Happy Boxing Day

(pictured -- A Victorian gang)

Boxing Day may be a British tradition, but it sounds better than "Leftover Day," which for many folks it is. We did the family thing in Rowlett and Southlake, including one ham dinner and one turkey supper. Joy prefers the turkey, but I'm neutral since I don't have to cook anything. I got to talk with Steph and Hunter who have both gone back to school ... Lucky dogs, except they have to work at the same time.

Yesterday also was a Doctor Who night. BBC America, which cuts the show terribly, made arrangements to show the Christmas show on Christmas night. (Imagine that!!) The commercials of the Doctor and Amy in America, complete with a Stetson hat, were rather humorous. Even River Song, villainess and heroine rolled into one, sent Christmas greetings. If I'd wanted, I could have watched various Doctors (in the rebooted seasons) celebrate the season. The "Tooth and Claw" episode ended with a joke of a royal family werewolf; however, it reminded me that Torchwood began in Victoria's reign -- which gives rise to a steampunk companion. Mid-1800s seem to be a favorite time period -- close enough that people recall some details yet far enough away that the writer can work in his own details. Hard to believe sometimes that Jane Austen now is 2 centuries old ... though if you look at the costumes, it's a reminder of how much male fashions changed with the industrial revolution. The gang above would be mocked for the plaid pants and stovetop hats, but once they removed the accessories, the men could pass ... not so, for the fashion plate ladies with their hoop skirts (though the corsets are back for some fashionable ladies).

We decided to give Ikkicon in Austin a miss in 2011 -- Skittles has become a geriatric kitty with special needs, and there are 6 Christmas kittens in the cat carrier ... We could be gone overnight, as long as I come back on Sunday morning to check on everyone; however, the 36 hour absence might not be a good choice ... right now, Skittles is lying atop the computer monitor -- the day is so cold that the wintry sun isn't putting out much heat. Let me settle on the sofa, and he'll become a lap kitty for the duration.

The King's Speech & Other Dark Matters

Occasionally, Cheri and I have common tastes in men ... she generally prefers the super-buff athletic types such as Van Diesel in XXX -- and dated professional athletes -- so it came as a surprise that she loves Colin Firth. (Really? since when?) Joy likes Geoffrey Rush since his stint as Barbossa in the Pirates trilogy. A date to the Angelika to watch an arty film was in order.

Oh, yes, the Angelika is an arthouse in the northern part of Uptown in Dallas, on the other side of the DART rail line. It's near some very trendy loft apartments, the type that have murals painted on the side and ooze attitude. (I may look plain, but you can't afford the rent!) Cheri went on and on about how it reminded her of New York or San Francisco, two places that -- as Joy reminded her -- we haven't seen, and probably will never get the chance to see. But Cheri, in the midst of reminiscing, overlooked the side comments. I kept quiet ... Whenever there's a monologue in session, you might as well listen and keep silent ... and observe the scenery.

The Angelika Theatre definitely was plain on the outside -- and a challenge to approach from the street. You parked in the DART parking lot (very tiny) or in the 3-tiered lot across the street and walked across the DART station, which is a 2-tiered station; you get your tickets on the street level, where we were, then descend to take the train ... The Angelika's interior has many arty posters, ranging from Charlie Chaplin to foreign films. There's a wine bar (very expensive) on the ticket level, and regular concessions upstairs near the auditoriums. We headed upstairs. Yeah, you need to dress up for this place -- even the quartet of teens were upscale, though I wonder which movie they were there to see. The remake of The Tempest with Helen Mirren as a school project? Who knows ... I didn't think they would find any films there to their tastes.

Still, we had time to kill and ate nachos and hot dog and popcorn while we waited for our film to begin ... oh, and the pre-movie ads were classy, too. What can I say? Still, Cheri and we could count on our fingers the times we'd been in an arthouse -- We'd gone to the Magnolia in Uptown Village with Cheri to see 13, and she had gone to 2 others, all to see Jeremy Sisto, one of her favorites, in a rather depressing film about a teenager who gets into cutting herself and drugs.
Angst and indeterminant endings are hallmarks of a well-made art film for the thinking man.

I guess The King's Speech didn't haven't to meet those criteria since it was based on history. I'm sure there were liberties taken -- no movie gets the official blessing from Buckingham Palace -- but all the actors did an impressive job. Naturally, the movie centers around Bertie, the unwilling King, and Lionel, his practical speech therapist. For Americans raised on the romance of "the woman he loved," the portrayal of David and Wallis is rather biting. Both are intent on their own pleasure, and everyone else be damned. It's enough to make you want to research the era a bit more ... although it's a bit before my time, pre-WWII times are as alien to me as the 60s are to my students ... the world before Hitlet changed everything.

I sense that Cheri might indulge in a bit of historical reading -- she does more history than fiction. I may take a visit to the local library to pick up a few books myself ... I need something that's the total opposite of what I'm trying to write. Back to the movie -- Joy commented that this one was mainly talking heads, but what expressive heads they were! As Bertie struggles to find his voice, the audience empathizes with him -- after all, the #1 fear of many people is speaking in public. The knowledge that this first wartime speech will be the first of many -- and Bertie's comment that he fears this is only the first in a long conflict -- adds solemnity to the triumphal moment.

And, on our exit, I noticed that there was a sign for "Teens Who Stutter" -- maybe the girls were coming to our movie. Who knows? We swept outside into the chilly winter day as a larger audience began to enter. I hope that "the boys" get those Academy nominations in 2011 ... They deserve it. (That means I have to follow the awards next year ... Jeff Bridges did out Colin Firth in 2010 ... True Grit won the Academy for the Duke, but I wonder if it can do the same as a remake in 2011.

All in all, if they ever show anime as the Angelika (they did, once upon a time), we may have to head northward once more.

Winter Solstice

The lunar eclipse occurred on the winter solstice ... and I didn't set the alarm to see it. By the time I made it outside this morning, the moon had set. I'd slept so late that I barely beat the garbage men to the pick=up site. (Mundane, I know, but when pick-up happens once a week, you don't want to miss anything!)

(Pictured -- Sir Dustin at Four Winds Faire 2010)

On the writing side, I located the 2007 edition of "Stealing Cinderella," which was set at SHS -- with a cross-rip going to the Undying Lands, AKA Fairyland. It's a much better beginning than the stuff I wrote last month for NaNoWriMo ... Gwen has a cutting 'tide towards the fairy knight, who has his own agenda. No doubt it'll turn into some sort of romance novel -- I never quite finished the anti-romance of Harry and Alma years ago ... everyone insisted that it followed the romance tropes (and it did -- however, the hero and heroine were NOT destined for each other in a physical romance), and the continual rewrites halted the creative forward-moving juices. Unlike Pat Elrod and Theresa Patterson, I can't re-write the first 30 pages over and over while finishing the plot ... I have to write the whole thing, THEN go back and revise. Otherwise, It's another manuscript for the drawer ... well, jump drive nowadays. I still don't know where the plot will go -- I assume eventually they'll cross the borderlands into the Undying Lands to confront the Queen who plots to destroy both of them ... but that's for the coming holidays.

For now, it's time to close ... My mom and I are doing a "duty visit" to her sister. Old age and infirmity do not mellow people, I've learned. It tends to set whatever behaviors they possessed -- if they were pleasant, they remain pleasant despite calamity. If they're autocratic, they become tyrants ... Mom doesn't want to see her by herself, and I've been drafted since the boys are working. Imagine -- I get to dress in school clothes and wear make-up so Mom doesn't hear catty remarks later on my appearance ... I dress so casually that such remarks may be inevitable. Still, I'll do my beast.

Avanti!

Christmas Kittens, Oh My!

