The Joyful Journey

28 April 2008

I Love my Job!

Although the increased work hours that I've had to put in this spring have resulted in a serious lack of blogging time, I really do LOVE my job. Especially going to conventions!

I absolutely LOVE talking with homeschoolers and helping them answer their homeschooling questions. Sometimes it seems almost too good to be true that I'm actually getting paid to do something that I enjoy so much!

Not only that, but I get to travel. This year I have some REALLY great places on my itinerary. Long Beach, Atlanta, San Antonio, Knoxville, and Worcester. Not quite as exciting, but still very fun are trips to Wichita, Cincinnati, and Peoria and St. Charles, IL.

But by far the best part of doing conventions is the opportunity to meet people and make new friends. And this weekend in Worcester, Massachusetts, was especially fun!! One of the many friends I've made over the months since I started blogging is JenIG. Well, she and her daughter Coie were representing Rosetta Stone at the convention in Worcester and we actually got to "hang out" a bit! We were all far too busy to spend time together during our workdays, but I tried to keep an eye out for her since I was a bit concerned that she might actually give birth to a kidney stone right at her booth. We were able to go to dinner on Friday night at a really fun (and VERY noisy) 50's Diner. Jen is EVERY BIT as cool (and adorable) as I thought she would be, but be forewarned, if you ever get the chance to meet Jen in person, she asks lots of VERY personal questions and is just a teensy bit wimpy when it comes to city driving. Sorry, Jen, but I was HUNGRY and really wanted to get there! Jen has a picture of the two of us on her blog...kind of icky picture of me, but a GREAT one of her! I'm so happy to have been able to meet her and Coie!

While I was in Massachusetts, my family had a GREAT wildlife experience. All spring we've been watching a Red-bellied Woodpecker build a nest in one of the ant-infested trees in our backyard. Woody Woodpecker and his wife are both beautiful birds and seem to be very committed to each other and their brood. They have built a very nice house in our almost-dead tree. Well, over the weekend Jim and the kids noticed another home being built in our backyard neighborhood. A Mourning Dove and his pregnant wife moved in and worked hard all weekend constructing their home.

Mrs. Dove must be quite far along because Mr. Dove did most of the work. Here he is flying in with his recently collected building supplies and giving them to his wife to add to the nest.

Along with the Woodpeckers and the Doves, we've also been keeping our eyes on a young robin couple who have moved in and are getting ready to start a family.

Maybe if we charge everyone rent I'll be able to work less and blog more!

• Post A Comment! • Send to a Friend!

Comments

28 April 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by CrossView

You really are still alive? I mean, I've heard rumors and all, but you just never know... =P

Glad you're having a great time! I'm jealous that you and JenIg got to meet. I'd love to meet you both! =D

• Permanent Link

28 April 2008 - heather @ http://untraditionalhome.com

Posted by Anonymous

Wow, sounds like fun--I have never gone to a home school convention--hubby says we are still paying for all that college education training so we don't need more. :)

Mass. is nice though no where near as nice as PA (we lived there for a few years.) Glad you are still alive and kickin'.

• Permanent Link

28 April 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Arby

All of this working stuff and no blogging continues to support my belief that you have your priorities backwards. ;-) It is nice to see that you visit once in awhile.

• Permanent Link

28 April 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by MayTheyBeMightyMen

What fun! I'm glad you enjoy what you do. :') I can only imagine the number of people you must run into at the conferences. That's a lot of friendly faces, I bet.

One of these days I'm going to have to make it to a conference.

• Permanent Link

29 April 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by JenIG

as i was reading the rest of your post i thought you wrote that you had a great MIDWIFE experience. no, sadly, it was only a wildlife experience. But you have to admit, a midwife experience would have been supremely more interesting.

I say at the end of the hs convention we put our heads together and then request the same cities. I'm thinking... FL, CO, GA and MN. i actually fell in love with MN -- i mean, the state was sort of on the drab side, but the people were SO great. And while i'm thinking of it, we'll need to think something up for Kelliann to do at a convention so she can come with us too. ; )

this may be the longest comment i've ever left anybody.

PS i admit the pic on my blog was so-so... you can tell we'd both been working hard all day. But it was either that pic, or the other one Coie took of us. And you should have seen the other one...

• Permanent Link

1 May 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by kellieann

I am so completely jealous that you are getting to meet fellow bloggers. That is so cool....and so equally cool that no one, so far, is an ax murderer. Yay!

• Permanent Link

7 May 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by OhPumpkinshellz

How fun! Your homeschooling has blossomed into a career! I love it :-) -and to think of all of the families you will be helping by answering questions. You rock!

• Permanent Link

8 May 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Arby

Hey! All of this professional satisfaction and personal enrichment stuff is really getting annoying. Blog something, for cryin' out loud!

• Permanent Link

About Me

"There is a joy in the journey, there's a light we can love on the way. There is a wonder and wildness to life, and freedom for those who obey." (Michael Card)