Union Strong!

Alternate title: Converted to the Dark Side

I spent Thursday, Friday, and Saturday last week attending the WEA Representative Assembly. WEA is the Washington Education Association. It is the state union for teachers and other school personnel. The Representative Assembly is held yearly and is the governing body for WEA. It is during the RA that the business items and resolutions directing WEA are discussed and voted on. This was the first time I have attended the RA and I wasn't sure what to expect. I was actually impressed by the process and learned a few things.

First, you can't get around the fact that this was a large gathering of union councils. So of course there will be the typical union rhetoric...we must all stick together; there are too many tax loopholes that protect those evil big businesses; yada, yada, yada. I hate to tell you WEA, while your $38 million annual budget probably doesn't place you in the "big business" catagory, it also ain't no mom & pop operation. So be careful about throwing rocks. Also, isn't it those big businesses that we are educating our children to go to work for? Listening to all of the "rah, rah" stuff was the stuff that I found most difficult to stomach. Well, that and listening to Senator Murray when she came to speak to us.

Even though I was unsure about what to expect, I discovered that it really didn't take me long to find my voice and work my way to the microphone. Sometimes I spoke in favor of a business action, and other times I spoke against a business item. The only time I was a little worried about myself was when I found myself on the same side of an issue as the Peace and Justice League Caucus. But I guess that just shows that I can be open-minded and truly take a fair and balanced approach to the issues.

Attending the RA showed me that I really do enjoy debating policy issues. I don't enjoy the grunt work of writing policy, but once that is done and it is time for debate/discussion I in. I loved listening to other people and their viewpoints. I was suprised that not one other person from CVEA got up to speak about an issue, even if they had something to say.

I learned that 2 minutes really is a long time to speak. The first time I went to the mic I was afraid of running out of time. Worrying about time actually caused me to get a little rambly in my speaking so that I was making got a little lost in the ramble. The next time I went up, I took some notes with me and just slowed down. And I didn't run out of time, even though my notes looked like I had a lot to say.

I came back from the RA proud of being a CVEA member and WEA member. We are focused on what will be best for the children/students of Washington State. The business items that we passed focused on issues that will strengthen public education and benefit the students. That is what makes me to be proud of my membership. It wasn't just about being union strong; it was about being public education strong.

I learned that the "dark side" (I'm pretty sure that this is how some of my family members describe unions) has some light-filled moments and if you find those, you won't lose your way.

A Four Star Day and a Stick in the Mud

On occasion I will read my horoscope for the day, but only if it is a 4 or 5 star day. No sense in adding the potential for a gloomy day. I also don't put much stalk in what the horoscope says, but sometimes it does resemble my reality.

Today was a four star day so I read what was said. I can't remember the first part of the horoscope, but the second part said "Sometimes your peers view you as a stick in the mud when it comes to spontaneity". I don't know if my peers think of me this way, but I know that my husband does. And my son just concurred with the sentiment as I was telling him what my post is about.

I am trying to be better about adjusting to spur of the moment plans. I used to tell Dave that if he wanted to plan a surprise getaway, he needed to schedule it with me first. I tried to not be a total stick in the mud and said he didn't need to tell me where we were going, but I did need to know when we were going. I had to plan ahead, check my schedule, arrange for babysitting, etc.

The kids can pretty much take care of themselves now. Katelyn actually does since she is off to school. Carson is happy if there is cold cereal in the pantry and Marie Callendar's pot pies in the freezer. So I guess that argument has lost its wind.

We have a family calendar that is supposed to be filled out, with each family member having their own color. Dang, another argument against spontaneity shot down.

So now I am trying to learn to let go of the need to obsessively plan and prepare. It's hard to change a part of me that has taken me years to hone, but I can see the benefit of being a little more spontaneous. It might spice things up a little (please don't read that to me that I think things are boring now). I'm willing to give it a shot anyway.

Blogging from Work

Our home laptop went kapluey a week or so ago. Apparently the mother board just gave out. I'm not sure exactly what a "mother board" is or its function, but just like other things that require a mother and if the mother just gives out, the whole system shuts down. So we are mostly without technology at home, hence my blogging from work. I'm doing it on my lunchtime so hopefully I won't catch too much flack.

Saturday was a strange day. It was just Dave and I home alone for most of the day. Katelyn headed out around 8 that morning to go back down to school. Carson was out at his Grandpa Graham's learning some marketable skills--the sea kayak is taking shape. Once it is completed, he needs to learn some marketing skills to get the thing sold.

Anyway, back to the day being strange. It was weird to be at home with just Dave (even Josie was gone since Carson took her for a visit to Grandpa's house). The realization came that this next year and half will go quite quickly and then just the two of us at home will be our new reality. Well, I'm hoping it will be a reality. Of the two children, I think Carson will be a little harder to shoo out of the nest.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not anxious for him to leave. I rather enjoy having the children at home. But I do want him to be moving forward with his life and I think one of the best ways to do that is to get out on his own. His sister was chomping at the bit to do that. I want him to be just as excited and confident as she was.

Acceptance

I have been restless at my job lately. Actually, I have been feeling bored and unfilled and perhaps a little forgotten or unnoticed. Those things make me feel restless because if I'm honest I want to feel appreciated.

