Vocation
by Sandra Beasley
For six months I dealt Baccarat in a casino.
For six months I played Brahms in a mall.
For six months I arranged museum dioramas;
my hands were too small for the Paleolithic
and when they reassigned me to lichens, I quit.
I type ninety-one words per minute, all of them
Help. Yes, I speak Dewey Decimal.
I speak Russian, Latin, a smattering of Tlingit.
I can balance seven dinner plates on my arm.
All I want to do is sit on a veranda while
a hard rain falls around me. I'll file your 1099s.
I'll make love to strangers of your choice.
I'll do whatever you want, as long as I can do it
on that veranda. If it calls you, it's your calling,
right? Once I asked a broker what he loved
about his job, and he said Making a killing.
Once I asked a serial killer what made him
get up in the morning, and he said The people.
Showing posts with label job. Show all posts
Showing posts with label job. Show all posts
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Corporate America
Well, folks, I have worked for various forms of Corporate America now for about thirteen years. In bold are some of the principles I have learned about how to succeed in such an arena. Below each item is an alternate version of reality I have learned at the same time - in other words, what I know to be true about life itself. You will see my obvious dilemma...
1. Shut the fuck up and smile while doing it.
~ Use direct communication and conflict resolution, say what you mean, do not use false words, and be honest.
2. Put your head down and do your work.
~ Try to be engaged with your work and enjoy the learning process. After all, this is where you spend the majority of your waking time.
3. Don't do anyone else's work. [And if you do, you will suddenly be under a pile so big you will never get out!]
~ Pitch in where needed, help out, and do not let work go undone - have pride in your product!
4. Leadership qualities are simply overrated characteristics that will not get you to the top but rather piss people off.
~ Step up, show what you're made of, come up with new ideas and better business strategies. Be your best self and this will inspire others to rise to the occasion and become better themselves. Expect the best from yourself and everyone with whom you work. This motivates people!
5. Innovation and improvement ideas are not welcomed. [There is no such thing as a real open-door-policy.]
~ Life is short and you should streamline and improve whenever possible. Do your best work - double check and ensure that it is perfect. Everything you touch represents your company and its mission. Make sure you are contributing to excellence. Put your best foot forward and the company will prosper.
6. Accept whatever your boss says.
~ Offer ideas, be creative, and think outside the box. Many problems are solved by looking at the problem from a new perspective, taking time to "sleep on it," and offering multiple solutions from which to choose. Everyone can learn from each other.
7. Be on time. In many ways, this is more important than anything.
~ Well, you know how I feel about this one. There are so many things in life that are more important than an on-the-dot schedule. And yes, folks, being a harp about time and not being considerate about the chaotic lives people rush to leave in order to get to work is just as disrespectful as being five minutes late. Get a life!
8. Come in early; stay late. [There is no such thing as too much work.]
~ Cultivate balance in your life. Nurture friendships and family relationships. Pursue hobbies, artistic endeavors, culture, and self betterment through active, lifelong learning. Work on getting and staying in shape. Get your sleep and take vitamins. Your health and happiness is all you've really got.
9. Those at the top do the least work and can be the most badly behaved and disrespectful of others.
~ It is vitally important to treat others with respect. Every level of the company is comprised of valid, contributing employees who are doing their best to promote the company's goals. Each human deserves your undivided attention, active listening skills, kindness, and respect. No one needs to be the brunt of your personal problems, emotional upsets, or lack of digestive balance. In addition, those at the top should be leaders, beyond reproach, motivating and inspiring others through their goals, wisdom, knowledge, and strong moral character. Lead by example.
10. Managers make their own rules. Schmucks do the work and will never rise up.
~ There must be reward somewhere, somehow, for those who work hard. Having a strong and determined work ethic has inherent as well as outward value. Hard work pays off and helps you attain your goals. Doesn't it?...
11. Nice is not appropriate or necessary in the workplace.
~ EVERYONE deserves your kindness. Flexibility is a good thing, as well as patience, human caring, and general decency. No one will remember the report you stayed up all night completing, but they may remember that you asked how their son was doing in the hospital.
12. Work is not supposed to be meaningful. Some of what we do is to satisfy arcane regulations or simply keep you looking productive. When we don't know what to do with you, we'll throw a fun new title your way!
