Decisions, Decisions.....

It's like these mass updates keep occurring :) but don't worry, I promise there are some fun things also.

I guess major announcement #1 is that Tall D and housemate G are still living in the house so far, albeit they're paying rent on their apartment also. The main reason behind this is that Tall D and I have been trying to figure out where we currently stand, because last week a prior decision was reversed for the time being, honest communication ensued, and hopes for a future (either together or apart) were shared. There have been major conversations since then and lots of time spent shared together---but we're still no where closer to a decision on which of three main paths to walk down. There's still much to work through..... and if I'm being authentic...then honestly I feel like I'm avoiding listening to my heart AND to my head. Avoidance isn't usually my subscription to life, but no one wants to be the one to make a final decision.

All this ties into announcement #2 which is that plans for the summer are on a stand-by. I've been looking forward to a summer of simple pleasures--river floats, hiking, gardening & yard work, travels, happy hours, etc, interspersed with my summer work schedule. While I recognize that all these things are still viable options, I'm not sure how readily they'll still pan out the way I'd envisioned. (Envisioning!!) Additionally Tall D's and my indecision places Z and Tall D's new apartment mates G and J in limbo as well.....

Ha--now add onto all this the end of the term that both Tall D and I are working through. Tall D's trying to bring his grades back toward his 4.0 status and I'm trying to finalize my students grades and prep for summer term. It's looking like I'll maintain in my other position until a new hire can be brought on, which extends my original contract into mid July. Great for the paycheck and my extra responsibility of bills (cell phone plans have already been broken up, half the utilities transferred to my name only, and did you know that car insurance goes up when you're separated?!), but I'm really just ready for some sort of a break this summer. But then again who isn't?!

And all of this leads directly into announcement #3: I've been asked by my supervisor to apply for a fairly big position within my campus...and per the usual I have mixed feelings about applying for it. I honestly don't even know that I could land the job because it's several steps above where I am now, but the recommendation from my supervisor would go far and the other campus administrators have all been impressed with the work I've done in my position this year. I meet many of the qualifications of the position, but I can also guarantee that they'd hope to get someone with more experience than what I have...and it's another position where I feel the fact that I'm only going to be 30 would be unnerving for some. I know I have the ability to do the job but it's also full-time, potentially high-stress, and I would have to give up most of my teaching.

Thus, in life currently, there are many DECISIONS, DECISIONS.

Now I promised some awesomes and I won't fail to deliver....although if you know me on Facebook, you've already seen many of these:

1) This lil' critter I found alive (albeit traumatized) hidden in my closet this week. Looks like Major lost one, but thankfully the bird was rescued and released (mainly) no worse for the wear.

2) I'd been pining for this awesome elephant mug from Starbucks for the last week or two. After sharing that bit of intel with Tall D, he hunted one down and had it in the cupboard to surprise me. Definitely has been making me happy as I sip my morning coffee.

3) My new passport arrived. The irony of life is that it arrived the same day that Tall D sat me down for our change-in-direction conversation. Whether or not it'll get used this summer as originally planned, I honestly can't believe how fast it came and it's still nice to have it available.

4) My buddies Z and B helped my aunt, uncle, cousin, and I rip out my aunt & uncle's old deck on Sunday. In one long day of fun work we got the whole thing removed, enjoyed lots of jokes, indulged in some great lemon drops, and ended the night with an impromptu dance party in their living room. FUN DAY! (Plus some of the wood from the deck is transporting to my place for chicken coop construction.)

5) Last Saturday I did my first organized running event: The Starlight Run which leads off the Starlight Parade. Tall D probably won't be very happy I'm including him in a picture on the blog, but I wanted to document so here we go. He, myself, and one of his college buddies ran the 5k together through downtown PDX. Costumes are encouraged, hence the ram's hat on his head. The run was a ton of fun and we even saw B and B's dog in the crowd! I've been getting a few other 5k runs in during the last week and with the help of Tall D's and my friend who is deployed, I plan to start training for a half. Woot woot---NEW GOALS! :)

So amidst chaos, enjoy the awesomes! How have y'all been?

A Life Update: Bittersweet

How does one update a month that has been so full of decisions and upcoming changes? Well, I'm taking the easy way out....I'm gonna use bullets. ;)

--I spent the most amazing, restoring, and refreshing vacation I've had in years in San Antonio over a long weekend mid-month. I visited one of my favorite gals from one of my grad programs. We spent a day in Austin, which I've always wanted to see, and afternoons walking along almost every section of the river walk. We enjoyed evenings drinking wine, ate loads of great food, and spent numerous hours laughing and catching up on the past year. In all reality....I loved it so much that I didn't want to come home.

--Which also sort of led/finalized the biggest decision of the month/year, but one that has been a long time coming: Hub and I are separating. Now don't get me wrong, I love my husband more than words can ever express but there has been a lot missing for a long time...and I finally decided that it's time for me to try to be happy...even if that means having to be on my own again. I know it sounds so cliche to say that I want to be happy because I know that we aren't always happy in life....but for numerous reasons, I haven't exactly felt that I can ever make my husband happy....and that's been a hard pill to swallow for the 3/4 of our marriage that I've felt that way. I still truly believe in what we could have had together, but we both have to believe in and be willing to pursue that...and along the journey of us attempting to live somewhat cohesively together, I've also lost myself while trying to fit into what he needed from life....I became that woman that I always hear about and yet shake my head in disbelief.

