Get Your Own

Mary Soghomonian

2012-01-01T18:20:00.000-05:00

And vote, share, like, this one too. Much appreciated. Mary Soghomonian

Lisa Soghomonian

2012-01-01T18:19:00.000-05:00

Vote share like please:
Lisa Soghomonian

Change Needed

2011-01-07T10:59:00.002-05:00

I would like to freshen up this place and give my blog a new face but my problem continues to be time. I don't want to start messing with things that I can't finish. I have it on my list though. I want my blog to focus more on creative projects.

My winter break has so far been jammed packed playing catch up with all the things I can't get to during semester. This time of year it's doing the end of year bookkeeping for the business and taxes. I imagined myself engaged in all kinds of creative endeavors but no such luck so far. Before you know it I will be pack in class. (Ugh) Not looking forward to it. The good news is I am really down to my last 2 semesters. Unfortunately I will be doing a course overload and even though I tell myself I can do it, I have my doubts. Studio classes are very time consuming and all the enthusiasm in the world won't create more time.

No worries. We are all going to die anyway.

2010-10-03T07:28:00.003-04:00

I still have a few things to say. Here is an excellent article. (Little excerpt below.) I advise reading the entire piece.) I feel strongly about the link between lifestyle and our health. We really have to slow down, wake up and be conscious of what is going on.

"Doctors will continue to fail with cancer until they buck the training and accept that a patient is not some collection of malfunctioning cells but a human out of homeostasis. We have cultures alive today who don’t get cancer. No stress, no speed cameras, no mobile phones, no Iraq War. Don’t get me wrong, I truly believe 21st civilisation has much to commend it but there are the downsides. As Berglas says, we’re a toxic society and that includes the medicines. If cancer is striking 1 in 3 of us, that means something is going fundamentally wrong and we’re either going to be honest about it or continue canoeing down that long river in Egypt called De-Nial, splurfing down the rat-burgers until the meat-wagon comes to collect us."

"In other words, your body is an amazing piece of kit. During my decades of public research, the overwhelming impression I got was how little the citizen was being taught about what they could do for themselves. Thus they were forced to rely on the ’experts’. Thankfully this is changing. Jamie Oliver and Gillian McKeith are but two of the personalities these days hosting programs in an effort to change our behaviour. Government, so quick to sticky-beak into every nook and cranny of our lives, seems not to be bothered. ‘Healthcare’ costs rocket as doctors continue their ignorance of diet and lifestyle. Cancer remains the corporate preserve of vested interests, these days spearheading legislation in some countries that would make an SS Sturmbahnfuhrer blush. Parents arrested at gunpoint for refusing chemo for their children. Kiddies whisked away to be forcefully medicated to preserve their ‘human rights’. Mums on the run to avoid toxic AIDS drugs for their children. Refusing vaccinations for little Annabelle in Maryland USA can these days bring a SWAT team to your door. "

Get your sketch on!

2010-07-19T11:58:00.004-04:00

I love this project because of the limitlessness of it and the encouraging and inviting nature of it.

The Sketchbook Project: 2011

Do I even remember how to do this?

2010-07-07T17:26:00.005-04:00

Wow. Where have I been? School. Non-stop. I am in 2 summer classes right now. Already finished a 6 week accelerated class. After these summer classes I will be done with all my gen eds and will just be doing art. Yeah!!!! Other than the academic classes I've been in my glory. Drawing, painting, photo, ceramics, sculpture. I love it all. However, there is little to no free time. It's all good though.

I went to the harbor here the other day and took a few pics. Most creative thing I've done lately as my summer classes are non-art. Let's see if I can remember how to post a pic.

Anyway. It's a start.

ReadThis

2009-11-20T10:33:00.002-05:00

Inspire Young Women

Wanted to post this link very quickly. The link says everything you need to know about a really great organization. I would go on but I have a huge BIO exam. Have to get the facts out of my head before they disappear.

New York City Opera | David H. Koch Theater Artwork

2009-11-06T12:43:00.000-05:00

New York City Opera | David H. Koch Theater Artwork

fuel

2009-08-24T07:56:00.002-04:00

Roadrunner Final episode

2009-08-21T09:06:00.000-04:00

here I am

2009-06-16T08:32:00.001-04:00

and if I can make two more weeks through my six weeks of summer classes and 3 classes without slitting my wrists or just losing it, I will be back. Doubtful. I bit off more than I can chew.

Do Schools Kill Creativity?

2009-03-18T20:21:00.002-04:00

Besides being an entertaining speaker he has some very intelligent thoughts. Just listen while you are doing something.

Made You Look

2009-02-27T12:07:00.001-05:00

51 Creative Business Cards That Will Make You Look Twice

Performance Art

2009-02-19T10:48:00.003-05:00

Ghandi's Second Life

Reenactment: The Salt Satyagraha Online

just show up

2009-02-15T09:26:00.003-05:00

Take the Vow

2009-02-12T16:05:00.002-05:00

All but the grout...

2009-01-21T19:24:00.003-05:00

Before

After(but still ungrouted)

The floor of the waterfall has a little flounder hiding in the sand.

I can't wait to see it grouted because thats when it really comes together. Probably next week.

January

2009-01-14T20:40:00.008-05:00

This is not my favorite time of the year. It is always a struggle to keep my head above water in January merely because it is tax time and I am bookkeeper/accountant/tax preparer for the business (John's construction company). I don't like having things hanging over my head so I set a goal of the end of January to complete all this dull business. Otherwise knowing the deed must be done will eat at me the whole first quarter of the year. I'd rather be care free.

This year is taking the cake in its January misery as I have upped the ante and am now taking 3! classes. Scary. (My first 2 semester were one class only so I could see if my schedule would handle it.) One of the 3 classes is online and I am taking it from the local community college and the other 2 are at the University. I like my life complicated it seems. I think 3 SHOULD be doable w/the online class. I have been very busy jumping through both establishments hoops. Tomorrow is orientation for the online class. My university classes don't start until the following week.

Then there is this mosaic that keeps changing in dimension. I had hoped to be done by now but the real work is just getting rolling. It actually should go quickly from this point. I have finally ponied up and tried this mesh method that will allow me to make the mosaic in my studio and then just bring it to the job site and slap on the wall. At any rate there goes the rest of my January. This is probably my only only post for the rest of January. It's funny how things change in a years time.

This is the center panel of an indoor waterfall in an inset or niche on the wall.

Have a Joyous New Year!

2008-12-31T10:16:00.001-05:00

I wish everyone FUN and FREEDOM and PEACE in the New Year!

r^2-5r+6/r^2-4 or Algebra hurts my brain.

2008-12-30T14:47:00.012-05:00

This Christmas was kind of a blur. I was sick before Christmas (when I had to go in for a final at the university and then take a placement test at the community college)and I have once again caught this bug. WTF? I managed to stay on my feet through the first bout but I've been 2 days in bed this last round.

I didn't realize the placement test included Math. I only heard the words English and waltzed right in to take it with confidence. When the gate-keeper asked me if I wanted a Scientific or regular calculator I knew I was in trouble. When I didn't answer right away she said "You want a regular." I had a moment during the test when I looked at the problem on the screen and couldn't think of what I could possibly press on that calculator to get an answer and my paper and pencil were of no use either. I passed (with a 50) Pre-Algebra. I received a score of 19 in Algebra. So you don't think I'm a complete idiot my scores in reading and writing were 99 and 97. (Bronx cheer)

I found out I could take the math part again which I will as I have no desire to take Algebra for a 3rd time in my life (I took it twice in Jr. High)and I certainly don't want to PAY to take it. For the last 2 days I have been studying. Almost immediately I had the same reaction to Algebra that I did so many, many years ago which was to skip this class and head for the field behind the school or better yet the railroad tracks or "the tree". It's funny how it comes right back to you. Like riding a bike. My learning style... Ah but now I am a responsible adult with a goal of not taking an extra Math course just to reach the level of the Math I need to get my degree. For the last 2 days (while sick in bed) I have studied Algebra and I honestly have to tell you that my brain is more fried than it was back when I would have headed for the field. Sick or not I am going to have to head to the studio and give it a rest. I DO think I can pass the test though. Thank goodness for my very smart daughter Lisa. She taught me all the Algebra I currently and temporarily know as well as how to use the Scientific calculator (we didn't have those when I was in school). I won't retain this long so I better take that test soon.

Poor John had been sick on Christmas Day which was a bummer but it was nice to have all the kids home and we managed to get my mother down which was quite a feat. She hasn't been able to come for a holiday in a while.

Joe and Mom

Carla and Scott

Which reminds me... Carla has been working very long hard hours at her job. I have a great picture of her touching up Tony Blair for some interview. I hope I don't get in trouble for posting it. (Tell me if you want me to take it down Carla.)

Mom and Taylor

Me between illnesses and John trying to make an appearance on Christmas.

Today is my son Michael's 23rd birthday. He is in Atlantic City.

Happy New Year everyone! May it by some miracle be a Peaceful one.

Poor neglected blog...

2008-12-05T09:23:00.006-05:00

I feel sorry for my little blog. Today I will give some attention. It's a work in the office day so I think I can make a little time for GET YOUR OWN. I have been busy getting alot of my own so I think that excuses my absence.

My semester is almost over. I have finished throwing and glazing at school. Just waiting for the last pieces to be fired. At home I made a whole mess of stuff and will glaze this weekend. Yeah! Can't wait. I haven't thrown anything for over a week and the rest was much needed.

We had a great Thanksgiving though it wore me out! Not as large a group as usual and that's okay.

It was great having Lisa home but it went by so quick.

Michael had a hard time finding a job (so much for supporting the troops). He applied everywhere and couldn't even get a job at Home Depot! He finally gave up and went to work for John. Nobody wants to work for their father but I think it's going better than it did when he was teen. At any rate after trying so hard to find a job w/no success he appreciates the job. John can definitely teach him some skills. I'm still hoping he'll decide to go to college.

So how is everyone?!!!

Obama, Bowls, and Vampires

2008-11-08T11:15:00.005-05:00

Yes I am pleased Obama won. I DO feel hopeful. What more can I say. For me it's hard to trust a politician. I don't fall for much. I prefer to wait for actions, which as we know speak louder than words.

