Sabbatical Hiatus

I can't believe it has been so long since I have posted again.  It has been a very busy few weeks.  My sabbatical (and ultimately blogging) was put on hiatus for a few weeks due to several factors:

Grant reviews

I have had the awesome privlege of serving as a grant reviewer for the Department of Labor (DOL)and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA).  While it pays a meager honorarium, the true value of participating as a grant reviewer is knowing I am serving my country, responsible for assisting with decisions about what to do with taxpayers money. I take that very seriously. The experience of learning from others and developing skills to write better grants is also a plus.  I see other peoples ideas and words from a different perspective, from the reader and ultimately the person who helps decide who gets money for their project.  Time consuming yes, but also a valuable experience to add to my resume.

Gaga's First Annual Summer Camp for 2 1/2 year old girls named AVERY

What a fun week that was!!  I had a beautiful time with my granddaughter and decided that I love being Gaga, but being a 24/7 parent again is for the young people. I was exhausted by Wednesday and it started Sunday night!  But we became closer as a result and I must say again - I have a beautiful and amazing granddaughter.

I will post pictures soon, but I am in the midst of yet another grant review.

Unexpected visit from my son Zack

As I was relaxing and catching up on my sleep from spending the week with Avery, I received a phone call from my son, who was at the train station, "in between" stays at a drug rehab.  He spent 4 days with us, including the 4th of July holiday, and it gave him time to catch up with family and have heart to heart discussions with his brothers. I will also expand more on this topic in future posts.  It is lengthy.

I also set a good example for him when he comes out of rehab and applied for many jobs.

As the visit came to an end, and I had applied for no less than 75 jobs, I was cleaning house and received a call from someone from SAMHSA.  Apparently I neglected to check my email for a few days and she was calling to see if I was interested in reviewing grants for them.  The review period had started the day before so I was already behind and feeling rushed.

SAMHSA Grant Review week

The grants I am reviewing now are very detailed.  You learn a LOT from participating as a reviewer for SAMHSA. It can also be stressful which makes me feel a little more creative for some reason. The review period for this round of grants ends mid July ~ just before my 3rd garage sale of the year.  I will then go the following weekend to Green Bay for the Packer 5K. 

I am feeling the summer quickly slip by, not as stressed as I was when I was working full time, but still ~ feeling less relaxed.  I really enjoy puttering around in my yard, garden, house; a forced early retirement, even if it is short-lived, has its advantages.  But knowing that this is a precurser for my re-employment days and an end to my very much appreciated Sabbatical makes me sad.