Puppy's 1st birthday

My Taffy girl is a year old today :) She's come a long way lately in the training dept, listening so much better. I bought a gentle leader halter and boy does that thing work! I'm ever so impressed YAY no more pulling while we walk!!!

Jake is 8

My fiesty red head turns 8 today :) Can it really be that long since I gave birth at 7:50pm to a squalling bright red wiry tiny 6 lb 5 oz baby who I took one look at and thought "I can't believe that's MY baby" LOL He was cute in his own way but looked so very different from Cassie and Max.

Home from the hospital one day old and wants back in that nice warm cozy place he misses!

Now he's a big kid in 2nd grade with a smile that could melt butter and a twinkle in his eye. He loves jokes and gives great bear hugs :)
Today with the most expensive stuffed animal ever, but worth every cent! He asked me for a Yoshi stuffed animal, and I HAD to get it! :)

MIA

I've been out of my mind for the past month and a half- sick kids, then I got sick, got diagnosed with Asthma, and dealing with my boys school situations and pretty much feeling like crawling into bed and not getting out.

I am pretty much terrified that they won't gain enough skills or ability to cope with life that they won't be able to grow up and leave home. They are getting older, and bigger, and unless we get some help soon I am afraid I won't be able to cope much longer. My heart is pretty much breaking into a million pieces. I probably won't be looking into my future career for awhile, my curent job as caregiver/mom is the only one I am allowed right now :(

Wednesday Sept 14, 2005

How on earth am I going to find time to work on my career research!

My schedule is insane. I have different drop offs and pick ups every day. I do have a little break, M/W/F when Nick is at daycare but Max's gold days are ruining the break this week.
On gold days I have to pick him up an hour early and it's in the middle of my break.

Mondays I have:
Drop off Jake 8:30 , Max 8:45 , Cassie 9
Pick up Cassie 10:30
Drop off Cassie 12 at Art
Drop of Nick at Daycare 12
(If it's a gold day pick up Max at 2)
Pick up Jake 2:45
Pick up Cassie at art 3:00
Pick up Max on blue days 3:00
Pick up Nick at daycare 4:00 at Y
Jake swimming at Y 4:00-4:30
Cassie and Max swimming at Y at 4:30-5
Go home- 5:30

That's just the drop off/pick up schedule. I also have laundry, grocery shopping ,making dinner and all the sundry household management tasks to accomplish. I feel really overwhelmed right now.

To counter the stress I've been going to bed really early for me, and shopping way too much. Got to cut up the cards if I'm not careful! Don't want to develop a shopping addiction EEK!

Anyhow I still feel stuck in my top 3. I just don't feel super passionate towards any particular career. And I need that passion. SO what to do?

Wednesday Sept 7, 2005

Second day of school for the boys, first full day. I spent the morning tidying up the boys room and the kitchen, doing laundry etc. Nick went to daycare and I got my packages mailed off. Then we had swim lessons. I hardly had a minute to think!

I am preoccupied with my house, and the kids schedules. I'm sure once they have been in class for awhile I will be able to focus more on my goals. I really need to get researching and planning. I am thinking I want to change my #3 to Librarian, but I need to look into my options first. So I'm adding it back as a #4.

Narrowing down my choices

1. Teacher
2. Landscape Architect
3. Technical writer

4. Online store owner- do as a side business. Specialize in crafts and supplies?
5. Fiction writer- can do in addition to above profession.

Care Bears

Nick loved his first day of daycare so much. He begged me all of yesterday to go back to "care bears" LOL I thought that was so cute :) He goes today at 12 and I have 2 meetings with Jake and Max's teachers. Then it's off to the fruit stand to buy peaches and pears to can.

Wednesday Aug 31,2005

The devestation of hurricane Katrina is painful to watch. How terrible for the small children and the elderly trapped in the city of New Orleans. I feel just miserable for them. I wish they had heeded the warnings and gotten out of the city. Not that some of them had anywhere to go or any $ to get there. I don't understand why they didn't mobilize school buses in the city to bus the people who couldn't get out before the storm struck. It is all so sad.

