I’m Beautiful Like Me.

The weeks have been crazy hectic. I have looking forward to Jugband Jubilee 2009 since last year! I finally got word last week about the date, but had already committed myself to the department for which I work’s annual picnic. Hell, I planned the thing! In any case, we decided to attend the picnic first and then head out to the Waterfront Park to the Jugband Jubilee. Last year, I took Joy and went with Penny and her girls. This year, Husband and Buddha joined us. It was an amazing time.

The crowd this year was much bigger!

 

 

 

 

The Cincinnati Dancing Pigs

Just today, they erected this memorial for Earl McDonald, a Jug Band Pioneer. His lovely granddaughter gave a short speech of thanks at tonight’s performance.

 

 

 

 

These fellows are a Japanese Jugband and this was their first American appearance. They were very fun, extremely entertaining and, of course, amazingly talented. They are the Old Southern Jug Blowers. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And of course, I had the opportunity to play with my new camera!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s me!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joy was particularly photogenic today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Buddha made a new friend (with a VERY fancy camera). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Louisville by day and by night….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

School is still going pretty well. I’m enjoying my classes quite a lot and am only finding myself stressed about scheduling issues instead of the actual work. Come to think of it, it’s usually always about finding the time to study outside of class than getting to and from class and understanding the material! Why should this semester be any different?!

Husband and I took our extra school cash and moved last weekend. We paid our deposit and three months rent in a first floor apartment that is more than double the size of our last apartment. It’s so nice and roomy. There’s an enormous front porch, a basement, a little yard and it’s within walking distance to the Black Loop (where I catch the bus to school). The family is really enjoying it. I enjoy all the extra space, the boy loves having his own room and the girl is digging her monster-sized closet. Husband is giddy over the basement and garage. Whether or not he wants to admit it, I believe he is enjoying the challenges of living in a house that’s nearly a hundred years old.

Moving has been a huge stressor this week. We have managed to get 95% of our stuff out of the old apartment as well as the stuff we’d been storing at my mom’s (my books are home!!!) over the long weekend, but a lot of it is still packed in boxes throughout the house. I took Tuesday off from work in order to take care of getting the utilities switched over and the last big load moved but had to get back to school and work and the usual grind come Wednesday, so getting the new place in order is pretty much at a standstill. The most awesome part is that even with all of our stuff here, there is still so much room. Once I get everything out of boxes and into it’s rightful place, I can finally invite people over to have dinner, to watch football games, to entertain and not feel claustrophobic!

The new camera arrived on my birthday and it’s farkin’ fabulous. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I’ve enjoyed playing with it and I haven’t even begun to understand all the amazing things it can do. I will take some time in the (relatively near) future and read through the field guide that came with it so I can maximize it’s potential. In the meantime, I’ll leave you with this one. Be well!

My beautiful kids, 8/31/2009

My first week back to school has been really wonderful. At least the school part. The part of not having all my books on hand, switching a class at the last minute, and home adjustments hasn’t been great. But the classes are awesome. I’m taking a basic Geography course, one that relates to humans (more social than scientific), Anthropology that deals in skeletal forensics (a lot of new terms to get familiar with!), American Lit (Reading! Critical thinking!) and Existential Philosophy (more critical thinking!).

Coupled with my new job at the school’s Department of Neurology is exciting. I’ve been working for the Chair and his secretary. I’m in absolute reverence of the Chair - he is a brilliant man that has had more publications than any other faculty member at the school. If I had to guess, it would be somewhere in the neighborhood of two to three hundred. The rest of the staff is really great, too. My boss is really cool and laid back. And I’m encouraged to study in my down time! Awesomeness.

Husband has had a little difficulty adjusting to me being gone a lot. But he’s been a good sport about it all. On Thursday, when I was gone all day working, I came home to a clean house and hot dinner. He’s so sweet. I’m lucky to have such an amazing support system with him.

The hardest part for me is finding time to study. Because I’ve had to tweak my sleeping schedule, I’m pretty tired by the time the kids are in bed and am falling asleep on my books! But I feel pretty good that I’ll figure it all out.

I haven’t enjoyed a weekend so much in a long time! I spent a good portion of yesterday crocheting myself a sleeve for my new HP Mini netbook. I also finished another pair of fingerless gloves and have another one ready to start. Busy, busy!

Tomorrow is my 32nd birthday. Besides the netbook, going back to college, Husband bought a camera for me! I expect it to arrive in the next day or two. I’m really excited about it, but it is a much nicer camera than I have ever used and I hope I can find the time to learn a little bit about it!

Until next time… hopefully it won’t be too long from now, but I’m obviously going to very busy!

I’m all set for my first semester back to school in almost 4 years. It’s my first semester at University, too. I’m taking 13 credits: Physics, Anthropology, Geography and American Lit. I’ve got my parking issues (mostly) covered, my backpack, my books are ordered, syllabi printed, notebooks, folders, pens and pencils, etc. all gathered up. I’ve just got to get a couple of last small things to get. Oh and I’ve got to talk my husband out of his laptop or else I’m going to just get my own. I really like those little HP Minis. But my guess is Husband will just let me use his.

