Welcome to GIS Butterfly

GIS- Geographic Information Systems (English)
GIS- Global Information Science (ASL)
Butterfly- A colorful insect that flies from flower to flower pollinating and bring joy to the onlooker.

Saturday, December 31, 2016

Out with the old (2016) in with the new (2017)









Time to recap 2016 and then be ready to wake up in the morning to a New Year with new expectations.

εїз January I began my adventure at Iamwell.org. These ladies help me build confidence in myself and thankfulness for the body I have been given to share the journey. Hannah, the other instructors and my fellow participants aided in my understand of the strengths I have, as well as, accepting my weakness as strengths.

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εїз February was a blessed short month. I began working 10 1/2 hour days that month. Beginning at 7am and ending at 6pm. I had three different jobs and blessedly at one location. That month went by very fast.


εїз March brought the addition of a son-in-law to my family. I was blessed with a three day vacation to Arcata, California to witness the wedding of my youngest daughter and her husband. Many happy returns of March 12th to Steven and Johanna.

 
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εїз April was a rest and repair month. My son bought me a tattoo. A semicolon butterfly ~ my life is not finished yet.  New Chapter.

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εїз May was a big month for Ian. He graduated from the Fire Academy and I was no longer the mother of a teenager as my baby boy turned 20.

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εїз June ended my school year and began 2 months of summer YMCA camp. I spent the next two months sweating in Tie Dye. Camp brings out the worse and the best in all of us. The adventure and the challenge of these 5 to 8 year olds who spend all of their school vacations with me is an experience I never imagined. I have spent the past year with some of the same kiddos every week day of the year except Three Day Holidays and two weeks in August. We laugh, we cry and most of the time we just love on each other as we grow.


εїз August I had my first vacation since summers with my grandmas in the 1970's. My sister, Elaine, and I spent a week in San Francisco.Wonderful bonding time and seeing the sights, smells, tastes and sounds of San Francisco.



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But August wasn't finished yet...August 19th I became a grandma. Grammie B. (as in butterfly)
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εїз September Grammie got a visit and on November 11th Grammie went to visit. We are putting off the next visit due to illness on both ends of the Sacramento Valley I-5 route, which gets shorter with each drive to and from Grammie's house.


εїз November also marked a day when I let the butterflies race in my stomach as I went out on my first date in 30 years. The first opportunity to enjoy company of a man who I can visit with and feel no expectations, regret or fear. Pleasant to converse without the wee people at my ankles.


εїз Concluding with December and yet another YMCA Camp. I've spent nearly three months this year in YMCA day-camps. My group is about 20-26 ranging in age from 5 to 8. (Some were as young as four until this last month.) 

My days begin with a Stop sign, reflective vest and a crosswalk. They call me the Boulder Creek Greeter and I joke, "Then I will have your recommendation when I retire and go for a job at Walmart."
After the last child is across the street to our school and the 8:13 am bell rings I rest a few minutes and warm my toes in the YMCA office on campus. Collecting my walky-talky, coffee and lunch I head up the ramp to room 16. Room 16 is our headquarters for the Reading Literacy program where I teach 5 different age groups in Reading. Through the next 5 hours I have 30 minute reading group interspersed by a 15 minute recess and lunch recesses from 11:15 to 12:45.
At 1:25 pm my day ends answering to Room 16 and head back to the YMCA office  to clock in at 1:30 pm until 6 or 6:15 pm. That last 4 hours is the most fun and the most work. My Co-worker and I have 14 to 19 Kindergartners who have been at school already for 6 and 1/2 hours. These little guys put in as long a day as we do and they need our help to hold it together, until a parent picks up and takes them home for dinner and bed. Everyday we try to do a hands on project, because I'd love to just cuddle them up and read a book. But that is not allowed in this day and age. So, they get up close and I read a story, we do a hand or footprint, we help them with a puzzle, teach them to draw a teddy bear or just listen to their imaginative stories.

My weekends are very quiet. I read, paint, knit, sew and do the usual: laundry, dishes and housework. On Sunday I sometimes worship at home or at a local church. Occasional I see my work friends and the gals I've met at Iamwell. Most of my adult interaction other than co-workers is at Trader Joe's.
I love that place.

In 2017 my goals are: to treat myself with more respect, be more spontaneous  and try to spread joy where-ever I go. I'd also like to get out of my comfort zone and outside more on my off duty hours.
My motto for 2017:

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εїз Most of all I hope to see more of my little Em and her best buddy Doug Jr. the Corgi

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Sunday, November 20, 2016

Thanksgiving Poem

I had a little Thankful Muse as I was doing chores yesterday.


Thanksgiving 2016


Flannel Sheets for my bed
Loved ones voices in my head

Hummingbirds out my window
Little Em's Bow

Turkey in the oven
with a pumpkin muffin

Little's Thanksgiving note
So much rain, I may need a boat

Gluten Free Fish in my homemade goo
Emeila's Coo

Lavender and essential oils
No more boils

Washer, dryer, dishwasher and heat
My little nest can't be beat

Thankful to my God above
For all my family's and friend's love


Here are a few pictures that were going through my head as I amused myself with the Muse.


