Resistance ~

I had to laugh when I read this FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE comic. Her words struck a sympathetic chord within me. At work my co-worker bakes "healthy" cookies and my favorite is the chocolate chip. They are hard to resist fresh out of the oven with a glass of vanilla soy milk. I don't care how often I tell myself, "I will NOT have one today," I always cave in and do. I have voiced these thoughts out loud to Armanda hoping that by saying it OUT LOUD she would keep me accountable, and too that I would be better able to reinforce my statements. But... it doesn't. Armanda only laughs as she says, "Yeah... right," knowing I will have one. I have even purposely not gotten the box of chocolate chip cookie dough out of the freezer when she has asked for it and gotten the cookies I do not like instead. I have no will power when it comes to these cookies.

It takes me about a week to get rid of the craving of sweets such as these and while I am off from work is no better time to do this. It also helps when the Summer season brings foods full of natural sweetness.

The first week is the hardest though. Ughhh!

Lost

Arbutus 'Marina' ~ Strawberry Tree

Dictionary Definition

1. Unable to find one's way.

2.
a. No longer in the possession, care, or control of someone or something.
b. No longer in existence; vanished or spent.
c. No longer known or practiced: a lost art.
d. Beyond reach, communication, or influence.

School is out for the summer, and the Medical Terminology class I took over the spring has wrapped up too. I've been so occupied by these two activities and have been going non-stop for two-and-a-half years. During this time, all I wanted was to see "the light at the end of the tunnel." This desire kept me focused. Within this time, anything that tried to gain my attention was pushed aside, and I lived with blinders to help pay attention to what was most important. Now that it's all through, I suddenly don't know what to do with myself. I find myself walking around the house (and just walking, instead of the rapid pace I'd gotten use to). While it's rejuvenating to be done and completed my tasks, I feel...at a loss. I am telling myself, "It is only day two, try to relax and enjoy this time." So why do I now find it surprisingly hard to shift gears?

Fifty Days ~ 1,200 Hours

Not Counting Weekends

School is out for the Summer!



I work in food service at a school cafeteria. Our shipments come on Monday morning and Thursday every week. The Thursday shipments are much bigger than on Monday morning and putting it away involves physical labor that needs a lot of strength. Let me just say at the end of the day, I am really feeling it! This picture is inside our freezer. Brrrr! It is kept so cold, we have to put on heavy jackets and gloves.



I have a lot of fun with my co-worker Armanda. She is a crack up and makes me laugh all of the time. It makes the work hour go by quick too. We have children the same age and they have grown up together. We have went through many life trials together that have made our friendship even stronger. Her daughter, my dad and husband all had cancer at different times. In addition, Armanda's husband has had a couple of heart attack's and also had Miller Fisher Syndrome. I am going to miss our talks and sharing what is happening in each other's life every morning during the week. She works the night shift for a local cannery during the Summer season, so I will have to wait until school is back in session to see her.

Hmmm... 50 days until I have to go back to work! What am I going to do?

:)

Any suggestions?

Beautiful People ~ Beautiful Stories

“No love, no friendship can cross the path of our destiny without leaving some mark on it forever.”

Francois Muriac

It all started when I went back to school to get my high school diploma. I have met so many interesting people. I will never forget sitting in my all subjects class for the first time. There was a mix of ages; me being one of the oldest. We all had one thing in common, we needed to get our High School Diploma. One woman was older than my mom. I never learned of her story. Although, her just being there inspired me. There was another girl who walked in the class and I knew right off she was an exotic pole dancer; she had the prettiest arms, longest legs and knew how to walk across a room. I had her in my Algebra class too. It was interesting to watch the dynamics unfold when she didn't do her homework and an assignment was due. She never went to a female teacher, only the men. It broke my heart to think that she felt she only had her body to get what she wanted. One night she stormed out of class and I didn't even think before I realized I had started to follow her. I asked if I could talk with her and was surprised when she said, "Yes." In a nut shell, my talking to her boiled down to encouraging her not to give up. I learned she had two children and a boyfriend living with her. She quit three weeks before finals in our Fall semester. I learned through teachers, she would come at the beginning of every school year. I often wonder about what happened to her and hope she went back.

As the nights went on, students would share with one another in passing and I would learn bits and pieces of why we were all there (they learned more about me too). What happened in the past which lead us to the present circumstances. I had Gothic kids, ex-gang members and people who have lived on the street in all of my classes. By the end of the year, we understood each other in a way, we would have never had known if we just passed each other on the street (presumably making judgement calls too). We were all trying to find our way.

