Mud Season

Well, it has been a long time since the last post. Sorry about that, it's been a little hard to get motivated recently. I have been looking for a job here, and RI has the second-highest unemployment rate in the country (behind MI, of course), so it has been a challenge. I was really hoping to get a position at Lewis' school, since I've been subbing there so often, but they have no openings. Apparently none of the other private schools in the area do, either, although I've sent resumes to all of them. I am still working my Arbonne business, but it is hard to attract new clients and meet new people when you aren't working ouside the home! I can't work in the public schools, because I let my Maryland certification lapse over the past few years, so I would have to get re-certified - more trouble than it is worth. Instead I've been applying for positions in other fields - after all, I have a lot of varied experience, especially in grant-writing and fundraising.

What is interesting to me is how demoralizing it can be to apply for jobs with few results. The market here is so bad that hundreds, even thousands, of people are applying for each opening. You're lucky if you even get a form letter/email that lets you know they received your application. Despite my healthy self-esteem, I am finding the whole experience extremely depressing. I have had two interviews, both of which went well from my perspective, but I am still waiting to hear, and so continue to look for other options. Keep your fingers crossed.

Spring in New England is not like Spring in Maryland. We have had very few warm days - mostly it's been cool (60s) and cloudy/rainy - for at least a month now. A marked change from the immediate transition from cool weather to hot weather that we were used to in Maryland! I do remember an Amherst professor saying that there was no "Spring", just "Mud season". I guess this is it. Terry and I did manage to do some home improvements, though. We expanded the existing patio in the backyard by about 130 square feet. We couldn't match the old pavers exactly, but we got smaller pavers in the same color, and it looks pretty good - especially since this was our first experience laying a patio.

The existing patio is the part where the picnic table is standing. We have now moved the picnic table to the other corner, so there is room for lounge chairs. We may buy an outdoor fireplace eventually, too. Overall, we're pretty happy with it. We also managed to clean out/organize the garage last weekend, even though it was raining, so I feel like we've accomplished quite a bit.

If you see the sun, could you send it our way, with some warmer temperatures, please?!