Light Waves…

I know, I forgot to write on Monday. It was a holiday, the septic tank guy showed up early, I graded almost all day, there was no realization of what I normally do on Mondays. So I did all this stuff Friday and Saturday that isn’t going to get on here today. Maybe later. Ha! If I remember.

So the quilt is almost done though. I quilted Saturday…

I finished quilting on Sunday…broke a foot.

This is a cheap, badly designed foot. I tried to get an official spring bouncy open toe foot like that for the machine, but it was not available, so I don’t think these are really designed for this machine, even though they say they are. They are also cheap. So that arm eventually gives way. I buy like four at a time. They last about 8 months, depending on how much I’m sewing…and honestly, how fast.

This was almost 10 hours of quilting.

I trimmed on Monday…had to move the boychild’s fire equipment and four pairs of boots out of the way. He went back to work this week.

There is a Scribble kitten in this photo. She’s playing with boot laces, but also spent some time sitting in the middle of the quilt, staring at me. I got the binding sewn on too…

And Monday night, started the handsewing.

Last night, Scribble kept flicking her tail into what I was sewing.

Almost sewed her tail into the binding about 5 times. She took off for a while and then came back…

Not the easiest sewing angle, but we made it work. Seconds before, she was reaching out to the needle with her paw. No sense of safety. I’ve made it around 2 1/2 sides. Got 1 1/2 to go, plus two sleeves. Photographer is getting it Saturday. Ready to ship to Massachusetts in March, then to Birmingham, England, then Houston.

I also made it to ceramics on Monday, in between rain bursts. Definitely heard those on the metal roof. I did some shaping on these…

And then added to them.

I was trying to make something that would fit on my shelf. Ha! Not happening. I am going to need to consider how to attach the owl, when I get to that point. I also put the bowl in for bisque fire. Finally! Can’t remember when I started it. Ah well. That’s what apps are for. I started the bowl December 8 and it has 10 hours of work in it. TEN HOURS. Can’t sell that for the time it took. And it will still need glaze after this. I haven’t decided what glaze yet. Something smooth on the inside. Hope there’s no cracks. I’m finding it hard to get to ceramics…the timing sucks right now. I’d normally go this Friday, but have to do a union thing. If it’s quick and I’m not exhausted, I’ll go over there, but I don’t think it’ll be quick, based on the last one.

I did walk on Saturday. I was going to hike, but the ex came over to help find the second lid on the septic (I didn’t realize/remember a second lid, but found the original drawing). So I had limited time before sunset. I drove down my hill, so I wouldn’t have to walk the scary busy road with no sidewalk in the dark, and took off from there, neighborhood hike.

I did this daily during COVID, and was always fascinated by all the different plants my neighbors had.

Valentine’s Day kitties…Luna and Scribble. Not quite curled up together.

I saw this. And then started Googling. And this is what everyone needs to do these days. Because if he said it, it’s not documented anywhere.

Also, the comment amuses me. Yeah, I’m not sure the bodycam footage would show you what you want to see…and I don’t really see the purpose unless it’s to show the parents of THOSE children what their sweethearts are really like in the classroom. Fun times. Research, people. Don’t assume the stuff is correct.

That said, that damn SAVE Act is totally fucked up.

Poll tax anyone? But only for married women. And trans folx. And a few others? People who changed their names to escape abuse? Yeah, it seems fair. WTF it does not. Seriously. What assholes in the House voted for this? ID? Sure. Fine. Make them free and easy to get. Or we’re back to where this country was in the early days, when only rich white guys could vote. I guess that’s what they want? Fucking assholes. The Man says the Senate won’t pass it. Sigh. It never should have been considered at all. So prejudiced. So misogynist. So unAmerican.

OK. Sigh. Where we at today? Ah yes, the effects of light waves on materials. Lab and simulation that takes two days to get through with my full-on support. Then pilates. Then handsewing binding. I can look forward to that for sure.

Do Everything Faster…

It’s Friday. I don’t think I got anything done in the last two days. I mean, I’m sure I did something, but not enough. Never enough. And this weekend is a long one, but chaotic as fuck. And because I didn’t get anything…well, not enough done in the last two days, I will have to do everything faster. And maybe just not sleep. That might do it. Might be able to get it done.

Even quilting…missed one evening…for a good reason, but I had plans to get through some grading and quilting and it just didn’t happen. So no, I am not done quilting…not even close…I did get the outlining done.

Looks good. Then I started the background quilting, which is a pain in the ass.

I did all the tiny fussy areas in the center bit and then started around the edges. Imma be here for a while.

