I spent most of the morning making place matts to match my new chair upholstry.  They really look nice.  Then after I ate a late breakfast, I ironed on some patches to an old long jean skirt that tore a couple of years ago.  I finally got the stuff together to fix it.  Looks really cute.  Then I fixed my favorite dress.  the bodice got torn when I left a safety pin in the bodice when I washed it.  It is orange and red and means a lot to me.  It still isn't perfect I don't know if it is wearable.  Oh well.  I was my day to use iron on stuff ot make and patch clothes. for me and my dining room table.

 

Then I went grocery shopping and blogged a little then tried to take a nap. No luck!  Ellen called so I got up and made dinner.  It was really yummy.  Wheat speghetti, tomato pesto that I added garlic, onion, asperigras, and a big salad and a plumb and some cantilope for dessert.   Yummy.  Took a bath tonight and relaxed listening to Jack John-son and Nora Jo-nes.  Had the doors and window open most of the day.  My tree is getting budes on it.  Hope your day was good.  Love and Kisses, Marilyn   

Ahhh the little things in life that make life good... Hard week (actually weeks) done... being able to relax with a great cut of coffee watching Saturday morning television. 

 

Sometimes it is a pain in the a** to be so pickie... my chairs turned out well, but not perfect!  I will try to photograph them and put them on line.  Ellen and I used them for dinner last night and they were very comfortable.  But back to my pickieness, the foam is hard to cut evenly and the left side angles to the right, which looks nice... the right side also angles to the right so it looks caddywompus... maybe it was from stapling one end and then pulling the fabric tight and stapling the other side because they both list in the same direction... hmmm I need to get some more staples and see if I can push the foam on right side back so angles towards the left or toward the center of the chair... or maybe I will get some polyester batting to soften the edges...  hmmmm

 

Today I am going to take the left over fabric and make four place mattes that match the chairs... Oh such a interior designer.

 

I heard from Ball State this morning.... yes Saturday morning... hmmmm   They wanted to know if I was still interested in the position.  I said yes... they said that they would get back to me to set up a interview after April 13.  I felt good to hear from someone... I was beginning to get uncomfortable about next year. 

 

By the way, I am always thrilled when I get carded, except when it is a machine at Kroger... I hang out with people in their thirties in a college town and I like to tease the wait staff why don't they check my ID, too.  So Thursday night's ID check event was a hoot.   

 

Hope your day will be good.  Love and kisses, Marilyn

I went out to dinner with Noelle and Cos, my swimming buddies... We were celebrating my not having to teach four and a half classes!!!  I sat down, Cos and Noelle had already ordered margarieta's so the waitress walked by as asked if I wanted something without looking at me.  I said a medium margarieta.  She said "Can't I see your ID?"  Then she looked at me... and blinked twice and stammered "never mind."  I got up and hugged her and told her she made my day and to expect a good tip.    

 

Norman brought back the new  wood for my chair seats.  I had to get new foam, the ones I got before were too small.   So I got a big piece of foam that I had to cut up.  For some reason my hands are sore.  I bought a new stapler... and started assembling... but ran out of stamples already.  Greeehhh.  Got two done before I ran out of staplers.  Sits really nice and looks good too.

 

Tomorrow I take my students to see the materials used in the hosptial.  Hope your day was good.  Love and kisses, Marilyn        

Only two more and I will feel like a free women.  My new old schedule leaves me half a day Monday and Wednesday and all day Tuesday and Thursday to work on my dissertation.  That is once I get this grading done for the other classes I am teaching right now.  I got the Juniors graded and will work on the freshmen drafting assignments as soon as I get back from swimming.  A full day tomorrow then two field trips Friday to a local hospital to see materials used in health care. 

 

Tao is defending on April 9th... good luck to her.  I hope it all goes well.  I feel I am such a long way from being ready to defend yet...  but a couple of months of conserted writing and I should be ready.  Seems to take so much longer than we would like.  

