Nine- Eleven

Good Evening, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is one of my early works, and has been displayed before. It, like the title of the post, is named Nine- Eleven. While it is slightly stylized to accommodate the capacity of the tools I used to make it, one can see the towers and flames.

On this day, we remember our lost. Some of those who witnessed the event were still children. Others who now see the documentaries and tributes were not even born yet. These children- and yes, even the adults- live in the shadows of these acts of terrorism.

Certainly, I do not agree with some of the new rules and regulations enacted supposedly to combat terrorism. In my opinion, many of these rules and regulations not only will not detect terrorists, they will harass law-abiding citizens and limit their ability to legally defend themselves should such events occur again.

Yet, because of the heroes that rose that day, I am free to express my objections. And we are all free to heal and move on beyond the ashes. While we survived terrible losses, we also learned valuable lessons. Let us use those lessons now.

Until We Meet...

Hurricane: Aftermath

Good evening, Gentle Readers!

There will be no image with tonight's post. At present, I am taking advantage of the library's connection to the Internet. Unfortunately, that means I have to forego some of the goodies.

The hurricane has hit, and hit hard. Oddly enough, my especial little corner of the world has not been hit as hard as some- but it is still an experience I am not eager to repeat.

Still, I did get to observe some wonderful things. The girls next door- whose home had a tree fall on it- are wonderful, smart, hard-working children. Bless their wee hearts, they came running to help clean up my yard, since they couldn't do much with theirs. After that, my husband and I put the underpinning back up on the trailer. While that project took a while, it didn't take as long as he feared. The neighbors on the other side watched out for our place as well as they could during the worst of the winds; My husband and I had taken shelter with my parents, much to the displeasure of the kitty contingent. They wouldn't have been any happier at home, though; They don't like storms.

The mood of the neighborhood was almost festive as everyone in the neighbor cleaned up and started putting their lives back together. We even got treated to the sight of an ice cream truck jingling down the road.

The second day was a bit more mundane, but a couple of gentlemen came by to clear the tree of the neighbors' home. One of them saw me chopping at a blown-over scrub tree with a hatchet and finished the job with a chain saw- a far quicker proposition! We were told to expect at least a week before we could get power back.

The local power outages were very strange indeed. It was more of a patchwork of outages than the usual pattern of clearly-defined areas. The holes without power are being closed as quickly as the power company can get to it, but some areas will need new poles.

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

Daily Update 2

Greetings again, Gentle Readers.

This image is titled Chelcie. I made it for a young lady who was celebrating a birthday when I was introduced to her. I admit that I did have some difficulty finding a color balance that would match her without screaming, but the effect is quite soothing as well.

I was just listening to the radio for storm updates when the transmission suddenly stopped and was replaced by static. That's not unusual in itself; While the MCs don't say so, I'm under the impression that the equipment is a bit dated and buggy. What concerns me is that the staff is having trouble getting the transmissions back up. It may be something as harmless as a little rain getting into the wires or casings, and the crew not being quite as polished as that of some other stations.

The wind is a little stronger now, and the area is under a tornado watch or warning. Oddly enough, I'm seeing relatively little rain at the moment. I'm going to check on the status of the Dismal Swamp fires shortly; Hopefully those will be out.

Until We Meet...

The Storm Starts

Good Morning, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Sunlit Band. The reasoning behind the name is pretty much self-explanatory. I was experimenting with copying bezier lines one day so I could create parallel curves, and this is the result. I will have to go back and see what else I can do.

Right now, I am seeing wind and rain from Irene, but I am not seeing a real threat. I'm not holding onto any illusions that this will last; Right now, only the leading edge of the storm is here. She isn't exactly a speed demon, so we are looking at hours yet and might not see an end until tomorrow. The only thing I've unpacked is the coffee maker, and that's because I am hopelessly addicted to caffeine! That will be going back in a travel box when I'm done with it.

I'm also thinking I should make some eggs for breakfast; If we lose power, anything still in the refrigerator will be gone, so we might as well enjoy what we have.

Stay safe, Gentle Readers!

Until We Meet...

Hurricane preparations

Good afternoon, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Intertwining. I chose it for today's post because I find it soothing.

Right now, soothing is good; Irene is scheduled to come knocking tomorrow. I'm in the middle of making preparations to bug out because unlike some of the earlier hurricanes, she has me a bit jumpy. I've packed toiletries, cleaned the house and washed laundry, and even packed a few cleaning supplies in a bucket just in case. All that is left is the clothing and the kitties. We may have to tear apart their hiding places to get them- but there is no way we're going to leave them behind. I'm thinking if the storm is too dangerous for grown humans, it's too dangerous for a pair of cats who haven't been outside since they were kittens.

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

Updates and things

Good Evening, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Static. I wasn't really sure what I wanted to call it, so I used a place-holder until I could make up my mind.

Another few courses have come and gone, each more challenging than the last. Right now, my brain is screaming for mercy! I don't dare let up tonight or tomorrow, though.

The past week has been anything but boring; A friend of mine is in the middle of a move. Hopefully, she is getting settled in by now. A couple of days ago, we even had an earthquake: A small one, but my area of the country isn't used to those beasties! The cats hid for quite a while afterwards, though they did creep out for dinner.

And now for the real reason for my hurry; A hurricane is headed my way. To be specific, Hurricane Irene. I've no idea if we will even have power when she passes, so I have to get as much done as I can before she hits. The size of the reading assignments isn't helping: I've been gnawing my way through some four chapters of textbook, large chapters at that. I also have at least that many items to read from the college site.

I will keep you posted as things develop. Wish me luck, Gentle Readers!

Until We Meet...

School- What a Wild Ride!

Good Morning, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is simply called Intertwining. I had been away from my artwork for a while when I made this and so had to remind myself of what a few of the filters would do. However, as you can see the break has not hurt the end product any.

I'm not too happy with a couple of the programs with the college right now. There is one that I am supposed to use to learn how to make various graphs and histograms- but the thing keeps freezing every time I try to perform the assignment, especially when I have the right answers and am trying to display them. I've written tech support about the issue, but I'm not betting on them getting back to me in time.

In better news, I did get my portion of the team assignment in. Not only that, Charlene Dunfee- The instructor for this especial course- has really gone out of her way to keep morale up in the face of a number of outages that have made an already difficult class even harder. Yay Professor!

I need to download the material for my next course some time today; I don't think I'll have much time to tomorrow. The next couple of days will be very busy!

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

Looking Out My Window

Good Evening, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Circles and Sunlight. I forget exactly what I was thinking of when I made this; It might have been another experiment with overlays. In any case, I thought it to be a nice cheerful piece.

Another course has come and gone. This course was not easy either; Subject matter aside, the portal to the school kept crashing for several days, right when my teammates and I were trying to assemble a project. None of us were pleased. Nor was the instructor. Even before the technicians asked her to give us extra time to work because of the issues, she had told us she would give us an extra day to work. I spent a lot of nights sitting up reading and taking notes long after most sane people would have gone to bed. I think now I am just about where I should be- but next week is the beginning of another course. I honestly don't think all of those complicated formulas for calculating statistics have much to do with my ultimate goals. If anything, I think they needlessly complicate matters. But I could be wrong, so I keep trying to learn.

I did a few things outside my window that I thought were well worth cheering over. The neighbor whom my husband and I share a driveway with had had a car up on blocks for well over a year. The previous vehicle that had been on those blocks had quietly rusted away, until a tow truck had to come and remove it. But today, this vehicle came down off of its blocks, and moved up and down the road under its own power! It sounded pretty good too! So the youngest resident of the abode next to me has her own vehicle again!

We also have a new feline that seems to have included our yard as part of his territory. I heard something rustling around outside a couple of days ago and had to work to suppress a growl; A number of the neighborhood kids have displayed a remarkable lack of courtesy when it comes to anyone's homes and yards other than their own. But some of these kids are pretty smart too, and deserve a chance to learn more than the schools are willing to teach them. While I'm not really a motherly sort, I was just wondering if maybe I should try to set up something with them where we could do homework together. One of the girls- a bright young lady who unfortunately has a brother who needs his britches warmed with a switch- was quite surprised and impressed when she learned I was in college. She was very pleased to tell me how her momma helps her with her math, among other things. As for the kitty, he's not sure what to make of me. But as long as he behaves himself, he's welcome to come hunt moles and things as much as he wants.

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

Riding the Storm Out

Good Afternoon, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Sunshine Waves. I made it about a week ago as a welcoming present to a new baby cousin. I was a little bit surprised at the effect; It was not quite what I was aiming for. However, I was also pleased because it is an effect I had been wanting to create for a few of my other images.

You may have noticed I have not been writing regularly for a few weeks. The fact is that I have had very little to say, especially about my last class. I am not the only one who viewed it as something of a nightmare. I did get a better grade than I thought I would, but I, for one, would not wish to repeat that most especial course with that most especial instructor.

I do have a better feeling about this course. In fact, it seems to be heavily based on the Critical Thinking course I took several months ago. I still have the hard-copy text of that if I need to look anything up.

In other news, my little pocket has been pretty well dancing with some very nasty storm systems. Destructive tornadoes have struck all around us, but have pretty well left us alone other than some wind and rain. There is still a tornado watch on the area, but I honestly don't think anything will come of it. In fact, I saw plenty of sunshine outside when I peeked out the window about an hour ago.

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

"We Are Not Amused!"

Good Afternoon, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Feeling Groovy. I chose the name because the colors were mildly reminiscent of the '60's and the 'Flower Power' culture.

