Jobs - After High School

May 1955 to Sept. 1955 - Amelia Star Review - sold classified ads - wrote column - managed office.

Sept. 1955 to June 1956 - Ohio State University Extension Serivce - boss Mr. Christenson.

Summer 1956? - worked at McAlpin's - Linen's Department.

Sept. 1956 to June 1957 - Goshen Elementary - 1sr & 2nd grades (attended UC Evening College).

Summer 1957 - Cincinnati Summer Theater - tutorial - Theater in the Round.

Sept. 1957 to June 1958 - Ohio State University - Cashier at Student Union

Summer 1958 - 1/2  summer term at O.S.U. - worked for Columbus Recreation Commission.

Fall 1958  June 1959 - worked as cashier at O.S.U. Student Union

Fall 1959 - June 1960 - taught 6th grade at Withamsville School (same school I attended from 3rd to 8th grade).

Summer - 1960 - went to Conservation Camp (Camp Muskingum) O.S.U. credit.

Fall 1960 - June 1961 - taught 4th grade at Oyler School - Cincinnati Public Schools.

Summer 1961 - Worked at Frisch's Big Boy on Central Parkway, lived in Apt. on Ludlow Ave.

Fall 1961 - Taught at Hays School (first & second grade) until March? Quit job. Took classes.

Married - Dec. 21, 1961 - continued taking classes at U.C. Spring '63 pregnancy - birth of Marshall Nov. 23, 1963.

Spring - 1964 - more classes @ U.C., raising Marshall, active in Goldwater '64 Campaign.

Continued classes until graduation 1967, Other activities - Publicity Chairman for local Montesorri group, wrote articles for Children's House, painted 35 pictures, entered Hyde Park Art Show, Marshall in nursery school at Miss Lucy's in Hyde park.

211 courses passed, 33 courses taken but no credit. 211 plus 40 more to take = 251 hours - 104 required, 57 more than required. It was almost two years extra work to finally graduate - due to changing major from Education to General Studies and going to evening college.

Jobs continued after divorce from Harry. Seven years of marriage.

Substitute teaching for Cincinnati Public Schools, worked for Judge Paul George - his campaign for Domestic Relations Court.

1969-1970 - Hoffman Elementary School - 4th Grade. Wrote two articles for Cincinnati Magazine.

1970 - 1971 - Windsor Elementary School - 4th Grade.  Met Bill Kelly February 1971.

Dec. 21, 1971 - Married. Moved to Glenbrook, Nevada (Lake Tahoe).

1972  in business for myself - Creative Learning Center, Karen's Studio (several locations). Did work at the U.S. Dept. of Education 1989-1991 - Office of Private Education.

*Note: This information was written on  three large index cards and updated "as time passed". I'm glad I kept this file as a record of my job history.

Beyond High School

 A file folder labeled "Grade Transcripts" is filled with records of "schooling". Scanning through the lists of courses taken "over the years" I'm wondering today which were "worth my time" and if they "made a difference".

1955 to 1956 - I attended Ohio State University in Home Economics. OSU was my choice because I had been there several times as part of my 4-H Leadership training. I stayed in a dormitory - Oyler Hall? can't remember exact name. We signed in and out and had a "house mother". I worked at WOSU on the radio station in the early mornings and did some work for the OSU Extension Service, too.

 

1956 to 1957 - I taught first and second grade students at Goshen Elementary School. My folks did not have enough money to send me back for my sophmore year. I lucked out with a teaching job as a "temporary" and was able to return to OSU again.

1957 to 1959 - I transferred from Home Economics to Education - completing two more years at OSU.  I worked at the Student Union - morning cafeteria line - walking across the mall - winter - freezing cold. I became ill with mono and tried to keep going to classes.

I taught school again in Cincinnati - several schools including Hays, Oyler, Windsor and Hoffman. I would teach and take classes at University of Cincinnati's Evening College - finally graduating with a Bachelor of Science in General Studies with a minor in Fine Arts - June 15th, 1967 - 11 years later - having taken at seventy-four or more courses!

I had married Harry Garrison Dec. 21st, 1961 while I was teaching at Hays. I was taking courses throughout our marriage and gave birth to our son, Marshall, November 23rd, 1963. I was involved in politics and contined my education.

After Harry and I divorced, I continued to do substitute teaching and finally got a full-time teaching job. When I remarried I got my teaching certificate both in Ohio and Nevada.

