9-24-17

Sunday afternoon-- I had my band over to practice. It was great filling my house with music. Had to skip church in order to clean the house, go to the grocery store, make an appetizer, etc. Dan comes home tomorrow!!!!!

9-22-17

It's finally Friday. What an exhausting week-- it felt so long.

I took Teensie to the vet, then attended an event at the stadium, then had a meeting with a student on campus.

Came home and fell asleep on the couch with Teensie. This is her yawning! 

9-21-17

Tonight I had to go to the Auburn IAMBK site to do Artbots with the kids.

 Teensie is getting better, sweet kitty.

Today I finished this sweater (it took 6 weeks) that I made from yarn I bought in Oregon. It was worn to celebrate my student's oral exam, which she passed with flying colors.

Later I spoke with my other doctoral student in his office-- he is moving along.

I hope to hood at least 3 students this year.

9-20-17

Someone asked in class Monday what the Tyndall Effect was. One student said, "you know when the sunlight streams through a forest?"

So, I saw that today on my way home from work and stopped to take a photo. 

Today Teensie got her lady operation. I was beside myself with worry. When I picked her up she was not herself. I held her for the rest of the day.

Also, this morning Dru came over and helped me organize my hall closet. That was a blessing. I also spent 4 hours out in schools observing my students. I honestly don't know how I got through the day.

9-18-17

I taught tonight. We did the density lab and talked about inquiry. I had fun but it felt slightly off. I think missing two weeks in a row has impacted the class spirit.

We had a great guest speaker in the Spatial Thinking class and got to play with eyetracking glasses.
Busy Monday.

9-17-17

I played piano at church this morning.

And went for a walk and noticed nature.

How can I make myself go out and see nature more often? I'm just so lazy, but when I immerse myself in the natural world, I'm always happier for it.

9-15-17

I spent ALL day in a board meeting and got home shortly after 4pm the rushed around to get ready for 30 students coming to my house.

Mom helped-- a grad student helped-- and that saved me.

My party was a success.

The best part was when the musicians started singing and playing. The ukulele and mandolin and piano were going.... warmed my heart.

9-14-17

Dan left this morning. I had a hard time getting up and getting motivated.

I dreamed that he touched my face, which got me going. So much to do.

I finally framed the print we bought in Ullapool, Scotland.

Picked up pottery from the studio.

I'm getting ready for a party tomorrow! I invited students over for a homecoming reunion and did all my shopping.

Soapdish

Stick bowl

Blue soapdish

9-11-17

On my 54th birthday I stayed in my PJs all day long as I listened to the rain and wind outside. School was cancelled, as were my two classes.

9-10-17

Hurricane getting closer

Mom had us over for dinner tonight for an early birthday dinner,

Bobby gave me a watercolor and two music CDs.

Modern day Leonardo,

9-9-17

The hurricane is coming. We are waiting to see what it will do.

9-8-17

Kitten Schmitten

My new glasses. I look like a real geek.

Faculty meeting today-- discussion with my colleague got me upset first. Yuck.

9/7/17

Kitten is turning into a cat. She is jumping up on the kitchen counters and the dining room table--- squirt bottle!

Today I want to the IAMBK program at Auburn but got to say hone and work the rest of the day.

9/6/17

I've been in a bad mood since Sunday 09/3 when I lost my glasses. I need them to work at my computer. Nothing else works. I called church to see if I'd left them there, checked every nook and cranny at the house, and was just about to give up. I was telling Dan this morning that everything would turn around if I could just find my glasses. He walked outside to get something, and said, "these"? They were laying on the ledge by the chair out back. Now everything will get better!

Went to Tuskegee today for IAMBK and OHS to meet the teachers I'll be working with there.

9/2/17

This morning I met my minister for coffee at Mama Mochas. We talked for something like two hours. She actually asked me to do some preaching. We picked two topics and I have to prepare "lessons" that she will then reflect on from a UU perspective and align what I say to one of the 7 Principles of faith: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unitarian_Universalism#Seven_Principles_and_Purposes

She said she saw something in me. 

I just like to tell stories.

9/1/17

I went to the studio today and picked up a few things that did NOT turn out like I'd hoped. This tray is too weird looking. The blue ran and is not dark. I should go and add more glazes to it and fire it again.

This coffee maker thing turned out ok but the color is all wrong. 

Today I took Teensie to the vet because her eye was scratched and her ears were full of gunk. I got a salve for her eye and drops for her ears. The vet cleaned out her ears and said it was a yeast infection. She HATED going to the vet.

8-27-17

 Today Dan and I went to see a movie that my high school friend wrote. It was really sweet and well done. I learned a lot and have talked about the movie since then. I hope it does well at the box office. It's good to have a family-friendly movie that isn't too cheesy or religious or sappy.

8-26-17

Cat and Mouse photo.

It's impossible to work at my desk now. Teensie wants to knock everything off.

8-25-17

We went to a concert tonight. Sundilla is a local concert venue that hosts bands about once a month or so. This one was the best! Each musician was so incredibly talented. I can't say that the lyrics moved me, but the music sure did. I got to knit while we listened.

8-24-17

This is what we designed and printed! It holds up foam core pieces as dividers between students at desks during tests.

8-23-17

I was asked to "stage" an event for a visit by the new president of the university in the College of Ed library. Instead of staging something, we actually worked on designing a bracket that one of my graduates, now a middle school teacher, requested. In one hour, we had it designed and it was printing on the Maker Bot.

8-21-17

THE eclipse of the century.

Me and Mrs. Jones.

I felt like a college student again, lying on the green lawn on campus with my eclipse glasses next to my friend Jones, looking up at the sun. 

There were little crescent shaped images in the tree shadows. 

Then I taught two classes.

Dan comes back tonight from his backpacking trek.

8-19-17

Cute Kitten Photo of the Day

So, today I drove out into the country with a guy from church to talk to the minister and the choir director about my future role as pianist. I told them I only wanted to play twice a month, which was good, because the former choir director will play the other two times a month. I enjoy playing, but never anticipated it becoming an every week thing until the former choir director quit (and reasons for which are mysterious and secretive and speculative... but she has agreed to play only the choir songs twice a month). So, this house out in the country was built around 1830. I'm not sure I've ever been in a house that old in this country. Except for Monticello. And Montpelier. And Mount Vernon. 

Mom had us over for dinner and she made this cherry and peach pie that was to die for. Fresh, hand-pitted cherries.

8-18-17

Look who found Zara's penguin! 

8-16-17

This photo is going to be published. I got a paper accepted and they requested an additional photo, which I took today.

8-14-17

My last day in LA with Jes and we scored some sweet finds! It's looking like a real apartment! 

Long flight home--- arrived after midnight, tired, but feeling like I really did something good. It was an epic journey with my daughter!

8-13-17

So far we have a TV and a coffee table, a rug and a camp chair.

But we are feeling fine!

And we had dinner in Pasadena with my aunt and uncle, and sister Sakura and Fossy and Buddy and Jes got some loaner furniture from Uncle Turkey.