Back in late October (or early November), our smallest cat Fiona got out while we visited our friend Mar ... when we got home, it was a dark, moonless night -- and only 3 cats greeted us. We went through the house, calling her name, no answering mews. I went out the front, Joy went out the back, and we called again. She said she heard Fiona, so I came out back with a flashlight -- and spotted two orange eyes waaay up the tree, near the roof. Now it was tuna time order to lure her down ... and, a month later, Fiona looked like she'd swallowed a melon ... and the melon was growing larger and larger.

(pictured -- Fiona's outside cousin)

We eventally started putting her in the big cat carrier to sleep ... but Friday morning Joy took a nap without locking Fiona in the box ... and she woke up to -- you guessed it!! A wet spot and 2 little "meeps." I called at noon, and all 6 were in the box. One tuxedo, 3 red and whites, 1 grey with white socks, and (maybe) a Siamese cross. None are calicos like their mother ... I suspect that every male cat -- well, at least the 2-3 that I know hang around -- mated with her. If they survive, we must ask friends, family, and faire folk: anyone want a kitty?

These kitties will be fur folk, since their two-legged caregivers have handled them since they were less than 24 hours old ... and Fiona seems to have taken to motherhood, unlike Pitti-sing who ignored her offspring. Sadly, the beautiful Lady Orchid is not alive to become their "aunt." She loved taking care of kittens, whether her own or another's. The rest of the cats -- Skittles, Margot, and Bojangles -- aren't sure how to react to this noisy sextet.

On a different note -- I'm done with school for 2010!! Amazingly, I did not kill or put the beatdown on any students, even my annoying males. (Believe me, I have some silly boys who wanna be men in my classes!) 8th period got candy, even though they didn't deserve it ... well, to quote Hamlet, "If we got what we deserved, which one of us would escape whipping?" The fire alarm wailed at 4 o'clock ... and we escorted the kids out. They're getting accustomed to the routine, so they knew the drill. It's a legal way to force everyone out of the building without arguments ... those come when kids want to get back inside. (They'd better have a pass!)

This morning is the last ballet class for 2010 ... I'm behind in tuition, so I'll find the DVD-player TV for a down payment ... House taxes, alas, come first. "Mundane matters are such a bother!!" she declares in a very posh accent. Then, I get to work on thank you gifts for a doll donation and Joy's Christmas owls. Later, when we set up the printer, I get to print off the minac for a tiny fantasy APA that we've rejoined. Those NaNoWriMo novels can be dusted off and others can read them.

Have a blessed Christmas -- and enjoy the holidays if you don't celebrate Christmas itself.

Holiday Cheers

Tonight Joy & I returned to SHS to watch the Christmas Music Festival. Alas, the theatre folks won't follow them on the morrow because Ginger, the theatre director, broke her heel during a tech rehearsal for a play in which she would've performed ... It seems the light guy took the lights to black too early and Ginger mis-stepped off the stage. I feel her pain -- Back in '95, DISD was supposed to seal the stage footlights at RHS; they did ... from stage left to center stage. I walked about three more feet stage right, and the footlight opened up. My foot got caught, and I fell off the stage onto the concrete auditorium floor ... Concussion, bruises, and a dislocated collarbone ... but I was young (and stupid) enough to return to school within 48 hours. Now? I'd take the time off to heal, just like Ginger.

Tonight, Mrs. Smith (band) and Mr. Sarver (choir) put on a concert ... some of the past ones were more colorful -- I haven't forgotten his Elvis impression, yet I can understand why they combined efforts. In this way, they could divide and conquer the songs.

The beautiful Lady Orchid We'd heard several in previous concerts ... and,

this year, I didn't join the "Hallelujah Chorus." We sat and enjoyed the show ... though I noticed that there weren't many faculty members there. (Yes, we had to stand -- I think the two administrators stayed seated.) Still, I saw many students -- some, I didn't know were in the band or choir. (Bad teacher! I'm supposed to know such things ... that's why they make us use the computers, right?)

We came home (yawn!!) to hungry kitties. Best of all, to a hungry elderly cat. Skittles, Lady Orchid's brother, has been rather peckish lately. He had the sniffles and generally refused to eat most canned food ... So, we got him stinky sardines. (Yuck!! and I like sushi.) Some days, he liked them; other days, he wanted Something Else. It was our jobs, as good human servants, to intuit what he wanted. The younger cats got the leftovers ... the Dancing Cats (Margot, Bojangles, and Fiona) enjoyed the sardines or red tuna or Fancy Feast. Since he's eating regular canned food, I suppose he's feeling better. At age 14 1/2, he deserves whatever he craves ... I just wish the stuff smelled better!!

One more day ... 8 hours ... and we are done with school for 2010. January 3rd will come all too quickly, I suspect.

Babes, Ballet, & Bling

The countdown to the Christmat holidays has officially begun. Last night, Mar, Joy and I went to see the panto produced by Theatre Britain. Each December, we visit the land of fairy tales with the principal boy and dame, the innocent hero, dastardly villain with his inept minions ... You get to laugh, to talk back to the actors, to sing along with the other folks and generally have a good time. You can't go wrong.

This is our 5th panto -- I think our first was Cinderella at the KD Studio Theatre ... If you Google, "British panto -- Cinderella," you might find Entsheawful and her sister menacing poor Cinderella.

This show is based on an old English ballad about two children who get lost in the woods and die of exposure, even though the birds covered them with blankets of leaves ... well, THAT ending won't fly in a panto, so it's the principal boy (Paige Turner) and the dame (Governess Amplebottom) to the rescue, with the help of Robin Hood and his Merry Men. Baron von Nasty Chap and his minions got some good musicals numbers -- and lots of heckling from the kids in front of us. Of course, we boo and hiss along with everyone else. That's the point of a panto!! The old "4th wall" just doesn't exist ... while we were heckling the Baron, however, I had a flashback to my 3rd period class who cannot shut up. Luckily, it's part of the script, so the actor took it in stride and sneered at all of us ... until he revealed his sad past and got reformed, another traditional part of Jackie Mellon's scripts. I think the only villain who didn't get reformed was the evil magician in Aladdin and the ogre in Puss in Boots last year ... but, technically, they weren't human -- or part of the hero's family. It isn't Shakespeare or high drama, but you'll have a great time. To see a expert critic's comments on the panto, go to

http://frontrow.dmagazine.com/2010/12/ever-seen-a-british-panto-babes-in-the-wood-is-alively-audience-loving-romp/

After the show, the audience gets to meet the actors. We did that when I performed at the Dallas Children's Theatre (which now has its own building in North Dallas.) We let the kids talk with the actors while we made our way out ... and spoke with the Box Office Manager/Producer. He recognized us as repeat offenders -- and we talked about the show. I commented that we'd first seen a panto when John Nathan Turner, who was the producer of Doctor Who in the 80s brought a filmed panto to a convention. We watched it ... and laughed .... and wondered what world we'd wandered into. When I saw an ad for the panto years later, I talked the girls into going -- and we've gone ever since.

We're preparing for the ballet show in January 2011 -- most of the costumes are finished, except for little extras to make them "pop" in a larger auditorium. Still, we won't have any marathon sessions like we did this year (YAY!). I got the news that my balance was better, but my energy levels are flagging ... need more vitamins, I suspect. "5 Hour Energy" just won't cut the mustand when you're doing pirouettes. I've basically maintained my weight, even though I'm eating more or less whenever and whatever I like ... not a good thing, since I tend to like salty and sweet foods ... but I can still climb those 3 flights of stairs every day ...

Today we work on the bling, along with the dolls ... We sell "blinged out" pointe shoes to support the studio, and I may have a lead to sell one or two. I get to learn how to manage the digital camera. Telling me, just point and shoot does not help -- I never mastered the point and shoot reflex cameras! But I do love to take pictures -- the technology, however, got away from me, as often happens. (Don't ask me how to take a picture with my cell phone; I never knew the feature existed until I tried to adjust the ring tone!) More pictures to follow ... 5 days, and we're done for 2010!

