#54 - Where we return to art

Today has been a productive day.  Oh, not by vault spelunking means.  No, I mean but getting things done means.

I was frustrated about the calendar refill I got.  We've been using the same monthly "at a glance" calendar for about 15 years.  It's gotten more expensive and harder to find but usually it's got some nice decorative border to it, and I change it up each year.  Well, this year, I couldn't find a decorative border, just a plain, sort of vanilla version.  I've been thinking lately about ordering another one, but since I am still on funemployment and trying to curb spending, I decided to go ahead and pull out my stash of origami paper and add my own decorative elements, using a different paper for each month.

Clip, clip here.  Glue, glue there and "Voila!"  Art therapy at home and it didn't cost a thing.

I also took it upon myself to do the remove rust from your old garden pruners challenge. 

Voila.  I now have 4 newly cleaned and no longer rusted garden pruners to contine renovating the back yard.

Good on me today.

#53 - Getting back to the new normal

Well, it's been 2 weeks since a flood of fire swept through our not so little town.

Schools are finally opening or planning to open this week.  The call to action for tourists to return is sounding mightily through the land.  Most neighborhoods have opened, some just to let resident go sift through the toxic rubble to search for a treasured object that may have been spared.

I'm trying to get back into the daily routine of my daily task list.  And we are putting pictures back up on the walls.

Don't get me wrong - it's not really over yet.  There are still fire burning even though they are almost 100% contained.  The temperature is rising;  supposed to be 90 degrees here today.  And tomorrow, there are supposed to be gusty winds, so it seems hard to take a really deep breath yet.

Maybe tomorrow there will be another attempted vault dive.  Let's hope so.

Stay tuned.

#52 -Turning the corner?

The sky this morning speaks volumes:

Not much smoke, and I can see the clouds.

Off to an interview and then, back to the past - going into the vault again!

#51 - There are no words

The vault is filled with things. 

They are just things.  Oh, sure, there's history there, some of it is irreplaceable, but the vault is filled with things that are merely things.

We've just spent a week in my town living through a devastating firestorm, which didn't discriminate against anyone's demographic status, religion, or politics. So many have lost homes, businesses, and lives. Families and animals have been separated. Some people have been evacuated from their homes for a week now.  We've been out and back along with our kitty cat, but we are lucky.  We have our home and the vault.  The air quality is exceptionally unhealthy.  This is the new normal these days.

But I am so proud of the resiliency of our community, the power of everyone coming together.

I am hopeful that the fires will soon be out and I can back to spelunking in the vault.

#50 - Back to the basics please

Well, the sense of accomplishment continues.

I'm finally where I started this blog in the first place:  going through the late Vault Goddesses' boxes and blogging about them.

Let's begin, shall we?

The box in question.  Let's discover what treasures this one holds.

Well, it's a virtual cacophony of goodies, starting with the "Rub 'n Buff."  

I dearly recall this miraculous art cream that creates a "gilt" look on just about anything.  The Vault Goddess used this extensively, particularly on wooden picture frames. I'm sure to find a use for it (if it's still viable).

Once we remove that, it's a collaboration of miniatures, judaica and odds & ends.

My absolute favorite item is the teeny blue princess telephone, already wired as if someone is in the process of answering it:

 Then this box - wish I could find the original contents:

I get to add these to my labeler collection - with bonus reels of embossing tape, which is hard to come by these days:

Now, here's where the true emphemera comes it:

And then, as always,  fun to find the internal workings of what was probably an adding machine at one time.  Perhaps these parts can be extrapolated and used in a mixed media art piece:

This has been a good Vault spelunking exercise.  I have saved the best for last.  

Just insert a "DON'T" in front of this one:

A good word to keep in mind these days.

#49 - The word of the day is:

Ok, so it's a bit messy (gluing outside the lines and all) but I must have made this many, many years ago in my old basement makeshift art studio. That place eminated the smell of old paper mixed with mud. After all, it was in the back of the tandem garage in San Francisco.  Not much sunshine there.

