Unemployed

I have been rather ungently ushered into the frightening world of the unemployed.  Last Friday was my last day of work.

I have already filed my claim for unemployment and have been looking for work for some time.  Knowing that it will likely take some time before I can actually find another job, I have decided to treat my lampworking and jewelry making as a business.  So...each morning at 8:00 I go to work.  I even have a schedule to which I am trying to adhere.

Every day I am melting glass for at least an hour and completing one piece of jewelry to add to my inventory.

I also have allowed time to choose glass, colors, clean up and look for ideas and learn new skills.

I am not buying anything new at the moment.  The challenge is to see how much I can make with what is already at hand.  And should I run out of things to do or grow bored, I still have to stain the back deck and the remodeled bathroom requires paint.

Fifty-two

Last week one of my preschoolers wanted to know how old I was.  I told him I was old.  I was sooooo old that I couldn't remember how old I was.  Well, that didn't fly.  He looked at me with a great deal of skepticism and said, "Nuh uh!"  I relented and told him I was fifty-two.

About this time another child, who was avidly listening to this conversation contributes this little nugget--"Teacher, you aren't old!"  Then she moved on to the really important stuff..."I'm five!"  she reported, showing me five fingers, in case I didn't get it.

This little conversation started me thinking.  What if we all were to consider our age a matter of great pride?  We have managed to live to be five, fifteen, thirty-five, fifty!  What if instead of bemoaning our age--which we can't do anything about anyway--we were to celebrate it?  What if we used our birthday as a time to look back over the year and see all the things we accomplished?

Guess what?  I'm fifty-two!!!!!  I'm still married twenty-nine years later to my first husband...I bought a new camera and am learning to use it.  I learned how to blog!!!  I paid off another debt!  I tried vegan cooking!  It doesn't matter what we decide to do, we just need to continue learning new things, or maybe just being excited about the old things we know.  Or how about doing new things with our old knowledge.  I learned how to crochet dishclothes!  I started a new exercise routine--Zumba!  Whatever...just pick something.