My goodness! It has been a while!

I'm back! It's been five years since I posted on this here blog. Much has happened since I've been away. Just passed the quarter century mark this past year. It is strange reading the ramblings of my little twenty-year-old self.

Like I said, it has been a while since I last wrote. Over the past couple years, I was in Boston and got me an eddycation in the fine art of making furniture. During that time, I had another blog chronicling the various projects I was working on. If you are interested in what I was up to, here is the link: http://anewadventureofaverydifferentsort.blogspot.com/

I really enjoyed the furniture-making. It is pretty neat to take a piece of wood and turn it (whether on a lathe or not) into a piece of fine furniture. Probably the best/worst part was attempting to absorb the vast knowledge of the instructors. And the smells: the rich, nutty smell of walnut; the sweet, yet light scent of maple... mmmmm.

Anyways, I have decided to start the blog up again to document my attempts to instruct myself in the art of upholstery. I did take a class at an upholstery shop when I was in Boston, and we did do some slip seats at the school I went to. Not sure how regular the postings will be, but I will strive to be somewhat regular in recording my progress.

ttyl, jot

Merry Christmas!

Hope you all are enjoying yourselves! I'm trying to figure out what to do next. I finished Mom's present yesterday, got some gifts for Dad, and today I wrapped my sisters' gifts. I've spent most of the afternoon online looking for an office chair. A used office chair with arms, casters, a swivel seat, and a metal frame. You know, the old-fashioned kind of office chair. I have found lots of beautiful, vintage office chairs that meet each of my criteria... except that they lack arms. I want my chair to have arms because I like having something to lean on. I suppose I could get a brand-spanking new one at Walmart, but the new plastic chairs just don't feel the same. I like the way metal feels. I have found 2 or 3 chairs that would work, but they cost almost $500.
*gulp*
Or they are marked "local delivery only" and the location is not in my immediate vicinity. :(

About a month ago, I decided to start to illustrate some poems I wrote a few years ago. The subject? Finnish frogs. Why are they Finnish? Well, I was trying to come up with words that started with the letter 'f' (excluding expletives). Of course, I didn't continue with that very long.
The first poem introduces the reader to the Finnish frogs, explains why they feast on French flies (why, you ask? the frogs dislike potatoes fried.), and tells of their adventure seeking these flies. The second (which I wrote in ninth grade after a geography test) is about their flight (meaning the frogs') from the Flaming Flamingo's lair.

The Finnish frogs did enter lair
To steal a fuzzy fan from there.

hehehe

ttyl, jot

drat... summer's almost over :(

This has been an interesting summer. I've learned some about plants (worked in a greenhouse), got a 2nd degree sunburn (the blisters were the worst), and I have grown a year older.

My sister and I are also sharing a room. It's not bad. The end result: Dad moved his office to her old room and I got his old office as my craft room (yes!!!).

Right now, I am taking a break from working on some shorts. I had some shorts from Eddie Bauer that I got 4 or 5 years ago, but the seat was getting rather worn. Since I was unable to find some that were like them (and fit properly), I decided to use the old shorts to make a pattern so I could make my own. I'm using cloth from some old khaki pants (again from 4 or 5 years ago) that didn't fit me anymore.

Thus far, I've done pretty well. Then my sewing machine started having issues, so I took the back off to see if I could find the problem. (I like taking things apart. I did restrain myself from going all out because I didn't want to mess something up.) I found the problem, but I couldn't access its source, so I had to take it to the repair shop. My sister is letting me use her machine for the moment.

Like I said, I enjoy taking things apart. The difficulty lies in remembering how to put it back together. ;) When I was younger, I was always taking pens and flashlights apart, just because I wanted to see how they were assembled. I also like fixing things (restrung some blinds a couple weeks ago, repaired the leak in our pond by putting a layer of mud in). Why do I like fixing stuff? hmmm...I think it may have to do with problem solving. It's sort of like algebra (which I also like) because you need to find a solution to a problem. Sometimes you have to experiment to find the right solution, but eventually one will be found. In some ways, fixing stuff is even better than algebra because you don't have to worry about logarithms or imaginary numbers.

