Jo Ann Fanello
Sheila Allard
Written Communications
11 May, 2010
One year ago at this time I found out I would be losing my job that I had for twenty five years. TRW would be moving all of our jobs to a different facility and sending many jobs to their plant in Mexico. My first thought was, now what? I started working right out of high school, so at the time I didn’t have a college education. The only option that made any sense to me was to go to college. Along with many of my co-workers, I was forced to make the choice between taking a lower paying job or go to college.
American adults aged 25-60 are attending college now more than ever in the past. There are many contributing factors to why this is happening. One of the biggest reasons is that a lot of Americans are losing their jobs. Jane Birnbaum, writer for the AFL-CIO states, “The U.S. economy has 3.2 million fewer jobs today than it did when President George W. Bush took office, including 2.5 million fewer manufacturing jobs” (Birnbaum). Multinational corporations are sending the jobs to countries where the wages are lower, thus forcing companies to shut their doors in the United States.
Veterans are coming home from overseas having served time in the war. Many of them will no longer have a job when they return. According to Anna Mulrine, writer for U.S. News & World Report, “Under the new GI Bill passed by Congress in 2008, another generation of war veterans—and their families—will begin receiving expanded educational assistance this year.” With the help of the federal government these veterans are able to go to college and get back into the work force. (Mulrine) Mulrine adds, “About 100,000 student vets and their families are expected to take part in the program this school year.”
Around the United States veterans are flooding the campuses and changing the student population at many colleges. Twenty-three Wisconsin universities and technical colleges are military friendly schools.”Just your age and the way you look. It makes you stick out," said Paul Dolan, 25, biology major from Sparta who served in the Marines. "You don't meet many other 25-year-old sophomores" (Dolan qtd in Jones para. 3). All of that is changing with the increasing number of veterans and people without jobs entering college.
Not all of the older people going to college these days are without jobs. Going to college helps secure your future. Many people who are already employed have the opportunity to advance within their company. “Many people want to move up that proverbial corporate ladder and without a college degree the chances of this happening have decreased significantly”, claims Leigh Goessl, writer for the website Helium. She goes on to add, “ With more and more job titles requiring higher education, the opportunities for advancement often come to a dead stop without a college degree”(Goessl para 6).
There are other nontraditional students on college campuses. The thought of fulfilling a lifelong dream of going to college lures older people to college. Raising a family and working were more important when they were younger. Now as their children have gotten older and moved out, it is a perfect time to make that dream come true. The joy of learning is also bringing older Americans to college. Years ago many of the courses available now weren’t offered. Computers have also opened the doors for many new opportunities.
A year has gone by since I heard the news about the plant closing their doors. I have completed a six week course in Certified Nursing Assistant Program. I also am finishing up my first college semester. I am hoping to get into the Occupational Therapy Assistant program in the fall. If I go to summer school and continue as I have been I will finish in 2 ½ years. What then I ask myself? I am hoping to find a job working with older disabled people. As I was doing my clinical for the CNA program I realized how much joy and satisfaction comes from being able to help someone. So as I have been telling myself ever since I heard about the closing, “Everything happens for a reason”.
Fanello 4
Works Cited
Birnbaum, Jane. ” American Jobs: Going, Going…” 2010 AFL-CIO Web
Goessl,Leigh. “Explaining the trend of older students returning to college” Helium.com.
Jones, Meg. “After war, veterans go off to college”. Milwaukee Journal Online, 6 Oct. 2009, web
Mulrine, Anna. “New Benefits Help Veterans Go to College, The new GI Bill will help veterans—and their families—pay college tuition”. U.S. News & World Report (web) 3 Aug.2009
Monday, May 10, 2010
Saturday, April 24, 2010
What Has Earth Day Become?
Most of our holidays in the United States have become way too commercialized. I would like to know how much revenue is created by Hallmark alone on such holidays as Mother’s Day and Easter. Now Earth Day has also become one of those holidays. Everyone in the marketing business is selling Earth Day for more profit on their end.
According to Leslie Kaufman, author at New York Times, “forty years later, the day has turned into a premier marketing platform for selling a variety of goods and services, like office products, Greek yogurt, and eco-dentistry” (Kaufman para 2). I didn’t even know that Earth Day existed until a few years back when someone asked me if I wanted to buy a t-shirt supporting Earth Day. Now it’s just not the t-shirts they’re trying to sell, they’ve moved on to bigger and better things.
Don’t get me wrong, I fully support Earth Day. What I don’t believe in is all the marketing schemes out there. The true meaning behind Earth Day has been lost in the last 40 years. Kaufman adds “To many pioneers of the environmental movement, eco-consumerism, creeping for decades, is intensely frustrating and detracts from Earth Day’s original purpose”(Kaufman para 5). Earth Day started out as a way to impact the world environmentally, such as keeping the air and water clean. Today I think it is much more of a marketing tactic than an earth saving movement.
Kaufman, Leslie. New York Times: At 40,Earth Day Is Now Big Business(WEB)
According to Leslie Kaufman, author at New York Times, “forty years later, the day has turned into a premier marketing platform for selling a variety of goods and services, like office products, Greek yogurt, and eco-dentistry” (Kaufman para 2). I didn’t even know that Earth Day existed until a few years back when someone asked me if I wanted to buy a t-shirt supporting Earth Day. Now it’s just not the t-shirts they’re trying to sell, they’ve moved on to bigger and better things.
