The quiet of winter...

I love the coolness in the air.
When nights are cold and beds are warm.
Snuggling beneath handmade blankets.
Hands busily knitting scarves and socks.
Warm beverages delighting taste buds.
What splendid pleasures these are,
in the quiet of winter.

12 days till Christmas...

Where has this year gone?
Wasn't it just spring time?

As the seasons change, so do plans.

An update: I'm NOT moving.
Staying put, here in lovely Carlsbad.

Michelle is off to Florida, Key West, for holiday.
Michael looking for a job, while finishing up his senior year.
I'm trying to make sense of a few new, unexpected developments.

I'll be looking for a new line of work, shortly.
I've enjoyed teaching.
However, what with my son nearing the end of senior year in high school.
I don't need to have same school schedule as his, any longer.
In addition; Recession has influenced the steadiness of my teaching job, or sadly, it will/may very soon.

For now, I'm managing.

Changing with the season...
As the leaves fall from trees and the daylight grows
shorter, I too have opted for a change.

In just a few weeks I shall be moving.
With this change a way of living will no longer exist.
A new adventure will begin.

I'm fearful and nervous.

I don't know how things will turn out.

What will the future hold? I'm curious and
just a little reluctant too, to find out.

Letting go and moving on has it's ups and downs.
The ride will start soon, or perhaps it has already!





Oh the trees are so lovely in all it's stages of life.
Full of beauty, colour and purpose.
And in the quiet time, when season goes to renewal.
The barren tree is most exposed and vulnerable.
Interestingly, I'm worried about vulnerable.
Too often, in the past I have been used and hurt.

So, I choose to sit here, quietly, contemplating what
my next "move" will be.

Oh the beauty of fall!

Voting Day 2008

Electing a new President is always exciting.
However, this voting season was very special for me personally.
Both my children voted along side of me. My eldest daughter and I have voted for a few years together, much happiness there.
And now my youngest has turned voting age and participated with us.

Not only a historic value, in voting this time around, but a new family first too.

I'm very proud of both my kids. They researched all on their own, voting in a fashion that suited their hopes and dreams. What a wonderful moment for me, as their Mother.




This is us before voting!







Michael rocking the vote for the first time!




Michelle being silly as usual.



Check out our stickers...we voted!

Comic-Con(Day two)

I drove in. Much headache getting through the throng of traffic and sea of people.
Managed to find spot in southern parking structure. Yeah!
Then walked north the entire length of convention centre to door A.
I was lucky, by that, my job assignment allowed me to sit.
Volunteers booth. "HI. Did you bring your paperwork and a photo ID? May I see it please"..?
Erin, my co-worker, rocked. She kept me laughing when I wasn't keeping her laughing.
As for the time spent "working". It felt more like, a friendly get together, with my "own people" all of us... geeks.
After a short three hour shift, I was off and headed for the convention floor.
My work shift started at 7:45am. So me heading into convention @ 10:45am was early enough.
Artist alley once more, was my goal. Met two more artists.
Debbie Huey from Bumperboy comic.
And The Toy People.
I was happy to have completed my first task. Finding new artists to keep in contact through the year...with my students.
I had met Dave Pryor and Bob Rissetto from Inner Workings &
Emo Gonzales and his brother Chemix of Emonic.net at Preview night.
All four of the artist were/are willing to keep in contact and share some of their art and insights with my art students, through-out the upcoming year.
Now time for me!
Panels to attend: Dr. Who, Torchwood, Bloggers @ Con, Geekroundtable live Podcast.
Films to view: Citizen.
people to watch...booths to wander and in the end: George Lucas, Star Wars awards to animated, small film. After that a preview showing of the B rated...Lost Boys 2. Cory was there, Kevin Spacey and a room full of very tired fans...but we stayed till the end, which was near to 1am.
Now, I had to head home sleep for two hours and turn around to do it all over again....more on day three.

Comic-con 2008 (Preview Night)

Well, the queuing for an hour and forty-five minutes, to get my pass as a volunteer
was all worth it.
So much to see, so much to do!
I met some really talented and creative artists.
The crowd wasn't too bad, in the first hour.
By the end of the evening, Elite securities had to walk the aisle asking
people to leave.
It's now history, Preview night, and I look forward to day two!

A bit of quiet...

The chimes have an almost magical quality this morning.
Silence, gentle wind, birds chirping and chimes. This soothes me.

Happily distracted, these mesmerizing sounds transport me.
I float with each gentle stream of wind and sound...I am light as air.

Children running past my flat, screaming happily, about who knows what, yank me from my tranquil moment.

I glance over to my printer. In it sits a two page confirmation letter.

Later today I will enter into a different world. This world, known by many as: COMIC-CON.
The sights, sounds, smells will dramatically alter my present condition.

Inside I feel like screaming "Yippie yeah, it's today, yippie yeah".
Outside I press my lips to my very adult sized cup of coffee and simply smile.

Update: Me, kids, summer holiday 2008

What I thought would happen,
this summer holiday, hasn't.
What has happened, surprises me.

I'm happy in both cases.

My kids are both working.
My son has now started his senior year;
ONLINE! Yep, it's high school online.
I'm happy about not having to drive him,
especially since I no longer own a car.
He is happy to be away from "drama"
at the local high school.

My daughter is back home. After my car
accident, she came to aid me. After
hearing about the conditions, at her birth father's
place. Well, the whole story about step-mothers are
all true!!!

I didn't go "back" to school, like planned.
Instead, I've been learning online, and taking
a few homeopathic courses. Working toward completing my
spiritual/medical/healing practices. After 24 years,
its odd to realise....learning isn't "done" in a single
discipline with degree or certificate.

I am having a wonderful holiday!
So many books, so many projects...



I have now been to Oregon and Washington states.
JOY, JOY...now there are only; Alaska and Hawaii,
that I have never been to!
Then my wandering to every state in the USA,
will be complete.

Hmmmm, I wonderr what country I will
go and wander in next?

Where this teacher finds joy...

Today the conversation was lively around the playdough table.
"I'm making a bear, what are you making?" says the 4 year old. "I'm making food", replies the 5 year old.
Later at the drawing table, these same kids are conversing over their drawings.
"what is that?" asks the 5 year old to the 4 year old..."It's my bear eating your food".

Gotta love the job to do it! But it's these wee moments that make it so worth it!!!

Another wonderful day in the world of creative education.