Wheat Grass

I believe both my mother and the MOD rolled their eyes when I suggested incorporating wheat grass into our wedding flair. I don't care what they think. There's a simple beauty to wheat grass. I might start growing some at home, I just need to keep it away from the cat. (photo via Cup and Table)

The notion of promoting peace

Let's hear it for social workers in Congress! If you support peaceful interventions and mediation to resolve conflict, be sure to let your congress representative know.

Child Protective Services?

I am reluctant to detail my frustration today for confidentiality purposes. But let me just ask, what happened to the incentive planning to have more DCS workers (Department of Children's Services, child protection workers) get their MSW? To at least have a Bachelors in social sciences perhaps. To actually care about the welfare of children and ensure that what is ethically sound and legally required is done to protect children at significant risk.

Just another day, another dollar? I don't think so. We may not be doctors holding beating hearts in our hands, but any of us that work in the social services realm have a duty to protect the people we serve and to assist and empower them to the best of our ability. That is why I need therapy myself (sort of) right now. Because I care. If you don't care and you don't need therapy to cope with the horrific things people go through, if you do not ensure their safety when they are at real risk of being dangerously injured or killed, LEAVE THE JOB.

This makes me miss my home across the pond

There's not so much of an excuse to buy a cute pair of Wellies here.

Why can't I be cool?

I have an unusual (or is it) fascination and enamored feeling for any beautiful girl with a sense of class but also a sense of individuality (often involving some sort of tattoo and/or piercings). What does that say about me? Maybe I am a little self conscious about being down to earth and "normal" or "average," despite how much I appreciate those qualities within myself.

Visiting relatives

LOVE THEM ALL THE TIME.

Love it when they come to visit.

Love the fun while visiting.

Love when they leave.

Love our space. Love getting our bed back and getting off the air mattress on the floor.

Loan forgiveness? . . . Yeah, right

This stimulus package had me and the MOD so excited. Maybe there is some help for us? A veteran who still has to take out loans to pay school tuition, despite the GI bill and a social worker with a masters degree and a license looking for a second job to pay the mortgage. Of course there is help for us! Wait. . . no. While perusing the NASW website- thinking I actually need to become a member now that I am licensed- I found that there is loan forgiveness for social workers in linkage to the College Cost Reduction Act of 2007.

So, I call the number provided. The feds. The first man I spoke to was immediately rude (and I know how to kill them with kindness on the phone- I was raised by a telemarketer). He wouldn't assist me to at least point me in the right direction. He was not interested in any way to hear that the National Association of Social Workers gave me that number to make an inquiry. He actually hung up on me. I called back. I expressed my distaste for how I was treated; and my confusion. The second person (a female, but perhaps that wasn't the differing factor), was very helpful but ultimately pointed me toward my loan holder.

I contacted Sallie Mae and spoke to a lovely woman, but who was hard to understand. I believe she may have been somewhere distant due to the connection and time delay. Can you say outsourcing? Apparently, being a hard working, low paid social worker doesn't qualify me for any sort of loan forgiveness at this time. I either need to become a teacher and do that for five years or become severely disabled. I am not interested in either. NASW got my hopes up.

I also looked into home loan programs. I don't really qualify for that either and there are no interesting details to that story. I hate being the middle man. Middle class gets the shaft.

A few brief thoughts

I haven't posted much, but as per my usual have been "writing" in my head. Since passing my exam, I have been trying to get caught up with the other things that were neglected for the start of the year- the house upkeep and improvements, getting ready for both sets of parents and my grandmother arriving, trying to visit a few friends I missed while attempting to hide in my AATBS books. I am also looking at trying to acquire a part time job, but I am not too optimistic there will be many options.

I do intend to utilize and post on the blog again regularly, but just give me another week or so, k? I am a little overwhelmed by all my feeds in google reader, so many questionable and/or thought provoking things happening in politics and culture, I just don't even know where to begin at this point. I started "starring" things on my reader that I thought needed more attention or personal interest tid bits, but now that is even becoming overwhelming.

So for now, let me say. . . Congratulations to another lovely family this month bringing another lovely child in the world. This time one of my favorite people locally who is often thought of as the sister I never had (among my extended family as well). I can't wait to meet your fella!

Stay tuned for future thoughts on my confusions about feminism, anger about recent policies and politics, vents about my crazy job and wedding and relationship follies. . . .

Feeling a little unsure these days

I think my need for change so quickly is starting to come to a halt. I am starting to feel like it is all just happening to fast. We just started this relationship less than two months ago. I am talking about my relationship with our new president, of course.

I have been in reasonably strong support of a lot of the significant changes and proposals thus far, but I am not so sure how I feel about his proposals for educational change today. Increasing charter schools by reducing the limits on these school and their quantity? Paying teachers for their "excellence?" What about No Child Left Behind? When do we address the mess that has made of our educational system? And who decides a teacher's excellence? Irrational test scores? A biased principal?

I have not had time to do extensive research on where he is going with these things and why he thinks they are good ideas, I will do that after I eat a bunch of (hopefully) awesome food tonight. So, please, do comment on here to me about any aspect of history or facts to make these proposals okay. I am merely at this point sharing an opinion, an initial reaction, not stating fact.

I work in schools. Everyday. Right now I work in a school that is about to be closed because many kids have moved to the charter schools in the surrounding communities. This is not the only reason, and I am aware of that. In general, the community that I serve is changing. It has becoming increasingly poor, unsupported by external resources and violent. Families are also moving to townships and out of the "inner city" because the economic spread of the city is sprawling. But, my problem with charter schools is not that families are leaving for those schools, it is that from what I have learned and observed, if a child does one small thing wrong they are out. Without any real support or intervention. Some may want this for particular types of children and families, but as a social worker and as a human being who believes all children deserve education and whatever support they need to get it, I have a real problem with this. Aren't these kids being kicked out the kids that really need us?

I am however, obviously, in strong support of Obama's advocacy for early education programming. It is clear from research and from first hand experience that early intervention and prevention is key in most if not all aspects of life to reduce risks and increase success and resilience. This I can stand behind, but I am very concerned that the teachers and educational administrators who work with our children day in and day out are not being heard. I am very concerned that if we continue to focus on blaming educational systems completely and not also looking at and building better communities around these schools, we will continue to fail children regardless of how many charter schools you open.

No cooking for me tonight

We get to sample food tonight at our wedding venue to decide what we'd like to serve (and hopefully actually eat) at our wedding reception.  I don't really care too much what we serve- as longs as there is something for the veg heads and some other thing for the omnivores.  But, I plan to take full advantage of this free food opportunity this evening!