Don’t get me wrong, I fully support Earth Day. What I don’t believe in is all the marketing schemes out there. The true meaning behind Earth Day has been lost in the last 40 years. Kaufman adds “To many pioneers of the environmental movement, eco-consumerism, creeping for decades, is intensely frustrating and detracts from Earth Day’s original purpose”(Kaufman para 5). Earth Day started out as a way to impact the world environmentally, such as keeping the air and water clean. Today I think it is much more of a marketing tactic than an earth saving movement.
Kaufman, Leslie. New York Times: At 40,Earth Day Is Now Big Business(WEB)
Monday, April 19, 2010
Older Americans Going to College
American adults aged 25-60 are attending college now more than ever in the past. There are many contributing factors to why this is happening. One of the biggest reasons is that a lot of Americans are losing their jobs. “ The U.S. economy has 3.2 million fewer jobs today than it did when President George W. Bush took office, including 2.5 million fewer manufacturing jobs” (Birnbaum). Multinational corporations are sending the jobs to countries where the wages are lower, thus forcing companies to shut their doors in the United States.
One year ago at this time I found out I would be losing my job that I had for twenty five years. TRW would be moving all of our jobs to a different facility and sending many jobs to their plant in Mexico. My first thought was, now what? I started working right out of high school, so I didn’t have a college education. The only option that made any sense to me was to go to college. I along with many of my co-workers was forced to make the choice between taking a lower paying job or go to college.
Veterans are coming home from overseas having served time in the war. Many of them no longer have a job when they return. “ Since the end of the Second World War, with returning soldiers taking advantage of the G.I. Bill, the U.S. Armed Forces have helped millions of Americans go to college” (Sallie May). With the help of the federal government these veterans are able to go to college and get back into the work force.
Around the United States veterans are flooding the campuses and changing the student population at many colleges. Twenty-three Wisconsin universities and technical colleges are military friendly schools."Just your age and the way you look. It makes you stick out," said Paul Dolan, 25, a biology major from Sparta who served in the Marines. "You don't meet many other 25-year-old sophomores"(Jones). All of that is changing with the increasing number of veterans and people without jobs entering college.
Not all of the older people going to college these days are without jobs. Some adults have different reasons for going. There are people who are interested in seeking a new career or starting a new business. The joy of learning is another reason some are going back. Years ago a lot of the courses weren’t available. Computers are a huge reason why some older adults are going back. Today’s world is highly impacted by the use of computers.
Birnbaum, Jane, American Jobs: Going, Going… AFL-CIO (web)
Sally May College Answer.com (web)
Jones, Meg, After war, veterans go off to college, Milwaukee Journal Online (web)
One year ago at this time I found out I would be losing my job that I had for twenty five years. TRW would be moving all of our jobs to a different facility and sending many jobs to their plant in Mexico. My first thought was, now what? I started working right out of high school, so I didn’t have a college education. The only option that made any sense to me was to go to college. I along with many of my co-workers was forced to make the choice between taking a lower paying job or go to college.
Veterans are coming home from overseas having served time in the war. Many of them no longer have a job when they return. “ Since the end of the Second World War, with returning soldiers taking advantage of the G.I. Bill, the U.S. Armed Forces have helped millions of Americans go to college” (Sallie May). With the help of the federal government these veterans are able to go to college and get back into the work force.
Around the United States veterans are flooding the campuses and changing the student population at many colleges. Twenty-three Wisconsin universities and technical colleges are military friendly schools."Just your age and the way you look. It makes you stick out," said Paul Dolan, 25, a biology major from Sparta who served in the Marines. "You don't meet many other 25-year-old sophomores"(Jones). All of that is changing with the increasing number of veterans and people without jobs entering college.
Not all of the older people going to college these days are without jobs. Some adults have different reasons for going. There are people who are interested in seeking a new career or starting a new business. The joy of learning is another reason some are going back. Years ago a lot of the courses weren’t available. Computers are a huge reason why some older adults are going back. Today’s world is highly impacted by the use of computers.
Birnbaum, Jane, American Jobs: Going, Going… AFL-CIO (web)
Sally May College Answer.com (web)
Jones, Meg, After war, veterans go off to college, Milwaukee Journal Online (web)
Saturday, April 3, 2010
My Best Friends
I have heard the phrase, “a dog is a man’s best friend”, many times in my life. Since I was old enough to move out of my parents’ house I have had a house dog. They are the one animal who is happy to see you even if you’ve only been gone for a minute. When you need someone to talk to they are always there. You never have to worry about them judging you or repeating what you say.
I found my first dog by looking for ads in the local newspaper. When I first thought about getting a dog I knew I wanted a cocker spaniel. I had seen so many cute pictures of them and had my mind set. So off to French Island I went. At first when I seen the litter of puppies I wasn’t sure which one I wanted. They were all so cute and cuddly. Then I spotted the runt of the litter and fell in love. I named her Muffin. She was tan in color, had long ears, and the saddest eyes ever.
Muffin proved to be a very good dog. At that time in my life I had plenty of time to train a dog. She could sit, lie down, speak, roll over, and could even flip food from her nose and catch it, all on command. We had many enjoyable times together. When it came time for me to have my first child, Muffin moved over and never bothered the babies. When I brought them home from the hospital I would let Muffin smell them and check them out. She never once hurt them in any way.
