9 Moons Ago

More and more “thank-yous”, for all the support and love.
I am more than a wee bit excited, shall we say?!

I see the “critical assessment team” today and my Dr. on the 26th again and he’ll be able to see how I’m faring. So far, feeling much much better. Feeling more “myself”, mind isn’t racing, head’s not in the clouds (well anymore than usual), my thoughts are clearer. I’m sleeping better…just starting to, anyway. I’m not so much of a chatterbox space cadet, as has happened in the past. He he.

I’m taking daily walks now, and practicing meditation, when I feel up to it. I may go do a 20 minute session after writing here.

I can tell I am doing well, because I am organized enough to do some cleaning, cooking and some artwork; like creating the new layout for this blog, which takes some brain-power because I do some coding. (I did it all myself. Cameron only helps me with really tech-ie stuff..he’s taught me a lot that I am able do on my own.)

Cameron and I are hanging in there. He HAS been a big support to me, despite the fact that when I am starting to get border-line manic, I tend lash out at him and blame him for EVERYTHING. We are good friends again, even though some people didn’t have a clue that we fight when I’m ill. I wanted to publicly apologize here to him. I hate to hurt anyone, and he’s the last person I’d want to do a hatchet job on. I’m not sure if it is like this with anyone else with bipolar disorder, but plainly put: it SUCKS.

On the good side, I am eagerly awaiting a call about my eTickets, planning a weekend trip with Daniel to see friends in the country and hopefully getting 2 tickets to see R.E.M. in Philly (with my friend Kelly), through the help of Cameron and his band-wrangling ways. I will not be trying to score them for free, mind you. I want to pay for them! I’ll just have to set my my Etsy shop, now, and do some portraits for people who have asked already- won’t I?

I’ll keep you updated yet again. Any comments on the new layout? I may play around with the layout size, or some extra white space in the masthead sometime down the line. Is the pinky-salmon good? Or too pastel, in your opinion? I wanted something warm. But now I kind of want it to be a warm green…Dunno? Calling all artistic minds!

Here are some current photos of me, so you can see that I’m happier and healthier; Amy, the garden and the gazebo:

Found through a favorite blog, How About Orange?.

What Color Orange Are You?

You Are Cameo

You are understanding and very empathetic. You don’t tend to have acquaintances. Everyone is your friend. And all of your friends tend to be friends. You have a knack for bringing very different people together.

There’s more about what I’m up to here: Amy’s MySpace Blog, because one is JUST NOT ENOUGH. I must make things more complicated than they need to be.

Because I’m being lazy w/ emails at the moment, there are a few notes to people that may be hanging for a reply.
So if you want one from me, and have dropped by this site wondering what’s up, never fear. I’ll get back to you ASAP. In the meantime:

Allison: I REALLY want to catch up and email you properly. I DID get that one from a while ago. And thank you so much for the latest one!

Dan: Got your email. Cam and I LOVE the ad.
Best bet? Buy P-shop Elements on Ebay. Pretty similar to regular P-Shop. I got the version on Mum’s comp for around $11. Installation is easy-peasy.
Search round, but I’ll expand on this later. (I’ve got half an email written to you already.)

Janine, (the other) Cameron, Kelly, Mantel, Sarah, Donna, Jen and everyone who has sent general comments, hellos and emails: LOVE YA! Thank you!

Professor, aka Michael: Thanks for the offer to send images, but I’m pretty happy with what I’ve got and I will send the theme images shortly. If you have any fav. pics that you want to send, I don’t mind at all. I’m using both retro images and modern pics of older stuff.
Had a bit of a hiccup earlier in the week, with Cameron going into hospital. It’ll be finished before October, though.
Do you have to send anything to NPR this month? I can expedite it, if so.

Mom, Kathy and Sr. Chrissy!: YAY! THANK YOU for going to the exhibition in my place. Saw pictures on the website of you three. Can’t wait to hear your impressions of it all.

Seth: Hope everything is well. Exciting times!!

Melissa and Wendy: I WILL be calling you guys. Did not forget. Well, I forgot to call, but then I remembered when it was the wrong time… and then I put it off. Very sorry about that!

And there will be some packages in the mail shortly, for those of you whom I’ve previously notified!

Whew… I’ll leave it there for now. I may have forgotten some people.

It’s the price you pay when you’re so popular! Ha. Yeah….

Sooo… what have we been up to over the past couple of weeks?

Well, Daniel and Adrian came over to visit with us, and we went out to split servings of fish, veggies, chips (french fries), pizza, steak and oysters… topped off with champagne, tiramisu and hot chocolate! YUM!
Then we headed back to the house for more hot drinks by the fireside. What a lovely evening!

We stopped by Worco again, where I wrote letters to my family and drew Alastair at work on a harpsichord keyboard, as he is teaching Cameron a bit about the trade. Went out for lunch and dinner with the guys. Dinner was at my favourite Melbourne restaurant, Cafe Umut in Preston! Not a fancy place, but the food is amazing. It puts the Turkish food at South Street in Philly to shame!

I sold an illustration to someone who saw my work online and loved it. She’s going to send me a copy of the publication (a business brochure) and will add my name to it too. YAY! I sold artwork without even trying to! Great motivation at a time when I’m making preparations to set up an online shop -probably on Etsy- where I will sell some of my paintings!

I’ve been working on some website themes for friends, but they’ve been slow-going so that’s a bit frustrating. Lots of things are competing for my attention.
I haven’t let myself re-design my own website yet, either, so that is another thing I want to change!

Cameron and I caught a daytime movie and had the theatre to ourselves. Watched “The Simpsons” and loved it! “Spider pig, spider pig. Does whatever a Spiderpig does…”

Watched the lunar eclipse and took photos which were quite good, considering our camera wasn’t meant for such long distance shots.

After fully recovering from the tonsillitis and stress of dealing with health problems, I’m back to job searching and attended a job interview today. *Fingers crossed*

And every day the dogs and I are enjoying our walks in the fields. Sometimes they take a dip in the water, and sometimes we take apple and pear cores from my lunch to Leo, the horse. He’s rather anti-social. He comes up for pats rights away, but leaves after a minute or two (whether or not there is food) but sometimes he unexpectedly comes up and tries to eat my scarf or ear and it makes me laugh and squirm because it’s very “tickly”.

Have been seeing the return of the large water birds such as heron and ibis, and watching kookaburras sitting high in a bare-branched tree, laughing loudly, and seeing the little fairy wrens hop around as they create their nests and it’s all breathtaking! The weather is gorgeous, warm, sunny, slight breezes, there are colorful blossoms on the trees, red bottle brush appearing, and new green all over. Drinking it in….

And, I’ll continue the update another time…

Dad to Cameron: “Here’s the book I’m going to buy.”

He shows Cam the book section of a newspaper insert. The book teaches you how to build your own coffin:

Cameron: “Nice.”

Mum: “Why do you want to buy a coffin now?”

Cam to Mum: “No, he doesn’t want to buy one, he wants to make one.”

Mum: “Oh.”

Ebony to Dad: “Grandpa, can I paint your coffin when you die?”

Dad, walking out of the room: “We’ll see . . . ”

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And, for those of you dying to get your hands on a copy, we’ve found it online!: