Review Time

Monday already? It’s mindboggling how quickly the weekend is over sometimes. I look at the two days and think, but what did you get done? I mean, I entered a show after photographing the pieces (they’ll go to my official photographer later; I didn’t have time for that). I went to dinner with my parents (forgot to take photos). I went to an art exhibit out in the boonies (also forgot to photograph any of it). So I’m low on photos. We were gonna hike but it was 95 degrees, so that didn’t happen. I had to go to the dentist. That was fun (not). So yeah. A weird weekend.

Oh yeah, the Man had a show Friday night…a little different since the band’s singer is either on hiatus or never coming back. So they all filled in and got some other band lead singers to come in and sing a bit. They did OK. The Man had 3 or 4 songs…he was definitely nervous.

Which is weird, because he sings all the time, sometimes up front. I guess it’s different when it’s just you and no one else. It was for a friend’s birthday party…and even his wife came up and sang. She was definitely nervous. No way in hell I’d do that. Sorry. My teacher voice means singing in public is a mistake. I can’t hit all the notes…voice gives out. Like this week, I think all we do is talk every day. Ugh. Hate that. Especially when they’re so checked out. Sex ed is like that too, all talking, but they’re not as checked out at least.

I finished quilting my friend’s mom’s quilt. The last border was in need of ironing…in fact, I might need to iron it again once the binding is done. I got permission to use black fabric for binding (another color would have been confusing there), and I had a big chunk in my stash from another friend who moved and decided she didn’t need all her fabric. So that was easy. I got it sewn on with the machine, and now I get to sit and watch TV for a few days to get it all stitched down.

It’s not the most beautiful quilting job in the world, but it should hold up. I’m rolling art ideas around in my head. I’ll get there. Not a lot of brain power right now for creativity. Mostly stressed out by the end of the year stuff.

This is my favorite picture in the baby album. It’s the most dresses I’ve had in my closet maybe ever.

I look pretty discombobulated by it all. Anyway, happy mom’s day to those who need it.

OK. Today. Ugh. I really hate reviewing for state tests. It’s torturous. This is my third attempt at it in three years. IDK if it’ll be better. Probably not. Ah well. It would help I guess if I thought state testing were important…but I don’t. It’s something we have to do, and the expectation that kids will remember three years’ worth of science content is nuts. Plus we’re doing some district testing Tuesday and Wednesday in our advisory classes on top of it. Double ugh. Not three hours of testing, but long enough. Then short classes after the kids are braindead. Recipe for disaster? We’ll see. Maybe it’ll be awesome. There’s a 2-hour staff meeting on the calendar, but the boss pulled the literacy component, so maybe it’ll be shorter? It has to be shorter. Then ceramics tonight, put a head on the priest and then start glazing. Come home and stitch a binding. I can handle that. Maybe I should grade things too. I’ll think about it.

I Could Be Reading…

So state testing has started. Some years, it’s easy, the kids are into it, it’s chill. Some years, it’s not. This year? Not. Fun times. Today will be worse…it’s the performance task. Some kids will just skate through it. Some will pretend and then hit submit after writing one sentence. Some kids will just repeatedly lose their minds that they’re being asked to test at all, to sit still, to be quiet, not disrupt those around them, not bang on the table or pile up all their snacks and drinks (that did really happen yesterday. All of it.). So by the time 12:15 comes around, all my patience for the day (and possibly three or four days afterwards) is gone. Not great, because we’re testing again today. And I still have to teach for days until the end of the year. One kid was already like, why do I still have to do work? Because they know they’re promoting (probably) or not and they think we’re done. We have 29 days left, dude. Don’t stop now. Sigh. My stress levels are high…my face is breaking out…my blood sugar is a mess. And today is my 500th pilates class! Not sure it matters. It’s not like I’m stopping now.

OK, artwise, I’m in a weird place. I did finish the book piece. I managed to construct it properly…

The first two pages are shoved into that envelope of the last two pages. There’s certainly a few things I would have done differently, but it’s done now.

I need official photographs so I can enter the show, but I’ll do those when I’m home in daylight.

Eventually, I’ll have my photographer take photos, but I don’t have time for the thing it’s being entered into, which has a tight deadline. If it gets in, it’ll be in the downtown library for 5 months. I’ll let you know.

