auction

We are home from the auction. This year was way more fun then last. Probably because all our friends got to come too since it wasn't on Sunday evening. We got to spend money too.

Now I get to take a break from Grace Academy. It was really good to have drawings and the model there for donors to see. Things become much more real when you can visualize a place. I'll get some pictures posted soon. Oh, and the model, that was secret project #3.

We got into a bit of a bidding war with Anthony over a chair. That was fun. We also tried to outbid Dave P. and take home some paintings, but he had a pocket full of money. We did come home with the following items:
$100 in Powell's cash
A djimbe (The one Dave K. made)
A really nice chair (Yes, you can all come over to try it out.)
Some cd's
6 Visible Grace calenders (for all our family)

Time for bed and our "extra" hour of sleep.

cluster plan

I appoligize for the funny colors. It's really about tone. When you print b&w the greens are a nice shade of grey. This is phase one of Grace Academy. There will be a total of 6 housing clusters. Each house will be the home to 10-12 children and their house parent(s).

I did it!

No, I didn't stop time and save the world. But I did make a good beam. Actually, there are twelve beams, ten of one type and two of another. I rule!

2 days left

Well, I just about have the furniture in. I'm struggling with the roof. I can't seem to make a 2 dementional beam in AutoCAD. It just doesn't want to work right. Oh, I can make a beam, but it's ends are but funny. And typing that just made me think of a possible solution. Alas, it will have to wait till tomorrow. Once the building has a roof, I can lay out the cluster. Then, when I have a cluster, I can make five more. Soon that turns into an entire site. YIPPY!

Trudging through Auctiontober

This crazy busy month continues. I still have a lot of get done, but some things have been completed.

Since Sunday, I've spent 19 hours working on Grace Academy. That's a lot of nap and after bed time hours that I've used on this project. I still seem to have a lot of drawing to do, but SP3 is coming along nicely. I think I'm going to have to ask for some help to get it done though. Just bit off a bit more than I could chew with this one.

I got my auction donations in. It's a good way to clear out some CM inventory that I shouldn't be carrying and get a tax write off to boot. I also got two pictures matted and framed. And I found the twin baby dolls.

I got all or most of Josiah's 3 year old photos done. He was such a ham for the camera this time (as if you didn't notice). We did some outside on Monday and then another group with the lights all set up and such on Wednesday. It was fun. He's at an age where he can actually take some photo directions.

Tomorrow my hermeneutics study group is meeting again. I got two of the three chapters read for last week. I'm supposed to have two more done for tomorrow. I haven't had a chance to sit a read though. After all I've spent 19 hours on GA since our last meeting. I'm going to try and at least get the last one for last week and one of the ones for this week done tomorrow morning. While I host the study group here at our house, Wes is going to go "jam" with a group of guys from Ethnos.

Josiah has two b-day parties to go to this weekend. One is tomorrow afternoon and the other is Sunday morning. That's a lot of cake in one weekend. :O)

Well, I'd best get back to work, only 8 days left till Auctiontober comes to an end. It's kind of nice that Auctiontober ends with an extra hour of sleep. I think I'm going to take a two week break from GA after it ends. Christmas comes the day after Thanksgiving in Eastern Oregon and I have some presents to finish.

Sweet dreams.

No title could say...

dreaming about Grace Academy

So I've been having all sorts of odd dreams lately. New things and people have been popping into my dream. Suddenly everyone from Ethnos is starting to arrive. But last night it was my big project that domenated my dreams.

I was in a room, sitting at long tables. There was someone up front presenting. I had a stack of papers litterally a foot deep in front of me. I was trying to sort through them while the guy next to me was trying to steal all my ideas and was just really annoying me. Then the presentation was over. The instructor asked me if I wanted to present. I said yes, but not for the contest, just for feedback. So I start trying to find my project and all I have is a stack of newspaper. Where did it go?

ho hum

That's how I feel this evening. It must be that fall finally started and the rain is drowning me.