My bowls are done. Good results and not so good but all a learning experience. I am not kidding when I say I am consumed.

The greenish bowl and the purple bowls are the exact same glaze! You can't count on anything with glazes.

The dark blue glaze did some crawling which I'm told is a result of putting this particular glaze with another. You really have to learn by doing w/the glazes. It's frustrating when you manage to get through all the other steps of the process and then mess it up w/the glaze. Learning! Learning! I have to keep telling myself.

I do like this purple glaze though. I haven't yet been disappointed w/the results which do vary but always look good. Of course it makes me want to glaze everything purple.

On to vampires. I started listening to the Twilight series of books on tape while commuting to school. Um...I love it. It's geared towards teens I believe but whatever. Think what you like. Somewhere along my travels I read that the new HBO series True Blood was kinda sorta inspired by the Twilight books as well as some other series of vampire books. So...last night with John and Johnny away for a lax tournament I got the remote to myself and was perusing the HBO series on demand menu and saw True Blood on the list. Three episodes later I was trying not to be afraid of being in the house all alone and trying, trying to sleep. I'm a smart girl aren't I? I love the show though. Love it. So it's nothing but pottery and vampires for me. Odd.

Okay, so I figured things out...

2008-10-31T21:50:00.007-04:00

Finally got the computer set up and more importantly the old hard drive erased to MY satisfaction no thanks to Dell. It took me days to figure that one out and when I finally got it going the actual erasing took over 8 hours.I had some very heated calls w/Dell but they refused to let me keep my old hard drive. I kept asking for the manager and would get passed down the line. I am currently awaiting a call from a manager who should have called me Thursday. Anyway. Enough!

I am addicted to throwing on the wheel. I finally feel like I have some grasp on it, some control. It's pretty exciting to me. We started by making teabowl after teabowl, then moved on to mugs, then bowls and our next project will be lided jars. I can not get enough. I have the finished teabowls and mugs so I can share some pictures. My bowls still need to be fired.

I came home Thursday night to find Michael and his girlfriend carving pumpkins. I've been so consumed with school and computer repair that I hadn't even thougt about it. I was glad they had the Halloween spirit. So I grabbed a pumpkin and got down to it.

I am especially happy to have Michael HOME and really seeming to get back to his old self. I don't see that meaness or anger in his eyes any more. It is so great to have him back. I can't say it enough.

Like a mouse in a labyrinth...

2008-10-28T07:54:00.002-04:00

that's how I feel lately. My laptop that was purchased to replace the business desktop in June or July had a bad hard drive. Umm...that is a hell of a lot of info to be moved to a new hard drive. You computer people can laugh at me but backing up and restoring is just not coming easy. I try very hard. I have an external hard drive. It's not as easy to get the info off that thing as I would have thought. Where's the manual to use it? Somewhere on the damn computer. I find that and I have to boot from my rescue disk because syncing didn't seem to do it. To boot from the rescue disk I have to be sure the BIOS something, something is set to something something (check your computer owners manual which where the f is that?). Searched help and found the answer to that question is different for every computer. Okay. I try different ways to start my computer 'cause that's how I usually figure things out. I hit F12 continuously because somewhere in my computer history I've done that. It worked. My rescue disk is currently wiping out whatever is on my new hard drive (they ask if that's okay but don't give me another option)and supposedly putting all my stuff on it. We'll see. I am trying to get this done in the few free hours I have here and there on my schedule. If this doesn't work I guess I will take it all to my computer repair guy and PAY. Fuck Dell is all I can say. Pardon my harshness but this is a huge inconvenience for me.

Talk about a mouse in a labyrinth! That's me making my way to all the office's and buildings at the University. I have said I have no sense of direction before but it's really ridiculous. You must make your way to so many offices in the process of signing up for classes its unbelievable. I mean could they streamline this process because I don't have time for this nonsense? Yesterday I had to laugh at myself as I went upstairs in a building I go to all time to an office I have been to before because I walked down EVERY hallway before I found the right one with office I needed. Like a good mouse I repeated the process on the way out. Actually I used a different stairway on the way down as I could not find the original one. I need help.

Aunt Lynn

2008-10-18T13:43:00.008-04:00

I had a really lovely visit from my fathers sister this week. It had been a really long time since I had seen her. She is a very postive, strong woman whom I admire. My father passed away in 2000. My Aunt Lynn gave me a little bit of my dad, not just in talking about him but also in the ways she is like him. Her visit also reminds me that there really is strength in family. Everyone has something to offer. I hope our visits will not be so few and far between in the future.

Banksy Strikes Again.

2008-10-15T22:28:00.002-04:00

A friend sent me THIS link. Check it out.

City Dance

2008-10-14T15:06:00.002-04:00

City Dance Ensemble
sneak preview of Austin McCormick's War including rehearsal footage and an interview with the choreographer!

CityDance Ensemble rehearsing for "WAR" from Ludovic Jolivet on Vimeo.

Art Opening

2008-10-12T22:12:00.009-04:00

Went to Deb and Bill's art opening last night. It was so packed! I will definitely be visiting it again this week so I can really look at the work. It was impossible to really see it with so many people. As you know I LOVE both of these artists. Their work is always exciting to see.

Needless to say there are no great pics of the actual art. Just the lovers of it and the artists.

It's great having Michael home and having him at the opening was sweet.

Maggie and John

Deb and her fans

The NYC girls

Bill and his laughing fans

Full Plate

2008-10-11T09:55:00.014-04:00

I have so much to do that I'm having trouble sleeping. I have school projects that need to be finished but Lisa came home for the weekend and is wanting a home cooked meal. What would you do? I'm going to the grocery store right after I post.

The other day instead of doing my payroll taxes for John I went to watch a demo by THIS amazing potter. He is doing a huge pit firing on the beach this weekend and there are lots of events surrounding it that I would like to see. Hopefully I can squeeze that in. Yeah, right after those taxes. Whatever.

I had cleaned Lisa's room when she moved out so I documented....

and left a note that asked her to keep "my" room clean. I gotta give it a shot no?

They got in late last night and she brought a couple pieces of work. A screen print and a black and white painting. Looking good. Sorry about my digital pics of her work. They suck. I'm too rushed.

She has had a few nude models to paint or sketch quickly. One, a male had paper stuck in his butt. She found it quite distracting to say the least. It makes you wonder...did the instructor know? Did the model do it on purpose? What's the proper etiquette for that?

Oh and here are some more homecoming photos. I know you've been waiting...

Finally (sorry I got do all this at once. no time) My brother sent me THIS.

I've seen it before and I'm sure you have too. It's just more fun seeing the family name.

That's it. You probably won't hear from again for a week. Later.

Beautiful Morning

2008-10-05T20:40:00.009-04:00

I woke up early this morning just before the sun came up. I went outside and the fog was everywhere. I had to go get my camera. It was just so beautiful. I'm a night owl but I also love the early early morning.

Then the sun was up and the fog was clearing...

and look who comes down the road.

It was the best kind of peaceful morning. Unfortunately the longer I was out there the more my allergies were flaring up. Good thing I had that moment because I pretty much spent the rest of the day sniffing and sneezing. Ya can't have it all.

Good Times

2008-10-05T20:02:00.008-04:00

Had a bit of a surprise when Michael pulled in Friday night. I knew he was due home any day but I had asked him to call me when he left. He never did so....I was surprised. It's good to see him home. Home for good.

I was also looking forward to a visit from my cousin who lives in New Jersey. He was going to be in the area camping and fishing. I rarely see anyone in his family so it's always nice to catch up.

It was a great visit (I thought). My brother Joe was here also and it made for a nice day. It also happened to be Homecoming for Johnny so it got a little hectic as he got ready for the dance. We were lucky to have my brother Joe there as the men in my house are tie tying challenged. It's always got to be googled and the instructions never seem to stick.

Ya gotta love the "dress" shoes and tucked in shirts. I've learned though and try my best to stay out of the fashion choices.

After Johnny left for the dance we all decided to meet somewhere in Dewey Beach for drinks. Lots of talking and laughing. It was really a nice day for me. I've been doing, doing, doing so much and it was nice to just hang out.

Fun!

Women changing light bulbs and everything else.

2008-10-01T17:45:00.002-04:00

This showed up in my inbox today. Personally I don't even think you have to be menopausal. Just a woman will do fine.

Best Menopause Question Ever

Q:
How many women with MENOPAUSE does it take to change a light
Bulb?

Woman'sAnswer:
One!
ONLY ONE!!!! And do you know WHY? Because no one else in this
House knows HOW to change a light bulb! They
Don't even know that the bulb is BURNED OUT!! They would sit in the dark for THREE DAYS before they figured it out.
And,once they figured it out, they wouldn't be able to find the #&%!* lightbulbs despite the fact that they've been in the SAME CABINET for the past 17 YEARS! But if they did, by some miracle of God, actually find them, 2 DAYS LATER, the chair they dragged to stand on to change the STUPID light bulb would STILL BE IN THE SAME SPOT!!!!! AND UNDERNEATH IT WOULD BE THE WRAPPER
THE FREAKING LIGHT BULBS CAME IN!!! BECAUSE NO ONE EVERPICKS UP OR CARRIES
OUT THE GARBAGE!!!! IT'S A WONDER WE HAVEN'T ALL SUFFOCATEDFROM THE PILES OF GARBAGE THAT

ARE A FOOT DEEP THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE HOUSE!!
IT WOULD TAKE AN ARMY TO CLEAN THIS PLACE! AND
DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON WHO CHANGES
THE TOILET PAPER ROLL !!

I'm sorry. What was the question?

War Dance

2008-09-26T13:02:00.002-04:00

War Dance is an absolutely moving documentary and I encourage you to watch it. It follows the story of 3 children who have experienced unspeakable horrors in war ravage Northern Uganda. Through song and dance they escape the hopelessness which surrounds them. The film has received many awards and I really can't say enough about it. It's available at Netflix.

This is getting ridiculous

2008-09-25T09:39:00.002-04:00

I saw this at Ingrid's and I had to repost it. I think Wanda's got this one right.