So what next? Well, I don’t have my head around the next big quilt, although I know there will be one over the summer. I was thinking of doing something smaller just to keep me mentally going through the last weeks of the school year. I haven’t figured out what that is yet, though, because I’m trying to finish my friend’s mom’s quilt. I was diligently working on it in January and February and then a random deadline popped up and I got sidetracked. I mean, I did purposely put this one away to finish the other thing. So I’m finishing this…I’m almost done anyway. Well, for some definition of ‘almost’.

Her mom made the quilt and sandwiched it, but unfortunately was unable to quilt it before she died. So it’s here and I’m quilting it. I’m in the outer border at the moment, with the rest done. I think. Honestly can’t remember if I finished the center panel. I think I did.

I did. So I finished outlining the symbols in the blue border and will overall quilt that starting tonight. Then I need to outline the reddish brown and black borders. Some things have happened to this quilt over a long time (fabric replaced, not by me, possibly already partially quilted? I just don’t know). And then I’ll put the binding on. And hand it over. And then, like I keep saying, not offer to help ever again (which is really not in my nature…sometimes I say no and then go back and say yes; please don’t take advantage of that). So when I’m done with this, I’ll start something new. Or maybe in between. We’ll see.

Clay is going. I made most of a priest and 3 handmaidens on Monday…

I was thinking when I went in next, I could start underglazing, but no. I still need to give him a cross and a head. Most definitely a cross. Head? Hmmm.

We watched the first episode of Season 6 of The Handmaid’s Tale last night…made us both cry. Good times. So Friday, I’ll go in and try to make a head. And a cross. And THEN I can start underglazing.

The bees left yesterday. I figured they would. I came home and washed the composter lid and side, then sprayed it with citronella, hoping it will cut the bee pheromones. They keep coming back. Not sure what to do about that. I have a bee-friendly yard…maybe a bit TOO friendly. And no, I haven’t fixed the damn sprinklers. I think I need two solenoids now. I don’t know. Maybe I need a new controller.

I had two cats on my lap in rapid succession last night. Luckily the chonk here didn’t stay long.

He’s a year old now and solid. Sometimes sweet, sometimes not. Like all calicos. I have a hole in my right hand from his morning whack. He’s harassing the old lady, who basically needs to be carried into the litter tray and food multiple times a day. She can get there, but he attacks.

OK. Testing. Afternoon is science planning. I’ve managed to grade quite a bit so far, so that’s good. I had to get a loaner computer Monday after school because my screen just went black when I was at lunch. Fun times. So Monday was stressful. I guess the good news is the eye with the vitreous humor detachment is fine (as fine as anything with a big blob rolling around in it is), but she thinks the other one will detach too. Except the right one has always been worse, more nearsighted, with an astigmatism. The left isn’t as bad. So let’s hope it doesn’t. She does think the blog will wander south with time and only show up when I first get up in the morning. Sounds good. Somehow I found the energy to go to ceramics after all the running to the IT department (not at school) and getting a new computer. After school, I have a telehealth appointment with my doctor where she will tell me I need to get my numbers down and I will ask her how to do that and she won’t have an answer. So there’s that. Then my 500th pilates class and book club. And someone else is cooking dinner. I’m already exhausted because I didn’t sleep well, so I’ll be quilting after that and going to bed. Oh! Also trying to finish my book before the library sucks it back from me. I went to the gym last night to help me finish it, but I’m at 86%, less than 100 pages. I’m up early to go to the meeting my principal just canceled. I could be reading. I should be reading.

Physically Impossible.

I’m sitting here with two computers in front of me, deep breathing, trying to get two things done at once, which is, of course, physically impossible. But one computer is incredibly slow, so I type in between, in the wait times while it responds. I’m also waiting for the electric company to show up to remove something so I can get a solar battery installed. Unfortunately, there are bees in my composter (right next to the freakin’ meter, talk about bad timing, y’all). I think they’re chill enough right now that it won’t be an issue, and I’m hoping they leave by tomorrow, because otherwise, I’ll need to delay the battery install. Sigh. I have an eye doctor appointment this morning, so things are already wonky and I’m already stressed…plus it took FOREVER to fall asleep (probably related to all of the above and other shit), so I’m tired. I’m always tired. This may not be any different. Also there’s the issue of not posting the assignments for school too early, so kids will actually have them to do in class and not have them done and be acting out. Yes, there are scheduled posts, but they work about 50% of the time, so sometimes, you just post everything early and pray a little to the Goddess of Education, who is a little over-stretched herself at the moment.

