theory. I'm not the sort of person who is defined by their career. I'm a wife, daughter, sister, aunt, friend, along with being a knitter, reader, and aspiring writing. I want to spend summers growing things in a garden and fall canning homemade food.
There are few things I love more than curling up on my couch with my pets, a ball of wool, and two sticks. Maybe a career isn't what I need right now, maybe I just need a job.
There was a teller position open at one of the local banks in my hometown, I applied, interviewed, was hired, and started last Monday. It is full time, good hours, with some pretty good perks.
Is it a forever job?
I honestly don't know.
Is it a right now job?
You bet.
I'll be working between 30 to 39 hours a week, mainly Monday to Friday, eight to six with a hour for lunch. Sure, I'll have to work the occasional Saturday, but it works out to about one a month. The pay is not the greatest, and I'll supplement with extra hours at the grocery store, (okay, with grocery hours, it'll work out to every other weekend). There seem to be oppertunities for advancement within the bank. And, one of the main things I like right now, I can leave work at work. I'm not devoting my hours at home to my job. I can come home, have dinner with the husband, and spend the evening doing activities of my choosing. It should work out just fine for the foreseeable future, maybe longer.
Things are still new right now, I'm not entirely sure what my typical schedule will look like. I'm expecting things to settle down a bit more after the holiday season, and am looking forward to getting into a bit of a routine in January.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Maybe This Time It'll Stick
I'll admit it, I'm not an organized person.
Now, as many people I know, including but not limited to my husband, my college roommate, my parents, and my in-laws, are all laughing hysterically and nominating me for the "Understatement of the Year Award," let me continue.
I'm not an organized person, but on occasion I put effort into becoming one. In my head is a picture of myself idealized. That person that looks perfect every day, has an immaculately clean house, plans healthy tasty dinners every night, goes to the gym at least three times a week, and on and on and on.
But the real me has a messy house, is sitting on her couch in jeans and a Doctor Who t-shirt, is not wearing make-up, and is unsure whether or not she brushed her hair today. She's the same person that fed her husband Hamburger Helper for dinner last night, and will be feeding him fast food tonight. She also watches way too much TV, starts things that she never finishes, and has the sense of humor of the average fourteen year old boy.
I'm not entirely certain that the real me would even like the idealized me. But that doesn't stop me from from trying.
Recently, I decided to start using coupons. Not in the Extreme Couponing sense, (I work in a grocery store, extreme couponers seem to be a giant pain to me) but in the saving-a-couple-of-bucks-a-week-might-add-up sense. With the best of intentions, I flipped through the Sunday paper and clipped the coupons, filed them in a little box.
And promptly forgot about them.
Not to be put off, I decided to keep a coupon database to help me keep track of the coupons. I marvelled at my own brilliance. No more digging through the box thinking, "I could have sworn I had a coupon for sugar in here." So I diligently entered in the coupons, categorizing each one, checking expiration dates, amounts, and the fine print.
And promptly forgot about them.
Today, I went to enter more coupons into the data base, (about three week's worth--don't judge) and discovered that almost every coupon entered in there had expired. Sigh.
But, I'm going to try again. My babystep organization goal is to plan out menus, make lists, and grocery shop only once per week (even though this seems pointless now that I'm back at the grocery store and will be there several times a week). Hopefully, when I go to make my list, I will think to pull up the database and look for the coupons I actually will use.
Eventually, somethings gotta stick, right?
Now, as many people I know, including but not limited to my husband, my college roommate, my parents, and my in-laws, are all laughing hysterically and nominating me for the "Understatement of the Year Award," let me continue.
I'm not an organized person, but on occasion I put effort into becoming one. In my head is a picture of myself idealized. That person that looks perfect every day, has an immaculately clean house, plans healthy tasty dinners every night, goes to the gym at least three times a week, and on and on and on.
But the real me has a messy house, is sitting on her couch in jeans and a Doctor Who t-shirt, is not wearing make-up, and is unsure whether or not she brushed her hair today. She's the same person that fed her husband Hamburger Helper for dinner last night, and will be feeding him fast food tonight. She also watches way too much TV, starts things that she never finishes, and has the sense of humor of the average fourteen year old boy.
I'm not entirely certain that the real me would even like the idealized me. But that doesn't stop me from from trying.
Recently, I decided to start using coupons. Not in the Extreme Couponing sense, (I work in a grocery store, extreme couponers seem to be a giant pain to me) but in the saving-a-couple-of-bucks-a-week-might-add-up sense. With the best of intentions, I flipped through the Sunday paper and clipped the coupons, filed them in a little box.
And promptly forgot about them.
Not to be put off, I decided to keep a coupon database to help me keep track of the coupons. I marvelled at my own brilliance. No more digging through the box thinking, "I could have sworn I had a coupon for sugar in here." So I diligently entered in the coupons, categorizing each one, checking expiration dates, amounts, and the fine print.
And promptly forgot about them.
Today, I went to enter more coupons into the data base, (about three week's worth--don't judge) and discovered that almost every coupon entered in there had expired. Sigh.
But, I'm going to try again. My babystep organization goal is to plan out menus, make lists, and grocery shop only once per week (even though this seems pointless now that I'm back at the grocery store and will be there several times a week). Hopefully, when I go to make my list, I will think to pull up the database and look for the coupons I actually will use.
Eventually, somethings gotta stick, right?
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Dear Old Dad
Recently, very recently, I have again found myself without a job*. I spent a lot of time preparing to be a teacher, securing a teaching job, and three weeks into said teaching job, it wasn't working out. I'm not going into details about it, what is done is done. Needless to say this has been an emotional time for me. Now I'm not sure where I want to go, what I want to do, or anything else. I'll be back at the grocery store trying to get my head properly aligned with the rest of my body for the time being.