 

Elizabeth I wanted to walk this afternoon but.... We are having our first spring thunder storm right now... my computer is not plugged in to a receptical... There is something wonderous about the crack of thunder so soon after the flash of light.  Mother nature at her best.  Hope your day is good.  Oh yeah... Still no word from the new job front.  Love and kisses, Marilyn    

Only three more teaching five days a week to go... and then finishing the grading for those classes and I am free to get back on my dissertation.  I am so tired I am getting crankie with the students.  Hmmmm don't like that.  Who ever thinks that teachers in college only work 12 hours a week becasue that is class contact time is full of it.  I graded as much as I am teaching at least.  And I am teach 18 hours a week.  plus preparation time...  hmmmm. 

 

Am really getting antsy to get back to my dissertation.  Hope things are going okay for Tao.  Love and kisses, Marilyn

My editor has told me that my history of interior design chapter stinks... It is muddled, disorganized, and confusing.  I need to foot note every thought that is not mine... which means that I have to foot note every sentence because it is a summation of the literature out there that I am building off... Hmmm

 

I just wish my chair would have told me this a year ago... She did say that I need to outline my writing, (which I knew and continued to not do) but not why I needed to do it... and now I may have to do a major revision what I have written and I have written 390 pages.... . 

What my chair said was "Marilyn you need to outline your work." Not this is terribly muddled and I cannot understand what you are trying to say so re-write it.  I guess being gentle in criticism is not helping some do what they have to do to be a good writer.  Good lesson for me to learn as a teacher.  Upsetting someone for a few days is better than letting them continue in their sorry path.  Hmmmm   Again her inability to meet with me as this project progressed was more detrimental to my work that I thought.

 

Okay time to stop whining about what she didn't do and next week get down to revising what I did so that it is understandable.  Love and kisses, Marilyn     

Of her top 100 favorite places... I guess I will change it to places or special moments at places...  

 

  1.  Taking walks in nature with friends.

  2.  Being in the woods alone with the trilliium blooming.

  3.  Being in the water in the middle of a lake... floating... looking at the endless sky.

  4.  Seven Sacred Pools in Maui, swimming again.

  5.  Being at the ruins of  Pompei in Italy.

  6.  Being on a hill at a farm near the bed and breakfast south of Avebury, England.

  7.  Walking through the ruins of the Baths of Calacutta in Rome.

  8.  Canoeing across the lake at night in Canada with a million stars out.

  9.  Sitting on a bench in Key Largo at night looking at a million stars.

10.  Sitting quietly with Katya asleep in my lap.

11.  Dodging welcome home paws and tongue of Eric our Irish Setter.

12.  Swimming with him in the lake, oh how he loved to be king of the mountain on the inner tube. 

13.  Swimming with Abby the yellow lab.

14.  Swimming with my neices and nephew and kids of our friends, the adults sitting in the pontoon boat.

15.  Walking in the stones in Avebury, England.  A natural rock stone henge.

16.  Sitting on my deck sharing the fire flies.

17.  Walking down the street in Key West on a steamy New Years Eve night.

18.  Having a sour grapes party for me.

19.  Laying on the floor with my head on our dog Casper's stomach.

20.  Being with my younger sister Marci, any time, any where.

21.  But espically singing Christmas carols at the top of our lungs while driving down the beach in Ft. Lauderdale in the Mustang convertable when I was in college and she was 12 or 13.

22.  My phone call from my sister Connie when I had my operation this fall.  

23.  Teaching my nephew Justus how to pump on a swing.

 

That is all for now I will get some more later... it is good to remember all the good times we have in life... so many of them are so simple, just being with people you love or nature or for me water.... 

 

 

 

My glasses have been scratched for a while and finally I gave up trying to get an eye exam and ordered my same perscription as last year for my glasses... I need them because once I am done teaching this crazy schedule, I am going to really hit my dissertation and I need to be able to see.  Not around scratches.. My mail man brought them to me today and I am so happy.  Now I just need someone to put them in my glasses... Lately my eyes have been aching... wonder why? 