The weekend. Sigh. I meant to do some things and then got in the wrong headspace and didn’t. Love that for myself. I did apply to an artists’ residency, hopefully something I can do this summer. Maybe not though, depending on timing and availability. I got the banned book piece to the next step. I finished stitchdown and pinbasted Friday night…

Ironically, I un-pinbasted them on Saturday and put a backing on them…I think it’ll be better that way. Then I quilted them Saturday night…

All together, they took a little over two hours…

Not long. Not hard.

Little quilts are easy.

But still not cheap. Time is money? My time is worth something.

Then last night, I started construction…this is the hard part. Not exactly sure what I’m doing. Scary to cut it and not sure it’ll be the right size, but doing it anyway.

So hopefully construction goes well over the next couple of nights. Certainly I’ve done it in my head about 3,000 times by now.

Oh, here’s the bees…

I went out yesterday evening to put the compost in, opened the lid, threw it, and ran. I went back when it was dark, when they were all chilled out.

I knocked off the honeycomb. This morning, there were three batches of bees…one still on the corner, one down on the ground under that (the biggest chunk), and a smaller chunk on the lid, which still smells like home, but is 20 feet away now.

They’re fascinating, but I need them to live somewhere else right now. Well, always. They love the composters unfortunately. I have an anti-bee spray I’ll use this time. I wash with hot water and soap, but it’s not enough I think. This composter has had bees at least three times.

The SDGE guy is out there…he wants me to check on him in 10 minutes in case he gets stung and has an allergic reaction. Chill guy.

I did not make it to ceramics Friday. Had a meeting after school and then had to set up for the sub this morning, and I was exhausted by the time I was done. No energy. Came home and graded instead.

Here’s my dinner drawings from the last four weeks.

I can’t explain them. I just draw. No purpose.

I find it relaxing. Yes, I can talk to the people I’m with while drawing.

It’s the only time I really get to draw these days. Which is frustrating.

Sometimes they bring the food really fast and I don’t get to finish. Or I’m drawing super slowly and I don’t finish.

I thought the Man’s plants looked like they were talking to each other.

Laughing plants.

This is way too real.

Except I do finish things. I finished one last week. This current book is really good so far. Hoping it stays good.

I’ve been working on this in bits and pieces at meetings and things.

OK. Sigh. Today is chaotic, but I’m hoping it will even out once I get through them dilating my eyes, my going to Costco with dilated eyes, then getting to school and hopefully having my eyes undilate (last time, it took over 4 hours, so I’m a little nervous). Plus I didn’t tell the kids I would be out…some of them are just jerks when you do, so I just decided to make it a surprise. The SDGE guy did not get stung by bees (they are so chill still)…good thing. I want to read my book, I need to grade things, I want to go to clay (it’s quiet on most Mondays), and I’m hoping the eye thing goes well. The doctor wasn’t particularly personable the last time. Didn’t tell me all the things, but wrote them up and I read them later. I guess that’s a thing…if you read. Hoping to come home to no bees hanging around and plenty of time to try to make that quilt thing go together. And the headspace to do so. Mondays. They just are.

My Oomph

Morning morning. Definitely Friday. No sleeping in this weekend. Ugh. I just never get to sleep enough. My fault most of the time. Last night, I stitched early, so I graded until 10:45 PM. Bad plan. Then the brain is ON. It’s fine…it gave up the ghost quickly, but man. Don’t do that again.

I got the fourth page ironed down on Wednesday night…

So there’s all four…

Now they need stitchdown and then quilting and then assembly. Not sure what that last step looks like. I stitched down one last night. I’m hoping to do the rest tonight. We’ll see. Then sandwich and start quilting tomorrow. I’ve got meetings I need to go to and I’d like to hike. But there’s yardwork too. Need to fix that solenoid! And weed whack. Fun times.

Plus there’s a shit ton of grading again. Although state testing starts next week and I can do some of it then. Meanwhile, it’s May now and all of my calendars are still on April. Fix that.

By the way, here’s the uncropped photo…

I needed a flat light-colored place that was low enough for me to get the camera semi-straight. I have at least 5 photos that I tried to do on the ironing board. Mistake. Bowie is happily watching.

