Something #10 and Some Excuses

Jon had a busy weekend last weekend, and I was a graduate school widow. Just kidding. It wasn't too bad. I had a ton of errands to run on Saturday, and did some traveling on Sunday.

But, I missed him.

So, I opened a special something:
It's flat and roughly the size of a photograph. What could it be? Also, the texture of the paper was a little rough as well. Similar to the paper that wrapped Something #3.

The creases on this paper are very nice:

It looks like a little street scene to me. In fact, as I write this post, I have an idea...

Ok, back to the something:
As I open it, I see and feel that it is not a photograph, but it is a note.

"Let your mind go and your body will follow."

I remember the movie LA Story. I remember Sarah Jessica Parker and Steve Martin roller skating in the LACMA.

Can you tell me a little bit more about this quote and what it means to you?

For the record, my response was:

Yes!

I think I will.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I'm sorry, I know I've been a little absent from the blogosphere these days, but I have my reasons...

1. Exhausted
2. Travel/commuting
3. Tales of the 5th Grade Nothing.
4. Lazy
5. Bored
6. Compiling documents for the Belgian government so that I may stay with my beloved.
7. I found a website where I can watch TV, thus begins my subcategory:

• A. The Office
• B. Project Runway Season 6
• C. Glee

To make up for it and get my creative juices going, yesterday I started a special post about my typical day just for you, but I literally got derailed and will have to write and document another day. I'm going to pick up where I left off tomorrow.

Here is a sneak peak:
Will write more later, I promise!

I am off to tutor a Greek teen with his English, I am using a clip from Flight of the Conchords.

I'll let you know how that goes.

xoxo

LYMI

Something #9

Ok. Here goes. First of all, let me apologize for the delay in this post. It's not that I don't have anything interesting to post, it's not that anything hasn't happened, it's just been a feeling of an underlying need to make things easier - simplify. I'm still in the process of getting all the papers in order to apply for a visa, but once everything is turned in I will be able to stay past November 30th, the date of my original airline ticket. Thanks to Jon and his tenacity, who went to city hall and asked all the questions with humor and sincerity. It looks like I will be stuck in Belgium as my visa gets processed, but that was the whole point of the application wasn't it?

Yes, it was. I am happy to stay here with Jon, and so glad that things are falling into place here. It's strange how life just keeps clicking right along: before you know it, things become mundane, everyday, and just life. But I still have to catch my breath every time I walk upon the city square here in Leuven. It's just beautiful, I could just pinch myself.

This is where I live?

Really?

Thank you life!

I opened a little package the other day, but as I mentioned in the post before one, it really had me stumped. I spent the next couple of days debating whether or not to open another one, eventually I wrapped up that little something (#8) and opened another one, #9.

I picked this one because of the blue speckled envelope paper. I knew when I held it in my hands it was another photograph, I really liked the way you turned an envelope inside out to wrap this little something.

I'm still knitting Jon's scarf, you can see it on the left. I proceeded to open the envelope:

I check out the back. It says,

"It's a big blue Spanish Sky, Lay on my back and watch the clouds roll by. I've got the time to wonder why, she left me. It's a slow, sad Spanish song, I knew the words but I sang them wrong. The one that I love has left and gone, without me."

~Chris Isaak

You underlined a few lines, as I think they really resonated with you.

I read them again.

Geez Steph, that is depressing.

But I do love clouds... they are wondrous. The way they form, come together and then dissipate. It is exactly like an intimate relationship isn't it?

I like your drawing on the inside of the envelope too. What was behind it?

Also, the date on the back of the photograph is from 1997.
Where is this from? Do you have lots of pictures of beautiful blue sky?

Would you believe I took this picture before I came home and opened this something?
It's ironic. I was feeling a little stumped creatively, without anything to blog about. Then I looked up and thought I would write about the Belgian sky...

The skies here are amazing, changing all the time:
(Actually, the above pic is from Rotterdam, not Belgium, but it shows the changing sky as I see it here.) One day it will be gray and rainy, cold and a little dreary.

Then the sun will peek out and you will hours of beautiful blue sky:

Antwerp

Also Antwerp

The skies are constantly changing and the weathers reciprocates. I am constantly changing. I can feel myself transforming, not physically, but mentally. I guess that's part of adapting to life far away. Maybe that was the source of my creative stump? I am learning to let myself go and become available to the changes that will come. It's exciting, but also a little unnerving at times. It was a tough week last week with a few cultural blips and bumps, but I survived and learned a few lessons a long the way.

I know more about the Belgian train system, a new Belgian town, am making friends and even have access to an English library. I am starting to look at boots in store windows and adapt to Belgian fashion, shop at specialty stores for meats, cheeses and fish. I think I will enroll in a language class next. It's a transformation... much like the season and the clouds.

