A Long Entry

Well, I've been busy.
I've got lots to say so let's break this up into chapters:
Chapter 1 - Board Shear Acquisition
Chapter 2 - Working Outside
Chapter 3 - Fall
Chapter 4 - Jacques' New Perch
Chapter 5 - Stardust
Chapter 6 - Melanie's Eyeball
Chapter 7 - My Work

Chapter 1 - Board Shear Acquisition
Yep - bought a board shear. I've wanted one for some time and I knew that something would work itself out. About two weeks ago, Fantastic Jessica called me from New York and said, "Hey there's a board shear here for $850! (compared with $4000. - other places) I said, "Hot Diggity! Where?" She gave me the info and I called and had a nice long conversation with Jonsey from Trinidad with the wonderful accent.
I decided to switch my day off to Tuesday because they were closed for Yom Kippur (my regular Thursday off) and drive up there. I finally found parking (illegal, which I of course didn't realize and promptly got a $115. ticket - oh well.) and went into one of those wonderful shops in New York that has been there for 50 years. The owner, Arnie, your basic Dustin Hoffman character in his 70s, came up to me and told at me to "speak up 'cause I don't hear so good!" So I shouted at him that I wanted to look at a board shear before he finally heard me and said, "Oh you're the girl from Philadelphia!" Yes, well, . . .
The Center for Book Arts is right up the street and Arnie convinced me to go and ask them for a piece of scrap board so that I could try out the shear for myself. I did, and in the mean time Jonsey showed up, he'd been out for lunch. He was a gorgeous as his accent. He also said, "oh you're the girl from Philadelphia…" hmmm…
Arnie and Jonsey had to pull the shears out to put the weights on so that I could try them out properly. And from this moment on I had hope for the world.
I don't know if they have some special mental telepathy bond or what because Jonsey was not shouting at Arnie the way I was to be heard, he just talked normally. When he needed to get Arnie's attention he would whistle, Arnie would turn around from what he was doing and know which tool Jonsey needed! It was incredible. A mutual respect, and if Arnie got on Jonsey's nerves, because let's face it - having to repeat myself and shout at someone all day long would really test me - Jonsey never let on.
I decided to buy the thing, and shlep it home that same day. But to get it in my car we had to take it apart - all the way. Arnie was impressed, "you mean, you can get this thing back together when you get home?!" Sure - piece of cake. Well, not for Arnie's wife - as the story went - she would have shrieked and melted. Since I don't have a husband, whaddayagonnado? Ya gotta do it ye-self.
They got the thing in my car. Jonsey told me to put the ticket back on my window, and sure enough, two more ticketers came up and one of them checked the ticket thoroughly to see if it was really from having parked there or if I had put a fake one up in hopes of not getting one. Sheesh! They are ruthless.
The thing in my car, my car riding very low, I said goodbye to Arnie - who gave me a big kiss and a hug and made me promise to send him a picture of the board shear all put together. Ach, ye of little faith.

I got the thing home and hauled what I could of it into the house. I was going to ask Mr. El if he could help me, but he hurt his ankle and so wasn't able to help. He had some guys coming to help him, maybe they could help. But I was impatient. I called Fabulous Jessica and said, hey thanks for the tip-off, but can you help me get it in the house? She was busy but she offered her boyfriend, Mario. Thank goodness!
Between the two of us, and Joe (a guy in a bright green shirt walkin' past us and asked us if we needed help - and we did!), we got the whole thing into my studio, AND put together. Mario is one of those strong silent types, so he waited until it was put together to ask me what this thing was. Not realizing that, of course he wouldn't know, I said, "it's a board shear! - you cut paper with it." I handed him a sheet of paper and it cut it like butter and I got the huge emotional outburst - a very quiet "wow" and a big smile. "That's cool!" Uh-huh! Thanks Mario - couldn't have done it without you! And thanks to Joe - wherever he is, because I think the table top would still be on the sidewalk if he hadn't walked past at that moment.

