October will be spent traveling. My husband and I concluded our summer of directing a camp (three months of s'mores, energizers, crazy college students and curious children) and are very minimally employed. We still live at the camp. We serve retreat groups on the weekends, but our weekdays are completely unscheduled.
As much as we enjoy hiking the grounds of our camp, we have seen it all - so we are seeking new places to explore. In September, we went up to Maine (as usual) and got to check out the towns of Eastport and Winter Harbor (not the usual). Last week, we did a spontaneous excursion to Niagara Falls and Toronto. Let me tell you, that was THRILLING. I have never been to Canada before; it was the second time I've used my passport. All the Canadian stereotypes you've heard ("Have a donut, eh!") are true! Oh, and Niagara Falls was pretty awesome/beautiful/impressive/marvelous, too.
Anyways, as we're looking to what to do next with our lives, the prospect of grad school keeps appearing faintly on the horizon. School! Again!! I so loved the academic life. Even though I did fine arts for my bachelor's degree, what I truly loved were history classes, and specifically, art history classes. The thought of sitting through lectures, scribbling furiously - as I had done for so many years of my life before! - is rather titilating. Arouse my intellect once more, o' university!
So this leads us to October. We will spend three weeks traveling throughout the southeast, visiting as many schools as we can. Many of these are in the Charlotte area. The thought of dedicating myself once more to study - in an even warmer environment (more outdoor playtime! longer garden growing season! grits! barbecue!) is very, very intriguing. I am not sure whether it's feasible financially, whether it will make a difference on the future of our careers (maybe each of us will actually acquire a career along the way?)... but I will find out soon!
high adventure, fearless cooking, insight and humor accumulated throughout a 27-year journey...
Showing posts with label university. Show all posts
Showing posts with label university. Show all posts
08 October 2013
27 June 2010
discontent
Dear friend & college apartmentmate Meghan came to town to hang with me last night. I rather enjoyed our conversation, catching up on life and ambitions and conquests and dreams. She kept stating how she missed living in Kutztown, how quaint & quiet it is, how pastoral and friendly.
I find I'm becoming disinterested.
Many folk around here are quite happy and do good in marrying and making babies. But there are others out there living what I dream about; traveling the country, getting a master's degree, homesteading, having decent full-time jobs.
When will I get there? Living the dream?
I find I'm becoming disinterested.
Many folk around here are quite happy and do good in marrying and making babies. But there are others out there living what I dream about; traveling the country, getting a master's degree, homesteading, having decent full-time jobs.
When will I get there? Living the dream?
05 February 2010
ART & life
Ah, yes, working for Blick does have its benefits. Speaking with local artists, art students and art supporters is great for filling my brain with ideas and my heart with passion. And I do get some pretty sweet deals on the materials I use. Working daily in a comfortable atmosphere with creative people is all sorts of fun.
Yesterday at work I had a conversation with this laid-back, friendly woman who works as a sculptor. She's been doing bronze castings for years, but has recently had some problems with her hands [an artist's injury] and is moving into doing coil constructions with clay. We talked about wood firings and pit firings and how a potter friend of hers will help her construct a kiln in her yard; the clays she could use for it. I described some of the wood firings I did in school with Professor Chaney, in his massive anagama. Whites, greens and reds in the naturally settled ash glaze pieces unexpectedly. Delicate and dainty porcelain can become powerful and robust in the wood kiln.
She told me about her interest in paper clay, in which any paper is recycled and mixed into clay slip to create a light-weight, porous, low-fire sculpting clay. Very interesting. She gave me some sculptors to look up and explained her love of figure sculpting. She spoke fantastically, with passion, and as a true artist - one unconcerned with the affairs of the world, who wants simply to create all the time. She did mention the thought of hiring a studio assistant to do the heavy work for her [extruding coils, mixing clay & whatnot] so she could focus on the sculpting.
I asked if she had a website with photos of her work, she replied no. I checked her out with the clay and tools she needed, seeing her name briefly across the screen as I scanned her discount card. I wrote down my website address for her to check out my work, which I told her about a little bit. The next customer approached as she rolled out her clay & waved a friendly farewell.