Yesterday was principal’s day. We had shirts made with our principal dressed as Elvis (it’s a thing he does) and we all had Elvis glasses.

Some had sideburns. He was pleased. This time of year is a shitshow for everyone, so I’m glad he got some oomph to get him through the rest of the year.

My oomph is coming from exercise and books and art. There’s a few kids who just need to figure out their stuff, maybe realize they’re going to high school in August. There’s a lot of stress bumping around about promotion and those who might not promote, plus all the end-of-year stuff. I’m missing a half day on Monday for an eye-doctor appointment and I’m not even gonna tell the kids…they’re worse when they know. I totally changed what I’m teaching next week…couldn’t get enough understanding into them to get to the next point. Next year. We’ll fix it for next year. It took us 7 years to get 7th grade curriculum set up. This is only year 3 and I didn’t have help for 2 of those. It’ll be fine. Today, we’re doing a natural selection simulation that’s pretty good (until the bunnies take over the world). Next week, we’ll finish the unit and start state test review for science. That’s a big ugh for me and them, but it needs to be done. Meanwhile, I’m hoping all the adults involved figure out how to help and stop hindering. I have a meeting after school for a kid who will probably not promote because parents waited until MAY to figure out what was going on. Fun times. Then ceramics and fabric and I probably have to make dinner…I think. Although the Man is now eating fairly normal food…but his official dental appointment to release him from soft food is next Wednesday. From what I’ve seen, he’s already released himself? Who knows. And then, into the weekend…which seems to be getting shorter and shorter the closer we get to summer break.

Hopefully on Time…

OK. I lost a week in my head. I seriously thought I needed to be done with these banned book pieces by next week, but I have a whole ‘nother week. Whew. Although it’s still a rush, it’s not an insane, probably can’t do anything else rush. The Man’s show isn’t until next week. I have a weekend coming up with two back-to-back meetings (difficult, but OK), but the rest is pretty clear. I got two more pages ironed (basically I’m getting through one a night). Here’s page 2…

The embroidery did really well with the dark background…it hides the tails even better than I’d hoped. Here’s page 3…

There’s one more…it’s got some complicated hair in it, but I’m hoping to start a little earlier tonight.

Last night, I worked on the sculpture…I had to fix some things again…the damn fingers on the left hand keep breaking off…

But I’ve started to build a head…not sure if it’s too big though. Hard to do it this way, for sure. I also added a bomb and an atomic explosion…

I think that arm might be officially done. The other arm needs some stuff though.

I think I’ll be cutting into this for the mouth. It is a removable head, so I can work on it separately from the torso. The torso really needs to get fired, but I need to underglaze it first…and I obviously haven’t even started. And the base needs to do something. Besides take up most of my shelf at the moment. Hard to get my head around the 3D stuff, but that’s good for me. My brain needs the artistic workout.

Oh hey, I got into another show, Sebastopol Center for the Arts’ International Fiber Arts XII exhibition. War Zone will be traveling there in June. The show opens June 21 and runs through August 3. I’m debating going up for the opening. We’ll see. It is summer break by then.

It’s not a huge piece, for once.

This is too true.

OK, school today is still chaos. We had a lockdown that fucked up classes last week for a shooting in the neighborhood, then a sex trafficking assembly that fucked up classes Monday and a little bit yesterday, and I’m still trying to get everyone on the same page for instruction. Hopefully by Friday, at the rate I’m going. I’m about 15 minutes off at the moment. Interestingly, the classes that have had the most time are the furthest behind and those with the least are the furthest ahead. The best-laid plans…are not laid at all. Then the human sexual health curriculum parent meeting is after school…no one showed up last year, but you never know. I have fewer kids opting out this year than ever, so either parents aren’t paying attention or they’re more accepting? That seems unlikely. But whatever. After that, I’m coming home and cooking dinner and making art…and maybe replacing the solenoid so the sprinklers can run. I’m so tired when I get home that I don’t want to start in case I fuck something up. Sigh. It’s fine. I’ll do it. And then iron things so I can do stitchdown tomorrow. Getting there. Hopefully on time.

