On Horses and Quilting Books

Pretty horses huh? They belong to our neighbor at my family's country home in VA. My sister got a little snap-happy with her camera. They don't seem to mind.

I got Quilted Planet today!! I sat there and enjoyed it for hours.

Wing Sketch

Right now I wish I could fly away or something...

Getting That Quilty Itch

You know, I have been writing and writing and now I'm feeling the quilting itch. You know that feeling--when your fingers feel all tingly like they want to touch fabric. I don't know about you, but when I feel that, I know it's time to create.

Man, I wish there were more hours in the day!

Drum Roll Please!

Badabumbadabum... or whatever sound a drum roll is, lol...

I have finally finished my quilting WEBSITE!!! YAY!

Please check it out and let me know what you think!

Today @ the guild

Had an Uhuru Quilters Guild meeting today and it looks like I'm Uhuru's webmaster for another year. I don't mind. The guild's a lot of fun for me. Keeps me focused. It's one of the few things I've been very consistent about, so it's a good thing in my life.

Me @ the Guild

I thought you'd enjoy a pic of me at the guild learning some tips 'n' tricks from Judy, who hand sews all of her work. I had a good time that day.

New Quilt Idea: "Hope I'm Never As Old As You"

Now before everyone gets all up in arms over the title, lemme tell ya a little background story:

This is my a photo of my grandmom from the 1940s. She has played a very very important role in my life as she helped to raise me. I consider her one of my best friends and enjoy talking to her. Over 83 years old, she is lively and active enough that she tells me "I hope I'm never as old as you are!" She still drives (very well), remembers stuff that I forget and is just as quick tongued as she is quick-witted. Always busy, I joke that I have to pencil myself into her "schedule."

I love my grandmom and when I saw this picture, I thought it would work well as a quilt in the style of my jazz quilt. Her favorite color's green, and it seems like that will work for those background curtains. This will be a pretty darn cool piece when it's done. I've got some writing to complete first though. Then I'm going on a quilting frenzy!

African American Art Quilters

"Blue Dreams of Africa" by Carole Lyles Shaw

As an African American art quilter, I am often influenced by my heritage and history in terms of what I create. While there are well-known African American art quilters like Faith Ringgold and Carolyn Mazloomi, there are many others that the quilting world in general may not know. There is a great site--the virtual gallery of African American Art Quilters--that showcases some of the best of them.

Check it out!!!

A "Little" Diversion

OK, my writer friend laughed at me very hard because I went to see "Chicken Little" tonight. Sure, I could've gone to see other movies, but I needed a silly crazy laugh, you know? It was too cute and I enjoyed it a lot. What was even better is that the theatre was empty so my husband and I could crack up as loud as we wanted to. I'm really looking forward to Memoirs of a Geisha, The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe and Harry Potter next.

Everyone needs a fun silly movie like this sometimes...

Like a Hawk

...That's how I'll be watching the mailbox in the coming days since I ordered Quilt Planet! YAY! I can't wait to read it! If anything, I hope the pics are good!

How I Ticked Off Spike Lee...

Some of you have asked about what I said about ticking off Spike Lee in my TriMeme post yesterday. Turns out it was one of the true statements (I do own a voodoo doll and I play 2, not 5 instruments).

Once upon a time, I was the assistant fashion stylist at BET and my boss, assistant & I created their wardrobe dept. We maintained the wardrobe room with thousands of dollars worth of mostly loaned merchandise for the 10 hosts we had to dress for the network. It was a glamorous, but stressful, underpaying job.

Spike Lee was in town to shoot a commercial at the studio bldg. our wardrobe room was in. We were asked to loan him a clothing rack from our room. No prob. As I wheeled it to his dressing room, I passed the makeup room and saw his stylists on the phone and wasting time. I rolled it in to him and introduced myself. As I was walking back out, he unzipped his garment bag and held up his clothes. "Hey, aren't you going to steam these for me?" he asked. "No," I said. He got pretty indignant with me and said, "Well, you are the stylist, aren't you?" I said, "Yes, but I'm not yours. I'll be happy to get them for you" and walked right on out. He looked pretty surprised, but I figured his stylists were getting paid very very well--more than I was. Let them earn their money, lol.

And that, ladies and any gentlemen readers, is how I ticked off Spike Lee.

I've Been Tagged!

DebR has tagged me for this Tri-Meme, so I thought I'd give it a go:

Three screen names that you'’ve had:
Only 3? I've had more than that.

Three things you like about yourself:
My smarts, talent and empathy

Three things you don'’t like about yourself:
Perfectionism to the point of disappointment, tendency to procrastinate, impatience

Three parts of your heritage:
African, Native American, English

Three things that scare you:
Bugs, a personal physical attack, heights, and deep water--oh, that's four, lol

Three of your everyday essentials:
A good laugh with my husband, good health and rest

Three things you are wearing right now:
Holey jeans, a T-shirt and slippers

Three of your favorite songs:
Most played on my iPod at the moment? Let's Get Closer (Atlantic Starr), All In Love Is Fair (Stevie Wonder) and Anyone Who Had a Heart (Luther Vandross). I'm in a mellow dramatic singalong R&B mood right now.