--So what does this mean? Well, it means that I'm still going to care about him and I still love him. The ball is in his court as to what he wants this to be, if anything, in the long run....but he also knows that I expect to be cherished and truly loved in return. And he'll probably need to work through some stuff in order to do so. So for now, we live as wonderful housemates until this summer (we seriously do live incredibly well together), when he'll try to find a place on his own and decide if he just wants a break or for this to be the end. Regardless of the outcome and the marriage we've had, I truly believe in this man....and the future he might have.

--The secondary part of all this is that while of course I'm sad, I'm also relieved to finally be standing up on my own two feet again...and to have heard honesty come from him. I've already spent most of our marriage in disbelief and sadness, so in a sense I feel....a little more free.  Free to just be me, just as he's been doing, and to stop worrying about what I'm not doing right for him. In all honesty, my ring came off the day I finally made my decision and while I sometimes miss its place on my finger, it's nice to feel like it's okay to make decisions just for myself again...and to follow my heart wherever it takes me.

--All this being said, I'm slowly telling family and friends--many of whom haven't known that any issues existed. I have yet to tell Granny and I'm honestly dreading doing so.....

--In the midst of all this, coworker moved out. It was amazing to have him, but it's nice to have a bit more space in the house again. Back to hub, myself, plus hub's friend.

---However I have to say there have been some great moments lately:
-- We had a wonderful weekend of sunshine last weekend, which included a hike with hub, hub's friend, my brother, myself, and four dogs. We ended the day with a salmon & burgers BBQ at our house that included a good buddy of mine and another vet too. The evening wrapped up with games of washers and bean bags.

--Monday afternoon brought another hike with my good buddy and the dogs, and a major heart to heart conversation ending in some good decisions for him.  Singing country songs on the drive into the woods, an evening of pitchers of old school PBR, and grilled cheese off country roads left me feeling like its summertime....

--The trees are blooming, there are spring showers, and next week will be week five of the term. Teaching has truly been my reprieve and as interesting as my new classes have been, it's been a blessing to have those three hours two nights a week to just forget the rest of life and pour myself into my passion. I turned in my official resignation for my veteran's position and will no longer be in that position as of mid June. The irony is that as much as I need a break from that position (and in some ways it also led to me realizing much of what was missing in my marriage), I also will need to be looking for another part-time job to supplement my income if I am to return to being a single woman. I'm scheduled out for teaching through December and have some savings, but I'll still need an extra cushion come fall.

--Both my supervisors have proven to be amazingly supportive and empathetic....and while there is much event planning and details to get done in the next weeks, I've been encouraged to take personal time for myself as needed.

--The last two weeks have also brought out the amazing support of my friends, both new and old. I've been able to get together with many of my in-town gals already and I've constantly got texts coming in from others just letting me know they're available as needed. Ironically, the hardest ones for me to see right now are family, because as much as I know it shouldn't get to me.....any thought of divorce always makes me feel like I'm letting down the family name....

--Tera (our broody chicken) finally stopped brooding and has rejoined the rest of the world. It took a few days of tossing her out of the kennel and shutting it off, but she's back to her regular pecking activities. We continue to get about an egg a day. In cat news, the bell collar is not enough to stop Major---we've had two more birds (including a large robin) since hub snapped a collar back on him.

--Draw Something. It's my newest Iphone addiction thanks to my gal in San Antonio. She's playing it. I'm playing it. Hub's playing it. A few of my vets are playing it. You should play it too ;)

--And all things considered, the summer is looking good. I'm still planning on trying to road trip it with my girls to AZ for my 30th. My gal Heather and her hub just got "orders" to be stationed near Savannah, where my best friend and her hub are stationed---so I'm crossing my fingers that I can budget a trip out to see all of them still during my break in September. There's talk of a July trip to Hawaii for the wedding of one of the vets from the center....and there just might be another amazing dream trip for the end of August. Beyond potential hikes, river floats, fishing, gardening, playing with the dogs, beach trips, BBQs, and camping--the summer regulars.

In all gray clouds....we must look to the sun that could be just around the corner.

Confessions

One of my Army spouse gals just wrote a post on Confessions and asked some of the rest of us to join in, so I thought I'd oblige her, even if it's just cause I miss her and even if many of my recent confessions might be more like environmental downfalls ;) Haha. The other fun part of this is that it reminded me of when hub and I were getting married...I sent him an email with a list of the things I was afraid of having someone else know about my daily habitats and living tendencies!

So without further ado, a list of my recent and maybe past confessions:

1) My green journey has taken a somewhat dive: I've turned on the AC at night, we forget to use our tote bags almost 90% of the time, we use paper towels, my tampons aren't organic and I failed at the Diva cup, the food garden feels like more of a hobby than a necessity, I scrubbed the shower with harsh chemicals two weeks ago, and (sigh) hub has sprayed chemicals on some of our weeds. I'm not entirely sure what's happening to us....I still love the planet, I still want to be sustainable, we still make strides more than many, but I think living in the South sort of disenfranchised my heart a bit to feel like it's going to make much difference. Although it's not that I don't care....because I most definitely do.