When Muffin was getting older I decided to get another puppy. I didn’t want to lose Muffin and be without a dog. My husband’s cousin’s dog had just had puppies and I thought it was a good time to get one. Of course I still wanted a cocker spaniel, but this time I wanted a different colored one. Maggie May was a black cocker spaniel with white accents. The night we brought her home she fit in the palm of my hand.
My kids were so excited to see our new puppy. This would be their first experience with a puppy. It wasn’t a lot of fun those first few months. They found out how much a puppy likes to bite and chew. A few of their special toys ended up not looking so good after Maggie got a hold of them. As time went on though the girls and Maggie were inseparable. One of the most memorable times is when Maggie had a litter of puppies. We had bred her with a red and white cocker spaniel. She had six puppies, three red with white spots, and three white with red spots. When it came time for the puppies to go to new homes it wasn’t so easy to let them go.
As the years went on Muffin passed away and Maggie was our only dog for many years. She grew up right along with my girls. We had many special family times that included Maggie. When we would travel out west to see my mother, Maggie would ride along. Camping trips always included Maggie. One of her favorite things to do was to ride in the truck with her head out the window. She loved to have the wind blow through her ears. Even when the weather got cold she thought she should have her head out the window.
Three years ago Maggie ended up getting sick. She ended up having surgery and was never the same after that. We tried to hold onto her as long as we could, but ended up putting her to sleep in May of 2007. That was one of the hardest things I had to do. The girls were so sad and it left us with no dog at all. My family was so lost without a dog that we only waited four days before finding a new puppy. My younger daughter and I took a ride and ended up coming home with yet another cocker spaniel.
Morgan is my current dog. She is reddish in color and is very much a spoiled dog. After my girls moved away to college two years ago, she has become number one in the house. Her favorite thing to do is play ball. She has four or five balls in the house and wants to play all the time. My husband says it must be his job to play, because when he gets home from work Morgan is right at his feet with a ball. Now that it has gotten warmer out I have started to take her for walks around town. As soon as I get home from school she knows it is time to go. I can hardly get in the house before she’s jumping up on me knowing it’s time to go. At night she lays right in the middle of me and my husband in bed. She lies in bed with her head on my pillow, just like a human.
So as you can tell I am definitely a huge dog lover. I do believe that they are man’s best friend. No matter how mad you might get at them at times, they are always there when you need someone to talk to. As long as I am able, I will have a dog in my life. And as you can see I have named all of my dogs starting with the letter M. Any suggestions for the naming of my next dog?
I found my first dog by looking for ads in the local newspaper. When I first thought about getting a dog I knew I wanted a cocker spaniel. I had seen so many cute pictures of them and had my mind set. So off to French Island I went. At first when I seen the litter of puppies I wasn’t sure which one I wanted. They were all so cute and cuddly. Then I spotted the runt of the litter and fell in love. I named her Muffin. She was tan in color, had long ears, and the saddest eyes ever.
Muffin proved to be a very good dog. At that time in my life I had plenty of time to train a dog. She could sit, lie down, speak, roll over, and could even flip food from her nose and catch it, all on command. We had many enjoyable times together. When it came time for me to have my first child, Muffin moved over and never bothered the babies. When I brought them home from the hospital I would let Muffin smell them and check them out. She never once hurt them in any way.
When Muffin was getting older I decided to get another puppy. I didn’t want to lose Muffin and be without a dog. My husband’s cousin’s dog had just had puppies and I thought it was a good time to get one. Of course I still wanted a cocker spaniel, but this time I wanted a different colored one. Maggie May was a black cocker spaniel with white accents. The night we brought her home she fit in the palm of my hand.
My kids were so excited to see our new puppy. This would be their first experience with a puppy. It wasn’t a lot of fun those first few months. They found out how much a puppy likes to bite and chew. A few of their special toys ended up not looking so good after Maggie got a hold of them. As time went on though the girls and Maggie were inseparable. One of the most memorable times is when Maggie had a litter of puppies. We had bred her with a red and white cocker spaniel. She had six puppies, three red with white spots, and three white with red spots. When it came time for the puppies to go to new homes it wasn’t so easy to let them go.
As the years went on Muffin passed away and Maggie was our only dog for many years. She grew up right along with my girls. We had many special family times that included Maggie. When we would travel out west to see my mother, Maggie would ride along. Camping trips always included Maggie. One of her favorite things to do was to ride in the truck with her head out the window. She loved to have the wind blow through her ears. Even when the weather got cold she thought she should have her head out the window.
Three years ago Maggie ended up getting sick. She ended up having surgery and was never the same after that. We tried to hold onto her as long as we could, but ended up putting her to sleep in May of 2007. That was one of the hardest things I had to do. The girls were so sad and it left us with no dog at all. My family was so lost without a dog that we only waited four days before finding a new puppy. My younger daughter and I took a ride and ended up coming home with yet another cocker spaniel.
Morgan is my current dog. She is reddish in color and is very much a spoiled dog. After my girls moved away to college two years ago, she has become number one in the house. Her favorite thing to do is play ball. She has four or five balls in the house and wants to play all the time. My husband says it must be his job to play, because when he gets home from work Morgan is right at his feet with a ball. Now that it has gotten warmer out I have started to take her for walks around town. As soon as I get home from school she knows it is time to go. I can hardly get in the house before she’s jumping up on me knowing it’s time to go. At night she lays right in the middle of me and my husband in bed. She lies in bed with her head on my pillow, just like a human.
