long time, no blog

Look, I got some new glasses!

Good grief, I haven't blogged in a week. I have been busy working and having some fun. Trying to balance the work and the fun. I am starting to think I may be a workaholic! I am kind of serious. Well, the work is actually fun for me right now. I just feel super passionate about my work lately!

Last Wednesday night I met up with Sarah for drinks and then we took a little excursion to the local craft store which was super fun. This weekend I didn't really have any big plans. I just enjoyed hanging out with James all weekend. And, in between, got lots of little jobs done like making rings and organizing my jewelers bench. I pulled out all the equipment I have been collecting over the past few years. I feel like I am pretty much totally set up to solder now. Just need to take the big step to start. Why is that part so hard? Maybe it will happen today? I worked hard yesterday to get a bunch of piddley stuff caught up so that today and tomorrow can be reserved for creative work. You gotta organize this stuff!

Had a nice lunch with Wendy on Friday. It was a nice day to sit outside.

I took my first actual trip to the Blanton Museum yesterday. I met up with my friend Brooke for coffee first and then we walked over to the museum together. We had a great time. I found it inspiring. I loved the new temporary exhibit of the works from the Dahesh Museum. There were some really beautiful and vibrant oil paintings. There is something about oil painting that really excites me. It has such depth. I also really liked that a lot of the paintings were of daily scenes. One of the explanations on the wall was saying that more common life scenes developed when the patronage shifted from religious to merchant class and middle classes commissioned works. I enjoy seeing these almost photographic images of normal life from another time period. We went upstairs and explored a little of the 20th century area but we ran out of time. I look forward to my next trip!

Forest has been introducing me to a lot of rap music. When we get in the car, he always plugs in his Ipod and says "Mom, you gotta hear this song." He is really good at seeking out music. Anyway, about the rap thing - I have never really listened to much because - and I don't mean to stereotype - but often the stuff you pass by on the radio, though it may have a cool beat, the lyrics are sometimes just so sexist and offensive. But he has played some really great stuff for me lately. Let's see, I am enjoying Immortal Technique, Dead Prez and Mos Def. I love learning about new music but I have never been the kind of person to actually seek it out. I always need to have friends who do and can tell me about it! It's a good thing I have James and Forest around. James is mighty prolific in his mix making, I can't even give a comprehensive list of the mixes he's made lately. It's too crazy. This weekend when we were hanging out he gave me a history lesson about the hambone beat - and played a Bo Diddley song, where it started, first and then played all these songs that have that beat right up to present day music. Did you know that song "I Want Candy" has the hambone beat? It was pretty cool to hear the progression of something like that.

Alrighty, I better get back to work!