2) I have to take a daily shower, and usually it happens at night in order to save time in the mornings. Plus somehow I feel like it keeps my sheets cleaner for longer, since I go to bed clean then. ;) (Although side note: for the last few years I've become a night time sweat-er....so I'm not so sure how well this theory works anymore!)

3) When people ask for a word to describe oneself, I almost always choose eclectic or contradictory. I'm a small town girl with big city tendencies. I'm a hippy chick from a log town. I love all things international yet with nationalistic pride. I'm big on peace and anti-war, yet believe in the need for our military and its troops. And all this also transfers over to my professional life. People tell me that my resume is impressive and it is, but I also have had a lot of very different jobs already. My main professional experience could be said to fall into social services, teaching, and research...but in a whole host of areas. I tend to like to work in the fields that I am most passionate about---adoptions, teaching, health, social justice, independent living skills, career and educational advancement, Latinos, international relations, environmental exposures, literacy, and veterans. I honestly expect to see a continual evolution of my professional fields....but who knows maybe I'll actually find a niche.

4) When I'm stressed (or PMSing), I clean and organize my surroundings like a maniac. When my surroundings are ordered, it makes the rest of life feel manageable too. I also like it to be quiet rather than loud for the same reasons. However this all also means that I'm not always the most wonderful person to live with.....

5) As much as I'm big on saving the dollar signs, when hub and I go on vacation we absolutely love to eat out. I'm not sure if this is because we want to soak up as much of the local flavor as possible, if we're just super lazy, or if it's because as kids we rarely ate out on vacays with our families....but regardless if we're away-from-home we're almost always in a restaurant if we have the budget available. This was incredibly apparent when we were down in our hometown over the long weekend: dinner out two nights at hubs favorite restaurants in town, evening pre-football game pizza and a separate lunch out with hubs fam, breakfast at our favorite lil country diner, pie with one of my gals, and at least two trips out for coffee. Beyond the dollars....my waistline also shows the effects.....

6) Since getting married, I have this irrational fear of putting on weight. I'm not sure if it's because a) my body type within my fam is predisposed to obesity b) the fact that hub is an incredible hottie and I feel I have to try to keep up c) the fact that hub has gotten a lot thinner in the last year d) that I feel I need to represent "health" since that's what I teach e) that I find it uncomfortable to sit when I feel extra inches piling up on my waist or f) that I'm too cheap to want to buy a whole new wardrobe if I do go up a size. Regardless of the reasons, in the last 2-3 years I feel a lot of internal pressure to stay the size that I am. This size is healthy for my body size and bone structure, but ironically it's also much thinner than where I was for several years in my life.

7) This last month I feel like I'm 30ish...in a good way, although it also makes me wonder if I'm selling out. I ordered the Pottery Barn bed, I'm researching a trade-in for my vehicle and paying off hub's truck, I'm planning on buying a new/used wedding band, we're talking about where we could take a "real" vacation in the next three years. Without getting overconfident (cause we're never certain!!), finances feel like they're failing into place a bit more. Hub and I pretty much function independently financially, each covering separate things, but I've reached that spot where I could actually completely function comfortably and financially solo... and its sort of a nice spot to finally have arrived at. However I feel guilty because I'm noticing a tendency to fill my life with "things" (albeit increased quality) and I'm not sure that's the direction I want to be moving in. Yet, it also means that my giving is increasing and for the first time ever I'm signing up for regular monthly giving to my charities of choice. This is something I'm still thinking on....and in the meantime hub's snapped me out of my 30ish facade by bringing up the idea of having his friend move in to an extra room... ;)

8) Three things are always on my heart even if I don't always let them consistently into my mind: adoption, equitable distribution/social justice, sustaining God's creation. In the midst of getting caught up in society's expectation of the World, sometimes I forget about the expectation of the Word and of the items that have been placed on my heart.

9) Of the new vehicles I'm looking at getting, they're all SUVs/crossovers. Although I'm being incredibly mindful of gas mileage, I'd really like something that would allow for me to haul both dogs and non-furry passengers. We're in the research and information gathering stage still and will need to sell off my Honda. Multiple little stages still, but the vehicles currently in the running: Subuaru Forester or Outback, Toyota Rav4 (prob with 4wd), or the GMC Terrain/Chevy Equinox. Feedback is always greatly appreciated.

10) Today I attended a training/retreat for the new job and one of the sessions I attended was about the five love language types as I've always wondered what my types actually are. Big surprise my LEAST love language is gifts aka I'm not a fan of receiving THINGS. ;) And then it was an almost even 3-way tie for the top scores of service, quality time, and touch. Touch has been a big one, as my family has always been big on giving love via touch but hub hates touch, which was an incredibly hard adjustment for me to our marriage (and still is at times.) Ironically even after almost 6 months back in Oregon though, I still have to mentally give myself permission or think about hugging or touching other people aka family and close friends....

Okay and a couple quick links:
I LOVE Flower Patch Farm Girl. She speaks to my heart. She's walking toward a Christ centered life. She's an adoptive parent x3. She's now a foster parent. She's a farm girl. She loves JCrew. She's hilarious. And most of all she's real. And she just posted a link to a video that her husband and her are in for their church that I think is great message to all of us. (They're Cory & Shannan...listed bottom right.)

If you want to know what it can be like for an adoptive parent, truly, really....then this post is fabulous. Adoption isn't always pretty....just like being a parent isn't always pretty, but even through the hate, the confusion, the extreme disruptive behaviors that can occur at times, kids need someone who is steadfast, who is full of love unconditional, who can compromise, who can give....and it ain't easy.

