2015-02-25 - Wednesday - Snowing

We are having a big snowstorm (for Charlotte) tonight. Forecasters are calling for 6 to 10 inches tonight, tapering off around sunrise. That might not seem like a lot, but here in the south it can cripple the city for a day or two.

I made the mistake of going to the grocery store at about 4:00 pm and it was a madhouse. It was like Thanksgiving week, only more frantic. I generally only shop for a few days at a time and we needed some more supplies. Bad timing. I got the last package of organic chicken breasts and the last package of fresh mushrooms (a run on mushrooms? Really?) among other items that I needed to gather. Foodstuffs are in place. We're good for the next 48 hours and then some.

I don't know when it happened, but somewhere along the line age caught up with me. I used to be a big kid whenever it snowed, going from window to window checking the progress. When the kids came along I got to relive my childhood with theirs, taking them sledding and building snowmen. Coming in to make hot chocolate and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Good times.

Now the kids are gone and while I still check the windows periodically, there isn't the excitement it used to elicit. When did this happen? I don't remember tripping over some significant milestone marked 'getting old'. I don't like it.

I'm thinking about building a snowman in the morning for the heck of it. I don't have snow boots, but I do have a pair of wedgewood blue Chuck Taylors that will do for short periods.

The neighbors probably think I'm a bit of a whacko anyway, so what the heck.

Wish me luck.

2010-12-29 Wednesday - End of 2010

I can't believe it's already the end of 2010.  Where does the time go?  There's no new way to couch the question, but it really is astounding to realize another year has slipped by under the tires.

So many things have happened this year, it's hard to remember them all.

My children stopped being "children"
(when exactly did that happen since I caught up to it late?)

One day you realize that you are not talking to someone who looks up to you, but someone who actually pities you since you appear to be so old and frail and deluded about life and did I mention old?  I think it starts about the time they are learning to drive.  Suddenly they see the nest for what it is --small and cozy while there is a big wide world out there that they obviously know everything about and can't wait to get into knee deep.

I tell them to get a job while they still know everything.

My body figured out how old it is

Up until now I think I had my body fooled into thinking it was in it's mid-twenties.  Somewhere in the middle of the night it did the calculations, carried the ones and figured out I'm in my fifties.  Once that was done and verified, many things happened at once.

Much like a large corporation facing a bad economy, a good third of the hair follicles on my head were laid off or transferred to other departments.  My joint and muscle crews were gutted by cutbacks and the remaining workers are pretty whiny.  A major addition was added to the front of the company that spilled out into the parking lot.  Finally, the IT department is falling down on the job and a lot of files are losing their indexes.

My art took a major leap

My pottery moved so far ahead in 2010 that even I noticed it (sometimes we're the last).  Thanks to a discussion with a friend, I re-focused on what brought me joy and it has made all the difference in the world in my art and my attitude.  I am at a point where I can't wait to make all the ideas I have screaming at me in my head.  (Yes, there are voices in my head but they are all talking about clay.)

I can't wait to see what 2011 brings in my new range of work.  Stay tuned here to see it as it happens.

The Road

Final thoughts about the road analogy I started at the top. It's an easy one for me to identify with since I spend a lot of time driving.

• Sometimes the road is smooth, and sometimes it's pretty bumpy
• Even with the best planning, the road will take you where it will
• Some folks slide off the curves way too easily
• We don't know where or when the road will end, but it will.

Here's hoping your 2011 road will take you where you want it to and it's smooth driving.

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