Create - it is the operative for today, and really, for my existence.  I've always believed that my life's purpose is to create things.  So, here we are.

The alternative word of the day could be "ACCOMPLISHMENT."  Finally got some very pressing issues taken care of so I can go off and be the creative being I am (though I'm enjoying being a domestic goddess for once in my life while on funemployment).

I'm going to continue on the organizational journey.  New art is in process and it feels so right to be doing this now.

Sidebar:  I really wish that companies would be more responsive, especially if you've actually taken the time to go onsite and interview with multiple people.  Even a gentle "I'm still interested"email I sent garnered absolutely NO.RESPONSE.WHATSOVER. Well, it's good to discover the company's flaws BEFORE you end up there.

Onward ho.

Let's create something today. Join me, won't you?

#48 - Death and Taxes (and Theatre)

The weekend was filled with all of the above.

Sung to the tune of "Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my!"

Still have bouts of missing the Imperial Man when I see things of his (and there's way too many of his things waiting to be unearthed in my house).

Then, seeing a show again, and auditioning as well.

But mostly, dealing with the taxes for the little art biz.  Wanting to get that done, and get the forms that need to be filed, filed.

Life slogs along in fits and spurts.

#47 - It's only a paper (new) moon

Working hard on taming the paper tigers in the jungle of my house.  But first, Happy New Year!

I often vacillate between feeling a deep sense of accomplishment and completion of tasks, to not knowing which way to turn.  And I can't stand the feeling of starting one thing, and getting caught up in another all together.

As it's a new moon today, I believe there's a reason there's no moonlight to shed on the changes going on.  This is a Virgo new moon, which is all about organization, which is what I'm doing.  Of course, we know that one small shift creates a paradigm shift in many other things.  It's just simple physics.

Speaking of paper, I wish we'd found more this in the Imperial Man's cache:

He was a very talented artist. This is just one sample of these intricate doodles he did;  this one happens to be on the front of an envelope.  He also colored part of it in.

Missing him today.  Later, it will be a dive back into the paper world around me.

The mission of it all - getting organized (aka "getting one's shit together").

#46 - Finding your way while on funemployment

So while I'm on funemployment, I have this daily "TO DO" list I created.

It's the same list everyday, I just fill it in differently. I make sure to:

• clean something inside (like the bathroom, or mopping the hall floor)
• work outside on something (hello again, my garden...)
• make some artistic something (ok, I include cooking in this category)
• write something (like this blog)
• donate/purge something (self-explanatory and the hardest of these things to do)
• walk/dance/exercise something (love to do this one), AND
• organize something (probably the easiest of things for me to do - it's the Aries in me).  

Seems simple enough.  Of course, one thing NOT on that list is what I do first thing in the morning everyday once I get up - job search.  LinkedIn, job boards, county job search.  Gotta follow the funemployment rules.

I think it's time to start setting timers for these activities, because I need to really dig into the Imperial Man's stuff, once the art biz is cleaned up.  That's the most important thing today.  That and making Eggplant Parm for dinner.

Funemployment is really hard work.

#45 - Horsing around

So happy that I went to see my maid of honor, horsewoman extraordinaire, at a local horse show/exhibition/contest (what is it really called, Deb?).

 

She thought she'd done poorly but then was awarded a 3rd place for the jumps I saw, and won Champion in her class!  Awesome to be there with her.

All I can say is:  What an expensive hobby!  And industry.

Man, the closest I ever get to horses is this one that was at my sister's house:



It reminded me of a friend I had in middle school. Anita was obviously a horse gal and had a room FILLED with these little Breyer model horses.  I recall how in awe I was, and how scared I was of horses.  Then and not as much now, but still.  I can't imagine riding one.

Ok, enough horsing around.  Back to the great ebay trek.

#44 - Out of my head

This is how I'm feeling these days:

 

Often running around like a squirrel with my head cut off - I'm a bit out of my head for sure.