Friday Aug 26th 2005

First day of our garage sale and I am exhausted, but we sold almost all the big stuff. Tomorrow I am hoping to get rid of most of the rest. Then post it on freecycle before taking it to goodwill. I am very happy we are lightening the clutter load!

And my ankle is happy too, no more rocking chair to knock it on in the middle of the night LOL!

I haven't had any time this week to get online, and when I do it has mostly been catching up on email. I have been spending more time researching biomedical approaches to helping people on the spectrum as well, and learning a lot. Enzymes, probiotics, oral chelation, spectrum formulated vitamins custom designed for asd's and viral therapies. So many expensive treatments that must be done soon or perhaps it will be too late. If mercury poisoning is the cause or the trigger my babies need it out! I am very concerned about so many things it's hard to focus on my own needs right now. However starting monday I will have 12 hrs a week that are all mine to do that. I will make an apt with ME to take care of ME and figure out how I'm going to do what I'd enjoy and still make enough to support myself and the kids if I need to. Also how I can give back to the community.

I spoke to the teacher next door, and she told me SOU's ed program is excellent and easy and she had no problem getting a job as a H.S. English teacher. I think I would enjoy that!

Sunday Aug 21, 2005

Feeling very blue today. Battling my depression and losing.

Friday Aug 19, 2005

I was able to get a spot for Nick at the Y daycare so he can play with other kids his own age M/W/F from 12-4. He wants to play with other kids so much I just know he'll love it. It fits perfectly into my schedule too and my older kids have swimming M/W so we will pick up Nick and go downstairs to swim. On F we will swim just for fun. I am going to be living out of my car LOL. But in a way I am really looking forward to being on a school routine again. Plus I will have 12 hrs a week all to myself YAY! I am going to use the time to excersize, make apts to get massage or my dentist apt., haircut or whatever I have been putting off. This is going to be great for the whole family. :)

Aug 16, 2005

DH had his surgery yesterday to repair his hernia and all went well. He was a real trooper and is being very reasonable as a patient. I know he was in considerable pain before the pain meds kicked in, but now he is resting comfortably at home. The put him under using general anesthesia. I am so glad it is over! He will be out of work all week and working from home all of next week.
I am also happy to report that we have found a babysitter! The sixteen year old daughter of our neighbor watched the kids while we were at the hospital and they liked her. So now we can go out once in awhile :)
Other than that the only news is that my stepmom and stepdad's mothers both passed away last weekend. :(
I am going to spend most of this week taking care of hubby, registering the kids for school and getting stuff ready for the garage sale we are having Aug 26/27. Busy busy!

AUg 10,2005

Back from my trip and finally settling into our home routine. We left July 13th, and drove over 3000 miles on our trip! Down to CA, over to ID and up to WA, then back home to S. OR.

The kids and the dog were awesome. But it was a really long trip and I am exhausted. To make matters more difficult my husband will be undergoing hernia surgery on Monday and the rest of my summer will be babying him through his recovery while I try to whip our house into some kind of order. No me time or computer probably. Oh well at least he finally is dealing with this problem and hopefully it will lead to him taking better care of himself.

I am also pretty sure I will be starting the GFCF diet with the kids, have to read more and see what I can handle. Small changes one thing at a time I guess as we use up stuff. I can't afford to throw out food just because it's not on the diet. And the whole family will have to do it. I won't be able to say no to the kids if I'm not doing it. I will miss cheese the most I think!

July 7, 2005

The furniture will not be coming this week :( Instead it has a delivery estimate of the 17th GRRR. I am never buying furniture from this place again. They have horrible management practices and communication skills. Not once have they ever called me to say we're sorry your shipment has been delayed. I've had to call them every time to find out why my furniture hasn't been delivered!

Yesterday I met a mom at the park and we really hit it off. Too bad she's moving to Bend! But her family is here so I think we will try to get the boys together for playdates when she is in town. We spent 2 hours talking and it was so nice to have a conversation with someone who you could see yourself becoming good friends with. She has 2 boys ages 2 and 3 months. Very cute little boys.

