while i wait.

I've promised my daughter and my friends a trip to the pool today, so I'm hoping that the rain holds off. If not, I'll have a mutiny on my hands. Anyway, I'm waiting for the dishwasher to run so I can take a quick shower. These legs must be shaved before I'll expose them to the world. I thought I'd do a little blogging while I wait.

I think most of you are on Facebook, so you know what we've been up to. Carole's amazing wedding. It was beautiful, and now my very dear friend is a very dear married friend, and I am super happy for her and her "prince." (That's what S calls him.)

Since we've been back, we are finally in the loop about what's going on at the castle. Unfortunately, I have no pictures of the progress, but here's a rundown: new windows, new gutters, new electrical wiring, lots of new drywall, ceilings painted, exterior cleaned, and new HVAC system: done. That's a short list, but it's a lot. A lot of work and a lot of checks. Yowsers. The marble shower should be ready in the next week, and the kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanity will be ready for install the second week of August. The painter starts Saturday or Monday. The cork floors for the kitchen and breakfast nook, the tile floor for the bathroom, and the carpet for the family room are all ordered. The blinds for upstairs are in boxes in the ballroom right next to the boxes of light fixtures and the boxes containing the kitchen sink, the kitchen faucet, and the stainless vent hood. And I know I'm forgetting something. Probably something important. I'll figure it out later.

In the meantime, I'll have to turn my castle-brain off for a few days and turn my Firefly brain back on as I have a CAD meeting tonight. Then I need to get ready for the mulligan. I'm starting to wonder if our lives can ever just be calm or if we'll be running around like crazed looney-tunes forever. Someone send me a Xanax. Not really. I don't condone extraneous drug use.

on a lighter note.

So, I have spent the last week and a half thinking about and researching grants, it's true. But I've also totally taken the opportunity (you know the "I don't have a festival to plan right now" opportunity) to catch up on some reading. Last Monday I started The Invention of Hugo Cabret, which I'd seen recommended in literally dozens of places, and I so love young adult literature that I couldn't help myself. Besides, The Reading Rock had some extra copies. It was good, but I had it so built up in my head that I was disappointed. The illustrations, though, were amazing. Then I remembered that I had bought a copy of Kurt Vonnegut's A Man without a Country back in the autumn that I hadn't read, and I needed a little Vonnegut fix, so I read that. It did not disappoint. I do so love Kurt Vonnegut, and I am still sad that he died. I finished that while I was visiting my family, so I borrowed Tuck Everlasting from my sister S3. (Me being S1, and the middle sister being S2.) It was a very sweet read. It made me feel all warm and fuzzy. Also, it took about three hours to read, so if you're looking for something quick to read at the pool one day, check it out. After that, I was very busy seeing Eclipse twice over the weekend, and then watching Twilight and New Moon at home, so I had to re-read Twilight. I still love Edward. Love. Fictional love, Mr. Ouiser. Worry not. Then yesterday, in an attempt to calm my brain, I read Water for Elephants. I usually steer clear of new literature. Especially really popular bestsellers. But, C's mom and some others had raved about it at a shower a couple of months back, and Robert Pattinson is starring in the upcoming movie, so I bought it and gave it a whirl. It was wonderful. I really should read some popular stuff that is meant for people my age. There is usually a reason it's popular. I suppose. So, today I'll be cracking open the first Percy Jackson book on the recommendation of my sisters. I'm afraid if I don't love it, they'll disown me. After that, assuming I can keep myself from purchasing and reading the whole PJ series, I'm planning to pick up a copy of The White Queen.

I love having time to read. Of course, C's wedding is in nine days, so I will have to curtail the reading a bit, but that's okay. I'm so happy for her little job-having self that I almost can't stand it.

So, what are all of you reading this summer?

moving right along.

It's been awhile, eh? Despite my not blogging since the end of May, I don't even have any pictures to offer you. We've been too busy to bother with things like cameras. That means no pictures from Firefly, though there are some on Facebook. So...

...Firefly was great. It was palpably better than last year, and that was encouraging. Frankly, I had gotten to the point that I rather wanted it to flop. I was that exhausted from the planning. But then the festival was so much better that I am actually excited about it for next year. Already. Of course, that brings its own set of problems, and that's what actually got me on the blog. I've spent several hours each day this week researching. Researching grants. Public grants. Private corporations that give grants. You name it, I'm looking for it. Money, that is. Money to make the festival better. And it's wearing me out. My head is thinking of things faster than I can even process the ideas, and I am constantly reminded that I am not really entrepreneurial at heart. Organized? Yes. Efficient? Yes. Entrepreneurial? Not so much. I lose motivation. I get frustrated.

Anyway, I was happily digging into the world of arts grants when I was hit with information about two new grant opportunities that were announced last week through HUD. They are essentially both grant opportunities for creating sustainable communities with some special consideration given to incorporating arts and culture into the plans...and there is an emphasis on not only creating new communities but also working to better existing communities. And I've just got these big ideas. Big, exciting ideas for revitalizing abandoned commercial spaces into green space with public art. I can see it. Every time I pass spaces along the highways throughout the county...spaces that previously housed something...anything...hotels, gas stations, whatever. Spaces that are now empty buildings or empty parking lots...I see them as potential. Potential areas for grass and trees. Sculpture. Fountains. Gardens. Places that are pleasing to look at as you drive by or walk by. And here's the thing. I'm in over my head. Already. I called the head of the county zoning office because (get this) there was just an article in the paper TODAY about how Dickson County is growing and they are getting together a long term growth plan. Hello!! I wanted to know the plan. How far has this plan gotten? Are they even thinking of sustainability? Or are they just planning how and where to build new roads and dig new city sewer lines and all that? It turns out they are having a meeting tomorrow night, which he encouraged me to attend. And I'll try, but there's a debate tomorrow night for the county mayoral candidates that M really wants to attend...and who knows? Anyway, the whole point of this post was to help me clear my head. Help me get a grip on all of this...and to let you know that I'm not blogging because my brain is all filled up with other stuff.

Anyone got any great ideas out there on how I can create my perfect county to live in? Anyone? Bueller?