Three things you want in a relationship:
Respect, Love, Trust

Two truths and a lie:
I ticked off Spike Lee.
I have a real voodoo doll.
I can play 5 instruments.

Three things you can'’t live without:
Books, chocolate, and Internet access

Three places you want to go on vacation:
Italy, Mexico, and back to Spain

Three things you just can'’t do:
Bungee jump, swim very well, and dance to a choreographed routine

Three kids names:
Quentin, Karina, Teraesa...Because these are the 3 kids I dealt with the most! Siblings, I tell ya!

Three things you want to do before you die:
See the pyramids, go to Italy, have some kids

Three celeb crushes:
I don't get really crush-y when it comes to celebrities. I can tell you my favorites though: NBA player Chris Webber, Oded Fehr (The Mummy), Russel Wong (Romeo Must Die, The Joy Luck Club), Clive Owen. Yummy. Four again. I can't count for crap, lol.

Three of your favorite musicians:
I'm all over the place, but Prince, Stevie Wonder, and Jill Scott. Jill Scott's the only celebrity I'd like to meet so we could talk poetry and creativity. There's just something real down-to-Earth about her.

Three physical things about the opposite sex that appeal to you:
Besides great teeth, nice arms, and height, 3 non-physical things are very important: a great sense of humor, intelligence--I love my men smart with a touch of geek in 'em--and kindness.

Three of your favorite hobbies:
Drawing, writing, quilting

Three things you really want to do badly right now:
1. Move
2. Devote more time to what I should be doing
3. Spend more time w/my grandmothers & great-aunt everyday

Three careers you'’re considering/you'’ve considered:
Considered: A cartoonist, an Egyptologist, a fashion designer
Considering: Anything creative and non-stressful

Three ways that you are stereotypically a boy:
I love SciFi, fantasy, anime, martial arts and gory guy films
I am a concise shopper. I know exactly what I want and don't linger
I LOVE video games. My sister and I actually get together and play sometimes.

Three ways that you are stereotypically a girl:
I love beautiful clothing and shoes
I am scared of bugs
Chocolate is my friend

Quilted Planet

Ooo...this is so going to be my next book purchase! It's about quilt arts from around the world. Yes!

Illo Friday: Strength

Here's my illo for Illustration Friday: Strength.

LOL, how smug the strong bug looks, LOL.

What the...?

Got called in again today. Sigh. It's always something, isn't it?

This is only tempered by the fact that last night I found out that my best friend Kaaronica's book is being published--and the publisher is taking me on as the illustrator. YES! At least that's good, you know? I know how hard she's been working to send it out and all of the rejections that have come back in the past. Perseverance works, you know?

On a Good Note...

a detail from one of Winifred's quilts...

First, I'd just like to thank everyone for their encouraging comments about yesterday's post. It's always hard to go through days like that, but I understand that my talent makes me so much more than that job. That will be what gets me out of it. It's just a matter of time...

On a really good note, another member of my Uhuru Quilters Guild, Winifred Wallace, has also been accepted into Carolyn Mazloomi's "Jazz" exhibit. I've talked about her work in this blog before and it really is stunning. I just wanted to say "Congrats!" to her.

More Than I Bargained For

I didn't feel like quilting today. Or writing. Or drawing. Or anything.

Today I barely made it to my car after work before breaking down in tears--which concerned my husband as I'm not a crying type. Everyday I go to a job that makes me feel horrible about myself. I took this admin job as a temp almost 2 years ago now because I needed to and I was a little desperate for a job. I made it clear when I accepted it that I was a writer and that was what was important to me. I didn't mean to still be there. I figured it was an easy way to get paid regularly every two weeks and have benefits. I was wrong.

I hate prepping for meetings. I don't drink coffee and the smell of making it makes me gag. I've never complained about the embarassing hole-in-the-wall space I was given to work in. Even cubicles have more room. I make my boss' life easier by my work, but it's not him. He's a really great boss. It's the supervisor woman I work under. Every day I absolutely dread going in, expecting some snarky comment or petty humiliation. Maybe it's mental now, but I actually become sick beforehand and drag in the mornings, reluctant to face the day. I'm not proud of it, but I run late because of it. I do great work despite and my boss gave me a promotion, but the supervisor has made it clear to me that she views it as a "title only". I have sent out my resume left and right with no result. I really don't know what else to do and feel trapped.

Sorry to vent here, but it's so sad to go into the office and be surrounded by so many talented, well-educated folks whose faces barely hide their misery and know that I'm one of them.

Art Store Rhapsody

Pearl, one of my favorite arts in this area, is moving its VA location to a new one. When I saw the sign I was like "Nooooooooo!" Maybe it isn't as far as I think from me. The other one's waaaay out in Rockville, MD. A trip around the Beltway. Hmm.

