tomatoes

to like this post or to leave a comment, click on the title “tomatoes” above

on sunday i spent the day catching up on stuff like laundry and “paperwork”— all those things you get emails or statements for that you have to follow up on— and stuff that you have to figure out what your next step is

i also decided to “splurge” with my time and make a batch of fresh tomato paste

this used to be a cherished ritual of mine when the dry farm tomatoes would come into season— i’d get a whole flat from the farmers market and spend a couple days making it up and freezing it

i loved going out into the garden and cutting branches of oregano to throw into the pot, watching the bees and the butterflies and the sunlight working their magic

the steamy, watery aroma that gradually thickened into a sweet, rich perfume— the incredible, opulent color of the finished product

applesauce was another ritual of the same soothing kind, but with a warm, cinnamony aroma and a more labor intensive preparation— hope i can make some applesauce when i get to oregon in october!

yum!

tonight is the night!

to like this post or to leave a comment, click on the title “tonight is the night!” above

she is in the driveway at my cottage!

my bed is in!

my sheepskin rug is in!

finny’s bed is in!

i’m sleeping out here tonight!

things are not nearly to the point i imagined/hoped/wanted but here we are

super tired so making this super short and sweet

a beautiful sight!

what is in front of me

to like this post or to leave a comment, click on the title “what is in front of me” above

i’ve gotten behind on posting here

at certain points all i can think about is what is right in front of me— the task to be done— the next step— it’s a certain kind of tunnel vision that lets me survive this final incredible crush to get across the finish line

these pull outs i’ve been working on for the last few days have been a certain kind of marker for this project

way back in 2018 when this whole thing was still a “concept”, a “dream” and an “intention” i saw a house with an entryway i really wanted— with a recessed doorway so i could have cabinets/closets on either side to create a kind of “mud room” where i could remove outerwear and shoes before coming all the way inside

this idea has proved incredibly challenging to manifest

it got super complicated when the steel framing you know who had fabricated left a miniscule amount of space for actualizing this concept

and of course i also needed my “porch” or doorstep so i could utilize this set up

fast forward to 2021 and i am on the cusp of my pull outs being ready!

more on this when they are in!

in the beginning— and i just noticed it even has a green body and blue door like my actual vardo!!!— how crazy is that???

gathering it in

to like this post or to leave a comment, click on the title “gathering it in” above

for the last few weeks as i am focusing everything on getting my vardo ready to travel i haven’t been taking my regular nature walks

usually once a day i walk somewhere that is far enough away from town that i can feel the solid stillness of nature through and through

late this afternoon instead of going back to my studio and working on my pull outs i went up to pogonip to walk

a little ways past the gate i just stopped to take in the blue sky and the small hawk that was circling and the little birds that were heckling it

i gathered in the fence shadows on the road and the sweet dry smell of the grass

i could feel my heart beating strong and my blood pounding and it felt so good to know that i was alive and getting to appreciate that place that i love

i collected some raven feathers, a few worn and weathered, others still fresh with their rich bluey-purple sheen

i sat at the top of the hill above the old clubhouse and thought about the hundreds of times i sat in that spot over the years

after omar our horse died back in 2016 a question kept coming up for me— what is it i think i don’t have time for?

i guess i often think i don’t have time for the spaces that allow for that appreciation i felt in pogonip— that special noticing in rejoining a place i hadn’t seen for awhile— when it isn’t routine or expected but purposeful and generous in a way— or the spaces in a conversation that give the tentative things you might want to say room to float up and find expression or a connection to the other person that is difficult when it’s too quick or wordy

peace pilgrim says to have a truly spiritual life our days can’t be overcrowded— right now my days feel very overcrowded but for an hour it didn’t— i could stretch out and feel spacious in  releasing and reflecting

i’m interested to see how what i think i do and don’t have time for will change once i am on the road with a whole new way of life to gather in

that hawk is up there somewhere in all that blue!