Batman

2008-09-24T21:53:00.002-04:00

That's Lisa and one of her classmates and...who's that dude in the middle hanging upside down?

It's a Beautiful Day in Neighborhood

2008-09-23T10:15:00.004-04:00

I like to try to be a positive person. Otherwise I can get really down. There are too many things that can get you down so I try not to dwell there OR mark them with a post. Today though, I need to just say that credit card fraud, possibly identity theft, FUCKING SUCKS!!!!! The people who perpetrate these acts need to get a life. I'd like to say something along the lines of "I will hunt you down and kick your fucking ass." but that seems to be straying way too far from my mark of sunshine and happiness. So anyway, it's a hassle, a headache, and a pain in my ass but...I got this. And FUCK YOU!
(deep breath) Thank you. That felt good. I am feeling the love again.

Heartbreaker

2008-09-20T08:40:00.002-04:00

Former West OC restaurant worker killed in Afghanistan

By Nancy Powell
Associate Editor ––––––––––

Employees of a West Ocean City restaurant mourned the loss of a former co-worker on Monday as they attended funeral services in Pennsylva-nia for Pvt. Michael Dinterman, who was killed in Afghanistan.

Dinterman 18, originally from Littlestown, Pa., died Sept. 6 at Outpost Restrepo, Kunar Province in Afghanistan after taking enemy fire while on foot patrol. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

“It was devastating to all of us,” said Tom Dickerson, owner of the Greene Turtle West, where Dinterman worked in the kitchen for more than eight months.

Dinterman graduated from Bowling Brook Preparatory School in Carroll County, Md., in 2006, and then attended Harrisburg Area Community College at its campus in Gettysburg, where he studied culinary arts. He then moved to Ocean Pines and lived with his cousin, Jesse Branson, the kitchen manager at the Greene Turtle West.

Dinterman had told his co-workers at the West Ocean City restaurant that he was enlisting in the Army.

“He was young and wanted to do something that was meaningful,” Dickerson said. “He was determined and happy with his decision.”

Dinterman joined the Army in January and six months later, was deployed to Af-ghanistan. He was expecting to serve with the Army in Afghanistan for 12 to 15 months, but he served just one month before he was killed by enemy fire.

According to the “Evening Sun” of Hanover, Pa., Dinterman was captivated by the Afghanistan’s mountainous landscape, which is much different from the one he knew in Pennsylvania.

The Evening Sun also reported that Dinterman hoped to become a ranger and join a SWAT team after his Army enlistment ended.

On his MySpace page on the Internet, Dinterman wrote, “Dream as if you’ll live forever. Live as if you’ll die today.” He could sometimes access the Internet from Afghanistan and his page indicates he logged in Sept. 2, just four days before his death.

On his Web site, he wrote,” I am 18 and currently stationed in Afghanistan. I’ll be here for a while. I am part of the U.S. Infantry; the best job known to man.”
Dinterman’s MySpace page now has messages from friends thanking him for his service to the country, telling him he’s an American hero and giving him their final goodbyes.

Dinterman’s funeral was held Monday in Hanover, Pa. He was posthumously given the rank Private First Class. He was also awarded the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Medal and the Army Service Ribbon.

This young mans cousin is a friend of my son Michael's as well as myself. My heart really breaks for this family. I cry every time I read this article. This young man believed in what he was doing and his family is very proud of him.

My son will be home next week for good. Out of the service. Much sooner than we expected and thank goodness. I couldn't spare him a minute more.

The Rare Home-Cooked Meal

2008-09-18T10:28:00.005-04:00

This one is for Lisa who is longing for a home-cooked meal after only about 3 weeks.
Parmesan chicken, some asparagus and one of Lisa's favorites, something we like to call fried noodles. It's actually orecchiette pasta, cooked then fried with a pesto made of basil, Parmesan, orange zest, lemon zest, lime zest, almonds and olive oil.

An brief interval of relaxation

2008-09-15T07:52:00.010-04:00

Days are flying by in busy-ness lately. I am always texting, checking myspace or facebook to communicate with the 3 older children and with my youngest I have to drive him somewhere to get an isolated moment with him. I try to encourage the kids in some direction or help them solve some life dilemma. I'm juggling the housework, office responsibilities, my studio stuff and now! my class.

What a treat it is when the annual Assateague Island camping trip rolls around. My class schedule made it pointless to actually set up camp and stay the night (booo) BUT I was still able to visit Saturday night and enjoy a near perfect day Sunday. Beautiful, beautiful and lots of laughing with really good friends.

Could you eat on $1 a day.

2008-09-09T17:21:00.003-04:00

Back in the day I would sometimes eat on less than a dollar a day but I was very young. Like 18. Oodles of Noodles 3 for 99 cents. Sometimes just a bag of chips or a candy bar. Usually though it was a toss up wether to spend my .50 on a pack of Marlboro or a bag of chips. You can guess what won that toss up. Either way you can't get a pack of cigarettes for anywhere near 50 cents today and my spoiled ass most definitely could not get by on a bag of chips or a serving of Oodles of Noodles (though I would like to be the same size I was at 18,hmmm...).

Along comes this interesting blog. This couple has started a project to eat food on $1 a day to bring attention to the fact that more than 1 billion people live on less than $1 a day. You can check out the One Dollar Diet Project blog here. They are also raising money for Community Resource Center and The ONE Campaign. Pretty cool and brave of them IMO.

Papa's got a brand new bag!

2008-09-03T21:18:00.008-04:00

Come here mama....and dig this crazy scene
He's not too fancy....but his line is pretty clean
He ain't no drag.
Papa's got a brand new bag

(of course that's the kid in it not the papa)

He got mad at me when I called it "a mid-life crisis". (Trust me, do not refer to it as such.)

He got it because he works hard and he wanted something. He does work hard. I agree. He most definitely deserves it.

I wonder what I will get for my mid-life crisis?

A swimming pool?

Right now all I have is a brand new hairdo that I guess I better get used to.

Keeping up

2008-09-02T11:25:00.013-04:00

I'm just too busy to keep up with blogging right now. Johnny started back to school today. Lisa is doing fine in NYC. John is bidding his time until he can get some free time to go see her. I'm too busy to think. Tomorrow I will start my class and I just got a job to do a waterfall and most likely plenty more.

John and I spent about 3 weeks painting our very small living room brown so I could move in my new couch. John was doing it after work. I start and then he wants to do it his way and takes over. My house was torn apart for almost a month. I finally couldn't take it and we both just dug in and got it done. I am going to put a really colorful mosaic right behind that couch. I have it in my head.

This past weekned John's family was here for a birthday/lobster feast.

There were clams too...

and adorable little girls.

Oh yea and some champagne grapes. These 2 never miss an opportunity to pose.

In fact the other day after the shot of me on the couch I asked Johnny would he take a picture of his father and I together.
Exhibit A:

"Boring" he says. "What do you suggests?" says I. His friend Zack is always around somewhere so they demonstrated.
Exhibit B:

Maybe next time boys.

Home!

2008-08-22T13:17:00.002-04:00

I am back from moving my daughter to college. That was really, really, exhausting and hard. John and I totally over-compensating with making sure she has everything. Turns out its hard to leave your kid in NYC. Not for her. For us. She has most definitely got everything she needs thanks to several hundred shopping trips every time we thought she didn't have something she MIGHT need.

John gave and endless narrative of supposedly helpful tips. Last minute parental guidance. 2 1/2 days of it until Lisa and I thought we might just run away screaming and pulling our hair out! He went over and over and over the grid which is NYC. In our final moment with Lisa he was staring at floor and said "I was just noticing the grid of the tiles. If you get me some tape I can teach all you girls the grid of NYC." Lisa and I shared our final (doubtful) look of utter frustration with this man. I KNEW she would be fine. He couldn't wait to get home just so he would have an excuse to call her and say "I'm home." I guess he'd imagined her sitting in her dorm room doing nothing. Not the case. She was on the ferry back from the Statue of Liberty. She had taken the subway (alone), met some friends and went sight seeing. Sweet. I knew she would be fine. What would you be doing at 18 in NYC? And who didn't know it all at that age. We figured things out. She will too. Poor John. Lisa even mentioned the word "stalker" to him. I am pretty sure he will be a very frequent visitor to NYC. Maybe I should say POOR LISA.

On the home front...before we left I asked my 15 year old to make a list of anything special he might want from the grocery store while we were away. He was going to be staying home with his 24 year old sister. Here is the list the smart ass gave me:

Lots of nutritional value there among other things. Besides the fact that there isn't one square of toilet paper anywhere in this house everything seems to be intact. No evidence of a party. Which is really, all I ask.

Here's your full shot Hayden...

2008-08-22T09:52:00.005-04:00

Not exactly a fish Hayden. I wanted to get the feel of leaves floating in a stream. I love this bathroom when its clean and tidy AND the tp is on the holder.

Things I Have Failed to Teach My Children

2008-08-20T22:03:00.004-04:00

File this under failures. Complete and utter. Wow. No matter how many times I have said it, pointed it out, begged, pleaded and yes, screamed, yelled and stomped my feet, I HAVE NOT been capable of teaching my children to put the new roll of toilet paper ON the holder. ON IT.

She's Ready

2008-08-18T21:15:00.011-04:00

This past weekend we drove up to NYC. Lisa MOVES there next weekend but John wanted to go up and walk her around her new neighborhood and show her where things were etc. She has a friend who moved up a month ago and she was with us. Her friend has already figured out the subway and is doing fine. I am so happy that Lisa has someone there though I am sure she will make many other friends.

Saturday was beautiful and as we walked around Lisa had it all figured out very quickly. We wandered through Grammercy Park, the Village, SOHO etc and just enjoyed the day. So much to look at and do. We had a celebrity sighting. I was right next to Dianne Weist
as she went into a store. I waited until we were down the street a little and then told the girls because I was wracking my brain for her name. All I could think of was the lady who was in the Woody Allen film Hannah and Her Sisters and if you can believe this- they weren't even born yet. Of course she's been in PLENTY of other films, plays and TV show and is a talented actress. She won best supporting actress in fact in 2 Woody Allen films. Anyway when I told them they wanted to go back and look at her. I said please just don't embarrass me. They were very cool when she came out of the store just as we got there and then walked right behind us down the street. We stopped at a vendor and she did too. So they got a good look and knew exactly who she was. They were very excited to have had a celebrity sighting.