Be good, be real, be true, be confessing ;) Enjoy!

August is Drawing to a Close

This month of so much busyness is slowly coming to a close... We're heading over to a friend of mine's tonight to BBQ with her and her boyfriend, also allowing the gents time to watch football on TV and hopefully give us ladies time to chat openly. Its been a slow morning, which has been exactly what I needed after the past week. I'm pretty sure that hub's off hiking, which while I'm sorry to have missed the opportunity to go with him, I'm pretty sure that on this day he needed some time in the woods with just him and the dogs. Waking up to an empty house and no dog licks was just another moment of appreciation for the mornings when I do wake up to hub's and the dogs greetings.

The new job is going well although somewhat confusing. Its a new position without any groundwork really having been laid and with the potential upcoming displacement of control that some others have previously had. It has been and will more than likely continue to be an interesting transition of power, expectations, and assessment. I'm hopeful to be able to increase program development, but first have to bridge some of the lower-level issues and concerns. And somewhat related to this same topic: I just had the joyous opportunity of fielding the Army Reserve Recruiter at my front door, which left me in a position of attempting to network for my new job and also trying to communicate hub's disinterest.

The summer term wrapped up on Wednesday evening however and Thursday I finished grading finals and inputting grades. A portion of September will be used preparing for Fall Term, especially since I'm happily teaching double the load of what I've been teaching. The nice thing about my current jobs is that I feel (for the most part) that I'm well-suited for both of them, and ta-da, I have benefits on the way! Yea for again having health care! Not that we usually need it, but it's nice to have at least for emergency situations. Additionally the increase in finances will be nice. We can finally pay off the truck, save money for at least 4 months of living expenses, and I can start really hacking away at my graduate loans.

A few additional things as of late:

--I just finished reading a book suggested by my cousin, A Dog's Purpose. Hilarious and sad all at the same time, and an amazingly fast read. If you love your dog, it's a must-read.

--A week late, I finally finished The Help, with mixed reviews on my part. I felt the book could have been equally as good with at least 100 less pages, and many parts of it broke my heart over the fact that racism, stereotyping, and social injustice are still so equally practiced throughout our nation today. The fact that in some ways we have come "far," yet the reality that there is still SO far to go....is just so sad. Ironically the topic of judgment came up frequently during my trip home this month and it actually came up in separate conversations with very different people. I have a horrible habit of becoming much more judgmental of all others the more insecure I am in my own life, and somehow the older I get the worse I am at forgetting the "plank in my own eye" when I focus on the "speck" in another's. Definitely something for me to be working on, especially as I move into my new position, where stereotyping and judgment is very much practiced at times.

--Next month's book for club is Crossing the Heart of Africa by Julian Smith, if you care to read along. It was my pick and I hope it turns out to be an alright read. I found it originally at Powell's in the airport, always have a love for Africa, and its by a Portland author.

--Hub and I are in the market for a new bed. I know, I know....the environmentalist and non-consumer-oriented part of me feels incredibly guilty! Didn't we just buy a new bed a year or so back you ask? And unfortunately the answer is yes....and unfortunately I strongly dislike our Ikea bed and hub strongly dislikes our Ikea mattress, never mind the fact that the slats under the bed have had issues for over a year encouraging the mattress to fall through...... Ikea's cheapness we've come to realize is great for some things and was a great fast fix when we needed it, but it wasn't the smartest purchase I've ever made. Even though I'm ashamed to admit I fell into the buy and dump consumption, I'm not going to lie...we're ready for some quality AND I'm pretty positive we can sell what we have for re-use on Craigslist. SO...we're focusing on quality of products. I've been eyeing the Sumatra Pottery Barn bed for two years, and a new cheaper II version was released in the last year. When we moved in we received a 10% off coupon for PB in the mail, which I'd intend to use to further reduce the cost. The reviews on the bed are mixed (solid but soft wood--easily can scratch) and hub and I have made several trips to check it out. It's definitely more sturdy and of a style that should be fitting for years. Hub also got a coupon off the internet for a local mattress store. (My "green" focus tends to be health considerations, hub's latest focus is local.) The mattress is made by a local company, made from about 90% USA materials (including recycled components), is guaranteed for 15 years, and the box spring should be able to be ordered to specification. We tested them out last weekend....and seriously had fun flopping and rolling on about 10-15 different beds! ;) We still haven't made any final decisions or attempted any orders.....but my PB coupon is only good until October! ;)

--The garden continues to grow although I, ahem, made the wrong choice on chopping the lettuce back and it died. We're also having issues with the zukes and pumpkin plants dying off, so I'm not expecting too many more of either category. The kiwi continues to go crazy, although without any fruit on it this year. The turnips will not be returning to the raised beds next year as they've taken over everything, and the tomatoes are just now starting to turn. Most our berries are done, the carrots are harvest ready, and Roxi decided to explore amongst one lower bed and flattened the rest of the onions.... Honestly we need to get to work on the rest of the actual yard....as it's starting to look like renters live here ;)

--This month also marked dropping money on two big but necessary purchases, which are some of the ones that I refuse to accept anything but quality: tires and bras ;) The car got decked out in 4 new 85,000 mile tires for a good price from America's Tire Company (cost comparison put these 85k tires at the same cost as 40k tires from Les Schwab, which is the company I've gone with in the past). And the "girls" got decked out in splurges from Nordies---now yes, $50-80 a piece is a lot to spend on one lil item of "clothing," but there's nothing quite like a legit bra that makes sure your boobs are covered and where they should be in perkiness and location! Honestly, a good appropriate bra especially with a proper fitting, in my belief, is the foundation for any outfit and only helps make sure that a gal looks her best. I'm sure my thoughts on boobs and bras, could be an entire posting in itself however, but here's an article on it from TLC Style. ;) Uh and awesomeness: have old still functional bras that you want to pass on? Send them to the Bra Recyclers!!!

