Solutions

I am on the last few bits of a head cold; once the runny nose ceases it will be back to normal health-wise, which is good in my case. A combination of Ester-C, decongestant medication, Gatorade, water, and Italian wedding soup helped knock it out - and the biggest factor was rest. I napped upon getting home tonight and will be hitting the sack soon. Tomorrow will be designated bed rest day.

The title of this particular blog comes from a piece of a Lenten devotional I've been reading over the last few weeks - "Our minds are a marvelous gift from God, and we are meant to use them to find solutions to the problems we encounter in life." A friend in need of someone to listen to them, a solution to the energy crisis, a creative answer to an age-old question... solutions of all shapes, sizes, and degrees of seriousness. With faith, a solution is within reach.

Lately

Heat transfer makes my head hurt. It's not that I don't enjoy the course, but let's say I feel these days more like I speak Greek rather than English. Then, evidently, reusing Greek letters is a fine and dandy thing to do - for example, zeta measures the amount of damping in vibrations class, but in heat transfer it is a root of a transcendental function. It is on the confusing side, but the fact that I'm energy systems specialty coupled with the research I do makes me want to understand it.

We also just got assigned three problems for that course. So I suppose that is my plans for the rest of the week. Oh, and the weekend. But by golly I am going to make it to Leu Gardens Saturday morning, because I have wanted to go, and have not made it the past two weekends with the car issues.

I have gotten a small scarf made lately, though. It's ended up being more of an ascot, but it's very cute and soft. Now I am on to some more fibers to spin and ply, which will hopefully become something a bit different. I want to make a hat because scarves you can only have so many of in the South.

Uncle Geoff

After a battle with congestive heart failure, my great-uncle Geoff passed away Wednesday (13th). Mom had told me when he began to take a turn for the worse, so I had a good, fetal-position cry then.

When we got talking about it on Valentine's Day, I vowed to live my life much in the way that he lived his: maintaining a well-rounded life, traveling when possible, continuing to learn throughout one's life, enjoying a good beer, and most of all sharing love and friendship with family and friends. He was an incredible guy - traveled to Africa with the Royal Air Force as a field photographer as well as other things I've mentioned above - and I know his memory will be kept alive.

Week of Crazy

I will be out (of my mind) this week.

Heat Transfer Exam
Vibrations Exam
CAD / CAM homework
Research presentation
Statistics homework and review
Vibrations design problem

...I'll update sometime after all this is off my plate, or at least most of the way there.

Edit, 2/14 - it's almost over!!!

Grandma and Grandpa G.

Every February I remember my Mom's parents, as they both passed away during this month in different years. Usually this is the low point of my year - I feel down in general for the whole month and Valentine's Day is especially hard.

This year I am going to Leu Gardens the weekend after next to remember them, instead of spending the day moping. They would want me to live my life and remember them in happy times, so that is what I will do. They loved nature so it is somewhere they'd love, and I know that it will be a peaceful way to spend most of the day.

As for Valentine's Day, I am going to enjoy the company of my friends and family while they are still with me, because if witnessing the death of grandparents and relatives has taught me anything, it is that I need to appreciate the people around me while they are still on this earth. I believe we will all be together again someday, but that day is a long ways off.

Costume

I thought the costume turned out well - thanks to hot glue and safety pins!

Godmother

The costume turned out lovely, and I'll post a few photos later today.

I got an email from Mom, and a friend of the family wants me to be a godmother to one of their daughters! I have to email her back soon with my answer, most likely yes.... I would have to be back in West Palm that weekend, April 5th, so we shall see how that goes. It looks from my exam schedules for vibrations and heat transfer that it would be possible :)

Anyways, off to the church flea market, and then to get some work done around the house.

(1:40 pm...an edit)

After calling Mom from the flea market about a neat chair I found, I found out from her that my Uncle Geoff from England is near death. He is a beautiful soul and will be dearly missed. I have grieved today quite a bit and am keeping my memories close.