And boy, do I need some cheering up! My present course, while it has information that aspiring entrepreneurs need to know, has NOT been as well handled as it needs to be. The instructor's syllabus lacked a large amount of essential data- and when I asked her about it, she brushed me off. When I told her that I found her syllabus confusing, she told me, "I don't find it confusing." Well- She wouldn't because she knows what she means. But I am not the only one who has had difficulty decoding the lady's intention; I've noted similar reports from a sizable fraction of the class. A lot of us have taken hits to our grades because of this lack of clarity and detail. To be fair, she did talk a lot about APA formatting, and that is something I've noticed people need help with in some of my past courses. In fact, APA formatting is one of my banes. Sometimes I think that the people who create these 'guidelines' are deliberately trying to change the rules, similar to how a little kid tries to change the rules of a game he is losing. As it was, I lost three days that I needed to study this week's material. I'm trying to remain upbeat because walking around with a long face doesn't accomplish anything. But I am not a happy camper.

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

Update

Good Morning, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Next Tree. One day, I was experimenting with a number of Tree-based images. This is one of the results.

I do have an update for you. My father is feeling better, though he's still not all the way up to snuff. The doctors STILL don't know what he has, or had. Considering some of the scary symptoms, though, improvement is good! It may be a while before he returns to work. I do hope that his workplace decides to behave ethically and keep its promise to him!

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

::Fret, Fret::

Good Afternoon, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Green Energy. It's not what I was originally looking for. However, right now I could stand a little soothing.

I just learned that my father had to be taken to the emergency room. I'm not surprised, given his health history and what the family learned about his heart- but he's not really pleased about it either. How fortunate that my husband and I haven't activated some of our future plans yet that involve moving!

Please send good energy his way, Gentle Readers.

Until We Meet...

Cookbooks and Warm Weather

Good Afternoon, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Blowing Flames. It isn't quite what I was trying for when I made it; I was thinking the flames would follow more of a circular pattern when I finished the image. That didn't exactly happen, but I found the results pleasing anyway so I kept it as you see.

It may not be officially spring yet, but it is so warm and sunny outside that I opened a window- Much to the delight of the Kitty Contingent. I even shed my socks. Considering how my toes don't like cold, you can imagine what that means.

You may remember some time ago how I talked of gathering family recipes to publish in a book titled Cooking for Real People. I think I have enough recipes gathered to make a respectable-sized book now, though a few more are still trickling in. I will want to check and make sure none of the recipes constitute copyright violations, but most of them are very much original. Wish us luck!

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

Caught up?

Good Afternoon, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Golden Glow, and it is one of my more recent attempts at creating halos. As you can see, it worked rather well- though it still didn't quite do as planned.

When I logged in to try to see what some of my friends were blogging about, I ran into an error message in the link to the list of blogs I follow. Talk about annoying! I guess I'll just have to poke around and find out the hard way- Unless the error was generated by maintenance work, as sometimes happens.

I did get most of the reading I had to do done last night. That, I am grateful for! I still have a fair bit to do today, but I have a fighting chance of catching up now. Once I do that, I'll start reading ahead and working on my individual papers. This business of having to wait until the last instant because of household emergencies is for the birds!

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

Scary New Course

Good Afternoon, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Tree And Heart. I made this the same time I made the previous heart image, and for the same reason. Of the two, I like this one better. I may try for yet another in the series later.

I got a look at my new course yesterday. I have only one word: Eep! I'm going to have to do a lot of reading and noting before I can even think of answering the questions, as well as listening to material that I can only access via the student web site. One good thing came out of this: I figured out how to finish setting up my student e-mail account. It may seem a simple thing at first, but I was not easy about some of the hoops I had to jump through before. The only reason I finished is because the instructor insisted, and she seems to be a stickler for detail.

I don't blame her altogether; From the tone of some of her postings, she has had students in the past who have no idea how to write, though they can text until the cows come home. Too, I have seen students in a few of my other classes whom I am surprised got in; The errors in some of the writings they presented I would have been ashamed of in fifth grade. I didn't say anything to them about it; It wasn't my place, and after all, they were trying to learn and were probably berating themselves for not learning before. I wish them luck.

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

Spring Cleaning?

Good Afternoon, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is a rerun of one you saw about six months ago titled Time On My Hands. For those who have not already done so, it is a reminder to reset your clocks.

The cats, at least, are pleased with this time change; It means they will have to wait an hour less to get their meals! The female in especial needs to lose weight, but I do feel sorry for them having to be put on diets like they have been.

Talk about a busy morning! I spent it moving stuff around and giving the place a spring cleaning. By the time I decided that enough was enough, I was quite tuckered out. I did have an idea, though, for an exercise program for the people who consider themselves too busy to work out and who don't have the money to spring for one of the multitude of exercise machines advertised on television. Indeed, while those machines are nice, they aren't really necessary; One can get quite a workout by climbing ladders and stretching and lifting to wipe down dust and cobwebs, I even cleared off the top of a few surfaces that haven't been touched in some time. All that cleaning must have worked; I'm not sneezing as much as usual.

Things that make one go hmm...

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

Abroad, and at Home

Good Evening, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Heart In Light. I made it yesterday when the earthquakes hit Japan, thinking that they might appreciate the symbolism.

It will take more than symbolism to help the people effected by the quakes and the tsunami. I saw some footage of the water washing away large vehicles- including a few that looked like they had people trapped in them- and even carrying buildings clear off their foundations. It was scary. I imagine it would be worse for the people who were there to experience it.

