Welcome June.

I wake up tired.  I take morning naps right after I wake up. This might be understandable if I went to be at 3 or 4 in the morning instead of midnight. I don’t think this is normal, or okay but I don’t know what to do about it. Continuing to be up exhausts me more, so its an endless cycle of exhaustion. 

Single in Church. 

My friend Cindy posted this great link that I think many single people will be able to relate to- rather you attend church or not. Ones that caught me nodding my head are 5, 6, 10, 16, and 25. 

Surviving Church as a Single. 

 

If this one where to be signally titled it would be something about walls. This morning my covers and pillows formed a wall along the middle.

 

Bed Twelve

I love Puddin’s face, its just too cute, all squished and bugged eyed. 

Bill is my constant companion, she is always my model. 

I’m just a maybe

celebrity crush.

I love Mo Rocca. I’ve been sorta a fan of him since first seeing him on VH1′s “I Love the 80′s” a few years ago. I love his witty, dry, sarcastic humor. Since then Mo has been popping up in my life; I really started to take note of him recently. He appears in two of my favorite shows as a guest judge or commentator; the first is “Iron Chef America” and the other is NPR’s news quiz show “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me”. Whenever he is on one of these shows I just seem to enjoy it more. I really like his humor and just how he doesn’t seem to take his job as a commentator so seriously. I love that fact that he is able to be a foodie and political commentator all at the same time.   And come’on who couldn’t resist his nerdy boyish looks? Defiantly my celebrity crush.

Mo Rocca

HI- human interface 

This is a neat video from a Spanish interaction design group called Multitouch Barcelona. I love how on their about page they describe themselves as a group “that explores natural communication between people and technology. We design experiences that merge real and digital into a creative environment where people are invited to touch, play, move, feel as they do in the real world.” I think that is so powerful. Technology as we know it is quickly taking over the way people communicate with one another- for better or for worse.  This video is humorous and socially satirical. Not to mention that the way it feels so DIY with cardboard props and comical plays on computer icons.  It’s nine minutes of your life well spent, enjoy! 

Hi from Multitouch Barcelona on Vimeo.

 

HI- Loading Please..

 

beauty in entropy

I would like to thank my friend ChrisJ. for giving me a title for my bed series- “Beauty in Entropy”. He described the images as looking like “krinkled paper” and then called it “beauty in entropy”. Lacking an extensive vocabulary, I had to look up entropy, where I found this.. “lack of order or predictability; gradual decline into disorder”- how freakn’ perfect. I love talking to people about my art (and other’s art) because often I can’t put words to what I am trying to show or convey coherently. And if I’m conveying what I want to then someone else will surely say it and then it just clicks! Like magic.

I loved critiques in college and high school because of this. I hated in college that people would only say polite, or nice comments. Heaven forbid you not like someone’s work! I would rather a person say that they didn’t like or even hated my work and why they didn’t, than for them not to say anything at all. How are we supposed to learn if no one points out our weakness or failures, likewise with our strengths and successes.  It doesn’t mean you have to agree with them at all, or think what they have to say is valid. Its how we can grow, though adversity. It’ll make you stronger, either in your own sense of work and knowing what you’ve done is right or in seeing changes to made for the betterment of your piece. 

Today was a good bed morning, I had a hard time picking from my shots- thus a triptych! 

 

 

Bed Six

 

 

And here’s some others.

 

Bill, the cat

 

Clayton & French Press

Wall/Flower

 

Inside

 

bonnie.

 I’m still enjoying my time here in the house and constantly being inspired. My daily routine has changed a little, for the next 7 days I’ll be taking care of another person’s cat too! This cat, Bonnie, is diabetic. I have to be at that house to give her an insulin shot by 8am and then 7:30pm everyday. It is so confining to me to be bound by those time regulations. I am glad that it will only be for 7 days. I feel constricted in planning my day, I’ve never had to deal with something like this before.

I was thinking last night what if Bonnie was my cat and I had just found out she was diabetic, would I keep her?  Being a young and active person would I bind myself and my life to caring for this cat on such a regimented schedule. I would like to think I would, that I loved the animal before I knew of it’s disease and that I would continue to love and care for the cat afterwards. The more I think about this,  the less sure I am that I would keep the cat.  I wouldn’t go to the extreme of putting the animal down but I don’t think I could continue to afford caring for the animal, afford both in time and money.  I would probably seek out a new home for the animal.  Just thinking about makes me appreciate people who are put in those situations and grateful that I’m not.

Up, House, Stale.

Up Catching

I have a heat rash, and its annoying. I am so glad that I won’t be dealing with the good ole southern Virginia heat this summer. Lets hear it for Maine- wooo! Right now I’m drinking 100% blueberry juice along with my tea this morning, and it is amazing. I like knowing I’m putting good things in my body. I think that the animals are getting used to me and are being more active around me. The kitties were all round me in the kitchen this morning. Yesterday I made these super easy apple tarts for the last bible study at church.