We enjoyed a great lunch at a sidewalk cafe.

John and I listened to Lisa and her friend plan their new life in the big city. They are going to do it all. It's really going to be a great time in their life. They really are going to be fine. Lucky girls.

As much as I love the city I have NO sense of direction. It takes me forever to understand the lay of the land. Years. I really depend on John when I'm there. I get turned around very easily. When it was time to leave the city Lisa volunteered to drive! Talk about white knuckles. She got us right out of there though. Did fine. I really have no worries.

How the US news media fails us

2008-08-12T08:40:00.002-04:00

It's not like most of you reading this didn't know this but it is really good to see someone speaking out. It needs LOTS of attention. Take the 9 minutes sometime today and watch this.
Thank you to my friend Susun for sending this to me.

Shine a Light

2008-08-11T10:55:00.002-04:00

This is definitely the most fun I have ever had watching a video. I can't recommend Shine A Light more highly.

and this number just blew me away. Buddy Guy...I have no words.

Just remember, I WARNED you!

2008-08-09T16:50:00.003-04:00

If you are, say feeling a little sorry for yourself, or perhaps you feel you deserve a reward,maybe you ran 5 miles,...DON'T, I repeat, DON'T try this ice cream (especially w/fresh raspberries on it). It will render you UNABLE to put a spoon down and quit while you are ahead. DON'T DO IT!

A+ weekend

2008-08-04T12:44:00.010-04:00

My youngest sibling is turning 40. Wonder how that makes a mother feel? I'm not going to ask mine.
Carla and her HUSBAND Scott came for a visit. My brother lives in Dewey Beach and I'm a short distance away. I got to hang on the beach with them for a little while on Saturday and then we went out for a birthday dinner. I mentioned how un-photogenic I am to my brother-in-law so he took pictures of me all night just to prove my point. Carla, always the show girl, poses next to or behind me and looks great in every single shot. Especially the one where she's ACTING like she has cleavage. Oscar winning performance. Meanwhile I am weary of looking like an old hag. But that's what you get for hanging out on the beach for 20 years. I can't imagine a life with no beach.

There are hundreds more but you get the point. She's always cute. Here she is with Scott and my brother Joe.

Here is the photo that made me laugh out loud the second I saw it. Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. Someone has bad-ass manners. Did he really think he had a chance when I wasn't looking and went for it? I know he didn't think he was in the picture frame. So busted.

We went back to Joe's for cake after dinner. It was a great time and I wish Carla and Scott would visit us more often.

Then came Sunday. What a perfect specimen of a day. John tries to spend Sunday with me and go to the beach. I usually get a half day out of him but this Sunday he spent the whole day with me on the beach. The water was great, the sun was shining....

Turtle Power

2008-08-01T10:18:00.007-04:00

I like turtles. I think they are cool. This story in WAPO today caught my eye. I felt sorry for the turtle with the radio transmitter on his back. But wait. It gets worse. Be sure to read the comments. They are the best part.

For those of you who are time challenged basically the article is about a turtle who was unfortunate enough to have a "scientist" strap a radio to his/her shell to track the goings ons of a turtle through Rock Creek Park which you know is VERY IMPORTANT information to have. Every once in a while the "scientist" goes to visit the turtle which was the case on this particular day. Wouldn't you know the turtle is hanging in a patch of 10 marijuana plants. The 46 year old scientist has "seen" marijuana plant pictures so he calls the cops. The cops monitor the plants and who do they catch but some 19 year old. Duh. They then arrest him for possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. They said the 1 1/2lb. of weed had a street value of $6500.

The comments are great but my favorite is:

This is ridiculous. Did you actually look at those crappy little plants? Pound and a half indeed! Those plants might have produced an ounce and a half if the deer (or turtles) didn't eat them first. Intent to distribute? Let's consider economies of scale. If someone were looking to distribute, they'd be planting a lot more than 10 plants, and certainly not out in the open for all to see. BTW, are they all female? Only fems produce buds anyway. Hope this kid gets a lawyer that knows a little somethin' somethin' about this stuff. These charges are complete and total B.S.

This is a sad, SAD story that they're going after a kid for trying to grow some schwaggy weed he's trying to grow with low-grade seeds found in the bottom of a bag of Brown Frown Brick Weed - the same crap that grows in ditches in the midwest.

Priorities people - priorities. The only other thing I can say is that it's good the kid wasn't a black rapper, and not an aspriring "alt rocker" otherwise they'd be getting him with conspiracy and asking for the names of all his gang members.

Utterly absurd. What a waste. With all the gang-related shootings in the Gaithersburg area lately, THIS is where MC Police decides to spend their time...

As a taxpayer and law-abiding citizen caught in the crossfire of the shootings mentioned above, I'm outraged that MC Cops are more focused on going after this kid than preventing murder. So stupid.
8/1/2008 10:03:23 AM

Followed by this one:

Hurray! The Federal Government found marijuana. Too bad they can't find Osama though.

They can with Turtle No.72 on the case. Hero in a half-shell...TURTLE POWER!

This is the kind of stuff that happens even when I'm not on Vicodin.

2008-07-30T10:30:00.003-04:00

Got my stitches out yesterday but he said I'm still not healed and need to continue with the soft food.
Everyday I feel much better but I really can't eat regular food if I wanted and I do so I've tried and it don't work.
Yesterday before my appointment I walked out back to the garden and started weeding like a mad woman. I wasn't supposed to have been exerting myself after the surgery and in that short time the garden was out of control. I couldn't help myself. I figured I was getting the stitches out today so its okay to weed. I had been watching the tube before that and my glasses were on my head and kept falling off. I kept picking them up and putting them back on top of my head but I guess one time I just didn't notice.

So I go to appointment come home. I had made a few stops on the way home and gathered everything up but as I was getting out of the car I dropped my cell phone. I will come back and get that I said to myself.

I put things away and start picking up after others etc. and decide I need to sit down a minute and relax after the traumatic stitch removal experience but I need my glasses to see the images on the TV. Can't find them anywhere.

And where is my phone? I call my phone on the house phone and I don't hear it ringing. Maybe I left it in the car. I walk to the car and search the damn thing. No phone. I go back in and sit and think. Did I go to the laundry room? I walk out there and check. I do all this probably 3 times until FINALLY! I remember that I dropped it getting out of the car and I go outside and retrieve it. DUH.

Back to the glasses. I sit I think. Last time....da, da, da, da,...oh yeah! Garden! Go to the garden. Walk around and around and finally see them laying in the grass. Whew! Put them in my pocket with my cell phone.

Then I notice the huge mess of weeds I left flung everywhere and decide I must put them all in one tidy pile. I collect them all in a few minutes and head inside. I'm gonna fold some laundry now and watch a little TV. I deserve it.

Laundry basket. Check. Cell phone. Check. Glasses....Where the hell are my glasses? I know I put them in the pocket w/the phone. I have the phone. Where are the glasses? I trudge back out to the garden. They must have fell out of my pocket while collecting weeds. Shit. I go through the weed pile. Twice. I call my son out. He goes through the weed pile. We walk around and around. Back and forth from the garden to the house and see nothing. Son gives up. I retrace my steps over and over. Go back in the house and go through the laundry basket. You never know. I go through the weed pile AGAIN. Ahhhhhhhhh! Just when I'm figuring on spending the following day buying new glasses and having them permanently attached to my head or at the very least getting one of those straps my brother had as a kid to keep his glasses on....I spot them. Jeeeeezus, Mary and Josephhhhhh! Icannottakeitanymore!!!!!!!

I swear to you I only take the vicodin at night so either there is just too much floating around in my system or I need some damn solid food or both. The bottom line is you shouldn't keep the stuff around because after an episode like that all you can think is....I need a vicodin.

Hey! Hey!

2008-07-26T09:17:00.002-04:00

Haven't had much time for blogging this summer. Trying real hard to stay focused and keep myself on task this summer. That means no getting lost in cyberspace! Today however I find myself w/a little time on my hands. I went in on Thursday to have a 2 year old root canal checked out that was bothering me and next thing you know I'm having my gum sliced open, bone drilled into and infection cleaned out. I'm not supposed to exert myself. I'm on a liquid diet, not supposed to talk and worst of all I had to cold turkey give up coffee. Actually giving up coffee isn't so hard the first couple days given the benefit of Vicodin. Here's my advice: Go in as soon as the tooth is bothering you. Don't wait, oh say....a YEAR! On the upside I've lost a couple LB's already! On the downside...well let's face it, all this is a bummer but on Wednesday I'm supposed to go see Willie Nelson so I'm just trying to follow doctors orders for a change and get there.

Hope you all are enjoying your summer.

In their boots

2008-07-03T16:03:00.004-04:00

www.intheirboots.com

I surface...

2008-06-27T11:38:00.010-04:00

So my last class of that FAST and INTENSE session was yesterday. I loved the class and learned so much. I struggled through writing my first paper since-I-don't-know-when but I received an A+ thankyouverymuch! I am hooked! I will continue in the fall part time for now. Meanwhile I will look forward to enjoying the too brief summer. I also have to get Lisa ready for her send off to NYC. Everything has backed up on me around here. I haven't been in my garden for a month!!!!

Here is some of the work I did in class.

I love the glaze on this bowl and box.

None of these pieces were made with the benefit of a wheel.

This is my first attempt at horsehair reduction.

Disappointing glaze. I will re-glaze and refire this one.

Raku mask.

Forgiveness and Mark Twain

2008-06-16T10:13:00.004-04:00

"Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heal that has crushed it."
-- Mark Twain

I love this quote. I love Mark Twain. What an interesting man. Doesn't something by Mark Twain sound like an excellent summer read. Which one should I choose? What is your favorite?

Two more weeks of class and then I can enjoy the beach and a good book while it's still summer. My favorite things.

2nd week

2008-06-12T20:37:00.012-04:00

I'm tired man. Good tired. I-am-having-so-much-fun. Yesterday we did a Raku firing. Yes, I took pictures. I'm gonna try and post them but I am telling you I am tired so if I pass out in the middle of doing this...well then I'll get back to you. If I didn't have Johnny still in school I would become a full time student. I am contemplating part-time.