1975 to 1976 - I attended The Art Academy of Cincinnati for one year. After that, I started my own studio - Karen's Studio and have continued thirty-eight more years with the studio and I continue to teach adult beginners - art. I took a lot of courses, too, when I worked at the U. S. Department of Education - computer, time management, telephone skills, etc.

10-12-14 Sunday Afternoon

Been "Blogging" along - realizing I will be adding more blogs as "time goes along". Added Karen Sharin' - "Hodge Podge" for the odds & ends stuff around here that I'm choose to set into a separate category from my own story, Angel Lois', Cooking Buddies, etc.

It's interesting (to me, for sure) to learn more and more about the people and places "around here". I'm digging further into files and pictures, relabeling and rethinking "what I thought I already knew to be true".

This past week took me down "The Remembering Path" (good title for something) which involved being "on camera" for an interview about my Mama (now Angel Lois) and her community service.*
Getting prepared for this project meant that I "got with the program" and organized many files and photos.

Now that it's Sunday, I'm back to my regular routine which I report to Facebook's "Homemaker's Encouragement" group. Laundry for today is done. Clothes are put away, trash trashed, recycles out to bin, dishes - partially done - some still need to be put away. I'm staying cozy down here in the cottage - wearing sweats.

Taking a "flying leap" today with HughesNet - going to have them install a satellite dish up on the main house so that I can have WiFi where I can use another computer - not sure whether to take new Dell Windows-8 computer up to the house or my older Vista laptop. Will ask the service person what they think is best - what will work best.

Other decision - deciding where to plant Oriental Poppy plants. I have some "loyal" royal-looking red poppies that return each spring by the back patio steps. I'm wondering if the morning sun is preferable to afternoon sun (will check eHow for this info. or Spring Hill - the company where I purchased them).

I thought about doing some Wheat Belly (grain/sugar/wheat free) baking today - missing the bread I make, especially the walnut bread from Dr. William Davis' Wheat Belly Cookbook.

Went to City Flea yesterday downtown at Washington Park in front of Music Hall. Bought a couple of small succulent plants in their own vases to take to Karen's Studio 125 to share with students. I also bought another fun barret from "A Seamless Transition" where I took some of my vintage pieces of clothing to sell. Next Saturday I'll take some winter items and pick up a check from the sales that have been made of clothing/jewelry I dropped off for consignment this summer.

I also stopped at Essencha Tea House to purchase more Kukicha green tea. I will be taking tea-making supplies (a strainer) to the studio, too. It's an "upper" and healthy, too.

This will be a busy week - sprinkler system off, and hopefully Madison Tree will be here to do major tree work - one more item off the "big list". Next year - looking at redoing the entire driveway!
Being a "Widder Lady" keeps me hopping around here!

*Note - Will write more over on Angel Lois blog about the interview project.

 

Rainy Monday - Procrastinating 10/6/2014

I can't believe it! It's raining. It's chilly and damp. It was only a few weeks ago that we were enjoying an extended summer - warm sunshine, dry air.

It's time to order a winter's supply of Toasti Toes, get out the Cuddle-Duds and black suede Ryka shoes and "World's Softest Socks" - black ones!

I wear a photographer's vest - the one I bought in San Francisco many years ago at a Banana Republic store. I love this vest with all it's pockets - especially the pocket across the lower back. The sales person told me that one of his customer's carried his dog! Thinking maybe it might be a small daschund!

The latest project (around here) has been going through more photos and files. I keep re-finding photos which re-trigger memories and the stories that go with them. I'll be choosing more to upload to my computer photo files and share on Facebook. I like Facebook for having a place to create albums and share photos with family and friends and even "others" I don't really know - yet.

I've been wondering about the wedding photos of Harry and me that were in a small white photo album. The pictures are "clear in my mind" but the album is missing. I'm thinking they are in the attic with several years of daily diaries which I put into a trunk for safe-keeping. Will I be pulling down those creaky, wooden attic stairs to find that album? Yes, most probably. When the weather is chilly (like today) I will be considering whether it's "worth the effort".

I will be watching some old VHS tapes of Mama's award ceremonies today and wondering, too, if I know how to transcribe them to DVD - used to do it - but now will need to re-read the instructions in the booklet that came with the VCR player.

The furnace is humming alont - heating up the cottage to "cozy" - making me sleepy enough for a short nap (20 minutes or so).....zzzzz. Onward!

