Running Away...

So, after some very crazy weeks, and the upcoming end of the semester, we needed a break.  (I think we also get antsy as spring comes around.  The uncertainty of the weather in the winter makes traveling a bit more anxiety producing.)

So, from our travels we brought back...

• German chocolate
• French pastries
• Chinese sauces and mixes
• A baseball grenade (empty)
• Some zippers
• Pre-polish grit for the tumbler
• Some rocks - just two little ones for Lisa's office collection
• Little boxes
• New pants for Patrick

I find it great that we can travel 2 1/2 hours away and have such an international experience!

We did skip the Brazilian BBQ and the Belgian frites and waffles this time around, but the point was to step away from work and re-orient ourselves.  The German deli  - Seigfreid's Deli - had priorities this time around, and we did breakfast at Les Madeleines.  I had the best English muffin ever! Homemade really does make a difference.  We, of course, brought home some of the pastries - you just can't get enough of the good stuff here!

We ended up in a great little hotel suite, with a good bed - which helped us both to sleep better than either of us had for a while.

With a lazy Friday, semi-wandering around Salt Lake it gave us much needed time to talk.  Although, work - both teaching and writing filtered into the conversation, that is nothing unusual for us.  At dinner Thursday night, we think the table next to us changed their conversation as an attempt to counter our pretty heady and theoretical conversation.

Throughout the weekend we discussed the lesson I taught on Sunday, (which I think went really well) a talk from the October General Conference by Sister Carol F. McConkie entitled Live according to the Words of the Prophets.  I love that we can talk about everything - especially scripture and gospel topics.

Next spring we are going to plan to go to the Winter Solstice Writing Retreat (See Solstice Writer Retreat Blog and High Valley Arts Website).

Sorry, no pictures this week, perhaps next week.

A little more sure

Lisa and I are definitely bouncing back, but it takes a while...

Words Mean Stuff (my other blog (you know the one with the thinky stuff...) is picking up likes and followers on a regular basis again (slow but regular and we're working on the slow...) this is kinda important because it fits more into my professional writer persona.

Lisa is progressing toward her dissertation proposal and should be getting a proof copy for her book chapter within the next month or two.

We also found time to make it up to the Idaho Falls rock show...

If you noticed on  Lisa's last post a couple things were missing...

1) I always pick up tiger eye.

Well we got it this week!

Top left is kinda both of our favorite

2) I'm known for picking up the catapult shot size stuff and we didn't get that last week.

This week we loaded up!

This is a massive opal (sadly not the fiery kind though) on  some base rock. It's a definite carver!

Also in the running this week...

Two auction wins. The green one is mine and the other is a 'Lisa Rock'. I think I kinda torqued a guy off by winning the green one, but that stone has a purpose in my shop...

Just a cool red Jasper here folks mostly picked this one to round off the price of a bunch of slabs...

Speaking of slabs!

Probably my favorite of the day. Check this out!

Light in front of it, light be hind it, winner either way!

One last goodie I got for Lisa

Labradorite not the easiest thing to find or cut but cool. We need a better camera to really show it off!

Well, that's the rocky road we walked ;-)

There's more (there's always more), but a lot falls into the category of "aught not to be revealed at this time"; so I won't reveal it yet!

Good luck,
take care,
see you next week!

Doubtful Beginnings...

Well, I believe we are finally back on track after an interesting week or three...

I should be reporting on a regional conference I was helping organize - Quality Matters this time around, in Seattle.  I was looking forward to it...had volunteered for too many things...but excited to be able to meet up and talk with some great people.  However, it was just not in the cards...

The weekend before was also something we both look forward to - General Conference.  We get to spend the weekend listening to various talks from the general authorities of the church as we knit, work on chainmaille, and discuss the various talks.  One of the predominant themes throughout the sessions was the importance of family.  This is something we both feel is extremely important, even if we do not have children.  We are still a little family of our own, and many of the principles still apply in our home.

We were looking forward to the quiet, restful weekend.  Patrick had been sick and needed rest, and I was overly stressed with work and school and the conference.  So my body did what any normal body should and it revolted by also getting sick, followed by Patrick joining back in.

We were packed and set to leave at 8am on Wednesday morning, but after another night of not so restful sleep and much getting up, and some contemplation on my responsibilities with the conference we decided we could not go.  I was very sad.  Luckily, all my responsibilities were shared, so I wrote notes, sent emails, and made calls to make sure everything went smoothly.

But some very interesting things followed, beginning with the decision to just take the rest of the week off.  I knew I would need the time to recuperate and it took off the daily decision of whether or not to go to work.

It was the best decision.

So with days filled with rest, little stress, and lots of relaxing, we were both able to get feeling better and spend some much needed time together.

Family is important.  And with all the connections we have with family, the one person you get to choose to be in your family is your spouse.  And while each family has traditions and ways of doing things, it is the relationship with your spouse that requires a lot of nurturing and work.  We did not do anything spectacular or have any really deep conversations, but we were able to nurture our relationship and remind ourselves that we chose to be a family.

By Saturday we were definitely feeling better and took time to do some things together outside of the house.

First, we headed over to a local gardening center and made miniature gardens (a definite Lisa thing - but Patrick made one too.)  After gathering our plants and pieces we both had places that needed something, so we brought them home and added....rocks of course!

We then went to our local gem and mineral show and picked up some more pretty rocks.

Lisa's stash has some lace agate, petrified wood, moissonite, and other pretty green and purple agates.

Patrick found some great pieces of blood stone, which the camera just could not capture, and Lisa picked up the black/brown obsidian. 

Patrick picked up another amazing piece of obsidian - if you hold it up to the light there are clear pockets!  And a beautiful blue-green agate - which we are both fighting over.

It was a good week, even if it's beginnings were doubtful and stressful.  When you listen to each other and the Spirit, good decisions happen.

We have definitely reinstated that we need to make sure we take the time to spend time together and nurture our little family.

And now to do more cool stuff with our pretty rocks...