Musings of an Unfinished Woman

Random thoughts at 3 am

 
The picture is of Second Beach on the Washington Coast (where I will be next week)...

 

Random thoughts at 3 am. (I can never sleep when I have a sinus infection). Both Shanna and I are on antibiotics for sinus and upper respiratory infections. Shanna doesn’t do sick well (maybe because she’s been a very “well” kid and when she is sick, she wants to be taken care of. On the other hand, when I am sick, I would just rather be left alone.

 

The Portland Trail Blazers are in the playoffs and will play Phoenix starting on Sunday…go Blazers! Since we have Comcast Sportsnet, we have enjoyed watching our team this year…something Russell and I enjoy together.

 

Last week, Shanna left on Thursday morning with the band to perform in the Regional Conference competition and from there, went directly to Eugene for the State Thespian Conference. Shanna did mime and improvisation and took fourth in improv and was the only one from her school to compete in that category. I can’t imagine getting up in front of thousands of people, getting a topic and coming up with a “routine” on the fly like that! That’s my girl!

 

I’ve had two great interviews (at least I think they went well) for a position at our church for a Facilities Assistant. It’s a lot less money than I earned at my last job but the flip side is that it’s only 25 hours a week which would reduce the stress in my life, give me more time to exercise and allow me to pursue my dream of owning a retreat business. Just giving voice to that is so powerful. I am doing my research, reading some books about starting a business and I am attending a women’s retreat, sponsored by Joan Anderson, the author of five books, including, “A Weekend to Change Your Life”. I love her books…they have resonated with me since I read them in 2008 (see post from August 2008). Russell gifted me with this retreat for my 50^thbirthday and it’s coming up next weekend (April 24-26) on Whidbey Island for my 50^th birthday.

Russell and I are taking a week to vacation and unwind together. We leave early Tuesday morning and are scheduled to take a 3.5 hour “rain forest tour” in the Olympic National Forest. Then a drive up the Washington coast, spending a night in Forks and another in Port Angeles, before heading to Whidbey Island, where we will stay for four nights. It’s been forever since we’ve taken a road trip and with the exception of a couple of overnights at the beach, we haven’t had a vacation in several years. Being the organized, plan-ahead person that I am, I have done extensive research; have planned out our route with lots of time for exploring the beauty of the Olympic forest and beaches. Russell is thrilled because while I’m at my retreat, he will have two days to himself…he’s got some new movies, books and is planning a trip to an aerospace museum. This will be a relaxing vacation for us. I love time in the car together…we’ve had some of our best talks in the car while driving. My motto (and it’s hanging on my bulletin board) is “Expectations reduce joy”. I am guilty of over-planning and over-expecting, particularly when it comes to vacations, family events, etc. so I am trying to set aside my expectations and just enjoy the moment. I am so looking forward to walking on Ruby Beach...isn't this beautiful!

Texting, Kindred Spirits and Spring Break!!

This post is in praise of texting, kindred spirits and spring break!

My second term of school ended yesterday…what a long three months this has been. Still waiting for two of my grades to be posted, but so far I have 5 A’s…which makes me happy! Going back to school has offered me the opportunity to meet new people, although the vast majority of students are younger than me, I’ve enjoyed getting to know so many different people. In my Digital Acquisition Class, we were put into groups. As a team, we had to create an advertising pitch for a specific product. The idea was that there would be one student from each of the four programs (digital photography, graphic design, video production and radio broadcasting). Our final presentation, where we “pitched” our product to the instructors and all the other students was yesterday. Oh my goodness…I was so thrilled to be finished with that project.

 

I can’t imagine working in a group setting like we did, trying to coordinate the schedules of four busy people, without texting. I clearly recall a conversation I had in 2007 with a group of friends who all had teenage girls. At the time, we didn’t have texting as part of our cell phone service. All four of my friends assured me that I would need to get on board the texting thing, but I wasn’t convinced, until we received a huge phone bill resulting from Shanna’s discovery of texting. Needless to say, we subscribed to unlimited texting for her and then for Russell and I. It truly is the way that teens communicate. I wasn’t big on texting until I got my new phone, the LGnv3 with its wonderful little keyboard. So, back to the school project…we discovered quickly that our best communication method was texting followed up by longer emails.

