Aspiring to Mediocrity.

Our district Admin is going crazy again. Musical chairs with campus Administrators. Moving two out, offering them classroom teaching positions if they so desire, a Principal from one school moved to another. An interim AD moved from one to another,an assistant from one school moved to another. One assistant moved to a school that already has a full complement of administrators, even though my campus is minus one administrator. Why?

One of the reasons listed by dao is that morale at this particular campus was down. Is this a result of the recent survey asking about job satisfaction? Is it possible that these cuts/changes were partially driven by this questionnaire? That was one of the reasons given by district admin (notice no caps) for these changes. What will these actions do to morale now? If it was low before, how low will it go now? They don't exactly instill confidence and trust. We need leaders on each campus and at the district level that we have confidence and trusting relationships with. This is crazy.

Why is it better to do it now, halfway through the first grading period of this semester rather than spring break or during the summer? Could they possibly have chosen a more disruptive time and method to implement these changes? This will cause problems on all levels of campus life, down to each student in each classroom. Some of these positions that have been vacated will be filled by others with Admin Certification who were now teaching up until this time, which will mean that other teachers will be moved around in order to have coverage in each classroom. Out of the 6 schools in our district, 3 were left unscathed, and I am happy for them. The other 3 are going to have big changes on Monday.

And is there any truth to the rumor that there will be a nation-wide search to find a new principal for this school next year? Is our district sound enough financially to undertake a search like this? We have to scrape and beg to get copy paper or printer cartridges, and they are considering a nation=wide search for a principal? Look at our past nationwide searches, they didn't turn out to be all that great.

Seems to me that in our district, if you are perceived as being competent and good at what you do, you get jerked out of your position and moved to a different campus. It has happened before, now it has happened again

Likewise, if you are bad at what you do, you don't get invited back the next year. If you are really bad you are fired midyear.

However if you are somewhere in the middle, merely mediocre, might just be the best place to be. Hence my new goal---I am now Aspiring To Be Mediocre.




Knit on, with confidence and hope, through all crises.
-Elizabeth Zimmerman

Addison's first 24

Both mom and baby are really tired. Being born is a hard job for all involved, especially when you have to be in the hospital for 10 days prior to the actual birth. They are both exhausted. Addison is in the NICU, Aimee still is in the hospital. In some respects it makes it easier for her to be that close for feeding purposes, but it is so hard to rest there. She just gets to sleep and the janitor comes in or time for vitals , or friends calling in, excited about the baby, wanting to know when they can come see her. Having a complicated birth is just that, complicated. You can't visit in the NICU unless one of the parents take you in there. So that eliminates most everyone except for grandparents and immediate family. Hopefully tomorrow's feedings will be better and bring them closer to going home. There is no place like home.



Addison has lots of toppers to keep her head warm once she gets out of the NICU's warming lamps. There are acutally two more that didn't get photographed and I have two more on the needles and bunches more in my head. They are fast, fun, and a bit more addictive than socks. Those of you with the sock bug know what I mean. These go way faster. And I now have two hats on the needles, one lace, one a knit-in-the-dark hat. Two hats for two different knitting environment/mind spaces.


How about knitting on Sunday, Anyone up for it? At the usual place, usual time!

Introducing Addison!

Addison Dynes Dunn, born tonight, 6lbs 1 oz. She is supposed to be 35 weeks, I can't imagine how much bigger she would have been at 40 weeks, she looks pretty perfect here! She is doing really well, and Aimee is doing well. Addison was born on their 11th day in the hospital. She was ready, it was time. Welcome Addison!

I have been making a lot of these.

I think that these baby hats are more addictive than socks. They go super duper fast and you don't get bored. I may need a Baby Hat Intervention. There are more hats struggling to get out of my brain. I see ideas everywhere. I am dangerous at Joann's once I read that you shouldn't use anything with wool because in the NICU any wool+oxygen=potential for static electricity. Which isn't good with oxygen of course. Stayed tuned for more hats.......

