A Brief Introduction


When I made the decision to relocate from the Midwest to the Pacific Northwest, I knew that I would be starting over in many respects, and I considered how I might find the right communities, and the like-minded people I would want to share life with. Being an open, friendly person, I do make friends easily, but of course doing that across thousands of miles, and finding just the right place to land from that distance, limits options a little.

After a little thought, I hit upon the idea that I should create a personal web portal for anyone who might be interested in me as a potential housemate, friend, thrifting buddy, windsurfing enthusiast, hiking pal, kindred spirit or workout partner.

'The Gratitude Chronicles' is intended, above all else, to transform strangers into friends, and it means to introduce me, Jorie Jenkins, as a human being, highlighting a bit of what I've been doing for the past 38 years. With this blog I intend to give people from far away a sense of my lifestyle, my thoughts on being, my philosophies, my random observations of the world, and my tendencies as a creative entity.

Unless specified, all photos, images and writings have been, in one form or another, created or channeled by me. If you'd like to learn even more about my creative work in particular, please visit my art and writing site at feathabees.blogspot.com.

As you read, in the right margin you'll see images and anecdotes that better define who I am and what I'm all about. If you're trolling this blog considering me as a potential tenant or housemate, please be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom, where you'll find photos of my current and former living spaces... Just to make it easier for you to find the right person.

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Being a Nanny: Various duties

Though I have held a good number of jobs in life, the 'profession' that I've gravitated to the longest (and have enjoyed the most) is being a nanny. I've served quite a number of families in the Midwest, and recently found myself reflecting on the many duties that have been a part of my daily nanny routine over the years. These included:

*preparing lunches, seeing the children off to the bus
*transporting children to and from school in the family car, or on foot
*preparing family meals in the home
*laundry
*dishes
*feeding children all meals
*changing diapers, changing diapers, and changing more diapers
*light, moderate and extensive cleaning
*house-sitting and pet care
*assisting with 
*transporting the entire family to the airport for local and international family travel
*overnight stays
*music play with my own instruments
*supervising play dates with several children in the family home
*walking the family dog
*carpooling in the family car to take neighborhood children to school
*providing care during illness for both parents and children
*shopping for family meals
*going on a broad array of field trips in my own vehicle
*overseeing a large number of children at multifamily parties
*helping the children choose holiday gifts for others
*providing packing, moving, and unpacking assistance
*helping with holiday and party decorating
*garden care, watering and harvesting
*home improvements (painting, creating murals)
*written contributions for early intervention programs and behavioral assessments
*creative play with provided and improvised materials
*infant transitioning from mother's milk to the bottle
*potty training for both boys and girls
*public pool trips
*long bicycle rides with the baby 'chariot' in tow
*river wading, swimming, outdoor water sports
*tennis lessons
*implementing parental disciplinary regiments
*learning languages spoken in multilingual families to facilitate the children's grasp of new words

Of course as I continue to work with children and their families new duties will arise, but if I've learned one thing about working with families and children, it is that I must be ready for anything, and be ready with a smile!

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