Day 5: Guest Blog: Emily Zagrodney

Emily thought this 365 day thing was a good idea.  I said she could help.

Day 4: Remembering fun

For ten years, about ten years ago, Mark and I used to play with the Society for Creative Anachronism, a group who enjoy medieval reenactment.  For various reasons, we drifted away from it.

I took Emily to an event today.  http://www.pipcom.com/~thule/pikemans2011.html.  Part of the thing for me was to remember what I used to do for fun.  I have trouble with that sometimes.  I've had to make lists in the past of things I might like to do so that when I actually had time, I wouldn't spend it all trying to figure out what to do.

It was great seeing Helen and Sue/Anne (who I shall think of as SueAnne from now on :)), Evan, Danielle and the other singers.  I so didn't surprise myself by ending up with some books.  Garb is typically better than it used to be.   It felt very familiar, though.  It was good, I think.  I had a great time with Emily, anyway.

I did forget to take the camera, which was probably a good thing.  Sometimes I need to participate rather than observe.  So no pictures of the event.  But Emily and I stopped at a farmer's market and bought this:

Strawberry-rhubarb crumble.

"Stress cannot exist in the presence of pie" - David Mamet, Boston Marriage

Day 3: Wow. That didn't take long.

I spent most of my day playing mental games with myself about working on something for this blog.  I thought it would take longer before I started having trouble but I should have known better.  I'm a Mistress of Head Fu.

Of course, to cut myself some slack, I am in the middle of renovations.  Friday is supposed to be my day off to recharge but not so much this week.  I could really use some recharging.

Mark taught me a business term called barriers to entry.  It's the stuff that stops someone from entering into business.  If there aren't enough doctors, say, the government needs to lower the barriers to entry to create more.

I think procrastinators need a similar term: barriers to completion.  I seem to often get a project 98% finished and just need a button or ends sewn in to call it done.  But then it sits there.  And sits there.

So, today's project is completing a pair of socks that have been sitting for a while. I decided what I needed to do was lower the barriers to completion.  I didn't worry about a perfect sewing in of ends.  I didn't get out the big camera -- I took the photo with the webcam.  So, they may not be perfect but they're done.

Day 2: On another note...

Today's project?  A descant for Gordon Light's "She comes sailing on the wind".  It's still rough around the edges, mostly because I haven't practised it enough to be able to sing and play it at the same time.  I did try it out at choir practise tonight so I have a better idea of the rough spots.

I probaby should have included a musical sound byte but I don't know how to do that yet so a picture will have to do.

I've never been able to compose a melody that is worth a darn but I think I can produce passable harmonies.  I wonder what the difference is, in training or talent.  I know that Mark has a much better ability to remember tunes.  He is always trying to play the 'identify this song in three notes or less' game with me.  Why I don't know since I suck at it.  And yet, I'm the musician, not him.

I saw a TV show (TVO/PBS type programming) about Sting's brain.  He was asked to produce a new melody while lying in an MRI machine.  What amazed me was that he remembered that scrap of tune months later without writing it down.  That is definitely not how my brain works.  Which is why he is the famous musician and me, not so much.

P.S.  Yes, that is plastic on the top of the piano.  Protection against drywall dust.  Though, as of tonight, there is only one day's work left on the bathroom.  Yeah.

Day 1: Rub my rhubarb!

So what do we have here?  One of the dreaded rhubarb plants.  Actually, I love it.  A plant that comes up every year, is edible early in the season and has leaves bigger than my head.

 But what to do with it.  Other than strawberry-rhubarb pie, of course.  Well, if you're me, you make paper.  I read somewhere that rhubarb is remarkably similar to papyrus so you can use ancient techniques to make a modern version.  How cool.

The plan I used comes from http://www.boiseartmuseum.org/education/egyptian/FauxPapyrusPaperShawnPhelps.pdf

Step 1:

 Step 2:

 Step 3:

 Step 4: Rhubarb sandwich

I guess we'll see how it dries over the next few days.  I tried this last year but I let it dry in the sun after a couple of days and it was too curly to use.

It does use up rhubarb at a furious rate.  I used 5 or 6 stalks just for this one little bit of paper.  And I ruined a bit by hammering too hard - a large rubber mallet would have been much better.

I guess this officially starts my 365 project.

Day 0 and 1/4

We are currently suffering from an infestation of contractors.  The first floor bathroom has been closed for fumigation and when that's finished, there will, no doubt, be an outbreak in the front hallway.

While the end goal is going to make my life (and my Dad's life) easier, I am finding the intermediate steps infuriating.  Only two more weeks to go!

It does leave me questioning my sanity about starting a new project now.  Part of my goal was to get a picture of something I'd done online everyday.  I haven't as yet been able to manage that.  Especially since all the construction has been accompanied by a slightly hysterical dog.  Who is currently whining and has been for twenty minutes or so (and no! she doesn't need to go out).  Can you see the slight twitch I've developped in my right eyelid?

Day Zero

So I've given up on my other blog site.  It wasn't working properly after going to Japan and now won't let me in.  Their loss!

So, a new start.  Again.

I bought a book the other day called 365: A Daily Creativity Journal by Noah Scalin.  It suggests making something every day as an artistic challenge.  The author made skulls. Some of them are quite interesting.

The idea appeals to me except for the 365 days part and the every day part.  He also suggests a theme (thus the skulls) to make it easier.  Really what my theme needs to be is: finishing stuff.  Most of my 'to be finished' pile, though,  is projects of more than one day tasks.

I think what I would need to do for this 365 project is break it up into days, like Monday is organize day, Friday is Finished Fibre day...I don't know what else yet.

So, what do you think? Is a 365 project crazy?