No Strings Attached

Posted By Kathleen David on September 8, 2013

I actually got into a discussion of Logan’s Run last week at Dragon Con. Since then I have had the phrase Last day. Capricorn 15’s. Year of the city – 2274. Carousel begins stuck in my head. That was one of my first “adult” movies that I saw when it came out in 1976.

I know that fifty is not the end. Considering all that ways we have to keep ourselves healthy, not by a long shot. But it is a milestone and I have basically ignored the previous ones except when I was 10. At 20, I was stage managing and had a show on my birthday. I had a nice dinner with my folks later. At 30, I was stage managing one show and rehearsing another so my plate was super full. At 40, I had a one year old running around the house at top speed. But 50 feels different to me. It has gotten me to reflect on a lot of things in my life and appreciate how blessed I have been through out my life.

Today I am going to my step-daughter’s wedding to be a witness to her exchanging vows with her beloved. Much later this evening we are driving home from Boston back home because Caroline’s first day of school is tomorrow.

Tomorrow probably a little later than usual I will post my letter to myself on my birthday which I have done the past couple of years. In the one in the envelope there is an extra page that is just for me. I will also be writing the letter to myself to be opened next year and boy do I have a lot to say. I also have to write the letter to my 60 year old self. I did find the one I wrote at 40 in my filing cabinet. I will open it tomorrow.

If I were going to pass one piece of advice onto my younger selves it would be take care of yourself and your body. You only get one of those and it is up to you to maintain it. That and let things go. Don’t dwell on every error or mistake in your life because you have so many that you thought were the end of the world but it turned into where you needed to be and when to be where you are now with the life you have now. That and buy Apple stock.

I am grateful for every experience I have had in my 40s both good, bad and neutral.

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Posted By Kathleen David on September 7, 2013

I met Ann at some southern science fiction convention. She wouldn’t remember the encounter but I did. I was working the Art Show and she asked me directions to a panel room. I gave her the short cut and she thanked me. Why do I remember this? Because my friend who was working the Art Show with me came up and said, “Do you know who that was? That was A C Crispin! I loved Yesterday’s Son.”

Fast forward a number of years later and I am attending Shoreleave as Peter’s girlfriend for the first time. Peter introduces me to Ann and we chat for quite a while about all kinds of things. From that meeting a friendship was formed.

A couple of years later I am working at Del Rey books and my boss forwards me an e-mail from Ann inquiring about something for “Writer Beware”. I find the information and get it to Ann. After that it was agreed that I was the go to person for this sort of info because I was so good at finding it and I was in charge of the mail for most of Del Rey. I would alert Ann to things that I thought were fishy and give her some information that she requested. When we were at conventions we would usually catch up on family first and then delve into the publishing industry and Writer’s Beware.

I found out from a friend that Ann was fighting cancer. I didn’t say anything publicly since she hadn’t and this was a private matter. I kept up with what was happening and would make a point of talking to her when we were at conventions together.

I was quite sad when she posted up on her Facebook that she was nearing the end of her days. I don’t think any of us, except her immediate family, knew how close.

Ann was a very passionate person. She believe in what she was doing to help writers not get ripped off which this day and age is getting harder and harder. She loved writing and teaching writing to others. She was a great teacher as many of her students who have gone onto professional careers can attest. She was a fighter. When she got the bit in her teeth she was all in and woe betide the individual or company that was opposing her.

I will always treasure her friendship, advice, and kindness. If she had been born in the deep south, I would call her a steel magnolia.

My sympathies to her family and friends. Know that we will all miss her and her zest for life.

I am grateful that I could count Ann among my friends.

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Posted By Kathleen David on September 6, 2013

And it is a busy weekend. Today I should being going into the city with Peter and Caroline to his signing at Jim Hanley’s Universe. Sunday is Gwen’s wedding. Monday I turn 50.

Today is laundry part 2 and house cleaning including the cat boxes which need to be done before we leave again. At least the temperature is better today than the last time I had to clean the cat boxes. Along with all that is trying to get the house back into shape post Dragon Con.

Never did say but the Phluzzies sold in the Art Show this year. I will have Rumpelstilksin and Mr. Gold with me at NYCC this year along with a couple of other puppets for sale. Might even get Loki done by then and possible Mystique. We’ll see.

I figure it is going to take me another week to get things back to an even keel.

NFL football has started! I am so happy. Congratulations to Peyton Manning for tying his record for the number of touchdown passes in a game. Ravens have got to get it together.

When we were leaving Atlanta, there was a billboard about buying post season tickets for the Braves to which Peter sighed and said must be nice. We keep getting promises of a rebuild team but it just isn’t happening.

