Last entry then switching to 'Dale's Blog'
I didn't speak to John for about 6 hours because I was deep into A Prayer For Owen Meany by John Irving. Chris said that you can't be her friend if you don't like it and I felt confident I would pass the test because apparently John Irving was a student when Frederick Beuchner (one of my favorites) was at Exeter. I was really worried at first, but then I couldn't put it down. What a relief. I was trying to think of a book litmus test for my friends but I have such weird book taste I wouldn't put them through it. (For what it is worth I am a non-fiction geek and especially love Annie Dillard.)
We got home last night just in time to be stopped at a roadblock for President Obama's motorcade, so I guess we kind of saw him, or at least all the red and blue flashing lights around him. I spent the day unpacking but at present, almost 5 pm, my bed is loaded with stacks of clothes. It's a switch to come back to 80-90 degree weather and I am in a quandary regarding cool weather clothes. I'd better make up my mind soon or I may end up having to sleep on the couch.
I came home to a nice clean house and stacks of mail, including a box of GLITTER! Ten pounds each of holographic chunky silver hexagons and a big bag of miscellaneous sequins. Next week I visit a class of intellectually disabled high school students for a workshop on making ornaments for our Festival of Trees entry. I am planning on an ornament making workshop at my house soon. I figure everyone can make an ornament to take with them as well as contribute MANY to our tree . I titled the tree "Bottle Tree Christmas: a Community Collaborative" and am hoping to venture out into various communities including a homeless shelter if I can swing it.
Natalie was hankering some healthy food so I am making one of her favorite casseroles a Weight Watchers recipe for a layered Mexican Casserole (I use light not fat free cheese and sour cream). I went to Aldi's for the first time which made grocery shopping almost fun. I was trying to figure out the coin operated shopping carts when a lady offered me the cart she was finished using if I gave her the quarter so I did. Aldi's only takes cash or debit cards and being as I don't know how to use our debit card, can't remember the pin, and don't know which card is the debit card, I was glad I had a little cash. Rather than keep track of how much I spend I prefer acts of faith at the register: "Please God, don't let me go over!" My money was so balled up from my travels it took an embarrassingly long time to pay, but at least I didn't come up short. When I was finished shopping I couldn't even give my cart away.
James made this cool camera gizmo so that you can even run with the video camera and the image will not be bumpy. Maybe I'll borrow it next year
run along my GIGANTIC ArtPrize entry. Sadly, for now I am switching to regular old 'Dale's Blog' since ArtPrize is over though I am hoping for some pictures of the trees in their new homes. Until then, I'll be putting all my updates on the Dale's blog section of my web-site.