So like I said I'm tired. So HERE is an explanation of what Raku is if'n you don't know.
Basically you take your piece of pottery out of a super hot kiln (somewhere around 1800 degrees) and put it in a trash can full of newspaper or sawdust which ignites when the pottery hits it and this reduction process cause all kinds of unpredictable surprises. Big fun.

Hot kiln opened...

Pottery placed in newspaper filled can...

Fire, lid...

Wait about ten minutes and fish pot out of ashes. Dunk in water...

Results...

Here is that same leaf bowl when the kiln is opened before it goes in the flaming can.

For me it was exciting to see each and every piece come out. They were all so different.

That is just PART of one of my days in the last 2 weeks!

That Grad Party

2008-06-12T19:05:00.002-04:00

Here are the pics from the party. The yard was beautiful but we shortly hit by some torrential rain and that sucked but we managed to have a good time.

Food...

Family and friends...

My seesters...

"Hey what's that in the sky?! Is that a funnel?"

Shelter...
(notice how dark it is outside that door)

Thanks to all my friends and family for coming and sharing the "LOVE".

T-G-I-freaking-F!

2008-06-06T07:54:00.003-04:00

I have not felt SO thankful for a Friday in a long time. I LOVE my class. I am learning so much. It is quite the hectic schedule though. My family has caught on and are making the dinner now 2 days in a row. I am SO ready for a little 2 day break.

School

2008-06-03T09:04:00.002-04:00

I managed to get a parking pass AND find my class yesterday! My class is 2:30 to 7 M-F so I will have no time for blogging. I am so busy trying to cram my life in the rest of the free time. The first class was part mind-numbing and part exciting. I definitely learned a few things, felt a little overwhelmed, but I think I am really going to love it. One bad thing. I will be required to write a paper. Oh shit. I haven't written a paper since 1981. I have no clue. Luckily I have a fresh from college graduate in my home whose talents I will be tapping into.

Over the weekend we had a great grad party for Lisa. I will post pictures....um, someday when I have time. Luckily there was a little leftover food because that's what my family will be eating for the next month. Ha!

See ya! Gotta get my assigned reading done.

Houston...we have a GRADUATE!

2008-05-29T08:00:00.006-04:00

One of my friends who also had a child graduating said "I have never seen Lisa so animated. She is ready for New York City." It was such a true statement. She is usually so hard to read. Then again who among us was not overjoyed to be out of High School.

Summertime....

2008-05-27T08:25:00.007-04:00

I don't know why I don't live somewhere were the weather is warm all year. I feel so energized.

I do a little gardening everyday. My flowerpots are all filled.

John's rose garden is AT it!

My garden in the back field is filled with new plants and we planted some new trees back there. It's a great view from the studio.

Speaking of the studio Lisa and I are working on a mailbox. I am really liking how it's turning out.

Here's how the other side will go.

Success

2008-05-22T09:05:00.005-04:00

I made tiles for a clients pool room back splash. She already had hand rolled field tiles in white so I was to make hand rolled accent tiles w/bathing suits on them. I made extra as you never know quite what to expect when you open a kiln. Also when you are using under glazes and glazes the color you see isn't the color it will be so you are sort of painting blind. At least color blind. She ended up taking them all. She loved them. Made my day.

Last night we attended scholarship awards where Lisa received a local Fine Arts Scholarship. We are VERY thankful for that. Somewhere around $600,000 in scholarships were awarded during the evening with at least half of that going to one student. A handful of students were called up again and again. So what I learned during the course of the evening is to get scholarship money you need to be a super extraordinary athlete and/or do LOTS of community service as well as be strong academically. Oh right, and you MUST apply! One lady said she didn't have enough applicants to give away all the scholarships she wanted to. Children, children, children....apply,apply,apply!!!! Give your poor parents a break.

I have one left to go to college after Lisa.

Yes it's a meme...

2008-05-20T18:42:00.006-04:00

and I don't like to participate but my blogging is SO weak lately so here we go. I was tagged by Betmo

One: What was I doing ten years ago?

I would have been in the thick of raising my family. Two teens, 12 and 13, and 8 year old and a 5 year old. Volunteering my ass off and on the verge of change OR a nervous breakdown. Thank goodness it was change that was just around the corner. Although come to think of it there were probably a couple mini breakdowns.

Two: Five things on today's to-do list.

Workout. (Done)

Shower and wash hair for awards night. (Done. Only realized later the awards are tomorrow so I didn't actually have to wash my hair today. dammit.)

Deliver tiles. (Done. She loved them!)

Pick up a few more plants. (Done)

Find someone to pick up pizza for dinner. (Still looking)

Three: Things I'd do if I were a Billionaire.

Pay for all the kids to go to school.

Move my house by the water and add a huge screened porch.

Buy a place in the city.

(Can I please have one more?)
Take Carla on a bad-ass dream vacation for her 40th!

Four: Three bad habits?

Curse like a sailor. (Not proud. Trying to quit but it's harder than quitting smoking.)

Sugar. (also trying to quit this)

Sun worshipper. Not trying to quit.

Five places I have lived

This is embarrassing...
Denver for like a minute 'cause I was born there.
Bowie Maryland
Gaithersburg Maryland
Ocean City Maryland
Bishopville Maryland
Ugh! That is so boring!!!!!

Five Jobs

Gift Wrapper
Waitress
Store Manager
Potters Asst.
Office Manager
Stellar list, I know.

I am tagging (oh yes I am)
Antonio
WT
Chewy
Just Me
Hayden

NO Warp-age!

2008-05-15T09:48:00.005-04:00

Can I just say my first attempt at making hand rolled tiles on my own came out perfectly. Barely a trace of warp-age! I'm pretty proud. AND I have signed up for the summer class of ceramics 101. I want to know what I don't know as I have never been formally trained. Scary. M-F for 4 weeks! It's been a loooong time since I've been committed outside the home M-F. My family is being very supportive EXCEPT for young Johnny who is worried he won't be able to catch a ride to the beach to surf which is the main capacity I hold for him during the summer. When I told him I would drop him off before class and pick him up after or someone else would he quit whining. He doesn't seem convinced. Due to the cost of the class I am kind of 2nd guessing myself too. My supporters keep pushing me forward. They're great.

Here is Johnny and Lisa showing the love at the awards dinner the other night. Rare.

Thanks for being great.!

2008-05-13T07:58:00.007-04:00

I had a really nice Mother's Day and I hope all you other mothers did too. I LOVE getting cards from my children especially when they make them themselves. Store bought cards don't do much for me. Taylor made a very nice card this year. I have saved all the cards the kids have made over the years.

On Friday I received some lovely flowers from Michael and a card that said "Thanks for being GREAT!" I was beaming. I love being called "GREAT" by my children. I know people don't like Mothers Day and think it's commercial and all that but I look forward to the one day a year when my children focus in on me and do things like call me "Great".

The kids presented me with a pot of herbs I use often in the kitchen. I can keep it on the front steps so I don't have to walk all the way to the garden when I'm rushing. They also gave me some garden decorations. Unfortunately I haven't been able to put them out there yet because it was so windy and cloudy on Sunday afternoon and then that night the winds picked up and it rained and blew all through Monday. Many people were without electricity. I lucked out some how but school was canceled as they lost power. Lots of flooding not only here on the coast but across the state. Today the sun is shining but my yard is littered with natures pruning. I made out pretty good considering.

Remember those pretty iris the other day?

John's always afraid this big elbow branch is going to come off the pecan tree. I don't think that big thing is going anywhere.

Two big sections of my neighbors ugly-ass stockade fence are in the field out back and two trees that Johnny just planted for me blew over. I told him this morning that his two trees blew over and he said "You mean your two trees." Mothers Day is so fleeting.

Soulbiographies

2008-05-09T11:05:00.001-04:00

Ode Magazine directed me to this clip and filmaker Nic Askew's Soulbiographies. Pretty cool.

"Filmmaker Nic Askew treats his audience with beautiful short films & stories about Life & the Human Spirt. Soulbiographies, he calls them. One of the movies that touched me deeply was an interview with old men and women in Guatemala. Nic wanted to capture the soul of Guatemala but during the interview he couldn't understand the local language that the old people spoke. He tried hard to listen to their words. And then he gave up. He started to listen to their voice, he looked in their eyes and face and watched their gestures. He immediately understood what they were saying. He discovered that his attempts to understand their words kept him away from being open with his heart directly to theirs."

HERE is a link to some of Nic's films. Watch at your leisure. They are all interesting.

What's blooming?

2008-05-09T09:43:00.004-04:00

Thanks to my forgetfullness I am delightfully surprised every year by what pops out of the ground around here . I had to share these striking Iris'. I spent a lot of time looking at them yesterday.

Lily of the Valley are blooming too. They spread like weeds which I love and smell so good.

Meanwhile the birds around here are officially, really officially, out of my favor. I am really trying not dislike them as they have just as much right as I to live here BUT they are everywhere. Under car hoods. Completely overtaking the barn causing everything to be cover in bird doo and most unfortunately they have gone in an open cut-out that was meant for an outside light fixture. This causes a certain unpleasant odor to emit from an inside opening in my studio that is meant for a switch for the outdoor light. Yes. My husband is a builder. He isn't lazy. He works 24-7... in someone else's home. I'm thinking duct tape. If I do something half-assed that's how I get his attention as he is also a perfectionist.

This and That

2008-05-03T11:42:00.006-04:00

This is the little weather forecaster on my wall. Yesterday this dude was wearing his swimming trunks! That's what I'm talking about! The weather is gorgeous again today and I don't see a cloud in sight so I don't know why he's got his umbrella.

Everything is getting green, green, green. I can't tell you how much I needed this. This is one dull brown, flat place in the winter.

Finally took a picture of the other mirror. I love the color combination here though I'm not sure how many people it will appeal to also. We'll see. I've got to get a web page made for my work. Next thing on this list.

