No Strings Attached

Posted By Kathleen David on June 9, 2020

Day 14 of the Reopening Saga June 9, 2020

I build a lot of puppets for various reasons, but I rarely build one that is just for me with nothing attached to building it. I have puppets that I declared mine after the fact.

I also wanted to challenge myself to make a recreation of a puppet that I have loved since I was a child. Part of it was just to prove to myself I could do it.

I present to you Sherlock Hemlock Jr.

(For the VI: This is a puppet based on the Sesame Street character Sherlock Hemlock. It is a neon green puppet with a large pink nose with a mustache and hair of a bright long orange fur. The eyes are white ovals with black dots for the pupils. He is wearing a deerstalker and an inverness coat with a plaid pattern)

I am quite proud of him.

(Side view of the same puppet)

I am really proud of the hat that turned out better than I thought I could do.

I would like to give a shout out to Puppet Pelts for the fun fur I used and The Puppet Forge for the eyes. I will be going back to both of them for more materials.

(Front view of the puppet with mouth closed)

I am grateful for the ability to do this sort of work.

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Posted By Kathleen David on June 8, 2020

June 7, 2020 aka Day 13 of the Reopening Epic

This morning is a pleasant one. No lawn care noise with birds chirping and a light breeze coming through the house.

These kinds of mornings really help my mental health. I feel like I can do anything and everything at the same time. It is amazing how much weather can effect one’s mental health.

This past week was not a bad one overall. 

It was clouded by the death of my Uncle John husband to my Aunt Donna. More on that shortly since I am still gathering my thoughts since I found out yesterday. Please think good thoughts for my Aunt Donna. 

Today my back is in a bad place, so I have to sit and move carefully. I have my heating pad and ice paces ready to go. I have no idea what I did yesterday to aggravate it that much.

I take solace in all I did get done this week. I am thinking of keeping a log of those things I get done so I see that I am doing things. 

I am going to enjoy the weather today and take a pause before starting the next thing.

I am grateful that I had my Uncle John in my life.

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Posted By Kathleen David on June 7, 2020

Day 12 of the Reopening Epic or Sunday June 7, 2020

For those of you just joining the party, RTBTCKI is Random Thoughts Before The Coffee Kicks In.

And my mind is very random this morning. 

Yesterday Caroline and I tackled the closet in the kitchen that had become a bit of a dumping ground. The tipping point was that the cats were trying to get into the closet and stuff was falling on the floor. I finally found my favorite leather work gloves which makes me happy along with some good gardening gloves I thought I had lost.

Today I have no idea what I am going to do. I try to leave Sunday a bit open so I have one day that I do not put pressure on myself to work on my list. I think this will be a finish up day on the bits and pieces that are left over from things I did this week which will really finish up the projects.

Then we get back on the horse and start the next thing on the list.

Tomorrow is Best Friends Day. Told you this would be random.

I have several activities this week to look forward to including a table read of a script a friend wrote. They gave me the role I really wanted. 

I might crank up the sewing machine and finish two smaller puppets that are half -way done and make a couple more masks for people. 

I do want to write some letters today. Real letters not email that I will put a post stamp on and mail. I figure it is my way of helping the post office a little bit. I believe in the post office as it is currently being run. If it gets privatized, then it will be over for this country. Many people would count on their post office because they are in rural areas would be deemed to be on a route that is unprofitable and be cut off.

I do know I need to cut down my screen time. I have done better this week, but it is still an uncomfortable number for me. I don’t count writing in this or anything else I write.

I am frustrated a bit both with myself and my situation. Some of it is of my own making and some of it is due to current circumstances. 

I hate hiccups. 

Caroline has a meet up with friends at safe social distance this afternoon. She is looking forward to it.

This gives me some time in the afternoon that I can spread out a bit. 

The cats are enjoying the morning. Some are at the window watching the birds and others are lounging in various sunbeams. All look happy. 

I am contemplating making an herb box on the back porch. I miss fresh herbs to cook with.

I will say that in our walks around the village we are very impressed with a number of front yards that have been total redone during the quarantine. I think a lot of people took that project they have been avoiding for years. Dead wood is being trimmed. Flowers are being planted. Bushes are being shaped or chopped back from the sidewalk. I want to plant some bee friendly plants in the way back of the property.

I think I am done with the brain dump.

I would like to remind everyone to tell those you care about that you love them. You never know when you won’t be able to tell them. And it hurts wondering if they knew how you felt after you can no longer tell them.

I am grateful for my loved ones.

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Posted By Kathleen David on June 6, 2020

Day 11 of the Reopening Epic.

We are on track for Phase 2 to start on Wednesday which includes barbers and hair salons. Caroline is so looking forward to that. Outdoor dining with social distance will be available. It is loosening up as the numbers of COVID-19 either steady or dropping in our area. Crossing fingers that we continue this direction.

I did get most of my list done yesterday so I am feeling OK about the day.

Today will have some adjustments for the weather which is a mix of rain and clouds.

We have been watching “The Goes Wrong Show” by the same people who brought you “The Play That Goes Wrong”. It is delightful and silly and just what we needed right now. As a stage manager, I appreciate everything that goes wrong from set pieces moving to props not where they need to be to people being unable to open doors. I am happy they are doing a second season. 

Stretching did help. I am adding that to my daily routine. I just have to be careful where it hurts and figure out if the pain is going to go away with stretching or not.

And the sun has come out so I think Caroline and I will take our walk.

I am grateful for stretching.

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Posted By Kathleen David on June 5, 2020

Day 10 of the Reopening Epic aka June 5, 2020 aka Friday.

I have been having some neck pain to the point that moving it could be very interesting. Last night I discovered what I had not been doing since the last time I visited the gym in March. It was so simple. I have not been stretching.

When I go to the gym, stretching is part of my routine. I have not been going to gym and, therefore, not stretching. I have been under a lot of pressure and my body reacted by tensing up.

I hadn’t realized this until I rolled my neck carefully last night and pushed past the pain. Then there was blessed relief. For the first time in weeks I was not scared of moving my neck.

Today I plan to go through what I can of my stretching routine. I think I can do most of it. I am hoping that will help my body sort itself out.

All I know is that my neck feels normal again and I can look up at the ceiling again 

Today it looks grey outside. There will be rain later and there was a lot of rain and a thunderstorm last night/this morning.

I have my list of things to be done and plan get cracking on it. 

I feel that I am in neutral and I need to push it to drive rather than reverse. 

I did feel a lot of love yesterday from my friends. I got a card from my friend Helen just checking in with me. My friend DeLano sent me some of his amazing baked goods. My friend Laura informed me that I was cast in the role I wanted in a table read of a short story of hers. Caroline got to see a friend of hers at a proper social distance and they got to talk and just be not around family for a bit.

It was a good day. 

I am grateful for a neck that works.

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