On the home front, things aren't quite as scary; While I do have one more item to post for this class, it's an item that won't take long to attend to. Meanwhile, I did take the final exam for the class. Much to my surprise, I missed only 4 questions out of the whole lot. That's not bad, considering how I had only 5 weeks to take the whole course in!

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

What a Night!

Good Morning, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Light On Tree. I made it while trying to create another tree image- the last one I presented to you, in fact. One thing I was concerned about was how to blend the disparate colors so there wouldn't be a sharp division between one section and the next. What I came up with here didn't quite work as hoped, but I found it pleasing in its own right. Thus, you get to see it now.

What a night! I spent it noting the last chapter of my textbook. I was only supposed to study part of it, but electronic texts don't lend themselves to paging through as easily as the more traditional books do. I don't consider it time wasted; I might need everything else I took notes on in the future, after all. I was right about how much of that last section would be just a review. Much of that whole chapter, in fact, was a repeat of things I had read in an earlier course. However, there was enough difference that I made sure to pay attention. Now, I just have to turn in a report and take an exam, and I'll be done!

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

Busy Week!

Good Morning, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Figment- as in figment of the imagination. I didn't exactly intend to use that shade of green, but it is what happened.

I did manage to get part of my team project turned in yesterday. Today, I need to finish my note-taking then finish the second part. With luck, I'll get the final exam done too. I'm not even counting my final paper! I don't think that will be too hard, though, considering how I will be able to choose the organization I want to research and write about.

Wish me luck!

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

Last Week

Good Afternoon, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Laced2, largely to differentiate it from the original Laced. I confess, I was a bit startled to see the hot pink become yellow where it passed through the green, bug I decided I liked it.

This is the last week of the second course in my Bachelor's Program. I confess to a certain amount of nervousness; The work load has been incredible. In theory, I probably could get this week's receivables done in two days- But I would have to burn a lot of midnight oil, and meanwhile I would never be sure I learned everything that I was supposed to. Still, the work won't go away by itself. So- Tally Ho! At first glance, the last chapter of the text seems to be a review of earlier material. That should help considerably.

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

A Tale of Two Plumbers

Good Morning, Gentle Readers!

As you may have noticed, I've been on hiatus for a few days. The school schedule has been extremely demanding, but I managed to find a few minutes to write to you today.

Today's image is called Lotus. Of course, it doesn't really look like a lotus flower, but the grace of the curves calls that blossom to mind, so I used the name.

You may be wondering why the title of today's post. Well- a couple of weeks ago, the hot water heater died. It happens to be wedged in the closet right next to my computer desk, so you can imagine how badly that cut into my studying time as well, while my husband and I were trying to get it fixed! We first bought a pair of heating elements, and that did fix one problem. The trouble was that it fixed the problem a bit too well, and the hot water went from cold to scalding. Not only that, the heat broke a seal. We called one plumber, and he agreed to come out. However- Mr. Scott of Scott's Plumbing not only failed to make it- which would have been understandable if he had a project going on that took longer than anticipated- he failed to even contact us to let us know he couldn't make it. Needless to say, Scott's Plumbing is one business that has lost a customer.

Next, we contacted Just Plumbing, a considerably better-organized business. A gentleman from there arrived that day to fix the water heater. It did take a lot of hard work, and briefly he worried that he might have to cut a pipe out to get at a part that needed to be replaced. Fortunately, it didn't come to that. My husband and I have been in something of a celebratory mood since then.

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

Management?

Good Afternoon, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Incandescent. I really did not intend for the background to be so dark, but one of the layer filters seems to do that a lot. I decided to run with it and use one of my normal filters for the next layer up. What you see is the result.

You may remember that I said I was going to have to read the same amount of material in five weeks that before I had nine weeks to absorb. Well- I was more right than I knew; I needed until last night to get caught up on my reading and note-taking. However, I am caught up and even a little bit ahead, so I should be able to take a breather for a few hours. I am fortunate in that the first paper I have due is a fairly simple one; I just have to apply the four functions of management to an organization, and I didn't have to look far for an organization to apply the principles to. Not many people think of this, but even a household can be considered an organization, and things can go wrong when it is not managed well.

Wish me luck, Gentle Readers!

Until We Meet...

Classmate Concerns

Good Afternoon, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Passing Through. As you might expect, it isn't quite what I really wanted to try for at first. However, the addition of the bright green band helped make up for any other lacks I might have thought the image had.

The temperature today isn't bad at all, but the wind is making it feel colder than it is. I will probably indulge in a mug of hot cocoa later on. As it was, I didn't really want to wake up this morning; I was too comfortable in my nice warm nest!

I have been idly thinking about my next birthday, and it occurred to me that I'll have that shortly before my next course starts! I'm not sure whether to call that a present or ominous.