PLUS, as an extra added bonus there may be a baby soon to model them. This is day #8 in the hospital for Aimee. She changed doctors today-long story--but it is definitelve stopped the contractions. And steroid shots. And on and on. So, as of now, the amnio is not going to happen, she comes off of the mag tomorrow, the catheter is out, the baby girl is 35 weeks, game on! Stay tuned for new developments!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Some Jewelry recovered!

inally home! I brought these home from the Police Dept. Evidence Room last week. I can't tell you how nice it is to get it back. I hope some more will surface over time, you just never know. The lady who owns the pawn shop where I found these pieces said that when she was robbed, the burglars buried some of her stuff. When they got out of jail they dug it up and pawned it, she got it back even though a lot of time had lapsed. I will diligently check this pawn shop every week. I forgot how pretty these things were.

Happy knitting!

The First Pair of Socks I Ever Made.

This is a true confession. These socks took me 3 years to knit. When you look at them, remember that there have been some things that I have knitted that I threw away. These socks weren't in that category. So remembering this contex, here they are...........

The one on the left was the first one, I believe. It took the longest, maybe 2 years. I got tired of looking at it and decided, "What the Hell? Just do the second one". So I did. Looking at these, just think to yourself how hideous the things I threw away must have been.

Curt spent the first 10 years of our marriage looking for their mates when they showed up in the dryer. He didn't know that they were fraternal twins born a year and a half apart.


So, it is amazing that I ever, ever decided to try a another pair of socks. Ones that would actually stay on my feet without turning upside down or falling off.

This photo shows Andrea's Rare Gems (my daughter in knitting) that I am knitting along with some very brave knitters who are being introduced to sock knitting.. I am bowing to their peer pressure, all of whom have BOTH socks on Magic Loop already! I can't be outdone by my students!

So to those new Sock Knitters that are crossing over into the Dark Zone of Sockiness, remember my first pair. I will bring them to our next knitting session so you can see them in person. They are to socks as the Cow-Tongue purse is to felting.

Knit on!

PS--the photo makes my first pair of socks look much better than they are in real life.

Wow! Two Posts in One day!

This is Louisa's finished Big Sea scarf in a wave pattern with drop stitches. It is really pretty--the photo is a little dark but you can still see the waves. Very nice Louisa!

Do you know about the craziness of socks? It is an extremely addictive type of knitting. Fits into your purse. Done on crazy little needles, 0, 1, or 2. Anywhere from 14,000 to 18,000 stitches per pair. Sure, you may say we are crazy now, but watch out for the suction of the sock. You may just want to cross over to the dark side with the rest of us. Here is Helen, who swore she would never knit socks. Hey, what is that thing stuck on your toes???

Watch this space for sock updates!

Gifts from Christmas past

Finally! Computer is working with iPhoto, new

camera is charged and ready to go! This hat

was super cute, Linda knitted it and the mouse slipper here. The hat has an asymmetrical brim--where did you get the pattern Linda? I think you said it was a Lion Brand free pattern? The brim is the part on the lower left where the yarn striped, but it doesn't stick out, it is like a band and can be rotated to any position, very cute!

And the mouse slippers--way cute. Even really big kids like these!





These hats are knitted to fit over helmets---ski helmets, motorcycles, quads, you name it. Gifted by Linda.

These are mother- daughter hats knitted and gifted by Helen. Cute and quick!

Shirley knitted this cute hat---check out the ruffled edging-it really makes it different---Shirley, can you post the website in the comments?

And finally, the "Goin' to the Gyno" scarf. Model is anonymous. Remember this when you are tempted to add fun fur to the ends of your scarf. As they say in the world of real estate, "location, location, location".

Happy knitting! The New Year promises to have lots of sock news---stay tuned!

Is it over?

Ahhh, Christmas has come and gone. I ended up short my mom's scarf and her socks. I had some unknown sock dysfunction which I have now remedied, but not in time to finish her socks before Christmas. I think everything is OK now, just have to finish Beached sock #2, then I have two more pair that need to be frogged back to the leg opening and re-knit. Same thing with Karen's Ugg. I think that my problem lies in the fact that I did the Discovery sock on Magic loop and the subsequent socks with y Signatrue DPNs. I knit much tighter with them. Live and learn!

