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Sunday Morning Delight

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Yesterday it rained like it meant it. Not only were the drops of some seriousness, but it was cold. A good reminder that it is sill early spring here ... anything can happen. Aside from my usual postal endeavors ( of which I am quite slow these days ...) I am planning a major overhaul of the backyard. The flowering trees are nice, but the grass that is shaded by them grows pitifully, if at all. I'm going to rip out squares of lawn, flip them over, cover them with newspaper and allow them to compost into good planting soil. I'll cover some of the ground with stone blocks, to create a walking surface, some ground I'll leave for planting, and some I'll cover with either rainbow rock or simple river rock. I'll try to sketch out my plan and post it here before I begin. We've got a small backyard, but one that is full of potential.

The front yard is looking good already. The roses are looking healthy, the birch tree is greening up with leaves and the rhodies are just about to bloom. I think the lawn is at its healthiest ever. The weeds seem minimal, and the mossy parts are showing signs of improvement too. I've got some work to do on the flower beds, but I'm proud of it looking so good in early spring.

The soccer season is more than half over, and I just completed only my SECOND full game. We played to a one-one tie, but I got my first goal ! It's all worth it now ;) My body is adjusting to this new exercise, and I have recovered nicely from a pulled quad muscle I suffered early on. Amazing how you really DO get to an age where your body defies your mind. I am nimble and quick in my mind ... on the field it's not always the case. I'm definitely inspired to get in better condition. I think that playing on an over-30 team as opposed to an over-40 one is good incentive. I'm not really in bad shape at all compared to my teammates.

I just got some sample packaging, etc from Art-O-Mat. I am going to try to come up with some art that I can produce FIFTY pieces of, and submit it to them for consideration. Wish me luck. Now that I've seen some of the offerings, I'm inspired to try to "do what I do" on a small wooden block surface as opposed to paper. Should be a fun project. I'd absolutely LOVE to do it.

I'm otherwise engaged with work, Nat & Blake, our family events and my volunteering. This may be my last year at Highland Center as I look for some volunteer opportunity in my own community. I know that there are kids with special needs everywhere, so I'd like to consider my local area for my next endeavor. I'll miss the kids I've been watching grow up at Highland Center, but it just feels like it may be time to move on.

And speaking of moving on ... time to get out and enjoy a reprieve from yesterdays rain !

Art-O-Mat

MAGNIFICENT !!

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Ahhhh... a lazy Sunday. It's been an interesting four weeks. I started out the beginning of April ( and actually ended March ) sick as a dog. Haven't been really laid up like that in a long time. Being off work is always nice, but I got practically nothing accomplished during that first week off. Got my spring cleaning done my first REAL week of vacation, and last week was Disneyland. At this moment I should be outside mowing the lawn, but I just can't seem to get there ...

Last night was egg coloring and we had a great time. The kids are getting very creative as they grow into their little artist selves. All the adults had fun too and we wound up with some great eggs ! If someone had told me fifteen years ago that I would be THIS close to my family, I never would have believed it ! I certainly would have laughed if anyone had suggested we would actually vacation together ! Now it's almost a yearly thing. Last year Hawaii ( my folks came too ) and this year Disneyland. Amazing how much fun we can have together.

We're very lucky. I am truly grateful. I look at my life often enough and wonder why I'm not happier. Wonder why I'm not more content. I have it all, really. A wonderful home, good friends, a stable job, and a great family. I'm out of debt, I have a partner who loves honors and supports who I am, and I have some God-given ( ? ) talent that I occasionally get to put to use for my own artistic development. I wonder what it is that leaves me feeling like something is still askew ...

It's a journey for me. Spiritual, emotional ... maybe both. Maybe I'm just having a little trouble hearing the little voice inside that I KNOW is saying " you're enough " .

" Relax "

I wonder if other people feel that way ? Like something is missing. Like something is out there and is constantly poking at my whole notion of contentment. Maybe I'm expecting too much from the world. Or maybe it's something simple, like I need more sleep ;)

As we move through Spring, I think I'll focus on my own contentment. I'll concentrate on setting my own pace. I'll listen for that little voice ... and when I hear it, I'll abide ...

Last Day

and still more ;)

And still more ...

And more ...

More Disney

Disneyland Days 1 & 2

2320

A rather lazy day here in Washington. Trying to catch up on my postcardx " stuff " , ran a few errands, picked through a MESS of an art studio. Where on earth does all this paper come from ? It seems to mutiply if placed anywhere even near my desktop. I feel bad that I am recycling so much, but I feel worse about the stuff I get lazy and toss. My project for vacation is to REALLY organize supplies and " move along " those things I really have no use for. I'm also going to drag out the old blender and start MAKING some new paper out of the stuff I'm recycling.

Also, FINALLY, stay tuned for some pictures of the new cards I'll be printing in a few weeks. I still need only to choose the paper stock and envelopes and I'll be on my way ... it's taken a long time. I'm not sure what the hesitance is. It's a natural " next step " and long overdue. I'll need a little luck on this. Both in my mental preparation and also in seeing that the details are covered. I'm looking forward with my usual " cautious optimism " ( which some folks don't see as optimism at all, but really it is ...)

Listening to ( and LOVING ) K.T. Tunstall this week. Blows me away, really. I have Blackberry on PX to thank for the CD. I'm officially hooked. I have Murderball on the coffee table ready for my next free evening of DVD viewing. I've been wanting to see it for quite awhile.

2320 young men and women killed in IRAQ. And still, it's just a talking point for this administration. Shameful that they still say we are " winning " their war on terror. Some of us are more afraid than ever before ... and it ain't of Al Queda. So you know ... Here is what 2320 looks like :

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JELLO EGGS !!!!

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Yesterday, on the way home from work and picking up Natalie from ballet, we stopped in downtown Auburn. They have " gutted " an entire city block to make way for a new Convention Center and City Park. One of the buildings was a Ballet Academy and I have driven by the empty space a hundred times. I noticed something spraypainted on the wall inside, and yesterday ...I stopped. Great piece of small town history ... Great message to share with Nat as we strolled the block, peeking in doorways at empty spaces ...I hope to go back soon with a better camera than my phone... but this captures it just fine ...

" Dance Like No One's Watching ..."

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Finally a weekend away. Well, not really even a whole weekend, but I'll take a good long Saturday and most of Sunday. Laconner was quaint and charming as ever. There are new " innkeepers " at The Wild Iris so we were a bit curious as to the changes they may have made, but it was as wonderful as we remember. In another month or so the tulips will be popping up everywhere ! There is nothing quite like spring in Skagit Valley. We usually go in February, but someday we'll take The Clipper over for a day trip if only to take pictures !

Life has been busy. Mostly I think it's because I'm working a little more and I seem to be commuting A LOT more. My day gets sucked into this drive/work/drive vacuum and I just know there's SO MUCH more I could be doing with my time and my life. I am still volunteering on Thursdays for a couple hours, and I have joined a soccer team that begins this March ! THAT oughta be interesting ! I played for years as a young person, but ever since that fateful last day of RUGBY ( a wrecked knee AND a small ROCK imbedded in the back of my head !! ), I haven't done any competitive sport. This should be more fun and exercise than anything else, but we'll see !

Just saw " 8 BELOW " this afternoon ! What a great movie! I think I cried about four or five different times ! Really good show. We also managed to watch one of our DVD's in Laconner ... " In Her Shoes ". LOVED that one too ! We're two for two on the movie front !

Besides being back at work tomorrow I'm looking forward to a good week !

State of The Union ( 2243 )

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