Share Our Lives: Introductions And Jobs We've Had

It's the second Monday of the month so it's time to link up with Sarah, Dara, Joanne, Adrienne, and Jen. (Click on each name to go their blogs.) This link up has changed from "Not Just A Mom" to "Share Our Lives" and today we're introducing ourselves and sharing about jobs we've had. I decided to introduce myself by writing about different jobs I've had and how they relate to pieces of who I am.

First of all, some basic information: My name is Natasha, I live in Ontario, Canada, but I grew up in Saskatchewan. I'm married to Dave and we have two kids, Sam (almost 15 (gasp!)) and Rachel (12 1/2). Currently, I am the secretary at a Grade 7 & 8 school about a twenty minute walk from our house. If you want to read a more traditional "introductions" post you can go here to read the one I wrote last year or here to read one from 2015. Now, on to jobs I've had:

1) Garden Centre/Tree Farm work

Growing up, my dad owned a wholesale tree farm/landscaping garden centre with his two brothers. They were the third generation to own it. So many of my school breaks and summers were spent "working at the nursery," either in an official, or unofficial, capacity. I rooted cuttings in the warehouse during Spring Break, I helped my dad bud in the fields in the summer, I'm sure I weeded here, there, and everywhere, and I worked in the office many a Saturday or spring evening answering phones when I was older. The year they decided to sell poinsettias at Christmas, I sold them on Saturdays. (When someone pointed out it was like a Hallmark movie, I declared, "No! It really wasn't!")

For two summers, I was a salesperson helping customers in the greenhouses and with trees and shrubs. For many years, my dad was my only (and best!) reference :) I'm pretty sure that all these positions, and my mom's love of gardening, contributed to my love of yard work and flowers!!! I still walk into a greenhouse and it smells like home.

2) Babysitting/Nannying

I started babysitting at quite a young age. I think my first "job" was watching my baby cousin on Saturday afternoons when I was 8. My aunt and uncle would come shopping in town for the afternoon and pay me a quarter to watch him. My mom changed the diapers and I would watch him sleep!

Then I started babysitting for other families. For many years, I babysat my cousins on Saturday nights (for $2 an hour) when a different aunt and uncle were Youth Sponsors.

During university I babysat for a few families and eventually, I was a nanny for a few more families. Many of those kids are now young adults and some of them have even gotten married. I've always loved kids and got lots of practice with them before I had my own, although nothing really prepares you for parenthood! Hahahaha!

3) Libraries/Chapters salesperson/cashier

Likely to no one's surprise, I've worked at quite a few libraries, starting in university. I shelf read, shelved books, checked in books, and helped library patrons find books. I also worked at Chapters as "a fun job" (on top of a full-time job) for about two years. I loved recommending books to people. I love reading and talking about books so both these jobs were natural fits.

 

Tessa came to visit me at Chapters for Hallowe'en one year!

4) Kitchen assistant/housekeeper

During, and after, university I worked as a kitchen assistant in my residence. I did dishes, I helped cook, and I helped serve meals. I also worked as a banquet server for many weddings which was really fun and we always got to eat some yummy leftovers. I also worked as a housekeeper in Lake Louise for six months after my first year of university. And then after I finished my degree, I went overseas for a year with a work-exchange program and worked in a kitchen in an old age home and as a housekeeper at a conference centre. I do love a good day at home, when I get to cook and bake up a storm, but these jobs are probably the reason that Dave does the majority of the dishes and cleans the bathroom around here!

Left: a day off from housekeeping in BC or Alberta (summer 1991);

Right: me and a fellow housekeeper in our odd uniforms in The Netherlands (summer 1995)

5) Administrative Assistant/Secretary/Bookkeeper

I've done a lot of this throughout my work life. I've worked in offices at the garden centre, at my university residence (which were both fairly small) and for a few post-secondary institutions in their various departments (including universities in two different provinces). I've learned to navigate the finances at these larger institutions, as well.

I've worked as the administrative assistant/bookkeeper for our denomination's national magazine and in the accounting office for a smaller local organization that assists lower income and homeless people in our city. I've also worked as the administrative assistant/bookkeeper for a few small consulting firms. I've spent a lot of time in offices and all my training in this is "on the job" training, including learning the finances. I like being organized, I have a good memory for details, and I like connecting the dots.

6) Human Rights Observer

Technically, this was a volunteer position for which I received a small stipend. I worked with a faith based organization in human rights observation and participated in non-violent direct action. This organization only worked in communities where we had been invited and where there was a North American component to the conflict. With this organization, I worked in Israel-Palestine with Palestinian families and Israeli peace groups, in New Brunswick and Ontario with First Nations groups (lobster fishers and other land claims rights), and in their head office in Chicago, Illinois. I was a part of this organization for about three years. Working with this organization appealed to my sense of justice, trying to right some of the wrongs of the world, my love of writing, and my love of travel and languages. I got paid for some of the articles I wrote in this position and one opportunity I got through this job was when I got to write and record a CBC commentary which was broadcast across Canada. (CBC is similar to NPR in the US.)

Once in awhile I also got to be the Assisting Minister at the Lutheran Church in Jerusalem on a Sunday morning. I got to wear fun robes when I did this!

Other random jobs I've been paid for:

- colouring The Anatomy Colouring book for a student who had to do it as an assignment and didn't want to. I was about twelve and got paid around $200 to do it for them.

- McDonald's -- I got really good at making fries, Filet-O-Fish, and McChickens!

- a printer's assistant -- I helped put together high school planners for about three weeks during a summer rush

- bar tending at a conference centre in The Netherlands -- I didn't get officially paid for this but I loved working with the bar tender and it greatly helped me improve my Dutch!

- accompanist at the Lutheran Church in Jerusalem

- baking cookies for friends

- delivering flyers

So that's me! I love my current job but I've tended to switch jobs fairly often. The nice thing about working for the school board is that I can move around within the board and there are many different opportunities. I'm quite happy with the school I'm currently at and will hopefully be there for quite a few more years, although my position there is still temporary (for now).

Now I'm looking forward to reading about jobs other people in the link up have had. I'm sure there are some very interesting and unique jobs out there and I can't wait to read about them! However, it will have to wait until tonight because, speaking of jobs, today is my first day back at work after our Winter Break. Hopefully I still remember how to do everything I need to do :)

Tell me about a unique job you've had! I'm curious what else is out there!