 

Tom and Bette have come and gone... their car had a oil seal go out... not the rear main seal they thought... but still meant the ingine was almost out of oil... hopefully they had no permanent damage.  It was great to see them again. We had dinner on my deck and breakfast at IH-OP boy were their cinnamon french toast good!!!

 

Kristin and maybe Noelle are coming over tonight for Brats and Greek Salad... and then to watch We-st Si-de Stor-y... Kristin has never seen it... I cannot believe she has never seen it.  "When you a Je-t your a J-et all the way from the top of your he-ad to your last diei-ng day.  When your a Je-t your a cool man in town... "  Hmmm I guess I love that movie I know most of the songs.... Leo-nard Bernst-ene at his finest.  

 

I graded until 2:00pm yesterday... not done... groan groan... Then it was so beautiful out side that Elizabeth and I went for a walk.  Katya fed the ducks... she was so cute.  When I got home Tom and Bette were here... My note had blown off the door.  Hope your day is good.  Love and kisses, Marilyn

Don't hit the backspace button... it dumps you out of program... grehhh I was almost done too.  

 

I gave my students and my self the day off tomorrow.  I had tried to set up a field trip at Carilion Health, but they could not do it until next Friday.  Rather than having them come in for 20 minutes of talking then letting them go... I gave them time to work on Dr. D and Lisa's projects... they are large and due Monday and Tuesday.  I will stay at home and grade.  Only one more week of four and a half classes... Yeah!!!!

 

I came home this afternoon and took a nap, I was tired all day.  Coffee kept me awake, yeah!  I hope that you have a good day.  Love and kisses, Marilyn   

 

 

Wow I cannot tell you how excited I am about my editor.  She is my client that I am working with in Florida.  She is a former English teacher writer and lawyer.  She is doing a bang up job editing my dissertation.  She started at Chapter One and is alreadys half way through chapter five. Her corrections are great, her comments amazing and perceptive.  This is really going to make this puppie better.  We talked for an hour last night about some of the condrums I have been struggling with with really helped me clarify my thinking.  So I should be able to better revise my work.

 

The only problem with this is I had problems going to sleep last night because of my excitment and speeding brain and I work up at 6:30 this morning and could not get back to sleep... so I came down and will soon edit some of her work editing me... Hope your day was wonderful. Love an kisses, Marilyn

If I could help some students... I ended up being video taped showing how I transformed my closet and storeage spaces as a college student... Luckily I had lights and could talk off the cuff.  Students will cut and paste my interview with my demonstartions of my bad closets and my revamped closet... It was fun... It is not like I don't have anything to do...

 

Working on my grading now.  Hope everyone is fine.  Marilyn

Just really busy.  Took the paper around for everyone to sign for my new committee.  The went to school and taught.   It was hard to get my mind back into teaching.  I was so busy all break.  A couple of students asked about their grades and I gave this blank look... mainly because I couldn't even remember which class they were in.  Once classes started I got better... The student was scared by the other teacher, but she did fine in the section that I graded.  Oh well.  

 

My Drafting students handed in 38 foundation plans and my Materials students handed in a essay test... 35 of them I think I will be grading for now until the end of the term.  Love and kisses, Marilyn

Tom and Bette left and twenty minutes later I got a call.  They blew a seal and were broken down at the first rest stop on the high way.  I drove out and got them.  We stratigied what to do.  

 

Bette needed to get home to teach, (five hour drive) Tom could stay with me while the car got fixed.  Then we tried to rent a car.  Impossible to get a car to go only one way... we brain stormed some more.  Oh we could get one for aobut $400.00.  Then what if Bette took my car, we could rent one here... etc.  No that doesn't work.  Finely... We found a two way rental car at the airport.  Bette would drive home, Tom stay here then next week Bette would drive the rental car back to return it and pick up Tom and the fixed car... hmmmm wait Tom can go home too... finally by the time we got to the airport that is what we did.  They both will come back next weekend and return the rental car and pick up the fixed car.  All for under $200.00.

