All set for Paris. I definitely need a break from the depressing existence that is living in New Jersey at this moment. I cannot wait to look at newspapers that will not have the "governor" on the front page. And I will be there with some fabulous students.

Photo information: Kodak Tmax 400 shot with a Holga in February of this year. The weather reports for the next week in Paris appear to be better than what I had to deal with back then...

Here is a "Happy Graduation" Millie picture from me to all the graduating Photography students. I hope all of you keep taking pictures forever....

I just registered for my surgery online... weird...

Thank goodness I am left-handed. Though typing, sewing, making sculptures, gardening... it will all be fairly tough one-handed...

But I only need one good hand to scratch a Millie chin and one good arm to hug her.

Lots to do...

So I am on a tear to get things done by July 12.

Crossed off the to-do list:

• deer fence around veggie garden
• new composter installed
• pool ladder in
• dead headed the roses
• added black gold aka compost to the veggies

More to-do:

• finish trimming, staining and installing the last of the solid wood doors in the house
• art projects that require two hands
• finish the pile of sewing repairs and projects
• clean windows in and out
• clean gutters since hubby doesn't like heights (this is tricky b/c our house is on a hill so one side is two stories high and the other is about three - the gutter cleaner went "oof" when he saw that)
  
• Miller-Kingsland weeding - perhaps the renter will learn how to weed when he sees my example...
• plant the last of the seeds

Concessions I have to make:

• the cemetery I want to clean up will probably end up being pushed back to the fall
• the new weed whacker will be the tool for trimming, as opposed to my hand clippers, which I always preferred because it works my arms
  
• my goal to increase my biking will be limited to short distances
• I may not be able to make it to the march in DC in July if I have to drive

I so wanted this to be done in the winter when I had Christmas break. The doctors figured this was what it is but insurance companies make you and the doctors do all these tests - massively expensive MRI's and x-rays - that confirm nothing. If the hunch was CPS, then why couldn't they just go by the in-office tests - I have always tested positive for both the Tinal and Phalen tests. So now, I am going to be severely limited during the summer - the most active time of the year for me. I always catch up on all my art making, get a lot of the garden volunteering done, help my parents with their garden, and help my sister with Lucy. Now, thanks to the stupidity of insurance, my summer is screwed. At least I can still go in the pool and write...

Ok, so maybe not Italy... sigh...

Snip, snip...

So... July 12 I go for surgery. I made sure it was scheduled after the Paris trip. I said I need to be able to chaperone unhindered...

Apparently the only thing dynamic about me is my carpal tunnel syndrome. Dynamic Carpal Tunnel is not constant. It flares up when you resume use of the hand and wrist. So in the winter when I don't garden and hibernate and thus do not get moved to do art - when I am not in the manic summer gotta-sleep-as-little-as-possible-to-do-everything mode - I am not working the wrist so less pain. But now that I am working it, oh boy.....

So, summer looks like this:

Paris, surgery, jury duty (can't forget this time!), birthday, Lucy turns one, Italy.... hmmm... that's a pretty big bummer there after Paris...

The good, the bad & the ugly

The Good:

• getting ready for Paris
• seeing some really great work coming from my Photo II and III students even at this point in the year
• seedlings are coming up in the gardens at home
• Millie is needy, in a lap kind of way
• the yearbook looks good; congrats!
• the last issue of the Valley Echo has a feature on our trip to Paris; and it is a great issue, yet again!
• going to Italy in August with mother and father (Zuppino and Rome)
• Dallas Mavericks win the title! Yay Dirk!!!
  

The Bad:

• tomorrow is the last time I see some kids
• I will be away from Millie for almost a week
• I am trying to remember French
• I do not speak Italian and thus, cannot speak to my mother's relatives in August
• some kids have senioritis REAL bad
• it is cold and raining a lot lately - translation, possibility of root rot in the garden

The Ugly:

• some kids are real nasty because they "can't wait to get out of this place!"
• my attempts to remember anything in French - pathetic
• the behaviour of LeBron and Wade regarding Dirk's fever - no one made fun of MJ when he played a finals game with a fever years ago...
  

So everyone at Casa Vasa made it through the week without melting. No, our lone air conditioner is not yet installed. But we do have our two ceiling fans and one floor fan going. No complaints from Millie...

Paris is in 20 days and I am feeling the crunch to remember at least some French. I may have had a nightmare about it and then blocked it out - or I may truly be worrying. But I am getting excited and hoping there will be a bit less rain than in February. We were working on assembling the packets of sold cards and the girls seemed to be having fun and were joking with each other. So, phew, it looks like there will be no personality conflicts.

This was the last full week of teaching. Exam schedule starts next week. Someone in third period asked what I would do if I had a schedule with 8 periods of kids like period 3. My answer: I would quit. And that segues to.... My sister quit her teaching job. She can't justify leaving Lucy to go work with a co-worker who is miserable to work with. At least I work with a couple of decent people here. Also, the kids in Madison just don't seem to be as involved and excited about the art classes. I have been hearing and seeing things this year that make me realize I really can't stand many people who work at PV, but at least I enjoy the time in the classroom. So, she is really looking to push herself to do her photography business. She has her first paying shoot this weekend with a co-worker of mine. She is also working on a website. I hope to get our Etsy re-vamped this summer and list more new items for sale. Anything so she can stay home with Lulu...

Who, by the way, was a hit at the Art Show. I do feel she proved me right in my assessment of her being the cutest baby around...

And on the homefront... the pool is open, almost ready to swim in, all seeds are planted, gardens are filling in, roses blooming and mulberries ripening like crazy... woo hoo!

Money?

Want to pay for your project or first year of art school?

http://www.kickstarter.com/

A friend is using this to try to pay for the next recording for the band he manages. Lots of art students and artists use it... good luck...

Sweat...

Who needs a sauna when you have the Farrell Gym? Set up the Art Show today. A BIG hug - virtual, not real 'cos I'm not touchy-feely - and thanks to those students who helped hang all the photos. Dems kids and mine worked so well together and made the most out of god-awful weather. And no one fainted from the heat!

So as a reward to myself, I plan to hunker down in the dungeon for as long as I can before first period tomorrow morning and play my music all alone.... go to my happy place...

I drop off two small sculptures in Demarest tomorrow before dinner. I had two older pieces accepted into a small works show. And I mailed off my piece for A.I.R. Gallery's Wish You Were Here show. So a trip to Brooklyn is coming up for that one.

And for the best news...

I finally sold a work of art! At the opening Friday, a couple bought one of my photos! He's from France, and they live nearby in Morris County. I am stunned and sort of sad that I will never see my work again. I have not really pursued selling anything because of my reluctance to part with my stuff. And I am now forced to... but it is really cool... I'm not going to get rich doing this, since it is only when I get a break from teaching, but I feel legit now. Like it is something I can defend to others who say I am wasting my time... not that I ever care what others said about me anyhoo...