That time when I crawled on the floor at Aldi

I was just going to do a Facebook post, but this one deserves a longer space. 

Many of you know that my sister Kate has had several brain aneurysms operated on over the years. She had one repaired a little over a week ago down in Minneapolis at Abbott Northwestern. It's amazing what they can do these days, and she was only in the hospital over night. She's also well on the road to recovery!

I work as a PCA (personal care assistant) for my sister's 17 year old daughter Cece. So when things pop up, Auntie Jojo comes to stay. (That's always the way it has been, well before actually getting paid for part of it. ) I slept over on Wednesday and Thursday night last week, and then stayed until Kate, and her husband Tom were settled in on Friday.

 I guess the universe thought there wasn't enough going on, so their older dog had a cancerous tumor open up (all over the house) while Cece and I were out in the country at my house. Thankfully Kate and Tom were only an hour from home when it happened, so they were able to say good bye. That one is going to stay with me for awhile. 

Tom went back to work (railroad engineer,  so away from home) Sunday night, and again Auntie Jojo's bags appeared at Cece's house. We spent the week hanging out, taking care of Mama, and running out to the country to let Jake and Loki out each day. My fabulous niece Tater, whom Cece adores, came along to help. Handling the dogs and Cece trying to get in and out of the house is not a one woman job! 

Cece was good for the most part, but for whatever reason on Tuesday she had enough of the world and was crabby all day. Yelling, not listening, refusing to leave my house when it was time to go. Demanding radio changes all the way home at the top of her lungs. When we finally got settled back at her house she started the same with the TV and I put my foot down. She had her iPad, so she could do what she wanted, I was watching what I wanted. I told her to put her attitude in her back pocket and sit on it. She screamed at me one last time and threw herself on the loveseat, where she slept like this for an hour! She woke up in a much better mood! (Teenagers......)

So today I had some time to myself, and of course, I had errands. I bought some goodies at Aldi, and as I strolled up to the checkout it went like this:

Oh look! There's a 12 pack of Summer Shandy way back in on the bottom of that display! (I'm not a beer drinker, but I like this one. ) I haven't had any this summer! I'm going to have to get on my hands and knees to reach that box, but I'm going to do it! So I did it. Got down in my hands and knees and crawled in and got it out! 

The lady in front of me said "Oh gosh, I would never be able to get up again!" I just beamed at her with my prize and popped back up and put it in my cart. 

"Aren't you Katy's sister?" 

"Yep" is what I said out loud.  "This is what they've driven me to. " is what I thought.  I laughed all the way home. 

So yeah.....Kate? Jen says "Hi!" 

Bunnies and Babies

Happy Easter everyone! 

I have a done a few blog posts about our family Easter traditions over the years, and my plan this year was to continue on with that theme, but instead, I'm going to tell a different story! 

Once upon a time (twenty five years ago) I became an Aunt. It has been the most wonderful thing! Over the years four more Nibblings were added, and then oldest married, giving me one more. These six humans are everything to me!

Time marched on, as time does, and many Easter dinners have been shared,  eggs colored,  kites flown, and now the "babies" are 16. How on earth did we get here?? Luckily for me, they still aren't too old for eggs and kites! It's going to be 34 degrees tomorrow and the oldest still insist they are going out to try their luck with a kite! "It's tradition!"

Two months ago we celebrated my sister Kate's 50th birthday. While opening gifts she read her card from our niece Ashlyn, and her husband, Anthony aloud.  It said, "Your real gift isn't here yet, but we'll bring it over when it arrives." The bag it came from contained one lemon. 

Kate held the lemon in her hand, confused.  I looked at the lemon, confused. What was the joke? I'm usually in on the jokes, or I pick up on them quick, but I could not fathom what was going on. Then Ashlyn said, "That's the size our baby is right now!"

Wait.... WHAT?! To say there were tears is an understatement. 

I'M GOING TO BE A GREAT AUNTIE!!!!!!!!!!!

Ashlyn and Anthony made it Facebook official tonight, so I can finally talk about it!

