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A big day at our house...

Mike Stafford

Mike Stafford

Member
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2,378
Location
Coastal plain of North Carolina
My lovely bride retired today. It was her last day after teaching mathematics at a small college (now a university) for 34 years. All totaled she has 51 years teaching mathematics including her short stints early in her career as a high school math teacher. She also taught at ECU just down the road. I am so very proud of her as she has endured countless changes in leadership at the school and has seen at least 6 presidents come and go. I used to tease her by asking how many of the faculty hate the new president. Most of the faculty hating the president is a given it seems.

During that time she served as chairperson of the math and science division a couple of times.

For twenty years she served as the chairperson for the state math contest for gifted and talented students which was hosted at her college. That was one of favorite things to do because these kids solved math problems that most college kids could not.

She was one of the first members of the faculty for the Teach for America program which recruited people from other professions and gave them a crash course so they could teach in public schools.

She was one of the founders of science and math based summer camp for elementary and junior high kids.

I hope she will adjust to not having an 8 o'clock class to teach three days per week. My main worry is that she is going to find it difficult to keep busy. I know she will continue to work on her needlepoint designs but she can't do that day in and day out.

Welcome home, my darling. Congratulations on a job well done.
 
Mike Stafford said:
My main worry is that she is going to find it difficult to keep busy.
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There are an endless supply of projects if you look for them and for some of us even if you don't! But yes staying busy does seem to be very conducive to keeping on keeping on.

Given the intersection (and assuming she doesn't already have it... ):


Seems like something that could be extended on and maybe a gateway to some like minded folks!
 
Ryan Mooney said:
There are an endless supply of projects if you look for them and for some of us even if you don't! But yes staying busy does seem to be very conducive to keeping on keeping on.

Given the intersection (and assuming she doesn't already have it... ):


Seems like something that could be extended on and maybe a gateway to some like minded folks!
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Thank you for the suggestion Ryan. She already has it and is friends with one of the authors.

She has numerous needlework designs in the works but she had them in the works before she retired. We shall see. I just don't want her bored. She can't do needlework all the time just like we can't do woodworking/turning all the time.
 
Kudos to the lady of the house in her talented career. I can't do math but admire those who do. When I returned to college I had trouble with a genetic equation which I finally got by. A few years later our son was in a math competition and solved the very problem. When asked about that he said it's easy, just do this and that. I still didn't understand but my kid did.
But now for retirement, you can always travel, go fishing, have her help in the shop, just scads of stuff to do.
David
 
Awesome! Congratulations! I voluntarily self underemployed my self a bit over a year ago and honestly not being busy has not been an issue. I'm sure she will adjust just fine.
 
Vaughn McMillan said:
Congrats to your wife, Mike. Looks like you're gonna have to straighten up now that she's going to be home every day. :D
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To me she is a remarkable woman. She took care of me while I was very sick. She learned how to pack and change the dressings for two fistulas that I had after my surgery. She learned how to change, clean and apply dressings for a wound vacuum which had to be done every other day. She has taken care of me when I broke my leg, when I had an infected foot, and when I was going through the eye problems due to an allergic reaction. I think that is a lot to ask of anyone.

She has definitely honored our vows with respect taking care of me in sickness and in health. She has helped me in more ways than I can possibly express in my woodturning progress.

Like I said, a very special woman.
 
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Congrats on starting the next chapter. As others have mentioned I have never had a dull moment since retirement; there is so much to do. We are continuously surprised at how we got anything done when we had jobs. We are pretty occupied all day long . . . and in a good way.
 
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