Good Bye November

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I picked this up as an impulse buy when I was at Barnes & Noble today, picking up a new monthly planner. I can’t wait to read through it and I’m sure the photography will make for some fun future art journal pages.

I did end up mailing out the seed packets in the previous entry today. I attempted to mail out a package to April, but the kiosk at the Post Office kept saying the address she gave me isn’t in their system. I’ll try my post office, as I know I’ve mailed packages to her before. I was using the nicer post office down in F.M. because…well…it’s nicer in every single way possible than my local post office.

Wrestling with Josey today, her fang collided with my hand, and she took a small chunk out of my middle finger. Of course, it’s on the knuckle where the finger attaches to the hand, so putting a band aid on it is damn near impossible. I’m not usually a bleeder, but damn, this one took a while to get the bleeding to stop. And of course, it’s on my right hand. Writing anything by hand right now is a little tough.

Hard to believe that today is the last day of November. In two days, I begin my new job, in a completely new career field. It just seems to surreal. I can’t believe that I’m actually done with the after school program. I’ve closed the book on that part of my life. After 23 years working in some form of child care / child education, it’s actually over. It still doesn’t feel real. Maybe it will finally sink in when I’m actually there. ::smiles:: I am seriously looking forward to this new chapter.

Aunt

written: November 29

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The seed packets I was supposed to include with a pen pal letter…that I obviously forgot. ::chuckles:: I even had a note on them so I wouldn’t forget to include them. As you can see, it did me SO much good. ::laughs::

I hung out with the family until almost noon and then headed home. Due to crappy weather, an armored truck lost control and hit the concrete barrier. No one was hurt, and other than a fucked up wheel, the truck was fine. But this caused a MASSIVE traffic jam. It was on the other side of the road, but everyone on my side had to slow down and look. ::sighs:: It added another HOUR to my already long trip.

My Sis-in-Law sent me a cute video of my Niece and Nephew giving me the good news – I am going to be an Aunt AGAIN! ::smiles:: Yep, Sis-in-Law and Brother are expecting another kiddo! Nephew is hoping for a little brother and Niece is hoping for a little sister. We’ll see who gets their wish.

Other than that, I just came home, put away ALL THE FOOD my Mom sent home with me, and hung up all the clothing she gave me as well. She gave me 3 skirts and 2 cardigans to beef up my “professional” wardrobe. Now I want a pair of nice black boots to go with the skirts and I’m set on that for a while.

Not gonna lie, I seriously want some of the high heeled boots. They are just so fucking sexy. But let’s be realistic here. I’m already 6 foot in normal shoes. Do I really need another 5 inches on top of that? And not to mention that I am NOT the most graceful creature on the planet in athletic shoes. I can only imagine what would happen to me in heels. ::laughs::

Turkey Day

written: November 28

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Mom showed me a postcard I sent to my grandmother during the Month of Letters back in 2015.

I seriously miss my grandmother. I wish the weather had been better on the drive in, so I could have stopped off at the cemetery and paid my respects to her and my grandfather.

Turkey Day was lovely with the family. David stayed home to man the fort here.

Family in attendance:
Me
Mom and Robert
Brother, Sis-in-Law, Lil Nephew, and Lil Niece
Wade (cousin)
Jake (uncle)
Kala (cousin), Jaden, and Kaitlyn (her children)
Jacob (cousin)

All in all, a great day. I got to love on Dudley, my mom’s adorable pug. Seriously, I just LOVE him and would steal him in a heart-beat if I could. ::chuckles::

Other than that, it was mostly just hanging out with Wade. He was the cousin that I was ALWAYS getting in trouble with when we were growing up. ::laughs::

I drove through my Grandmother’s little town on the way in. I was hoping it would still be foggy and I could get an awesome photo on the Old Bridge. But alas, the fog had burned off by that point. But driving through that tiny town really made me wistful. That town was a major part of my childhood and I have a thousand and one amazing memories running wild out there. But now? There’s no way I would be safe enough to run wild out there. So much is falling down there, and the druggies love it because it’s 18 miles from the nearest town. ::shakes her head:: Very disheartening. But it definitely makes me deeply grateful for the awesomeness it was while I was growing up.