Rings & Things

Ring on her fingers,

And bells on her toes --

She shall have music

Wherever she goes.

That was the story of yesterday's church bazaar. The weather was mild (for December), and we saw more people than in 2009. However, everyone's watching each penny, so we only sold about $100 of rings (and earrings). Hope sold 3 OOAK toe shoes. As a student, I encouraged several ladies who expressed interest in adult classes to check out the studio. They live near St. Bernard's church, so they aren't far from the Heritage School.

About 1 PM, we started our Christmas performance, the "non-Nutcracker," as Hope titled it. We had a much larger audience than last year -- Sabrina had her peeps bring in extra chairs so people could watch ... fewer family members (except for the girls' families) and more public. We opened with a classical piece "In the Flower Garden," followed by a demo with the littles from St. Bernard's with "Miss Hope." We had dressed the girls' hair behind our table -- I got to do their "big girl" red lipstick. (Just call me "Miss Kate," costumer & stage manager.) While Hope changed clothes, I got them calmed down and backstage ... Oh, they have so much to learn!! I know I must have been just as shy and awkward when I began, but hopefully by 4th grade I was better ... Then our junior high girls did a duet on demi-pointe, followed by the "Can-Can" by the company. Yep, we had ladies from all ages on that stage ... which may (hopefully) bring in a few new students and (maybe) a dancer for the company.

A final word on NaNoWriMo -- I handwrote about 20,000 words on my fantasy novel. Joy commented that the heroine was too introverted and not active ... I need to go back (I have about 30-50 pages.) and re-examine the pieces. I know the basic idea, but I'm not fond of the execution. Perhaps that's why most heroines are 30-ish at most ... by age 50 we get more introspective since we've been around the block a few times. Adolescents are easier since they have more possibilities ... Still, if I can locate the original chapters, where she confronts a monster in the Wal-Mart parking lot (it follows her home), I can salvage more pages than I have now.

In SHS, we're studying the Holocaust through Elie Weisel's experiences (and his Nobel speech). The kids are turning very anti-Nazi ... and still can't understand why people didn't "jump" the guards or fight back. The reading class will check out MAUS -- yes, graphic novels will make an appearance in the 10th grade. I suspect some folks won't enjoy how dense the writing can be ... these aren't the usual superhero comics.

Giving Thanks

Today is a messy, cold Texas autumn day ... a few hours ago, the temperature was a balmy 65 degrees, but it's fallen about 20 degress since I got up. Thank you, Mother Nature, for giving us such interesting weather. The Macy's Day Parade in NYC has nice (if coldish) weather. Ah, well. Thanks to my students, I have a nasty cold. Plus, later today I get to see and give thanks with a bunch of people with whom I normally would not wish to associate. (You can't choose your family the way you can choose your friends ...) Still, they are family -- and I am glad that they're still around to share another holiday season with us.

It could be worse ... Last year, Jon's mother-in-law was directing her daughter on how to cook Thanksgiving dinner. Within a month, she was dead ... In the last 2 weeks, three people whom I know directly or indirectly have passed away: 1 from heart failure, 1 from leukemia, and 1 in a car wreck (with her daughter). Prayers to their families who mourn their loved ones ... I'm thankful that most of the family is with us ... Drive safely, everyone, and watch out for the other drivers! You never know who's been indulging before she or he gets behind the wheel.

In the picture, Joy and I hold two of our BJDs -- P'asht, the 60cm OOAK Obitsu cat-girl that Joy designed, and Matthias, one of her AOD vampire elves. These two dolls have travelled all over Texas -- P'asht has gone to California several times. The occasion? A modern doll convention -- next weekend, I believe the Barbie brigade will come to the Metroplex. I don't know whether we have a local Barbie collectors group; however, it's fun to see how other people have worked over Mattel's flagship doll. We'll have to squeeze it in after the ballet performance on Saturday; the company will perform a program at St. Bernard's church bazaar. Thanks, Joy, for putting up with my evil attitude (I'm a teacher -- it happens!) and obsessions with books, dolls and sparkly baubles and beads.

Speaking of friends, here's a shout out to my long distance friends who go back -- well, over the decades. I shan't say how many decades, but we went to junior high and high school together. Nancy, Helen and Spencer -- the miles may separate us, but the 'Net keeps us posted on what's going on. Karyl, who performed with me at the Dallas Theatre Center, and daughter Cheryl -- cross-country -- and cross-oceanic -- good wishes for the rest of 2010 and 2011. Many thanks for all our local friends whom we met through the Gallifrey Connection, as well as online friends who like BJDs and school associates who make life at SHS bearable as we whip students into shape for TAKS and STAAR and whatever other tests the great state of Texas throws our way.

The people at church ... all 12-15 (maybe more, depending on which family members are in town) who worship with me. You say I have a voice ... well, it's just that I know the tunes and can belt them out. (But with this cold, who knows how it'll sound on Sunday!) Oh, well, somewhere it says that when you sing you praise God twice ... and I'm sure, like any indulgent parent, God adjusts the notes so they harmonize.

The ballet company and students at the studio -- thanks for giving me a chance to dance and participate in performances once more. More costumes -- and another show! -- for 2011. Now if I could just get my feet and arms to cooperate, the dance would go much smoother ... well, there's always next year.

Let;s not forget the "fairemily" that we see each March and April. You folks make those months a magical, wonderful time ... hopefully the economy will be a bit kinder to everyone in 2011. A special tip of the hat to a departed Faire friend, James Harlan. He made the "gate side" a welcoming place for patrons and merchants alike. I am thankful to have known him ... his memory lives on at Four Winds Faire.

And then there are the pets who abide with us -- cats, birds, and dog ... St. Francis knows that they give us more than we give them ... so, I'm thankful they are with us another year ... and we have a "poofed-out" pussycat (AKA pregant), so who knows what's in store within the month.

All in all --

Thanks to all and sundry during this holiday season.

Dance quote: If you can't get rid of the skeleton in your closet, you'd best teach it to dance.
- George Bernard Shaw

Bison Bits & Nano Novel Thoughts

Is it Thanksgiving holidays yet? Sigh!! Yes, it is ... and not a moment too soon. I was ready to collapse from the stress -- either that, or go postal on 3rd period, which would not have been pretty.

The last two days were rather sad ones around SHS -- one of the teachers died of heart failure on Wednesday night, and today a senior died of leukemia. Unfortunately, I cannot put a face to either name ... and I've taught there 4 years. However, unlike RHS, the campus is so much larger -- and with a larger faculty that I don't know the majority of faculty or a class the way I did at Velt. (Sorry -- RHS. For some reason, the powers-that-be didn't like the old nickname.) Why the thoughts about my old school? I got a surprise today while I was fighting wind & papers on the way to the recycling bin ... a middle-aged lady was talking to her male co-workers after they had finished spraypainting over the graffiti on the retaining walls that lead from the back teachers' parking lot to the fine arts wings ... and she turned around and said those words guaranteed to recall the past: "Hi, Ms. Nickell."




Yep, I had taught her back in the days ... In fact, she asked why I hadn't retired. (Darling, I'm not THAT old!!) To tell the truth, it's the tax laws and the economy. I might be able to beat one, but not both ... Then one of last year's kids stopped to help me -- yeah, he's a junior. My first time sophomores are seniors now -- and very lazy, alas. Still, I was not ready to discover that (a) most of my early students ARE middle-aged parents and (b) that many work for DISD. There are days I feel a part of the problem of the future of American education -- rather egotistical of me since I'm not their only English teacher. Still, how do they find me?

