random thought thoughts

I can not say my thoughts have been less random in the last few months since I have posted here, but I can say my life has been perhaps more random...Between travels (Netherland, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden) and a 50th birthday and a return to a truly crazy, fiscally challenged California Community College....I have had my mind full if not my hands...
I do not know the place for contemplation in this insanity, but still have a desire to think it possible.
My journey was amazing and important and creative and difficult. I feel that I gained so much but like the krone that I took home from Norway, it has great value but will not exchange into my current life.
I can feel rich (in krone, in creativity, in experience) but I live this current life with a sense of want and a sense of hope.
Back to my monthly thoughts? More hope...

Fiftieth Birthday Thoughts

So it begins. On August 23, 1959 I was born, but I begin my celebration today with my parents on May 23, 2009. We have a lovely dinner and I got my present from them and it was very nice and thoughtful and I am so glad to have some time with them!
A bit of my childhood returns -- The toy my parents drove all over NY state to find for my last Santa Christmas...
Thanks, Mom and Dad. So many hugs for this and for everything....

Mid May thoughts

What can I say? TeachingWorkshopsPlanningSummerTravelWorrying...
AboutLaidOffFriendsThinkingAboutArtWorkingOnProgram...
ReviewThinkingAboutStudentLearningOutcomesPacking...
CameraGearPackingPackingPackingForTripToNorway-Europe
Worrying
TeachingClassesMeetingStudentsHangingShowsPlanning...
ReceptionsThinkingListeningToHarryPotterDreaming...
OfQuietTimeAnsweringEmailsAnsweringEmailsAnswering...
EmailsAnsweringEmailsAnsweringEmailsAnsweringEmails
AnsweringEmailsAnsweringEmailsAnsweringEmails...
AnsweringEmailsAnsweringEmailsAnsweringEmails
AnsweringEmailsAndAnsweringEmails

and the summer heat starts and I dream of long norwegian summer days and fresh fish and light to make me cry.

onward.

Last day of April Thoughts...

Thirty days has September, April, June and November.....

So I get my April blog in just in the nick of time...

I am excited about -- teaching lightroom next month.
Spring weather and planning to make my annual visit to my garden soon ;-)
My wonderful students and open studios at Foothill College this weekend...
My family and our starting to talk about plans for a teaching-free/photo full summer...
Attending the "Courage to Teach" workshop in New York and getting to experience the Omega Center last weekend....

May your spring be full of joyous growth and your May be rich in smiles.....

A random thought for March

My last chance to record a thought for March. Where has this month gone? We are 1/4 through 2009 and when I have to type 2010 I just can't get my fingers around it. In 5 months I will be 50; I have worked at Foothill College for 12 years; I have worked at PhotoCentral for 26 years. My father and mother will be 77 years old this year. Time does not wait for us to enjoy it. Me with my mom and dad

I do try to savor each day -- but sometime the busyness gets the better of me. I keep saying that "April will be better" -- but April will only be crazy in a different way....so I soldier on glad for work I love and my family and my friends and knowing I must decide to spend more time with them for now is the moment.
Thank you to all of the people around me - - you make my life rich, even when I look to busy to notice.

Alan Harvey Thoughts

Yesterday was the memorial for Alan Harvey, one of my retired colleagues at Foothill College. Alan was the dean that hired me at Foothill and mentored me in those first important years. He had a wonderful sense of humor and a serious sense of organization that made working with him both fun and effective.

Memorial Page on Facebook

He gave me a chance to excel. Thank you, Alan. You will be so missed.

Avatar thoughts

I have been thinking about my avatar lately. Not simply because my smiling face is appearing in literally hundreds of posts in my online classes (although that is part of it) and not just because it is 2009 the year of my 50th birthday and I can't avoid the truth of my chronological age much longer...

...but because I have had to update it - - I realized that I don't look like some pictures that to me look like me - - do you know what I mean? I have to face the fact that the face in my internal mirror is not the face that people see (especially after late nights trying to keep up to date with the afore mentioned online classes....)

How we change day by day.
How we stay the same.