Back from Phoenix and IAMPETH

WOW!  What a wonderful week at IAMPETH and a great time with BFF, Bernice and her family!  I really had a good time and was so happy to have Kate, Anita and room mate, Sandy, there with me to experience the trip!  We will be giving a program in September on what we learned and experienced at the conference so I can't really give everything away right now with all my pictures, but I will share a few of my finer points and times at IAMPETH.  First of all, for those of you who don't know what it stands for... it is simply this... a Pointed Pen convention.  This year marked the 62nd year so when they formed it, I am sure there were lots more "educators and teachers of handwriting: attending, but not anymore.  The International Association for the Masters of Penman, Educators and Teachers of Handwriting has over 750 members all over the world.  I have only been a member a very short time, but do feel so honored to have this group NOW in my life. I sure hope I can attend more conferences in the future, but in Phoenix, it was just PERFECT! The conference director, Jenny Muffler, had her hands full when she took on that task and she did a wonderful job!  I think everyone really loved the hotel and location!  It was right up my alley and I killed THREE birds with one stone and couldn't resist THIS trip!

In addition to getting to see my BFF and the conference, I also was able to go to a OUIDAD salon and get another great haircut.  I was really wondering if I wanted to get the length chopped, but after looking at the great curls on some of the models in their catalog, I knew that my CURLS would look so much better if I had some of the dry, scragglies removed. I love it!   Bernice got hers cut, too, and it looked MAHVELOUS, darling!  Someday, we will have a salon in Austin which specializes in Ouidad Carve and Slice cuts... but, then all the fun would  be taken out of going to New York or Phoenix for my annual haircut!  THANKS Alberto!

So, the highlight of the conference, I have to admit, was the time spent with Heather Victoria Held. She had all the things I have been yearning to learn.  I love her flourishes and the floral embellishments she adds to her exquisite letters.  The grace and lightness of her work is very appealing to me.   I have been trying to get the lightness of her strokes down as well as the speed, but it takes a long time to be able to even come close to her work.  I know that copying what she does, at first, is the way to learn, so I continue to practice with her handouts and what she taught us.  Sandy and Kate were my table mates in that class, so I am looking forward to seeing what THEY do with it... they are so talented and I'm sure will put their own spin on this technique! Can't wait to see!  There was so much to learn and choose from in the classes and then we were able to actually see the master penman up close, at work both in the evenings and at the Round Robin.  How intriguing to watch the master minds and hands at work.  Michael Sull is just pure amazing!  He, as well as M P John DeCollibus were always available to answer questions and show you what they know. I have never met a more humble group who are willing to give their knowledge and share their experiences.

Anita Davis, Aline Chan, Sandy Odom, Bernice McCulloch, Trish Taylor and Kate Bergquist!

The hotel was great!  We had everything at our fingertips for breakfast, lunch and dinner.... There was a free "cook to order" or buffet breakfast every morning, with a happy hour in the evening which included free drinks and snacks.  Before the conference, Bernice was so kind to take me to the grocery store so we had stuff in the room at lunch everyday. Saved us lots of time as well as cash (that we had to save and use at the "Drug Store"... read on).  I'm glad we thought of that.  At dinner time, we either split something at the in-house Omaha Steak House or went out to eat. Bernice found a great restaurant one night and came to scoop us all up for some great vittles. The place was nearby and called "Richardson's"!  WOW! The Pork Enchiladas were to die for. I even had to go back before I left, with Bernice and family, the following week.

I met so many new friends... of whom I have corresponded on the net, Facebooks, blogs, etc. and some even that we just hit it off.  Aline... pictured here, was so informative and such a great resource that we all just fell in love with her.  We asked her to tag along with us when we went to the Arizona Biltmore as well as dinner a couple of nights.... She sat with us at the banquet on the last night as well.  It was so sad to say our farewell's to all our new friends, but we knew that we'd be in touch!

The whole time, my honey held down the fort with the pooches and kept everything running smoothly. I missed him terribly and wished he could be there with me.... someday we'll go on vacation together again!  Oh yeah.... the cruise... Can't wait....

Anyway.. Thanks to Bernice and her wonderful family for a great stay in the land of the heat! Love you all!  miss you tons!
 

Saying farewell is not fun!  What a guy!  He gave up his room for me to live in while I stayed with them! Love ya, Al.

Ok, this puts it all into perspective.... of how really SHORT I am!  Alec is only THIRTEEN!
What's wrong with this picture... besides all the luggage.. LOL!

Me 'n my BFF since we were little girls.. although some beg to differ 'cause we're "still little"...
Wanna come over to my house and play Barbies!? I love you, Boin!

Getting excited!!!

I just wanted to say that I will be away from my postings for a little while again as I am going on vacation to Phoenix to see my best friend forever BFF... and attend a week long calligraphy conference..... I will be blogging afterward, though... and maybe a little during, but not sure I will have time.... Ciao!

