Desk - Part the First

What seems to be working best here in the Battle for A Neater Home is to do stuff early and often.

I have a particular notebook that I designed for a week's worth of particular doings. With daily areas, Goals for Week space, and another simply titled Notes.

Lots of little boxes to fill in - I have to have my little spots for baby steps. Most often twenty minute attempts - brave or otherwise.

This morning's Desk Meeting lasted three twenty mintue squares. Two in a row, a short break for breakfast, and another right after.

A large area on the top of shelves is now very much "better." The box with art fair application information makes sense. Some things from the box have been moved to better places for their purposes. Some things were tossed in recycling box! Memories, good and bad, were re-discovered.

Now I feel more certain I won't miss the number of art fair applications I missed this past year - a few by one day! The master list for applications was been blocked out, as well as anaother sheet of paper for other possible events for which to apply. It is good to mix up events from time to time - new shows might add new fans to one's work. One never knows what jurors will decide, though, and some shows remain favorites through the years. Applying to art fairs is almost the only way I gamble...

Also worked on is a small wooden box on the left-hand side of the desk. Papers thought to be "important" go there. And then lie ignored - sometimes for years. Again, some sheets get tossed, and others get re-filed (so to speak). All of the single pieces I touched are now no longer in this box. More baby steps. Many more memories.

Now I am back in Studio B for an hour of dealing with greeting cards. Most of them are under control, but there are always a few that escape, and must be rounded up and put back in their proper numbered boxes. No, they don't escape on their own. Yes, it takes longer to put them back than to take them out...

It's time to quit typing, and start listening to the Golden State Warriors battle the Cleveland Cavaliers. This Packer fan actually enjoyed watching Vikings fan husband go slightly crazy after that most unlikely post-season victory by "his" team. Listening to sports  on the radio is just enough unreal reality for the brain to relax and focus and almost enjoy working at mundane tasks. Yes, I know. Multi-millionaires moving balls to other places, and other multi-millionaires trying to stall their progress.

As Kurt V. wrote: "So it goes."

Fare-thee-well,
and today a pal inspired me to attempt some different artwork - 
now to do the doing!

Sue

30 -4: Stillwater

Saturday and Sunday, October 1 and 2, the Stillwater, MN Fall Art and Jazz Festival will be going on near the banks of the Scenic St. Croix. This afternoon when we set up our booth the show organizer stated that we "will be facing the river." This is a good thing. I live in Stillwater. A nice 30-minute hike down the hill. The river is always there, but I usually manage to get down to appreciate it about four or five times a year.

This is sort of sad.

People come to town from all over the world to appreciate the water and land where we live. To watch the lift-bridge go up and down (except when it mal-functions and traffic backs up more than the usual back up during usual bridge ups-and-downs). To visit The Historic Courthouse up on 4th and Pine, or check out The Warden's House near the location of the old prison. To ride a paddleboat down the river or ride a hot-air balloon over the river.

This weekend holds the opportunity to look out over the St. Croix Valley and see it as both a local and a tourist. We will hope to be busy in our little white art fair home, but if not, to take some deep breaths, look up and out, and give thanks for being able to take the view for granted.

Fare-thee-well,
and go appreciate a local landmark!

-Sue

Bayfield Apple Fest - the Easy Part

The Easy Part of an art fair or festival is demonstrated here by daughter Tara. One goes down by the shore of Lake Superior and rests up for all the heavy lifting that is to come.

The drive up from Stillwater on Thursday afternoon was gorgeous and beautiful and relatively warm. The Good Old Red Ford pick-up truck did the heavy lifting that day. Our magnets may be cute and little but in volume they add lots to a load... We scored an excellent parking spot on the edge of the park in Bayfield, Wisconsin, sighed, took some deep breaths and proceeded to unload. Two hours later we were as done as we were going to get for the day. Treated ourselves to raspberry pie, a burger, and a shared malt at Gruenke's. Then took a room for the night, there, too. After dinner we explored the new new bookstore (we hit the old used bookstore the next day...), then checked in on-line doings of friends and family. Got to watch "Project Runway" in real time, and then had good sleeps in our vintage beds.

It was strange but wonderful to wake up Saturday already in town and not 50 miles away in Gurney. A bit of sun teased us. We headed for the first of many trips to Big Water coffee-shop for caffeine and excellent scones. Grey happened while we tweaked the booth goodies. Then clamps and big plastic came in handy as the rains started and stopped for much of Friday. Sigh and sigh.
Hearty shoppers poked their way into venders' tents and some made purchases. Hooray! Only one big splash of wayward water made it into the tent - unfortunately, it landed in the center of a box holding greeting cards.... sigh again. Only a few brave cards were lost in the adventure. Eventually we could take plastic sheets down and clamp them up to dry.

Eventually five o'clock happened and it was time to zip up and head for home-town, Gurney, Wis. The weather forecast had been for a delightful weekend, but at Ashland we could see whitecaps on da big lake. A clerk at Walmart told of small craft warnings for the night. We don't like those words - even on land. Sure enough - at Gurney brother Rick turned on his marine radio. Small craft warnings. We had not tied down the booth to the concrete park bench like we usually do. Oh well. Sleep was not as sound as the previous nights'. Small craft warnings don't make for sweet dreams. (to be continued.)

- Fare-thee-well,
Sue

It's Spring

The art fair applications keep going out, to new shows and old shows. You never know where you'll find "your people." One rejection so far, and one "you're on the Waiting List." This is one of the trade-offs for being self-employed. The annual waiting out the jury results. It helps makes artists just a tad more crazy. Be kind to your artist pals in early Spring - maybe buy 'em a cup of coffee, and give 'em a gentle backrub. Who knows - you might just parlay a wee bit of understanding into a lovely piece of original art. I'm not promising - but one never knows.

We are working on Pearl's own section on our web site. She has posed with so many human good sports in the past few years - and has also agreed to be sniffed by an art fair dog or two. I wonder what they think..... Does her faux fur pelt smell boring? Does her real siver fox collar smell silver foxxy? Why is she wearing pearls?

On to the day- it's pastel time! (although two oil paintings are also in the works, and at long last.... the start on a dancing bear sculpture.)

Fare-thee-well,
Sue