September 30th, 2014 - Around Home

The locust tree is dropping its tiny leaves everywhere "out front" on the driveway and yard. The gigantic oak trees are dropping a few leaves, too. There are funny-looking bump things on the oak leaves. The acorns are quickly scooped up by the squirrels, but those I step on give a good "crunch" sound when I am walking around the driveway doing laps.

I bought the large sized bags of Fertiloam from "The Bloomin' Garden Place". I've lifted all four from the car to the breezeway. One broken one (rebagged and discounted) I took to the patio and loaded up a couple of large planter pots. I dragged another bag down to the cottage to load up the hanging rail boxes - six total. Now to plant them - with what?

My days (recently) are filled with doing the sorting of pictures/files for a PBS interview that will take place very soon. I'm thinking of "time-lines" and "stops" along the way - significant moments - highlighted for the "general-public". And, what are the similarities between my mother's life and mine? What have we shared? What have we learned?

There are "way too many" boxes of photos around here. I open up one and then another. As I said before, I am "The Keeper" for my mother's files, my late huband Bill's files, my late Aunt Gretna's files, mine files and some of my son's files, too! Files = photos, writings and souvenirs.

I enjoy the various "spots" around here that I call "Vignettes". I post some of these over on my Facebook page under Albums.

In the office - the side where I have two drawing tables, two old computers, paintings, file cabinets and shelves - I display Native American stone implements and a peace pipe. These items have their own history - and I believe someone "way back" in Bill's history collected them.

I remember, too, when we were growing up at Potter Farm Lane, there was a drain hole in the basement that we put a stone in to plug the hole - I know now that it was a grinding stone. I do not know what happened to it. I do know that the house burned down and it's probably buried "way down" underneath acnew home that may have taken its place.

Here's today's "Vignette" from Indian Hill, Ohio.

Christmas Cactus Rescue

This is a quick test to see if I can compose over here @ Microsoft Word Starter to do my blog. (Doing a copy/paste).

Rescuing Christmas Cactus: Was checking pot that “housed” two plants – main plant is doing OK – he’s called “Old Friend” and has survived several near-disasters. The Christmas Cactus was in its own pot for awhile, but then I decided that two different plants could share the same pot.

For several years they have “gotten along” OK. Then, the other day I noticed the Christmas Cactus was looking sad and droopy. I checked further – the stem was rotting right at soil-level. I took the Christmas Cactus out and set it aside – even set it outside to get some sun and dry out a bit.

Now I have added more potting soil back into the main pot – and am soaking the cactus in some water hoping it will revive enough that I can plant it again. There are even some new buds at the tips – indicating more blooms were starting their growth. I’ll dust the stems with rooting powder and see what happens after I put them back into the soil – hoping for another “rescue”.

I will look for pictures, too, of Christmas Cactus’ blooming.

Hope this “blog” test works! Chose to do a copy/paste - easier!

Sept. 22, 2014 - A Monday

Here it is again - another Monday - this time it's a chilly but sunny Monday. I'm already in "full steam ahead" mode - making out my daily "to-do" list - checking it off, check by check and awarding myself a "star" for thinking a particular checked-off item to be "special".

Wow Windowbox guys were here re-doing the nine window boxes (out front) for fall. The billowing geraniums and other plants are gone now.  A modified version of last year's fall boxes looks good - winter pansies, purple cabbages, some potato vines, a pumpkin and a "thriller" grass plant in the middle of each box completes the fall theme.

I have six empty planting boxes (QVC) hanging on the railings along the porch outside The Cottage. I hope to fill them with potting soil and maybe plant them, too. I have two big pots at the base of the patio steps that need "something", too. Of course, it would be something "deer-proof". (I figure I spend several hundred dollars a year "deer-proofing").

I'm still following Wheat Belly lifestyle and am really looking forward to Dr. William Davis' PBS program being shown on CET, our local PBS station.

Went to Dayton Opera yesterday - leisurely driving the backroads - enjoying the scenery (pre-fall) - some open fields, some country markets and small towns. Saw "Russian Panorama" an amazing presentation of music, choral singing and ballet. 

I'm still in the middle of a lot of paperwork - putting Mama's files in good order for an interview/filming here at The Cottage.  I'm learning so much more about how much my mother accomplished during her life-time. After watching "The Roosevelt's" on PBS this past week I realize now how altruism - "doing good" was imbedded into the minds of people during my mother and dad's generation. They had endured the depression and World War II. People suffered greatly and those who could help, did help. Mama's mother said to her daughter, "You are here to DO GOOD"!

