Last Saturday in July, 2010

I can't believe how quickly this summer is flying by--I feel like it's just begun and now it's halfway over.  I wish I could back pedal a few weeks.  I really wanted to travel down to Mississippi this summer--see Kendall, see John's band, visit with Aunt Norma and Debbie.  Time just won't allow. . .we are getting new windows, a new bed, and a new workout machine.  All at once.  It seems to happen that way.  We need a new front door and new couches too, but that will have to wait awhile longer.  The pocketbook can take only so many new additions at a time.  I still have work to do before school begins again.  Want to write some more music, make some plans for writing assignments, of course; I'm so accustomed to being lazy that getting back to work will be TOUGH.  But I'm not going to complain too much.  I don't start back to work for about two months.  The sun isn't setting quite yet!

another lazy day in summerville

Yawn.  Oh, yes--this is the day when I wake up and realize that I have almost two more months of vacay time before school starts.  Should I be planning, researching, writing--being productive, to sum it up? Why yes, of course I should.  But then, that would defeat the whole point of vacay, right? Um--I don't do well with lots of unstructured time.  I need a goal, a plan. . .I know, I make a list.  Let's see.  At the top of the list is "house cleaning." Fun.  Next comes "laundry," then, um, . . ."sit outside on the deck and read the new book I loaded on my Nook yesterday." Oh, yeah, and "play the guitar until my fingers hurt." The good stuff is at the END of the list.  How did that happen? I think I was taught the idea of deferral of pleasure too well. Defer, defer, defer.  And then you die.  Yikes! At some point, one must put the fun stuff first, right? Which brings me full circle to consider the whole point of having a vacation.  VACATE the routine.  Instead of finding the most efficient path from A to B, I will MEANDER.  I like this plan.

The Day After

my birthday was even better--no pressure! Yay! I am getting fat from eating birthday cake.  I haven't exercised since last Wednesday.  I guess tomorrow I should get back on the treadmill, literally and figuratively.  Thank goodness today I chose my text for the two writng courses in the fall and winter quarters. Now I'd like to get back into my music a bit more--I really, really want to learn tablature. Once I've learned it, I will be able to play even more music.  Music saves me in so many ways--keeps me sane, balanced, and creative.  It takes me to a peaceful place in my head, away from all the confusion, chaos, weirdness of the world at large.  There is no place for that mess in music. . . .

Well, well--53 today.  Don't feel a bit older than 52.  Not yet anyway.  I guess it takes a few days to sink in.  Mike and I went to the zoo in Tacoma--I have always loved going to the zoo.  The weather is great, and the animals, as always, were spectacular. A polar bear swam right up to the glass--we were eye to eye! We also saw meer cats and sharks--not in the same place, of course.  Always interesting, the zoo. . .This bowling pic was taken in the spring when I was in Bend with UWT students working with Habitat for Humanity.  That was a great time.  I saw a few of them on Saturday night at "Paint the Park Purple" in Tacoma and was reminded of that trip.  Good times! Later on this evening, Mike and I will eat our dinner outside on the deck and drink margeritas. Here's to getting better and better as I age.  Here's to looking for the good in everyone.  Here's to looking forward to what's around the corner.  And to always keeping my fork, because dessert is coming up!

birthday eve

On the eve of my 53rd birthday: having a beer with my husband, watching the evening news on NBC (my favorite channel), grilling a steak--ah, life is good. The sun is shining--it has actually been hot today--in the 80s--which is hot for the PNW. So hot I was uncomfortable sitting on the deck reading. But I'm trying not to complain too much. After all, in a few months, it will be rainy and in the 50s--every day for at least three months. So I'll take the sun and the heat! Learned a new song today--"Heartache by the Number"--working on a few more--namely "Angel from Montgomery" and "The Way that It Goes". My fingers are so sore right now because I didn't play for a few weeks. That will never happen again!! I am having to tough it out all over again, at least for awhile. Can't wait till my fingers toughen up! Today was pretty lazy, but then, it's summer--I'm so glad I'm a teacher and have the summers off to actually be lazy for awhile. . .

settling down

Home for the summer. . .wanting to settle into a routine now before fall quarter starts and I have to settle into a new routine. Such is the life of the teacher--but I love it! Tonight is Paint the Park Purple at the Rainiers--looking forward to that. It's always a blast to see folks from school, eat some great burgers, drink a brewsky, watch some baseball. And the weather is spectacular! Oh yeah, gotta love summer in the great PNW. My birthday is Monday--I'll be 53. I think sometimes my real age is 10. or sometimes it's 5. But that's okay I guess. I want to always stay "young at heart"--ready to live life to its fullest. That means staying healthy, keeping a grateful attitude. When I was in Atlanta last week, Dad exhorted Greg, Raney, Keith and I to "go fort it"--he actually pumped his arm back and forth. I was amazed at him. And very moved by what he said. He is a remarkable man. I hope to live up to his expectations of me. But also to be a success for myself. I am so competitive--sometimes not in a good way, but measuring myself by those I admire keeps me motivated, I think, to be the best I can be at whatever I do. And most of the time, it's not a matter of competing, but of being inspired to reach for the highest. Susan Cowsill is a great inspiration to me, for example, in music. Well, in life as well, actually. I am inspired by my husband to achieve in my career--my friend, Beth, inspires me as well. I look for inspiration in nature as well--in books, in art, in relationships. It is so vital to living a good life to have HOPE--to always LOOK UP. When we were in Turkey, we went on a balloon ride over Cappadocia--an amazing experience--that buoyant feeling is what I mean by being UP. Seeing the big picture--looking out to the horizon with expectation of the good things to come, the good times to be had. . . .

home from Turkey

We got home Friday afternoon after a very long two days, travelling from Istanbul to Paris and then home. I feel better today, but still a little bit jet lagged. Or maybe I'm just getting old, and this long distance travel thing is harder on me than it used to be. Hard to know. At any rate, a fabulous trip. We saw so much, met so many people, walked and walked and walked and walked. . . .I am now friends with five Anatolians on facebook. ; ) This picture is of our hotel in Istanbul when we stayed on the waterfront.