more of my truths

Every child should be wanted.
Every child should be loved.
Every pet should be cared for.
If you are not a professional pet breeder, get your pet neutered!
If you love your pet, keep it safe and respect your neighbors by keeping your pet safe!
Children (and some adults) need to learn consideration for others. A little courtesy is good too!
If "no" doesn't work, try "Hell, no".
Being a patriot doesn't mean you are a hawk. And being a dove doesn't mean you are not a patriot.
Vote. Millions have died (and still die each day) for the right and privilege.
If you smoke, do it at home, because I don't and don't want too. Or better yet, quit.
Support your local (you fill in the blank). Buying local is good for the economy, and the environment. If you shop locally and don't see what you want or need, tell the owner/manager, chances are they will get it for you and you won't have to drive to get it!
Eat more vegetables and fruit.
Tell you significant other that you love them, every single day, often. And kiss them too! This goes for any progeny you may have as well!

Blooms

What great week-end weather! The sun, breeze, and time to spend outside enjoying it all!

Al and I had dinner last night at the Governor's West Residence in Asheville. This event was hosted by Sanford-Holshouser, a consulting group which was started by Senator Terry Sanford and former Governor Jim Holshouser. Gov. Holshouser was the host and he was a delight! Most of the people there are involved in the economic development of the western part of our state. It is always interesting to be around the movers and shakers! I was the the token quirky designer, but there was free beer and GREAT food. The conversation was lively and the view:

The view of Asheville was indescribable. There was actually a point of time, around sunset, when the entire crowd was quiet and all attention was turned to watch nature's spectacular show.

I got the chance to talk sustainability to some of these people. They were a great audience and asked good questions.
Well, back to the grind tomorrow, but both this week and next are only 4 working days long.

Survived another day

Well spring is finally here. My energy is good and my stress-coping is as well. Needed it today! My early am dental appointment was a trial. I absolutely hate the experience of the dental x-ray. My gag reflex was in overdrive. You'd think someone would develop a flexible film. Otherwise, I survived.
I arrived in my corporate environs only to be ambushed by 5 people actually waiting in line at my office door. And a surprise visit from a customer and sales rep. Then I put out fires and talked people off of ledges all day. I thought this was fabric design! I believe I am a "sin-eater"; everyone comes to me with their troubles and problems both work-related and personal. I am reaching my limit. I need a day to just work, do some new designs, solve some problems.
Or maybe I'll just take another pill! Better living through chemistry!

Okay, so I have been slack at the blog of late,

but with extra daylight in the evening, I have been getting outside instead of on-line.
Seems spring is nigh upon us.


The quality of sunlight has shifted with the shifting of our axis, and it is greatly improving my mood. It is amazing how much the sunlight means to a simple creature such as myself. The birds are singing early in the morning, so even though it is still quite dark when I get up, I do not feel all alone.

It has been a quiet time in my corporate jungle this past week. The sales reps were all in the annual sales meeting. Amazing at what we can accomplish when the phone is not ringing and the emails are not piling up. My market segment has increased 400% in just 2 years. We have put 4 times the new patterns in production in that time. Now I know part of this is due to the passing of time and the cycles inherent in the Hospitality business, but I like to think it is also due to the talent and skills of my superb team of designers. I get overwhelmed by the workload sometimes, but when I get the numbers, it makes me smile!

The Grom has been involved in a dramatic production the weekend. "Remains to be seen" is a dinner theater whodunit performed by the Honors Theater class at HHS. We (Grom's parents and grands) attended last night. We had a blast! These are some talented people led by an enthusiastic and talented teacher, Joshua Scott.

Grom and Nana

Grom and Papa

Grom and Meme and Hannah.

We had fun, and good food. And now, I am going outside to get some rays and vitamin D.

Beautiful day

This has been a spectacular day. Got in an hour on the bike at the greenway this morning, then walked the hounds this afternoon. Even sat outside doing nothing for a while. I have missed the sun. I feel more energy flowing through me with the sunlight. I am a warm weather person. Must have been an iguana in another incarnation.
Really, it makes plenty of sense to me to lay around on a warm rock at times. Here's a handsome iguana I met in Mexico last fall.

Anyway, another weekend has sped by. Tomorrow is another Monday. But I will have enough daylight to ride my bike and walk my dogs when I get home.

Not much to gripe about today. The Tarheels won the ACC tournament and got a #1 seed in the East so my husband is happy. Hope tomorrow is calm and sunny!

