Early Adopter or Addict, you decide…

Posted on March 30, 2007 by Mary Beth Frezon

Well according to this article in today’s NYTimes, once again I am on the cutting edge of using technology.

How great is it that more people are exploring and enjoying video games on their computers! They are fun and challenging and good for your brain. Contrary to what is often said about them, they provide opportunities for community and socializing. Enjoy! I sure am.

And in similar news: Being able to install RAM in your computer without trouble or contortions…. great. (thanks Apple for sterling user-friendly design!) Being able to navigate in the World of Warcraft with ease… priceless! Amazing what a chunk of RAM and a new keyboard will do for your gaming pleasure.

I really enjoy online community and always have. What potential it has to bring people together who would never had the opportunity to meet and interact! And what a wonder that all the normal barriers are removed from the equation, or can be: age, race, gender, looks etc. What do they matter? Certainly there are clues along the way, often language hints that indicate age etc but in reality I don’t care if you’re 14 or 40 if you are fun to work with in WoW. If you’re an idiot, likewise it doesn’t matter. But it wouldn’t matter in real life either.

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Turning of the Season

Posted on March 29, 2007 by Mary Beth Frezon

Noting the coming of spring, despite our recent dump of 15 or so inches of snow, the turkey vultures have arrived back in town, right on schedule.  Well, not my local vultures yet, at least not that I’ve seen.  But over the Pine Bush in Albany, head gleaming in the not-so-warm spring sun…. Spring has arrived via some very large wings.

Another sure sign of spring?  The arrival of peeps in the shared food pile at work.  Sugar rush here we come.

What else is going on?  Lvl 65 mage-ness continues. One WoW friend has hit the big seven-oh and we are discussing how to do good in the World.  Personally, I’m going to outreach to every developing mage that I can, if they ask a question, if I see them out there etc.  Share info, chat up what’s happening, where to go, offer assistance.  I’ve started out by not just chatting but offering free lifts to pick up portals when they hit the right level.  Exciting to get and fun to do.

Meanwhile I’ve become an efficient, ruthless killing machine because of extended periods of leather-gathering.  What a difference practicing makes when it comes to actual, less predictable situations.  Like all things, and as I’ve long said about machine quilting (look!  a quilting reference!), practice makes the skill a part of you, not something you have to think about each time you do it. Less start up time if you have a down-time.

This is even true in my bread-making realm:  what started out as a life-threatening encounter with super-sticky wet rye dough turns, over time, into no big deal, slap that dough around without any problem and live to walk away with pretty un-sticky hands.

All good.  All good.
So get out there and do some more of what you enjoy! It’s good for you!

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Thankfulness

Posted on March 18, 2007 by Mary Beth Frezon

There are lots of things in the world to be thankful for — family, friends, food on the table, birds outside the window.  Here are a few special things to be thankful for this week:

FFAC raised a nice chunk of money for cancer research – $6716 to be precise, because of generous art donors and collectors.  Thanks to Scott who bought my little piece and to everyone who participated and a special shout out to Virginia – she gets my tireless instigator of the year award.

Virginia also has a nice blog and newsletter which included this gem:

I don’t think of myself as making art. I do what I do because I want to, because painting is the best way I’ve found to get along with myself. –Robert Rauschenberg

Oh yeah, that’s a keeper.

And a special thanks to the little elf who snow-blowed my driveway after I gave up last night.  I’d done about half of the plowed in end and was just too cold and winded to do more.  Not sure how I didn’t hear the snowblower, but I guess elven magic prevailed there.  I went out, was surprised and thankful and cleared off the 15 plus inches off my car, filled the bird feeders (now the birds are thankful too) and am back inside with only mildly nipped fingers.

All good.

Work and food on the table — excellent.   Dust bunnies — who cares?  Week vacation spent traveling around in Azeroth and Outland — priceless. Hurling arcane power at the forces of evil — truly something worth savoring.  If only it were that easy in the real world!

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Way to start the day

Posted on February 24, 2007 by Mary Beth Frezon

Nothing like an accordion joke to start the day off on the right note.

You may not want to admit it, but you know it’s true.

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FiberArt For A Cause

Posted on February 21, 2007 by Mary Beth Frezon

Virginia Spiegel is doing good work again, using the work of a group of artists under the heading of FiberArt For A Cause. One of those is yours truly, so wander over and support a good cause via her reverse auction.

FFAC raised a whole lot of money to benefit the American Cancer Society over the past couple years with postcard sales and this reverse auction. I’m honored to be invited to help this cause that’s close to my heart.

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