Anna Sui + Westernmass ME

I have quite a few textile art ideas on my creative projects lists. I work on a bunch of things at the same time and the list grows. I feel no stress about completing things. My 2 full-time jobs and basic chores come first. Creative projects are for spare time and any time I get for them is a pleasure. I don't need to ruin something so lovely by cracking a whip. My brain has gone through a re-framing of sorts in my new life. I'm not very good at explaining it, or even fully understanding it yet. Basically, the things that bothered me about my life and my self before, have evaporated. Life seems so much easier now. I always know what I'm supposed to be doing. I feel like I have so much freedom and so many opportunities, that instead of putting stupid parameters and rules on myself, I just need to relax and go with the flow. If an idea or project gets shelved, it was probably supposed to. It's right there on the shelf. I can pick it up again, and it will have probably benefited from the slow simmer. How would I know what I'm supposed to be doing? I get more done now, and I'm happier than I've ever been. That's more than enough.

I stupidly started embroidering this t-shirt craft night a few years ago. Stitching on stretchy t-shirt material is idiotic. I realized it right away, but kept poking around at it when I wasn't working on another project. My friend T gave me this t-shirt for taking care of her cat when she went to Europe in 1997. I was gonna toss it. It was misshapen and had armpit stains, and then I decided to cut out and embroider the unstained image. Who knows if I would have ever finished it, but T was working on a piece for our textile art show, so it felt like the right time. Now our pieces are hanging next to each other in my gallery. Life is weird and wonderful. I'm pretty sure no one is going to buy it and I owed a dear friend a gift. She harassed me regularly about this exact project (flirting in my world). So I'm gifting it to C. But really, this is all just the big gift that is my life.

30 year sewing project completed

In the 80’s I worked at The Springfield Plaza, a shopping plaza that time forgot. There was a fabric shoppe called Weintraubs. I only remember it from the extended going-out-of-business period. In the real final days, when everything was 90 or more % off and thoroughly picked through, I bought yards and yards of upholstery fabric in the yellow color family. I had no immediate use for the fabric but it was the nicest quality stuff left, yellow apparently unpopular.

That fabric, like an ugly yellow patterned albatross, has traveled with me through every move over 30ish years. Every time I packed it, I would be mad at myself for lugging it around. Whenever I wanted to sew curtains over those 30 years, I would dig it out, look at it and buy new fabric.

I needed curtains in my condo, so pulled out the Weintraubs fabric and started sewing, 4 years ago. I was finally using the albatross when my sewing machine broke. I hand-sewed 2 sides of one panel. Company was coming to stay, so I clipped the fabric to the curtain rod with clothes pins, 4 years ago. And so it stayed. I just got a new/old sewing machine from my Tante. I finished the curtains. Mr. REE is standing on my sewing machine holding the price tag from Weintraubs, in front of the curtains. I have 2 other patterns of the yellow upholstery fabric. That gorgeous sunny vintage fabric that cost me pennies.

Aren't I a comedian if I say I am?

(why I’m doing stand-up)

I am a story-teller, I’ve decided. I write and tell stories. And you know, read, think about and discuss them. I write and tell in different formats and situations and I enjoy the process. But I wonder, is there something that I am better at than another? Should I really try to focus on one area? Or jump around as the project, timing and opportunities present themselves? How to know? I decided to devise an experiment.

I think I’m hilarious. But when am I funniest and how best to be funny? And why even bother trying to figure it out? Well, because I added “do open-mic stand-up comedy” to my “things to do in my year of 50” list. Since I was already thinking about it, I figured why not use comedy to test if I should focus, or jump around. It’s not a fool-proof test, but there will be data, experiences, feedback, stuff to analyze. Something’s gonna happen.

I’ve got a rough routine. I wrote it as a humor piece and submitted it to McSweeney’s Internet Tendency on 10/7. We’ll see what happens. I’m editing this piece here about my intentions and will post it to my blog right before I walk over to do my first stand-up open-mic. I will put it here so it has a place to be and to document my intentions in advance. Keeps me honest. I will walk over with or meet friends at Bishop’s Lounge. One of them will tape it. I will post my video to YouTube. I will link to video and essay in my Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Something’s gonna happen.

Then really, whatever happens, I get to interpret it. If I loved doing stand-up, receive a warm response and my friends liked it – I will try again. What if I hate live performance and bomb, but my written humor is accepted by Internet Tendency – then I will try to do more written humor pieces. Maybe the response and feelings are equal – then I jump around. So I have a date, a crew, and something to say. Then just see what happens. It’s all learning. It’s all equal. All outcomes are the right outcomes.

Adirondack Timing

I don't do some of the things I used to enjoy doing, like travel. I'm not really sad about it, because I'm doing other things I enjoy and I chose this hiatus. I just choose to be grateful for all the travel I have done and look forward to when I can do it again.

I have a friend that lives in Amsterdam. I've been a few times, but pre-FOE me would have visited her and we would have planned some awesome trip together. I haven't seen her since Baltimore (4 years). She messaged me a while back to say she would be in the states for 10 days in September and could we get together. I knew it was unlikely. But when my temp assignment ended right in the middle of her visit, I jumped in my car and drove to the Adirondacks.

I had an amazing couple of days. It was just what I needed. We hiked Bald Mountain. Her highest peak was in India. Mine in Austria. The people in my life are amazing. They are the most important thing to me.

Ich liebe meine Mutti

I woke up around 3:30 to drive to Springfield to take the 5:30 bus to Boston to meet my mother. The parking lot attendant told me in all his years he has never had a customer drive to take a bus. I explained my mother had an appointment with a specialist at Mass General and I wanted to be there and I also wanted to ride back in the car with her because she was spending the weekend with me: Operation Good Daughter. I had to kinda be a jerk to my mother when she wanted to discuss how I would get there and our weekend plans, "Just let me do this. I am planning a beautiful, thoughtful weekend. I don't want to tell you anything. Can't I just surprise you." I explained later I needed to disarm her. I made a list of some of my favorite stories about my mother, things to ask her about that would prompt some of her happiest memories, advice to seek, a shopping trip so she could treat me, drives through old neighborhoods, dinosaur tracks and coffee and sweets. All the planning paid off. Then I made her this card to commemorate her visit. All you have to do is decide what is really important to you. Then put some thoughtful time and effort into the plans. Then execute your plan, and be patient and pay attention and share and connect. I love my mother and I want to make sure she knows it.