A Toast to St. Valentine....

I used to dread this "holiday". Not because I didn't have a valentine- actually, it was when I did have one that I used to dread it the most! It was the inevitable box of chocolates, or stuffed bear, or cheap jewelry, or gigundo hersey's kiss. I couldn't care less for any of that crap! "OH! A teddy bear holding a box of choclates and heart-shaped gold-like bracelet, how... nice...."

I sound like a meany. But honestly, I never put much stock in Valentine's, and always made a point to not celebrate it on principle! Until I met Peter. Now I embrace the holiday, our way. Homemade cookies, a walk in the woods, a candlelight dinner at home, and a vase full of red parrot tulips make for a really nice day. When you're with your best friend, anything is perfect. I don't guess we need this particular holiday, as we can be found doing this sort of thing on any given weekend, but who am I to argue with a good excuse to break out the champange glasses?

A Toast To St. Valentine: illegal marry-er of sweethearts and martyr of romance, may we always mark your holiday with a message like thine, "Love Always, your Valentine".

Log Cabin Fever and Education Frustration

This is not old (i actually just made these last month), but I did already post my log cabin throws on my facebook and spread it around. I love them. I love that they match the Denise Schimdt coasters that I also made! I love making things for our space. It's a great feeling to know that I can look around and say,"I think we need new coasters," and make what I want out of whatever I have!

I didn't have anything "brand new" to post, because I'm taking a class that leaves me feeling kind of ...blah. I hate to complain, but anyone who knows me knows my travails with higher education. To be specific, I have generally had terrible luck with instructors, and this semester is no exception. I'm almost done, I tell myself. Just this (required) class, and one more of my choosing and I'm done with this phase of my program.... but my motivation is shot and my creativity and drive for my assignments is close to dried up. Last semester, I had an incredible teacher. I was really proud of all I had accomplished and my confidence was really climbing. He had an excitement and energy that was so very contagious. I felt like I was really learning and growing as an artist and a designer.

This semster it seems like slogging through mud.

Now, I have recently learned to try to give people some slack before I pass judgement. Some people have miserable lives- and sometimes the people that are especially exhausting and annoying turn out to have such trouble that you feel bad for ever getting irritated with them. But it seems that more often then not, the people that are supposed to be the "professionals" teaching a class, seem so miserable to be there, they can barely get through 5 minutes without a sarcastic remark or derisive sneer. Look, I'm paying $900 for this course. While I hate to admit that money skews my judgement in matters of personal interaction, that 900 smackeroos has severly shortened the amount of slack I'm willing to give a teacher. Aren't we all suffering alittle? Don't we all sometimes have to take a job we would rather not do? I obviously want to take the course- the proof our hard-earned dollars that I was willing to part with. I'm eager, interested, and hard working. Why does this have to be expensive and miserable?

Only 11 more weeks to go....