~ Meaningful work will keep you happy, productive, and living a long, fulfilling life. Humans were meant to work hard and to pursue goals of innovation, help build communities, and support beauty in all its forms. A major life goal of mine is to wake up in the morning happy to do what work is laid before me, pleased to apply myself to achieve something and leave a lasting impression on this earth. [Meanwhile, if one more jerk says, "Do work you love and you'll love your work," I will punch them in the face. Smug Happy Careerists are equal to Smug Marrieds. Try buying groceries on work you love, buddy. Unfortunately, some of us don't love the stock market.]
13. Attend lots of meetings and sign up for committees, even if you won't have time to complete your own work.
~ Your primary job is to master your job responsibilities and be the best at that work. As time allows, support others and continue learning new skills by participating in work-related education and joining associations. But these should not take away from the job you were hired to do.
14. Delegate whenever possible.
~ Share the load and bear your brother's burden when need arises - he will in turn bear yours when you need it. Show that you are working as hard as those who report to you. Take personal responsibility for the outcome of your tasks and the quality of your work. Live in such a way that you can be proud of what you contributed and your family can be proud of what you do.
15. Be prepared for changing rules.
~ Above all, flexibility and smooth work flow are worth seeking, both for your own personal growth and for the overall health of your workplace. Show a patient, bending attitude and learn to go with the flow. Allow goals and priorities to change, as this reflects true scientific learning. There is no reason to cling to "what we've always done." How then can one improve? That said, there is such a thing as too much change and sometimes you have to try one idea for a few minutes to see if it will really work. Allow people time to learn and adjust and you may be pleased with the results!
16. Whoever told you the computer age will eliminate paperwork was selling something.
~ You will never get away from paperwork, phone calls, follow up, and task lists. Even if you do most of them on your Blackberry. There is a reason for the paper-trail (I learned that in HR). Embrace the mundane and move on.
17. If you are looking for self-improvement or career enhancement, you've come to the wrong place.
~ Your job should be a stepping stone to greater self awareness as well as providing good for your community (on any scale). At the end of the day, you want to look back and see how far you've come. This will urge you onward and build momentum. Be honest about your mistakes, learn from them, and listen to constructive criticism. This is your one life. No one can take away your spirit or your combined experiences. Jobs will end, bosses will get re-orged, tasks will change; but your character and attitude will remain with you throughout the rest of your life.
18. Corporate America is not for the weak. Appreciation as well as monetary raises are not to be expected. Do your job and be grateful you have one (peon).
~ Make sure to actively and verbally appreciate the hard work people do each day. Take a moment to notice that the well-oiled machine not only got oiled, but also at some point got repaired, restructured, and improved. Every single person at your company contributed something. Noticing and praising these contributions help people develop pride in their work and strive to do better the next day. Every single person deserves to be noticed for showing up. Without them, the entire project would fail.
19. You will never be truly happy until you are working for yourself or are the CEO.
~ There will ALWAYS be another asshole boss, a demeaning and selfish employee, a slacker co-worker, and someone who makes everyone else routinely feel like shit. Absolutely the only way to try to avoid this is to quit the rat-race and work for yourself. But be aware, you will always have customers, contacts, vendors, and associates. There is an asshole around every corner! Learning to be your best self and deal with the conflicts and personality issues now will help you immensely down the road, no matter what you do. Even if you quit the world and stay in your basement until the end of your life...guess what, there's an asshole lurking right inside your own self!! So get used to it and rise above, honey.
20. I hate Corporate America and am not cut out for this type of work.
~ Being a creative, life-loving soul who wants meaningful work AND enough money to live on AND time for family and outside activities...does NOT a successful Corporate American make. I have been and will continue to be frustrated with the politics, endless meetings, mindless labor, bad decisions of bosses, and really disgraceful behavior of others in the workplace. I can envision working for myself, or being the (best) boss (ever). But for now, I have to look within and find the strength to change what I can about myself, learn the life lessons presented to me, give up worrying what everyone else thinks of me, and become my best self in my current job.
That said, if some venture capitalist wants to back me...I could really make some changes in this world of ours!
Thoughts, ideas, reactions?
~Al
Friday, April 23, 2010
Aging
It's exceptionally hard getting older.