We're in the midst of cleaning house ... a monumental task, believe me! Plus, I'm still working on the NanoWriMo novel. Since I'm writing by hand, it takes a while to compose 1500 words. (I've never done it in one day.) At the moment -- I should be at 25000 words; but, no, I have about 14000. Still, I haven't strung that many words together in one month in a loooong time. So, there is something to be said for the "no plot, no problem" approach to writing.

Cats & Dragons

This week had its share of ups and downs ... This computer went down, thanks to an old power supply, and I had to drive up to East Dallas to get it fixed. Why East Dallas? My ballet teacher recommended a computer repair shop -- they have many, many rebuilt computers, computer parts, peripherals ... and they can repair most computers for a reasonable price. True, it cost gas money; however, the computer was in and out of the shop in less than 1 day ... and it seems to run better than before. Joy went down with a cough and cold (or allergies); the outside temp went down on Friday and continued down today. Fall is back!

This morning marked BBC America's Doctor Who marathon for Matt Smith's 11th Doctor ... but they started with "End of Time," which leads to his regeneration scene. Yes, David Tennant is THE Doctor for the 21st century in the way that Tom Baker was THE Doctor during the 80s. David is a better actor than Tom, who is a great performer but not always the best ensemble actor. Unlike Matt Smith, David could make you believe that there was a 900-year-old soul in the body that looked like it was barely over 30. Joy bought the Tonner "Doctor 10" doll -- pictures of THAT in another entry -- and he materialized courtesy of the US Mail last week ... I wouldn't watch that episode over and over, since it does end with David's departure, and it still brings me to tears as the Doctor meets his own mortality ... for the sake of one ordinary old man. His reward? To use his final moments to make certain that his companions are safe and secure ... but he regenerates alone and in pain.

Fiona the Flea, our tortie cat, is nestled in my lap while I write. Every so often a little paw reaches up to tap my hand ... obviously I am not using my hands properly since one in not petting her. More on her -- and her sibs -- later.

I'm still writing on the novel ... I don't like parts of it because there is just way too little action and too many "talking head" dialogue scenes ... but I'm almost at 12, ooo words (I'm behind on the word count by almost 8000.) Still, we're still working on it -- despite a side trip to the computer shop and a visit to Mar's house ... where I wrote while we watched How to Train Your Dragon. We had a minute doll moment ... next week, it's writing and crafts and more videos. To many fans it's rather dull -- but, outside of gas money, it's a chance to do something fannish without spending too much $$$.

Oh, and it's fall house cleaning time ... the cats are bouncing off the walls, which causes books and boxes to tumble. Still, their shenanigans unearthed Joy's Japanese haoris ... and I managed to discover where my new leotard had gone.

Dance quote: "Life's a dance you learn as you go/ Sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow ..."

Nanowrimo, Week 2

I'm begun chapter 2 and have about 10, 000 words. They aren't great words or a great plot; however, it does tell a story ... I may yet introduce Joy's character, Harry St. Cloud, into the mix. He's just the sort of pooka -- well, wizard, actually -- who might shake up this weird combination inspired by Henson's movie Labyrinth.

Alas, the computer decided to do something weird today, so it goes into the shop tomorrow. Fortunately, Cheri loaned Joy one of her old computers, so we still have on-line access. Mom, bless her, has done my laundry tonight ... it seems that I only have time to finish that project during the holidays -- or on weekends.

Mundane, I know, but I have to chart my progress on the "nano" novel somehow ...

Oh, and I managed to balance on one foot for 7-8 counts several times tonight! Huzzah! The foreign lady in this picture is "Madame," aka Nathalie Krassavska, a prima ballerina who decided to settle in Dallas' Turtle Creek area when she retired from touring with the Ballet Russes de Monte Carlo. She taught many of the ballerinas who perform in the DFW area; they gather together each year to perform a recital -- or a programme -- dedicated to the dances that she choreographed or inspired ... and sometimes we get the treat of watching her perform ... Man, those videotapes are old!!

NaNoWriMo, week 1

This marks the first week of novel writing -- and there is definitely no plot in the back of my mind! I don't have a computer to dedicate to writing; plus, I write better in front of the TV, so I'm handwriting this opus. This means I won't meet word count, but since I won't officially submit this manuscript to the "Nano" people, it doesn't matter. What does count is actually forcing myself to write 500-1000 words per day. It's getting back into the habit of thinking of something besides school -- or reading someone else's novel -- that counts. Not that I'd ever criticize people for reading, whether it's graphic novels, romances, SF, fantasy ... well, I'm not too sure about pornography, but that's another issue isn't it? In a word -- I shall check back periodically to this blog; however, my characters have to run down a dark city block with a nasty blob-like creature following them ... it's targeted Rowena, our protagonist, and I'm not too certain whether Gareth (yes, inspired by David Bowie's Jareth) is her knight or just a bad boy. We'll see.

A note -- it looks like Four Winds Faire will begin the next decade with a new look. One of the older buildings, the Trojan Rabbit, will move because it's original building is slated for demolition. There will also be a pub -- I wonder if there will be official pub sings now? -- for the adults. Dustin plans to open the faire grounds more, so we need to move our things out of the booth ... it is full of stuff! When the weather is nice, it would be a pleasant spot to sit and write -- or draw -- or just get away from town. They'll have a New Year's Eve camp out, but Joy and I aren't really camping fans ... The SCA Tourney of the Queen's Ice back in the 70's cured me of outdoor camping. Brrr! It chills me to think on it.

Time to get back to the novel ... we're in chapter 2, about 6, 000 words. That's about 1,500 words short of where I should be. Got to move that pen over paper!

Dance Quote: “If dancing were any easier it would be called football.” -- Anonymous

Dancing Doll Cats: Case of the Missing Kit

Halloween can be a time of fun, but it brings new worries to pet owners. We have a family of well-meaning children on the east side of our house; however, when they take in a litter of kittens, we never see the kits again. I'm not sure what they do -- I suspect that they kill the poor little mites with kindness ... and cow's milk. The kittens' mother is a stray, not truly feral, because she will let Joy or me touch her. However, she does not like to be picked up, and she has never shown any interest in coming inside ... I spotted the 4some: 2 white ones that might be Siamese mix, 1 yellow tabby, and 1 gray. Skippy John, the male Siamese stray, is probably 1 of the fathers, and I suspect he'd kill the litter once he found them. It's a no-win situation for the little things, either way.

Worse, Flea went missing. We don't know how she got out of the house, but when I went to feed the cats, there was no small black and red tabby ... Fiona looks like a half-grown kitten, but Joy thinks that she's the same age as our other 2 half-grown cats, Bojangles and Margot, named after Bill "Bojangles" Robinson and Margot Fonteyn. I went through the house with a flashlight, went through the front and back yard ... no Fiona. Every 15-30 minutes, I'd repeat the process -- that's how I found the kittens -- but no little cat. Finally, Joy went out on the back porch and called. She swore she heard a tiny mew ... but no cat in sight. I came out with the flashlight, and two orange eyes peered at me from high up the tree. It was no owl; it meowed. We fought our way through the underbrush (yeah, it's time to trim bushes again!). I climbed on a low branch; Joy got food to tempt Fiona into position.

Finally, she climbed down to a cut-off branch where I could grab 1 leg and a tail ... Fiona protested, but I hauled her down ... For a while, I could tell she was debating on jumping onto the roof, then decided (thankfully) that it was too far for her short legs to reach.

Oh, and I've finished 5 pages (1,000 words) for my NaNoWriMo weekend.

NaNoWriMo

A plot flickers in a dark and stormy mind ...

Half of you are thinking, "What the ***?" -- and the other half are thinking, "It's that time, again?" What am I talking about? November is National Novel Writing Month (NanoWriMo); participants pledge to write a 50, 000 word novel in 30 days. It can be done; I've done it, and so have thousands of others. It shames me to write it, but it was 4 years ago that I did my first "Nano" novel on a now-defunct laptop. (BTW, Karyl, I did back it up on two drives, as well as print a copy.) This year, unless I'm lucky, I may be handwriting most of the novel since I really write better in front of the TV than in isolation with the desktop. Call me crazy (it's been done before), but I will get it done ... or get hand cramps in the attempt.

