Wednesday, June 5, 2002
ps
p.s.
Some recommendations:
Books: Cranberry Queen by Kathleen Demarco, about a normal, neurotic woman who loses her family in a car crash, and runs away to the Pine Barrens in NJ. Despite being set in Jersey, it's really, really good.
Spiritual Travel (don't have it here, will get the author shortly), about keeping a spiritual log while travelling to aid in growth. Amazing info here.
American Gods, by Neil Gaiman. As with most of his books, it's complex, engaging, entertaining, and just plain fabulous. I (heart) this one, being fond of mythology.
Zine:
Trumpetvine Travels, all about SKETCHING. And it's got an article (which I have not yet read) about Dan Price, who is my hero. Really.
There's more, but that's enough for now.
Posted by beth @ 08:21 PM PST [Link]
overstim
I'm feeling overstimulated. It's not quite the same as an anxiety attack, but I've found that sometimes it'll lead to one if I'm not careful. So I'm focusing on one....thing....at....a...time now.
I went letterboxing today with my artgirlfriend, Jill. It was her first time, and we just had a blast. I've decided that I need to start the ArtGirls Letterboxing Cabal -- with our own special membership stamp and clueslists and stampcarving tips and the like. We'll see.
From there, I found two books that are to be mined heavily for rubber stamps, and two great old books that'll be altered or journalled-in. And an art store in W. Seattle. And came home to find lots of cool stuff online. And had ideas for the business website. And got cool mail.
It's Too Much Good Stuff all at once. I can't process it all yet.
Not that I'm complaining. I'd rather be comatose from Good Stuff(tm) than from Very Bad Stuff(tm), of course.
Wowza.
----e
Posted by beth @ 08:02 PM PST [Link]
Tuesday, June 4, 2002
harried or not
Somehow, if I am at home and awake, I feel I need to be Working. Not just casually doing things with my hands or just answering work email (though that's important, too, since I tend to put it off), but really getting in there and WORKING actively toward making this venture a huge-ass success.
Part of this is because I read "Nickled and Dimed: on (not) getting by in America" and it scared the living daylights out of me. I recognized those menial, minimum-wage jobs from the ones I had right after high school and before I got a job with MCI that escalated me into the middle-managed, one-tier-above-poverty level.
I do not EVER want to be in that position again. Living from paycheck to paycheck, having to deal with some sleazy little-brained manager's shit, getting involved in the workplace politics because honestly, I've got nothing better -to- do (can't afford anything else). Being trapped because I'm not earning enough to get out of the situation I'm in. God forbid I had any kids along the way. ::shudder::
I could really get in a rant here about the socio-political ramifications of ignoring our working class, but I'll refrain since it's not really the point I wanted to make here. (Yet. Gimme time.)
My point is that the only time I relax is when I'm Out. Like when I'm at some crappy chain bookstore, looking at books I'll never have the luxury of enough time to read, somehow thinking that if I buy them, I will automatically know and understand the contents. It's screwed-up logic, I know. And I've got enough books on enough subjects to keep me busy for YEARS as it is. And that's not even mentioning all the personal projects I have (for when I have the time...ha!).
I'm realizing that it's not that I don't have enough time. I do. I spend an inordinate amount of time avoiding work here at home because I'm doing it ALL THE TIME. If I'd just do it and walk away for awhile, give myself time to read a book or play with a personal project or something, and then come BACK THE NEXT DAY like a NORMAL PERSON in a NORMAL JOB, I'd probably end up getting more done in the long run anyway...PLUS I wouldn't be buying so much CRAP because I'd be looking at it AS CRAP instead of as POTENTIAL TIME. I'm never really buying the object itself....I'm buying the dream of being able to enjoy it.
It's time I learned some balance. Work hard, yes. Play hard, yes, too.
I have a feeling I'm onto something here.
----e
the unnecessarily harried.
Posted by beth @ 10:13 PM PST [Link]
Monday, June 3, 2002
woo!
My friend Amanda just up and spawned on me!
Well, okay, so she just gave birth. But it sounds so much more Alien the other way, doesn't it?
A girl, healthy, named WesLeigh Rhiannon, following in a Nebraska tradition as of late of bizarrely spelled names to make up for the lack of other entertainment.
Congrats, Amanda and spawn...er...baby! :)
---e
Posted by beth @ 06:41 PM PST [Link]
update, altered books
The ALTERED BOOKS section has been updated with multiple pages of two separate books. Go see. :)
---e
Posted by beth @ 09:49 AM PST [Link]