It's hard to realize your body isn't working the way it used to, healing as quickly from injuries, rising to the occasion like it once did.
It's infuriating to be told you cannot (should not) drive anymore. To have your keys taken away, and not for the intoxicated party night, but for good.
It hurts when your friends - the same age as you! - begin getting cancer, or dying of headache-turned-brain-tumors. It's horrifying when a loved one drops dead of a heart attack.
You can't believe it when the thought of going up that damn driveway hill with the garbage bin is exhausting, or your just don't feel like watering all the plants in the garden anymore.
When you realize your clothes look like the outdated relics of your mother's closet...
Aging sucks.
This is what I am learning as our parents start to enter the age of grief, shocking diagnoses from the doctor, and visits from friends who are now widows.
These are the things I think on as I work to tend the sick and dying every day, albeit in my administrative, secretarial way, at my Hospice job. People are sick and dying EVERY SINGLE DAY. I find myself saying in my head things like, "If only someone would die so it would free up the schedule a bit." These are the sick thoughts you have when you work in Hospice. These are the blow-off-steam moments that get you through the day. You find yourself so, so tired and worn out at the end of the week (like tonight). Until you realize, you have been surrounded by various stages of death all day, and lending every bit of compassion you have to suffering and grieving families who need it. And I'm not even the nurse.
Last night I found myself at the semi-annual memorial service Hospice holds for families members who have lost someone they loved. On my name tag, I wrote: "Allison Snyder" and under In Memory Of, I wrote "Larry Cox." Because the one you've lost doesn't go away after a year of prescribed grieving time. They are with you always, every day, in your thoughts and frustrations, memories and laughs.
In the service sat several dozen families - some with other family members, some alone (a spouse, a brother, a daughter). Tears were shed and laughs were shared. A beautiful choir sang three songs, each bringing you just a bit closer to your loved one and God (though they were very respectfully not religious). Several people looked me in the eye and did not look away during the service. I made myself keep returning their gaze. In grief, you long to connect, even with a stranger. You find yourself in this unlikely and miserable Club you didn't realize existed - the Club of Those Left Behind. There should be a bumper sticker, key chain, and a membership T-shirt. Instead, there is just a knowing look between stranger-friends that happens every few months (or years), the stories of love lost just on the tip of everyone's tongue, no matter what time has passed.
Afterwards, Hospice offered cookies, cheese and crackers, and juice...as if that could help. But in some way, it did. It is so normal to share a snack with others. And normal is what you crave like the dickens when you feel so lost, your world turned upside down and inside out, never to return to its previous glory.
I talked (listened) at length with a man who's brother-in-law had died in the last few months. He told me endless fishing stories (the tall tales I have heard all my life) of 4 ft Stripers and the night the boys caught 60 sharks off the shore, etc etc. I think he was channeling my Dad, who might have been coming through saying, "I'm still here in every ordinary way."
Aging brings the shadow of death with it, and we all feel that chill and try to run. There's no fight mechanism in place - it's all flight at the start. I am not changing, getting older, slowing down! I'll be damned if I ever give up my (insert your favorite passion)! I don't need anything but the cool, sweet earth and my fishing pole.
Oh, and you. And your support and kindness. And maybe a wipe of my chin where the kernel of corn has stuck and won't let itself free. Remind me, what year was it that we took that wonderful trip? Have you seen my glasses (that rest on my forehead)? There's nothing wrong with my head! Oh, you said "bread"?
Grace. Compassion. For others. For ourselves and this ever-changing body and spirit.
Grace from me, to you.
~Ally
It's hard to realize your body isn't working the way it used to, healing as quickly from injuries, rising to the occasion like it once did.
It's infuriating to be told you cannot (should not) drive anymore. To have your keys taken away, and not for the intoxicated party night, but for good.
It hurts when your friends - the same age as you! - begin getting cancer, or dying of headache-turned-brain-tumors. It's horrifying when a loved one drops dead of a heart attack.
You can't believe it when the thought of going up that damn driveway hill with the garbage bin is exhausting, or your just don't feel like watering all the plants in the garden anymore.
When you realize your clothes look like the outdated relics of your mother's closet...
Aging sucks.