This weekend I am going to focus on getting thresholds for the carpet edges where it meets the wood so my puppy won't chew up any more of it. She got ahold of the edge of one and unraveled it about 2 inches Horrors! So I have to protect the rest of it.

Next friday we are heading out for 3 weeks on our trip to visit family so the next week I'll be getting the house ready to leave. Lots to do and pack!

July 2, 2005

Wonderful summer day. Hot but breezy and not so hot we couldn't go out. I went out to lunch with my stepmom without all the kids and we went for a nice walk afterwards. She's heading to the midwest to help her sister who is being released from the hospital. So we probably won't see each other until I get back from my trip.

I am hoping we get to go to the 4th of July parade on Monday. We can park at my dad's and walk down to the plaza. Then we will probably do a BBQ/picnic lunch and watch the fireworks.

My little guy seems to finally have gotten the hang of potty training - 3 days in a row diaper free YAY! The end of an era, I've been changing someone's diaper 13 yrs straight YIKES LOL.

Second Telecoaching Call

Today my coach and I discussed my final 10 choices. Pretty much today was a pat on the back for all the work I have done. I think she is pretty impressed with my progress. I have plenty of time now to research those choices in depth. We touched on the importance of my Specialist nature and how no matter what I pick I will have to find a niche where I can be an expert. I am confident I will be able to make a good choice after I test out the waters and see what feels right.

Off to bed now, it's getting late and I'm yawning!

June 29, 2005

Porches getting painted/stained , furniture will be here soon and I am feeling pretty good about the house.

It has been really hot and dry the last few days, typical summer weather here. I will always love the way it cools off in the evening though. In IA it would be hot and muggy all the time in the summer!

Tomorrow I have my second telecoaching call, hope I can get some clarity on narrowing the possibilities down to half. I might just have to do some more research before that is possible though.

Top 10 Career List

1. Landscape Architect
2. Teacher
3. Librarian
4. Writer- Technical or Fiction
5. Interior Designer
6. Professional Organizer
7. Historian
8. Museum Curator
9. Online Business Owner
10. Paralegal

June 25, 2005

Today I chopped down the wild rose bush growing through my deck. We are getting it repainted and it was taking up half the deck! Now we will be able to put a little table and two chairs there and enjoy our morning cup of coffee sitting out on the deck looking at our gorgeous mountain view. One of the main plusses this house offered was the view. :) Took me 2 hours to cut it down and I still have to move most of it into the rubbish pile to go to the landacaping bin to be recycled. I am really tired now, all that lopping with my hands over my head and now my arms ache. Got my excersize in for the day!

I am taking a break from the career search this weekend to focus on getting my housework caught up and being kind to myself. The last few weeks I have been overwrought and I need to take things a little slower. I hadn't realized how overstressed I'd gotten until my dad and I talked this week and I couldn't help but break down about how unhappy I am about so much of the way my life is going. It's just going to take time to process it all. It's like all the upheaval of the last few years is finally rising to the surface and it's all I can do to try to ride the wave and not WIPE OUT!

Narrowing down time!

Wow I have done a lot of work on this course in the last few weeks and I'm finally getting to a point where I have to narrow it down some. Of course now I have to figure out what to cut :( I like just about all the jobs on my list. I have my homework cut out for me! I have forms to fill out and numbers to assign and hopefully they add up to 3 top careers to consider and research further!

Recurring themes that seem to come up in almost every assignment in one form or another:
Teacher
Writer/Editor
Artist
Social Scientist - Historian, Psychologist, etc.
Interior Designer /Landscape Arch.
Online Business Owner

June 23, 2005

Got my haircut today, had it layered and it's shoulder length now. Much lighter and cooler in the HOT summer weather :) It's a bit chunkier of layers than I like, but still a much bigger improvement for me. I look 5 yrs younger :)

Poor Jake got terrified by a mosquito hawk in the bathroom. He was screaming like a banshee and flipped out for at least 5 min afterwards despite my reassurance they don't bit people. Sigh, this is the part of AS I dread, since he will likely have issues with closing the bathroom door for months now :(

My stepmom and younger siblings took the kids to decorate pottery today while I got my haircut. It aparently went well. Max didn't want to do one, but waited patiently for everyone else which is great.

