Reflection on Self Challenge

December has started so it is time to reflect on the challenge I gave myself for November. I was to post a picture and a blog post each day of the month, length did not matter.

It turns out posting every day was a challenge I could not meet. I started out poorly, which foreshadowed the rest of the month :-( I ended up with 16 posts out of 30 days, roughly 1 every 2 days.

Why didn't I make the challenge?
One reason was scheduling. My work schedule is erratic normally, but November was crazier than usual, with me covering for my boss a lot. Since I do have a life outside work, family and it's associated stuff (read housework) took precedence over personal stuff. I should have scheduled the blogging time into my day. Looking back, in the morning after tending the pets, would have been the perfect time to blog. No one else is up and the day hasn't gotten busy.
Another was gear. My everyday tools are my Blackberry phone, iPod Touch and my Dell laptop. A lot of my best photos are taken with my Canon camera. I didn't think about how and WHEN I use these devices. Yes I loaded the app on my iPod, but I didn't have it on my phone. My phone is not associated with my laptop, it's associated with our desk top computer. So I'd find myself taking pictures with my iPod and then being somewhere I didn't have wifi so I couldn't post. If I took the picture with my phone I had to email it to myself to get it to my laptop to post. (No I don't do email on my iPod) As we all know, if it ain't easy, most people won't do it. That was the trap I set myself.
Lastly, I don't think I had enough focus. I allowed myself to get distracted, to not "get'r done" as it were.

Thoughts-
I'd like to do it again. This time I'll put more thought into the "how" and "when". I did like the challenge of having a picture with each post. I'd definitely keep that part. Practice makes perfect, so I think I'll do another challenge in January or February. No point doing it in December when I know I'll be too busy. On the upside I did more blogging than ever before and I also learned how to use a few more blogging tools.
Was it a bust? No. Was it an overwhelming success? Not even close. But I'd do it again so that counts for something.

Inspiring

It was a fantastic walk home from work tonight. The snow had stopped and there was no wind. Everything was frosted with heavy snow, resembling a fantasy world. I only had my phone with me so no pictures could do it justice. Even so it was good for my soul.

Snowfall

Winter has hit hard. We've received
over 20 cm of snow in the last 2 days. I try to keep the front & back steps cleared at all times. Which has meant hourly sweepings. Right now the temperature is 0C so the snow is heavy.
Outside it looks lovely. Very Christmasy. Or heavily iced (like a cake) depending on your mood.

It's Monday...

The last week has been very productive both at work and at home. Unfortunately personal things like posting seem to belong to a third less defined space that sort of overlaps both but not really. I even took an unplanned "no internet" day yesterday. To make up for that I have 2 pictures for today. the first is how my day started, with the cat drinking out of my cup as I went to let the dog out. It didn't bother him at all that I was standing right there.

The second is one of many shots taken when a huge flock of birds plundered the tree outside my kitchen window. Only one hit my window in the 20 minutes they were there.

Winter

It was beautiful this morning as I walked to work. Unfortunately it was -17C with a windchill. There was no way I was stopping to take a picture. Instead I took a picture of the mountains as I was leaving work. The sun was setting already.

Food

Happens to be the one thing I don't photograph. Yet it is a very important part of our lives. Food is not just nutrients for our bodies. It is a way for us to show how we feel about others. It's a way of caring for others too.
Our family members have a number of food allergies and sensitivities. Each person is different which can make meal times a bit of a challenge. When I cook, I tend to pick something everyone can eat. Hubby picks something he feels like making, then happily makes different versions. Since we take turns cooking it makes for a good balance of meals.
Tonight it meant pork chops done several ways and oven roasted veggies. Thanks honey, it was great.

A Simple Request

Hubby asked one thing of me last night while we were watching our shows. He wanted me to put down my phone and "be with him" while we watched tv.
When you've been married this long how can you say no?

