So Far, So Good

A new month starts today, and I open my inbox to find new work assignments in it. Hurray!! I worked like a dog last week to finish everything I had committed to, and while I was happy to have a bit of a pause, I really don't need a gap where I have no work.

Then I would have to become more pro-active, either by writing and sending out a letter to targeted nonprofits advertising my grant writing services, or by writing and submitting these fiction pieces that are sort of bubbling around in the background.

But, whew, as long as I have assigned work, I get to give that priority and that gives a nice shape to my days.

I'm having a fabulous day anyway. My gorgeous -- truly gorgeous! and also brilliant -- older daughter is hanging out with me in the cafe. She's getting a taste of my "work life." So far we've shared a pizza and read aloud to each other from books designed to make math approachable to middle school girls. She likes math anyway as do I, but the books are still awesome fun. They are very narrative, use fun real life examples, and even have magazine-style quizzes! We just finished finding out our respective learning styles. Mine is visual, no surprise there, but hers is auditory. Good to know. Now she can talk out her studying as it becomes more advanced.

I already purchased multiple copies of the first book in this math series. It looks like I'll be tutoring at least two teen girls this year, in addition to keeping my own up to speed. I don't really like tutoring now. It's time intensive and doesn't pay nearly as well per hour as I can earn writing, but... BUT these are the daughters of friends and I want to see them do well. So it's mostly favor and some pay.

Plus my yoga subbing career is going very well. I am getting near universal acclaim from my students. I taught twice yesterday, and the first class was especially good. The students didn't even want to leave the studio -- they were so relaxed they hung around chatting with each other. My dad called last night to tell me that the sub they had in their slow, senior yoga class last week didn't do well at all. Even though he's a more experienced teacher with his own weekly classes, apparently he didn't understand the needs of challenged students. He didn't do adaptations. Before class ended, the elders were almost in revolt and were requesting me by name.

So, if that kind of feedback gets back to the studio owners, I hope they'll consider offering me my own weekly class someday. Before I was hesitant, but I think I'm ready to make that commitment now whenever the opportunity opens up. It really is fun to teach.

I guess what stuns my students most is my ability to learn and use up to 20 names of people I've never met before. That's just a lingering teacher skill -- when you're in a room of 35 restless adolescents an instant recall of names and a good rapport are essential!!

Oh, and before I forget-- those new fiction pieces: Blue Pineapple, set in and around downtown and featuring the creepy underground room of a popular cafe. Then, The Red-Headed Woodpecker (working idea) draws on the first hunting experience of a friend, set in a box narrative that shows it as a metaphor for struggles in adulthood. Or something like that. It's only idea energy right now, and there are lots of ways it could take shape, but writing it here will remind me of it. Cause I'm a visual learner. :)