Christmas Cards for 2014

You would think that since I retired six months ago, my Christmas cards would have been snipped ages ago.  Not so.  I've busied myself with everything but snipping.  Once I got down to crunch time though, I enjoyed the task.  This year's batch are pleasing to me but they are more simple than those done in years past. Here are a few of them.

 

 

 

 

 

Back to Snippyville

It seems that my time these days is filled with everything except snipping. Though I am retired, I have felt as though I have no time for my artwork. Now that the holiday season is here, I have got to get to work. Christmas cards won't cut themselves.So, it's time to head down to Snippyville to get my work done.

Planning

It seems very odd to me, but I haven't quite gotten hold of what I am supposed to be doing now that all my pals are back at school.  Don't get me wrong, I have no desire to join them, but I feel as though I am spinning my wheels a lot during the day.  My retired friends encourage me to not sweat the feeling that I should be accomplishing great things.  That's tough.

For the past 30 years I have recorded what I need to do for every hour in the work day.  Teaching a different class every hour of the work day made me very time oriented.  I even feel a bit freakish about how much I am a stickler for being on time and about organizing my day.

The first official act I took as a retiree was to buy myself a plan book. It makes me feel as though I have meaningful things to do and helps me keep my plans straight. I do wonder if I will ever outgrow the need to constantly plan and keep track of the minutiae of my day.

Tidy Retirement

I am wondering what retirement holds for me.  Though I have have 30 years' worth of summer vacations, off from school with which to practice, they have been spent with deadlines in mind.  Parts of my summers were always spent trying to reinvigorate my lessons.  The creative part of me got a good push because the time to do it was so short.  It was a kind of "now or never" thing.

My first day of retirement, I got some of my goals knocked off my "to do" list.  I applied for substitute teaching and I checked out an artisans' gallery.  The subbing will be an occassional thing, meant to fund vacations and play.  The artisans' gallery didn't look that promising.  The artist behind the reception desk said that it was pretty slow there.  His lack of enthusiasm didn't inspire me into donating 20 hours every 2 months and for giving up 30% of my sales.

So now I am looking around online, checking out all the arty stuff I have not had the time to oogle at the last few years.  What's etsy like these days?  How are crafts fairs doing now?  Are there any teaching or craft sales opportunities I don't know anbout?

Hopefully, in retirement, I will be inspired to do a heck of a lot more than to keep a tidy house.

Retirement.....the Rest of My Life Begins

The last weeks of school were tough.  For one thing, everything that I didn't give away or haul home, had to be packed up for summer storage and cleaning.  Three days before the end of school, I found out that the room I was in was no longer going to be an art room.  So, I had to go back and pack everything ........... EVERYTHING........... in boxes and on carts so it could be moved downstairs.  Ugh.  A little more notice would have been nice.

Then there was grading and finishing projects.

And there were parties.  Retirement parties and gatherings.  This was the nice part.  The instructional assistants gave me a party.  We ate all sorts of dishes from their home countries.  We danced and we laughed.  Three of the I.As, who were from Egypt and Iran, belly danced!  It was so much fun.  I am going to miss those ladies so much.

My art, music and p.e. team honored me at our end of the year picnic and that was a lot of fun.  More laughing. Lots more eating.

The art teachers served by the closest high school took me out to eat at my favorite restaurant.  I love that bunch of ladies.

The school honored me and the assistant principal, who was also retiring.  We did a crazy dance routine in orange wigs.  We twerked.  We Wu Tanged.  We Stanky Legged.  You would not believe what we did.  It was a big hit.  (I would post the video but I don't want to see myself on some tv show as "crazy old ladies twerking.")

And then the school board honored retirees at a formal ceremony.

On the last day, I took pictures with special friends and missed photo ops with even more special friends.  I crammed my truck with way too many books and supplies that I just couldn't leave behind and I drove myself home.

Now the unpacking begins and I am left figuring out how to spend my "golden" years.

Eleven Days Left

Third graders... I have taught some of these kids since they were in preschool. I will miss spending time with 8 year olds who must be the happiest people on the planet.

The time is flying by faster than I would have imagined.  As of this morning, there were only 11 days left in my full time teaching career.   It is incredibly exciting, but I admit that it is a little scary too.

Retirement Countdown

A second grader asked me today why I had a picture of Sacajawea on my door and why she had a number by her. "Is that how old she is?"

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