Mr. H’s Very Big Day

Today was a big day.

A very big day.

As with most very big days, it involved a lot of waiting.

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And people herded like animals into areas where they can do some more waiting.

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There were some important people, like Quincy Jones and Bill Gates.

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There were speeches.

And more speeches.

And more speeches.

And then there was more waiting in line (Mr. H is in the beard and sunglasses)

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There were hands raised in celebration

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And there was a memento/documentation.

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Today Mr. H graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Arts, Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, Persian.

I am so blessed and proud to be this man’s wife.

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Burke Museum: Mastadons and Dinosaurs and Volcanoes, Oh My…

I spent the day at the University of Washington’s Burke Museum. I had totally forgotten that around Seattle, the first Thursday of every month means free admission to museums. (Note to self, students get in free, you can go on a less crowded day.)044

My favorite part of the museum was most definitely the dinosaur and mastadon fossils. This is only the second time in my life I have seen dinosaur fossils. (The first time was a way cool experience. Pacific Science Center had a wine and cheese tasting along with a live jazz band right in the middle of the dinosaur exhibit that was on loan from the far reaches of the planet. They called it the Dino Wino Event)

Today’s exhibit would have benefited from a glass of wine. But I was also amused by watching all the mommys with their toddlers. Mommys trying to expose their little ones to history and culture, little ones much more interested in trying to pull the tile up off the floor. Too cute.

There were also some interesting collections of photography and artifacts from American Indian, Samoan, Chinese, and other cultures that are represented here in the Pacific Northwest.

No photography was allowed inside, so I went clicky-click on the totem poles outside.

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Cure for Pouting

Cure for Pouting

bridge pouting

I’ve been out of sorts all day. I’m not quite sure why.

On any other day, I’m annoyed to no end by other people telling me they are bored. I’ve got no patience for that; I usually have half a dozen things I didn’t get done because I ran out of time.

But today… Today I was bored all day long. I could not get my brain to engage in anything. I just feel like pouting.

So, instead of beating my head against the keyboard trying to write something decent, I went for a walk in the rain. Now I’m going to sip mexican hot chocolate and slip into bed. There’s nothing so important it can’t wait till tomorrow.

How do you handle days when you can’t seem to engage?

On being content

On being content

fish crossing - CoffeeJitters.Net
The first of June. A new week. A new month. It’s like a new start the first day of each month. May is old news, as is yesterday. I sit here in a little french bakery with my coffee and crossant, my journal, and the rest of my life stretched out in front of me. On days like today, anything is possible. All is potential.

I’m getting used to the idea of being content, which may be why I’m blogging about it so much lately. I’m not accustomed to this feeling. I used to think that contentment would make me lazy, that I would lose any sense of ambition or drive to improve. In truth, I’ve found the opposite is true. By removing myself from a toxic work environment, I have opened up room in my life for healthier ways of spending my energy. I’m more creative and energetic. I no longer find myself monitoring my anxiety level, the anxiety is gone. I no longer lose sleep over work, and as a result I am better able to handle any challenge or emergency with which I am faced.

It is not as though my life is suddenly stress free. My life is full of challenges. We went from having a modest income to living off of student loans. Money is a significant source of stress. After my husband’s bout with pneumonia last month, our lack of health insurance has become a greater source of stress. We have plenty to worry about. But the worry is not making me sick.

Someone once explained to me that nature always seeks a balance. Two bowls of water connected by a wick will eventually equalize their water levels. The same goes for our lives. Whether or not we do so consciously, we seek balance. “You must let go of things in order to make room in your life for new gifts.” In this case, I had to let go of an income I thought I couldn’t live without in order to gain peace of mind. I should consider this lesson in light of our infertility issues. What else am I clinging to that is actually holding me back?