gluebook

gluebook, a photo by northwoodsluna on Flickr.

January started out with a rush, bang, boom, the rest from my long Christmas break wore off soon. I had to drive down to Fergus Falls on the first Monday of January (7th) to be there for my annual performance review at 8AM Tuesday morning, and then stayed til 4:30 at a training even before making the 5 plus hour drive back up north. Talk about a long day! I got a superior rating on my review but since I am at the top of the salary band there is not much of a raise for me. I have been at the agency for 15 years this coming July. The salary band is not all that generous in non-prof organizations. I did get a bit of a raise in a "lump sum", not all that much all in all, but a bit none the less, my hourly wage stays the same as it was.


The rest of the month has passed in pretty much a blur. I had a 4 day weekend over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, most of which I spent in bed or on the couch having succumbed to what was either a horrendous cold bug or the flu. I'm leaning toward the latter as I ran a fever off and on, and don't do that when I have a cold. The fatigue was the worst part! I got behind on the infernal paperwork, but thankfully there's not so much as so many of my clients were ill this month too. I did have a flu shot this past autumn and take my vitamins so I suppose it could have been worse! Tom ended up having to go to the doctor because he was coughing so badly with his bug, Thankfully he did not have bronchitis or pneumonia, but she did give him an antibiotic that really helped him kick whatever the infection was The poor man was not able to sleep lying down for over a week and a half due to horrible coughing spasms.


I have some challenging cases currently but closed with 2 families in the past 2 weeks, and will close with another in the next week. Then I will be probably scurrying to bank enough "production hours" to claim my hourly wages for 3/4 time.


I've not had a lot of time for art work this month but have tried to do some pages in my glue book as I'm able. I'd forgotten how much fun it can be just to "cut and paste"


It's hard to believe that January has come to an end. My energy seems to be increasing, thankful for the longer days of light that fuel that energy. Amazing how much a few extra minutes of light in the morning and evening can do for a soul! Imbolc/Candlemas approaches, it calls to my wild Irish blood, cross quarters between the winter and summer solstices, the tin whistle sets my feet to dancing and the bodhran sets the rhythm of my heartbeat.


I'm looking forward to a busy February. Dessa and I are getting together on 2/9/13 at her house this time, for another artist's play day. :-)


The weekend of the 15th I'm off to the Twin Cities to go wedding dress shopping with Julie. :-) The wedding will be October 5th in St. Paul, at Matt's church. The reception will be at the Minnesota Science Museum! Very cool! Wedding guests get passes to the museum and validated parking for the day!
http://www.smm.org/rentals/elements


The following weekend Tom and I will be driving to Fargo for Friday night, 2/22/13, for a "tasting" at which John and Kasey will ask for opinions on the food from which to choose for their wedding reception in July. :-)

The workday calls so I'm off to the salt mines!

May you walk in The Light today with increasing vigor and confidence with the growing of the light and lengthening of days.
You are God's Beloved!
LIFE IS GOOD!