Acorns

written: November 27

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A drawing I did in my journal of a burr oak acorn. Not too shabby honestly.
I picked up a ton of these massive acorns today at the Library after I renewed my library card.

April, an amazing friend, was talking about needing acorns for a project, and I asked her if she was interested in this massive ones. She told me how many she wanted and I grabbed a bag of them for her and will be mailing them out soon. Ah, the fun things witches send to each other. ::laughs::

I do need to go back again and pick up as many as I can. The exotic animal sanctuary I volunteered at years and years ago is wanting all the acorns they can get. The bears apparently love them, and the nuts are full of healthy fats that the bears need as they gear up for hibernation. So I want to fill up as many bags as I possibly can, and then take those out to the Sanctuary for them. It’s a way I can help them out without costing me anything more than gas to get there and back. Maybe I’ll even take a tour and see the new animals they have – like their pack of arctic wolves. ::smiles::

I’ve cooked my hashbrown casserole for tomorrow and it’s cooling in the kitchen. I forget how easy it is and how wonderful it makes the whole house smell. I’ll leave out early tomorrow to drive to my hometown to do Turkey Day with the family.

One Step Forward...2 Steps Back

written: November 26

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My Sun and Moon sticker from ScandyGirl arrived today. It was well worth the long wait to get it from Finland. It would make a GORGEOUS tattoo. I am hoping to get something similar done for my Gammé.

I am still trying to find a time to meet up with Jennifer K. to talk about sewing my Gammé. It’s a major project, and any tips and tricks she can give me to make it run a bit smoother, I will be deeply grateful.

I still need to finish putting my room back together and decluttering the shit out of it. ::laughs:: At that point, I’ll need to finalize the Gammé frame plans and pick up the PVC pipes for it. I think once I get past this first hurdle, I’ll pick up steam and get the rest done. Though, I do have to admit. I am more than a little intimidated by the sewing aspect of the cover. ::chuckles:: But once THAT is done, then I can talk to Linda about possibly painting my designs on it.

I spent all this time setting up my bullet journal for 2020….only to realize I fucking HATE it. Like majorly hate it. Like, I can’t even stand looking at it. ::chuckles:: So, it’s back to drawing board on this. I’ll use the Leuchtturm 1917 journal as an art journal instead. Who knows, maybe it will become one of my swap journals and travel around the globe at some point. The plan is to pick up my traditional monthly planner for 2020.

The Ark

written: November 25

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My copy of The Ark Tarot and Oracle decks arrived today! Woohoo! I backed this on Kickstarter back in April and am happy to have it in my hands. I didn’t realize it would actually be two full decks. And I’m a bit unhappy that there aren’t individual boxes for each deck. I’ll have to get a bag or small box for them to keep them safe. ::shrugs:: Oh well. Minor things. I haven’t had a chance to sit down and unwrap the decks themselves and look through them just yet.

Still waiting for one last Swap member to return another member’s journal. After that, I can disband the group and be done with this. While I love all the amazing pages they did in my journal, the three newbies I had in the group, I will probably not have in a swap again. Sharmila did an amazing job and was the absolute best at staying on schedule. Hell, she was even better about that than I was. So she I will always be happy to have in my swaps. But the others…yeah, probably not.

I dunno. Really it was just one particular member that failed time and time again to remain in any sort of regular contact with the group about the swap. And man, she would be weeks, if not MONTHS late on mailing out the journal.

Hecate

written: November 24

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Of the 52 cards I could have drawn, I KNEW before I even touched the deck, that Hecate would be the one I drew.

Deck: The Goddess Oracle

Hecate has been stalking me for a while now, I have come to realize. The Grimms and black hounds that frequent my dreams and that I see out of the corner of my eye are her hounds. Maybe it’s time for me to reach back out to her. I’ve worked with her in the past. And given my current life situation, I am most certainly at the crossroads. I have a pretty good idea of the direction I am headed, but could always use guidance.

Wishing Stones

written: November 23

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I finally got around to photographing the Wishing Stones I found at the Coven retreat at the beginning of the month. Wishing Stones are stones with a different colored band that goes all the way around. There were TONS of these at the Cabin.

