1) I usually workout and then go for a walk.  I was an only child for nine years before my sister came along, and then my brother, so I feel really comfortable having time by myself and I actually think I need to have this time each week.  I like to look around, stop and pet the neighborhood cats that I pass, and just be inside my own head.  

An artist friend of mine, Cary Polkovitz wrote a book called 'Often Overlooked' and it has really changed my walks. Cary writes these amazing stories about everyday objects and discarded things that he encounters in his day to day life, so honestly, reading his stories has reminded me to look around me more.  Sometimes I even stop and take photos of the things that I see to send to Cary.  So anyway, I just walk, and look, and think...usually about a laundry list of things I have to do.  

2) Many times my walks lead me to the beach, if I have the time.  The beach is one of my favorite places to visit, even if I can just go for a few minutes.  We live less than 2 miles from Hollywood Beach,  and it has this awesome boardwalk.  I like to walk up the boardwalk, stop and get a cafe con leche and just sit and look at the water and people watch.  I very rarely get in the water, sometimes I don't even step on the sand...but I just like to be there.

3) Usually after the beach I like to head over to Barnes and Noble.  Now, this used to be alot easier because I used to be able to walk to B&N...but then again, I had to drive to the beach, so that's okay.  I don't make it out to B&N as much as I would like to, but I usualy make it over there one or two times a month.  The first thing I do is go and grab a stack of fashion magazines, then some art magazines.  Sometimes I will find some books and I bring those over.  This past Sunday I found a book on drawing Kawaii style so I brought that over, along with a little plush unicorn just for some company.  Then of course comes coffee.  Next...either feverishly flipping through the pages and scribbling names of artists, ideas, etc. and sometimes sketching.  I find that my intention is to sit and sketch but I get so excited/sidetracked by the material that I spend the whole time taking notes.  Which is what happened this weekend, three hours later I am finished looking through everything and its time to head home.

By this time it is 12:30 and I can call John because I know he will be awake and starting to work on his to-do list...I am usually inspired and either hopped up on coffee and ready to get home and work...or ready to nap, but I am inspired just the same.

I think more than anything, the recent death of Chris has made me think back on the actual time frame that I knew him, which for me was mostly my high school years.  Chris dying brought back the memories of Amy dying...and all week I have had been having moments when I can remember specific memories and thoughts that I had back then...when one person passes I truly believe that you relive everyone you have ever lost all over again, and it is a very surreal feeling.  March is already a tough month, this is the birth and death month of John's mother, Lucy...so yeah, I have been a little bit inside of my own head all week.  I hope to emerge soon enough.

For my throw back Thursday photos on my social media pages yesterday I posted  images from my high school yearbooks. The first image shows the cover of my senior yearbook.  Like the cover suggests, this week I have been taking a 'second glance' and looking through this book from 1996, eighteen years ago.  I was eighteen then.  Some of my students are eighteen now.  I can't believe it.  Back then I did consider myself and artist, and as far as I know my classmates did, too. So I guess in many ways I am very much the same person as back then.   I took as many art classes as I could that year with Mrs. Calcutt, my favorite teacher.  

The picture to the right of the yearbook cover is the traditional senior class photo, I think we were supposed to be grouped in the shape of a '96'...kind of hard to tell and I can't remember.  You can see where Chris is in that photo, he is in color.  I am to his right with Kelly and Shelby, two of my cheer friends.  Not pictured is Amy German, she had already passed away when this photo was taken.

The picture to the far right shows some artwork I made for the yearbook.  They asked me to do a caricature of the senior class officers...I have never been that great at caricatures but looking back I guess the drawings look okay.  If nothing else, it was kind of fun to see the image there, I had forgotten that I drew it.