A little bit about my job

I work for a non-profit and as I'm sure any of you who have experience with non-profit work that you may have a job description, but it's very likely what you actually do from day to day will differ greatly from that. Lately I've been reviewing landscaping plans, looking for books about native Louisiana plants, and reading email newsletters about gardening on the Gulf Coast. Just to clarify... I have no gardening experience whatsoever. I do have several indoor plants, but until a year ago I've not been really good at keeping them alive. So why gardening? Well, as the director of community outreach I thought cleaning up/beautifying some parts of our community would be a great way for our volunteers who don't have construction know-how to get involved in a community activity.

Our first project last year was for the local library branch. The branch director had a clear vision of what she wanted and so that project was deceptively easy. This year we've been working on an extensive landscaping project for the downtown domestic violence emergency shelter. It would be an understatement to say that this project is just slightly more difficult. With little direction from the shelter staff except the request to include a palm tree in the design, I've been working with a long term volunteer at our non-profit to help formulate and execute a plan. Linda, the long term volunteer, has really been such a great help- investigating the correct plants to use and coming up with a total cost list. Today we began to put plants in the ground and although it was just a small bed compared to all of the other work left to do it felt like a really big deal. I hope we're able to show these women who have just escaped from such hard circumstances that we care. Who knows, maybe it will start a movement to clean up downtown that would be nice for this small town.

Margaret

It finally happened...

I missed posting two days in a row. I knew it had to happen sometime and I think that it almost takes some of the pressure off. Still missing two out of fourteen days is really not too bad.

Posting by candlelight

It has been a really busy day and I haven't had much time to think about what to share today. Now its just about time to go dark for an hour, so I'll simply say, "Buenas Noches." Margaret

Earth Hour 2008

I'm participating in Earth Hour '08 and you should too. One hour sans electricity is so doable. Plus now that we are on daylight savings time, it might even still be light outside. United we can make a difference!

Join me in the movement. Margaret

Two posts in one day

I thought about only posting the answer to the word game today, but I have had such a great day that I wanted to share.

First of all I must put this in context, usually the fourth Wednesday of each month is the most stressful workday. It's the day we distribute commodities and I'm in charge. Today all that went off with few problems mostly because everyone was in such a good mood. Why such good moods? I'm not sure,but the glorious weather couldn't have hurt. The temperature was a perfect 80 degrees with a slight breeze to keep everyone outside cool and the gnats away. The sun was shining and it just made everything look so new, so much like Spring was really here. Then this afternoon I went out with a volunteer to inspect homes for housing repair and they were the most well kept homes I had seen in all of the inspections I've done. It was really phenomenal. Most of the homes I've seen have been close to falling apart and definitely not clean, but these few women took such pride in the place that they lived. It was a pleasure to check out how we could help them. Plus on the drive to get to each of the homes it felt like I was seeing this community anew for the first time. I'm serious. I saw places I'd never noticed before and places I'd seen a thousand times seemed to have a different glow about them. It was such a blessed day.

Hope your eyes will witness a similar miracle today, Margaret

The answer is

STARTLING
STARTING
STARING
STRING
STING
SING
SIN
IN
I

More about games...

One of my favorite things to do each day is play the word games from the Merriam-Webster website. Lately I've been really intrigued by the Jumble crossword. I have to say that I'm pretty good. Take today's for instance I completed it in under two minutes. It does take a little practice to learn to think about words in a different way. But if you are looking for a way to strengthen your vocabulary I can't think of any way that would be more fun. Another great website for vocabulary practice is FreeRice.com. Why is it called "Free Rice," you ask? Well for every analogy you get correct the website donates 20 grains of rice to people of need around the globe through the UN World Food Program.

For a treat, today I've included a word puzzle that was forwarded to me by my grandparents last week. Try to solve it, check out the websites, and have fun. Margaret

What nine letter word in the English language is still a word when each of the nine letters is removed one by one?

Check back tomorrow for the answer.