Geek Travel.

So I am a geek . . . my travel plans are set for the next six months, and none of the trips are to the Bahamas, or Mexico, or Europe . . . I'm leaving in two weeks for a week-long stay in Weirton, WV with my parents.  Now, I'm flying into Pittsburgh, but I can't justify staying in the 'Burgh when my parents are only 25 minutes from the airport.  And, I'm flying in to see them anyway.

I'm not gonna be there for Christmas . . . I'll be spending that here in Roseburg with the cats.  I think Steve will be working . . . and I'll save the mother-in-law visit for when Steve and I drive up there together.

So, that's Trip One.  An early holiday in West Virginia.

Trip Two is to Chicago, for the annual AWP Conference.  It'll be my third year in a row, so I'm excited to go, and I'm hoping I'll be able to schmooze with a few small-press editors, stalk a few poets [Kim Addonizio, watch out!] and visit with all sorts of assy, literary people I secretly hate.  

Also, for whatever reason--David Strathairn is going to be there.  One of my favorite actors--I've always thought he was quite handsome.  He plays a lecherous poetry teacher in Blue Car, but I think he's best known for starring in Good Night and Good Luck.

I'm also hoping that if Chicago poet Kristy Bowen isn't at AWP's book fair with Dancing Girl Press/Wicked Alice [she's not listed yet on the AWP site], then she might be there signing her new book from Dusie Press. Her work is good--and I'm consistently surprised she isn't better known.

Okay, so that's Trip Two.

Trip Three is an extended, hot mess.  I'm leaving on June 18 to attend a national mail art conference in Indianapolis--a chance to meet many mail artists I only know from online & art swaps.  Then, I'll jump to Pittsburgh, spend a few weeks at my parents and in Pittsburgh. On July 11, my parents are leaving for a week at the Atlantic Coast, so I'm tagging along with them there, and Steve's going to fly into Richmond, VA and meet us at the beach for a week.

Then, I'll come back to Roseburg.  So, the third trip will be about a month . . . a long time to be without the cats.  hmmm.

I'm thinking about making a trip to Philadelphia to visit a few friends during those three weeks at my parents' house . . . rent a car, or take a bus.  Scratch that.  I'll rent a car.  I have a friend in NJ who could meet me in Philly, and another who lives in the Poconos . . . so we'll see.

Any way around it, though, none of them sound like the dream vacation--Chicago in winter? Indianapolis in June? LOL . . . all of it should be fun, though.

And let me add . . .

that pie tastes like heaven.  Oh. My. God.  I bake far too seldomly.  or is that seldom?  

The Most Beautiful Pie in the World.

for a limited time only, in my own kitchen.  It's home-made, apple-pear-cranberry. My cotribution to the late Thanksgiving dinner I'm having today with the dear husband.

Fig.

so i wrote this little poem a while back about golden figs, and now i can't find it.  it's not very ME to write about fruit in general, let alone golden figs.  however, the fact that it's missing is creating great disturbance in me.

A free collage sheet!

I'm going to try to post a collage sheet every once in a while when i get a chance to do some scanning . . . the photos are from my own collection, so no copyright problems to worry about.

One reason I love Oregon . . .

Do I really even need to add anything else, besides the photograph?  This was taken in late September at Bandon-by-the-Sea, which is about 90 minutes or so from where we live.  It might be the worst 90 mile stretch on the face of the earth, but once we're there . . . it's easy to forget the drive.

At this point, I must honestly say that I would be willing to entertain any of my PA/OH friends for a week or two . . . just to be able to share how pretty it is here. Even in Roseburg, the hills and rivers are beautiful . . . I think Steve would like to move up to Eugene or Portland eventually, but I'm pretty happy here. Go figure . . . I wanted to get out of Weirton, WV so badly as a teenager, and now, I'm living in it's mirror image, but 2000 miles away.

Shrink Plastic Jewelry

Okay, so not really creepy, but maybe not what other swap participants are looking for.  I would wear one of these . . . and I probably will make a few more.  I like the idea of using stainless steel ball chain for the necklaces, but to do a bracelet, I think I'd have to use something with links, to maintain some kind of spacing between charms.

These have three shrink plastic charms, one handmade paper bead [on a colored safety pin], and assorted fibers.  New satin and organza ribbons, plus vintage stuff: lace seam binding, cotton rick-rack, and rayon satin seam binding.

Happy Turkey Day.

I'm trying to make a few pieces of jewelry using shrink plastic [for a private swap], but I'm fearing the resulting pieces may be a little too creepy.  I don't know yet.

I'll post some pictures later, once I'm done.  

The day before Thanksgiving.

So it's the last day of the week for work . . . the day before Thanksgiving. I have to teach a night class tonight, and I'm not wanting to do it. The last few days have been an absolute swarm of students dropping courses . . . the building has just been a beehive.

I am anxious to do nothing tomorrow but a little catching up tomorrow. Steve and the mother-in-law are both working, and I'm conveniently tucked 2000 miles away from my mother's house. No holiday small talk for me . . . I might spend some time online drooling over who is speaking & presenting at AWP in Chicago this winter.

Speaking of Chicago . . . dancing girl press still hasn't announced their chapbook selections from this summer's open submission period. I'm crossing my fingers. Apparently writers who haven't received an official rejection at this point are still in the running, though the announcements were supposed to be in October. I haven't been rejected yet, so I'm optimistic this could be the year of my first chapbook.

Maybe I'll write on Thanksgiving.

A little bit of art.

I made this for a private trade . . . it's a 4x4 collage, featuring one of my favorite Anne Sexton quotes. The piece had to feature a quote re: art or creativity. I wanted to keep it, but it went to my friend Mireya in Florida.

It is acrylic paint over vintage book pages and a Belgian cookie wrapper. There's also an old flash card for the word "palpation" in the mix, too. Rubber stamping, prismacolor pencil and gold embossing powder, too. There is an overlay of clear transparency that's been colored with alcohol inks.

And I've been liking the effect of using staples on a piece like their post-operative stitches on a scar . . . i don't like that it makes the back of the artwork all snaggy, but the front looks kinda neat.

What 75 cents can buy in Roseburg . . .

This morning, during one of my regular trips to what I like to call "The Mall," but what other Roseburg residents call the Salvation Army thrift store, i found vintage beads in their "treasure case" at the front of the store. Look what I scooped up!

in the bottom picture, i paid 75 cents for the white beads--vintage seed beads and vintage white-painted German wooden beads. The black beads are also wooden and vintage Germany--and also 75 cents. The bigger greenish beads are carved wood, and i think they were used as buttons. They were also 75 cents. And, the other lovelies--a broken choker of vintage glass beads--were also the same price.

The big bag in the top photo was 1.75 . . . and has some vintage findings, all sorts of beads and jewelry bits--some new and some vintage. Who is giving this stuff away to charity? Where is the rest of the stuff this cool, dead grandma had stashed in her attic and dresser drawers?

A pretty good day, and that's not including my other goodies. I spent 31 bucks and left with two bulging sacks of glorious junk.