So as you can tell I am definitely a huge dog lover. I do believe that they are man’s best friend. No matter how mad you might get at them at times, they are always there when you need someone to talk to. As long as I am able, I will have a dog in my life. And as you can see I have named all of my dogs starting with the letter M. Any suggestions for the naming of my next dog?
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Cause & Effect
Cause and Effects
More American adults aged 25-60 are attending college
--Demographics
--Intellectual stimulation
--Skill enhancement
--People seeking new careers
--Interest in starting a new business
--The need to fulfill lifelong dreams
--Benefits of higher education are equal to or greater than the time, money and energy invested
--Joy of learning
--Opportunities for social interaction
--Many individuals are losing their jobs
** Businesses are closing their doors
** Budget cuts
** Jobs being shipped to other countries
--Veterans coming home from war, no longer have their job
More American adults aged 25-60 are attending college
--Demographics
--Intellectual stimulation
--Skill enhancement
--People seeking new careers
--Interest in starting a new business
--The need to fulfill lifelong dreams
--Benefits of higher education are equal to or greater than the time, money and energy invested
--Joy of learning
--Opportunities for social interaction
--Many individuals are losing their jobs
** Businesses are closing their doors
** Budget cuts
** Jobs being shipped to other countries
--Veterans coming home from war, no longer have their job
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Creativity
Watching the video in class brought me back in time. Back to the early 1970’s when I was in elementary school. I can remember art, music and phy.ed class as being special times. We would look forward to the days that we would have these classes. It was a time when young children could be creative. When fifth grade came along we had the opportunity to learn how to play an instrument and join the band. All of these things are important as academics during the developmental years.
As time has gone by arts have become less important in the school systems. More stress is put on getting good grades. It is a known fact that people who have high intelligence are normally not very creative. Well, we need creative people in this world. What would the world be like with no creative people? I believe things would be much different. We wouldn’t have beautiful museums, wonderful novels, or the skyscrapers in the cities. Many of the modern conveniences probably wouldn’t have come about without creative people.
I believe that creativity is a very important quality in a person. I myself don’t think that I am very creative. During my adult life I concentrated my life to my job and children so I didn’t have a lot of time for hobbies. Now that I am in school again, I hope to find something that I can bring out a creative side that might be in there.
As time has gone by arts have become less important in the school systems. More stress is put on getting good grades. It is a known fact that people who have high intelligence are normally not very creative. Well, we need creative people in this world. What would the world be like with no creative people? I believe things would be much different. We wouldn’t have beautiful museums, wonderful novels, or the skyscrapers in the cities. Many of the modern conveniences probably wouldn’t have come about without creative people.
I believe that creativity is a very important quality in a person. I myself don’t think that I am very creative. During my adult life I concentrated my life to my job and children so I didn’t have a lot of time for hobbies. Now that I am in school again, I hope to find something that I can bring out a creative side that might be in there.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
My Caribbean Cruise
Last week my husband and I took a seven day cruise on the Carnival Conquest. Carnival’s main advertisement logo is “Carnival Fun Ships”, and now I know why. There are so many activities on the ship to take part in. The crew is definitely there to ensure you have a great time. I could get used to being waited on. All in all we had an excellent vacation.
Our ship took off from Galveston, Texas, on Sunday afternoon. We had two days at sea before reaching any of our ports of call. During these days we played mini golf, gambled at the casino and laid in the sun. There was always something to do. We watched an ice carver take a huge block of ice and make a flamingo out of it.
Our first port of call was Montego Bay, Jamaica. We took a three hour bus tour of the island. The island of Jamaica is beautiful. The tour took us through many towns or parishes as they call them. We stopped at a small craft market. All of the Jamaicans were so happy that Americans were there to purchase their goods. I bought some really neat wood carvings and some hand-crafted jewelry. Before we left the island we had a chance to stop at Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville.
The next day we were supposed to go to the Grand Caymans. The island doesn’t have a dock for the ships to come into, so they use small tender boats to come and pick you up from the ship. Between the weather and the rough waters that day we weren’t allowed to go in. It was too dangerous for the tenders to come out. The crew really stepped it up that day, knowing how everyone wanted to go on land.
Cozumel, Mexico was our last port of call. I had visited Cozumel three years ago right after the hurricanes went through. The island looks as though it had been through the hurricane. It is a beautiful island with its white sandy beaches and palm trees. The water is so blue and clear we could watch the fish swim around. We had nine hours to enjoy the island.
Saturday was our last day on the ship. It was a gorgeous day at sea. The water was calmer than it had been the whole trip. After laying and enjoying the sun all day we finished our trip up with a nice dinner at the steak house. The food was great and so was the service. I recommend a Carnival Cruise to anyone who wants to have an enjoyable vacation.
Our ship took off from Galveston, Texas, on Sunday afternoon. We had two days at sea before reaching any of our ports of call. During these days we played mini golf, gambled at the casino and laid in the sun. There was always something to do. We watched an ice carver take a huge block of ice and make a flamingo out of it.
Our first port of call was Montego Bay, Jamaica. We took a three hour bus tour of the island. The island of Jamaica is beautiful. The tour took us through many towns or parishes as they call them. We stopped at a small craft market. All of the Jamaicans were so happy that Americans were there to purchase their goods. I bought some really neat wood carvings and some hand-crafted jewelry. Before we left the island we had a chance to stop at Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville.
