thanksgiving

I think I've decided that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.

Even more than Christmas.

We made our first turkey at Schmeichel Thanksgiving, ever.

Obviously, we tend to have pork instead of turkey.

We've HAD turkey at Schmeichel Thanksgiving before, but our family has never been the one to cook it. 

It looked and tasted great. 

All of the food was awesome. 

We spent the afternoon sitting around.

I worked on my paper when I got the motivation.

It's looking pretty good.

Almost ready to be edited by someone else, which is nice because I still don't have the information I need from my partner for my 6 page paper. 

I was expecting that. 

I imagine I'll be writing it on Tuesday night before it's due.

It's been pretty cold in SD, but the sun has been shining and I appreciate that. 

We'll hang around tomorrow yet.

We're planning on driving back to MKE on Sunday morning. 

We may be taking some "friends" with us...

strep

Final art piece made in my Materials class "studio day".

Doesn't feel like my migraine was THAT long ago, but here I am back in bed.

I might have strep. 

Not confirmed yet.

I went to the doctor this morning.

The rapid strep test came back negative, but she said that my throat looked bad enough that the culture might come back positive or there is some other infection.

I'm currently hitting the penicillin. 

Those "cold" symptoms I thought I had didn't stick, but around 5 pm yesterday afternoon a knot started building in my throat. By the end of my night class I could barely swallow. Ibuprofen and Tylenol got me through the night, but I knew I should visit the doctor if I was going to get better by Thanksgiving and be able to finish my final assignments.

So sadly, I'm losing a day to illness, but at least I didn't have any plans or class today anyway.

And nothing tomorrow.

I couldn't have planned my illness better if I had tried.

Honestly, I'm not at all surprised I'm sick.

Typical me.

1) Endure a great deal of stress.

2) Get a chance to take a break and rest my body.

3) Boom. Sick.

Some good news: I got the community art center internship for the spring!

She told me I got it by the end of our interview. 

And now I'm going to go sleep some more. 

Have a nice weekend!

gouache

New fun art medium: gouache. 

(gu-ah-sh) rhymes with squash.

Cross between acrylic and watercolor.

Looks and applies like acrylic.

Blends and finishes like watercolor.

(The finger is drawn in ink. Gouache background.)

Final practicum interview tomorrow!

I should have a spring placement decided within a week.

Can't wait for that to be over. 

I'm starting to feel like I'm getting a cold...or it's just the weather change affecting my throat. 

If it IS a cold, hopefully I can stave it off for two more weeks. 

I am SO excited for Thanksgiving and Christmas break. 

There will be many fantastic people to see and things to do. 

I'm essentially down two TWO more assignments.

(Not counting the painting for Emily because it's essentially done.)

Both due after I return from Thanksgiving.

Trying REALLY HARD to get them done the majority of them done before I leave.

The 8-10 pg. paper is on collage, which I enjoy, so hopefully I can do a good job of that. 

The 6 pg. paper will just not be fun no matter how you look at it. 

Career counseling is NOT want I want to do the rest of my life. 

I'm heading off to coffee with my Mennonite women. 

Nice way to end a full day of class.

CATE

- journal article review & presentation (Wednesday, 2 pages)

- career intervention & poster (Nov. 13, 5 pages)

- my life, my plan reflection paper (Nov. 20, 6 pages)

- career assessment, reflection & synthesis (Dec. 4, 6 pages)

EMILY

- psychotherapy/counseling paper (Nov. 14)

- painting (Dec. 12)

CHRIS

- materials paper (Dec. 4, 8-10 pages)

BRUCE

-media presentation (Nov. 18)

sourdough

I am currently enjoying a misty Saturday morning in MKE.

(Not raining yet.)

I've already walked to Rocket Baby Bakery to buy 2 loaves of sourdough.

One for us; one for tonight.

Then I had eggs, sourdough toast, raspberries and coffee for breakfast.

And now I'm deciding what household chores need to be accomplished before I climb back under the covers and get some reading done for my last research paper.

A nice, relaxing day, thus far. 

Yesterday was BUSY, but fun.

Two AT friends came over and we worked on our media project that is due on Monday.

We worked on it 10 am-4 pm, so we were wiped out by the end.

But we LOVED working on it and we're really proud of it.

We drank coffee, ate monkey bread, and other snacks to get us through.

Hopefully I can put it on the blog when it's finished. 

One of our group partners is out of town for the weekend, so we have a few things we need to add from her tomorrow night.

Can't wait to show it on class on Monday morning.

I also babysat last night from 6-10 pm. 

I am REALLY enjoying it because the kids are great, and fairly easy to handle. 

The photo above was actually from Thursday morning when I was making final edits on my theory paper.

That 8-10 pg. theory paper is now done and graded. 

I'm really excited to get the grade back on that one, because I worked really hard on it. 

She's going to give them back to us with corrections, and I can make those corrections and improve my grade if I want to...but if it's good enough, then I don't have to worry about it further. 

I have already started research on my last 8-10 pg. materials paper for the semester.

It's on collage, and all of its therapeutic benefits.

I do a lot with mixed media, so it's interesting to me.

Trying to get everything done that I possibly can before Thanksgiving, because I have a feeling that when I get home I will NOT want to do any homework. 

Tonight we're going to my professors house for a benefit concert/soup supper/fundraiser for the Global Alliance therapeutic arts program in Africa. 

My friends, Ben and I are helping to cook some soup, and then eat it. 

Nice to have my huge projects out of the way and just be able to enjoy myself for the evening. 

light

Red Dot - Our new favorite spot to get poutine 2 blocks from our house.

Light at the end of the tunnel!

Presented my poster today.