Heres where you can find the recipe. The only thing I didn’t do was add the maple syrup.

 

Apple Tarts from Start to Finish!

   

 

 

House Home.

I’m enjoying my little routine here in the house. Get up, let the dogs out, go back to bed, an hour later go the dogs in, go back to bed, lay in bed, then get up, take care of the cats, do a little of this, do a little of that,  sit around and get some things done, eat a little, go run errands, etc, etc. I woke up this morning and thought “I still have a week of this” and I was glad. Today’s todo list is pretty simple but since it all needs to get finished by 2pm today, I’m already running out of time. I need to run the dust mop all over the house, try to vacuum the rugs, and then pack for the weekend! I put it off packing till today so I could focus more on it, instead of half packing it last night and then trying to finish it today.

Stale State.
I feel like I am in a stale state right now. A stale state of mind. I don’t really know where I’m going with my life. I feel like I’m just coasting right now. I know I have plans set in front of me, but they are so far from right now that I lose sight of them. Maybe thats what happens in life, sometimes you just coast for a period of time. I’ve not really had that yet, there has always been school, a project, work, something to get me out of this kind period. Right now the events going on in my life just seem to let me forget my coasting for awhile. The more I think about where I am right now the less I think coasting is so bad, just so long as it doesn’t last that long. Coasting is very reflective, there’s not a lot of distraction so I’ve had time to think about things. I feel like I’ll be out of this soon, but one can never tell.

I am off to a wedding today, as I mentioned yesterday. I have had such a lazy morning I haven’t been able to accomplish all the things I wanted to, but none of those where really that important. Eating isn’t that important, ha.  Here is my round of pictures for today, and they’ll have to do till sunday when I’ll return from the wedding.

Bed Three

 

 

Blanche

 

 

Afternoon Light, Bed

 

 

Puddin'

 

Plain/Plane

Be Brave And Save Your Day..

 

I think I’ve been over doing it. I don’t really know what’s going on with me right now. I’d love to put a name on it an explain it all away but I don’t see that happening. 

 

I tired to use a french press this morning to make coffee, and it didn’t go over well. There were many things I might have done wrong, such as my water might not have been hot enough, maybe I didn’t let it brew long enough, or maybe I didn’t have enough coffee grounds in the press. Whatever it was I might try again tomorrow morning, after more research on exactly “how-to”. So because of all that I switched to tea, a fairly foolproof morning beverage.  I’m drinking Ginger Green Tea. Ginger tea is so spicy! It has such a bite to it. I’m hoping it’ll help calm my stomach. Not that my stomach is really the issue, but everything seems to be affected. 

 

red happens

Right now I am house sitting and being a zoo keeper! The friends of friends who’s house I am staying at have a menagerie of pets- 2 mongrel dogs and 4.5 cats (the .5 is a feral cat that they allow in to eat, and hang out but can’t really claim, although he did choose to sleep with me last night). I am very grateful for this chance to be out and away from my house and in a new environment. The House is beautiful, the couple never had any kids (thus all the furry kids) and have spent a lot of time fixing up their house. There are so many full length windows that let the light in, especially in the kitchen- where I’ve set up shop. I’ve brought all my camera equipment because I just feel so inspired here. I don’t know what I’ll do but I feel like doing something. Which is a good place to be. Here’s some images of my first 24 hours, and it’s still not over yet so there may be more to come!! 

 

Bill, the Cat

Kitchen Setup

 

Stella, Blanche, and Puddin'

 

I feel like this week is already gone. I have so much to do, and so much will happen. I feel so stressed out and worn thin. Tonight is my best friend Lauren’s Bachelorette Party in Richmond. Tomorrow is bible study, which I haven’t touched. I just really haven’t been able to sit and focus on it. I’ve tried- but it just doesn’t work. Friday I leave for the Rehearsal and Rehearsal dinner in Urbana, and I’m staying there that night. All day saturday is wedding madness, and then driving back here asap to take care of the zoo. I know I will be able to enjoy all these events- once I’m there and in the moment. Right now though my mind is frazzled, and I feel so emotionally exhausted already.  I need time to rest and I just don’t see that coming just yet. I also think some of my stress is coming from prepping for camp. I leave in 20 days, and I don’t feel ready. I’m afraid I’m going to miss something, forget something, forget someone. 

 

Today was a whining day, please forgive me. 

save your day. by José Gonzalez
(click for download.) 

 

Poke the body with a stick roll it down 

Ignore the moaning as it tumbles to the ground 

Be brave and save your day 

These days are cold 

Numbers rule I’ve been told 

The pattern is clear better fit in the mould 

Be brave and save your day 

 

 

To cough up sympathy isn’t hard but it costs 

Hold tight to your life savings 

You have to do what you must 

To save your day 

So poke the body and roll it down 

The grave looks cold but we’re still young

 

 

ps-Arturo made my day by commenting on my last post, thank you friend!!