This evening I came in through the garage when I got home from running errands. As I stepped into the house I noticed a light on in the family room. I didn't leave a light on. I moved in closer and realized the room was lit with the reflection of sunshine on yellow leaves. The wonder of the moment made me smile.
I got my car back Thursday evening. Annabelle looks good. The best part? The auto body shop meticulously washed her outside and detailed her inside. She smells good, too. I really missed my car. Driving is one of life's pleasures. There are days I could drive for hours.
The cell phone saga continues. A week ago my daughter emailed back and forth with technical support. More promises that the import would take just a few more days. No such luck. I called last night and after thirty minutes of conversation with tech support and time on hold I told the guy that I wanted to speak to a supervisor. He transferred me to customer service where I repeated the story for the umpteenth time; that guy said that the situation needed to be resolved, that I was right to be upset. Then he put me on hold. When he returned ten minutes later he told me that their tech support was on the phone with the landline provider and that the situation would be resolved within the hour. Where could they call me when everything was all set? I gave my number, hung up the phone, and wished I had some way to bet money that I wouldn't get a call back. I never did. I would have called again tonight but I left my phone at work, and if this ever does get resolved I need my phone so we can check to be sure it will ring with the new number.
There is a reason to go through all of this with this particular phone company ~ they are the only progressive mobile phone company in the country. A portion of their profits goes to the non-profit groups that my daughter and I believe in and want to support. Plus, she gets unlimited free data. My daughter has done the research - there is no comparable company out there. This is one way we put our money where our mouths are, and in this case it means we spend a lot of time trying to fix something that may be unfixable. I will call again tomorrow night....
The installation of railings is progressing, though still not complete. Every section needs to be constructed from parts and made to fit. No two sections are the same size. Rails need to be measured, angles need to be cut, holes need to be drilled, balusters need to be fitted. There have been problems. Problems upon problems. Replacement parts have been procured. There's a lot of sawing, hammering, screwing, and trying again going on. Three major wooden posts have taken a beating, so I've been repairing and painting around the construction. The glow of finishing the deck has worn off, and the railing project has worn us down. But it will get finished. And we will be very glad when it is.
Through all of the busyness and setbacks I have been able to count on the mainstay that keeps me sane: I have been to five movies since Labor Day. I have gone on weeknights and weekends. I have gone with my daughter, with my husband, and by myself. Some comedies, some drama, some good, and some just okay ~ each one has contributed to my mental health in a positive way. The two that I would recommend, ironically, start with the death of the father in the family.
This Is Where I Leave You is a comedy, with a few serious moments, that had my daughter and me laughing out loud. Tina Fey and Jason Bateman play beautifully off each other, and Jane Fonda is as funny as she's ever been. The movie is irreverent and raucous, funny and sensitive in all the right places.
My Old Lady is a serious drama with a few light moments. Kevin Kline, Maggie Smith, and Kristin Scott Thomas perform as in a play, allowing the story to unfold as it might in real life. The evening I went I needed to be pulled into something other than what was going on in my life, and this movie was just the ticket. If you like any or all of the actors in the cast, I don't think you will be disappointed.
Thank goodness for movies.
And thank goodness for all of you who comment here and continue to write on your own blogs. I read more than I comment these days, but I do read and appreciate that connection to the world more than I can say. It's easy to get weighed down with the day-to-day routines, irritations, and disappointments. It helps to be reminded that I am not alone in any of it, that life goes on, and tomorrow is another day.
Thank goodness.
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Monday, September 29, 2014
Things In Threes
The saying goes that things happen in threes. I don't think I'm superstitious, but I counted this weekend and I'm at three. Fingers crossed that that will do for me for awhile.
First thing: Almost a month ago I started the process of transferring to my cell phone the phone number that was attached to the house in Augusta for 36 years. I was told the "import" [what they call this kind of phone number transfer] would take seven to ten days. We are on day 23 and it's supposed to be in the hands of the most qualified technicians at the cell phone company. I have spent a minimum of six hours on hold and in numerous conversations trying to get this straightened out. So far no go. Worst case scenario is that it doesn't work and that number is lost. It's true I want to salvage it for old time sake; it's also true that friends who have moved away still call that number when they come back to the east coast.
