Refugee: The Horror never fully goes away.

Many lives ago, even before my soul-selling stint in Big Agency PR, I was a PhD student, attempting to forever cram myself into that elite niche known as "Over-Educated and Under-Employable." I cracked after passing my qualifying exams and before the dissertation process, jaded and crabby. But today, the terror all came crashing down around me as if I had chosen instead to hide forever behind the small solace of making people I didn't like call me "Dr."

As I loaded the kids into the car at the grocery store, I did my usual thing and turned on the radio, wondering what sensible conversation Diane Rehm would be offering up to me today. To my utter and abject horror, I arrived just in time to hear an imperious caller begin to hold forth on the Supreme Court's recent decision involving Eminent Domain. "I think that there is a Hegelian Dialectic at work here!" He tossed out this tremedous bomb stuffed with horse doody as if to dare anyone listening to have the temerity to ask what the heck he was talking about. And all at once, my grad student PTSD kicked in.

I screamed. Not just in my mind, but in my "out loud" voice. And quickly...oh, SO QUICKLY, I jammed my finger into the radio button for fear that I would actually have to once again suffer hearing a human being utter the word "hermeneutic."

'Cause, if THAT happened, I'd be forced to jam my car keys through my eardrum to prevent further such assaults. Oy.

Notebookapalooza!

I've been altering notebooks again.....this time for my sister, hubby, and MIL as thank you gifts for helping me with the new baby....I'm doing one more next week for my Mommy. I love these notebook projects! They are such a gratifying way to use up my scraps! 

Inspiration Friday: Anticipation.

OK, I know it's been a pathetically long time since I updated the wild and wacky world of my blog. So shoot me. I'm at 37 weeks, and, given the early schedule my other 2 kiddos were on, this kid is coming soon....but, when? Not over the next week, I hope...I need a little more time to make frozen lasagnes and take belly shots (come on, you all know it has to be done) and wash wee teeny T shirts before the Big Day. But still, I feel those tiny heels pushing on my ribs and I can start to see the tiny PERSON in there. When...WHEN? Am I ready for this? I am exhausted now with 2 kidlets....how will I handle THREE????? But, then, my body is stressed to the limit and I don't think pregnancy is something I can endure much longer. What if I need a more "medical" birth this time? My first two had very natural deliveries, but I'm older now....35 and never even had an IV......I'm scared, excited, and tired all at once....I can't even look at the calendar without getting stressed about how close it is all becoming.....

OK, how is this inspiring? Well, that stream of consciousness ramble will be adapted for journaling on a page for my pregnancy journal....I'll try to get the elipses under control and share the finished result on Monday. What are you anticipating this summer? Are you happy, or do you want to hide under the covers from the entire thing? Or, like me, a little of each........

Here is my creation, a bit late for "Inspired by Monday...." In this case, I'm inspired by my own bad mood.....Inspired to remind myself of what is so right, so wonderful, and so pure in my life. This photo always makes me smile with gratitude.  

Inspired by Monday: In an icky mood.

Yes, it is all very well and good to be inspired by beauty, and joy, and love.

Not workin' for me today. I'm feeling huge, and sore, and moody...and, as is traditional, apparently I am also to blame for all that is wrong in the world today. Whatever.

The moral of the story? Sometimes, a good old-fashioned bitter mood is just what is needed to boost the creative spirit....Occasionally, it's just a way to remind yourself what is important to you....and other times, it is a way to vent your uglier side. Fortunately for all of you, I'm opting for the former....to be posted later this evening when I'm at the proper, image bearing computer....

Inspiration Friday--the Peacock's Wing

Color, texture, all-out funkiness....what does it say to you? This week, for your inspiration pleasure, I share with you this zoom photo I took of a peacock's wing. If you are inspired to create something -- anything-- by this, post a link here -- I'd love to see! Happy weekend, all!  

Curses on you, MediaTickets, and all your EVIL, WICKED WORKS!

OK, so I've been a bit MIA lately....a Pox befell our happy home and we were all stricken with various illnesses after Memorial Day. Please, allow me to share that while bronchitis is NEVER fun, having it while 8 months pregnant is a whole new ballgame.

To add to my tale of woe, my computer decided to get in on the act and get a wee virus of its own. Actually, it's an annoying form of spyware/adware that replicates itself and forces Internet Explorer to open on start up and navigate to the main site, downloading more crap as it goes. I've removed it about 700 times and it keeps reinstalling. I am currently donning my safety gear in preparation of going in to my registry and deleting all kinds of scary stuff.

So, our thought for the day is BOO on the evil troll who dreamed up mediatickets.net. May they enjoy the hearafter in a special zone of the Big Flamey reserved for their kind. They will have several "nice Nigerian widows" for company, I believe.