Been coloring in a bunch of stuff. Not quite there on all fronts, but moving there. It has been a wild week with Erich being out and the workload (normally running both of us quite ragged--) was on my shoulders. So, its been a bit harried. We are just two-- Alex and me today with Rob and Kitty down in Philadelphia for an interview at Tyler School of Art and the portfolio showing. Kitty, Rob and I worked on her portfolio yesterday--collecting scans and uploading them to a site Kitty was designing on Wix.com. Wix is pretty cool as it is pretty intuitive and has a bunch of flash./animation that you can upload your images/content to. Plus, its free. Kitty took to it easily--and was in business in no time. After a bit of tweaking, she got the bones of the design up--and it will go live this week to upload with the Common App. Next step, all sorts of essays for Hartford, Tyler and Hampshire. Oy.
All of us went to Mt. Saviour Monastary to hear my father in law speak on the design of the monastary and the dynamics surrounding that. He did a great job--and it was good for Kitty and Alex to see him in this context. Alex was struck by Ron's love and passion for architecture and was impatient to be charged up about something/anything. As you all know, sometimes passion is something that comes on slowly, about things that you least expect to be passionate about. Or, you find as you peck away persistently at something that you may just need to do, you find passion in the pecking or even passion in what is being pecked. Passion can be unexpected--and those things that you find that you love can be of the moment or for the span of your life--changing and growing as you do. Ron was eloquent and spoke from the heart--it was a family moment for all.
Alex and i had some good car time--with his telling me about things on his mind, issues, people --his likes and dislikes often with more passion than what even he thought he had. It was good to spend time together syncing our heads--and having him open up to me more than he usually does. Now there is homework on his side and present wrapping for Christmas on mine. So much to do before Thanksgiving--work/presents/cards and kids. Early to bed tonight. Much excitement in store tomorrow including work in powerpoint (yikes).