Easily Distracted by Shiny Things

One of my goals once July and its attendant festivals* was over, and after a couple of weeks of normalcy to get myself back in the groove, I had a chance to review how my goals and my organization went.

Overall, the results were positive. Not perfect, but what is? I had gone form very occasional doodling to semi-regular drawing, I came up with the theme and general idea for a pair of paintings I want to make for Alex. I got back into practicing with the mandolin, and based on the advice of a friend, managed to get the Silly Goose (the octave mandolin) back in playable order.

The funniest bit was mentioning the mere existence of Habitica, and what it does (Basically gives you mini 16 bit style characters in a party of your choice, and pretends getting chores and such done is an RPG.) and having the friend I was talking to literally download it before I was done and get started even while I was still debating it. It did turn into one of my better ways to keep on track and figure out what areas I needed to focus on.

So:
- Art. Might as well lead with the big one. Because while drawing and getting ideas for paintings, above, were short term get-back-into-this goals, the long term goal was to get back into pottery. Thing is, with full time work plus kids at home, I was hesitant to consider renting a studio space on my own; I just can't be there enough to justify it. OTOH, pottery was an art I didn't really want to do too much in front of the kids.

At the exact same time, one of my best friends, B, is also moving out of her multi-story home for mobility issues reasons, which means the craft/studio space she was slowly renovating was neither going to be accessible nor used. So she started looking at alternates. Someone did offer her a partial space in another studio, because he'd lost the person he was sharing space with an couldn't afford the fee alone, but she was waffling. I thought if we rented one shared studio spot, it could work; B and I work somewhat different hours, so even if the access time or the space was so strictly limited we couldn't both be there at the same time, we could probably make it work (And if we COULD be there together sometimes, that would be even better.) Two people using it part time seemed to fit better than one using it part time. She was at least willing for me to ask around.

For myself, I knew OF two possible studio spaces in town, three if you count the other one B was being offered. While my absolute dream location, the Stoneware Gallery, has high-fire gas kilns, they also have high costs, limited access, and long waiting lists. I could not likely have got a studio spot there but I might be able to do a class -- which would give me access to the kilns.

In the meantime, B and I have been helping out in Novembers with producing chili bowls for the Edge Studio and Gallery, who do a December fundraiser. The Edge is a fabulous set-up that has everything I could possibly want *except* gas kilns; wheels, electric kilns, glazes.... I thought that I could also contact Elise and get on a waiting list. I was assuming it would take time.

Well, as far as I can tell, my timing was perfect. There was not one but two spots open, which is not apparently that common. The cost is about half what it would be to take a CLASS at Stoneware Gallery. Elise who runs the Edge pretty much was WAITING for us. And delighted. And kind of said when we came to look at the specifics that we weren't going to be allowed to leave without a contract. It IS true that the better space was down stairs, but B was willing to at least give it a try for a month or two, even if she does end up deciding it's too many stairs and she needs a main floor space (Smaller and much much more in demand.)

So, I need to send her the fee for September now (B has to start in October, which Elise would *not* be willing to wait for if I wasn't taking the spot in the meantime but because I am she is), but I can pretty much start moving some of my pottery stuff right now. Elise actually made it clear that I could start USING the space right now, but I suspect the rest of August will be sorting my pottery supplies and figuring out what I do want to take along, which will clear up shelf space at home as well. So, that kind of went from zero to sixty in a month flat.

I feel a bit sad to take myself off the Stoneware Gallery waiting list so soon after I added myself again, but unless I switch to part time work, there is no way I have the time for two different studios, even with different kinds of clay in each, and *unless* I am working at least part time, I definitely would not have the funds to afford both.

(And B's other friend with the studio spot he's worried he'll lose? Well, Elise recognized his name and said to invite him over while she has her other spot open; it would be cheaper and she has a better set up than the studio he's in, which is a perfectly decent place, but I am not going to name it as we ARE talking about poaching one of their people.)

