The Lord's Prayer in American Indian Sign

I found this looking for something else. Thought I'd share it. It cannot be embedded so you'll have to click to view. - Blessings.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZzqzs1rzV8

So this is the candolier!

So this is the candolier.  I'm posting a few other pictures with this so you can get a different perspective. Click on the thumbnail for the larger view.

Below is from the sunroom.

 This next is a closer view of the same.

Below is a picture of the castle in the fishtank which I said I would post some time ago.

Other that this, I'm working on stucco still.

Quad what?

Like everyone else, I have ‘want to do’s, ‘ought to do’s and ‘have to do now’s. Like everyone else, I have 24 hours to decide what I will do. Like many of you, I’ve had time management courses (school, college, church provided). They teach us to think in terms of xy: x being important and y being pressing. You categorize your actions for a day or week into boxes as such. Quad 1: pressing and important; quad 2: not pressing but important; quad 3: pressing but not important; quad 4: not pressing and not important.
It is always interesting to see how people assign value to various activities the first time they are involved in this. When it comes time to talk about their list, they usually have things scribbled and transferred according to how far down the share chain they speak. Of course, the whole point is to help us analyze and prioritize. It also helps to understand that a little quad 4 is necessary for a balanced life. What we find is that quad 2 is often sacrificed for quad 3.
Well sometimes life decides for you. My day today was changed first by a lesson cancellation due to sickness and second by rain. The cancellation left time open. Yesterday, pain and lack stopped my progress on the stucco. Though I did buy more mix, I was glad that I would have time to repair my aching hands and body today through Thursday, though I was considering working on it some tonight if it was not raining. It is a naggy looking thing that is based in need to get surfaces protected from the elements: a sort of quad one. Yet relief came when I stepped out into my studio court yard and felt the shower. Yes! Quad 1 thwarted. Of course that other quad 1 – getting the trash out on trash day, has to be done whatever the weather. But that doesn’t take long.
I need to update my website. A definite quad 2. It doesn’t press, but in the back of my mind, I know my visitors like a fresh feel and my students expect to see their work displayed. Potential students use it as a gauge for class value. It’s a laborious task and very time consuming. I tend to look around for quad 3s before I sit down. If I don’t make the jello now, I won’t have it when I need a break and a snack.
There is laundry in my quad 2 list. If I don’t do at least some, it will become a quad 1. Okay now that took only a little bit of my freed time –until later.
So I log on. I really do enjoy the work on my site and I have some ready files. Oh, my e-mail button says 9 new. Quad 4. Read 1; delete 3; mark 3 as spam; ignore 2 for now. Oh yeah, I wanted to change my blast and I’ll check 360 for messages and comments. While I’m here, I might as well compose that post on prioritizing. Definite Quad 4.
Well there’s the trash man (satisfaction, reinforcement). Oh there’s Fed Ex with my art order (satisfaction, reinforcement). Laundry needs put in the dryer or hung –see, that’s a quad 2.
Back to the computer to complete writing the post. Now it’s becoming quad 3 as my mind surveys the time and thinks of the other quad 3’s in the wings and my waiting website update. I also need to drill the corbels and hang my candolier before something gets broken (quad 2). I also need to go through my order and get things put away before class (quad 3). Time is getting short. Well, I’ll post this later. No, I’ll just wrap it up and post it now before I have lunch and pick things up for classes. Accomplished in a morning of freedom? 1 quad 1; 2 quad 2’s; several quad 3’s; and at least 3 quad 4’s. How time flies!
The picture is my not quite finished candolier.

Venus dancin' with the Moon

 D Woodall, 5/19/2007 10:01 PM, DSLR A100, F5.6, 180mm, ISO 400, 13 seconds, JPG.

I quite enjoy star gazing, meteor showers, amateur astronomy and such. Last month, I noticed on "Your Sky" that the moon would be quite close to Venus when it came out of new phase, so I tried to take pictures two successive nights with disappointing results. Saturday evening, I walked out in the back yard to talk to my husband and lo and behold there they were, dancing in the sky. I drug out my camera and the book that supports the weird stuff I like to do and began playing with focal length, exposure time and F stop. I got various results. The first two were while it was still a little light. The last was when they were both close to setting. I hope you'll enjoy them. I'm putting a little info with them for those of you who are interested.

Click on the small picture to get a large picture.

D.Woodall, 5/19/2007 8:49PM, DSLR A100, F5.6, 210mm, ISO 400, 1/2 sec, JPG.

D Woodall, 5/19/2007 8:52PM, DSLR A100, F 5.6, 135mm, ISO 4oo, 1/1.3 sec, JPG.

D Woodall, 5/19/2007 9:01 PM ,DSLR A100, F 8, 210mm, ISO 100, 1/10 sec, JPG.

DWoodall, 5/19/2007 10:00PM, DSLR A100, F 8, 180mm, ISO 100, 1/4 sec, JPG.