Of course, it means that most of my jewelry projects, quilt designs, and doll dresses will be placed on hold during November ... and luckily the grading will be a tad lighter on the essay side since we're doing an "I" scrapbook instead of a traditional essay for our project. We'll see how many kids finish it by next week's deadline.

My first (though not last) "nano" novel told the tale of a were-jaguar in search of her missing brother. She drives out to East Texas (hey, they say write what you know -- well, I know the drive to Tyler pretty well) and gets hooked up with a Texas Ranger who's searching for some nasty drug dealers who're capturing college kids for nefarious rites. (Think the Matamoros drug dealer murders down near the border.) Her grandmother is a curandera who gives the Ranger a scapular medal to help the woman control the first change ... yes, it's a romance (of sorts), and it is VERY rough in spots ... but I got it done in (more or less) 1 month.

I still haven't forgotten the day when the principal had us at an in-service; I had just started the novel, and the woman walked into a bar. I think I had the biker bar in mind; however, since I've never been in the biker bar, I made it a more normal country bar ... and a man walks through the door. I had no clue who he was -- then I had to pay attention to the speaker, a brain research specialist, and didn't get a chance to return to the story until lunch. Then everyone wanted me to eat with them -- they were willing to pay -- but I wanted to find out who the guy was! When I told them that I was writing -- and I had no idea who this new character was -- they couldn't understand. "If you're the writer, then you should know," one insisted. Well, I didn't know -- and she didn't know. The only one who DID know was Dirk, and he didn't reveal his motivation for coming after Lena until another 20 pages had passed. (He turned out to be the hero after all.)

This year's "Nano" novel may be set near my 85-year-old high school. I've tried getting the novel off the ground several times -- I need to locate the opening scenes I wrote last summer. My other alternative is a YA novel about a magic user who's coming into her power ... and, to tell the truth, I could combine the setting of one with the characters of the other ... Sad to say, it's hard to write about teenagers and even harder to write about people my own age. We're at such very different stages in the life journey. Of course, there's always the idea of wisdom + youth. What could you do if you had the energy and resilience of youth added to the life experience (and wisdom, hopefully) of age? The fae (Fair Folk, elves) do -- but only Tolkein's elves make consistently choices to do good; the traditional fair folk are not always so benign, and some are actively evil. I read Moning's Faefever series -- I had to stop when the Fairy prince and his minions gang raped the heroine to make her his slave. That's not the end of the series -- but I won't start reading again until book 5 comes out. Moning defended the scene, but it put me off her writing for over a year -- and I don't recommend the series, even for hard-core romance/ fantasy readers, unless you're willing to deal with nastiness on a level I haven't seen in a long time. The only writer who came close to that was Tami Hoag; her main characters are torture puppies near the book's climax. They risk their lives to put the bad guys away ... although they're willing to pay the price, I'm not always willing to share the experience.

Dance quote: "Any problem in the world can be solved by dancing." -James Brown

Bazeball dase

Happy Halloween from Pash't and her furry fiend

My anime boys tells me that BJDs are creepy; the life-like eyes and limbs create atavistic memories of tiny homuculi who create havoc when everyone is asleep -- a cross between Chucky in Child's Play and Woody's crew in Toy Story. There are guys out there who enjoy the dolls; however, most come into the doll fold because their SO likes them ... or they're gay and enjoy designing a OOAK doll (not all, mind you, but most that I know). I still love the name of one of Joy's groups: Creepy Old Folks Who Play With Dolls. Too much fun!

Tonight the Texas Rangers play the SF Giants in San Francisco ... I normally don't follow America's game; however, I am a Texan, which means that I follow "the boys" when they make the playoffs. To tell the truth, I'm using the internet to check on their progress (right now, lack of progress, since the score is 4-2) because baseball games just move too slowly for my taste ... even when my dad took the family to Arlington Stadium (now only a vague memory), I took a book along. I'm sure it was a fantasy book, though which one I could not tell. I saved Lord of the Rings for the long drives from Dallas to my grandmother's home in Evansville, IN, and my aunt's home in Morehead, KY. Like Christopher Lee, I enjoyed re-visiting Middle Earth every summer.





Of course, my students talk of nothing but the World Series ... if the Cowboys were doing better, there would be a choice of subjects; however, "da Boys" aren't winning much this year, like our Bison football team ... and this week is homecoming. Oh, well, I'm sure the Bison of years past will enjoy more than just the game ... I've never felt the need to visit Wildcat Country at Wildcat/Ram Stadium, perhaps because I deal with high school sports all the time. I feel little desire to re-visit the scene of my mis-spent youth. After all, I know where to find the 3 people who were my closest friends at that time -- Facebook just makes it a one-stop-shop.

I enjoyed college and grad school; however, I never kept up with any of those folks. Oh, I met some of them later when we were all theatre teachers in Dallas ISD; however, after I graduated from college, I only saw one of the folks from ETSU -- and that friendship shattered when she started sleeping with a married man ... That was one crazy spring! A fruit basket turnover of relationships, a veritable soap opera. As my niece says, I try to steer clear of drama; still, sometimes the drama finds you ... as it's done 3 times this year. After 3 blessed years of relative peace, we've had 3 fights among the sophomores -- 1 involved alleged gang rivalries, but 2 were girls fighting over name-calling and boys. (Puh-leeze! I teach the little brat -- he ain't all that.)

Dance Quote: “Let us read and let us dance - two amusements that will never do any harm to the world.” -- Voltaire

Beware the pirate elves! The kawaii factor lowers your defenses, then they'll steal your heart ...

We spent the weekend -- well, a second weekend, in Southlake. Petsitting is no joke, unless the pets are your own ... which wouldn't make it petsitting, would it, unless the dogs (or cats) literally DO sit on you. Mine have been known to do so, and Joy's birds use her as a perch whenever they can (usually while the cats are placed inside their room). Back to the subject at hand: the girls & Veronica (who is in her late 50s but prefers to party with younger females) decided to go on a road trip to the East Coast ... after toodling around the Big Apple and its environs, they came south to that center of Elvis worship, Graceland. Currently they're driving south and west towards their house ... where Joy waits in durance vile.

This was a weekend for old movies: Kind Hearts & Coronets, starring Alec Guinness in 7 roles; Laura, with Gene Tierney and Vincent Price, a documentary on the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, and Return to the House on Haunted Hill, with no name actors ... oh, and we caught the last half of Disney's Princess & the Frog. No one could ever say our tastes weren't eclectic ... We interspersed the movie watching with reading -- Joy had found the final volume in one of her fantasy series, and I read a reprint of a Mary Balough romance, The Christmas Promise, as well as parts from The Chronicles of Narnia. I guess all the reading was to distract the mind from the fact that duty had trapped us in a place where we really didn't wish to be, caring for animals not our own ... Worse, two of Joy's cockatiels died this week, and she was unable to bid them a final farewell and mourn properly since she wasn't here. I know that sorrow bothers her -- I remember finding Lady Orchid, who had been quite ill for a long time ... She had died inside the hospital cage in the bedroom, since I feared that she might climb into the mattress or closet in her last moments. Such a lovely, loving queenly cat ... Her brother Skittles is still with us. He meowed and chatted me up since I had spent 2 nights in Southlake.

We now have bison on a chain ... well, chain earrings. This week is homecoming at Sunset HS, so I made some earring sets for teachers who want to show spirit on Friday ... and it's tough to find bison. Luckily, Mar found some pewter pieces at Intergem, so I have a bagful for earrings and pendants ... plus, a few buffalo nickels in a coin setting. They're too heavy for earrings, but perfect as pendants ... and I saw a few steers in the field next to Cheri's abode. They ignored us mere humans (after all, we didn't have any food for them), despite our "mooooooooo"-ing.

