I’m taking the Spring ceramics class instead of the Fall class. I’ve been registered for Spring for a few weeks now, but because the boys’ baseball schedule conflicted with my Spring schedule, I was going to drop the class and build my portfolio this Fall instead. Now their game schedule has changed, and I’m able to do both. That means I can apply to (and join) the graduate program a full semester earlier. Applying earlier means I could finish right at my 39th birthday (yuck) instead of pushing my 40th birthday (bigger yuck). The scariest part about working out the timeline is the realization that 40 is NOT THAT FAR AWAY.

We played a little baseball with the boys yesterday, and I (with the grace of an elephant) injured my left thumb. I injured the same thumb five or so years ago and never had it examined by a doctor. I don’t know what kind of injury it was, but it never fully healed, or at least, it was never the same as it was prior to the injury. Knowing that it could make working with clay very difficult, I’ve called my doctor to see if it can be fixed. I’m keeping my non-injured fingers crossed that it can.

Since taking a required drawing class a few years ago, I’ve been terrified of drawing. I started a nature journal last November hoping to use it as a “safe” place to practice drawing, but it hasn’t worked. And though the journal is for my eyes only, I continue to tear out page after page of unsatisfactory drawings.

I’ve always struggled with drawing. Whenever I work on a project that requires drawing, I usually end up photocopying and tracing. I even struggle with non-representational and abstract drawing. Sure, it looks easy. But for me at least, it’s not. It’s probably why I’ve always drifted toward making three dimensional art.

I know my increasing fear of drawing is hampering my growth as an artist. When a pottery assignment requires a “drawn” surface treatment, I either skip the assignment, or conveniently run out of time halfway through an assignment. (There’s a lot of flexibility with projects in my ceramics classes, so having a few incomplete pieces isn’t unusual.)

One of my goals for this summer is to lessen my fear of drawing before my ceramics class begins this fall. I’m enrolling in a graduate level class to build my portfolio so I can apply to the graduate program before the February deadline. I don’t want a fear of something as fundamental as drawing to get in my way.

When Rob and I first got married, we acquired a small, inexpensive kitchen table set. It was a country themed set with a wooden table top and seats, and blue painted legs. It didn’t exactly match our decor, but it served our needs well enough. Eventually, I decided to paint the legs a more neutral color. So I headed to our home improvement store to buy a small can of black paint. While mixing my paint, the paint guy snickered, “Are you going to paint your ceiling black and add glow in the dark stars?”

This is typical of the type of treatment I receive from many older salesmen. When I shopped for a new digital camera recently, I wanted to make sure the camera had certain features. One of those feautres was the ability to mount the camera to my tripod. The salesman told me that the camera I was looking at would mount to a tripod, but felt the need to add, “why anyone would want to mount this grade of camera to a tripod is beyond me.”

I can’t tell if it’s something about my appearance that’s earning me this treatment, or if it’s that these guys treat everyone this way. My first instinct is that they perceive me as a woman lacking knowledge about something they believe to be a man’s domain, like power tools or electronics. Then I wonder if it’s my age or clothes that tell them I don’t know what I’m talking about. Either way, the next time I sense I’m going to be “helped” by Mr. Condescending, I’m going to try to remember to ask him to help me find a friendly salesperson instead.

We spent the last couple weekends on Spring chores. Last week, I installed a new vinyl floor product in the boys’ room. It looks like wood and installs much like laminate (but much easier.) This past Saturday, I installed the same flooring in our bedroom, and we’re very impressed with the results. I’ll finish up the last bedroom in a week or so, I’m guessing.

The bedroom.

The other side of the bedroom. (The dog won’t walk on the new floor. Yet?)

While I installed the floor, Rob cleaned out the garage, and repainted/restained all the patio furniture. I then worked on installing a new door closer on the storm door, but I messed it up (as the sun went down) and need to fix it.

We also reorganized our closet and got rid of a bunch of clothes I’ve been keeping because they’re still newish. Nevermind I had no intention of wearing them again, they were just new enough to take up closet space until recently.

We’re working on trim too. I never installing the shoe moulding after I installed the laminate floor downstairs a few years ago, so SHOE MOULDING is high on my to-do list this week. Rob repainted the handrail, and once I’ve installed the shoe moulding, we get to paint all the trim. (I’d much rather do the installations than the painting, which isn’t really strange considering my preference for working as a 3D artist rather than a 2D artist.)

