Weirdness...

This is what I saw coming over the rooftops at the in-laws on Saturday. Well, you just can't make this stuff up. And, gosh, they were flying awfully low...

Spent the morning yesterday opening the parents' pool. Smugly assumed I had everything to open my own pool only to discover I have no shock and little DE left. Ugh! There go the plans to open the pool today...

Spent this morning working in the garden. The announcement has apparently gone out to the mosquito community that I am out and about. My back and arms are a god-awful mess and burn like heck - especially given the fact that the bites were subsequently scratched by the rose thorns. But, darnit if the garden doesn't look just beautiful. And the long awaited purple-blue iris has bloomed. Look for that picture soon. The mulberries are ripening and taste sooo good! Picked the chamomile flowers and waiting for the lavender flowers to bloom to make lavender chamomile tea. Mmmmm!

Now on to prepping work and submitting for shows. Fingers- crossed...

Dumb luck...

Locked myself out of the house again on Friday. No gardening tools, but managed to weed the backyard grass again. I swear I unlocked the door, but alas, it was not. I have a sneaking suspicion that Millie is involved in this. Hubby saw her jump and grab for a doorknob recently. I will get to the bottom of this. Of course, babycackes is yelling for me to come in to feed her while I am locked out for 45 minutes. Well dear, if you would just unlock it, I could feed you! And I tried to break in the old way - pull the screen off a living room window on the porch - but the last time I did that, I realized it was too easy. So I repaired it nice and tight so that no burglar could do what I did, but neither can I! Duh!

Weirdness in New Hope yesterday at the in-laws. The picture will be posted later.

Ooh! A cliffhanger!

DTS for MDW? No way!

So while the kiddies are merrily taking part in the debauchery that is DTS for MDW, here I sit on the computer listening to the great WFMU and Dave the Spazz and one of the most fun songs out there: "Henry the VIII" (I am I am!) by Herman's Hermits and I instantly travel back to my room in the early 90's watching The Patty Duke Show and Patty is rocking out for a band singing that very gem! Oh, Nick at Nite used to be great! Nothing is better than great music in the warm weather.

Almost all art for the Art Show is done and ready.

Whoa, there is a cat howling outside! Oh no! Hopefully that does not mean being woken up tonight by a fight!

I finalized trip plans for Portland, Oregon. And just purchased tickets for the Bangs reunion show there that is a fundraiser for a record label gal who now has cancer. Also, hubby's friend's friend just received a diagnosis of stage 4 cancer. Boom... no warning. So, that's why I am such a loudmouth who speaks my mind and fights for what is right... I would rather be myself than be a good little girl and keep my mouth shut! And I am finding the courage to get students to speak up.

A week of great emotions and so on... so what else is new!

Excited to buy the last of the solid wood doors yesterday. This summer I will finish the interior door replacement in my house. Funny how the Home Depot guy thought I needed help loading them into hubby's car. Little does he know that I carried 5 doors in and out of my basement numerous times due to dad canceling the cutting plans a few times two summers ago. How else would the doors get in and out of the house during the day while hubby is working? Duh!

Spent the rest of the day catching up on gardening. What a riot of colour at the house right now! Really want to get going in the darkroom today or do some more drawing but find myself too tired. Guess that means nap time with Millie!

Talkin' bout the weather...

Gosh it is soooo nice out. It is weather like this that makes me glad I do not have to live on much sleep. Nothing says summer like long days, going, going going 'til I drop doing creative stuff like gardening, drawing, shooting, making jewelry, exploring, making meals with stuff I picked form my garden and napping (around 1.45 pm) will the Mill Mill. And the radio show is getting me back in the routine of listening to music. Just wish the tape player at work didn't eat my tapes. Can't bring the darkroom stereo out for every cassette!

Went to the Ringwood student art show. Driving that way reminded me of the spot I know at an earlier turnoff where you can hike and dip your feet in water. Was the only teacher with work in the show that showed up but lots of PV kids did so that was fun. Such a beautiful day to be up there.

Waited for the sun to come back out after dinner and took the Canon to shoot the flowers in the garden. Gosh, I love my DSLR!!! Also spent some time last night working through ideas in photoshop using pictures from the last London trip. Think I am close to getting what I want. Just need to experiment with surfaces to print on now...

So of course I gardened today. Just not at my house. Can it be that I have managed to get the lawn weeds under control this early in the season? Yikes! I helped the preggers sister garden at her house for a couple of hours. Then, later on, Gimpy sitting and some gardening at the parents' house.

Had a wonderful ending to a stressful week. The radio show went very well. Had listeners - and not all people who know me! The station guy loved my set! Hooray! I cannot wait to get back on the air. Hope I get a slot next year....

Had wonderful students working after school. Many people ask why I bother staying late/going in early when it is unpaid, but it is because the students like to. No one really knows I am there - I don't advertise it to the powers that be. And I will never get the recognition many of us deserve, but the students are thankful. Some things at work are just ridiculous - the politics, games, pettiness. A book on my list has truly enlightened me and I really have to just not let it get to me. Easier said than done. Receiving the Volunteer of the Year award for my Design Committee work in town made me real happy and at least in one area of my life my efforts are recognized. But then, there are few selfish, deceptive people where I volunteer. Unlike where I work. I will be volunteering again tomorrow and it will be ton of fun. There are times I want to do the guerrilla gardening, but I have to be careful about that. Make sure I weed only properties on Main Street where I know I will not get in trouble. I guess the only kind of criminal I can be is the type who tries to make things better on the sly... kind of Robin Hood-like? ;) But did Robin Hood have others in the wings looking to take all the credit? Ugh!

