Having a Moment…

So I was at the computer looking at job boards and all of a sudden, dashes started to fill the address window of Safari. I exited and reopened it went to my e-mail was about to start typing and again… dashes… ---------- filling the e-mail. I shut down the computer thinking OMG my computer has gone haywire!!! No… I'm the one who's gone haywire. I set my coffee cup down beside the computer and the handle was pressing down on the - sign on my numeric keypad. I can't believe I did that.

It's another cold wintry day in Calgary but I think I'll put aside my knitting for a while, bundle up and go outside to take some pictures. I use to do a lot of water colour painting and illustration and I'd like to start painting and sketching again. I've done some volunteer work with my son's scout troop. When the boys go camping I go along and show them how to keep naturalist journals. we do studies of plants and wild flowers and sketch animal tracks. It's quite interesting and the boys seem to enjoy it. Unfortunately, these 40+ bones of mine aren't too keen on sleeping in a tent anymore. Usually I'm tired and sore for a couple of days afterwards :-).

My son and I were looking at a book on birds this morning. He loves the natural world and we are looking forward to spring when we can do some hiking and bird watching together and get back out in the garden.

I've applied for some great jobs… so I'm less out of sorts than I was. I know now what to stay away from: Advertising!!! I want to work in the non-profit sector. Somewhere where my design talents are contributing to the community. I've been applying for jobs related to my field at the local colleges and university, non-profit organizations and museums. Places where they are doing something positive! When I took my career course, the career counselor looked at my Myers Briggs (INFJ), my values and my interests and said, "No wonder you were thinking about leaving your job even before you were laid off, it was a horrible fit for you. You're a true idealist, you need to do something you can believe in." She was right. I absolutely DO NOT believe that people need to buy overpriced high end electronics or any of the other crap I was designing ads for. I'm into recycling, environmentally friendly, hand made, ethical practices, fair trade NOT materialism. When I was there, I was having anxiety attacks on a daily basis. The atmosphere was so focused on consumerism it felt like I couldn't breath!!

I had to show what happens when I leave any knitting unattended for even a minute. The pets move in!! My dog Ginger (isn't she the exact colour of a gingersnap?) got right into the shawl I'm working on. Good thing she didn't snag it or pull any stitches off the needle or she would have been one sorry little wiener dog. The only time I really yell at her is when she gets in to my knitting. The cat is just as bad but better at not getting caught.