Alberta

Coming Out of Retirement


How Yoga Teachers Hang Out

Image by sarahfelicity via Flickr

I resigned from my teaching position of twenty years in the spring of 2007. At the time, I had vague notions of rolling over my teaching certificate and working as a classroom teacher in Alberta. I still think about the license – need to get on that really – but the idea of teaching high school again doesn’t warm my insides.

So I semi-officially retired from teaching. I still read about the horror known as “reform” down in the states and I write about it (none too flatteringly which would make it hard to secure a teaching position down there again, methinks), but I don’t harbor any notions of returning.

When I left the building, I didn’t look back.

Okay, I still love office supplies, but that aside, I don’t miss the job of it. And it was a job. A thankless and mostly mind-numbing job as the years ground on.

I blogged. I wife’d the house, mothered the child and poured myself into myself and my husband. And life was very good.

But somewhere along the line, yoga arrived and then the urge to teach it followed, and now I am not exactly retired anymore. In fact, I am working – more and more.

What started with filling in at the studio here and there became an employment opportunity when I was offered one then two and now three classes of my own. Quickly on the heels of this came an offer to teach two nights a week at the community hall across the street. Add to this the fact that I’d already agreed to take every third Friday teaching a class for figure skaters in the next town over.

Between this and the Care2 gig – I am working again.

Not that I could pay the mortgage – which isn’t an issue because we don’t have one anyway – but it’s an exchange of skills for money. I haven’t done this in a while and it’s … interesting.

I had to shop. My yoga attire is not exactly Lululemon. I gave her up a while ago because the pants are too low-cut and the fabric doesn’t breathe enough for my comfort level. I am a capri’s and leggings type with long t’s and sweaters. Layers is the middle-aged woman’s best friend.

I have a lesson book. I write out sequence plans. It’s like the old days only everyone who shows up wants to be there and pays attention.

Not that many are showing up. It’s not my studio. People who come expect Jade. And why not? She’s good. So my classes have a couple of folks here and there. It’s a bit disappointing in the first few minutes but once I start to teach, I lose myself in the instruction and forget about the numbers.

The community hall class will be bigger. Nine registered officially and a few more who’ve verbally committed. Perhaps I can lure a few into the studio? It’s a goal; I won’t deny it.

Someday I will have a studio. Somewhere. I don’t think it will be soon or here, but the future – as Yoda pointed out to Luke – is a difficult thing to pin down for prediction purposes.

For now, I am a working girl again. That’s all I need to know.

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Paranormal Investigators Always Says “Happy Canada Day” to Me


Today marked Canada Day, the offspring of the old Dominion Days, here in the other part of America.

No, it’s not like the Fourth of July. Canadians acquired their independence quiet peacefully and not under the pretense of seeking democracy when they really are just peeved about paying taxes.

We attended the parade in Fort Saskatchewan. It started a half hour late and inexplicably broke down and stalled about midway for nearly ten minutes.

Favorite float?

The Paranormal Explorers from Edmonton.

Why yes, that is a hearse with a ghoulie crawling towards the crowd with gaping jaw and menacing intent. But it got even better.

Nothing says “happy observance of your independent nation status” like a zombie baby from Salem’s Lot.

Today’s parade was sponsored by so many businesses that briefly longed with the farm implement laden small town parades of an Iowa 4th of July.

In case you need a bit of ghost busting though,

Edmonton is a hotbed of psychic activity, but they will travel – for expenses.

Final photo for the day,

Parade viewing is exhausting, so if you can  – make up your truck bed and snuggle in with a beverage.

Happy Canada Day!

A Letter to the Editor


I’ve been published locally!! Well a letter to the editor in the Edmonton Journal anyway. I sent it in last Thursday and made the Friday edition.

Bill 44 is a religious right attempt to silence educators by threatening them with possible prosecution under the human rights act. Basically, schools here are free to teach religion, sexual education and about sexual orientation within the curriculum. I have not found it be something that is done outside of legitimate context. Having taught, I know that teachers are very aware of the volatile nature of such topics and they don’t simply work them into lessons for no reason.

The bill was rammed through a late night session of the legislature and the coercive nature of the vote was startlingly reminiscent of the “peer pressure” tactics I am familiar with from back in the States.

Anyway, take a quick peek at the link and let me know your thoughts.