32. Take a jewelry making class

I really wanted to go and take an actual workshop to make jewelry but I think this is going to suffice, and I will cross this task off the list!

A few months ago a local artist came to Alcatraz and did a jewelry making workshop. She's published several books about the art of jewelry making and she... well, she makes a living as an artist and this is one of her skills. I will lucky enough to go to high school with her and begged her to come do this, and she did! Because this was one of my ideas and library activities, I got to participate, too!

Above are some of the supplies. The blue handled gadgets are tools to punch holes in metal. In the wooden leaf bowl is foreign money and then the middle container is all beads.

We all had a chance to make "pirate necklaces", since we did this the week before Pirates of the Caribbean 4 came out. The kids all thought I put the workshop instructor up to it since they know of my obsession with Johnny Depp! Too funny!

Anyway, each of us was allowed to select a coin, a few beads and some cord. We also had to have clasps and hasps to put it all together.

Below is a picture of one of the workshop attender's punching a hole in a coin.

Above is a picture of one of the attendees flattening the hasp and taking the shine off it, so it looks more pirate-y!

Here is a picture of all the necklaces we made that day!

And finally, here's the necklace I made. I gave it to ITSam because I thought it looked manly. And because I'd never given him jewelry.

It was a good time and I liked doing it. This artist does workshops all over the country and she does some that are fancy and expensive and other times she does small ones that are affordable. I want to take one where I can do something extensive with beads, maybe a beaded necklace or a bracelet?

But it was fun to make our pirate necklaces and it was clever to use her left over foreign money and the kids had a good time, and do did I!

Love,
Maggie

Maybe I will and maybe I won't...

I have a feeling my 40 Before 40 List is a bust. Not because I'm choosing to give up, but because time and money are influencing some of these things. I don't think I'll accomplish all these things.

I didn't dye a streak of pink in my hair while I was on break for two reasons: 1) Mac kept busting my ass about it, saying something about me being too old to do it and I'll look stupid; and, 2) I'm afraid it wouldn't wash out before I had to go back to school.

I'm not going to get any Russian novels read, no matter the translation and I won't get 7 classics read before then either, mostly because I don't feel like reading any classics right now. I have a good list of books to read, none of them to do with classics or Russia.

I'm going back on Weight Watchers on Monday so I think the Backed Alaska and the homemade bread are both bad ideas.

I have about 2 months left so learning to play an instrument in that short time isn't going to happen. Same with subscribing to a magazine...

Due to $$$$, a mini- road trip to somewhere I've never been is out, and unless a blogging buddy comes to me, that's probably out for the same reasons.

Because I'm the epitome of lazy, I really don't think I'll attend a synagogue because I have to find one and then drive an 1 and then go. I hate doing some stuff alone. I also don't feel like volunteering at a charity. I feel like I do so much stuff for the kids at Alcatraz on my own time, I just don't have what it takes to go somewhere else and volunteer right now. I'm selfish, I realize.

I've given some thought to changing some things on the list to fit what I can do but that doesn't seem right.

I'm debating whether or not I want to finish the list since so many things aren't going to happen at all. I have two things I've done that I need to blog about, and I have pictures to go with one of them, and I'll still do it but I'm not sure about the rest. The jury is out.

Mags

Big thank yous!

This college business is really expensive. When I heard Mac was getting a full ride (basically) this year I wasn't worried. But now we're buying stuff for his dorm room and I should've been worried! It's like furnishing a mini-apartment! I have no idea why this thought process didn't dawn on me before, but since it has, it's an incredible amount of money!

The school sent this huge list of stuff and we've started the shopping and gathering process.

