Graduation. I Did It.

I did it. On December 20th, I walked into Crisler Arena, and wore the traditional cap and gown and hood of a University of Michigan Graduate. After 10 years...I did it!

Can you see me? Underneath the sign for "Natural Resources & the Environment".

The procession of all the REALLY important people...

The speaker at commencement? Jeff Daniels!!!

Me...holding the school's sign...on the way up to the stage.

And walking back to my seat, after shaking hands with the Provost (whom I have never met), and the Dean (whom I have never met).

My proud son...

Acting goofy!!

Me and Joe...after I graduated...in front of the whole Arena.

The closeup of my hood...the color is Russet.

Good news...and a possible future (part-time) career

So, sometimes when a door is slammed in your face, something else might present itself. And...it did.

In a roundabout way, and because of a good friend whom I owe massive baked goods to...I was offered an Adjunct Faculty Professor Position at Lawrence Technological University. Holy Crow. I still can't believe it, even as I type it out!!!

I will be teaching one class this January (GIS and Land Use Planning) to Civil Engineering students. However, LTU has asked me to develop some other courses for this Fall - in Sustainability, Ecological Design, Environmental Ethics, or something similar.

It isn't going to pay the bills, but this has opened up my mind for so many possibilities for the future. I don't know what I am going to do...but I am excited for some of the potentials that I might be able to pursue...

And Yes...you have to call me Professor from now on!! :)

Bunk Beds and Hunting

Santa made an early visit to the Lawson House this year...to deliver a Bunk Bed. Boy, this was interesting.

First, let me tell you WHY Little Joe wanted a bunkbed...

To. Be. Closer. To. His. Yellow. Grandma. Yes - you read that correctly.

He called my mom (Denise) his "Yellow Grandma". Not sure why, but he did. Anyways, before she passed away, she was quite spiritual, believing in spirits that return to the world that we live in, and making sure that their loved ones are safe. And, according to him, she visits him. Often. And sings to him. And hangs out near the ceiling in his room. So...he wanted a bunk bed, so he could sleep on the top, and be closer to her. (Yes, let the tears commence...)



So, now we have a bunk bed in his room. The boys went away for a Saturday (hunting), and I had a girlfriend help me pick up the bed from ArtVan, bring it home and assemble it over the course of a long afternoon. Ugh. But...the boy is happy!!!

And - here are some of my favorite pics of the boys...on their way up north to go hunting!!
They sat in Dad's blind for a few hours. Well, maybe 2 hours. According to Little Joe, they saw 6 DEER!!!

The Inevitable...

Well, for those of you who I haven't told...


It. Happened.


I received my official layoff papers. Yep. I am officially laid off as of January 8th. However, I had a lot of sick days to use, before I lost them, so my last day at the office was December 18th. And I am (cough, cough) sick until January 8th. At which time, I will be unemployed. I will be receiving all of my vacation days paid out, so I essentially have a total of 6 weeks off, paid.

However, that doesn't mean that I am not busting my rear end to find a job...I am following lots of leads, and I REALLY hope that the right one presents itself. The Holidays are a tough time to be looking for a job. Nobody thinks about work during the Holidays. Heck, I certainly don't want to!!

So, I am going to be doing things around the house, spending time with the family, working on things that I have wanted to do for a while, make wine, organize files, clean out the basement, etc. So...if you are in the area, give me a call. I have NOTHING on my calendar for the next few weeks...and I'd love to see ya!!

No Cheating.

I learned my lesson the hard way. I thought I was being so coy, so sneaky, and I figured that everything would be OK...

Yeah, right.

I thought that I could eat some of the frosting off of the top of a cake that we had at home. Yes, I realized that there were little crumbs of cake (i.e GLUTEN!!!!) on the bottom of the frosting...but I thought that didn't matter!! Stupid me.

I was so sick the next afternoon. My stomach was cramped and I felt miserable.

So - lesson learned...and this is my warning to myself!!! Do Not Eat Anything That Has EVER TOUCHED ANYTHING WITH GLUTEN!!!!!

The Little Artist AND the Vintner.

Little Joe came home from school with this piece of artwork. He was extremely proud, and I thought it was quite colorful...until he started to explain to me WHO the artist was whose style and precedent he was following. HUH? He said it was Keith Haring.

Who? Keith Haring (May 4, 1958 – February 16, 1990) was an artist and social activist whose work responded to the New York City street culture of the 1980s.

So...I did what any proud mom would have done. I framed it, and hung it in the kitchen, for all to see.