Carbon offsets

Did you know there is already a growing market in carbon offsets? That is where you figure up the amount of CO2 you are responsible for emitting into the atmosphere and pay for trees to be planted to offset your carbon emissions. At work, we participate in "Trees for Travel" which offsets based on the miles we fly per year and we have a program called "Cool Commute" where we purchase offsets based on our yearly commuting mileage (which is matched by the company). I thought all of this was just wonderful, I still do, but I am a little surprised that there is already a profit to made in this arena. I guess it is better to profit from restoring our environment instead of destroying it.

I am a bit of a "Pollyanna", I believe in the innate goodness of people. Not as much as I used to, I was quite gullible in my youth! But I still give those I encounter the benefit of getting to know them before I form an opinion.

More of my truths:
I believe in LOVE, HOPE and PEACE.
I believe some of the most beautiful words in the English language are: "I love you" and "I am sorry".
I believe laughter keeps you young.
I believe my son is very handsome.

some of my truths

Shawn's post from yesterday has me nodding in agreement. So time to pontificate on some of my beliefs:
1. The TV is not a great role model.
2. A Happy Meal is not balanced nutrition.
3. "Please", "Thanks", "Pardon me", these are not profanities and should be used more often.
4. Just because you love the song playing on your radio at the stop light does not mean that I do. Please turn yours down so that I can hear mine.
5. Moral and ethical behavior is learned in the home. Teachers, babysitters, friends can all be influences, but the environment of the home (and the love and respect demonstrated) are the greatest influences on our children.
6. I have been married for 23.5 years and I not only love my husband, I happen to like him a lot too!


Enough listing!

More truths later.

Thanks for reading ;-)

The promise of spring

This was a spectacular weather day. The sky was clear, the sun warm. I had an appointment this afternoon so I was home early enough for a nice bike ride around the greenway. There were people out walking, riding, running, practicing soccer. Very peaceful,

Here's hoping this coming week is just as pleasant and peaceful all the way around.

The man-cub had a scrimmage track meet today. He won the shot put on his last throw @ 42'4". Nice start for the season. His form was much improved and his huge legs gave him mucho power.

I am cutting this short as my artistic muse has been busy and I must create. TTFN.

little friday

"everybody's workin for the weekend" the old Loverboy song. Seems like my life of late. I get up Monday mornings and work straight thru to Friday nights. Feels like I don't have time for personal needs, much less recreation and sleep. I am looking forward to the early arrival of Daylight savings time next week. Maybe I will have enough daylight left when I get home to ride my bike and walk my hounds.

This week has been intense. Textiles made in the USA may be on the endangered list, but we are busier than a one-legged man in a room full of rocking chairs! (I love to mix my metaphors!) I have brought my laptop home with homework every night this week and still will churn out the work this weekend. We are in a major color work phase and our customers are starving for new product. It is amazing to be creative on demand! My team is cranking our great design work, we can design it much faster than our samples can be woven! And to top it off, our new DD (Director of Design) started this week so I was introducing her to people, places and processes. Yes, I was nervous and anxious about meeting her. Design is a very personality and ego driven field (regardless of the product) and I have tolerated some real ego freaks. My most recent boss (who is still in the command chain, just a rung further up the ladder) has been the absolute BEST boss I have ever had, so losing him has been difficult for me, but this new person he has hired is awesome! She is a nice person with great energy and drive. I feel like we got very lucky with her and the new personality charges up our group chemistry.
My poor husband has been stuck on St. Simon's Island in Georgia for a class all week. As great as our weather has been, it was that much better by the sea. He knows how much I love the beach and called me while watching a pod of dolphins playing just off shore. I can close my eyes and the rain outside starts to sound like waves breaking on the jetty at Fort Macon......
Some day I will live near the ocean. and hopefully it will not be due to the melting of our ice caps!

Speaking of melting ice caps: How can people not believe in climate change? Does driving a huge carbon emitting, petroleum chugging land-yacht kill brain cells? How did our American belief of "Bigger is Better" begin? Now I am not petite, and I come from a very tall people, so this has nothing to do with body image. I drive a Honda (which I love!) and have always loved compact, well-designed, contained objects, so I just do not get it. This is such a larger societal issue. Is it just me our do we seem to be a culture of people who feel "entitled"? As in, I am entitled to use all the resources I want, I am entitled to pollute as much as I want, never mind anyone else! I think we have become coarser and ruder (?) as a culture. It is disappointing. Local governments seem more concerned with the financial costs related to effective recycling, but what about the long-term, big-picture costs? There are major arguments over inter-basin water transfers, but what will we do when our groundwater is too polluted to drink? Recycled goods currently tend to cost more upfront, but it is just the right thing to do to use, purchase and fund. If we start now, we will do well by doing good. Enough preaching and griping. Tomorrow is Friday. Happy weekend!