Journal to a Muse

By the Numbers

• 7 Days away from home


• 203 Photographs taken


• 24 Items packed but not worn


• 3 Prescriptions filled remotely (Pain is not good on a vacation, nor is sudden withdrawal from anti-depressants. Thank you, Dr. Stokoe, and Thank You CVS)


• 2 Books packed


• 6 Book store visits: 1 to Vroman's in Pasadena, 1 to Borders in Westlake, 3 to Borders in El Segundo, 1 to Barnes and Noble in Long Beach


• 11 Books purchased (will itemize list later)


• 2 Magazines purchased: Knitters and Psychologies (the UK equivalent of Psychology Today)


• 3 Maps purchased: Local, Vicinity and a Thomas Street Guide


• 4 Books Read cover to cover


• 2 Yarn shops visited (more later)


• 79 Amount in dollars spent at Yarn shop #1: no yarn, but 2 of the books and replacement accessories from lost pouch. (Maybe NOW it will turn up.)


• 5 WIP's packed


• 2 WIP's worked on


• 0 WIP's finished


• 36 Number of ends woven on Log Cabin Project



• 1 Shopping indulgence at Dick Blick's in Santa Monica (Traveler's Watercolor Set, Niji "fountain brushes" and Strathmore Sketchbooks.

• 7 Watercolor sketches I did. In public. Well mostly. I did the pen and ink for all in public, and the watercolor for two. The rest I colored back in the hotel. (With the valuable and any price 100 watt bulbs we used instead of the Westin's dingy 40 watt ones.)

2 Museums: Queen Mary and The Skirball Community Center

1 Movie being filmed at the Santa Monica Pier. (The starlet appeared to have a Dairy Queen Swirl for hair. The male had a purple cape on. It looked, um, kind of stupid.)

• 3 Tourist attractions that were disappointing: Queen Mary, Ports O'Call and Santa Monica Pier Carousel.

• 5 Kinds of flowers that are blooming at home now, that weren't when we left.
  I'm glad it was the longest day of the year! I took these at about 8:30 pm. but I'm so proud of the Salvia and the lilies. (There's a tired orange Gladiola in there... it was blooming last week.

Hardy Hibiscus!! There are gazillions of buds ready to pop.

The rain that flooded Gainsville must have been like steroid shots for my garden.
The old fashioned 4 O'clocks (pink and yellow) this year are loving the extra sun.