Ready or Not

Well there’s nothing like the shitty Sunday sleep that comes after two weeks off of work. I’ve got a few thousand things to do rattling around in my head for today, and sleep was not my friend last night. I mean, sleep is never really my friend, but sometimes it comes along for the ride. There are 41 days of school left. It feels doable until you consider the details. Grades are due next Tuesday. I was really good and didn’t grade until last Friday. I didn’t finish, but that’s OK. This is a progress report so I don’t have to be done. The texts are rolling in about how we have new projectors, but they’re not set up and our rooms are messed up. Fun times. School starts in less than 90 minutes and now we have to set up beforehand. Ah well. I’m not rushing to get there. I’m boggled the district doesn’t send an email out about having to set shit back up and how. I know they assume we all come in over break, but I stayed away and it was a good thing. I needed a serious reset.

I forgot to post on Friday…it was a busy day. I had to pick up art in the morning, long drive, then doctor appointment, then I graded all afternoon and did some yardwork, then we went to see Regency Girls at the Old Globe.

It was fun, a good women’s-rights-friendly musical. So no art happened on Friday though. Saturday, I made it to ceramics. I was supposed to load the base of this piece into the kiln, but it was too warm. I’m going back tomorrow. I did add some bullets and money to the upper torso…

I had to fix the flag and some fingers first.

Sculpting is definitely a skill that needs developing.

This thing is a little crazy at the moment.

I also worked on the new quilt, after delivering the last one to the photographer and picking up the one before it. This is Portrait of One Self.

She’s big. She took four months to finish. Crazy really. Thought I’d hit a deadline; didn’t even come close. Ah well.

Started ironing with the Statue of Liberty…

Second Statue of Liberty in one of my pieces.

Yesterday, I washed all the embroideries, then realized I’d missed a bit. I’ll fix that tonight hopefully. Then I started ironing page 2…or is it page 1? Because the statue is the cover page.

Easier for me to think of it as four pages. I didn’t finish. This one is more complicated. So hopefully by the end of the week, all the page pieces will be ironed to fabric and I can start trimming. There’s a super tight deadline on these guys.

This is a thing.

Real people helping real people. Seriously, if you think she’s a caricature, you should listen to Dolly Parton’s America, the podcast. She’s not who you think she is. And she’s better than those dingbats who went to space.

Simba agrees.

Wishful viewing of the bunnies in the front yard.

OK. School. Apparently need to put my room back together before kids get there. Nothing is set up, I think. Or did I do it before I left? I don’t think I did, because they were gonna do our floors. Deep breath. It’s fine. Today’s teaching is easy. Then a 2-hour staff meeting (ugh). Then errands, dinner, art. The Man is having dental surgery today and is on liquids and soft food for about a week…so my dinners are my own problem. Pros and cons to that. I’m expecting some exhaustion this week. Going back to school always does that, more so as I get older. But also, I’m reading two books, making some art, dealing with yard stuff. Nothing new. Grades. Damn. Grades already. OK. Well, that’s happening whether I’m ready for it or not.

Still Upright…

Hey hey, I’m trying to do all the things here. Already got a splinter that won’t come out…fun times. I finished quilting yesterday and couldn’t find anything in my stash for binding, so I’m going to have to go to Satan’s fabric store and just feel good that I’m using her fabric to make some woke-ass liberal quilts (probably not gonna tell her that, but I’m telling you).

I trimmed her yesterday too…

So she’s ready for binding today. I’ve got a solar guy coming to talk about a battery today (he says they’re cheaper than last time…they better be). Then I’m going to ceramics (haven’t been in a week and a half) and running about 700 errands. Yuck to that, but it needs to be done. And some of it is OK, except for trying to be woke in a fabric store run by a MAGA nut. Her employees are fine…sigh.

I trimmed all the Wonder Under for the banned book piece last night too, because I didn’t have anything else to work on and that’s anathema.

So it’s ready to be ironed to fabric like…now.

Monday we had a big earthquake. It wasn’t huge but it was very bumpy. I was at the vet and after the first little roll that turned into a larger roll, I picked up the dog and stood in the doorway.

Los Angeles trained, y’all. Grew up on an earthquake fault. My high school evacuated us ACROSS the fault to the upper fields. Made no sense.

It wasn’t that bad though…just makes you a little jumpy.

I did a few drawings (or finished this one) while sitting in cocktail bars and restaurants.

All good. Didn’t finish this one…

Food came too fast. Also the food was kinda eh. Ah well. Can’t have lovely scenery AND good food, can we? I did a couple of big drawings too.

