Anti-Procrastination Day

I am trying to follow the FlyLady system of organization. Today is Wednesday, which means it's Anti-Procrastination Day. Each week I pick a project to work on. This week, I am going to clean the shelf above my computer. That may not sound ambitious, but it has needed cleaning for years. That is the point of Anti-Procrastination Day. It is the day to work on things that you have been trying to ignore. I can no longer ignore this shelf, so clean it I must!

Family

I spent yesterday with family that I haven't seen in a while. In many ways, I was reminded of why I don't see them often.

I actually went to visit my grandfather, who has been in a nursing home for over 8 years following a stroke. He was not doing well, despite my father telling me that my grandfather was doing better yesterday than he had been the day before. I really went to tell my grandfather goodbye. This was really to provide me with closure more than anything else. He is not cognizant enough to really notice that I was there. I'm glad I went. The next time I go up there will probably be for a funeral.

My grandmother (aka Granny) was happy to see me, and I was just as happy to see her again. She is a lot of fun, most of the time. That is, she is a lot of fun when she isn't busy trying to beat you over the head with Jesus. Most of our time was spent talking about family and touring our hometown of Sanford. The tour was mostly for my husband Roy's benefit, because he had been to Sanford in the past but had never taken a guided tour of it. We went downtown, past Lake Monroe, through the old Swedish neighborhood, and to the cemetery where our family is buried. We also saw the house where Granny was born, an old bungalow built in 1922. That was nice. I want to visit Granny again soon.

We visited my great uncle Sonny. He is now in a nursing home, but he is there because needs help taking care of himself. He is not in the same nearly-vegetative state as my grandfather. He actually seems to enjoy living there. All he needs is some music, he prefers the old crooners, and his Oz books.

My father is a different story. He is a very angry man, and he was less than pleased to see me. I will be spending as little time with him as possible in the future. Actually, I feel really bad for him. He was a teacher for over 30 years, but he never learned to be happy with himself. Now, he has aged much too fast, and he looks older than my 71-year-old husband does. Sad.

I guess other people have normal families. I have this one.

Genealogy Blog Up and Running!

I have created a genealogy blog, specifically for me to post genealogy-specific items that may not be of general interest.

My genealogy blog can be found here: Berit's Adventures in Genealogy

Happy Birthday to me!

Today is my birthday.  I am 36 years old.  Unlike many people my age, I still like my birthday.  My Mom called me to wish me a Happy Birthday, and several people have posted greetings to me in Facebook.  I am spending the day at home trying not to do much school work and doing some work on my newest creation.

Speaking of my newest creation, I have decided to revamp my genealogy page.  I have had this page for some time, but the information on it is old.  I am updating the information and refreshing the page, complete with new background and a brand spanking new css file.  I have discovered the joy and convenience of the css file, and I intend to make it work for my website.

I have also decided to create a blog just for my genealogical findings.  At present, this makes sense to me.  We shall see how much sense it makes after I have set up the blog and played with it for a while.

I'll keep you posted.

One Step Closer

I passed my Professional Education test! This was the third and final standardized test I had to take to become a certified teacher. I have not completed everything I need to be certified yet, but I am one step closer.

Spinning Wheels

I have finished the colorwork and the neck on the sweater. I just need to sew up the neck, graft the underarms, and weave in the ends. Tomorrow. I don't have time to finish it tonight.

I am taking my third exam tomorrow, and I haven't studied nearly as much as I was thinking I would. Sickness sucks. I am going to review a few things tonight and hope for the best tomorrow.

Update

I haven't posted for a while, so my New Year's Resolution is to be a better blogger. Here's what's happening right now:

1. I am desperately trying to finish knitting a sweater I could have sworn I was going to have finished about two weeks ago. That didn't quite pan out, so I am trying to justify knitting instead of doing schoolwork. Perhaps starting this sweater between Christmas and the beginning of the spring term was a Bad Idea.

2. I am trying really hard not to be sucked back into doing genealogy at a time when I need to concentrate on my schoolwork. This is working better for me than finishing the sweater is, but the lure of genealogy is very strong. It lurks on the edge of my thinking at all times, waiting to pounce when my defenses are down.

3. I am taking three classes toward my master's degree in Elementary Education during the spring term. This is where my energy should be focused. However, I find my spirit flagging in the current economic crisis. Florida's legislature has decided to solve the state's current budget crisis by cutting education spending -- again. After all, who needs education? Our legislators certainly don't!

4. I am taking the last of my three state exams for teacher certification next week. I should also put some energy into studying for it.

5. I am applying for teaching jobs. I hope to begin teaching in the fall. I am currently finishing the application process. I will begin working on my resume next week, probably after I finish my exam.

I really need to finish that sweater.