Pulling One on 'Em

We spent the weekend in Ohio celebrating our new niece, S, whose parents, brothers, and grandma brought her home from China three weeks ago. She is an absolute doll, and it was fun to watch all of the cousins (8 total, and three of them under the age of three) play with a bjillion balloons and each other. Hilarity ensued when G-ma made the seemingly simple request that we take a picture of all 8 grandkids together--the resulting picture is certainly one for the photo albums, but not, I think, in the way Grandma had imagined.

The Lilly check was waiting in the mailbox when we got home this afternoon, and I did a little dance in the driveway. "Heeeeee," I said to G, "they are paying me thousands of dollars to make pottery and write poetry!" G said I acted as if I had tricked the Lilly Foundation into something, and the truth is that is pretty much exactly how I feel. Whoever designed this grant knew something about what it feels like when someone (even a foundation full of people you've never even met) is willing to support an individual's pursuit of creative happy-ness. It feels really good to be on the receiving end of these benefactors.

The last few weeks have been filled with obligations--duties for which we volunteered, time we value with friends and family, work-related endeavors for which we were paid, but obligations, nonetheless. As I write, hundreds of students are waiting for me to post grades for the end of the term (to the students who are reading this...SORRY! I really have been grading and really will post some of those many grades soon). In all of this busy-ness, I realize I have stopped seeing any of the connections at all--I have been thoroughly embedded in the rat race. I have forgotten, in just a few weeks, how to use words for anything other than action items and requests. It's alright, though, just part of the ebb and flow, eh? I must admit I am ready now for a little ebb. Or is it a little flow? I think that check in the mail might be just the tide change I'm looking for. Enough with the pontification...here's what I'm thinking about the grant...

1. Re: the camera. I think I have settled on the Nikon D5000 with two lenses.
2. I need to get to Hobby Lobby this week to see if I can use that 40% off coupon on a nice mat cutter.
3. There are some nice pottery wheels on the Craigslist--I sent out emails but fear the wheels are already gone. Also, I emailed about a few work tables.
4. I need to order the magazine subscriptions and books--those are easy.
5. I wish the Indianapolis Art Center would post their summer class schedule.
6. I'm looking for deals on several items, new or used--anyone have any leads?: aforementioned work bench, locking tall storage cabinet, Shop Vac, 5 gallon buckets (remember when hardware stores would give these away for free?!), pottery wheel, kiln.
7. I need to finish my poetry submission for IU and mail that.
8. It appears I am now making another to-do list and posting it for public consumption. Maybe the ebb isn't such an ebb after all?
9. I will continue with the list anyway. The garage cleaning re-configuration will begin next weekend, weather permitting.
10. G has decided to film this endeavor, so time lapse filming is in order for the garage cleaning.
11. That's all--let's hope I become more interesting after all of this grading is over.