I am a little concerned about one of my present classmates. This person is in a Bachelor's Degree course, but has trouble with the basics of writing sentences and paragraphs. This person also is pretty bad about using words that sound like the words intended, but have a very different meaning. And I'm not so sure this person is aware of the problem. The rest of us will have to find a way to gently break the news I think; The classmate is a hard worker, and it would be a shame if that hard work didn't earn a degree because of technicalities.

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

Getting Caught Up

Good Afternoon, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Sunny Ball. I chose that name because of the warm colors I used in it. While it is sunny here, it is also cold- so I thought a little warmth was very much in order.

Boy have I been burning the midnight oil the past few days! I think I'm about caught up to where I feel comfortable with my class, though. But I don't dare slack again! I think I know what I will be needed for with the team project, but I'll have to see what my team mates say this time. A few of them don't seem to use English as their primary language, so working with them will be a bit harder than with my last team. Wish us luck!

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

New Course

Good Afternoon, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is the original Green Light. I used a black background- Something I don't do often- and worked over that. If I remember correctly, this was slightly before I discovered the use of layers. I may attempt this image again in another color to see if I am correct.

Last night, I got to meet my new instructor. This gentleman seems to be a bit of a paradox: a small-town fellow with a big city education. He seems to have a quirky sense of humor too; He referred to his home town as a big city, which he and his wife decided to move out of. He seems to have had quite a busy life since then too! I also had the pleasure of learning that one of my classmates from my last course would be joining me for this one. The lady in question is an incredibly hard worker! I told my last facilitator that I predicted that nothing would get in her way. I'll have to see who else will be joining me for this course.

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

Changing Gears

Good Evening, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is Green Light 2. I numbered it to differentiate it from the first image of that name. For those of you who have not seen it yet, I will present the first Green Light image tomorrow.

It's a very strange feeling, knowing that I have completed the first course of my Bachelor's program with a reasonable amount of success. I might even say impressive success, considering the reaction of my academic advisers. I say advisers for two reasons; One is that I've had several since I first started attending the University of Phoenix. The other is that apparently I am being transitioned to a new team, since I am no longer studying for my Associate's degree. I will be relieved when this is over; It will mean that I no longer have to wrangle for the financial aid I really should have had all along.

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

Ahead of the game

Good Afternoon, Gentle Readers!

Today's image was dubbed Solar Flare by my husband. I attempted another halo effect, and while I didn't get exactly what I planned, I did get something a little unusual from a filter that I normally don't use.

Today was much sunnier than yesterday: Quite cheering even though it was still cold outside. I think it was warmer than yesterday too because the heat didn't come on quite as often.

I haven't re-opened my new text since the last time I wrote here, Gentle Readers; The brain really did want a day off. Since I was just a little ahead of the game, I decided to grant it. But I'll be diving back into the books later tonight; Having come this far, I've no intention of slipping now!

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

The Bookworm Strikes!

Good afternoon, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Framelit. I really wanted to add some bright green to the image, but apparently the pink and blue weren't having it with this especial filter. This image was an interesting experiment, though!

Last night, I did start studying my next course's material, and taking notes. This time, I started including the chapters I took the notes from. That should make it easier to relocate items if I need to look at something again. I have a feeling I'll need to if I have to write any reports. There were a number of previous courses where I had to write reports, but had forgotten where exactly I had seen something- and it drove me batty! Move over, Dracula!

Today has not been a good day to go outside; It has been chilly and wet. Fortunately, a nice hot cup of coffee is good for running even the worst chills away! There were a couple of things I wanted to do outside, but they will wait.

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

Eek!

Good Afternoon, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Golden Glow. Yesterday, I was looking through a few of my archived pictures and came across several that had a central object surrounded by a halo. I decided to see if I could do that deliberately again. I'm satisfied that I succeeded!

I took a look at my next course's material last night. One work; Eeek! It looked an awful lot like the work load for accounting- Only worse because I have only five weeks to pack it into! The good news is that several of the supplements gave me a good idea of what the best way to approach the work would be. Out comes the Great Yellow Pad! Wish me luck!

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

School is Cool- Maybe too much!

Good Afternoon, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is First Day of Spring by Ron Venable. Considering how much of the country is now buried under snow and ice after the storm, and how this same storm is still moving easy, I thought we might enjoy a few hopeful thoughts.

Yesterday it was almost warm here- But now, I'm wearing my 'paws' and a sweater my husband got for me for Christmas. Boy am I ever grateful for it. Tomorrow, I'll definitely go back to wearing layers.

I woke up extremely early this morning with an inspiration for a paper- and didn't dare relax until I had written about half of it! I now need the other half- but I think I know what to do about that too. It should be ready to go by this evening. I had to choose a professional organization to write about. I'm pretty sure that the suggestions in the syllabus have been done to death, so I chose something else that the listed organizations are likely to depend on. Wish me luck, Gentle Readers!

Until We Meet...

Lots of Schoolwork!

Good Afternoon, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Webbing. It is one of several I made while working with the yellow to red range of the spectrum recently. I may try something like this again, with a tree nestling a ball- but right now I think I'll let it rest for a while.

The mid-west is still buried under snow and ice- and by comparison, it's almost balmy where I am. I don't expect it to last long, but it is nice to not have to wear my 'paws' while typing!

