"Dear Diary..."

Christmas letter 2009

December 9th, 2009
Dear Family and Friends,
Since we finally have the technology (we bought a printer this fall), I decided I would use the snow day we’re having here to compose a holiday letter. Granted, many of you will receive it by way of e-mail rather than the “old-fashioned” way, but know that you are all in our thoughts as we slide into Christmas and 2010.
I continued to do a lot of substitute teaching in the 2008-09 school year, and the more I did, the more I enjoyed it. I find it quite curious that I especially enjoy the days I’m called for the elementary school. When I was teaching orchestra, the LAST place I wanted to be was in the elementary schools, but I realize now that it had much more to do with the scheduling of music lessons at that level than with the children. And, I’m older. Yes, really. The amount of ibuprofen I now take proves it. The reading specialist at Southern Door Elementary says I have that “oma” quality about me. At first I was a bit put out by the reference to “grandma.” But she’s right, I could easily have been a grandma by this time in my life. And I guess all those latent maternal instincts come flooding to the surface when I’m around all those children. I’m quite addicted to their hugs, and love it when they see me, and ask, “Who are you today, Mrs. O’R?” Anyway, when school ended last June, I felt a little lost for several weeks. But I had found a summer job, working at a little bead shop in Sturgeon Bay. Unfortunately, the economy has hit the Door County tourist trade quite hard, and by July, much too late in the season, I was looking for work. It was a blessing in disguise. I truly did not want to work in retail again. Been there, done that. Patrick encouraged me to use the time to explore the possibility of getting a teaching license. I called UW-Green Bay, thinking that since I had gotten my first teaching license through them, it would be easy to get an add-on license. Not so. But after considerable internet research, and a few phone calls, I found the Accelerated Licensure program at Silver Lake College in Manitowoc. We talked a LOT about it, and I finally made an appointment with an advisor.
College is very different than it was when I enrolled in the 70’s. It’s different than when I went back and finished my degree in the 80’s. Gone are the days of long lines for registration and buying books. A few clicks of the mouse, and I’m all set, and books arrive by UPS. My accelerated program allows me to continue subbing, and I attend classes on weekends, and turn in assignments online. It took some getting used to, making sure that everything was exported and formatted properly. Many of my instructors and department administrators are nuns, and I must admit I’m a bit intimidated by some of them, being the left-wing Druid that I am! The language of Education has also changed quite a bit since I was a full-time teacher, but it’s just a matter of terminology, not philosophy. I enjoyed my one Friday night and Saturday morning per month on campus. Luckily, I finished this week, just ahead of the snowstorm that keeps me home today. I was quite pleased with my progress, I haven’t forgotten how to write a research paper, and look forward to next semester. I took three classes, and will take three more, starting in mid-January. That will leave one or two classes for summer session, and one next fall. IF I can do a long-term subbing gig of at least 6 weeks in one classroom, I may use that for my “student teaching,” and would not have to be assigned to a classroom teacher, full-time, for an entire semester - and not be paid! I’m keeping my fingers crossed, burning sage, praying for pregnancies. Whatever it takes.
