Live from Tormville!

Spring Break * 2022

We didn't go anywhere for Spring Break this year.  

The real truth is I never sat down long enough to really think, let alone plan, to go anywhere.  
The secondary truth is, I think my body just needed a moment. 

I enjoyed my week. 

Part of being secretary now, is that this week wasn't a scheduled time off for me.  Full-time staff still works.

What I loved most about this week is that we were offered the opportunity to work flexibly from home, or the office, or whatever worked best for us.   

I needed a break from the office, so I brought my piles home.  I ran in twice, but only for quick drops and pick ups.  I'm an early riser, so I loved being able to start work at 5am in my pajamas and enjoy my coffee break on the couch.  

I reestablished my daily walks - getting in 3 plus miles a day.  

I drank my water quota. 

The week really helped me to refocus before the busy-ness that April and May always bring. 

I completed everything that I brought home, and took Thursday and Friday completely off. 

It was good.  

Yesterday I talked Mark into an early morning hike at Kensington.  

This is what happens when you have a dad that likes to build things and a mom that likes to go on hikes and photograph nature. 

This kid starts drivers ed tomorrow, by the way.  The latest that any of our four kids have started, having turned 15 already in January, but I still don't feel ready to wrap my brain around it. 

Speaking of driving kids - this one called home this week about a garage estimate that would run him close to the same amount of money that he spent on his car to begin with. 

Good thing we were home. He and Greg got some quality bonding time, wrenching together in the driveway, and he saved himself a couple thousand bucks.  A good couple nights spent on our couch. I can hear him behind me as I type. I think he enjoys being home, because he decided he may as well stay one more night since he works at noon today, and we're closer to his work. 

I also finished/nearly finished some huge projects this week. 

Yearbook - check
Taxes x 3 - check
Mystery Project - check
Directory - check
Dental crown prep - check

All were hanging over my head. HUGE relief to be done/nearly done with all of them.  I was so excited, I even started some closet purging projects. 

As for April and May - they will be busy. They always are.

Spring Sports
Drivers Ed
Easter
Senior Survivor
Victim Services Conference
A few local archery tournaments
Archery Nationals in Kentucky
Drivers Ed
Mark is still determined to find a job (something walking/biking distance would be ideal)
and all the stuff that comes with winding down the school year - which means a lot of learning for me, being my first year in my new position.

This week was good. 
This week was needed. 

Who's the Parent?

To know Mark, our youngest, is to know that he enjoys baking and trying new recipes.  

He's had the cookbook open on the kitchen table for a few days now to a recipe he planned for this weekend. The ingredients had already been purchased on his trip to the store with dad and my job, my only job, was to look over the directions. Which I finally did tonight while eating dinner and before heading out to the game....also when he plans to bake.  

Me:  Okay Mark, this means to beat it until....

Mark, interrupting: I already looked up a YouTube video. I know what it means. 

Me:  Okay. [pausing to take a few bites of my dinner] make sure you don't forget th...

Mark: I know

Me, reading further and still eating my dinner [pasty]: Okay, we have whip cream, we have.....um. 

Mark: What? 

Me: Um....the raspberries were for this recipe?  

Mark, flinging open the fridge, and then providing me with one of his newly developed teenage glares. 

Me:  I DIDN'T KNOW!  THEY WEREN'T LABELED!  

Mark:  They're BOTH [containers] gone?!?!

Me:  They were good!  I took one to work yesterday, and one today. 

Mark:  And you ate them ALL?! 

Me:  I did!  And they were good! Perfect desk finger food! Do I need to remind you that they were not labeled, "save for recipe" 

Mark:  I TOLD YOU TO READ THE RECIPE!  

Me:  I am!  Now! 

I am also now going to Meijer after the game.  It better be an adrenalin pumping barn burner

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Also this week. 

Mark, holding the jar of jam open so I can see the inside:  Um.  What is this in the jam? 

Me:  Peanut butter, cuz...uh

Mark:  Don't DO that.  

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Mark needs to loosen up.   grin 

Heading into 2022 like....

splash  

I've been poor about updating my blog this past year.  

I have to start the blog year out with this photo because I never shared it here, and my friend Julie is one of the few people who actually checks my blog anymore. Julie is super competitive when it comes to trying to swim later in the year than Mark each year.  

Mark's final lake swim of the year was on 10/14/21.  It was his 200th day of swimming in a row. We had a mild fall, so it wasn't too bad that day - I just remember, like many days, trying to rush him to the lake between soccer practice and before heading to the event of the evening, while still allowing him time to dunk, swim a lap and enjoy his daily ritual.  

