6-17-09

I am at the airport in Austin waiting for my jet plane. It's time to
go home. So this roach crawls on my suitcase and I start taking
pictures of it. Then I knock of off and it appears to run in my purse.
Ewwsww!!!!! I frantically and carefully pull everything out one item
at a time then spy said roach a few seats down. Gross.

Saw the bats last night. Photos on my camera will be shared tonight.
Oh no, here comes that big roach again.




Bats flying out from under the Congress Street bridge down the Colorado River in Austin, Texas. 1.5 million of them!

6-16-09

Scene from the expo hall. My research presentation went well-better than well. I leave in the morning and hope to see the 1.5 million bat colony once more tonight. I'm eating a really bad veggie wrap and just trying to decide what to do next. Lost my blue sweater-not happy about that.

6-15-09

Today was a great day. The conference was interesting, I had lunch with some profs at Oklahoma State, and Carolyn invited me to meet Fancy. What a peaceful, beautiful-souled horse. Also, today I adopted a moss ball. Photo of pet moss ball below.

6-14-09

This is the Bat Bridge. Its the view from my hotel window too!
Apparently at night they come out in swarms to feed. I got a
reservation for 12 so the whole Auburn crew can join me in having a
drink from the hotel restaurant patio to watch them tonight. I've been
having so much fun at this conference meeting up with old friends.
Tonight I'm having dinner with my cousin who lives here. The Harleys
are leaving town today, thankfully.

6-13-09

Workshop today in Austin. We were told to prepare for 34 people and
got 55. They had a great time but it was hard accomodating so many
people in one room with supplies for 34. Had dinner with an old high
school friend and her family. It was so much fun seeing them all. We
had real Texas BBQ and I wasn't in Virginia anymore....

6-12-09

Austin, Texas. The engineers conference just so happens to coincide
with the Republic of Texas Harley gathering. A parade of bikes, biker
dudes and dudettes everywhere. I've never seen so many tatoos. Hope I
can sleep tonight with all these engines revving.

6-11-09

So this is why Daddy Bird has been around visiting. Two babies have hatched so far... and I found out that we have finches. Check out http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/house_finch/id for more information on house finches. The dad's red head helped me identify them. So much to do today.... but at least I don't have to go dig for worms.

6-10-09

Daddy bird came to check on his egg babies today and I got a photo of him with my telephoto lens through the window blinds. Then mommy bird came to rest and I got a photo of her too. Any idea people? Look at that red head. Wren? Finch? I can't wait to see the babies.
Got a migraine today as MIL and FIL left. Preparing for my trip to Austin to do a workshop and give a paper. The fun never ends.

6-9-09

 

My MIL is a packing machine. My goodness, she has done a week's work in two days. She puts me to shame! Must be all those vitamins she takes in that big old pill box... I tell you, it's hard packing up your house. Emotionally and physically. It's harder emotionally because everything needs a decision. Keep? Sell? Give away? Throw away? How to pack? Where should it go in the new house? Attic? Garage? Basement? HELP!

6-8-09

 

How appropriate and symbolic- a house wren has made a nest in our hanging basket of geraniums on the front porch. She has five eggs. We have three weeks left before we fly the coop here... and I wonder when the baby birds will hatch. How soon afterwards will they too fly the nest? Mama bird will have an empty nest like us. I'll keep an eye on these babes. More photos to follow.

6-7-09

 

Last day all together in the house we raised our kids in till adulthood. Jes left today for Colorado, Aza went back to Harrisonburg, and we just have three weeks left until we move. It was a sad day. I found three photos of us on this front porch. Squirt has changed the most. Just look at him!

6-6-09 Graduation Ceremony!!!

 

 

 

 

He did it, he did it!!!

6-6-09

 

Eating lunch before he leaves for the ceremony, my boy is about to be a high school graduate.

6-5-09

 

Guess who's in town??? Squirt's GRANDPARENTS!!! They came all the way from Wisconsin to celebrate his graduation on Saturday. They sure do take a lot of vitamins. That's my pill box on the top and theirs on the bottom. No wonder they're so healthy!

6-3-09

 

Still getting ready to ship stuff to Austin for the conference, I made this demo house today.

6-2-09

Last day of high school EVER for the squirt. He comes home exausted after his last final and retreats to his favorite comfy couch.

 

Getting ready for a conference next week, spent all day cutting up little squares of stuff.

