The end of November

"Time is a fickle mistress." A quick internet search did not conclusively identify where that quote is from, but it felt right for tonight.  Every day we have the same amount of time.   Some days they seem to fly by,  others they drag along like they will last forever.   As today draws to a close I feel it was one that took forever to pass,  even though I still didn't accomplish everything I would have liked to.   My happy for today is getting to talk with my friend that helped me get this job.   I think things are still going well.   I'm fairly certain my 90 day probationary period is almost over so if they don't like me they need to decide soon.  I know there is room for improvement and that much of that will only come with time, practice and learning. 

Gideon lost his first tooth today.  I haven't seen him yet because of working. 

It is raining outside.  I will be falling asleep to the pitter, pitter, pattering of rain and the occasional swoosh as cars go by.  On my drive home from work there was ice on a swamp.  It seems strange that now that the sun has set it is raining. 

⛆⛆Falling Rain⛆⛆

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Wednesday, November 29th

Today I somehow managed to overbook myself.  I forgot to do one of my retail jobs yesterday (haven't done that in YEARS) and I had a chiropractor appointment and then had to finish up one other job today- all after finishing my day as a para.  This day is still shorter than the hours I worked when the retail job was my full-time job.  When everything was finished it was just after 9 PM.  I left the store and saw my car way back in the parking lot, with hardly anyone around, I ran to the car.  It felt so good.  My occasional running stalled out when sleep became more important.  Just that little bit to my car and then the shopping cart return and back to my car was invigorating.  Running is today's happy.

Some days as I drive to work, looking at the sun coming up the colors are so pretty but I have no names for them.  With the leaves off the trees, one day it looked like they were on fire but it was the bright orange of the sun cutting through the branches.  Today the sky started as a sort of burnt orange.  The clouds were a purple shade and the sun started to color just the edges of them orange, so pretty. 

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Tuesday the 28th of November

As the year gets closer to the end I am considering next years blog.  Too soon?  Perhaps, but I feel that this year the theme was mostly a fail.  I began the year planning to hike the Appalachian Trail spring onward of 2017 and an injury stalled me in my tracks and sent me into a mild depression rather than propelling me forward.  There has been a momentous amount of change in my life so far this year and it isn't quite over.  I plan to continue blogging.  There will be something to be happy or grateful for everyday that I blog.  I'm thinking perhaps the title for the year should be something more like My 2018 Musings...

Something that I realized since I made blogging a habit-I like writing.

My thankful/happy things for today:

• that my job as a para-educator puts me in a position that I am able to assist in teaching students.
• being able to describe the chemistry of photosynthesis with 7th graders.
• when given the opportunity today I think I was able to describe the net neutrality thing to a couple 6-8 graders.  
• being able to assert my belief to students that they are NOT stupid.  That every person does stupid things once in a while.  That does not make the person stupid, we all make mistakes.

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November 27th-Howl's moving Castle

 Tonight my daughter and a cousin went to see Howl's Moving Castle in the theater.  I only remember seeing it one other time, at home, dubbed, and I think I feel asleep.  Not sure.  Any how, this time I stayed awake and we watched the movie with subtitles.  I remembered pieces of the plot.  My daughter remembered lots, but she has it on DVD.  One of the things she remarked on is how she loved the way Christian Bale voiced the character, Howl.  One of the reasons I like watching the subtitled movies is to hear the inflections that the original actors made.  With some of the dubbed movies I hear the actor and not necessarily the character the actor is trying to portray.  Or I hear a different character the actor has played previously. 

What I didn't remember about seeing this movie before, and what I may have missed the first time around were all the colors.  For some reason my memory only brought up the images where the scenes were a dismal black and white because of rain.  Perhaps it was because I was more awake or perhaps because of watching the big screen is why, but the colors were more vibrant and helped to bring the whole movie more alive.  The movie was very enjoyable at the theater and is my happy for today.

Sunrise

Gideon got this cool solar system.

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The 26th of November

The long weekend has come to an end.  Interesting that I still consider it a long weekend even though I worked at my retail job all day Friday and a short time Saturday.  Today was also my last day house/cat sitting.  Just in time as I feel like the allergy medicine was starting to have a hard time keeping up!  It will be nice to sleep in my own bed again tonight.  Not sure why, but last night I didn't sleep as well and tonight I am exhausted again.  Not a good way to start the week.

This afternoon I made it to the storage unit and pulled out some stuff to go through.  I didn't get very far sorting though.  I'll need to find a better position to sit in next time, my back is very achy.  I also took about an hour and went back to the trail Gideon and I did yesterday.  It was almost dark so I still didn't get the entire area done at once but I got most of what we missed yesterday.  This trail joins up on one side with Winant Park (we have done sections of that too) and on the other side to a conservation area and forest that I haven't been to yet. 