Catching Up

I have several podcasts that I listen to regularly. Sundays is the day I catch up on the podcasts that I haven't listened to yet. One of these is This Week In Tech with Leo Laporte. Interesting and funny, what more could you ask for? Today I'm lucky enough to be listening to it live which is giving me a lot of laughs. I would recommend this as a great podcast for someone just starting to follow podcasts, especially for those interested in technology.

So in honour of TWIT I've included a screenshot as my pic today.

Skill Building

And time management are 2 things I'm going to have to work on this winter. This self challenge (to post a blog entry and pic everyday) has highlighted that fact very well. Apparently I don't know how to use my devices as well as I thought (missing posts). The way whole days disappear with out things getting done is a little troubling. I know I used to accomplish more when the boys were little (read that as "when I was younger" :-/) Or may be I'm just not stressing about getting stuff done that isn't essential. (Let's go with that)

I'd add a picture from today but the frozen snow/rain mix on everything just isn't as pretty.

Dad's Birthday

Yesterday was my father-in-law's birthday. My sister-in-law took the initiative making both dinner for the extended family and the cake.
She is a fantastic cook and I'm sorry I was at work.
As the mother of a one year old she has been spending a lot of time on parenting websites. She discovered this cake and KNEW she had to make it for Dad's birthday.
Too cute!

What the Heck?

I posted on Tuesday from my Ipod Touch. Yesterday went to heck in a handbasket so I didn't end up posting. Now I see that Tuesday's post has disappeared. :(
Technology... helpful, when it WORKS.

On the Road

On our way back from grocery shopping (small town Canada means traveling occasionally for choices) there was this terrific light going on. It was mainly cloudy and in certain spots quite dusty. The sun would break through with some cool effects.

Not again...

I'll cut myself some slack for missing yesterday's post. By the time I got home from work I had a monster of a headache and wasn't up to thinking, let alone anything else. Unfortunately it was still hanging on this morning. Hope to lose it soon. In the meantime I'm going out in the cold (-10C) with hubby to take the dog out. Now if he would only hurry up and get ready...

Book Character Ball Family Dance

Loud, costumes & loads to do. What more could you want?

I Did It!!!!

Dragon rules the house. Even at 11 years of age he's still in his prime. Given his penchant for disaster we should have named him Chaos.

Bad Start

I didn't post yesterday. How's that for a bad start? It wasn't as if I forgot, I thought about it multiple times, even took several pics as ideas for the post.
I just didn't get it done ( hangs head in shame ). That means I'll be posting twice today. (hopefully :/)
As mentioned this shot was taken yesterday. Taken with my IPod Touch & with some finishing work in my Photoshop app. As you can see winter is working it's way down the mountains.

A Challenge

There are so many writing challenges this month I thought I'd take the plunge and try writing a blog post every day of November. I could join the National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo) over at blogher.com. Instead I thought I'd create a slightly different challenge for myself. Inspired by the 365 project where you take a picture every day for a year, I thought I'd combine the two. Each day I'll post a picture and a post.
To prepare I loaded the blogger app on my Ipod Touch. I find I like the pictures I take on it better than my Blackberry and I don't usually carry my big camera (Canon Powershot S2 IS) with me.

The shot was taken on a walk with my hubby and dog a few weeks ago. It was a beautiful day and this was only 1 of the shots I was very happy to take.

We Are In!

After a month of stress the library is finally in its temporary location. Like all moves we are now in the "where did ___ get put?" stage. As the first week ended we were getting used to how the space worked. Probably the hardest part for me has been the difference in how sound travels. In the old library sound travelled well. You could be on another floor and still hear someone come in. In the new space sound travels REALLY well from the arena (we're under the arena bleachers). However sound does NOT travel very within the space. You can literal be standing within a metre or two of someone & not be able to hear them. That along with some awkward site lines from our desk means we need to walk the space more frequently to talk to people & help as needed.
I suppose this will prepare us for the new space ... in 14 to 18 months. :)

Small Town Life

I had booked the week off before we found out that the library had to be moved the same week. I had asked for it off because hubby had the week off. He has to book his holidays in January. Since it's hard for hubby to change them, my coworkers told me to go ahead and take the time off.