This is what I am learning as our parents start to enter the age of grief, shocking diagnoses from the doctor, and visits from friends who are now widows.
These are the things I think on as I work to tend the sick and dying every day, albeit in my administrative, secretarial way, at my Hospice job. People are sick and dying EVERY SINGLE DAY. I find myself saying in my head things like, "If only someone would die so it would free up the schedule a bit." These are the sick thoughts you have when you work in Hospice. These are the blow-off-steam moments that get you through the day. You find yourself so, so tired and worn out at the end of the week (like tonight). Until you realize, you have been surrounded by various stages of death all day, and lending every bit of compassion you have to suffering and grieving families who need it. And I'm not even the nurse.
Last night I found myself at the semi-annual memorial service Hospice holds for families members who have lost someone they loved. On my name tag, I wrote: "Allison Snyder" and under In Memory Of, I wrote "Larry Cox." Because the one you've lost doesn't go away after a year of prescribed grieving time. They are with you always, every day, in your thoughts and frustrations, memories and laughs.
In the service sat several dozen families - some with other family members, some alone (a spouse, a brother, a daughter). Tears were shed and laughs were shared. A beautiful choir sang three songs, each bringing you just a bit closer to your loved one and God (though they were very respectfully not religious). Several people looked me in the eye and did not look away during the service. I made myself keep returning their gaze. In grief, you long to connect, even with a stranger. You find yourself in this unlikely and miserable Club you didn't realize existed - the Club of Those Left Behind. There should be a bumper sticker, key chain, and a membership T-shirt. Instead, there is just a knowing look between stranger-friends that happens every few months (or years), the stories of love lost just on the tip of everyone's tongue, no matter what time has passed.
Afterwards, Hospice offered cookies, cheese and crackers, and juice...as if that could help. But in some way, it did. It is so normal to share a snack with others. And normal is what you crave like the dickens when you feel so lost, your world turned upside down and inside out, never to return to its previous glory.
I talked (listened) at length with a man who's brother-in-law had died in the last few months. He told me endless fishing stories (the tall tales I have heard all my life) of 4 ft Stripers and the night the boys caught 60 sharks off the shore, etc etc. I think he was channeling my Dad, who might have been coming through saying, "I'm still here in every ordinary way."
Aging brings the shadow of death with it, and we all feel that chill and try to run. There's no fight mechanism in place - it's all flight at the start. I am not changing, getting older, slowing down! I'll be damned if I ever give up my (insert your favorite passion)! I don't need anything but the cool, sweet earth and my fishing pole.
Oh, and you. And your support and kindness. And maybe a wipe of my chin where the kernel of corn has stuck and won't let itself free. Remind me, what year was it that we took that wonderful trip? Have you seen my glasses (that rest on my forehead)? There's nothing wrong with my head! Oh, you said "bread"?
Grace. Compassion. For others. For ourselves and this ever-changing body and spirit.
Grace from me, to you.
~Ally
Friday, March 26, 2010
This Simple Woman's Day Book
The Simple Woman's Day Book . . .
FOR TODAY, March 26, 2010
Outside My Window... it has turned to night. The sun stays out longer now and the air has been quite warm, though today, evening brought a chill with it. New Hampshire is officially in Springtime, as the snow and ice have melted, buds have begun on the bravest of trees, and the ticks, bees, geese, and even one sly black fly have returned. Don't they know it's only March? Ripe time for a blizzard. But our pool house opened today and we have forgotten our mittens and shovels altogether.
I am thinking... how amazing it is that a song, a scent, or the words of a stranger can evoke the strongest heart pulls toward an old friend. Last night, I heard a Little Song by Sarah Jarosz that made me long in my heart for my friend Molly, whom I have not seen in years. Today, the scented oil at the massage therapist reminded me of Amy - and now that sweet smell is on my skin, continuing to bring me back to my dear sister-like friend. Some moments in life never fade on the inside, and we are blessed by the unexpected reminders.
I am thankful for... the wonderful women with whom I work - who are kind, generous, and able to laugh at themselves. Today at work we celebrated Social Workers' Month. In Hospice, this is a particularly hard job, not for the weak of heart. I used to know a woman who worked with Aids patients. I wondered how she could endure such pain and suffering on a daily basis. Now I know that it is in helping people through their most vulnerable, frightening, and fragile times that our hearts are strengthened to love more fully, listen more deeply, and relax into the ever-present changes of a life.