I still haven't decided what I want to be when I grow up, though technically I am a grown-up. There are too many options out there. Teaching math is definitely out of the question. Despite my infatuation with algebra, I find graphing to be confusing, and geometric proofs....well, let's just say we didn't get along very well. I don't want a desk job. I know that for certain. Since I'm not a people person (I'm rather introverted), I am not keen on a job that requires lots of
interaction with people.

ttyl , jot

yay! school's out!!! at least for a while...

I did finally find a dress! It is silvery gray with black edging around the collar and two velvet ribbons hanging down the back. here's a link to it: http://www.etsy.com/view_transaction.php?transaction_id=28337648
The prom thingy went well too. I had lots of fun! Hopefully it will become an annual event. ;)

I've survived my first full year of college! For some strange reason, thinking about it makes me feel old. As I look at where I was in wisdom, experience, and knowledge in the fall, I realize just how much I have matured in those areas. (By the way, wisdom and knowledge are two different things. Knowledge is composed of facts. Wisdom is the application of knowledge.) I don't think college has helped me to conquer my shyness, but it has helped me to socialize. Or at least to talk to others.

I am not a loquacious person. Even when I'm with people I've known all my life, I'm not super chatty. When I do say something, people seem to pay more attention to what I say. That may be partly because I just spent the last 5-10 minutes trying to figure out what to say while listening to the conversation. Sometimes too, I can learn a lot about a person without even talking to him or her just by listening. I'm not eavesdropping on purpose. They are talking loudly enough in the classroom or in the cafeteria that I can't tune them out. Of course, I can't always remember what they say, so it doesn't really matter. ;)

ttyl, jot.

hello again!

I finally had some sales! On Etsy, that is. I've also had lots of paper to write, so I've been pretty busy. Also, I've been looking at prom dresses on Etsy. There are lots of beautiful dresses, especially vintage dresses. I'm trying to find one that I can wear for a homeschool prom thingy that some friends of mine are going to have in May.

Why am I only looking at the vintage dresses? Well, I think that most of the contemporary prom/bridemaids dresses are boring. For the most part, they all look the same. Same kind of satiny cloth, similar styles. Or they are made out of that slinky knit stuff that feels like pajamas. Or they look like they've been attacked by the avenging be-dazzler. *shivers*

Also, they have a tendency to be rather long. Since I am rather short, and floor length skirts and dresses accentuate that particular deficiency, I tend to avoid such things. Please don't think that this causes me to favor mini skirts though. I still want my skirt to be long enough so I can sit down. ;)

Right now, I'm looking at ones that are blue, green, or gray. Not anything too bright or flamboyant. I'd like it to be sort of sophisticated.

going to have to go to class. ttyl, jot

just stopping by to say hi...

I have a bunch of papers for music appreciation I need to work on. blech. I don't like writing papers. Making things or painting is much easier AND more enjoyable. I have to keep reminding myself to just keep chugging along. Sometimes though, that's easier said than done. Especially when I start getting ideas for projects while trying to focus on papers. ttyl, jot

ugh... math class

I have to pay attention in math class now. It really stinks. Oh, not that I wasn't paying attention before. I was, it's just that I didn't have to concentrate on it as closely, because I had a general idea of what was going on.

What was I focusing on instead? umm...well...I was drawing pictures in my binder. There are advantages to sitting in the back of the room. hehehe ;)

Mostly, I draw pictures of the other people in front of me in the classroom. Sometimes, I draw random things.

this is someone I made up








Now, if you think that is bad, you should see my gov't notes.





Well, actually, those are my notes prior to class starting. I usually get there a little early, so I scribble in my notebook bit.

I guess that's it for now. I have a paper I should probably work on. ttyl, jot