Who Haven-I''d love to hear more about you!

[joflier]

Your Haven sounds so cool. I''ve never been one to have much in the way of creativity or ideas, but I totally respect and admire those that do, and especially want to help cultivate that in others. That''s a special gift!

 

[Haven]

Thanks, Dragonfly!

bee*--Thanks so much for starting this. Of course I don''t mind! Where is your thread????

kittybean--Sounds like we''re two peas in a pod! (I actually spent a semester in law school, but then realized that it wasn''t for me so I quit to become a teacher. I''m not saying law is bad, it just wasn''t the right fit for me.)
I often go through periods where I feel disconnected from myself, usually it''s when I''m in grad school or putting way too many hours into work, or generally just spending the majority of my time doing things that don''t align with what I really believe is important. The thing is, this disconnect is an epidemic in our country, it really is. People no longer have hobbies or interest, or at the very least they don''t give themselves time to pursue them because they are so busy keeping up with the rat race.
I will definitely let you know about our progress with the Haven! If you have any ideas, please share!

Thanks, Joflier!

I feel like I sound obsessive about the Haven now. It''s just that it''s my big hairy audacious goal.

I''m looking forward to the weekend. We have two Halloween parties, and my grandmother turns 86 tomorrow, so we''re taking her out to lunch to celebrate.

SO, does anyone else want to share their own big hairy audacious goal? Now I''m really interested in hearing what everyone else has hidden up their sleeve . . .

 

[Skippy123]

Happy Birthday to your grandma; that is wonderful!!!

Have fun at your parties!! What inspired you to go into teaching?

 

[bee*]

I don''t have a massive audacious one but my goal is to have my own veterinary clinic and if I won the lottery, to treat strays and elderly people''s pets etc. Just immerse myself in furries. Lots of travelling would also be great!

I love the sound of your Haven! That''s a cool goal to have!

eta-I have a thread of the next page-I''ve just been so lazy that I keep forget to post in it!

 

[omieluv]

Date: 10/31/2008 1:50:58 PM
Author: Haven
I often go through periods where I feel disconnected from myself, usually it's when I'm in grad school or putting way too many hours into work, or generally just spending the majority of my time doing things that don't align with what I really believe is important. The thing is, this disconnect is an epidemic in our country, it really is. People no longer have hobbies or interest, or at the very least they don't give themselves time to pursue them because they are so busy keeping up with the rat race.

Funny you mention that. I was just having a discussion with my BF regarding liesure time in this country, which I very much see going away. The concept of the 9 to 5 job is just about obsolete, so when is there time just to enjoy life by getting involved in a hobby? Even taking time off of work can be bittersweet, as there is always the dreaded thought of the "first day back" that sits in the back of your mind during your time off. My BF come home from work just in time to eat a late dinner & catch 1 TV show and go to bed. Weekends are spent running errands and maybe we get a half of a day for fun. Perhaps I am generalizing a bit too much, but I have just been noticing similar patterns with my friends lately.

 

[Kaleigh]

Date: 10/31/2008 8:50:22 PM
Author: niko08
please help me more info here

Bye spammer!!!

 

[Haven]

Date: 10/31/2008 2:08:40 PM
Author: Skippy123
Happy Birthday to your grandma; that is wonderful!!!

Have fun at your parties!! What inspired you to go into teaching?

Thanks, Skippy! The party last night was a blast, and after this post I''ll be driving to the city to see my grandmother, who I call by her first name, Helga. ("Grandma" makes her feel old.)

It took me a bit longer than the average girl to figure out what I wanted to do with my career. I switched my major four times in college--psychology to anthropology to technical theatre back to psychology, and finally to English. I knew all along that I wanted to study literature, but I also knew that I could complete the English courses in three semesters because the major required a second major, as well, which is what I was searching for. I ended up with majors in English and American lit and technical theatre (costume design). I had no experience in theatre, but I dated an acting major for a bit and it sounded fun so I figured Why not? And it was fun. College was great.

