Wild, Complicated Beauty

I took the board exams last Friday and passed. My license was issued on Monday.

So now I just have to find a job. Luckily, there are plenty of jobs available. I just have to start applying and interviewing, something that I always dread doing.

In the meantime, I've been doing some sewing and other artsy-fartsy stuff. I sewed up a pencil case that rolls up. It's got slots (that hold a dozen writing implements and a couple of water brushes) and a pocket at one end (that holds a travel set of watercolors).

I've also been doing some painting, working mostly in my art journal, but also, following Lynda Barry's lead, on paper from lined, yellow legal pads.

I mean, who can deny the influence of Lynda Barry on that creature?

It's interesting painting on such cheap paper. You have to work fast to keep it from getting overly soggy.

Over the weekend, we spent some time at the studio.  It had been awhile since we were there and new girl had some mold growing on her face from her having been under plastic for weeks.

On Sunday, we fired a kiln and I cleaned up my workspace and my tools and then I made a small new sculpture.
 
I want to start something bigger, but I don't know what that will turn out to be. (I've been thinking of making a series of sculptures based somehow on my grandmother, but that is an idea that I've yet to flesh out.)

Judi brought Buzz out to spend some time with us and he had so much fun playing with his best friend Dave that they tired each other out. Judi texted me later that, when we're not there, Buzz goes and sits in front of the studio door and just waits, poor thing.

I also had a few rough days this week.

On Monday, Grace and I went out to celebrate my passing my exam, so Grace treated me to some ice cream. I haven't eaten sugar since mid-December and I made the mistake of thinking that having a scoop of ice cream with hot fudge on it would be okay. It wasn't. I've ended up battling alternating hyper- and hypoglycemic symptoms for going on two days now. It got so bad that I was setting my alarm so that I could have a snack in the middle of the night to keep my blood glucose levels from crashing overnight. Today, I'm mostly better, but I did have a scary moment this morning and I still have some dizziness/lightheadedness that may or may not be related. I'm going on Friday to talk to my doctor about the whole thing. (Unfortunately, my doctor is pretty useless when it comes to most things, so I guess I'll either end up muddling along on my own or having to find a new doctor when things get serious enough.)

That was the culprit. I ate about half and started to feel sick and then it was all downhill from there.

In the middle of all that stuff, I had my annual, euphemistically named "Women's Wellness" visit with the gynecologist. That was about as pleasant as it ever is, but I managed to get through it.

So that's my week so far, high and low.