One of the challenges about funemployment is finding focus.  Yesterday I had focus for a good while in the afternoon, since the morning was taken up with a mandatory EDD/Joblink meeting ("you've been randomly selected...").  Then I had to update my resume, which really was reimporting the whole thing into the system. But I got it done.

On another note of focus, I DID take that small role, and know about 3 people in the cast, so I'm sure it'll be a fun ride for 10 performances.  A fairly small commitment for the holidays.

Ok, time to find a head to fill that body (let's focus now and continue on my journey).

#43 - Are we opened or closed?

Finally all the boxes are now at home and snuggled all safe in the room.  Barely enough room to move around but we'll change that alright.

Yesterday, I totally screeded (yes, that IS a word) and moved the compost biostack bin.  Opened it, found the pitchfork (missing among the weeds for a bit), and stack by stack, moved the pile, sifted the good from bad and ended up with a wheelbarrow of some decent stuff (more of the "gold" was at the bottom of the pile, but that's always the way it is) as well as a full stack level of open space for the kitchen food scrap waste.

We had thunderstorms this morning and our cat was totally freaked out.  Poor guy was searching for spot to burrow into in the closets.  After an hour and they were gone, he reappeared.  Sometimes I feel like doing that too;  finding a spot to burrow into and just hibernate.

I do want to be open to new experiences, like making a decision on whether to take a bit but very funny, potentially show stealing part in a show.  So, I may do it because I want to get cast by this director in another show in the spring.  Is that a good reason to be open to it?  In any event, had my questions sent to the artistic director, who forwarded them to the director.  Time will tell if he's open to it or closed.

Waiting to get those exceptionally bright lights to start the great photo montage.  Also, ebay is offering free fees for listing 50 items in the next 3 days.  Maybe I need to be open to that.

You know what they say:  when one door closes, another opens.

I'm open to that idea.

#42 - Take two a day

Wow - the things you uncover when you're cleaning up:

These were the labels I lovingly glued to each of the little take-out boxes for the guests that were filled in Jewish fortune cookies and little candy bars that had been labeled for the event.

Can it really have been that long ago?   Where does the time go?

#41 - I see the light

So the rest of the boxes will be arriving, and I get a sense finally of how much stuff it'll be.

A bit daunting for sure.

It is making me take a long hard look at EVERYTHING I have to root out that which no longer holds value for me.  And I am more determined than ever to release, let go and sell that which I can. But first, I have to have a way to really photograph these things, so I've created a DIY light box.   Actual cost:  $2.17 for 2 pieces of $$ store posterboard and a "mattress" cover of white plastic, and at home - a box, some packing tape and "voila!" - instant lightbox.

Unfortunately, the "lights" I'm using aren't quite bright enough.  Need to get a pair of incandescent small lights.  That's part of today's to do list.

Almost time for "lights, camera, ebay."

#40 - Incoming

Well, boxes have started to arrive, though not all at once.  Fedex, when you say it'll come on Thursday and then leave a note on Wednesday saying you tried to deliver two packages, well, it's no fair.

Then again, interviews have been incoming too.  Had the first one yesterday - I mean, how can I enjoy my funemployment if they want to hire me?

It's a strange thing to ruminate on what one will do with everything that's arriving, both things and potential jobs.

My tasks over the next few days will continue to be making room for the things that are incoming, both physically and in my mind.

Let's see how much room we can make for it all.

#39 - Rollin', rollin', rollin'...

Well, vault spelunking does have its charms.

Part one of the great migration of the toys and collectibles is complete.  Twenty-five boxes.  Rolling along in trucks (probably much like this one but actual scale).

Having found loads of miscellany, or as the Imperial Man himself would say (but not think about this stuff), some of it is "a bunch of crap."

Yet, I've packed it up as I see there is some value in the items.

You know what they say - one person's trash is another person's goldmine.

#38 Feeling boxed in

Well, I got what I came for alright.