I am in LA with Carson who just moved into a new apartment but hasn't had tie to unpack. Today we went to IKEA and bought a dresser and this wardrobe organizer thing. They will really help him organize his stuff. Will post photos of the view from his apartment. It is up the hill from Franklin in the Hollywood Heights neighborhood. Very quiet, cool, and secluded.

I must retire---IKEA kicked our butts tonight. Knit on! (did get the new camera and am still learning about it, photos to follow! I am going on a yarn crawl when I go back to Yuma on Tuesday/Wednesday, probably starting at Wildfiber in Santa Monica)

What makes a person Knit-Worthy?

Seems several of us have had "Worthiness" issues lately. This is at the forefront of every Knitter's mind this time of year. You may not even realize it, but it has crossed your mind. It may have even hit you like a ton of bricks.

Here is the scenario: You have added 5 or 6 new projects to your queue of projects-to-be- completed-for-Christmas-gifts. You know it is ridiculous, but you want to shower all of your friends with samples of your Knitterly-Love. You are sure that they will be thrilled-after all, this gift of yarny-goodness takes with it a piece of your soul. (well, in actuality it probably has little pieces of your hair in it, at the least. If you have a cat, it is a rule of the Knitting Cosmos that your orange cat's hair will only be attracted to black or navy blue knits, they never invade like-colored yarn)

Seriously, think about it. You have put at least a couple of hours knitting this thing and during that time you are thinking nice thoughts about the recipient. You also will always remember the state of the world at the time this object of yours was knitted. Your projects mark your place in the timeline of the history of the world.

How does one determine a potential recipient's Knit-Worthiness? There is no questionnaire in Cosmo, Knitty, or even on Ravelry. It is in your gut and heart. You act on your instincts and hope you guessed right. Sometimes, you guess wrong.

Shawl-Worthy and Sock-Worthy people are extremely rare. There are only 3 in my life. Note: this does not include other knitters. Knitters give each other gift certificates to yarn stores.

To be Shawl-Worthy, the recipient must treasure your gift AND know how to wear it. Ever worn a lace shawl? Not just everyone can were one, you know. You can't give a person who wears snaggy jewelry a lace shawl. The unthinkable will happen and you will have a gi-normous hole ripped by a big-honking diamond to fix. The Shawl-Worthy are aware of this.

I gave my mom her first shawl a couple of years ago. It lived on the back of a chair like a lap throw. I was heartbroken. I knew she couldn't be wearing it. For some reason I picked it up and smelled it. Ah ha! Estee Lauder Youth Dew! Unmistakable evidence of her wearing! No question about Shawl-Worthiness! Last Christmas I gave her a second shawl--it is a Myrna Stahman design done in Blue Moon's STR lt.wt. Kaw-Kaw. She had already achieved Sock-Worthiness several years earlier. Again, you can't give socks to just anyone--not when you are knitting approximately 14,000stitches to make ONE sock. They have to be treated with love and respect, aka delicate cycle, lingerie bag, inside out, with Soak or Eucalan, air-dried. You can't put them on by tugging at the top rib. One puts them on as if they were silken panty hose (remember those? I don't even know where to buy them now).

Two Christmases ago I gave my sister-in-law a capelet made out of 2 skeins of Fiesta La Boheme. La Boheme you know, is pricey. I took the gamble. She passed the Shawl-Worthiness test with flying colors. She wore it all day that day and many times afterwards. In fact, I have it here with me to be laundered and blocked.

Most people can be Scarf-Worthy. How can they not be? Even a distant acquaintance could be Scarf-Worthy. We are talking here of something equal to the Fun Fur scarf, cast on 10 sts and when you run out you are done. Yarn cost is somewhere around $10 or less. This kind of scarf requires no pattern. You can knit it in the dark. Not the Taming of the Ewe type scarf, no written directions or graphs.

What happens though when you gift these things and never see them again? Do they fall into an abyss somewhere? Have they been re-gifted? Are they at the bottom of someone's dresser behind the drawers? Are the wedged between the person's car seat and console along with the old french fries, a couple of raisins and chocolate chip cookie bits? Did the person (gasp!) give them to the Thrift Store?

This has not happened to you, beware--it will. You pour love into every stitch and it is not appreciated. It is not treasured. You cannot even find it in the recipient's house. It has ceased to exist.

