Welcome to the Weekend Coffee Share, can I get you a cup of coffee? Or tea?
This week our thoughts are with Ukraine, and the people of Ukraine. In the news they say that Europe haven’t seen a war like this since the second world war. I’ve been watching more news this week, than I have this past year. Ukraine isn’t that far away (I have friends there,) and there was only a few weeks ago we had reason to step up the military presence at the island of Gotland (Swedens biggest island in the Baltic Sea.) Sweden is not a member of the security alliance NATO, but there is a cooperation with NATO, and a zero tolerance for this war. I’m not going to say anything more about this, other than that it makes me very sad. War and killing is unworthy of our human existence. It would be so much more useful to focus our energy towards stopping climate change and making sure that there is a world for our children to inherit. (Well perhaps rising oil and gas prices due to this war will force people to make changes. It will effect all of Europe.) How are things in your corner of the world?
The weather this week have been interesting. On Monday we had a fabulous snow storming giving us a lot more snow. On Tuesday, when I went skiing with the children at work, all the new snow made the conditions perfect for skiing, and the sun was shining on us. There was no wind on Tuesday. It felt like spring. The snow photos in this post is from the ski slope, taken this Tuesday. On Wednesday and Thursday we had mild weather with wind, clouds, and partly sunny. On Friday it was sunny and no wind. Looks like the weather is going to be beautiful this weekend, and this coming week. In a way I want the snow to stay, so that we can take the kids skiing many more weeks. In another way I want spring to arrive. I want the ice to be gone, so that I can ride my bike, and enjoy my container garden.
Do you have any plans for the weekend? It’s been an intense week here, and I have some laundry, and cleaning to do, I also need to help my daughter with her homework, read some of my own schoolbooks (this week its about curriculum, and what knowledge is, how to transfer that knowledge into specific learning situations at school.) I am going to start by taking a long walk in the sun, and pick up some literature for my next class that just arrived. Hopefully that walk will clear my head. I have a lot of thoughts swirling around in my head, about my children, and work. I feel great, but there are many things to consider at the moment. I found out about my yearly pay raise yesterday. I am not entirely happy about it. I love my job, but my salary doesn’t match my education, performance, and responsibility. In combination with the cost of living getting higher and higher every year, rather quickly actually, do I owe it to myself and my children to get a higher paying job? I am the single provider in this family. It would be rather easy for me to get a better paying job. Many variables to consider. I’m not going to make any decisions today, but naturally I’ll have to think about it when the increase of rent every month is higher than the increase of how much I make every month (not good when your goal is to purchase a place of your own.)
Thank you Natalie for hosting the Weekend Coffee Share. I hope you are enjoying a fabulous weekend! I’m hoping to get outside and enjoy the sun now.
Love,
Maria
GreenDreams 
Your hair looks great. Are you enjoying it? I cut mine short a few months ago and it was adjustment because I can’t get it back into a ponytail anymore, but it has helped with my headaches. Thanks for the virtual coffee Maria. Hope you have a great day.
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Thank you so much! I feel great in my new haircut, it’s very comfortable. I’m glad your headaches are gone. My weekend have been wonderful, I hope yours is too. 🙂
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You look beautiful, Maria! The ski area looks so inviting in the bright morning sunshine, let’s go! You deserve a better-paying job since the pay doesn’t equal your experience, go for it. Have a great week! Vegas will see the low 70s starting Monday, the summer heat is slowly coming!
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Thank you John! The ski area is inviting. I like when we go there with the kids in the middle of the week, it is often very crowded in the weekends and evenings.
I’m going to try to negotiate with my current job first, since I love it so much. Thank you for your support. Enjoy the spring temperatures. 🙂
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Agree with your thoughts on Ukraine, and as for your personal life choices, I always enjoyed a work environment based on the people I was working with…but it will always change, so if there are ways to improve your salary, know that there will be wonderful co-workers there as well!
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Thank you for your comment John. It is true that the people you work with are very important, it is also true that they change (there was some changes in my team this week.) Well see, I am going to try to negotiate. I hope your weekend is pleasant, despite the craziness going on
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Your ski slope photos look inviting. I love the lines of freshly groomed snow, adds a cool perspective.
War, inflation, the continuing pandemic are a lot to think about, let alone being a sole provider. Wishing you a clear head, groundedness, and lots of energy to do what needs to be done! ❤
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Thank you Eliza ❤
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I’m finding the news quite scary and hard to comprehend, the blue sky and wonder of the snow a contrast to the craziness of it all. Hope you have a great week.
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Me too. I hope you found some peace this weekend. ❤
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Sunday was a glorious blue sky day, and we managed to get out on bikes. So we did, thank you
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Wonderful!! The sky was blue here as well, but there is ice everywhere. I so miss riding my bike. Really hoping to be able to do it soon.
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Hi Maria, please see your Wednesday post for my response since I can’t erase what I wrote there. My distractions are my two grandkids, so at least I have a good excuse! 🤣🤣🤣
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Thank you Diana! What a wonderful distraction!
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I do not envy the career decisions you have to make! You sound very happy with your job, but if it doesn’t provide, it doesn’t provide… The entire Ukraine thing is just so awful. We knew it was coming for weeks, despite what he-who-shall-remain-nameless kept saying. The sky area looks nice. My brother asked me to come join him in Vermont this weekend, but I just had too much on my plate. Hopefully next year – I just haven’t done enough skiing in a the last few years! Hope your weekend is going well and that you have a wonderful week ahead! Oh, and I like the haircut 🙂
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Well, I’m not going to do anything hasty, there is no fires to put out, but one must think about all those things. I’m going to try to negotiate at my current job, because I do enjoy it very much.