The next day we were supposed to go to the Grand Caymans. The island doesn’t have a dock for the ships to come into, so they use small tender boats to come and pick you up from the ship. Between the weather and the rough waters that day we weren’t allowed to go in. It was too dangerous for the tenders to come out. The crew really stepped it up that day, knowing how everyone wanted to go on land.
Cozumel, Mexico was our last port of call. I had visited Cozumel three years ago right after the hurricanes went through. The island looks as though it had been through the hurricane. It is a beautiful island with its white sandy beaches and palm trees. The water is so blue and clear we could watch the fish swim around. We had nine hours to enjoy the island.
Saturday was our last day on the ship. It was a gorgeous day at sea. The water was calmer than it had been the whole trip. After laying and enjoying the sun all day we finished our trip up with a nice dinner at the steak house. The food was great and so was the service. I recommend a Carnival Cruise to anyone who wants to have an enjoyable vacation.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Ettrick is a small rural village in Midwest Wisconsin. The population is only 550. Up until last fall it had been a flourishing small town. Since then the biggest employer, TRW, has shut the doors and closed up the plant. Many of the people who were employed there lived in Ettrick, but even more commuted in from surrounding towns. I was employed there for twenty-five years, as were a lot of the people who I worked with. The reason for closing you ask? More and more jobs are being shipped out of the country. Mexico, Japan, and other foreign countries are benefiting from Americans losing their jobs.
When a small town loses something as vital as industry many other things are affected. People don’t have the money to spend locally, so other businesses suffer. People have started to move out of the area to find work. This in turn hurts the economy. Other businesses in the area are starting to feel it. At one point TRW had employed 375 people. When people aren’t driving into work, they also aren’t stopping at the local gas station or spending money at other businesses.
I want to make sure Ettrick will be here in years to come. This is where I would spend my $100,000. I have spent my whole life in Ettrick. I went to grade school there, met my husband there, and raised my kids there. Ettrick is a great place to live. My three wishes in doing this would be; bringing industry back into town, opening up a restaurant, and donating money to finish the ball park.
My first wish involves getting industry back into the building that housed TRW. It is all set up and ready for any business to start. I would not be alone on this task, as I know there are people already dedicated to saving Ettrick. Many of my old co-workers haven’t found reemployment. It would be a great feeling knowing that I helped them get back on their feet. This first wish will get the ball rolling for my other two wishes.
We no longer have a restaurant in town. On Sundays, after church, there’s no place to get breakfast. If you want to go out to eat you have to drive to the next town. My second wish is open a small restaurant. The older people in Ettrick need a place to get together and have coffee. It’s not easy for them to drive out of town.
Growing up I remember spending weekends at the ball park in Ettrick. Teams from all around the area used to have tournaments there. A lot of people would come to town for these games. Ball players and their families would come for the whole weekend. Small business benefited from the revenue that was brought into the area. As years went by the ball tournaments ceased. The ball park got neglected as a result. My third and final wish is to donate money to improve the condition of the park. I would love to see times like the past when the bleachers were full.
In fulfilling my three wishes I believe Ettrick will survive. Getting the industry back into town is my most important wish. I believe once that is done the other things will follow.
When a small town loses something as vital as industry many other things are affected. People don’t have the money to spend locally, so other businesses suffer. People have started to move out of the area to find work. This in turn hurts the economy. Other businesses in the area are starting to feel it. At one point TRW had employed 375 people. When people aren’t driving into work, they also aren’t stopping at the local gas station or spending money at other businesses.
I want to make sure Ettrick will be here in years to come. This is where I would spend my $100,000. I have spent my whole life in Ettrick. I went to grade school there, met my husband there, and raised my kids there. Ettrick is a great place to live. My three wishes in doing this would be; bringing industry back into town, opening up a restaurant, and donating money to finish the ball park.
My first wish involves getting industry back into the building that housed TRW. It is all set up and ready for any business to start. I would not be alone on this task, as I know there are people already dedicated to saving Ettrick. Many of my old co-workers haven’t found reemployment. It would be a great feeling knowing that I helped them get back on their feet. This first wish will get the ball rolling for my other two wishes.
We no longer have a restaurant in town. On Sundays, after church, there’s no place to get breakfast. If you want to go out to eat you have to drive to the next town. My second wish is open a small restaurant. The older people in Ettrick need a place to get together and have coffee. It’s not easy for them to drive out of town.
Growing up I remember spending weekends at the ball park in Ettrick. Teams from all around the area used to have tournaments there. A lot of people would come to town for these games. Ball players and their families would come for the whole weekend. Small business benefited from the revenue that was brought into the area. As years went by the ball tournaments ceased. The ball park got neglected as a result. My third and final wish is to donate money to improve the condition of the park. I would love to see times like the past when the bleachers were full.
In fulfilling my three wishes I believe Ettrick will survive. Getting the industry back into town is my most important wish. I believe once that is done the other things will follow.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Memories
While I was growing up my both of my parents worked full time jobs and ran a small dairy farm. This left little time to do things like going on a camping trip, taking a vacation, or riding snowmobiles. I made a promise to myself that when I had kids of my own, we would do all those things. Since I had never done any of these things before it was nice that we could experience them together. Now as my daughters have gotten older, we can look back, and remember all the special memories of all those family trips.
Camping was one of my family’s favorite things to do. We’d camp on sandbars on the Mississippi River most of the time. Many of our summer weekends were spent playing in the sand, swimming in the river, and roasting marshmallows over the campfire. After a few years we bought a pop-up camper and started staying at campgrounds around the area. Bluebird Springs in La Crosse, Dunromin over by Caledonia, Minnesota, and Goose Island are all very nice campgrounds to stay at. My kids’ favorite campground of all time is Jellystone Campground in Warrens.
