packing

It took me three days to write my presentation and to select and prepare the images for the slide show. I also finally got photo albums of the etched glass and pate de verre prepared and categorized and uploaded to my iPad. I recently upgraded my operating system and all my previous albums disappeared.

Just as well as I had uploaded the two main folders for both types of work and had about 10 versions of every single item in those folders. Very confusing and unorganized and hard to find the one image I'm trying to show someone. Now I must import pictures to iPhoto and create my albums there and then I can upload them to the iPad. Before, I only had to select the folders on my hard drive.

I've also assembled the few things I am taking with for 'familiar and experimental' studio ingredients. Basically what I'm taking is pencils, erasure, colored pencils, sketchbook. Beyond that, I'm stumped although I think if I have time I'll go get a packet of origami paper.

Today, I packed. But first I had to wait for the laundry to get done. I tried to ferret out all my dirty clothes because it was going to take just about all my clothes, at least the ones I wear and am comfortable in and not outright rags, though I am bringing one of those.

The problem is, I've forgotten what I wear for low 60s˚ - low 80s˚ so I need a selection.

And I want to bring my small feather pillow. That's the hardest thing for me, sleeping away from home, not having the right pillow.

And I only want to take one bag and not check it so I'm limited in size.

After my first try, when I had got everything in, I realized I hadn't packed any shoes.

I might want shoes. And they take up a lot of space.

I have a shoulder bag I'll be carrying too and before I knew it I had 5 pairs of shoes selected.

OK, that seems a little excessive especially for someone who goes barefoot all the time. They want us to bring a dedicated pair of shoes to wear inside the center so we don't track dirt in so that's 1. I need a pair of shoes with good support for hiking and working in the glass studio so that's 2. I need a pair of sandals so that's 3 minimum.

Second try, I remembered that this bag has a small extension built in so I unzipped that, put everything in including the pillow, and zipped the bag closed. Then I sat on it til I could zip the extension closed.

So I guess I'm ready to go.

I was out surveying the yard as I am wont to do, seeing how everything was at the end of the day when I spied this:

This is my desert rose that I have had at least six years. A friend gave me it as a rooted cutting when I admired hers. It has grown well, is a beautiful specimen of a plant. It has never bloomed. Everyone I know who has a desert rose, bigger, smaller, fewer branches; theirs bloom.

So now it appears that mine is finally going to reward me with a flower and I won't be here to see it.

There was a time when I might have asked the universe, 'why?'

But we all know the answer to that question now, don't we...

the curse