From the kitchen... Scott and I will soon be enjoying the L&A Sausage Quiche, which I made again last night. Delicious! Will make some blueberry muffins - good ol' 50 cent Jiffys are still the simplest and best in my opinion - and maybe a salad to accompany the eggy pie.
I am wearing... jammies, since I am a) off work, b) home, and c) ready to enjoy a relaxing weekend! It's movie night here at Snyderville tonight - we are deciding between a scary one (Sixth Sense), a silly one (Boat Trip), and an interesting one (The Real Dirt on Farmer John).
I am creating... new habits of relaxation and de-stressing my body. Each day I work on stretching, sleeping, and bringing down my crazy by deep breathing, meditating, reading on my lunch hour, or taking in the natural world around me.
I am going... to a moving party tomorrow. Sarge, my 84-yr old friend is finally moving out of the big family house and into some more affordable apartment housing. It will be a big relief for those of us who do his finances and help with his complicated old man life. But it will probably be hard for him to leave that old house. He loves his yard projects, his gardening, his "home improvement" ventures, and most of all, his independence. How will we convince him that living in an apartment does not mean he isn't independent? And he will be right downtown, able to do all the walking and visiting he loves, shopping in his daily haunts and running up his tab at Madeleine's. All good things. His wife died in that house, and he has put in 50 years of love, sweat, and toil. I hope tomorrow he will be buoyed by friendship and laughter, and not too sad.
And FOR TODAY, March 29, 2010
I am reading...
The Elegant Gathering of White Snows, by Kris Radish
This is an amazing book that tells the stories of eight women who decide one night to take off from their lives and begin walking through the night, and then many following days. They are on a pilgrimage of sorts to think about and evaluate their lives, sharing sorrows and unraveling the tales of how they experienced life. I don't know how to put it in graceful words, but this book is very powerful and moving. Each woman's life is part of the universal story of women everywhere. It is definitely worth reading. I have been enjoying it bit by bit on my lunch hours, falling into the prose and not wanting to stop reading.
I am hoping... I have so many hopes right now I don't know where to begin. But I am also thinking on a principle from Donna Q. about how the combination of our longings and self loathing thoughts form a constant circle of frustration. Our attachments to wants and "shoulds" bind rather than free us. But meanwhile, a few of my hopes are: that Sarge can accept and delight in his new life in the apartment; that Caralee can have a break from her cancer pain and suffering and enjoy the many last days of her life; that Lauren will find a close woman friend in Mexico to share her joys, thoughts, and burdens; that my grandmas will feel loved and well taken care of in Indiana and Minnesota; that Kenda's wedding plans will bring her joy and turn into a wonderful day she will love remembering; that Laurel's new job will be a blessing to her; that my father and Grandpa C. will know they are loved and remembered, wherever they are; and that Dad will send a special blessing to Mom for their anniversary this weekend.
I am hearing... the hum of the noisy but comforting refrigerator. It is time for bed and I am avoiding the start of a new and exhausting week. But I am grateful to not be experiencing The Sunday Night Dread, as I have been lucky enough to find a job I like.
Around the house... are piles of tasks waiting to be accomplished - laundry, financial papers, my new pine cone project (from beautiful branches I gathered on our walk at the Pine Barrens on Saturday), library books to return, movies to watch and return, Pete's birthday present to mail and Easter goodies to be stuffed in baskets...the list goes on and on...
One of my favorite things... is cooking for someone else. Tonight I enjoyed making an Aztec Casserole for a dear friend and nurse with whom I work. I bribed her with Mexican food so she'd work an extra on-call shift tomorrow. I happily prepared her meal tonight, while listening to traditional mariachi love songs and cooking up a storm. I also made homemade cornbread for the first time, and it was yummy! Scott and I thoroughly enjoyed our Mexican treats before K. gets the rest tomorrow. I love cooking for my husband too.
A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week... I did a lot of my errands and appointments last week. So this week I will spend time with Scott, work on finances and budgeting, clean up the house, and get ready for Easter with Mom on Saturday and Sunday. I bought the eggs to be colored and the goodies to fill Easter baskets, and gathered some special pine cone twigs for decorating. What am I, Martha Stewart? I also desperately need a haircut, so maybe I can make that happen this week. Do the world a favor, right??