So it took over 24 hours for my computer to defragment. But it is done, working faster and I can now play free cell!

Oh, and respond to student blogs.

And do all the things I need to catch up on like read some of my favourite blogs and sites.

Dark, dark day could make for nice pictures. Going to a communion in Brick - DTS! - so I guess I will bring the camera and shoot while riding in mom's car. It will keep my mind off her atrocious driving.

Computers, computers

Gardened 'til 7.00 pm last night. Great progress and great weather but the gnats were attacking and annoying. Father came to inspect the computer. We began a defragment around 8.00 pm. As of right now, it is still defragmenting! UGH!!!!! So I cannot comment on some real good blog posts until perhaps tonight? But apparently when I clean my baby up, she will run better.

Note: do not rely on the microsoft defragmenter. It does nothing but are you surprised?

Walked home last night from my Historic Preservation meeting. Such a lovely night. Throngs of people waiting to get into the Mexican restaurant. I really enjoyed looking at all the people in the eateries talking animatedly. If I wouldn't achieve great creeper status, I would have crossed the street, zoomed in and taken some great observational pics. But, not ready for that.

Really frustrated with the lack of ability to comment on most student blogs at work but father is coming over today to look at why the home computer is so slow. SO hopefully I will be checking blogs at home with more regularity.

Have all my music set for my guest spot on the radio next week. Incredibly bummed that I cannot play vinyl - anyone have two spare Tecnics needles out there?!? - but I have enough for two hours.

Stayed up late last night finding things that might help keep some of the less inspired people pout there motivated. I worry that this student generation has too short of an attention span for a 45 minute period to keep them going. I wonder if block schedule classes would reframe the studio situation enough for them to really immerse themselves in their work or give them enough time to truly dig deep to find more inspiration. Is the 45 minute period enough time? Certainly not from a teacher's perspective regarding attendance, checking on work, e-mailing people back - RIGHT NOW!!!! - and then getting to each student or covertly checking on their work and then, THEN, figuring out that some of them are losing inspiration. Ninety minutes versus 45? I like it and the potential, but it will never happen.

So I will keep hoping I can stir the creative juices... but the onus cannot be all on me. I actively look for things that inspire me and hope the students will be more active in doing that for themselves.

So I have apparently grown another tree by merely sticking a stick in the ground. The first one happened by the pool and now hangs over real nicely and tropical in the summer. The second one... is a mulberry tree! I thought the leaves were mulberry leaves upon examination last summer. But I confirmed it last night. There are little fruits growing! You have no idea how happy this makes me. I no longer have to lurk in the alley behind my house to pick them off the ground... I can just pick them right in my back yard!

Was trimming the bushes bordering the veggie garden when the world turned a weird shade of orange. All the plants and flowers looked more red... real odd... then the rain came and there was a great rainbow. I told Millie to come look at the rainbow at the window... and she did! She's so great.

Teacher appreciation week... hmmmm... anyone tell out guv'nr that?

Oh, and I have another work in an art show. One of my felt and metal sculptures was accepted into a new online gallery. Hooray!

Gardening at Night...

Thank goodness for spring...

Dirt...

Man I LOVE this weather!!! Can't even finish my morning coffee before the itch to garden gets me. Taking pictures of the great little blue flowers behind the pool later on. The white irises are blooming. I just want to lay down in the grass and read all day outside. Too bad my skin gets hives from the grass... Still feeling smug about doing everything by hand. Hand weeded the lawn and thatched it with the hand rake. Almost done. I also have seedlings of one or two other veggies coming up. Tilled half the veggie garden area and deciding what to do about the other half. Do I assemble the second raised bed box or not? Decisions decisions....

Went for dessert last night and began my covert shooting of my preggers sister project. She wants candid documentation of her pregnancy and her Dave was not working out. You know, non-artist type and all that. So I am thinking of being a creeper and hanging out near her house tomorrow morning and shooting paparazzo style as she leaves for work! Tee hee...

If Millie doesn't bother me, I may work on some art... and that is a mighty big if... or I can just go back outside and garden...

So...

... got home at 10.00pm last night. Congressional Art Show and the Photo program kicked butt!! Mr. Vasa met me for dinner beforehand and Spiffy was making funny noises so we drove Sparky to Montclair State. Called AAA when we returned to PV. On hold forever. Called insurance co for their tow. Waited...and waited... and waited....

Some observations:

• PV looks pretty at night from the visitor's parking.
• kids like hitting metal signs with sticks.
• I am not the only one that leaves things and can't get in the building to retrieve them.
• There are A LOT of people hanging around PV at night! The place is busier than the mall! Why are all of you coming and going when all you do is moan and groan about how you can't wait to get out and you hate the place?!? Jeez... LOTS of cars and making multiple trips... are you kids cruising the back lot? Weird...
• It is apparently cool to play thump-thump music real loud in your car even if there is no one around to hear how cool you are.
  

So the tow truck gets there and he - the driver - fiddles with some things and fixes Spiffy. Finally head home... At least the parents stopped by the house to feed Millie. Did not want to face her screaming at us...

Hey, at least two super photo students received awards last night! Feel like a proud mommy...