I still had no idea what I wanted to do for my career. All I knew was that I loved reading, and I hated the idea of a desk job.

I spent my first year out of college working in an outsourcing firm. I did manual calculations with the actuarial team, and then acted as the liaison between the actuaries and the retirees whose benefits we were calculating. It was super easy, but not much fun. So, I took the LSAT and scored well enough to get a full-ride scholarship to a Chicago law school and figured I had nothing to lose but time.

I quit after my first semester in law school. It was the opposite of what I had loved so much about studying literature in undergrad--English classes focused on ideas and original thought and broad-sweeping conclusions about the world and life, etc. Law school focused on minutiae tiny details and skirting issues. It was interesting in the sense that I never thought in those terms, but it bored the hell out of me. I missed literature.

SO, I worked as a personal trainer and went back to grad school to become a high school English teacher. I got into teaching for the literature, and I''ve since found that I really do love working with the kids.

I always wanted to be a professor, but I haven''t yet figured out what, specifically, I want to profess. I''ve had my eye on one or two profs at the U of C who focus on really incredible things about literature, but I haven''t found the niche yet that can keep me going for years of study in a PhD program. And to be honest, over time my focus has shifted from PhD to the Haven, so I''m not sure I''ll ever go back to become a prof. We''ll see.

I really love my current job as a high school English teacher, but I don''t love the amount of time it takes out of the rest of my life. I''m not so sure I''ll be able to do it for years and years. Well, I wouldn''t be able to do a good job at it, and I don''t want to become one of those teachers that teaches the same lessons year after year.

I suppose you could say I''m a dillitente. That''s why the Haven is so appealing to me.

Oh man, can I go on. Sorry you asked, right?

 

[Haven]

Date: 10/31/2008 5:14:52 PM
Author: bee*
I don''t have a massive audacious one but my goal is to have my own veterinary clinic and if I won the lottery, to treat strays and elderly people''s pets etc. Just immerse myself in furries. Lots of travelling would also be great!

I love the sound of your Haven! That''s a cool goal to have!

eta-I have a thread of the next page-I''ve just been so lazy that I keep forget to post in it!

Your goal sounds wonderful, bee*! I suppose I should have known! I love that you are so dedicated to your work, and that your work involves animals. I think living with animals improves one''s quality of life far more than any medication or meditation ever could.

It is so heartbreaking to me that so many pets are now becoming displaced because of foreclosures on homes in the US. They rely on people like you who create shelters for them for difficult times.

Do you have pets of your own?

 

[Haven]

Date: 10/31/2008 7:13:33 PM
Author: omieluv

Date: 10/31/2008 1:50:58 PM
Funny you mention that. I was just having a discussion with my BF regarding liesure time in this country, which I very much see going away. The concept of the 9 to 5 job is just about obsolete, so when is there time just to enjoy life by getting involved in a hobby? Even taking time off of work can be bittersweet, as there is always the dreaded thought of the ''first day back'' that sits in the back of your mind during your time off. My BF come home from work just in time to eat a late dinner & catch 1 TV show and go to bed. Weekends are spent running errands and maybe we get a half of a day for fun. Perhaps I am generalizing a bit too much, but I have just been noticing similar patterns with my friends lately.

Omie--I don''t think you''re generalizing too much at all. It is a sad state of affairs when a society''s members spend more time behind a desk than behind a dinner table.

I already see this happening to my HS students. Many of them come to school, learn from 7:45 AM to 3:20 PM, go home, watch TV or sit at their computer from 4 to 11, go to sleep, and then get up and do it all over again. They don''t have hobbies anymore, it''s so sad. At least I can say that I have every summer off to reconnect with my interests, but that''s still not enough, IMO.

 

[Haven]

Thanks for ridding the thread of spammers, Kaleigh!

