Thursday, June 30, 2011

Challenge #28

There is a website link on the left bar for "I Am Diva" - Diva is really Laura. She has been challenging us for the past 28 weeks to take tangling to new heights (and depths). I have enjoyed most of them - some have been more challenging than others. All are welcome to play. She creates these lovely slide shows after we submit our offerings that are simply awe-inspiring! So here is my offering for this week's challenge. If you like what you see and want to join in the fun, pop on over to Diva's site.

The patterns used in the challenge are Tripoli (the challenge focus), Droplets, Betweed, and Dex.

Vacation and other restful things

I am officially on vacation for the next 10 days. I need it. It's one of those concepts that many of us - at least here in America - do not do well. We work long hours under stressful conditions in order to take a break from work for a few days. But how do most of us typically spend that time? By spending hours packing and planning to hurry to some destination where we fill every waking minute with some memory-making activity. And we come home absolutely exhausted. How many of us complain that we had to return to work just to get some rest after our time off? Well - not me. I'm going to the home of my heart to spend several days just being lazy. Oh, we may take a day trip here and there to do some touristy stuff but there will be very few scheduled appointments to keep. I intend to sleep as long as I want, play with my grandson as much as I can, eat until I'm sated, and just be with my family and friends.

I know I will watch a little TV (mostly Jeopardy and NCIS reruns), walk my dogs, do a little window shopping, sip a few iced Americanos, and Zentangle(R). Zentangle (or tangling) has become a new passion. Thanks to my wonderful Anam Cara (soul sister) I have enjoyed many hours of peaceful meditation through drawing one line at a time. It looks like doodling to the uninformed eye - but it's so much more that that. Anyone can do it - if you can hold a pen you can Zentangle. And although there are official patterns, some recommended supplies, and some basic principles by which to align your thinking, there are really no rules and no need for special equipment. You can do it anywhere. I tangle at my doctor's office, on my lunch break at work, and sometimes (shhhhh) in the choir loft on Sunday mornings.

Here is one example. I'll post more.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

One day more...



I have one more day of work before a week long vacation. I need it. I need to recharge some very drained batteries. I love the beach and I love going to new cities and just playing tourist. But my place to just "be" is Asheville. There are so many reasons that I love this place: my children, my best friends, great memories, and a beautiful grandson!

Noah is becoming a toddler... he's entering that most interesting phase of testing the no's and other limits. He never fails to make me laugh whenever I am with him. I seem to be living from visit to visit and this time is no different.




Tuesday, June 28, 2011

So what else do you do at 3am

besides sleep, that is?

When my phone rings after midnight it is never a good sign. My daughter's first words were, "I'm not upset. I'm sick." Well, that got me out of bed. As she described her symptoms, I was typing them into a symptom checker - the everyman's self-diagnosis tool! After typing them in about 20 possible problems popped up - and three of them said, "seek immediate medical attention!" Since we live 2 hours apart we had to call on her brother to take her to the ER.

So, it's now 3:40 am on a work night. I've redesigned my blog layout about 6 times. I've played 7 or 9 games of Scrabble and 3 games of online Jeopardy. Of course I'm not going to sleep. I've had three updates so far: registering, waiting room, and the latest - moved to the inner waiting room where, quoting my son, "there are more machines and less TV - that must mean progress!"

I suppose I could have started working on my dissertation proposal... nah - not enough brain cells working at this time of night. Or I could have cleaned out my junk drawer... nah - too noisy. I guess I'll just sit here although I am getting sleepy...

Friday, June 24, 2011

Oh my goodness... where did the time go?

So my sister mentioned my blog and I had honestly forgotten how to access it... it's been THAT long.

So much has changed over the past 3 years. We are still in South Carolina. The house in Modesto is gone with the wind. Grace and Caleb are living in Asheville... I have a grandson now! So much to catch up on... most of you who have followed my little attempt at blogging know all of this anyway... so I think I'll just try to start fresh.