Monday's Minds

[LadyMaverick]

got my mind in a good place

LucyLee shared this and it inspired me to get my mind in a good place too

[LadyMaverick]

Spring break is over and public school resumes today. It is expected to be the last week of school for a while as the teachers in our state prepare to strike starting next Monday. What a sad state of affairs our state is in. Embarrassingly sad. I need to make that call to the principal and officially unenroll DS9 from public school so he will be 100% free of any consequences the state mandates for public schools. Our state is the only state that guarantees the right to homeschool as part of its constitution so the homeschoolers are not included as the teachers and legislators square off for a feud.

Today's big rocks are attending homeschool coop and helping my lifelong VDFriends move into their new home. This is my VDFriend & husband that has been living in an apartment for the past year when the decision was made to tear down their home and build a new one in its place. I am so very thrilled for them as they start again with a fresh place to live. I hope they will be able to resist filling it up with stuff (aka hoarder). I admire her greatly and know she can do anything she sets her mind to.

Homeschool coop lessons today includes dissecting owl pellets. UHHMMM. Yuck!! I'm glad to be attending instead of teaching this subject. I feel the need to go wash my hands after just thinking about touching that. DS9 has a new Pokemon binder and his cards neatly organized (thanks to DGS21 help). I hope this gives DS9 a connection with the other boys his age. Of course, since we are the newbies we might find out they don't do Pokemon cards during their free time at coop every week. I guess he can leave the binder in the car and retrieve it if needed.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

I hope ds9 has a great day at 'school' today!

I'm sorry for your state's education mess but, as I said, I'm glad the teachers are finally striking. I figure it probably goes heavily against the grain for your part of the country but sometimes there's no choice but to say "Enough!" loudly and clearly so everyone can understand what is being done to the children. In the big picture if you don't have quality workers your economy will fail.

When I look at overseas countries, I see how the best and brightest get out, leaving behind those not smart enough to go elsewhere. Whatever the average education level ends up being is what limits how successful a country can be. That's why dh and I put so much effort into education in Tanzania. At best, it will make a difference for the whole community (not likely since the president expelled all the Kenyan teachers and replaced them with unqualified Tanzanians), at worst, there will be a few kids who'll get smart enough that they'll be able to get out of the country.

I'm up early because.

Had upsetting diapering dreams last night. Geez, this isn't my issue but apparently the switch to pull-ups (cloth, not the disposables) is stressful for me! It makes it a lot quicker to do a potty run since he doesn't have to be undressed. But it means watching closely for clues so he doesn't have major failures. The pull-ups can't hold as much liquid as a regular diaper. My dreams were about people interfering with the routine (like walking off with the stroller in a public bathroom) which left him in a position to fail and me to look like an idiot.

Dh leaves today mid afternoon so we are out of the house to the airport at 2:15. CF has texted to connect me with a neighbour who has a key so I can get into their house to get the things for the refugees. The funeral for his FIL is this morning.

I have housecleaning to do and all the things I didn't get done on Saturday and Sunday.

My week will either be very busy or very quiet. Tomorrow morning is the butterfly experience at the museum with dgs. That should be fun as long as they don't terrify him. I think he might be scared because he doesn't like to be outside experiencing it, he just likes to observe it. For instance, he doesn't like being put on the grass he just likes to look at it from the window.

Aside from that, Good Friday service and dh coming home that afternoon, my week is open so I can do whatever needs to be done with the refugee driving.

Just checked the flights and the flight to Paris landed late but the flight to Canada left late as well and they had lots of time to make the connection. They'll land here 40 minutes late which may make the immigration process tighter. Will keep on top of that.

[blessedw2]

thank you d lady and your inspiration d lucy!
schools: Hope it all works out!
so thrilled about your d friend moving into new home.
have a great day lady!

d kathryn I agree to most - I have a teacher next door and 2 sil s that are teachers as well as one very d aunt on dh's side who is a retired teacher.
I struggle with the city school (not our suburb) as there is so much clutter and the schools are not doing well. I am sure it has to do with the neighbourhoods but mostly red tape and old ways- my d dad and our family have supported a school to help children in middle school to do work at their level as they come to that school with first to second grade ability to read and do math. Not good. I don't like tenure as that has affected my older daughter. Most teachers are very dedicated but some are bad and just get moved from school to school. Good teachers get penalized for the bad teachers.
i tend to stick with the teachers and for improvements, through voting, for our schools. I know a local suburb is asking for money for improvements and that area is complaining but forget with a good school district comes people who want to live in that district. The schools go the neighbourhood goes.

So sad about teachers and Tanzania! I am sure it is about power - if you have an uneducated public they will be easier to control. Terrible. It happens in every society trying to wield their power, doesn't it? I don't remember what country it was but when the powers that be that came in got rid of university professors and lawyers and educated people. it's fear that thought is powerful and it is. Why fear education - so sad.

your dreams - Totally understandable
have a great day Kathryn

[blessedw2]

I am still having headaches. Keeping fingers crossed that it stays in the background.