And, on the Vintner front...My husband is freaking AWESOME!!! He gave me my Christmas gift early this year...because he wanted to make sure I had something to keep me busy. He So Rocks. He got me a whole wine-making setup. SWEET!!!

There is a place in Livonia, only about 4 miles away. I never even knew it was there...but he found it!! I'm going to start with a Chardonnay. I'll be sure to put up pics and blog about it. I'm not sending all my readers a bottle though. sorry.

Christmas Tree!!!!

We decided to get our tree this year on a weekend that was nice and warm, and when Big Joe would be home...(it IS hunting season, you know!!) So...we went to get the tree early in December.

We drove to a U-cut place on Willow Road, owned by some friends of the MIL. They grow Douglas Firs...which are PERFECT for hanging ornaments - they are soft. (Friendly Firs!!)

Little Joe...standing in front of the still standing tree. Yes, it was entirely too tall to fit in our house, but it had such great shape...

Little Joe helped me with the ornaments...and hung most of them on ONE BRANCH. I had to explain to him the theory of BALANCE...and why you can't hang all of your favorite ornaments on the same branch.



We also had a bit of a mishap this year...I had a big "cleaning/donation" session this Fall, and gave a TON of boxes to Purple Heart. Including:

The. Tree. Lights.

Yup...I gave away all of the tree lights that we had...stupid me. So, I have been slowly replacing them. I borrowed some from our neighbors, only to find out that they were still using those big outdoor lights that get ridiculously hot when plugged in. My wonderful husband suggested that I not use those, as he didn't want the house burned down. Nice.

And the finished product...

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies

Oh dear goodness. I found a local bakery that makes GF peanut butter cookies! They aren't labeled as such, but I called the bakery (it's actually a woman and her daughter that are doing this as a small business venture...) Anyways, YUM!! dipped in a little bit of chocolate, and soft and chewy and PERFECT!!!! http://www.suezdelites.com/ Check it out!!!!

Detroit's Urban Core -

This is a part of a rant I had about Detroit and the loss of it's urban core.

Maybe this MIGHT be some of the D's problems? Too much land to handle????

Isn't this FUN???

Today's horoscope: Be thankful for what you have. A recent change may have you doubtful, but time will show this change was for the better.   Hmmm..  Today is my last working day at my office.  Am I sad?  Yes.  Am I happy?  Yes.  Am I scared out of my mind?  Yes.  Will I be OK?  Yes.  I have alot on my mind right now, and I have SO much that I need to get done.  For work, for school, for life in general.  And I know things are slipping through the cracks.  My sense of stability is gone right now, but I can't let that stop me.  I need to pick up the pieces and keep going.  I know things will be tough for the next few days/weeks/etc.  I have SOME options, but none of those options are the perfect option...sigh.    Much love to you all...I will be putting up a slew of pictures from my blog backlog over the weekend.

Concertgoing - an open letter to Mom.

Dear Mom -   You would be be so proud of the choir if you saw them now.  I mean, I know that you were probably there watching anyways, but I really want you to know how amazing they were last night.  First of all, the concert was at Pease.  The acoustics there are great - MUCH better than Emmanuel!  But, that aside, the choir gave a fantastic performance.  The soloists were beautiful, there was one woman that I didn't recognize who had a solo...she started out very quiet and shy, but she had the sweetest tone to her voice when she really came in singing.  So pretty. They did all the favorite christmas songs, a few new ones that I hadn't heard before...but overall, it was wonderful.   I brought Little Joe with me, you know how I want him to be exposed to music as much as possible.  He thought that the auditorium was really cool - but mostly because we sat way up in the balcony.  The view was great up there.    After intermission, the band came out and performed...they only did 3 pieces, but...WOW!  The first piece was an amazing organ piece that shook the entire auditorium.  Little Joe thought that it was too loud.  They finished with the Russian Christmas piece by Reed.  I remember when I played this - the horn was is AWESOME!!  The band sounded great - the brass section really played well...such a big sounding piece...but they didn't overdo it at all.  (Little Joe still covered his ears though...I think he is sensitive to loud music).    But the best of all, was the finale...with both the choir and the band performing Handel's Messiah 'Hallelujah Chorus'.  Holy. Crow.  Of course, everyone stood...(as we had learned that on March 23, 1743, The Messiah was performed for the 1st time in London, England. Present was the King of England. The king was so moved by the singing of the "Hallelujah Chorus," he spontaneously stood to his feet and remained standing until the end of Handel's masterpiece. (And when the king stands up, EVERYBODY stands up.) Ever since that day, it has been customary for the audience to stand whenever the "Hallelujah Chorus" is sung.)   Anyways - so, everyone is standing, the choir is singing their hearts out, the band was playing, the organ pulled out all the stops...and....   Wow.   Tears.   Little Joe turned around at one point and said to me "Mom - are you crying AGAIN?" Hee!  He knows me too well.    I hope that you had a chance to listen to the concert - I'm sure that you would be so proud of the choir - they have done a fantastic job.  I didn't get a chance to talk to many of the members - it was late, so we didn't go to the afterglow at Tower Inn - maybe next concert.    Love you, jen

Feeling Humble and Insignificant..

