Messy Nest

We have cliff swallows at school they build nests above the outside doors to our rooms. The one on the left is nice and tidy, with mama bird proudly perched on her babies.... the other one, on the left is above my door. It's messy and lopsided, mama bird is in it, but she is hidden by the candy wrappers, papers, and other stuff that she has dragged into it. Every time she flies off, stuff drifts down, and she is constantly bringing back other things to tuck into her nest. Artistic? maybe. Like me? definitely. I have cravings for order and neatness, especially at the turn of the year (not just new years, but at the start and stop of school years) and want to do nothing more than put things away in boxes with neat little labels. Which sounds wonky and is not accomplished much at home, but I did clean out the store room here at school, sorted and labeled everything for next year. Which makes me growly when *this* years kids drag something out. Is alright, only 8 class days left- not counting today- and one of those I will be off fetching grendel. Then exam days. Then finally summer..... ahhhh..... dreaming.

Back to the birds. The school is nice enough to leave the nests be until the birds are finished with them in the Fall- then they are sprayed down and all is cleaned to be rebuilt next year. The birds return from wherever they go and build the nests each spring, the kids love to watch them and their progress. (This year they are happily teasing me about the messy nest- ) The swallows are pretty tolerant, and just flit about when anyone is outside- it's odd because the brass section of the band practices outside right by my door but that doesn't frighten them off at all.... I suppose they are used to 'Pomp and Circumstance' by now.

Springfest!

This is one of the offerings we had at springfest- an old table and chairs painted with apples. Everyone liked it- and it was fun to do- and it sold (yay) for $75...the lady had me paint a milk can to match for $50 more (double yay)... we could use profits like this everyday. And I love to paint.

Today it is thick outside, humid and foggy- the same way it feels in my head and chest- all thick and bleah like. It's ok, the cold is getting better- I just feel stupid and half asleep - I can deal with half asleep but I hate feeling stupid. Makes me irritable (like I need any help! the hormones are doing that all by themselves)... wish I was at home with the manz, getting ready to sit outside and sell stuff (sunshine and fresh air would make me feel better I think) and painting all day. I love painting, making things, and I can't sit down without the hands starting on something- drawing usually, sometimes sewing, writing if I'm at the computer. (Evie is sick to, with a computer virus that I feel to stupid to fix at the moment. later when I feel sharper I'll tend to her). I love my kids at school, but right now they are so needy and clingy- anxious about separating for the summer or for the great beyond of adulthood. It's normal this fear- I understand it, like a rock understands the tide going in and out around it- but it can get annoying as they want to spend every minute in here, holding on to something that is leaving them by. I have to become the mama lama, nipping them away, and that makes me irritable to. I suppose we are all just ready for a break.

I want to be at home, to center my nest and give it a much needed thorough top-to-bottom cleaning, turn the boys room upside down and out so that it is fresh for him to come home to. I want to scrub the tub, smell paint and bleach, wash the winter and school and sick away. Manz has been working hard to do all the house chores while I've been at school- and he has done well- I need to do this cleaning to clean the cobwebs from my own head, center myself and begin a new chapter on a fresh page. (Queen of metaphors this morning. fever? antihistamines from the doctor? left over dreams? the effect of reading to much Margaret Atwood?)

Anyway, the band teacher is MIA (again) and LC is late, so I am off to cover their classes- together, all the aspiring stars of stage and screen. Vivant!

By the way~

this is my final project for the MAEd program. All 72+ pages of it..... browse around the art site, it's kinda cool : )

http://whistlingypsy.net

Long time, no post. UPDATES!

So folks, sorry for the looooong absence, but I'm back- and hopefully regular again. This past month plus has been busy, busy, busy....finishing all of the last minute school stuff, graduating, art shows, pepper's baby, and all those things. I tend to put things off, or at least I think I do, and the last few weeks of school were cycles of a few hours sleep between many hours of work- I'd go to bed at 9, be up at 1 or 2, take a nap around 4, back up at 5 off to school.... I could do it when I was younger, no worries- and I did it again, but it wore me out. Then I had to finish the national board renewal, so more of the same.... being a perfectionist doesn't help at all... then it was Springfest prep and painting/sewing. But it was worth it as we sold a few things that will help us through the rest of the month... (silly me, I was trying to get the bills straightened out, and ended up paying most of them twice. which is better than not paying them at all, but it put a big dent in the bank account). Let's see...what else... school meetings- end of the year stuff- and activities (preschool field day, special Olympics, senior projects- I can now make a reasonably realistic dead cat out of duct tape!) applying to the next round of grad school.... plus the menopause fairy has moved in and *that* is one roller coaster that I only want to ride once, please.