Most of us would love to see one of our creations loved so much that it is falling apart. It is OK for it to get dirty, snagged, holey, peed on and most of all, loved. That is why you knitted it. For it to be loved and used every single day. It is a tangible evidence of your love for this person and it represents your existence in their world.

Some people, sadly, prove to be Not Knit-Worthy.

I gifted scarves to my mom and dad's doctor and her assistant in Tucson a couple of months after my dad died. On the card, I thanked them for their care and told them that it would be OK for them to re-gift to someone they loved, that these things needed to keep someone warm. I felt good giving them and giving permission to re-gift, knowing that they would end up somewhere with someone who really liked them and would use them.

The bottom line is that you have to be really careful who you gift with your Knitterly treasures. Remember that it is part of your essence you are giving away, part of your soul. Realize that not everyone appreciates your creations the way that you do, and that's OK. Give those people a nice coffee mug next time.

Follow your heart............

Roarrrrrrrrrrrr.......said the Fire-Breathing Dragon.............as he anxiously awaits the rest of his neck and body....

Finished Objects--two pair of toe-up, no-purl Monkeys. Bella Coola blue for my mom, Tide Pooling for Karen, our neighbor in Show Low, both are STR lightweight.

We are knitting this Sunday, noon at Shirley's in the Dunes, 3378 S. 16th Avenue, 344-2283. Call if you can't find it, my cell is 550-0182. Bring a salad. I am bringing a Chopped Salad ala California Pizza Kitchen. We are celebrating two women that we should all admire for having their priorities in order and following their hearts. I am a better person for knowing them and you probably are too. DeeDee leaves Monday morning, and I hope Linda will still be here. Come sit and knit and celebrate our friendship!

One last photo

This one wouldn't fit in the last post. It needed to be by itself.

Snuggy

Most of you know what happened toSnuggy last Sunday. It was a very sad day. This post is all about Snuggy.

She came to live with Carson and I in May of 1993. Sunday, she was 16 years and 5 months when she left us. She outlived the odds in a big way. When she was 6, Tang came to live with us. He was a kitten. As you can see, Snuggy trained him well. They did a lot of things together, like taking catnaps, or dognaps.

If you roll you cursor over the title, it will link you to my Flickr page with more photos.

They posed for pictures, and shared treats on each other's birthdays.

SometimesSnuggy got more of the birthday treats than Tang.

They posed for photos. Without being bribed with treats, sometimes.

Snuggy always had a favorite chair to sit in, or to nap in, in this case. They took cat/dog naps anywhere they wanted, frequently.

Snuggy was my best friend. She left us suddenly, for which I will always feel responsible. The life expectancy for a Cairn Terrier is 14 to 16 years. Even with her diabetes, she way outlived her days.

She loved to go places, anyplace, as long as she was with us. Here she is

at the tide pools on Point Loma. She visited the Dog Beach on

Coronado several times. She hated taking a bath, but she loved to get in the ocean.

Snug, I miss you, Carson misses you. We have holes in our hearts the size of Texas. Tang misses you. I come home from work and it is so very, very quiet. Tang begging for treats, but no rattling of your tags. I miss your begging for treats, to go for a walk, and in the last of your days, even the confusion you were in. I read on the Peaceful Paws website that a dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself . Thank you Snuggy for loving me and Carson. We will love you always and miss you forever.

Ooohhhh. Ahhhhh. Ooohhh. Qiviut.......Qivuk......

Yuuummmmmmmyyyyyyy! Maybe better than Cashmere? This is Qiviuk, also called Qiviut (pronounced Kiv-ee-uk or Kiv-ee-ut, long u) from Alaska. My brother and sister in law went on an inside passage cruise this summer. I emailed him telling him that if he ran across any yarn stores to see if they had any Qiviut. They happened across this store in Skagway, Alaska. They sell garments made of it, and this yarn. Each skein is 217 yards. Believe or not, it is softer than cashmere(oh be still my heart!) I will let you pet them for a brief moment, so as not to create a Qiviut addiction in you. Warning: it is an incurable addiction and an expensive habit, but ohhhhhhhhh soooo soffffffffttttttttt.

