June 14, 2006

9:47 p.m.

Inventory

I now have ready to take to the artisans' cooperative:

5 generic travel journals in various fabrics and colors, which include, besides the journal part: several pockets, lovely ephemera, buttons, sparklies, eyelets with ribbon and a mini-CD with a travel song on it

2 garden books complete with: plantable seed paper; information on companion planting, beneficial insects, basic medicinal herbs and composting; a journal section for one to keep track of one's own garden; a mini-CD with one of my songs on it, garden-related; and various pithy quotes, poems, and images designed to inspire the aspiring planter

1 surprise birthday party book with photo ops, places for guests to sign & write stuff, fridge magnet poetry, lots of beautiful layered paper cutouts, and doodly-doos galore

1 dozen mini-journals in various color schemes, all cute as heck and sized to fit perfectly in a purse or pocket

I figured out that during my trial period there (which ends after this month) I'm giving up a 30% commission whether I work there or not, which is rather painful. If I join it'll go down to 20%. I've priced these babies a little high because of that; I hope they sell. I look at prices of other people's things there; some of them seem extravagant and others too cheap for the work involved. It's so arbitrary, what things cost, isn't it?

It felt so good to finish this lot today, make a very cool cloth-covered display box for them, and then CLEAN UP THE TABLE. I haven't vacuumed yet -- dang, I meant to do that -- but I shook the velvet tablecloth out on the balcony and put every scrap away. Dinner was so different, on this peaceful, organized table.

Tomorrow I leave early for three days of gigs in NY state. I played a while today and my fingers are a little sore, reminding me that my callouses have softened in this time of not much playing.

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I called Rose on her cell yesterday and asked her how things were going. She sighed a bit, thoughtfully, and said they were weird, but no blowups. She mentioned the big white elephant in the room that nobody was talking about. Uncharacteristically, she's not pressing anything; I said, do what you need to do to get to Peru. She agreed.

I wonder, though, what the letter was he said he was writing in private the night before, when he didn't want to be disturbed. I wonder if it was a letter to her. Or who else this private recipient might be. If it's a lawyer I don't know if he'd have told her he was writing it, you know? Knowing she would probably ask more about it. But she hasn't.

I didn't hear from her today so I assume nothing momentous has happened.

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I awoke this morning with two ideas: paper dolls, and origami. I'd had the origami idea before, so it was just a reminder. But last night I found an amazing website, this guy. Half of it is in French but enough is in English to get the gist, and he's such an amazing artist! Like, doing what I'm doing but with chops. And somewhere in there is a little shot of some paper dolls he made. I'm thinking... Inner Goddess journal? Goddess paper doll with various outfits; Grecian, Roman, Indian? Goddesses through the ages? A little Shiva dress with extra arms?

My brilliance continues unabated.