Life moves so fast.  I am always amazed at how long it has been since I have looked at my blog.  Part of the reason I am not on my blog is that I do not have internet at the new house.  I am embracing the country living.  I have a wonderful garden, 9 chickens, 4 ducks and an orphaned wood duck named Zippy.  I also got 7000 bees in April.  My kids planned a joint Christmas present last year.  Dan made a top-bar bee hive (he has been doing some woodworking).  Jenni bought me all sorts of books on bee-keeping.  I should be writing a blog about being a bumbling beekeeper.  I really honestly don't know what I am doing.  On a positive note, I have not been stung by my bees and they are still alive.

     I am working as a Headstart Home Visitor at Lakes and Pines in Mora.  I enjoy the children. The job can be very taxing, I am the link to services and sometimes the unofficial therapist for these families.  It is so hard to see the need and not be able to help. The way I keep my cup full is my garden and animals ( I have 6 cats besides the outside animals), and of course my wonderful friends and family.   

     It's been two years since I moved into my new house.  The penny floor is done.

     

This is a picture before the grout and epoxy.  I am very pleased at how it turned out.  It was worth all the time I put into it.  I am working on going through all the boxes that I still have.  It is amazing the things that I kept when I packed and still can't throw away.  It will be a slow process.  At last I am becoming more organized to (hopefully) make it easier.  Until next time....

Miss Evie

Jenni and Miss Ellie

My three reasons for living

Jenni with Mom and Dad

Cedric bridge ceremony

Miss Ellie at Easter time

My new house before it was finished (almost done)

The bathroom Lake Superior rock floor

Where have you been?

What happened to Janet and Family??

The last year and a half have been a rollercoaster ride that is for sure!  I apologize to those of you that have heard the story for repeating it.  Here goes:  On March 8, 2014 I sold the Hutchinson house and moved into a rental in Garrison MN (move #1).  I had lots of help from family and friends which I greatly appreciated.  Shortly after I moved in the house I was renting, sold.  I had to remove the cats immediately (move #2 for the cats).  I moved my belongings to Milaca and myself into a 27 ft camping trailer that my brother Tim graciously let me borrow (move #2 for the belongings and me, move #3 for the cats).  The camper was parked on my parent’s west lawn.  I moved into the camper at the end of April.  It was cold!  The camper didn’t have a heater, so I got a space heater (which honestly didn’t heat the camper very well). 

At the beginning of May I signed papers to buy 5.87 acres of land and build a new house right outside the town of Pease, MN.  I also went on a road trip to Texas in May.  Jenni took a new job at the Frank Buck Zoo in Gainesville, TX.  I drove some of her belongings down to her.  It was a long (15.5 hours one way) drive but my friend Janet D went with me.  We had a good time despite the soreness we developed from sitting so long.

In June I was let go from my Personal assistant job in Milaca.  I was very glad not to have many bills at that time.  I spent June and July looking for a job and helping Mom and Dad with their garden and mowing lawn.  I am very grateful for the extra time that I got to spend with my parents.  I am so blessed to have such wonderful family and friend support during this very stressful time for me.  July 7 the backhoe arrived to dig the hole for my basement.  My house was finally started!  I was so excited to see something happening.  The crew that I was working with was unbelievably nice.  They let me get in the way and “help” with the work. I laid some block on the foundation and even put up one of the walls in the kitchen.  I can’t say enough good things about them.  If you ever need a contractor Mark Baas is WONDERFUL!  The guys listened to my concerns and suggested alternatives if my idea wasn’t feasible. 

In August I moved my belongings into a storage unit in Pease (move #3 for my belongings) I want to thank my loyal movers again.  I don’t know where I would be without you.  I promise I will not move for a very long time.  I was hired at Lakes and Pines at the end of August.  Unfortunately I started my new job at the same time that my house was ready for painting, staining, varnishing and laying the floors. 

September was unbelievably busy with working on the house and learning a new job.  The kitchen porcelain floor and the bathroom Lake Superior rock floors were laid on Labor Day weekend.  Mom and Dad helped me so much with the painting, staining and varnishing.  Dan had shoulder surgery in mid September.  Dan and I switched cars for a month because he couldn’t drive stick with his bandaged shoulder.   I had issues with the gas company and ended up having to install propane for 3 months.  The house had to be heated to install the wood floor and by that time it was the middle of October and starting to get cold again.  I am so glad we had such a mild October.  On Oct 25 I moved into my new house (Move #4).  Can I say again how grateful I am for the help of family and friends? 

On February 19, 2015 ElliAnna Rachel Marie Swanson was born.  I was privileged to be asked to take care of Evie during the time that Jason and Michelle were in the hospital.   Michelle had an emergency c-section and Jason needed to help her.  Jenni also arrived in Minnesota February 19.  It was so nice to actually see all three of my kids in the same room even for a short time. 