 

[Elmorton]

Haven, it's really interesting to read what you said regarding teaching. My mom burned out on teaching HS English (now is about a year away from retirement teaching HS Spanish - and even more burned out on that). I think you're right that it takes a lot of energy, and the repetition can really get to a person. I also relate to what you said about finding a passion for what you teach. I felt the same way in grad school about a PhD - everyone around me had a niche, and that was cool, but other than wanting to serve my students, I wasn't sure what mine was. I figured I'd discover it when I started teaching, which I think is starting to be true. But I guess I was very surprised when I read that you wanted to leave teaching once the Haven gets started. From your posts re: teaching I can tell that you're connected to your classroom, engaging - which, from my students' accounts of their high school English experience, seems to be, sadly, a rarity. From what you wrote though, I think I understand it. Seeing my students finally connect to the idea that rhetoric is around them, that they are writers, that they can make a cohesive argument and that they can push someone to listen to them is the most exciting thing I can imagine. It sounds like, for you, that helping a person discover and explore is that moment for you - and I think it's so exciting that you have a concept/idea/plan for how to have a vocation that is full of those exciting moments.

I like your challenge about the BHAG. I was listening to interview with a newly published author on Iowa public radio and she was recounting her decision to apply/her acceptance into the Iowa Writer's Workshop. Basically, the woman got pregnant, thought "Oh my gosh, I always wanted to... and now I can't!" so she applied on what was basically a whim to one of the most renowned writing programs and got in. Once I got home, I told DH "Before we move away from this state (btw, I think we plan to stay here forever), I want to be in the Iowa Writer's Workshop." I'm not sure if that's really my BHAG, but it's definitely a symptom of it. In teaching writing, I ask my students to define themselves as a writer. It's really problematic if the teacher doesn't define herself as a writer, too. In the classroom, I talk about my writing all the time, but I have yet to have a project that I think "that was HUGE" or that I really pushed myself beyond what I thought my limits were. So I suppose that's my BHAG, though it sounds ridiculously simple - I want write and publish something that is special to me instead of expected of me.

 

[bee*]

Date: 11/1/2008 12:21:18 PM
Author: Haven

Date: 10/31/2008 5:14:52 PM

Author: bee*

I don''t have a massive audacious one but my goal is to have my own veterinary clinic and if I won the lottery, to treat strays and elderly people''s pets etc. Just immerse myself in furries. Lots of travelling would also be great!


I love the sound of your Haven! That''s a cool goal to have!


eta-I have a thread of the next page-I''ve just been so lazy that I keep forget to post in it!

Your goal sounds wonderful, bee*! I suppose I should have known! I love that you are so dedicated to your work, and that your work involves animals. I think living with animals improves one''s quality of life far more than any medication or meditation ever could.


It is so heartbreaking to me that so many pets are now becoming displaced because of foreclosures on homes in the US. They rely on people like you who create shelters for them for difficult times.


Do you have pets of your own?

Thanks Haven! You seem just as dedicated to your work! I''d say you''re an amazing teacher (don''t know how you do it though-kids scare the life out of me

) It''s awful hearing of any animals suffer. It makes me so so angry hearing of animal cruelty. I do have pets-I have Raffles, my 36 year old pony, Amber who''s in my avatar with me and my biggest baby and my newest addition Manolo, who''s a little grey kitten. I have photos of them in my thread. My mother is a huge animal lover and is a veterinary nurse and a dog groomer, so I definitely got my addiction from her. They have two dogs, a cat and a Macaw that was rescued. Do you have any pets yourself?

 

[somethingshiny]

My BHAG is to write. I write little stories for my son (starring a little boy and his blanket. When he ties it around his shoulders shiny-side-up he can fly.) and I have these "memoirs" going (because any time I tell a story from childhood people say I should write them down). I always thought of it as a "dream", but I''m starting to lean towards calling it a "goal". (thanks to you!!)

 

[luckystar112]

Haven, I just wanted to tell you the THE Haven sounds amazing.

What a cool goal to have.


And I think it''s great that there are so many writers on PS! We should start a thread and share our stuff. hehe.
Except I''m one of those people who is very protective over my work....which is why I hated creative writing where you have to share everything. How else will you grow though, right?