Second thing: Two weeks ago Saturday a woman driving a 2002 mini-van backed into my parked car. It wasn't a tap. It was a crunch. She took responsibility and her insurance will cover all the costs. It's inconvenient only for me, the one who had the damage appraised and has to take the car in for repairs and will drive a rental for three days. There was not a scratch on her car. Isn't that always the way?
Third thing: The saga of the deck railings continues. We knew the railings were rotting. They were made from green rough cut lumber that wasn't properly dried before it was installed and painted. That the builder used rough cut lumber is why we couldn't find lumber the right size to replace the deck boards, the railings, or the trim boards. We knew that everything we could see needed to be replaced. We planned to cover the thirteen short posts with composite post covers... until Ken discovered a week ago that all the posts are made of over-sized lumber, too. So he is replacing all those posts with pressure treated wood the right size for the covers, which is a good thing in the long run but making the job that much more involved in the short run. There is a steep learning curve in the first-time installation of a rail system that will last for decades. Once you know how to do it, when will you need to do it again?
We are lucky that Ken is willing to figure this out and do the work himself. I can't imagine what it would cost to hire a contractor to deal with all these problems. I am not much of an assistant, but I offer moral support and help where I can. We are due for one big celebration when this project is over!
First thing: Almost a month ago I started the process of transferring to my cell phone the phone number that was attached to the house in Augusta for 36 years. I was told the "import" [what they call this kind of phone number transfer] would take seven to ten days. We are on day 23 and it's supposed to be in the hands of the most qualified technicians at the cell phone company. I have spent a minimum of six hours on hold and in numerous conversations trying to get this straightened out. So far no go. Worst case scenario is that it doesn't work and that number is lost. It's true I want to salvage it for old time sake; it's also true that friends who have moved away still call that number when they come back to the east coast.
Second thing: Two weeks ago Saturday a woman driving a 2002 mini-van backed into my parked car. It wasn't a tap. It was a crunch. She took responsibility and her insurance will cover all the costs. It's inconvenient only for me, the one who had the damage appraised and has to take the car in for repairs and will drive a rental for three days. There was not a scratch on her car. Isn't that always the way?
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| Poor Annabelle |
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| Old posts coming out |
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| New posts going in to support Azek rail system |
Saturday, September 13, 2014
Back To Work
The volume control has disappeared from the task bar on my laptop. Vanished. I know it still exists somewhere, but I've looked everywhere and I can't find it. It will turn up eventually. In the meantime I have found ways to work around the missing icon by adjusting the volume on each individual show I watch. This is how I get news and television shows and Netflix, often while I am doing a variety of chores and activities all over the house. I would be lost without it, so I found a way to make it work.
I had trouble finding the words to write about my new job...
Until I realized it's a lot like my laptop with the missing volume control.
I need this job for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, I want to be working. I am an active, intelligent woman with abilities and a lot to offer. We want to pay down our mortgage, and I need money toward my retirement. I didn't plan to return to teaching but this is the job I was offered. The job is not set up the way I would do it, but that is not for me to say. I need to start somewhere to get back in the classroom, and this is where I find myself right now. I want and need this job, so I am finding ways to make it work.
Nothing about how the job is set up is intuitive for me ~ not the room arrangement or how materials are organized, not the schedule or the structure of lessons, not the forms we use or all the ways to keep track of the same information. I have had to find ways for the myriad of things I am expected to do to make sense for me.
A breakthrough came this week when I learned I could set up my planbook any way that works for me.
This is essential. Teachers are particular about how we set up our classrooms, our resources, our files, our desk, and our planbook, the place where many of us keep track of absolutely everything. The planning notebook system in place was not working for me but I wasn't sure I had a choice. It turns out I do and I knew exactly what I wanted: two open pages of orderly boxes with the dates across the top and the times down the left side, with room to write lesson plans and make notes. The entire week is available at a glance and the amount of space limits what I write to the essence of what I need to know and remember. I breathed a sigh of relief and put my system in place immediately. It has made all the difference in the way I keep track of my week.