I suppose that's mainly it, although Heather at Townsend House, just shared this blogger and I love her to bits: Keeper of the Home and she had this post Because Sometimes I Get Tired of Healthy, Natural Living  at Simple Organic.

Hope everyone has been well! Besos y abrazos!

On My Mind....

It's amazing how slow June was and yet July and August have decided to make up for it. With everything going on, I've been trying my hardest to be better organized and have returned to the use of the TO DO list, steadily checking items off my list.

However amongst the to-dos, there's a lot on the mind too, even if frequently it all goes hand-in-hand :)

Reading

My first book club novel arrived on Wednesday (The Help). I'm really looking forward to reading through it and for the comraderie that I hope will develop amongst our members. First meeting is in a few weeks!

However before I start on The Help, I wanted to finish the main book that I have been reading. I recently borrowed a book from my gal, N, who is also an avid reader. You all know that I'm really into personal narratives and non-fiction, but this go round I was in the mood for something a little different. Yesterday I blew through the rest of Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah, and I LOVED IT. It was an incredibly easy read, covered family and mother-daughter issues which are right up my alley of things I like to read about, and taught me something new via it's historical fiction context (Russia: Stalin era).  Plus the author is from the PNW--love supporting all things local. ;)

There were a couple of passages that completely resonated with me:

"....They would always be a family, but if she'd learned anything in the past few weeks it was that a family wasn't a static thing. There were always changes going on. Like with continents, sometimes the changes were invisible and underground,  and sometimes they were explosive and deadly. The trick was to keep your balance. You couldn't control the direction of your family any more than you could stop the continental shelf from breaking apart. All you could do was hold on for the ride." (pg 329)

"...And maybe that was how it was supposed to be, how life unfolded when you lived it long enough. Joy and sadness were part of the package; the trick, perhaps, was to let yourself feel all of it, but to hold on to the joy just a little more tightly because you never knew when a strong heart could just give out...." (pg 383)

Family Shenanigans

And a good portion of the quotes probably resonated with me, because in my head I feel like I'm still trying to sort out my transition back into my immediate, extended, and husband's family. After being away for two years, it's definitely a change to figure out how those relationships should look now, and how to integrate my husband to best meet his needs AND the needs of my family members. Additionally, there have been some changes in some family relationships, near and far over the last six months, and I feel like the first quote is a good bit of advice for me (and maybe for some of them too) on some of those changes.

I feel so blessed to be surrounded by such a loving and positive family--one that is truly based on acceptance and unconditional love. In the last two weeks I definitely have spent more time with family members as I got together with two cousins, dropped off garden goodies to my aunt and a cousin, and my brother took me to a Portland Timbers game against my other national love: Argentina. ;)

This weekend we will all come together for the celebration of Granny's 100th birthday, starting with a smaller family BBQ this evening for those of us in Portland and ending with back-to-back bashes on Sunday. My husband and I will provide airport transportation and a place to sleep for my eldest brother's quick 24 hour trip. I'm glad to provide for family... but I have to admit to some apprehension based on a strained relationship between my brother and I this year. However, I know it will be great to have each member of the immediate and extended family here to celebrate the life, lessons, love, and optimism of our granny!

Socialization

They're coming in droves from out-of-state! On Wednesday we'll pick up our friends from Chicago and show them as much of Oregon as we can in a week. We're definitely excited for them to come, and based on their personalities, we know they're absolutely going to love Portland and the PNW! Plus hub will get the added benefit of being able to take them to our home town and hang out with some of his high school buddies. One of my favorite gals from my MPH program will be visiting from California next weekend, so I'm looking forward to getting together with her over breakfast next Thursday. A high school friend of mine who also lives in Cali will be in our hometown mid-month, so I'm going to need to figure out how to schedule in a trip down south to catch up with her and meet her guy. ;) (On the plus side, we'll get to hang out with one of our other favorite high school gals and I'll get to see Mom & Dad too!) I'm heading on Tuesday to see one of my gals who recently had a beautiful baby girl, and I'm seriously bubbling up with excitement about the possibilities of this book club! From what I can tell most the other gals seem pretty stoked too. Add onto that the Bridal Shower I'm throwing for my gal N and it's going to be a pretty socially full next few weeks.

Social Justice---Donations

The Horn of Africa continues to be on my heart and mind. Mercy Corps, who rarely sends me a "tin cup," continues to send updates. The most recent stated the following: "Families in Wajir County are among more than 2.4 million people in Kenya in need of food, water and other critical aid, according to the UN. Our team reports hungry women and children are streaming into towns around northeastern Kenya. Many husbands and fathers continue to search for water and forage to keep their precious herds alive. Up to 80 percent of livestock in the region have already perished." If you look at the updates and pictures on UNICEF, Mercy Corps, Doctors Without Borders, or any of the INGOs, the information is heart-breaking.....