And so, Mama (now Angel Lois) was an accomplished person who did DO GOOD and I'm now finding out things I never "internalized" at the time she was doing them! Here I am going on age seventy-eight - hoping to make it to at least 102 with all my "facilities" in tact so that I can record all this family history that's lurking in many file cabinets, file folers and archive boxes.

I've ordered supplies that help me with this project - colored file folders, Big Roo & Little Roo - folding file boxes from Boxie company and archive boxes from Exposures and from Bigso. I know to have special books rebound at Ohio Book Store - downtown Cincinnati. Writing an Angel Lois blog will help me keep her story "in circulation". And so, with energy and encouragement from my Facebook friends over on Homemaker's Encouragement - I will "do good", too! Onward!

Home Sweet Home - Fixing Up

  It's nearly 100 degrees and humid to boot! Jeff Beaty is out in it - scraping down the porch and painting more of the railings. The long porch was added on after Bill passed away about 14 years ago. Jeff also goes around and patches things up - peeling hall and kitchen ceilings, nailing together and old wooden bench out by the front door left by the former owner nearly 40 years ago, and restoring the huge picnc table - which seats 10 people when I have a picnic here.

  I was able to "forward" a lot of paint supplies on to Jeff, too. I won't be doing any more major projects "on my own" that require all those brushes, trays, rollers and paint. The amount of stuff that I have acquired "over the years" fills garage cupboards - top to bottom. Gradually, I am getting through it - giving it away - sharing and using, too.

  The Kharma, LLC yard guys were here last week to clear out the "jungle" - overgrown plants and bushes all around the back yard. The guys will be back to lay down pine straw mulch out front. Another job is to get up on the roof and get rid of the magnolia leaves that fill roof valley underneath the magnolia tree. Whoever planted that tree had no idea how huge it would be in 50 years! Speaking of trees, the gigantic oaks and locust trees are due for "opening" by Madison Tree Company. There is a lot of tree work to be done - crabapple trees need pruning, a huge ash tree needs to be removed and in back of the cottage there are plenty of dead limbs on the evergreens that "should go". The trees around here have been fed, pruned, nurtured and saved - a major investment - worth doing!

  I planted the moonflower plant that Gary brought into my art studio last week. I'm hoping it survives. I bought some fresh Miracle-Gro moisture-control soil and put it in a pot just for that plant. The moonflower has special meaning - it's a "family" flower that reaches back to my childhood memories and my early love for growing things.

  Out on the lower patio I'm trying my luck at growing some lavender plants again. Last year the big pot of lavender was frozen out. The summer herbs have grown and bolted. I don't use many of them - I just enjoy growing them "just in case". I may make the Walnut Pesto recipe given to me by the We're All Nuts guy at Madeira Farmer's Market - I have the walnuts, now to make the pesto!

 

I'm Here, Still Here

Contemplating "all that's going on". Here it is another Tuesday - a regular Tuesday? No, not exactly. Things are not the same as usual. Life seems more complicated. Is it from my watching too much TV or reading the blurbs that pop up on-line? Probably.

In spite of such bothering, I move forward with life - day by day - hour by hour - minute by minute. Today I am finally down here in The Cottage at the computer again - writing - observing. WGUC's classic music station booms out something modern. I look out the small window at the pine branches that nod quietly in the rays of noon sun. For awhile the window was covered with a curtain, but it's better without. Having another opportunity to connect with the real world - that of nature - is today's gift.

I saw two large yellow butterflies bouncing around the purple clustered butterfly bush. When I see small white butterflies I acknowledge Mrs. Garrison - my son's grandmother. She loved butterflies and collected many items that had a butterfly "theme".

This Tuesday the neighbor's tree stumps are being ground down into shavings. Some neighbors leave the stumps standing. Birds and squirrels hop atop the stumps to get a better view. Some stumps eventually wither and die away. In the back yard - the remaining stump of a beautiful blue spruce still holds a bit of ground that interrupts the neat strips of mowed grass.

Out by the mailbox the remaining lilies are putting out their last blossoms. We survived this year's battle with Mama Deer and her twins. I used Deer Scram, Deer Vik, This One Works and held back on the cayenne pepper and Irish Spring soap. Many beautiful iris bloomed earlier this summer, too. Now the iris leaves are turning yellow and the rhizomes are calling to be "divided". I may or may not get to this project.

