Guttenberg

Back home for Spring Break! Yesterday evening my parents dropped me off next to the Mississippi and I adventured around Guttenberg. Above are some photos from my walk. It's a town that stirs significant memories like league soccer games, picnics with my grandparents, and my brother skipping rocks at waterside. Mom and dad treated me to a huge cheeseburger and chocolate shake afterwards at the Pup Hut on the way out of town. 

It's a day like this-- with temperature and sunshine of summertime, of waking at sunrise to watch it and listen to the birds rise too-- that readies me to move back here in a few months.

...Only then will fish flies be infesting Guttenberg... Can't have the river to ourselves I guess!

Their Lonely Betters

As I listened from a beach-chair in the shade
To all the noises that my garden made,
It seemed to me only proper that words
Should be withheld from vegetables and birds.

A robin with no Christian name ran through
The Robin-Anthem which was all it knew,
And rustling flowers for some third party waited
To say which pairs, if any, should get mated.

Not one of them was capable of lying,
There was not one which knew that it was dying
Or could have with a rhythm or a rhyme
Assumed responsibility for time.

Let them leave language to their lonely betters
Who count some days and long for certain letters;
We, too, make noises when we laugh or weep:
Words are for those with promises to keep.

W.H. Auden - Their Lonely Betters

Today

Happy International Women's Day, everybody! Above are photos from an annual International Women's Day party I've worked at now for three years. Each year for this, a different country is chosen and a ton of traditional food from that country is made. My favorite... the big bowl of cilantro rice, starfruit, and the coconut tres leches cake. 

Who's going out tonight? Or just staying in their bedroom? Whatevs, R0CKTH3LIP$... http://rockthelips.tumblr.com/


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For day three of workshop today, the students made backdrops, wrote scripts, and chose music for their short video performances they'll be doing with their puppets. One puppet's t-shirt reads "FCC TAKE A HIKE" and the performance is entitled "What Do You Want?". The other performance is entitled "Never Betray Lent" and is about a puppet named Joey who drinks too much pop in his bedroom. Fantashtishk!



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Last but not least, it is officially my Spring Break so I'm enjoying the last bottle of Vieille Provision Saison Dupont, a Belgian Farmhouse Ale that my roommate's boyfriend kindly introduced my other roommate and me to. Highly recommended! The back of it reads:

"Brewed at one of Europe's last farmhouse breweries, in Hainaut province... This increasingly rare specialty originated before the age of refrigeration as a beer to be brewed in winter for summer drinking. The style required a beer sturdy enough to age in the bottle but refreshing enough to be enjoyed in warm weather. Saison Dupont fits this description perfectly, it has a big fruity bouquet, and dense head. The taste starts fruity but ends dry and very clean with a light, refreshing body." 

So with an open night ahead of me, will I fall asleep watching the first season of the Simpsons? Will I go soul dancing at dance party? Will I just sit on my floor in the silence of Spring Break? WHO KNOWS... 


CHEERS!!!

Prairie Forge

"Nestled in the timbers of northeast Iowa, Ted Schuster of Prairie Forge crafts world class custom metal work. From custom made furniture to elegant wine racks, Prairie Forge puts the marks of a master craftsman into every piece."- Accent Studio

My dad had worked at Prairie Forge with Ted for five years, and this is how I was introduced to it. It is a wonderful place and business. Whether you're there in the middle of a cold Iowa winter or hot Iowa summer, you leave with rosy cheeks and a sweaty forehead from the heat of the metal all around you. I guarantee you also leave in a good mood because of how special the place is and the people are. Here is a nice video that Accent Studio made of Prairie Forge: 

http://accentstudio.org/video/36881949

Sunday

Theisens in Dyersville

Today

A day that's demanded scrambling all over campus and of course the rain has been constant.. But now that I'm relaxing (and listening to THE TANKS new record "Epic Loads" -- get yours at the Record Collector!), I realize that the rain had, for the most part, kept me attentive and grounded all day.

Today was the first of our Methods workshop, and it went so great. I have two students in my class, one who is very into Godzilla and the other student, music. I've done a 180° from how I was  originally planning on taking the class, but I couldn't be more happier about this. They're coming up with ideas left and right, and I'm totally looking forward to the next 9 weeks.

The first picture is of my classroom and the second is of my silly rod puppet example for the students. The third picture is of my shadow in the rain tonight.   

Good'ay

A few projects I've been working on for my metals and painting classes! First, a copper and brass pendant to practice riveting, second, a copper pillbox to practice soldering, and third, an oil work in progress of the new biomedical building's construction site. 

All in all, I'm having fun, staying busy, and learning a ton. In ceramics, we just threw mugs on the wheel and are now throwing bowls. I made a breakthrough on Saturday and finally feel confident in my throwing skills. Next week, my Secondary Methods class begins teaching local secondary students in a workshop we've been planning since the beginning of the semester. The unit I'm teaching is puppetry.

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Now, time for a sandwich and a beer before a long night of lesson plan writing and studio time. I've pushing myself to go go go and do do do so that my weekend is open for not 1, not 2, but 3 of my good buddies' birthday celebrations and THE TANKS record release show at Gabe's. Hope your week is solid so far and that you're remembering to treat yourself!