- Household stuff. I did a couple of the sorts of jobs that are usually put off and off and again; things like "Go through and sort out and scrub down this shelf full of stuff". Basic house cleaning and maintenance and such has been vastly helped by my mother in law being here for her summer visit, so I can't take credit for much of it, though I do have tasks in Habitica and it did help while she was away. But I only finished half my original sticker page before I decided to make a new one.

- Music. Right now it really looks like I have to keep on with the mandolin alone, as there is simply going to be no room in my life for choir. I am finding it a bit hard while my mother in law is here, because I'm still in the picking up skills again phase where I feel especially awkward playing where other (adults) can hear me (Alex has sometimes been very helpful, and sometimes very not helpful but enthused and interested) and she's more likely to randomly wander in on me. But I figure as long as I don't *stop* I should be fine. Fixing the Silly Goose helped as overall I like the sound of the octave mandolin better. It also confirmed, alas, that I really did restring the Angry Chicken wrong; it worked okay for a little while after the first week, but it's developed a buzz and I know exactly why. I have the strings to replace the mis-tied ones, I just don't really want to do yet more restringing so soon after the last time. So I'm stalling.

- Kids. I added stuff regarding Joseph and Alex after a few weeks of just trying to pick up creative or household habits, and we will see how those work out more the next time around. Having my mother in law has somewhat taken pressure off me as she wants time to hang out with the kids while she's here.

- Colin. Colin got a new job! Yay! On the other hand, that means he isn't getting things done in the house on his good days. It ALSO means expecting him to do too much household work is unfair, in a way it wasn't a couple of months ago.

But also. The thing with adding chore time and active art time and writing time and more actively interactive kid time to my schedule is that while mostly it's meant to replace sitting there doing the social media thing or the Candy Crush fidget games thing, it can eat into time spent *with* my husband. It could also, if I let it, make him into the support structure for me and my doings. So I had to stop and consciously build the idea of PLANNING for "These are days Colin goes and does his own thing and I am the one at home with kids", "These are the down-time days or times we're both home and can do normal domestic life stuff **with each other**" and "Date Night!" (and "Social time with friends"). Because otherwise it would be easy, too easy, to run off to the studio at every possible turn. Fortunately, for every activity I want to do for myself, he has a near-equivalent I can encourage him to do, and while it makes the schedule a bit busy looking, it's not as bad as at first glance.

- Writing. Writing kind of slipped through the cracks a bit. Some of it is ongoing struggles with too much rewriting and not enough new stuff, and not enough time to really sit and focus on new prose when a 4 year old jumps or climbs one every few minutes (This is not much of an exaggeration). On the plus side, active agent seeking did NOT, in that sending things to agencies is one of my chores right now, and I've been getting it done again.

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* Winnipeg Folk Festival and Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival, I've been volunteering for both for over 20 years, and they are a key part of my summer most of the time, physically exhausting but often mentally refreshing. This year was decent but not jump up and down exciting for both, but really the only things I wanted to write or talk about re either were the sketches I made as part of my art goals -- Dig far enough in my twitter feed lenorarosesff and between the politics there are indeed doodles -- and a band I recced over on facebook, the Young'Uns, who sound like trad British folk harmony, much of it a capella, but with social justice lyrics. One sample here: Be the Man

Since I have been so behind on posting. These, for those who don't read my facebook or who missed some, probably sum up several things I don't feel like discussing at length.

On the Desolation of Smaug:

I liked expanding Bard's story so he doesn't just appear at the end of the Dragon thing. I liked the dwarves in the mountain attempting to do something other than just wait for Bilbo and actually confronting Smaug, up to the point where it turned into more video game antics. (Also, you'd think they'd have, you know, some dwarf sized corridors....). Most of the other changes I think could have been dropped in favour of more time with Beorn and more of Smaug and Bilbo's banter, both from the book.
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(Re: Someone's comment that Legolas was there for the women....)