I ran out of coffee and didn't have any this morning, hate how it makes me feel when I miss my morning cupa Joe!

Career Directions Inventory

I took a test called the CDI today. You can find it at:

http://www.livecareer.com/

It asks you a lot of questions and then figures out what fields you show an interest in based on which ones you favor over others.
Basic Interest scores:
93% Teaching/Social Service
91% Writing
84% Art
66% Industrial Art (construction)

54% Assertive
52% Outdoors
51% Food Service (Hospitality/Tourism) guess that knocks B&B out of the list!
48% Systematic (Museum Curator) interesting since it pops up so much everywhere else!
46% Science- I think all the math based q's skewed my score here. I love science but I suck at higher level math!
34% Administration (finance, gov't.)
31% Health Services- biotech, pharmacutical
31% Personal Service (cosmetology,personal trainer, etc.)
25% Persuasive (lawyer, retail, sales)
19% Clerical - Ah ha there is a reason I hate "office" type secretarial jobs! travel agent, banking, ins
3% Sales LOL Real estate, Retail/wholesale, Advertising/marketing/public relations!

My top 6 areas were:
1. Teaching/Social Service
2. Writing
3. Art/Design/Architechture
4. Industrial Art LOL!
5. Assertive- like Law enforcement
6. Outdoors- like zoo caretaker, agriculture, forestry.

General Occupational themes:
Artistic/Communicative 91%
Investigative/Logical 82%
Realistic/Practical 68 % ( This has gone way up since I took this in college, guess experience has changed me?)
Social/Helping 65%
Serving 39%
Enterprising 15%
Conventional 15%

I was A/I/ Social in college and since the R and Social score are so close I am going to say I'm a Artistic-Investigative/Logical-Social/Helping

Job Clusters:
Library Science 98%
Social Science 91%
Education 89%
Communication Arts 88%
Renewable Resource Technology 87% Maintaining and preserving plants, trees, wildlife(Environmental Science)
Performing Arts 81%
Art 80%
Architechtural Tech, Drafting and Design 80%

Science and Engineering 64%
Agriculture and Animal Science 57%
Social Services 55%
Not going to add any more since there are a lot. Boy I do conflict myself LOL.

Top Job Cluster:
Library Science

Archivist, Museum Technician and Conservator, Library Technician, Curator, Librarian, Library Assistant.

Require College Degree, Masters Degree

2nd Job Cluster:
Social Science

Market Research Analyst, Psychologist, Anthropologist, Geographer, Political Scientist, Industrial- Organizational Psychologist, Sociologist, Archeologist, Historians, Social Scientist Reasearch assistant.

Require College Degree, often Masters Degree

3rd Job Cluster:
Education

Pretty much any type of teacher from early childhood through college is listed. WAY too many to type in LOL

Under that, my Educational specialty groups were listed: (fields of study and vocation)
Education Instructor 98%
Early Childhood Education 98%
Librarian 98%
Naval Sciences 97% ?? LOL
Interior Design 93%
General Arts 92%
Micro precision tech 92%
Broadcasting 90%
Horticulture 89%
Journalism 87%
Music 87%
Commercial Artist 87%
Landscape Architect 87%
Florist 86%
Architectural Technology 86%
Advertising Design 83%
Electrician 82% lol
Speech therapy 80%
Dance 79%
Aerospace Engineer Tech 79%
Special Ed 79%
Advertising 79%
Graphic Art/Tech Ill 78%
Forestry 77%
Court Reporter 76%
Child Care worker 76%
Drafting 75%
Teacher's Aide 75%
Elementary ed 65%

