Day 152 of 365

The day is almost here. Or should I say, the days are almost here.

It's time to go back to work.

For the past year and a half, my focus has been on surviving and recovering from three separate surgeries. Then it was working on becoming pain-pill free. Then, getting through each day and having something to show for it. Focusing on my house and family. A big focus on sewing projects for charity. Other than a few bad dreams about school and a couple meetings and visits to school here and there, I've been school-free, work-free.

It all changes tomorrow. A couple days of meetings. Then, time to get my office in order and time to get studying up on some of my responsibilities.

I'm surprised I'm back at it.

I almost left education several years back. After 11 years, I'd had enough of being an elementary school teacher. I was disheartened by the system, by the politics. At the same time I was contemplating leaving, a new position came up. A position funded by a three year grant. I could do three years in that position. It would be something new - new experiences, new knowledge, and then I'd move on. Out of education.

But that three year grant turned into a four year grant. And then it went on for five years. And then the money was stretched out for six years. All along, I kept thinking it would be my last year in education. And every year, the grant money extended my position. All through those years I continued to get deeper and deeper into the education system. In addition to my job with the school district, I became a Technology Integration Specialist, a Certified Trainer for a textbook company, and an Independent Consultant for other school districts.

Now I've given up teaching technology classes. I took a leave of absence from my full-time school job over a year ago. I've stopped doing trainings for the textbook company, and in these last couple weeks have turned over my consulting to someone else.

I thought maybe my days working in education would be over this time.

It wouldn't be. I am going back to education. Back to the same building, the same office, but a different job. A new challenge, new experiences, and another opportunity to build new knowledge. Guess it's not time for me to leave after all.

And the other day that's almost here?

The day I send the turtles on their way. They're just about done.

Day 151 of 365

It would seem a bit hypocritical for me to say this, but people put too much information out there on the internet.

Here's the issue I'm seeing. I'm part of a quilting website. I visit that website every day. I get to see quilts others have made, learn about different quilting techniques, and find out how others organize things. That's where I learned how to wrap my fabric on the comic book boards. I learned what a crumb quilt was, and there is where I learned about the Quilts for Kids Organization, the pillowcase/presentation cases for Quilts of Valor, and the Turtle Pillow project for the Hole in the Wall Camp. I've received free fabric from people giving things away, and I myself have sent some free fabric to others.

But there are a couple sections on that website where folks post pictures of their kids/grand kids. Most recently, a gal posted a picture of her grand kids (all under age) with their first names, their ages, and the town they live in. The gal who posted these pictures uses her real name, so it wouldn't take much for someone to track the kids down.

Another one bugging me happened last month. A very proud mom was showing off her elementary age student's picture from (I think) Kindergarten graduation. The picture was of the child and the principal, and then one with the child and teacher. The parent gave us her child's name, the principal's name, and the teacher's name. And the name of the school.

Here's the thing - if you're an adult and you're stupid enough to put your picture and enough information out there to get traced back to you, it's your own problem. But putting kids' info out there? And what about unsuspecting adults (like the principal and teacher) who have no idea they're being photographed and identified for posting on the internet?

Which is why you'll never find me putting pictures of people I know on my blog. I work hard at not identifying people by name (a couple times I slipped up). I won't identify where I work, what my job title is, or my full name. While I'm putting my life out there for all to read, I'm doing it as anonymously as I can. When I first started this blog, I didn't really expect anyone else to read it. Was I ever wrong. Getting close to 5,000 people so far. It's not that I don't trust you, it's that I don't trust those I don't know.

And it worries me that others aren't taking the same approach. I have plans to go to a quilting retreat (of folks from the quilting board) but am reconsidering it as I frequently see photos posted on the website of retreat attendees, identified by name. Not sure I wanna go there.

But I'm not going to worry about it now. It's time to enjoy a peaceful Sunday. And a peaceful orange sky.

Day 150 of 365

You'd think as much as I hate lizards (I wrote a bit about those on Day 101) I'd hate frogs, too.

For some reason they're not the same.

I think it's because of the bad experiences I had with lizards when I was a kid. In contrast, the experiences with frogs weren't so bad.

When I was growing up, we lived next door to my grandparents. At our house and my grandparents' house, there were frogs that hung around the faucets out front. Baby frogs and grown up frogs. I used to pick them up and play with them. (The baby ones were especially cute.) When we went camping, we used to swim in ponds and lakes and catch tadpoles. I remember at least once bringing some tadpoles home, hoping they'd turn into frogs. They sprouted little legs, but never made it to the frog stage.

When our daughter was little and we went to an aunt's cabin, she caught frogs. We have a picture of her, probably no older than four or five, with a plastic cup full of frogs, just as proud as she could be.

She was pretty excited when we moved into this house and found out there were frogs around here. In the basement window wells, in the rose garden, hopping along the paths.

The frogs are long gone now, though. We've taken out some plantings they liked to live around and our gardens aren't as damp as they once were. My daughter turned to playing with worms. Even as a teenager working in the garden, she would get excited if she ran across a worm. And boy, do we have some big worms!

No frogs, no worms, and certainly no lizards around here right this second.

But turtles? Yep.

Day 149 of 365

I don't remember growing up around gardening in California. I remember my great grandparents having a big garden out back, but I only remember corn. Actually, I don't remember vegetables playing a part in my childhood at all.

On the other hand, my husband grew up gardening here in Idaho. Even now his dad still maintains their garden.

When we lived in the university apartments when we were first married, they offered small garden plots for rent on the property. We could see the vegetable gardens from our 3rd story window, and I always wondered why anyone would take the time and money to do a garden.

But after we moved out and got a place in the country, we started gardening. My husband knew all about it. I knew nothing. Nothing about planting, watering, making rows. I didn't even know how some things grew. In the ground? On a bush? Not a clue.

Over the years, I've gotten the hang of it. I'm the one mapping out the garden plot. I know radishes and peas come out first, spinach and arugula get multiple plantings, and it's okay to start digging potatoes when the blooms have died off.

Just when I think I know it all, I learn something new. I knew tomato plants need cages, but...if you plant beefsteak tomatoes (which most of ours are) and water, fertilize, and weed properly (which most years we get a bit lazy with), the metal cages you buy at the store won't work. Because each one of those beefsteak tomato plants, when tended to properly (like this year) will produce dozens of huge tomatoes. Too many for the metal cages to hold them and the cages will wind up flat on the ground from the weight. Although they are just as tasty, just as bright, and go great in fresh salsa.

From the garden today came a jalapeno pepper, a serrano chili pepper, and some beefsteaks. Chopped an onion, threw in a bit of chili powder and garlic, and added a bit of fresh squeezed lime juice and salt.

Yum! After giving it a taste, next time I'll go with one chili pepper instead of two. It was mighty hot.

Exercise update: 103 consecutive days. I stopped tracking my mileage, though.