I hope you get to go skiing soon, it’s so much fun 🙂
Thank you for your kind comment! I hope you are enjoying a wonderful weekend!
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Beautiful photos and nice haircut, Maria. I hear you about having a lot on your mind. I hope your weekend is going well and the outdoors give you good energy and lift your spirit. Thank you for your #weekendcoffeeshare.
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Thank you so much Natalie! It has been a wonderful weekend ❤ I hope you are enjoying your weekend 🙂
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Hi Maria.
A lot going on. . . Where to start?
How about – how pleased I am to read a bit between the lines to know that you and your daughter are past being sick and are getting back to normal life? I think that’s worth being thankful for.
Then the war – this is so sad – but as nations we still don’t know what to do about evil leaders who stage a war for personal / nation gains. Human life becomes disposable and there are few good ways to react that do not cost innocent lives. Here in the US, as near as I can tell, only hard core supporters of our president see his as anything but weak and useless.
Then your job. As the primary provided, you need to keep everyone as safe and comfortable as possible while also being around to be a parent. If more needed money can be made by changing jobs, then I think that option requires investigation to see if there is a better formula for your life there. I would advise you to do everything possible to not create any problems for your current employer and students as your reputation is also a asset worth protecting. You already live modestly so you cannot think that you’re somehow being wasteful and should just budget better.
Teachers are normally paid by the government and teachers are often knocked around by politics rather than common sense – just like police only without so much negative treatment in the media.
If you do want to make a change, as much as you love teaching, you might want to keep an eye open for private instruction, say for a company that way you are more likely to be paid what you’re worth and not be subject to what some government economist dreams up and then applies to all teachers across the board.
I hope you navigate this question with your normal solid thinking process. I’m also confident that you will because that is who you are.
Blessings.
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Thank you Gary. I try to think things through before making important decisions, and of course my reputation is very important. I work for a private school now, and I am going to start with negotiating the terms. At least try too. There should be some room. I’ve put my thoughts down on paper this weekend, and that feels good. I hope you are enjoying a wonderful weekend, and a great new week ❤
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You look good in your new haircut, and your winter photos are beautiful!
I hear you about rental costs and getting a higher-paid job. In many (most?) cases, if you take a mortgage to buy a house, your monthly fee to pay your mortgage will usually be lower than the rent for a decent apartment. It’s crazy. Plus that money goes into something that will be yours. Then there are disadvantages…. you have to have a decent amount of savings in the bank, especially if you buy an old house that needs fixing. This became VERY obvious to us this week! But still, I wouldn’t want to rent again. I love having a place that’s my own.
I wish you the best with whatever you decide about your job.
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Thank you so much!
You are right about the rental costs, but the cost of buying even the smallest one room apartment is more than 1 000 000 SVK where I live. With the kids at home I need a bigger place than that.. we’ll see. There are no fires to put out yet, but of course one starts thinking.. My goal is a place in the countryside, a small house, but with plenty of room to garden. I hope you are enjoying a great weekend.
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I wouldn’t dream of buying an apartment in Sweden! Then you’ll have a huge mortgage BUT still have to pay a huge rent! The place in the countryside you mention is much more relevant and would suit you perfectly.
The weekend has been mixed here, but today has been a wonderfully relaxing day!
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I know..it’s crazy in most places here, but there is an occasional good deal on places in the countryside. Lately all the good deals have been on HUGE houses, electricity is crazy expensive this winter. When the right place comes up, I’m ready.
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“War and killing is unworthy of our human existence” – so, so true. When I think of all we could have and be and do if we weren’t either killing each other or spending obscene amounts of money to keep from killing each other, my heart breaks.
I sympathize re: having to make decisions based on salary. I’m a sole breadwinner too, and I could make more by taking a job with a similar title but higher level of responsibility in another state. But I’m happy here, so I’m trying to make it work. Good luck with your decision!
And the haircut is adorable BTW.
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Thank you 🙂 It sure is a lot of things to consider when you don’t have anyone to rely on but yourself, on the other hand it can be a good thing to make all the decision by yourself as well. It is a wonderful thing when you feel that you are in the right place. Enjoy your new week!
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I can not even imagine the fear of living in a war torn country or even close to one for that matter. I pray your friends are safe & the battle is over sooner rather than later.
It is cheaper here to buy your own place if you can mortgage repayments can be cheaper than rent. My son has just started a new real estate job in a city 4hrs from here, it requires a lot of driving at almost a ridiculous $3 a liter, he spent over $200 in just one week on fuel. Our little land of Aus is impacted but we are still so much more blessed than other countries, definitely.
Love the hair do, you look fabulous as always. The photos are just stunning fun snow time. All the best with work decision, your a awesome Mum & just a all round great gal. Have a wonderful week.
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Thank you for your kindness. Its the same here, if you can afford the downpayment, the cost of living will be lower if you buy a place. As a single person purchasing a place you often have the have half the price of the house in a downpayment though.
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Hi Maria – that snow is just blows me away – so white and so thick! Sorry to hear that your payrise wasn’t all you expected it to be (I’ve been in that boat in previous jobs too). Sometimes we have to move on if the paygrade is less than we deserve (and the job isn’t fantastic enough to compensate for the pay being less than it should be). Good luck with your decision making.
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Thank you 🙏 there is a love/hate relationship to snow this time of the year. I’d love to keep the snow in the skislopes, but ride my bike elsewhere 🌼
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Your photos are beautiful. I enjoyed your update. It is sad all that is happening in the Ukraine. Love your new haircut
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Thank you!
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