Apparently today I needed to catch up on my sleep. David came and woke me up at noon. I never sleep that late. ::chuckles::

And then later on, when the guy was here to give him a quote on new doors for the back, I went back up to my room and took an hour nap. My ear still hurts and still has a lot of pressure. I’m so ready for this damn ear ache to go away.

Other than that, I didn’t do a whole lot. It was a lovely, calm, quiet day at home. We mostly just lounged around, being bums, and watched movies. Honestly, it is the perfect way to begin my Thanksgiving break. ::smiles::

Final Day

written: November 22

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My staff put together THE PERFECT goody basket for me. Like, seriously. It has all of my favorite snacks and drinks.

• Mocha Frappuccinos
• Vanilla cream cookies
• White chocolate flips
• Garlic rye chips
• Confetti cake from Nothing Bundt Cakes
• and $25 in gift cards to Starbucks – Jess got 5 different cards because she knows I collect them

And the card they all signed, they wrote the most kind things. Well, except for Victoria – she just signed her name. Whatever. ::laughs::

Honestly, it was a really good day for my final day at the after school program. I had a number of previous students come back and visit me as well, because they had heard it was my last day.

The whole McKenzie family came out to see me. Mom, Dad, D. (who is now in the 9th grade and taller than me), C., and S. (their 2 year old sister).



I will seriously miss all my kiddos. But there are always specific families that I bonded with more than the others, and this is one of those families. Dad joked that I needed to start working on my Doctorate’s so I could then come back and help them raise S. I’ve had their two boys kinder through 5th grade.

I was able to keep myself together until I got home and started reading all of the cards the various parents gave me. The day was just way too crazy to open the cards and presents as I received them, so I waited until I got home. There were already tons of tears on the parents’ and students’ parts. The cards would have definitely had me crying as well.

Counting Down

written: November 21

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I am seriously going to miss kid spelling like this.
She was going to Quire (Choir). ::smiles::

Apparently Scotty McHottie is going to be the long term sub on my campus until they can find a replacement. Lucky staff. ::chuckles::

So I’m giving him a quick run-down of my campus. Luckily, he’s been out on my campus frequently, so he already has a pretty good idea. I’m just giving him more of the specifics on my Special Ed and Special Needs students and families at this point.

Esmeralda came out as well to go over some of the logistics specific to my campus. She’s approved me for three extra hours on my paycheck, so I can write up a summary of duties and whatnot for my campus and update my Binder of Knowledge for my campus as well. I’ll do that over Thanksgiving Break and drop off the binder on campus that Monday before I go to the Library job.

The windows are finally complete. That ended up being a bigger job that anticipated due to the weather not really wanting to fully cooperate. But it’s done and they look nice and I’m rather happy with it all.

Of course, now David is wanting to do the French doors in the back to replace the cheap sliding glass doors we currently have. I hope he remembers that I won’t be making $42k a year at the F.B. Library. At least not this year. Hopefully, I can move up the ranks quickly, and increase my pay. But that will take a bit of time.

Coloring

written: November 20

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I actually did some coloring today at work. I can’t remember the last time I did this. ::smiles:: It was nice to sit with my students and just chill and color. I’m trying hard to savor these moments, as I know my last day is coming soon.

Today, the window guys showed up and have begun ripping out the old windows. David moved the couch away from the windows. It ended up positioned perfectly for him to sit in and watch the guys work. ::laughs:: Such an “old man” thing to do – to sit in his recliner and watch them work. I was seriously chuckling about it.

Today I told the kiddos that Friday would be my last day. I also began telling the parents as well. I did stress to them that I will be back up to visit one Friday a month at least through the end of the school year. I seriously can’t just leave my kiddos.

It's Ok

written: November 19

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The holly shrubs at the front of the house are beginning to get into the Christmas spirit.

I will need to cut some sprigs from it and dry them out. These, we will burn around Yule, to burn away all the troubles from the past year. I should probably also begin looking for a log to make into a Yule log. Since we have the outdoor fire pit, I definitely want to use it.

I typed up my letter to the parents today, explaining the upcoming changes in the after school program. I’ll have those ready to go tomorrow. It’s finally beginning to sink in that Friday is my last day. I’m beginning to panic over all the things I wanted to do before my final day. I almost wish I could have one more week, just to wrap everything up. But I know I would just keep wishing for another week and another week. I’ve done what I can and I am damn proud of this program and all the kiddos and staff I’ve had the pleasure of working with over the past 12 years. It’s ok for me to let it go now. It will still be sad, but it’s ok for me to let it go now.