choose joy

to like this post or to leave a comment, click on the title “choose joy” above

the other day when i was in target to get ziplock storage bags for my wool there was a large book display at the top of the escalator

i definitely couldn’t resist stopping and taking a look at what they had out and saw quite a few  of those adult coloring books on sale!

i was just saying not too long ago that i want to try that so i bought one— “choose joy”

it has uplifting quotes inside from people i really admire like fred rogers and maya angelou but i think the quote that is most relevant for me right now is from a woman named lysa terkeurst— she is a christian inspirational writer and speaker

"whatever attitude we bring into a situation will be multiplied”

i think the tricky parts can be #1— noticing my attitude, and #2— accepting that it has power and deciding do i really want that particular power to be the significant influencer in any given situation?

the only thing i have any control over is what happens in my own head— if that is messed up i am starting off at a real disadvantage because it hasn’t proved to be that easy to find people willing to wait around to be my cheerleader and pep talker when i am bitching, whining and/or complaining

so i am (finally) learning to do this for myself— and what is more i am learning that i deserve to have a cheerleader in my life (me!) when things seem to be going well and a pep-talker (me again!) when i need encouragement

and this is where the multiplying comes in— when i am cheering myself on, others join in!— ditto for the pep talking!

a couple months ago i sewed up a cool pencil holder for all the colored pencils left over from my kids waldorf days and am bringing it and the coloring book on my travels

i am looking forward to coloring lysa’s page while i am on my first road trip which is starting in 6 days!!!

the book even gives you a free spotify link to listen to inspirational christian music while you color :)

it’s starting to look like home!

to like this post or to leave a comment, click on the title “it’s starting to look like home!” above

i was feeling seriously exhausted today both mentally and physically

i was at my studio early this morning putting some more sealer on the cabinet pull outs

walt met me at 9am with the in-process pot nesters he’s making for the tops of my upper cabinets and we were positioning the pots and making sure the size was right for it all

this afternoon my ex came over  and we hung up my key hooks, installed new light fixtures, mounted some baskets and the handles for the upper cabinets

i’m trying to decide about my stove— tiny watts advised me to use the induction cooktop but i’m not sure i want that electromagnetic field in my vardo

i’m thinking of going with a dual fuel, dual burner butane/propane stove— but now i’ve waited so long to start thinking about this i can’t get it delivered before i leave— so tomorrow i have to see if it can be delivered to a home depot down south

i’m also figuring out my window coverings, which i might be sewing on the road, and my ebike, which i want to time to have delivered here in santa cruz in late september so i can pick it up when i pass back through and have the rack that my son’s friend nick is going to weld for me put on

tomorrow we are going to work on installing my under cabinet lighting!

cleaned up before i left tonight so i could take this photo

anna's or ruby-throated?

to like this post or to leave a comment, click on the title “anna’s or ruby-throated?” above

today while i was in the midst of my morning routine i noticed a hummingbird outside my window, sitting on a tomato cage, in the midst of his or her morning routine!

the hummer would take periodic breaks from preening to scan the sky or do some head scratching

of course i stopped what i was doing (after i finished brushing my teeth) to watch this enchanting garden guest

i took a few photos, and in looking at them, i could see what i wasn’t seeing as i watched— the blinds and the screen really obscure the image of the hummer in the photo, but they barely registered for me as i gazed with delight at my little visitor

i was struck by how seeming obstacles or problems suddenly disappear from awareness if i am distracted away from them, or if i focus on an opportunity or a solution instead of the inconvenience

for the few minutes the hummer was out there, my interest in the bird completely minimized the significance of the blinds and screen

i am trying to follow this “magic” when it comes to things that upset and bother me about trying to move forward with my vardo and tiny house theater by focusing past the obstacle out to the idea that has purpose and authenticity for me

as i was pondering this thought, suddenly the hummer took off

i finished my morning routine so grateful for this unexpected insight and encouragement from my brief connection to the hummingbird!