I can't tell you what they all are - but I know most of them.  And...wow.    http://www.detnews.com/article/20091209/SPECIAL01/91209001   This is the top 100+ photos of the last decade from the Associated Press (AP).  Check it out...and bring the tissues.

MIA...sorry.

I've been absent for a while...Sorry. My life kind of got flip-turned upside down. but, it will all be OK.

Positive#1: I will be teaching a course at Lawrence Tech Univ. this January.
Positive#2: Little Joe and I watched our wedding video together last night.
Negative#1: The ax fell. I was laid off, and my "official" last day is January 8th. (I won't be in the office after December 18th though).
Negative#2: I have a chemistry paper due in roughly 56 hours. That I haven't really started.

There are a ton of things that I need to add to the blog...all in good time. Pictures, funny stories, sad stories, you know, life. Please be patient with me as I sort out things right now. I have lots to tell you -

Rockin'

One of my favorite songs (for no other reason than the mere mention of "Detroit") is Journey's Don't Stop Believin'. Yes, it is a 80's hair band song...but it's got a great rhythm, and the lyrics are pretty cool...but the best part is when your awesome little boy decides that he likes to rock out to your favorite part of the song too...(you have to go to the website to see this, not in email).

I really hope the video works!!!

Just a city boy...Born and raised in South Detroit...

Good things happening...

Positive#1: I have realized that I have a lot of really amazing friends.
Positive#2: Little Joe started reading another book last night..."I Am the Turkey".
Negative#1: I don't have a very good feeling about work right now. Kind of like a pending doom...
Negative#2: I didn't run the dishwasher, which means I have to do it tonight. Not a big bad thing, but another nod to my inability to do things that I know need to be done. (i.e. PROCRASTINATION!!!)

It's getting tough to think of positives and negatives for the previous day. Not because there aren't enough moments to choose from...I guess I'm still in that funk...which is affecting me. Whatever.

I'm really looking forward to this weekend. I have lots of things going on:
1. tomorrow morning, my best friend and I are planning on going to the gym for a pre-turkey spinning class. Yes, she's the only other person crazy like me to get up this early and do this. but, then I don't feel quite so guilty about eating Thanksgiving dinner!
2. Thanksgiving dinner. YEAH!!!
3. Black Friday shopping. Yup - I'm one of those crazy people who get up at 1 AM to get in line at the stores to get some crazy good deal. Thing is, this year, there isn't really too much that I need/want. There are some small things that I'd like to get for the boys for Xmas, but not necessary. It's more about the tradition that Denise started with me. And I have chosen to continue it.
4. On Saturday evening, my 3 "sisters" are coming over for dinner. Yeah!

Other than those things, I'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend, interspersed with homework and reading science journals. Joy.

In a funk...

Positive#1: I found an awesome recipe for gluten-free chocolate cake that is simple with no freakishly weird ingredients!!
Positive#2: the GLRI RFP came out. OK - I know this is work-related, but it has been a long time coming, and it may provide additional work for this region.
Negative#1: OK, so the career news isn't as great as I thought it was going to be...back to the hunt.
Negative#2: I need to not use my cell phone. If I don't call you, that's why.

I'm in a funk today. Life never goes as planned, and that frustrates me. things were just supposed to go a certain way - and they haven't, and they probably won't. (Wow, I'm being a pessimist!) anyways - I just need to dust myself off and start again. darnit all!

Little Joe did an amazing thing last night...He read an entire book by himself. Not a easy one either. I had to help with only a handful of words. And it took him a half hour to read it - but he didn't give up...and he finished it. I was SO PROUD!!! And, the best part...he was proud of himself too. What a rockstar.

Looking towards Turkey Day

Positive#1: Turkey Day is in 3 days. 'nuff said.
Positive#2: I found a recipe to make for dinner on Saturday night for my "sisters". Yeah!!
Negative#1: I was a little but lazy this weekend...I felt sluggish and didn't want to do anything. and now I feel guilty about it.
Negative#2: I'm thinking about cancelling Little Joe's piano lessons. He is good, but he doesn't want to put forth the effort to practice. and I don't want to force him.