While it was a mild fall, within that 200 days - he swam in snow, rain, hail, and sunshine.  He swam as early as 6am and as late as 10pm on those away game nights. 

He has tenacity and is enjoying being on the high school swim team this year. He's also stretching out, having grown a full two inches in the last year, passing everyone in this home up - one by one, and not showing any signs of slowing down. He finds great joy in patting me on the head and calling me 'short momma'

I was hoping (and am still hoping) to talk him into trying shot put in track and field for the spring, but he seems adamant about needing to take a break, do drivers ed and get a job.  I'm working on him. 

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Speaking of jobs - Brian is still enjoying flipping pizzas. 

He found a car just as the snow began to fly (Understatement. We drove that car home from Gladwin in white knuckle winter storm conditions) so now can drive to work rather than trudge through the snow and mud.  My goal was for him to have a car before archery season begins.  Archery begins full swing tomorrow, so that goal has been met.  He enjoyed placing in a few preseason tournaments and is excited to mix up his nights between work and archery for a few months. 

He's started to flip through the daily college stuff that comes in the mail, but is leaning heavy towards the trades, which we fully support. 

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Allan is currently enjoying our couch while his car is in the shop.  Due to the car shortage, worker shortage, shortage shortage - we are hearing reports of cars being in mechanic's garages for months before they even get looked at. 

We moved his car from one garage to another (he got in a fender/bender) because the first one couldn't look at it until March, only to have the second garage ending up having to close due to everyone getting COVID.  I am so sick of COVID showing up in every single element of our lives. Fact.  

Anyway. We're enjoying his humor, artwork and conversation until we get him some wheels again. It's a lot easier for him to get to work from our house than it is from his apartment, and he goes home now and then when our shuttling schedules will allow for it. 

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Wendy is still living in Minnesota, and was able to come home for Christmas this year - thanks to us having helped find her some new (used) wheels when we went to visit her in October. The old car never would have made it.  

She was just with us for four nights before having to head back home for work. The bummer was that she got back and was told not to come to work that week as someone at worked had tested positive, so she could have stayed longer. 

BUT. The weather was best on the day that she traveled and she was able to begin her several week camping adventure a week earlier than planned. Her and friend(s) are traveling south through Missouri, Oklahoma and to Arizona through much more pleasant January weather than what Minnesota has to offer. She keeps in daily communication, turning our few remaining dark hairs gray with shares of which lights came on in the new (used) car and how they sleep with an $8 Samurai sword on their dashboard to 'keep them safe' when napping in Walmart parking lots. 

Perhaps they'd be even safer if they put a 'Warning! We are C19+' sign and a bunch of balled up Kleenex on their dash.  

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Greg enjoyed his time off between Christmas and New Years, while fielding just a few phone calls.  It's fun that he's finally in a position that he doesn't have to travel during this time, as was the case for many many many years.  We can handle the few phone calls if it allows us to keep him home. 

He still has a desk set up in our bedroom, but does drive in to the office a couple days a week. I'm a little worried about our shuttle schedule this coming week, so I have hopes that he'll be able to work from home - but it'll be a day by day thing. 

He still carves regularly, enjoys his forge and having sold our old snow tires yesterday - I may have gotten him hooked on selling things online.  He was so excited, he even installed the tires on the buyer's vehicle as an extra service and asked if I listed the kid's snowshoes yet. 

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Me. Well - you know. I just putter about. Sewing, photographing, creating, working, working, working, hiking and I've done a good job of getting back into reading this past few weeks. I'm hoping to keep that ball rolling.  Mark, who reads hundreds of books each year, doesn't think I can do it - so I'm really just out to prove him wrong. 

Here's to 2022! 

 

 

A No Card Year

Every few years, I take the year off from sending cards. 

It's that year again. I did jokingly tell the boys, though, that since Wendy and Allan have moved out - maybe I should just send out this picture. They thought that was funny, but wrong.  That's my go to par for jokes.  Funny, but wrong. 

I hope to get all four of them in one photo when Wendy comes home for Christmas. It's all I want.  

 

Where the coons are the size of bobcats

My one blog reader ahemed me recently and asked that I please dust off my blog. 

I miss writing, I really do. I just feel like I haven't allowed myself the time to think about writing. Often my writing comes from a lull in the activity, a long walk, a space where there are no interruptions - and those moments have been few and far between.  I need to do a better job of finding those moments again. 

So. 

Back to the beginning of summer. 