Legolas was indeed unnecessary (And I say that as a woman). He made a little sense being there as the son of the King, but only a little.

But what he really made me do is long for the Legolas of Lord of the Rings.

Jackson seems to have decided that he wasn't badass enough -- but *this* Legolas has me wondering why he let all those annoying humans and Hobbits slow him down in the Lord of the Rings. As he was shown in Smaug, he'd have been all the way to Mount Doom with the Ring before it even had time to tempt him, hopped over the giant black gate in a couple of Parkour tricks, killing all the guards in the process, chucked it in, surfed away from the lava explosion on a piece of debris, and wouldn't have even mussed his hair.
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My son:
Dec 19: As I just mentioned to Colin, I was just re-watching "The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances". And, hearing it so often on screen, Joseph starts repeating "Mummy. Mummy."

Not sure whether to giggle or shudder. #WhoHumour

( Mid December Photos, including the Christmas Tree I made for JoJo. )

December 27 (The first not miserably freezing day in a while at that point, and only a day or two before a cold snap that lasted distressingly long. We're talking vicinity of -40 for DAYS cold snap... and when it wasn't that, it snowed...)
( photos behind cut )

Jan 2: JoJo has sung along to music a few times now. He's had some rhythm (Not enough, but some) for a while, and has seemed less random in his choice of notes and sounds, if not harmonizing at least clashing less and less.

But today, he found the actual melody for London Bridge.

Toddler progress is progress after all.


Jan 9: It's official. Joseph can climb out of his crib on his own.

He got out of his playpen (Used as a travel crib) twice on New Year's Eve, so it's not like we didn't know it was coming.... but still, sigh.

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Other:

Jan 4: We got to archery today! Current plan is to keep going on all Saturdays we can. (Though Not Imbolc, obviously, but I did reserve babysitting for the Friday night shoot)

(ED: we have kept this up. Shooting regularly again feels GOOD.)

Jan 8: First day of work since Before our trip to AB and BC! Finished the horse, other than the bits under and around water.
( photo behind cut )

Jan 15: Sigh. Mom was sick (Get well soon - and not for my sake) so no chance to mural paint because no babysitter. Then ploughed through the snow with a stroller to get JoJo and myself flu shots. Sigh. Well... on the plus side, the new orthotic insoles I slipped into my boots WORK LIKE AWESOME. A lot less pain now...

(ED: Plantar fasciitis. Had it before, but this last bout was BAD. Days of barely being able to walk bad. I still galloped around daily with Joseph on my shoulders, though, because awesome.)

Today:

"Imagination is a little white light, waiting for a chance to grow
bigger and bigger till it glows so bright it eliminates all you know..."

Wait, what?

Oh. ILLUMINATES.

Enunciate, Fred.

#FredPenner #mondegreen

Off to Folk Fest. Will be even more quiet here than usual.

Have some pics. No toddler shots, just my vanity.


( Hair, glasses, a mural )

At my brother's game last week, I borrowed a 4B pencil from Branwen, and began to doodle. Er. i thought I was doodling. Thus I used a paper that already had an ink scribble on it. I think instead I ended up with an anatomical study of a dragon, the kind I've been writing about with the forelimb and wing combined.

This is what I produced:

( Under cut for size purposes )

If I could *get* across the room to the folder with my other dragon sketches, much rougher and on lined paper, I'd be tempted to scan in some of those, too, though they're much more sketchy even than this. Plus the thorn unicorns.

Short version: I've been incredibly busy. I'm miles behind on LJ. And I'm rather tired.

Longer version: As of Tuesday last week, I'm working full-time (Seven hours a day Mon-Fri) for the first time since the Bakery deliberately dissolved my job from under me in 2006. (I've had individual weeks of working five days a week in between, but not consistently and not all for one business at a time. And of course, the schoolwork kept me from anything like laziness while it lasted). It's a contract that only goes to June 30th, albeit with the potential to be a permanent placement if the fit is good and nothing else intervenes. I feel almost bad for *wanting* that something to intervene, as after four days there, it's a nice office.

