in transition: winter winding down, spring moving in #sol18

…Yes, there are still isolated patches of snow on the ground but also signs of spring ~ lengthening days, more sunshine, buds on leafless trees.

3rd Avenue, toward Main from High Plains Manor

Today is a break from the projects I wrote about and will return to blogging about. I have a prototype to draft but today did laundry for a convalescing friend. It's always spring in the Manor laundry room thanks to local muralist Monica King.

---

Welcome to day three of Two Writing Teachers' 11^th Annual Slice of Life Story Challenge (SOLSC). This is my 4th year to give it a shot. Last year was my first to complete the challenge by posting every day of March. My first attempt was close, the next not even close. That will be my day four topic -- courtesy of Puro Veronica's day two blog post. 

Because completion is important, I'm displaying my 31 days badge today. It's not everything though. The conversation is: finishing or not, that I can still be part of that by commenting on other blog posts and blogging on Tuesdays. So is just writing and being ever ready to start another streak.

after diving in, dogpaddling

… is better than sinking. Here's my #FOECast introduction, posted to the Slack group. There's another 

-- not too different -- for the two week pop-up course that just finished. Back when I was teaching, I updated my bio every semester but haven't since retiring. 

Thought I had [introduced myself] but couldn't remember. According to the files archive, I have not. I'm not used to using Slack (so many platforms, so little time) but will work on that. 

I'm a retired community college writing and ABE/GED instructor, and an independent, unaffiliated Guerrilla Educationist (self-titled) now living in Yuma Colorado (but not from here). I'm active locally and online. 

Before retiring I taught at a UNM branch campus and online. Later I set up and ran social media for a national adjunct organization and then for National Adjunct Walkout Day in 2015. Graduate school and teaching college came late. UL Lafayette (English) and UC Davis (Comparative Literature) followed an involuntary 25+ year absence from higher education working a number of jobs not even remotely academic. During that extended gap time, I never stopped reading and learning. As a result, I sometimes feel like an outsider in academic groups -- but *never* in Bryan's FTTE ensemble -- and may on occasion seem prickly or comment in a style that sits cross-wise.   

Anyway, I care deeply about the future of education and am happy to see so many new and familiar faces here

My involvement carries over to the community because,

FOEcast is a new Future of Education and everything community that is as global, cross-sector and systems-level as possible. Its aim is to enable the positive conversations and solutions that learners from K-12, Higher Ed, Vocational Ed and workplaces need so we can thrive no matter what comes our way... and you're invited!

More... and, by extension, Yuma is part of it. Ready or not, welcome to the future.

---

Welcome to day two  of Two Writing Teachers' 11^th Annual Slice of Life Story Challenge (SOLSC). This is my 4th year to give it a shot. Sometimes I make it; sometimes I don't. If not, I can still join the conversation by commenting on other blog posts and blog on Tuesdays. 

Now that the official slice is in my sidebar, I'll post different images here and vary the copy too. Footers don't have to be canned boilerplate. I'm starting with the late night slicer version because that's what I am. No matter my intentions or how early I start, I invariably post at the last minute, barely under the wire.

Taking a late dive into SOLSC

… #sol18, dangit, darnit, dagnabbit and even dammit but not to fugeddaboutit. I did it. Signed up March daily slice challenge. A blog post. Every day of the month. What was I thinking? Was I unconsciously looking for an excuse to duck my return to blogging at precarious life & times? Blogging and other writing blocks can be complicated.

More "fuggedaboutit" images if you're interested.

What else? Besides life at the Manor in Yuma Colorado, that is? Getting started with #FOECast, keeping up with #NeverAgain wrapping up #engageMOOC. That's on top of ongoing standing collections. Today, in addition to the above, I saved and bookmarked substantial ones for higher education and libraries. Other standing collections include (but are not limited to adjuncts, academic labor, race, labor, A.I., bots, precarious life, journalism, internet, social media and so on. I have the rest of the month to write about all that and more...if I last that long.

---

 Welcome to day one  of Two Writing Teachers' 11^th Annual Slice of Life Story Challenge! This is my 4th year to give it a shot. Sometimes I make it; sometimes I don't. If not, there are still Tuesdays 

on blogging #sol18

This is the view from my backdoor these days. Not much of a walking day, although walkways were cleared early and the sun came out. I managed a somewhat chilly afternoon walking. Some walking, no matter how limited, is a daily priority.

On the blogging front, I'm getting back into working my main academic labor blog -- more on that later -- but remain undecided about this year's March blogging challenge, SOLSC 2018 on this one. Daily posts spread across several active blogs might be feasible but is not an option.

If I do take the challenge, short will be the by-word. I won't jeopardize a still tenuous return to precarious blogging (pardon the pun) or stretch limited reserves too thin. Workarounds?

---

Posts tagged #sol18 are part of the #sol blogging challenges hosted by Two Writing Teachers, which include this one, a weekly invitation to share a snapshot of life through writing. Read more Tuesday 2/6/2018 blog posts here.

around #Yuma, #Colorado & the Nation

Yuma Family Dental

…for #sol18. Today (not over yet) has been a long one that included a trip to the dentist for the next stage following last year's multiple molar extractions: two fillings and a mold taken for an upper bridge. Next, good-bye top incisors, especially the big crooked, snaggled one, attached memories not withstanding. After that, hello bridge.

at home this evening, webcam selfie

By spring, I'll be willing to smile for a camera, participate visibly in a +Virtually Connecting Hangout, raise my hand to +Bryan Alexander for #FTTE Forum podium time.

Life at 🏠 in #YumaCO 🚜 & online 💻 #sol18 ☀️

…too cute but I'm going with it anyway. Changing the blog header image for something less green, I renamed the blog (reflections) as well and added a brief description, "…on life at home, in my head, and online."

View from my backdoor yesterday, January 22, 2017

Naming the blog "Vanessa Crary Vaile" seemed like a good idea at the time -- signaling personal identity and transparency --but grated on me over time. It did not display well on social media shares either and made me feel as though I were wearing an over sized name tag or even a placard hung around my neck. I still like the idea behind that naming -- even more when discreetly downsized to a note on the sidebar. 

This morning I'm reflecting on blog keeping (not the same as blogging), winter in at the Manor, being a guerrilla educationist, retirement, health, weather, snow, aging, life in senior public housing, rural development, and local community involvement. All fit somewhere in home, head or online. Depending on what emerges in ramblings (aka free writing as rough draft), I'll narrow it down for the final draft. I already started with home. Let's see where that takes me...Manor, weather, snow.

Needless to say not walking as much although at least taking short walks unless weather and other breathing considerations keep me in. This time of year I take more pictures closer to home.

This morning from my front porch,

---

Posts tagged #sol18 are part of the #sol blogging challenges hosted by Two Writing Teachers, which include this one, a weekly invitation to share a snapshot of life through writing. Read today's Tuesday blog posts here.

Winter in Yuma and a prodigal's return to blogging #sol18

It's been cold in Yuma, - 7° when I woke up this morning, up to 20° during the day and back down to 12° now. Excuse me if I seem obsessed with the temperature, wind too. I have breathing problems and winter walking can be a problem. I stay in, watch conditions for best time to walk. It's time to change the green, green blog banner photo for something more seasonally appropriate -- not picturesque snow because we haven't had more than a moderate dusting. Gray sky, yellow grass and bare branches are less aesthetic but more representative. This one should do nicely.



If not the best time of the year for old wheezer walkabouts, it is a good time to write, do online research and take courses. I registered for two Electronic Village Online TESOL workshops and if not behind yet, will soon be but enjoying the mental exercise and global conversation.