In the midst of all this was Graduation, which was lovely- I finally got my hood! yay! It has light blue velvet and the ECU purple/gold combination...stunning.... graduation was short and sweet, the professors kept making mistakes and forgetting to introduce each other, which was kinda funny. My cap wouldn't stay on- it was securely bobby pinned but then we had to take the pins out so we could take the cap off and get hooded by the professors.... my professor is all of 5 feet tall, so we had to kinda squat down.... then the cap went back on and it just didn't want to stay put. kept sliding off as I walked away (of course mine was the only one who misbehaved, but then no one else had fluffy hair- even my friend Keema had flat-ironed for the day) Charles's parents were there- they had gone to the wrong one first and had to be redirected across campus- it was great seeing them and then we all went out to lunch at a bbq place in Keenansville. The manz was there of course (yay!) and keeping me together- we only stopped at one tinsy yard sale on the way up (but we bought a rocking chair and two tables to resale)
All in all, it was short, sweet and wonderful.

Now it's all over, just a few more days of school left, gotta getta grendel, then one final Raleigh meeting and the Penderlea art show.... of course, right after Springfest I got the worst cold of the year (which has nothing to do with overwork, followed by gate duty at a night baseball game -cold- followed immediately by a day of sitting in 90 degree weather. and throw in a meeting with a sick parent who coughed on me) anyhoo, I slept all day Sunday, tried school on Monday ended up going a 1/2 day then to the dr., slept all day yesterday and am trying school again today. (poor kids need me- it's the end of the year and they are horribly neglected). I read two whole books during the last three days, and the manz has kept me in gatorade, chicken and toast........... I feel better, just can't talk much. tis ok.

I have lots to do still- I want to see Liz and Pepper's baby but don't dare until I'm better, I need to clean the house and do something with Grendel's room before he comes home, and I have to prep for Penderlea...plus school, of course. And the poor manz has been neglected- he thinks I'm just a blanketed lump in the bed that consumes endless amounts of kleenex and strawberries.... he has been doing *all* the work around the house for months plus his regular work and I know he is tired (but never complains). (The only thing he doesn't do is put away my laundry. He opens my drawers and cabinet- which are very messy- and just shakes his head, puts the pile on top of the dresser, shuts the drawer and walks away. I will do better, promise! I did get the messy genes in the family though- everyone else is a neat-nik)

It's finally raining, and I need to drink my coffee and get my act together. I know there are papers to grade and things to do, and I best get on with my day. Thank-you all for not abandoning me this past month, and understanding the whole 'in the bubble' thing.... Love you!

Charles saves the day, again and again, and again!

Isn't it odd how things happen in threes? Just a week ago Saturday, we were set up selling stuff out by the stockyards and....crash! Car meets telephone pole (and another car). Charles called 911, went over and stayed there until the cops-n-stuff arrived. Excitement! and everyone was ok, except being sore from the airbags. Of course, without the air bags they would of been squished, so that is a good thing.

Thursday night- I had been up since 2am working- it was dark out and I was finally persuaded to stop and take a shower. After I got out of the shower, the manz was running through the house (stylishly attired in soft pants, scad shirt and untied work boots, hair flying) looking for his cell phone. A woman had tried to avoid "a black dog" and had crossed the road and upended on her roof across from our house. Again, the call to 911, and directing traffic (I was worried he would get squashed even though they gave him a vest) ..... again, she made it- but they had to jaws-of-life her out of the car.

Then today I was napping until Bear (and ...a...um.... 'episode of flatulence') woke me up) I just got up, fed the doggs (who oddly were not interested in food, or staying inside) when the manz came running in yet again. I thought he just got back from work, but he had been watering the flowers when *squeal-crash* another car flipped over on it's roof and was skittering across the road. 911 again- no one was hurt- the two guys (a dad and son combo) in the car were 'drunker than sh*t' and the cops had been after them since Wilmington. When they flipped the car over (I had never seen that before- the other night it was to dark to watch it flipped over) all this junk came tumbling out... the guys were just sitting on the road by the cop car displaying their lovely 'cracks of dawn' to all who drove by.

I am impressed and amazed by this man of mine. All this chaos and he is the one who was calm, called 911, told them what was going on, stayed until help arrived, helped direct traffic, answered the troopers questions and filled out all the paperwork...... I know that if (god forbid) I ever get in a mess I'd want someone like him there first.

Well, that was his three-time saving the day for this week-n-a-day..... he needs a break!

lalala....

