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.

Giving Back (a year in review) - 10/2 and 12/10

Looking back on 2011, it's clear that Jim and I had some good times. He bounced back from his disappointment at the move to Scranton, and we ended up having a great year - traveling, being out in nature, meeting new friends.

We also had opportunities to give back to the community through volunteering. Jim was reluctant at my first mention of volunteering, but we ended up having a lot of fun. In October, he and I worked with some friends on a large painting for The Wright Center, and helped neighborhood kids to decorate it during their fall festival.

He and I also helped to sort donated toys and to help children choose toys for EOTC's annual Toyland Workshop. During this event, children aided by EOTC are invited to "shop" for their siblings and parents for Christmas. Volunteers help them choose and wrap their gifts, and Santa even came for a photo op. Instead of Santa, Jim wanted to be photographed among his new, cleaned, stuffed friends.

12/29/11 - Dinosaur

Jim enjoyed his Dinosaur Barbeque experience so much that he requested to go again to celebrate New Year's. How could I refuse? He once again requested to be photographed with the sauce. He really is a big fan. He asked me if I thought he would make a great spokesalien for the franchise, but I told him that he didn't look enough like a dinosaur to make sense to the general public. Jim - "But, I'm green." Me -  "Yes, Jim, you are definitely green. But you aren't a dinosaur. Being green doesn't make you a dinosaur." Jim - ... "Maybe they could change the name to Alien Barbeque?!"

12/2/11 - Friends for sale

MUSATA, the Marywood University Art Therapy Association, had a show for members at CityLights Church in downtown Scranton for December's First Friday. I showed some work I'd done during the past semesters of which I was very proud, and others showed other work that was meaningful to them. It was a fairly eclectic show, and it was interesting to view everyone's unique artistic expression.

The show also provided an opportunity for me to try to sell some of Jim's friendsandrelations. Even though he wasn't for sale, he asked to have his picture taken on one of the hand forms because he thought it would be funny. He is pictured below with several of his friendsandrelations - L to R: Winnie, Jim, Ophelia, Penny, Gus, Bonnie, Jeremy, and Violet. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of Jim's friendsandrelations was going to go toward providing art supplies to people through World Vision's gift catalog, but I ended up only selling one. Jim was actually happy to still have all of his friends around. I think he may have actually sabotaged sales by whispering to people not to buy them, thus freaking out potential customers. Jim is pretty good at freaking people out.

11/30/11 - studio two-eighteen

Near the end of my Studio class, my classmates and I had an art show of work we'd created while in the class. As this represented the culmination of a semester's worth of work, it was a good feeling to share this with the greater community. A lot of parents and significant others showed up to the opening, which was really sweet. Jim enjoyed meeting everyone and viewing the art. He especially liked the hanging sculpture a friend of mine made with tissue paper, glue, and paint. My artwork, he couldn't have cared less about. So, he asked to have his picture taken nestled in the colorful discs. Super!

9/26/11 - Nay Aug

Scranton has many hidden gems, and the gorge at Nay Aug Park is one of them. I'd been to the park a bunch of times before this, and had never seen or heard mention of the gorge. It's beautiful! I want to pitch a tent on one of the rock outcroppings and stay there forever, surrounded by beauty. But, alas. Jim can't be left alone in the apartment, and he refuses to live without electricity.

From this lookout here, you can see the tree house. And from the tree house, you can see the lookout, but not the water, nor the awesome rocks.

Jim liked it too. He said it was super-duper, and asked to have his picture taken. I think he liked all the green, too.

9/17/11 - SUPER!

OKTOBERFEST! One question - Why is it that Oktoberfest is held in September?

Regardless of when it was held, definitely a good time. Delicious German food and lots and lots of beer. Oh man. Lest you think the writer of this blog is a lush (after reading my last post about my birthday), I will assert that I am not, and that Jim is my witness. Not such a good witness, but there you go.

Anyway, back to the beer and the food. This pic is from our tasting class, with a guy (the one on the left) who has actually been to Oktoberfest in Germany and was wearing what looked like authentic lederhosen. Not sure if those things qualify him as an expert, but he did seem to know a lot about beer, and it was pretty interesting. Not sure I remember much, other than that Spaten is the authentic beer for Oktoberfest, and it is delicious. Jim liked the tasting experience so much, that, of course, he wanted his picture taken with the guy. He also wanted me to be sure to include our tall skinny "waiter" with the baggy lederhosen (the guy on the right).

Oktoberfest also provided much in the way of entertainment. There were wiener dog races, authentic German music, and lots of drunken dancing. One of the ladies who sang and, yes, yodeled, kept saying "Super!" I think Jim felt a kinship to this funny German lady because of the word, so he threw a major tantrum when we were leaving. He's also taken to saying "Super!" instead of "super-duper," which seems like it would be fine, except that he yells it at the top of his lungs, which is surprising loud for such a small, green creature. And he's taken to yelling it at inopportune times. Like 2 AM. Thankfully he's gotten out of the habit, and is not in the room, looking over my shoulder as I write this, so he won't be reminded and start up again.

9/4/11 - Ole!

Happy birthday to me! Jim accompanied my friends and I to a local Mexican restaurant for my birthday celebration.