The week was busy: a trip to Edmonton, purged the living room, moved library shelving (cause they needed a truck), attended 2 meetings and visited mother-in-law in the hospital (she's still there). I was feeling so guilty about not helping with the move I skipped my last day of vacation and went into work. Hubby was kind enough to help in the afternoon moving the last of the collection. Thanks honey!

Today everyone has been banned from working at the library. So hubby and I are doing chores around the house and planning for another trip to Edmonton. We'll be picking up eldest son and shopping for - youngest son, library and us. I think I'll do some updates to the library's website too. People aren't getting the message that we are CLOSED until Oct. 24. To add to the confusion the library's phone and internet are not working at the new location. It was set up, worked fine for a day or 2, then pooof, nothing. Of course it has already been cut off at the old place. Now we have to wait till Friday before someone can come out to fix the problem.

So off to the hospital to visit mother-in-law, walk the dog, and so on.

Stretched

That's how I feel lately, stretched.

Supporting son as he tries to find a new path. Supporting hubby as he deals with some health issues & shared parenting concerns. Supporting my library's move into a smaller temporary location. Supporting mother-in-law as she deals with a severally broken ankle (surgery, followed by infection). Which leads to supporting father-in-law while she's in hospital.

At work on Friday we were talking about making sure we took care of ourselves during this transition. I'm really feeling the need to change my life style & my family's. If I want to improve our quality of life I'm going to have to ACTIVELY embrace change. I can't just hope it happens.

If I don't do something soon this support system isn't just going to stretch, it's going to break.

Patience

I need some...
Eldest son will be going east to visit relatives for a week then it's back to trying to find an affordable place in Calgary.
The library move has run into a few snags so we'll wait.
And my mother-in-law is in hospital waiting to have surgery on her broken ankle (three places).

If I'm really lucky our new shed will be up before it snows too.

It's going to be a loooong month.

Here we go

Up way too early to go to Calgary with cranky son & cranky hubby. Woohoo :( Hope to get some good dawn shots.

Master of Understatement

I should have known.
My youngest son told me the computer chair was leaning too far to one side.
That really meant 'will throw you to the floor if you sit in it'.
Ouch:(

Change is Constant

Life changes constantly.

School has started and I have no kids in school for the first time in 15 years.

Eldest son has decided to relocate to Calgary. He has no real plans, he choose Calgary because several of his friends live there and love it. He has never lived anywhere else so it's time for him to spread his wings and experience big city life.

 And...we are moving. The library that is. We'll be going into a MUCH smaller place in about a month. (Of course hubby and I are suppose to be on vacation that week :-P ) It is a long space under the bleachers in our arena, so picture a long weird wedge shaped space. The only straight wall will be the outside wall. It will make putting shelves in a challenge. We'll also lose any areas for programming in the library area. We will have access to rooms in the basement of the Activity Centre if we want to. But only during the winter because the rooms are used for accommodation for sports camps the rest of the year. I don't have a clue what I'm going to do with the summer reading program. Maybe I'll use a tent.

Buckle up, cause change is coming.

What Happened to August?

I think I'll cut myself some slack since I've been sick for the last few days, but what about the last few weeks?
My boss has recently implemented a chart where we track all events, meetings, exam invigilation, etc. We have to include the date, what it is, attendance if it is an event, length and who attended. She can then print this out for the library board so they have a clearer idea what we are doing and how much time it takes to do.
Of course it's not perfect. It can't take into account the discussions in passing, that can solve a problem or provide a Eureka! moment. With 4 part time staff we each take the lead in different areas and for different events/projects, but the rest are there to help them get it done.
What does that have to do with the last few weeks? If it weren't for that chart I may have forgotten there were summer reading program wrap-ups, space planning meetings, newsletter preparation, exams and more. Add to that, just getting through the day in a busy tourist town and it's no wonder I finally got sick. (It didn't help that both my sons brought some bug home from work too)
So I'm sitting at home trying to get some paperwork done for work. The job may be part time but occasionally the paperwork is full time. And as we all know, paperwork waits for no man.
Now where is that cough syrup...

