where to start

Last year I wrote a blog after a trip to Africa (see Kenya in April - also on blogspot) but quit after I was done. In the meantime, I continue to write a lot, finally decided to put it somewhere. I am a social worker, child welfare to be exact, CPS to be specific. A hard job, a sad job, but one that is noble and a very high calling. Children are the most vulnerable members of our society and the most disenfranchised - they deserve champions. I am a manager for a local CPS office and I work with some of the most selfless people in the world - I am proud to support them.

I am also devoted to my garden - it keeps me (literally) grounded. I have the worst fingernails in the world because I forget to put on gloves and by the time I realize that I forgot, my hands are black.

The characters in my blog:

• Me - Jean - 50-something, biology major, social work master's degree; prior careers -- peace corps volunteer, proofreader, lady of leisure, 4-H youth assistant, child support officer, employment specialist, line social worker, graduate student; current roles - long time member of my dear church family, mom to three grownups, alpha female to three sweet family dogs, sister, wife, niece, not a grandma yet, boss, professor, columnist, friend to many, caregiver, traveler (when I get a chance), gardener, reader, birder
  
• Bill - DH (dear husband) of nearly 39 years. Retired teacher and researcher, long term case of MS, partially disabled. "Advanced" sense of humor. The only person in the world who really understands me. Loves to read. Current obsession -- San Antonio Spurs basketball and baseball games, especially if it involves the Red Sox
• Sister Joan - Retired attorney and former teacher, my partner in gardening crime and exploits and junkets to nurseries and Oregon, spoiler of family dogs (but they love and deserve it)
• Daughter Laura - Social worker in Austin, TX, supervisor of CASA (court appointed special advocates) volunteers who advocate for foster children - petmom to Louis, the most handsome black and white cat in Austin. UT graduate, MSW. Guitar Hero Rock Star
  
• Son Matt - Financial analyst for Chevron in Houston, TX, married to Danielle - two very sweet dogs, Karma and Kizzie, of undefined heritage. Guitar Hero and Rock Band Star, cutthroat Scrabble player. UT graduate, MBA
  
• DIL Danielle - Institutional researcher for Rice University, Master Ed., the other (but not less than) half of the Guitar Hero, Rock Band and Scrabble Houston superstar team. Petmom to Kizzie and Karma.
  
• Our family pets
  
• Maggie -- 7 yr old Great Pyrenees. Big furry white amazing dog. She's the best. She has a career.
  
• Athena - 7 yr old Weim. A silly lala, with a few weird habits. We love her. Her job is world class companion dog.
  
• Wiley - 2 yrs old - a little yellow dawg. We call him the imitation coyote. Excellent flycatcher.
  

• Many friends - June, Mary, Kristin, Laurie, Wana, Katie, Janice, Laureen, Elia, etc etc etc