When the girls were in grade school we flew to Florida for a vacation. We went to Disneyworld, SeaWorld Orlando, and Universal Studios. One day we rented a car and just spent the day on the beaches of the Atlantic Ocean. The girls had so much fun running and catching the waves. After spending six days in Florida we boarded a three day Carnival Cruise to the Bahamas. We all got to try snorkeling for the first time.
Throughout the years we traveled west many times to visit my mother in Wyoming. We had decided that every trip would involve a new route, enabling us to stop at a different landmark each time. We drove through The Badlands, watched fireworks at Mount Rushmore and witnessed rock blasting at Crazy Horse Monument. We also spent time at Custer State Park, Yellowstone Park and Grand Teton National Park.
Once we got our snowmobiles winter became a more enjoyable season. My husband and I both had our own sled so that we could take the girls on rides. We would ride the local trails during the week, stopping for supper along the way. On the weekends we’d trailer the sleds and go up north. We went up as far as Lake Superior once and even rode right on the lake.
Since the girls have gotten older the camping trips and vacations happen less often. School and work are more important for them right now. Even though life is busy we still plan a trip to Hayward, Wisconsin, every summer. I strongly believe in spending time with my kids. All of these trips have created beautiful memories that we can cherish forever.
Camping was one of my family’s favorite things to do. We’d camp on sandbars on the Mississippi River most of the time. Many of our summer weekends were spent playing in the sand, swimming in the river, and roasting marshmallows over the campfire. After a few years we bought a pop-up camper and started staying at campgrounds around the area. Bluebird Springs in La Crosse, Dunromin over by Caledonia, Minnesota, and Goose Island are all very nice campgrounds to stay at. My kids’ favorite campground of all time is Jellystone Campground in Warrens.
When the girls were in grade school we flew to Florida for a vacation. We went to Disneyworld, SeaWorld Orlando, and Universal Studios. One day we rented a car and just spent the day on the beaches of the Atlantic Ocean. The girls had so much fun running and catching the waves. After spending six days in Florida we boarded a three day Carnival Cruise to the Bahamas. We all got to try snorkeling for the first time.
Throughout the years we traveled west many times to visit my mother in Wyoming. We had decided that every trip would involve a new route, enabling us to stop at a different landmark each time. We drove through The Badlands, watched fireworks at Mount Rushmore and witnessed rock blasting at Crazy Horse Monument. We also spent time at Custer State Park, Yellowstone Park and Grand Teton National Park.
Once we got our snowmobiles winter became a more enjoyable season. My husband and I both had our own sled so that we could take the girls on rides. We would ride the local trails during the week, stopping for supper along the way. On the weekends we’d trailer the sleds and go up north. We went up as far as Lake Superior once and even rode right on the lake.
Since the girls have gotten older the camping trips and vacations happen less often. School and work are more important for them right now. Even though life is busy we still plan a trip to Hayward, Wisconsin, every summer. I strongly believe in spending time with my kids. All of these trips have created beautiful memories that we can cherish forever.
Monday, February 15, 2010
If you’re thinking about taking a trip out west, I recommend stopping in Wyoming. I believe it is one of the prettiest places I’ve ever seen in my life. Having visited there both in the summer and the winter, I would say no matter what the season, you are surrounded by spectacular views. From the majestic mountains topped with snow to the raging rivers, the sights are unbelievable. In the summer season the wild flowers are amazing in the open meadows, and if you’re lucky maybe you’ll catch a glimpse of an elk or a moose.
My first trip to Wyoming was back when my daughters were just four and two years old. My mother had moved to Wyoming in 1989, so it had given us a perfect vacationing spot. Yellowstone National Park is a place everyone should visit. I remember just standing in awe of it all at first, just taking in the beauty. The park is so big it’s impossible to see it all in on one day. The roar of the cascading waterfalls, Old Faithful erupting, and watching the wildlife in their natural setting, are all sights that should be seen at some point in your life.
A few years later, my husband and I had the opportunity to snowmobile across the park. We entered the park on the east side at Cody and rode through to West Yellowstone, Montana, the west entrance. Seeing the park in the winter season gives you a whole new look at the park. Taking the sleds through gave us time to see more of the sights that I hadn’t seen on my first trip. We drove past little sheds with snow piled as high as they were tall. It was so neat to see the hot springs steaming and the geysers blowing.
Riding sleds across the park was nice, but it was nothing like the trip we had the next day. I have sung the song “Winter Wonderland” many times, but now I was actually in one. One of our friends, who lived in Wyoming, knew of some places way back in the mountains, that most people don’t know about. It was all virgin snow as they call it. The snow was so deep that we were even with the pine tree tops. It was like we were in a snow globe.
My next visit out west I got to fly there. Seeing the area from the sky for the first time was cool. The Grand Tetons were gorgeous through the clouds. It was almost like being in a dream. I landed in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. If you’ve never heard of Jackson Hole, it is a huge tourist town that reminds me of our Wisconsin Dells. It is located in a valley so it is a popular spot for skiing. If you’re not a skier you can still take a tram way up the mountainside and look down over the town. Little shops line the streets and they even have a “watering hole” that has real saddles for barstools.
