The picture on the bottom is the one I woke up to this morning around 6:45 am. In reality, the sky was a lot pinker, but this was the best one of the few I took. I should try taking one with my new Eris HTC Droid phone, it probably takes better pictures than my camera! The picture on the top is my flowering quince thicket, it is so beautiful as the pink blossoms open up. I am excited to see every new sign of spring. Officially, spring is still 21 days away but unofficially it is here. Everywhere you look flowering trees in bloom, rose bushes fully leafed out, and of course, I have the requisite dandelions in full bloom too.

For better or worse, these pictures depict a large portion of my life. When I am not at WCC, I spend a great deal of time, seated at this table, studying. Will it be worth it? I hope so. It will certainly be worth it in terms of me, proving to myself, that I can study hard and get good grades. The level that worries me is more at the employment level. Medical Assistants start out at lower wages (in Whatcom County) than I was earning in my last two jobs. My hope is that the payoff will come in terms of truly loving my occupation; there is much to be said about the satisfaction of a job you love. It won't be a necessity for me to work full-time which will allow me to spend time with my family. This year has been a major adjustment and very hard, on many levels. Next year will be even more intense as I take on quarters that will have 18, 19 and 20 credits. It scares me a little but I am very thankful for the grounding I am getting this year. Next year, this years "nose to the grindstone" will become "whole head in the grindstone!"

Another day in the life

Here we are with our feet in the Gulf of Mexico, a beautiful day, but the wind s a trifle chilly on the water. This was our trip to Florida in November of 2008. We did the whole Disney World thing and some exploring with MB and Ed. I enjoyed Florida but it is never going to be my favorite place, that spot, I think, will always be Tucson, Arizona. I think the ultimate thing would be to spend from November through April in Arizona and the rest of the year here, coming home for Christmas, of course. I need more sunshine in my life, I get very tired of the persistent gray, cloudy days in Washington. But enough complaining already, I believe in blooming where I am planted and for this stage of my life it is here, in beautiful Washington state!

It's gonna be a bright sunshiny day!

I chose this picture for t0day because it was also a bright, clear day and JJ wanted to be '

'ou'side.' I love the connection that kids have with nature, they love everything about being outside. It is unfortunate that so few parents these days seem to understand that connection. Even as adults we have a bond with nature; I find that for myself, when I am overwhelmed with life or I just need to be alone, the great outdoors calls to me like the Pied Piper. There is something magical about nature, particularly when you are a child. I can remember when I was a kid, I couldn't bear to be inside, rain or no rain. It was an exquisite day when I was finally allowed to be outside sans a coat or even a sweater. If you allow yourself to enjoy nature through the eyes of a child you will begin to find that place in yourself that finds excitement over a spider building his amazing web, the fun of running your fingers across a pussy willow, or the thrill of stomping through mud puddles just because you can. There is much to be learned through the eyes of children if we can let go of our adult world long enough to explore and reawaken our curiosity and rediscover the joy of the ordinary.

This was my idea of an artistic arrangement of my latest knitting projects. These days I have traded in my hat making skills for making bags. I found the pattern in a knitting book I received as a Christmas present. This picture shows three projects in various stages: the one with the bamboo handles is done, the purple one on top of that still needs to be sewed together, lined, and handles put on, the last one is merely a tidbit of chenille yarn knitted enough to see if I would like it as a bag (I would). It's kind of hard to see what all it is but it might be enough to give a person a notion.

The first bag was a learning process. I often find that patterns tend to assume a basis of knowledge: say, for instance, that you will actually know how to line a bag.I found that the 5 1/2" bamboo needles aren't big enough, it's the biggest size I could obtain locally so I will be ordering 9 1/2" ones on line. The pattern wasn't specific about which end to sew up, so I sewed the smaller end closed, but I think I would prefer the end that stretches out as you knit. At any rate, I learned from the process and I am hoping that I will like my second bag more than the first.

I love knitting, it is my obsession, particularly when my brain is overloaded and I feeling weary and worn out with school.

Janzen Seth Breakey

I got to keep JJ for a couple of hours yesterday and we had so much fun! He absolutely cracks me up, he walks around and plays and the whole time he gives a running commentary of what he doing, it is too cute. He loves to be outside, so we went outside and watched the birds, I showed him some ants working industriously, he ran and picked up leaves and grass and I let him pick a small bouquet of blooming rosemary to bring into the house. He is the light of my life. The thing about grandchildren is that you enjoy them in ways that you most often didn't, with your own kids. There is something about the freedom of not having the ultimate responsibility that enables you to let loose and enjoy these tiny humans beings that God has placed in your life. It literally takes my breath away to be a part of this circle of life. I can't wait for the next addition, and no, that isn't a hint in any way!