Organized chaos

It is a rainy afternoon and there's no end in sight...so I guess I will have to keep myself busy inside....I suppose I could read one of the 3 books I currently have checked out....or.... I could read and write blogs! hahaha

Following are some pictures from our office at work........and I should tell you I love my job....I really do....but I don't love the organized chaos! Technically my boss had the place all to herself...for the first 3 if I remember correctly years that we were open...then I came along and I was hired to help in the Youth Services area; as a result....I don't really have my own desk....or space. My boss has everything in order sort of. She is an artist and a creative type in case you couldn't figure that outand NOTHING gets thrown away around that office.....recycle, recycle, recycle. (I knew a science teacher like that at another place I worked)

Somewhere on this counter there is a paper cutter, and die cut machine...drawers are all full of various staplers, stickers, hole punchers, etc...problem is there are also projects in various stages of completion, new books waiting for stickers, and other odds and ends.* Notice all the stuff on the counters and the floor, Fan in case we get too hot!

Nice tidy compartments for sequins, beads, googly eyes, pom poms and stuff like that. Nice neat scissor rack on the counter too(on the right side)
No counter space available here...as you can see...there's files and assorted craft materials, bags, etc........

All along the top of the cabinets are boxes full of decorations and craft pieces and parts and you notice the shamrocks hanging?....there are also snowflakes and other things scattered around hanging from the ceiling.

This wall has more big boxes ( to the left ,not in view) holding construction paper scraps for reuse and under those boxes are reams of paper. Then comes all of these boxes....holding everything from tape to crayons and colored pencils, glue sticks and things that don't fit in the little containers. Then we have the old shoe boxes that have die cut pieces ready for future crafts. And some videocassettes that we occasionally use for Storytime programs.To the right of all this is another shelf with books, paper, etc on it...... THEN the walk in closet...I didn't get a picture of that! (paints, balls, fabric.....I could go on)

This "work" table...is great when you can get to it! This is after D cleaned up!

same table....different angle

Needless to say...it's hard to think in there sometimes! I am not the world's neatest person.....but when I finish one thing...I put everything away and move on the the next. Even when I'm baking or cooking...I have to clear the counters before I can even start on anything.


D will start something and then get a great idea...and BAM we're on to the next thing.......I just grin and bear it and think about all the things I like about my job.........the kids, the hours......it's fun.....I love the people most of them anyway and it takes a lot to get my boss worked up! 30 extra kids show up....No problem!...just cut out some more parts! But sometimes...it's hard to focus!

And here's the best part.....these little baskets are in our desk drawer...one for blue strips the other for purple

(they go in books when we are sending them out to other branch libraries). If I put a purple strip in the blue basket by mistake......watch out!

THAT drives her crazy! Go figure! haha....you can't see it...but there's a little note in the blue basket......saying blue strips only. HAHA

More sunsets

Rainy afternoons do make great sunsets...don't you agree?

I just love it!

yard care servise

I cracked up this morning when I was putting mail out in the mailbox. I found an advertisement for "Austin and Eddie's yard care servise"
In case anyone is interested...they will cut your "loun" and trim your "booshes" edge and "weedwack"...........
I hope they are planning to use whatever earnings they may get to buy a dictionary! Haha!

Sunsets and stormy skies

I love a good sunset...we used to ride bikes down to the Melbourne Beach pier many evenings to watch the sunset...we don't do that very often theses days but...................................we do live on Sunset Avenue facing west and so I am lucky to have views like this one.........................................

And when the storms are moving in we see this.....................................

Shortly after this photo...it was pouring rain and the wind (see flag) was whipping.........and according to the local weather gal there were approximately 1600 lightning strikes across the county in one hour! Brevard County is over 70 miles long from the north end to the south end...but 1600 is a lot!

Friday Morning Puppets

Old Mother Hubbard went to the cupboard to get her poor doggy a bone.......................................

Some of our "fans" in the audience

Down in the meadow in the itty bitty pool swam three little fishies and their Momma fishy too! (We had bubbles for this one)
We used the Three Little Fishies" by Sharon,Lois and Bram

Heigh Ho the Dairy Oh...."The Farmer in the Dell!"

(another song sung by Sharon, Lois and Bram from" Mainly Mother Goose")

View from the back

Rushing the stage...to get the bubbles....the puppets had to tell them to go back! haha

Checking out the puppets after the show

What can I say.....It's a tough job, but someone has to do it!

What a Difference a Day Makes

What a difference a day can make....Tuesday was NOT a good day for me. I'm really not sure what was so bad about it...but at the end of the day I had a headache, my feet were hurting and I just didn't feel good. Work was a little frustrating...I like my job...but I sometimes find myself in the middle of things. I usually work in the Youth services area...but 4 hours a week I'm at the Front desk (Circulation Dept) and sometimes I have to fill in at the Reference Desk(because I used to work Reference and they know I can. I don't mind helping out...but it's frustrating when everyone else is deciding what I can or can't do...without necessarily asking me first! So...Tuesday...bad day... I was glad when it was over. But Wednesday was a whole different story....I filled in for Dianne...did the Lap Time and Toddler Time programs and we had some fun! First group was very small...but TT I had about 20. We sang, read stories, and made some cute little hats for the 4th of July.

