Saturday, February 21, 2015

I'm not sure

...what I could/should share today. I am sure about what I would like to share but can't. How cryptic can I get?


 I can't share anything about my job, although it occupies my mind quite a bit. What it boils down to is this:  I am in awe of the team  I get to work with, and about the work I want to share a quote from 'Being a social worker means' ~ You will never cease to be amazed at people's capacity for love, courage, and endurance.


Today is obviously a snowy day- it's peaceful to look at, because we are not buried under six or more feet like other parts of the country. And when I went to assess whether or not to shovel the driveway, I found that someone had done that for us! Must have been either a mistake or a random act of kindness. I prefer of course the latter although the result is the same.


As usual, the week flew by and all of a sudden it is weekend and the laundry has piled up (as well as the ironing) and not much else has been done either in terms of house hold chores. Apart from that, I am trying to relax and tend to my many hobbies, only to be hampered by four cats who suffer cabin-fever and thus will do anything to get my attention (like attack the clothes I am folding, sit on the shirts I am ironing, of course lie on the quilt while I try to sew).


It is really a lot like having toddlers. All week I have slept only in about 2 hour increments due to my sweet Charlie waking me 'singing' that he wants out, or cuddles, or out again (which I can't allow in subzero temperatures). And when I did let him and Gus out, like this morning - temps were not all that bad, I checked first- I set an alarm to let them back in after 1 or 2 hours.


That might seem a tad too dedicated to my furry babies, but it is nothing, really nothing, and pales to snow white in comparison to what I am experiencing at work.

Saturday, February 7, 2015

adjusting

In the series 'where is Vera when you need her', I am posting some pictures that definitely did not turn out the way I had envisioned, because of my complete lack of understanding of photography. I take pictures like I do many things in life - without reading the manual (or caring about it).



Beautiful skies last night. But really hard to capture...


In my new job, being flexible and adaptable is key, since we are designing, adjusting, learning, making mistakes, tweaking, discussing, reading, doing, learning some more, changing some more, etc as we go. I love it, especially that we are writing the manual  on the fly but at a very high and academic level of precision.


I love the winter silhouettes of the trees against any sky.


At home I am trying to find some downtime to process and relax, but I find the evenings quite short (home late, cooking from scratch, fitting in exercising) (fun fact: I always have to use spell check to correct the spelling of exercising, always, of course that is my unconscious messing it up since I dislike the verb so much) - anyway, not that I want to complain, just similar to what everyone else feels, that there is not enough time.


Not enough time, but luckily I do feel that my work matters. I'm going to close this post with a not at all (just a little bit) random picture, close up of a selfie (I edited my brother and sister-in-law out of it, not that I don't love them, but ... got to go for the cutest family member) of my sweet niece Lisa. I miss you, and your cousin too!