Throughout the years I’ve had many opportunities to visit Wyoming and every trip out there allowed me to see something that I hadn’t seen before. My mom has since returned to this area so the trips don’t happen as often. Someday my husband and I would like to return to that area and retire.
My first trip to Wyoming was back when my daughters were just four and two years old. My mother had moved to Wyoming in 1989, so it had given us a perfect vacationing spot. Yellowstone National Park is a place everyone should visit. I remember just standing in awe of it all at first, just taking in the beauty. The park is so big it’s impossible to see it all in on one day. The roar of the cascading waterfalls, Old Faithful erupting, and watching the wildlife in their natural setting, are all sights that should be seen at some point in your life.
A few years later, my husband and I had the opportunity to snowmobile across the park. We entered the park on the east side at Cody and rode through to West Yellowstone, Montana, the west entrance. Seeing the park in the winter season gives you a whole new look at the park. Taking the sleds through gave us time to see more of the sights that I hadn’t seen on my first trip. We drove past little sheds with snow piled as high as they were tall. It was so neat to see the hot springs steaming and the geysers blowing.
Riding sleds across the park was nice, but it was nothing like the trip we had the next day. I have sung the song “Winter Wonderland” many times, but now I was actually in one. One of our friends, who lived in Wyoming, knew of some places way back in the mountains, that most people don’t know about. It was all virgin snow as they call it. The snow was so deep that we were even with the pine tree tops. It was like we were in a snow globe.
My next visit out west I got to fly there. Seeing the area from the sky for the first time was cool. The Grand Tetons were gorgeous through the clouds. It was almost like being in a dream. I landed in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. If you’ve never heard of Jackson Hole, it is a huge tourist town that reminds me of our Wisconsin Dells. It is located in a valley so it is a popular spot for skiing. If you’re not a skier you can still take a tram way up the mountainside and look down over the town. Little shops line the streets and they even have a “watering hole” that has real saddles for barstools.
Throughout the years I’ve had many opportunities to visit Wyoming and every trip out there allowed me to see something that I hadn’t seen before. My mom has since returned to this area so the trips don’t happen as often. Someday my husband and I would like to return to that area and retire.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Stepping Out of The Box
As humans I believe that we tend to live life in a box. We live in what I call our “comfort zone”, a place where we feel safe about ourselves and our surroundings. Sometimes, in life, it is necessary for us to get on the outside of that box. It might be a first day at a new job, moving to a new town, or just experiencing something that you never have before. This is a time in our lives when we might have to say to ourselves, like they sang in the video, “ I think I can, can, yes I can, can, I know I can,can”.
In my life I have had a few opportunities to get on the outside of that box. After graduating high school I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my life. I had a steady boyfriend and wasn’t really thinking about college. So instead I took a job at TRW, an automotive plant, at the age of 19. I started out there as an assembly operator and continued doing that for ten years. Then one day a posting came up for an assembly lead person, a step under the supervisor. Many of my co-workers thought I should sign up for the job, but I was so comfortable doing what I had been doing, should I step out of that box?
As it turned out I did step out of that box only to enter another one. For fifteen more years I was employed at TRW, until last April when they told us the plant would be closing in October. Throughout my twenty five years there we had raised our kids and become used to our lifestyle. Now at the age of forty four I would be taking a huge step out of that box.
Initially my thoughts were “now what am I going to do with my life?”. The only option that made any sense was to go back to school. But what should I go into? As a younger person I had a few experiences with fainting in hospitals, so when I decided to take the Certified Nursing Assistant program at Western, my family thought I was nuts. They thought I would be on the floor more than I’d be standing. It was my chance to prove to myself and to them that I could do it. Of course there was more on my mind than just fainting, what about actually taking care of people, could I do it? The days before I had my first clinical I had second thoughts, and I had to keep telling myself, “I think I can”.
The six weeks went by and I passed the course and became a CNA. What an accomplishment for myself. It hadn’t been easy going from a factory employee to student. I had to learn how to study again and taking tests was something I wasn’t used to. This would end up being a stepping stone to what was next in my life.
Just in the last three weeks I have taken the biggest step I’ve had to take in my life so far, starting at Western as a full time student at the age of forty four. In these days I know I’m not the only adult who has to start over, many of us have lost our jobs only to find much better things awaiting us. I do believe things happen for a reason, I’m just waiting to find out what that is. I hope to take one more step out of my box and that is to start my new career as an Occupational Therapy Assistant.
In my life I have had a few opportunities to get on the outside of that box. After graduating high school I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my life. I had a steady boyfriend and wasn’t really thinking about college. So instead I took a job at TRW, an automotive plant, at the age of 19. I started out there as an assembly operator and continued doing that for ten years. Then one day a posting came up for an assembly lead person, a step under the supervisor. Many of my co-workers thought I should sign up for the job, but I was so comfortable doing what I had been doing, should I step out of that box?
As it turned out I did step out of that box only to enter another one. For fifteen more years I was employed at TRW, until last April when they told us the plant would be closing in October. Throughout my twenty five years there we had raised our kids and become used to our lifestyle. Now at the age of forty four I would be taking a huge step out of that box.
Initially my thoughts were “now what am I going to do with my life?”. The only option that made any sense was to go back to school. But what should I go into? As a younger person I had a few experiences with fainting in hospitals, so when I decided to take the Certified Nursing Assistant program at Western, my family thought I was nuts. They thought I would be on the floor more than I’d be standing. It was my chance to prove to myself and to them that I could do it. Of course there was more on my mind than just fainting, what about actually taking care of people, could I do it? The days before I had my first clinical I had second thoughts, and I had to keep telling myself, “I think I can”.
