Getting Ducks in a Row

Getting your ducks in a row, oh so easy, if you first recognize which ones are YOUR ducks.

Plan simply, find the best order for the best outcome. Not every duck that squawks the loudest is really the one that needs to come first.

Sometimes we try to organize other ducks or make them a part of our group, this adds to the frustration of making sure all plans go well. We do not need to add a duck that has never walked in the row, no matter how easily it would be to make it a part of the group.

Now I wrote that a while back, and still I have trouble finding MY DUCKS, and making sure they aren't all squawking at me. I have teaching, taking classes and finally the other parts of life that I'm suppose to do. Well I just sit there and look at the ducks and wonder which one needs to come first.

I keep letting the Art History Duck come first. Probably cause it is a passion to discuss and gain knowledge and an interest for me that far exceeds anything else. But I sure do mess up the rest of those ducks. The Safety Duck is limping, the Consensus Duck is tripping, the Teaching Duck is ok, just wandering around aimlessly and the Life Duck just fell over. Now what do I do with the injured ducks?

Ok, breathe Randi, you just can't do this without slowly looking at these Ducks and making sure you aren't off on some other tangent. Passion will have to wait for a little until the Teaching Duck is on track. The Safety Duck isn't that complicated and a limp is better than a broken foot. That Consensus Duck is gearing up to be nasty, can tell by the look in his "eye". Now the poor Life Duck, well dirt keeps and I can't do anything about the hassles of my children at this time, but I can EAT LUNCH! I keep forgetting to do this lately, and it's not going to go well if I try to exists on soda and cigarettes.

So I am busy, rushing around with quacking ducks at my feet nipping at my heels for attention...wait a minute some of those ducks are NOT MINE...Let go of the ducks Randi, let them find a new home.

Playing Solitaire

I wanted to post something profound, and not complain, but once again here I am looking at the work I am suppose to finish and playing Spider Solitaire instead. Watching the fights of the hummingbirds which are odd seeing as they should be gobbling up go-juice instead of guarding the territory around the feeders I think that is what I’m doing. Instead of jumping in and finishing the homework (go-juice) I’m thinking of all the reasons and fighting myself to guard my insecurities.
Part of this is feeling helpless; helpless to help my son in Houston, helpless to meld into an online class as an age appropriate student and helpless to help myself out of the feeling of gloom and doom. The gloom and doom part is almost earthquake syndrome, which means there are still more natural disasters that will mean loss of life coming our way. And all the rest is what if!
Some interesting discussions with colleagues (I am amazed to be able to call them colleagues when they are so much more) about what we want our students to “get” out of our classes. Why we do what we do and how we all approach the students is so similar. We have the desire to see these people develop a sense of critical thinking and prove to themselves they are worthy to think such big thoughts. We push ourselves into more and more creative thought with new approaches to send the knowledge through the conduit of words and projects to endow them with the electrifying realization that they discovered the knowledge on their own.
Well, this gives me an idea! I can use this as a pep talk for myself. I can listen to my own advice for a change and just flow with thoughts to do more than regurgitate the information that I am to assimilate in my classes and come up with those creative ideas that will amaze even me into thinking I have gotten the “big” picture!
See those solitaire games are not a total waste, they allow me to file away thoughts and then finally put them into some kind of order.

Ike not Nice Duo

Yep here we are, or almost, and this is the second part of Ike. As he keeps moving north he will add to my Chicago Son's grief.

As I type this I hear the wind, the rain pelting and know that this destructive mass is not done. My heart aches for my Houston Son who has abandoned his home to go to Dallas where they have electricity. The roof and water damage to his home is pretty extensive and the smell and possible mold growth made him decide he couldn't stay.
He took a risk leaving, his "job" wanted him there to do something with the store I presume either be security or find a way to sell. I told him not going to happen and it shouldn't have to be his responsibility, even as a manager. His daughters lives are more important than anything he does for a living. He told me that last night was the most horrific night he has ever spent in his life. He didn't know how I have managed to live through some of the disasters I have had. What he will learn is that this will hurt for a while, and even though it is only things, they are the things that you have worked for and accumulated and grown attached to. They hold some memories for you and something else took control of even that much of your life and threatened you. You also realize if it can damage your home, it could have damaged your life, and you could have lost much more than just things.

My Chicago Son is busy making runoff ditches around his home to hopefully keep him from facing much the same problem of water taking over his existence.

Life is not fair, and what can happen from nature is just as devastating to a person as what we do to ourselves. I know many of those that live in Houston are experiencing this "grief" and post traumatic stress. It will take them time to adjust and recoup their strength to go back to everyday living.

Now my children are worried about me, I am getting calls from them asking me if I'm ok, they know this storm was deadly. I have lived through much trauma and grief in my life and I know that time is the savior and the enemy. I thank God that my children are safe and know that time will help them recover again.

Well tomorrow is another day, and Ike will pass and leave his mark on many lives, but I am thankful that right now he has not taken from me what is most precious to me in my life, my children and grandchildren. And just so you know God, I'm not finished yet, I still have a few more things left to accomplish, so don't rush me too much, I need to do a good job :)

IKE not Nice

Ike continues to hover over my Son's home and he is already experiencing damage.
I am helpless to console or encourage. Without electricity he has no option but to wait for me to tell him if the eye and the eye walls have moved out of his area.
I have sat in front of the TV since 7pm last nite glued to the weather channel.
Things are taking place this morning (it's about 8:00 am) and all I can tell him is it isn't over yet.
Then I am in total shock to see that my Son in Chicago is also in weather harms way as flooding and tornado's pound his area.
Weather is not being nice, and I guess we need to expect things to get bad here in Arkansas too.
My Son in Houston is worried, and I don't blame him, I have been worried every hour on the hour that something has happened. What was the mayor of Houston thinking not evacuating and leaving people to figure out how to fend for themselves during a Hurricane that is still a Category 2 as it makes it way out of Houston.
The repercussions are going to be monstrous.
Will post more later, think I will nap again and wait for a call or drink more coffee and watch as the slowness of Ike keeps moving.

Housework is not amusing

What could keep me from housework? Just about anything that can catch my eye and amuse me for a time. Oddly enough the hummingbirds have been doing a good job of keeping me from completing even a smidgen of housework or homework.

We started off the year with just one apparently rouge hummingbird at the feeder, well low and behold there were two and I could just laugh watching the one keep the other from the feeder and his not getting a drink at all because of the competition. Then last week I saw five of them all sitting at the feeder, and now there are more. My guess is they hatched babies and they are now little fledglings capable of joining the group in migration. Today is the ultimate war for the feeder domination. There might be as many as ten of the little hummers darting back and forth in front of the window that has the clear view of the feeder. Someone is always picking on someone else to gain the coveted juice. They actually dive bomb each other with those long pointing beaks, stabbing them in the back of the head. The original ruler of the feeder flies in from the pine trees and still doesn't seem to get a drink, but he flares out and postulates that he is the biggest and baddest and found it first to all the others.

Their amazing flight and maneuvering keeps me riveted to the glass. I can view the amazing show with my cup of coffee and just relax.

Homework will have to get done after sunset, but I better do a little of that housework that is spilling over into my sanctuary at least to keep it at bay and out of my immediate vision. But then again, dirt keeps and will surely increase, but the hummingbirds will take off to their winter home soon. All I need is a few minutes rest from viewing to do that little bit of housework that will let me pretend to be the homemaker I am not!