There's something about going to the art store isn't it? Being surrounded by all of those creative possibilities is always a good time for me. You pass other folks in the store, and no matter what they're looking at, you know their creative juices are all stirred up too!

Man, I love going to the art supply store!

Not Enough Hours

There just aren't enough hours in the day sometimes--even when you get up early with the best of intentions. Instead of cleaning up, writing and planning some projects, I ended up doing all sorts of other craziness today:

1. Visited a friend with a broken leg to get my cellphone that I left over there last night. Played with his crazy kitty Scout who likes chasing his Get Well Soon balloon.
   
2. For a quick lunch, I headed over to one of my fave Japanese restaurants-- Akasaka--where my husband & I downed tuna, spicy yellowtail and shrimp tempura sushi, miso soup and shumai (shrimp dumplings). Man, I love green tea! We hadn't been there in a while and we used to go all the time. It was like being at an old friend's home. Comfortable and happy.
   
3. Made my way to the art store and picked up some gel medium (fun with photo transfers!) and a new sketchbook. Can't wait to try out some stuff.
   
4. Husband very happy about trip to Best Buy for Star Wars III, Kingdom of Heaven and (for me) Drop Dead Gorgeous. If you haven't seen it, D.D.G. is hilarious!
   
5. Browsed Barnes & Noble for a quick minute before heading home. So many books, so little time.

Wasn't productive today in terms of stuff I was supposed to do, but I was with everything else don't you think, LOL?

Recapture the Joy

I just thought that you all would enjoy a kiddie picture of me. I was about 6 and at my grandparent's beach house. Is it me or does it look like our neighbor's dog is smiling too?

I think that in our creative pursuits we often get so caught up in the final results or what we are going to do with it or how much is riding on it that we can lose that child-like joy of creating itself. It can be really hard sometimes when you have so many other things going on, isn't it?

NaNoWriMo word count: 2041

Madrid Photos...

Just thought I'd share some photos from Madrid: (top to bottom) Kilometer Zero--the point all distance in Spain is measured from, a cute little Smart car, El Oso y El Madrono--the symbol of Madrid--at Puerta del Sol, and our hotel--the Palace Hotel--with the Neptune fountain in front.

NaNoWriMo word count: 1414 & counting

NaNoWriMo aka Just Damn Crazy

Thanks to DebR and her 2004 icon, I checked out NaNoWriMo--the National Novel Writing Month project.

The idea: Sign up and write a 50,000 word novel(la) by November 31. Sounds cool, huh?

The reality: Write a 50,000 word novel(la) by November 31 and it kicked off at midnight Nov. 1st.

I've estimated that if I write about 1200 words/6 double-spaced pages a day, I'll finish. It is just a damn crazy idea and I am sooooo doing this! I think Dijanne is doing it too. Good luck to all of you NaNoWriMo participants out there! We're going to need it!

I'm a writer. I won't go insane by the end of the month from it, right? Right?

Guatemalan Quilts

Guatemalan quilts in the Washington Post

I saw this photo in the Washington Post yesterday of a market in Solala, Guatemala and found these quilts very striking for their rich colors, patterns and design. I know a quilt when I see one!

I'm sure many of you are familiar with her work, but I love Priscilla Bianchi's quilts with their Guatemalan fabrics. There is such a rich textile tradition there. How could you not help but be inspired by beautiful pieces like these?

Goodbye Ms. Parks...

I could talk about Halloween or quilty goodness and things like that, but I think something else is more important to me today...

Directly next door to my job they are holding the memorial church service for civil rights icon Rosa Parks. She has had the honor of lying in state here at the Capitol--the first woman and only the 30th American to ever do so.

I am so lucky to be part of the first generation of African-Americans who never had to go to the back of the bus, drink from "Colored Only" fountains, or feel the everyday humiliations of segregation that I heard so much about from my grandparents. I can thank Ms. Parks and all of those before me who fought so hard for me to be able to be treated as an equal human being. These are actions that can not and should not be forgotten. Some say we still have a long way to go in terms of racism and prejudice and I agree, but thanks to a simple seamstress who was so tired on her way home that she helped spark an extraordinary movement, I have opportunities available to me that my grandparents were literally only able to dream about.

Thank you Ms. Parks...

Who Ya Gonna Call? Me.

me in uniform before an investigation at the John Brown House in MD

Ding!Ding! Ding! The prize goes out to Bellaquilter! (Her answer? "Here's my guess: You're the historian for the DC Metro Area Ghost Watchers and you will be speaking at the Decatur House Museum about Ghosts!")

Yup! Since it's Halloween-time and a busy time of year for me, I might as well go ahead and tell everyone else...

I am a ghosthunter.

