Art in Airports, and a rubber jungle

Just got home from a short Nashville overnight. I love art in airports--you see so many talented artists' work in so many places! I was really struck by these quilts from the Zuri Quilting Guild:I love the colours, the vibrancy and the stories they tell.Can you imagine how many stitches and how many tiny pieces of cloth it took to make this? It's truly a work of art!This one is my absolute favourite-Look at the detail. Can you imagine having the talent to create something this special?Of course, a trip is never complete without a little excitement. These would be the oxygen masks that fall from the ceiling when there is a sudden, unexpected loss of cabin pressure. We fondly call it the "rubber jungle."Pull down sharply to start the flow of oxygen. Or, place the masks over your ears before helping others with their masks.Note to self: Do not allow the First Officer to touch anything, ever again!

Have a happy Memorial Day, and please keep those who have sacrificed and served this country close at heart. That's why we are BBQing and drinking beer and enjoying an extra day off--because we can, because we live here in the United States, because someone protected your right to do so.

Busy Month!

It's a beautiful day at work! This is a good pic of stacked lenticulars over the Rockies. Lenticulars are formed when air is moving quickly, upwards and cools the air to the dewpoint, making the moisture visible. Then it goes downwards, disappating the cloud. Lenticulars are supposed to signify severe turbulance, but I've flown around and through them, and never felt a single bump. Yup, a beautiful day at work...Pajamas? Really? This is appropriate attire for an airline flight?

It was a beautiful day to work in the garden. There is a 2' planting strip next to the patio and the fence, but it was overgrown by grass since the house had been vacant for 2 years. So, I started digging out the grass.

You can see more grass right at the shadow--it goes all the way to the fence. Talk about backbreaking!

Oh, and did I mention the 15' x 15' bed of IVY? Yes, it's coming out. This is where I want my vegetable garden.

I flew through SLC a few weeks ago and took a photo of the Great Salt Lake. It occured to me that a lake should not be red, blue, green and brown at the same time. Icky...

Nap time at the barn, for all horses, big (Beau)

And small (Zeke).

I am always professional at work. Period. No matter what anyone says. They are lying if they say anything to the contrary.

This ramper is also professional at work. I LOVE his hair! Yes, it's real!

I am not sure what kind of bugs or birds are around Austin this time of year, but we hit something big climbing through a cloud layer at 18,000'. It covered my entire windshield with ooze. Probably an alien, then...

Denver had severe winds last Monday, gusting up to 61 knots (that's about 70 mph). I landed in 59 kt winds, with a crosswind component of 42 kts. I certainly earned my paycheck on Monday! The winds caused havoc, though. Every flight into the affected areas was cancelled. The line on the right is the Customer Service Line. We estimated at least 800 people in line--the line ends at the farthest point at which you can see the terminal!

This was the other CS line. Notice that I am as far away as possible while taking this photo. I did NOT want anyone to ask me questions! I know that people were upset, but really, if your pilot refuses to fly, you'd better be grateful--there's a good reason for it, and it's probably the difference of getting there alive late, or dead, on time.

On the way home from CSU yesterday, I saw this enormous cloud of smoke.

A recycling plant was on fire. Over 60 firefighters responded. You can see the ladder trucks and the water plumes right above the orange arrows. It was still smoldering today.

I was at CSU for Ranger's MRI. His MRI found that the tendons and ligaments inside his foot are badly damaged--scarred and ossified. That means that instead of moving like a rubber band, they have the flexibility of a piece of rope--which means that they don't flex any more. It's not repairable or reversible, but it is manageable. It's going to be a long few months, but there is a good chance that we can get him sound enough to enjoy being ridden again. If not, he'll retire to a pasture somewhere close by. At least now we know that we were on the right track the entire time, and that his treatment to date has been appropriate.

Please keep Ranger in your thoughts, if you don't mind.

Cheaper's better, free is best!

Wow, what a week or two or five!

I moved in to the new house May 1st, exactly 1 year after I moved into the half-duplex! I'm sure hoping that there won't be another move in my future until Odette & Brian haul me off to the nursing home.

