Sunday, October 30, 2005

Free hour

Well, I forgot all about the time change last night and this morning, so happily I was given an extra hour today! I had my coffee and was all ready to sit down with Sunday Morning, which is my favorite news type show, and it wasn't on. Then I remembered daylight savings. It's going to get dark awfully early this afternoon.

I've been doing my morning pages. They don't seem all that therapeutic as I had been in the habit of daily confessionals to my best friend. We don't censor each other, and for years it has been a measure of my life.

I've planned my artist's date. I'm going to collect sage for smudge sticks. We're leaving on vacation tomorrow and I'm sure to find a suitable area. I think my vacation is likely to be one big artist's date. Our first stop is Bosque del Apache NWR just south of Socorro, NM, and it is heaven for this birder. Next we're planning a week in Safford, AZ and then a week in Tucson. Hope to take in the Boyce Thompson Arboretum. And I'm spending a weekend with Pat when I'm sure we'll try to do way more than we have time for...dyeing, thrift store shopping, movies, eating.

Nobody sees a flower--really--it is so small it takes time--we haven't time--and to see takes time, like to have a friend takes time.
Georgia O'Keeffe

I'm fortunate to be live in a place where the pace is relaxed and I am my own boss. I frequently fritter away my day observing the most (apparently) insignificant things, and I'll get to do even more of that in the coming two weeks.

I may not have internet access...

Thursday, October 27, 2005

Brain, what brain?

I took a right vs. left brain test yesterday. I won't post a link. The test was good, lots of questions, which I think it takes to really evaluate something such as this, but to get the full results, etc. they wanted some money. I was satisfied with what I got for free. The results pegged me pretty well:

Balanced-brained

That means you are able to draw on the strengths of both the right and left hemispheres of your brain, depending upon a given situation.

When you need to explain a complicated process to someone, or plan a detailed vacation, the left hemisphere of your brain, which is responsible for your ability to solve problems logically, might kick in. But if you were critiquing an art opening or coming up with an original way to file papers, the right side of your brain, which is responsible for noticing subtle details in things, might take over.

While many people have clearly dominant left- or right-brained tendencies, you are able to draw on skills from both hemispheres of your brain. This rare combination makes you a very creative and flexible thinker.

The down side to being balanced-brained is that you may sometimes feel paralyzed by indecision when the two hemispheres of your brain are competing to solve a problem in their own unique ways.


I'm hoping that the Artist's Way work will help tip the scale to my right brain a little, at least when it comes to artistic self-expression.

P.S. Found this really good article: Revenge of the Right Brain

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

20 Things About Me

1. I was born in Brazil of Brazilian parents, and am still a Brazilian citizen, even though I am married to an American, have lived here since I was 7 (45 years--you do the math), and served in the U.S. Army. I keep it as an option in case I/we decide to retire there. My two daughters have a choice of citizenship should they ever decide to exercise it.

2. I don't particularly like the limelight that owning a historic motel has put me in. I prefer anonymity.

3. I'd like to be forced into early retirement. If it doesn't happen soon, it won't be early!

4. My husband and I have birthdays in February 3 days apart, and are both Aquarians, only I'm two years older. I was into younger men way before it was fashionable.

5. I have two daughters different as night and day and it's hard to believe they have the same parents.

6. My mom passed away in 2001, and I can't believe it's been 4 years already. My dad moved back to Brazil, and for a while I felt like an orphan.

7. My mom was an amazing woman coming to this country without speaking English and providing for me as a live-in housekeeper.

8. I am my father's only daughter, my mother's only child, and grew up as an only child. You draw your own conclusions. My daughters' sibling rivalry and fighting about sent me over the edge.

9. I have a best friend that I've known for 20+ years. First I moved away from her in CO to NM, and then she moved to HI! I believe in quality versus quantity.

10. I actually had my 15 minutes of fame early on. My 6th grade Spanish class was featured in a movie made for the president on the status of foreign language study. I had a starring role, but kept having to repeat my lines because every time I said them, a plane flew over, or there was some other noise.

11. I lived in Beverly Hills for a few years, long before everyone in the country knew that zip code.

12. I was also a "Valley Girl" like long before it meant anything.

13. When my best friend said she was taking a quilting class (see #9 above) I told her I had absolutely no interest in learning to quilt. She throws that back at me on a regular basis, and makes me add up how many quilts I've made.

14. I've tried not to say never anymore, since you don't know what paths your life will take. My younger daughter made me eat a lot of my words.

15. I sucked my thumb until I was 28 more or less, and don't know why I stopped. (It runs in my mother's family, and I have an older cousin that I don't know if she ever quit.)

16. I love to cook, and unfortunately for my waistline, to eat as well!

17. I worked for 20+ years as an operating room technician.

18. Always wanted to live on a "farm," and had 5 acres, goats, chickens, and raised a few pigs when we lived in CO and my kids were little. It was a good life. I'd do it again.

19. I'm happy and generally like my life. Success is getting what you want...happiness is liking what you get.

20. I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up.

Okay, I tag someone else on the Artist's Way ring...Pat, Gemia, anyone??

Friday, October 21, 2005

TucumCairo?

 

There is nothing more beautiful than a southwest sunset! We get pretty spectacular sunrises frequently as well. With some creative cropping, it looks like someone riding a camel in the desert...in reality we live on Route 66 and that's part of the darkened sign of the Safari Motel just down the street making the silhouette. Posted by Picasa

Thursday, October 20, 2005

A Cat's Life

 

I've always envied a cat's ability to relax. After I took the picture I noticed the stuffed (doorstop) cat looked like it wished it could get in the sunshine too. Posted by Picasa

Sunday, October 16, 2005

Okay, I'm fried. I took a break from my current project and managed to upload a picture for my profile. Then I tried to add things to the sidebar, but it's much too late in the evening for me to work with this. Maybe the blogging wizards on the about.com quilting forum can help when I'm more rested.

Saturday, October 15, 2005

Trying to start this

So, here I am trying this out. Just doing this so I can participate in a group study of "The Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron.

I'll keep this short to see if I've got the hang of it yet.

Friday, October 14, 2005

About Me

Where do I start...I updated my blog with a new template and now I have to create a "real" about me page rather than using the fill in the blanks form from blogger.

I'm a happily retired former OR tech, medical transcriptionist, and lastly co-owner of a small historic motel. Got my 15 minutes of fame and am happily living in the geographical center of New Mexico in anonymity.

I enjoy quilting having come to it late in my sewing and needling life. I expected my previous mastery of needlepoint, counted cross-stitch, macrame, and crochet to count for something in learning the finer points of quilting, but had to start from scratch! My friend Rosie reminds me of my famous last words..."I don't want to learn to quilt"...when she signed up for a class and wanted me to accompany her. Years later I decided I did want to learn to quilt--but not by hand. I've been careful about what I say I don't want to or will never do.

My other passion is cooking. My waistline will readily attest to the fact that I also enjoy eating.

My blogging is sporadic, and I post when the mood strikes. Visit me again...who knows, there may be something new.

I hate to have my picture taken, and since I am the boss (owner) of the camera, I seldom appear in any of them. So at the moment I'm going to attempt to take a self-portrait!