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After our group time at the DMA yesterday, my students each chose a work to observe, contemplate, and write about. One artist, whose works sat on display in the new Center for Creative Connections, had created a bust of herself by licking chocolate and another by bathing with soap. One of my students chose this combo to consider, so she showed up today with a chocolate bar for each of us. Then she read us her handwritten note in which she mimicked a pre-teen girl (OMG! OMG! OMG!) who gave new meaning to "busted yourself." Today was the last day of class. I'll miss my band of nine.

While they sat hard at work yesterday, I slipped into one of the galleries to see the special exhibit, "Bluebonnets and Beyond: Julian Onderdonk, American Impressionist." Though Texas leaves something to be desired during July and August, every April blankets of bluebonnets cover medians, and cars line the shoulders where folks have hopped out with their gussied-up kids to take photos in the blue stuff. Onderdonk captured it well.

In today's news... We've nearly passed the halfway mark on our trip to Kenya! Thanks so much to those who've helped make this possible. To follow our progress, you can watch the thermometer rise (scroll down). We'll update every Friday afternoon. We found out today that immunizations will run about a thousand bucks for the three of us, so the financial report we received a few hours later encouraged us a lot.