Wondering

It sounded like a simple question.
@barbaramcveigh thanked me for retweeting something of hers then asked "Has it been a busy summer in your library?" I responded with yes and how there were lots of families in town for sports camps and that the following week would be the local rodeo, which would bring in more people.
I think about that now and realize how differently our library operates from most others. With a community of about 4000 year round residents, 1500 temporary workers (3 months to a year) and a visitor count of almost 2 MILLION people each year, our plans always include a tourist component.
As we work on space planning for the library expansion I realize each and every space will have to have multiple uses depending on the time of day, time of year and individual needs. Noisy/quiet, young/old, individual/group needs all have to be met. Resident/temporary worker/tourist are also needs that have to be met.
Going through this process has been good for me. It has made me look at things with the "what else could this be used for" question in the for front of my mind. We do so many things right now that I don't want to muck that up...

Sunday

I think I could get used to this.
Both sons are at work and hubby is laying down before he goes to work. All of the pets are napping too.
I am listening to my podcasts, catching up on my RSS feeds and doing a bunch of little things that I want to.
With no one in school this year and everyone working i'm going to have more periods like this. Woohoo!
Yep, I could get used to this :-)

New Literacy?

I was browsing through Twitter this morning and followed the link on Tamara Van Horne's (@tamaravh) tweet to an article discussing whether gaming is teaching kids a new literacy. As a gamer and the mom of 2 gamers I've never had the negative view of video gaming that many others have. The article by Dakshana Bascaramurty on the Globe and Mail blog is a great introduction to this topic for the average parent. For me however, it highlights something that I have yet to see addressed.
Society has changed, we are more urban, more technologically connected than ever before. People in general are outside less, and interacting with nature less. Most times when kids are outside they're being shuttled to and from different locations/activities. They do NOT have the freedom that their parents/grandparents had, to roam their neighbourhoods, to explore their environments in an interest-lead way (to borrow some current eduspeak), to get dirty and to have fun.
Modern gaming, whether online, on computers, consoles or handhelds, allow people that freedom. People have a NEED to explore, get dirty and have fun. Modern life makes it next to impossible to do these things in the way of previous generations. This is just a new way to do it. So to me modern gaming isn't teaching kids a new literacy, it's just giving them a different way to learn, from that used by previous generations.

It Just Hit Me...

that youngest son is really done high school. He received notice this week that he passed his diploma exams woohoo! This means there will be a fancy piece of paper coming soon for him to put on the wall. It also means we're done homeschooling.
Once the last textbooks have been sent back, I'll have 7 years of stuff to go through and decide what to do with. Everywhere I look in our house there is something we got for homeschooling. Each piece has memories, both good and bad, associated with it. Each a step on a path that took a lot of planning, effort, commitment and emotions.
I'm going to miss it. We won't have that common focus to our days. He will be staying home this fall and working, but our days will no longer be linked.
Change comes whether we`re ready or not. I wonder where it will take me.

Library Day in the Life Project

The official Wiki for the Library Day in the Life Project round 7 is an ever growing list of librarians from around the world. They are sharing a little about the varied, and often complex jobs, that they do. If you are interested in checking out what librarians do you can browse the list and follow the links to twitter feeds and blogs.
I'm pretty sure that most people would be amazed at the places librarians can be found and the work that they do.

Keep up the good work :)

The To Read Pile

One of the problems of working in a library is the number of interesting books that come through. I always have interlibrary loans on order, a few ebooks on the go and a variable pile of books to read.

Right now I have two piles going:

Library Books & Magazines
Welcome to Bordertown
Sex: A Book for Teens
Robopocalypse
Homesteading
Unnatural Issue
PCWorld June 2011 &
Today's Parent July 2011

My Stuff
Canadian Living August 2011
Divine Misfortune
Hounded
Game of Thrones

I have a sneaking suspicion there are a few other books that I have to be read around here too...