Dance Quote: If you cannot get rid of the family skeleton, you may as well make it dance. George Bernard Shaw

Taken to TAKS --

... or task, as it were, as I move from senior tutor to sophomore teacher ... and after 3 years of calm, we've had 3 fights on 3rd floor this semester. Alas, we're short 2 principals, which adds to the problem. I only hope that we can get the 10th grade class back on track in time for the 2011 TAKS ...

So what's with the funny animals? As I commented below, I have an anime shrine -- most of my students aren't interested in furry art; however, there are two anthropomorphic bison -- a samurai and a geisha -- as the mascots for the anime club.




You have to be a good dancer to be this clumsy at the barre ... Lucy was a dancer for MGM before they discovered that she was a comedienne. My friend Mandy has a shrine to the Ricardos & Mertzes in her classroom; I myself have an anime shrine. Both of us enjoy movies, particularly the classics; when we taught next door to one another, we would play movie trivia. How many minutes into a scene did you need in order to identify the movie and its stars? I wonder whether she shows movies before school and during lunch the way she did on 3rd floor. I doubt it -- the powers-that-be (and lunch traffic) frown on cinematic stuff between 9 and 4. Then they wonder why the kids have so little culture ... it's all hip-hop and pop with the Web sites and Youtube thrown into the mix.

I did have to chuckle, however, because I had to shoo several kids away from the library since the seniors are testing all week. Sorry, kids, you can't check your manga or video stream ... see you next week.

Dance quote: What could I do? I couldn't dance. I couldn't sing. I could talk.
-- Lucille Ball

Critter Crawlies & Senior Slides

This picture shows what happens when STAR WARS meets steampunk fashions ... Lucas wanted the droids to have a "used" look -- I think the model maker replicated it well. I almost didn't recognize the crew, especially with the changes for Obi-Wan. I can't quite see Alec Guiness in these exaggerated shoulder armor, though I guess they were inspired by the wide samurai plates -- although I think those were made of narrow pieces of lacquered wood fastened together to be more flexible ... and they didn't do much with Princess Leia's outfit, besides adding the usual reversed corset over her blouse. Ah, well, I guess someone can go in and build the retro weaponry that mark the real steampunk designers. After all, the light sabers and blaster combinations reflected the same mashup of past, present and future technologies that we saw in the original trilogy. (No, I do not count the prequel trilogy or CLONE WARS -- too much CGI trickery in one, and in animated series only the imagination can limit the designs. Either way, the practicality of the weapon never becomes an issue, just whether it looks good.) Maybe I should tune into the replay of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. It's on today ... Yeah, Sean Connery as Alan Quartermain. I can handle that.

On a completely different note:

I almost made it through the fall TAKS season without tutoring a single senior ... Why, do you ask? Since I volunteered to "move down" to 10th grade, I'm no longer personally acquainted with members of the Class of 2011 -- at least, not most of the ones who need to take TAKS. My students passed the first time in the spring of 2011. (And it's not boasting, if it's a fact, as Beowulf would say.) However, none of the senior teachers want to take on the task, and when the asst. principal asked for recommendations, they gave my name ... SIGH. It's a pain when you're a "team player." I get stuck in a prayer room (2 long tables and 1 long pew) with various seniors ... many of whom aren't feeling the serious inspiration to get their thinking caps on and write the essay -- making a mere 2 our of 4 last March does not reassure me that they can repeat the deed in October. Several are more interested in their jobs than in their test for graduation . Ah well, we'll see how they feel next March when they have to take the test again ... and one guy who left to teach his hip-hop dance class wants to graduate in December; he needs to pass 2 sections. oh, well ...

If you ever want to find a place that has illusions of grandeur, Southlake is the place to visit. It's made having a middle class WASP neighborhood its mission -- along with a powerhouse football team that has qualified for more state championships than I can name. I swear that you won't find any non-whites out there unless they make $$$$. I've seen 1 or 2 Indians in the neighborhood, but I suspect that they have tech jobs somewhere ... The trio of ladies who own the house where I stayed have many, many critters; Joy's job this week is critter-sitting, so I used it as an excuse to mall crawl at Grapevine Mills ... We made the run down to Lancaster to check on our pets; the cockatoos and 'tiels welcomed Joy with wild tweets and jungle cries, a foreshadowing of the raucous welcome home she'll receive next Sunday.

Lancaster may be located less than 40 miles southeast of Southlake, but it could as well be in another country. (We ARE in another county: they're in Tarrant Co., we're in Dallas.) After the tornado in '94, the demographics have gradually shifted as Dallas residents have moved south, and the light industry has stayed north ... I think the 2 biggest employers in this town are Wal-Mart and Lancaster ISD. We're a commuter town -- which is difficult since we have no bus service. If you don't have a car, finding a job is tough. The city park and library complex north of us are quite beautiful -- alas, you have to drive there since Lancaster Road & Jefferson Street are too busy for pedestrians to traverse safely. Still, we have a ringside seat when there are fireworks displays or concerts ... all we have to do is pull out the lawn chairs.

Dance quote: "Your love for yourself is only shown when you are dancing freely." -- anonymous

In a Faire State

Goodreau Vampire guards the money box from anime fans

Today we teachers get the day off for the State Fair of Texas -- as you can see in the title, my fingers did the walking and used the ren spelling for "fair." Not a surprise, since we spend much of our time on the faire grounds in East Texas during the spring. The official State Fair is huge, and except for the new fried foods, there isn't much to tempt me to walk all day and check out displays ... Compared to Six Flags, the Midway isn't as fun as it was when I was in high school; altough the ticket gives us free admission, it doesn't pay for all the tickets you'd need to eat, drink and be merry ... Besides, I don't want to see any of my students during my "down time" this weekend.

After I grade some papers -- yes, I'm trying not to drown in student papers this 6 weeks -- I shall begin to bead. I found an interesting book on bead embroidery, which might tempt the BJD ladies into parting with some cash ... we shall see. Plus, I have bison earrings to create for the theater teacher and others. A few students are interested; the rules may bend for teachers who want jewelry, but they are adamant about student sales ... Too many dirty deeds done at DISD during the Naughty Nineties, I'm sure, when many higher-ups and business managers used district funds to feather their own nests. Most of the earrings are simple ones -- beads on a headpin (I almost wrote beads on a stick ...) or simple beadweaving. I hope some are bought, since we spent $$ at Intergem and Rock Barrell to obtain purple and white pearls and crystals.

So -- who's the little vampire in the picture? He's an ABC vinyl BJD created by Paulette Goudreau; Joy spotted the little man at BJDC Austin ... but bought a smaller magician instead since he resembled her chara Harry St. Cloud. She'd given Paulette a jewelry pendant; to our surprise, Paulette sent this little guy our way ... A few resin purists insist that he shouldn't be called a BJD since they insist that only an "Asian-inspired" aesthetic defines a true ball-jointed doll. Oh, please ... first, he has the changeable hair and wig; he also has joints; he's strung, even if he is made of vinyl ... And if you're looking for an "Asian aesthetic," he still fits the definition because many manga and anime will create a "chibi" version of all but the most serious chara. He's just a chibi Dracula ... a distinction that some BJD purists wouldn't know because they don't know the entire "Asian aesthetic" that influences the sculptors who create the dolls. I think they're narrowing the definition more and more because they don't want outsiders to invade their private party ... Now I'm the first to agree that reborn dolls (dolls which look like newborn babies, complete with the redness associated with babies who are just born) are not BJDs ... and neither are most Barbie dolls or many fashion dolls since they don't have changeable eyes or hair ... but Goodreau's dolls (and some other lines, too) DO follow the definition. Check them out for yourself and see.