The fence came down today. Most of it is in our driveway. I don't like not having a fence. It takes away my privacy on Shattack. It means I have to watch Josiah more closely when we're outside. Fortunately, it's a temporary thing. It will be back up before the end of the month.

I'm frustrated. I wish I could remember all the things I used to know about AutoCAD. I expect it to do something for me, but it doesn't. I definately getting back into the swing of things, but it has taken more time than I thought it would. I suppose it took me 3 months to learn it the first time. Perhaps I shouldn't have expected it to come right back. Now if I can figure out how to get the 2D thing a going...

I'm frustrated. I don't know how to construct something in Kenya. I don't know how they do things. It makes it more challenging to design. I wish I could find something online. I've looked. I haven't had much luck. I wish I was close to the AAA library at the UO. I might be able to find some info there. I wish I still had friends who worked there, then maybe I could just call. I wish I had an alumni membership, then I could call anyway. I wish I could get on a plane tomorrow and find the info I need in Kenya. I wish a lot of things...

Ho hum...

October is a crazy, busy month

I can't believe how many things are happening this month.
Josiah had his first party with friends last weekend. I'm glad that's over. This weekend we have something scheduled for just about every minute of it. For the Visible Grace Auction I have a list of things I need to get done.
1. AutoCAD Drawings for stage one of Grace Academy
-Site plan with stages of design
-Housing unit in plan, section, elevation
-Housing unit details
-Cluster plan
-Perspective renderings, 3 or 4 of them
2. Mat and frame photo for auction donation
3. Secret Project number 3
4. Find the twin baby dolls
Then there are the things I need to get done for other reasons
5. Prep for my Moppets class next Thursday
6. Do Josiah's 3 year photo shoot
7. Have Laura over to do maternity shoot
8. Read three chapters for my study for this Saturday's meeting (oops)
9. Do all the things that entail being a stay at home wife and mother
10. Do everything else I just can't think of at this moment
On top of all this we are finally getting our fence redone over a period of the next two weeks. Several sections blew over during our windy Spring. I'm sure it will all be too interesting to Josiah. Which will mean lots of outdoor time, rain or shine (especially if Troy rent a big machine). Which means less time to do the things I need to do.

"I'll pose if you put me on your blog." -Chris

Here it is. It's "Secret Project Number One". This was a fun project. I saw a pattern for it at the fabric store. I wanted to make it. For a couple weeks I wondered who I could make it for. When I realized that Ava would be here soon, I decided to make it for her.

A few weeks ago Chris and Laura came over for dinner. Josiah was so excited. He was telling them all about Ava's kitty. They didn't catch on. Just before Josiah went to bed, I had him get the kitty and give it to them. He was so excited. (But I think I already said that.) Chris said I could only take a picture if he could be on my blog.

secret projects...

Last night I officially started secret project #3. SP #2 is being put on hold. Something when wrong and I have to rework part of it. Which means I don't have time to complete it before it's original deadline. But SP3 is a blast. I was so tired last night, but I wanted to keep working. I discovered how it was possible to pull all nighters in college. It was the excitement and adrenaline of watching a project come together that kept you going. At 11, we finally put SP3 down for the night and headed to bed. All nighters aren't an option for us old folks. SP1 was completed a few weeks ago. I will post pictures soon. I think Chris and Laura like it. I hope Ava will too.

The long awaited...

Falls Creek Falls Backpacking photos!

I'm a clutz

Clutzy Angie did it again. This time down the stairs I advoided twisting my ankle. However, I landed so hard... Now it is painful to stand, to sit, to walk... But the worst thing is the actual proccess of standing up from a sitting possition. Tis no fun at all... OUCH!

I'm bree!

That's what he says. Yep, my little baby turns three today. At 2:59pm, to be exact. He's growing up so fast. I can't believe my tiny 6lb, 10oz, 20 3/4 inch little boy is now over 25lbs and 3 feet tall. He's eating an ice cream cone right now. Not a normal lunch time menu item, but hey, you only turn three once. Soon he'll be going down for an early rest time, so that he can be up early. Daddy is coming home early so that we can open presents before community group tonight. Then this weekend is all about Cars.