Two days after my last day of the 20-21 school year, the year that I thought was going to go down as being the most exhausting work year ever - I went backpacking. I'm so grateful that it worked out this year. The time, the weather, the friends - all of it. The only thing lacking was my physicality - and I paid for that in PT costs up until just recently - but I'd do it again to be able to escape it all and sleep under the stars. 

This was my second adventure to Nordhouse Dunes. The first time was in 2018. 
As we did last time, we got lucky in weather, no crowds and no bugs. 

But we did have a coon. 

I was the first one to bunk down that night. My whole life I've struggled with not being able to warm back up once I get cold, so I'm very careful to hunker down before the cold sinks in. I'd already been asleep for what I'm sure was a couple hours when I could hear Denise, from the next tent over, yell "HEY! Get outta there!!" 

Of our nine tents, mine was the closest to hers and - as luck would have it - my one window was facing her direction, so I was able to provide adequate backup protection by way of my crouched position, flashlight and eagle eyes. I also had my knife handy.  Just.In.Case. 

My light went directly to a pair of eyes that was eyeing up Denise's backpack that was hung high up the tree, downwind from her tent. The size of the animal had me certain that it was a bobcat, but once it turned sideways, we could both see that it was the biggest racoon either of us had ever witnessed. It did scamper off and we both got a bit more sleep before we heard it rustling again. 

This time that coon managed to knock the heavy pack off the tree and pull it a good five feet into the brush and feast on some pistachios before we woke up. It wasn't as willing to scamper off the second time, having scored a food source.  A lot more hollering and commotion had to be done, which had all but two of us coming out of our tents (I figured the seven of them had it well taken care of, and...well....I get cold, and had single-handedly assisted in the first go around) 

It was in the morning that we were able to see the size of the prints, the drag marks and just how far that critter was able to tug that full size back pack into the brush after he'd pushed it off the tree. 

Other than that, the weekend was incident free and laughter filled and I can't wait until next year's adventure, whereever it may lead. 

 

 

Day 100/200

Today was swim #100 of his 200 swim goal. 
We got to the lake before 9am. It's our favorite time.  I've not swam with him yet this year, but I will. Soon.  He's got 100 more swims to get in, so I have lots of opportunities. 

On our way home, we had this random conversation as I was trying to explain to him who someone was. 

Mark: Is that the guy that looks like a lawyer? 
Me: Um. Well - I don't know - what, in your mind, does a lawyer look like? 
Mark: Well. A pointier nose and hair that's combed straight back in a way that you can see where every line of the comb was. 

 

Not a recommended competition

Brian still holds the family record, but I do need to give a little shout out to Kid #2 today.

 

As many of you have followed Wendy's journey, I know you will appreciate how far she's come. I've told her before that in time of immediate need, I truly believe she's capable of managing a gruesome, adrenalin filled, situation. She proved that when her and Kirk came home for Easter, and - despite my multiple warnings (!!!), Kirk sliced off the top of his finger with our mandolin. Our new mandolin. Wendy got him all bandaged up before she got the shakes.

Yesterday it was her turn. She got cut at work.

She's got a summer job that required getting her scuba diving license. She cleans the lilly pads and yuck out private ponds and lakes. Or, as I like to say, she cleans the muck of the rich.

 

Yesterday she slipped on some rocks and one got her good. The water was so swampy, she couldn't see the wound when she pulled her leg out of the water, but all she saw was blood. Lots and lots of blood.

 

She wrapped it tightly in a towel, and we talked while she was waiting for a ride to her car. (They ride out to job sights together in a work vehicle). She was doing fantastic.

 

Back at her car, and on the phone with me again, she verbally contemplated switching out the wrap before going to get it checked, but - too vividly remembering her history, I advised her not to since I had no way of knowing how bad it really was and because she was alone. She drove herself to the clinic, got a tetanus shot, and TEN stitches. While Brian still holds the house record at 16, I'm pretty impressed that she managed all that without blacking out, and then managed to drive herself to McDonalds for a kick of sodium (doctor recommended ages ago when we were working on eliminating her empathy/blood induced blackouts) and back home again. 

Sometimes it'll hit her hours or a day or so later, but so far so good. The doctor we had seen at the Children's Hospital in Detroit did tell us she'd outgrow it someday. 

 

It's been a long road of many appointments, counseling, worries/concerns and even a 504 Plan, so it's a very huge "Man, that feels good" moment. She can wear those ten stitches as a badge of honor.

 

And yes - I have before and after photos - but knowing how easily she was triggered will always be with me, therefore I don't have any intention of sharing wound pictures publically. 

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In other news - I'm really enjoying summer this year and I WILL get those Nordhouse stories posted. Soon. 

