Day 37: Damn dog...

So I'm getting close to finishing a handknit children's ball, spikey.  It's basically a dodecahedron with points instead of sides.  Pattern: http://www.berroco.com/exclusives/celestine/celestine.html

The colours are rather bleached out by the flash.  Just saying.

However, the dog decided to run off with it to get my attention.  Guess what?  She did.  However, she drooled all over it.  This is for a baby - I'm going to have to wash it.

Before I can finish, I stuff 11 of the 12 'sides' and centre and then knit the twelfth point to close it off.  So do I wash it before stuffing it and risk having it shrink and become a problem for the 12th point?  Or do I finish it and then wash it, hoping the stuffing dries well?

Somehow, all of my knitting experience isn't quite coughing up an answer today.  Though my parenting experience suggests that I should wash the whole thing since the mom is probably going to have to do that at some point anyway.  That's the way I'm leaning, anyway.  Got any suggestions?

Day 36: To do mindmapping, do you have to have one?

A mind, that is.

Today I started learning a new way of organizing information called mindmapping.  I've read about it a couple of times lately and I wanted to try it out.  There are a couple of free kinds of software for it and I decided to try XMind (http://www.xmind.net/ ).

Mindmapping is a flow-charty way of getting a whole pile of ideas down in a loosely organized way.  By drawing loose connections and adding filters, you (theoretically) can see unusual connections and generate new ideas.

While this doesn't give me a pretty picture to present to you today, I am enjoying trying out something completely new to me.  I hope that this system will be useful in the future. Initially I thought I could 'map' my brain but the free software doesn't make it look likely.  Of course, my brain map might be a pretty scary thing.

I also got a lot done artistically today.  Hopefully there will be something to show soon.

Day 35: One day my Prince will come...

Actually, I spent this last weekend with Prince Arthur.  Prince Arthur Hotel, that is.  http://www.princearthur.on.ca/  Janet and I stayed there while we were in T. Bay.  It has a great location; just overlooking the waterfront parks and train station.

The hotel was quite dated but clean.  The room was strangely laid out but spacious.  It was a good deal, I think.

What really set fire to my imagination was the hint of old that it exuded.  All I could think about was buying this hotel and renovating it into a steampunk masterpiece.  How fun would that be? Could you make the antique elevator see-through so you could see the floors as you were travelling?  Restoring the main entrance to a suitable level of grandeur?  Ripping off the back pool addition and making a fabulous patio walk-out for the restaurant.  Making doors that disappeared?

Sometimes I wonder about my brain.  Couldn't I be using some of this creativity for my own income?  It feels like I'm wasting it by spending so much time developing ideas for something that will never happen.  I read today that creativity can't be turned off without killing it.  Apparently so.

Day 34: Home again, home again, jiggety-jig

Janet and I were talking about ... well...many things while we were away together.  One of them was this need to constantly start over.  Why can we live our lives slow and steady like the turtle?  Not that I really want to be an amphibian but that building up to success part I think I would enjoy.

I feel that way today: home today and tomorrow, start over at cleaning, sorting, organizing my life.  Sigh.  Though I did do my organizing bit today since it is Monday.

Before:

After:

Here the suitcase is empty, ready to go back to the basement.  I can't quite make myself do that tonight but definitely tomorrow.

I've enjoyed the thinking time I've had while I was away.  I finished Steven Johnson's Where Good Ideas Come From.  A very interesting read.  Many different parts are going into my thoughts on Church Organization and Creativity Thereof.  More to come on that, I hope.

P.S.  Happy Birthday, Daniel

Day 33: Emily 5

Summer Vacation

Beach towels are red
the ocean is blue
I like summer
what about you?

Part of the cool part about this is that Emily is in Toronto and I'm in Thunder Bay.  I love the fact that I can travel and stay in contact with my kids at the same time.  Maybe this means I can travel more?

Day 32: Sleeping Giant Provincial Park

Just some pictures of our hike today.  Quick summary: sun - hot, water - COLD, toad - surprised, beach - lovely.

Made some art ... left it behind.

Oh and legs - tired.

Day 31: Canada Day in Thunder Bay

Let's play High/Low.

High for Canada Day in Thunder Bay: the food.

Perogies
Bannock Burgers
Thai Satay
Tacos
Corn on the Cob
Indian
Three different kinds of ice cream
Free cake
Hot dogs
Sausages
Hamburgers
Hand cut french fries
Kettle cooked popcorn

To quote Mom: "I think I ate too much".

Low: Fireworks Fizzle in Fog

The fireworks didn't do more than give the sky some interesting colours occasionally.