#52 Go to Canada with Janet Dullinger

This task was suggested by Janet (a.k.a. Jabby).  Our original plan was just to go by ourselves, that was when neither of us were dating anyone.  So when we decided to start planning this trip we included the guy I was seeing and a platonic guy friend of both of us.  To make things exciting Pete (the guy I am seeing) had a total hip replacement 19 days before we were to leave.  Just in case he couldn't make it due to health issues we selected a replacement guy to go.  Then Glen (the original platonic friend) had work commitments that he couldn't change come up, so Steve (replacement guy) ended up going anyway.  The crew ended up being me (a.k.a. Janica), Jabby, Pete (a.k.a. Pesky) and Steve (a.k.a. Claw Toe).  We kinda lied to Steve and told him that we would be leaving at 6 am, he is known for being late.  We did get going a little late and that was my fault.  It was the "I have time to do one more thing before I go" syndrome. We gave each other nicknames (or earned them). There was lots of talking and laughing on the car ride up (more napping on the way back).

This is the first picture of the posse together.  Pete was the last into the car, we picked him up on our way since he lives by Brainerd.  We decided to take Glen along (we named a plastic cow Glen) in spirit.  He got in the middle of the fun, participating in almost everything we did.

Glen's turn in the bathroom.

Swimming in Lake Superior at Cut Face Creek.

We even found him a girlfriend later in the trip.  We crossed the border later in the day, the guy at the booth was kinda crabby.  He was all business and very short with us.  Canada have lots of Poplars and pine trees but not many other kinds of trees.  It has a different look to the countryside.  Our Hotel was great (Thanks, Jabby) and the view was of the sleeping giant. The first full day there we were going to go to the Amethyst Mine, but went the wrong way down the major highway (as in going west not east).   We ended up going to Kakabeka Falls and Fort Williams instead.

The Falls were amazing!  Very, Very beautiful!  Fort Williams was very informative.  We had a nice guide, Charles Champagne.  He lead us through the buildings and explained who would have lived there and how they did their trade.  The Doctor's house was very interesting with the turpentine enemas and the worms crawling to the corner.  (It was the way he explained it)  We saw many different kinds of furs and got to touch them.  That is a big deal to me, I am a very tactile person. I forgot my camera in the van when we were in the fort, so I didn't get any pictures.
We enjoyed late afternoon naps each day, Which was very nice.  The first night we ate at the Gargoyle, a very interesting place.  The food was really good too.  The second night we ate at Montanta's.  It was a steak house like Bonanza .  The third night we split up and Pete and I went to Boston Pizza, good food with a sports bar atmosphere.
The second day we did manage to find the Amethyst Mine.  It was up a very curvy and at times steep road.  There were lots of fun things to see just on the drive there.  The mine was awesome!!  I wish we would've been able to see more of the mining operation.  One of the reasons we didn't was because they had just opened and were still getting rid of snow, ice and excess water.  We got to dig in their tailing's pile for treasures.

Glen found a rock he liked, but it wasn't for sale.

On the way back to Thunder Bay we stopped at The Teri Fox Memorial for a rest from driving and a potty break.  The sun was so nice and warm on the rock wall, we took a short nap. Glen and his new girlfriend Glenda did too.

On our way back to the US, we were going to stop at Pigeon Falls on the Canadian side, but they weren't open due to high water and flooding.  We stopped on the American side instead.  The water was really rushing over the falls, we could hear rocks hitting as they were washed down.  I have never seen the water so high, of course I have only been there in July or August.

I am sure glad that Pete could go with, he did really well with all the hiking we did.

I had a great time, lots of laughs and great company.  The weather in Canada was actually nicer than it was at home that weekend.  Thank you Janet for suggesting this!  We always seem to have a great time together!

The Janet's!!