Sometime this week, I’m going to work on cleaning and reorganizing everything else. Specifically, I want to clean out the linen closets, the bathroom vanities. I’m hoping Rob can tackle the basement alone.

I have a few sewing projects in progress. One is a curtain to replace the boys’ closet door. The sewing is done, I just need to hang it. I think I’m going to make my own bed skirts too, instead of trying to find something premade. There are also a few miscellaneous carpentry and art projects I want to work on, but I’m still working out the details.

Lastly, we have one or two outside projects. The first is painting the patio. We keep talking about building a deck, but with Rob’s situation at work, we decided to instead paint our patio to feel less like concrete. I’m still working out the details on that one too.

The second outside project is planting a berm in our backyard for a bit more privacy from the main road. We have great curb appeal (I think) in the front of the house, but not so much in the back and the sides. And unfortunately, being on a corner lot means we have to consider the curb appeal on three sides of our house.

I’m not sure how much time we’ll have to enjoy all our hard work though, since I figure we’ll have everything finished just in time for Rob to be transferred out of state.

Girl: It sounds like we have some birds trying to build a nest up in our gutter.
Boy: Yeah, I heard them. I think it’s an owl or something.
Girl: (giggling to herself) Uh…
Boy: Didn’t you hear them? They’re hooting.
Girl: Honey… those are mourning doves. Remember when I pointed them out to you last week?
Boy: Those were mourning doves? I thought those were pigeons.

Today, I applied for graduate admission to take self-improvement courses at my old school. Self-improvement courses will give me time to build a portfolio and get my hands dirty again before officially applying to the graduate program. Some of the requirements for graduation really scare me, but since I know nothing about other graduate programs, I don’t know how it compares.

Students are required to complete the program in two years. The good news there is I can’t rack up more than two more years worth of student loans while I flounder around the way I did with my undergraduate degree. After the first year, there is a mid-program review in which the student will either be allowed to continue in the program, or be asked to withdraw. Um, gulp.

At the end of the second year, there is a thesis exhibition and an oral defense. I’m thinking a thesis exhibition would be the proudest moment in my life, and the oral defense one of the most stressful. I’m having difficulty visualizing an exhibition, so that makes me wonder if it could really happen.

I’m getting way ahead of myself though. First, I need to get through the application process and register right away. Then, I need to focus on getting my portfolio together. And then we’ll see.

I should start naming my multiple personalities so people know which one is speaking.

Farmer and Mommy were talking about chickens and babies when Scholar interrupted and brought up the notion of going back to school in pursuit of a Master’s degree. Meanwhile, Kerrie stood by silently listening for the loudest voice. Since Farmer and Mommy had been having their discussion for a while, their voices were tiring. Scholar, however, had not spoken in a very long time, and so her voice was strong and easily heard above the others.

As usual, Kerrie (who apparently has no voice of her own) felt herself being persuaded by the loudest voice. The voice of Reason tried to make Kerrie realize that the uncertainty of Rob’s job and the possibility of a move should outweigh not only the voice of Scholar, but also those of Farmer and Mommy. But Mania, disguised as Reason, sided with Scholar and their combined voices drowned out everyone else.

Kerrie felt overwhelmed and decided to wait for an outside voice to come to her rescue.

…to be continued.

While browsing the art department website of my school, I found a link to student work. Imagine my surprise when I clicked on the ceramics department link and found a picture of my first self-portrait bust from 2004.

I just recently asked Rob to take it to the trash, but he hasn’t gotten around to smashing it into small enough pieces yet. Now I’m going to have to reconsider having it destroyed.

We saw two very different movies this past weekend. The first was Meet the Robinsons. I laughed and laughed, and I can’t wait to see it again. There’s something about Adam West’s voice that makes me laugh anyway, but the movie would have been funny even without his funny voice. Another famous voice was used near the end of the movie. I didn’t know who the voice was until I heard it, but that made it another funny moment. So if you decide to see it, don’t research the cast before you see the movie. (And if you don’t find that moment at the end funny, just chalk it up to me being nerdier than I realized.)

The second movie was The Lookout. Great movie, but really depressing. And that’s all I’m going to say about it.