Aww, poor Dihtri blog. She has been neglected and unkept. It’s alright though. She is very forgiving and knows that I’ve been working very hard on another blogging endeavor and is not jealous at all. Not one bit! I’ve been focusing more of my energy on Earth to Girl lately as well as my daily drawing challenge. Other than starting up my art blog, I’ve been very busy assimilating to the La Grande way of life. The house is purchased and the furniture is moved in, but the clothes are definitely not all unpacked, and the craft room is cluttered and still filled with unpacked boxes of books and art supplies, but there is enough room cleared and enough art supplies unpacked that I can still do art daily. I am finding new things to do and meeting new people and going out and socializing. There is still much to learn about living here, but I consider this a great shift in my life and I look forward to the things to come.
January 21, 2010
Until this last weekend, I’ve managed to avoid the feeling of homesick, possibly because I’ve moved so much in my life that I can easily feel at home wherever I end up staying. On August 22, 2009 Misty, the long time feline member of Big Jim and Christy’s family was laid to rest. At times like these, I am one of the first people to know and to be right there with them spending time just being around them and offering my support and company. Until now, I am experiencing for the first time the burden of being more than just a skip away from good friends. Times like these make me realize how far away I am from the family and friends I left behind. At the same time, being so far away from the day to day obligations of friendship and family allows for more time to reflect upon how much they mean to me. Let the distance between us be shortened through our long lasting memories. Good bye Misty, you were a wise soul and a good friend.
In Remembrance of Misty Rivers
August 24, 2009
I’ve been living in La Grande, Oregon now for a couple weeks and I’m still living out of a suitcase. All my markers and my Visual Journal are packed away in storage until I rummage them out. I managed to keep a smaller blank journal out of storage so I’ve been drawing in that. To keep my creative juices flowing and keeping my addiction to color at bay, I’ve done a few digital paintings. Click on image to enlarge.
August 17, 2009
Thursday, July 30 at 2:12pm
has a doggy laying at her feet while she works.
Friday, July 31 at 10:28pm
Went to the fair and watched Way Cool Band and drank at beer garden. Also just saw a deer walking down the street.
Saturday, August 1 at 10:25am
Is up before noon despite last night’s shenanigans. Toted a cooler full of beer to the Moonlight Softball tournies. Met and heckled the locals, good times.
Saturday, August 1 at 5:55pm
is at Papa Murphy’s getting a fresh take&bake 5 meat stuffed pizza and cheese bread. Oh boy!
Saturday, August 1 at 7:29pm
is so full from pizza and cheese bread. Also had freshly picked apricots for dessert. 
Sunday, August 2 at 8:02pm
just came back from swimming in the Grande Ronde river and is now off to New York Richie’s for dinner.
Monday, August 3 at 9:28am
is enjoying her first Monday in La Grande, OR. It’s nice to be out of the repetitive loop.
Monday, August 3 at 8:25pm
has a little red on her from cherry picking at a friend’s orchard. 20 lbs of cherry goodness FREE!
Tuesday, August 4 at 4:13pm
is enjoying a nice warm rain and thunderstorm, her first since the move.
Tuesday, August 4 at 4:20pm
is now a little weirded out by this summer HAIL.
August 5, 2009
During the long drive from Costa Mesa, California to La Grande, Oregon, I entertained myself by texting updates to
Facebook. I thought it would be a nice accompaniment to the
pictures I took documenting my move.
Tuesday, July 21 at 3:44pm
had a wonderful going away lunch at the Montage with co-workers this afternoon.
Friday, July 24 at 6:07pm
Is having all you can eat Korean BBQ w/ mom & bro
Sunday, July 26 at 5:14pm
Is all packed up and Oregon bound, only a little over a day behind.
Sunday, July 26 at 9:03pm
just watched an amazing sunset on the I-5 north and is now looking at a bright crescent moon smiling down on her.
Monday, July 27 at 5:15am
is waking up every hour checking the window to see if the stuff on the truck and trailer is still there.. And Had a dream of drinking Rockstar energy drinks
Monday, July 27 at 3:58pm
had a nice quick lunch w/ Virginia in Davis in the middle of her finals week. Thanks for taking a quick break w/ us!!
Monday, July 27 at 6:31pm
just passed through Redding, CA.July 27 at
Monday, July 27 at 8:33pm
just passing the border entering into Oregon. Elevation 3000 ft
Tuesday, July 28 at 9:37am
Woke up early and had eggs (over hard) & yummy stuffed cheddar bacon hash browns at Shari’s in Rosenburg, OR. Ready for the home stretch!
Tuesday, July 28 at 12:54pm
is sight seeing at the Fry’s in Wilsonville, Oregon. *in awe*
Tuesday, July 28 at 2:17pm
is passing through downtown Portland. Only 256 miles to go!
Tuesday, July 28 at 4:31pm
Just met Herman the 70 yr old 400 lb sturgeon at the Bonneville Dam
Tuesday, July 28 at 7:15pm
is 1 hour away from her final destination and is craving fresh fruits and leafy vegetables.
Tuesday, July 28 at 8:29pm
has reached her final destination safely!
August 3, 2009
Last night, I started feeling the overwhelming sensation of my big transition to Oregon as I looked at a living room carpeted with a random array of open boxes brimming with my personal belongings. My loving boyfriend took down my wall of boxes and opened them up to see what all was inside. This was done Monday and I was alright with that. It didn’t bother me until a day later, Tuesday, when seeing the piles of boxes and random bits of paper, art supplies, and other uncategorized belongings was actually starting to affect me psychologically. I am a visual person and for a living, I arrange pictures and words together to convey one overall message. What I saw on the floor of my junior apartment was more than my mind could handle. Eventually, it all hit me at once as I tried to process every single bit of paper, every box, every writing utensil, office supply and random bag of things. I finally couldn’t function and found it tremendously difficult to do a simple task like sorting through 1 box and throwing away junk. There was an attempt to regain control as I ordered him to do some task for me. This breakdown of communication and function is similar to how a computer eventually loses the ability to function when too many programs are open and the video card is chugging away, trying to process all the information being accessed at once. I have yet to attack the rest of the stuff. Now I must pack my work desk and say good bye to this little corner of the office I will no longer be occupying 4 out of 5 days of the week.
July 22, 2009
I’m currently taking an online class called In the Fishbowl by Marisa Haedike from Creative Thursday. In this class, she talks about ways to be successful in making a creative career out of what we’re truly passionate about. I am now commited to take those first few steps on that creative journey and I’ll be uprooting from Southern California and moving to Oregon. I have lived in Southern California for almost 90% of my life from Los Angeles to San Deigo to Orange County. My moving to Oregon is one of the first biggest steps of the commitment I am making to my creativity and art. The first preliminary steps were to break away from the expectations of parents and family and get a graphic design degree. Working 5 years in the industry has taught me valuable lessons and now I feel like I can take those lessons and pick up some personal projects I’ve had on the back burners and revisit them again. Work has graciously allowed me to move to Oregon and telecommute. I can’t be more thankful for this opportunity. With the support of my loving boyfriend and my friends who keep in touch with me constantly no matter where they are in the world, and my family, I will be able to see where this creative journey will take me. It’s a scary step to move so far from my family and close knit group of friends. I couldn’t be where I am today without them, but now is the time to take this leap, spread my wings and soar, and see where I land.
July 21, 2009