Here is picture thought I am sharing...
And there you have it, my Simple Woman's Day Book. View other entries at Simple Woman's Day Book. Try writing one yourself! It makes a lovely snapshot of your life, as it is - perfect in all its beautiful imperfection - today.
~Ally
FOR TODAY, March 26, 2010
Outside My Window... it has turned to night. The sun stays out longer now and the air has been quite warm, though today, evening brought a chill with it. New Hampshire is officially in Springtime, as the snow and ice have melted, buds have begun on the bravest of trees, and the ticks, bees, geese, and even one sly black fly have returned. Don't they know it's only March? Ripe time for a blizzard. But our pool house opened today and we have forgotten our mittens and shovels altogether.
I am thinking... how amazing it is that a song, a scent, or the words of a stranger can evoke the strongest heart pulls toward an old friend. Last night, I heard a Little Song by Sarah Jarosz that made me long in my heart for my friend Molly, whom I have not seen in years. Today, the scented oil at the massage therapist reminded me of Amy - and now that sweet smell is on my skin, continuing to bring me back to my dear sister-like friend. Some moments in life never fade on the inside, and we are blessed by the unexpected reminders.
I am thankful for... the wonderful women with whom I work - who are kind, generous, and able to laugh at themselves. Today at work we celebrated Social Workers' Month. In Hospice, this is a particularly hard job, not for the weak of heart. I used to know a woman who worked with Aids patients. I wondered how she could endure such pain and suffering on a daily basis. Now I know that it is in helping people through their most vulnerable, frightening, and fragile times that our hearts are strengthened to love more fully, listen more deeply, and relax into the ever-present changes of a life.
From the kitchen... Scott and I will soon be enjoying the L&A Sausage Quiche, which I made again last night. Delicious! Will make some blueberry muffins - good ol' 50 cent Jiffys are still the simplest and best in my opinion - and maybe a salad to accompany the eggy pie.
I am wearing... jammies, since I am a) off work, b) home, and c) ready to enjoy a relaxing weekend! It's movie night here at Snyderville tonight - we are deciding between a scary one (Sixth Sense), a silly one (Boat Trip), and an interesting one (The Real Dirt on Farmer John).
I am creating... new habits of relaxation and de-stressing my body. Each day I work on stretching, sleeping, and bringing down my crazy by deep breathing, meditating, reading on my lunch hour, or taking in the natural world around me.
I am going... to a moving party tomorrow. Sarge, my 84-yr old friend is finally moving out of the big family house and into some more affordable apartment housing. It will be a big relief for those of us who do his finances and help with his complicated old man life. But it will probably be hard for him to leave that old house. He loves his yard projects, his gardening, his "home improvement" ventures, and most of all, his independence. How will we convince him that living in an apartment does not mean he isn't independent? And he will be right downtown, able to do all the walking and visiting he loves, shopping in his daily haunts and running up his tab at Madeleine's. All good things. His wife died in that house, and he has put in 50 years of love, sweat, and toil. I hope tomorrow he will be buoyed by friendship and laughter, and not too sad.
And FOR TODAY, March 29, 2010
I am reading...
The Elegant Gathering of White Snows, by Kris RadishThis is an amazing book that tells the stories of eight women who decide one night to take off from their lives and begin walking through the night, and then many following days. They are on a pilgrimage of sorts to think about and evaluate their lives, sharing sorrows and unraveling the tales of how they experienced life. I don't know how to put it in graceful words, but this book is very powerful and moving. Each woman's life is part of the universal story of women everywhere. It is definitely worth reading. I have been enjoying it bit by bit on my lunch hours, falling into the prose and not wanting to stop reading.
I am hoping... I have so many hopes right now I don't know where to begin. But I am also thinking on a principle from Donna Q. about how the combination of our longings and self loathing thoughts form a constant circle of frustration. Our attachments to wants and "shoulds" bind rather than free us. But meanwhile, a few of my hopes are: that Sarge can accept and delight in his new life in the apartment; that Caralee can have a break from her cancer pain and suffering and enjoy the many last days of her life; that Lauren will find a close woman friend in Mexico to share her joys, thoughts, and burdens; that my grandmas will feel loved and well taken care of in Indiana and Minnesota; that Kenda's wedding plans will bring her joy and turn into a wonderful day she will love remembering; that Laurel's new job will be a blessing to her; that my father and Grandpa C. will know they are loved and remembered, wherever they are; and that Dad will send a special blessing to Mom for their anniversary this weekend.
