The week that was

Monday afternoon it got up over 65°.  As you can see in the photo the snow was mostly melted.  What a difference from a week before!

With the nicer weather I dug out a different collection of toys, including the dinosaur egg.  We got out on the leash in the neighborhood, at least to go around a block on three or four of the days.

I worked out with the trainer both Tuesday and Thursday mornings, while Ember played with her friends in day care.  On Tuesday as I was heading in, I encountered my brother-in-law, taking their Benji in for his grooming.  "Don't tell your sister, it's a surprise," he said.

My son called me in his afterwork time on Tuesday to confirm that the VA had fired some 1400 "conditional workers".  He is in a category where the "conditional" is two years, and he's only been there one.  His last performance review was excellent.  He does not know if he's fired or not.  He has not been notified if he is.  He's not quitting, that would be abandoning a mission, and his work there is a mission to him, serving other veterans.  Veterans who continue to work as civil servants (my son among them) are true patriots. They view their work similarly to their military missions.

My son serves homeless veterans.  He serves those who have mental health issues.  He is provisionally licensed for three different categories of mental health care.  He served two deployments overseas in this role, leading up to his continuing his education when he came home.  His skill set is in high demand in both public and private sectors.  If he should be fired, I am certain that he will land "on his feet".  "I'll let you know if I get fired," he quipped.

However, I have lived through downsizings in the corporate world myself, in all three roles:  as someone who got a heavier workload because of the exodus of others; as someone who opted to exit herself; and as someone who had to assist in the decision of who got "let go".  None of these roles is fun.  So please everyone, be kind to civil servants you encounter during this difficult time.

Sunset is getting later, day by day, and the increasing sunlight time is encouraging.  Photo is shot toward the west, Thursday during Ember's "last call".  As the hours of daylight increase, Ember is sleeping fewer "nap" hours, and I am letting her stay up later especially on day care days, so she has time to settle before she goes to bed.

We are trying out yak cheese chews.  Ember had not had this treat before.  They last a long time.

I managed the no-buy day on Friday.  I'm not sure how much good my personal participation will do, but I am honoring the "picket line" if you get the reference.  Depending on how widespread the observance is, it could make a difference.

Across town, in the land of foster care, there's a court date coming up on Monday the third of March.  In anticipation of this there was a home visit from the HHS worker and another foster care vendor who are working on the case.  Son and daughter-in-law were able to brag on their foster kiddo, as he showed off his skills with counting and dice playing Pokémon.  They also mentioned to the visitors that he can read good portions of the bedtime books to them.  Doesn't matter to me whether he's memorized them or whether he really does recognize the words on the page, it shows a level of literacy.  I'm proud of the good these young people are doing for this child. 

We will see what the judge says on Monday.  But hopefully they will leave him with them for a while, as they continue to work with birth dad.  We are talking several months.  Which would be awesome, to not have things hanging over their heads every week or two.  Fingers crossed!

Son and DIL bought the kiddo a bicycle, and they tried it out on Saturday.  No training wheels, the six-year-old pedaled on down the block with parents (and Carl) following along.

Couch puppy is still working on one of her "super chewer" toys from Bark.  Some of them she likes, some of them she gives up on, some of them she totally destroys.  This one she's been working on for a week, and has it partially opened.  This one has a hard rubber toy inside of the burlap stitched cover.

In short, it's been a "later, rinse, repeat" kind of a week.  Grateful for the return of milder weather, hoping that March brings more of the same!

Life is good.  Spark on!