Mid Month

The weather is not cooperating. It's been raining so much I'm draining plant pots of excess water. It also means that programs that I usually do outside now have to be done inside. I've been very luck the past 2 years, that I've been able to handle the large numbers I've been getting for the summer reading programs by being outside. This year means having to make our small children's section work for groups of 30 or more.
For the SRP group (1.5 hours every Tuesday afternoon for 8 weeks), numbers plus the odd age distribution I've been getting has meant we have had to get creative. The older kids are often there because they are caring for the younger kids so I couldn't simply move them to another time.
After some discussion with our library summer student, who is helping me with the SRP, and the kids, we decided to keep everyone together for the beginning (prize draws, info etc.) and the end. When we split up for activities we split into 3 groups instead of 2. The older kids do a book talk on what they are reading at the moment, then they do an open ended craft. I put a variety of items in a box and they can use them however they want to.
There are enough younger kids to make it practical to break them into 2 groups when doing activities. There is a game and a craft (more structured than the older kids) with 1/2 doing each then we switch. Thank heavens my teen volunteer of the last few years has come back. She is very good with the youngest kids which allows me to oversee the mid age group.
For the Summer Fun group (local care program that comes to the library once a week for 45 minutes) the weather has meant too much time inside and in close quarters. If we need to be inside they have to come in 2 groups, on after the other. This is making planning stuff more difficult, as we're used to doing everything as one big group.
All this wet weather has really illustrated the need for more programming space. Something we'll have to keep in mind as we're designing the library expansion.

Move forward

http://georgecouros.ca/blog/archives/2107 This applies to so many areas, not just education.

Sometimes It Just Works

What a Day

I had plans for today. Nothing special just things like cutting the grass, doing laundry, maybe some paperwork. Instead we started the day with a trip to the hospital for hubby and eldest son.
Eldest son has been suffering from a stomach bug for a few days but was feeling worse than ever and actually asked about seeing a doctor. Hubby, one the other hand knew he was experiencing a gout attack that was out of control. One of the upside of being in a smaller community meant that they didn't have to wait too long to be examined. Eldest ended up in outpatients on an IV. Hubby got to spend lots of money at the drug store.
Both will be off work for the next few days. Time is the only cure and neither is known for his patience. Youngest is already gloating that he has to work tomorrow while I don't.

On the upside I gave the stinky dog a bath and got some interesting shots in the garden. I really need it to stop raining on a day I can get outside. The place looks like a jungle in bloom right now. Who knew my peonies could get over 4 feet tall :O

Happy Canada Day

This is the biggest holiday in our community. While we will pass on the pancake breakfast this year there are lots of other things to do. If the library float is finished in time (it rained too much yesterday to get it done) we'll head downtown for the flag raising. Then it will be time for the parade, followed by food, activities and live music at Centennial Park. We usually take some time to go home and rest for a bit before heading out for dinner, then back to Centennial Park for more live music finishing with the fireworks shortly after 11pm. It is a long day but worth it.
Hope it is warm enough for the water fight between the RCMP and Fire Department.

Summer

After the craziness of the last few weeks, we are starting to return to normal around here.

I'm sitting enjoying the peace and quiet. I like this time of year, it's only me and the pets up early in the morning. Oh, the sun has broken through the clouds, giving us a brief glimpse of "real" summer weather. (It's been grey, cool and rainy a lot this month.) Can you tell I'm desperate for some good weather?

The mail strike is over and one of the first things we received was youngest son's last 2 marked correspondence workbooks. Of course he has already done the course final exam and the diploma exam. If he passes both his diploma exams he will graduate high school. After 6 years of homeschooling and correspondence I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that we're done. It's a milestone not only for him but for the family.

Youngest son continually amazes me. Over the last few years he has been the "go-to" person for the extended family. He has dog sat, house sat, assisted relatives when they have been ill or injured and generally been the person to call if you needed assistance. Monday he went out to check the employment scene here in town. I assumed he would be collecting application forms and places that he could apply. He was scruffy and disheveled, I have seen him look better for a rugby game. So what happens? The second place he goes to, he gets hired and started that evening. I hope he works hard.