When I applied for my position as a school nurse 11 years ago, I prayed to Heavenly Father that I might get the job if it was a good fit for me, for our family, and in line with His will. On the day of the interview I remember feeling pretty calm up until my turn for interview. They were interviewing 2 other candidates that day and the one proceeding me in the interview line was already employed by the district. As I saw her leave the interview room, my heart fell as I was pretty sure she had the job in the bag and the interview for her was just a formality in the process. I still went ahead with my interview and gave it all I had figuring "what do I have to lose?" Imagine my surprise, elation, and gratitude when I received a call later that afternoon offering me the position of school nurse. I immediately said a prayer of thanks to my Heavenly Father and promised to do my best to do His will and follow His lead as I performed my duties as a school nurse.

Fast forward 11 years and here I am today, restless and looking for something more. At least I was until this morning. This morning as I watched this General Conference address the Spirit spoke to me and whispered "You and your service is acceptable to the Lord." I realized that my restlessness was growing from several different feelings. First, I was looking for recognition from my colleagues that they appreciated the job I do. Second, more than a little pride was starting to creep in and saying to myself, "you should/could be doing so much more with your degree and skill set." Third, I wasn't sure that this was where the Lord wanted me any more.

Because of all those feelings, I had been praying for a new direction. A new adventure for learning and growth. I had several different ideas, but as I started investigating each route nothing felt quite right. And they aren't right for right now. I feel confident that when the Lord is ready to move me, He will. Until then I can find comfort in knowing that right now I am where I am and that is acceptable to Him.

Oh Dear! Now He Has a Car

Last night Dave and Carson came home with this

1972 Ford Bronco

Needless to say, Carson is one happy boy.

Now he just has to master the art of driving a manual transmission. He's been practicing with the Honda but the learning curve is steep and will probably require several more lessons with the Honda to get the basic feel of shifting gears. Then another learning curve with driving the Bronco.

Dave drove the Bronco to work today because he is just as excited about the new purchase as Carson is. Boys.

Yum!

Lately I have been obsessed with white corn tortillas. I have used them for cheese crisps. Sprinkled them with cinnamon and sugar and placed them under the broiler. I have used them instead of bread for sandwiches. Made lots of quesadillas. Another tasty treat is to spread a little Greek yogurt over them, add some chocolate chips and then place it in a 425 degree oven until the chocolate chips melt. Yummy.

This is was my breakfast this morning...

Made from these ingredients... plus a little cinnamon/sugar

Slather on a layer of Greek yogurt. Slice the apples thin (about 1/4 in), layer them on top of the yogurt and then sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar. Dot the top of the apples with butter. Place in a 425 oven for about 15 minutes.

Tomorrow night I will use the tortillas for something they were actually meant for...enchiladas.

Tourists in Seattle

Ah, Seattle.

Your traffic is sucky, sucky, sucky but you have some fun touristy attractions.

Your weather can be wet, wet, wet but when it's not, you are gorgeous.

Here are some things we enjoyed after battling your sucky traffic and dodging your wet weather...

Cousins riding the Brass Pig. Hey what happened to Travis? He is MIA.

Pike's Place Market

The fountain at Seattle Center

Green tree snake @ Woodland Park Zoo. Can anyone remember the name of the book about the green tree snake? Written by the author of Stellaluna. Anyone?

Cousin arm wrestling because they are seriously bored with touring the zoo.

The littlest is happiest when she is on someone's shoulders.

Funny orangutan that was just hangin' out expecting to be photographed.

Carousel on the waterfront near the Aquarium.

Unfortunately the wet, wet weather came back on Thursday. But we didn't let that stop us from going up to Deception Pass and enjoying the sights up there. The rain did keep me from taking any pictures.

It was fun to be a tourist in Seattle and enjoy time with my brother and his family. We were also pleasantly surprised when my sister joined us at the zoo on Wednesday.

Thanks Seattle.

I Should Have Gone "Dragon Mom" on Them

I enjoy music very much. I play the piano well enough to get by in called to fill in for Primary. In a push I could play for Sacrament meeting if they were willing to have a pianist instead of an organist. I think I could still play the clarinet fairly well, although I haven't touched a clarinet in more than 20 years. I love to sing and sing frequently. Music really is a big part of my life and my interests.

Love of music and playing an instrument was something I wanted to pass on to my children. They each took piano lessons in their younger years. Carson even ventured into the realm of band world his 6th grade year attempting to learn to play the trumpet. Katelyn was more interested in choir (she did at least continue with this through her first semester of college). But truth be told, the children got the better of me. I got tired of the whining, the fighting to get the required practice time in, etc. I turned into a lazy parent and just gave up trying to force the issue.

Watching young harpists perform this past Sunday and listening to the middle school jazz band today made me regret my laziness. I wished I had taken a lesson from the Dragon Mom and been tougher in my insistence on learning an instrument.

Someone in our family has recently developed an itch in wanting to learn to play an instrument. Dave mentioned this past week that he wants to learn to play the banjo. Upon hearing that revelation Carson piped up that learning the guitar would be pretty cool. Oh maybe there is hope.