I still have things to do in the house, pictures aren’t up in all of the rooms, the entryway penny floor is unfinished, the yard is a work in progress, and the list goes on.  The cats are settling in, they still don’t like to be picked up because they are afraid they are going to be moved again.  I love my new open kitchen and all of the windows.  I have a garden plowed and am looking forward to planting it.  I have trees to plant and flower beds to create; I want to get bees and chickens.  There are a lot of plans that are going to take time. 

I am pleased to be able to go to events for Cedric now that I am closer.  I helped with one of his Cub Scout badges and was able to be there for his bridge ceremony from Cub Scout to Boy Scout.  He will be 11 in August.  Where does the time go?  Evie is almost two and starting potty training.  She is so adorable, big blue eyes and brown hair.  It will be exciting to see Ellie pass milestones.  Three beautiful grandchildren and three wonderful children; I am truly blessed!!

My new Job

Well, I have been at my new job for 4 months now.  I am really enjoying the work and all the new things that I am learning.  I do many different things, I work in the garden, help the clients, order supplies, do computer work and am learning how to fill orders.  I also have been learning to cook the Caitlyn way, using pleasing proportions.  Tuesdays are cooking days where I cook for the week.  Aigo Sau, Raz-ma-taz, turkey soup, chicken vegetable soup, bone broth, and many other delicious things. 

Selling the house is going slow.  I have had a lot of lookers, but it hasn't sold yet.  The hardest part is the driving.  I am commuting for 3 hours a day.   The deer and other critters have been staying off the road luckily.  I am not looking forward to driving in bad weather. 

I read my sister's blogs today and am so impressed with the fact that they both have started new Day Zero projects.  I haven't even thought about my new Day Zero project.  I have been so busy with the new job and trying to get the house sold.  After I get into a new place I can think about it.  Right now I am just trying to keep up with everything around here.

I hope this gets you caught up with what I am doing.   I'll try to write again soon.

My new job

I have completed two days at my new job.  I am on information overload!  I am still very excited about working with Caitlyn.  For those of you that don't know I have accepted (and been accepted ) to work with Caitlyn Johnson.  She is a Holistic Practitioner, who is also a life coach.  I am to be her personal assistant, doing everything from tending her beautiful gardens to data entry to laundry and cooking.  She is a very smart lady!  I can not believe all the information that she holds in her head.  I have spent the last two days shadowing her.  Today is my day off.  Since I am commuting 90 miles each way, we have worked it out for me to work 4 - 10 hour days.  After my house sells and I move closer (much closer) that might change.  Today I have to get things organized around here!  So I am off to clean up from my garage sale, mow lawn, and run errands.  :)

Completion date

My completion date has come and gone.  I finished exactly one half of my tasks.  I will be doing this again.  I just need to make good on my donations before I start another round.  I know that I will be donating to Postcrossing and Beginning Experience, but am not sure if I will donate to anywhere else or split the money between the two places.  I was thinking of donating to Children's Hospital in Minneapolis in memory of Sarah. 
    
 Talking of Sarah, I am a Grandma again!!!  To a beautiful little girl named Evelyn Sarah Marie Swanson, they will be calling her Evie.  She was born June 11 at 8:37 pm weighing 7 lbs 1 oz and 20 inches long.

Look at all that hair!  She was named after Michelle's grandma and my Sarah.  I am so blessed that she and Mom are healthy as there lots of problems with the pregnancy. 

Other big news in my life is that I am quitting Daycare and have accepted a job as a personal assistant to a Holistic Practitioner who is also a life coach.  I have been busy cleaning, fixing, painting my house to put it on the market.  So not only am I leaving a job I have done for 24 years I am also moving out of my house that I have lived in for  28 years.  And you were wondering why I wasn't writing on my blog  :)

Now my blog is going to be about my new adventures after daycare.  Maybe I should title it "Is there life after Daycare?"  I will miss the kids, I think they keep me young.  I won't miss the dirty diapers and the puking.  Wish me luck on my new job!

# 99 Call or visit Mom and Dad at least once a month

My parents are getting older and I feel like I should be there for them like they have been there for me.  I have always tried to stay in touch, I just wanted to stay in touch more often.  They have recently gotten internet and now are on facebook, so staying in touch will be even easier.

#46 Hang out Laundry at least once a month, even in the winter.

I got a little obsessive about this task.  It became my own personal challenge to not use my dryer.  I even rigged up lines in the laundry room for hanging clothes in the winter.  I will continue on my quest to not use the dryer. 

#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. 