We have been making hand rolled tiles this week in the studio for a job. I had some leftover clay scraps and told the girls to make some fun shapes we could use in future mosaics. I came back a couple hours later and I was so pleased! They came up with some nice stuff.

Enjoy your weekend. I'm going outside and working in the yard. Very happily I might add.

Enough

2008-05-01T09:23:00.001-04:00

I saw this at Betmo's and had to pass it on.

Did you know?

2008-04-29T08:00:00.002-04:00

GI Bill Falls Short

In the WaPo today there is this.

"...Decades after the GI Bill transformed American society after World War II, another generation of veterans is returning home -- more than 800,000 as of last summer. What they find is quite different from the comprehensive benefits that once covered all the costs of an education, from undergraduate straight through Harvard Law. The current GI benefit covers just half the national average cost for tuition, room and board, veterans' advocates say. "It falls dramatically short," said Eric Hilleman of the Veterans of Foreign Wars..."

Then there is this part of the article...

"..."These are people . . . who served the country at a time when very few people did," said Sen. James Webb (D-Va.), who is pushing a bill that would expand benefits for veterans, including active-duty National Guard troops and reservists, to cover the cost of the most expensive public universities and to match contributions from private schools with higher tuition, for four academic years. "We should give them the best shot at a good future."

An earlier version of the bill stalled in Congress; the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs opposed it as (my emphasis) too expensive, too complex to administer and too likely to tempt troops to move back to civilian life. The bill, substantially revised, now has 58 co-sponsors, including both Democratic presidential candidates.

You wouldn't want them going off to college before they've been completely used up by the military would you?

Surfwise

2008-04-26T10:18:00.003-04:00

I have been SO sick this week. Thursday and Friday I could barely get out of bed. I feel better today but definitely not 100%. The weather has been beautiful though and I have been holed up in the house so I'm going to go for it and try and get out in the garden if it kills me.

I did watch a couple of movies. One was Jimmy Carter: Man From Plains. Carla, there were many makeup artists who got film time but YOU were not one of them. What is up with that? The film follows Jimmy on his book tour for "Palestine Peace Not Apartheid". You see how his credibility is called into question. He is unwavering on his stance and his quest for PEACE.

The second movie I saw was Surfwise. THIS is a thought provoking film for sure. Here is a man who takes his family off the beaten path in a big way. There are good things and bad for sure. Everyone has good and bad in the upbringing right? And it's not like following societal norms is working. I think things were too extreme sometimes. I also think everyone deserves an education. It's hard for me to reconcile in my mind a man who had the benefit of a PhD in medicine denying an education to his children. Still there is a lot of beauty in this family. Alot.
I watched this on pay-per-view. Try to find it. I am interested to hear what everyone has to say.

Find more videos like this on www.truveo.com.

Here is a synopsis from the movie website:

Like many American outsider-adventurers, Dorian “Doc” Paskowitz set out to realize a utopian dream. Abandoning a successful medical practice, he sought self-fulfillment by taking up the nomadic life of a surfer. But unlike other American searchers like Thoreau or Kerouac, Paskowitz took his wife and nine children along for the ride, all eleven of them living in a 24 foot camper. Together, they lived a life that would be unfathomable to most, but enviable to anyone who ever relinquished their dreams to a straight job. The Paskowitz Family proved that America may be running out of frontiers, but it hasn’t run out of frontiersman.

A related subject...

2008-04-25T11:55:00.000-04:00

Just for Carla

2008-04-23T18:01:00.002-04:00

My sister Carla and I have a thing for Grey Gardens. We saw the documentary and the Broadway show. We love a character and these women were indeed characters. Recently Carla, who is a makeup artist, (and does a dead-on imitation of little Edie) realized she was doing the makeup of the current owner. Obviously they have completely redone Grey Gardens and wouldn't the two of us like to see it. I stumbled on this youtube that gives us a little peek of the refurbished Grey Gardens. Carla I know you are going to be just as excited as me to see it.

Getting a few things done anyway...

2008-04-16T08:38:00.004-04:00

I have been BUSY! I know you must be sick of hearing about it. I am too!

Monday night we attending a wrestling awards dinner. Johnny received MVP on JV and a varsity letter. They said he is going to be a MONSTER next year. Wow! Just what every mother wants to hear. Looking forward to that. Here he is with his friend who is holding the award.

We went to NYC for the day yesterday to enroll Lisa in school. I felt it was necessary to have John sit in front of a human in hopes that he would grasp the whole tuition thing. He was very quiet. It's not like I haven't been telling him but you know you don't always listen to your spouse. The woman in financial aid who helped us was laughing as we left. There was NO SHOPPING on this visit. We were 2 hours into the drive home before he started talking about it. Shell shock. Anyway I am excited for Lisa. She's happy too.

I have been working in the studio but I've been getting side-tracked so things are moving slowly. I managed to get one mirror out to get a picture but I think I need to retake it in some sunshine. I will try again today.

I haven't stained the frame yet. I have that and much more to do so I better get going.

A little nostalgic today

2008-04-08T09:10:00.009-04:00

Ugh! Spent another day driving to Washington and back! Got the thumbs up on Lisa from the doc. She's good to go. I have so much on my plate for today I shouldn't even be sitting here writing this. But I want to real quick post a couple pics for my family.

On the way home from Washington I stopped by the house we lived in a long, long, long time ago. Right after I was born. I lived there until half way through the 5th grade. I have fond, fond memories of this neighborhood. Playing in the woods, ice skating on the swamp and the lake. Sledding at the mansion. Buying penny candy at the J-mart. Oh and having to get your permission slip signed by your parents before you could swim in the Moomey's above ground pool. It was traumatic for me when we moved away.

My Dad kept the yard immaculate. He planted the magnolia tree and the hedges. He put up the white picket fence. There were grapevines, a cherry tree, a peach tree and I think an apple or pear as well as a vegetable garden in the backyard. I would have loved to walk back there and look. Too chicken. Of course it was nothing like my father had it. When we lived there there wasn't a weed anywhere. He used to line all seven (maybe not Carla) of us across the lawn and set a timer. We would weed until the timer went off. Then it was freedom for us and he'd sit on a lawn chair in front of the garage in his v-neck white t-shirt smoking a Winston and drinking a Tab from the grey smoked glasses collected with a fill-up at the gas station.

The place isn't tidy any more. The fence isn't exactly white. You know...you can't go home. I went by the elementary school and there was graffitti on the fence. As I drove past the homes I could remember all the families names who had lived there. The Angelo's (who were in witness protection supposedly), the Delala's, the Dean's, the Walkers, the house where King the biting dog lived, (remember to give wide berth when walking by),the Kinter's, the Pittinger's (One of whom lit the house on fire one night I think by playing with firecrackers in their room. I can remember watching the fire from the upstairs bathroom window. The bathroom had wallpaper with pink poodles sitting on a chair talking on the phone.) I went by the mansion to see if those good sledding hills were still there. They didn't look as pronounced or big as I remember but they were there. The MANSION, which when I was a kid was Town Hall, is now a museum. I tried to go in but of course they were closed on Monday.

I definitely wanted to go to some of the old stomping grounds. Take the old road to the woods. Look and see if Frankensteins grave was still there. Cross the highway and see if I could find the swamp (Rita was that a hockey puck that gave you the concusion or did someone throw a rock at you?) and J-mart. Walk to Foxhill park.... Good memories.

Six-Word Memoir

2008-04-03T08:46:00.002-04:00

Fellow local blogger Oceanshaman has given me what has turned out to be quite a task:

1. Write a six-word memoir.

2. Post it on your blog (accompanying pics, art, music, etc. optional).

3. Link to the person that tagged you in your post.

4. Tag five more blogs with links.

5. Leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to engage.

Umm, it's weird because I can usually say it easier in any other amount of words but six. Bottom line is even given all the words out there I couldn't put it in words. It is was it is. (See that's 5). After thinking about it all day I came up with:

Laying in the bed I made.

My daughters thought that sounded so depressing which is not what I meant. I meant I take responsibility for my actions. I do what I have to do. I'm USUALLY happy with that. I'm a realist. That's what I came up with!

The criticism took me back to the drawing board.

Happy with how things are going. (Lame)
Making the most of my life. (?)

Hey! How about "Getting what I want for myself!"
To me that sounds just like laying in the bed I made. That is the major lesson I have learned in this life. Taught to me by my mom and dad (though not consciously I don't think). A learn-by-doing-kind of thing. It's not depressing to me it's REAL. Help yourself. No one else can be counted on although it could happen (I don't want to seem like I'm not optimistic) but don't count on it. You're better off if you just do it yourself.

Okay enough of this. My brain hurts. I'm going to make some art.
Oh yeah, there are quite of few of you I'd love to hear from on this. I think almost everybody is more clever with words than I am. What is your Six-Word Memoir?

Ist Place

2008-04-01T08:40:00.003-04:00

While Lisa was convalescing at home last week her art teacher entered a piece from her portfolio in Women's Art Women's Vision Art Show without Lisa knowing. Turns out she got first place in the High School division. She had not wanted to go back to school on Monday but I felt like she needed to get UP and MOVE. As a senior she only is in school a couple of hours so I knew she'd be fine. The big win definitely put a smile on her face. She needed that. I have to wait for her to give me the CD she has her portfolio on so I can post the winning piece of art.

20 years

2008-03-28T08:48:00.004-04:00

Yesterday was my anniversary. John and I have been married 17 years but have lived together 20. No celebration really. Too hectic around here. Working, running Johnny around, Lisa... Somehow the night before I slept wrong and once again I have a pinched nerve or something and it's causing some major discomfort. I wish Lisa had better drugs because I'd take them. By the end of the day I just needed to sit quietly.

20 is quite a long time. It's hard to believe Taylor is 23, Michael is 22, Lisa is 18! and Johnny 14. Those were SOME kinda 20 years!

Anyway, here's to another 20. Really. And to everyone who didn't think we'd make it...

All's well

2008-03-26T08:39:00.002-04:00

We are home! And better yet, we slept! Lisa had her surgery yesterday in D.C. We did not go up the night before and instead got up and drove in at 3AM. As you can imagine that was a pretty traffic-free drive and we ended up getting there almost an hour early. After the surgery (and some recovery time) we got back in the car and went home. I can't say Lisa is the best patient but maybe after she's had some sleep she'll feel better. She had a great team of doctors and nurses so it was worth the travel time for sure.