The move went smoothly enough, albeit 3 hours later than planned. Ken and Toby, Denver Small Moves, did a fantastic job. There were no major casualties--the armoire came through unscathed. Ken's price was more than 2/3rds less than that horrible company, All My Sons, charged! The service was fantastic, no-one was drunk or stoned (obviously, because I didn't use All My Sons), and Ken and Toby took excellent care of my things.

Darryl, a deputy whom Jane set me up with, and Trish helped. We all had a beer on the patio after the move. It felt so right to hang out, sitting on empty boxes, enjoying the waning afternoon warmth. I had decks in WA, and I never really used them, but I can see myself enjoying the outdoors here much more often.

I've been unpacking all week. In fact, today I shut off the phone and spent the entire day unpacking. My goal is that I won't have a single thing in a box, other than Christmas ornaments. That's after hauling 30-40 unpacked boxes around the country for the past 15+ years! Today I unpacked a box that I packed in 1996--I had NO idea that I owned any of that stuff, and most of it is stuff that I don't want any more.

I've discussed downsizing before. I'm at the point in my life that I just don't want STUFF. I want everything I own to have a purpose--to be beautiful or useful. I want things around me that evoke good memories. I've realized that over the years, as I've accumulated more and more STUFF, my stress level has gone up and my happiness level has gone down. When I originally downsized, I discovered I could do as much or more with less. I also didn't miss the things that I eliminated.

Case in point--Beth helped me unpack 20 or 30 boxes when I was still in Falcon (COS). She held up each item and made me explain why I needed to keep it. We ended up repacking one or two boxes of things that I wanted to keep, and took all of the rest to Goodwill--25+ boxes of STUFF. And you know what? Other than the awful Italian marble scale that my mom owned, the one that signified her STUFF, I don't remember any of it. I remember the scale because it represents my ability to be free of STUFF.

So, there are now more boxes to unpack and STUFF to discard or give away. I have so much of my Grandmother ingrained in me--don't be wasteful--so it is hard to get rid of things. I have to remind myself that it is much more wasteful--and totally selfish--to keep STUFF in boxes, instead of letting it go to live a good useful life elsewhere.

Thus far I've culled out books, sheets & towels, clothing, knickknacks, do-dads, cooking implements, shoes, jackets, toys (why do I have TOYS???), and more. Really, why does one person need 6 sets of sheets, particularly when she rotates through 3 favourite sets and the other 3 sit on the shelf? And 9 black tank tops, when I only wear 2 of them? 50 T-shirts when I only wear 10 or 15? Pants, socks, purses...most of them sit on the shelf for "just in case," but "just in case" has never, ever come. Pots and pans and baking tins that are rusted or unused. Shoes that aren't comfortable but almost new. Things that people whom I no longer know have given me. Things from my childhood that don't remind me of pleasant days. Birthday cards from the 70's...um...really?

My cousin Jennifer and I talked about this a couple of years ago. We were both struggling with keeping family stuff because we felt too guilty to get rid of it. Jen finally realized that there were only a few things that evoked good memories; the rest simply caused guilt and stress. So, she kept the things that brought a smile and got rid of the rest. She's never looked back.

Jen's philosophy and insight helped me get through the guilt stage. It's been so freeing to cull out those thing that don't bring joy.

So, what are you holding on to that causes stress, guilt and unhappiness? Can you get rid of it right now? If not, what would happen if you put it into a box marked "Goodwill" for six months? Would you know what was in the box when the time is up? If not, give it to charity without opening it up. Every box removes it's own weight in stress.

Today was a good day for the garden, too. I was at Home Depot. There was a shopping cart full of plants in various stages of rattiness and death. The clerk told me that they were throwing them away and that if I wanted any, I could have them. I sorted through and found that almost all of them could probably be saved! So, I brought home 30 or 40 pots of perennials--about $250-300 worth! Can't wait to dig them in!

I'll get pics of the new house up soon--I promise!