Posted By Kathleen David on September 25, 2010
Well a lot has happened in the past couple of days. The convention is very comfortable. We know the people running it so that’s always nice. We have a number of friends here which is also very nice. Peter’s daughter Shana and her husband came to see us which has been nice for both us and Caroline who got to spend some quality time with them.
On Friday I had the great privilege of interviewing Sophie Aldred. She is a very fine actress who played my favorite Dr. Who companion, Ace. Sarah Jane and Leela are up there but Ace just had something that pushed her ahead. We learned the origin of Ace’s costume along with how she got her Equity card. I was able to back her up on JNT’s office since I had been there as well. She also has a great interest in puppets and puppetry. I avoided leading the rest of the conversation down that path with I could have done.
Later that evening I got my chance to talk to Susan Ellison and Maggie Thompson who are two good friends of mine. We have each other’s backs. We caught up on this, that, and the other. It is nice to have a chat that rambles around a bit with friends. Peter showed up as Shana had taken Caroline swimming so he could hear Harlan talk. I joined him and we listened to Harlan work the room as only Harlan can work the room.
One of these happenstances of doing a convention with Ellison is that you know who you are probably going to see and some of these people we only see when we hang out with Ellison at a convention. But we have interacted with them for years. So they have watched the David girls grow up and know a lot of the same stories we do since they were there for such things as “Guava Paste is People” and “Free the Ellison Nine”. So there is a comradery there. We catch up on news and go from there.
Saturday has been a little looser with our time. Shana and Caroline along with Shana’s husband went off on their own adventure. Peter did panels. I listened to panels. We both went and listened to Harlan talk and had a very pleasant afternoon. I got to talk to Sophie a little more and showed her pictures of the puppets I have done. She loved them. I had started an Ace puppet but put it aside. I am going to finish it up and get it to her. The hard part got a little easier since I got a good picture of the jacket so I can re-create the pins and patched.
This evening we had the banquet which had good food and good companionship at our table. Harlan told a story or two with a lot of extra information in the middle. I took Caroline to the room to get some sleep.
Tomorrow we have a number of things to see and do. Then we pack up and head on back home on Monday very early.
I am grateful for conventions that have that family atmosphere.
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Posted By Kathleen David on September 24, 2010
He would have been 74
The first time I met Jim Henson was at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the opening of the Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta (if you haven’t been there, I highly recommend it). There was a crush of people around Jim who had Kermit the Frog on his arm. Kermit was making comments through out the ceremony. I had snuck up and behind with my little Kodak instamatic camera hoping to get a shot. The crowd was pushing in a friendly way but it was getting a little tight. Jim backed up a bit to get Kermit out of the group in front of them and bumped right into me. All of the sudden I found myself talking to Kermit the Frog who was inquiring if I was OK. I did get a good picture that when I find it again I plan to scan and post.
The second time was at a World Con. I think the one that happened around the release of the Dark Crystal. Jim was doing a question and answer for the children’s track. After answering the kids questions, he took some from the adults who were standing and watching him talk. Jim was great with kids. I raised my hand since I did have a question that I wanted answered. He called on me and I asked, “Whatever happened to the Tales of the Tinkerdee?” He looked stunned. His jaw dropped to his knees but he quickly recovered and said, “That’s an interesting story.” And processed to tell us all about the show that he did which was the beginnings of how the Muppets were done on Television. A lot of what he learned from that he used for all the shows he did from that point on. It was a great story. Later that same convention I was getting ready to get on an elevator to go to a panel I was interested in seeing when I very familiar voice said, “Excuse me.” I turned and it was Jim. He asked how I knew about that show (remember kids this was before Internet and the World Wide Web) and I told him that the gentleman who did the voice over for the show was a friend of the family. He told me that he didn’t have much from that show. The master tape was lost in a move along with a couple of the puppets and the script (before computers and data storage kids). I arranged to get a copy of the audio track to him and gave him enough information that he was able to track down a tape of the work.
So that’s my first two meeting with Jim.
Happy Birthday to the creator and power behind the Muppets who influenced so many of us. We miss still miss ya Jim.
I am grateful that I did meet Jim Henson.