Well it looks like the peace and quiet is over. I'd better get on with my day.

A Roller Coaster Week

I expected it to be an emotional week.
My mother left after a 10 day visit. Youngest son had diploma exams (and boy did the stress level go through the roof). Eldest son celebrated his 20th birthday.

But the kick in the teeth has been the death of one of the boys' cousins in a vehicle accident. She was on her way to a get-together after being at the dentist when she rolled her vehicle. She was NOT wearing her seatbelt and was thrown from the vehicle.

For the boys it has been hard because this is the first death of a family member of their age (she was the same age as youngest son). My eldest has been struggling with his grief. He is a deep thinker and this has brought up feelings and fears he is working through. It will be hard for him, his birthday has now become the anniversary of his cousin's death. My youngest seems to be handling it. He is worried about everyone else right now. I have a feeling it will be later that he will want to talk about it.

The funeral will be in her home town near Edmonton and I have given the boys the choice of attending or not. This will not be the first funeral they have attended so they know what to expect. It makes me sad to think that the boys have experienced more funerals than weddings and births.

Having a large extended family has advantages in cases like this. Memories to share, comfort to give and accept are all part of the grieving process. Emotional support is readily available as well as distractions from your grief. Sometimes a look is all you need to know you are not alone.

It will be a while before things return to normal.

Thinking about Writing

I've come to the conclusion that just going through the process of mentally drafting blog or Twitter posts is therapeutic for me. The mental processes help me deal with things that I'm wrestling with. Often by the time I'm done, I don't feel the need to post. Which is great for my mental health, but it also means I don't have much on my blog or Twitter feed as I might.

It's Done

My youngest son participated in the local high school's graduation exercises recently. After almost missing his opportunity by not having his correspondence courses done in time, he pulled it together and managed get both courses finished. He had a great time dressing up and being on stage with the other grads. The formal dinner was great and he managed to get a limo ride (limos are very rare in our small town) with his friends before the after party.
My mother was here from Ontario and she really enjoyed all the pomp and circumstance.

Now, of course, he has to pass his diploma exams.

What?

How did I miss that? It's been a year since I started this blog. Wow, where DID the time go?

I'm Back!

Maybe, sort of...
The last few months have been crazy busy, mostly with family stuff. I'm hoping to get some of the thoughts rolling around in my head out in blog posts soon, it's getting crowded in there. :-)

Change

Let's see if I can make this one stick.

I read a lot, both online and off. Today I had several thoughts.

The fire at Slave Lake has caused a great deal of destruction and my heart hurts for those who have lost their homes and/or businesses. It could have been so much worse. This devastating event needs to be looked at as an opportunity for change if the people of Slave Lake are to recover.

One of the things the community lost was it's beautiful, new library. Punch Jackson wrote an excellent tweet "During #SlaveLake rebuild a "temporary" library may be required for community info, access to computers(and), leisure reading". At first I was "leisure reading"? But it makes sense. So many people have lost their homes, they have nothing. Others will need a place to escape the stress. A temporary library could help rebuild the community's spirit.

On Twitter I have also been following the #falmac11 symposium and #inplay11 conference tweets. While one was for library staff and the other for teachers as I read my twitter feed some of the posts could have come from either event. I hope there were educators at #falmac11 and library staff at #inplay11. The ideas shared have value to both fields. The feeling that things need to change, in both areas, has risen to a feverpitch. Yet it's like we have reached the edge of a cliff that we know we have to go over, but haven't quite gathered up enough courage to jump. If we don't make a move soon, it won't matter. The push from behind will drive us over.

I want to cry...

I just spent 1hr working on a blog post and lost it all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I guess I'll start again.

Lots to think about

In the last week I've had a video conference on new books for children, teens and adults, our provincial library conference, an online library unconference and the Federal Election.
My brain is swirling.
Time for some reflection and thoughts on what all of this really means to me.