Slowly I am finding other ways to inject my experience and expertise into my day. I organize tasks in ways that make sense to me and complete them in a timely manner, which reassures people that I know what I'm doing and can be trusted to do the job.
My duties include 45 minutes on the playground for recess every single day. For a classroom teacher that would be an unacceptable amount of duty time, but it is the expectation for the position I currently hold. I immediately fell into my pattern of continually moving throughout the area to always have eyes open to what is happening and to make connections with kids. I am learning names, which is a challenge without a seating chart or a regular daily context to place kids with their names. But we are getting to know each other.
My other duty is oversight of dismissal of students who are picked up by someone in a car. I ask students if they see "their people" as we stand at the cafeteria door and wait for cars to come through the driveway. After a few days I made a suggestion to the principal about dismissing all students for "pick up" at once instead of one grade at a time. The next day we tried it and cut the waiting time in half, which is a win for everyone involved. The students dismissed this way varies each day, but we are getting to know each other.
I am finding small ways to connect with other staff. Those of us on duty together agree on expectations and rules, and we are learning tidbits about each other. I asked the librarian if I could eat lunch in a quiet, out of the way corner of the library, explaining my desire for time away from the fray. She totally got it and said yes. I have emailed and made plans to meet with the person on staff who knows the most about re-certification, which I need to do in two years. I expressed an interest in and have received the information about what I need to do to join the union.
The best part about the job is the students ~ third, fourth, and fifth graders. I haven't taught third grade since I was a student teacher in 1992 and I forgot how little they are. Without exception, I have always found that kids are receptive if you take them where they are. It turns out that is still true. I am having a good time getting to know the students. If I am willing to listen, I can find out what I need to know to best help them learn. Kids will tell you everything if you pay attention.
I knew I was going back to teaching a different person than I was when I left the classroom 11 years ago. There was no way to know if I would be able to bring with me to a situation so familiar all those years ago how I have learned to be now.
Since the first moment in the school I have made a conscious effort to stay present. I let go the things I have no control over. My comments are positive. I focus on what is in front of me and take a walk if I need a break. Someone else may feel frazzled, but I don't take that on. I know what I need to do and can do it with intention. Throughout the first two weeks I have felt calm and capable.
I am tired. There aren't enough hours in the day to do all the things I have been doing for the past seven years when I am gone from home nine hours a day. That will have to figure itself out.
This is where I am right now. It is not the ideal situation but I am finding ways to make it work for me.
The journey continues....
I had trouble finding the words to write about my new job...
Until I realized it's a lot like my laptop with the missing volume control.
I need this job for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, I want to be working. I am an active, intelligent woman with abilities and a lot to offer. We want to pay down our mortgage, and I need money toward my retirement. I didn't plan to return to teaching but this is the job I was offered. The job is not set up the way I would do it, but that is not for me to say. I need to start somewhere to get back in the classroom, and this is where I find myself right now. I want and need this job, so I am finding ways to make it work.
Nothing about how the job is set up is intuitive for me ~ not the room arrangement or how materials are organized, not the schedule or the structure of lessons, not the forms we use or all the ways to keep track of the same information. I have had to find ways for the myriad of things I am expected to do to make sense for me.
A breakthrough came this week when I learned I could set up my planbook any way that works for me.
This is essential. Teachers are particular about how we set up our classrooms, our resources, our files, our desk, and our planbook, the place where many of us keep track of absolutely everything. The planning notebook system in place was not working for me but I wasn't sure I had a choice. It turns out I do and I knew exactly what I wanted: two open pages of orderly boxes with the dates across the top and the times down the left side, with room to write lesson plans and make notes. The entire week is available at a glance and the amount of space limits what I write to the essence of what I need to know and remember. I breathed a sigh of relief and put my system in place immediately. It has made all the difference in the way I keep track of my week.
Slowly I am finding other ways to inject my experience and expertise into my day. I organize tasks in ways that make sense to me and complete them in a timely manner, which reassures people that I know what I'm doing and can be trusted to do the job.
My duties include 45 minutes on the playground for recess every single day. For a classroom teacher that would be an unacceptable amount of duty time, but it is the expectation for the position I currently hold. I immediately fell into my pattern of continually moving throughout the area to always have eyes open to what is happening and to make connections with kids. I am learning names, which is a challenge without a seating chart or a regular daily context to place kids with their names. But we are getting to know each other.
My other duty is oversight of dismissal of students who are picked up by someone in a car. I ask students if they see "their people" as we stand at the cafeteria door and wait for cars to come through the driveway. After a few days I made a suggestion to the principal about dismissing all students for "pick up" at once instead of one grade at a time. The next day we tried it and cut the waiting time in half, which is a win for everyone involved. The students dismissed this way varies each day, but we are getting to know each other.
I am finding small ways to connect with other staff. Those of us on duty together agree on expectations and rules, and we are learning tidbits about each other. I asked the librarian if I could eat lunch in a quiet, out of the way corner of the library, explaining my desire for time away from the fray. She totally got it and said yes. I have emailed and made plans to meet with the person on staff who knows the most about re-certification, which I need to do in two years. I expressed an interest in and have received the information about what I need to do to join the union.
The best part about the job is the students ~ third, fourth, and fifth graders. I haven't taught third grade since I was a student teacher in 1992 and I forgot how little they are. Without exception, I have always found that kids are receptive if you take them where they are. It turns out that is still true. I am having a good time getting to know the students. If I am willing to listen, I can find out what I need to know to best help them learn. Kids will tell you everything if you pay attention.
I knew I was going back to teaching a different person than I was when I left the classroom 11 years ago. There was no way to know if I would be able to bring with me to a situation so familiar all those years ago how I have learned to be now.
Since the first moment in the school I have made a conscious effort to stay present. I let go the things I have no control over. My comments are positive. I focus on what is in front of me and take a walk if I need a break. Someone else may feel frazzled, but I don't take that on. I know what I need to do and can do it with intention. Throughout the first two weeks I have felt calm and capable.
I am tired. There aren't enough hours in the day to do all the things I have been doing for the past seven years when I am gone from home nine hours a day. That will have to figure itself out.
This is where I am right now. It is not the ideal situation but I am finding ways to make it work for me.
The journey continues....
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Good-Bye Longwood
Yesterday my husband loaded up his van one last time to move the last large bits from my daughter's old house to the new. Today my daughter and I made our last trip to Longwood to pack up what was left and to say good-bye. Again and again I walked from room to room, amazed that the house looked empty but wasn't....
Memories of how the yard has changed but the neighbors out back never did~
How much I still like the oak cabinets and kitchen floor we picked out in 1985~
The ivy in the 15-year old bathroom tile reflected in the original medicine cabinet~
The hardwood floors I stripped myself and hand-rubbed with linseed oil~
The bookcases Ken built with a friend that perfectly fit the den~
The oak door we refinished and returned to the front of the house~
The crimson king maple that was Ken's first Father's Day present~
I know every inch of the house, every ceiling and floor, every wall and door, every shingle and piece of trim. I am grateful for the years spent there and the memories I take with me. Thank you Longwood, for everything....
Memories of how the yard has changed but the neighbors out back never did~
How much I still like the oak cabinets and kitchen floor we picked out in 1985~
The ivy in the 15-year old bathroom tile reflected in the original medicine cabinet~
The hardwood floors I stripped myself and hand-rubbed with linseed oil~
The bookcases Ken built with a friend that perfectly fit the den~
The oak door we refinished and returned to the front of the house~
The crimson king maple that was Ken's first Father's Day present~
I know every inch of the house, every ceiling and floor, every wall and door, every shingle and piece of trim. I am grateful for the years spent there and the memories I take with me. Thank you Longwood, for everything....
Monday, August 25, 2014
Second Verse
There is a 2nd contract on my daughter's house. People looked at it mid-week and made an offer the same day. It took a bit of back and forth, and by the end of last week the papers were signed. Their financing is already approved, so it might be that by the end of September everything will be settled.
I think the term is guarded optimism.
Ken pressed his over-sized van into service this weekend to move items too big for an Outback. We were all exhausted Sunday evening but when we looked around it felt like the end is in sight.