Coffee is goooood.

Have to remember to stretch today. I find when I do, I feel better the next day. Sifu Gus is right.

One of the things I like about the Dragon Con Puppetry track (one of the MANY things) is that I get to hang with my fellow puppeteers and bounce ideas off of them. Also I get to meet so many amazing people in the industry. We are a small group but we have a lot of passion. I am already sorting out things for next year a week after doing my first panel and the first panel for the track.

Another cool thing to come out of the summer is that I have been e-mailing astronauts about various topics and getting replies to my questions. I loved my time at the Johnson Space Center and everyone I met. Resources are good things.

Stalin and Millie are curled up with me and Figgy is planted at Caroline’s hip right now.

Project Runway is not holding my attention as much as I had hoped it would. Right now I am enjoying Face-Off more than PR including the costumes. It is not the contestants although the drama is off the charts but the challenges that make it feel like I am watching an hour and half ad for some product or company. Sponsorship is fine but this is getting a little over the top. I am cheering for Roy on Face-Off even with his big miss this past week.

The one thing I can say that I have learned over the years, which was accelerated after Caroline entered my life, is don’t dwell on the piddling stuff. It is just not worth it and takes a lot of energy away from things that need to be taken care of. Also I agree with George Bernard Shaw when he said “A life making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spend doing nothing” and “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” I have had the grand good fortune to be able to play both as a child and an adult. Silly is still in my vocabulary. And some of those mistakes that seem like the end of the world at the time, can turn into the best thing that ever happened to one.

I am grateful for all the play in my life.

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Posted By Kathleen David on September 5, 2013

I do have an answer that makes sense to me. Unpacking includes putting things away. I can remember as a child that it took me less time to set up things to play with than it did to put them away. Or at least that was my perspective. What are your feelings on the matter?

For the new folks who are reading this web log for the first time I give you a few housekeeping notes. Tuesdays are Crafty Tuesday where I talk about crafting in all its glory. I have a set of essays called Conventional Wisdom about going to conventions and the like. The reason I started this thing was to keep my family and friends updated on my life and Caroline’s life. It has morphed since then into more than that and I am rather proud of it.

Today is partially about the clean up post convention and partially getting things like Caroline’s school supplies, the tickets out to those who are coming to my birthday celebration, and the larder restocked. I also need to restock the larder, which I allowed to reduce a lot because we were going out of town especially the perishables.

I am counting down in my head the number of days between now and my birthday. The next thing on my docket is Gwen’s wedding which is this weekend. Then Monday is my birthday and Tuesday is my birthday party. Monday is also Caroline’s first day of school.

So off I go onto the next thing that needs to get done. Today is a one to the other dot kind of day. Which includes unpacking.

I am grateful for all the stuff I get put away today.

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Posted By Kathleen David on September 4, 2013

We are home. The trip back was easier than the trip down. For one thing we didn’t take 2 hours to go 10 miles. The cats were happy to see us and are now to the usual blasé behavior of “oh you are here”.

I am still processing Dragon Con. There is a lot to process.

I would like to say a big old Thank You to all the staff and volunteers. Y’all rock and roll. Dragon Con would not be what it is without you.

I would like to say Thank You to Everyone who was part of the Puppetry track. That includes all the members who came to see the panels and gave us such good feedback. I love spending the weekend with my tribe of fellow puppeteers. As exhausting as it is, it does recharge me and remind me why I do this. I will have something for the puppet slam next year. I have two to three ideas already.

I would like to say Thank You to Everyone at the Art Show. It is so nice to go and set up and know that things will be taken care of. Caroline wanted me to tell you that she had a blast looking at all the art and it have given her lots of ideas for her art. I look forward to participating next year.

I would like to say Thank You to my Family and Friends. It was so nice to see you. I am sorry I didn’t have more time to talk to each of you. And Thank You to everyone who came by rib night. We had as much fun as you did. Sorry I had to go to a panel but it turned out to be a really good panel that was packed.

I would like to say Thank You to the Costuming Track folks and my fellow judges. The workmanship contest worked again due to y’all. I am just the person who tries to keep the trains running on time. And Thank You to everyone who entered. It was amazing to see what y’all had this year and you made it very hard. Shout out to Crossed Swords for MCing the contest again. They do such a great job and never get enough credit. To everyone who attended our panels, Thank You.

I met a lot of cool people. I made new friends. I got a cool dagger for my birthday.

Best Dragon Con EVER!

I am grateful for Dragon Con and all the people who make up Dragon Con.

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