I'm thankful for those who are helping! D-Nice sent Mac this awesome bedding set and it's beautiful! He loves it! Thank you! Curly helped with all sorts of miscellaneous things he needs like a flashlight and batteries, a blender, a set of sheets, some food, closet organizers, and all sorts of those "mom would buy" stuffs- thank you!!! ITSam got the microwave covered as a late graduation gift. Daddy-O got (is getting?) a new cord for Mac's Bose headphones and is sacrificing his beer fridge for Mac to take to college- thank you!!! Auntie Booknut is loaning her van for the take him to college on the first day, and because she's an office supplies lover like me, she's outfitting his entire desk with all the necessary supplies as a special to Mac from his Best Auntie- thank you!!!

This is all in addition to the stuff I got him like sheets, towels, laundry supplies, a desk lamp, an alarm clock, new clothes, a box fan (since he picked the only dorm on campus with no central air!) and all his toiletries. I can't believe all the stuff he still needs (an XL twin mattress pad... Wally World does NOT carry these!)!

I think when a school says full ride, they should also include this stuff! I'm really happy for the things he already had like a scientific calculator, pillows, a Bible...

I'm not complaining at all, I'm just amazed at the amount of things. It's been fun to shop for this stuff. Mac LOVES red so we've gotten all sorts of stuff in red and black, so it looks really cool. I think it will be fun to help him unpack all this and get his room set up. I'm really excited that he wants me to help him set up his room, too! (I had this dreaded feeling that I'd pick him up in 6 weeks for a long visit home and find stuff still in Wal-Mart sacks, boxes with tags still attached.)

Thanks for everyone who's helping (or helped!!!). I couldn't do it without you!!!!

22 days until take off...
Mac's mom,
Maggie

Work starts sooner rather than the much desired later

Because I have a child going to college in 23 days and because I'm financially desperate, I've agreed to fill in for a person at this weekend at my weekend receptionist job, both Friday and Saturday nights. On my last weekend of my entire summer vacation. Yes, I'm a glutton. I have no one to blame but myself. But it's filling in for a great guy who I have a sort of an "old man" (He's around 74 but is AWESOME!) crush on so I would cover for him anytime. And he covered for me about a million times last school year so I could go to everything Mac. But it all happened in about 7 phone calls.

This has been an interesting week. No one from school nor front desk have called me all month long for anything. But not this week! This week I've had one work call after another. Is it because my vacay is winding down so I just need to adapt and people are beyond caring? I just thought it was funny that it seemed like everyone "respected" my vacation until the last week when I was consumed by a plethora of calls.

My principal called me with a few things. This coming year we're going to have 2 male PE teachers, and no female ones. I guess one of my new "responsibilities" is that I'll have locker room duty for three periods a day. It means I'll have to stand outside the locker room and be ready to go in to break up fights or anything else that might be inappropriate.

On the good side, he did say that he's found a stipend for me since I'm doing an art group since our art department was cut entirely. And our company's grant writer called me and asked me what I wanted for the art group as far as supplies and she's going to write a grant for it. That's awesome! Oh, and back to the principal, he asked me if I wanted to direct the school play this coming year and if I say yes, then I will also get a stipend.

Another work phone call informed me that I missed my TB test so I have to get to the county health nurse to do it before Aug. 5. This was about 3 phone calls, and counting.

Finally, I had another strange job offer. We have students who don't live on our campus but they go to our school. These kids don't have an assigned adult to monitor them during lunch. I'm hired for that gig, and I'll make about $15 a day to walk these kids to lunch, eat at the same table with them, and then sit with them until the bell. I know all these kids and they're pretty awesome.

Looks like work looms but with that is going to come some good money-making opportunities!

Mags

The end is near

I have 4 days of summer vacation left.

I'm so NOT ready to go back yet. I LOVE my job but I LOVE summer vacay.

I'm selfish, I know. I think it's because I know it will be the last time I have a break this long. I'm going to start hitting the resume/ job hunting thing again, hard. I need to make $30k or more, and get some benefits. And anything job-wise in the real world does not let a person have a month of vacation.

Ugh, back to school Aug. 1.

Yea.

