Valentine Doll in Progress

The Geek Squad had my computer for one month. I probably could have gone to a coffee house and used a computer there, but I just don't have time for that kind of thing. So I did without. It's alienating not being online for awhile. People don't use the phone anymore. I know I don't. I had to let a few people know that I was still alive, but other than paying bills and making doctor's appointments I let all online activity languish there without me. It's humbling and liberating to realize just how smoothly life goes on without my involvement. I only wasted a little bit of my internet vacation (I found I snacked a bit too much) but it coincided with some sick days with the kids last month so maybe the timing was perfect after all.

The main benefit: without the distraction of the computer and other email related obligations (I did shirk a few) I got to work on a couple of dolls finally. It had been since before Christmas that I'd worked on them and I was really missing them. The one above had been floating around in my head for a long time now and she turned out much more lovely than I expected. I'll post a picture of the finished doll as soon as I have one. I also attended my first meeting with the Austin Fiber Artists, formed last summer. My new friend Ruthie invited me to join when we met at the AMOA show in December. They are an active group of artists who meet once a month, attend shows, take classes, share skills, and even exhibit together. I knew I was home when I noticed that half the women had dye under their fingernails! Suddenly I feel more connected. Their Yahoo group is thriving with newsworthy and interesting posts every day, and the members seem motivated to share and educate each other and the community about fiber arts in Austin. Yippee!

Other than that, my forced break from the computer includes these highlights:

• The flu swept through our house with a little disruption.
  
• I read about 6 books, including some eye-openers -- Middlesex (Eugenides), and Real Simple Food (Alice Waters). One of my new year's resolutions was to get back to reading more. My goal was two novels and one "other" book per month and after three months I already feel like my old self.
• Christian, the family favorite, won Project Runway. Didn't you love seeing him win?
• I treated myself to U23D at the IMAX. No one local I know (and how sad is that?) loves U2 the way I do so rather than drag someone along like a wet blanket I just took myself. I was just me and Bono, the Edge, Larry and Adam, and a few thousand fans. A real "bird in flight" experience, it was, flying around the stadium, swooping close and soaring away again. I could have touched Bono's nose with my little wing. It was heaven.