 

I got home and ate left overs... took a bath... and now I am blogging... It will be wonderful to see them next week.  It is amazing to see old friends that know so much about my life.  We were so close in our twenties..  Then my husband moved on to someone else and I did not see them except periodically.  Hope your weekend is good.  Tomorrow I need to get signatures and go to school to teach.   Love and kisses, Marilyn   

We have had such a delightful time.  Tom and Bette have been great company.  We have so many shared memories... Yesterday morning Bette put corn beef and cabbage in a crock pot and we toured campus, and drove up to the blue grass parkway... while we were away the food cooked.  We asked Kristin over and then at the last minute I asked Ellen and Luke... we a wonderful time... the corned beef and cabbage was so yummy.  We toped off the St. Paddies Day dinner with chocolate and coffee and a wonderful time was had by all.  Hope you St. Paddies Day was good. Love and kisses, Marilyn

Opps I missed it... I was going to say that yesterday but forgot when I blogged... Now everyone searching for Eydes of March will get two entries from me... "Eh to Brute?!" and then you die... tee hee... See ya.

Well I have had a really busy couple of days.  Yesterday as I already said, I put five more applications into the mail.  Today I got to work on changing out my committee chair.  I called all of the powers so that everyone knew what was happening.  Called the grad school and Chriss to get her to change my file to reflect the change. Yesterday I had already gotten the paper work to my old chair to sign (thank you Elizabeth for getting me that paperwork at our last Mad CAUS meeting).  Today I called all my committee members to find out when they would be available to sign the paper work, and update them on what has been happening.  It took all morning and some of the afternoon.  I also called the head of the inte-rior desig-n program to tell him what had happened and the head of the E-DP Graduate program and the head of the graduate school.  So everyone knows that I am changing my chair.  I am concerned with so many applications out there that someone may call and get not very good information from my former chair.  So once again I am trying to cover all of my bases to make sure everyone knows what is happening... I want to be successful here and the way to do that is to pay attention to details. 

 

Then I talked with Ellen, she helped me write a letter to the schools I applied to on Monday and Tuesday explaining the change in chair in a positive manner without placing any blame on anyone.  Then we stratigized on some stuff with her business. 

 

Then Judy called she was one of my first employees I ever had in Michigan (who is also the daughter of one of my closest friends in MI). She wanted to find out what is happening with me and to find out an interior designer who does Fe-ng sh-ue in Western Michigan.  My memory bank worked fine in giving her a lead.  It was really nice to hear from her, except her daughter is now eight, I remember her as two... where does time fly?  Reminds me I need to call her mother, soon! 

 

In the mean time someone from East-ern Mic-higan called and I did not get the job.  I was close and would I consider applying next year.

That did not even faze me, because I pretty much knew I was not going to get the job.  I know that I will end up where I will fit in. 

 

I am really looking forward to Tom and Bette arriving at any minute.  I can use the relaxing time this weekend. Hope all is fine with you.  Love and kisses, Marilyn

 

   

I have five applications ready to be mailed today.  I did one yesterday and two on Monday... I am just the queen of producing applications for jobs... hope one of this will net me a job. I called most places before I did the work to make sure they were still accepting applications.  I just had a wonderful conversation w someone at East Caro-lina University.  They have finished the job inteviews so may not be able to hire me... but she was faciniated with my dissertation topic and we talked for at least 45 minutes...  Lets see I did applications for... Appala-chine State, Ba-ll State, Univ of Mem-phis, Roc-ky Moun-tain Coll-ege of A-rt and De-sign, Kan-sas State, U-o-f-T- Knox-ville, Sava-nnah Coll-ege of Art and Des-ign, and East Caro-lina University.  All required a letter of intent or application, a Cirriculm Vitae, and a list of references.  Some also wanted a teaching philosophy, design philosophy, transcrips or copies of transcrips, portfolio of student and personal design work and some required letters of reference to be mailed directly to the university.  Making sure you sent the correct thing to the correct school was challenging at best... Hopefully I did okay.  I have already heard from Mem-phis so they are interested.