Not a bad day :-)

My parents called first thing this morning,
Hubby was at work.
The pets were clamoring to be fed,
And the dog outside.
Youngest son awoke,
and gave me an unexpected hug,
Then the dog and I had a nice long walk.
Reading's done,
Now hubby's home so we'll go for lunch.
The sun's still out but will change
to rain.
Only half way through but,
it's not a bad day.

Being a Parent

One of the hardest parts of being a parent is letting your children fail. It goes against every instinct a parent has, yet is the most important opportunity we can give them. If there is no failure than can be no success. And learning to handle that failure well, is a life skill everyone should have.

Our youngest has reading comprehension difficulties that make all book learning a slow and tedious process. He has gradually been working through 2 correspondence courses that he must have to get his high school diploma. I have been at him for months to get the work done. This has gotten me a lot of "yeah, I know"'s but not so much work done.

Last night we were at a grad meeting, discussing the requirements to be included in the graduation ceremony and other details. He was stunned to hear he had until May 1st to have all of his course work handed in. I had been telling him this for months but it took someone else saying it before he took it seriously. AHHHHHH!

He was practically in tears because he knew there was no way he could get everything done by May 1st. At home we discussed the options and I stressed that while he might not participate in the ceremony, he still had a chance to qualify to take the diploma exams and thus get his high school diploma. (Of course I didn't say he would keep at it until he did pass, although that was what I was thinking)

This morning he spoke to the principal of his own volition and got an extension on his course work. I don't now the details of the conversation (he is never good at sharing) but the result has given him the incentive that he needed.

Even if things don't work out, he learned something important. And that makes it all worth while.

30 Poets/30 Days

Go read Charles Ghigna's Be Still in the World at GottaBook. It's part of 30 Poets/30 Days and it is awesome!
Go, Now!

VOTE!

Working on getting youngest registered to vote in next month's election. I'm trying to educate them about the need to vote even if you don't think your vote will accomplish anything.
May be one vote can't but if everyone who hasn't been voting actually did, things might be VERY different.

Slow Pace

The Library Renovation and Expansion project is slowly moving ahead. We have conceptual drawings that have to go before the public for input. We have some things to go through with Parks and we'll have to go through the steps to get approval from FHBRO too. Then it can go back to council for final approval.
While this is going on we need to find a place for the library to relocate for the duration of the renovation and expansion. We know we'll have to store a lot of stuff. Once everything has been given the go ahead then we can panic, I mean plan. With a full inventory and weeding coming up we should have less to pack, store/move.
I'm going to have to do some serious thinning of my craft and programming stuff. The thought gives me a headache :-(
But in the end it will be short term pain for long term gain.
We can do this!

Spring

may not have sprung yet, or at least not here, but the days are getting longer and the air is warming up. The snow banks are going down too. All of this has helped improve my mood a lot.
Of course the seasonal changes are effecting the pets too. Our cat Dragon, has been displaying loads of energy lately. Of course his antics have resulted in a certain amount of  destruction. The poor dog can't relax for fear of the cat knocking stuff onto her. It reminds me of when they were young and they would chase each other around the house. I hope things settle soon before someone gets hurt.

 

Down

Maybe the grey weather has something to do with it.
Maybe I'm just due for a break.
I'm feeling disconnected.

Haven't spoken to my best friend in weeks (she lives far away). When I did catch her at home she was just welcoming visitors so we couldn't talk.
My local friends are in a different place in their lives (new jobs, young children etc.) and we don't spend time together very often.
There is drama going on that is affecting work but no one tells me anything because they assume I'm hearing things from "the other side". Or they're making assumptions about my allegiances, which I don't have because I don't know what is going on. (nothing worse than having a conversation with someone who assumes you have the details when you don't even have the broad outline)
I have no idea what's happening with the library expansion, partially because I'm not often around when the boss is around. (Really makes me feel out of the loop)

My youngest son is making all these plans for grad, but I'm not sure he's going to get through the courses.

