Looking for the Positives...

I have been stewing and not in the kitchen...  It happened 2 weeks ago. You see I have been 'relieved' of my student teacher supervision this semester.  Perhaps the way I found out made it more difficult to get to where I am today the week of what would have been mandatory attendance at orientation.

We had been forewarned that 'full time' university faculty would be assuming more and more student teachers. Mentally perhaps I could have been prepared for the ax had I not been told that this summer that I would still have students in the fall. I received emails requiring my attendance at orientation this week, altered plans and by my own inquiry found out that I had 'no' students.

Now the tweaked curriculum of weekly topic assignments and handouts will sit unused. Maybe just for now, maybe I will be needed again, maybe not. Anyhow I am in the same boat as many of our community/country who have awoken one day and found themselves without a job involuntarily. OUCH.

What does one do? Look for the positives. Mentally I made a list to make myself feel better...

* will not be putting on hundreds of miles on the car
* lower stress level of traveling in bad weather
* no Friday afternoon meetings
* no paper reading
* less emotional drainage ( some students are needier than others)
* weekly planning is wide open
* no work responsibilities that limit travel
* time to concentrate on hobbies/ undone chores
* reflect on the good that I have done

It's important for everyone to wake up and have something to do. I don't think I will have a problem finding purpose.



Next month at this time thanks to my parents's most generous gift Natureman and I will be aboard Holland America's Westerdam with 900 Master Gardeners enjoying their International Conference aboard ship in between stops in Alaska. I think that's a terrific way to forget about being unemployed...

Meanwhile there's plenty to do in the garden and house right here in the End of the Rainbow Valley.