 

[diamondfan]

EL and Haven, if you love fig scent, Edward Bess and Estee Lauder pure color lipsticks have that scent to them. It is yummy..,

catching up here but just wanted to let you know that!!!!

 

[Haven]

Date: 11/1/2008 2:01:58 PM
Author: Elmorton
Haven, it''s really interesting to read what you said regarding teaching. My mom burned out on teaching HS English (now is about a year away from retirement teaching HS Spanish - and even more burned out on that). I think you''re right that it takes a lot of energy, and the repetition can really get to a person. I also relate to what you said about finding a passion for what you teach. I felt the same way in grad school about a PhD - everyone around me had a niche, and that was cool, but other than wanting to serve my students, I wasn''t sure what mine was. I figured I''d discover it when I started teaching, which I think is starting to be true. But I guess I was very surprised when I read that you wanted to leave teaching once the Haven gets started. From your posts re: teaching I can tell that you''re connected to your classroom, engaging - which, from my students'' accounts of their high school English experience, seems to be, sadly, a rarity. From what you wrote though, I think I understand it. Seeing my students finally connect to the idea that rhetoric is around them, that they are writers, that they can make a cohesive argument and that they can push someone to listen to them is the most exciting thing I can imagine. It sounds like, for you, that helping a person discover and explore is that moment for you - and I think it''s so exciting that you have a concept/idea/plan for how to have a vocation that is full of those exciting moments.

I like your challenge about the BHAG. I was listening to interview with a newly published author on Iowa public radio and she was recounting her decision to apply/her acceptance into the Iowa Writer''s Workshop. Basically, the woman got pregnant, thought ''Oh my gosh, I always wanted to... and now I can''t!'' so she applied on what was basically a whim to one of the most renowned writing programs and got in. Once I got home, I told DH ''Before we move away from this state (btw, I think we plan to stay here forever), I want to be in the Iowa Writer''s Workshop.'' I''m not sure if that''s really my BHAG, but it''s definitely a symptom of it. In teaching writing, I ask my students to define themselves as a writer. It''s really problematic if the teacher doesn''t define herself as a writer, too. In the classroom, I talk about my writing all the time, but I have yet to have a project that I think ''that was HUGE'' or that I really pushed myself beyond what I thought my limits were. So I suppose that''s my BHAG, though it sounds ridiculously simple - I want write and publish something that is special to me instead of expected of me.

El--You are in the right place for a writer. The Iowa Writer''s Workshop is incredible. Your BHAG sounds fabulous, not simple at all.

Since you''re a writer, I''m going to share a little defining moment in my life. I think you''ll appreciate it. I remember the exact moment when I could first read. I was riding in the car with my parents (we were on Dempster in Chicago, actually, I still recognize the spot) and the store signs suddenly made sense to me. I could finally read the words after months of struggling as a reader. The first thing I did when we got home was run to my mother''s bookshelves and open up a book. My mother came over and read some pages to me, and then she explained that novels are stories authors create in their heads and then put into words to share with the world.

I was amazed. Stories! From people''s heads!

Ever since that day I''ve seen books as the very best part of people; the essence of the writer''s finest, most worthy ideas and stories among all the little bits that rattle around their heads. Libraries are like storage units to preserve the best that humanity has had to offer over the years, bound and written to immortalize their ideas.

I''m having a difficult time articulating what I see when I look at books, but to put it simply, I think they''re amazing, and I think the writers who share their best with the world are amazing, too. (That''s not to say that every book is worth reading, but that''s another story . . . )

In short, I think it''s really cool that you''re a writer.

I have nothing but respect for your craft.

_______________________

As for teaching, you''re right that it''s the discover and recognition that gets me going. The thing is that I have a difficult time reconciling my personal beliefs about education and literature with the goals of the state in which I teach. I often feel like I''m a bit too radical to last long in the public school system.

Your mother sounds like a strong woman. I can''t imagine sticking it out until retirement!