here are some fun facts about hummingbirds

the hummy is the gray blob in line with the dark space between the second and third step to the cabin, a little to the left of the right hand string in the blinds

she’s gettin’ ready to ride!

to like this post or to leave a comment, click on the title “she’s gettin’ ready to ride!” above

or maybe i should say ready to road?— as in road trip!

today i made a trip— to the hardware store for more hardware ;)))

i got a plug assembly, shelf brackets for my upper cabinets, friction hinges to hold upper cabinet doors open, dowels to fix holes in counter and door where walt put in a couple ten inch bolts at the bottom of the door so it won’t fall apart (since you know who cut off about 10 inches and totally destabilized it!)

i got velcro to attach my shoe pocket thingy into my passenger side pull out— and it fits PERFECTLY by the way— and some wood to mount my coat hooks that are going in the drivers side pull out— i meant to look for some locks for my pullouts— but i forgot which is ok because i have to go back to the hardware store tomorrow to return some hooks that i decided not to use and get some more screws— of course— to mount my super cool led under cabinet lighting

i attached the last upper cabinet door and did some more sealing on my pullouts— all this painting and sealing just seems to be a never ending task— there is always more sealing!— or painting

i ordered some drawer organizers and a couple of folding computer tray/tables since my lagun tables won’t be ready or installed yet

i realized yesterday i’ll be living in a tri-level— kitchen/bath, lounge and loft!

tonight i’m sending an email out to all my fellow artists at 17th to tell them about my upcoming road trip and ask for referrals, recommendations and resources they may know about

i am almost to the single digit countdown!!!

a week from today my stuff will be moved in!

feathers

to like this post or to leave a comment, click on the title “feathers” above

well, my signs did not arrive as scheduled— so i will be making my first road trip in my vardo without them

several things seemingly went wrong yesterday leaving me feeling sad and drained

when i feel that way it makes me miss my dog shadow soooo much

it seems weird that somehow you don’t notice the poignant, heart rending details of something that is so much a part of your life until it isn’t a part of your life anymore— the details that make that presence so essential to things being right

maybe it’s not that you don’t notice but rather you don’t realize you notice those details and that they are so crucial for your experience of that rightness

after shadow died there were so many little things i missed and longed for— i decided that every crow feather i found was a message from her saying it really would be ok

i brought them back to my yurt as i found them and stuck them in the ground on her grave— and not just crow feathers— i found scrub and stellar’s jay feathers, hawk feathers, raven feathers, owl feathers, towhee feathers, dove feathers

i must have had over 100 feathers when i was evacuated— it was devastating to have to leave her behind that way

later when my landlords wouldn’t let me return to live at the yurt they made me dig her up— so my ex and i had her cremated with all those feathers

i imagined them lifting her to heaven

i was really happy when i started to find feathers again this spring when molting season began

now i’ve got a new feather collection— and lots more messages from baby :)

on a wing and a prayer

13 days to go!

to like this post or to leave a comment, click on the title “13 days to go!” above

some things have been following me since my house was sold and i’ve become a nomad

my tea kettle for one— i got that tea kettle from a wonderful store in los gatos called domus way back in 1995— a few years ago one of my airbnb guests dropped it and the handle broke off— but my son glued the end back on, turned the handle around and reattached the strong end to the kettle

i just discovered that it isn’t magnetic!— so i have to figure something out for using it on my induction cooktop— cause i’m not giving up my tea kettle

another thing is my spice cubbies

i got those back in 1996 when my ex and i bought our brand new stock option house in silicon valley— my mom, sisters and i went up to palo alto to the hold everything store— i love having a place for everything and being organized and i got a lot of stuff at that store!

