My neighbor mowed half my lawn I am going to mow the rest.  Send my presentation into the conference for two weeks from now and finishing what I was working on, on Sunday.  Hmmmm all before heading off to school.  Hope your day is grand.  Love and kisses, Marilyn

We went to the restaurant to have it... it was fun to spend some down time with my students... Love and kisses, Marilyn

Today we should have our classroom.  We have been floating for a week because of a major building shuffle.  The program is giving my students pizza as thanks for your patience.  This Thursday we go to Atlanta for our field trip.  Hope your day is great.  Love and kisses, Marilyn

Hmmmm Boring.... hope your day is grand... Love and kisses, Marilyn

I had a party last night with my faculty cohorts... it was really a fun time... getting to know the new people and connecting with the faculty that have been her longer.  Part of my goal is to keep open the lines of communication, so when the going gets rough we have more than just sharing an office to bind us together.  I learned at grad school... and probably before... to build bridges, now so when the going gets rough (it always does) you can depend on them later. 

Here is my horoscope... "It may be easy for you to show up at a party or answer the phone when you know that it is your best friend calling with good news, but where are you when the going gets rough, dear Gemini? Make sure you show your support to people in all situations. Don't be just a fair weather friend. Your loyalty to others may be tested today when conflict arises and tempers get high."

Love and kisses, Marilyn

I am a bad girl I am staying up after 10:00... Today was busy.  8:00 AM class, then I had office hours, then I went swimming and then went to a IIDA (International Interior Design Association) meeting.  I was able to visit with students and some suppliers in the area.  It was fun.  Then Matt and I went out to dinner on Kristine.. She gave me a $25.00 gift certificate to Perkins that had to be used by Sept. 30th.   Dinner was good and we have the second week under our belt.  My students did pretty well in their presentations today.  Hope your weekend is great, I have tomorrow off. Love and kisses, Marilyn

Up and out... This is my early morning... so I am almost out the door.  My students make their first presentation today.  Love and kisses, Marilyn

My horoscope for today really should have been two days ago.... "Your level of imagination and inspiration should be operating at a very high level today, dear Gemini, so if you've been planning to start a new artistic project, this is the day to do it. You're also likely to be feeling quite intuitive, so don't be surprised if you find yourself tuning acutely into the thoughts, feelings, needs and desires of others ? even strangers. Your higher mind is very close to your conscious mind. Make the most of it!"  Love and kisses, Marilyn

Sorry I didn't update... I am fine... just busy.  Those early mornings don't cha know.   Love and kisses, Marilyn

The weirdest thing happened this week. 

When I was in school at Virg*nia Tech I discovered I was an phenomenologist when it came to interior design.  My projects are totally focused on things that have meaning for my client.  I don't want anyone to say "Oh did Marilyn do this for you, it looks just like her." ... I want them to say wow this house/office looks just like you (client). 

Two nights ago I dreamed something... I got up in the middle of the night, staggered to the dining room table and wrote on a napkin...  "Experience that tenacious stream of consciousness."  When I got up in the morning I went boy that is weird... but I knew it went in the proposal that I am preparing for the International ID*EC Conference in the spring.  I want to really stress the creative aspects of my project in Florida. 

So today I found an article about Phenomenology... which said, "Thus, phenomenology develops a complex account of temporal awareness (within the stream of consciousness), spacial awareness (notably in perception), attention (distinguishing focal and marginal or "horizontal" awareness), awareness of ones own experience..."  It continues, "Addressing the meaning things have in our experience, notably, the significance of objects, events, tools, the flow of time, the self, and others, as these things arise and are experienced in our "life-world." 

It is so freakie that I dreamed this two nights ago... I must be tied in tighter to phenomenology than I thought... Hmmm  I love it when a plan comes together.

Love and kisses, Marilyn

Was to grade and get my tax forms done. 

Last week, I got three forms from the I*S... saying I did not file a 940, 941 and Sub S tax forms for 2008.  They are right I didn't...  It upset me that they wanted forms... because I had suspended my business (but didn't know what to call it...) while I finished my dissertation.  So I dithered a couple of days about how to respond.  Once I had the time to read the forms over... (today) I found I only had to check the form that my business was suspended last year...So today I read the information from the I*S and figured out what I needed to do... filled out the forms then I wanted to get them printed on my new printer and mail them off... but no... my copier doesn't want to work today.  Greeehhh   I did go to Florida a couple of times to check the job site but really did not do much interior design until I started ordering fruniture and area rugs this year.  hmmmm  So once I get them copied I can mail them off. 

It feels really good to have both goals completed. 

Hope your day is grand.  Love and kisses, Marilyn

Matt and I went to the beach in Hilton Head and had a nice dinner at a diner we like.  We watched Duplicity when we got back... we both forgot that we had seen it before... hmmmmm

Grading today.  Had lunch with my sister Connie.  It was really nice to see her.  Love and kisses, Marilyn

"Don't be surprised if you develop a yearning to redecorate. The celestial energies have put you in the mood to dress your house up a bit. Just take care not to go overboard, dear Gemini. You have a tendency to turn little projects into big ones. For now, content yourself with buying some plants and perhaps some new area rugs and throw pillows. Leave the complete kitchen and bath remodeling for later."

As you all know I was painting and redecorating all summer and just got a new floor put in my bathroom... so my horoscope is a dollar short and a month late...