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 11/1/2008 12:18:45 PM
Author: Haven


Thanks, Skippy! The party last night was a blast, and after this post I''ll be driving to the city to see my grandmother, who I call by her first name, Helga. (''Grandma'' makes her feel old.)
Oh man, can I go on. Sorry you asked, right?

Ah, your grandma, Helga sounds like a wonderful lady!!! You sound like a fantastic teacher; thanks for sharing!!! I am glad I asked; we all adore you Haven! You are a fascinating and wonderful person!!

 

[Elmorton]

Awww Haven... to quote Miss Anne Shirley, I think "we''re kindred spirits!"

I know what you mean about state goals and at the same time, I can''t begin to imagine what it must be like. I spend more time trying to find a happy medium between what I know to be effective teaching informed by current scholarship and the guidelines I''m given by the college, which often times seem archaic to me. At the same time though, the standards that I have to follow were written by my colleagues in the department (and other scholars in comp across the state for accreditation), not state legislators and school boards or administrators who got into teaching so they could be football coaches. So in that way, I''m lucky that the people who have written these standards are actually scholars/teachers in the field. I wish that there was some way in which high schools could function more like colleges in that regard, though I understand that there needs to be some standard across the board for all students. I just can''t fathom a realistic or fair assessment for that. I don''t want to hijack your thread with all my questions about teaching, but someday I would be very interested in hearing about your "radical beliefs" about teaching literature.

Love the story of your first reading experience! I wish I remembered mine so vividly. My mentor in grad school opened every class with a freewrite/sharing question, and "describe your first writing memory" was one of them. I loved not only answering the question but hearing everyone else respond to it as well. Do you remember what your first book was? Were your parents avid readers as well?

More on the topic of reading - what did you grow up reading and what do you like to read now? What are your favorite canonical works? What are your favorite "just fun" books? I always felt like such a geek around lit folks in grad school until I realized that while yes, some people really do enjoy War and Peace (I have a dirty confession that I sometimes feel very suffocated with "greats"), most lit lovers also have books on the shelf that have a lot less depth but are loved with just as much fervor...I''d love to know what''s on that list for you.

Oh, and what are your favorite works to teach? Least favorite? I taught lit for the first time last summer (wasn''t expecting to ever teach lit, since usually there''s more faculty interested in literature than composition) and by the end, I remember telling my DH that if I really loved a short story or novel, I wanted to avoid teaching it ever again. It seemed that my students had the exact opposite reaction that I expected.

 

[Haven]

El--I think you''re right, we definitely are kindred spirits!

I cannot even begin to discuss fair assessment without getting all worked up. I understand that we must be practical, but the current state of affairs here in Illinois is just awful in terms of how we assess students and judge our schools.

What is your favorite class to teach?

I can''t remember the first book I ever read, but I do remember the first book I ever fell in love with. It was called Pat the Bunny and it was one of those chunky books with interactive elements on the pages. My parents read it to me so much that I memorized the whole thing before I could read, so I used to carry it around and pretend to read it aloud to myself.

My mother is a voracious reader. She is constantly reading, and there was always a steady circulation of books coming in and going out of our home. We spent a lot of time in libraries when I was little, because we definitely couldn''t afford to buy the books. I still love that smell of old library books, do you know what I''m talking about? It takes me right back to my childhood.

I grew up reading a huge variety of things. I went through a Dean R. Koontz/Stephen King phase, I was obsessed with Shakespeare for quite a while, and I pretty much read everything in between. I was a big series girl when I was younger--The Babysitter''s Club, Sweet Valley Twins and Sweet Valley High, and I''m pretty sure I read every Judy Blume book available.

I have to say that my favorite canonical works would be Faulkner''s As I Lay Dying and The Sound and the Fury. I know, nobody likes Faulkner. But really, I do. I also love Fitzgerald, and Roth, and every now and then I''ll be in the mood for one of the Brontes.

My absolute favorite book in the entire world is A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. I''m a big fan of dystopian literature in general--The Giver and [/i]Farenheit 451[/i] really got my attention in school.