It's a good thing too; I got faced with another algebra problem to try to help solve, and it drove me up the wall! The person I was trying to help was already there waiting for me- which I have to say is laughable, now that it's all over.

For myself, I have only one paper really to write for my present class- and it shouldn't take long. When I tried to locate an article for the second discussion question, I found the article all right- But the thing wouldn't open to the article! All it would open to was the citation! That was frustrating; It means I'll have to either locate that item again, or find a comparable one that I can work with.

Wish me luck!

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

Weird Weather!

Good Afternoon, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Phoenix Flower. As you may imagine, it wasn't exactly as planned. But considering how much of the country is under a blizzard warning, I thought a little warmth was in order- even if it is only through a virtual medium.

An indeed, this entire week is going to be down-right weird as far as weather goes! According to the forecast, by Wednesday much of the continent is supposed to be buried under snow and ice- but where I am, it's supposed to be almost warm with a wind bringing warm air from the southwest! It's almost like someone is pulling a blanket over us! Granted, the bottom will fall out of the temperatures again- but I can only shake my head.

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

It's Coming Together

Good Afternoon, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Explosion. I made it about a week ago while trying to create my diamond-quasars. This time, I tried to block off a part of a floodfill to keep and erase everything else. As you can see, that didn't quite work as planned- but what I got instead was quite striking. Needless to say, I saved it.

The class project is starting to come together. Two parts of it have been given over to the team leader: Mine, which covers ethics and law, and one of my team mates, who had charge of describing what workplace ethics consists of. I have to give praise to him for what he created too; It was thorough and would be easy for even a lay reader to understand. This was in spite of him having been ill for the week before too! If there is anyone that deserves a high grade, it's him. But then, I am working with a wonderful group of people.

I next need to see what I should do about the next paper I have due, and perhaps look into my next class. Five weeks is not long, and I'm looking at the end of my first five-week period in my Bachelor program already.

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

Team Project

Good Afternoon, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Light On Tree. It is another attempt at the image I showed you yesterday. It didn't quite turn out as I wanted, but putting it together was quite an experience in itself. My biggest problem was trying to make it come together in such a way that it wouldn't look like the components were just stuck there.

I did get my part of the team project turned in last night- but I may have to tweak it. Meanwhile, I have another project to attend to this week. Fortunately, this report is a solo one. That means that I won't have to worry about stepping on toes, so to speak. Not only that, the only person I have to fit my work in with is me, instead of me and five other people. Still, I do need to get a quick approval before I begin. Or maybe I can ask and meanwhile start gathering my material. Wish me luck!

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

Failure is Not An Option!

Good Evening, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Warm Light. This is a work in progress; I made it for a friend who wasn't feeling very well, and I thought a little warmth would be good for both of us.

It has been cool today- though not as much so as it has been. That has been a blessing; More of the leftover snow and ice will finish melting off now. That would be just as well, considering the rain that supposedly is headed my way.

I just finished filling in a table for my school work. That was a challenge in itself because the table I was supposed to fill in wouldn't copy and paste over right to either one of my documents or to the Reply section of the college site! What I finally did was create a table of my own and copy-paste over the assorted labels I needed. I think I went into more detail than the instructor really expected- but perhaps not, considering how much of the word count was taken up by those labels! In one of the rows the question was about setting my solution to the problem of continuing education into action. One thing I mentioned in that block was that failure was not an option.

And it isn't.

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

School and Snow

Good Afternoon, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Blue Web River. This morning, I decided to give up on quasars for the moment and instead see what I could do with sunbursts- which I've not used often. The web is made of dark blue- but applies with a filter that I usually don't handle because I almost never know what's going to happen. What you see is the result.

Last night, I searched both the school library and the web for a couple of items for my part of the paper. A couple of things I looked at were interesting- but not detailed enough where I needed the information. A couple of other items were plainly biased- which is not something that should be used in a scholarly paper unless the subject is about bias! I really wanted to get a couple more things, but alas, restrictions forbade. I should be able to finish up my part and show it to my team mates this evening.

This morning as I was doing my normal Monday chores, I looked out the window- and I had to laugh! It was snowing, and I was having visions of my poor husband staring and yelling, "Gak!" I don't think we'll see any accumulation, but I'll be giggling for the rest of the day.

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

Teamwork

Good Afternoon, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Spin. I attempted yet again to make quasars, and again I found it didn't quite work. I do have another idea, though, which I will try later. I think part of the problem is that I'm trying to start on the base layer, and that is throwing everything else off.

After a great deal of talk yesterday in my class about procrastination and plagiarism, I went ahead and labeled a page in my pad for the project. Considering how many people the project is being divided among, I don't have that much writing to do. My challenge will be to pack the information I gather into as few words as possible- and previous solo work has not prepared me for that. But that is, after all, the purpose of the teams!

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

Think think think...

Good Evening, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Rose Winged. I was trying to get a starburst pattern with a red or rose-colored diamond and quasar effect in the middle. When I saw it wasn't going to work this time, I decided to run in a very different direction with the picture. You now see the results.

