Gardening and getting a job again

Salvia

Lots of pictures in this blog so you have been warned.  Gardening!  It makes me happy to see all of the different plants in my new garden.  It's a surprise every week b/c I didn't plant any of the flowers. The previous owners did.  I am happy I am not working much this summer b/c the garden is keeping me quite busy.  As the flowers come up I am researching on what I need to do to each plant to keep it healthy.  I am also keeping track of where all of the plants are and of course weeding and watering quite often.

Hosta

Poppy

Black swallowtail

I am getting wonderful pictures of wild life.  All sorts of bugs and birds that I have never seen up close.  I grew up in the city and as a result my husband makes fun of me when I tell him I have never seen a certain animal or bug in real life i.e. pretty much any bird but a crow.  I have seen a nest with babies calling for their mother.  I have heard a bird chirp that sounds like a drop of water.  I have seen bees pollinating my flowers.  It's beautiful and here are a some of my favorite photos of the wild life.

I have had a great harvest so far.  I have had quite a few strawberries, zucchini, lemon balm, basil, mint and dill.  I did plant all of those.  As a result, I am experimenting with some recipes and drinking more tea than usual.  If ANYONE needs lemon balm, please tell me.  I have one plant and I am drying lemon balm at least once per week and the amount I get just keeps growing.  

I love that I am able to do all of this.  I've been wanting to grow things from a garden for so long so it is quite satisfying.  I am already thinking about next year and how I can make the garden my own.

Lastly, I am still looking for a job.  I am keeping my hopes high.  People do get hired just a couple of weeks before school starts.  I have had some pretty good interviews and I still didn't get the positions so I am pretty sure the economy is hurting me more than myself.  Just keep swimming, just keep swimming.  =)

Here are a couple of tips for interviewing...research the job beforehand and make it apparent during the interview that you researched (i.e. mention the motto/mission statement of the company or school), also, bring questions to the interview.  So for my interviews, I often ask questions about what I feel is important to have in a job such as collaboration and mentor programs for first-year teachers.  I have been at places that are terrible at collaboration and I have seen the positive effects of when collaboration is implemented well so I obviously want a school that collaborates well.  Well, salut, for now.  Live long and prosper.  :)