Wordless Wednesday The Nieces and Nephew

The sun came out

The sun came out yesterday and, since it was the MLK holiday, I was able to go out and enjoy it. Seriously, prolonged sunshine and one of the best weather days I have experienced in Oregon since early November.

I went for a long walk around the neighborhood (without my rain gear)! I saw some great mossy/licheny photos that were better than the ones I posted last week. So, I snapped a few. Forgive the fact that they were snapped with the ol' camera phone. The most important part is that you can see the sun in some of these photos.

 

It's Green Even When It's Not

It is the middle of winter... and Corvallis, Oregon is still green. Don't get me wrong: as a self-professed plant geek, I love it. I expected the evergreens... fir, pine, juniper, cedar, and even the Yew. However, the rest of the green is a bit unexpected. There is moss and lichens everywhere.

I snapped a few photos as I've walked around the last couple weeks. This one is a downtown stairwell around the corner from my church.

There is also this great old tree by the library that I walk past each morning on my way to work. there are all sorts of green things growing on this one. 

Wordless Wednesday's Round 2

"What Teachers Make" 

Wordless Wednesday's - A Betsy Photo

Image Credit: Betsy Hartley

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Winter Term

When I tell people I work in Agricultural Education and General Agriculture at Oregon State University, I usually get asked the follow up question: "So, what do you do?"

Honestly, it depends on the day...but it really does depend on the term. I have only been on the job since August, so I haven't seen the rhythm of an entire year yet. I can, however, talk in broad, sweeping strokes.

Fall term I was part teacher educator/ part leadership educator. I taught two classes. First, I taught a graduate course for our student teaching cohort (future high school ag teachers) called "Laboratory Pedagogy" which covered topics related to teaching in non-classroom settings (i.e. metals lab, greenhouse, field trips). A fun 3 hours with 12 students every Monday afternoon.  I was also the instructor for the capstone course required of our General Agriculture majors. This writing intensive course came with pretty open parameters so I made it part leadership development and part career/life skills. Both classes were good experiences for me, but both classes would be thoroughly revised if I am to be the instructor again.

This winter I am part researcher/ part teacher educator. I am coordinating the seminar that our student teachers come back to OSU for every other Friday while they are out student teaching. While it means I ONLY teach every other Friday, it means I teach ALL DAY. I have a strong need to be organized so I have planned out all four seminars and all of the due dates ahead of time. Maybe that will make the term run smoothly. We'll see. I will also spend some time on the road visiting student teachers. They are scattered pretty far (see previous post for a map) and need to be visited a total of 6 times during the year. So far, two down and 4 to go for each of them. There will also be some road time to get in the second round of interviews for a grant funded study on the CASE curriculum. And the term ends with State FFA Convention during our spring break. The host site rotates each year so we are heading to Medford for this year's Convention. That is also when worksamples will roll in and need to be graded in one weekend. (We should discuss the nightmare that is WORKSAMPLES sometime, but today isn't the day.)

Spring term I will be part leadership educator.  I will be developing a new course for us called "Team and Organizational Leadership" during spring term and am excited and challenged by the idea. I will also be part conference attendee starting at the end of winter term and carrying into the summer. (That conference part was said a little tongue-in-cheek, but not really.) I have trips to Orlando (March  2-4), State Convention (March18-21), New Orleans (April 8-12), Fresno (April 20-22), Coeur D'Alene, ID (May 24-27), Hood River, OR (June 22-24) and Denver (July 10-13).

I also do advising for some of the students in the department. I also co-advise a fun bunch of college kiddos in a student organization: Collegiate FFA. I have also picked up a faculty/staff fitness class everyday (weightlifting 2 days a week and water aerobics 3 days a week), grad and career group on Tuesday nights (with some other G&C fun stuff mixed in on Friday's, Saturday's and Sunday mornings during the term), a Tribe for Dox meeting on Thursday evenings, Weight watchers meetings once a week, and a WIC (Writing Intensive Course) seminar for the next five Tuesdays.


That's what I do. And, I gotta say, it makes me a little tired to think about it all. I'm gonna take a nap now.

Living in the Window

I am living in a window. 