Last Monday

written: November 18

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An awesome postcard from Brandy, my Canadian twin, for my birthday.



And the awesome bear stamps I talked about. Just love them.

I told my staff today that Friday would effectively be my last day. I also told the office staff, the school librarian, and the principal. And then I emailed the BIC teacher and Jackson’s parents to let them know as well. I’ll tell the students on Wednesday.

I had my appointment with Dr. O today. It was my 3 month check in with her on my anti-depressant and mood-stabilizer. But seeing as how I’m currently rocking a double ear infection, it was nice to already have the appointment and I will begin a steroid and antibiotic regiment later on today. Luckily, my ear infections rarely are painful. I just can’t hear too well because it’s all muffled. ::chuckles::

All in all, today was a good day at work. All the kiddos were in fine spirits and the weather was nice so they could go outside. No major behavioral issues and no injuries. These are once in a month types of days.

I will be taking my journal up to work this week and getting the kiddos to sign it. I wish I could get a yearbook and have them sign that. But I won’t be here when it’s time for that.

Once I get my actual work schedule for the Library, I’ll pick a few Fridays out that I’ll come see the students. Kalli will kill me if she never gets a photo with Leviathan. Every time I have brought Leviathan up to visit, something crazy has happened and Kalli’s never gotten her photo with Leviathan. I’ll be sure to get her mom’s email address so we can find a date that will give Kalli the best opportunity to get her photo with Leviathan.

Grimm

written: November 17

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Creeper dog is creepy. I was working on my computer and she was breathing on my arm. This is the face I saw when I turned to look at her. ::laughs::

My hyper-focus today has been on the Grimm or the Black Hounds. Anubis has been making his presence known, which is unusual, as I don’t really work with gods. Or maybe it’s Hecate with her hell hounds? I dunno. I’ll just wait and see who decides to make contact. For now, I’ll just enjoy the beautiful sleek black hounds in my dreams and that I see out of the corner of my eye from time to time.

Which reminds me, I will need to do a full cleanse, bless, and warding of the house once the new windows are put in. Gotta make sure those pesky Fae stay OUTSIDE of my house. ::chuckles::

I’m slowly deep cleaning my room as I put it back together. It’s not completely together because the window guys will be out this week. But I’m just focusing on small sections at a time and I’m not overwhelmed. I’ve got my Gammé frame all sketched out. So I need to focus on clearing out the room for it. Then I can focus on purchasing and putting together the framing.

Done

written: November 16

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Currently reading…for the past year or so. ::laughs::

Well, I made the decision today. I accepted the F.B. Library job offer. I’ve gone ahead and done all the paperwork required online. All that is left now is to do the in-person paperwork on December 2nd. I went ahead and emailed my letter of resignation to my bosses. My last day at the after school program will be Nov 29th (technically). But because we have that entire week off for Thanksgiving, my last actual day with the students will be November 22nd. And I can already tell, I’m going to cry on the drive home that day.

I will need to email the Da. Library, the Co. Library, and the F.M. Library and let them know that I’m grateful for the opportunity to interview at their respective libraries but that I have accepted a position elsewhere. Gotta stay in their good graces just in case they have something in the future that fits better for me. ::smiles:: And the Library community is very tight knit, so staying in their good graces could also open up other doors elsewhere for me.

Holy crap, my director at the after school program has already emailed me back about my resignation. It’s a Saturday, so I wasn’t expecting anything from her. But it seems all positive. So that’s how I’m going to handle it for sure. I never know what to expect from this boss – either Best Friend or Stab You In The Back is her MO. So for now, I’ll play along and do my best to keep it in the Best Friend zone.

Decision Made

written: November 15

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Timmy the Witch Toad, watching over me. He got moved from his perch on the bookshelf due to the botched window fiasco yesterday, and is just chilling over here with me now until we actually GET the windows done.

I got a call bright and early today (at 8 am, thanks!) from the F.M. Library, wanting to set up an interview. ::laughs:: Since none of my current offers are set in stone just yet, I decided to take their latest offered interview just in case.