I am hearing... the hum of the noisy but comforting refrigerator. It is time for bed and I am avoiding the start of a new and exhausting week. But I am grateful to not be experiencing The Sunday Night Dread, as I have been lucky enough to find a job I like.
Around the house... are piles of tasks waiting to be accomplished - laundry, financial papers, my new pine cone project (from beautiful branches I gathered on our walk at the Pine Barrens on Saturday), library books to return, movies to watch and return, Pete's birthday present to mail and Easter goodies to be stuffed in baskets...the list goes on and on...
One of my favorite things... is cooking for someone else. Tonight I enjoyed making an Aztec Casserole for a dear friend and nurse with whom I work. I bribed her with Mexican food so she'd work an extra on-call shift tomorrow. I happily prepared her meal tonight, while listening to traditional mariachi love songs and cooking up a storm. I also made homemade cornbread for the first time, and it was yummy! Scott and I thoroughly enjoyed our Mexican treats before K. gets the rest tomorrow. I love cooking for my husband too.
A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week... I did a lot of my errands and appointments last week. So this week I will spend time with Scott, work on finances and budgeting, clean up the house, and get ready for Easter with Mom on Saturday and Sunday. I bought the eggs to be colored and the goodies to fill Easter baskets, and gathered some special pine cone twigs for decorating. What am I, Martha Stewart? I also desperately need a haircut, so maybe I can make that happen this week. Do the world a favor, right??
Here is picture thought I am sharing...
And there you have it, my Simple Woman's Day Book. View other entries at Simple Woman's Day Book. Try writing one yourself! It makes a lovely snapshot of your life, as it is - perfect in all its beautiful imperfection - today.
~Ally
Monday, August 3, 2009
Changes
1. My friend had a baby! A preemie and both she and mom are doing fine.
2. I am on vacation this week. Not "vacation from my problems," just vacation from my job! :)
3. I watched the movie Trust the Man twice last week and it was hilarious both times! Rent it!
4. This month, I am taking a baby making drug that will hopefully help us get pregnant.
5. Did not get the job I interviewed for last week - sorry about that. Will keep trying.
6. It is August.
7. Mom is leaving soon for Mexico. I am gathering goodies for the various birthdays they will celebrate there.
8. Mom's house is on the market. It's a winner so check it out!
9. We got to see fireworks at the Pittsfield Balloon Rally on Saturday night, and they were spectacular - like no other fireworks!
10. I am planning a beach day this week if the weather cooperates (and maybe even if it doesn't).
~Ally
Saturday, July 11, 2009
What's Going On Right Now
1. I am up late as usual, enjoying a blog or two!
6. Scott is taking a million photos of the beautiful New Hampshire slice of earth and working on his permanent portfolio online. Selling prints already, but there will be a beautiful online gallery to peruse soon. Stay tuned!
2. It has been raining incessantly in New Hampshire...until about two days ago when this big yellow ball appeared in the sky, and the air got hot. We don't know exactly what's going on. But someone said something about "sunshine"? I will have to google that to find out what it means.
3. I am trying to find some pet sitting gigs in our condo complex for extra money.
4. Am reading "The Time Traveler's Wife" and enjoying the mind bending aspect of thinking in time travel mode. Best question the girl always asks the man, "When are you from?"
5. We are hooked on watching Battlestar Galactica, or as I like to call it, Battlestar LaGeektica. We are in Season 2.5 right now and deep in the thick of man's fight against the Cylons to keep from going extinct! Plus a whole lot of other General Hospital*-type drama. [*If you're too young to know that show, think the great slutty parts of Grey's Anatomy.]
6. Scott is taking a million photos of the beautiful New Hampshire slice of earth and working on his permanent portfolio online. Selling prints already, but there will be a beautiful online gallery to peruse soon. Stay tuned!