I absolutely agree with you that most lit lovers devour more books outside of the canon than in. I have a serious weakness for southern American literature by women. It all started with The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells. My mom bought it when it first came out in 1994 and I just adored it. I''ve been reading anything southern that I could get my hands on since. Little Alters Everywhere is great, too.
I also LOVE Ayn Rand, which I know means that my club card for the literati should be taken away immediately, but I love her work. It''s so clean and you can''t help but think while reading it. What else could you want out of a book?

What about you????

I had an incredible time teaching The Crucible last term. My students really got into it, and it lent itself to some great discussions. I was shocked that I really hated teaching The Great Gatsby, which is a favorite of mine. If I ever have to teach To Kill a Mockingbird again I may have to quit my job. I hate that book. I think it is so overrated, and the two-plots-in-one issue is enough to drive a person mad. I despise teaching Lord of the Flies to freshmen because it''s such a difficult book for them.

I''ve found that my students typically response with the same level of enthusiasm that I bring into the classroom, so I try very hard to teach things I love.

I LOVE teaching short stories. They are my bread and butter. Love them. Have you read any Thomas Pynchon?

Okay, because you''re a fellow booklover, I''m going to share a blog I started as an experiment. It was the home of a book club of sorts, but with a twist. It worked for a while, but then disbanded.

BUT, I still plan on launching another round once I get my act together this year. Here it is. I shared a lot of my ideas about literature in it, too.

OH MY do I miss talking about literature with adults!

 

[somethingshiny]

I love that you can remember your first "word". I remember mine as vividly, and most people I know don''t. It was an "aha" moment if there ever was one, and I still don''t understand how a person could forget that!

I was 4 and my mom read to me all day long! She would put her finger under the words and I would recite the squiggly things with her. Then, one day, the squiggles turned into words! My "first word" was "the". Then, "and she did", it was The Little Red Hen. It still makes me smile! I''ve been reading every day since.

I grew up reading a huge variety of things. I went through a Dean R. Koontz/Stephen King phase, I was obsessed with Shakespeare for quite a while, and I pretty much read everything in between. I was a big series when I was younger--The Babysitter''s Club, Sweet Valley Twins and Sweet Valley High, and I''m pretty sure I read every Judy Blume book available.

Big fat ditto to all of this, too!

 

[princesss]

HAVEN!

Oh my goodness, that list of favourite books could have come straight from my bookshelf. You seriously named several of my all-time favourite books (including Faulkner)!

I love the BHAG idea. I think I have one (I''m just not ready to say it out loud yet).

And once you get the Haven up and running, I know I''ll be there, and I''m sure my BF''s mother will be, too. It really sounds right up our alley.

 

[Haven]

Diamondfan--I can''t wait to check out those scents! I wear Apricot Fig by Fresh right now, but I''m always looking for new perfume.

Skippy, honey, you are so sweet!

Somethingshiny--I love hearing about other avid readers! What are you reading right now?

princesss--Oooh, now I REALLY want to know what your BHAG is. I''m sure it''s fabulous.

I love that the Haven sounds good in theory to so many of you! I can''t wait to get it up and running. When I do I''ll be sure to organize some sort of PS GTG there.

I''ve been laid up in bed for FOUR days now with a bad back. I hurt it at 6 AM Thursday just as I was getting ready to leave for work. I bent over to get something and all of a sudden I felt this vice of pain grip my entire back, and pains shot down my legs and arms. At first I thought it was just a temporary thing, so I stayed in the bathroom and cried as quietly as I could because I didn''t want to wake up my poor DH who still had another hour and a half of good sleeping time left. But then I couldn''t handle it and I wailed like a baby. He came in and got me, and then I spent ten hours in one position on my back. If I moved an inch it hurt so bad.

My sweet hubby canceled all his clients and spent the day taking care of me, he is the best.

I was able to finally get up at 5ish on Thursday night (with the help of Tylenol with Codeine) but I only made it to the bathroom and back to bed. The pain was awful. My doc prescribed muscle relaxants, too, so I took one of those to get to sleep. Friday I got up once every three hours to walk around for a few minutes, per the doctor''s orders, and yesterday I went to Blockbuster with DH, which pretty much wiped me out for the rest of the day. I''ve spent today (Sunday) in bed, too.