Interesting to see how all the things agree and conflict! Have to think more on it.
Music Ed 65%
I'll stop there as the rest

June 21, 2005

First offical day of summer. Making vacation plans :) Driving down to San Fran to see my oldest son's best friend for 2 days, then over to my mom's in the middle of ID, then over to WA to see DH's family and my aunt and then down home again. Taking all 4 kids and the dog! Should be interesting LOL. I plan to buy a tv for the van so they can hook up their gamecube and play and also watch DVD's. I am more worried how Taffy will handle the trip since the kids will be fine as long as they have games and fast food. I will probably be gone for 3 weeks total!

Salary Research

There is so much I have to look up! I compared salaries today on some of the Design and Education Careers.

Salary Research:

Design:
33k Interior Designer I
33k Architect I
36k Landscape Architect I

Educators:
17k for a Teacher's Aide
45K for K - Elementary Teacher
47k H.S. Teacher
39K Adult Ed
40K Ed Grant/Proposal Writer
26 K Day Care Teacher
52k University Professor of a Subject like History or English
44k Librarian

So many more to look up and that's just one factor!

June 20, 2005

Very dissapointing :( My new furniture won't get here until the first week of July. What a bummer to be without a couch for two more weeks!

Also today, my oldest son has a friend from IA who was going to be visiting, and now we aren't sure if it will happen this time. His brother is getting married in CA, but they are flying out instead of driving. We may just buy him a ticket to fly up for 3 days so Max can see him. They are best friends and it just isn't a possibility that we'll miss out. If I have to I'll drive down to San Fran to see them and stay at my grandmother's for a few days. She lives in the area so it would just cost me the price of gas to do it. Long drive, but worth it to help my son stay in touch with his best friend.

I have a best friend like that. We have been best friends since forever, we met when we were babies and we still talk on the phone once a week or more. She lives in NH so we haven't seen each other in 7 years! I really must fly out when I can arrange it to see her. Mayber when my SIL visits next time I'll arrange to do that. I miss her so much! So I know how much my son's friendship means to him. Especially since it's very unusual for a child like mine to be able to maintain such a close and lasting friendship. It's priceless :) I am so happy his friend's mom sees it as really important too.

He has a really good friend here too, one grade ahead of him and a very gifted child. He had some behavioural issues as a younger child, but he's pretty good all around and his mother is an absolute gem. Her husband is a Hollywood producer who works there most of the year and comes home between films. I admit to thinking it's pretty cool that I actually know someone who has helped make movies! An in if I ever decide to be a scriptwriter and want to make some contacts ;)

Anyhow overall despite the setbacks it was a good day. DH picked out a new t.v. for our bedroom, it's a 27 in. LOL Never had such a big t.v. in my bedroom and it's so cool. We wouldn't have gotten such a big one except prices on regular t.v.'s have come down so much since the flat screen ones have gotten so popular. I feel like it's Christmas in June. Now the spending spree has to stop and we have to get back to normal Awww shoot.... darn bills need to be paid!

I just have to sit down and plan out my summer now that I know what will be going on. Looks like most of my traveling will be mid-July to Mid Aug. Unless I want to high tail it up to WA next week.... hmmm..... I'll have to think about it!

#1 on the top ten list

Right now my first occupation definately going on the top ten list is Teacher. I don't know why I didn't see it before, but since I can't pick between subjects, why not get to learn and teach them all? Except higher level math I'm very good at all of them. SOU has a Education Minor, or Early Childhood Education Major I can get then go for my Masters if I decide to go that way. It's a definate possibility.

The only downer is that it is more of a generalist position than a specialist position, but I think I could find a nich somewhere in there where my specialist nature could be happy.