What I have in mind for both are scarves. Pattern TBD. I don't stray from Blue Moon Fiber Arts too often, but when I do, Omigosh do I stray. And how about this for a cool brother and sister in law? They can yarn shop for me anytime!

And speaking of people who can shop for me anytime, let's add Aimee to the list! This 1224 yards of handspun bliss is 2!0% cashmere, 30% silk, and 50% merino. It has a little heather fleck in it. I finally discovered what it wants to be and I wound it into ready to knit cakes. It will be a Shoalwater shawl. I can't wait to get started on it! The colors are so pretty, it begs to be done for the fall.

See you next time!

Hi there knitting buddies! Hope your summer is going well--seems like it gets shorter every year.

I bought this bag at Wildfiber in Santa Monica at the beginning of the summer. I have seen these bags there before and resisted, but this time I couldn't stand it. It is made from Capri sun type juice drink containers. Check out the company's website at rebagz.com.

By the way---Wildfiber in Santa Monica---best yarn store EVER! We must plan a trip. We could be in Santa Monica in 4 hours if we left on a Friday, spend some quality time at Wildfiber on Saturday, eat ground beef and pickle tacos at Malo in Silverlake for a late lunch, and be back home by 9. I feel a field trip coming! They have an actual "wall o'Koigu", an adjacent "wall o'cashmere", and just about anything else you want. Plus some stuff you didn't know you wanted. We will discuss later...........

The close up here shows that they use everything, even the nutritional labels and the silver part of the bag. The website shows some bags that are all silver. For the life of me, I can't figure out how they did it. There is no evidence of a seam anywhere. You can carry it anywhere and set it down, it is impervious to yucky stuff on the ground. I bought it as a knitting tote (can you ever have enough?) and have been using it as a purse.

Here is Mr. Stripey Head, made as part of Jackson's first birthday present. He is from the book "the Knitted Odd-bod Bunch" by Donna Wilson. Check this book out next time you are in a big bookstore or knitting store. He is made from some left over Cascade Fixation sock yarn. He and all of his buddies have really odd bodies (hence the name) and strange faces. The strange faces really are nice because my embroidery skills are less than perfect.

On to my knitting---until next time, take care and happy knitting!

Memorial Day is here!

Ahh, a 3 day weekend!  Today we cleaned house, now it is time to get a new post out.  And I have some photos of finished objects too!

The top photo is my finished Leyburns in Roctober, finally ready to wear1

The next photo

is a snippet of my Froggin Personal Footprints I started at Sock Camp. They are Cat Bordhi's newest pattern, so I can only show a snippet of the sock but not the whole sock because I am sworn to secrecy until her book comes out!  Their fit is superb and easy, also a fast knit, you must get her new book!  T

This Moderne Baby Blanket from Mason Dixon Knitting belongs to Mr. Ozzie Ortiz.  It will be gifted next weekend.  I will get a photo with him modeling his blanket next weekend!  It is knitted from Lion Brand Cotton Ease and I think it will serve him well!     Until next weekend, happy knitting!

This is why we are here.

These are my friends from across the hall giving me a group hug for School Nurse Day!  They also brought us cards that they made, we have them all up on the bulletin board.  They also made a GIANT size card that was on the wall by our front door.  It is inside now, I think I will find a place to hang it permanently on the wall.  The last week has been a very difficult one, and it is nice to see something like their cards on the wall, they make me feel appreciated and happy.  The Principal and Assistant Principals brought us loaves of bread from Kneaders and a couple of REALLy nice gift certificates from Kneaders too.  I know they appreciate us!  (even though I think I sent home about 1/2 of the student body today with flu like symptoms)

And this is an unlucky seamstress.  See the little red dot on her nail that has the thread coming out of it?

It is threaded through the tip of the sewing machine needle, which is buried in her thumb.  She had to have surgery with general anesthesia to remove it.  Ouch!  When her fabric gets stuck next time, she will probably not have her foot on the presser foot of the machine.

All in a typical day, if you add in 60 walk-ins and about 15 kids sent home with the flu.  And I feel a bit yucky tonight...:(   Bertha is already sick, I feel yucky.........I will see how I fare the night.

First two posts

If you want to see the first two postings on this current subject you can leave me a comment requesting such.