I have also returned to the podium, quite by accident. Last year I noticed a young woman in the parking lot at Target, and had that I-should-know-who-that-is feeling. We’ve been in Door County ten years, so sometimes when this happens, it’s hard to pinpoint the where and when. I decided I’m too old to appear threatening, so I marched right up to her car, explained my curiosity, and asked who she was. After a bit of history exchange, we discovered that she had been one of those happy campers at UW-Green Bay summer music camp, a very promising cellist, when I was “Mrs. E,” not “Mrs. O’R.” She had gone on in music, graduating from Lawrence, and was now the Director of the Door County String Academy! Small world, indeed. We agreed to keep in touch, and Lori eventually persuaded me to come work with her students as a “guest,” and to adjudicate their spring music festival of solos and ensembles. I had a ball! I had not completely forgotten how to wave a baton, and I was hooked. Her older students did not have a large ensemble component to their program, so we made one. We rehearse one Sunday afternoon per month, mostly high school students and some local adult players (including our neighbor, Peter Sherrill, on the string bass) and will “debut” next week at a holiday concert in Sturgeon Bay. You may follow our progress online, here: http://www.doorcountystringacademy.blogspot.com/
Patrick is well, and continues to amaze and delight me, with his support, good humor, encouragement, and cooking! Although there have been changes at the mill, Patrick’s job is fairly secure. We’re just happy that he still HAS a job, and each year that goes by is another year of seniority, and another year closer to retirement. The economy forces us to stay close to home, so there haven’t been any trips to relate. Last spring and late this fall, he went to his father’s, in Fort Wayne, IN, to help with seasonal projects around their home and/or lake house. Our niece, Jessica, was married this summer, and we attended a reception they held in Milwaukee, in October. It was nice to see Patrick’s sister and her husband, and Patrick’s brother. The bride’s brother, James, is in the army, stationed in Afghanistan at the moment, and our thoughts go out to him every night when we watch the news. His wife and their two adorable children were at the reception, and it was fun to see how the kids are growing and changing. Rachael, our youngest niece, was absent. But she had a good excuse - she was studying this fall semester in Ireland, at the University College in Cork. She has really enjoyed it, if her Facebook page is any indication, and there is even talk that she will go back for graduate studies after finishing her degree at U of I, Champaign-Urbana, this spring. Finishing college! Those four years certainly flew by! About the only way I can keep track of her adventures is on Facebook, so feel free to “friend” me (Patty Calkins O’Rourke) here: http://www.facebook.com/
We worried about Snickers last Spring, when he suddenly had trouble walking, getting up and down stairs, etc. A trip to our vet, dear Dr. Neil, and x-rays confirmed that he has arthritis, and after experimenting awhile with medications, he’s doing great. He even chases and plays with Spike, the little orphan cat we took in two summers ago. Spike is very vocal, very entertaining, and although he wants to keep tabs on us and be close, he’s not the “lap cat” that Thumper was. Thumper passed away this last year, after a good, long life, and I miss her terribly. But this summer we were reminded that orphans are never very far away, and they will probably always find their way to us. Twice we were visited by sweet little kittens that were looking for love, and we scooped them up and delivered them to the Humane Society’s animal shelter in Sturgeon Bay. Both were adopted soon after. Yes, we were tempted both times, but I think we’re at capacity right now, at least until I finish school. These, and other adventures, can be found on my blog: http://paporartist.typepad.com/dear_diary/
I’ve not pursued any art in quite awhile, with the exception of projects for my Creative Arts in the Classroom methods class. So I’ve enclosed this little origami Christmas tree, complete with teacher-gold star sticker, the project I used for my final.
(I’ll be honest, I was going to do a crane. But when I finished, it looked more like an airplane that had crash-landed.) Here’s hoping this finds you all well, and with bright prospects for the new year ahead.
Love,
Patty, Patrick, Snickers and Spike O’Rourke