#61 See a play at the Guthrie

I have not been to the Guthrie since high school,  (just a few years) That was long before they moved it down by the river.  I love to see plays and get lost in the magic.  Dan and Nicole gave me tickets to "As You Like It" as a thank you for helping with their wedding. I had a general idea of the plot before I went, but not details.  The play was in Dowling Studio for those of you that know the Guthrie.  As with all of Shakespeare's plays it takes a while to get used to the wordage.  I did think that the first act was very confusing though.  I also didn't understand the woodland creatures.  I am not that well versed on Shakespeare, so I may be missing something. With that said I had a really good time.  The views are wonderful from the building.  I would love to watch a thunderstorm from there sometime.  The part where the floor was covered with clear plexiglass was scary to me.  I did walk across it, but very, very carefully.  I would like to thank Pete for going with me and being driver (I hate driving in the cities).  I would love to go to another play!

#48 Repaint Jason's room

This is something I have been planning on doing for quite a while.  The process started Memorial Weekend 2012.  That is when Pete repaired the holes in the wall.  Holes from moving a air vent and one that appeared when I moved their dresser.  The boys have no idea how it got there......

It went from a blue color to Timeless Taupe and Brown Sugar. The room has a ledge on the north and west walls where the bottom of the wall sticks in about 3 inches.  That part is Brown Sugar.  I am going to put a wood board on the ledge part to dress it up. This picture is looking at the east part of the north wall.  Right now I use the room for a daycare nap room.  I think it looks good, just as I had imagined it.  I had my doubts when I was just finishing up the first coat of the brown sugar.  I turned around and the taupe looked pink.  Too many paint fumes maybe  :)

# 67 Host a Murder Mystery dinner for my kids

I was lucky enough to have all of my family here for 3 days at Christmas time.  We decided that it would be a good time to have a mystery dinner.  Because my grandson (who is 8) was participating, I decided that a non-murder mystery would be better.  So, I went on the web and found "Who kidnapped Rudy the Rosy-nosed Reindeer".

 Some of the characters involved.   From left to right, Icy, Dap, Prisser, The Man (gingerbread man).
Santa had chicken feet slippers a gift that mysteriously appeared under the tree the night before.

Santa getting some sugar from the Missus.  :)

Discussion of the clues during the game.  Everyone seemed to have a good time.  We of course ate during the entire thing. 

'The Man' and his prize for guessing who-dunit correctly.  A very fun time, I would definitely do something like this again with family.

#35 Send 3 people who aren't related to me a surprise, just because.

Who doesn't love getting a package in the mail?  It is even more fun when you don't expect it.  That is the reasoning behind this goal. 

The first package that I sent was a secret Santa package.  I crocheted  a pink hat for a 7 year old girl that I know.  Her big sister had been stationed in Korea and was not going to be home for Christmas for the first time.  She also has 4 brothers.  I know that she is close to her older sister and was going to miss her.  So I anonymously sent her the package with a note saying that I knew her sister was going to be missing her too and that the hat was pink so that her brothers wouldn't steal it. I did hear through the grapevine that she really liked the hat and wore it often last year.

The second package was to a lady that I meet through Postcrossing.  She lives in Germany.  I sent her a bracelet that I had made.  We have been writing to each other since our first postcard and sending small things back and forth.  She makes Hummel  cards to sell at craft sales with the money going for underprivileged children.

The third package that I sent was to a friends daughter that is studying in England for a year.  I wasn't sure how people across the pond celebrate Halloween, so I got together some decorations and fun toys to send her.  The shipping cost as much as everything in the box did!  She greatly appreciated the thought and had fun with the things that I sent. 

It is so much fun to make someones day.  I will be sending out more packages, who knows maybe you will be the next to get one!  :)

#78 Make a crocheted rug with the material I bought.

My bathroom rug was in terrible shape, I had bought it years ago at a craft sale.  It was woven on a loom.  I bought material to cut into strips and then crochet into a rug like my friend Becky H does.  The rugs are thick and very comfortable for standing on. 

The center of the rug is from the old rug in the bathroom.  I took it apart and then reused the material in the new rug.  The blue is material I bought and then cut into strips.  The plain white ball that you see in the top two pictures is from a bedskirt that was falling apart.  The outer white is actually a polka dotted fabric that I bought.  I love how it turned out and how comfortable it is under my feet.  There is a lot of cush and absorption to it.  It is also very heavy!  I have started a second one made out of t-shirts and a jersey sheet that was wearing out.  It takes a considerable amount of time cutting the fabric into strips but I like the thickness of these rugs.  I will be making more!..

#47 Clean out Jason's Room

When Jason went to college I was going to re-do his room and never got around to it.  Now that he has had his own place in the cities for about 3 years I feel the room is mine to do what I want.  I cleaned it out and rearranged it.  It still has his bed in there which is used for company.  The closet is a disaster, but all of my closets are.  I still need to go through it.  Two thirds of what is in the closet is either Jason's or Jenni's.  Pete helped me repaint the ceiling and I need to do the walls.  It is being used as the daycare nap room now. When I get it painted I will have finished another of my Day Zero projects.  :)