I’ve been buried in meetings, so I made it to ceramics for 10 whole minutes on Wednesday after one meeting. Yesterday there were three school-related meetings and I didn’t even get home in between those and my stitching meeting, where I started the next Sue Spargo block of the month embellishment. These animals are gonna be fun…

Plus I’ve had two early mornings, which fuck with me. And tonight will be IDK how late, but it sounds like I might need to go over two hours early. Ugh. It would be fine if I could sit in the bar and grade while the band sets up, but then what do I do with my computer after? I’m actually considering this y’all. It’s the Man’s band’s last show in the version they currently are. The drummer is leaving, one of the guitarists and the lead singer already technically left. They’re gonna have to remake themselves, but everyone is coming back for tonight, so it’s going to fill up quickly. That said, the Man usually has a bag of stuff backstage. Maybe I can just hotspot the computer and grade for a while and then shove my computer into his bag? It might work. I know, it’s a crazy thing to do on a Friday night, but otherwise, I’m just sitting there for two hours until the show starts. I can’t even go out and sit in the car or something, because they’ll just stop letting people in at some point. Aargh. OK. It’s a plan.

Yesterday’s drive to stitching…the sky was so much more stunning than a phone camera can ever capture.

And then I turned north and just kept seeing it in my rearview mirror getting redder and redder and then just fading out. The sky is fascinating. I used to teach the color part of that…but this year, this year is absolute shit for that. Maybe the last 5 years. Sigh.

Here’s Annie and Simba at the other house. Apparently not allowed on the couch?

Man, Simba looks old there. He’s 11. He’s not really old. Just a baby.

OK, apparently I did a lot of meme-hunting instead of all the things I should be doing. Disassociating. In the way of my people. Honestly though, with all the crazy shit this country is doing, it’s a miracle I can get my head around any of it. This one…except I do love me some sci fi…

And I had to explain this one to my students yesterday when our warmup question about spying came up (we’re reading Maze Runner in Advisory and the docs are spying on the kids with these weird beetle blade creatures).

Crazy world. Sick world. I mean my phone did want to tell me yesterday about the places I’d been and what categories they were.

So then there’s the Epstein Files…or more importantly, all the (mostly men) people who should be arrested.

Do it! Let’s protect some little kids for once. It’s about time…even if they’re grown up now, they still deserve protection.

Sigh. Did I tell you about my high-school acquaintance who was like “the American people don’t care about the files; move on.” WT everloving fuck. I want to talk to your wife. Now.

Exactly. And watching Bondi yesterday? I can’t. These people. And I don’t know what a quilt about this looks like and it’s possible I’ve used that imagery of telling the stupid people in the bubble to stop while we protect women and children and they look stupid, but oh, maybe I can do that again. When the art you’re making is pissing you off…I really need a short break from the part where the topic of it, the content, makes me angry. We’ll see how that goes.

Or both. At the same time.

OK. Meeting at school, in my room. Last-minute. I asked someone else to handle all the organizing and he did jackshit. Love that for me. Then I have an assignment for the kids that is pretty low-key for me. I’m hoping to bang through the homework assignments from last week and maybe work on the academic one I tried to grade Wednesday (I got halfway through). Then duty at school, race home (pick up prescription first), eat, pack quilts, go to the Man’s show, collapse into bed. Up tomorrow, gotta quilt but also have to drop off quilts and do other stuff, hopefully hike, chaos to-do list, scares me, mostly work but also digging and who knows what else. Shit, I need to set up a lab today too. Ugh. I don’t think there are any more bins for that. Huh. Will figure that out. Maybe. Unless they make me sub my prep again. Hopefully not (that was yesterday).

Went to a Show…

I have three things already on my to-do list for before school starts, and none of them is write this blog, take my insulin, take my meds, or drive to school. They are all things that happened after 7 PM last night that need to be dealt with today (or things that happened during the day that I only remembered after 7 PM and then didn’t deal with…actually one was a midnight rememory…annoying). And somehow I have a bug bite more than 36 hours after being outside doing yardwork and a paper cut that I don’t remember getting at all but is on the verge of infection. My left inner elbow is itching like crazy and my right pointer finger just hurts. And I’m trying to concentrate. It’s obviously not working.

Quilt. Start there. I’m quilting. This is Sunday night, lots of tiny corporate climate-destroying details.

Last night, it was freeway interchanges, an arm, and the face…

Oh, and an owl.

I’m actually almost done with the outlining; I’ve got about 20-30 minutes left of an arm and some smoke clouds. Then into the background. I’d really like to get it done and to the photographer in the next week. We’ll see how that goes. I did already buy the binding…thought ahead for once.

I did not make it to ceramics last night or the night before. Finally got my car back and there was nothing. The metallic screech that sent it in was no longer there once they got all the wheels off and brakes checked. Which is good…but annoying. Ah well. Moving on. I might try to go to the studio after the union meeting tonight; we’ll see what my energy is like. Bringing the equipment just in case.

I did go to the Viewpoints exhibit at the Hyde Gallery at Grossmont College last night. Some very cool stuff there.

My Dad’s Gun Collection (2023 Excerpt), Susan Graham. Yup, that’s clay. Crazy, eh?