Yesterday I got my glasses adjusted... and still had to go back a second time... they are remaking them.  Then I went to the shoe store to pick up my new MBT shoes.  And got my phone checked.  Turns out I needed to covert my .wav files to mp3 in order to be able listen to music on my phone.  Today I tried to erase the mini disk and it is saying it is not re-recordable... hmmmm I may have to go back and change the disk out for a new 4 Gig.... 

Hopefully we are going to the beach today... I went to bed at 9:00 last night, I was so sleepy... I moved off the sofa before I fell asleep...  and I got ready for bed and turned the TV on in the bedroom so that I could snooze in bed and not have to get up to go to bed after falling asleep watching tv...  So I dozed off then at 10:00 turned the tv off and went right to sleep.  I got up at 7:00 so that is not too bad, I am getting adjusted to the new time schedule, I think. 

Hope your day is wonderful.  Love and kisses, Marilyn

And my F*cebook friends... Carole was saying some people have left spaces for F*cebook, but I like both.  I don't like Twitt*r.  Some days I like to write a lot about what I am doing and Spaces is the place for that.  But I also like to do just little notes on F*cebook to keep in touch with people I see on a daily basis.  This blog started out being for my friends further away who I don't see... and want to know what is going on with me...  Now it is like a journal, diary and chat room... where I talk about anything and everything I am thinking... F*cebook on the other hand.... is just like saying hey how you doin'?  Twitter was just stupid more me... "sitting at my desk blogging"... doesn't hold much interest for me. 

Okay so I have been going to bed at 10:00 all this week.  After three nights of staying awake past my normal bed time of 11:15... I am finally adjusting to going to sleep earlier... sort of... it has only taken a week... and since I am now getting up at 6:30 the shorter sleep cycle made me tired.   Buuuuttttt this morning for some wierd reason I woke up at 5:30 and could not get back to sleep.  I wasn't worrying about anything.  I was just awake .... greeehhhhh  I have never been a good sleeper... since I started metapause it has been much much worse... This is when the frustration and then the fatique starts to really eat at me.  Because I have sleep problems I try to go to bed at the same time each night, don't do anything for an hour before bed and keep my bedroom as dark and quite as possible.   I hope that I can sleep well this weekend.  

We have facutly meetings all day and then I think I will swim. 

I have errands to run today or tomorrow... My new glasses arn't right... yes Carole the transition lenses are off.  greeehhhh So I need to get those taken back and reworked.  I love my new phone, but the music will not load up in my MP3 player... and my new Massai Warrier Mary Jane style shoes are in at the store which is just around the corner from the phone store....

Hope your day is great.  Love and kisses, Marilyn 

Greeting the day.  It is hard to believe that the we already have a week in to school. 

Yesterday, I finally found my voice as a creative person on the house I designed in Florida.  I have been looking for that voice for two months, but the technology of the solar home kept on getting in the way.  So I am very happy. 

Hope your day is great.  My friend Jason launches his boat the Argo today to get it to dry dock to have its bottom skraped and painted and the boat generally serviced (one engine doesn't run).  Hope everything goes well Jason.  Love and kisses, Marilyn

And the progressive lenses do not seem to be lined up correctly.  My left eye is off.  So now I need to take them back to be re-aliened. 

Last night I really felt good in the swimming pool.  For the first time all summer I felt strong throughout the whole work out.  Finally!  My studio class went really well, so I arrived at the pool kind of high and that just translated in the water. 

Hope your day goes well.  Love and kisses, Marilyn

Get a life Marilyn.  Other people have to get up early all of the time... Hope your day is great.  Love and kisses, Marilyn

Well I am up and dressed, coffee made by 10 minutes to seven... grumbling all the way.  Carole I don't know how you did such crazy time for work so 20 years.  Went to bed at ten and didn't go to sleep until my normal time of 11:30 or there abouts.  I will try to not complain about this the whole term.  Love and kisses, Marilyn

So of course I did not sleep well last night.  I got a lot of stuff done yesterday.  Mowed and edged the lawn.  Swept the back deck.  Picked Matt up at the airport.  Loaded my classes on Blackboard.  Did a laundry and changed my bed.  Wiped down the bathroom again to get the last of the grout grit off. 

So I think I am ready for school.  Hope your day is grand.  Love and kisses, Marilyn

  The men are here this morning grouting my new bathroom floor.  I am excited because it looks beautiful, dresses up the bathroom and makes the plastic laminate counter top look much better.  It is a warm beige with an inlay border of marble.  I am going down to school today to work with Kathy on our class.  She came over last night and we went out to L*ve's Fish House for dinner.  It was really good.  Then we sat on the deck and talked until it got dark. 

The photos include a group of cattle... hmmmm It's not called a group... it is called a herd... anyway, two weeks ago the cattle were inundated with cattle egrets... I watched this for a couple of weeks... finally I had to go home to get my camera.  The field is where I turn into my neighborhood.  I have never seen this many cattle egrets with cattle. 

I added photos from DC and the Island we went too... and a photo of the area rug sample... a photo of a flower blooming in my house and photos of my ceramic tile being installed.   

Tonight I am going to dinner with Scott.  It is his birthday tomorrow.  Hope your day is grand.  Love and kisses, Marilyn