Rest in Peace, dear Caylee Marie Anthony!

How could anyone harm this angel?

I am in utter shock and filled with disappointment.  Most of all, I just don't understand the jury's decision.  What didn't they see that WE ALL saw?  They convicted her of all the counts of LYING to the police and misleading the "search" for Caylee, so they knew that she was capable of lying...  therefore, why didn't they see that GUILTY people lie and avoid, deflect attention to themselves....People that act in this way are NOT innocent.  The way she reacted during that whole time that her "baby' was missing is not what a loving mother would be doing.  If it were me, I would be searching high and low EVERY minute of every day and NIGHT looking for my daughter.  Was the jury just chosen because of their stupidity?  They would have to be very low in intelligence NOT to be able to put all of this together with the common sense to convict Casey of murder.  It is so obvious.  I am so deeply saddened today.... but as a friend put it... Casey will have her "day in court"ultimately... and most of all, will have to live with the fact of what she did to that little girl.  If she is as much as a pathological liar as she was made out to be, though, her narcissism will sustain her and she will push it from her mind like it didn't even happen...having the "Bella Vita" that she has envisioned all along without that precious Angel, Caylee. HOW could they!? How could she?????   IN tears!

Caylee Marie Anthony

Just those circles under her eyes show that she may have been subjected to neglect due to exhaustion!

Casey's tattoo after her daughter was gone!It says "The Good Life"! 

Just been busy, that's all!!

Many of you have asked WHAT I have been doing, if I haven't been as busy since I handed over the reigns of the presidency.... Well, um, yes and no!  I have been trying to play "catch up" with many of the things that I had promised to get done for folks while I was in my two year presidency.  I didn't realize it, but it kind of stacked up and presented itself this past month. I don't even know where June went, but at least I got some very necessary things done.

My cousin, Heather, graced us with her presence for a few days, too!  It was quite unexpected as a conference called her to the area and we were lucky enough to spend a weekend catching up with her.  I sure do wish that family lived closer.  It made me realize it even more after she left... how much it means to have kin around.  Heather and I have always been on the same page and we just pick up where we left off when we get together.  Of course, we had to get our trip to Chuy's in... on the first night that she arrived and we also took her to our favorite, little Italian restaurant in the neighborhood. The temps were hovering around a hundred degrees outside, so for a non-veteran of the Texas heat, we decided to play it cool and go to a movie instead of try to do anything active outdoors like walking, bike riding and just plain standing outside.  Heather exclaimed a few times HOW HOT it was when we'd step out from the air conditioning. It didn't phase my Texas-native hubby, though... he went running in the heat and we BOTH thought he was cRAzy! He claims it's his "therapy"... and it's cheaper than a shrink.... so we just laughed and let him go!

I studied with Harvest Crittenden for the month of June. She offered an online Photoshop course for calligraphers and I really did find it useful but time consuming.  I am not partial to that particular program, but found it easy to navigate with her thorough instruction, even though the studies took hours to grasp and study the exercises so they would stay in ones' head.  I didn't take many notes, so that is something I really need to go back and review. There just isn't enough time in the day!

My Bluegrass friend from Rhode Island commissioned me to do a quote on "Families" for a friend of his, here in Texas, back in April and he also wanted one for himself to put in his camper when he goes to festivals since he has such a love for his "Bluegrass and Camping Family".  I worked on that as well as a wedding invitation and a wedding gift... calligraphing a couple's favorite Bible verse for them as a gift from the groom's sister.  In addition to that, I had booked a wedding to do back in January and thought I'd have "Plenty of time" after May.... the last Capital City Scribes meeting, but with all the transition meetings and living LIFE, the month of June has come and gone... as well as my mother's hefty BIRTHDAY where she reached another milestone.  I wanted to be in New York for her party, but it sounded like she had a wonderful time with friends and family celebrating her life....

I am now gearing up for the IAMPETH (International Association for the Masters of Penman, Educators and Teachers of Handwriting) convention in Phoenix which I mentioned here before.... when I was so excited that I was going... seems like years ago... It's only a week from tomorrow now and I still need to PACK everything.  It's always hard to travel to a place where you don't really know what you might be lacking, but at least I have solace in knowing that there is a calligraphy store ON CAMPUS in case we are missing some pertinent item.... and I will be spending time with Bernice afterward so I can ship anything back home that I JUST can't cram into my suitcase... LOL!

So, it's off to the "Bluegrass Brunch" to watch "Air Cargo" at Threadgill's this morning.  Kevin is playing with this band now.... Ray Cargo and Randy Collier round out the other members... and then I will be calligraphing names at a Book Fair with other CCS colleagues.  Should be a great 4th of July weekend. 
Thinking of my friends and family all over the country and world.... wishing them a "Happy 4th" if they celebrate it!  AND... a Happy Birthday to some peeps, too!

I'll try to post more often from now on.