I Am This Woman

June 9th, 2008

Well, not exactly. I Am This Woman is a blog authored by a wonderful friend that I don’t get to see nor talk to nearly enough.

On June 15, 2008, Jay, AKA TigerWillow, will celebrate her 50th birthday:

So I’m redefining 50 and I’m redefining birthday presents! What I want are CARDS CARDS CARDS! I want to ask everyone I know for a card. Postcard, birthday, greeting – handmade, store-bought, recycled, retasked – whatever. The cheesier the better, but I also love museum art, landscapes, textiles and photography.

That’s my request. In fact, not just from people I know, but people I know who know other people who know other people… Share the address below with someone, and let’s see how many degrees of separation there are between all of us.

Easy. Pick a card, write a little note in it and slap on a cool stamp. Send it to the address below. YAY! My goal is to receive FIFTY (50) cards.

BUT THERE’S MORE. No, how can there be more! JUST WAIT, THERE IS MORE!

For every person who sends me a card, I will put your name in the hat for a drawing for a present!! YES, A FABULOUS PRESENT CAN BE YOURS! Multiple cards from one person are awesome but just one card per person goes into the hat.

To make sure this is legal, there’s no purchase required, I’m asking for no money. Just say Happy Birthday to me, I’ll put your name in a hat and randomly draw names. You might be the one who gets a present back! I’ll first draw three names on Tuesday, June 17, 2008, but if more cards roll in, I might dig into the Box O’Goodies and find more stuff to send as presents! OMG PONIEZ!!!

Read more about the I Am This Woman Birthday Give Away here and be sure to pick up a card and pop it in the mail this week to:

Jay Cox aka TigerWillow Cortes
PO BOX 741133
DALLAS TX 75374-1133

PINK

Originally uploaded by Varla’s Drive

Posted in Wabi Sabi | 2 Comments »

How to be a Graduate Student

June 6th, 2008

In a few weeks, I’ll be getting back on the crazy treadmill of graduate school. Ignoring warnings from the past, I will begin a directed research project for the summer. Why? Well, somehow I thought it would smooth the transition into the doctoral program if I started in the Summer versus the Fall. And on paper, it really did look easier. Practically though, well… not so much.

Mentally, I have yet to wrap my mind around it all. In two weeks I will have relocated to a beautiful beach town, downsized my family into campus housing, and immersed myself in reading, writing and the madness that is summer day camp scheduling.

Sigh.

I can’t figure it all out now. I’m just going to take six minutes and enjoy the video.

How to be a Graduate Student: A Guide for Young People from kate dohe on Vimeo.

Posted in Graduate School | No Comments »

Estate Planning for Parents

June 3rd, 2008

Twitter mom, Alexis Martin Neely, gave sound advice for parents on this morning’s Today Show. Her book Wear Clean Underwear helps busy parents tackle the tough job of estate planning.

As a solo parent, I especially like the “Family ID Card” which, in case of an emergecny, alerts others to the whereabouts of your children.

Posted in Family-Work Balance, Twitter, Mothering | No Comments »

Refilling The Well With Mom Dates

May 28th, 2008

This month’s LargerFamilies.com’s Post-Mother’s Day Topic asks the question: How do you take care of yourself?

“Of course, none of us went into this mom-of-a-big-brood thing with the expectation that it would come with oodles of free time. But as we all know, you have to refill the Mom well from time to time, or you’ll have nothing left to give your family! This month, we’ll be talking about nurturing our health and wellbeing, reducing stress, finding (or making) time for a favorite hobby…all the many ways moms of many find to take care of themselves.

It goes without saying that those employed in the creative, motherly arts are at risk for burnout. Mothering can be a high stress occupation, even though it offers the best benefits, hands down.

Years ago I discovered Julia Cameron’s Artist Way and learned about Artist Dates. Cameron’s premise is simple: one hour of pure unadulterated “me” time per week will refill your well of creativity and bring clarity of purpose. Now for many mothers, finding ten uninterrupted minutes alone in the bathroom is a challenge. How on earth can you find sixty minutes just for fun?

Read the rest of my response at Larger Families

Posted in Family-Work Balance, Tea, Knitting, Mothering | 6 Comments »