Easter Lasagna '08

2008-03-23T10:13:00.012-04:00

Here we go again. First there was Easter Lasagna 06,
then 07 and now the 2008 version. This year's version is called Le Marche Lasagne. I saw chef Fabio Trabocchi making on TV a while back. I made it then and said to my family I would never make it again. Time consuming. Yet here I am making it again. It is VERY good.

It has a different filling using white pork, simmered in Marsala, rosemary,thyme and much more. Rather than ricotta there is a Bechamel sauce and Parmigiano-Reggiano. And of course home-made lasagna noodles. I used my own recipe for those.

Needless to say the kitchen is a disaster when I finally finish. Thank goodness I made it up the day before.

Easter morning we all slept in. What a treat! John made breakfast for the kids when he got up.

I'm not a fan of breakfast so I worked on the computer. I had a badly needed new keyboard to install as well as an external hard drive AND some fire wire port or something. I'm not sure what it is but I know how to install it and what I want to use it for. I have been needing to do all that for months! Check.

It was a totally chill morning with a LOT of laying around (notice the pile of clean laundry right beside him)...

and munching on Easter candy.

John and I had a nice walk together and afterwords I cut some of the gorgeous daffodils in the yard and brought them in. Two big bunches. I am feeling Spring now. Whew!

Hope you are enjoying and relaxing today also!

I Love

2008-03-20T12:51:00.001-04:00

I LOVE Fran's post today. It's a must read IMO.
Check it out.

5 Years Too Many

2008-03-19T08:29:00.006-04:00

I almost forgot about this but it is too important. This war is wrong. Anyone who hasn't figured that out by now I don't believe can have their mind changed by anything I say. War is NOT the answer. I'm not sure it every is. Imagine how many lives this war has ruined. That should give you something to think about for the at least the entire day.

Whew!

2008-03-19T07:28:00.006-04:00

They are coming and going around here. Michael left and is now in Kansas and it looks like my oldest, Taylor will be moving home for a while. This past Saturday was Michael's last night at home and he asked us to meet him out with his friends at a bar. The problem with that is they don't get going in the bars until 9PM at the earliest which is about the time John and I want to go to bed. We were planning on leaving the house at 5:30 AM the next morning to move Taylor home.(Long story) We hung out at the bar with Michael until maybe 11:30 and then had to call it quits. It's always fun to hang out with them and I am going to miss him but I am so glad he is right in Kansas. Compared to Iraq it feels like next door.

So Sunday morning we are on the road bright and early. Killer. I followed John in Taylors car as it had just come out of repair. The plan was to get her stuff and she would follow us back later that day. She was way out in Middletown way north of here. I was so tired. It was nice to see some hills and mountains once we got there as it is SO entirely flat here.

We loaded her up and tried to comfort her. (Bad break-up. Hard to watch.) Thankfully I was a passenger on the way back a was able to get a few winks in. Nearly impossible to sleep in a pick-up.

Next morning bright and early had to hit the road again as Lisa had a doctors appointment in Washington. Her birthday was the following day so I planned to take her shopping while we were there. After the appointment she let me know she was hoping for my enchiladas and a raspberry lemon cake for her birthday dinner the next night. Right. Can you say exhausted? It's a 3 hour drive to Washington and the last 20 minutes of the ride home I could not do. I gave the wheel to the now 18 year old. Once again though, how much sleep do you think you get with and 18 year old at the wheel?

Next day I groceried, and cooked all day. Joy.

Today I just want to catch up in the office and studio. What an absolutely boring post this is. But that's what I've been doing. Going, going, going. I feel pressed for time lately so not much time to be on the blogs. Miss everyone.

Box-o-Joy

2008-03-11T09:30:00.007-04:00

Running from the studio to the house the other (100mph windy, rainy, crappy-ass) day I discovered a box wedged between the storm door and the door. Why, it's my fruit-of-the-month! My "box of joy"! (I'm stealing this term from my son. When I take him to the grocery store so he can get JUNK food he calls it the cart the "cart of joy". "Would you like to add something to the cart of joy Mother?" he will say.) Anyway this month it is PLUMS. Yummy. They are already GONE! Got them on Friday. It really is a decadant gift Carla. THANK YOU.

Meanwhile, in the studio, I had the girls start on 2 different mirrors. I realized they needed more colors so I had them glaze tiles. It wasn't enough to fill the kiln so the next day as they were "OFF" I went out and glazed more. It was heaven to be out there. Then I couldn't help myself and I started working on the mirrors. I had to stop so there would be something for them to do today. I have to start thinking of the next project. I can think of plenty for me to do but I am having trouble giving jobs to them. I wanna do it. Were is a huge installation job when you have the help?

No accounting...

2008-03-07T10:44:00.006-05:00

"There's just no accounting for happiness,
or the way it turns up like a prodigal
who comes back to the dust at your feet"
-- Jane Kenyon

There you have it! No accounting. Comes and goes. I'm feeling more like myself. OR I'm forcing myself to. I've been very busy this week. I have 2 helpers in the studio currently. My daughter Lisa and her friend. They both need a job for a school program. It's hard to get a job around here this time of year so I took them in. It's a pain because I have to create work for them BUT that is good because I'm in the studio making stuff and that always makes me happy. We are working on 2 mirrors and finishing up a dry sink that's been on the back burner for-everrrrrr.

I also have made up some pillows this week for a good friend. I really dislike this kind of thing and seem to curse alot when I do it but the end result is passable. I still need to get some more filling for the last two.

My children are up to their normal routine of keeping my head spinning. Lisa has now been accepted at SVA in NYC which is very exciting. Now I just need to hear from those scholarships!!!!!

Oh yeah! I found myself behind this vehicle the other day which made me feel I was not so all alone. ( You may have to click on it to see what the sticker says.)

Life is Beautiful?

2008-02-26T08:49:00.007-05:00

I've been in a bit of a dark hole lately even though I have MUCH to be grateful for. I don't know what it is but I wake up everyday and don't want to get out of bed. But I do. Because I don't like feeling this way. I'll climb my way out of this hole. No worries. I'll get it. Thank goodness for my little surprise that came from my sister. I could use the vitamin C and sunshine! Thanks Carla!!!!

I recently acquired 2! paintings. I can't tell you how much I love these. They definitely bring me pleasure. I know material things are not supposed to be where I get my joy but it's art. That's not a material thing really is it? The first is Evening Rose by Kevin Fitzgerald who is a local artist that I've always admired. It is actually a glicee print. I bid in a silent auction which I never do because everyone has more money than I do. I got lucky for a change. The 2nd is a painting by my good friend, whom you've seen in my blog before, Deb Rolig. This painting is called "Monkey Madonna" and I have long adored this painting. I've tried to take a couple pictures to share with you. It was hard not to get a glare. Check them out.

Now this gave me a chuckle. I found these pictures on the kitchen table this morning. What on earth do you do with that many pictures of your son in a singlet?

Johnny always did like a picture of himself. We were just reminiscing about this photo below that he had to have in 8 x 10 size to hang in his room. He told me he was positive he looked hot that day. Now when he sees it he wants to get rid of it. I of course do think he looked hot. Like a little surfer boy with his curly hair. So cute. I miss those curls.

Oh and I finally cleaned the aforementioned teens room. I walked in there one morning and next thing you know I was cleaning. Scary. Maybe that was the cause of my funk. Or maybe it's the damn reading glasses and lack of memory. I better shutup now because I see my dark side is about to spring a leak.

A Song, A Poem, A Picture, Some Words

2008-02-19T09:40:00.003-05:00

"One ought, every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture, and, if it were possible, to speak a few reasonable words."
-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

A Song...

I don't really have a song that I'm digging right now but I am always happy to hear your suggestions. Help me out.

A Poem....

Emily Dickinson (1830–86). Complete Poems. 1924.

Part Four: Time and Eternity

XCIII

THE DISTANCE that the dead have gone
Does not at first appear;
Their coming back seems possible
For many an ardent year.

And then, that we have followed them
We more than half suspect,
So intimate have we become
With their dear retrospect.

A Picture...

I have seen Steve McCurry's mesmerizing work many places. I can't choose one gallery to recommend on his site. Look in them all. They are all important.

Some words...

I seem to be in a very weak blogging cycle. Whatever. It is what it is. Still busy.

First Time Voter!!!!!!

2008-02-12T10:49:00.000-05:00

Big day for Lisa! She voted for the first time today!

Yesterday she got her FIRST letter of acceptance to a University. I've been crying like a baby for a couple days now. Big stuff.

Butts and Singlets

2008-02-09T10:48:00.000-05:00

Johnny has the wide white stripe on the side.

More from St. Michaels

2008-02-07T07:59:00.000-05:00

Next morning we get up and meet everyone for breakfast. John and I had to be gone by 11:00 as Johnny was playing lacrosse in Salisbury and his athletic life rules our lives. Breakfast, like dinner the evening before, was stupendous. Fresh fruit (and I mean fresh), fresh squeezed juice, coffee in pretty, little, teeny,tiny, china cups. (Okay that was like torture. The cups need to be bigger.) Anyway, cut to the chase. I had two beautiful poached eggs Benedict on lobster hash. Bravisimo!

After breakfast we walked over to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Muesum. So much good stuff to see and not enough time. The place is HUGE! It's something like 18 acre's of buildings. First stop was a working boatyard where you could sign up to apprentice. Pretty cool. There they were working on a wooden skiff.

The guy leaning back in the brown sweatshirt is a 4th generation boatmaker. Pretty cool. He took us around the boat building area and gave us a lot of information. I was fascinated by the workshops. It is so interesting exploring someone elses craft. (I need an editor.)So much to see. In one of them we spyed a dug-out hanging from the rafters. Reminded me of the book Red Fox and His Canoe. Remember that book?