i remember afterward we had a late lunch at piatti’s— a great italian restaurant that used to be in the stanford shopping center— i got the margherita pasta in a big white bowl and we all shared a bottle of wine— it was such an exciting time

my tea kettel and cubbies came with me to the ben lomond airbnb when i first moved, then to the yurt, and now here to my cottage— they make me feel at home and comforted in all the places that aren’t really my place

and tonight i finally got my spice cubbies mounted in my vardo!!— it makes it feel like the vardo is really becoming my home and my place

tomorrow i have some more sealing and painting to do and i get to drive her to go pick up my signs for the exterior

i can’t wait to share photos of my vardo with her signs on!

been working late with my ex every night this week to be ready for my september first drive away!

little blue ball

to like this post or to leave a comment, click on the title “little blue ball” above

i watched a you tube this morning about “degrowth” and how we can’t actually meet the carbon emissions reductions needed to save life as we know it on our planet with a capitalist economy

that is because capitalism depends on continuously increasing consumption

this in turn is mostly because of debt, but that is a subject for another day

the exciting thing for me was that it really spoke to a lot of what i’ve been grappling with around how to move forward with tiny house theater

during the first part of the pandemic i made you tube videos with my story basket in response to the urging of some of the schools i had been visiting, the warnings from some it was the only way to survive the shutdown, and a generous amount of internal fear

but i’m completely against screens for young children!— so that decision was not in alignment with what i value and it didn’t work for me

then i developed an online “pivot” for tiny house theater— some of you might remember puppet club— but that wasn’t in keeping with my values either— i want to promote experiences and imagination and creativity, but the kits that i was planning meant selling stuff, and i don’t really want to promote that, even if i thought they were great kits!

now i’m getting ready to take off in my gypsy vardo and i’m going to be experimenting with simplicity and spontaneity and being present to the opportunities that arise where i am without too much advance set up or promotion

they used the term “frugal hedonism” in the degrowth video and that really got me— the practice of living luxuriously with less, of experiencing “enough” as extravagance, of spending time, not money, lavishly

i googled “little blue ball” and it is actually a quirky song by this guy douglas wood, right in line with my topic—i can add sumptuous synchronicities to my frugal hedonism gift bag

i have heard we don’t own the earth, we borrow it from future generations

i’m going to keep learning about degrowth so i can do more to preserve our beautiful planet

the world really is in our hands

i know it’s cliche-ish but it’s true!!!

forest magic

to like this post or to leave a comment, click on the title “forest magic” above

i grew up in the forests of pennsylvania— when my parents moved us to state college, we were the last house on the street and beyond that was forest

i remember heading out among the trees as a family with a wheelbarrow and spade to bring home forest treasures for our backyard— violets, wind flowers, lady slipper orchids and mountain laurel

the forest and the trees have always had a special draw for me, so when i saw this headline on my atlas obscura daily email, “12 forests with secrets hidden within,” i was immediately intrigued!

as i looked through the wonders in these forests i got excited about the idea of leaving my own secret offerings in the forests i visit— i imagine leaving a tree clootie with a blessing and documenting the different locations here in my blog!— i’ll write more about tree clooties another time

if you want to check out altlas obscura, they have lots of inspirational places to dream of visiting— i’ve got some of them on my list

i really felt these words from a walt whitman poem they shared spoke to what i am looking forward to— 

“Afoot and light-hearted I take to the open road

Healthy, free, the world before me,

The long brown path before me leading wherever I choose.”

and the long, unexplored road, too!

this breathtaking image is copyrighted by the artist, kevin atherton, and used with permission— Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.I. Image credit Forestry England.

generosity

to like this post or to leave a comment, click on the title “generosity” above

lately i have really been enjoying the branciforte creek walk in my neighborhood

on saturday while finny and i were walking it, my eye was caught by several huge purple dahlia petals that were scattered on the path

then someone passed us with a big bouquet of dahlia blooms— it is dahlia season here in santa cruz and i thought there must be a flower stand someone set up

sure enough, a short distance up the trail a woman named iris had dozens of the bold, colorful blooms out for the taking at her back gate

she and her husband have an incredible garden as well as being the instigators of the pipevine swallowtail project— their goal is to restore the california pipevine swallowtail butterfly to their former habitat locally by growing and distributing to any neighbors who want one a california pipevine plant, which the caterpillars feed on

a few months ago i looked forward to seeing all the caterpillars feasting on the vines they have planted along the trail and i was even lucky enough to see a few of the dazzling irridescent blue and black butterflies fluttering around their garden

later on saturday i noticed that my neighbor had put out a wonderful cart full of flowers and produce from her yard, which i’ve started calling middle earth because she has the hobbit touch with her garden!

