8-17-13

I finished this scarf today. The baby merino wool is like spiderweb, it's so light and fine. The wool is from Uruguay. I don't even know where that is. Www.malabrigoyarn.com is their website. I want more of this stuff.

Migraine all day today. I canceled my day and stayed in bed. ML and AL gave my paper for me at the conference I was supposed to be at.

School starts for me Monday. It's gonna be a BUSY semester. I'm teaching three classes when I'm only supposed to have one. I got appointed to faculty senate, am going up for tenure, am the new program chair, writing a grant, external evaluator on two grants, and PI on two. Advising about 50 students also. Looking forward to Christmas already!

8-16-13

Went to the eye doctor today. He put prisms in these beautiful glasses and my double vision disappeared. I can't wait to get real glasses with the prisms!

8-15-13

Told you it would be pretty.

Frisbee has a liver disease. We are taking him for an ultrasound to see if it's cancer. Poor buddy. He ate some yogurt and a PBJ today.

8-14-13

I took Frisbee to the vet today. Last night he wouldn't even eat bacon. He HATED being at the vet. It was so sad to see him so scared. When we got home I had to carry him from the car in this blanket, and he just melted into my arms. I held him like this for almost an hour until he had recovered and was ready to get down. Poor baby.

I worked hard all day on a proposal for a conference and got it done by 10pm and submitted it.

8-13-13

This ball of baby alpaca "string" took forever to wind into a ball. I'm crocheting a scarf for a special friend and it's taking forever because the yarn is so very very thin. But it's going to be soft and beautiful and the colors are fantastic, subtly varying from green to turquoise to blue.

8-11-13

I finally figured out the trick to knitting and it's not so bad. I love the way it looks when it's done right. This yarn has been crocheted into two afghans and several other projects. The look is so very different with knitting. 

I worked productively most of the day with bouts of knitting.

8-10-13

I decided this morning to leave Highlands with someone headed back home. My stomach just couldn't take another ride in the back seat and I felt awful. However, it didn't feel bad enough to miss a visit to "Knit" a yarn shop in town where I purchased some sweet finds.

8-9-13

I'm in the backseat of my mom's SUV and I've got a very bad case of car sickness. We have been on the road for hours and hours driving up into the mountains on windy roads. I've never been so car sick in my life.

8-8-13

Today I met with a prospective student here at this coffee shop in town. She really appreciated not having to do the whole park on campus thing, and I appreciated it too. Plus you can't beat the coffee. It's become my satellite office. I hope the atmosphere improves, because the place is pretty dank in there. The coffee is great though.

8-7-13

My latest creation.
Home from B'ham today.

8-6-13

One year ago today was a day my heart survived. Today Dan and I spent in B'ham starting a new year. I helped with a workshop then we went to a French restaurant called Chez Fonfon or something like that, in the 5 points region. Everything was perfect. It was a perfect day.

8-3-13

I'm so proud of the first sweater that I've ever crocheted. Okay, it's a little bit ugly, but I like it anyway. I got up around 5 AM this morning and started working on it, and then realized I'd made the straps too big. Later today I un crocheted the straps and put them back.

8-2-13

Mom and Squirt with an iPad lesson. He is such a patient and clear teacher. Mom is a quick learner.

8-1-13

Blast from the past. Mom came over tonight and we sat around the kitchen table laughing until 11:30. Tomorrow I buy her an iPad.

7-31-13

I am making my first piece of crocheted clothing for myself with yarn I bought in Colorado.

Today I met with a student and worked on curriculum. It was my first day as program coordinator in my department.

7-29-13

The landscape students presented their designs to us today. The first is creative and beautiful, and the last was whimsical and fairy tale like. They all had good ideas.

Frisbee is going downhill. He is weak and has to be coaxed to eat anything. We watched The Notebook tonight and got sad thinking about losing our buddy. Here he is with his puppy toy.

7-27-13

Mom came over tonight to watch some PBS shows we taped for her. She brought a Burger King sandwich and fries with her, which is a sight we have never seen. Frisbee loved the fries. He is not eating much. I gave him salmon tonight and a hot dog and he ate fries.

7-26-13

Mom's kitchen is being renovated. And her little kitchen. And her dining room. And her carport. It's not fun to watch at this stage- the demolition phase.

I was sad today. Hard to come back from being with Jes. I cried at work.

7-25-13

Back in Alabama tonight.

7-24-13

We left Crestone and passed through Salida and Leadville.

I loved this artwork- we saw it in both places.

Passed over the high Rockies and back to Denver for one last night with Jes and Root.

7-23-13

I finished my silk scarf today.

We went to town and had dinner and a walk, then walked up into the hills.

We walked about 4.4 miles and saw a bunch of spiritual centers. It was quiet, we saw only a couple human souls. I learned how to blog with more than one photo from my phone!

Memory of the day- dinner at Bliss Cafe and all the characters we saw there like big hat over hair man, cowboy man, old coffee man, silent black haired lady, snot nosed kid, tattoo muffin top girl, colored dreds lady and old lady with tie dye skirt.

7-22-13

This morning we ascended the tallest sand dunes in the US. Well, not all the way. You can't even fathom their size. They are like nothing else. Mountains of sand.

This afternoon we explored the area then went to dinner at an organic farm-to-fork place. Dan had yak.

This evening we went to a local hot spring for a soak. Crocheting and drinking tea now in our adobe/straw bale funky new age house.

7-21-13

Like I said, things are strange in Colorado. Today we are in Crestone, a little town at the foot of a mountain range full of religious ashrams and temples and other Buddhist and Hindu centers. We are staying in a house made from hay bales and mud. It is peaceful and quiet and grounding in an amazing way. The moon was full tonight. Tomorrow we will explore.

7-20-13

Colorado is a strange place. Today we went to a place called Red Rocks where they were having a fitness expo. We got free samples of all sorts of health foods and Jes and Root did yoga in a big rock amphitheater.

7-19-13

An awesome yarn shop two blocks from Jes's house is having a sale! I walked up there and brought home some beautiful silk, merino, and cotton blends.

7-18-13

We are in Denver with Jes and Root! My grant was submitted this morning by the university and we left Auburn at 11:00am. Dinner tonight at a hip Mexican place. So great to be with my girl.

7-16-13

Oh boy will I be glad when this grant is submitted tomorrow. It's been quite the chore.

7-15-13

The big shock of the day was walking in my mom's house and seeing her renovations underway. The dining room is opened up and this mirror has come down. It's freaky after so long to see a change.

7-13-13

Busy week- I was writing every moment I could. We went to dinner this evening with this cutie and her parents and Mimi. I had too much tiramisu for dessert!

7-9-13

Student designed! The kids really liked my curriculum.

7-8-13

Getting ready to teach a new curriculum tomorrow.