No Strings Attached

Posted By Kathleen David on April 5, 2018

I had to look at the calendar to figure out what day of the week it is. Caroline being home for Spring Break is throwing my time sense off. I should have remembered it was Thursday since Peter bowled in his league last night and I will be bowling tonight.

Peter and I are hard at work on the “They Keep Killing Glenn” anthology. I am also hard at work to finish my short story that I want to put in the anthology. I think that may be most of the rest of the day except those things we need to do today.

The snow prediction has turned to a rain prediction as the area is warming up and staying warmed up. I am hoping for no more snow until next Winter but I am not holding my breath. I am seeing the beginnings of the flowers poking their leaves out.

Caroline is dealing with the mountain of homework she has to finish because of the various field trips she has been on recently. The next one is Thursday and Friday at Hoffstra and the robot competition. They are a lock to go to Nationals but they want better placement for that. So she is working hard to keep up with her academics.

It is also already the 5th of April, which means the year is moving rather fast for me. Or rather that is the way it feels. Time to make the puppets and get ready for DragonCon.

I am grateful for sensible schedules.

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Posted By Kathleen David on April 3, 2018

Eight years ago I took, what is so far, my last Wendy Froud doll making class. For three days I did nothing but make a doll that had a critter theme (think Froud goblins). During that time I made some new friends, caught up with old friends, and learned a bunch of different things both from Toby and Wendy and my fellow classmates. I walked out with the doll I am proudest of from all the workshops I have done with Wendy.

That was three creative days without having to worry about anything but making that doll. Fine for a workshop which is a limited amount of time but less likely to happen when one gets home.

I can carve out some time in the day to do nothing but work on my art. This does not happen every day nor can it.

In a workshop, there is not the worry about the dishes in the sink or the laundry that needs to be done or the cat boxes that must be cleaned now. Meals don’t have to be made. You aren’t worry if it is garbage day or recycling day or gym day. The only picking up you are doing is after yourself.

In real life, all these things need to be done and more.

I have a husband and a daughter that need my attention during the day. There are appointments that need to be met like today Caroline has a scheduled Doctor’s appointment. Later in the week Peter has two appointments and I have one.

Right now I am trying to get rid of sugar ants that have invaded my kitchen. I think I am getting on top of it but I am still trying to figure out where they are coming from. So that has been taking time out of my day.

Caroline is home this week from school for her Spring Break which changes how the week works. Her social calendar for the week involved driving her from friend to friend which is a good thing in my book. She has friends and they want to spend time with each other.

Peter just got back from a convention so there are things that need to happen to reintegrate the travel materials.

I also have to clean up from Scruffington and reset for the next set of projects. I need to make bodies. Lots and lots of bodies. I think I am going to do this in lots of six.

So I step back and make a plan that involves my life around me and make time for what else life decided to throw at me (and right after I typed this, one of the cats threw up a huge hairball which I went to clean up before sitting down with this again).

Workshops are fun but the time at them is in a bubble unaffected by life happening around the artist. Life happens and we have to live it. Dealing with the curve balls tossed in one’s direction is something that has to be done. It may take away from what we want to do but that’s life.

I am grateful for my creative time in workshops and my creative time out here in real life.

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Posted By Kathleen David on April 2, 2018

We have snow outside and it keeps falling increasing the amount on the ground. Which is a contrast to yesterday when I was running around outside in my shirt sleeves. I thought because we had a couple of warm days that sticking on the roads would not happen. Boy was I wrong. It is at least an inch an hour and we have a number of hours to go.

Last night we watched Jesus Christ Superstar on NBC. Both Peter and I agree that it was the best of the ‘live’ shows that the Networks are doing. Alice Cooper has played Herod before (1996) and he brings his over the top performance to the role giving us a jewel to watch. But it is hard to screw up that song since it is probably one of the best in the show. Best role in the show is not Jesus but Judas and Brandon Victor Dixon did an excellent job of it. John Legend did a fine job as well bringing his vocal skills to play taking some of these songs to new heights. Over all it was a nice interpretation of the musical.

Caroline and I celebrated Easter together with Eggs Benedict and Easter Baskets. Peter got back from his convention in good time and ahead of the weather. It was nice to have our family back together.

Today is an around the house day. There is nothing that we need to do outside the house and with the snow falling I don’t think it is possible to get out on the road safely.

Start with the list of things to do and see where I get.

I am grateful that I know that Spring is happening somewhere.

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Posted By Kathleen David on April 1, 2018

Which is a complicated day since it is Easter Sunday and April Fool’s Day and the third day of Passover and a couple of other religious holidays. Very busy day.

The weather has decided to join in the April fun and we have yet another winter storm headed our direction that might or might not drop up to 4 inches of snow on us. I am hoping that the weather moves north and it was a big April Fool’s joke on us. I am ready for it since the larder is stocked. The cat boxes are clean. And everything is ready from salt to shovels. The only thing we need to do is cover the car which we will do later.

Peter is coming back today which is a good thing because chances are not as great for getting back tomorrow. Think good travel thoughts for him. He has been having fun being part of the Bard Tower. Nice to have a group who has your back.

I am taking everything I read today as not real. If anything is real, it will still be real tomorrow. So far the Krispy Kreme is the head of the pack with the Homer Simpson donut. Although the face hugger snorkel mask from Think Geek is a close second.

Today I plan to finish killing Glenn for the anthology. We have a bunch of dynamite stories by both seasoned and new authors so it is going to be fun.

I am grateful for my ability to recreate my Mother’s Eggs Benedict.

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Posted By Kathleen David on March 31, 2018

Yesterday I bought a set of wire shelves on sale to put in the bathroom to solve our towel issue which has been an issue for a number of years but I now have a solution that will work for everyone.

And that will be most of today. Putting things in order is the theme.

There are a number of projects that have to be done in a certain order to get everything in place.

Somewhere in there is going to be Easter Egg dying but first I have to put the kitchen back together from the last attack of the sugar ants. Those ants have been a really pain and I have been fight them for a couple of days. The only plus is that this morning there were not as many and they seem to be leaving.

I have my idea solidified for the Dragon Con Puppet Slam. It will either work or I will go down with a project I am proud of. There is one spanner in the works that I have to plan for. I might try to get this done by Shoreleave and try it out there.

The DragonCon Art Show is the same way. I figure the more I get done before we start traveling everywhere, the better.

May be it is the change in the weather, but my organization skills have come roaring back so I need to use them now.

My one request is that we have Spring for a while rather than just jumping into the Summer heat.

I am grateful for Spring in the Air.

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