Progress

So having my book turned down hit me really hard. Mentally I was really vulnerable, and physically I pushed myself beyond my limits. My backbending? Ya- totally hurt my back. I am still not fully recovered from it that is what 2 months later? It is doing much better now.

After LA I turned my sight to finding a job. I still write some poems, but not as frequently, and I looked to new areas for fulfillment. I have applied for all of the jobs I am qualified for and daily look for more. I daily look at the place I volunteer at, B-GLAD, to see if they are finally hiring in Bakersfield again. I think I have applied to 2 or 3 of their positions.

As weeks rolled by it started to get closer to ASL Junction's Christmas Event. If anyone knows Lisa Hampton you know this is her favorite event of the year. We baked 300 individual gingerbread men, cut strings for them, and had all little accessories to put on them, ready at the Library to go along with their Gingerbread house event. To make it even better we had a Deaf Santa. A member of our community volunteered to be Santa for the day, and I almost cried when the deaf kids could have a small chat with Santa about what they wanted for Christmas, and it warmed my heart as Santa taught the hearing kids how to sign their toy of choice.

The event was a success we had somewhere between 300-500 people come and make gingerbread men, and even heard a grateful word or two. Our gifts... they may need some work. But its a work in progress, maybe next year they get candy canes.

After that event was over I had to hurry to finish all the planning for B-GLAD's Christmas event. I think I got over worked on that one, and my kids started coughing that morning, so we couldn't actually go and enjoy the party. But it was nice to see Roy a little less stressed as it got closer to the party. There were a lot of happy people who came to the event, and they all loved their Santa gifts- we get gifts from toys-for-tots for them.

I can't even get into Christmas and the craziness that caused, our week vacation in Utah with almost the whole family and snow, and then everyone ending up with bronchitis and ear infections. It's winter break holiday typical stuff. The kids missed almost the entire first week of school back.

During December I had a few interviews. One I was very excited about. The Museum of Art (MoA) was looking for a new Marketing person. I roughly fit what they were looking for and put in my application. I got a email asking for an interview the next day. I came, we had a nice chat and then I didn't hear from them till like last week. Christmas break did not help with communication. I did not  get the job, but during the interview she asked what is something I would like to see happen at MoA, I told her I would like to see a Deaf Art Exhibit.

I had a feeling I was not going to get the job, so I started emailing people about this idea. I found some artists I would like to include in this art exhibit, and started to try to find where  I could hold it at. I was connected with the Arts Council of Kern, and they proved very useful, and actually offered their space for the exhibit in 2021! I was thinking 2022, so this was huge!

Then the other day I had decided to try my hand at finding an illustrator for my art work myself. I went to my kids yoga teacher page and asked if anyone was an illustrator and would be interested in illustrating my book. I immediately got a reply. We started checking out each other, doing some research, I sent her my story, I saw some of her artwork, and we just clicked. This book is going to happen.

So tonight what did I do? After months of procrastinating,  and fear of getting on my mat. I stepped on my mat and did what I have known all along what will fix my back, and move me onto where I want to be- the phase of me.