PJ (my nick name for the lil nugget) is a purple egg, because Mom and Dad are waiting to find out if they are a boy or a girl. My original, immediate feeling was boy, now I feel like it's a girl. We'll find out by summers end. No matter, PJ is already adored! My crochet hook is going to be busy.

Congratulations Ashlyn and Anthony, we love you so much, and can not wait to meet Baby P!! ❤️ 

My Grapes Aren't Sour

I am so frustrated with the community that I live in today that I could throw the biggest toddler tantrum ever seen, complete with all the swears. Honestly. What on earth is wrong with people?

Yesterday was the Spring Primary election in these parts of Northern Wisconsin. Almost every position up for election was running unopposed, except for two school board seats. One vacant, one a 19 year incumbent up for re election. 

When this all began there were three candidates running. The incumbent, Chris Kintop, and two others. I know Chris, have known her most of my life. She's smart, she has been a tireless advocate for the children in this community, is a huge supporter of the LBGTQ community, and disenfranchised children in general. She had my vote, no question. There is so much more work to do in the fight to get special education fully funded in our district, and Chris was leading that charge. 

Being the informed voter that I strive to be, I began looking at Brooke Taylor and Ed Gallagher, to see who else I would choose to guide policy in this district. My first impression was that they appeared to be friends, and running together. Hmmm.... interesting. That could work for you, or against you.  Upon further research, and from out of their own mouths, I quickly realized their religious and political ideals do not align with my own, and are in no way neutral.  Neither of them have a quarter of the experience to qualify them, for me anyway, as candidates. 

I started reaching out to teacher friends, as I usually do prior to a school board election. I know how hard our teachers work, and I feel a responsibility to support them, however I can. I was basically asking which of the two newbies was the lessor of two evils. The reply was unanimous. Our only hope is a write in candidate. We don't want either one. 

The thought crossed my mind seriously for about two minutes. No... I don't think that's my path. I don't suffer fools lightly, or at all really. I'm a better behind the scenes player. If you're acting like an idiot, I'll probably call you one, and if you are acting like a child I will definitely treat you like one. 

Fast forward to two weeks before election. A friend of mine, Melinda Yingling reached out to me, and said that a few people were writing her in because they couldn't vote for either of other two candidates running against Chris, so feel free to add her name too if we felt like it. I was elated! So, in fact,  were many teachers, some of whom got her quickly set up in proper form to be a write in candidate, or else the votes wouldn't count. 

In a two week whirlwind she actually received over 900 votes. When you consider that the others received roughly 2500 each, that's huge! She is the perfect person for the school board, and I really hope that she runs again, from the beginning, next time around. She listens, and genuinely cares. She's active in PTA, works for the college directly with students,  and has been active in various groups, including the LGBTQ community. I don't think I've ever met a more empathetic soul. My only honest concern was for her own well being. 

In the end, the new candidates went for the mud slinging angle, which played to their group, and they won both seats. Chris went high when they went low, and I'm proud of her for that, and for everything she has accomplished. I hope it's only the starting point for bigger and better things. Our kids need this kind of champion in their corner. She will always have my full support, whatever it is. 

Now let's side bar on something else. There are 30 some thousand in the city of Superior. This election includes portions of Douglas County whose kids are also in the districts schools. So....50 thousand maybe? At least 45. There were 10,000 votes, give or take. Where in God's green earth were the rest of you? Why can't you pay attention for 10 minutes to learn about candidates and get off your asses for 15 minutes to vote? Why??? It's the only power you have and you're too apathetic to care. I can't understand, or excuse it. This was important. It matters who is on the school board. It matters who shapes these policies. Voter apathy makes my blood boil. Because

PEOPLE WHO HAVE RELIGIOUS POLITICAL AGENDA DO NOT BELONG ON A PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD.  

Last time I checked, that's what private school is for. I know, I went to one. Actually, to both. My world view expanded quickly once I got to public school, and I never looked back. Those last three years of high school taught me more about life than the first nine could have hoped to, but that's a blog for a different day. 