The six weeks went by and I passed the course and became a CNA. What an accomplishment for myself. It hadn’t been easy going from a factory employee to student. I had to learn how to study again and taking tests was something I wasn’t used to. This would end up being a stepping stone to what was next in my life.
Just in the last three weeks I have taken the biggest step I’ve had to take in my life so far, starting at Western as a full time student at the age of forty four. In these days I know I’m not the only adult who has to start over, many of us have lost our jobs only to find much better things awaiting us. I do believe things happen for a reason, I’m just waiting to find out what that is. I hope to take one more step out of my box and that is to start my new career as an Occupational Therapy Assistant.
Monday, February 1, 2010
"Hands on, deeply immersed, and fully committed to the problem at hand". This statement rings true an experience in my life. Back in August of 2002, I had the opportunity to chaperon a Mission trip to Toronto, Canada. My oldest daughter Kylie, who I had been having teenage problems with, was also going with. Twenty four other teenagers and six adults would accompany us. Being a mother of two teenagers, I had some second thoughts about making this decision. I never imagined how much impact this trip would have on my own personal life and the lives of so many others.
We took off from Galesville, Wisconsin, on a Saturday evening, all loaded up on a motor coach bus, for our thirteen hour drive. There was a lot of mixed emotions leaving, from having to say good-bye to parents or that special someone, to nervousness about what we would be encountering on our adventure ahead. Of course there were the cell phones, ipods, dvd players, and any other " comfort items" from home. I don't think any of us were thinking of how useless these items would be to us in the upcoming week.
Initially upon driving into the city that next morning, it was hard for us to see beyond the beauty of Lake Ontario and all the other sights of a huge city. Looking back now it's hard to see that beauty.
Our first real taste of homeless life came the following day. The kids had spent hours the previous night preparing sandwiches and getting all the goodies ready for the people we would encounter. We loaded our bags full of sandwiches, fruit and water bottles and set out on our way. It was awesome to see how the kids interacted with the people living on the streets. My own daughter shared a prayer with a man who lived on a cardboard box. The kids weren't holding back at all. Some of the people we offered the food and water to were afraid to take it, they just don't trust anyone. Our first day was an eye opener for not anly the kids, but us as adults to see how the kids opened up themselves to these people.
We visited a place they call "tent city'. This is just an old city parking lot that has been turned into a village of homeless people that live in make shift tents. The day we spent there we concentrated on the young kids. Our mission kids had so much fun just being kids. Playing games they hadn't played in years, at least not since the internet came about. I think these momories will stick with those kids forever.
During our stay we had the chance to volunteer at a soup kitchen as well. Many of the kids who had never worked in a kitchen, dug right in. Whether it was making the soup, setting tables or washing dishes, they did it all. The looks on the people we were serving was priceless. Looks of sadness and fear turnedd into smiles and joy.
I would say my favorite place to help was at the inner city daycare facility. It was so much fun to play with the young children and to observe the mission students being kids again. There were children of all ages, but the young ones sure pulled at our heart strings.
All of us started out on this trip not knowing what to expect. Only a week had passed and just watching the students in action and on the way home, I knew it had made a difference in their lives as well as my own. We had been committed to our problem and had great hands on experience.
We took off from Galesville, Wisconsin, on a Saturday evening, all loaded up on a motor coach bus, for our thirteen hour drive. There was a lot of mixed emotions leaving, from having to say good-bye to parents or that special someone, to nervousness about what we would be encountering on our adventure ahead. Of course there were the cell phones, ipods, dvd players, and any other " comfort items" from home. I don't think any of us were thinking of how useless these items would be to us in the upcoming week.
Initially upon driving into the city that next morning, it was hard for us to see beyond the beauty of Lake Ontario and all the other sights of a huge city. Looking back now it's hard to see that beauty.
Our first real taste of homeless life came the following day. The kids had spent hours the previous night preparing sandwiches and getting all the goodies ready for the people we would encounter. We loaded our bags full of sandwiches, fruit and water bottles and set out on our way. It was awesome to see how the kids interacted with the people living on the streets. My own daughter shared a prayer with a man who lived on a cardboard box. The kids weren't holding back at all. Some of the people we offered the food and water to were afraid to take it, they just don't trust anyone. Our first day was an eye opener for not anly the kids, but us as adults to see how the kids opened up themselves to these people.
We visited a place they call "tent city'. This is just an old city parking lot that has been turned into a village of homeless people that live in make shift tents. The day we spent there we concentrated on the young kids. Our mission kids had so much fun just being kids. Playing games they hadn't played in years, at least not since the internet came about. I think these momories will stick with those kids forever.
During our stay we had the chance to volunteer at a soup kitchen as well. Many of the kids who had never worked in a kitchen, dug right in. Whether it was making the soup, setting tables or washing dishes, they did it all. The looks on the people we were serving was priceless. Looks of sadness and fear turnedd into smiles and joy.
I would say my favorite place to help was at the inner city daycare facility. It was so much fun to play with the young children and to observe the mission students being kids again. There were children of all ages, but the young ones sure pulled at our heart strings.
All of us started out on this trip not knowing what to expect. Only a week had passed and just watching the students in action and on the way home, I knew it had made a difference in their lives as well as my own. We had been committed to our problem and had great hands on experience.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