 

My break is almost over and I have not written a thing on my dissertation.  I guess with my list of applications above I should not feel badly.  

 

I replaced the chair of my committee yesterday.  It was a hard thing to do, but she is not able to work over the summer and two of the places I have applied to need me to be done before school starts.  I have asked two other committee members to co-chair and they have said yes.  I think it will help me move forward to have more positive people guiding me. 

 

I had such a good time seeing Kristine and Kaspars... and look forward to Tom and Bette this weekend. 

 

I talked to Julie to day and he husband had started rebuilding white blood cells since his bone marrow transplant.  So that is really good news.  She is expecting to still be gone another two weeks.. and she wants me to grade the drafting assignments... hmmmmm  so I will not be able to work on my dissertation until that is done.  I really don't plan on making much progress until school is out in May.  Then I will do the big push.  Hope your day was good.  Love and kisses, Marilyn  

 

 

I have gotten almost nothing accomplished today... I got up at 11:00 that was an accomplishment and testimony to my fatique.  I cleaned house a little more... copied all my clients emails in an attempt to pull the information she wanted me to look into.  Clean up my email sight by getting rid of the emails I had copied.  Gave my mailman the two applications I did yesterday.  Went to the chiropractor, grocery shopping, and filled my car with gas... I figured out at 4:00 I hadn't eaten yet... no wonder I bought so much at the grocery store. Now I feel like a nap.  hmmmm maybe I will.  My company just called and said that they will get here about 7:30, so I have time...  Hope your day was good.  Love and kisses, Marilyn

Hmmmm I was able to sleep in today... and I am beginning to feel better... The last week and a half was pretty rough with going to Florida and then to Austin (flying is no longer fun... it is like a marathon espicially when you have back to back trips)... I ended up sick in Austin and am still trying to recover... extra sleep was great... Kristin stuck around until late afternoon and then I called Elizabeth and she K and I went for a walk.  It was fun to catch up.  I can't believe how much I miss my friends when I don't see them.

 

Today, I am going to apply to schools and run CV (educators resumes) and letters of application for at least four universisites that are still looking. 

 

I am doing my laundry as I write... and I need to clean my house some since I am having two sets of company coming this week.  I have piles of papers, books and notebooks all over my living room and tax stuff in the dining room.  Tee hee...  I changed the beds last night and picked up the guest bedroom so that should help.  I can't wait to see Kristine and Kaspars from Latvia tomorrow night and Tom and Bette over the weekend... Kristine was one of my students at CM-U and co-oped with my five years ago... we took a road trip to Florida together that goes in the record books...  and Tom and Bette were friends of Mike and mine in Michigan... Tom went to high school with my husband, Mike.  Bette helped me pack the truck to come down here.  They know that I am planning to divorce and are supportive.  They have moved to SC and it will be great to see them. 

 

I have spring break this week, my goals are to get more sleep... and... tomorrow I will work on my client and then Wednesday, Thurs., Fri., get back on my dissertation before school starts up again next week.  Hope your day is good.  Love and kisses, Marilyn     

Kristin and I got home last night at a few minutes before three, which of course was just before 4:00 AM.  I was able to almost sleep until noon, which was great.  I got eight hours... The flight home was really arduous... It is so hard to fly these days.  We almost were bumped off of the flight.  I think that they let us on because we had a connecting flight.  We left about 12 people standing at the gate.  It felt really bad.  No food tight quarters, no comfortable seats, surly stewardesses... My a** hurt so much on the last flight I though that I was going to go crazy. 

 

The conference was good.  I was able to see how timely my dissertation is.  There were three presentations that danced around my topic.  There were a couple of universities looking for people.  I found out that two of the unversities I applied to have hired or are close to hiring people and the other already sent me a letter of rejection... so I plan to send out more letters of interest... Time will tell.   Love and kisses, Marilyn