Nova helping me cut things out. Actually, she was sitting in my seat and it was kind of annoying to not have my cushion at my back.

But I rarely move cats. She wanted belly rubs and air biscuits later…

I obliged. Why are all the blue-eyed cats in the house cross-eyed? Cute but makes them look somewhat psychotic.

This shit. I can’t even.

Dystopian bullshit going on. Crazy shit. I’m boggled by some of the things that are passing…or being ordered…or happening. ICE is out of control. HHS is about to implode. I’m hoping no one I love needs groundbreaking cancer treatment in the next 10 years…or longer. These trials take years to conduct. I never changed my name when I was married, but if I had, I don’t know where my marriage license is. No clue. WTF. I take heart in the institutions and people that are fighting back and putting out statements saying uh uh. Not doing that. Oregon’s governor stating, hey, we pay INTO federal funding…you don’t get to withhold it. Damn straight. Where are my taxes going? To SpaceX? Fuck that. He keeps blowing the damn things up. Not when celebrities are in them. Sigh. I don’t want people to die, but people are going to die with the decisions that are being made. And it’s the people who need help the most.

Anyway. The rest of the day will be all art (mostly) and a little gardening. Well, and those stupid errands. I needed lightbulbs for two of the bathrooms, but first, I searched my cupboards for those stupid vanity bulbs and found one set from 1993. The previous owners had written on the box that they had a yellow cast and that they had replaced 4 bulbs. I can’t believe I still had these bulbs (I probably had them shoved in the back of a drawer somewhere and just found them). Clay first, then binding. That’s what I’m doing. Probably also going to try to fix the sprinkler system…the ex replaced the broken sprinkler, which is good (it was beyond my ability), but now I think there’s a solenoid problem. Yes, I will have to do schoolwork at some point. Ugh. Maybe tomorrow I will start. I don’t really want to. I got a call yesterday that I’m going to be 8th grade again next year: pros and cons. Pro: still with my same team, my same co-teacher, same grade trying to figure shit out. Better. MASTERY. FFS. Con: um, some of those 7th graders out there look/sound really annoying and I don’t want them. But that’s always the case. Nothing new. I might have to do a Newcomers class for science? We’ll see. It’s a bit of a relief to know what grade level at least. We need to cut about 2-3 weeks of stuff in the beginning to find time in the end. Actually, probably more. So much we’re not teaching this year. Oh well. We never get through all of it anyway. OK. Drink tea. Make more tea. Go see how the clay is doing. Pretty sure I left a flagpole of clay to harden. Hopefully it’s still standing upright.

Already in the Weeds

We’re baaack. And already in the weeds. Not surprising. The yard is full of weeds. The house needs things. The animals need things. I apparently need to do some work, both art and school. All good. Not doing school yet though. Sticking to art and the yard.

Can’t remember when I last posted…ah yes, we’d made it to Santa Ynez, but hadn’t done anything yet. Our rule was hike then relax. I mean, hiking is a form of relaxation in itself, but we wanted to make sure movement was a part of this trip, because the day job makes it hard to do anything but the day job. Hiking has fallen by the wayside. It’s easy to leave out the exercise, and we didn’t want to leave it out. SO. We hiked first, up in the mountains, where we found out that the Lake Fire last year had impacted part of the hiking trails.

It was beautiful out there and there were a bunch of people at the trailheads, but we managed to be quietly alone for a goodly portion of the trail. Which we prefer.

Burn was pretty obvious.

Apparently the boychild worked this fire last July.

We did a little over 4 miles. The weather was perfect…a little chilly, not too warm. The flowers were starting to bloom. Some of the oaks were coming back, some of the other stuff too. We didn’t see the pines coming back, but maybe it takes them longer.

After that, we headed out for a wine tasting. We wanted a pro-white-wine tasting and wandered around Los Olivos with a lot of really drunk people and dogs until we found a place that was more white friendly. Like white wine friendly. To be clear. We’d done a lot of reds at the last place and they’re not my favorite. The last place did give us an extra tasting though and then a great deal on two bottles of white. This place was interesting…different wines.

But he revised the tasting for us and we appreciated that. Afterwards, we were in the mood to feed some ostriches and emus (like you do)…

If you’ve been to Solvang, you’ve probably driven by Ostrichland and thought WTF. But you know, these guys are truly prehistoric-looking and fascinating up close.

Also a little terrifying to try to feed them.

