Three week update and Newf News!

Now that things are slowing down a bit I've had time to create some new cards. Rather than pressing flowers or leaves into cards, I decided to print images on the paper I make. Fortunately it soaks up the ink really well. I really like how they've turned out and am busy at work on some completely new images.

In other news, I was asked to review a manuscript for publication. Finally I get to use my PhD for something directly relevant! I am a little curious how it came to be that I was asked to review a paper instead of the hundreds or so other PhDs out there who are far better known. In truth, it feels great to be asked to provide an expert opinion on the quality of a piece of research. My non-academic day job certainly doesn't offer much of what would pass as respect. That is one of the things about academia that I took for granted. Pretty much everyone respects everyone else at some level. Being asked to review a manuscript means someone respects my opinion. Lately that feels like a refreshing drink after walking through a desert.

I've got to get as much done as I can in the next 6 weeks because we are expecting! A puppy. In a few weeks we'll be going to visit the family Katy came from so we can pick out the puppy we like. They have 2 black females. She won't be able to come home with us until she's 8 weeks old. I know it will be a ton of work. It's happening earlier than we'd like. I wanted to have one arrive sometime in October when the weather is cooler, but the female became pregnant earlier than everyone anticipated (thanks to a very eager male) so she'll be coming home sometime around the 4th of July. Katy will have a little sister who really is her sister! She'll be coming with us to meet the puppies too. I think it will be fun to see her doggy family. I wonder what she'll think of so many newfies! She seems to recognize them when she seems them, or just goes bananas over big shaggy black dogs that drool a lot. Either way, it will be a riot I'm sure.

She is the inspiration for one of the new cards I'm creating. And maybe just maybe one of these days I'll have time to draw some more monkeys. But for now, I'm hoping these will be the catch of the day for Father's Day.