I'm looking forward to this weekend...friends will be home, family will be around, lots of football, food and fun. There are some longstanding traditions that we will pay homage to...and of course, there will be pictures. I think Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. No decorations, no cards, no parties - just a big festive stuff-your-face day. My kind of day.

Thanksgiving is also when you can start drinking eggnog. I have a personal rule about this....Eggnog cannot be consumed before Thanksgiving, and after New Year's Day. Copious amount of spiced rum are not required to be mixed in, but highly suggested. Served warm with a little bit of nutmeg on the top. Perfection in a festive mug.

Work will be good this week - lots to do, hopefully some good grant stuff, the GLRI comes out, and this might mean lots of good stuff for the region. Yeah!

Back to Reality

This past week has been a daze for me...too much going on, emotions running high, stress through the roof, and being a hunting widow/single parent for the week.

(there are general for the past week, not specific to yesterday, I'll do a specific list for yesterday later)

Positive#1: my future career plans. I won't go into detail...but just know that it is positive.
Positive#2: Little Joe has been reading a whole lot more...even though I have to push him a bit, he's getting so much better.
Negative#1: I missed Joe like crazy last week, and didn't sleep for crap because of it.
Negative#2: I didn't make it to A2 to but my cap gown and tassel, and now they can't guarantee that everything will be available. (I need to make some time to get there ASAP!!!!)

Joe had a bountiful week up north hunting...He got 2 deer, a buck on Opening Day, and a doe later in the week. (YEAH!!!) I'm very very very happy about this! Meat to fill the freezer! Venison is so good - no crazy hormones pumped into it, and you know exactly where the meat is from. AND, it is very lean - so it is MUCH healthier for you. Love it!

We went to Little Joe's parent-teacher conference on Thursday - he got a very good report card...mostly 2's and a few 3's. She doesn't give out 1's unless they are REALLY overachieving. She said lots of good things about him, and that he is doing very well. she did say that he tends to not pay attention though...so we will have to work on that a little bit. but, over all, a good report.

Lots more stuff that I really can't talk about on here, too public. Just know that EVERYTHING went well...and my future looks VERY bright. call me or email me if you want the details. and thank you ALL for for your love and support. This past week has been an emotional rollercoaster for me, and I made it through with no scrapes, only a smile.

Family Pictures...

These family pics were taken by Joe's cousin...Maegan. She is simply amazing. She needs to go into photography. People would pay major money for quality like this. She did an amazing job!!! There are more - but these are some of my faves. I'll be ordering prints on Snapfish this weekend. Yeah!!

points for anyone who knows where we had them done.....:)

And not least...Little Joe on Halloween...Firefighter Joe. We went to Grandma's neighborhood - and made out like a BANDIT!! He even had to get a grocery bag from someone to hold all the extra stuff that wouldn't fit in his pumpkin! Too cool! Mind you, he didn't eat any of it...he only like PB cups and hershey kisses.

Worn out...

Positive#1: I was able to determine my final project scope for one of my grad classes, and I have a clear direction on what needs to be done.

Positive#2: Little Joe called my Dad and Grandpa to say thank you for their service in the Navy and Army, respectively. My heart swelled with pride and joy. He came up with the idea on his own.

Negative#1: I wasn't very motivated at work, and didn't finish what I should have accomplished.

Negative#2: I didn't do my chemistry homework, and I think I have a short abstract due tonight.

In other news - Little Joe FINALLY lost his front tooth! This is the same one that was knocked loose during a wrestling match with a friend...last night, he and Dad were wrestling, and it came out! Dad even texted me a picture of his toothless grin while I was in class...(I got all teary-eyed!!!) the tooth fairy didn't visit last night, though because he forgot to put it under his pillow...:)

I realized something last night during my drive home...I'm getting to a point of physical exhaustion. I can tell that my temper has a very short fuse, I'm easily irritated by the smallest things, I'm tired all the time, I don't have the energy during the day to concentrate on things. This happens when I try to do too much. And top the hectic to-do list with the stress at work right now...it ain't pretty. This semester is turning out how I expected it, with a big old cherry on the top. I just have 5 more weeks of craziness....maybe 4.

Nonetheless...I'm asking for some patience. I'm asking for some understanding. If I snap at you, if I don't call you back...you know why. If I look exhausted - you know why.