I have all these feelings sitting in a pit in my stomach but no way to deal with them. I need to get them out or at least find a way to deal with the stress.

To Overcome

Thoughts with the people of Japan, Libya and other areas of danger today.

I Want

...something. I've been filled with that naggy feeling lately that I've forgotten something and I have a sneaking suspicion that it might be me.

I know I've been feeling burnt out mentally. I know I haven't been getting enough sleep or exercise. I know there are some upcoming demands on my time that I will have to put all of my effort and focus into.

I miss spending time with people I can have deep conversations with, that aren't part of a familial or mentoring relationship. I miss quiet time. I miss being outside when things are growing (winter is really starting to drag at me).

I'm feeling old. My youngest son has just turned 18 years of age. My only niece has just turned 5 months. I have had several discussions with my friends about menopause this week alone!

I want... a hug, to have at least 1 belly laugh everyday, to have a daily quiet/alone time, to be able to relax and just be.

Getting Ready for the Weekend

Nothing like running around doing chores before going away for a few days. It may have started out as a relaxing weekend for 2, but it has evolved into a power shopping rip for 4 with a birthday party thrown in.  I'm sure it will be a good weekend. I just wish we had a little time to relax or do a museum visit.
Oh yeah, I'd better call my aunt tomorrow to see if we can do lunch while we're there too.

Better than I could say it

I love it when I run across a blog post, news article or some such that says what I'm thinking in a more articulate way.

Jeff Sabo, over at Just a Bald Man, has an excellent post on video games and their positive values. Now I have a great link that shows I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE who thinks this way. Thanks Justin for passing this on.

JP's post over at 8BitLibrary.com  on what types of media belong in a library came on the heels of a discussion in our library on this very topic.Why do we think storytelling in certain forms is more appropriate for a library? Is it a residual effect of the libraries as fortresses of literature mind set?

Too many things lately have me shaking my head asking "what are people so afraid of?"

The Reading List

Through out the week as I check my RSS feeds, Twitter and travel down various internet paths I build a reading list for Sunday (happens to be my "day off", you know other than the laundry, dishes, cleaning etc.) These links are for things I didn't get a chance to check out, things I want to read/see again, or things that link to other things I think might be of interest. I've noticed that this list is growing longer and longer as the weeks go by. So long in fact that I don't think I'll have time to go through all of this week's list.
Which makes me ask how can anyone possibly think using computers and the internet means you read less?

Time for a cuppa

It used to be that sitting down for a cup of tea meant I was reading, writing or relaxing. Now I've noticed that cup of tea is a pick-me-up, keep-going, on-the-run drink.

Surprisingly, my stress level isn't up. Time management may play a part but ultimately I think it has come down "bad" habits. I've let "multi-tasking" creep into too many areas of my life. 
Sure doing the laundry, the dishes and making supper at the same time is possible, even desirable. It has to be balanced, however, with those times of singular focus.

As a parent, I feel a need to be able to successfully model that behaviour so my boys will learn to incorporate that into their lives. By including it in my life, it makes striking a balance as a couple easier for my husband and I. Even in the work place, my striving for balance can positively influence my coworkers, our members and the environment as a whole.

Forgetting to look and think about that balance frequently, allows me to slip into some "bad" habits. Just like we need to pay attention to diet and exercise, we need to pay attention to balance.

Aching Shoulders...

Year end report is finally done. I wish I had finished writing before I did all that shovelling. My arms hurt :(

2011 Has Begun

Yesterday was the first day of 2011. It was a relaxing, lazy & thoroughly enjoyable day.
Yes, I did get up at 8am to feed the pets and let the dog out. Yes, I did do the expected long distance phone calls to various family members. And yes, I did do dishes and 4 loads of laundry.

I also stayed in my pjs all day. I spent enough time on my new video game to achieve 2 major objectives. I did not cook any meals. I had chocolate for breakfast :) I spent the day just hanging out with my family. I also did a lot of reading (my favourite activity).

And I pondered... about objectives, words, and focus. What will 2011 bring?