A social worker’s toolbox comes from life

I applied to grad school at age 50 to officially turn my life around.  I have a degree in Business Administration and lots of experience as a volunteer teacher, administrator, and caregiver so I thought it would be good to become a professional social worker.  It’s exciting to see where my wealth of life experience [...]

If I was a teacher, I’d… doodle

Raise your glass for a toast to the end of grad school Semester #2. Huzzah! Well, almost the end. The final draft of the final paper is complete.  There are a few articles to read before class on Saturday, then I will defend my paper to the prof.  THEN it’s the end. But getting that [...]

Thank you, Taylor Mali, for reminding me I’m a miracle worker

I went to a poetry reading last week. I laughed.  I pondered.  And I walked away inspired. The poet was Taylor Mali, a teacher who chose to leave the classroom and take his poetry readings on tour so he could keep on teaching, but to a different and larger audience.  He has almost accomplished his [...]

Bathroom DIY Update

While I work on registration for fall classes and research for two papers and a class presentation, my husband continues to work on the bathroom renovation.  Earlier this week I completed the valances for the tub and the window. Today is Closet Demolition Day. Before we moved in, someone installed three shelves in this large [...]

Living in two worlds and finding the balance… social work and free enterprise can thrive together

I find myself on the edges most of the time. In a group of evangelical Christians, I am the doubter, the liberal, the rebel with too much eagerness to change things as they are. In a group of liberal academics, I am the conservative, a naïve follower, the conformist struggling to understand why things have [...]

Life Lessons for a Late Bloomer

This week, tears are my friend. Bitter, angry, defeated tears.  Heart-filled, hope-filled, empathetic tears.  Passionate, empty-arms, mother-heart tears. Every drop waters the ME that is blooming in grad school. This isn’t what I signed up for. This isn’t in the curriculum. This is part of the process that I am trusting. Saturday’s class The topic [...]

Wipe your feet on the way out…

“Wash your hands with soap.” How often have you heard that from your mother as you step out of the bathroom?  Lately in our house, the reminder is, “Wipe your feet on the way out.” The dust is thick as the bathroom renovation project continues to progress. Today Steve is sanding the ceiling and assorted [...]

The Thyme Has Come: I’m a Fanatic

I need to find a Gardener’s Anonymous group.  I need support.  I really do. Several years ago I read The $64 Tomato: How One Man Nearly Lost His Sanity, Spent a Fortune, and Endured an Existential Crisis in the Quest for the Perfect Garden by William Alexander.  His teenage son told him he was over [...]

Resting on Intuition

This morning I presented my very first Powerpoint presentation.  Yeppers.  I learned how to use the software two weeks ago, just in time to put something together for my Human Behavior class.  I used the prof’s clicker but couldn’t quite figure out how to move around the room with it.  Learning comes in baby steps, [...]

Riding Tandem

We’ve been riding tandem for thirty years. Today I’m looking back at our wedding albums, remembering that rainy Friday in September 1981.  It was almost a picture-perfect day for me, except for the rain.  But even the rain didn’t interfere with our plans.  In fact, it added a bit of sparkle to the photo where [...]