Take a walk on the wild side; or, Hidden treasures

There are many things I'm going to miss about work while I'm out for vacation.

There are the kids and my colleagues.

Then there is, well, nature all around the buildings. Between the different reptiles and insects, and the dozens of species of tropical plants, all I have to do when I'm having a stressful day is step outdoors (allergies aside), and I feel a million times better.

Zyrtec helps, too.

There's the courtyard at the high school with its canopy of trees:

And around the corner, a banana tree. Bananas! Right in the middle of a school campus!

My favorite tree on the elementary campus is the flame tree. It attracts hummingbirds, and I love the color: 

There are bougainvillea, plumeria, papaya trees, the list goes on. . .

But don't think all I did the last week of school was walk around the campuses, taking in the sights. Oh, no. I did some deep cleaning. In a storage room, I found this beauty:

Wouldn't it be awesome if this were a real Chagall in the library?  Alas, just someone's castoff hung careful in the most random spot---the back of the locked storage room, hidden behind some shelves. Why? Who put it there? How long has it been there? 

It's just one of the many mysteries encased in the walls of our old school. I have books that are from now-closed schools in Panamá, others from a time when the library was a branch of the community library, and I'm not too sure on the timeline or details of each set and how they fit into the collection. There are mystery technology items---as in, technology from the 70s and 80s. Librarians tend to be the keepers of everything---it's the nature of our work, to be archivists---but I'm not even sure what a few things are. 

Then there is this item---not an actual picture of a beauty I found recently, but one of an identical item found online that some of you will recognize. 

(Check out the website under the photo---great site if you're feeling nostalgic). 

http://historysdumpster.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-dymo-label-maker.html

It is an old school 70s Dymo Label Maker WITH TAPE in the storage cabinets of my office. I was brought back to my childhood of quad skates, 8 tracks, and tube socks when I whipped it out and started labeling everything in the office. 

It's been a challenge trying to figure out a new system and new staff and new (but very old) facility, especially coming from a job where I was one of the founding faculty in a brand, spanking-new building, with kids I had known for 5-6 years. Many days I feel like it's, "out with the new, in with the old!" compared to what I had. But I also have so much to be thankful for, and when I'm a little overwhelmed, I need to do nothing more than step out of the building for a short nature walk to clear my head and focus on what needs to be done. 

As my second favorite Henry (H. David Thoreau) said, "Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the earth." 

Being a full-time working mom is not easy for anyone (and if they make it look easy, they are just bluffing---it's really, really hard, and you spend a lot of time with guilt for what you've missed). For once in my lifetime, I've made all class parties, all assemblies, all programs that took place during the school year. I've been able to eat lunch with both kids, and have heart-to-heart talks on the commutes to school. My salary here is inconsequential (although better than Texas---not that that's really saying anything), because I feel like I've won the lottery by being able to spend more time with my family, and that's all that really matters. I still work some long days and occasionally choose to come in to work on Saturdays---but with less commute time and zero time in traffic, I am amazed at how much more I can get done without stressing about whether or not I'll make it to my kid's after-school program before it closes.  

We've spent a lot of time this summer reflecting and talking about our move, the hubby and I. He said, "This isn't a bad place to live if you aren't into material things." So true. We can't run down to get what we need when we need it, so instead you wait 2-3 weeks to get mail (unless it goes to Oman first). But you find lots of happiness in non-material things, like time with new friends and feeling that your kids are in a safe place. Ironic considering this base is known for That Place, yet it's very safe for children. 

And if you are wondering what will happen if That Place closes---it has nothing to do with what I'm doing here or with the mission of this base. There has been a Navy Base here since 1898. They will still work as a refueling station. Navy families will still come here to live. Cuba is still a dictatorship (human right abuses are still occurring here), so the Coast Guard will still be assisting refugees. We will survive and probably welcome the departure of the press and all the negativity that comes with That Place. 

In the meanwhile, I will just go gander at the mountains, watch the rain clouds roll in, and see if I can spot my wild animal children in hopes they come in before the deluge. If that's the worst that can happen to them. . . bring it on.