Today was largely quiet, other than my husband and I going to visit my mother. But in my head, I have been working on my class project. Of course, I still need to get it out and into a document that can be shared with my team mates; They're counting on me, and I've a feeling at least two of them will need assistance. I may go ahead and write up items that can substitute for them too, if they don't feel able to handle it. Two, I am sure, will have difficulty- but they are trying very hard, and that I applaud.

I will try my starburst and quasar again- then start looking up and documenting my sources. I may go back and reread some of my previous reports too. Wish me luck!

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

The Home Front

Good Afternoon, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Overlaid Teardrops. There are several very strange things about this image. One is that it isn't supposed to have any green in it at all; The field that is showing as green and dark blue is supposed to be red, or reddish. The other is the feathering you can see along the edges. I think I know why that is happening, though. I think I'll keep the effect for a while; I do like seeing something besides nice neat edges once in a while.

Forgive me for not writing in yesterday, Gentle Readers; Yesterday, I was busy most of the day helping my mother. I do have some very good news on that front; The injury, while serious and painful, was not as serious as I thought at first. In fact, the attending physician is confident that the knee should be as good as new in about six months. To which I say, YAY!

About the class project; My team and I are supposed to assemble a report on business ethics and values, and the sources of them. I volunteered to cover the laws that are supposed to help with that, since that was a subject I had looked at a couple of times before. It is a crying shame that ethics and values need to be legislated at all, but certain businesses that have since fallen spectacularly have demonstrated that not everyone is learning right from wrong at home- or perhaps, those in question have chosen to ignore the question of right and wrong in favor of a quick profit.

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

The Past Few Days...

Good Afternoon, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Blossom. Admittedly, while the middle field doesn't look much like the traditional petals, there is enough of a resemblance amid the green that I thought the name fitting.

Pardon my absence during the past couple of days, Gentle Readers; Between helping my mother and school assignments- which have become more intense- I've had little time to really post. I think I will have something for you soon, though; The team has begun to gel together well, so soon I will know exactly what I need to work on for the project. If it is what I think it is, we should have it done within a couple of days- Other than the final assembly, which I think one of my team mates will wish to do.

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

Sunday Breakfast

Good Afternoon, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Hollyhocks. I've had floodfills do some strange things before, but this was the first time I've seen it make ragged edges around the center fields, such as what one might expect on parchment. I still haven't succeeded in making the focused-in rays on purpose, but I've come closer I think. I also have a notion of how it might be accomplished.

My parents called and asked my husband and me to come over for breakfast- which was a bit of a surprise. When we went, I took my shiny new diploma to show them. which pleased them tremendously. I don't think Mom will be walking for a while. Dad, meanwhile, is getting a good close look at what goes on in the house while he's not there. Talk about an education!

I really have little else to report today. But I think I just might have something for you tomorrow.

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

Yee-Haw!

Good Afternoon, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Second Recursion. You will recognize the base image from yesterday, but I did decide to attempt something a bit different for changing it. I was a little surprised at what happened; I expected a few of the fields to gravitate in toward the center, instead of forming squares around it, for one thing. For another, I was looking to use a green around the field- but apparently the layer filter precluded that against the layer under it. It did make an interesting experiment.

I didn't really think I was going to have anything noteworthy to report today, Gentle Readers. But a visit from the postal carrier changed that; The lady brought my degree from the college! I wasn't expecting it until Monday at the earliest. As you probably can tell, I'm still a little bouncy. I found a shelf to display it on, but I think I'll look around for a better spot after I reorganize my other ornaments.

Yee-Haw!

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

Never A Dull Moment!

Good Morning, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Nova2. I chose that so it wouldn't get mixed up with the original Nova- which I will display upon request. When I made today's image, I contemplated whether or not to add anything else. But I couldn't think of anything that wouldn't look like an afterthought, so I left it. However, I may remake it in the future with additions; I do have a couple of notions knocking around in my noggin!

This has been a busy morning for me so far; I've had a lot of correspondence to attend to, and I will have to go to my parents' place soon to take care of the things I talked about yesterday. I might try to make something to carry over, but considering when I promised to be there that might be cutting it close. However, there is always some time this weekend for that. Also, I have a report to finish. I know the material, but the professor is going to look for a few scholarly turns of phrase, and those don't come naturally to me. So I am in the middle of rereading the needed items so I can start writing the report and have it look professional, instead of like a high school kid's paper that I had to read and critique for a class last year.

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

Organizing

Good Morning, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Flowered. It is a rather simple design with curved lines going out from a central point, laid over a starburst field.

That is not the image I was originally thinking to post today, but I couldn't find the one that I wanted! I was originally not going to make extra folders for sorting the pictures I make, but after I spent about an hour trying to locate a specific item I think I just about have to. I probably ought to anyway, if any of these things are going to be presented for sale; It will be easier for my customers, and for me. Wish me luck!

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

OW!

