5-10-14

I went to see an art show today with Dan and our friend The Social Worker. This is a painting by our friend Bobby, who is talented in so many things- music, art, gardening, etc.

I painted the Mother Mary for a friend from high school. My visitor and I painted and it was very soothing. All was calm. We drove at sunset over to the arboretym to see the turtles and just be in some deep woods.

The trees were magnificent. The air was cool and humid, like  tropical rain forest.

I lay down on a bench and looked up at the trees and felt sheltered under the canopy of life.

5-8-14

It's hard. I'm not going to put anything about the ordeal in this blog since it's too personal, but it's so very hard. My visitor is not doing well at all.

5-5-14

We had  drive in the country... went to a lake. It was supposed to be calming to go for a drive in the country, and spend some time on a dock by Lake Harding. My visitor was anxious and feeling worse by the minute. I didn't know what to do.

That morning she had been feeling well. We even went for a run and visited the woods across the street. But things started going downhill during the drive in the country. We had lunch at this Mexican place, which was pretty nice for a Mexican place in Alabama. 

The evening was not good. Actually it was the worst evening so far during our visit. My heart ached and I felt helpless to help my visitor through her ordeal.

5-2-14

I had to attend a party for a colleague at work, but was exhausted. My visitor and I did not sleep again this night either. Carrying on my normal routine is difficult when I want to help my visitor so much.

5-1-14

May 1 began with a phone call while still in bed.

I was getting a visitor that evening.

I drove to Atlanta to pick her up.

We did not sleep that night.

My visitor is having a crisis and I'm trying my best to help. 

4-30-14

Went for a run around the pond this morning and had an encounter with the resident heron, fish, and 14 turtles. 

I bought a package of $10 press on nails and gave myself a plastic nail manicure. I really like it!!!

Then went and planted herbs in my garden... and ruined the manicure. Thankfully, I can just glue on more nails! They are like having a wig for bad hair days.

4-29-14

We tried to save these gardenias but the transplanting was too much. 

Today I planted three replacements. May they grow huge and make many flowers. 

4-28-14

Guess who has some gardening to do?

4-26-14

After a day of grading 35 lesson plans, we had dinner at the Dutch's house to celebrate the Dutchess's birthday. My mom made the cake-- our favorite. We sat outside to eat and watched birds come to the feeder.

In order to get through a day of paper grading, these were my crutches. The oil in the blue bottle was peppermint and rosemary, dripped into the candle. Coffee and water helped too. 

4-25-14

This is Alabama.

Big pines.

Bright flowers

Ferns in the shade.

A lush, moist, fertile world.

4-22-14

In Kentucky we had the most beautiful huge female ginkgo tree ever. In autumn her golden leaves were so bright and stunning. She was the subject of many photos on this blog. While visiting last week we noticed she was gone. Stump.

Her offspring were so numerous that the chore of cleaning up the seeds each fall was onerous and back breaking. I'm talking a dozen huge big lawn bags full of nuts each fall. Left on the ground, they grew into little gingko trees that had to be pulled up with a measure of effort and guilt.

So I dug up two of her offspring last week and brought them home to Alabama where I intend to take very very good care of them and bring them up to be fine Ginkgo adults. And I hope they are both boys.

4-20-14

My Easter decorations printed with my Silhouette. That's my mother there in her kitchen getting ready for Easter dinner with us and all her friends.

4-18-14

I love love love when old friends come to town to visit and they want to see me. It makes me feel so good and I love talking about old times and catching up on new times. This pink lady is so bright and cheery and happy. We will be attending a memorial service tomorrow for a friend who died. 

Yesterday I hung curtains in my bedroom. You can see how much nicer it is now! 

4-15-14

I worked with a bunch of kids today making boxes and cards with the Silhouette Printer. Before that I went to a luncheon to see my student get a prestigious award. I'm so proud of her and so proud that she is my student.

4-13-14

This morning before we headed out of town we had breakfast with my former neighbor, Apple. We had a great time with her and her husband and kids. I miss them.

We drove 7.5 hours to get home and found this:

A creative way to work goof off in bed. Take a ceiling fan, attach a drum base, secure a computer monitor with rope, and fire it up! That Squirt. So creative!

4-12-14

This morning we got up and went to Keeneland to see the horses practicing for the big race day.

it was so cool.

Later in the day we got to go visit with my former colleague, Mags, and her little kiddos. 

4-11-14

Today I had a grant meeting, came back to the hotel and took a nap to sleep off a migraine, then went out to dinner with Dr. Phred. We had a very nice time catching up! The traffic was horrible and it made me realize I am glad I don't live here any more.

4-10-11

Miss March and I have been friends since 2009 when we both moved to Kentucky. This past year she started running, lost over 100 pounds, and was completely cured of type 2 diabetes. I'm so very proud of her and she inspires me so much to stick with goals. She feels great, looks great, and has a bright and healthy future ahead of her. In this photo we recreated a scene from 2011 when we showed up for work with the same color on. Check this out from March of 2011---
http://chrissysphotoaday.blogspot.com/2011/03/3-15-11.html

On another note, today I taught the workshop I came here to teach. I had 12 teachers and they all loved the curriculum. Here are a few photos of their work:

4-9-14

We drove to Kentucky today. The trees got less and less green along the way. Mountains came into view. We got a hotel room downtown and went to dinner with my old colleague and her husband. I can't remember the pseudonym I used to have for her.... but we had a good time.

View from the hotel of downtown...

4-7-14

Today the storms lasted all day. Rain rain rain. I tried to catch up on all my work before my trip tomorrow. 

4-6-14

I took some photos in the yard today of flowers in bloom. It was a busy, productive weekend. I got my iBooks uploaded to my website, read some papers for a journal and a conference, dropped off supplies at school and picked up others, and even cooked dinner.

4-4-14

No, I have not dropped off the planet. I did make it home from Mexico! However, after returning from Mexico my anemia and hypothyroidism got the best of me and I felt just plain awful. I went back to the doctor, had some further testing done, and realized that the iron supplements and thyroid medications just needed more time. Now, after a month+ I'm feeling like myself. SO much better. Perhaps I'll even start photoblogging again. Here in the deep south the flowers are blooming. Azaleas are in full bloom, dogwoods are just fully opened, and it's time to start thinking about my herb garden and my perennial garden. Work is going OK and I'm feeling like I might get caught up sometime soon. Big sigh.

Oh, by the way I made tenure. Some years back I was so afraid that migraines and menopause would prevent me from ever making tenure. The migraines and menopause not win. I did.