Flannel Sheets

Em's Coos

Em's Bow

Em researching the Crawl

Heads Up

Dress Up

Cuddle with Grammie

Ian's GF Fish

Rain inside and Out
So glad the election is over


A year ago I was exhausted. My body, soul and spirit were all in shock. I had to move the week school started and Thanksgiving break I went to an Abbey to rest and just feel. I rested and listened to the Monk's in the little chapel for three days. On Thanksgiving day they brought the three guest a full Thanksgiving dinner. I painted,  went for walks in the vineyard, sang, read and rested.
Over a year since that fateful move in August of 2015. I have excepted I get to stay in my little nest.
I have an amazing little Granddaughter who will call me, "Grammie" and we will paint together.
I get to work  at 2+ jobs for 10 hours a day Monday to Friday and 6 hours on all school Holidays.
My sister and I had a fantastic vacation in San Francisco this last year and I'm planning the same next August. 
I have had unbelievable hurt this last year and found out that I will choose Happiness.
My friends have rallied around me and I know I am loved and valued. 
My work is more than worth the time I spend.
I am thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving














Sunday, August 14, 2016

School Starts this Week


Why would I sit in the sand in a sundress when it is 60 degrees and raining?

...because where I live it is 108 degrees with no breeze.

I spent the last week of Summer break in San Francisco.

Japanese Garden 

Golden Gate Park

Jasmine Tea and cookies

Ferry Ride from Pier 1 Ferry Building to Sausalito 
“ALL UNDER HEAVEN IS FOR THE GOOD OF THE PEOPLE”
Kufu Ya Restaurant
Ranger Bear ate food from around the world

Ghirardelli Square

"There are so many fabulous faraway places to see! 
Such as Mexico, Sweden, Hawaii, Japan and Capri! 
There are so many exciting & wonderful places!"

I think they are all represented in San Francisco.

Gull supervising the crowd at Pier 39
Bull Sea Lion pretending to be an otter after he was pushed off the raft
Ranger Bear in the Flower Conservatory
                                 

Ranger Bear became real guy in the Magic of Golden Gate Park
Smiling for the street artist
The street artist had a lot of imagination 


Thanks to my Dad and sister, Elaine, who made this the most amazing vacation in my life.
Also a special thanks to my niece, Kate, for letting us stay in her 4th floor walk up. Elaine and I walked all over San Francisco (averaged 6 miles a day), rode buses, drove in the car and took a Ferry. We ate: Chinese, Japanese, Russian, a great Napa buger and Italian . I got my shoes fixed by a cute little old man in a Russian Shoe Repair and we had our picture drawn by a Street Artist. We bought etched glass from a local California man and chop stick holders made in Japan. I tasted: Mochi, Yam Candy, Irish Coffee and Miso soup for the first time.
We saw Sea Lions on Pier 39 and rode a Ferry from Pier 1 to Sausalito and back. The last full day we spent in Golden Gate Park walking from the Japanese Garden to the Flower Conservatory. They had the final days of the Dalai exhibit. Ranger Bear turned into a real guy for a few minutes in the magic of Golden Gate Park.



After a week of filling my "Pamper Deena" shelf to the top...
we came back to Sacramento to see this lovely lady...
                                       
who is making me a grandma in the next week.
Tomorrow begins the new school year with two days of meetings and our kiddos with their bright shiny faces show up on Wednesday morning. I will be starting my day with the Stop Sign by the upper cross walk at 7:45 am and end after the last kiddo gets picked up at the YMCA at 6 pm. 

I was reminded today of Matthew 19:14 The Kingdom of God is only 4 feet off the ground. I am living my life with the Children of God around me and I ask for your prayers as God uses me in the public school system.

My place to meditate in the morning


                                      

Sunday, July 24, 2016

One Week until Summer Vacation



Count Down to Summer Vacation


6 days until my vacation begins and 3 weeks
until I'm a grandma (more or less)

I got this wonderful vintage phone at a yard sale last weekend. It only can except calls, I can't dial out, but it has amazing sound. I got the land line for my kids and family to call me when I forget to charge my cell phone. Since I got the new phone, I've been getting more calls at home.

Beautiful Abbie and My Granddaughter
Amazing yard sale finds last weekend

2 adorable toddler dresses

Vintage 1950's

Last Sunday I made the final of this painting to remind myself...

Summer day-camp has been a growing experience for me. I learned I could do camp
without Mary Rice Hopkin's songs. I had some great helpers and I have fallen
in love with some super little people. Most I wont see again unless they are in 
our other camps. Some will be at my school in Three Weeks when we start the Fall Semester.

Some weeks just keeping my 20 odd little T-shirts washed for field trips
and keeping my nails polished was the only extra curricular activities I could muster.

Coffee, Worship Music and Yoga have kept me from 

coming unglued this summer.

Highlight of the summer besides seeing all my girls and my sister, Elaine, 
at Abbie's shower
was that I got a new coffee pot. The old $10 Walmart Mr Coffee was starting to short out. I went to TJMaxx and got a pretty new coffee maker for 1/2 prize. They also had coffee for a discount.

In two weeks I will be taking a real vacation to San Francisco with my sister. Our weather has hit critical hot! Over 105 for the next week. S.F. is sounding pretty sweet. I plan to walk a lot, drink wine and coffee on my niece's patio and do a little yoga to my worship music out there too.


I have embraced my sensitive self this summer. I have been abused in many ways for my sensitive self. People have talked down to me and held me back for being sensitive. I am a butterfly with delicate wings and a strong core. I love deeply and find it hard to let go. 
My sensitivity is not a negative personality trait. I care deeply and want everyone to play nice and get along. Maybe that is idealistic and naive, but I will still continue for that goal.


My Roommate