Back to the Cabin

Posted on September 3, 2016May 10, 2020 by pioneerintrees

Survived the first week back to work (as a P, that’s the week prior to Labour Day weekend). Ran a decent PA day with excellent discussions and DOING math during our morning meeting, and had short “Fireside Chats” in the afternoon with staff to find out their goals and concerns and how I can support them this year. It was a long and awesome day! I commiserated afterwards to CB that I forgot to take photos of the fabulous math … she suggests that I have a dedicated photographer next time. I think that’s a great idea. I’m going to put a call in to Rusty on that one.

For now though, we’re at the lake for the weekend. Time for family and the annual Treasure Hunt and the inevitable taking stock of all things done and not done during the summer. We will write in our journal and make a wish list for next year. I’m not too concerned about a lot of work this weekend … for me if it’s not been finished, it’s going to have to wait. (I do not have the same philosophy as my mom, who had the early arriving grandkids doing chores all day yesterday! Annie was thrilled to arrive later in the day lol.)

My favorite finished projects are:

The countertop in the bunkie went from UG to WOAH. We learned a lot about tiling in the process. It’s not perfect, the grout pulled away from the slate in a couple of places (too wet?). But it’s just fine for the bunkie. Especially considering that it used to look like this…

our tiling project — *Not perfect but a great first tiling job if I do say so myself…*

Next will come the backsplash that will be vintage tin ceiling tiles. I have them ready to go but ran out of time.

The other massively great accomplishment of the summer were the three beds that Paul made. Bunk beds in the bunkie and two beds in the cabin. Such a HUGE improvement!! Here’s a before and after in the bunkie:

before and after beds — *So much nicer! Queen on the bottom, twin on the top. Maybe just a wee bit close to the ceiling…*

The old bunk bed had a ladder up the wall (each rung was covered with a piece of carpet). It was facing a different direction, and it was two double beds (the frame was a metal boxspring). We removed the old bunk bed, pulled up the carpet and hard tack linoleum and refinished the floors. Paul and I designed the bed and stole Uncle Ian’s ladder design. There’s space underneath for storage. We wanted the queen sized bottom bunk to have lots of room for “hanging out” so the top twin bed it a tad close to the ceiling. Liam doesn’t seem to mind!

My next favorite accomplishment is the outdoor shower. It used to be a green hose with an antique shower head (a circular ring at the top that had holes in it). I requested hot water … and Paul made it happen. He built a cedar platform as well, and found me a piece of driftwood that I’d requested for a soap and shampoo holder. We decided that we wouldn’t construct walls -it is completely open air. I haven’t been caught in the shower yet, but it will happen some day. It’s inevitable.

Finally, I love my summer weight quilt that is “in progress”. I started with scraps that match the painting and chairs in the front porch. I made a plan with grid paper, then cut the fabric into rectangles and arranged them. Sewed. Found errors in my design. Reorganized. I found an old blanket in the cabin that was thin enough for the batting. Basted together the 3 layers: my funky top, thin batting and a new polka dot backing, and got going with the top stitching. I have a long way to go, but I am not too jazzed about it. Soon enough it will be done. And it will be awesome.

Now off to make a skillet peach cake for the Treasure Hunt pot luck.

It’s Going to be a Tough Re-boot

Posted on August 17, 2016 by pioneerintrees

The other day I went to log-in to my Word app on my own iPad, and alas, I’d forgotten my work login. Worked away at it for a while, considering all different iterations of passwords I have used in the past. It was … just outside of my ability to remember it. I gave up and slept on it. Didn’t help. I texted my BFF who has come to the school to help me sort things on my own systems (and consequently had access to my password – ya, ya, bad practice, I know…) and she couldn’t remember it (no, seriously!). I then called the HelpDesk … and … I forgot the extension for the HelpDesk! They said that the system had been down and to re-try. Nope. Farted around some more and FINALLY found it by going through my computer’s stored passwords.

I. WAS. WAY. OFF.

I’m going to have to scale back on the mojitos and nurse my tech brain back to health.

Summer Ruminations

Posted on August 13, 2016 by pioneerintrees

It’s now August and all Educators begin having school dreams. (I say dreams, but they are not generally pleasant …). No matter the devices we use for keeping school-related thoughts at bay (travel, trashy novels, alcohol … to outline the obvious), they still come. These trigger subtle changes in our foci. When it’s raining we find ourselves thinking about indoor recess, when we hear a great swear-free song we make a mental note – or even hit Shazam and save it. As a P, I find myself collecting various sized pinecones for the Kindies to sort and birchbark pieces for the investigation. I buy EUC books for classroom libraries from online buy&sell sites (EUC stands for ‘excellent used condition’, FYI). And so it goes. I can’t help myself and neither can any other Educator in the world.

The summer is essentially over for us. We’re becoming serious about buying swearing stationary.

As a P of course I think about (stress about) different things than a teacher or EA or CYW would. We all have massive lists in our heads – they are just different. Mine include Who’s up for a TPA (teacher performance appraisal)? I need to learn about the Core French curriculum. Did I book the Consultant to come in? Oh crap I have a student EA starting on the first day. What about the playground? Crap, I need to paint the climbers, paint games on the pavement, buy benches & urns for flowers so the parents can chill closer to the school and not feel left out.The teaching schedules need some tweaking. The PA day is looming … must plan that with the SIP in mind – oh Jesus. When am I going to plan that? Oh, and I still have my summer (professional) reading to do. And so it goes.

And somehow, in the midst of all of this important thinking, pushing on my frontal lobe is that the memo for our first P mtg that said to wear ‘summer casual’. WTF? I have so many questions about that statement.

Best to return to my summer classic. A truly odd book, The World According to Garp, but one that feel obliged to read and makes some sense of before I bone up on proportional reasoning.