When I got home I took a nice bike ride and then I started cooking. I made a favorite marinade for chicken......usually we make shish-ka-bobs...but last night we just had the chicken, It reminded me how much we like this recipe.........

Shish-Ka-Bobs

1 1/2/ lbs chicken breast cut into 1 inch cubes

15 oz pineapple chunks-drain and save the juice

* or you can use a small can of pineapple juice like I do

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tsp garlic powder

1 TBSP light brown sugar

2 tsp ground ginger

1 TBSP dry mustard

1/4 tsp ground pepper

Mix 1/2 cup pineapple juice with the first seven ingredients. Place in sauce pan, stir and bring to boil. Reduce to simmer. simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Pour over chicken, cover and refrigerate for at least one hour. Stir occasionally and turn chicken.

If making shish-ka-bobs.....skewer chicken chunks with onion, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, green peppers and pineapple chunks as desired.

This makes delicious chicken...try it out.

While I was mixing away I was listening to music and dancing around the kitchen...and I just felt good! I also made some Frosted Banana Bars (originally from Darby at on her blog Fly through My Window)

I finished off the day watching the movie The Secret Life of Bees.....enjoyed the book a few years ago and the movie was good too.

Today I had 25 kids and their Moms, Babysitters, Grandparents and Dads....a little bit of everything. We had fun! Tomorrow it's time for some puppets and songs. Fun! Fun! Fun!

Norris Burkes on war and Hope

Last Thursday evening, my friend Gayle T. and I went to hear Florida Today spirituality columnist Norris Burkes. Burkes is a former civilian hospital chaplain and Air National Guard chaplain who recently returned from four months in Iraq. My mother is the one who first got me reading his column several years ago...(he's been writing since 2001). I have always enjoyed his topics and his sense of humor...both of which made for an interesting evening. He grew up as a Southern Baptist, but as a chaplain he ministers to people of all faiths...which is what I think I find most appealing about him. He often talks about sharing your faith in a way that requires you to understand your audience and empathize with them. He talks about living your faith and sharing faith in a way that allows people to "see for themselves". I've been discouraged more than once by priests/ministers who get too caught up in the individual church (ie "do you believe the the Catholic Church is the one true church? no...that's part of my problem
or one who talked about the brother who a great guy but he was married to a Methodist, or the ministers wife from a Pentecostal church who was nervous about coming to my wedding..."because I've never been in a Catholic Church before". It's a church! what the heck did she think was going to happen...glad to report...she did come.
Growing up we attended the Catholic Church...my Uncle Dave was a monsignor...he baptized us, participated in the mass when Martha, David and I were confirmed and he married John & I. We always were friends with the priests in our parish...wherever we lived. But my mother (who went to mass every day growing up) encouraged us to go to church with our friends whenever the opportunity arose. For several years my good friend Lisa attended many CCD classes with Martha, David and I and we joined her at the temple for her Young Judea meetings. It was a great way to learn about each others religions and faith. I used to laugh because at one point in my life Megan was enrolled in a Baptist Preschool, while Brenna went to Holy Trinity Episcopal School and though I was raised Catholic...at that time we were going to a Methodist Church. (I figured we were covered!) (haha). I've been to Catholic, Episcopalian, Methodist, Jewish, Lutheran, Baptist,Presbyterian services....all of which I got something out of....but I'm still searching...and maybe I've got a bit of a chaplain spirit in me...because I feel it's important to embrace all faiths and try to understand what they believe. There is a lovely book called
God's Dream by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Douglas Carlton Abrams, and LeUyen Pham (Hardcover - Aug 26, 2008) about the message of God's love for all of us. The illustrations are really nice and it is a great book for children of all ages. (like me. haha)
One of the best stories Norris Burkes shared in his column and the night we saw him...was about his trip back to the US after 4 months in Balad. The final destination was Baltimore, MD. The plane was packed full of men and women on their way home after up to 18 months in Iraq. As the were getting ready to land in Baltimore they hit some severe turbulence...oxygen fell...not just the bags...he showed a photo of the whole compartment that fell down onto the seats...the plane was shaking...bouncing and they were told to assume the "crash landing position". Imagine...how they all felt...finally HOME and ready to land...and thinking they were going to crash. The plane bounced twice and went up again and circled the airport for a very long 10 minutes. He joked that the "Crash position" for him...was the "prayer position". He said he and the Rabbi in the seat behind him and the Minister next to him all joined hands and prayed. They landed safely...and he joked "and the bus ride back to Sacramento really wasn't that bad."
He has some great stories of people he worked with, prayed with, prayed for; parents and soldiers he has comforted throughout the years. He wrote a book about his work as a hospital chaplain in the neonatal unit....and hopes to write about his time in Iraq. He had standing room only crowds both nights he was here...and the sponsor of the program suggested that we all get working on getting him a guest spot on Oprah. If he does...don't miss it! (since I don't normally watch Oprah...I'll have to keep an eye out myself!)