Unfortunately, I have been neglecting this blog. Life has thrown me lots of plates to fix all at once. I've been going strong every day, working and training on weekends, and working for a lady outside on my day off. I have been at Arts for All now for almost a month, and it's been a really intense period of time. It's a completely new environment- working with people with various types of disabilities, learning how to help, how to drive, how to strap a person into a van when they're in a wheelchair, tips on feeding individuals, toileting, and working with the kids.
I'll be honest. Many things have pierced my heart in such a large way lately. I feel like along with the weight of lots of changes, physical exertion, and emotions, I've become a little comatose inside.
I learned that my friend across the street hopped a fence and crashed and burned his drug issues. I liked him. I am rooting for my neighbors, my friends across the street recovering, being restored. I want them to do well, and I hate knowing that C is out on the streets broke and alone. It felt so hard to understand, I saw him frequently. He knocked on the window and waved to me as I walked to work.
I started working with kids. I love kids, but I haven't had a lot of experience with them. I'm not a parent. I've done a lot of babysitting, worked as a nanny (to a baby- not a kid!), taught a little in church, and generally enjoyed being around kids. Well, I entered another world this past week. Kids back talking to authority, explicit conversations, violent tantrums of kicking and screaming, and general bad behavior.
When I went to put a child in my lap, I was reprimanded. "Boys at eight understand that you have breasts." I had a hard time understanding this. Where is the innocence?
I'm still processing this- the fact that kids are still kids but they have a layer of knowledge that has stripped them of basic simplicity. And I'm not sure I'm very capable.
I need to spend time in prayer, in God's Word, in being good to myself, and resting.
Today I had CPR and First Aid training with Save a Life. I am finally home with no where to go, no where to be, no one demanding I be at a meeting or work, and I breathe some relief.
I'm headed back to bed and giving my body and soul what it most needs right now- rest.
Saturday, September 27, 2014
Saturday, September 13, 2014
It's My Party and I'll Cry If I want to...
It's my blog and I'll write want I want to...
It's been a long week, my friends. I've been adjusting to a new job the last two weeks with intense training and absorption of knowledge. I've started a second job working on the side for a woman. I run various errands for her- helping her with the turtles, planting, watering, etc., And I suppose even though I moved here August 1, I'm still settling in and figuring things out. I'm working on health insurance, a Doctor, a bus pass, getting around on a bicycle, finding a church, and little (but big) things like that.
I am still enjoying the pool in my backyard and taking nice long laps after work or going to zumba. I feel free whenever I ride my bicycle, like a little kid, exploring her new big city. I've been watching old VHS tapes on my "new" television. Tonight I watched You've Got Mail. There are so many things I love about this movie, and I catch new things each time I watch it. One thing I loved about it tonight is how Karen Kelly lost her job- the job she envisioned for herself forever- , but when things shifted, she was able to see that it might be a chance for her to do new things. Bravery. Might I add that I love Tom Hanks? It's been said many times, but the chemistry is a beautiful thing to watch between Tom and Meg. I'd like to sit on the porch and drink lemonade with Mr. Hanks.
One thing I love about people is a lack of pretention. I think no matter how hard we try to not give in to consumer pressure, we all fall prey to peer pressure. I remember as a little girl wanting the special Eastland shoes that didn't tie but knotted on the sides. I wanted them because the other girls had them. I also wanted hair styles like the other girls had- long hair with intricate braids when mine was short and flat. The temptation is always there, but reminding myself of how many blessings I have now is key. For instance, almost everyone I know seems to have a fancy phone where they connect to the Internet, use maps, listen to music, share pictures, and a million other things. A co-worker at the Space Needle even jostled me about my phone, "Wow, I haven't seen one of those in a long time." Well, here's what I love about me. I like having one foot back in the dirt. I like my VHS tapes, my library card, my National Geographic magazines, my old lazy boy, and cooking meals instead of fancy meals out. I like my flip phone because it's simple and easy, and I feel fortunate to even have a phone. This week we were meeting with another AmeriCorps member, and he talked about how he didn't have a fancy phone like everybody else. I liked this. I like that he's living within his means and not falling into trends that aren't necessary. No, I don't think fancy phones are bad, but I think we all get carried away with too many things.
It's been a long week, my friends. I've been adjusting to a new job the last two weeks with intense training and absorption of knowledge. I've started a second job working on the side for a woman. I run various errands for her- helping her with the turtles, planting, watering, etc., And I suppose even though I moved here August 1, I'm still settling in and figuring things out. I'm working on health insurance, a Doctor, a bus pass, getting around on a bicycle, finding a church, and little (but big) things like that.
I am still enjoying the pool in my backyard and taking nice long laps after work or going to zumba. I feel free whenever I ride my bicycle, like a little kid, exploring her new big city. I've been watching old VHS tapes on my "new" television. Tonight I watched You've Got Mail. There are so many things I love about this movie, and I catch new things each time I watch it. One thing I loved about it tonight is how Karen Kelly lost her job- the job she envisioned for herself forever- , but when things shifted, she was able to see that it might be a chance for her to do new things. Bravery. Might I add that I love Tom Hanks? It's been said many times, but the chemistry is a beautiful thing to watch between Tom and Meg. I'd like to sit on the porch and drink lemonade with Mr. Hanks.