Life is just rolling right along...

xoxo

LYMI

Something #'s 8 & 9

I opened something... something #8. I've been in a little bit of a funk and this little something stumped me. That's why I wrote uninspired in my last post. I'm sorry. I wrapped it back up and placed it into the pile. I will reveal it when the time is right. I have to think about it.

Something #9

I opened another one just now, but really don't have time to blog about it until this weekend... but it's perfect. I will go ahead and say thank you, I took it as a sign that I am on the right track.

Stay tuned and I will fill you in.

Uninspired

I am really feeling it these days.

Still waiting on my paper from the FBI.

It's almost November and I am in the 5th grade again.

Something #7

Things have been going well. I am getting all of the paperwork in order for my visa, AND I have a meeting this Friday with the school for the job that I interviewed for last month. Things are looking up! But I am still having some anxiety induced dreams about not getting all of my paperwork in to the Belgian government, and I had to go to the doctor today.

I don't like to go to the doctor...

Even in Belgium.

But it wasn't that bad... Just a routine check-up and some tests. If all goes well, then I get my certificate of good health.

Yay!

I don't know when my fears started, but it seems that the longer I stay away from the doctor, the worse I feel about going. It must have to do with the cancer experience, and also the fact that I have no insurance. I never know how much things are going to cost, or if I am really being taken care of. Before she, the doctor, came to get me in the waiting room, I was shaking... That was alarming to me. I don't recall ever being that scared in a doctor's office before. Anyway, it was a painless, pleasant experience. The doctor took her time with me, conversing with me - something I don't really recall doing with too many doctors.

I felt good about going, but then my day seemed long as I sat alone at home and began to worry.

Why worry?

Because that's what I do...

Anyway, I pulled a little something out to distract me. I didn't even think about it, I just walked by the bookshelf and yanked out a package.

This is the one I got:

Again, I love your artistic expression, but I had no idea what this meant.

Until, I opened the envelope.

Gah, indeed! Casey wedding 99! Or something like that...

That jacket is way too big for me. How many years ago was that ? Didn't you go to a wedding this past weekend? How was it?

I wonder when the next Casey wedding will be...

I love the inside of this envelope. I love it A LOT! It is such a simple, texture... a beautiful pattern. I felt compelled to make something with it.

Another crane on the beginnings of Jon's scarf:

I added it to the collection.

xoxo

~LYMI

It could only mean one thing...

I've opened something... I'll post something about it after dinner.

xoxo

~LYMI

Something #6

Last Saturday I was feeling a little bit better. Jon was gone all day working in the studio, but we had planned to eat lunch together.

I rode my bike to Arenberg Castle which is the campus where Jon spends most of his time, I'd say 85% these days. Anyway, it's a nice bike ride away and there are trails behind the castle. I thought I would explore this area after lunch a bit and get that exercise we were chatting about the day before.

Here is a picture of the castle from Jon's Flickr page. You should check out his photos. I think they are really good~ wish I had a better word than "good," because most are beautiful, but there are over 1,000 of them. What can I say? The man loves to take pictures.

The following photos are mine. One thing I forgot to mention in the last post: as I was going through the photos from 2007, I realized that I was not that great of a photographer. I hope they have improved, but realize that there is still room to grow. Anyway...

At lunch time we ate in a conference room. I'm not sure if we were supposed to be in there eating, but it was a special experience. The castle was built in 1515. Can you imagine?

1515!

Detail of the sculpture just above the capitals of the columns.

Even this fireplace was installed and used before the US was established (!)

1775

There are frescoes on the ceilings.

And even more behind the layers of paint on the walls.

Pretty cool, huh? Not a bad place to have lunch.

Afterwards I set out on my bike...

Then I remembered your little something in my pocket. I like opening the somethings outside of my house, mainly because I think you would enjoy that too.

Here she is! Something #6. It's flat and the picture totally cracks me up. I like your use of mixed media and vanishing point.

Let's open her up, shall we?

Oooh! Yay! Pretty PINK paper!

and...

Matches!

Yippee! We totally need matches. Jon dropped this same book in the toilet the other day. Oh, wait, the matches are gone, but I do see a note. Clever packaging for a note Steph!

It's a note about Tex-Mex. I am missing aspects of Tex-Mex, really just the cheeses - queso fresco, queso blanco, Monterrey Jack, etc. I was having a hard time finding beans, particularly pinto and black beans. The only beans that are readily available in the grocery stores are garbanzo, white, kidney and a few other legumes. However, I did find an Indian store that carried pinto beans. Woo hoo! I have also found some decent tortillas and the avocados are great! I should look for salsa to see what they have. Jon was asking about tomatillo salsa the other day ~ ahhhhh. Tomatillos.... My mouth is watering just thinking about it. And, another odd thing is that I have a had a strong craving for tequilla a couple of times. It just kind of hits ya. So, I'll be looking forward to happy hour whenever I come home...

Whenever that is.