It's busy, with varied kinds of work - which I consider a plus. After the bakery where there was never enough work and RCC where there was never nothing at all to do but a lot of it was repetitive, I decided I prefer being busy. More, of course, there's a strong discouragement against beign lazy: the temp who was at my desk before me was apparently a bit lazy and spent work time on the internet, and a LOT careless; she managed to get malware onto the computer, which caused them to decide no personal computer use even on breaks.

The thing which makes this quite bearable is that the lunch break is an hour. And I'm downtown, a block from the library. And I have a Dana. So after I'm done eating, I can vanish a while and just type.

forodwaith,we have got to take advantage of this to get together at least a couple of times. Even if we don't have plans, around 12:30 or so, look for me in either the stairway kiosks or the tables by the Human Bean.

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My evenings, on the other hand, have been taken up with making site tokens (Clay pendants with crosses or crescents) for the event, to the point of missing several other activities I usually prefer (Dance practice, choir practice, etc.). This is one thing the new job threw off; I'd been intending to take more advantage of the free daytime hours to do the work.

Final tally is 83, of which Colin made about 15. We're expecting about 75 to the event I think, so that should be enough extras. They went to the person with the kiln today. Hopefully they were dry enough; a few were still slightly cool to the touch when I packed them (A pretty good sign of lingering moisture).

Still it was fun, if terribly messy and worse for my back and my exercise regime. And I have enough of a lump of clay left over to do *something* with.

Alas, this week will be catching up on other activities, and cleaning house for the post-revel.

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Writing wise:

I'm not working on the Serpent Prince at all. I started another project I probably shouldn't have, but the way the words have been flowing when I have had a chance to get to the computer, I can't wholly complain. Because I am working a bit at a time on the Dana, I decided to also start the editing for Bird of Dusk slightly earlier, so that I'm not constantly uploading and downloading. Not much so far, considering the lack of computer time.

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Sleep... twice in the last two weeks, I've napped in the evening. I think I've mentioned before, I don't do this. I usually *can't* sleep outside my usual sleeping hours unless I am ill or exhausted.

I really must remember that "Sleep is for the weak" is the creed of those who should know better.

In the realm of "Augh!":

I finally in the last couple of weeks got around to doing the china-painting on the fancy plates I made at the end of the last school year (So the black rims would have as much colour as the white centre area, and also so I could fix some things in the centre.) This... turned out to be an interesting experience.

First, I've mentioned that china paints are weird. They paint like watercolours but dry like oils, which means, if you are, like me, trying to paint on relief, they run off the main surfaces if they're given even a little too much water. Which leads to some messy looking edges (they do eventually dry enough to tweak this - a bit). But after a while, i got the hang of the basic work, and got some results I liked. But I ended up having to call on two different friends to fire for me, as I am without kiln. Both ended up with problems that are ABSOLUTELY NOT the friends' faults; these are the sort of things that just happen inside kilns, adn why, even with electric kilns, which are the most reliable and predictable of kilns, there must be a zen-like letting-go-of-expectations effect.

Firing One (The first four of the nine plates): The kiln overfired. Badly. As in, all the cones used to gauge a firing slumped over, and the one that should ahve slumped melted a bit. Fortunately, china paints fire at a very low temperature, so this didn't involve, say, melting the plates. It did mean I lost some colour I might not have otherwise lost. Still, better than they were, and pretty. Acceptable as far as I'm concerned, but this was the reason the other plates got fired elsewhere; the friend wasn't quite ready to risk a second firing

Firing Two: The colour remained a little more strongly, but not so much that I can't count it all a set and be done. Which is good.

