Starting Early

I'm pushing it today by starting cucumbers, zucchini, summer squash and Moon & Stars watermelon, fennel and celeriac. And herbs. The temps are dropping but it if they stay low it will be a while before they have to go outside.

I've also started stripping the paint off an old dresser I got last Autumn for little. Homesteading has it's fun days.

TIP: Check out your local Cooperative Extension office to find out if they have a seed giveaway and if they give away used potting containers.

Last year I got lots of great, great plant pots and seed starting trays!

No job offers but I've got some seeds started!

I started 2 trays of seeds last week. I have those big ones with 98 cells each. So far sprouting is: spinach, cabbage and 3 types of lettuces and a mustard-y greens! Waiting for the lavender, Thai hot peppers, jalapenos 2 types of sweet peppers, 2 types of eggplants, muskmelon, 3 types of tomatoes, arugula, onions, leeks, and purple tomatillos to come up next. Lots more to go: cucumbers, Japanese yams, potatoes, carrots, broccoli, green beans, herbs and MORE! I want to grow TOO MUCH food for my Schatzi and me, so we can have good food all winter AND give lots to a local food pantry! I hope you will too?

A farmer friend gave me a huge baggie of all sorts of seeds. So nice, I'm sharing wtih neighbors, too. I have loads of old seeds that might not germinate so one tray is an test. I made my own seed starting mix and it seems to be doing well for most seeds so far. I'm too excited about this year. It's our first year in this house and the yard was horribly overgrown when we moved in last autumn. This is the first Spring putting in the garden beds. We have deer, chipmunks, hawks, mice, ticks galore(yuck), squirrels, 3 acres of woods, song birds, AND no fencing!!! But we have two cats that love to hunt, bless 'em. I want ducks and bees. It's an experiment alright.

Peonies

Second interview done. Another applied for. No word from TED. Sad.

Seeds not yet sprouting.

It feels like Spring. I hope this lasts.

Start a weekend part-time job on trial tomorrow.

Had a very, VERY encouraging consult about my back with a physical therapist last night. He thinks I can heal myself for free. No health insurance necessary.

I want to plant a bunch of peonies around our yard.

Job interviews are so odd. I will be relieved when I do get a position I want to settle into so that I can avoid interviews for what will hopefully be several years.

I'm still holding on to this site. I lot had changed in the past 18 months. Good things. Love, worry-free Love. Moving. Owning a home together. Making a home together. Being unemployed. That last is the only not so good but even that has it's up side. Being broke is not the up side. Time to think and volunteer doing things I truly love. Less stress. Those are the good things. Learning about what truly matters to me in my work experiences.

I had a couple of job interviews this past week. They were the first interviews I've been asked to in 11 months. During one I was asked what my 'career goals' are. For the next 3 or 5 years. I didn't tell them what they wanted to hear, I told them the truth. I told them that these days, I don't think out 5 years since many jobs don't last that long (I didn't point out that included that one which was only a one-year contract, so why were they asking?). So, my thinking was only 3 years out, by which time I'd like to be settled into a full-time position that uses my skills and experience, that allows me to work creatively and with creative people, that is a pleasant place to work. They decided that day to hire someone else.

A few days earlier I interviewed for a different part-time professional position that only paid $12.50/hr., no benefits. It would have required that, in a matter of a few months, by June, I get work caught up that the person leaving the post had been lagging in getting started or completed. In other words, it isn't really a part-time position, it just underpaid one. The organization wasn't being cheap, it's really strapped for cash. It would have meant Schatzi & I could never have dinner together Mondays - Fridays because of the hours. It would have meant not going to Europe this summer to met his 82-year-old dad, his brother & family, cousins, celebrating two important family birthdays (his and an aunt's). BUT it would to be career beneficial because I've been unemployed so long now. I'd definitely leave it if I found something better. So, the next day I sent a 'thank you' email and explained my conflict. And just now, I got a call asking me to come for a second interview. I asked the assistant if the Director had seen my email. She's gonna make certain and get back to me. I'm sure he has, he's good about checking email, etc.

Then the next day, I interviewed/had a try-out at a local, high end bistro. A friend of ours works there and recommended me for the position. He's great! It pays really well (starting with minimum wage + tips) and only requires working Sat. & Sun. breakfast & brunch. Finished at 3 so we'd still have weekends together. It's small, serve lots of local food, good quality, fun benefits (like spa treatments, discounts at the hotel, meals), and according to our friend, good tips. So we had to re-evaluate my traveling with him. I came up with a compromise, I'd only miss one weekend at the Bistro and be with him and the family two weeks instead of three, but I'd be there for the big celebrations. The executive chef said that would be ok. YAY! It's work I've never done before with the *potential* of making some good money. Now, I have to make it through two more training days and a 30 day probationary period. If I don't make it then I can still with Schatzi for the full 3 weeks. I think that's what's called a Win-Win.

Before this week no one had asked me to interview for 11 months. And that was for a 12 hour a week job that was pulled from posting the day after I interviewed because of *budget*. Don't know what the real reason was, but they could have figured it out before making me go through 2 interviews for less than $10k a year.

The job I'd really like to sink my teach and soul into is with the TED organization. Staff Storyteller they call it. I'd be great at it. It's crying out for a folklorist. I'm not having success getting my foot in the door there though. I'd LOVE that position. L O N G S H O T. So. Worth. It. I created a separate blog that only contains my cover letter and resume. Then I sent the link to a few folks at TED. No response. Disappointing.


These are assorted rambling thoughts for myself. I've missed the daily contemplative practice of writing. I know this isn't seen or tracked by anyone (or only one or two) so I'm really only writing to and for myself. Feels good. Comment as you wish.