 

The whole group process gave me a new appreciation for people who step forward and go the extra distance. We started out with two guys (one in video and one in radio) and three women (two in graphic design and myself). Our video guy dropped out mid-term and the radio guy, well, let’s just say he’s a nice guy, very young and more committed to other aspects of his education than this class. Being the team leader meant that I spent a lot of time coordinating, communicating, pushing and nagging. However, the bright side of the story was how much I enjoyed working with Serina and Hunter. Serina is 24 and has rheumatoid arthritis but despite her disability, she’s an amazing graphic artist. For her age, she’s very “together” and was wonderful to work with. Then there was Hunter. I met her in my first term at MHCC. Sometimes, you meet someone and are instantly “drawn” to them…it's that feeling of being “kindred spirits” (from one of my favorite movie series, “Anne of Green Gables”). She’s an amazing musician, has a great sense of humor (an essential in life) and was so fabulous in getting this project done. She’s one of those people that I hope I have as a friend for a long time. While we have very different lifestyles, there’s that connection. Finding good friends, who accept you as you are, is such a gift.

 

It’s a beautiful sunny day and I have 10 days off…looking forward to sleeping in, getting creative in my scrap room, taking lots of photos, maybe even spending time with my girl…if she has time in her busy spring schedule for her Mom. Happy Friday!!

 

A New Focus

Happy 2010... a new view on life…and a change of focus.  Can’t believe it’s been eight months since I blogged. Somehow, 2009 was a blur of busyness and trying to stay on top of my job, keeping up with a very busy teenager, our home and family, health issues…you know how it goes. I turned 50 on September 12 and two days later, on September 14, like so many other Americans, I joined the ranks of the unemployed. I was braced for possible changes in my job but was still surprised. I immediately filed for unemployment while trying to determine what to do next…God showed me.

 

There have been times in my life when divine intervention has been evident and that happened to me after my layoff. Nearly every “never” that I’ve ever said has come true…it’s like God is telling me I should never say never . Anyway, two of my nevers were that I would never go back to school and I would never have an SLR camera (they are too big, too hard to learn and what the heck is an F-stop anyway?). Two days after I lost my job, someone told me that if she were unemployed she would go back to school and do something she loved. So, I looked online at Mt Hood Community College’s course offerings (just looking of course since I was NEVER going back to school). I was intrigued by their Integrated Media Program, which includes graphic design, digital photography, broadcasting and video production. It's a 2 year Associates Degree and each program takes 20 students a year. I called and was told it was full and to try again in the fall of 2010. Two hours later, I received a phone call that they had an opening and would accept applications for two days. So I took my placement tests (who needs algebra when you’re my age?), and miraculously passed! Got my photo and design portfolio together and submitted it with my essay. They had 25 applications for that one spot. One week after my layoff, I was accepted into the Digital Photography Program and started school the next day!

 

The more difficult part of this whole crazy scenario was that since I had filed for unemployment, I would have to apply for the Oregon Unemployment Training Program, which would allow me to go to school full-time and still receive unemployment (and not have to look for a job). As with any government application, there were tons of forms to be filled out, another essay to write, etc. If they decided not to allow me into the OUTP, then I would have to quit school to keep the unemployment. So after 7 weeks of waiting, I received notification that I was approved.

 

So…I’m going to school full-time, am learning how to use an SLR camera (I now know what an F-stop is…just don’t ask me to explain it!) and, I’m receiving unemployment… that is definitely divine intervention! It’s been years since I’ve been in school and let me tell you, things have changed! I’m the oldest in my class (most of my classmates are young enough to be my child!), but I just finished my first semester and have a 4.0 GPA! I’m learning all aspects of digital photography, and how to use Adobe Photoshop, Lightoom, InDesign, Dreamweaver and Flash. My old brain is being challenged to learn all kinds of new things!