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

We're All Mad Here ...

... at least in Dallas ISD. Everyone wants to make the grade in 2011 since a new school reporting system begins. Whatever ranking a school makes in 2011 will continue for 2 years, so the heat is on. I am drowing in paper since I have over 150 students ... Then Time magazine publishes a study on American public schools that says that the average pupil to teacher ratio is 16:1. That's not in any inner city school where I've taught ... Of course, lower class sizes in certain nameless magnet schools might skew the figures; however, I'm still not sure ... unless we count those tiny classes in rural public schools. But it's a numbers game, and I will have to read the article in small bits, or I shall write a nasty letter ... especially since they're touting this charter school/ "choice" movie as a viable alternative for kids & their families. The big pictures that grab your eyes say one thing; the article implies something else ... and they leave out the fact that some charter schools take public money -- and the kids' money -- then close up shop and disappear, leaving the kids worse off than if they had remained in public school all along. Besides, charter schools don't have to take everyone in their attendance zone -- nor do magnet schools -- places like Roosevelt & Sunset must make graduates out of the street kids who walk through the doors.

Enough about school. Last night, I had a one-woman Doctor Who festival. I went onto the BBC web site, but most of the videos of the "Doctor Who Proms" are not available through the official feed ... Not to fear -- that's what YouTube is for. The theater was packed with fans of all ages to listen to the classical music and scores of the show ... there were video screens to show the scenes that accompanied the music -- and an appearance by the Doctor himself. The fans in the theater were much more welcoming than the adults I know ... this was a "panto" moment for the Doctor -- I don't think that the Star Trek actors would've played along in quite the same way. Ah, well, the Doctor IS an institution in the UK, no matter which incarnation he may be. To give him his props, Matt Smith realized that the moment Stephen Moffat selected him to play the Gallefreyan renegade ... check out his early interviews where he admits that the worst past was listening to his flatmate speculate on who would replace David Tennant after he had been cast.

Yes, I jammed to the 8 minute mix of Who's opening theme from 1963-2010, as well as checked out the logo identification chart. The diamond logo is still the best, in my opinion. Simple yet complex, it says it all ... but each producer must put his mark on the show, especially the fan boys who get a shot at producing their favorite show -- Russell T. Davies and Stephen Moffat. Fantastic fun for them to open the Pandora's box of monsters and take them in a whole new direction -- the whirling Christmas trees of death!!

Hello Otaku!

Corey C. Cat & Owlfie

Animefest is 4 days of fun for anime fans -- AKA otaku -- with lots of activities and videos to support the collecting habit. We're selling to jewelry folks -- and doll folks -- who collect something besides the videos and garage kits and -- well, if you've ever seen all the stuff connected with any American series, such as Star Wars, then you've seen a sample of things the Japanese produce for their fan base. We've seen Jack Skellington and Transformers as well as goth zombies and steampunk vampire hunters ... as dealers, we tend to do "costume light" because no one can really see below your waist until you leave for the restroom -- also, the AC was cranked way too high for anything less than a short sleeved tunic and leggings, and I froze during most of the afternoon. But I showed off the niece's bodice jewelry, which was worth the goose bumps.

The newest plushie additions to our household are Owlfie, Joy's owl in his Woody costume, and Corey C. Cat in his limited edition duds. (BTW, we saw a Jessie from Toy Story 2 yesterday.) Believe it or not, 2010 marks 50 years of "Hello Kitty," and Build-a-Bear Workshop has many of the licensed characters available for stuffing ... Kitty and her sister don't appeal to me, but little Chococat does -- and sometime I'll put a gold moon on his forehead and a Sailor Scout uniform on him in fond memory of Luna from Sailor Moon. I guess that means Kitty would have to crossdress as Artemis, the male cat on the show ... Hmmmm ... No, I do not need another stuffed kitty around the house!! When we got Corey Cat, the workshop was humming with little girls and their parents -- and I didn't care (much) that I was the only adult who was buying a plushie for herself. The girl at the stuffing machine was studying to be an English teacher (poor girl -- she wants to teach seniors! I said gently that you might have to work your way up to that grade level). The folks at the counter were most friendly ... I suspect that, like dealers at conventions, they have to take deep breaths and paste those smiles on their faces some days.

To tell the truth, working a convention isn't really a bad way to spend a weekend; however, it seems more stressful in some ways than being a merchant at a Ren Faire. Perhaps it's the constant high level of energy in the fans -- a convention has a party atmosphere that many faires don't have ... too many teens and twenty-somethings crammed into a hotel with too little adult supervision, and many looking to get drunk and get laid, and all looking to PARTY to the max. Faires close down around 7 (dark in the spring), and the merchants are left to their own devices. Some get into the party-mode, but just as many want to chill out and rest up ... I confess that Joy and I often fit the latter mode. Shoot, we're dealers at the big anime cons, and we seldom make it to any events! I think Joy made the record this weekend because she went to the BJD panels to check out what was happening in the DFW area.

On a different note -- we met some members of "Cosplay Gallifrey" who --as you've guessed -- are Doctor Who fans. The ones we met are in their 20s -- I wonder if they have any of the original Gallifrey Connection members in the troup, or if they are all as young as the trio I met on Saturday ... I don't think I saw any of them on Sunday, so maybe it was just a 1-day thing for them. I'm afraid I don't have the energy (or interest) to pursue the cosplay far, since they're into memorizing their favorite speeches -- and the leader showed little interest in Sarah Jane. Ironic, since she's the only companion to ever score her own series! (And is my age, so I could cosplay her with ease ...)

And I've been so baaaad -- no grading until tonight!

Dance quote: When you dance, your purpose is not to get to a certain place on the floor. It's to enjoy each step along the way. Wayne Dyer

Birthday Greetings

Ellowyne with a touch of Goth

... and many happy returns. Sounds like a pitch for a vampire anthology, doesn't it? To tell the truth, today marks another birth-date. By the time the school day drew to a close, I was feeling the new year's weight.

Todat also marks the opening of Animefest 2010. We set up last night -- the blessed rain which had descended on Wednesday and broke the summer heat had departed by sundown -- at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, AKA the dandelion ball in downtown Dallas. Mar & Karen had beat us there, so it took only 1-2 trips to unload the wagon and settle the stuff on the tables. Earrings -- so few pairs compared to earlier this year, the rings, Mar's leather studded jewelry, Karen's fans & parasols, the BJD jewelry, and the Obitsu BJDs ... Steph will add her corsets (maybe) as well as some jewelry pieces ... Saturday & Sunday we'll have a full complement at the table.

We saw one lovely Victorian steampunk vampire hunter in full corset, bustle, and hat -- fan & mini-crossbow at the ready. I hope she's at the "Plus sizes" cosplay panel ... and I also hope there aren't a bunch of itty-bitty girls up there trying to tell us bigger girls what we should or should not try to wear, though it is true that after you reach a certain weight, spandex is not your friend (unless it's teamed with other costume items that conceal what needs to be concealed or enhance your best assets). Our vampire hunter wore some impressively large necklace & earrings in red (plastic?) beads. She definitely had a sense of style -- and equally impressive tailoring to fit her full figure.

Tomorrow every cosplayer will emerge in fullest regalia. I look forward to the annual appearance of Sailor Scouts, Rose & the TARDIS, and more. I'm sure several characters from Alice in Wonderland will stroll past our table ... just wait and see!

Dance quote: "Life is a dance, from one stage to the next." ~Anonymous