Satisfaction

It's a satisfying feeling to finish a project, and last week I finished TWO! A few weeks ago, I started this piece, based on a textile design by Charlies Rennie MacIntosh. It's quilted and then painted with lumiere paints. It was fun to do, but now that I've finished it, I have a bit of a "so what?" reaction to it? Exploring the process was more interesting to me than this finished piece. Oh well. It'll satisfy an assignment in my design workshop and I had fun, so what more can I ask?! Maybe it was the metallic paint effect, but I had a hard time photographying this piece. The tulips (where it looks silverish) are really a lavender/silver that is quite a pretty contrast against that peachy copper color. But I sure couldn't get that purple to show up in a picture. Maybe I'll have to do a bit of fixing with my beloved Neocolor crayons. I don't know what to call it, though.

Any ideas?

I also finished my "shelter" piece for the Twelve by 12 challenge which will be revealed on October 1. As usual, it took me a long time to settle on an idea that inspired me, but I'm happy with the way my piece turned out. I can't wait to see what everyone else has done.

Now it's back to legal work for a bit -- I'm learning all about accident reconstruction issues to prepare deposition scripts for various witnesses and write some bit motions. I've already learned more about skid marks than I ever thought I'd know. And this one of the aspects of this work I like -- it's fun learning a bit about something. I never know what will be on my plate tomorrow. (Actually, I do...my next project has to do with standards for fabric flammability.) Variety keeps things interesting.

May your Monday be filled with a variety of fun things!

SNL Nailed It!

This is SO worth watching!

Keep on going....

Meet Jake, my friend Beth's dog. He's old and has a number of ailments, but we call him the miracle dog because he just keeps on going despite the vet's dire predictions.

But he's here today because this shot illustrates how I've been feeling over the last several weeks...old and tired and draggy and just not right. I swear, there is something cosmic going on that is making things just feel WEIRD, you know? And I'm not the only one feeling this. Personally, I blame George W, for just sending the whole country and economy and cosmos awry. I always feel better after I blame George W. (There's a handy health tip for you.)

Plus we've all had stomach bugs. That's no fun. We're better, I think (crossing fingers) and I've been craving comfort food. Last night's choice was ratatouille over linguine with lots of parmesan cheese and a good red wine.

Perhaps things are looking up!

But now I must get cracking. The Twelve by 12 challenge on the theme "shelter" is due in two weeks and I can't seem to get to anything I like. I've also been invited to participate in an exciting international challenge on the theme of "world festivals," and my assigned festival is a Mongolian festival called "Nadaam." So I need to figure out what I'll do there, too.

And then there's housework... and laundry (I am LOVING the school uniform thing, btw -- makes life so much easier!) and legal work and indulging in my current urge to purge stuff...

Phew. I go from thinking of all the stuff I need and want to do to feeling overwhelmed and exhausted in no time flat.

So here's my theory for today. I'm going to pretend to feel energetic, and maybe I'll fool myself and actually get stuff done. I'm channeling Jake the miracle dog and I'll just keep on going....

A wolf in sheep's clothing

Remember Phyllis Schlafly? Anti-feminist, foe to the Equal Rights Amendment, who believes that a woman cannot have a career and raise a family at the same time? She thinks that Sarah Palin is an excellent VP pick, and has recently said that Palin is exactly right on all the issues.

Yep. They're ideological twins.

They both believe that intelligent design and creationism should be taught along side evolution.

They believe Roe v. Wade should be overturned, and oppose abortion. Palin has even said that the only exception to a ban on abortion she'd support would be if childbirth would be fatal for the woman. She would not support abortion for pregnancies resulting from rape, even.

Both Schlafly and Palin oppose gay marriage.

Both Schlafly and Palin oppose explicit sex education in public schools.

They both support banning stem cell research.

They both oppose gun control.

They both think prayer in public schools would be fine.

They both pooh-pooh the concept of global warming.

I suppose Palin can one-up Schlafly, in that as far as I know Shafley doesn't go around killing wildlife, and shooting creatures from helicopters.

I would have researched their similarities further, but I've become too sick to my stomach to go further.