in the park with Tess

A few days ago, Tess and I and few other friends took a walk to the neighborhood park. Tess is really happy that spring is here, even though spring in NEPA is unpredictable and often chilly and wet. She's especially excited about the flowers blooming. Jim would probably have something to say about his allergies, and my allergies made worse by the arrival of spring, thus putting a damper on our jovial moods, but HE'S NOT HERE, so we can be happy without the fear of contrariness.

We did encounter a few Shoulds. They told us that we should be home doing the dishes that were piled in the sink or filing the papers that were waiting for the filing cabinet, or some other boring, productive task. We told them to be quiet and mind their own business.

Restart

Hi there. It's been a while, I know. After Jim left, there hasn't really been much interesting to write about. Yes, life has gone on and Violet and the other friendsandrelations are getting along just fine without Jim. But, to be honest, the craziness level of life has also dropped considerably, thus nothing interesting to write.

However, I've been reading this book about happiness, called The Happiness Project, and in it the author writes about her process of starting a blog (You can check out her blog at www.happiness-project.com I haven't read it, so I don't know what you'll get, but the book is good, so the blog has got to be decent :). In reading about her experiences, I remembered how much fun it was to write about life with an unexpected houseguest, so I'm going to attempt to get back to doing that regularly. So, here goes...

2/3/12 - A new friend

A friend of mine had an art show, and Jim and I decided to attend. While there, we met up with another friend of Jim's. I think Jim might have actually been included in this friend's blog or vlog or whatever, but I really can't remember his name, or I would have added a link.

2/4/12 - DVATA

Jim and I attended the annual DVATA (Delaware Valley Art Therapy Association) Conference in Malvern, PA. He was excited to see Myra Levick speak, as she's an Art Therapy superstar. Super!

1/28/12 - The 435 Cliffs

Because it was a mild winter, Jim and I were able to do some hiking when my friend Sarah came to visit. Sarah loves to hike, and Jim loves to explore, so it was a good, happy day. We decided to hike with a group to the Cliffs above Route 435. You can see Route 435 in the pictures I've included in this post.

Sarah and Jim got along well, despite Jim's constant requests to stop to take photos with trees and rocks and sticks and such along the hike up to the top of the mountain. I finally had to tell him that if he waited until we got to the Cliffs themselves, I'd take all the pictures he wanted. At the top, even Sarah wanted a picture. It really is a great view, even in the middle of an unseasonably warm and dreary-looking winter.

It was windy, and I was a little afraid to take this second picture of Jim, so close to the edge of the abyss. I was afraid he'd get caught in a gust of wind and be blown over the edge, perhaps to be subsequently flattened on Route 435. Oh, but wait. He's already pretty flat. No worries, then.

6/12/13 - I miss Jim, but not that much

About a year ago, a friend of mine named Art came for a visit. He had moved to Portland following graduation from a Master's program at Marywood, and he came back to Scranton for a visit. Art drove all the way here and didn't really want to drive that whole way home alone. Neither I nor another friend could accompany him, so Jim offered to be his companion for the journey. I told Jim to promise to take lots of fun pictures for me, and to come back with lots of stories, and to not annoy Art too much.

It's been a year, and I haven't really heard too much from them, so I'm assuming that they're getting along well. Or that perhaps Art killed Jim because he was so, so annoying, and Art is avoiding contacting me because he feels so guilty. Or maybe somehow Jim killed Art, on accident and he can't figure out how to use Art's phone or computer. I really could see either of those two scenarios. Let's face it - ever since he got lost a while back, Jim really hasn't been the same.


Needless to say, my life has been very quiet since Jim's departure with Art. Many of Jim's friendsandrelations  have stuck around, but they're good folks, for the most part. Violet and I have gotten especially close. She's a very sweet alien, and very friendly. I've included a picture of her because I think she may agree to allow me to write about our adventures, and I wanted to introduce her to you. So, here she is!

1/17/12 - Seeing Scranton

Early into the new year, Jim requested a trip to a "scenic overlook" of Scranton. He said that he wanted to "view his domain from above, like a king from the top tower of a castle." Ever the obliging host, I drove Jim to a look-out. It was a rather cold and dreary day, and there were no leaves on the trees, so the view was somewhat depressing for him, I think. So much for the king taking pride in his kingdom.