It was totally worth it. We had dinner out at a place that wasn’t really known for its food, obviously. No amazing food this trip…oh wait, the sandwiches we had from the fancy grocery store…they were damn good. But otherwise? Eh. We did get apple strudel (well I did) from Solvang. It was good.

Then Sunday, we had to come home. It wasn’t a bad drive (knock on wood) for once…Los Angeles can be hellacious. Although this was interesting…

Let’s get that out there please.

I finished one Rooted tree (March block, Sue Spargo) on the way home…it’s the only one I worked on the entire trip.

I started the next one once I got home…

Once we unpacked everything and checked on all the animals and I ran to the store for essentials because the Man had to read a chapter and take a quiz and write an essay. The furry beasts seemed happy to have us home…

Poor pup. And I started quilting the piece I was working on before I left…

And emailing all the people I was supposed to deal with while I was gone. Fun times. I’ll be quilting today, getting vaccines, already took the dog to the vet and survived an earthquake in a building full of animals (5.2 just east of here…felt bigger). I even have pilates later. Although my stomach is not happy with me at the moment. Hopefully it’ll figure that shit out before I’m lying down and exercising. Just felt another aftershock. That one got a boof out of the dog. Hopefully I’m back on a normal blogging schedule now. It was nice to just check out for a week, but for some things, I really am a routines person, for good or bad.

In Between Everything Else

Good morning, ye Day of Chaos before Springe Breake. Yee? Not sure of my Old English. Ye. Definitely. Am I ready? For today, no. Today is supreme chaos, both at work and after. For break? Absolutely. Done. Exhausted. Need a space without school. Getting in a car tomorrow and hopefully finding it. The boychild can handle all the animals. It’ll be fine. Even if all I do is read in the car for 8 days. It’ll be fine.

I did spend some time last night prepping some hand embroidery for the next quilt for the trip. Hoping it works out OK. I found the thread I wanted, and thanks to my incredibly efficient spreadsheet, realized I had 8 spools of it around the house. So I don’t need to order any (which is good, because I left it too long for that). Wednesday night, I managed to pinbaste the quilt I’m currently working on…

Really need to replace the bulbs in that room. I’ll need to quilt this in like two days flat. It’ll be fine. No worries. It’s not huge.

Then I did some tracing on the next one last night…

It’s actually four small quilts that will work together. I traced 3 and part of the 4th. If I have time after packing tonight, I’ll finish the 4th. It won’t take long. And hopefully I’ll get all the embroidery done while traveling (there’s 4 pieces of embroidery)…and can start that one the following week. It’s got a pretty tight deadline. And grades will be due right after we come back from grade. Like to torture us. It’s like if you don’t grade over break (which I will eventually have to do), you won’t have grades to put in the progress reports. Ah well. I finished grading everything I could yesterday. Today I will be grading tests as they take them and homework as they hand it in, if I can pull it off. I also have to prep my room for having floors cleaned, which they just told us two days ago. Sigh. Good to have floors cleaned. Need more time to move shit. I do have after school, but I also need to go to ceramics and make sure everything will be OK for a week while I’m gone.

Packing is stressful too. Yesterday was a long conversation about coolers. I still don’t know what we decided. Minor issue.

Oh my. Well I don’t spiral into self hate at least. And being a teacher is pretty hard. I have not cured cancer or saved the world, though, and there was definitely a feeling that those things should have happened by now. All I do is piss people off with my quilts.

I’m taking a few months of Rooted blocks with me (Sue Spargo BOM)…but this one was almost done, so I finished it.

Although the fluffy bits were supposed to be two different colors, and I spaced on that because I was doing this in a variety of Zoom calls. It’s fine. So I have two of these done. They’re not hard; they’re fun and relaxing. I enjoy them. I’m also taking books to read and my sketchbook for drawing. No schoolwork. I’ll deal with that when I get back. In between everything else.

Today, I think we’re all giving tests. Mine is short and then they need to finish the rest of their shit…without losing their shit. My last class period may not survive. One class period was better yesterday because there was one kid missing. Ooooh. Interesting. He’ll be gone again today. Lots will be gone. We give them two weeks off and they take more. I had to do an independent study contract for the week after break because of that. Three weeks. Ah well. After testing, we’ll lose some more to the Middle East…or maybe not, with all the crazy deportations. Scary stuff. Scary stupid too. Lots of that around. But my future holds some bigass redwood trees and some wineries and some hiking and probably a banana slug or two and definitely deer. All good.