That's right. A bonafide, out there at haunted places, things-that-go-bump-in-the-night chasing ghosthunter and have been for 6 years. I am considered a national expert on ghosts and hauntings and have been in major national and international newspapers and even the White House has interviewed me about their ghosts. I am the Historian for DCMAG--the great local group that I work with--which means that I research articles, deeds, and other historical info to determine the facts from fiction at a site. I've had a chance to visit some fantastic places, including haunted castles in Ireland, but I like the private home ones as well. As I'm a Sr. Agent, I also go on investigations too. It's fun and exciting and I enjoy helping our clients find out what's going on in their homes and how to cope with it. If you'd like to know more, you can go to my site at dcghosts.org or read my blog at Ghosthunter L. Whew.

Twisting It Up, Turning Them Loose...

A clue (one every day!)...

...Ideas that is. Thank you for all of the suggestions. Those were some great ideas! I've definitely got a lot to think about.

I have a presentation at a museum a block from the White House tonight that I'm participating in--talking about my historian role in a group. What's the subject matter? Which museum? Who am I a historian for? A-ha!

You'll have to wait 4 days--yup, 4 days--to find out. I'll send out something special if a lucky visitor figures it out ahead of time! (DebR--you are not eligible because you know! LOL!)

Ooo-weeeeee-oo! Mystery! Excitement! Anticipation! All in one post!

Gears Are Turnin', Thinking BIG Thoughts

Well, here's the deal...

I feel pretty inspired right now and I truly believe within my heart of hearts that I can be a success in this world as a writer and quilter. I want a freelance existence that will also allow me to travel. I have no kids. I have no house. There's nothing that's keeping me here in D.C. I'm willing to start fresh. I love my hometown, I really truly do, but I can't afford to live here anymore. My husband is in agreement about that D.C. part.

What can I do that will allow me to travel, still make money and be the writer-quilter that I know I can be??? I need solid ideas before I can create a plan, lol.

I'm open to suggestions and all suggestions are welcome!!

Worth Every Reprimand

Well, today I got reprimanded at work. It's always something isn't it, but the reason that triggered it was well worth it.

On my lunch hour, I went to a "Grantmaking Basics for Creative Individuals" session at the Foundation Center here in Washington, DC. It is a fabulous resource and I learned a lot about the types of possibilities available to a writer-quilter like me. Whether you are a visual or performing artist, a writer or poet or a craftsperson, there are opportunities available to you. I felt so inspired sitting there among other creative types. It's like the vibe ratcheting upwards in a positive way. I got reprimanded because I ran 20 minutes over my lunch hour. I realize that between my creativity and my love of travel, there is no "typical" job that will ever be right for me and after seeing the world, I can never be content to be stuck in a windowless corner every workday ever again.

I've got to create my own destiny and future that I can control...

Potential Art Bundle Arrived!!

I am like a little kid when it comes to the mail. I grew up in the city where we didn't have them (just surly mailmen tossing it through the slot), so the mailbox is a real thrill for me to open everyday. I'm bad enough that my husband doesn't dare do it himself anymore, LOL.

Today I had a package from Deb Lacativa from her studio goodies giveaway. I told her I was thinking of greens, and emerald green in particular. I opened my package and an even cuter package was within! I untied it and the goodies kept coming! A pretty hand dyed fabric had a pleated pink square, a super-cool dyed crocheted piece, cool multicolored fabric and a nice piece of emerald green fabric inside! Thanks Deb! That really made my day!

Siblings...Gotta Love 'Em

I had a visit from my siblings today. My brother and sister somehow managed to take over my computer for a few hours, as we managed to bicker, tease, and joke with each other the entire time while uploading iPod songs, playing with my hermit crab, and checking the Net for cars. Not to mention a McDonald's run. The 3rd (and youngest) sibling called, who--upon hearing everyone's voices--declared that we were "jerks" for holding a "secret ninja get-together meeting" without calling her too, LOL.

It was really nice seeing them.

I'll Take It Back

Sigh. I said many bad things about the French as I hopped on my plane to London. I swore I'd never return. My excitement at seeing the Eiffel Tower from the air upon coming was replaced with relief that I was leaving. I'm not one of those "freedom fries-I-hate-the-French"-types because I don't, but they sure made it hard. It just felt so cold there and I'm not talking temperature. Here are my reasons I'm willing to give Paris another try:

1. the nice pastry shop owner who gave me the yummy teeny tart above for free
2. the pharmacist who helped me with medicine for my insect sting from hell
3. the wonderful staff at Angelina's tea salon on the rue Rivoli (have the chocolat l'africain!)
4. the guy I shared a laugh with on the Paris Metro when Chris fell asleep and started keeling over
   
5. the fact that I wasn't staying in city center and we weren't quite sure what to do there
6. and, it reminds me of home
   

Maybe in 2 years I'll go back...perhaps...I want to give it another go.

Thoughts on Quilting

with Yeoman Warders (Beefeaters) at the Tower of London. They were very nice.

Today was one of those days that kinda whizzed by--which was good. I've been thinking of quilt designs, trying to feel which one I want to do next. I think I'll do a small one. Ease myself back into quilting since it's been almost 2 months now.