back to school, and back to school

it's the last weekend before school begins around here, and I'm very excited.
nervous, too, but more on that in a bit.
as most of you who read this on a semi-regular basis know, I am a substitute teacher.
so, "back to school" has a bit different meaning than for other teachers.
I have not had to spend the past week in meetings, or in a classroom, getting ready.
I did get a haircut yesterday, and the waiting area was filled with little ones, also getting their back to school styling, some more reluctantly than others.
and I have been looking for some back to school clothes, and put together my bag of tricks - my over-sized shoulder bag that I fill with all that stuff I MIGHT need: extra pens & pencils, a pocket dictionary, scissors, band-aids, extra shoes, my recess whistle, etc.
it's not that teachers don't have most of this stuff in their classrooms, but as a sub, I might not always be able to FIND it, or find it quickly.
normally, especially later in the semester, I'd be up early, drinking coffee, waiting for the phone to ring.
but this first week of school, I'm already scheduled, and I'll be helping out in Kindergarten.
think back now...
were you excited about going to Kindergarten?
or were you a cryer?
and remember, those of you closer to my age, 5K is now ALL day, not a half day, as many of us experienced.
that's a big adjustment, and I'm sure I'll be doing a fair amount of hand-holding, hugging, and drying tears.
and I love it.
I love working with elementary classes.
this surprises me, on several levels.
when I FIRST went to college, right out of high school, my intended major was Elementary Education, with a Music minor.
gradually, as time went on, I was finding I really wanted to take more music courses, and eventually changed into a Music Major.
real life stepped in, family illness, dropped out, dropped in, dropped out, worked, worked some more, got married, moved away, worked some more, and a few years later, went back to college as a "returning adult student."
I loved my time spent in college, although I got a bit tired of being a substitute mom to classmates, and balancing school and work and home was tough.
but I graduated with a K-12 teaching license for instrumental music.
I was an Official Orchestra geek, and I LOVED teaching - but NOT elementary.
Junior High was my thing, and eventually, High School was also great fun.
5th and 6th grade, not so much.
actually, I hated it.
but looking back, it had more to do with the structure of the music program, and the schedule, than with the kids.
long story a bit shorter: taught, taught some more, conducted youth orchestras, played in a symphony, taught private lessons, taught music camps, conducted more youth orchestras, played in a string quartet, and then real life slapped me in the face, again, lost my job(s), got divorced, worked odd jobs, worked some really ODD jobs, remarried, moved to Door County, became an artist, ups and downs (my husband is officially a cancer survivor), the economy took a dive, and I needed to find a "real job."
so I reinvented myself once more, and to my amazement, I love subbing, and I especially love working with the little ducks!
oh, I like the older kids, as well, and it's been good for me to work all levels, all courses.
but I'm about to take the leap, go back to college, and get my teaching license for Elementary Education.
in Wisconsin, it's now a grades 1 - 8 license, and I can't wait!
but I'm nervous, too.
I"m older, actually, a lot older, things have changed.
much of my coursework will be online.
it was weird, I applied online, registered over the phone, and ordered my books from a website.
I'll report to Silver Lake College in Manitowoc one weekend per month, taking courses this Fall, Spring, next Summer, and perhaps Fall 2011.
so, when mamy of my former colleagues are planning their retirement, I find myself buying new notebooks and shopping for a new lunch box.
back to school, and back to school...

delete, edit, and integrate, oh my!

still sorting out feelings about this strange summer of "unemployment," after a stressful, hectic, but very rewarding school year.
I feel as if I went to sleep as an artist, and woke up as an educator, with one foot stepping back into my former life as a music teacher/conductor.
I'm dragging the other foot, as there is still a lot of baggage I'm carrying with me.
but I'm confident that it will all fall into place.
I absolutely loved my time spent subbing, especially after I got to know more kids/teachers and their routines.
and although I was a bit scared at first, I'm so glad I also made the jump back into adjudicating music festivals for WSMA.
those Saturdays at Who-Knows-Where High School can be very long, but I think I'm a good judge, and I have a lot of fun.
and NOW, I'm dusting off the baton, and will be conducting a group of young string players with the Door County String Academy.
it's very exciting.
but I'm also nervous about it all.
want to make sure that all the parts & pieces fit, and don't interfere with the life I have here in Kolberg with Patrick, and the critters.
to all my artist friends, I want you to know that I've not quit "making stuff," but the emphasis has switched.
at first, it was out of necessity - just had to make more money.
but now, I think this is the direction I should go, it's where I'm supposed to be...
later,
Mrs. O'R

vocalizing again

quote of the day

"Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do."

Benjamin Spock, American pediatrician and author, 1903-1998

today I was subbing for the elementary music teacher, and I must admit, I was scared to death.

even though my degree is in music, I was an orchestra teacher, and definitely (ask any of my former students!) NOT a singer.

nor a pianist, to any degree.

I could lead any group, and "pound parts," as I called it, on the piano, but I never accompanied my students in any performance.

and, I actually think it made them better musicians.

they did not have a loud piano, or electronic music track (ooh, don't get me started on that one!) to follow, and had to rely on counting and listening.

anyway, I had K, 1st, and 2nd graders today, and I'm pleased to say it went very well.

Mrs. Regularmusicteacher was extremely well-organized, and everything I might need to know was in her notes and lesson plans.

I think I could actually do this again...

later,

Mrs. O'R