Winding down

I only have three weeks until I finish my day zero project.  Where did the time go?  When I started I thought it would be easy to get everything done.  I was so wrong.  There are many things on the list I still want to do.   I have a trip to Canada planned but it may not happen due to my daughter-in-law having complications with her pregnancy.  I will also complete the hanging out my clothes.  I am going to continue working on the projects I have not finished.  Would I do this again?  YES!  I would do it a whole lot different though.  I would not pick projects that take so long to complete.  I would also not pick projects that take so much money to complete.  Finances can change so fast, that is one reason that I didn't get to finish some of the projects.  My life is taking a different turn :)  I have all these balls (events) up in the air and I am waiting for them to start falling, when one goes the rest will follow fast!  Stay tuned...I will keep you updated on these changes as they happen.  Thank you so much for following my blog to this point, I really appreciate your interest!

#36 Design a Power Point presentation and show it to at least 5 people 5/18/13

I was asked to help with a BE connected meeting.  In these meetings we get together and find topics that are interesting to people that are dating again.  Our subject was Andy Stanley's "Love, Sex, and Dating ; the New Rules".  Nettie and Jeff did a great job last fall presenting the first of 4 segments of this series.  Pete and I decided to focus on the last segment  in the series.  To review the other section I put together an 8 slide power point.  It was actually really easy.  It just takes time, like everything else.  It was well received and I had 18 people that watched it.   We ended the get together with our rendition of 'The Dating Game'.  My good friend Janet D. scripted it for us.  Both the actors and the audience had a good time.

#34 Make 10 jewerly pieces from silver in my shop-must include sodering

My original thought was to design new pieces.  Due to the time crunch that didn't happen.  I ended up making 10 + rings for Jenni.  She wanted a certain type and I decided to make some different ones for her to chose from. 

#43 Redo/fine tune my resume 1/15/13

This I accomplished with the help of one of my new daughter-in-laws.  She works for St. Thomas college in the writing clinic.  She was very helpful in helping me get my resume up to date and looking more modern.  Thank you Nicole!!  She sure makes me look impressive  :)

Janet S. Swanson
320-587-7608 900 Genes Drive
jhs900@gmail.com Hutchinson, MN 55350
________________________________________________________________________________________
SKILLS
Self-starter, goal and detail oriented, well organized, ability to work effectively with clientele of diverse backgrounds, self-motivated, fast learner, strong work ethic
EXPERIENCE
Wedding Coordinator December 2004 to Present
Faith Lutheran Church, Hutchinson, MN
•Discuss in 1:1 and group setting the policies and options for clients, offer pre- and post- wedding guidance and create plan for continued assistance over the course of wedding planning
•Coordinate schedules, deadlines, and expectations with photographer, sound operator, musicians, and pastors to accommodate individual client needs to maximize efficiency
•Act as troubleshooter and resolve problems, dealing effectively with emotional needs
Business Owner, Licensed Child Care Provider January 1989 to Present
Hutchinson, Minnesota
•Care for, feed, educate, entertain, discipline, and maintain well-being of 12 children on a daily basis
•Write and negotiate child care contracts with parents
•Maintain detailed documentation for billing, food records, and state inspections
•Plan, prepare, and serve meals and snacks which meet state nutritional standards
•Purchase supplies needed for the operation of a private day care center
•Basic accounting, filing, and computer organization, including Quicken and Microsoft Office
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Leadership Role - Beginning Experience of Central Minnesota
 Small group facilitation and discussion, organizing and ordering supplies needed for all aspects of weekend retreats, coordinating schedules for weekend retreats and keeping materials stocked
Teacher, Bracelet Making Class - Hutchinson, MN
 Ordering supplies, set-up, demonstration of techniques, helping the participants
Church Involvement – Faith Lutheran Church, Hutchinson, MN
 Teaching Sunday School, helping with dinners, sitting on various group committees
Achievement Chairperson - Boy Scouts of America
 Acting on Board of Reviews, completing re-charter paperwork and scout advancement paperwork, ordering supplies, keeping records and advancement tracking on 20+ boys
EDUCATION
New York Institute of Photography, New York, NY
Professional Photography Course
St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, MN
Bachelor of Fine Arts, Cum Laude Graduate

#19 say yes to any BE team opportunities 3/1/13

BE Spring weekend has come and gone.  I am a little behind in posting my accomplishments (you think?).  anyway I was not asked to be on team for the spring retreat.  I will however say yes to being on team if I am ever asked.  I believe that this is a worth while organization and I want to help out other people going through what I went through during my divorce.