Farewell 2008

I've look through photos from 2008 and I can say that through the lens of the captured moments it was a good year. It went by quickly, I feel like they all do. I made some realizations as I browsed through the images and in the following year I resolve to:

1. Take more pictures: Our D80 is so big that I don't take as many pictures as I use to. Better pictures perhaps, but there is less documented.
2. Take more pictures with me in the shot: Really, this means I should delete less of the pictures with me in them.
3. Update my flickr more: not just to enhance my community presence, but to back-up the images we are taking.
4. Update this blog more: Don't get your hopes up, but I think I can do better than once a month... maybe.

Anything is possible I suppose -- Happy New Year!

get up and go

That was a long absence. I've just been super busy since the last time I posted. We took out workshop series to Tucson, taking me out of town for a week. It takes a good couple of weeks to prepare for our workshops, and then on either side of the workshop week we had out of town guests visit us. It was just a lot. Yesterday we finished up Jackson's soccer season and today I am really looking forward to being a homebody.

I am trying to get pumped up about gift giving for the holidays. I really haven't been making very much at all lately. Between some much needed cleaning around the house I am going to do a couple test projects to see if they have gift giving potential. I already cleaned up my work area.



And here is a hint about some of this years presents. One pound of culinary grade lavender!

Who's voting for McCain in Macedonia?

I don't know about you, but I am getting extremely anxious over the coming election. Many of my friends and co-workers are voting by mail, but I will be casting my ballot in person on the 4th. Again the whole thing makes me very anxious, so tonight I voted with the world and it was very eye opening, but what in the world is up with Macedonia?

http://iftheworldcouldvote.com/

post-worthy

I am still trying to figure out my voice on this new blog. Don't worry, I am still sticking to my "no-stress blog" attitude, but that doesn't mean I am always able to come up with lots of post-worthy material. For one, life is heavily about work right now, and I try not to talk about work here unless I happen to be on the road.

To be completely honest, I was quiet last week because I was a little bit down on most nights. Nothing too serious, just a case of the blues. It happens sometimes. I'm feeling much better this week though. I am trying hard to be positive and for the most part I think it is working, whereas last week I just couldn't turn it around.

Despite my gloomy outlook on life last week, I had some kick-ass luck at the thrift stores. Check out the two teak chairs we scored for our dinner table. Now we have two matching chairs and the teal chair which I still love.


I also picked up a wee sweet Arabia Finland dish and an equally sweet vintage Japanese ceramic bud vase.




I did pretty well in the clothing department too. I picked up a brown vintage slip, a couple of cardigans (I am a cardigan junky), and the mythical vintage Diane von Furstenberg dress for under $5! It has no shape on the hanger, but it looks rather good on and even though I have very little in this color, I think I have realized that it is one of the most flattering colors for me.

out of office response

Sorry, I got quiet there - no actually this is my new no stress blog, so I should not be apologetic for occasional absences. Anyways I am in Chico, CA right now. I've been here all week for work. We are offering some workshops on collections care for museum folks. Chico is cuter than I had expected, there are lots of sweet older houses on tree lined streets. Clay and I went to UC Santa Cruz together and I could see us living in a small college town again.


My co-worker and I watched the debate last night at our hotel and I was so creeped out by McCain. We watched on CNN and they were doing this split screen coverage of it. McCain was having such bizarre reactions and making the oddest faces. Did anyone else notice? It seriously distracted me from what both of them were saying! He has really been giving me the heeby-jeebies lately!

western traveler

For those who have visited my flickr photos lately you can't have missed all of the pictures from our recent trip to Alaska. For one I had grossly neglected flickr, and secondly you just can't but notice the amazing scenery we documented.

I was lucky enough to go to Anchorage for the Western Museum Association's Annual Meeting. I did have to work quite a bit- we offered a pre-conference workshop, I moderated one session, and was a panelist on another session, but toward the end of the conference Clay and Jackson met me and from Anchorage we went on a short vacation. It had to be short since both boys had just started new school years.

It was terribly expensive up there, but my favorite day by far was when we hiked the Winners Creek Trail in Girdwood. We saw the most amazing and diverse mushrooms.






We also picked blueberries along the trail! It was the tail end of the season but we had enough for blueberry pancakes the next morning.


It was a little more than a 5 mile hike, however we really took our time and enjoyed taking everything in.


Tomorrow I am off to San Jose on business, too bad not all business trips can be as amazing as that last one!

becoming a soccer mom during an election year

You know getting gray hairs - lots of them - wasn't so much of a big deal. Turning 30 felt like a milestone I had been waiting and ready for. Becoming a Soccer Mom, that sort of stung. However after last Thursday's Vice-Presidential debate I am determined not to be type-cast as Palin's soccer mom.

Ok, so I was admittedly surprised how much I actually can get into watching my son play a sport. I don't consider my myself sporty but I understand now that as his Mom, I am also his #1 fan.


And yes, I am even the team mom, but that is only because I wanted to make the damn banner! Did I mention that they have the most intimidating team name ever - the Blue Bananas! Yes the coach came to discover that it also the name of the bar that Julia Roberts and Kit hang out at in Pretty Woman, but we will just leave that movie trivia a secret for the kiddos to discover in due time. Here is our Blue Banana, drawn by Clay and implemented thanks to the wonder of felt by me.


But as for the soccer mom worried about the economy... she is rooting for Obama sidelines, along with that cute kid with the #9.


Still no sign of Joe Six-Pack, my beloved husband is more of a Chief Ten-Beers.

third time is the charm

I start, I stop, I quit, I delete, I move on to a new platform and I start again. Why? For lots of reasons, not all good ones. I once had a livejournal, and then a typepad journal, and I am on my second flickr account (deleting the first one was a huge mistake). Most recently I let go of my typepad account because I felt aimless, lacking direction, and disapointed in myself and what I was creating.

I am doing this again, and doing it differently. First blogger is free, so I can't feel extravagent. Second I am introducing myself as a dabbler and I refuse to be ashamed of that. I am not here to promote a creative business that I do not have time to devote myself to. I am not trying to impart my philosophy on parenting or the joys of my family life. I am not going to talk you through my exploits in slow cooking or making handmade clothes. I work over 40 hours a week, sometimes I like sewing, sometimes I don't, sometimes I am just too busy.

I do miss partaking in the blog culture and the friends I made, so we will see if this works.