Screaming in Silence – Rabbit, Candi Blox. The title certainly is interesting, but also the texture. Plus its cute little screaming face.

Body Prison: Womb, Leena Janmohamed. Beautiful piece, lovely glaze.

City, Gail Schneider. I’m always fascinated by the bricks she makes.

Levee and Gush, Joseph Heffernan. Love the colors with the shapes on these pieces. Nothing I glaze ever turns out this perfect.

Everything But the Executive Function, Lindsay Lauters Miller. OK, this is exactly where my brain is right now. Love this tiny thing with the head right there in the middle of the chaos. Honestly, I took this picture for my coteacher.

I totally didn’t get a title or artist for this…I was surrounded by people and just trying to focus on the FINGERS at the ends of the braids. WAIT. I found it. Unsettling, Sarah Garcia.

And unsettling it is.

These were in the outside window part of the gallery, so they’re taken through a window.

Volcano, Lee Puffer. It’s possible the neon attracted me.

Hysterectomy, also Lee Puffer. Shiny and glowing, as a hysterectomy should be.

And Saraswati, by Cheryl Tall. I do always love her pieces. This is a good show to go check out. Open for a month? Maybe longer. I am a font of information. I’m trying to get done so I can get to school and bang through that stupid to-do list.

Driving to pick up my car yesterday afternoon…I really want to believe this is an Emo Sewer.

Also says they bought their Tesla before Elon went crazy, but also has a Raiders sticker. Ugh. Intriguing though. OK, I Googled it and it is just ‘awesome’ backwards. Not as interesting. Or interested. Rolling my eyes a bit. Moving on.

Scribble tries to help with the grading.

To be clear, she is not helping at all.

This…is a great Vday card.

And this is a great thing the US should consider…other countries are acting like normal human beings and locking up criminals…why can’t we?

My coteacher sent me this but I had already screenshot it.

I’d love to make my students explain this, but realize only 10% of them could. Which is frustrating.

This is also a good goal for today.

One can dream.

My daughter, who is ADD (which is now all ADHD), says I am also AD(H)D…and this might be the best proof.

That is exactly how my brain works during conversation. EXACTLY. Undiagnosed brain divergence here.

Oh. This is wonderful. And so true. Although my partner could now be amused by it…

Only because I made him watch the South Park 6 7 episode and then tried to explain the stupidity of it all. Hey, in my classes, the drama over 6 7 is almost gone. I think 42 has more staying power, but only with the older geek/nerd/dork population. My dad wouldn’t get that one either.

OK. Gonna go spray the bite with something cool and refreshing. Then take my meds (I did the insulin already) and go to school, where I’m doing a refraction lab today. I also realized…just now…that I need to find and post a simulation we need to walk through. Fuck. See this is how I get to school and am already overwhelmed and freaking out. Sigh. Plus answer two parents, a union exec board person, set up that meeting because none of my other reps take initiative, and then go to a rep meeting after school. MAYBE go to ceramics afterwards? For a short time? And then home for dinner, grading, and quilting. Plus purring cats. And probably a dog. Maybe see if I can persuade the boychild to dig out the lid for the septic tank? Otherwise, I might be doing that in pouring rain this weekend, which seems problematic. Yeah. Good times.

I Don’t Remember Saturday…

Hey, yes it’s Monday, but I have the day off, but my car has an issue that makes it undriveable, so I’m up early (not a fan) so I can get it to the mechanic so hopefully they can fix it today. Ha! Gotta call a tow truck in a little bit and then hope it doesn’t totally fuck up my day. Getting an assist from the parents with a pickup and an extra car for the day, but I’m back at work tomorrow and it gets complicated after today. Today is complicated enough, because I scheduled my standard teeth cleaning and I don’t want to try to reschedule that onto a Saturday. So up too early, tired (this has not been a weekend of sleeping in, thank you very much Scribble for playing with the strings of the blinds, which I distinctly remember Bowie doing about a year and a half ago, driving us crazy then too). I have way too much still to do today, although I filled two greenery bins yesterday; the pool guy will be very pleased, but that’s about it. I did get a pot for the plant that was falling over, but didn’t do much time on putting the deck back together because I was doing the other things.

Quiltwise, I did stitchdown Friday night…

Finished that on Saturday, washed the batting, cleaned the floor, and pieced a backing, and then pinbasted it at like 11 PM

Not entirely sure why I didn’t get to it earlier. I don’t remember Saturday except for trying to deal with the car and buying some pots and cat food. Exciting day.

Scribble was very annoying…kept trying to bite safety pins (bad plan), brought her string in so she could play with it on the quilt, kept skidding into it.

Still love her, but holey hell, it was a challenge to pin it.

Started quilting yesterday…

Got about two hours in…thought I would get more. Maybe today? But I have a solid chunk of grading I need to get through as well. I did that for about 5 hours yesterday. Have at least 2-3 to go today, and not sure I will be able to fit it in around the other stuff. Ugh.