F.B. Library has already sent me the paperwork to fill out to start working, along with the pay, the hours, and what day they expect my first day of work to be. I haven’t heard anything back from the Da. Library. And NOTHING what-so-ever from the Co. Library. Local Library Friends have hinted around that the Da. Library isn’t a great place to work, but it offers more job opportunities. The F.B. Library is apparently AMAZING, but very limited in job opportunities and pay is a bit lower. And honestly, I don’t want to spend 40+ minutes one way to work (depending on traffic, it could be up to 2 hours to get there). And I seriously LOVE the F.B. Library. Its location is great. All the people I’ve met via my two different interviews seem AWESOME. Really, it’s just the pay that is making me a bit hesitant.

Though, like David said…at this point, even a lateral move gets me in the door to this career field. I know I can make it on this pay (it will be a bit higher than what I’m currently making, but not by a ton), so I can do this for a year. Plus, the hours are nice and I have Sundays off…so I don’t have to give up the Coven.

And after talking to my Mom who pointed out SO MANY things I was overlooking (i.e., that I don’t handle new stress very well, I don’t handle changes very well, and that my mental state has been pretty fragile this entire year – though, she said it very nicely and gently and in a round-about away that was awesome), I am going with the F.B. Library. Other than the pay, it just seems tailor made for me. And seriously, it’s an AMAZING little library.

So now, I get to write and turn in my letter of resignation to the after school program. Woohoo!

Big News

written: November 14

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One of the many awesome pages done in my art journal that I’ve finally gotten to see now that it’s returned from this swap. ::smiles:: This particular page was done by Leida.

So yeah, big news is that my journal has returned home! ::smiles:: I love the artwork and journal pages each person did in the journal while they had it.

We were up bright and early to move everything away from the windows as they were gonna be replaced today. only, they are running a few days behind and no one bothered to call us and let us know. ::snarls:: Yeah, we are NOT happy campers right now. But I am taking this as an opportunity to do some deep cleaning of areas that haven’t seen the light of day since I moved in. ::laughs:: So how’s that for looking on the bright side? I’m not moving everything back because they are supposed to come out next week. David will be calling them the day before, just to verify so we don’t have to do this song and dance again.

In even bigger news, the F.B. Library offered me a position yesterday! The pay is a bit lack-luster, but hey, beggars can’t be choosers. And then today the Da. Library offered me a position as well. It’s twice the drive, but twice the money. Mom did suggest I call the Co. Library and just see if I was still in the running for that position, as it’s my top choice. So yeah, lots to ponder over and figure out what will be the best fit for me.

Snakes

written: November 13

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Josey is NOT a fan of the colder weather. Luckily she has her heater that she adores. ::chuckles::

I love my random hyper fixations I get from time to time. This morning was all about looking at potential snakes that I would like to have once Leviathan passes. And no, she’s not sick or anything or showing any signs of kicking the bucket any time soon. It’s just what my mind decided to fixate on.

Still wanting a Woma python. They get to 4.5 to 6 feet long, so a bit larger than Leviathan, but not so large that I would need a secondary person to help me with them. Their lifespan is about the same as a corn snake, so around 20 years. The prey is different, as they require leaner food…so like ducklings, chicks, or rabbits, instead of the mice and rats that corn snakes eat.

Though, there are also a ton of corn snake morphs out there that I really like. I would LOVE to get a Palmetto morph. It’s a pure white background with tiny sparse dashes of orange, red, and black. I would totally name it Samhain. ::chuckles::

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

written: November 12

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Awesome mug my mom sent me for my birthday, along with homemade chex mix! Woohoo!

I also received an awesome postcard from Brandy (my Canadian Twin) that used two of Canada’s awesome bear stamps. She used Grizzly bear and Polar bear. ::smiles::

I’m finally sketching out the dimensions for what I’m planning for my Gammé (ritual tent). It’s going to be decent sized and I’m seriously excited. I need to figure out the angles for the connectors and then buy them and the PVC pipes required. Tons of math – but I’m actually rather enjoying the challenge.

The staff meeting today was good until the last 20 minutes. ::shakes her head:: I seriously needed to get on campus because Jackson had a rough day yesterday and was picking on my intellectually disabled student. But no, I had to be at the meeting and play their stupid game. ::shakes her head:: I am so ready to be done with this.

