No Strings Attached

Posted By Kathleen David on March 13, 2017

We always seem to have one of these. They happen in March and we always seem to be surprised by it. I think by this point once the calendar says March, we should start counting down to this snow-pocalypse.

Last week’s snow storm was annoying especially after the hint of spring weather before the snow hit. The winds have been so strong this month that Peter’s flight last Thursday was cancelled and he had to redo his travel plans to get to the Lexington comic book convention.

This week we have a blizzard warning north and west of us however, unlike the other storms this season, we will be getting a big miss from the terrible snow totals for 6 to 12 with high winds.

So today has been all about battening down the hatches here. Got an oil delivery. Got the village approved salt. Got the larder restocked. Shovels have been moved into place. Car cover goes on after I get Caroline from rehearsal. Then we hunker down and just wait it out. We just got a notification that Caroline’s school is cancelled for tomorrow. The local officials are declaring a state of emergency allowing them to dictate who can be out and when.

Now we wait to see what happens. If the front moves south, then we get it in the teeth again. If it stays then we get slushy mix of snow/sleet/rain, which will be a pain to shovel.

I am grateful for that which got done today.

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Posted By Kathleen David on March 8, 2017

Whelp, I broke Lent. Or rather I found myself back on social media when I vowed not to be. It started innocently enough. I was taking care of a page that I am in charge of because we have a project that we are getting ready to announce. Then I was keeping up with Len Wein’s surgery for his neck which lead me to some other things I hadn’t looked at and down the rabbit hole I went.

I feel bad about it but I am just going to continue to try to do what Caroline and I agreed to do. She has been golden about her Lent so far, but then that’s honestly Caroline. She decides that she is going to do something and she has control of it, she does it.

Peter is off to Kentucky this weekend for the Lexington Comic and Toy Convention. He leaves tomorrow evening so that’s a set of things that have to be done including pre-bowling for my league.

This weekend Caroline and I are already making plans for what we are going to do with it. I see Nifflers in our future. I need to finish banging out that pattern.

There are a number of other things that I need to start up again now that we are back from vacation. Motivation has been a fickle thing at best but I will pull it together. I am proud that I have kept the kitchen chaos down to a dull roar.

I am watching Face Off as is Caroline. She is really interested in this new show that they are doing about cos-play or as I call it costumes. Never really warmed up to the term cos-play but use it where needed because it has become the go to when describing what people do at conventions. Caroline has so many ideas of things she wants to do in that realm.

So restart on the social media blackout and try to get things done. New mantra.

I am grateful for things that are getting done.

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Posted By Kathleen David on March 7, 2017

At the most recent convention I went to, Farpoint, an acquaintance of mine was looking over the Doctor Strange puppet. She made the comment that she enjoyed seeing that my skills have improved over the years. That 15 years ago, I probably could not have made the puppet that I made last year. And she is right.

Bill Sienkiewicz starts each day just drawing a few things for warm up and practice. He is not the only artist I know that does that. Part of it is to get the work flowing but part of it is to continue to hone his skills as an artist. Not every drawing is perfect but it is in the imperfections that you learn. And Bill’s imperfect work out strips most people’s really good work by a mile.

Part of the process of getting better at something is to do it repeatedly. I don’t know many puppet builders who haven’t sewing something in backwards or had to scrap a puppet halfway through because the form just wasn’t working correctly. You learn from those and something that might have to be scrapped at one point can turn into a head start on another puppet. I find myself sewing fewer collars into shirts incorrectly because I have done it so many times now that I know how to make sure I have everything right way around.

It doesn’t mean I don’t have my Ah! moments. This past year I finally figured out that if I write top and bottom on the mouth plate after I sew the puppet skin to it, I don’t put in the foam skull upside down which can be a major problem.

How long does it take me to make a simple hand and rod puppet? I have it down to four hours with a shirt but it can’t go much lower than that because there is just a certain amount of time that goes into sewing the puppets which is never going to reduce. Hand sewing is always going to take longer than machine and there are some parts that have to be sewed on by hand.

Doesn’t mean I don’t still learn tricks from my fellow puppeteers. One of the reasons I enjoy DragonCon so much is to be able to talk construction with my fellow puppeteers. People come up with cool solutions to various problems that I can use to make my puppets better. I have learned about glues and ways to use tools that I have in new and interesting ways. I can come with a problem I am working on and someone has an idea of how to solve it.