Probably one of the hardest things about the whole thing was telling my parents. They've put a lot of faith and support in me, and I can't help but feel that they must be terribly disappointed in me. Bless their hearts, they didn't show it. And of course, have offered nothing but more support but it was hard to do.
Truthfully, my dad's reaction got me thinking. He didn't get emotional, didn't really ask questions. I think his reply was something along the lines of, "Well that's too bad, would you like a beer?" And we drank a beer and talked about football. That's my dad for you, he doesn't let things get him worked up, at least on the outside.
Perhaps this is more of the approach I should take on. In many ways, I try not to show emotion. I'm not good at it, so I tend to avoid emotional situations, and make inappropriate comments at inappropriate times. However, I do tend to dwell on things, which probably isn't the best way of dealing.
In reality, it can't be healthy to sit on the couch, watching Sportscenter (a new favorite of mine, I've discovered the joys of not just professional sports, but professional sports coverage, which bodes well for my general productivity), and wonder what went wrong. That's not going to change things, and it's not going to help shape the future. I have to get off the couch, turn off the TV and do something. Then again, I'm getting paid to do nothing this week, maybe next week is the week to start.
In no way, is this to say that I didn't appreciate my mother's reaction and support. She's the type of woman who will sit and cry with you, bring you lunch (and a chocolate coconut muffin), make all your favorite foods and take you to see the latest Brad Pitt movie. All of which was needed at that time. In reality I needed both her sympathy and my father's bluntness.
At any rate, it is what it is, it sucks, and it's done. Time to have a beer, take a shower, and ask myself what's next?
Thanks, dad.
*In all honesty, I'm not really without a job. I'm using paid time off for this week, and my first shift at the grocery store is bright and early Sunday morning.
Probably one of the hardest things about the whole thing was telling my parents. They've put a lot of faith and support in me, and I can't help but feel that they must be terribly disappointed in me. Bless their hearts, they didn't show it. And of course, have offered nothing but more support but it was hard to do.
Truthfully, my dad's reaction got me thinking. He didn't get emotional, didn't really ask questions. I think his reply was something along the lines of, "Well that's too bad, would you like a beer?" And we drank a beer and talked about football. That's my dad for you, he doesn't let things get him worked up, at least on the outside.
Perhaps this is more of the approach I should take on. In many ways, I try not to show emotion. I'm not good at it, so I tend to avoid emotional situations, and make inappropriate comments at inappropriate times. However, I do tend to dwell on things, which probably isn't the best way of dealing.
In reality, it can't be healthy to sit on the couch, watching Sportscenter (a new favorite of mine, I've discovered the joys of not just professional sports, but professional sports coverage, which bodes well for my general productivity), and wonder what went wrong. That's not going to change things, and it's not going to help shape the future. I have to get off the couch, turn off the TV and do something. Then again, I'm getting paid to do nothing this week, maybe next week is the week to start.
In no way, is this to say that I didn't appreciate my mother's reaction and support. She's the type of woman who will sit and cry with you, bring you lunch (and a chocolate coconut muffin), make all your favorite foods and take you to see the latest Brad Pitt movie. All of which was needed at that time. In reality I needed both her sympathy and my father's bluntness.
At any rate, it is what it is, it sucks, and it's done. Time to have a beer, take a shower, and ask myself what's next?
Thanks, dad.
*In all honesty, I'm not really without a job. I'm using paid time off for this week, and my first shift at the grocery store is bright and early Sunday morning.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Blog Renovations
I started this blog with the best intentions and I still have the best of intentions about it. I mean to blog, I plan on blogging, and then I get distracted by something else. Knitting, reading, television, you know, life.
So, after a long hiatus, I've decided to give the blogging thing another go. And while turning over a new leaf, I figured I'd revamp the blog.
Starting with a new name, The Fifth Step was a great name, while the blog was primarily about my teaching experiences. But, lets face it, the blog isn't about my teaching experiences, so I thought about adopting something more knitting related. But the more I thought about it, the more I decided that I didn't want to paint myself into a corner with the blog title, so I figured Mental Scribbles has a nice ring to it. After all, this blog is a place for my mind to express itself (plus I like the doodles on the background).
Then I worked with some design elements, and found a look that I was happy with, for now. I'd also like to set a goal for a minimum number of entries. Currently, I'm shooting for at least on entry a week. So, we'll see how that goes. In addition to knitting updates, I'm planning on posting about the books I'm reading, my teaching experiences, and the life events of an almost thirty year old girl from Wisconsin.
So, here we go again.
So, after a long hiatus, I've decided to give the blogging thing another go. And while turning over a new leaf, I figured I'd revamp the blog.
Starting with a new name, The Fifth Step was a great name, while the blog was primarily about my teaching experiences. But, lets face it, the blog isn't about my teaching experiences, so I thought about adopting something more knitting related. But the more I thought about it, the more I decided that I didn't want to paint myself into a corner with the blog title, so I figured Mental Scribbles has a nice ring to it. After all, this blog is a place for my mind to express itself (plus I like the doodles on the background).
Then I worked with some design elements, and found a look that I was happy with, for now. I'd also like to set a goal for a minimum number of entries. Currently, I'm shooting for at least on entry a week. So, we'll see how that goes. In addition to knitting updates, I'm planning on posting about the books I'm reading, my teaching experiences, and the life events of an almost thirty year old girl from Wisconsin.
So, here we go again.
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