I had a back surgery in July 2003. Yup, at 24. I wish it was a cool story, but I didn't do anything grand. I was working at a garden center during my masters program and picked something up wrong. It hurt all spring and through the summer. I went to a chiropractor. I babied it and it got some better. Then I bought a house. I moved things in and when I woke up the next day, I couldn't feel my right leg. At all. After rounds of doctor visits and an MRI, it was decided surgery was my only option. When I had it done, Dr. Nitka said "I give it 1-3 years before you are having another surgery. That's just how these types of injuries work." I didn't really believe him. I had the surgery, took a couple weeks off work (with some of the best colleagues I will ever work with picking up the slack -thanks guys!) and figured I could work hard and be vigilant about protecting my back and all would be okay.

I had another back surgery in October 2007. (If you are quick with the math you will see he was right on... 3 years). Didn't do anything crazy this time either. Went for a hike in Rock Bridge State Park on Labor Day and woke up the next day with shooting pain and no feeling in my leg. Dang! We tried to avoid surgery this time, too. I did it all. Steroids. Physical therapy. A nerve block procedure. Nothing worked and it was decided I needed surgery. This surgeon gave me options: I could do another small procedure and be back in 1-3 years or I could remove that disc, and fuse my two vertebrae, buying myself 3-10 years. After a whole lot of discussion, it was decided to fuse. (I was just beginning a 3 year PhD program and the thought of having another surgery during that was definitely a motivating factor). So I did it. Four screws and two rods holding L4-L5 together, with six days in the hospital, a month at Amy's house and two years of not feeling like myself at all (I put on 40 lbs and was both depressed and fairly miserable). I got over it. I am losing the weight and starting to feel like my old self. 

The surgeon who did the second surgery guaranteed me two things: 1) I would not longer have any issues with the L4-5 disc (because he took it out!) and 2) I would have an issue with the next disc above or the disc below and be back on the operating table in 3-10 years. Again, if you are quick with the math, you can see what I mean when I say "I am living in a window". I have passed the 3 year mark. It is a waiting game.

Dancing Queen

I mentioned that I went to my niece D's dance recital while I was home. I wasn't planning on videoing, but we were so far in the back that still shots wouldn't work. So the video doesn't start at the beginning. Sorry. Bad auntie! FYI: She is the super skinny one.... at the beginning of the video you can't see her for the boy, but for most of the video she is on the far left of your screen on the middle row. Enjoy :-)

Happy and Sad

The holidays are over. My vacation back home has come and gone. The winter term has begun. And that all makes me happy. And sad.

I had a great time at home.
We celebrated KatieBug turning one.

I got to see Desiree dance in her first dance recital. I had dinner with my college roommate Leigh and her husband Cord (I never get to do this enough!). I hung out with "the boy" and got to meet his family. I celebrated Christmas and ate a phenomenal dinner with the family. I ate out a LOT (Stag and Doe (x2), Floyd's, Bojangles (x3), No Name Pizza, Gary's, Royal James, Chic-Fil-A, Porky's, The Spot...see that's a lot). I watched A LOT of football. I went for walks with dad. I rang in the New Year with the whole gang around a backyard fire. I got to shop and get a pedicure with my mom. I played with the nieces and nephews. I got to see snow (on Christmas day)!  We grilled out with that snow still on the ground. Check out the snowman my niece Emily made with my brother.

It is weird living this bi-coastal (almost double) life. On the one coast, I am a daughter and friend and aunt and sister. There are always people around and something non-work related to do. It's great and so easy to fall back into those roles. One the other coast, I am a friend, a member of some groups, a health nut, and a professional. I go home to my empty apartment and eat dinner alone.

I have decided I am a true "grass is always greener" person. When I am in NC with family and living out of a suitcase, I appreciate all of the people and things to do, but I crave peace and quiet... and to be in my own space with my own things. When I am in my apartment in Corvallis, I appreciate the peace and routine, but I crave all the people I have left behind. I spent the whole break craving the productivity of sitting behind my desk and checking things off of the ol' to do list... and as I sit behind my desk working, I choke back tears for the people I have left behind.

See: Happy and sad.