AAFCS conference has ended and things are looking ......interesting.

I did not attend the AAFCS conference this year.  Mostly because I told myself I was going to take the year off.  Now is the time that I should be getting back into things as the conference marks the year.

I gave myself a break because I had left the classroom and I felt myself feeling less connected.  Sometimes we work so hard at something that we feel like we spread ourselves thin and do not do an adequate job at all that we try. 

Personally I hope that my ramblings about FACS do a bit of good and maybe sometimes get things moving and people thinking. 

Here are some of my random thoughts:

1.  One thing that I loved about the conference was the daily, regular use of social media by the staff of AAFCS. I think that this communication really let people, at the conference and those members not attending, see what was happening during that time. 

2.  I was very happy to see teams working on the promotion of the FACS day for 2016.  I can not wait to see the promotions for next year.  A wonderful solute to our profession.

3.  I have been squawking about the shortage of Family and Consumer Sciences teachers for quite some time and I hope that those of you the are in the classroom are promoting your profession and the work that you do in your community.  There are so many young people that are talented, energetic and full of ideas to better the FACS profession.

4.  I absolutely love the Facebook pages for Family and Consumer Sciences.  If you have not joined them and you are in the FACS profession please look them up.  They are so inspirational and helpful to each and everyone involved.  These are both groups and you need to be sponsored by someone in the group to be accepted into it.  One is "Family and Consumer Sciences Teachers" the other is "Share the FACS."

Happy trails.  Please enjoy your summer, take some time for yourself to find peace and relaxation. 

Personally I am becoming very good with the relaxation thing!  I highly recommend it!

With Love, from your retired FACS teacher, Jane

After a million years of sewing I finally figured out thread quality makes a difference!

The other day I was sewing through several layers of fabric.   My machine had a mind of its own.  It skipped stitches, then would sew fine, skip again and then the thread would break.  I cursed my machine,  rethreaded it on the top, the bottom and repeated that crazy business several times.   I was beyond irritated.  

As a last resort I changed the thread from the inexpensive garbage that I occasionally  use because I can't stand the price of notions these days, to some higher quality product.

Well of course every educated seamstress knows the problem stopped and joy filled my heart as the project continued in peace with success because of the quality thread. I learned a good lesson in my old age and experience.

I also purchased a large quantity of quality thread the next week.

Moral of the story, the thread you use while sewing really matters.

And...keep sewing in your curriculum because it is a strong STEM component.

With love from your retired FACS teacher.

Jane