Gathering My Thoughts.

Here is what I am thinking about now.  I am working on this for the special Board of Education meeting on Monday.  

Special Board Meeting 4 May 09

Introduction

I agree with Mrs. Badone’s statement in her letter of March 29 stating that  “we do not always get to choose what happens to us, but we do get to choose how we respond.”  I am here today and I choose to respond because I have grave concerns about how the recent RIF will affect the health of not only our students but also our staff.  I know that many of us are hesitant to speak out because of the potential adverse affect that it could have on our jobs, but I feel that it is a necessary risk  for one huge reason----our kids today deserve to have their health care needs safely met while in the school setting.  It is our job to understand and interpret the link between health and learning and to make a positive difference for children every day.  We are their liaison to the school, community, parents, and health care providers.  We help to advance their well-being, support their academic success, and  promote life-long achievements by providing a critical safety net for our most fragile children.  

We have 3 LPNs, one CNA, and one Administrative Assistant in our Health Offices.  They have all been RIFed. They share over 38 years of experience in our schools.  Because of them, we are able to take care of the needs of not only students but staff as well.  We see kids and adults with asthma, diabetes, fibromyalgia and lupus.  We help parents and families as they deal with a woefully inadequate mental health care system.  We help parents access health care options in our community so that their kids can stay healthy and stay in school.  We are the primary care providers for many students who have bad things happen to them sometime between Friday at 3:30PM and Monday at 8AM when their parents tell them to “wait and see the nurse on Monday.”  We take care of kids with cancer, teachers and staff with cancer, and those who are grieving loss  due to cancer.  We help those who have brain injuries, epilepsy, broken bones, dislocations,  and surgeries.  We take care of students who are beaten by their parents and assaulted by other students.  We make decisions to call 911 when their problems are emergent.  We exclude them and send them home when their health status is contagious so that others can stay healthy.  We urge parents to seek medical care and  often have to advocate for the child when the parent refuses to take them for medical care.  Conversely, we help them learn that not every ache or pain needs to be seen in the ER, and that it is OK to be uncomfortable sometimes, that life is sometimes uncomfortable and that is normal,  and that tylenol won’t cure everything.  We call CPS, YPD, the Sheriff’s Office, Poison Control, and Amberly’s Place as advocates for our students. 

We have kids with trachs, feeding tubes, kids with transplants, and kids on dialysis.   We have kids who are suicidal, kids who have been raped, and kids who have contracted STDs for which there are no cures.  There are signifiant increases locally in both gonorrhea and syphilis in teens.  

  

 We see the cyclical nature of teen pregnancy, abuse, neglect, and poverty.  In the most current report (2007) AzDHS reports that Yuma County’s birth rate for females 19 or younger ranks 4th in the state at 559; we follow Maricopa County @7,816; Pima County @1,674; and Pinal County @644.  The labor and delivery costs for 463 (83%)  of these 559 births are paid by AHCCCS (96 from Indian Health Services, private insurance, self and unknown).  We no longer have a liaison with the Yuma County Health Department to work with these teens to keep them healthy and in school because that program had drastic funding cuts.  It is difficult to finish high school when you are a teen who is already a parent, or about to become a parent.  At Cibola I have seen the second generation enter high school, and they are now becoming parents.  

On my campus, from the first day of school until last Thursday, we have seen a total of 8,849 students in 161 instructional days, for an average of  55 student visits per day.  We are open 30 minutes before class starts, we never close at lunch, and we are there for 30 minutes after the final bell rings.  Parents, teachers, students all have access to us at any time.  When a student walks into our office, they may have a splinter in their finger, or they may have just swallowed a bottle of tylenol in an attempt at suicide.  We never know.

We have seen kids coming from our feeder schools who have been there for 2 years and have no immunizations (Crane doesn't have nurses ) so we immunize them.  Whooping cough is making a resurgence because many people have stopped immunizing their kids, and some schools don't enforce the immunization law.  Giving immunizations at school helps keep kids in school.  It is ironic to be speaking to the board today when 1 year ago we were here being recognized for our efforts with our immunization program.  We administered 5,306 doses of vaccine last year.  This was feat was possible only because of the commitment of all of our nursing staff and our Administration at both the campus and District level.  