Jim was on his best behavior that night. He seemed to like the margarita I got and reluctantly shared with him, as well as the fried ice cream. He even wanted to wear the silly sombrero, but I was afraid of it crushing him.

8/4 - a deep cleansing breath

This summer, I got to spend some time at a place that is near and dear to my heart - Hatch Lake. My youth group used to take retreats up there, mostly during the fall and winter, and I have such fond memories. So, when I got the opportunity to go, I took Jim along with me. The steps I used to sit on down by the lake are gone, and a few of the cabins look a little different, but it's still pretty much the same place. The feeling of the place was not lost on Jim. He seemed to genuinely have a good time and relaxed with everyone. No snippy comments or rushing in with awkward excuses for his rude behavior. He even asked politely that I take his picture actually ON the lake, rather than on shore looking out at the lake. Very particular, but since he asked nicely, I didn't mind. Maybe he's finally mellowing out some.

7/8 - One of the Wonders of the World

Jim finally made it to one of the wonders of the world!! He lazed about when we went to climb on the Great Wall (which was probably good because he would have been complaining more than I was about all the stairs), but he managed to make it to Niagara Falls. Evidently, staring at all that rushing water is mesmerizing to small green aliens as well. The most quiet I've ever known him to be. It was fantastic!

7/8 - Butterflies!

Since Buffalo is so close to Canada, and Canada has so many fun things to do, we decided to drive across the border to explore. Jim hid in my purse at the border. Not sure what they would have done, had the border guards seen a small, green alien at the crossing. Didn't want to chance it. One of the places we stopped was the Butterfly Conservatory. Breathtakingly beautiful, but you get nervous walking around because you feel that at any moment you're going to step on, run into, or otherwise crush one of those amazingly delicate creatures. Jim had a good time wandering around, making new friends. He introduced himself to the one in the left picture specifically because he thought she looked the most like "flying butter." About this one on the right, Jim said that she had the best idea - sunning herself on a rock. An activity he could definitely support. I could tell that Jim was sad to leave that place. He kept saying how wonderfully warm it was, and how much he enjoyed that the creatures were all different colors instead of "boring, ugly shades of tan and brown." And, I think he really liked that they were more his size.

7/7 - false advertising

While we were visiting my friend in Buffalo, we decided to go hiking in Zoar Valley. We chose the Deer Lick Preserve trail because it boasted vistas and waterfalls. Jim was excited about being able to lick the deer. He was so amazingly excited that I couldn't get him to listen to me long enough to tell him that probably wouldn't happen.

The hike was pretty. About 5 miles of trails wandering through the woods. We totally missed the vista, and the waterfall (in the picture) was a lot smaller than we were imagining. Jim enjoyed himself, though. He talked about hopping in my friend's sandal and floating down the rapids. He would have, too, if he'd had legs to kick off the rocks with.

Not surprisingly, we didn't see any deer, and especially not any Jim could lick. He was very upset. Grumbled under his breath the whole way home. The only thing I could make out was something about "false advertising."

7/5 - Jim wants his pound of flesh

After the concert, Jim began begging me for more cultural experiences. I hesitated because the only reason why he didn't embarrass me completely that night was because the music was so loud. But, he wore me down. I really do like the little green guy and want him to be happy, despite my complaining.

The perfect cultural opportunity came when I went to visit my friend and former college roommate in Buffalo - Shakespeare in the Park! There is something really magical about watching the Bard's plays performed in the open air, the plot thickening as the sun goes down. Anyway, the play we saw was The Merchant of Venice. Not my favorite, but there were some rather attractive men in the cast, so that helped hold my attention a bit. Definitely not as enthralling as A Midsummer Night's Dream (which is fantastic when watched outdoors!). Thankfully, Jim hadn't seen A Midsummer Night's Dream with me, so the experience was entirely new to him. He was completely enthralled (yay!), laughing when he was supposed to laugh. I think he even shed a tear at one point. After the applause died down and we were walking back to the car, Jim declared the entire experience "super super duper," and that he wanted to do more cultural activities in the near future. And, because I saw that he was capable of behaving properly in public, I was a bit more inclined to entertain that request. Until, of course, he started yelling, "I want my pound of flesh!" out the open windows of the car on the drive home.

Oh, and Jim likes this photo because he thinks it makes him appear mysterious.

7/1 - une petit alien vert

A friend of mine introduced me to this music group, Le Vent du Nord. They're a Quebecoise folk band, and they often have concerts near where I lived in NY. My friend kept telling me stories about her experiences at the concerts, and I really wanted to go to one. Finally, there was a concert I could actually go to (because I planned so far in advance), and I took Jim. I was hesitant to do so, mostly because I just wanted to sit back and enjoy the band without a little green guy bugging me or making an embarrassing scene, but I thought he might enjoy them.

Turns out, I was right. I think he may have enjoyed them as much as I did. Maybe more. He didn't even mind that he couldn't understand a word they were singing. My high school French faild me, as well.

I'm pretty sure Rejean thought I was totally insane, asking him to pose with Jim. Jim wanted pictures with all of the band members, but I couldn't bring myself to ask anyone else.