Anyhow that's 1 down, 9 to go :)

June 19, 2005

Just typed a really long post and it got all wonky Blech :(

Oh well. It was all about the career report I just got and the careers listed. I'll make it shorter this time

Natural Abilities:
- Interior Design
- Advertising
-Museum Curator
- Graphic Artist
- Creative Writer
- Public Relations Planner
- Copywriter

Innate Disposition Inquiry:
Writing:
- Technical Writing
- Writing Opinions
- Editing

Working on a 3D canvas:
- Self expressive Art: (Sculptor, neon sign maker, craftsperson, glass blower, wood worker, floral designer, needlework, weaver, textiles, mosaic designer, etcher, lithographer, installation artist, stained glass artist, quilter, ceramic artist, carver, metal arts worker, weaver, balloon artist -LOL had to laugh at that one)

Interests + Skills + Values:

- Educational Psychologist
- Special Education Teachers, Preschool, Kindergarten, and Elementary School
- Sp Ed Teachers, Middle School
- Middle School Teachers except special and vocational ed
- Vocational Education Teachers, Middle School
- Secondary School Teachers, except special ed
- Vocational Education Teachers, Secondary School
- Education Administrators, Preschool and Child Care Center/Program
- Education Administrators, Elementary and Secondary School

Hmmm lots to think about and research!

June 17, 2005

I've been an emotional mess the last 2 days. Depressed and feel like I want to stay in bed. Of course I have no way to do that so I get up and go through the motions. I am SO lonely. I am physically, emotionally and spiritually exhausted. I'm trying to focus on myself and how I can gain skills and a career and find something joyful to fill my days. But at the momment the dark clouds are raining buckets on me and it's all I can do to breath.

June 15, 2005

Today I did just about the least possible. I feel absolutely like I got run over by a truck. Really slept in and just lazed around on the couch feeling miserable. Not sure what I'm fighting but PMS on top of it just stinks!

Myers Briggs

As part of this quest, I took the Myers Briggs. It's a personality test. Basically there are 16 different major types and everyone expresses Introversion/Extroversion, iNtuition/Sensing, Thinking/Feeling and Judging/Percieving in their own % of a whole. You end up with a 4 letter combo that expresses your basic personality default mode. Everyone expresses both sides, but one is stronger that the other. I always test ISFJ, but I am actually an INFJ. That sometimes happens when you score very close to the middle on one letter. Reading the descriptions and talking to someone who is an expert in Myers Briggs can usually clear up any confusion. I really love this test, and feel it explains a lot about me.

http://www.typelogic.com/infj.html

I'm supposed to brainstorm a bit on grouping the careers I have in my list so far:

Business:
Retail Small Business owner
Online Store owner
Event Planner
Real Estate Broker
Interior Designer
Florist
Nursery Owner/Herb Farmer
Landscape Architect
Architect
Professional Organizer
B&B Inn Owner
Real Estate Broker

Creative:
Fiction Writer
Artist
Event Planner
Architect
Professional Organizer
Art Teacher

Scientific:
Architect
Museum Curator
Meteorologist
Climatologist
Geologist

Teaching:
History Teacher
Art Teacher
Professional Organizer
Librarian
Museum Curator

Art/Design:
Artist
Costume Designer
Interior Designer
Landscape Architect
Florist
Event Planner
Architect
Professional Organizer
Museum Curator
Art Teacher

History:
History Teacher
Museum Curator- history of art or artifacts
Geologist- history of the earth
Costume Designer- history of clothing
Climatologist- history of weather

Plants:
Landscape Architect
Florist
Nursery Owner/Herb Farmer

Thriving on words:
Fiction Writer
Librarian

Home:
Landscape Architect
Interior Designer
Architect
Professional Organizer

Very Introverted:
Fiction Writer
Costume Designer
Artist
Herb Farmer
Interior Designer
Librarian
Museum Curator
Geologist
Meteorologist
Climatologist

Could be both Introverted/Extraverted:
Art Teacher
History Teacher
Interior Designer
Landscape Architect
Florist
Nursery Owner
Architect
Professional Organizer
B&B Inn Owner

Extroverted:
Event Planner
Real Estate Broker

Interesting, the only career coming up on Art/Science/History my main areas of interest is Museum Curator... One to look into much more in depth!