People are pretty surprised when I say I'm a quilter. I don't know what they're expecting, but I get the feeling I'm not it, lol. Then I show them pics of my work and they totally get it and get why I do it and see it for the art that it is and that's good. Definitely. I often see other quilters' work and I am blown away by the sheer beauty or complexity of their work. How the simplest piece could be very intricate. There's always someone else's work who makes me catch my breath. Isn't it cool the things that creativity makes us do?

La Tour Eiffel

J'aime la Tour Eiffel!

Sipping cocoa and eating a chocolate crepe at the base of the Eiffel Tower was like the fulfillment of a dream. I was once a kid in the hood, just dreaming of seeing fabulous places like Paris and London and I'd imagine being at the Eiffel Tower. I was a bookish child, always reading. Books were my escape and the contrasts to what awaited me outside my front door. I always saw myself as doing and seeing more than my environment and there I was--watching the sun go down and its lights coming on golden and beautiful. And when it started twinkling, I almost cried because it was so gorgeous, but I didn't want the guys to tease me. I don't know if they'll ever know how much it meant for me to be there.

An Itch to Scratch

me learning to dance sevillanas in Spain

I have an itch to write about my experiences right now. I get like that. I go through creative phases where different forms of it has to manifest. Sometimes I must draw and paint. Sometimes I must quilt or sometimes I must write. I am going into a writing phase now and I can just feel it inside...bubbling up, ready to be turned into words.

Quilt planning and plotting

stained glass dome at my hotel--the Palace Hotel in Madrid

I'm one of those planning types when it comes to my quilts. I like having it fully realized in my mind design-wise--at least the major components of it--by the time I start even considering fabrics. Right now, I'm not feeling a fabric "itch"--still too soon--but ideas are forming. I'm considering a small one for that PAQA South exhibit on Images and another nice one based on that small village (La Alberca) in Spain. I didn't have one lined up to do when I returned, which is cool because it means I feel really open idea-wise.

Hmm...

Oh, a great side effect of this trip that might seem so silly is that I'm dreaming. I moved from my downtown apt. about 2 years ago to a place more in the suburbs (ugh) and I stopped dreaming as much. I used to have these lucid, vivid dreams that gave me ideas for my stories and art and they kind of stopped, but while travelling and upon my return they have been back! This is a good thing!

Transition? Whatever.

Still waking up in the morning not knowing where I am, lol. Still dreaming I'm in Spain, London or Paris. It's just nuts and I'm not the only one. The guys are having the same problems. At least the jet lag's stopped.

Oh, and I really am staring at the walls at work. Just a gray boring corner. I heard that's bad for feng shui and it traps energy and creates clutter. I can truly believe it. I just wanted to be outside in the sun and walking around so badly that I almost cried at one point. Add to that a cold from hell that had me laid out all weekend and I think it's safe to say my transition to my normal life isn't going too smoothly.

Happy Birthday Starr! My little goddaughter turned 6 today! Yay!

Some Pics from Europe 1

I thought everyone would enjoy seeing a few pics from Europe! From top to bottom: me on the London Eye, at the Eiffel Tower, walking the streets of Madrid w/my husband, and at Piccadilly Circus in London.

Cough Cough Hack Hack

OK, I am officially sick. I've got a cold or the allergies from hell or something. Either way, I feel like crap. I actually left my quilt guild meeting early because I felt so bad. One of the members was giving a lecture on advanced paper piecing and I'm sorry I missed it. You never know what you can use from someone else's techniques or advice, you know? I've been dozing off and on since then, half-watching movies like "Vanity Fair" and "Confessions of a Teen Drama Queen" and eating spaghetti. Yum.

Yawn...I'm going to bed.

Jet Lag Sucks & Illo Showcase

Uggghhh...I am feeling like crap. I'm 5 hours ahead body clock-wise so it's 5:30 am to me.

I am a member of the Illustrators Club of DC/MD/VA and tonight was our Illustrator's Showcase at the National Geographic Society's headquarters. I do illustration work under the name "Wawa Moore" as I am published in the adult fiction market and don't want a confusion.

It was pretty cool. There were about 60 illustrators there and each had a table to themselves to set up materials. Art directors and buyers would circulate among us checking out our work. I was so nervous as it was my first one and looking around at the other tables, a lot of the others had fancy setups and displays and I felt so plain and silly and small compared to them. I went outside and called my husband with a minor anxiety attack. He told me not to worry, that it's my talent that counts and I appreciated that. As soon as I sat back down one came over and told me how much they liked my work. All night long ( and it does pay to actually be at your table--they tend to stop more), AD's told me how much they liked my work. I was very tickled as I'm new to this. I hope something comes out of it and I'm glad I participated.