I believe in public education, but I know that if a student is not healthy they cannot learn.  I urge you to please, please reconsider the decision about our LPNs, Admin Assistant and CNA.  It is because of their contributions that we are able to deliver the quality of care that now exists.   There is no way we can maintain this level of care.  Unfortunately the losers in this situation aren't just those who are losing their jobs.  The biggest losers in this situation will be our students.  

It takes more than a clerk to fill these shoes.  An Office Specialist, no matter how well trained or how competent, will never be able to replace an LPN.  Please talk to them and listen to their ideas about their jobs, they have some great ideas, give them an opportunity to help solve this problem by talking to them.  And could  we please open a dialog with other possible funding sources for these positions, in the same manner as the District supports the SRO program.  Perhaps we could approach the medical community in Yuma, perhaps talk with YRMC about helping to fund these positions  at least partially, in the same way that they fund the school-based clinics in some of elementary schools around the county.

Please, please---I beg you to consider their contributions of our colleagues to the health and safety of our students.  Our future tomorrow depends on their education today.  At the end of the day, please do what is best for kids.  

Knitting makes the world a better place.

We are going to be knitting on Sunday at Papa San at 1.      Hope you all can stop by for a rice bowl and some logical chat about swine flu, the economy, people who don't knit, and the events of this past week.  

Here is my hand dyed yarn from Sock Camp.  I am going to cast on a Taming of the Ewe scarf with the one on the right.  Like I  need another thing that is newly cast-on.  I have 2 pair of socks in progress, a scarf, a shawl, and a baby blanket.  I want to see something that works the way it is supposed to, that stacks up to be something aesthetically pleasing  and more functional that it was before you started it.  If you have ever knitted one of these, or if one of your friends has knitted one, you know that it doesn't always go the way you planned, and there are small little adjustments you can make to get it to work the way you want it to.  You have to constantly read your knitting, making those accomodations as needed and before you know it, you aren't even thinking about it, you do them and things work out.  And you want to do the same thing over and over and over again because each colorway has its own particular charm and is different from all the rest, because it is one of a kind.

     Things don't always go the way we planned, but if we at least have directions showing us how to get there,  needles, and yarn, we have a better than average chance of success.  If you have everything except the yarn, can you complete this project?  The answer is no.  They are all dependent on each other.  You can't finish the job or even begin without one of them.  How could you even consider starting?  Where would you start?  You can make something, but it certainly won't come close to resembling what it is supposed to be.  It may not even be able to do its job, which is to keep you warm   The parts all have to work in harmony with each other.

         If this is the first time you have read this blog, you probably looked it up to see my rant in the last two postings. Or maybe you read them and you are tuning in to see what else I have to say.   I took them down today because they have done exactly what I wanted them to do, which is to open the conversations that need to be taking place.  If the dialog that was supposed to take place between district admin and the employee groups who would be affected took place as promised, we would not be in the mess we are in.  In the case of the 3 LPNs, they share at least 36 years of experience and loyalty to their employer between them all.  They weren't even given  options.  There are positions they could fill on their own campuses.  But no one even thought to ask them if they would be interested.    If you had ben working there this long,, do you think that you would deserve at least an option to stay in a different  position that was lower pay?  

   We were told early this semester that there would be changes, and the big questions were:  1. do you keep everyone and lower their pay across the board, or  2.  do you lay off employees so that those who remain would keep the same pay.  Apparently you layoff people who have been there for 18 years and you don't ask those affected for their input.  You just erase their name from the list and give them an envelope with the contact information for the EAP in case they feel so depressed they might hurt themselves, and the number to call the people at YPIC so they can help them update their resume.  And while I am at it, how about the dvd we all had to watch at the last Monday gathering?  The one with the photographer showing us how if you just wait 15 minutes, the picture of the Golden Gate Bridge goes from being just a photo of the bridge to be something marvelous.  The hidden message seems to be that even though you have been riffed, if you wait long enough and look hard enough, good things will come of your job being snatched out from under you by people who have no clue what it is that you do.  Oh, and "Go Cardinals".  Where is my knitting?  I need it now

.