I also saw a kiln and a potters wheel and asked what they were used for. Turns out they make their own brass fittings. Impressive. The potters wheel. Well some guy there is also a potter. Being able to speak with this boatmaker is what made the visit so special. It's my understanding that this is pretty much how the place operates. Here is an excerpt from their website:

"Unlike most museums which must depend upon tour guides or costumed re-enacters to bring life to the history they celebrate, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum offers you the real thing: people who actually live the story we tell. Some days, depending on the season and the weather, you could find a master decoy carver sitting on the porch of the Waterfowling building, carving decoys and telling stories of his life in Dorchester County. On others, a retired crab picker might be sitting at one of the picnic tables sharing historic photographs, talking with visitors about working on Navy Point; pointing out where different buildings stood, and sharing her memories of a picker's life. In the Museum's working Boat Yard, you can watch the restoration of the Bay's traditional vessels and go talk with the shipwrights, apprentices, or a visiting captain or boat builder."

On to the the SREWPILE LIGHTHOUSE. It is called screwpile because it has iron pilings shaped like a screw that are screwed into the bay floor to hold it. Then there you are in the middle of the water in a lighthouse. Kind of "romantic". I mean don't rich people pay the big bucks to hang out in huts over the water in some far flung location? Anyway, then I saw this little plaque.

Okay maybe just a couple days. One. The accomodations were pretty stark. The outhouse hung off the side of the balcony. That could be sort of daunting.

You can't beat the view.

The various kinds of boats used by watermen for crabbing and oystering were of course on display. At this point I was running out of time so I only briefly peeked. But again, to me, it was fascinating.

I certainly would like to visit again and spend a little more time. It's so close to my home and I had never been. But there are so many, many, many places to see...

My birthday.

2008-02-06T07:56:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was my birthday. Another year older. It started very early in the morning with me trying to plug in my new cell phone to charge it but not being able to SEE the little plug in the side of the phone. I heard my husband say " Where are the glasses we bought you?" In that moment I felt "older".

Just weeks before we had bought a pair of reading glasses for me. The lowest magnification I could find but still I had been struggling to see a few things. I had my eyes checked and my perscription for distance was significantly different AND the doc wanted to put bifocals in my glasses. I declined. Thats too confusing for me. Then it was off to MVA to get my drivers license renewed and when the picture came out I saw my mother. She's a good looking woman but I didn't exactly see my YOUNG mother. Come to think of it my father had finger nails that were very...square. The sides of them kind of formed sharp angles like a box. My nails are doing that and its freaking me out. Hell, it's freaking my husband out. Not that it's ugly but they are so completely my fathers nails.

Other than that! I feel young so screw it. I had a nice quiet day. I recieved some form of congratulations from all but two members of my family. Those are great numbers when you come from such a large family. How can you be expected to remember so many dates? I know I myself am very guilty of missing some bdays. (Anne if you are reading, happy belated birthday. You know I love you.) It happens. Even better ALL of my children acknowledged the day. Taylor called even though she couldn't be any sicker. Flu, pink eye, sinus infection. Poor child. Still called and wished me a happy birthday. Michael called from Germany. John brought home my favorite pizza and Johnny and I watched the first episode of Lost that we missed last week on the computer. It was a great day. As Michael said to me, "Hey, your still younger than all my friends mothers." Yeah. So there.

I'll give you the rest of St. Michaels tomorrow.

St. Michael's

2008-02-04T08:28:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone! Long time, no blog. Here I am though. Real life is keeping me pretty tied up right now but I took a little break and I'm going to try and take the time to tell you about it. Pretty optimistic thinking on my part because at this moment I have to be somewhere in one hour that takes me 1/2 an hour to get to AND I'm still in my PJ's.

This weekend John and I visited St. Michaels. It was a beautiful and very relaxing place. I felt like I could really take a breath. For starters we stayed at the Inn at Perry Cabin. The place was gorgeous with beautiful views that were very calming. We got lucky w/the weather also. Somewhere in the mid to low 50's. Perfect walking weather.

The grounds were beautiful. I'm sure it's even nicer when everything is in bloom. Look at this quaint little scene we happened upon.

We went into town and browsed through some of the shops. I bought a white iron mermaid an antique metal laundry basket. I'll try to show you it tomorrow. I thought it would make an excellent planter.

The hotel was just the nicest place I have ever stayed. The bathroom was MY dream. Bigger than my bedroom I think. Here are the 3 walls of it. The 4th had mirrors that make you think you need to loose more than the 10lbs. you were thinking you needed to loose. When John went in to take a shower he called out to me and said "The thing about these mirrors is...they tell the truth." I DID NOT take a photograph of them.

The room was great too. A fireplace and a TV at the foot of the bed. There was a switch next to the bed that made the TV rise up out of the leather trunk there. I've only seen that on MTV cribs. Of course I'm sure you all have that in your homes.

Here is the tres relaxing view from our room.

Here is a beautiful mirror that I found when I peeked into the spa on the hotel grounds. I must find these shells and make one. Anyone know what kind of shell that is?

We (John and I, his sister and brother-in-law and a friend) dined in the hotel restaurant and again I was not at all disappointed. Here's a pic of my Alaskan wild salmon, John's huge pork chop,some lamb and scallops. Is that beautiful food or what?

After dinner John and I stopped at the bar. I just wanted to be sure I experienced every aspect of the place. ;)We met Kara and Kelly from Virginia Beach. They had come to St. Michael's to pick up an antique. They were alot of fun. I wish I had gotten their emails. They seriously had me in stitches.

I have so much more to tell you but that's all for now. Later.

(I don't know why but spell check isn't working so please excuse any spelling errors I missed.)

Yellow Rose Peace Bus

2008-01-19T10:28:00.000-05:00

I don't know how many of you heard the story of the Yellow Rose Peace Bus but I first heard about it here. (Thanks Carol) Jim and his bus are great soldiers for peace. Jim recently lost the bus to fire. You can read about it on his blog Yellow Rose Peace Bus. Just scroll down a bit to get the story. There is also a great radio interview that is well worth the listen. He's the kind of American you can really admire. Stop by and show him a little love.

Chaos ensues

2008-01-18T09:41:00.000-05:00

I venture out of the misery that is the office only to find this-

The guilty one is easy to spot. His error (he used regular old liquid dishsoap) was thrilling to him as he'd only seen this kind of thing on sitcoms. P.S- Everyone should have a shop vac. It gets us out of more situations where we don't know what to do.

Synchronized snoring

2008-01-14T17:16:00.000-05:00

I am deep in the crap that is John's office in January. Thankfully this little tiny office is across the driveway but I hate every minute I spend in it. My neck it tight and my shoulders are sore. January is my least favorite month. I must get the business taxes done, my taxes done and then hand all that info to Lisa's future college. So for now I am MIA. But here is a silly video my daughter took over the holidays. It had me in hysterics then and even now without the benefit of the alcohol consumed that night, I have to laugh. When we got home from a night out Taylor's BF and my husband laid down on the couches. Taylor and I left the room momentarily and came back to this...

John is still denying that he is in that video as he had the benefit of being on the unlit couch. Take my word for it- he is the snorer with the deeper pitch in the dark part of the room. Pity me.

Did I mention The Wire yet?

2008-01-10T12:08:00.000-05:00

I just finished season 4 of THE WIRE. If you are not watching this show then you are missing out. My brother-in-law turned us on to this and we have been watching as fast as we can get our hands on a new season. The 5th and final season has just started so we we are caught up.

The writers on this show get it SO right. It is so compelling. The characters are so full. The good guys are bad guys and the bad guys are good guys...it just crosses back and forth. It is such a commentary on society and the dysfunction of the system. Each season takes you through another piece of the dysfunction and they all connect. It's quite an education. A really smart and brilliant show. I'm not good at this so just trust me and watch it.

Update:
(Sornie, this is for you.) I took this from the HBO link for the show which I have above. Here is just part of what they have on the "About the show" page.

The first season of 'The Wire' (2002) concentrated on the often-futile efforts of police to infiltrate a West Baltimore drug ring headed by Avon Barksdale and his lieutenant, Stringer Bell. In Seasons Two and Three, as the Barksdale investigation escalated, new storylines involving pressures on the working class and the city's political leadership were introduced. Season Four focused on the stories of several young boys in the public school system, struggling with problems at home and the lure of the corner - set against the rise of a new drug empire in West Baltimore and a new Mayor in City Hall.

The fifth and final season of 'The Wire' centers on the media's role in addressing - or failing to address - the fundamental political, economic and social realities depicted over the course of the series, while also resolving storylines of the numerous characters woven throughout the narrative arc of the show.

Explains series creator David Simon, "It made sense to finish 'The Wire' with this reflection on the state of the media, as all the other attendant problems of the American city depicted in the previous four seasons will not be solved until the depth and range of those problems is first acknowledged. And that won't happen without an intelligent, aggressive and well-funded press."

Walk away

2008-01-08T14:36:00.000-05:00

“Order is a lovely thing; on disarray it lays its wing, teaching simplicity to sing.”

I love order. In this case though I just have to walk away.

My NYE

2008-01-08T00:09:00.000-05:00

It was a fairly quiet New Years Eve here. John's mother and father came as well as 2of his brothers.

My sister Rita...

and my friend Maggie.

That's a pretty small crowd for us. To be honest I wasn't really on top of the invites like I should have been. Tired I guess. I don't know. I always have a sit down dinner on NYE. I think if I changed that up to just food put out I would invite more people.

Michael and his friend hung around until about 9 which was great. Poor kid was THE photo opportunity the whole time he was home. Everyone has photo w/Michael.

Lisa also hung out for a while then departed for a more exciting party. SO pretty! And rocking some new red shoes.

A couple cousins around and Johnny also...

I didn't even get the noise makers out. I'm lame. In fact this post is boring the shit out of me. But Carla, look how good Rita looks.

McGovern calls for IMPEACHMENT

2008-01-06T18:16:00.000-05:00

"A President, any President, who maintains that he is above the law -- and repeatedly violates the law -- thereby commits high crimes and misdemeanors."
Elizabeth Holtzman

In case you didn't catch THIS article in WaPo today (Why I Believe Bush Must Go)

"As we enter the eighth year of the Bush-Cheney administration, I have belatedly and painfully concluded that the only honorable course for me is to urge the impeachment of the president and the vice president." - By George McGovern

All I can say is what the hell took you so long?