i was feeling so fortunate to witness the generosity of folks sharing what they love with passersby and asking nothing in return except maybe gratitude

there is always and abundance of generosity and gratitude if i look for it

i am anticipating all the ways i will get to share generosity and gratitude once i am on the road

my neighbors’ mini farm stand

good tired

to like this post or to leave a comment, click on the title “good tired” above

tonight i am tired, but a good and satisfied tired cause so much got done on my vardo today!

walt came and finished installing the washer stop and the back up camera mount— so now the final steps needed for my vardo to be driveable at any moment are in place!!

he is going to make me my over cabinet pot nesters and my toaster oven cubby and have them ready to install in about a week

my ex came and helped me too

we turned on my diesel heating system and tested that, as well as the water pump— we checked the gray water valve set up to make sure there were no leaks

we took a spin to the hardware store to get some parts with a detour to betty burgers, yum!— we  got to go and ate in the little park next to the natural history museum at seabright beach, while finny begged for fries

he helped me get the pins out of my cab to camper door hinges so i can sand them down a bit because with the bench cushions in place that door can’t swing open— i’ll have to lift it off and i want those pins to come out easy

we removed the pull out cabinets and took them into my studio so i can stain and seal the part that will be exposed to the outside when they are open

i ordered some grab bars for stepping up into the camper and spent a lot of time looking this cool website i found that has a lot of stuff for tiny house life— i’m going to order a magnetic knife rack and a foldable, cabinet mounting trash container

my growing tool collection saw plenty of action today!— but i am definitely learning that you will always need another tool

it’s a good feeling to be learning a whole new skill set and language as part of my transition to my vardo

on the 28th i’ll be bringing her here to my cottage and moving everything in over the four days till the first— then ventura here i come!

christmas present from my son 2 years ago :)

more rainbows

to like this post or to leave a comment, click on the title “more rainbows” above

earlier this year in february a friend gave me a gift of some dragon themed tarot cards

i have always been curious about tarot and was excited about using these

each day i do a simple reading— card/theme for the day, how/why? and who/what are my helpers?

at first i just used the booklet of very simple interpretations that came with the deck, but over time i wanted more so i started looking up the meanings online, browsing different sites for different points of view

i began looking at the rider-waite images and finally decided to buy a deck and now i look at both decks each day

rainbows are an image that is appearing for me in lots of different ways over the last month or so— like a promise that i’m on the right path and things really are getting better

this week i got the ten of cups card more than once in my daily draws and it has a big beautiful rainbow on it— today it was my card of the day

i’m getting into the significance of the numbers too

10’s are the completion of a phase, cycle or task, which is right where i am

what i noted for this card today was— children, caring and fun— abundance and plenty— reaping the rewards of your hard work— emotional and spiritual fulfillment— all right on for me and tiny house theater!

and the ace of swords, today’s who/what are my helpers card, in the dragon deck has a rainbow— aces mean beginnings— you always have a beginning coming up when something else is finishing— like finishing my vardo and beginning my travels!!

for this card i wrote— recognize your personal power and act with it— transforming your energy from victim to victor— the time is now— being true to you makes you peaceful, purposeful, resilient and invincible

i love how these reading are really reflecting and helping me clarify and focus so much of what has been happening in my life— they help me talk to myself in a more detailed way and guide me in noticing how my personal stories may be helping or hurting me

they are a kind of circling back in a new way for me since for many years i used soulcollage each morning like i am using the tarot now— i took the facilitator training from seena frost, the creator of soulcollage, and kylea taylor back in 2008

i’ll write more about soulcollage soon because it is still a great passion of mine and something i want to offer on my gypsy wagon journeys!