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Posted By Kathleen David on September 23, 2010
Today is my husband’s birthday. If he weren’t around, I wouldn’t have the life I am leading now. There would be fewer books in the world. The Hulk wouldn’t have become Mr. Fixit. There would be no New Frontiers Star Trek novels. Imzadi wouldn’t exist. The Fallen Angel would have never been created. Sir Apropos would remain silent. King Arthur would have never been Mayor of New York. His writings have touch so many people’s lives. I have heard stories of people that, as children, had trouble with reading until they read one of Peter’s works and that motivated them and entertained them that they are now avid readers.
Peter has done a lot for first amendment issues through his work on the board for the Comic Book Legal Defense fund. He believes strongly in the first amendment and the right to free speech and that’s not just speech he likes but all speech. He allows spirited discussion on his website more so than many others have allowed. To quote the character of Mr. Hopkins from 1776, “Well, in all my years I ain’t never heard, seen nor smelled an issue that was so dangerous it couldn’t be talked about. Hëll yeah! I’m for debating anything.”
He is a good father to his children. He loves them very deeply. He worries about them. He encourages them. Caroline has a great relationship with her daddy. Her home life is a little different than her classmates. She has both parents around most of the time. She travels more than some adults and is a very good little traveler. She tells lots of stories while playing with her toys. There are entire adventures that she has created which I have listened to in passing. She is starting to write these down and illustrate them. She is very creative which I think she gets from both of us.
He is a good husband to me. He encourages me. He believes in me. He loves me and I love him. We have a lot of fun together. Word play is just another part of the day. We discuss all kinds of subjects together. I figure we will never run out of things to talk about. We have similar tastes in entertainment. It is rare that one of us likes something that the other one doesn’t. We are good for each other. We help each other. We are there for the other in good times and bad.
Happy Birthday Peter. I know that this day is going to be a long one and I hope it will be a good one.
I am grateful that Peter was born.
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Posted By Kathleen David on September 22, 2010
Unless something changes, we will be at MadCon this weekend. Our catsitter is very happy to hear that because it means she gets a house for a weekend rather than her small apartment and earns some cash too. We also have AC that works and HBO on demand, which she also likes.
Not that you need the AC right now. The weather has been down right lovely the past week. Almost chilly at night but not quite and very nice during the day.
So today I declare Laundry Day! As in I need to get all the laundry done today. Along with this other idea I have for a project that needs a little more percolation before I start to work on it. This will be part one of two. I want to see if I can create the shapes needed before I work on a bigger piece.
Peter and I are going out for a little bit today since tomorrow is his birthday and we are going to be traveling so a little celebration the day before. We did get a cake for him.
After this we get a weekend until NYCC (October 8-10th 2010) and after that I think we aren’t traveling until around Christmas but I could be forgetting something. The we in this are Caroline and me. I’m not ruling out that Peter is going to have to go somewhere in the next couple of months.
I am grateful for travel that goes right.
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Posted By Kathleen David on September 21, 2010
Today is picture day at Caroline’s school. We have picked a dress and a hairstyle for her photo. I can remember how excited I was on picture day when I was in elementary school. My parents have these photos of me and my brothers and sister that are our school photos. They put the older pictures behind the newer one. Through the pictures you can see us grow up especially for my youngest brother.
Short Tuesday Quaterbacking because I didn’t see much this weekend so I am still catching up. The standings look rather flip-flop from last year. The Texans and the Chiefs are on top and the Vikings and the Cowboys are on the bottom. The Bucs and the Saints are on top and the Panthers are at a loss. Two of them in fact. College is a bigger mess than usual. Mets are mathematically eliminated which means Barney Stinson had a cigarette over the weekend.
So did you miss me? We have been a bit busy with some local travel and the like. Things don’t really settle down until October after New York Comic Con.
Today is all about the laundry and a stop-gap food shopping. Yes, my life can be so exciting.
I have an idea I want to execute but it is going to hinge on what I am going to do today.
I saw Jupiter last night. It was really cool. I wish I knew were my telescope was because I would have loved to look at it through the lens.
I am grateful for lovely crisp fall days.
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