3-10-14

This house is at the corner across from our house. It's a walled piece of land with a few huts and tents inside.

This is the street leaving our house down the hill. You can't see how much of a hill it is.

3-9-14

This is what downtown San Miguel looks like.

We went on a house and garden tour today and this is one cactus garden we saw.

Flowers everywhere.

It almost looks like Tuscany, doesn't it?

Or Morocco.

3-8-14

The view of San Miguel driving in.

The view out the window of our house.

This is the back side of our house.

I love this picture. The view out the peep door in the front door.

3-7-14

Things I did today.

I cleaned this bathroom.

I went to the store and bought this coffee plus some other things.

I gave Frisbee a bath and laundered all his bedding.

Plus, I graded papers and updated this blog and watered all the house plants and the pansies out back.

So, I haven't been blogging much lately and to my followers, I apologize. I finished a 1.2M grant proposal on 3-5-14 which took me several weeks of non-stop work. Then, there was the doctor's appointment last week where I found out I was severely anemic and horribly hypothyroid. Which explained a lot. So I started taking a higher dose of Synthroid and an iron supplement on Monday of this week. 

Tomorrow we leave for Mexico. One of my students is holding down the fort and caring for The Friz.

I plan to be blogging while on this trip with my mother, Dan, Squirt, and Strawberry Jello (who has never been on a plane before!) So, stay tuned!

3-3-14

Lenten Rose! Spring is in the air. Things are blooming.

3-1-14

Today I taught an art class to six ladies who donated to my friend's fundraiser. These were their practice works. They made mandalas afterwards.

2-24-14

I observed a student teach today and she made this layered demonstration of density.

2-23-14

I painted these and gave them to my sisters. Now I can't remember which sister got which one. 

2-22-14

My mom turned 80 and we had a party for her!

My dad, sister Stay, Mom, Sister Sakura, and me.

Strawberry Jello and the Squirt.

These photos do not capture the sound of this house during this party. This video does:

2-21-14

My sisters arrived last night and I am happy. We are cooking for our mom's 80th birthday party this weekend. I had to work today and then go to J and M and then to Kroger, but here we are in the kitchen cooking while Stay is getting her hair cut and colored.

2-19-14

I went to Notasulga to observe a student this week. She did a fine fine job. I got a hug from the principal and from my friend The Realtor who volunteers there.

2-17-14

I received my annual review today and it was "exceeding expectations" in all categories. To celebrate, Dan and I went to dinner at Amsterdam. I had shrimp and grits but the shrimp were tough.

This quote, I don't recall where I got it from. I think I saw it on Facebook and did a screen shot. It's deep to ponder the quest for an ordinary life. So many times I think I want something extraordinary... and was urged to be something extraordinary... and I hope that to my friends and students and family I am extraordinary enough. But an ordinary life I desire.

2-16-14

This evening Squirt fixed my student's phone that had been broken for so long. It help photos and movies of her son's trip to Disney World. Squirt dissected it, found an unconnected connector and re-soldered an 8 point switch under a microscope. It worked. I texted my student this photo. She was so glad.

2-15-14

This one photo tells a story about 4 hours long. It alone sparks the memory of the entire 4 hour episode, the three hours that followed, and the evening afterwards. Here is the story:

Food on floor and counters

Furious, frustrated woman

Demands and orders and stands on ladder

Here Chrissy, hand me that can of almond paste

Put those bottles in the bar

Break this chocolate into pieces

Wash those lids

Woman won't eat. Won't drink her coffee.

Sit down mom, take a rest.

No, Chrissy, I don't have a moment to spare. They are coming at 6.

2-13-14

This photo reminds me well of the evening. It's Squirt's 23rd birthday. We took him to dinner at the Indian place on the OA Highway. Strawberry went with us. Then we took him shopping for a nice pair of shoes. He was urged to try on a pair of boots "just to see" and I snapped a photo. He did not buy the boots. We are still hoping to get him a nice pair of docksiders or other decent shoes that are not sneakers.

I was at a stop light and saw the moon. That is what got me. The moon seemed so large. Here, in this photo, not so much. This is our downtown corner, Toomers Corner. The sun was setting behind me (hence the almost full moon) lighting up the brick building there and the old Toomer's Drug Store.

2-12-14

I've been painting to try and raise money for my friend. Here are a few works completed, but not matted yet. I'll do that next.

2-11-14

A photo is supposed to remind me of the day. This photo tells me that I was teaching and that was a Tuesday. In class we talked about constructivism and then decided who would observe whom during the week. Tuesdays are my longest days of the week. In just looking at this photo now, posted 11 days after the fact, I remember nothing of that long day except what this picture reminds me of. If I go to my calendar, I see that I had an appointment that day that I could not keep due to a migraine. So now I know that I must have had a hard day and managed to survive enough to get to class that evening.

2-8-14

I went to see my friend Doug's mom today. She is donating stained glass angels to help with the fundraising efforts for her son. I am painting. If you are interested in donating to help my friend with is cancer-related bills, I will mail you an original piece of artwork, no matter where you are in the world.

The link to donate is here: https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/dgfP3

Be sure to claim the perk you want. We have all sorts of perks.

After clicking this link you will find out who the real Chrissy is behind this blog. Please keep it quiet. I still want to be unsearchable and not have my real name linked at all.

Doug two weeks ago: http://chrissysphotoaday.blogspot.com/2014/01/1-26-14.html

Doug getting chemo on Friday. 

He's starting to look worn out. The hair will go soon, and the feeding tube will start. I'm so glad Jes and I never had to have chemo when we had cancer. I'm also so very thankful we had insurance. Doug does not (yet). His mother and all his friends and Dan and I are encouraging him to sign up through the Affordable Care Act asap. 

2-7-14

Took a long walk at night with Dan and upon returning the water was so still on the pond that the museum reflection was lovely in it. 

2-5-14

Mom's kitchen is coming along nicely. Finally, it seems almost done. She is starting her cooking classes.

Dare I take these daffodil greens as an impending sign of spring?

2-2-14

I didn't feel well all day but managed to go for a walk in the woods, which was nice.

Got to watch the latest Downton Abbey tonight.

1-31-14

Last day of January. Working on a cable knitted scarf some lucky chap will get for Christmas next year.

1-30-14

 

These are the mittens I knitted for Aza. 

Today I had a meeting with my doc students and we worked on a paper.