Good Afternoon, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Shell. As usual, that's not quite what it really is- but part of the main object does bear a great resemblance to an oyster shell, so I decided to go with that.

The next few days are going to be busier than usual; In addition to my school work and other stuff, I will have to spend time helping my mother. The light snow and ice we had recently froze into a solid sheet on her porch, and she slipped and fell and really did a number on her knee. From the description she gave, she probably will have to have surgery to get everything back where it belongs. As it is, she can't use that leg at all. The real irony is that that is the leg she broke some years ago down near her foot.

Can we say OW?

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

Scholarly Detective Hunt!

Good Morning, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Sunny Ball. The effect is really more like a flower wrapping around the ball, but I was at a loss at the time for a name. Needless to say, I ran with this.

I can only beg your pardon for my absence yesterday, Gentle Readers; I was quite busy most of the day, and ended up going to bed a bit early with not feeling so well. I am feeling much better now, other than a mild headache- and I daresay a hot cup of tea will fix that! I'll have my morning coffee later.

I just ran into my first stumbling block with my present course; The assignment requires me to use a page in the text that was not in one of the downloads, though I do have the pages on either side of that most particular one. That shouldn't be too much of a problem, though; If I'm right about the material, I have the item required in a previous course. I'll go looking for it later on. Wish me luck!

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

Hot Food, Cold Days?

Good Afternoon, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Rose Opening. You may notice that the very center of the image doesn't contrast strongly with its surrounding background; It really needed the surrounding fields to show well. It does give me an idea for a future image- but it will have to wait.

The snow that fell in flurries yesterday, only to melt off between times never did really amount to much. In a way that's a relief because it means that no one will have to get out with a shovel. However, it's chilly enough that nothing is melting either. I've put on a pot of bean soup, and later on I will look into some baking- or at least, some baking preparations. That pot takes up most of the counter space I use for mixing stuff.

I had been pondering how to approach making a cake with two different flavors in it, until it occured to me that I was trying too hard: What I really needed to do was get the dry ingredients sifted together in two large bowls, then work on the stuff that will give the flavors! I may want to leave a few oranges sitting out while I'm working; Galahad gets into just about everything, but that is one cat that doesn't like citrus at all. My husband and I both have been laughing at that silly cat.

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

Snow again!

Good Afternoon, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Wave. I first put the starburst in the background, then added the pointed oval in the next layer up and floodfilled it. I started to use the same color for a second floodfill below it, but changed my mind when I saw how that made the entire image look washed out.

Guess what? We are seeing snow again! It's not a blizzard like the last one, but the clouds aren't exactly moving on. I'm thinking that we really will see a steady drop in the temperatures during the next week. Fortunately, we do have a new snow shovel. I daresay the local stores have started carrying them in light of the unusual weather patterns. Hot cocoa and hot coffee are my friends now! In the meanwhile, my husband- who does not like snow- is not really pleased. But he does take comfort in that he's home for the weekend.

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers.

Scholarly Honesty?

Good Afternoon, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Peek A Boo! It wasn't exactly planned, but I noticed there was a great resemblance between the 'opening' in the main image and the shape of a human eye. Thus, the name.

Last night in the class, we were told to use a Certificate Of Originality. This seems to be an honor-system thing to prevent students from plagiarizing or otherwise cheating, but I can't say I really like it. For one thing, adding this certificate will really play havoc with the formatting of the papers, unless I do some fancy copy-pasting instead of otherwise inserting it into the document. For another, it is a bit of an insult to honest students and will not stop the dishonest ones from lying. I will say that this certificate might make the dishonest ones think twice. We shall see what happens.

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

Mirror Image?

Good Afternoon, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is a fractal by Ron Venable that he titled Happy New Year! I thought it quite appropriate, and extremely cheerful.

I've got one more item to turn in for the school- but that won't take long, considering how it is- or is going to be- almost identical to an assignment I turned in a year ago. I do have to say I wonder about some of the school's staff; I point out to them that this stuff they're presenting is identical to what I saw in my first course here, but they try to tell me that it is only similar. Sorry, ladies and gentlemen; I could quote some of those passages. About all that's really different is the way that it's used. Considering how the course is compressed, that may be enough of a difference- but I don't like people trying to brush me off like that.

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...

How Cool is That?

Good Afternoon, Gentle Readers!

Today's image is titled Lime Lines. There are several things about this image that are unusual even for me. One is the lines themselves: The original color of them was supposed to be pale blue, but the background filter changed that considerably. The second item was that the same filter caused another fill to become the deep black that you see, rather than leaving it the original color that I had chosen. I did like the dramatic contrast, so I left it as you see.

Yesterday, I finally got to meet my new classmates. And what a marvelous group of people they are! There are a couple of dyed-in-the-wool Irish lads and lassies, a number of people from large hard-working families who decided to go back to school when they suddenly found themselves unemployed, and one person who but narrowly avoided a similar fate, having gotten out of the housing market just before it crashed. This course I just started is going to involve actually using the learning teams that one of my early courses talked about. This could be fun!

Until We Meet, Gentle Readers...