In my Phlebotomy class, we all got to know each other in the same way, in a more intimate setting. There were a lot of single mothers trying to learn a career in a short amount of time, so that they could take better care of themselves and their children financially. As the nights went on, we would learn more about each other in greater detail. We were all rooting for one another. I have kept in touch with three of the women.

In my Medical Terminology class, the first night we had to go around the room and say our name and tell the class why we were there. There was a woman in her sixty's who just lost her husband and said she needed to get a job to help herself financially. Another had a Jamaican accent who needed credits so that she could continue working for home care. I loved to listen to her try to talk so that we could understand her. Her name was beautiful, Mfonobong. I loved how it would just roll around on my tongue.

We live in a world surrounded by people and each person has a beautiful story. Everyone wants to know they matter and are worthy. If we look passed people who come into our lives, we miss the opportunity to learn and be enlightened by how they live and where they come from. It broadens the mind of what we think we believe and you learn from their experiences, enriching your life. At least... this was my experience.

Amazing stories... each one has left their mark on my heart forever!

Being Present ~

"Go out into the world today and love

the people you meet.

Let your presence

light new light

in the hearts of people."

-- MOTHER TERESA

Can you imagine?

Change Can Be Wonderful ~

I recently rented the movie HOME and in the scene at the beginning of the movie, it showed the mother and daughter laying on the ground with a blanket (something my mom and I would do, but that is another post), looking up at the clouds having a conversation. It went like this:

Mom: I see a whale
Daughter: Where?
Mom: Right there look ~ it's tale is up and it has a spout.
Daughter: That's a teapot.
Mom: A teapot with an eye then.
Daughter: No, it has a flower painted on it. That's the flower part.
Daughter: Oh look! I see a barking dog!
Mom: Where?
Daughter: There!
Mom: Oh that's a good one!
Daughter: Aw mom look ~ he's changing. disappointed I think he's a lizard now.
Mom: Well the wind must be swirling. Look his tail is moving.
Daughter: I wish it would stay a dog.
Mom: Change is a part of life. Everything changes.
Daughter: I hate that! I am going to make it stay a dog.
Mom: You can't ~ look it's changing even now.
Daughter: In my mind I can.
Mom: Well, it might change into something wonderful and look! there your missing it... Oh, it's a knight in armour with a sword.
Daughter: No ~ he's still changing into a lizard.
Mom: Change can be wonderful.
Daughter: But it never is.

I admit it... I am one who has a hard time with change.

Life is ever changing. You can't get away from it. There will always be inevitable obstacles and inequities of life.

I have witnessed people who being resilient comes naturally and they are able to adapt to different environment's without any problem. I wish I had more of these qualities. It is something I am working on. It is a constant struggle, although there is progress.

Change promotes growth. Moving forward.

I have come to realize, I have to change the way I think about it. I don't want to miss it. How much have I missed?!

Change can be wonderful!

:)

Reality Drama Show ~ Ha!

This picture is on our cafeteria bulletin board.

Scene one:

Our cafeteria serves two schools; an elementary (4th and 5th graders) and a Jr. High (6th through 8th grade). Periodically, both schools will use the cafeteria for testing, parties, assemblies, etc. Once in a while, both schools will want the cafeteria at the same time. How we handle this is on a "first come, first serve basis" to whomever reserves that particular time with us. Although once in a while the wires get crossed because someone (who oversees both schools), who doesn't check with everyone (without naming names to protect their identity and my job security). Tension arises between the teachers, and attitude you would never think they could possess, comes out; throwing assumptions of which activity is more important than the other and what they feel resides over the other. Let's just say... I am standing there shocked, trying to work it out between the teachers suggesting how it could be handled as far as scheduling recess, and break time. If mediation fails, I have to walk away and let them figure it out.

Scene 2:

During brunch break we serve only the 6th through 8th graders. On occasion we will have a fight break out. We have no supervision in the cafeteria itself; only out on the playgrounds. There are only three of us ladies in the kitchen part of the cafeteria serving the food. When calling the office, you have to press 9 then the office number. It is a process. Recently, we had one of those fights occur. It starts out with seeing the kids gather, then tighter and tighter with above normal talking that escalates into yelling, "Fight! Fight!" As we look out into the cafeteria, the kids are standing on the tables as they are trying to see the fight. Two of the ladies run out trying to get to the kids fighting and the third will call for help.

Scene 3:

Last week, as I was wrapping hamburgers for Ala cart, the secretary at the elementary school could be heard saying over the intercom, "Children, there are gophers out on the playground, Please leave them alone. Stay very far away from them!" Two minutes later, "Children, STEP AWAY FROM THE GOPHERS! LEAVE THEM ALONE. DO NOT TRY TO PLAY WITH THEM!"

Ohhh.... how I will miss the drama.

Five more days of school left!

:)