This happy little fellow was at the auction last night, and is exactly how I am at the moment. Grinning wildly, blocking out everything so I can focus- lalala, gotta do it, almost over. 12 days....just 12 days left to get everything finished. All three classes. My National Boards. plus school of course, and the starter-store, one school art show and a sprinkling of auctions. (the auctions are the fun part- I can relax, and while we are set up selling stuff I work work work on school things....my poor students are neglected tho)

In a perfect world I could have the next 12 days off school to focus- but reality is I would probably procrastinate still and be all last minute. Having to get everything done NOW is what keeps me on the straight and narrow. It's like swimming laps or giving birth- focus, focus, focus- come up for air, breathe, then dive back in. The presentation on Monday went well, even though I didn't win (I *hate* not winning, but it's ok) and the thesis defense/review on Friday went well also- thing is, my digital stuff on the web is *so much* better than the physical print outs (in my opinion, the professors liked some of the printouts also-) and everyone loved the altered books. I do to- they are my best work, I think- though I love the narrative web site- when it is finished (12 Days!) I will post the link so you can check it out...... anyhoo, learning curves ahead. Other good things is that Dr. Arnold and Dr. Quinn both want to write articles with me (yay!) and Trish is trying to get them to hire me as an adjunct (part-time on line) professor for art appreciation. That would rock. I'm excited about this-

But I have been neglecting the blog, my family and friends again. I'm sorry- but I have to take a hiatus from writing everyday until this is over. Today I need the break- speaking of which, the poor manz has been working constantly for weeks without a day off. That's the down side of sunny weather- he has been either working on Ms. Ann's houses (reflooring) or helping his dad with Merrel's stuff, selling our stuff, refinishing, yardening, plus all the house chores- and he is off already this morning to work at the auction house and prepping our things to sell. And good natured through all of this (needs to be a saint to work for Ms. Ann.... it's like working for the world's angriest black woman with the world's most golden grill) and he has been putting up with me working all the time, getting up at weird hours and living in my bubble. He knows when I need a stress-reliever cookie, or some breakfast, or a break. He makes sure I eat right, go to bed and get outside some... have some fun...remember to pet the doggs and kitty, do all the things I need to do to be well. I am grateful that he takes good care of me- even when I am oblivious to the world.

It's been a whole year now that we have lived together, and I couldn't be happier~ it's a good thing.

Love you all- bear with me, soon I will be back on the blog-habit!

Mr. Green Jeans

Ok. The jeans aren't green, but the thumb is (and he does have the worlds oldes pair of green work-pants)... anyway, this was last Saturday out at Duplin nursery. We had been driving around, running errands, and we saw the Dad, who had just been out to the nursery to get pollinators for his grape vines. He mentioned the flowers....and off we went!

I loved it, not just because of the pretties, but because it smelled like the Flower Barn back in Johnstown- I used to love to go to the Flower Barn, and I was especially fond of the green houses because they had fountains in them. I've never seen or heard of that again- just another weird Johnstown thing- but I remember one had koi fish, and the other was larger and had some sort of naked angel thing. It was mysterious and green and warm and smelled like dirt and growing- loved it.

Anyway, no inside fountains at Duplin, but greenhouse after greenhouse of goodies. We picked geraniums for the planters (they are the blooming ones in the wagon) portulaca in a hanging basket, a few replacement lantanas(ours didn't make it through the winter...at least they still look kinda dead) some begonias, something that spreads and vines and is brightly colored for the flowerboxes (can't remember the name of it) and a licorice plant that I just *had* to have because I've never seen one before. So all the plants are here, watered faithfully every day, waiting to be planted- the week got incredibly busy very quickly (no end in sight either).... The manz was off everyday working with his Dad cleaning out the barns and stuff, and helping Mr. Wells, selling our furniture stuff on Thursday and today (even as I write) then has to do some work for Ms. Ann...busy, busy, busy manz. Not a day off in ages, and not a one in sight. (unless you count tomorrow, but that is Easter- family time and planting of flowers) ..... I don't know where my time went. I messed about cleaning up some of the stuff from the barns, but that didn't take much time.... and it took me forever to grade the papers/projects for college....I've been making art for my thesis, but it has been slower than normal and I am way behind...and Friday is the day. So, yesterday I was stressed out and scared to death , today I spent the morning with the manz and doing journal work- now I am 'fixin to' get busy with the photoshop. (I did not eat 2 peanut butter cookies. I swear. They spontaneously vanished- it just happened to be in the vicinity of my mouth....) Stress. dieting. bleah. blah. bleah. Anyhoo, still freaking out a bit, but basically just going to put the 'nose to the grindstone' (ouch) and get crackin. I WILL make this happen.