May 2010

[on my new dresser with some linens from a market in Sweden...whoops. Better grab an iron!]



Inspiration

Sea rings (from Nektar Destagni, via Design for Mankind)





These are incredible math and landscape photographs from Nikki Graziano; my students said "It's like she's Fourier-transformed the landscape!" Nope, don't know what that means. But they're beautiful.



Artist Kate MacDowell




Epoxy-polymer painted petri dishes from (courtesy of Klari Reis)

Things to look forward to:

--This lady is surprising me with a trip to Boston to see my orchestra concert and spend a weekend here. I'm feeling so spoiled and lucky by all these visits...keep them coming!

--Finals! I'm not actually taking glasses. But the girls...whoa. They are stressed. Which, in turn, stresses me out. And I do love orchestra and chamber music, but man I'll be glad to have those two hours of sleep back Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday.

--Memorial Day plans? I'm not sure. I may take off a non-Memorial day holiday and do something fun up in New Hampshire or something. Antiquing, anyone?


Things I will do:

--Tarts! I spent $135.42 on tart pans from my tax returns. And yes oh yes they will be used.

--Eat meat. So---this morning I went to E.L. Blood and Sons Slaughterhouse (nope, didn't actually see any killing take place)...but they do most of the slaughtering of family-farmer or 4H-raised livestock in Eastern Massachusetts and sell at an incredibly cheap wholesale price. Normal farm-fresh eggs from free range, grain-fed chickens cost $6 at the farmer's market. They were $3 here (and a beautiful mix of greens, browns, and creams). 94-6 ground beef from grass-fed/no added growth hormone/no preventative antibiotic cattle cost $8.99 at a farmer's market. Here? $3.29. I don't really eat all that much meat. Truly...we're talking once every three-weeks-ish and for three days before I give blood to the Red Cross (next date May 11th!). But I want it to be good meat. None of this double down crap (no offense, Jeff). If I'm going to eat meat in this life (and I've tried being veg; it wasn't working for my health)----well, I want meat from happy cows. Yum.

--Get some paperwork back from the American Bone Marrow Registry. There was a swab station in the student center this week, and I sent in the form. I know some may think this is a play to get my DNA for some nefarious purpose, but after spending so much time in hospitals in this life, if there is anything I can do to help, it's this. (yeah...one week on the pediatric hem-oc floor'll do that to you).

--Ugh. Jury duty. In Lowell. Actually, it's not until July. So I guess I'll look forward to doing my civic duty?