One thing I love about people is a lack of pretention. I think no matter how hard we try to not give in to consumer pressure, we all fall prey to peer pressure. I remember as a little girl wanting the special Eastland shoes that didn't tie but knotted on the sides. I wanted them because the other girls had them. I also wanted hair styles like the other girls had- long hair with intricate braids when mine was short and flat. The temptation is always there, but reminding myself of how many blessings I have now is key. For instance, almost everyone I know seems to have a fancy phone where they connect to the Internet, use maps, listen to music, share pictures, and a million other things. A co-worker at the Space Needle even jostled me about my phone, "Wow, I haven't seen one of those in a long time." Well, here's what I love about me. I like having one foot back in the dirt. I like my VHS tapes, my library card, my National Geographic magazines, my old lazy boy, and cooking meals instead of fancy meals out. I like my flip phone because it's simple and easy, and I feel fortunate to even have a phone. This week we were meeting with another AmeriCorps member, and he talked about how he didn't have a fancy phone like everybody else. I liked this. I like that he's living within his means and not falling into trends that aren't necessary. No, I don't think fancy phones are bad, but I think we all get carried away with too many things.
Sunday, September 7, 2014
September is on Fire!
Is it really September? I've been used to changing leaves, switching to long sleeves, tourism season turning to "newly wed and nearly dead" population. But it is September here in Tucson, and I am enjoying it even though I don't feel typical "autumn signs."
I thought I would keep this simple tonight and just write a few things I'm into lately.
1. Working! I completed my first full week with Arts for All (AmeriCorps) and started working for a woman 3.5 miles away from me, which makes for a nice bicycle ride on the weekends. There is so much I'm learning at Arts for All, and today it was nice to dig my hands in the dirt again. I haven't done that in awhile. It is also an opportunity for me to discover more of Tucson through the ride- I found my bank, Sonic!, Eegees, Waffle House, and another grocery store. My bike ride was hot, of course, but I love biking! I saw my first snake in the road today. Normally I will be working this second job on Saturdays, but I trained and worked a few hours today. This is good, because I want to be able to go to church. I miss it so much.
2. Redecorating! The guys across the street gave me a television with an old VHS player inside of it, so I've been enjoying watching old movies. Right now I'm watching Air Force One as I write. What can I say? I'm a child of the 80's. I like television. And I did some redecorating. I put my television in the corner, brought in my rug from the kitchen, moved my lazy boy and desk. Mind you, this isn't just any lazy boy... it's a VIBRATING chair, and it's awesome.
4. Joan Rivers. I never paid that much attention to her while she was alive, although I thought she was funny. I have heard so many interesting things about her since her death, and it made me want to watch a documentary about her life. Joan: A Piece of Work. I did not know, for example, that Joan was a proud Jewish woman that offered a great deal of support to Israel. I did not realize that her husband committed suicide and that no man ever called her beautiful. She said they called her "great" and that she "looked nice" but never beautiful. I also learned that she felt people almost expected certain jokes from her- about plastic surgery and age. I learned that she wanted to be an actress and she had fragile feelings towards criticism of her acting. She gave to others less fortunate, loved Thanksgiving and lived grandly. She's the kind of lady I wish I had known.
5. My Utmost for His Highest. I found a cheap copy at the thrift store, and along with Jesus Calling, I try to read it daily. From today,
"It is not a blessing that you pass on, or an experience that you share with others, but a river that continually flows through you. Stay at the Source, closely guarding your faith in Jesus Christ and your relationship to Him, and there will be a steady flow into the lives of others with no dryness or deadness whatsoever."
I thought I would keep this simple tonight and just write a few things I'm into lately.
1. Working! I completed my first full week with Arts for All (AmeriCorps) and started working for a woman 3.5 miles away from me, which makes for a nice bicycle ride on the weekends. There is so much I'm learning at Arts for All, and today it was nice to dig my hands in the dirt again. I haven't done that in awhile. It is also an opportunity for me to discover more of Tucson through the ride- I found my bank, Sonic!, Eegees, Waffle House, and another grocery store. My bike ride was hot, of course, but I love biking! I saw my first snake in the road today. Normally I will be working this second job on Saturdays, but I trained and worked a few hours today. This is good, because I want to be able to go to church. I miss it so much.
2. Redecorating! The guys across the street gave me a television with an old VHS player inside of it, so I've been enjoying watching old movies. Right now I'm watching Air Force One as I write. What can I say? I'm a child of the 80's. I like television. And I did some redecorating. I put my television in the corner, brought in my rug from the kitchen, moved my lazy boy and desk. Mind you, this isn't just any lazy boy... it's a VIBRATING chair, and it's awesome.
3. I made my first roast chicken tonight! I found a roasting pan and decided to give it a try. I don't know why I've never roasted before, but it is really easy and smelled the house up nicely. Tonight I ate a leg with the roasted carrots and onion and then boiled some broccoli to go with it. I roasted the chicken, though, with lemon, salt, pepper, thyme, carrots, and onions. I think it turned out well. I'll use the leftovers up, most likely, in salads this week.
5. My Utmost for His Highest. I found a cheap copy at the thrift store, and along with Jesus Calling, I try to read it daily. From today,
"It is not a blessing that you pass on, or an experience that you share with others, but a river that continually flows through you. Stay at the Source, closely guarding your faith in Jesus Christ and your relationship to Him, and there will be a steady flow into the lives of others with no dryness or deadness whatsoever."
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