my two rainbow cards today

a social media free company

to like this post or to leave a comment, click on the title “a social media-free company” above

i’ve decided to make it official and declare that tiny house theater is a social media free zone

last year when i got back to santa cruz i decided to get off for awhile— i felt so overwhelmed and sad at the state of my life and my dreams i just couldn’t find any reason to keep on posting on my instagram, twitter, you tube or facebook

i did try to do a daily story writing for december but that didn’t last— i was crumpling into my need to grieve and check out

there is an online fabric store i buy from occasionally that started out as fabric indulgence and has now become warp and weft— the new owner stated her intention when she bought the business was to become a plastics free business

i take inspiration from her commitment to her values and how she is striving to support both her love of fabric and her decision to not be part of the plastics problem as an online seller

i feel the same way about social media— i don’t want to be a part of the self worth problem and i want to commit to making choices that are the change i want to see

i don’t believe social media is a source of support for healthy family life

i think social media is harmful to our ability to find satisfaction, connection, patience and pleasure in the real world and ourselves

and that is what tiny house theater is about— using our own, and witnessing others, creativity and imagination and work and courage to be present and connected with what is in our real lives and to find meaning, insight and inspiration through puppetry and storytelling— with fun sprinkled on top

it’s about realizing that self discovery and appreciation leads to valuing others and our world and all her creatures

i’m excited and scared to make this leap into honoring what i really believe since “everyone” tells me i can’t be successful without social media

but i’m definitely ready to decide what success means for me beyond the should’s and have to’s

my dreams have been broken so many times they have turned into pixie dust— and i’m ready to share the magic

sunflowers are a superpower for happiness and joy!

getting stuff done

to like this post or to leave a comment, click on the title “getting stuff done” above

i’m getting close to having all the loose ends for driving my vardo tied up!

today i finished getting my washer situated— after walt installed the new magnetic coupler to connect the dryer to the vent i needed to secure the water hoses up away from that area

i also needed to figure out how to make the washer easier to get in and out of it’s space— i tried using some velcro loop that was left over from securing the hoses up but that was a total disaster— it came off and got adhesive all over the floor

i needed more screws for my front door mat anyway so i stopped at ace and got some plastic table leg ends made for patio furniture and those work great— but they didn’t have the size screw i needed

while i had the washer propped back so i could reach the little feet and add the plastic covers, the whole thing suddenly fell over!

when i picked it up i could see that the back panel had partially popped off— i unscrewed the top screw and then the one that i needed to readjust and accidentally dropped it inside the back guts— so then i had to remove the whole back panel and fish around to find that screw

finally had the feet covers on, the panel back on and got it into position so i could secure the water hoses up with the velcro, plug it in and run the drain hose into my gray water tank

then i pushed it into place and heard that satisfying clunk as the magnets engaged

i went outside and looked into the vent opening and it was all good!— i put the outside vent cover back on and now once walt adds the stop he made for the base of the washer she’s good to go!

i also finally got my doormat mostly on but am short screws so i’m going to try to stop at san lorenzo lumber tomorrow and see if they have the size i need

spent a little time adding brackets to keep my cabinet baskets from rattling— after three brackets, i called it a day

3 weeks exactly till i take off for my first road trip with her!

this doormat feels so good on our feet!