Chapter 2 - Working Outside
I don't know why it took me so long to realize I could work outside. It's been so beautiful the last two weeks, and on my days off and at home Jacques wants to go out, and I'd like to be outside too - and why can't I sit outside and write or draw or work on my computer until the juice runs out. Lots of interesting things happen in the back yard. Jacques loves my being out there until I lather up in anti-mosquito stuff. Then he won't come near me. I can't believe I still have to, they should be dead by now, right? Well, if there is a mosquito in Philadelphia, it will find me.

Chapter 3 - Fall
Being outside also helps me keep in tuned with what's going on in the garden. Fall has come. The first thing turned bright read in the garden. Fall is going very quickly this year. Already most of the leaves are gone from this vine. As I was riding my bike home on Friday I passed some bright yellow trees, this morning most of the tops were gone and bare branches reached for the sky.
Chapter 4 - Jacques' new perch

Yes, the shed has been conquered. I'm not sure what the draw is. It must smell very strongly of squirrel. And he might feel like he is closer to the birds. Jacques also has always had a thing about be up. Even in my apartment - he preferred to be up, but not on the tables. He's not allowed and he knows it.

Chapter 5 - Stardust
I have a new favorite movie - I watched it twice. I've never done that with a Netflix movie. Ever.Oh, this one is so good. A young man is in love with the village's most beautiful girl, who is , of course not in love with him, but with the pompous most handsome boy in the village - and they deserve each other! But the young man promises to bring her the falling star they see when he convinces her to have a midnight picnic with him, complete with champagne. Thus begin the adventures of Tristan who must find the star and bring "her" back. The celeb cameos in this film are fantastic. Ian McKellan is the narrator, Michelle Pfeifer is the evil witch, Rupert Everette is one of the kings' (played by Peter O'Toole) seven sons, named, Primus, Secondus, Tertious - well you get the idea. Oh, and the highjinx are fantastic. The seven sons are all competing to be the next king, and so they bump each other off in fantastic ways. Then their ghosts show up to watch the rest of the show, in their bumped off states, of course. One is burned, the other pushed out a window and is smooshed - etc. brilliant. Robert De Niro plays Captain Shakespeare - a surprising character - in charge of a vessel that flies through storms and captures lighting. Ah, it's wonderful. In all seriousness - this movies is very well thought out. The plot is sound, loose ends tied up, it is complex with several exciting story lines, but fully complete, everything seems well developed. If you are a fan of The Labyrinth, or Willow, or The Princess Bride - this is a film for you. Be warned it is a bit on the violent side - although the blood is blue - but best heed the PG -13 warning for little ones.

Chapter 6 - Melanie's Eyeball
Miss Melly sent me an eyeball! A felted eyeball. Last Christmas Melanie made one of her nephews a jar of felted eyeballs. On her way down to Delaware to spend the holiday with her family, she stopped to visit me. As soon as she opened her suitcase Jacques moved in. He found all of the eyeballs and began dragging them out of her suitcase. For my birthday - Melanie sent Jacques his very own eyeball. Oh boy. This was the favorite toy for a while. He would pick the tennis sized thing up by the iris and proudly walk it to a new area of the apartment. It's pretty shredded now but he still brings it to me every once in a while to play fetch with him.
This spring I decided I needed one too - I asked her for one over the summer and yippee! As busy as Melanie is with her new job, residency in Alaska, possibly moving? - she made me one too. :) Yeah! :) I'm going to use it as a pin cushion.

Chapter 7 - My Work
Melanie's eyeball came at an appropriate time. I've been reading some metaphysical stuff and finding different quotes and writings by very different people. One of the threads, or connections I'm finding is that the universe is tiny. Julian of Norwich (1343?) noted one of her visions as receiving a hazelnut sized object in her hand, and a voice saying, "It is all that is made." Yun-men(949?) said, "Let me take the whole universe and put it on the tips of your eyelashes."
I have a show that opens on Nov. 6th. I thought I'd experiment. What do you think?