For encouragement and help I visit my Facebook friends over on "Homemaker's Encouragment" where we list our "daily doings" and share our progress. By keeping in touch, I know that I've accomplished something and have given encouragement, too.

Today - I ease back from housework - because I have The Cleaning Authority team doing the jobs I could do, but choose to give myself the gift of time - time to be here to write another page for this Widder Lady blog. Onward!

Theater Thoughts 7/20/13

Just returned from "Seeing Stars Over Dixie" at our local community theater - Mariemont Players. It was a Sunday, 2 p.m. matinee performance - with a "sold-out" crowd. The play was entertaining with some fun "jabs" at humans being human. Forgiveness, acceptance, love and deciding "what's important" took "center stage".

Wished for both audience and actors that there were more opportunities for curtain calls. One session of applause (in my opinion) did not give sufficient reward to incredible hours of dedicated, hard-working, talented, creative people.

I have been a "theater goer" for many years of my life. I'm amazed by the entire process of theater - amazed in knowing how an idea appears in the playwright's brain which may gradually become a bound packet of dialogue to be read, torn apart, read again and again; discarded or eventually accepted as a play. Maybe the play will make it's journey to the stage - to be performed for a living, breathing audience.

Knowing that the playwright's idea may be squished and molded into something he may not have envisioned is a true "leap of faith" - allowing others to rip and tear one's creative thoughts, words and vision to pieces or reconstructing the entire story to fit another's interpretation of what may have been originally intended - this is the challenge - the challenge of getting past the fear of being fiercely judged - one's creative work - judged and possibly destroyed!

However, there is the possibility of genius lurking among those exchanges of speech, body maneuvers and gestures between those who are chosen to "play the part". Having this promise of sharing with others - one's thoughts, dreams, observations, obsessions and a myriad of other interactions with "all" that is available to the eternal mind - this force - this soul wrenching force - pushes the playwright forward.

How to become a playwright - that is the question for me today? I've written articles, columns, press releases, small stories and worked with my mother writing several books for family and friends. Writing comes easily - when I choose to write. So, today, I write a blog - not a play - a blog. (What a funny word - blog - rhymes with cog, dog, bog - funny word for writing).

OK. Let's "get with the program" as Mama (now Angel Lois) would say - hearing her words makes me realize it's time to do just that! One more word, just one more word! Onward!

Monday - February 3, 2014

Thank God it's February! We made it through the Polar Vortex and hope there is no further repeat of Arctic air dropping down to the Ohio Valley. This cold snap brought on hibernating behavior. No amount of green tea, Yoga stretches and motivational sayings helped me move from inactive to proactive behavior.

Now that January is over and my 77th birthday celebrated, I'm ready to face facts - face the fact that another year is "in my face". Calendars, clocks, schedules, TV news, FB pages shout it out - 2014 is here - it's here!

I still am following Wheat Belly Lifestyle - 18 months and counting. Many new friends are joining up and sharing their amazing progress. 109,000 of us! Wow! Grocery shopping has become a new adventure. I buy new favorites: Kerrygold Irish Butter, almond milk, wild blueberries, Wholly Guacamole, grass fed beef, eggs, Hormel uncured bacon, etc. I use almond flour and flaxseed flour for baking and order easy mixes from Wheat Free Foods LLC.

My five Meetup.com groups continue to grow. Some people are helping out by listing their events on the Art, Music, Theater Meetup page. More and more students are coming into class on Wednesdays at the studio. After class, Amy and I enjoy dinner at Swampwater Grill (authentic Cajun), BUZ (eclectic American food) and Tostados Mexican Restaurant. We usually have extra food to bring home for another meal next day.

Housekeeping has been made so much easier by having The Cleaning Authority come here every three weeks to do all the "basics" - bathrooms, kitchen, floors, carpet, basement and cottage. My job is to get rid of the clutter. I keep taking items to the studio "free shelves".  Now to set up an eBay store!

My life is filled with many theater events. I enjoy Playhouse in the Park, Ensemble Theater, Mariemont Players and Cincinnati Playwrights' Initiative.  Saw "Book of Mormon" and will see "Phantom of the Opera" again (thinking this is my fifth time). 

Life now is filled with so many angels. I know they are here and continue to let me know they are "here", too. Angel Lois smiles at me as I write this. Harry sends flowers and Bill is sending robins to the crabapple tree. Yes! February is here and soon will be gone, too! Onward!