Albercan Designs

While at the Englishtown program, we stayed in a small village called La Alberca. It is a beautiful medieval town, filled with narrow winding streets and charming homes. Although Muslims, Christians and Jews lived together peacefully as neighbors there, it became a site of the Spanish Inquisition, many doorways are marked to let them know it was a Christian home. The fluid designs are particular to the region and were passed down from mother to daughter. Lions and birds representing the male and female, birds for husband and wife, trees of life representing marriage, the designs usually symmetrical. I bought a handmade and painted tile with the "la mujer enamorada" bird design.

Hell is...Other Americans

I just had to mention this... As a Black American traveler, you are rare. You just don't see others like you and your looks, dress and accent make you really stand out. Having heard reports of racial slurs against footballers in Spain and England and Paris' hostility towards African immigrants, we braced ourselves for the possibility of some type of incident.

Instead, I found the Europeans that we encountered to be friendly and open towards us. Almost no big deal. All four of us are tall, very funny, the life of a moment and the guys were usually dressed comfortably in casual clothing or jeans and nice shirts. I personally fit in style-wise in all 3 cities and got mistaken for a native in all three. In Spain, we were stared at once through a window and an older Spanish gentleman stopped to politely ask my husband where he was from, but no problems. It was usually the older generation and we understood.

You know, I've traveled over 8000 miles plus total this trip, and I'm very saddened, disappointed and angered that the only time we encountered true ignorance was from another American in our program who said, "Oh, you all look alike..." and other things to us. You just don't say that. You just don't...

I just had to share as that was the only small blight on my entire wonderful trip.

Back in the States...Darn...

Well, I'm back home in the States again. It's crazy to think that just this morning I was riding on the Tube and now I'm back at my home computer tiktak-ing away. I had a very very comfortable flight back and the guys are always good for great conversation. I somehow always manage to spill liquids on myself in the plane and go the bathroom 5000 times. It's so sad.

What will I miss the most about Europe besides my new friends? The casual sense of life meaning more than work. Even in the busiest city (London), we were never rushed while eating or drinking. People seem to know how to live life more--especially in Spain. Everyday I yearn for that type of daily life and I don't know how to reconcile it with my reality. One of the guys wondered how things will be different to, and for, us when we return. If anything, I think it has seriously altered my perspective by making me realize that I really do have so much to offer the world, why am I shortchanging myself?

You just don't come home from a trip like this unaffected...

Last Night in Europe

The big ol' Eurotrip is coming to a close tomorrow. Here's my roundup. We have:

1. Partied with the Spaniards, been snubbed by the French and roamed the downtown streets with the English.
2. Eaten the best ham in Spain carved straight off the leg, drank hot cocoa like melted chocolate bars in Paris and eaten Cornish pasties in London.
3. Taken the Metros in Madrid and Paris and the Tube here in London. D.C.'s is the best hands down.
4. Posed with Beefeaters at the Tower of London, had a standard bearer give us a good morning during the changing of the guard, seen a fight in Madrid and almost got hockspit on in Paris
5. Fallen asleep at the drop of a dime almost everywhere
6. Walked, ran, climbed and gone up so many stairs that we cringe at the sight of them now
7. Been stung by a wasp (me), injured an ankle on a cobblestone (Chris), taken a chunk out of a finger (me again)
8. Figured out that Madrid is our favorite city and we miss our Spanish friends very much
9. That all of those famous places and sights you see on TV and in pictures are just as impressive for real.
10. Had a wonderful time...

This has been one of the most incredible experiences in my life.

Cheers, Y'all from London!!!

Still in London.

Today I went on the London Eye. OK. I'm terrified of heights. I mean, really terrified of heights and I'm up in the air in this thing. Deep breath. Deep breath. It was a beautiful view and something I just had to do just to experience it and I'm glad I did, but ohmigod...my souvenir photo should be called "I Survived the London Eye."

It's been really incredible here walking by Westminster Abbey w/hot cocoa and looking up and seeing Big Ben. The lights and sounds and smells of Piccadilly Circus and Leincester Square and the theater district. Oh man, Cornish pasties are so yummy! We've been going around town on the double decker tour bus for transportation (actual guide commentary: "And over here is Green Park...because well...it's GREEN.") It's so expensive here though. That part isn't cool, but the energy and vibe here is a lot of fun. I'm loving London.

I can't believe I'm in the last leg of this fantastic trip. I've had some incredible experiences and every day I feel like the luckiest woman in the world. How in the world will I be able to go back to "regular" life and my office space in a little corner facing the damn walls after this????

London's Shaping Up Already...

I'd like to consider myself pretty open when it comes to travel, just enjoying the moment, taking in the sights, going with the flow, but Paris challenged all of my easygoing traits and the guys' too. We have all never wanted to get the heck out of somewhere so much as we did Paris, which really surprised us. Sure there were some OK people, but that wasn't the norm. We expected to have all those "the French suck" stereotypes dispelled and we have fun everywhere, but Paris...God, I'm so glad to be gone from there and I can't say any of us are too keen to return.
Paris was a beautiful place with beautiful buildings and sites, but damn, the people were so cold compared to Spain and now, London. I'm writing from an internet cafe at Piccadilly Circus. We're just really getting settled in here as we switched to a more in town hotel (the Sheraton Park Lane) and it's still weird for us to be hearing English nonstop, as it's been 2 weeks now since the last time we did. Off the break, we're finding the English to be friendly and funny as hell. I think there's something about them that really appeals to us. I'll keep ya posted.

