What will I do once I graduate? Well, for one I’ll cry. It’s been a dream for 20 years now. In my life, dreams haven’t come true, but one already has. My daughter has chosen and married a wonderful young man who treats her like gold. I also dream of my son finding a mate who loves him and treats him and he treats well. I want my kids to have better than me.

Dream #3 was to get a degree. A goal when I started school was to graduate with honors, but if I continue, I’ll graduate with high honors, with a 4.0. I’m amazed with myself. I’m a middle-aged woman, how did I manage to become such a good student? I work hard, yes, but still. Just because I’m in a “for-profit” school doesn’t mean it’s easy. I know there are schools out there that are just diploma mills, but Stevens-Henager is not one of them. They’ve been around since 1891. Longer than most colleges and universities in this country. The teachers care that we learn our subjects, that we know what they are teaching us. It’s been a challenge. I’ve had a few teachers I couldn’t stand. I thought they were horrible teachers, but I still managed to pull something out of the class. I’ve also had teachers that I felt were absolutely fantastic. 

What’s my next dream? I don’t know. I really don’t. I need to think long and hard on what I want to do next with my life.

I am not the woman I was 20 years ago. I am not the woman I was 5 years ago.

Who am I today? I don’t know. I can tell you what I do, but does that tell you who I am?

I work full-time for a great company. I love going to work. I love who I work with. They’re a bunch of nuts, so I guess I fit in. It’s hard work, don’t get me wrong. It’s stressful and I’m exhausted when I get off work, but I enjoy what I do.

I’m a knitter. And a spinner. I love yarn, in fact. I have a wonderful group of friends who also love yarn. They are an incredible support system.

I’m a full-time student. I’m in my last year of college and I’m very, very tired. I’m so ready for this to be done. I will be happy when I get my degree, that’s for sure. This has been a dream of mine, so when I finish, I get to see the finishing of a dream.

I’m a mother.

I’m a daughter.

That tells you what I do.

But who am I?

They also support stalking and profiling. That should be noted. All under the guise of “it’s a free site, they can do what they want”.

Yup, sounds like the far-right hate groups out there. The only freedoms their interested in is the promotion of their hate speech and how they have a free right to that.

I’m sad my kids are growing up. But I’m also excited. I’m beyond excited at who they have become. Incredible human beings who are making much better choices than I did at their ages. Where did they learn that?

Ahh, well. Life goes on. I wonder what I’ll be like when the grandkids start arriving.

I spin my own yarn. I own a Kromski Sonata spinning wheel that I love.  She (yes she) is lovely and spins like a dream. I move her all over the house and even to the back porch to spin. She folds up and packs away neatly into a travel bag and I take her places with me, including work and the mall, to spin. I love her greatly.

I buy lovely fiber from lots of different places.

In other words, I’m a geek with a hobby. It’s just not a new hobby. It’s one that’s been around for thousands of years.

I love to spin.

I’m tired. Oh, am I tired. Frankly, I’m not used to working 8-5. It’s been years since I’ve done that. And I mean years. Like, 20 years. I’ll get used to it. But what’s going to be interesting is finishing up my two classes I have. I’m only two weeks in, I have two weeks left and I have no energy to work on either one when I get home. I tried last night and feel asleep with my computer in my lap! I’m going to try and work some more tonight and try to get at least one class done. I do have till Saturday at midnight, but I hate waiting till the last minute.

Hopefully, next Mod, I’ll only have one class. I think my graduation date must have been moved up, as I only have 8 classes left to complete. 

Think good thoughts for me.

My son made a very astute observation the other day. He said “it’s going to be rough on you, at first, your new job”. He’s right. I’ve not worked full-time in many, many years. It is going to be rough. But I reminded him that I will get used to it. It’s going to be challenging, but at the same time, a relief. A job I enjoy where I don’t have to stress so much. Less stress is going to be a wonderful thing, plus the fact that I’m paid more, get benefits and work with some great people.

I was invited to the company picnic last week. I’ve come to the conclusion that these people are insane. They had a dunk tank and had drawn lots on who got to go in. That’s not what’s insane. What’s insane is the intensity with which the people throwing were trying to dunk those in the tank. Scary! I asked Mary, my new supervisor, if this was some sort of anger-management…

I got an A in Stats. I’m shocked, frankly.

Yeah, I got a call yesterday afternoon with a verbal offer. I have a new job people. The good one. The one I think I’m going to be really excited about working at.

I feel kind of like Sally Field. “They like me, they really, really like me!”

On the school front, I’ve finished all my accounting courses. I’m just doing generals now for the next year. My friend has graduated, so it’s going to be boring. She was fun to take classes with. We could argue out things. She knows how I learn and understands me. Oh, I still have a 4.0. At least for now. I did a final for statistics and I don’t know if I’ll keep that 4.0 after this class. Another gah!

My daughter is getting married in November. I’m still in shock about this I should tell you.

We’ve moved into a new house. It’s lovely. It has it’s issues, but, all in all, it’s a wonderful house.

Not much else to say, really.

Can someone give me a job?

On the reading front: I’m not reading the classics so much. Grimm’s was a bad idea as a first book. I am reading like mad lately. I re-started, for the 33rd time, The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. I always read them around my birthday. I think, every year, naw, I don’t need to read them, but then I just get a hankering for them and have to read them. It amazes me that I find something new every time.

Lent starts today. This year, I’m taking a vow of listening. This is not in the monastic sense (obedience, yeah, could you imagine that?), but in a talk less, listen more sense. I’ll try and update you on how that’s going.

School is still going well. I’m in my last accounting classes. I have a few little classes (database, software accounting), but mainly, after this, I have generals left for the next year. I’m still aiming for graduating summa cum laude. We’ll see.