Innate Disposition + Top Interest/skill areas

2 highest areas:
Thriving on Words
Having a Good Eye
1. Reading with Great Comprehension
2. Sensing layers of conversation
3. Building consensus
4. Sense of Aesthetics, beauty, balance
5. Creative writing
6. Generating Ideas
7. Organize ideas/data/things/people

Top Interest/Skill Areas

1. Reading for Information
2. Plan/Organize
3.Classify
4. Percieve Intuitively
5. Generate Ideas
6. Synthesize
7. Deal with Feelings

June 14, 2005

Put together the garden shed today. First off it was not that hard, but took longer than the box said. Probably because I'm a woman and had to shove really hard to get the back pieces where they were supposed to and the pieces kept popping off the tracks. But if I'd had another person to hold the sides still it would have been a breeze. I was able to fit all the hand tools, the ladder, the hand truck, weed eater, and the push mower in the shed. Once my DH cuts a shelf to fit I can put the 2 tool boxes and the gas can in there and it will all fit neatly!

We are going to use the old huge storage shed to hold the old gas lawnmower and all the garage sale items so I don't have to trip over them in the house. DH still needs to go through his boxes before we can have the yard sale. I really want to lighten our stuff load. Books are the toughest, we have so many and they are like old friends.

I didn't manage to go buy plants today, but by the weekend I will have the garden in. I pruned more roses today though and I'm overly proud of myself for doing the shed alone LOL.

My Career Values

From www.stewartcoopercoon.com/jobsearch/career-values/

Always Valued
Excersize Competence
Job Tranquility
Knowledge
Recognition
Creative Expression
Creativity- general
Creativity - artistic
Time Freedom
Location
Intellectual Status
Precision Work
Aesthetics
Status
Influence People
Help Others
Make Decisions

Often Valued
Challenging Problems
Change and Variety
Independence
Work Alone
Security
Advancement
Friendships
Stability
Profit, gain
Moral Fulfillment
High Earnings Anticipated

Sometimes valued
Work with others
Excitement
Affiliation
Power and Authority
Competition
Community
Supervision

Seldom Valued
Work under pressure
Fast Pace
Public Contact

Never Valued
Physical Challenge
Adventure

Dream Careers

These are in no particular order, and I will add and subtract to them as I go along:

1. Fiction Writer
2. Retail Small Business owner
3. Online Store owner
4. Artist
5. Costume Designer
6. Interior Designer
7. Landscape Architect
8. Architect
9. Professional Organizer
10. Event Planner
11. Florist
12. Nursery Owner/Herb Farmer
13. Librarian
14. Museum Curator
15. Meteorologist
16. Climatologist
17. Geologist
18. History Teacher
19. Art Teacher
20. B&B Inn Owner
21. Real Estate Broker

I consider all options realistic, but some would be significantlymore difficult given my family situation.The themes I see are:All of these options seem to be specialist careers. My themes are Art/Design, business, science, things with aesthetic qualities, I would work alone a lot but still deal with people.

June 13, 2005

Just tried to add a post and it didn't go. So the short version is, new garden shed to put together, will do tomorrow. Need to buy plants for my raised beds and hope to do tomorrow. Loving my new computer and am excited I get to make photo Cd's now. Waiting on my online coach for another career search report and I'll post some of the career things from earlier now in a seperate post.

June 13, 2005

Today I went and bought a new tool shed. Have to put it together, it swears it takes no tools and only 15 min to set up. We'll see about that....

Taffy is driving me batty. Her newest habit is playing tug with the leash when I take her out to potty. Sigh, I really have a nut on my hands LOL. Oh well she's a puppy and that's what puppies do best! I figure once she's healed all the way from her spay and can run around more she'll calm down some again. We haven't gone on a real long walk since last monday!