The first part of my hike today I felt so invigorated, definitely my happy for today.  As my hour of sunlight kept getting closer to over I overexerted myself a little.  It was a reminder that I have been walking too much on flat ground.  Finding these spots with a little bit of height is what I needed.  Making the time to get to them-during daylight- will be the challenge.  😎

Random pictures from the trail. 

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The 25th of November--Saturday in pictures

It was a babysitting day for me so we went for a hike.  It was a beautiful day for it!

Our first stop overlooking Penacook Lake.

Penacook Lake. 

Penacook Lake zoomed. 

Gideon going up following the blue blazes. 

I thought this rook formation looked interesting. 

Me, reflected in the sign showing the mountains in the distance. 

The distant mountains-Crotched, Monadnock (too many clouds),  Wallingford and Craney Hill.

Craney Hill is where Pat's Peak is, I could see a ski trail with my binoculars.

Still smiling!

 The story of the Gilfillan Rock.

Gideon read the entire sign with just a little help from me.

Including the obituary.

Gideon and the Gilfillan Rock. 

The name Gilfillan carved into the rock. 

All done! 

The entire trip was less than 2 miles.  We took our time and rested at the benches and only did about 2/3 of the trails there.  I have no idea how long we were actually out for.  Hiking is my happy for today. 

Black Friday

Yesterday I considered getting up really early this morning and going to work at my retail job.  Since the hours are flexible and based on completion I can do the jobs anytime the store is open.  I have a total of 5 stores to go to today and tomorrow and I was thinking that I could get them all done today and have tomorrow off.  At 9:40 AM the "getting up really early" part is already out of the question.  I am currently feeling invigorated though and preparing myself mentally to go out into the wilds of Black Friday to work.  I am starting off with a big glass of orange juice and I am going to follow that with an egg and toast breakfast-I think I may need to protein.  Sometimes I think back to the phone interview for this job, 11 years ago, when they asked me if I was a shopper or not.  I was honestly confused by the question and answered that I was the person to do the shopping for the family.  In a past life (like my 20's and 30's) I was maybe a 'shopper' but in my 40's and now 50's I am much more of a go and get what I need sort.  I look forward to not having this job anymore when I can just go to a store, pick up what I want, and leave.

Wish I had seen this yesterday: Don't Get Mad, Take Notes.  Thankfully, I really didn't need it though. 

Work went well.  Only the first store I was in was really busy.  Most likely because of the time and most folks were back home sleeping by noon!  😴  I got 4 of the 5 I needed to do completed.  The only one not done is the one that is farthest away.  Had I not done a little bit of shopping while I was out there, I probably could have gotten the last one done as well and still been back for the cats at a reasonable time. 

This morning I watched some YouTube videos.  This one, How I afford My Lifestyle, is about a former thru hiker and briefly hits on how they afford to hike.  They basically became hobos.  I'm not willing to go quite that far, but I keep hoping to downsize more.  There are certain hobbies that I choose to continue that mean I will need more than a 5' X 8' trailer to live in.  I also really like my shower... 

One of my favorite games is called Settler's of Catan.  Today at Walmart I found Catan Junior.  Gideon will be getting it for Christmas.  I am looking forward to playing it with him.  Yesterday we played a card game called Agony.  The quick online search to find anything about the game that we call Agony didn't find anything.  Games are my happy for today.


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Happy Thanksgiving!!

Sometimes holidays are a wonderful thing.  Sometimes they are not.  Today had the potential to be horrible, but it turned out okay.  Yes, I am being vague.  It's my Blog and I try to preserve some bit of privacy. 


While visiting my daughter's in-laws my daughter sent me a link to a personality test.  The results tell me that I am a mediator (INFP-T).  Most of what I read did not really come as a surprise to me.  Some highlights include: I am possibly on a more correct career path for myself then I have been, no wonder I am not in a relationship right now, and why I like self-help books.  My daughter and I had the same results but our percentages were off a little.  I really thought she would have turned out more like her father.  😛

Thanksgiving is my happy for today.  A couple of things I am thankful for:

Gideon, my grandson.
My children.
Friends and Family
Ben & Jerry's Salted Caramel Core ice cream.
Heated homes.
My car.
Literacy.
Sleep.

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Wednesday the 22nd

It was really nice to be able to just hang around this morning for a while and not have to head out to work.  Eventually I did head to the jobs that I could do today.  Friday and Saturday I have work to do as well but I will hopefully get them done Friday.  After work I went home to my daughter's house and made my pie for Thanksgiving tomorrow.  I tried a new recipe for the pie crust that has vodka in it.  It also suggested butter instead of shortening that I usually would use.  It tasted good as dough.  😋     I am looking forward to trying some tomorrow.    It was fun working with my daughter to get the pie made.  We got to use the food processor to make the dough.  I had a difficult time just wrapping my head around the very idea of using the food processor for this.  I like to think that I am fairly flexible, but making pies for as long as I have one way, this was oddly hard.                                                                                                         
Talked with my son on the phone tonight.  He got a job in Texas where he has been staying with his dad.  He is working where he has been volunteering, at a non profit historic farm, like Plimoth Plantation for the pioneers of the south.  He is doing general repair and maintenance things there and learning about a farm too.  This may mean that he will be living there for a while.  He is rather nomadic, so anything could happen.  Getting to talk with him tonight is my happy for the day.