Welcome to France

I didn't fall off the face of the Earth, but I did get stung by a wasp, lose my voice for 4 days and really hurt a finger. It's all wonderful though! LOL! We ended Madrid with a blast by doing a la movida--bar hop. 8 of us--the guys and 4 friends from the program--roamed downtown Madrid with throngs of Madrilenos just out. It was wild. We even saw a fight. A woman got bumped by this dude and clipped by a car. She and her friend went after dude and fought him even popping him with a pipe. KLONK! All ages just going from place to place enjoying themselves drinking drinks, eating bocadillo sandwiches, drinking café, wonderful. Madrid is a city that is as much about the vibrancy of its people as it is the city itself. I love Madrid.

Paris however, has been nice, but a more frustrating experience. I'm writing this from an internet cafe on the Champs Elysees. There's a strike going on with the Metro, but we've been riding it anyway. Just delayed trains. We got to sit at the base of the Eiffel Tower eating crepes and drinking hot chocolate and voila, lol, it started sparkling all over. It was amazing. Nothing quite prepares you for the size and beauty of it. It really is spectacular. We also lucked up on the Arc de Triomphe just as a military honor ceremony took place and we were front row. The Arc's really impressive. Today we went to Notre Dame. Smaller than we thought, but pretty. Came THIS close to fighting a French dude when he almost hockspit on us after I ignored him, the A-hole. The people here are so much colder than the Spaniards and dang they like to stare all in your face. Headed over to the Louvre--on the only day it's closed. Ended up this great, popular place called Angelina's and had a baba au rhum with so much rum I was heady. Not to mention the best hot chocolate EVER.

Tomorrow...back to the Louvre and maybe over to Montmartre and Sacre Coeur.

Back to Madrid...

Our program has ended and we are all going back today. I have had a fantastic time. Parties every night, good food, lots of fun and I have friends all over Spain, Ireland and the U.S. now. This has been an incredible expeience here and I have definitely learned more about the people and the country than if I was just a normal tourist here.

I learned how to dance Sevillanas, the proper way to cuss, how to hold and use a fan, what some Spanish men REALLY think about women, the wonders of a medieval town and all sorts of other crazy Spanish things. I´m really sad to be going. I have a lot of new friends that I´m really going to miss.

Into Town and Back Again

The quemada was pretty cool. It´s a ritual from Galicia in the North. It involves heating an alcoholic drink called agua ardiente and lighting it afire. It was pretty cool and we partied afterwards. Then, we partied again the next day too. Yesterday we were all pretty low energy, but today, everybody´s back to normal.

Went into the town of La Alberca yesterday. We´re talking medieval village here. Narrow streets, winding roads, flowers everywhere. Beautiful. We sat in the main plaza and toured the town. Very nice. We had jamon iberico--made from pigs only from this region that eat only acorns. They have a stand--every house has one--where the whole leg hoof and all is propped up and carved with a thin knife. It´s considered the best ham in the world and I had all I could eat. Today I went again--twice--and had a great time speaking Spanish with the shopkeepers. I´m having an incredible time and really learning about the country and its people because we have so many chances to sit and talk with the Spaniards.

This is a wonderful program...

Up in the Mountains in La Alberca

Right now we are chilling in the mountains of La Alberca, Spain, doing the Vaughan Village English language program. The Spaniards are all very nice, although nervous about having to speak English all day like this. I guess I would be too. The hotel we´re staying at is a collection of chalets up in the mountains in a small village an hour from Salamanca. Very nice.

Essentially, you have one-on-one conversations and group conversations with them. There are also English, Canadian and Irish-accented speakers here as well. We´ve all been doing a lot of joking and trashtalking and having fun with one another. I´m having a great time, but the Spaniards are describing it as "torture", lol.

When In Madrid...

Madrid is too much fun. The people are laid back, the weather´s beautiful and we are having a good time. We are staying in Old Madrid, right at the center of everything. You can walk to most places and we have been exploring all of these shop and restaurant-filled streets, eating tapas and enjoying ourselves. The architecture here is beautiful, with its iron balconies and grillwork. Our hostal, Hostal Adriano, is very cute and chic. Everyone´s been pretty friendly and helpful so far and we´ve been using what little Spanish we know.

We´re leaving for the language program tomorrow and have a tapas get-together tonight. I´ll keep you posted.

Winifred's Fabulous Quilts

At our guild, one of our members--Winifred Wallace--gave a lecture on machine embellishment and her work is phenomenal! She really should enter more shows or something! Her pieces are always beautifully done and her techniques are on point. Sometimes you can't tell her embellishments from the original pattern of the fabric and one fabric she used so well, I expected it to be crinkly with wrinkles, but when I touched it, it wasn't. Fabulous work...