Hiked Saturday, three miles, barely in before sunset.

Borrowed the Man’s car. Hard to drive that thing…like zero visibility, worse if you’re short like me. But it was better than nothing.

Saw these flowers dressing up the weird metal guy we have in the yard.

I do love plants…they just take over things so easily and then I get overwhelmed.

Sleepy kitten with her auntie.

She’s been playing with the two older girls as Bowie gets over whatever he had; he’s still pretty antisocial, but has been coming out and sleeping in places he used to sleep. Still jumpy as hell though.

This is very disturbing.

I noted that I couldn’t hear the boos well enough. So I guess there’s that. I did watch some of the US Olympic competitors talk about how it is problematic or difficult to say you are representing the US right now, and I’m glad they said that, even if the orange puff freaked out over it. Those amazing athletes can represent me; I’m good. I am one of those weirdos who isn’t watching the Olympics AND didn’t watch the Super Bowl either. Go Bad Bunny, though, a true American.

This is too true.

I watch them try to figure it out as I’m walking around the room, doling out our team’s ‘cash’ (they can use to buy water or granola bars or pencils). I always tell them they don’t get As when they speed through it like that. I listened to one kid berate the kid next to him who was trying to do it before I got to their table. “Bruh, it doesn’t even take 10 minutes. Why don’t you do it in Advisory like the rest of us do?” Damn good question. Ah well.

OK, calling the tow truck, meeting Dad over there, borrowing his car, going to the dentist, grading, hopefully going to pilates, hopefully picking up my car, grading some more, quilting, maybe working on the deck. Folding my laundry! Totally need to do that. Sending the school weekly email! Forgot to do that yesterday. Three-day weekends are nice, but it doesn’t mean I’m more efficient. At all. Busy day, but it’s not at school? Still working for the school. I didn’t on Saturday, so that was a plus. Gotta buy fabric for binding today too! Forgot about that too. Ugh. Gonna go write myself a note right now. While I consider the need to detain and deport people who went through the legal process to be here, who need to be here so they don’t starve or die, people who keep our economy going, which it’s really not at the moment. When those people have not committed crimes, or the crimes are so minor that all of us have committed them. Putting untrained thugs in charge of detainment. Reeks of past history that did not turn out so well for anyone. Happy Monday though.

This Job…

I’m not sure why this week seems so long and exhausting. I mean, I’m glad it’s Friday, but I thought/felt like the last two days were also Friday. And tomorrow morning, I will wake up panicked, thinking it’s Friday again and I forgot to set my alarm. All silly brain stuff.

Glad it’s Friday anyway. Finally. For real. I started stitchdown on Wednesday night…

Didn’t get super far…but last night, I did better…

I’m probably halfway done with it? Could finish it tonight or tomorrow, sandwich, pinbaste, start quilting. My plan is to finish the quilting by Monday (?) and buy the binding then. I’ll have to make sure the quilt store is open Monday. Their hours are annoying for those of us who work a day job. The other local sewing store is carrying less and less fabric, so there aren’t a lot of options. Too hard to mail order something that needs to match in a timely fashion. I don’t usually have big enough pieces in my stash to do a whole binding. Anyway.

We photographed it in daylight, which is more accurate color…

Meanwhile, the other show I was panicking about, because the deadline had moved up a month…it moved back a month to June again, so I have a little breathing room, but I’m still going through with bordering the dye paintings and working with those for that show. I already had my next quilt drawing copied when this piece had to shove in, so I have a plan for after…it’s not political, but I kind of need a break from those. I may feel differently when I get there, but my brain gets overloaded if I’m always working on a piece that is a mental challenge. Yes, the world is a mental challenge right now, but I also have a pretty challenging day job and I need to make sure my brain has some outlets that are safe. Besides reading…

Oh wait, that’s me trying to grade with a laptop while another ‘laptop’ sits upon my lap. Top. Scribble is not very patient with my need for my lap sometimes. She believes it is hers.

So does Simba, so sometimes there is competition. The boychild is gone for a few days, so here is Simba’s bedtime sad face.

He only barked once at the neighbors’ pulling their trashcans in and once at the coyotes. By ‘once’ I mean he barked a bunch of times at each of those. After about midnight, he was quiet. Although the competition for lying on me was tense last night (3 of them, sandwiching the shit out of me).

I love this idea but want to know why they are all the same size.

That’s just weird. Then again, so is this, but in a very different way.

Why aren’t they all in jail yet? I don’t get it. Take them all. Lock them up. Throw away the keys (the abusers, not the immigrants). I don’t care who they are or how rich they are or what side of the political argument they are on; get them in jail.