Three plates cracked. Two of those three cracked *right through*. Evidence suggests it was in the first part of the firing. None of then cracked along prior crack lines, or anything useful like that which might explain why the clay reacted so badly. It was a *much* faster firing than the first, and that's probably the cause, but... from all my pruior experience with firings, this is seriously excessive. Fortunately, they cracked clean enough and in a single line, such that, while there's not hiding the damage, they could be put back together for display.

Epoxy is my friend.

ARGH!

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Finished sewing up the first of my three pieces for the coming event. The second, which goes under it, requires some stitch-ripping first, and of course it's in a place where I used Leetle Teeny stitches.

For the third, i need to look at my buttons. I don't think I have any small enough.

I also have two scrolls to paint for the same event. Well, one and a half; the St. George is mroe than half done. Albeit from years ago. Eep.

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Just finished Holly Black's Ironside. As well as being a really darn good book in its own right (no surprise...) it was inspiring me to try and trim down Bird of Dusk; not at the scene level, yet, but at the word level. Getting out about 400 words per chapter seems quite doable, even if it only cuts a novelette's worth to date, and I should lose at least a nvoella. The scene-by-scene "Justify yourself" comes later - ideally after the full draft is concluded - because it ends up involving a complete breakdown of each scene, colour-coded plot, subplot, character and theme notations, and a lot of mental gymnastics. but right now, I need ro reread to get all the details of the draft clear in my head anyhow, and hacking out a few thousand words simultaneously seems more efficient than doing that separately.

Of course, this looks like the wrong week for writing. Of course, it's the one nagging most at my brain.

And once again, we'll be leaving for another out-of-town thing. Second last one of the summer. The break between this one and the last was a real break, though, and I'm feeling much more enthused and less burned-out than before.

Well, this second, I'm feeling a bit like someone who got less than three hours of sleep last night. But that's self-inflicted; I chose quite clearly to work on painting pottery with china paints until the early hours. The results, if the plates do in fact turn out remotely like they look now, will be fairly worthwhile. There are flaws, mostly to do with getting used to a new medium during the final run - china paint behaves a little differently from most other paints I'm used to, being thinner than watercolour and yet drying slow like oil - and a lack of time to either do test pieces or attempt to add Yet More fine detail.

I'm debating which fiction to work on. I seem to have got enough of Merlin's Dive (The shiny new thingy I started at the end of the last trip) onto paper, and enough notes, that even if I leave it a while, I should be able to pick up again. Bird of Dusk seems to be ready to be worked on again. And I really would like to continue Soldier of the Road. So I'm taking bits of all the above on the Dana, so that during the drive to Minneapolis, I can make up my mind.

That's all for now. All of you take care.

1) One thing about that last post, with all the music. I decided a while ago that the Trial of Lancelot is a particularly good piece for writers to study for brevity and character. Six verses. Seven people. A complete story. Each of them is sketched as far as they need to be to make the story happen, there are no wasted words. Even Lancelot's almost repeating answers have different moods and depths; sympathetic to Tristan, almost chastizing to Gawain, and admitting his failings to his accusors.

2) From my post before *that*, Justine Larbalestier was successful in getting her wildly unrepresentative cover changed. So there's one strike against whitewashing. Hurrah!

3) Healing takes too too damn long. ( Cut for medical and female TMI )

4) I've seen no few shout-outs in fiction, ranging from overly cutesy and annoying to cool (I've occasionally tried out bands characters discuss.) But usually shout-outs are one or two conversations. I seem to have a full scene which is shout-out to the meta of a fandom. In which Beto gets inundated with frogs in honour of the episode of the same name. (Well, I needed a tv show for the MC and her boss to be working on... although they couldn't get Camryn Kaufmann in that universe.)

5) To my great astonishment, my computer decided yesterday to prove definitively that it belongs to a fantasy author. (My monitor is on the left side of the desk, below the cds. I couldn't have got monitor and ceiling in one shot.)