It was supposed to rain this morning, but it is only windy (as usual) and overcast. Only two more weeks til Spring Break and I cannot wait. I usually am ambivalent about the whole thing, however, this year I think I'll be more than ready for a vacation. I haven't been anywhere since Thanksgiving and all I did then was COOK! Something I care less and less about. This week my cats are all well and this makes me happy since Isabel was sick for a month back in January. Never did know what was wrong; the vet couldn't seem to find any reason for the problems. I am going to Kerrville for my break and know i'll have a great time; the Guadelupe River runs through the town and it is quite beautiful. I do love the whole area. I have had to write two excrutiating papers this week, and now I am behind on my reading! So on this dreary late February Saturday, read, it will be (and read and read and read)! Until next time....

s hamilton

Art work by Manet; my daugther's favorite Impressionism artist. (I love this one too).

The Diaries of Franz Kafka 1910-1923

22 December 1910. Today I do not even dare to reproach myself. To call out into this empty day would have a disgusting echo.

28 December 1910. When I have behaved like a human being for a few hours, as today with Max and later at Baum’s, I am so conceited before going to sleep.

My youngest daughter has recently applied to eight, yes eight, graduate schools. Her major at Southern Methodist University in Dallas was Art History, so of course, she researched the best Art History schools in the U.S. and basically applied to three-fourths of them! That's OK however, since the Museum Curator profession is very competitive with only the most distinguished students finally getting their foot in the door. She would be great at this job; she is sensitive, creative, sharp, and a very visual person and would quickly grow into a respected art museum professional. I know of course that I am biased in my opinion of her capabilities, but do truly believe she can go all the way with her hopes and dreams if she'll but persevere. I guess the next couple of months will be sort of a period of limbo until she hears back from the universities she applied to. You know when your children are small, you sometimes don't even have the time to think about what your son or daughter will end up doing in life. You only hope it is something that they love to do -- When she was ten, she wanted to go to Rwanda and fight to save all the mountain gorillas (there are only about 800 left in the world!). She also belonged to Greenpeace (she sold cupcakes in the neighborhood and gave all the proceeds to this environmental organization), the Nature Conservancy, the Jane Goodall Institute (she has handwritten letters from Miss Jane Goodall in her scapebook, by the way!), and she even adopted a real Blue Whale, although the Whale's name escapes me...I do however still have the official adoption papers!. So I guess you can see why I think she is sort of special, and why I wish so hard for her to get to realize her passion for art, and to be able to work in that field someday soon. By the way, she has auburn hair, blue eyes, and skin as fair as an Angel. She'd look exquisite standing in a museum next to a painting by Monet! If a little red-haired girl from Texas can earn money to support Greenpeace, she can surely make it to the Met!
Thanks,
s hamilton

I am seriously considering going to Kerrville (The Hill Country of Texas) for Spring Break. My oldest child lives there with her family and I like the area very much. I worry about leaving my three cats alone, although my son will see after them....he doesn't care for them like I do however. It is a very very windy day today (one of many experienced in Oklahoma- you know the kind, the ones where everything in the yard if blown into the surrounding fields). My son read where many of the Oklahoma pioneer women used to just sort of go crazy living out on the prairies of Oklahoma cause the wind would seldom stop blowing. I can see where that could happen cause on so many days (especially in the wintertime), I too feel like this terrific force is taking over me, surrounding me, attempting to defeat me - to drive me crazy. I think that it may be true what some people say about nature being God himself. The indomitable power of the wind reminds me that we all are but insignificant pieces of matter being blown around out there, and that in the end, only God in the disguise of nature will win out. But then what do I know.....?
Thanks,
s hamilton

It has been a busy week for me at school. Everytime I thought I was going to be caught up, I found more to do. I think I spent too much time on my webpage for the Blog class with
Dr. Hochenauer. I put way more stuff on the page than was required, but I kindof got interested in the topic for the page and just kept on adding photos and text. Anyway, I am quite happy with it although, I would have liked to have added some sound effects. I do like the clip art that I added (it was sooo easy)! Now if I can get my Lit. Crit. topic OK'd by Springer then I will be in good shape. What will I do when school is finished in May!? I am worried about being lost for awhile....school has been my life for four years now. Hope I am wrong!

s hamilton

Faces of Appalachia

Last night I watched the new version of THE FOG; it was not good! The night before I watched a documentary on Appalachia. It was about a photographer who had been taking photos of two different Appalachian families since the late eighties. The documentary was excellent and the photos were very poignant. Critics were discussing the photos and it seemed to be the gist of the critic's comments that the photographer was oftentimes staging the photos, that somehow he was, perhaps, taking advantage of the people there, and that he was being disrespectful in revealing these people's hardships. I didn't see it that way; the families portrayed in the documentary apparently thought a lot of this photographer and trusted him as a friend (the photographer was, I might add, born in Kentucky and had known these people for many years before he had started documenting their lives through photos). It is hard to imagine that such a place as Appalachia still exists in America. The people shown in the documentary were beyond poor and, perhaps, beyond help. I could not tell if they considered themselves happy or unhappy; I just think that they were resolved to their plight and their fate. They had such soleful eyes and such expressive faces that it made you sad for them.....but maybe they don't see their lives as sad.....Appalachia is all they have ever known or will know (getting out of Appalachia must be next to impossible). But wait!! One has to stop and think about the whole situation before jumping to conclusions about whether these people should be considered lucky or unlucky, happy or unhappy. What is happiness anyway and who decides when we are finally happy or unhappy? I don't know.....at least these folks have roots and a sense of where they belong. Maybe those living in the hollars of Appalachia -- or any other remote, forgotten area of America -- are the lucky ones -- content with what they have and satisfied with what they are. No competition, no stress about making more money, no trying to keep up with all the bills. It is true that the more we complicate our lives, the more we become discontented and unsatisfied. I am not trying to say we should all move to Appalachia and butcher a hog! I am just trying to tell you about what a great documentary this was!! Thanks,

s hamilton

You-Talkin'-to-Me?!
Have you ever noticed that a lot of people seem to only be able to talk about themselves. You can be talking to them and it is as if you aren't even there; these people go on and on about how they are involved in this and that, about how great their job is going, or about how wonderful everything is for them (even if it really isn't). You are just standing there, and at first you think this might be an enjoyable, interesting conversation, and then you slowly realize that you might as well be a deaf mute since so and so could really care less about anything that is going on in your life. There are, of course, those lovely people who are really good listeners as well as good conversationalists, but they are few and far between. I have tried to be like these self-interested folks, but find it very hard to take off on myself, gabbing about how great I think I am. In fact, when I realize that I have encountered someone with this personality, I just want to say to them, "You know what, I have lost interest, and why don't you shut up and let me go on about my own business." But I am polite and just keep standing there hoping to find away to break from the conversation. Maybe these people are the people that get the jobs and end up getting everything in life they want. Maybe the meek just end of with crap....I don't know....I was just sitting here thinking about things and thought I'd write it all down for everyone to yawn over. Anyway, thanks
s hamilton