Yeah. Like I said, sometimes the brain needs a break. I probably won’t get that today. I’m teaching light wave behavior, very much on the whole day, I think. It’s been pretty chill the last couple days, even though kids won’t get work done for science sometimes without calling them out. Stop rushing ahead to games and/or stuff for another class that you think is easier. Stop rushing through assignments just to get them done (hence your F). Lots of sitting down with kids and my computer and having discussions about the consequences of your actions, or what I see for reading ability, or how to get better at it and why you might care about that. I actually had a kid Googling yesterday if a teacher could say no to him wanting to go to the bathroom literally 5 minutes after he came in from a 30-minute lunch break. Sigh. Yes dear, I can. Plus a crazy email from a parent using Chatgpt and maybe a paralegal or a really bad lawyer. Fun day. At least it’s Friday and I can go to ceramics this afternoon, then come home and read a bit and stitch a lot and sleep in tomorrow if the animals let me. Three-day weekend (which is already filling up)…which is nice. But grading, yes, that. Unfortunately. Ah well. This job.

A Better Place…

Hey. Early Monday, too many things going on, too many things need to happen. I need to come up with a title for the piece I’m working on, and I don’t even have an inkling (no, I don’t want help…I just need headspace). Usually I stare at the picture, read some online stuff about the topic, stare at it again, go heat up my tea, stare at it some more, look up quotes, shake my head, go out and plant something or sweep something, pretend it’s a normal day, go to bed, and just as I’m falling asleep, it comes to me, and hopefully I’m smart enough to document it somewhere. But often not. And then I have to wait for it to wander back into my head.

Yeah. Fun times. OK, fast and furious here. I didn’t iron Friday night because we went to watch a co-teacher dance in a local performance.

I got home super late and went straight to bed, pretty much…and then spent 22 minutes finishing my book. It was good. What can I say? The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett. Because this…

Too true. Saturday, I ironed for about 4 hours…avoiding most other tasks. Dude, I’m on a deadline.

There’s a certain stage when you’re ironing tree parts and freeway interchange parts when it is pure overlapping chaos.

Scribble in the room! Also, all those random things piled on the ironing board are weights to keep the rest of the piece from sliding off.

It’s heavy at this point. And still chaotic.

But getting there.

Then last night, I almost finished.

I just have the owl on the top right and then need to iron it onto the background. And come up with a title. No, I still don’t want your help. Thanks.

Sigh.

I hiked Saturday; the wildflowers are starting to bloom.

It was nice, except for the ebikes.

Annoying. No engines in nature, y’all. Unless they’re rescuing someone or something.

I think I need more hikes. I used to hike after school…ok, not in winter. It gets dark too early.

OK, I scrolled a lot in between grading and ironing.

Not surprising. And here’s Charlie Kirk on it all.

We’re there. The tyrannical part.

Humanity is the least humane thing out there in the US right now.

Please…arrest more people so we don’t notice how many rich white males are on the Epstein list. Take them all! Jail them all! I don’t care about their politics or what they do for a living. They belong in jail.

Yeah. I’ve been saying white men are the problem for years.

Sigh. So if you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you may have noticed we’ve got some family stuff going on, trying to find the Man’s sister. She’s in danger. If you live locally and you see her, please call 911 and reach out to us if you can. I know it’s unlikely most of you will see her, but just in case…you never know.

I have an early meeting (hate Monday meetings), then I’m teaching the electromagnetic spectrum, and going to a physical therapy evaluation for my very cranky knees. Then hopefully to ceramics, but also have to pick up a handle arm thing for the toilet that broke last night (couldn’t break Saturday so I could go to Home Depot over the weekend, could you?), plus pick up meds that got sent to a local pharmacy instead of ordered online like I asked, then not sure what else. Maybe grading, definitely reading to dissociate, then ironing an owl. Good times. May the world be a better place by the time I get there…or at least not a worse one.

Go Read a Book…

Hey there. I’m convinced Nature doesn’t want me to finish the DIY project I started Monday with the boychild. It poured this morning. I’m not sure it’s done pouring. I painted this morning. Fun times. It was lovely and sunny as I painted and then it was pouring. And then WordPress wants to charge me a million bucks for more storage. Did you know I’ve had a blog since 2004? And been on WordPress since I think 2014? Or something. There are things I can do, but they require time and brainpower. I’m debating things. Also, the last two months have been really expensive…nah, the last 6 months or so. I’m not ready to drop a shit ton of money this month. Or next month, to be honest. So it must be January…when all these things are in my head, plus grades are due in a couple of weeks (no, I haven’t finished grades) and I need to get this quilt done and I was sick for a week and now I stabbed my finger with a cactus spine and it hurts to type. It’s fine. Really. All of it. It will all get done. I don’t think I’ll finish painting today though. That’s a reality check.

OK, so I finished tracing Wonder Under pieces last night…

It took about 11 1/2 hours to trace it all.