I am officially back to work this week. There are "professional days" Wednesday and Thursday. Students return next Tuesday. It feels odd not to be in my own classroom, making bulletin boards and organizing class lists and preparing lesson plans. On the other hand, the parameters are clear and I will give 100% within those limits. I welcome the chance for a new experience.
Second verses do not need to be the same as the first....
I think the term is guarded optimism.
Ken pressed his over-sized van into service this weekend to move items too big for an Outback. We were all exhausted Sunday evening but when we looked around it felt like the end is in sight.
I am officially back to work this week. There are "professional days" Wednesday and Thursday. Students return next Tuesday. It feels odd not to be in my own classroom, making bulletin boards and organizing class lists and preparing lesson plans. On the other hand, the parameters are clear and I will give 100% within those limits. I welcome the chance for a new experience.
Second verses do not need to be the same as the first....
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Moving By Outback
At the last possible moment the sale of the house my daughter has owned for seven years fell through. Just three weeks before the closing the buyer lost her financing. The realtor was stunned; every inspection had been done and the house was ready. My daughter had to decide if she was going forward with the purchase of her next house.
Experts were consulted. Numbers were crunched. Adjustments were made.
My daughter decided to take the leap. Last Thursday she closed on her new house. The move south began.
Originally movers were going to move everything. Changes in timing meant that wasn't necessary. She and I have been packing for weeks and started carting boxes by car as soon as she had the keys to the front door. We each drive a 2012 Subaru Outback, which can hold a considerable amount of stuff. A three bedroom house with a full basement holds a lot of stuff, so we started one box at a time. Almost a week later it looks like we are making progress.
My daughter wisely hired a Maine-based company to move the furniture and chest freezer. She and I dismantled every bed and emptied every drawer. We literally had every piece lined up and ready to load. On Sunday three movers arrived and loaded the truck in one hour. On the other end they unloaded every piece and safely placed it in its new home in one hour. It was a pleasure to watch them work and worth every penny.
The work of emptying the old house and making it shine continues. The realtor has kept his promise to actively pursue the sale of my daughter's house. Showings continue.
I believe the house in Augusta will be sold to someone who will appreciate it like my family has for 36 years. That house took care of us from the first day until now.
My daughter's new house suits her and the new neighborhood is a good fit. Her commute is half of what it was. She and her pets are settling in.
My daughter has found her new home.
Experts were consulted. Numbers were crunched. Adjustments were made.
My daughter decided to take the leap. Last Thursday she closed on her new house. The move south began.
Originally movers were going to move everything. Changes in timing meant that wasn't necessary. She and I have been packing for weeks and started carting boxes by car as soon as she had the keys to the front door. We each drive a 2012 Subaru Outback, which can hold a considerable amount of stuff. A three bedroom house with a full basement holds a lot of stuff, so we started one box at a time. Almost a week later it looks like we are making progress.
My daughter wisely hired a Maine-based company to move the furniture and chest freezer. She and I dismantled every bed and emptied every drawer. We literally had every piece lined up and ready to load. On Sunday three movers arrived and loaded the truck in one hour. On the other end they unloaded every piece and safely placed it in its new home in one hour. It was a pleasure to watch them work and worth every penny.
The work of emptying the old house and making it shine continues. The realtor has kept his promise to actively pursue the sale of my daughter's house. Showings continue.
I believe the house in Augusta will be sold to someone who will appreciate it like my family has for 36 years. That house took care of us from the first day until now.
My daughter's new house suits her and the new neighborhood is a good fit. Her commute is half of what it was. She and her pets are settling in.
My daughter has found her new home.
Monday, August 11, 2014
Threads Of Memory
When babies were born and families were young, threads of a friendship started more than three decades ago~
A braided rug was handed down from one friend to another~
As children grew and families changed, the threads grew worn~
Now repaired and good as new, the braided threads of memory will soon warm my daughter's new home~
A braided rug was handed down from one friend to another~
As children grew and families changed, the threads grew worn~
Now repaired and good as new, the braided threads of memory will soon warm my daughter's new home~
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