I got on campus and talked to the school counselor about Jackson’s bullying of younger students. I emailed my supervisor to let her know that Jackson is going to be doing an anti-bullying program with the counselor during the school day for a while and asked at what point does he get put on probation. Esmeralda said she’d have to talk to Kelly. And I asked if I could be a part of that meeting. So that meeting will happen on Thursday. Honestly, I’m not even sure it’s worth going. ::shrugs:: But at least I’ll get to truly voice my concerns with Kelly, the director.

Chill Monday

written: November 11

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Enjoying a post-birthday margarita at Red Lobster.

The second interview at the F.B. Library went really well. I met one of their Children’s Librarians in this meeting along with the director and another librarian I met at the previous interview. I had a ton of fun, and the Children’s Librarian seemed super impressed with a number of my answers to their questions. So FINGERS CROSSED damnit!

Allergies are kicking my ass. I’m so glad I took today off of work to hang out with my husband. It just made for a really relaxed, chill day.

We did dinner at Red Lobster. The waiter wasn’t all that great, but the food was good and the drinks were lovely. And honestly, the company was great.

I may not have achieved everything thus far that I feel like I should have. I may not ever have the big house, the fancy car, and unlimited world travel…but damn, I do love my life. And I love the direct it’s headed.

139 Goals

written: November 10

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Cauldron and tea lights from last night’s ritual in the morning fog. It has such a wonderfully witchy vibe to it. ::smiles::

Happy 38th birthday to me!

At the cabin, there were a TON of wishing stones. So I grabbed a few for myself – because I hoard rocks – and a few to send to some friends.

A nice, uneventful drive back home to hang out with my husband and relax. He decorated the house while I was away for my birthday. Really cool of him. ::smiles:: Sure we may bicker at each other quite a bit, but I swear, that’s one of our love languages. ::laughs:: And I am really grateful to have him in my life, as my partner in crime.

I wasn’t super hungry by the time I got home, so we opted to go IHOP for dinner. They have a toasted marshmallow hot chocolate that they gave me, even though I asked for a regular hot chocolate. And it was tasty…in the beginning. But the after taste? So gross. I didn’t even finish half of the hot chocolate. At least the biscuits and gravy were good. ::chuckles::

I’ve squared away my 38 goals for my 38th year. Still debating if I’ll post them on my blog or keep them private. And I’m pretty sure I have my 101 goals in 1001 days squared away as well. Lots of fun things for sure. Let’s see how well I stick to them. ::chuckles::

Spirit Doll

written: November 9

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My Spirit Doll creation.

I was up bright and early and out the door by 7 am. The Coven retreat is up in Broken Bow, Oklahoma and man. It’s GORGEOUS. It was a beautiful drive.

The cabin is awesome. Just beautiful. And there are some semi-feral cats that we are all bound and determined to befriend.

I was not sold on the whole “Spirit Doll” thing that the High Priestess pitched. Anyone who knows me knows I do not like dolls. And even half way through making mine, I was still seriously questioning it. ::chuckles:: But in the end? I love her. Meet She Who Stands in Victory. And she has a spirit name as well…but that is one I will not share. Even within the Coven. I just feel that certain things don’t need to be blasted all over. Names have power and not all power is meant to be broadcasted. And she’s been very clear that her spirit name is not to be shared until she says otherwise. Oh, and she’s requested a badger claw necklace. ::chuckles::

Shakti led the full moon ritual. She sprang calling the directions on Nicki and then sprang on me to call the god. ::chuckles:: All in all, it was a gorgeous full moon ritual in which we made a big batch of bath salts infused with essential oils and an intention we wished to give to the Coven as a whole. I’m seriously looking forward to a long hot bath with those bath salts. ::smiles::

Not a Bad Friday

written:  November 8

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I miss my blue hair. This is a lock of it that I cut to keep when my after school director ordered me to cut it. I certainly hope that whatever future job I get, has a bit more relaxed rules about hair color. I don’t want a full head of blue hair…but a few streaks would be nice, or the bottom few inches would be lovely as well.