Spent the day (with a little help from my little sister) emptying out the Imperial Man's storage space, and moving it in only 5 loads to my other sisters lovely garage, where it will be curated, separated, and boxed up for shipping back to the Golden state.  Who knew there were so very many ways that trains and train accessories could be packaged and boxed?  Not to mention all the cars, cars, more cars and still yet when you thought it was safe to go back into the water, MORE CARS.

Did I also mention the many other models to be built (trains, planes and automobiles;  yes, I did really find one plane among the others)?  And many other assorted accessories for trains, planes and yes, even automobiles.

The Imperial Man was certainly prolific.  Oh, did I neglect to mention the auto parts as well?  Most of that stock resides in one of the three (that we know of) garages in the area.  Think we've finally struck a deal on getting the actual BIG cars fixed so they can be sold off.

Bit by bit, dealing with the stuff that dreams were made of...at least for the Imperial Man.

Tomorrow I'm getting boxy with it;  the beginning of the great migration westward will commence.  At least as far as the planes, train and automobiles are concerned.

Pictures will follow.

#37 - Lighten up already!

Well, it's been over a week now since my last posting.  I feel like I should have added a "star date..." before that.

In any event, I am lightening up.  Shredding three 33 gallon garbage bags of documents, organized the rest, have a plan for staying on top of that?  Check.   Purging and organizing documents and assorted art supplies?  Check.   Making room for more things to arrive?  Priceless.

And now? Cars and trucks and trains - oh my!  Here's a sample of what the future is bringing me:



Yup.  I'm heading back to the homeland to box up the Imperial Man's toy collection.

E-bay here we come.

#36, which is 9 times 4, right?

Time.

It's time.

Party time.

Baseball time.

Powerball time.

Today is a play date in the city.  Taking a new form of transportation for a change;  the ferry.

Taking the GIANTS ferry back after the game.

I hope we have an enjoyable time.

Because it's time.

Our time.

My time.

(It's about time).

#35 - Is CURATION the CURE?

I am in the midst of actively curating my life.

I am the overseer, the guardian, the one who has been put in charge.  I'm organizing everything from my earrings to my taxes to the prior vault goddess' boxes.  Soon the Imperial Man will join in the fun (metaphorically, of course); he's not here though he did appear at the end of a strange dream a few weeks ago.  I asked him for his suggestions (on what, I'm not sure) and he said, "Well, I'll try and think of some ideas but you know I'm dead so I can't talk to you.  I'll try and send you a sign."  Ok, Dan, I'm waiting.

Is the act of creating, or curating, your own "exhibit" as it were, the key to true happiness and fulfillment?  I do keep getting signs from the universe.  I see facebook posts that rings true to me.  I turn on NPR and hear someone talking about your authentic self and know that I'm doing what I need to be doing right now.  I am BEING what I need; a director who decides what should and shouldn't be on display, what needs to go to someone/someplace else, what needs to be kept and let go, and what needs restoration and rejuvenation.  This process, this time is allowing me to rejuvenate myself and my own mojo.

So, here's to the process.  After all, the word itself is from the Latin for "to take care."

This is my time to take very careful care of myself.

Ok, back to it.

#34 - What am I doing with the rest of my life....

Ok, I DO vow now (how now brown cow) to attempt to "blog" more frequently then every 1-1/2 years.

Newly divorced (from my job, that is - still together with the man of my dreams for over 30+ now), I have loads to contemplate.  The car man left us a two months ago, and after an absolutely immersive trip back to Europe, I have time to think now, time to dream now, time to CLEAN UP now.

In actuality, I'm venturing into the amazing world of dinky cars.  And trains.  And other assorted car memorabilia that the Imperial king left behind when he shuffled off the mortal coil.

Will be jumpstarting the packing, shipping here and the offloading of that (and perhaps some other collectible/retro items), upon my return.

Yes, since the last posting, I've been in four more shows, and have recently had several callbacks and auditions.  Waiting to see what comes next.

As are you I'm sure.

As is the world at this nexus of uncertainty at this time.

All we know is the sun will pop behind the moon in a week.

Life is never dull.