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Tuesday the 21st of November

This morning I woke up to find that the cat litter box wasn't working.  They have one of the automatic rake the poop out of the way things.  It took me far too long to figure out that the GFCI needed to be reset.  I have no idea why, but once that was done I was able to get the box to clean itself again-at least manually.  It wasn't until I got back from work and meeting a friend that I was sure that it was good.  

The students today were ready for break.  They were either tired or anxiously anticipating not going to school.  I would be looking forward to the vacation more if I hadn't taken on more work for my other job.  I hope to get a bunch of sleep too.

Coming back to the house and having the litter box working and not a house smelling bad because the cats decided not to use it (no idea if that would have happened in one day) is my happy.  Okay, and there is also the white chocolate cranberry fudge I got the other day at the Plimoth Plantation.

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The 20th of November-Posted a day late... I guess I fell asleep...

The cats that I am watching are getting used to me.  Although I may be sending mixed signals to Cloe.  When I come in Heather is by the door and allows me to say hello and pet her.  Cloe stays back a bit but is the first to cry pitifully for to be fed.  They get a little bit of canned food every night and a some dry to be peckish with until the next feeding in the morning.  It is important that I make sure that Heather gets some of the canned food.  I have taken to guarding her bowl once Cloe is finished so that Heather gets at least some of the canned.  So I shoo Cloe away and then pet her a moment and then shoo her away and pet her.  Cloe doesn't stick around much for being pet, she just wants the food.

Today is my Mom's birthday.  She would have been 80.  She has been gone for 15 years.  I am 53 years old and still miss my parents.  Treasure your family.

My Grandmother in blue on the left, 

Me holding my daughter, 

and my Mom in red on the right.

Other things from today... I am getting paid an extra hour a week for staying late at school for the Game Club.  I went to the second job, only planning on getting about half done, and finished it.  I am enjoying the cats and that the allergy medicine works for me.  These things are my happy things for today.

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November 19th

My daughter, son-in-law and Gideon picked me up this morning so we could make the drive to Plimoth Plantation.  She was given some free passes from a friend and they expired the end of the month so we had to use them.  We had a really great time.  Plimoth Plantation is a 17th century village with actors playing the rolls of people who lived there during that time.  There is also a section with Wampanoag or other Native American people.  The Wampanoag section is set up more like a working museum, I guess it could be called.  The staff there wear traditional clothing but are there to teach visitors and answer questions from a modern day point of view.  The actors in the plantation section are in character as a person from that time period, I believe around 1624.  So the village had been established, more people had arrived from England and some had moved on to other places or back to England.

There were 2 Wampanoag buildings we could enter.  I only went into one of them.  I think they said that the inner part of the walls was made with cedar bark and the outer with birch bark.  I know the inner was cedar to protect from insects.  It was about the size for 3 families to live in during the winter.  There would be 3 fires and each family would care for and supply their own.  The building that I didn't enter was much smaller and they were cooking in that one.  Visitors aren't allowed to sample the food, it was for the staff.  A class was taught however about the cooking.  

The first building that we came to in the Pilgrim part was the Meeting House/Fort.  This 2 story building served as a place to gather for protection, worship, voting, town meetings and such.  We got to this building just as it was starting to rain.  It made for a beautiful view.  The Plantation has changed some since we were there last.  It used to be that only actors were in the village, now they have someone from staff who can answer questions from a modern view point as well.  There is also a house that is dedicated to being a children's activity area.  There are a few items, including stilts and table settings that children can play with.  We also saw chickens, sheep and goats.  The actors were well done.  One of them we stayed and listen too for a while.  I wish I could remember his name, I want to say Bercher.  My pamphlet was left in the car apparently so my resources are limited.  The internet isn't helping with that either.  Gideon seemed to enjoy listening to all the stories.  He was respectful of the people wanting to stay in period.   I purchased 2 things at the gift shop at Plimoth Plantation-some white chocolate cranberry fudge and a necklace with a magnifier.  I am hopeful that the magnifier is strong enough to start a fire with.  If so, it will come with me hiking.  

On the way home we stopped off at IKEA for a few things. It was along the way. I picked up some lights for my bedroom but won't be back to the house until after Thanksgiving to really use them.  Visiting the Plimoth Plantation is my happy for today.  

 Bye!

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