One year later and all is well

by Janie Jones

Greetings to anyone still out there. It’s been almost a whole year since I’ve added a post. And, to be honest, I haven’t really given blogging a moment of thought. Sorry all.

The last year was very busy. I will not sport with your time or sensibilities and give you a recap. Suffice to say, I am well. The spud is well. Leif is well. And, the dogs are also well.

In the big news arena, I defended my master’s thesis exactly two weeks ago and passed. I am done! Yay! I was offered a fellowship with Sea Grant, which actually started about three weeks before I defended, so it hasn’t really sunk in that I am done.

As I am still in “recovery” mode, I am not really sure what will happen next. But, I just thought I’d let anyone out there who might be wondering “What the heck happened to Janie?” that all is well.

I don’t know if there will ever be an urge to return to blogging regularly. We will see. But seriously, once again WordPress, this new updated version sucks.

Best wishes to you all!

Janie Jones, Master of Environmental Education

😉

Posted on July 28, 2021 at 11:11 in Uncategorized | RSS feed | Reply | Trackback URL

11 Comments to “One year later and all is well”

Tinman
July 28, 2021 at 11:14

Congrats Janie! 🧑‍🎓

Reply
- Janie Jones
  July 28, 2021 at 11:15
  
  Thanks, Tin!!! Hope all is well in your neck of the woods!
  
  Reply
speccy
July 28, 2021 at 11:19

So good to hear from you, Janie! Many congratulations on everything. You’ve worked so hard for your success; it is well deserved. I’m delighted that you, Spud, Leif & the dogs are well 🤗🎉

Reply
sarsm
July 29, 2021 at 04:03

Massive congratulations!!!! That’s awesome news!!I am really happy for you.
I am also glad everyone is well. It’s been a weird 18 months hasn’t it?

Reply
- Janie Jones
  July 29, 2021 at 08:43
  
  Thanks for the congratulations!
  
  It has indeed been a weird time. However, COVID aside, in many ways being in school absorbed the majority of my attention for the last year or so and now that I’m done I strangely feel almost more stressed as I’m trying to “unpack” myself a little and reintroduce myself to the rest of my life. Amazing how much one can ignore when focused on a goal.
  
  Here’s hoping that there is some light at the end of this tunnel!!!
  
  Reply
  - sarsm
    July 29, 2021 at 12:26
    
    I hope so. We are all fully vaccinated now and ready to start poking our heads out into the world again.
Poetry Fluff
January 11, 2023 at 14:36

Can’t believe I missed this post! Many congratulations 🙂 I saw your comment on Sarsm’s post and came straight over to check up on you. How are you? As it’s been over a year since you wrote it, what have you been doing?

Reply
- Janie Jones
  January 12, 2023 at 06:34
  
  Hello “Poetry Fluff!” I almost didn’t realize it was you Tilly Bud! So nice to hear from you! I don’t think I ever got connected with your new location/pseudonym. I will have to go check you out and see what you’ve been up to. Can’t believe I’ve been missing out!!! And, I have missed you.
  
  I am well. I spent the first 11 months of my post graduation working as a fellow in a delightful job at Sea Grant creating educational material and workshops for youth and educators focusing on a variety of topics central to Great Lakes literacy. It was quite nearly the dream job of dream jobs. It paid decently and I don’t know if I could have imagined doing anything I enjoyed more, working with better people or feeling more proud of what I did. Getting up each day to work was something I truly looked forward to and work seldom even felt like “work.”
  
  But, as they say, all good things must come to an end. The funding ended and I had to leave. It took about 5 weeks to find a new job as a curriculum manager at a med school, and I have been there now going on 6 months. My new job has the benefits of paying well and being permanent. Two things I haven’t known at the same time for the majority of my adult life. The people at my new job are nice enough, but I don’t quite feel I resonate quite as well with them as I did in my Sea Grant dream job. But few things ever hold up to one’s dreams.
  
  My new med school job is somewhat stressful and at the same time not creative nor particularly skilled. I am basically a plug and chug data manager. I move data from one platform to another. What makes it stressful is that I have deadlines where data has to be accessible in a certain platform, but I have to beg, wheedle and cajole to get people to send me the data I have to load. *Sigh* One ought not complain. Job security, decent pay, and reasonably pleasant coworkers all together are extremely hard to come by. It is probably too much to ask that in addition I should also be emotionally satisfied and mentally stimulated by the work I do.
  
  The spud turned 18 last month. She will graduate from high school in June. Her dad and step mom have moved to your side of the pond. I believe they are living in Cambridge area, step-mom having been offered a job with some company in the vicinity. So, it sounds like spud will go spend at least 6 months in England and tour the British Isles and Europe with them. A good experience for her, and hopefully it will help her decide what she wants to do next.
  
  Leif has been helping his 94 year old grandma deal with her end of life travails. Her mental faculties are quickly declining, and there have been some serious problems that are not suitable to write about here. But, he’s handing it well and although it’s hard to say what Grandma actually understands anymore, she is safe, well cared for and in a position to live whatever time she has left as comfortably and happily as she can be as she slips down the slope of Alzheimer’s.
  
  So that’s it. The shortest meaningful version of what’s been going on the last 18 months or so. Thank you so much for inquiring! It means a lot. I have to sign off now and get ready for work. But, I will check you out at Poetry Fluff and hope to keep in touch.
  
  Most sincerely,
  Janie
  
  Reply
Poetry Fluff
January 18, 2023 at 06:38

I’m so glad you finally have some job security! You coped amazingly well with your many struggles, but it’s better to know there’s a steady income with benefits. I am sorry it’s not mentally satisfying, but there’s always promotions to aspire to; and you can look elsewhere in the meantime. I’m glad that you did have one satisfying job, though.

I can’t believe the Spud is 18! If you ever come visit her, let me know and I’ll come visit you down south. My two boys are both living in the south of England and our Spud is dating a lovely Texan girl 🙂

Sorry to hear about Leif’s grandma. Alzheimer’s sucks.

It was so great to come across your comment on Sarah’s blog! I often think about you. I could have emailed, of course, as I still have your address. My life is so busy now, though. I completed a masters in writing poetry and I’m involved in the community in a big way, as a community poet. I barely have time for writing these days. Poetry Fluff is just an outlet for the silly stuff that I’m never going to do anything with. I hope to encourage non-poetry lovers with it, though, and give them a laugh along the way.

Stay well! xx

Reply
- Janie Jones
  January 20, 2023 at 09:00
  
  Hello! It has been great chatting, but I got to thinking perhaps it would be nice to take the catching-up off of the blog comments. I just emailed you at your cosxxxxxxxxxxx@googlemail email. If that’s not a good address any more please let me know!
  
  I can still be reached at the janiejones.greatwhitenorth@gmail.com address.
  
  Hope to keep in better, even if sporadic, touch in the future.
  
  Hugs,
  Janie
  
  Reply
  - Poetry Fluff
    January 24, 2023 at 10:35
    
    Thanks Janie. Sent you a brief reply but will answer properly asap xx