Spring? Are we there yet?

The calendar says we are in Spring heading towards Summer, but it is only just apparent now that it may be true. This week we have had snow, yes snow and of course rain. May 2 it was snowing, and windy, and freezing cold. Today when I took Harry out it was around 45 degrees and that's a good sign. Mind you I am not afraid of winter, I have actually liked the 2 winters I have spent in Wisconsin, but the calendar says it is over, and it says it has been over for over a month now, so I do think it is time for it to GO! Please don't come back until November or December.

I am trying hard to get ready to plant my kitchen garden. I purchased a composter and put it in service yesterday after I got home from school. It's one I can just turn, so no need to get in their with a pitch fork and turn it manually which is nice. the next thing I need to do is figure out what to plant, and plow up the land. I figure we will have corn, beans, tomatoes (several varieties), bell peppers, lettuce, squash, pumpkin, spinich, onion, potato, garlic, carrots, turnips and some herbs. I am going to can as well. I am hoping my apple tree produces this year, last year we only had 3 apples. my little plum tree usually produces quite a lot, so will figure something out for them as well. I want to get some raspberry and blueberry bushes and some strawberry plants to kind of round things out.

Matt and I are meeting at Sam's Club this morning to go stock up on dry goods and frozen stuff. There is a lot to do before school lets out, and I have to get much of it done this week end, I want to be able to walk out of school on June 2 and not have to return again except perhaps as a guest, to sell my books. I will miss my friends that I have made. It will be sad not to see or talk to them on a daily basis, but I will not miss the politics of this work place, that is for sure. I am looking forward to getting started in photo restoration, and photography. Freelancing my time in geneaology look ups and helping others in their quest to find out about their roots, will be fun and different. Also, getting to know the people of this town will be such a blessing. I have been here two years, but I really don't know anyone by name, and they don't know me by name either, that is going to change. Here we go, a great week end I hope of getting things accomplished.

Spring Is In the Air, Rain Is On the Ground

 St. Joseph Orthodox Church, Wheaton, IL

Spring is here, I think. The snow is gone and it is raining, a good sign that it truly has arrived. It did take forever though, but by golly it has arrived. All of Wisconsin's seasons have something wonderful to offer for the senses, even winter. It's a good thing because, I am not sure if I would stick around during the winter if it didn't. I drove into Eau Claire today to go to the Dentist, and I have to admitt I missed the snow off in the pastures and rolling hills. Three weeks ago they were white and pristine, today brown and trying hard to green up a bit. They will, and when I make the drive into Eau Claire I will once again be amazed at the beauty. A week and a half ago, Nikolaus and I made a trip to Wheaton, IL to meet up with our priest from Hesperia, CA,  Fr. Paul Schellbach and his wife Patty. It was a cold and dreary start, I left Stanley snowing, and we had pretty nice weather in Wheaton.

Palm Sunday is the day when I can see spring in action. We went to St. Joseph Orthodox Church, a new, but small church on a residential street across from Wheaton College. The church was packed, people holding both palms and pussy willows, a Russian custom, the smell of incense wafting through the space. Afterwards, a spaghetti dinner in support of the church basketball team. It was all good. Driving back to Stanley after the luncheon took me back to memories of visiting my great grandparents in Rockford, IL, traveling through N. Illinois to my my father's hometown of Stockton, family friends in Princeton, Illinois, memories surging, unstoppable lovely memories.    

Is There No End To Winter?

There are less than 30 days until spring is officially here, and to be honest it looks like it will be much much longer. I have been told that this is a particularly long winter, I'll second that! Snow fell all day long yesterday and that kept me inside watching old movies like the Maltese Falcon, and grading long ignored papers. Getting ready for the Spring parent conferences is a sign that it is nearly here and that the school year will be over soon.

My job has been non-renewed, looking forward into our new Governor Walker's agenda, there were 20 teachers from our district who were not re-newed. Non-renewed is different than a layoff, they now do not have to call anyone back, nor use senority to hire anyone back. My district has once again made a decision to go backwards, to the detriment of the children I believe. This sadly is typical, My dilema, look for a job where age and experience are not valued, or go back to school for something different? Life is too short to play endless games, jumping through hundreds of fiery hoops, only for it all to end with disappointment. I am tired of the disappointment, but how does one live a life without it? It is what it is. I hear that saying more frequently now, but I guess it is true. The flakes are falling again, will it never end?

RECALL WALKER/IMPEACH WALKER

SNOW DAYS

Today is a snow day, the day when school districts call the day off due to snow, rain, etc.  It has been awhile since I have written, in fact I think there are a couple of posts in the editing box which haven't been edited or looked at in months. I'm stuck, life has been happening and I have been stuck in the middle of it. This has been a long winter. The snow was almost melted and then bang, 2 feet overnight, and it is still snowing hard 24 hours after it began. I love it though, even though I don't like the driving in it part. The roads are generally cleared though, except when it is snowing faster than the plows can plow. So here I sit, glad for the extra minutes to sleep, but I am bored, bored bored. It's not that I haven't things that need to get done, but I am not feeling like doing them so much. Nik is at his daycare, and Harry is on his chair, hanging over the sides. You see, he can't fit when he's on his back. Feet in the air in an almost cartoonish manner, head hanging down off the seat. I have always wanted to get a photo of him doing this but he's too fast and smart for me. Please stop the snowing, enough already!

The first major snow storm in December, I painted the kitchen a warmer

color palette. I am still working on the trim, one of those things I could be doing today.