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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...