4 layer cake today: HOPE - today is hopefully at home most of the day - keeping me happy cake (what cake doesn't keep me happy )
1. routines: morning, animals routine, fitness*, paperwork 1 inch, dinner routine - prep WW monday through Friday, and family after dinner routine, evening routine
2. BWP: kitchen, laundry room
3. Zones - Here: Bedrooms FL: living room/front room
4. Play

10 - 15 minutes home blessing todays

project: wallpaper in front room 15 minutes
1 errand
waiting for window guy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgG58vLsDuw Monday Kat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFuwqeTL2mo diane in denmark

timer on!

[Nancy]

I had excellent bs # today yea! Found note books to fit my new planner cover I had forgotten all about yea.

Hens were very productive yesterday. I need to make more deviled eggs up.
H. Gave me two small knives I am excited to try whittling with them. after I dump traxn and round up the laundry. I need to get to the little local store to see if they have choc. pie for hubby's bday week.

Watching how to make wire wrapped stone jewelry this a. m.

[Harriet]

Excellent, lucylee, about "the right stuff". Yes, lucylee, you're right it's Elizabeth.

Cool about new tools for creativity, Nancy.

Wow, Kathryn, what a day for the travelers. Glad there was word from them following the scary reports.

((LadyM)) A time like this is unsettling for everyone, because this just isn't an area of employment that has enjoyed protections, historically. I think most all of us can remember times we wondered if teachers would get paid, or if they'd give up and go elsewhere or just change professions. Before I was born, my dmother and her twin joined a teacher's "march to the state capital". Teachers went by buses to the city limits from different directions, then joined up walking to the capital building. I don't think they said anything - maybe there was a woman who made a speech, but mostly it was just walking. They had abysmal pay at that time, lower than neighboring states.

Those handouts yesterday weren't participation but for us to read. They are from an author the minister found who has written about people having so much stress these days, and how it comes out in houses of worship. That the two sexes have different stresses, handle stress differently - something like that. It won't help anything of course, since the troubles for our church are not caused by outside stressors like workplaces or traffic jams, etc. IMO, the handouts are just something to point to, to say something was done to heal wounds, but still assert the negative "women are different" theme that has caused the trouble.

Great blessing coming from the negatives, however, that it has caused many to search and learn. Lots of study happening. Can't say, "It's all good." But some eyes open. I'll be wiser because this happened than I would have been with smooth lifelong sailing that never jostled me.

[Ramblinrose]

Morning...

I have flowers and planting in my future

In my state teachers are wearing “Red for Ed” shirts and will be marching on our capital tomorrow. I went seven years without a raise, now tell me would you work for a company who did that?

I have some desk work to attend to, but will address that after I play with my flowers. Yesterday I was feeling very tired and ended up taking 2.5 hour nap. That never happens. Guess I needed it.

House is in good shape and footprints were picked up last night. Time for my second cup of coffee and Perry... enjoy your day

[Harmony]

Good morning. For once my mind is in a good place. My house is picked up nicely, just needs dusting a bit. I get such a sense of calm once this is done. DH is not busy right now, with a lot of jobs in progress but nothing needing big gobs of paperwork, etc., everything flowing smoothly. If it was always like this I would have no problems going on forever.

Yesterday I did another pick-up put-away and ran dishwasher. I cleaned out another kitchen drawer and threw out some stuff. Threw out some stuff in a closet. I'm never going to do those projects I'd put in there 2 years ago. I don't feel bad about letting go. It was Christmas decorations anyway.

Today I folded laundry, have another load going, and I changed bed linens. The only thing I don't have under control is my cooking. I've been cleaning out the freezer and there is not much variety in there to cook. We have some to eat before I go shopping again. I think I'll do a turkey next.

Kathryn, one of our retired couples in our small group is going over to Kenya next month to be dorm parents again in a missionary school. She went to this school for her high school years and all her siblings spent more time there than she did. So they go back when they're needed. It is _____ valley school. I don't remember the first word. It's pretty close to the base of a mountain. The airport is 1 1/2 hour drive away. They showed us a nice video about the school and it looked very nice, with sports teams, lots of science and math, orchestra etc. All the Africa Missionary kids and some local kids go there. Many go on to college back in the states and they gave a number for ones who went to Yale! So a very good school. My friend got her teacher degree in U.S. I wish all their schools were this good.

My friend was there because her father was a doctor and went over to work in a Clinic that would have been closed otherwise for lack of a doctor.

RRose, I worked for a company for 9 years. I got 1 raise of $.50. I was making between $5 and $6/hr (retail) and I was so happy to have a job I'd have stayed there for a long time if it hadn't gotten bought out and changed. This was 1984 - 1993.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

I'm s2s and have clean sheets on the bed. The dryer just buzzed to tell me last week's sheets are ready to be folded and put away.

Dh is in the shower now. I think I might walk to the bank after he gets out and pick up cash for the refugees start-up costs.