Nothing New

I read this terrifying article yesterday about the pronatalists…those who want more childbirths…some have some realistic concerns about decreasing birth rates, although their ideas about why that is happening are sometimes absolutely nuts. Honestly, there are too many people on the planet, so some restraint might be a good thing, but when you put their ideas together with some of the legislation that’s currently on the table, it does smack a bit too much of The Handmaid’s Tale. Why I would need to vote with a passport (those are expensive and difficult to get for many people) or a birth certificate (also sometimes difficult to get) IN PERSON, I do not know. I haven’t voted in person since before my kids were born. I know some people like to gather in groups and do tribal things, but I like to have all the stuff in front of me, read through it at my leisure, mark all the things, and then put it all in a freakin’ envelope to be delivered somewhere that I don’t have to talk to anyone or interact with humans. And I have transportation and the ability to move around without assistance. AND my birth certificate name matches my current name. Unlike many women. PLUS my job here on this planet is not to birth replacement workers.

But maybe that’s just me? Hard to say. By the way, burning the Teslas is not about the car, you dumbasses…it’s about the man. And we don’t just do it here…Germany and France and others are also protesting fascism. And oligarchs. Sometimes the far right’s take on things is just amazingly ignorant. I’m sure someone thinks the same of me. They can stay in the kitchen, giving birth, not allowed to vote apparently.

Sigh. Also, it’s not really ‘getting rid’ of the Department of Education if you farm out its responsibilities to departments that aren’t even related. Double sigh. I can’t NOT read the news. It’s impossible. So I keep making art.

Monday afternoon, I went to ceramics and worked on part two of the current sculpture. I built a tiny man with a gun.

He definitely needs a head, although he doesn’t have a brain. I also made a flagpole, but not the flag yet. I needed these to stiffen up a bit, so I just tucked them down in there, to be later attached to the arm. Hopefully Friday. Also pretty sure I broke one of her arms off again.

It’s my fault for not picking a bigger base and for making that arm lower than the base and then trying to transport shit. So IDK what the solution is, but I’ll deal with it on Friday.

Monday night, I did stitchdown…

Then last night, I finished it, washed the batting, cut a backing and ironed it, then remembered the floor where I pinbaste was horrendously dirty, so I mopped it at 9:30 at night. Hoping it would dry in time (it didn’t). So all that is ready for pinbasting…and then I started tracing the next one, the banned-book piece…

I also wrote out all the stuff I will need to hand embroider while we’re traveling. I’ll need to figure out how I’m transferring it to fabric and make copies of the drawings for travel purposes. I’ll be doing that probably tomorrow night. Tonight, I’ll pinbaste. After pilates and book club. Yeah. Long day.

We’re doing a teacher spirit thing all week where we all dress up and don’t tell the kids. Yesterday was dress like a kid (ah, those pimple patches) and Not a Cup (drink out of anything that is not actually a cup).

Today, we wear tiaras and sashes. That’ll be pretty noticeable. It’s just a way to help us survive that last few days until break. My boss came in my class yesterday while I was about to bang my head on the desk. Teaching Punnett squares isn’t hard, except for those few kids every period who don’t listen to instructions. Ever. They just want to copy, and they can’t. So they whine and tell me I’m not teaching them (read: I’m not giving them the answers) and by the end of the day, some figure it out eventually and some just don’t. But it can be frustrating for me. Plus with Eid, so many kids were still out yesterday, so they haven’t even started this thing that has to be done today. Fun times. I was hoping to grade homework papers all week, and I’ve gotten through three classes of one homework, and most of that was in my advisory class while we were listening to the book.

It’s fine. Really. It is. It’s nothing new anyway.

Not sure I believe that. Certainly. No. I don’t.

I do support this though.

I feel like all my fabric is emotional support fabric. And I support that choice.

OK. So more Punnett squares today…but it’s a test today, so that’ll be fun. I already have a plan for the one kid who never shuts up in class. The kids who come back today…well, I was going to make a video, but I don’t know if I’ll have time before school (meeting x2), and I think I need to use the phone because the doc cam won’t record unblurry, so that means I can’t post it until I get home anyway. Hmmm. Will think that over. Lots to do today. Gonna go do some of it.