Anyone ever experience this? I''ve broken my left ankle three times, and my right arm once, and neither injury hurt nearly as bad as my back.

I''m just hoping I can go to work tomorrow. It''s so hard to miss work when you''re a teacher.

ANYWAY, I reread The Things They Carried, which I am currently teaching in my junior class. Then I read Where the Heart Is, which I''ve also read before, but that was years ago. It was really sweet, I liked it. And today I''ve been reading Merle''s Door by Ted Kerasote, who is my good friend''s uncle. It''s a great book, especially if you love animals (bee*!)

The thing about these past few days is that it''s the first time I''ve had a good chunk of space to read for pleasure, which makes me so sad because I''m an ENGLISH TEACHER and the irony is nearly too much to bear. I wish I had more time to read books during the school year, it''s so rewarding.

I also watched Friends With Money, Lions for Lambs, and Running With Scissors. I loved Friends, thought it was a great movie. Lions was awful, and Running left a lot to be desired, although I''m not sure if it''s because it really didn''t measure up to the book, or if it''s just a so-so film.

The other thing that I''ve had time to do these last few days is to think at length, which my DH would say is something I do too much of anyway. But seriously, it makes me sad that I''m in a profession that leaves little time for the things I really love to do, but I''m not sure there are any real professions that DO leave time for things. And if that''s the case, isn''t this a great tragedy?

Does anyone have a career that allows them to pursue their interests outside of their job, yet is still fulfilling within their job?

It''s funny, because I''ve been reading some of the Who''s Who threads, and I realized that the things we choose to share have little to do with our jobs, yet it''s our jobs that take up so much of our time, our lives. Pity, isn''t it? I imagine that the Haven is my own personal answer to this conflict, but if I am not going to get the Haven running in the immediate future, I fear that immersing myself in a career might offset my ability to focus on the Haven as well as I could.

Anyway, just the rambling thoughts of a girl laid up on her back for four days. I *really* hope I can go back to work tomorrow. The more I have time to think about things, the less satisfied I am with the way they are.

(I''m on codeine, so if I don''t make sense, please ignore this post.

I wasn''t going to write, but then I figured, Why not? I have nothing else going on. I can''t even walk my poor puppy yet.)

 

[bee*]

Ouch, sorry to hear about your back Haven! That''s so nice of your hubby to cancel his clients! Hope you''re on the mend now!

 

[blackpolkadot]

Haven, I am so sorry your back is hurting. At the ripe old age of 18, I had this very thing happen to me. I bent over to tie my shoe as I was leaving for cooking school in New Orleans with my friend, and pain shot through my entire body, and I couldn''t stand up. The next day, I went to the clinic on campus, and they gave me some muscle relaxers, but they did not help one bit. If you are open to suggestions, I would suggest a chiropractor. I know not everyone supports that kind of thing, but one worked wonders on my back. After a week of intense pain and hobbling around campus (and New Orleans) like an old lady, I went to one. Turns out I had 10 misaligned vertebrae, scoliosis, and my tailbone was twisted 9mm (still have no idea how that happens!) After one week of treatment I was virtually pain free, and after 6 weeks it was like nothing had ever happened. I don''t know if that could be your problem, but I thought I''d mention it. Hope your back gets to feeler better!

ETA: A heating pad also help ease my pain.

 

[Haven]

Thanks, bee*!
And thanks for the reference, Blackpolkadot. I''m sorry to hear you went through that, it''s horrible.

I just posted a picture of our furbabies in hangout, and figured I''d post it here, too.

From the top left and moving around clockwise, we have:
Manny our big handsome boy, Mazi my baby girl who passed away in March, Bailee our newest baby, Vince who is really beautiful but this is the only picture I have on this computer, Bootsie (Mazi''s siter, our geriatric girl), and Geddy who is the fuzziest little guy and my avatar picture.

