All Hope Is Not Lost...

From Phish.net:

4/27/06 - Trey & Mike to tour; Phish to returnIn an interview on an Atlanta radio station today, Trey (likely in Atlanta for studio work with a producer he's teamed up with before) confirmed rumos that he, Mike, and the Benevento/Russo duo will tour together this summer. Though tickets and billing will likely portray some hierarchy among the bill's acts, rumors (based on previous things Mike and Trey have said) describe the tour as some sort of interactive meld, with each of the 3 doing their own stuff, as well as some interaction among them.

Trey also mentioned that he "hopes to get Phish back together in a few years", dispelling rumors of an October 2006 reunion but confirming common suspicions that this "breakup" is really a second hiatus.

A Sense of Self

Have you ever felt like you lost something? Like you just aren't sure where you put it and you wanted to get it back? I've been an artist for many years. I even majored in Art in college because I LIKED it. I liked art SO MUCH that when I got out of college, I didn't want to get a career in it because I didn't want to lose my interest stressing out over it. So I took it a few steps further, learning new interesting things like lampwork beadmaking and stained glass. I always like to joke that I haven't met a craft that I didn't love.

Well, it disappeared a while back. I'm not sure where it went. My studio started to collect dust. There were even times when I considered moving all of my stuff up to the attic and just keeping a nice guest room. Of course, I was sad about it. It was me, who I am..and it was lost.

But lost not forever. Perhaps it was my old artbox that got me thinking. I missed it. It wasn't anything special. It was an old caboodles fishing box style makeup box that was well worn in through several years of college. Somehow, it was gone. I don't know exactly where it went. I don't recall throwing it out, but I missed it. I wanted it back. I wanted AN artbox again. So I went out and got a wooden box. I decorated it and stained it and added a handle. I made it mine. In the process of this, I was going through my paints and realized that a lot of the things that were in my artbox were in the paint box. I took some of them out, the bare bones to be honest, and put them in my artbox. It's just a simple move really, but it sparked a little fire in me.

Today, I cleaned out a lot of drawers in my studio, going through things, organizing it all. I even made some glass beads! Something kicked in. Maybe it's the season of the year, but I feel like the crafty me is back. I hope it stays!

The Trellice Project

So last fall, I attempted to train some ivy up the fence. My neighbor was more than aware of it while I was doing it and didn't say otherwise. Next thing I know, a few days later, she is ripping it off! I had to come up with a plan. I needed something to masquerade the fence and I came up with this trellice idea.

I modified a trellice plan I found on the web and whipped all four of these up in a little more than two hours. I was facinated at how easy it really was to get together!! I've planted morning glory seeds below so that they will grow up and cover the trellices within a few months. This way, my neighbor can't pull them off, and if they just happen to latch onto her fence, oh well!!

Kayaking makes a big SPLASH!

Like the headline? It pretty much says it all. I'm walking out of school today when Joe calls me and asks if I'd like to go kayaking. Sure! The weather is beautiful! He's home, probably going nuts over his break, I'll go kayaking! This might be a change to my usual cycling or walking..sounds like a plan!!

So we head out. It's high tide. We opt for the ever popular canal.

Well, as you enter the canal there are wood "walls" along the sides where the canal mouth is. Joe and I decide to dock up our kayaks and scale the incline to see whats on top before the foliage hits in the coming month. It was well worth it, because apparently they are starting the work on the Canal path for hiking and biking. We walked a bit and then headed back to our kayaks.

I grabbed my vine and lowered myself into my kayak, all the while asking Joe is he wanted to use my vine as leverage himself.

No! No! I'm fine!

Yeah RIGHT! In he went! Of course, I didn't panic, I told him not to panic, and watched him grasping for his kayak like it would somehow turn into a tube! I heard him gasp for breath in such a way that it brought back memories of lifeguarding and I knew that I had to do something FAST! I pushed off figuring I could help him, without grabbing my paddle.

No paddle = Just as screwed Caroline

I tried to reach over for my paddle only leaning a little too far in a mode of immediacy and I too fell into the canal. I didn't panic. The only fear in my mind was hypothermia. The water was quite frigid. Joe had all about calmed down and I grabbed the wood walls and found my footing in some holes that I commonly associate with snake holes (which only mildly freaked me out surprisingly!) I managed to lift myself out of the water, all whilst holding on to my kayak, not losing my long sleeve shirt that was in the kayak and my nalgene bottle.

Joe was still having a tough time. That's what happens when you wear your NICU hoodie. I, on the other hand, was only donning a tank top. I managed to talk him through getting up and took hold of his kayak.

I totally pulled a macguyver and used my nalgene to siffon out the water from the two of our kayaks before helping him get back into one, mine, because it was first, before finishing the second and getting in to head back to the beach.

I don't know that this adventure quite bodes well for future kayaking ventures this summer! I did laugh my ass off as I sat there on the side of the canal covered in dirt trying to bail out my kayak!

Surprises

You know what I love most about Springtime? The surprises..all of them! It's like nature likes to amaze us each and every year. The most beautiful flowers bloom and you are so enraptured by them that you hardly notice what's going on around them. Then, the soft petals begin to fall and leave a wake of green in it's place. It gets me every time. You don't see it coming and then, all of a sudden, the world is bursting with warmth! I really do love springtime!