To the zoo .... or to the sky

Last evening, Greg started churning up ideas on how to spend Father's Day. 

"How about the zoo?", he said, somewhat predictably. 

"Well", I replied, "I actually have a surprise planned already" 

From there it went into guessing, and after several outlandish suggestions from the boys, I ended up telling him. Greg loves to research, so a little heads up allowed him to look up some videos, history and facts. 

It was a few weeks ago that I had bid on a glider flight in an online charity auction. Unfortunately, I had a meeting during the final hour, and was outbid right in the end. 

I waited a bit to see if anyone would reach out, as they sometimes do, to see if I'd like to match the donation if they could offer another prize. 

Nobody reached out, so I contacted the pilot myself. 

I explained how I was outbid, but that by then - I kind of had my heart set on giving this experience to Greg. Greg worked helicopters when he was in the Navy, has a knack for understanding all the language, mathematics and other stuff that is involved with flight, and loves the sky. 

I received a quick response, and the answer was perfect. 
Let's get Greg in the air, and I'll send my bid in as a donation to the charity. 
PERFECT. 

The original plan was for last Saturday, but the evening prior - Greg asked, "Do we have any plans for tomorrow? Charlie asked if I'd like to go to the Grand Prix" 

Um. 

A quick email to Sam, we rescheduled, and Greg got to enjoy both the Grand Prix and a flight in the sky.

I love that this worked out. 

There are no engines in glider planes, so they get lifted and let loose once all the variables are correct. I had NO clue that the passenger sits in the front seat. Bonus! 

The pilot sits on the nose when the passenger gets out, else it'll give like a teeter totter does when a kid jumps off the low end. 

Now to rest up and get ready for a new week. 

Also - a little out of order, but I will blog last week's backpacking trip soon.  We're rocking summer over here this year. 

Happy Hot Air Balloon Day!

Mark has one of those calendars that daily tell him what day it is. This morning he came downstairs and said, "Mom, did you know today is Hot Air Balloon Day?" 

My favorite day!! 

The pandemic kept us grounded last year, so we are all appreciating this year just that much more. We flew twice this last week, and on Thursday I was lucky enough to go up.  I still work for another week, but my summer mood starts the day the kids get out - and I can say that Summer 2021 is pretty awesome so far. 

This isn't the school that I work at, but I spent a lot of time here this last year photographing events. By my count, I photographed 141 events from August - May, and I loved every moment. It was a great way to get out and be active when the options were limited. Besides, it was my stress relief. 

I loved being able to shout to the drumline to play something, knowing they had no clue who was requesting, and then sending them an immediate picture. I had the thought that I should have recorded them (they sounded fantastic) but then remembered - HAH - the burner doesn't make for good audio background. (wink) 

It's always fun to fly with other balloons.  Sometimes we stick close together, other times we end up being pulled in different directions. The directions can vary depending on the altitude.  Dennis (the balloon on the left in the second picture) took off more East pretty quick, while Joey stayed closer to the path we were on.  Joey's grandma subs in the office and library for us at Three Fires, and got to the launch in time to wave me off.  

I plan to ask her to sub for me next year (For Real! I am!) but today I used my perfect attendance bonus to purchase some new photo equipment that I'm pretty excited to play with.  

Happy Sigh 

The lake you see is the one that Mark puts in a lot of his swims. He did the pool this morning for swim number 69 of his 200 swim goal, but since it was so warm today - he went for another swim in the lake after dinner. 

At this point we were looking for a place to land, and had our eyes set on that subdivision just past the church. 

Roof is looking good. 

Joey is still tracking pretty close to the same path we are. 

The subdivision ended up not working out. We came down low, talked to a few people, skimmed between a few homes and had to pop back up. We had picked up speed at that point, and between that and numerous fenced in yards, the conditions were too risky. 

By law, we have to be out of the sky by sunset. 

By personal choice, we prefer to be out of the sky before the dew starts getting the grass wet. When we pop up and see mostly trees we reflect upon past experiences and think this could get interesting. The wind likes to play and it often pulls us just out of reach of perfect landing spots, or teases us with what look like fields - only to find that they are wetlands or crops. 

Until we find something - we just enjoy the moment. 

Here we yelled, "HEY JIM!"  No response.  Then we tried, "HEY TOM!!"  
Still - no response.  Either it really wasn't them, or they were ignoring us.  They seemed pretty focused. 

Right on target towards a perfect landing spot. The first flight of the year was a pretty rough landing, but this one was probably the smoothest that I've ever been a part of.  The grass was dry, the landing was smooth, the owners were helpful and even brought us ice cream. 