When I go into making a puppet, there are parts that I know so well I think I could do them in my sleep. Those skills I have cold. But each puppet presents me with new things to think about. How am I going to do their hair or clothing? Getting them to look right to my eye is probably harder than getting them to look right to others because I can see all the flaws and imperfections but others only see the finished product.

I have been building puppets for a long time and hope to do so for many years to come. I don’t think I will ever be done learning what I can do with them and how I can make them better. Each one teaches me something even though it may be the same as the one before it.

I am grateful that my skills are continuing to grow.

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Posted By Kathleen David on March 6, 2017

Last week was a bit of a wash. I did get some things done but not as much as I would like. Funny that Caroline felt the same.

This week has its challenges including Peter going to a convention this next weekend and losing an hour’s sleep on Saturday.

I think a list and a little planning is in order along with some time for the unknown to change the entire plan.

I am hoping to show at LunaCon but I don’t know if there is space available. I have a few pieces I can just put out there but I want to start to get ready for DragonCon now.

But first I have four puppets that need attention, which I am hoping that this week will bring to fruition. And a niffler, I really need to get cracking on the Niffler.

Panic is not a good motivator but it works entirely too well for me. I know I need to change that within myself and teach Caroline the same. She worries constantly that she is procrastinating. I need to get her to a point to see that she does as much as she can within a day and she has a lot to do within the day.

We came up with the sketch for DragonCon Puppet slam. It is going to take some work but not as much as other years. I think I can do all this in the time allotted. And there is going to be some serious thinking outside of the box.

I am not worried about that. I know that my skill set as an artist is getting better with each piece I make. I know I can do what my mind comes up with and that’s a good feeling.

I have another idea for an art piece that I might get done by LunaCon but not going to beat myself up if I can’t get it done. Paper manipulation.

The list today is kitchen, niffler, yarmulke, and magnets.

I am feeling motivated so let’s see what I can get done.

I am grateful for a feeling of confidence about what I am able to create.

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Posted By Kathleen David on March 5, 2017

Today is one of those milestone birthdays for my mom.

If you were to look up unselfish in the dictionary, you might find a picture of my mom there as an example. She is one of the most unselfish people I know. She is kind and giving in so many ways.

As a child if I needed her, I knew that she would be there for me. As a young adult, she stood by my side and let me live my life but was there when I screwed up with the help I needed to get to the next point in my life. She has supported me in so many ways.

She made sacrifices for her family so that we could be our best selves. She took the time to spend with us and get to know us as we grew up.

I can remember as a child after seeing the Wizard of Oz for the first time, she made me a flying monkey vest and wings that I put on and proceeded to hop from place to place trying to fly. I was obsessed with those monkeys but she took the trying to fly in stride and asked me not to break my bed please with all the jumping.

I remember the look on her face after I fell from some scaffolding while hanging lights for a show I was working on at Emory. I also remember how white her knuckles looked as she clutched her purse strap. She went to the emergency room with me and took care of me at home making sure that the lump on my head was not a concussion.

I remember her talking softly to my brothers and sister as she nursed them. She had a rocking chair that she still has that she used when she feed us. She knew how to sooth a fussy baby and proved that she still had that skill with each of her grandchildren.

She has always been there for us. She loves us and we know we are loved.

Having a child of my own just clarified for me how much she did do for me as I grew up. She is my shining example of how to be a good parent. If I hit something that I am not sure how to respond to my child, I think first what would Mom do and go from there.

She is retired from teaching but still helps out at Emory. She is part of a group that takes medical supplies that have had just a few pieces taken of the pack and repacks them for places that need these supplies desperately. She worked as a Master Gardener and answers peoples questions about plants and the like. She serves her church in many ways. I think she has been doing the church linens for over 30 years now and has clever ways to getting red wine out of white cloth.

I have friends who think of her as a second mom. She has helped them in so many ways over the years.

I feel very blessed that my mother is my mother. I love her with all my heart.

Happy Birthday Mom! I hope the day brings you lots of lovely things.

I am so very grateful to have my mother in my life.

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