 

[iheartscience]

Haven, your babies are adorable! But you''re making me think it would be a good idea to get another kitty since I only have three! I love the photo of Geddy with his little white toes stretched out-adorable!

Glad I wandered over here-I''m trying to avoid writing a paper so I was looking for something fun to read! Your Haven sounds awesome and is something I would totally love to do. I sometimes think of hobbies I would enjoy but then I just don''t know how to start. I love to learn new things and it''s so hard to do that as an adult! (Calligraphy was the last hobby I thought of that I would enjoy but I couldn''t find a class in my area so then I just got over it!)

I loved reading about your first time reading-it made me wish I could remember mine! I''m a big reader as well, and so are my two sisters and my mom. I remember going to the library in the summer once or twice a week with my mom and twin sister and checking out giant stacks of books to read. I love reading and I will read pretty much anything-fiction, nonfiction, newspaper articles, Literature with a capital L, beach reads, etc. I blow through books and can never really find enough books that I want to read because once I discover a great author I finish all of his or her books within a few weeks!

I''m going to have to check out your fave books that I haven''t already read. BTW-I love The Things They Carried! I forgot about that book but I should reread it soon!

 

[somethingshiny]

Haven~ Sorry to read about your back!

Recently, I''ve been reading a lot of biographies. I just finished a biography on Henry VIII''s "concubine". I go through phases of genre. I have everything from true crime to classics, essay collections to science fiction, religion to fishing and back again. I read encyclopedias too. The worst books I ever read: Moby Dick (okay, I still haven''t read the WHOLE thing) and Fahrenheit 451. I have dozens of "favorites".

 

[Haven]

Thanks, Thing2! What''s your favorite book? Or your top 3? I''ve been searching for some good feel-good reads lately, and can''t find anything in my own collection.
And that Geddy--he is just the manifestation of cute. I always tell him "Geddy, once upon a time someone decided to draw the cutest little thing in the whole wide world and that drawing came to life and here you are!" He really is so cute, he looks like a cartoon character.

somethingshiny--I like Farenheit! I''m going to check out that biography during my next biography kick. I go through serious reading phases, right now I''m on "chick lit", I suppose.

It''s so fun to read everyone''s positive responses to the Haven, it''s almost as if writing about it here has brought it back to the top of my priority list. I really want to get it up and running within the next few years. Well, I want to be running the classes, at least. I know the residence-learning will take a bit longer, but I''d like to start something soon.

I''ve been toying with the idea of hosting day-long workshops in my house for friends and friends-of-friends, just to get a feel for the work that goes into it. My mom can teach calligraphy, and we could drum up a few good classes. Would it be weird to go to someone''s house for something like that? I''d only charge the cost of the materials.

Other than the Haven, I''ve been in horrible back pain since last Thursday morning. I was laid up until Sunday, and then I came back to work this week which hasn''t helped. I left after my junior English class Monday, but I''ve stuck it out for full-days the rest of the week. I''m worried that I slipped a disk (disc?) because I have nerve pain in my right leg now, but we''ll see.

I''m also having the hardest time decorating our new house. I''m not a great decorator, and I find all these inspiration rooms and whatnot, but I can''t seem to pull it together in my own home. Maybe I''ll post pictures this weekend for some help . . . (kind of like a PS Rate My Space!)

 

[somethingshiny]

Sorry your back''s been giving you so much trouble.

I don''t think it would be weird to do a class/classes. I''ve had mini-classes on assorted things, whatever a friend happens to be good at. Even things like origami are fun to learn.


I really didn''t like Fahrenheit. It always seemed to start in the middle of a story. WHY are books banned? Who decided? Who let them?? Also, going by the year it was written, it was basically saying MY generation was allowing this to happen. I realize it''s fiction, but still, it became so popular at the time, I wonder if the readers fathomed it would happen-like we would be that awful.

 

[Harleigh]

Yay! Another favorite PS''er of mine has her own thread now! I can''t wait to learn more about you, Haven!