Life is good. 

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In other stuff: I'm going to work towards getting back into a blogging routine now that I'm back in summer mode.  It's my family that gets on me if I lapse too long. 

Also hoping to share some kayaking, backpacking, travels, balloonfest and maybe a brain drain or two as the summer goes on.   

The other thing I almost do

I am a Victim Service Advocate. 

It's not a title that I feel I've completely earned yet. It's not something that I've shared out to very many people. I have told the people that live under the same roof, as that seems somewhat warranted being that the on call lifestyle  will affect the way we do things. I know for a fact my neighbors and even some of my extended family are learning this for the first time if they are reading this post. 

Let me start by sharing a little timeline. 

• Fall 2018 - I went through the Citizen's Academy at the Sheriff's Office. It was during that time that I learned about the Victim Services Unit. While many counties have had their units for 12-20+ years - we, in Livingston County, are just starting ours. During the class in which it was brought up, I instantly got those goosebumps and that all encompassing feeling that this is my next chapter. There was (is) no doubt in my mind. 
  I applied
• August 2019 - I was interviewed by the Undersheriff, the Lieutenant and the Administrative Secretary. 
• September 2019 - I was taken on as a Victim Service Advocate and began attending the required bi-monthly training meetings. 
• January 2020 - I attended the mandatory three day training up in Petoskey, a training required to go out on calls.
• March 11, 2020 - I attended a bi-monthly meeting and got the go ahead to start carrying my on call bag/uniform. I headed straight from that meeting over to what was going to be the last basketball game of the season. 
• March 12, 2020 - morning - I hung my uniform and go bag in my car before going to work 
• March 12, 2020 - evening - all units, statewide, were put on hold

It's been a long year. It's been a frustrating year, hearing calls and and knowing of calls and situations where my training could be helpful, but not being cleared to go. I've continued with my required continuing education hours (12 CE's a year), and went on a lot of walks and took a lot of photographs. Taking pictures has been my way of keeping my mind off what else I could/should be doing. 

This past week I had a five hour meeting at the Sheriff's Office. During that meeting we discussed our roles, organized materials and began preparing for when we will starting going on call outs. (June 4th) 

During that meeting we discussed what my tasks will be beyond going on calls. As one of three leads, one of my roles will be finding ways to recruit and build our unit (the reason for this post), logging CE hours, and making sure our advocates are aware of trainings and requirements. 

A little about the role itself.  

As a Victim Service Advocate, we are with the victims of tragedies during their very worst moments. We are in homes and at crime scenes and suicides when the news is fresh and the feelings are still very very raw. Our job is to be with the victim, helping them in whatever way is needed and walking them through the steps of what is happening. By being there and doing this we are freeing up law enforcement to focus on their jobs. I'm aware that I will be seeing things that I will never be able to unsee, and - as we are taught in our trainings - that it is very possible that I could be comforting a suspect of a crime. It is also very possible that I may unexpectedly find myself at a scene of someone I know. 

I'm going into this with eyes wide open, and we have all the help tools in place to assist in the processing of these situations. I believe in the system, and have told those closest to me to monitor me - to let me know if I begin to lose my humor or if the light goes out of my eyes. Keep me in check and remember me in your prayers.

With all my heart, I feel the rewards are worth it. 

The other reason that I share with you now, is because I need you to know that if - God forbid - I happen to end up in your home as a Victim Service Advocate - whatever is learned and/or shared there is completely and one hundred percent confidential.  What happens there is only between the team (advocates always go out in pairs) and the victim(s). Period. If someone asks me if I was at a particular scene, I will neither confirm or deny, but remind them that my job is confidential. 

In many ways, I feel like my training as both a parapro and an office clerk has better prepared me for this chosen path. As a parapro, we quickly learn not to take things personally, and as school office staff we practice confidentiality daily.  Likewise, the training that I've had as a Victim Service Advocate has given me tools that I use in my job at the school. 

Add to that, my being gifted with the skills and opportunity to take pictures at school is my go to stress relief. Other people may exercise, but me - I take pictures. While those volunteer hours may be fewer than they are this year, and it's quite possible I could be called away from the game right before the final buzzer - I hope to always continue my role as photographer for yearbook and the Communications Department. It's my sanity check. Besides, I'm already getting excited for Friday night football. And band. And basketball. And and and and......

I have the best of all worlds. 

In closing, if you feel like this might be something that you could do or that you are meant to do, let me know and I'll put you in touch with the right people. 

Be Good. Be Safe.