I finally mailed out Sharmila’s journal today. She’ll have it in 6 to 10 days. My part of the journal swap is done. I’m just waiting for my journal to be mailed back to me. This particular swap was a cluster-fuck the entire time. I’ve never had a group that failed at simple communication and commitment as grandly as this group did. Honestly, if we can been able to stick to the schedule, this swap probably would have finished up a good month ago. ::shakes her head:: Yeah, I’m going to be more selective in my journal swaps in the future.

Work went surprisingly well…especially since Madeleine (aide) was out, and then 10 minutes after she was supposed to be at work, Victoria (newest aide) text me to let me know she wouldn’t be in. ::growls:: But luckily, we got Scotty McHottie to help out as our sub. Turns out, our kiddos had a great day and we probably would have been just fine without him. But it was nice to have him just in case.

And then the Triple A’s stopped by to visit! That was a lovely surprise. It’s three sisters, all with names that start with A’s. ::chuckles:: They were a ton of fun to have in the program and it was awesome to have them come hang out for a bit and just catch up with them.

2nd Attempt at F.B. Library

written: November 7

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While the Douglas pear trees are utter rubbish trees, their leaves are glorious in autumn. I saw this one on my way out of the school at the end of my work day, and just had to take a photo of it. ::smiles::

I saw two separate flocks of birds flying south in their traditional “V” formations. How awesome it would be to just fly somewhere new…be someone different…if only for a little while.

The F.B. Library Director emailed me to see if I could come in Monday or Tuesday at 2 pm for an interview. Luckily, I have already taken Monday off from the after school program so I could celebrate my birthday with my husband (he had also taken Monday off). So yeah, I jumped on the Monday interview slot.

Please, please, please let me get something soon! The after school program continues to be a big ball of chaos. I never know how the day is going to go. So even if it’s a good day, I’ve been on high alert the entire time because I know things can change in a heart-beat.

Saturday I leave bright and early for the Coven Retreat up in Oklahoma. I’m excited and nervous. ::chuckles:: I’ve been “out” of the Coven on sabbatical for a month now. I just hope they are as welcoming this time as they were the first time around. I’m sure it’s just my own head being a jerk to me, but I’m still a bit worried. Such things always make me nervous.

So Much Peoples

written:  November 6

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A cool Mothra (from Godzilla) toy that Liam P. (former after school program kiddo) stopped by to give me today totally out of the blue. ::smiles::

Long, long day today.
I had a good interview at the Co. Library this morning. Honestly, given the city it is in, I really was expecting it to be so much larger. But it is an awesome library. It was certainly a fun interview. I would certainly enjoy working there. So fingers crossed. This would be another awesome library to work at, and the pay is NICE.

Then at 2 pm, I had my meeting with Lisa C. (the head of the BIC program). We’re modifying the point system we have been using for Jackson because it just isn’t working. Now, instead of points, it is a simple yes or no for three sections. If all three are yes, then he gets a little bag of skittles. If there was a single no, then no skittles.

THEN was the meeting with the parents, our BIC aide, my supervisor, and myself. Honestly…it was a waste of time. It was a meeting in which, my supervisor is basically telling the parents all the things we are working on with Jackson. It was a meeting in which my supervisor basically bent over and kissed their asses the entire time. ::shakes her head:: Utterly worthless.

BUT. When I came home, I had an email waiting for me. The Library Director from the F.B. Library had emailed me directly, telling me that they have a full-time position available and to see if I was interested in applying for it. She even included the direct link for the application. I took that as a huge sign that they were impressed with me in the first interview (for a part-time position that they felt I was over qualified for), and jumped on the chance to apply for that library again. Seriously, it’s one of my favorites thus far.

Roses

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Raindrops on roses. ::smiles:: My rosebush hasn’t given up all hope for blooming just yet.

Beautiful quiet morning. It was cooler and gently misting. For the most part, it was silent. The neighborhood was quiet. And it was so peaceful. Exactly what I needed before heading in to work today.

Work was…tiring. It wasn’t overly crazy. But it was loud. And chaotic. And just constant. ::sighs:: We didn’t have our BIC aide today. Family medical issues.