The picture at the top was the last shot I took. It was taken with the camera on automatic and it was way too long an exposure time. I did darken it slightly from the original, just to take some of the burn off the moon and get a little darker sky. There is some elongation in both the moon and Venus due to the length of exposure.

Entry for May 18, 2007

Your Mood Ring is Blue-Green

Inner emotions charged Yet, somewhat relaxed

Mood Ring Generator

This thanks to Lady E
My supposing is that what time of day it is would probably determine my true mood. When I did this, I was early in my day. True I was charged, have been charged for a while, but sitting at the computer reading friends blogs and drinking morning coffee, I was somewhat relaxed as well, so this was fairly descriptive. However, now it's noon, I'm agitated and a little tired. If you checked me between 3 and 5:30 this afternoon, I'd be stoked on teaching. At 10:30 PM and beyond I'm generally pretty mellow with creative ideas in my subconscious so I can dream out the solutions. Generally, I'm upbeat.

So I really did try it again at noon-somethingth and this is what I got.

Your Mood Ring is Magenta

Weird  Creative Inspired Thriving

Mood Ring Generator

So Okay. This is 11 PM. After a hard day of work and teaching and planning, I'm back. This time, I'm purple!

Your Mood Ring is Purple

Sensual Clear mind Purpose is known

Mood Ring Generator

Vision

This morning I had a EUREKA about my personality. It's had me thinking a lot today.
I'm not really a procrastinator, I just have a long up time (gestation for creativity) and I'm quite busy. I've never had a hard time leaving a job when I have to and coming back to it, though I am so compulsive that if nothing slaps my brain, I may work non-stop on a project sans food or sleep or productive communication. So over the last year and a half, my world has been project heavy, finish light. I've been bringing many of my projects to a close and it feels good, but I have so many more in the wings.
The eureka? I have the ability to see projects as complete when they are in process. It keeps me inspired through the mundane and it makes me more encouraging to my students. I've never seen a problem with that characteristic. Until today.
I am reconstructing a river rock patio and rock retaining wall by my studio. It's been torn up with the construction and still is to a degree. I'm tickled with it because I know what it will look like.
I'm building and changing on the hill, but it's okay that it's not finished, because I see what it will become. I have small rock piled up on the retaining wall at the bottom of the hill to create and surface two pillars beside my trail up the hill. That doesn't bother me because I can see it completed.
I've finally come up with a solution to my "clean-out pipe" dilemma and I'm so excited about doing it. It will take time, but . . .
I realized that my world is full of things to do which I respect because of insight. On the surface, they don't look that good in the process. When I tell those who see them what I have in mind, they are polite, but they don't get it. If they come again when it's finished, then they get it.
Perhaps one day, I'll learn to not drag people out to my ongoing, unfinished projects with the excitement of a 2nd grader on the first day of school. There really is enough to see without my interference.

Lovin'; Spring, Lovin' Nature

For a couple of weeks I've watched the baby robins grow and feather and get more aggressive. Yesterday, I went out to see if I could photograph some of the antics I've seen recently and saw no sign of mom or offspring. They were getting quite bold and would stand on the edge of the nest while waiting for her. I assume they've flown.

One other note, I think I heard babies in my kiln room this morning, though it's been raining all day and I haven't checked yet. Let's hope for the chickadees.

Here's a little poem I wrote for the Hackberry that is coming down - soon - at least anything that's alive. I had planned to carve it, but it keeps trying to grow. Oh yeah, I call it a poop-berry tree because if you park anywhere around it, your car will be covered with the nastiest bird droppings you ever imagined.

I’m feelin no love for the poop berry tree

It’s branches and berries tend to disgust me

From all of it’s presence I long to be free

But then the bird nests in its branches.

I planned to get trimming as soon as I could

And take down each little green leaf –yes I would

For I knew the ‘ick’ of delay if I should

But now the bird nests in its branches.

It’s roots are a tangle that kills flowers and grass

It’s occupants’ droppings leave me talking crass

It’s berries are sticky and cling as we pass

But yet, the bird nests in its branches.

I am a bird lover, oh yes that’s the case

I’ll stand for an hour with camera in face

And so I am waiting to saw without grace

'Til the birds leave their nest in its branches.

DWoodall 2007

Petunias in my front garden.

My granddaughter is 13 today. I wish I could hug her.
My flowers are beginning to grow and bloom. The roses, althea, crepe myrtle and wisteria are finally showing signs of recovery from the freeze. I saw today that the concord grapes are putting on some new little buds. I didn't know if they would.
The baby robins are growing fast. They're still real mottled, but they get up on the side of the nest frequently. I've made some photographs and hope I get more before they fly away. The mama Chickadee is still sitting in the exaust fan.
The pool is clean and I'm just waiting for it to warm enough for swimming. Life's good.