Handing my theory paper in tomorrow, which I still need to make a few revisions on, but it's basically finished.

I'll be wrapping that up tomorrow morning, because I'm currently exhausted. 

Wednesdays are long and busy.

So I updated my to-do list below!

It is cold here, so I decided Ben and I need a big bowl of pho. 

After we work out...

I have not been doing a good job staying active this past week. 

Soooo much on my mind and schedule. 

But exercise is part of self-care so I'm going to go make that happen. 

Getting really excited to head home for Thanksgiving!

CATE

- journal article review & presentation (Wednesday, 2 pages)

- career intervention & poster (Nov. 13, 5 pages)

- my life, my plan reflection paper (Nov. 20, 6 pages)

- career assessment, reflection & synthesis (Dec. 4, 6 pages)

EMILY

- psychotherapy/counseling paper (Nov. 14)

- painting (Dec. 12)

CHRIS

- materials paper (Dec. 4, 8-10 pages)

BRUCE

-media presentation (Nov. 18)

lakefront

Lakefront Brewery tour was a success!

A great tour, and so much fun with friends.

Not to mention the fact that we RANDOMLY saw the Regier family visiting from Kansas (Jenny's parents and sister) at the brewery and then they were ON OUR BREW TOUR WITH US.

It turns out that Margo goes to school in Beloit, Wisconsin, so they came to visit Milwaukee for the day.

Crazy!

So I guess I'm back to reality.

Today was SUPER BUSY.

Random note: It snowed today! Started out as rain/slush. Turned into fluffy/pretty snow. Will likely melt in another day or two. 

Registered for all of my classes this morning.

It was a little bit of a mess.

The registration site was not quite working right, some information was incorrect, and I also had to go to the business office right at 8:00 am to turn in a silly sheet of paper so that I could take the hold off of my ability to register. 

I was able to register by 8:05 am, and secured all of the time slots I needed...

including a weekend course about art therapy with Native Americans.

I don't know about my spring practicum yet, but I've basically got summer and fall practicum nailed down.

Looks like I'll be interning at a huge hospital/oncology unit in MKE for both of those semesters.

Not required to have two semesters, but I hear that it really helps if you can get used to the place. 

I think I could use a little stability amidst all of the chaos.

And the supervisor seems phenomenal. 

My friend, Ian, recommended her as a good practicum option.

Some of us went for a tour/visit this afternoon and she was already being a great mentor. 

Can't wait to work with her in that space!

So things are starting to slowly fall together...and after Thursday things should be looking nice and peachy. 

Busy project/paper day tomorrow...but I'm almost there!

chaos

It's going to be chaotic for about one more week. (Which is what the painting above is about.)

Practicum interview on Monday.

Student success center appointment to review paper with tutor & babysit on Tuesday.

(Our professors strongly urge/sort of require us to have our papers reviewed and revised before turning them in.)

I have to create a professional looking poster/presentation by Wednesday.

8-10 page theory paper due on Thursday.

Still have to attend classes somewhere in there.

Amidst all of that business I'll be editing a movie/media group project that is due the following Monday, which is what the picture above is from. 

One week from now things will be significantly calmer.

I just had a practicum site interview this morning.

It went very well, but don't really know if it will be "the one" for this spring.

I have 2 more interviews.

Trying to get one more scheduled.

I'm not really talking about them on the blog because we've had plenty of education and warning about confidentiality and the Internet. 

So I just best not talk about names of the places and too many details. 

First site is with an inpatient psychiatric adolescent unit. 

Second one is an adolescent community arts-based center. 

Last one is an adults/oncology unit. 

I might be able to share small, vague things here and there in the future, but if you really want to know you're just going to have to ask me. 

Don't really know if I will have the opportunity to do all of them, but here's hoping. 

In spite of the practicum/homework stress, I am SO happy that it's Friday.

A bunch of AT students and significant others are going on the Lakefront Brewery tour tomorrow afternoon. 

It will be a WONDERFUL break from such a crazy time in the semester. 

Have a nice weekend!

shaving cream prints

Above is a print we pulled using SHAVING CREAM and tempera paint!!!

It is about the best activity I've learned at school thus far.

Despite getting 9 hours of sleep last night I am pretty tired right now.

Must be school starting to wear on me. 

Had class from 9am-1pm, followed by a trip over to the Bayshore Mall to watch Ben at work with Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra. 

They had ALL of the groups play at the mall ALL day long. 

Ben left at 7:30 am...

It's almost 7:00 pm and he still isn't back. 

Michelle came with me because she lives close to this mall, so we went back to her house afterwards and walked her adorable shiba inu (dog) down to the lake and back. 

I think it was VERY good self-care on our part.

I'm so glad I didn't come home right away and start working on homework. 

I needed a break.

And now I'm going to get back to reading because I've got a busy week ahead. 

Feels like a mad dash to Thanksgiving. 

Good luck to you all. 

superman goggles

Here are my superhero medical glasses that I made in class today.

(I glued comics to the glasses.
I did not draw the pictures.
I DID draw on the puff paint.
Yes, I have a very steady hand.
Thank you.)

Today was Day 2 of my Child/Medical weekend class.

9-4 pm.

Love it.

Super sad and depressing, but obviously there's really good and important AT work being done in hospital settings.

We're lucky that the teacher is amazing and gives us uplifting activities to combat all of the depressing stories.

She makes me wish I was working at her hospital for my practicum...but she requires two semesters, and I want a little more variety. 

(We have 3 practicums total. One per semester, except our first and last semester.)

I am pretty tired because it took awhile to fall asleep last night, and then I had to get up early to be in class all day.

Going to exercise, do some homework, and stay at home and rest, which sounds like SUCH a good plan for tonight. :)