While I am seeing this occasionally show up on the major news stations and papers, it seems so sad that it is not more publicized. It takes so little to make a large difference for others that suffer around the world---a skipped outing to Starbucks, one less microbrew, or bypassing that great deal that one finds at Target but doesn't really need. I know many of us are tight for cash these days, but I still see how well are basic needs are met and how little we fight for basic survival. I know there are mixed feelings out there, but I can't help but ask that if you find it in your heart, you might be willing to give, no matter how little the amount.

 

"But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked."--Luke 12:48

 

Working Hard for the Money

Term continues--trying hard to prep now for the next two weeks so I don't have to worry too much about the course while we have friends in town. Same with the training I'm in, trying to cram as much in before they get here---but truthfully it's almost over anyway. A few more activities to do and then I believe it'll be concluded. :) September will mainly be planning for my fall courses, especially the ones that will be new.

 

Ironically, while we're on the topic of employment......I've been missing working with soldiers since our return and have found that frequently my veteran students have really enjoyed working with me, since I have a greater understanding of their military lives, mentality, and potential issues than the average civilian instructor/worker. I've been telling hub and a few friends for the last two months that I wonder how I could work with veterans without going back to school to complete my MSW (tried that, didn't finish, and the way I'm feeling I may be completely done with school....). The irony is due to the fact that this week an internal hire position just got sent out via email for a part-time Veterans Resource Center Specialist at my campus....hmmm. I'm not 100% qualified and I have apprehensions (ie would vets prefer working with me vs an actual vet in the position, its a completely new program/center/etc meaning that year 1 would be a LOT of work), but I also feel that I could be a great fit and bring lots of skills to the program. I do plan to apply but I'm not entirely holding my breath either.... ;)

 

The Garden

We've been passing out lettuce and rhubarb like it's nobody's busy, and additional irony arrived yesterday with another full head of lettuce arriving in my Organics to You box. We also just entered into zucchini season---there are already 5 in our produce drawer and this is the first week of harvesting! ;) Marionberries are putting out about two bowls a week right now and the green beans and snap peas are coming on. Tomatoes are going to go nuts in a few weeks and even the pepper plants are starting to show lots of peppers starting. Hub harvested about 15 heads of garlic this week---they're laying on the deck to dry.

 

We're finally having a few more days of sunshine--helping to promote garden growth and put a smile on this face, and today we started an introductory conversation about creating covers for the raised beds for winter gardening ;)

 

SOOOOOO---lots to do, lots on the mind, but its nice to be busy and purposeful. Hope each of you is doing well!

 

PS I've seen COCONUT cream pie show up TWICE this week.

Here and here. Definitely might have to beg hub to give one a try!

It Comes, It Goes, It's Blessed, It Blows

....and that's life.

It never fails that I j.u.s.t start becoming a frequent blogger, full of many post ideas, and then life happens and blogging stops. But no real need to apologize, we're all in the same boat, and I'm never really sure just how many people read here on a regular basis anyway.

BUT....just in case you care, here's a snapshot of our life as of late:

CLASSES: I'm teaching one and I'm in one. It never fails that the courses that I've taken that are supposed to teach me how to be a teacher, typically are some of the worst examples of how to actually teach. And that's all I really have to say on that particular topic. The course I'm teaching is going so-so, as I'm still in the throes of figuring out how to manage this particularly diverse group of students. It's already half-way done and next week I will have an official observation. We just started getting into some of the good stuff of the term (Nutrition, Exercise, Body Image/Composition), and there are five weeks to go. Overall, I'm liking/loving the job, and in the fall I get the opportunity to teach four courses which is a regular part-timers load. Will be good for the pocket book and good for the mind!

HOLIDAY: The Fourth. We relaxed, we ran, we missed friends. Hub was right and there was a neat old school amusement park along the waterfront of a south town neighborhood. There we watched fireworks after an enjoyable evening game of mini-golf with hub's friend. We munched on ridiculously unhealthy fair food and cotton candy...and then I schooled the husband in a game of air hockey. :) The holiday is always one I want to be my favorite and always one that makes my heart break for soldiers and families so separated by current global affairs.

FAMILY EVENTS/TRAVELS PASSED: Hub's grandfather passed. He and most of his family were able to be there as it happened and then we went back over for the funeral that occurred over the weekend. Hub got to participate in the military honors and I met much of hub's family for the first time. We also briefly got to spend some more time with my gal pal and her lil fam who lives in the same town and discovered that she is pregnant with their third child. Thus it was a weekend of deep thoughts, sadness, acceptance, and yet joy.

FAMILY EVENTS/TRAVELS TO COME: On my side of the family, we are gearing up and farming out duties for Granny's upcoming 100th birthday bash. Cousins, my brother, distant family and friends from near and far will be arriving to participate in the celebration. The following week, hub and I will also be hosts to one of his closest buddies from the Army and his wife. They're flying in from Chicago and we are looking forward to spending time with them and showing them what we can.