5-31-09

Sunrise on Fox Island. Absolutely sublime....

5-30-09

The kids got just a "little bit" muddy in the detritus.



But not to fear, nice cool brackish Bay Water is very near.

5-29-09

On our way to Fox Island.

First sight of my beloved special place since 2001. Ah....

5-27-09

Squirt's graduation announcements ready to mail!

5-25-09

Wanna buy some furniture? We are selling! Lots of it!
One year ago today my husband got in the minivan and took off for his summer sabbatical. May 25, 2008 What a difficult day that was, and a difficult summer that followed for me. It's good to have him here. He completes me. I hope he never has the need to ride off into the summer sunset again!
Meanwhile, furniture for sale!

5-24-09

Spent all day in bed with a migraine, so no photos today. I did manage to do some work on the photo album project and help Aza's boyfriend in Iraq with an essay he's writing for a class. That's about it.

5-23-09

Happy Birthday Dan! Today we worked around the house then went to buy a new DVD player because our last one bit the dust. It was my present to Dan- and we rented a movie. A French film, very interesting. It was about a man who was a sucker for needy women. Anyway, that came after dinner. Dinner was Dan's choice and he chose Asian. Squirt came along and I asked for my meal withOUT any MSG. The waitress assured me that mine would be sans MSG. By 11pm my head was hurting.
This framed crosstitch is the gift Aza gave her dad. It's a crosstitch! Isn't it amazing? Look at Frisbee's little tail end sticking up!

5-22-09

It seems that we never go to the movies, but tonight we went to see Angels and Demons. It was pretty hokey, but entertaining. I thought it would be cool to take my photo of the day with my iPhone in the movie theatre. Look what I got! I think Tom Hanks is wearing a Mickey Mouse watch!

5-21-09

The last time I was home, I decided to take my Nana's old photo albums and restore them. Pages were falling out, pictures were stuck between pages out of order, and hardly anything had a name and a date on it. It's been a lot of work, but I'm creating what I hope will be a lasting treasure. I've gone through two bags of little black photo corners and need to get more before I continue. Plus I have the entire salt water taffy box full of my great grandmother's photos! I sure am learning about my family and wish I'd done this while Nana was still around to help me out.

5-20-09

It was so nice of my friends R and M to stop by and bring me flowers on my graduation day. That was Sunday and now it's Wednesday and the lilies are opening up and smelling so nice. And the roses are perfect. It really helped me feel special to get flowers on the day of my graduation.

5-19-09

Back when Jes was a baby and we lived in a little two bedroom apartment, I bought this country cupboard from a yard sale for $175. I really like it and it has a warm feeling to it. But we really don't have room for it in our new house in Kentucky. I had it appraised at $1000. Woah. So I put it on Craigslist but I doubt it will sell for that. It's late 19th century. The dresser I paid $100 for back around that time too, from a used furniture store in Alexandria. I refinished it when we moved here. It's been Squirt's dresser his whole life. You can see on the left corner, he decided it would be a good idea to take a pocket knife and carve the curve a little differently. It too was appraised at $1000 and is solid maple from around the turn of the century. Once again, I doubt I will be able to sell it for that. So I spent today trying to sell antiques. We move in about a month. So much to do in that time.

5-18-09

I picked all the peonies out front because the monsoon season had them
on the ground, poor things. They smell wonderful! The suede paint on
the wall makes a great portrait backdrop. Today I packed up all the
wedding china.

5-17-09

I graduated today. Here I am with my diploma on the lawn!

5-16-09

Me with my advisor after the hooding ceremony.

The chair in which I sat while the hood was placed by my advisor and the dean.

Squirt, Aza, My Advisor, Me, and Dan. It was a great day to be hooded!

5-15-09

This dresser belonged to my great great grandfather. I think. That's what my mom said anyways. We got it out of my great grandmother's house after she died. It's very beat up and we use it in the workshop for storing tools. I want to refinish it and keep it in the family. The marble top is broken into two pieces, so I'd have to fix that. I don't know. Would it look good refinished? It sure is bashed up. The knobs are not original- I'd need to find ones that are better. Any opinions anyone?

Tomorrow is the hooding ceremony. I get to wear my cap and gown and get hooded. Aza is coming home for this. I'm glad about that but not so excited about the ceremony. It's seems like a lot of fuss. I could have had my advisor put my hood on in his office. Why a big ceremony? Oh well, we shall see.