Dance Quote: "I could dance with you till the cows come home...On second thought, I'd rather dance with the cows when you came home."(Groucho Marx, Duck Soup (1933))

Gemstones & Bison Bits

OCGMS case

We'll spend this weekend at the International Gem & Jewelry show, instead of the Cowtown Celtic Festival ... advertising for the latter appeared in late September, so we were already committed to working the club table. I'd enjoy seeing a festival that I wasn't working -- when the North Texas Irish Fest happens, we're at 4 Winds Faire; when the Scottish Festival occurs, we're at A-Kon. Those weekends fill up fast -- at least MiddleFaire, Cottonwood Arts Festival, and Cowtown Celtic, not to mention the State Faire, will have beautiful weather ... I only hope that the jewelry people will visit us at Market Hall. After all, not every visitor came for the Texas-OU game.

Joy created the various pieces of wire-wrapped stones ; many of them currently reside in Maryland where a friend (hopefully) will present and sell them to people she knows ... She bought a drusy piece, and a friend bought an opal in matrix. We'd had the pieces for over a year, so it's good to let them find new homes and beautify other ladies. I did the Dutch spiral (or Russian spiral) necklace in black,red, and white beads ... people love to watch me do the spirals; alas, they do not buy them. I just wish I could find some charity interested in donations of the pieces ... I have many pretty sparklies, but no home for them. That sounds like a no-kill shelter, doesn't it?

Mariann has a new problem at her work -- she knows someone who runs a foster home for kittens & cats ... uh, oh -- they are SO cute when they're itty bitty kittehs (to quote lolcats), but they grow up into cats -- and stay that way until they die. Mar's travelling life style doesn't permit pets, except as a day visitation sort of thing. We've brought Lola (the rat terrier) and Fiona (a kitten) to visit her ... then we remind her that -- like nieces and nephews -- the good part is that you can give them back with a clear conscience.

Bison Bits -- I saw Clue last night. The kids mainly knew their lines, much more than they did in "Dracula" two years ago. Alas, we still can't hear them, even with floor mikes -- and you can't mike at UIL competition, so they need to project! The butler was good, and he mainly carried the show -- I just hope he stays with theatre and doesn't get sucked into other arts or sports. Ginger wants to do vampires next month as the late Halloween project ... we'll see. At least she has a livelier group than she did last year. Those seniors were sorry -- at least they've graduated and moved on, so we can pick up and begin again.

Ginger used all of the stage areas -- since we can place furniture anywhere we like in our own space, she used the steps, the side stages (which are really fire exits), and back stage. The lights and sound were a bit iffy -- she still needs to train her techs. However, the main thing was getting the actors on stage. They had moments -- they weren't the UIL Best Actors or Ensemble -- and I felt proud to be the teacher (I can claim some of them, if only from last year.) of such talented students. Congrats to Ginger for pulling it off.

The weather has turned coolish, so I'm off to walk off the weight. For a while, the weather was too warm -- or too rainy -- for me to go outdoors before dawn (the main time I have to exercise unless it's ballet class). Today looks like it's prime walker weather. Carpe diem!

Dance quote: "We should consider everyday lost in which we don't dance." -Neitzsche

Another Opening, Another Show

Young Victoria, before the ironmongers found her

Tonight the Sunset Theatre opened Clue for a 2-night run. They were rehearsing when I left about 5 o'clock, and the curtain goes up at 7 ... Sunset's football team also plays tonight, so the school was filled with band, drill team girls, majorettes, AND theatre kids as they wandered around looking for food. My only duty tonight was getting change for the box office; I'll help out on Friday night ... Michelle did tonight. As director, Ginger does both nights. I wonder if any administrators will bother to show up -- after all, the school IS open after hours. Break a leg, bison!

Steampunk jewelry -- a bit dolled up to my mind -- made the cover of Beadworks magazine; I bought it for the ideas ... it's not the "factory chic" with gears and cogs that hint that someone broke up a clockwork man for parts; in fact, some manufacturer used the pattern as an advertisement for his goods ... a DIY project, so to speak, since the cost of materials and labor would put it beyond most fans' budgets, and many mundanes might not wear the style -- after all, it does not show a neat, corporate style. I enjoy doing traditional beadwork myself, but I'm branching into chain maille and other metal=infused jewelry styles. In fact, I sold a pair of purple and white earrings to another Sunset teacher ... after all, we like to sport school colors in a stylish fashion.

On Friday Intergem opens at Market Hall. I shan't attend on Day 1, since I teach -- and assist -- at SHS. I'll go Saturday and Sunday, sit behind the table, and smile at the folks ... I only hope that the ladies who shop the Indian bazaars don't come round too often; they want to haggle and will wear you down unless you get firm and downright unpleasant. Cheap, cheap, cheap. Their actions created several recent rules, such as the "no stroller" rule and "no haggling" signs. We need customers, but it would be nice to have customers who are willing to pay for well-done work. It may be a hobby, but we're not giving away our jewelry!



Dance Quote -- If you are going to walk on thin ice, you might as well dance. -- Anonymous

The Family Thing

Many parents must have done the deed on or near New Year's Eve, since we have 4 September babies in our family -- and I'm sure there are many more out there. Happy belated to all of you! We decided to celebrate as a group ... and the Cowboys beat the Houston Texans, which was -- at least for some -- an added birthday present.

Family and friends ... Well, mainly family yesterday, since friends were busy with their own concerns, the story of this September. Traditionally during Animefest, we celebrate after the convention; this year, we headed to separate homes and crashed. My mother would say we were feeling our ages (all over the 1/2 century mark, except for Mariann, the baby). Steph had retreated to Irving early since she was riding the train, so we postponed any celebration -- and, to tell the truth, it's been a quiet gift exchange. Joy got liquor, and I shall receive the Beauty & the Beast 2-disc DVD. It's a favorite movie of mine -- and the only animated film to be nominated for Best Picture by the Academy committee ... so the DVD will get played a bit. Our Fairemily mainly went down to Hillsboro for MiddleFaire, which -- if memory serves me correctly -- will close October 2. We'll miss this faire altogether since this would've been the one weekend that we could have gone ... ah, well, so it goes.

Strange to see the division of family at the gathering: the girls plopped down on the sofa in front of the television -- 2 of them working on homework for Monday -- Joy read the paper. Mom and the wives got the condiments together in the kitchen (and that was a tight squeeze since the kitchen is a 1-2 person affair), the boy grilled on the patio ... and I graded papers in between bouts of making commentary on Adrianne's AP lit homework. Rob took over after lunch with AP calculus ... AP biology made an appearance, but she seemed to have that covered. Steph and Billy arrived as the last batch of burgers hit the grill ... and then the feasting began.

To tell the truth, I suspect that Mom enjoyed the family thing at her house more than a luncheon at a restaurant ... I didn't get to talk to her much, but that's no biggie. After all, the Cowboys game was on, which focused everyone on the idiot box. Bad or good, following "The 'Boys" is a family ritual ... I remember listening to Thanksgiving games broadcast on KLIF as Daddy drove us home from a visit to our grandparents in Electra. (The games were usually against the Green Bay Packers -- the strategies of Vince Lombardi versus Tom Landry.) Now the game plays as background to 21sr century Thanksgiving dinners. People who haven't grown up in Dallas -- especially during the formative years of the Cowboys -- find the personal interest in the team very puzzling. Even I, who am not a major football fan, can name the quarterbacks -- and most of the coaches -- of the team. Oh, well, now that Jerry Jones owns them -- the franchise. But I started this blog about family, not football.

