Midge's Blog

sutic...i mean, stuck

i've been feeling very foggy-headed and unmotivated lately. i finished my proposal last week, my colloquium (research proposal defense) is on friday, which i am dreading. my stomach has not been doing well, which is always hard on my mental state, but it's not just that. i really want to do cardio--it usually makes me feel better--but my knee has been killing me for the past week or so. i guess i should probably get it looked at soon, but i think i just pulled or strained something at the gym.

it's not like i don't want to do anything, there's plenty i want to do, but i just can't muster up the energy and motivation to actually do it. and even when i do, my stomach finds a way to interrupt and ruin my fun. i'm really tired of this whole stomach thing right now. i just want it to be under control so i can go out and do fun things like i want to.

i decided i have to be well by thursday. it's scott's convocation, and his parents will be in town, and then friday is my presentation/colloquium. so i have 2 more days to pull myself together.

i've had enough of this! do you hear me body?! enough!

sometimes i wonder if my body is trying to stop me from doing what i'm doing, like it knows that there's things i'd rather be doing. i wonder if i was doing those things if i'd mysteriously feel better. too bad there's only one way to find out.

arg.

m.

photos!

In the midst of my little lull, while my supervisor reads my proposal (which I did indeed finish), I thought it was time for a new photo entry! Plants, painting, knitting, oh...there's been lots of fun...

First, here's the painting I made for Jules. I'd been meaning to do it for a couple years now, so I thought it was time! This was my first one on a real stretched canvas, and I also tried out my new funky thickening paste, which is for making more texture on the painting (don't know if you can really see it in the photo).

And now, on to the progress of the garden...

Here are my garden boxes, with beans, peas, lettuce (from the man next door) and Italian parsley, and lavender and African basil.

A close up of the veggies.

For all those who doubted my little fig tree, I told you he was a looker!

Now off the patio down to the garden...the dirt is dry so it looks kinda dull, but there's some good little veggies growing...

My heritage varieties of tomatoes, just starting to flower.

Radishes are ready to come out, but they're so spicy I can hardly eat them! I think the bugs that have been gnawing on the tops are enjoying them though...

And...my great little artichokes! I had to move them because I'd planted them in clumps, but all the seeds sprouted, and I couldn't bear to toss the little seedlings. They're slow growers, but I hope to have some lovely artichokes by the fall.

I forgot to take a shot of my strawberries down the side of the house, but I'll post one once the berries are big and red, they're just little green nubs right now. Now inside the kitchen. Here's the silly basil plant--sweet basil is so finnicky! I've got it in a north side window, where it's pressed up against the glass, but yet dries out so fast that if I don't water it at least daily it wilts like crazy. And this was the replacement for the ones I put outside, which promptly died!

And finally, let's head back onto the deck for the piece de resistance... I just finished this sweater yesterday! It's not the same one I was working on before, that one still needs some re-sizing. I bought the wool ages ago cause I thought it was so pretty, and finally found something good to make with it. I thought I was going to run out, but finished it with about a meter to spare, and I just love it!

Oh excitingness!!!

m.

progress...

I'm about halfway through writing my research proposal, which is due at the end of the week. I can't believe it, but somehow I actually made it this far! My supervisor wants me to do my colloquium (research proposal defense) by the end of the month, so I'm working towards that. It's pretty crazy, I actually feel like a real grad student!

My garden is growing nicely, and I promise to post some new photos very soon. The most exciting I think are my little artichoke plants, and my fig, which despite some people's earlier doubts, is doing nicely. I introduced myself to our neighbour next door after waving over the fence a few times. He's a very nice elderly man, he's got an accent, maybe german, and is quite an avid veggie gardener. He offered me some tomato plants and lettuce that he'd started--he starts tons of his own seeds. How could I say no? I gave him a few of my little artichoke plants when I moved them in return. It's nice to have lived here long enough now to get to know the neighbours. The man across the street, who's also pretty old, is great too. He push-mows his lawn, and has a great little miniature shnauzer that reminds me of Kirsti's old dog, Whiskers.

I've taken to biking as often as possible to the little strip mall on Hastings that has the Safeway, Shoppers, produce store, health food store, Clancy's (butcher), and soon...a bakery (where the pizza place used to be)--exciting! I hope they have sourdough! Partly to get exercise and because I still find riding my new (one year old actually...) bike really fun, and cause the gas is so damn expesive! Anyway, Scott found this great route so that you don't have to ride on the road--a lane that goes almost the whole way there. A few blocks down, there's this great dog, looks maybe like a cross between a chocolate lab and something bigger...a st. bernard? Anyway, I think he's being mistreated. He's almost always locked up in this little barren fenced area next to the lane. He looks really lonely, and his fur's really matted. I don't think he's necessarily being abused, but neglected for sure. I always make sure to say hi to him when I go by, but it's a little sad.

I found out yesterday that one of my old highschool friends is getting married. I had a feeling it was going to happen sooner than later, but I can't help but be a bit disappointed. I always thought that the girl he's marrying was aweful for him, as through the course of a few years she really screwed over three of my best guy friends--one being the one she's getting married to. I found this out because my mom ran into her (she used to be in my circle of friends too, though we weren't really close) at the Safeway. Oh well, I haven't talked to him in a couple years now, so it's really none of my business. Scott said to me, "you know some people change." Do they really though? I can only hope.

Anyway, enough for now. Watch for the photos, soon to come!

m.