7. Coming up to Dad's DDay anniversary. Must find some other term for it than "Death Day." Not looking forward to the passing of this milestone. The summer has been rough all the way around, stupid with milestones.
8. We are getting ready to go camping on Grape Island in Maine next weekend. Mom will watch our cat babies.
9. Still working on the pregnancy project. Am now off reading pregnancy books b/c they always make me think I am pregnant (which is only fun until the darn stick reads "negative" AGAIN). Am now reading novels and autobiographies about women who struggled to get pregnant. Whoa, those books are an emotional roller coaster, but so good and not quite as threatening.
10. Working part-time at the bankruptcy law office and still greatly enjoying that work. Continuing to look for full-time work in this dismal economy. My unemployment has been recalculated (since I have been on it a whole year! Ack!!) and now it's worth even less, if that's possible! So I am hitting the pavement with renewed vigor, looking for full-time work. Or freelance. Doing some editing and that's highly enjoyable.
And how are you?
~Ally
And how are you?
~Ally
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Good Things
1. There is a beautiful cemetery nearby where I hope we can have Dad's ashes placed, in a family plot, so I have somewhere to visit him. I went there the other night to talk with him, even though his remains are not there yet. The place feels right and it is comforting.
2. My grief group has been so encouraging and I really appreciate getting to know those people.
3. Facebook has been fun for reconnecting with old friends and finding out what they're up to.
4. Hillary and baby are doing well and we are glad baby is still in the "oven" for the time being. Though an uncomfortable Hillary might disagree.
5. The crazy cat, O'Reilly, tried hard to burn his tail but putting it right over a burning candle - for about 20 seconds! - but his tail, despite singed hair, is no worse for the wear. Silly kitty!
6. Scott and I are doing well on the baby-making plans, and enjoying the, uh, process. ;)
7. I have a part-time job now and though it's not a lot of money, it gives me a schedule and regular time in an office to keep my skills up. It also gives me a chance for social interactions, which are very helpful to me.
8. Mom is taking me to visit Grandma Dorothy in about a week and I am very much looking forward to visiting her. It's been way too long and I've missed her. I will also get a chance to visit our old neighbors and go to Mom's writing group in Fargo.
9. Scott has found a beautiful dog for us and it's the kind I have been hoping for: an English Setter!
10. Chocolate. Brownies. 'Nuff said.
11. We are working on a trip to include visiting Hillary once her baby arrives, and seeing Scott's Mom and Dad in Alabama. Spring is for visiting Snyders this year.
12. Lauren and Benjamin bought the house they have been wanting for years! They are well into renovation projects already.
13. My women's group starts on Saturday and I am very excited!
14. Judy the Cat has become my snuggly bunny and she just loves her mama. Meow.
How are you?
~Ally
2. My grief group has been so encouraging and I really appreciate getting to know those people.
3. Facebook has been fun for reconnecting with old friends and finding out what they're up to.
4. Hillary and baby are doing well and we are glad baby is still in the "oven" for the time being. Though an uncomfortable Hillary might disagree.
5. The crazy cat, O'Reilly, tried hard to burn his tail but putting it right over a burning candle - for about 20 seconds! - but his tail, despite singed hair, is no worse for the wear. Silly kitty!
6. Scott and I are doing well on the baby-making plans, and enjoying the, uh, process. ;)
7. I have a part-time job now and though it's not a lot of money, it gives me a schedule and regular time in an office to keep my skills up. It also gives me a chance for social interactions, which are very helpful to me.
8. Mom is taking me to visit Grandma Dorothy in about a week and I am very much looking forward to visiting her. It's been way too long and I've missed her. I will also get a chance to visit our old neighbors and go to Mom's writing group in Fargo.
9. Scott has found a beautiful dog for us and it's the kind I have been hoping for: an English Setter!
10. Chocolate. Brownies. 'Nuff said.
11. We are working on a trip to include visiting Hillary once her baby arrives, and seeing Scott's Mom and Dad in Alabama. Spring is for visiting Snyders this year.
12. Lauren and Benjamin bought the house they have been wanting for years! They are well into renovation projects already.
13. My women's group starts on Saturday and I am very excited!
14. Judy the Cat has become my snuggly bunny and she just loves her mama. Meow.
How are you?
~Ally
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