Yes, my candidates lost. It happens. This really isn't sour grapes, but genuine concern for the direction things are taking. I don't mind telling you that I'm glad the youngest two in my larger family graduate next year, but I've had a hand in raising oh...a hundred or so more, who are still in school, and I'm part of a community, so I'll be paying VERY close attention to how we move forward. I'm not sure what that means today, but I'll figure it out, have no doubt!  

People Who (Don't) Need People

Saturday is usually a work day for me. If I'm not in town with Cece, then I'm at home cleaning, creating, and soon I'll be back to yard work and gardening. It is not a day where I run errands, and today was a big reminder why not! 

The Brown Eyed Man belongs to the hall of fame committee for the local dirt racing track, and he had a 2pm meeting today. I wasn't on schedule for Cierra, so I thought I'd go to town too and we'd make an afternoon of it. It's not actually something we do often. Work schedules usually don't match up, and when we're home for the weekend, we're home. All errands in town accomplished beforehand. 

There's a car show today at the bowling alley where his meeting is taking place, and since I've never been to one I thought, why not? Well, ice was literally falling from the sky when we drove up, so that's why not! I dropped him off and headed my merry way down the road to the Walmart. The only choice in town for any kind of home goods. 

I was looking forward to some leisurely shopping, browsing the aisles for things I didn't know I needed, and then off to Aldi, which is my favorite, for the rest. Holy hell. I forgot why I stopped shopping on the weekend! You can't lollygag when the aisles are full. I didn't like groups of people BEFORE covid. I'm certainly not thrilled by them now. 

So I finished up too soon, and now I'm sitting in the parking lot waiting for the meeting to end, because the lot is full and I would rather my own company than the crush and noise of going inside! 

The sky is partly cloudy now, so maybe we'll walk around and see the cars when he's done. We're for sure going to Shamrock for pizza, no matter how "peopley" it is!  

Peace

I've been saving things that mean something to me in a little pile for blog posts, hoping that the muse will wake up and have something to say when I go through them. I saw this one on the internet today, and it worked. Probably because I'm at peace at the moment. 

I'm striving hard for a life of peace, which isn't easy, it's hard enough managing my own mindset, but the minute you include other people, negativity can take over in a heartbeat. Over the last several years I've made big changes in my professional life to make it much more flexible, which has made a huge difference. The flexible schedule that I now have has also helped remove a large amount of stress from my personal life. 

Even though I had  already downsized to working part time, Covid forced me to cut the final tie with teaching the littles, a profession that I love.  Seriously though, there are few jobs with more stress than a childcare teacher in a large center. Add a lack of pay, and little or no benefits to that, and you'll understand why they can't keep staff.  

Hanging out, being a Personal Care Assistant for my niece Cierra, who is 16, has been a Godsend in many ways. I think it has been about four years now since her parents said they were going to look for some summer help. I was at my whits end at the daycare, and needed to make a move, so I offered to do it. For a couple years I had Cece in the summer, and then childcare and Cece during the school year, but with very reduced hours on the childcare side. I was working M-F 10-2 when Covid hit. Then a choice had to be made, to keep Cece safe. 

Leaving the kids so abruptly hurt my heart, and I was definitely depressed last fall when I knew I could not return, even part time, but I settled into my role as Ceces homeschool teacher. Virtual learning with a special needs child is...... so many things. It did, however, help all of us to see just how smart Cierra really is, making us better advocates for her now that she has returned to school. 

With Cece in school, I was able to return to the center, although now I only work a few days a week, and I tell them the week prior what my availability is. So I work when I want, and if I want,

and I love it. I can help the young teachers, play with new friends, and there is no stress at all! 

I never realized how much anxiety controlled my life until I started stepping back. These days it's pretty much go with the flow, and I'm enjoying my days so much more. If I start obsessing or worrying I just tell myself, "That's anxiety, and we don't do that here. "  Works for me! I also concentrate on what I'm doing today, and today only.  Life is good my friends, life is GOOD!