saunter shots.

today is the day. today i will finally finish my graduate degree. for the past year i have had one 3-credit course looming over my head like a rain cloud that just wouldn't pass. today the sun will finally shine. for the past year, every time i made mention of my master's degree it came with a dislcaimer: "after one more course, i'll officially be done." today that disclaimer will be removed. although i will regain my life back, the part that wants to sew, build and create, i'll admit, the nerd in me will miss going to class: i was thrilled at the idea of gathering my folder, notebook and writing utensil on that first day of class a month ago. i like to learn. maybe another degree sits on the distant horizon. if there is to be a next time, it will include a topic i'm deeply passionate about. but for now, i'll continue to take odd classes to give my brain a workout. and maybe once my brain decides what it really wants to think about for another 27+ years to keep me happy and pay the bills, maybe then i'll go back once more. for now, i will just bask in the glory of holding an MS. for i, i am now officially a master. i like the way that sounds.

ketchup please.

a good day.

a good day then...

waking up with enough time to watch morning cartoons before school. wearing ruffles and my favorite saddle shoes. drinking juice from plastic jugs. playing barbies. having hot dogs and macaroni and cheese for dinner. and staying up past bedtime to watch a big girl movie.

a good day now...

waking up in time to run and watch the sun rise before work. wearing skirts and my favorite black and tan high heels that resemble the saddle shoes I had as a kid. drinking coffee through a hot pink, plastic, heart-shaped straw. eating strawberries and blueberries in yogurt. and staying up until my body needs a break from being a big girl.

hidden treasures.

ahh shoot. add 'er to the list.

Three words: Great Lake Swimmers. Two words: Tony Dekker. One word: Smitten. I opened my e-mail this a.m. to find one of my daily NPR e-mails listing a studio session for GLS. Their tiny desk concerts are always a sweet treat that never last long enough but are just the right fix to leave you with a bit of a high. I'd have to say this session had more of an upper-downer effect on me. With only three songs (of course all being absolute favs of mine) I was left with a chest that ached. Dekker's boyish mannerisms, coy demeanor and irresistible voice have now earned him a spot on my 2009 must-do list. (I just realized that could be taken in more than one way, and I'm fine with that.) I've been wanting to see GLS for quite some time now, but this little intimately, stripped to the core tiny desk session has put me over the edge. I'm going to have to make a trip to Canada if I want to see them anytime soon. Shoot. Why can't these bands just come to me? Anyway, check the link below to get your panties all in a bunch for not being able to see them either--Residents of Niagara Falls, ON; Peterborough, ON; Ottawa, ON; Montreal, QC; Winnipeg, MB; Vancouver, BC*; Guelph, ON; Edmonton, AB; and Grafton, ON excluded.

*The Vancouver Folk Festival is looking too tempting. Great music and great friends to see=a two for one trip. Hmmm...

NPR Tiny Desk Concert: Great Lake Swimmers

Set List:

"Everything is Moving so Fast"

"Pulling on a Line"

"Various Stages"

a day petaled with possibility, bloomed to perfection.