Pouting,
Maggie

Weird random thoughts for a Tuesday

In the movie Pretty Woman, most of the clothes that Julia Robert's character tries or or buys is back in style now. Is that good or bad? And I also noted how young Robert's voice is in that movie. A young sounding voice is an odd thing to say, but still, she sounds young.

The heat here is terrible. I live in the wrong place. I should live where it never, ever gets this hot. I was told I should live in Ireland. Well, I think I knew that! Someone from there pointed out that they don't have central air because it never gets this hot, that the sort of heat we have here would make it too hot to do anything, including sex. I think central air makes it possible to have sex in this sort of heat...

Many years ago I had a collection of Disney villain statues. A Sam I was living with many, many years ago bought them for me. They were breakable but I don't remember if they were porcelain or some resin or something. Anyway, when he and I broke up he took them back- the ass. I've always wanted another set. I had Captain Hook, Malificent, Cruella, Ursula, Cinderella's Evil Step-Mother, and The Evil Queen (in Snow White). I had these on a shelf in my office, when I was in social work. What was funny is that the kids I worked with always laughed because they said I was the furthest thing from a villain. The thing is, I can identify with the villains better than I can the Princesses. I'm weird.

Should I send meds to college with Mac? I got him Tylenol, hydrogen- peroxide, band aids, cotton balls... but should I give him some Day-Quil and Night-Quil in his stash so if he needs it if he gets sick?

I want to smack Mac most of the time. I love him and I'm a pacifist but I really feel like smacking him, most of the time. A friend of my father's said that the reason our kids are jerks before they go to college is because it's God's way of us letting them leave the nest without losing our minds. I really think she's right. And I really hope she knows what she's talking about! I'd take him to school today if I could.

Mags

Quiet time

Mac*, Daddy-O and I all crave our alone time. Daddy-O's house is an open concept and the only place to close a door to a room is his bedroom and "my" bathroom. If you get a good head of steam and want to throw a big ole hissy fit and slam a door, your options are obviously severely limited.

Anyway, we all crave our alone time. Mac, being an only child and used to having his own room, is a kid who always likes to be alone. I've been an on my own grown up with my own place until Christmas 2008. Daddy-O, believe it or not, got used to having the house to himself after my mom died. So sometimes, all three of us go a little stark raving mad being around each other all time, especially lately because it's hotter than hell and no one wants to go outside in the heat.

Daddy-O and I often take off together and Mac gets the house to himself that way. During the school year Daddy-O gets the house to himself while Mac and I were at school. Mac and I also take off together, or he goes with his friends and I go with mine. I have found that I often don't have alone time. Mac and Daddy-O don't seem to ever leave at the same time (maybe I should give them money and my car and send them to see a movie together! ).

So this morning, I woke up early, about 7:02 am, give or take. Rather than roll over and going back to bed, I actually came downstairs and made a pot of coffee and sat on the sofa to read. It was like being alone and I loved it. I like the stillness of the quiet, of not hearing other people move or breathe.

Then I heard Mac turn his video game on and the moment was lost. Oh, he didn't come downstairs or anything, but the spell was broken. Then father emerged from his room and the began.

While I'm certainly NOT a morning person, there is something to be said for getting up early.

Now none of this is meant in a mean way at all, and no one really does anything to disturb each other purposely when we're all home together; often Mac is upstairs with headphones on and in silence and Daddy-O and I are sitting quietly in the living room or dining room, reading or crafting. I'm really not complaining and I'm certainly grateful that Daddy-O gave us a place to live. None of us ever intended for it to turn out like this, so I'm really not complaining!

Sometimes it's nice just to have the house all to yourself...

Maggie

*(Pardon me while I pontificate on a subject apropos to nothing. When I first typed "Mac" I miss- key stroked and typed "Mad". Is that my subconscious trying to tell me something? He's mad as in insane or angry? Or am I just "mad" at him and ready for him to leave for college? Or all of the above???)