It’s just as well. We both would really love to move and that’s going to cost us a pretty penny. I’d like to get one of those really spacious apartments down by the University. Unfortunately, most are only 2 bedroom apartments, but they are similarly priced as our current apartment and have a ton more square footage. Another good aspect is that I’d be much closer to school and we’d overcome the parking issue altogether. That sounds really good.

I’ve also gotten a part-time job through Federal Work Study. I was hired by the Department of Neurology at the school. They are extremely supportive of my school schedule and the work is right up my alley. I start school on Monday the 24th and my job on Thursday the 27th.

It’s going to be a challenge going from full-time mom for the past two and a half years to being a full-time student with a part-time job and still have the demands of a mom and wife. I’d like to think I’m ready for it. Only time will tell.

Car Seat by Blind Melon
Written by Shannon Hoon
Recorded February 11, 1995

Tongue tied, nerves as big as boulders
Why Mom, I thought I was your soldier
My brother sits by me
Buckled into the car seat

Feel the thirst, it’s time for pulling over
Into the truckstop on my daddy’s shoulder
Out back where they plant all the trees
ten feet away my daddy buries me…

God’s Presents

by Blanche Bridge on February 11, 1884

If my path be smooth or rugged
If with thorns or roses strewn
Where I go the Father seeith
And He will leave me not alone

If I take the wings of morning
far within the giant sea
Even there His hand will lead me
Even there my God will be

Though the gloom of night be round me
Though I cannot see my way
Yet the Lord will see and guide me
Because unto Him the night is day

If my thoughts are good or evil
Set me think to hide them not
There is One above all seeing
And He beholdeth every thought

And ever more my eyes beholds me
And all my ways to Him are known
And His loving arms enfolds me
He will leave me not alone

The first part of the song was inspired by the deaths of 3-year-old Michael Daniel Smith and 14-month-old Alexander Tyler Smith, the sons of Susan Smith. Her children were buckled into their car seats when she steered her vehicle into John D. Long Lake and watched as the car sank. The tragedy moved Shannon.

Blanche Bridge was Shannon Hoon’s (Blind Melon front man) great great grandmother. He so loved the poem, he it tattooed to his left forearm.

I miss him today.

My father-in-law called at the last minute and invited us to meet him and my sister-in-law, Rebekah at Aunt M’s place in Smyrna, Tennessee. Rebekah has orientation at college today and they had some free time last night and wanted to visit with us. Husband had made other commitments, it’s been a year and a half since he’s seen his dad. Originally, Husband declined to meet his dad and sister. I had tried to finagle and work out some sort of plan so he could see his family and keep his commitment, but it just wasn’t possible to do both. He reluctantly broke his previous commitment, we picked Joy up from school right at 3:15pm and drove the three hours to Smyrna.

Husband drove most of the way. He’s looking a little scruffy. Both kids fell asleep in the car. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I always get excited about the state signs.

 

 

 

 

 

We arrived at around 5:30 (Central Time). Grandpa welcomed us by giving the kids water-weapons.

Lucky us.

Especially Aunt Bekah.

(I threatened to "forget" them there. Unfortunately, Joy was on to my plan and made sure they made it into the car.)

 

 

Aunt M’s two daughters and their respective husbands and children accompanied them. I had met four of the six of them briefly before, three at brother-in-law’s wedding and the fourth when Aunt M visited us with her granddaughter. It was nice to see and meet everyone.

Aunt M and Husband’s cousin prepared quite a feast. Husband cooked the marinated steaks on the grill, there were mushrooms, onions, potato salad, garden salad, pasta salad, cole slaw, green beans, and ice cream cake in honor of the college-bound girl.

Aunt M’s place is really kid-friendly and the kids had great fun ripping through her house and yard with water-weapons and self-propelling cars.

At around 9pm, Husband’s cousins (and families) left and it got pretty quiet. Husband, his dad and Aunt M chatted in the dining room for a bit while I hung out with Bekah and Joy. Buddha was too busy playing with all the new toys to have time for anyone. He really had a blast. We were invited to spend the night, but since Bekah and Father-in-Law had an early morning, we opted to drive home. I admit, I prefer sleeping in my own bed. I got one last (super-great) photo before leaving.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three generations

We made it home safely around 3:30am.

I’m really glad we went.

Thanks to a couple of good friends at knit night last night, I’ve decided that going to school is just the change I need. I meet in the morning with an advisor in the Arts & Sciences department (and received ample warning that it will most definitely not be a fun experience) and hopefully will register for classes at that time. Campus Orientation is on the 20th and classes start on the 24th. My biggest hope is that I can get into relatively easy classes since it has been three and a half years since I’ve been a full-time student.

I’m anxious. I’m nervous. But I’m excited, too.