Maryland Renaissance Festival

I was supposed to go to the Maryland Renaissance Festival today (smoked turkey legs are the best!), but since we are going away I had to do other stuff today. We'll go when we come back and I'll be there with my flower and ribbon crown on.

Enjoy the pics from last year's...

Inspirations for the Week

1. The way shadows and light fall on the mountains and landscape out West
2. The water contrasting with the barrenness of the desert around Lake Mead
3. The circle, square and pie chart patterns of the cropfields below from the plane
4. The polished beauty of the Cloud Gate in Millennium Park in Chicago

I'M IN! (aka "Me & My Big Mouth...")

Well, the fabulous Sonji gave me a little deserved swift kick to the A recently by nicely laying me out about not listening to others and following up myself, LOL. This spurred me to drop a very polite email to Dr. Mazloomi, who promptly emailed me back.

Oh crap y'all, I'm IN.

All of my smacktalk and I'm in the exhibit! Ohmigod. YAY! I mean, YAAAAAAAAAAY!!

Oops of the Day: Be patient, grasshopper.

Back to My Senses

Now that I'm fully awake, lol, and have come to my senses I sent off an email to follow-up about it. I'm done venting. Man, these things make me twitchy!

I'm going to concentrate on going to Europe instead.

Mmm...paella. Ooo...Eiffel Tower. Somebody say "Piccadilly"? Piccadilly. What a fun word.

For your viewing pleasure, I found this old photo of me w/my brother (and cousin in the back) riding a coaster at Paramount's King's Dominion. That was a fun, fun day.

A Realization

Some of the ladies from my guild held an Art Sew-ciety art quilt group meeting about 2 weeks ago or so. Only 7 of us. We want to regularly get together and discuss art quilting techniques and critique each other's work. They'd seen the Jazz Quilt in person and that led to a discussion of the Mazloomi exhibit.

The biggest realization I had after talking to them about it is that they were right: the info I got was forwarded like a regular call for entries, but it may not have been. They told me that it could've been invite-only. As in, if she doesn't invite you in, then you're not in and if you sent her something, it might be disregarded. I get it. Like unsolicited manuscripts. It's over a month and a half later and I haven't received any acknowledgment of any kind--written or spoken. I'm inclined to agree with the ladies and I feel silly and stupid now for having even entered if it was closed to submissions even though the Jazz Quilt is so pretty and would've been perfect. If so...

I want my frickin' slides back then! What a waste of them!

Of Best Friends and Goddaughters

Well, I still don't have my Chicago pics yet, but I do have two for you. One of me with my best friend Kay. It was so good to see her again. It had been 1 1/2 years! Way too long. Her husband (who is my husband's best friend) went to GW w/me and is now a professor of African studies at Northwestern U. We always have such a good time together that it sucks that we don't live closer to one another. We are also both writers. We have been thinking about starting a small press together to publish some non-fiction and fiction work. We talked about it some and it really seems do-able. We're talented and smart. We can do this!

The other picture is of me with her daughter Rudi--my goddaughter. Her little sister Judi (also my goddaughter), who is almost 2, was a furious ball of energy running around on her tiptoes and making astute observations. She's hilarious and has a middle name that's a combo of mine and my husband's. I'll have pics of her and the city soon.

Rat Pack

Until I get my Chicago photos developed (left my digcam at home darn it!) here's a pic of us with Rat Pack impersonators in Vegas!!! My husband and I are the two not in black...

Poker Run Scavenger Hunt

One of the activities that my group did was the Poker Run Scavenger Hunt. Arranged by the hotel, you're split into teams of 4 (or 3 in my case), given a packet w/a Polaroid, maps, entry fee money, and other things. You hop into a car and follow clues all over the Lake Mead/Hoover Dam/Boulder City, NV area and take pics or bring back clues from there. It was a lot of fun and we really got to see the countryside and sights in a way that we probably wouldn't normally!

Did I mention that we crossed over the Hoover Dam? COOL!!!

Livin' It Up in Sin City Baby, Yeah!

Out here in the Las Vegas area at the lovely Ritz Carlton Lake Las Vegas resort working an annual meeting for my 9 to 5. It's pretty weird in a way that this gorgeous "Italianate" resort is along a lake in the middle of the desert. It's pretty scorching out here to me (of the oppressive D.C.-style heat). Took some pics for you of the resort and the pretty yummy goodies I had at the member spouse tea today. Um-um-good.

There's also a shot of...the Grand Canyon!! Our pilot took a route overhead. That sight alone made my trip. It's so huge! Absolutely awesome to see like that! I love the desert and its forms and shapes. I got inspired by farmlands along the edge with their circles and bars in all shades of greens and tans and browns and grays and drew a sketch that I'll post when I get the chance. All I could think was "Oooo...that'll make a great quilt!"