I spent maybe a quarter of an hour total that afternoon attempting to look up her name in the database, in order to follow up & keep in contact, if she were to need a studio assistant [me?] or someone to help out with the firings. Oh, I do hope she emails me!
Yesterday at work I had a conversation with this laid-back, friendly woman who works as a sculptor. She's been doing bronze castings for years, but has recently had some problems with her hands [an artist's injury] and is moving into doing coil constructions with clay. We talked about wood firings and pit firings and how a potter friend of hers will help her construct a kiln in her yard; the clays she could use for it. I described some of the wood firings I did in school with Professor Chaney, in his massive anagama. Whites, greens and reds in the naturally settled ash glaze pieces unexpectedly. Delicate and dainty porcelain can become powerful and robust in the wood kiln.
She told me about her interest in paper clay, in which any paper is recycled and mixed into clay slip to create a light-weight, porous, low-fire sculpting clay. Very interesting. She gave me some sculptors to look up and explained her love of figure sculpting. She spoke fantastically, with passion, and as a true artist - one unconcerned with the affairs of the world, who wants simply to create all the time. She did mention the thought of hiring a studio assistant to do the heavy work for her [extruding coils, mixing clay & whatnot] so she could focus on the sculpting.
I asked if she had a website with photos of her work, she replied no. I checked her out with the clay and tools she needed, seeing her name briefly across the screen as I scanned her discount card. I wrote down my website address for her to check out my work, which I told her about a little bit. The next customer approached as she rolled out her clay & waved a friendly farewell.
I spent maybe a quarter of an hour total that afternoon attempting to look up her name in the database, in order to follow up & keep in contact, if she were to need a studio assistant [me?] or someone to help out with the firings. Oh, I do hope she emails me!
28 August 2007
So begins another sub-chapter...
Crushed fragments of a stoneware mug lie on my desk and remind me of what an incredible summer I had. Today was the first full day of classes in the second-to-last semester for the class of 2008 at Kutztown University. 9 months from now looms the dark cloud of what many call the "real world." And that's something I intend to avoid for as long as possible. So, for now, from August to December of this year, THIS will be known as the "fun semester." What adventures these 4 months hold are yet unknown, and that excites me.
Today I rode a bicycle for the first time in two years. I also joined a friend in eating ridiculously old coffee beans. They tasted like old. They'd been in the same spot since at least my freshman year. Yesterday the 102 girls created the beginnings of our personal menagerie: 2 fish, F. Pauly Shore and Javi Hoff [yes, both partially named after our university's president]
and a golden mystery snail, Toshare. Let me tell you, that snail is wicked awesome!!
Question: does God still use dreams to speak to people, like He did Joseph? Should I be wondering what He's trying to say through the dreams I have been having over the past 6 months?
I've been praying and waiting and waiting and praying for something big. Praying big in expectation of big results. However, the anticipation has been killing me!!! I really hope the Lord allows this change in my life soon, so I can relax about this!
On my plate for the semester: Cornerstone college group leadership stuff, SENIOR ceramics major duties [run. the. shop.], get a job??, spending the most time possible with my very best of friends, culinary adventures - making sandwiches and beyond!
Today I rode a bicycle for the first time in two years. I also joined a friend in eating ridiculously old coffee beans. They tasted like old. They'd been in the same spot since at least my freshman year. Yesterday the 102 girls created the beginnings of our personal menagerie: 2 fish, F. Pauly Shore and Javi Hoff [yes, both partially named after our university's president]
and a golden mystery snail, Toshare. Let me tell you, that snail is wicked awesome!!
Question: does God still use dreams to speak to people, like He did Joseph? Should I be wondering what He's trying to say through the dreams I have been having over the past 6 months?
I've been praying and waiting and waiting and praying for something big. Praying big in expectation of big results. However, the anticipation has been killing me!!! I really hope the Lord allows this change in my life soon, so I can relax about this!
On my plate for the semester: Cornerstone college group leadership stuff, SENIOR ceramics major duties [run. the. shop.], get a job??, spending the most time possible with my very best of friends, culinary adventures - making sandwiches and beyond!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)