meetings with remarkable trees

to like this post or to leave a comment, click on the title “meetings with remarkable trees” above

years ago i bought a book called “meetings with remarkable trees” by thomas pakenham

i actually felt jealous, wishing i had been the one to write that book and to meet all those remarkable trees

of course there are remarkable trees everywhere and i feel very lucky and humbled to have met and lived with my share of memorable trees

i feel worried about the rate at which trees are disappearing from our planet, but it just gives me all the more motivation to spend time around trees wherever i am and to appreciate their truly amazing lives

i feel a particular kind of helpless grief when i see a tree friend that i pass regularly being cut down

or going somewhere i haven’t been for a while and looking forward to seeing a particular tree friend, only to find it is gone and i never got to say goodbye

or seeing a once beautiful tree butchered into almost unrecognizable form and hoping it will survive

i have a couple of trees in town that i have adopted and stop by once in a while to give them some water or put my hands on their trunk and let them feel how much i appreciate them

this is an idea/suggestion that i plan on talking up in my tree mother puppet stories— that we can all be tree helpers

i am excited about all the trees i will get to meet on my travels and you can be sure you will get to meet some of them too!

a tree friend i visited on my walk in gray whale ranch this morning

tree mother

the purpose of my blog is to document and share images, questions, ideas, information, discoveries, excitement and events as i journey from dream to reality with my tiny house theater

to like this post or to leave a comment, click on the title “tree mother” above

i really loved my annual ritual of attending puppet boot camp in boulder, colorado

morning coffee at logans— stocking up on breakfast and lunch stuff at lucky’s market

exploring the trails around wonderland lake and chautauqua

and making my stops at fancy tiger crafts in denver to replenish my roving supplies and elfrieda’s fine fabrics in boulder to revel in her wonderful selection of imported fabrics

all woven around five days of story writing, puppet crafting, and community with kindred souls

the last boot camp was in july 2019 and i had an idea for a rod puppet i wanted to make— a tree guardian of sorts but also a motherly wise one and an ancestor

i stopped at mcguckins hardware the day before we were starting the rod puppets and got some heavy duty wire to make her branches

when we took our customary trip to the fabric store to find the body fabric, i found a heavy, brown, bark-like upholstery velvet— it was perfect!

i had it in mind to create a year of monthly tree mother tales and to change her leaves to reflect the seasons

but tiny house theater got so busy that fall!— i had new classes with parks and rec, a new first friday event featuring a simple puppet story and crafting session following to make the character, new homeschool opportunities

it’s a long road back from the pandemic, losing shadow, and the fires

tree mother is patient and doesn’t rush me— she’ll be ready whenever i am to share tree tales, songs and wisdom stories on the road

she’s an old soul

who knew there are soooo many screws???

really— who knew!?— definitely not me

i did know there were the kind with a single line in the top and the ones with the x in the top

but now i’m learning about screw sizes and depths and how you have to get just the right bit for screwing in these screws and your job will be way easier

last week screws caused me a couple of the many “pauses” i encounter while trying to get stuff done

i went to home depot to look for screws thinking that a giant store will have a giant selection of screws— wrong— their screw aisle was pathetic!

then i went to the ace hardware on soquel and they have an amazing screw aisle— they had the screw i needed— a black size 10 3/4” sheet metal screw— but they only had 3 and i needed about 20 so i can attach my cool orange chilewich front doormat to the doorstep

apparently there is a screw shortage due to supply chain interruptions because of the pandemic

i also needed a couple of trim screws for the extra metal flange that walt made for the dryer vent— but then i realized i forgot to note what size to get so i couldn’t get those screws either

today i went over to the westside where my po box is and stopped into the ace over there and was able to get both kinds of screws!— from their totally amazing screw aisle!

i am noticing that old guys that work in hardware stores don’t think you know what you are doing if you are a girl— this could be a stereotype just like the one i’m complaining about but i’m just saying

i had a high school friend who had an after school job at the local hardware store— i remember seeing her in there in her red apron and thought at the time who would want to work in a hardware store???— but now i could totally get into it!

there is a fantastically huge hardware store in boulder colorado where i got my vardo exterior lights— mcguckins is considered a local treasure

i also got stuff to make my tree mother puppet there— i’ll tell you about her tomorrow

probably every screw you could need here!