Of course, my other "family" resides Monday-Friday at 2120 W. Jefferson in Dallas. Today we get to sit through meetings of one sort or another ... as of Friday, none of the CILT people could tell us what the contents might be. Oh, if only I could sneak in a good book! I may be taking copious non-notes. September ends this week, and I still haven't written a word of fiction. My imagination seems to have taken a vacation; time to call it to the keyboard (or notepad). At least some share my interest in Doctor Who and Star Trek ... a few even read!! (GASP!) Still, my interest in anime garners commentary, but nothing like the sneers at my old school. Zeig & I started a "family tree" to describe our department ... talk about using the archetypes! If nothing else, it keeps us (relatively) sane ... and now it's time to dress & depart.

Dance quote: Practice is a means of inviting the perfection desired. -- Martha Graham

Autumn Is A-Coming In

... loudly squawk cockatoo.

I know it doesn't quite scan, but it does fit the the loud welcoming sounds the 'toos give as the cooler weather approaches ... if it ever decided to descend into Texas. Ah, well, at least we didn't hit 90 degrees on the first day of fall.

The first 6 weeks come to a close as September ends, and in some ways it won't be too soon. We've had many a change this school year: a switch to an A-day/ B-day block schedule, mandatory enrichment classes, more paperwork, eventually a new computer -- and other wonderful things that make you really feel that you're a "classroom teaching unit" and not a teacher. I wonder how old Socrates would have felt about the matter -- he might've drank the hemlock earlier ... It seems that technology has made our jobs more difficult than easier; every time they introduce a new idea, you have to "play" with it in order to learn how to make it work -- but you can't take the computer home with you, so you either use time before or after school to work with the programs or you choose to remain ignorant (in some eyes). I don't have the technology that the district expects us to have ... if I want a printer, I'll have to go to Wal-Mart and buy a cheap one. Otherwise, it's run to the library every time the principal wants us to print a hard copy ... For this I went to college?

On a more amusing note, I did get an earring order today. The theatre teacher wore her purple and white seed bead earrings today ... and the art teacher stopped me in the hall to ask about ordering herself a pair. So, we made the trip to Jo-ann Fabrics, as well as two Halloween stores, for the purple beads ... they're not quite what I like, but they should do well. If she doesn't like them, I'll wear them myself -- and maybe get another customer!

Everything's Archie -- or manga -- in the comic zone around here. Joy's rediscovered Riverdale, so we're re-reading the rivalries of Archie and Reggie, Betty and Veronica ... They lived in a very different universe from the large urban high schools of the late 20th century; we're passing the duplicates on to Sunset HS, where a new batch of kids can discover Archie and the gang. Supposedly Sabrina the Teen-Aged Witch will return to her old (pre-Melissa Hart) self; no one knows whether the Groovy Ghoulies will make a re-appearance ... ah, even Josie & the Pussycats have made a guest appearance in the digests.

I spotted an interesting bead embroidery technique that I may have to develop for the dolls -- it's not cost effective for a human-sized art piece ... at least, not around here ... oh, and the art teacher wants to see chain maille earrings too. Where are the Intergem tickets when you need them?

Celtic Music Festival -- Once More with Feeling

The Third Annual Celtic Music Festival dawned as a hot day -- the weather was hot, so many Celtic music fans stayed inside where they enjoyed AC until mid-afternoon. We had some hardy souls who dared the Texas sun; they got to hear some fantastic music for their entry fee -- as for Joy and myself, we were vendors -- sorry, merchants! -- of fine jewelry. Ye Merry Olde Hangman was there with his wife and daughters; they had an impromptu axe throwing contest in between sets. Shipwreck and his wife were there with kids' gew-gaws. Faire Trade and the snow cone people sold icy cold treats because most people were too hot to enjoy the kitchen's offerings. Not that the food was bad -- we were just too hot to think of hot dogs, corny dogs, etc. The regulars focused on "fairemily," a term that refers to folks who are closer than friends since we all "get each other's back" because we all work the faire during the regular season, then we come out to "represent" during the off-season. Other merchants and vendors may come and go, but the "fairemily" stick around throughout the year ... Last year, we lost one dear member of this select group, James Harlin, when he collapsed and died in June. His memorial garden suffered the ravages of the heat and rainless summer, so we'll have to plant again so it can be green & beautiful when spring comes next year.

Unfotunately, the audience was small -- partly because Middlefaire opened this weekend which pulled some folks down to Hillsboro to perform or to participate. We had one sale -- it paid the gar money and proved that jewelry eventually will find a home. A while later, Marcia arrived; we talked dolls, since Joy had brought two of her older elf-dolls out of storage to enjoy the festival. Marcia discovered the differences between the more expensive resin bjds and the lighter weight, less expensive ones ... Then we put all the merchandise away; the sun had descended, and Marcia proved to be the last person to enter the gates.

Music under the stars ... so romantic, so poignant, so -- mosquito-bitten. The performers got buzzed worse than we did. It didn't spoil the notes, but the physical twitches occasionally distracted the eye. Those blood-sucking females definitely went after the Iron Hills Vagabonds and Jeb Marum. We'd seen the performers during the Faire, and they didn't disappoint in concert ... though the boys commented that they didn't have quite the repertoire as some of the older performers. Yes, the singers struggled NOT to duplicate one another's songs, although I have a feeling that it happened occasionally. I particularly liked "Wild Mountain Thyme," even though the boys clowned a bit -- as well as Marum's song about being a transplanted Yankee. (Yes, honey, Boston boys ARE Yankees ... in your case, however, you're not a damned Yankee.) We bought the DVD of Marum in performance to share with folks who might not catch his act during Faire.

And, yes, I recommend the music at Four Winds Faire and the Celtic Music Festival -- good acts and good times.

We crashed in the booth last night ... and the dawn came up like thunder. Well, to tell the truth, it crept up on little cat feet, although our cats are more of the bound and thud type of feline. After quickly breaking down the booth, we headed out -- and surprised a big blue heron and a white egret having their breakfast in the Mud Flat Creek. The heron took off while the egret froze as if to say, "I'm bright white, but you can't see me if I stand absolutely still." We admired the feathery ones before heading back to Lancaster.

We'll be back when the October moon shines bright over the darkling fields ...

Arrrr -- Where be the Pirates?

Remi, September 2010

September 16 was officially Pirate Day in America ... unfortunately, most of us were working in the mundane world on that day, so only the lawyers and bank officials made out like land bandits. Joy's vampire doll Remi is dressed to kill; isn't he a darling little bloodsucker?

I feel as if I lost "Plants versus Zombies" for real tonight ... The last 3-4 weeks have been filled with orders to do this, or to do that, and find the data and put it here or there -- not that it means all that much in the long run. The basic goal is to prepare every student to pass the TAKS and/or make a commended score on March 1, 2011. To tell the truth, education is necessary -- but we gotta make the school looks good, since the "report card" will remain as our score until 2013 when the newest round of state tests takes effect. So, we poor "classroom teaching units" AKA the "CTUs" get to rush about to complete our teacher binders -- and grading papers takes second or third place ... but I have enough grades to inspire the little darlings to do what must be done before Oct.1 when the 6 weeks ends.

Goodyear's repair shop made out like a bandit today, too. A hub bearing went out -- and the noise only got louder and more grindsome (I know it's not a word, but it hints at the horrible rattling groan) with every mile. Since I got paid this week, it was time to find out the bad news. Yeah, we hoped it was something minor -- but this year the car rattles have developed a sinister undertone ... but Roger & crew got it fixed in time for us to head out for the Celtic Music Festival this weekend. The acts are more varied than last year's -- and I think there is the same number, but I look forward to music under the stars ... I just hope that more folks will turn out to enjoy the performers. I'll take "Sweet William," my mountain dulcimer, along to keep music down near the gate.

I found a dance quote from the satirist whose story my students read this week -- it included dancing, too.

Dance quote: Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room. ~Kurt Vonnegut