I did clock in early and had a good chat with the Principal about my intellectually disabled student. Mostly, I was just looking for the paperwork on him, along with whatever is working for them in the classroom. She had a lot of good tips that I will be implementing this week. It will help him plus others as well, so it’s a major win in my book. I’ll be making a visual schedule plus a visual list of the things they can spend their good behavior points on. It will help him plus the other kindergarten students.

Tomorrow I have my interview with the Co. Library. And then later on that day, I have a meeting with Jackson’s parent(s), my BIC aide, and my supervisor. I honestly have no idea what to expect on that front. Mostly, I think it’s just “hey, this is everything we have done for your kiddo, to try to make it work…and it isn’t working…so what else can we do”.

Apparently the F.M. Library is looking for a children’s librarian. I’ve put my application in. And the pay is better than the Da. Library and rivals the Co. Library. ::fingers crossed:: I just need someone to give me a damn chance already! I’m so over this after school job and am dying to put it in my rear view already!

Melancholy Dreams

written: November 04

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I have made peace with the fact that I am going to burn off all my taste buds AND dice up the roof of my mouth…but these are so DAMN GOOD. The pain is worth it!

The day started off quite melancholy due to a dream about an old high school flame – one that I had a serious shot with if I had just taken the jump.

But honestly? There’s no way it would have worked out. I was a year ahead of him in school, so when I went off to college, that would have ended that relationship. And I definitely had to have someone up here with me, or I would have gone full recluse. I wouldn’t have made any of my LARP friends.

And honestly…he looks so much older than me now. Yes, I totally Facebook stalked him. Both he and his wife look so much older than me. Hell, I would even say that he looks older than my husband, who is 6 years older than me.

Goals

written:  November 03

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Working on a new list of 101 goals in 1001 days. Not 100% sure when I’ll begin working on this list of goals.

Ah, a lovely calm Sunday. I finished up working in Sharmila’s journal and have it all packed up and ready to mail out. It is always a bit bitter sweet to finish up working in one of the swap journals. And given that this is the last round of this swap, it makes it even more bitter sweet. But I loved working in Sharmila’s journal. I’ll need to get the custom’s papers soon to fill out so I can mail it.

Paint & Pasta

written: November 02

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Testing out paint samples for my bedroom. David’s decided he really wants to paint my bathroom and bedroom. ::shrugs:: Hey, if he wants to pay for AND do it? I’m all about it.

The bathroom will be a light grey with a dark grey trim. Once the windows get replaced, there’s some things that David needs to fix in my bathroom. Which, once he’s done doing that, he offered to paint the bathroom. And I had been thinking out loud about painting my bedroom. Now I just have to figure out what colors I want it. I might stick with the same color scheme as the bathroom…or I may have the blue for the walls and a dark grey for the trim.

We did a late lunch with David’s coworkers at Eddy’s Pizza. I got the fettuccine alfredo and it was sooooo damn delicious. I will certainly get that from now on. The plan was to eat half of it there and take the other half home. I ended up eating almost all of it. ::laughs:: I was SO full when we got home. But it was so delicious.

More Gamme Ideas

written: November 01

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Pretty Miss Leviathan, out for a cruise in her tank. Which reminds me…I need to do a deep clean of her tank and items soon.

Man, I was riding high yesterday. So full of my typical energy. It was like being my old self again. And then today was just exhausting. ::chuckles:: But I got a taste of it, and damn it, I want that BACK.

Next weekend is the Coven retreat and I’m seriously looking forward to that. We will be making Spirit Dolls. And anyone who knows me, knows that I don’t care for dolls. But this should be interesting. If nothing else, I can make one to be burned later one. ::chuckles:: But I’m cool with trying something new. And if it turns out well, I may even keep the doll.

I may end up commissioning a local painting friend, Linda P., to paint the designs I want on my Gamme (ritual tent). I was talking about some beautiful artwork I had seen and she mentioned painting. I asked her if could paint on canvas, as that’s what I’m making the Gamme out of and she said she’d be able to use acrylic, which is what she first learned to paint with. So that’s quite exciting now. I just need to find a time to meet up with Jennifer K. to talk about sewing things related to the Gamme. Once I get that squared away and get the framing built (the part planned for this month), I can seriously begin talking to Linda P. about the designs I have in mind and what she would charge for that. ::rubs her hands together:: I am legitimately excited about bringing this idea fully to life.