Last night, Scribble woke up when I had about 30 pieces left and was quite insistent…at one point, putting her foot/claw through the Wonder Under as she realized it was not solid and she was over the edge of the light table. She caught herself on my hand.

In general, she’s not super bitey and scratchy, so that’s fine. And the hole is manageable…I’ve dealt with worse. So there’s the 4 1/2 yards of Wonder Under I now need to trim. Which I guess I have time to do with the wood needing to dry out again. Plus I’m not entirely sure it’s not going to rain again. Sigh. It’s progress at least.

My piece is still hanging at MOCA in Connecticut…

They posted this yesterday…

Which was cool.

This is not cool.

Whole milk and red meat. I guess it’s too much to hope that certain key politicians follow these guidelines as well as the vaccination schedules and succumb to the reality of that. Yeah. I thought so. I guess more people will have heart attacks. I do worry about the kids…I can’t understand why we wouldn’t want kids to have everything they need to survive. Mind-boggling.

Yes, I got my measles update. I have Hep A and B (I’m a teacher). I have all of them except the updated TDAP (sensitivity to the T part means I can’t get the DAP part). OK. Well. I’m going to get some painting done today…I got the first three sides of the primer on. Was about to flip it for the fourth side. Then I need probably three coats of actual paint. Looks like we’re installing Friday…so much for a quick job. Ha! I have some grading to do. And I can start trimming Wonder Under. I’m sure there are 78 other things I can do as well…I just don’t want to. Not shocking that. I go back to school on Monday and I will never ever be ready. It’s nothing new…happens every year. Get your shots, all. Eat healthy. Don’t let the brain worm take over. Read a book! Did you see the data that the majority of Americans didn’t even read one book last year? I read 120. I shouldn’t be making up for the rest of you. Go read a damn book (I know; my readership is probably not the problem).

You Can Do Some Things…Maybe.

Hello. I hope you all survived the last few days of festivities. Now we lie around and pretend to be productive for a few days until the new year, right? Some of us are even working during that time…for some definition of working. I graded yesterday…Christmas day. I had an hour or so and couldn’t focus on other stuff, so I did the simple grading: warmups. And recorded something else that gets graded for me. I couldn’t do anything else. I had already separated the gift bags from the tissue and bagged all that up, but hadn’t put it away, because once I put them away, I will find more bags and tissue, and that’s just a pain in the butt. I didn’t pack up the stuff I need to ship to Seattle because I bought a box and it’s not big enough, but my god, I am not going anywhere today that entails shopping or shipping. Not happening. Sigh. I’m not sure what that becomes OK again. I don’t want to do anything today, but I know I need to, I should. So I recorded the time taken to make the last quilt. I need to get it cleaned up and packed for the photographer today, so there’s that. Because I finished it on Christmas Eve! Well, technically, it was Christmas Day because it was after midnight, but I’m not really counting that.

Oh yeah, Scribble…totally helping.

The Man helps me with these photos. Usually I crop them so you can’t see that it’s me standing on the fireplace hearth.

That is the maximum width of a quilt that I can hold. Now it needs a name. I had one in my head when I wasn’t sleeping some night, but I’ve lost it. It’s OK, because it’s going to the photographer tomorrow and I don’t have to really name it until it comes back. Then it ships to Virginia as part of the two-person show at the Virginia Quilt Museum. I’ll be at the closing ceremonies the end of March. Although this is the 6th bathtub quilt, I’ve only made 4 of them. Interesting that.

Otherwise, it’s been all family stuff…at the Man’s Xmas Eve dinner…

I did hike before that dinner…3.37 miles in the pouring rain. My shoes are still wet.

Then yesterday morning at my house…

Where I took very few pictures. Ugh. I don’t know why I always forget. Then dinner at the ex’s, cooked by the boychild. Still no photos really. Well there’s this, but he wasn’t feeling well…

He went to bed early and is definitely sick with something. But he’s at work today because why burn sick leave if you’re medicated and feel OK enough to stare at a computer! Good question really.

I stayed up late reading with Scribble…I also put one of my presents together.

She liked it.

Awww. Nice. She’s a sweetheart.

But today, I need to start the next quilt and clean shit and pack shit in a box I don’t actually have and figure out WTF is happening with everything before the end of the year. Aack. Lots of money and art stuff to deal with, not to mention the chaos in my office. And work…the day job. I need to do more of that. Don’t want to, but it’s got to get done. The yard too. So much stuff. It’s overwhelming. What does it mean when all your social media is decluttering videos? Yeah. That’s what I thought. But really, need to get a new quilt started because it has a deadline. I did research for it last night and I have the start of something in my brain. So if I just cut the paper the right size and sketch in what’s already in my head, I think I’ll be able to get the rest in.

