The first post

¡Hola!
This blog was conceived last month after listening to the Julie/Julia Project book on tape, and watching the movie starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams. The real heroine of the story is Julie Powell; a young actress/writer wannabee who loved her husband and cooking, and wanted more out of life than where her government job was leading her.

It got me thinking. Where am I going? How can I make a difference? I'm older than Julie, but still young enough to dream. And knowing myself, I would do best with a project - one that had a beginning and an ending, a set regime, and a reward at the end. My project needed to include writing (hence the blog) learning something new (Spanish), and having a meaningful purpose that could help others. It also needed to involve a faith journey. I dedicate this project to Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Mother of the Americas. Starting from scratch at age 50 should provide its own entertainment.

I've been a freelance writer since 2001, having first worked for a weekly newspaper. Since then, I've written for local magazines and university publications, and done a lot of gratis work for my church and sorority. My main source of income is being a very small cog in a Big Ten university, meeting and greeting students bent on getting a management degree. Love them. Probably because they are the ages of my children, and they deserve a little mothering and love away from home. Many of these students are international. We're talking LOTS of Asians, Indians, and Europeans. It is truly the United Nations in our lobby on a busy day. My job is to calm them down, set up appointments with their advisers, and send them on their merry way - usually to the Registrar or the International Student Services Office.

Here's why I picked learning Spanish.

1. Spanish is the second most spoken language in the United States.
2. There is a huge Mexican contingency in our area - and I don't have a clue what they're saying.
3. Many members of our church speak Spanish, and I'd like to connect with them, especially those in the hospital where I volunteer.
4. The Spanish speaking population is not going away.
5. Learning Spanish sounds more fun than doing crossword puzzles or Sudoku as an anti-Alzheimer's activity.

Gotta go to work now, but stay tuned for tales of Rosetta and how she is changing my life.

Jane