GARDEN: It does grow although it's a bit unruly! What I thought are raspberries are more likely marion or bosenberries. The lettuce is producing like crazy and I've eaten my first strawberries and blueberries. The pumpkins should produce but I'm hesitant about the acorn squash. The cucumber got demolished by whatever rodent-like critter is eating from the garden. The peas are finally tied and climbing. And the rest continues on as I continue to learn lessons about what to do differently next year (ie more strawberries, turnips to the other side of the box....).

FRIENDS TAKE 1: They're producing babies, people! Two of five babies due this month have arrived with another scheduled for delivery on Monday. And of the "to arrive" crew is one of my best gal's first bambinos---cue excitement in the air! Beyond my gal that just announced her 3rd pregnancy, hub's best friends from high school are due with their first in January as well. Seems we're entering into the reproducing years!

FRIENDS TAKE 2: Beyond the babies, I've had more conversations (on the phone even!) with some of my non-pregnant gals near and far, and it's been great just to share and connect again. In my wildest dreams I never expected moving home to be as socially slow on the friendship side as it's been, but all good things take time to return and to grow. My main gal here has been so great at maintaining constant communication and we were able to get together the other weekend for a long day together--incredibly refreshing and well-needed. The book club continues to come together and should be starting (hopefully) next month, and another gal pal and I are going to attempt to put together a monthly group to discuss research and topics from our field. This weekend is a wine tour/bachelorette party for a friend getting married this fall, and lately it feels that there have been several other invitations presented from other friends.....so it's sort of starting to come together.

RUNNING: Happiness, its my constant solace and relief, even if I can't quite adhere to a schedule. ;) I'm back to being able to run four miles at a time and hub and I have made some alterations to our regular routes. I'm switching up music, dogs, and solo runs with runs that include the hub. This week should make the third week in a row that I'll be back to making my weekly running goal. We've cut back on the hiking the last few weeks, but running is the steady in the void. I've been contemplating how to create an online accountability group to keep myself going and to encourage the running/exercise motivation of others that I know....

AND WEATHER: There just might be a chance that fall has arrived already. High of 70 yesterday and today with rain predicted again for Saturday. In the four months we've been back, we've had about one week of consistent sunshine and just 3-4 days of temps in the 80-90 range. I already pre-warned hub today that there may be a legit chance of my having SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) this winter, as I already feel the lack of sunshine impeding my usually optimistic mood. We'll be here for the next four years, but I'm already bringing up the notion of us eventually moving somewhere with more consistent sun.

While I'm sure I might be missing something-- that more or less sums up the last week, although I've got more tid bits and blog posts to share. :) Hope you and yours have been healthy and well---sending best wishes, as always, in your general direction!

Still Coughing, But Life Has Perks

We are now in October which is a month entirely after my heart! The weather has finally taking a turn toward fall. The chill in the morning and evening air has been great and I'm loving making extra coffee to start the day. The first few leaves are turning, the squirrels are darting around gathering their wares, and the sun still streams strong in the afternoons. We're turning off the air and opening the window at night, bundling under covers, and the hub's in full football season swing.

The last 2-3 weeks have honestly left me wallowing--ready to be back home, surrounded by family, friends, and more like-minded support. As much as I love fall, it always makes me a bit more introspective and desiring to be a part of a pack. Some days in Louisiana are lonelier than others, but a good tearful call with my father on Sunday left me battening down the hatches again for the coming 5 months.

After 3.5 weeks of continuously coughing, I made two medical appointments. First one, my preferred choice of course, was an hour long Swedish massage with the masseuse electing to use natural oils to stimulate my lungs. The massage was amazing--pretty much perfect in every way--and the location only uses organic and/or natural lotions, oils, etc. The second appointment was with a Physician Assistant on post here to appease my coworkers who are all tired of hearing me hack at work. Two prescriptions later just to dull symptoms, I'm still hacking, especially after our evening to the rodeo in the cool night air last night...

Yes, folks, that's right. The rodeo's in town! And I hadn't been to a rodeo in years! Small town fun at its finest, but it was pretty enjoyable, especially when the rodeo clown and "friends" did their own rendition of the old favorite song: YMCA!....However the hacking could also be the fact that I'm getting tired of not having the ambition/energy to work out, so I've been running anyway this week....at least I'll hopefully be able to fit back into my jeans again if I can get back to my pre-cold mileage. I'm pretty sure this virus is here to stay for a bit, so it's going to just be working/living through it.

In other news (in no particular order):

--The hub and I had the most amazing up close observation of an armadillo last night. Even after a year here, we're both still fascinated by the creatures and there was one poking away in the grass near our trash can last night. We sat and watched him, trying to catch it on camera, for about five minutes before he finally startled and scuttled across the street.

--My gal back home is getting married next summer---woot! I'm so excited for the two of them and am so in support of their fabulous union. She's asked me to be her matron of honor and really I am so, well, honored! I haven't been in a wedding in a really long time, but am so appreciative and looking forward to the opportunity to help in any way I can. The two of them are a phenomenal couple together and its such a blessing to be a part of their life.

--I have a job lead and really its an amazing opportunity.....the catch is, its part-time and requires me to fly back home to interview sometime in the next few months probably. If you know me, then you know that part-time is perfecto, but not always perfecto for the bank account, especially when the first six months back I'm to be the primary breadwinner. So right now, I'm continuing to explore more options and am just trusting that everything will fall into place as it should....even with how difficult that is at times. But it's an AWESOME foot in an amazing door and definitely is in line with where I hope to be professionally during the next 30 years. Here's keeping my fingers crossed that I can tag-team this opportunity with something else.......although we're being smart budget wise so there may be the option that it would all work out financially anyway...