Seriously though, we all need rest. And exercise. And healthy food and not-so-healthy food. I totally forgot to take photos of the antipasto conglomeration that the boychild put together last night. It was insane. He did well. You know, I even cleaned out the fireplace on Wednesday, but then it was too warm yesterday for a fire during present opening. It’s fine. It got done, even though it wasn’t on my to-do list until I was standing in front of it. These tasks multiply like bunnies. Focus Kathryn. It’s Friday. A Friday. And you can do some things. Maybe.

Peace and Love and Art…

Funny, I thought I had started writing this already this morning, when I realized my exercise class was 30 minutes earlier than I thought and the girlchild needed to be dropped at her dad’s house. Suddenly, I was leaving. And then forgot completely about not even starting this (I resized the photos…that’s a thing). Now it’s about 20 minutes from when we have to leave for the Man’s family’s Xmas dinner, it’s already dark, and I’m unsure of what I got done today. Exercise! I did plenty of that. I managed to get sopping wet on a 3.37-mile street walk (didn’t want to venture into the wilds in the rain…damages the trail too much and the rain can be dangerous in some places with waterflow), which was exhilarating, though damp. I wasn’t the only crazy person out there. The wind had died down from this morning and it was just wet. Really wet at some point. Almost everything I wore was soaked through. It’s fine, because now my blood sugar is low enough that I can eat whatever is provided…sometimes, I have a hard time if it’s a meal I didn’t plan or I don’t know all the parts going in. It’s just easier to go for a long walk beforehand. Probably better for me too. My blood sugar has been really good since I went on Break (something to be said for reducing stress by removing the day job).

What have I been doing since Monday? Well, almost finishing the quilt…not quite. I thought I’d be done yesterday, but I was definitely concentration/focus-challenged yesterday. Still am. So Monday night, I trimmed it…

So yeah. Scribble was no help at all. In fact, I’d call her a hindrance.

Because I did not want to cut her paw off with the rotary cutter. Eventually I got it all trimmed. Then I sewed the binding on…

That lovely dark green was the first one I saw and it worked perfectly. I hadn’t even figured out what color to make the binding until I saw that green. Weird how that works. Some part of my brain had figured it out…just didn’t tell the cognizant part. I’m OK with that.

I started handsewing it down on Monday night, and then did about 3 1/2 hours yesterday. All I have left are the sleeves, and I plan to finish them tonight. This cat does not understand how this works.

ON the quilt is problematic. But then Nova tries to go under.

There’s pins everywhere y’all. Danger danger.

Sigh. She is a love. But entirely too much IN the process. HELPING. I’M HELPING.

I also made it to ceramics on Monday and worked on the bowl I’m apparently making.

It got more complicated.

But fun. I’m going to add speech bubbles I think…and then do words in it.

And the hands need more details. Fun to do anyway. There was no one there at all. I might go in tomorrow…but I think time will be short tomorrow and I really need to hike before dinner. Hopefully there will be less rain tomorrow. I think San Diego missed the worst of it.

This video was from yesterday, after the boychild stole a bunch of stuff from my kitchen for Xmas dinner (fair trade really).

I could have bought more butter, I suppose, but there it was, being handed to me.

It’s Christmas Eve, the night when many celebrate with some portion of friends or family. And this is what I’m thinking about…

Set an amount of money that beyond which, it just gets taken. It might make the world a better place because (a) it would fund a lot of things that aren’t currently being provided and (b) maybe people would stop obsessing over getting more more more being some form of ‘winning’. It’s a thought.

And this is probably what the next quilt is about.

I should figure that out since I basically have to start it tomorrow. Fun times. It’s fine. I love making art…I just was expecting to make something different next and now I need to make something completely different…than the different thing I was going to make. I’m lucky to have that be part of my Winter Break. (don’t talk about grades!) Oh, I also listened to another retirement webinar, because I was worried about one thing with the date I had chosen, and sure enough, I’m going to have to work one more year than I thought. It’s an easier pill to swallow now, this far out, but it’s frustrating that something like that is based on my birthday. If I’d just been born two months prematurely…sigh…no, that’s not fun for anyone. It’s fine. Really. It is. OK, gonna go burn another solstice intention and then go to a party. Where I can actually eat the food. Maybe. Hopefully. Hope your holidays are full of peace and love and art. In whatever order that works for you.

I Have a Plan…

Good morning (wait, is it still morning? Yes, yes it is) all (or well, most of you…I suspect if you’re reading this, then yes) on the first official day of my Winter Break (I don’t count the weekend…it doesn’t feel real until I don’t have to get up at 6 AM and drive to school with my eyes barely open…and I did go to school on Saturday to clean up because I didn’t have time on Friday due to union things that had a deadline and they’re doing the goddamned Winter Academy in my room so I had to move shit and lock shit up because teachers are the WORST sometimes for stealing and breaking shit. I still might go in that morning and glare people down. We’ll see. WHOA that was a long parenthetical comment.). So I am officially still in Stage 1 of trying to rest because that damn holiday Christmas is coming and there is no rest until it’s done. My gifts are mostly purchased…I think…probably…I am fed, showered, dressed, and waiting for the boychild, who bravely went to Costco to buy the meat for Christmas dinner and has not returned (it’s been over an hour; when do I call in Search and Rescue?). I will then accompany him on his shopping trips for Xmas dinner. My official role is to maybe push the cart and carry shit. I don’t even have to pay for it (the ex is paying for it? I think?). I started wrapping, but I hate doing that shit…I do have to finish before Wednesday night, because the girlchild is coming in Tuesday night and staying at her dad’s so she can work Wednesday (oh that sucks). So I have time. I also need to get firewood in the house before it starts raining, dropping the heavens down upon us, which is our Xmas gift this year. Fun times.