Cassie finished 16 pages of math yesterday after I told her she can create a character on Dark Age of Camelot if she finished the book. We got a bit behind so she has some summer catch up to do. But I'm not worried, she aced the work she did finish and I think she's so ready for pre-algebra. Funny how a little bribe can get the teenager to work when nothing else will! ;)

I am loving my new computer :) It's black, and a Dell and so much faster than the old one. Before I know it I'll have all my pics burned to CD :) Yay! I've wanted to do that for forever.

Didn't get anything done on my career homework today. So I'll make a seperate entry of some of the earlier work to get that going. I am waiting on my coach to get back a report to me....

June 12, 2005

Today my DH got my new computer up and running YAY!

My raised beds are ready for planting and tomorrow I will go purchase plants especially luscious homegrown tomatoes yuummm.

My career search is progressing.... I finished week 3, but it's taken me 5 weeks to do it. I still have to sit down and post the info here that I have gathered. It's a lot.

The last few days have been so busy with kids and summer birthday parties. Friday we went to one that was straight out of a movie with a jumper and ponies and balloons that looked like flowers all tied in an arch LOL. The boys had so much fun. I took Nick and Jake. Jake actually rode a pony and just did it without asking me for help. I was so thrilled for him and he just embrased the new experience with open arms and smiled so big :) Nick ran around and acted like a big kid instead of a 3 yr old. He had a blast. Then Sat Max had a b-day party at the park with supersoakers and all 3 boys had a great time. Max acted just like a typical 10 yr old. It was a great party and the last 2 days have done so much for my confidence that they will be o.k. in the long run. One little victory at a time will get us there.

June 9, 2005

Epiphany! Today I worked on my homework. One of the q's was "If you had to pick something right now what would you say is your calling?" I thought about it, and just couldn't narrow it down to just one thing. I wrote :
Writing, History, Science
The feedback I got was that I was thinking too much, filtering my answer in the process. Which is partially true. I thought about it for a bit, chewed over a few things, re-read it again. Then started thinking about all the things I've done where I felt a sense of flow, and what did these 3 things have in common. Then the answer popped into my head!

My calling is RESEARCH! I love to learn new things and pass that information on to those who can learn from it or use it. I want to provide informaton that helps others do their work better and that contributes to the general body of knowledge. I will have to think about this more, but it's a start :)

Today was the last day of school and a half day. I had an IEP meeting at the middle school for my older son, and that went smoothly. I really like his teacher already!

June 8,2005

Puppy is home, and a lot more active than I'd expect considering she just had surgery! She has one of those funny collars on to keep her away from the stitches. She seems so happy to be home :) I missed her so much!

My garden boxes are finished and ready to be filled with dirt. I am really glad that I will get to grow some yummy tomatoes this year. I plan to put in lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, zucchini and yellow squash. And in the other box herbs :)

June 7, 2005

Summer is fast approaching, my garden is blooming, and Thursday is the last day of school. I had company here the last week, and now it's time to refocus on my search. I have been doing a career change program called the Oxford program and it's wonderful. Worth every penny so far.
I have learned quite a bit about myself. A lot of which is that I do know myself pretty well, but it is always nice to get unbiased outside feedback. It turns out the very things I score well on are the areas I thought I had some ability in. So far so good LOL.

http://www.theoxfordprogram.com/index.asp

I will have to update my journal with the first few weeks of findings, but first I have homework for this week to do :)

In other news, Miss Taffy my 6 month old beagle pup is at the vet getting spayed today. She knows the vet's is a place she's afraid of, so I felt appropriately guilty when she looked at me with her brown puppy eyes when I left with that look that said take me with you! I felt just awful leaving her there, but it had to be done. In addition they will fix her umbillical hernia and hopefully that will be the last surgery we'll deal with for a long while. She's such a sweet pup.

June 2, 2005

Who is the joyful dreamer? She's the part of me that hopes that dreams can come true and I can be anything I want to be when I grow up. My innermost secret self. Dreaming without editing to the practical, logical "responsible" side. That will let me play and dream and hope without saying BUT.....

So begins the journey to peel back the layers of SHOULDS and MUSTS in my life to uncover my secret longings and passions.

June 1 2005

The beginning!