---And I guess the other big piece of news, while I usually don't report too much on the hub, is that he's talking/dreaming/beginning to plan to backpack the Pacific Northwest Trail from Montana to Washington for two months next summer with a few other veteran friends. We'll see how/if it pans out, but pretty exciting for him all the same.

Obviously I continue to ebb and flow with blogging, but I'm okay with that! The long weekend may include a new blog header though so we'll see about that! :)

The Dos & Don’ts of Social Networking Sites When Searching for a Job

As you'll see this article is written for my clients (soldiers and their families). Obviously most of you reading here are already a part of the social networking community in one form or another. ;) Again, probably some repetitive information, but reminders are a good thing!

How many of you are already on a social networking site or have a blog? Have you thought about using your Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn page to network for jobs? And have you looked at your profile recently to see just who you are presenting to employers?

With extensive networking available through the use of social media sites, the ability to be connected to jobs seems endless. When networking is such a large part of finding employment, don’t be afraid to use your social networking accounts to help you in the process! Have you let others know that you are or will be searching for a job? And have you contacted any soldiers who have already separated or past and current civilian friends about positions that they’ve found? An easy way to find out about other jobs is to just ask others. What easier way is there to connect with many employed individuals than to tap into your circle of “friends?”

While social networking has the ability to open employment doors, your profile and what you publicly post can also shut doors. Many employers now use social networking sites and internet searches to run character checks on their current or potential employees. You may want to keep that fact in mind when you set up privacy settings for your page and when you post on other public walls. Since most sites show profile pictures regardless of privacy settings, you’ll want to select an appropriate profile picture as well. Any comments, statuses, blog postings, pictures, etc that can be pulled up from a little internet searching, have the ability to influence an employer’s opinion on you. If you wouldn’t want your boss, coworkers, or clients/customers to see it, then you may want to either a) double check that each spot your posting is unsearchable and private b) unconnect (tag) yourself from others postings and/or c) think twice about posting it at all. Additionally, some human resource departments admit to contacting individuals from “friends” lists as additional references.

As you can see, social networking can both work in favor and against any potential employment. Don’t be afraid to utilize your profiles to assist in your job search, but also keep in mind that public (and sometimes private) information is indeed public. As with any part of the job search and professionalism, try to put and keep your best face forward!

Networking Tips 101

It appears I'm on a blogging role! Anyway, as part of my job we write articles for a newsletter that our center puts out each month. I'm sure most of the information here is repetitive for most reading here, but never hurts to have a little reminder...

Also hopefully my lil cousin doesn't mind me sharing this....ahem, sorry cousin....but it's a great example of how important networking itself is when searching for a job. Lil' cousin landed herself a part-time job (which is great as she's about to start grad school!) just by telling the cashier at Hallmark that she bet everyone had to love working there.  Cashier then asked her to submit a resume. She interviewed and within a total of two days, she's now employed at a place that seriously should be a great fit for her! Now how awesome is that?

Probably won't work that easily every time, but I always encourage all of our clients to strike up conversations with individuals working at places where they'd like to work. When you're looking for a job, the best thing you can do is let other people know what you're looking for and have materials (a resume, reference sheet, and easily tailor-able cover letter) ready to pass on as needed. Many eyes and ears are always better than one pair. When friends tell me they are looking for work, I'm constantly passing on positions that come across list-servs and that I see just in looking around for myself. Networking is 90% of the job search and it truly often is who you know that lands you that next job. And new doors will open based on contacts you make and your performance in that next position.

Case in point: Twice in my life I have been directly called and asked to apply for positions that are fairly competitive for the area where I was located. Now I am going to share that this was in my hometown which is fairly small and where my particular credentials help more than when I'm living in the city and am just a number among many highly qualified applicants. But in both cases I was called due to my application for a different but related position and because of the fact that the managers at the location had both worked with my mother at some point in time (either as clients of hers or colleagues of a sort). It just goes to show that in the employment world, your impressions upon people and the impressions of the people you associate with do matter for future employment.

One more side note on all this: This is also why I'm not opposed to beginning the job search and application process VERY early in the transition game. At times, starting to get your name out early can be a good thing, because if you're a good candidate your application materials frequently can be kept on hand or passed to other managers for potential openings even if you're not selected or can't start when they need someone. And sometimes it takes a while anyway for the funding and other "ducks" to fall into place for a position, such as when a phone call for an interview arrives months after the initial application was submitted. (Always a good idea to keep copies of the job descriptions you've applied for during your application processes. Also keep in mind that the location/funding source of the position will impact the length of the hiring process. Generally non-profits and private agencies seem to hire quicker than government positions. Your average government position can take about three months from the position opening until start date, and specialized government positions can take much longer than that.) I consider this early application and resume submission process (such as having your contacts pass your resume to supervisors, etc) as its own separate form of networking....

Now for the sake of boring you too much or maybe overwhelming you with information, I'll schedule the actual lil' article I wrote for later! :) I also intend to write some other posts about the job search & resume process to share later down the road. I recognize the current market is a difficult one, but if you are looking for work then keep on searching and keep on believing--the right position will open up.