So. Yes, I’m grading. Yes, I’m still tired. Yes, I’m still recovering. I will be for a while. It’s two weeks usually before I get my head straight and break is only three weeks long. Bodes well. One thing I need to do is finish this quilt so I can ship it and five others in early January. So I quilted Friday night…

And then for 3 1/2 hours on Saturday…

When I got the outlining done and started the background quilting, which was dark blue thread on dark blue fabric WHAT the ABSOLUTE FUCK was I thinking. On Sunday, I thought, oh I should quilt during daylight; it will be easier to see. Nah. It wasn’t. I finished quilting after 3 1/2 hours on Sunday…

Nine plus hours total. I’m ready to trim and bind today. Already contacted the photographer. Got to start the next one, but first, I need to go shopping (who knows when I will finish writing this…).

OK, four hours later. Shopping is done, presents are mostly wrapped, tree is still outside, quilt is still not trimmed, brain is still fuzz (see comment on rest above). I’m planning on going to ceramics in the next hour or so. At around 1:30 AM last night, when I decidedly wasn’t sleeping, I typed a short note about the next quilt. That was an hour after I typed a short note about the next ceramic piece…but I have to finish the bowl first. Unfortunately, I’m not really sure what I’m doing next on the bowl. Minor issue. Either I carve or add clay, or I just paint. I kinda want it to be functional, and so I can’t carve the inside. It’ll make it difficult to clean. Huh. Well. There’s that. Some part of my brain (the very tired part) just wants me to stay home and not do anything with it. That’s what Friday brain said, but Friday’s brain had a better excuse. I did not teach all day today, then start cleaning my room up, then race over to the union office through Friday holiday traffic. These days before actual Christmas are just nuts.

I have lots of picture of cats not quite interacting.

And sometimes a dog…

I was sitting there between Scribble and Simba. Simba was on my leg; hence the weird position.

This was when I got home from work (pajama day)…

They appreciate my time on the couch. So do I, but there hasn’t been much of it.

I hiked Saturday and saw one of those weird partial rainbows in the sky

It was warmish…it’s been warm, even today, with the rain barreling toward us.

I appreciate the time to be out in nature.

I was trying to plan hiking before each of the holiday dinners I have, but it’s supposed to be pouring both days. Not sure how I feel about that. I might do it anyway. I need to exercise before eating holiday meals or I can’t eat anything…the gym closes early Christmas Eve and isn’t open Christmas Day, so outdoors is my only real option. I have raingear and I would shower afterwards anyway. We’ll see.

I took a video on Saturday’s hike. There’s this one rock that people always pile rocks on and it drives me bonkers.

And it’ll be back the next time I’m there. Leave no trace y’all! This is not a trail marker…it’s next to a fire road. Go pile your own rocks in your own yard.

I got home and noticed these two weird piles of dirt in the driveway…squirrels or gophers? It’s getting annoying.

The hardest part is always finding where the dirt came from and trying to put it back.

True that. And this.

OK. Well. It’s Monday, but it doesn’t feel like it. School would’ve just gotten out if it were a school day, but it’s not. I’m going to do a couple more things here and then go to ceramics and try to figure out this bowl thing. Then come back and grade a little. I never know whether it’s better to hunker down and finish all the grading quickly or to torture myself by doing a little every day. I know I don’t have the brainpower or the willpower to do it all right now, so I guess this is what I’m doing at the moment. Then trim the quilt and get the binding sewn on by machine and start doing the handwork. Tomorrow is pretty chill: a retirement webinar and then two freakin’ trips to the airport, all after 8 PM. Surely that will be a joy. Luckily the rain has pushed off a little so I won’t be traveling during a flood warning. Finish the quilt tomorrow and then draw the next one. No joke, I’m watching the recording of the Zoom call I missed because I was teaching about electromagnets and I need to have finished this quilt yesterday. The one I haven’t started. No pressure. Seriously. OK. I have a plan at least, thanks to my inability to sleep at night. Or ever. Pros and cons to that I guess. Happy yesterday was Winter Solstice Day and hope the holiday season is OK for y’all. It’s always a bit of stress here, but plenty of food. Maybe too much food. Better than the alternative.