The week began with the Easter celebration all around us. We decided to take a trip to see the daffodils in Mt Vernon. They were brilliant. Unfortunately our week was not going to stay as wonderful as it began.
Monday morning I found out my oldest sister’s son, my nephew, had suddenly passed early that morning. He was finally completely retired and had just begun enjoying life. A few years back, he had retired after 25 years working at the Pierce County Jail. He retired as a Lieutenant. He had served in the Coast Guard, at Northwest Detention Center and with HCI Inc. as a government contractor after he retired from the jail. Then after coming back from a trip to Mexico, he died very quickly and unexpectedly of double pneumonia. His funeral was a sad affair this past Saturday. It was very hard on his mother and wife. Actually, it was hard on the whole family.
We both had a lot in common.We had both gone through the state Correctional Officer training program and had been certified. He was certified long before I was. On the day of my graduation, he was a the Criminal Justice Center in Burien. I was happy to see him that day. I had decided to work in the state prison system, at McNeil Island.. He worked for the county at the jail and had been for several years at the time. His sister spent a few years working in community corrections. The three of us had a connection to law enforcement. However, my experience was not something I wanted to continue. I was more interested in teaching. I found corrections depressing, to say the least. I had hoped when I retired, I could teach part time. Now I am doing just that…working on teaching online.
I have been reading everything I can get my hands on while waiting for the new text book I will be working with. I have spent hours trying to learn how to use Instructure Canvas. In the meantime, I am getting my band together to put on a gig in May. Just as I was setting up a practice, my bass player suffered a major heart attack last week at the age of 56. It has been a bit hard to concentrate. I could use a bit more living and a little less dying.
I have been working on getting an teaching assistant internship set up for fall. At the same time our money problems have begun to take over. April 21th is the last day of unemployment for me and my husband will be laid off on the 27th of April. My job at the college while helpful just doesn’t pay the bills. Unemployment for my husband will not cover our bills either. I wonder how this will impact my abilities to concentrate and get the course up online. It should be an interesting project. My nerves are on edge. I don’t seem to be able to sleep very well. The deaths of my nephew and good friend and bass player weights heavy on my mind these days.
I know things will get better . It seems it is always darkest before the dawn. When one least expects it after the storm, the sun comes out, a rainbow forms and the fresh air spreads the fragrance of the flowers bursting forth in the spring. Life just cannot be contained. There is a season for all things.
JOYSTECHTOOL 