Lawn Morals

I'm not a fan of pulling weeds. It's not about the work. It's about the emotions. I can't pull dandelions without thinking of Ray Bradbury. I can't pull a weed without appreciating that it struggled to push up through the desert rocks. I can't pull a weed without being aware that it has a name, a genus, a species and a purpose.

Is it simply unfortunate geography for weeds, to grow in this neighborhood that frowns upon them? Or more precisely, that frowns upon humans with weeds between their rocks?

I tried that explanation with Orion. That nothing was wrong with the plants, but that they grew in the wrong place. He says that makes no sense. He is right.

How does one explain lawn morals to a Poppet?

Possibly I should put up tiny tombstones with names of the plants. My neighbors would likely frown upon that too, but I would've made some sort of point, at least to myself.



Possibly ONE DAY I can live somewhere else, that is mine, where weeds can have their season.



The birthday party went extremely well. I must get permission from parents before posting more photos. But it was a long day of play and bouncing and cake. And me hoarse from pretending to be the alien haunting the bounce house. I am a child inside. I will always be willing to humiliate myself for giggles. If I'm smart.


My hand is tired. My sculpting hand is my 'main' hand, is my signing hand too. It was great to see Larry, though we were signing in completely different rooms and had not nearly enough time.

I sat for hours with Peter Beagle and we talked and listened and discovered a something that we need to make together. The something actually sort of presented itself, very much like magic.
I'm very happy to be working with him again. Of course I am.

He is Peter S. Beagle.
And it is my great honor.




Copies of Strange Light, Strange Roads and Strange Birds are available in our ebay store.

Strange Books, Strange Panels, Strange Folk

One of the panels for Strange Machines, and a close detail below so you can get a look at the texture.

Thanks to Holly, Jade, Heather and Jess, it's moving along. Jess's panel didn't make it-- postage from the UK was ridiculous. Still, she sent me this photo of her effort with Poppets and says she'll turn her panel into art. I count that as inspiration.

Book signing at Mission Hills:
Larry Niven! We went to lunch, where the food was terrible. Really. But the conversation was great. By the last half hour, we had the seed of a story idea for Strange Light and are continuing our discussion through emails.

ok. Here this woman walks up to Peter and does a little dance and says "Guess who I am!" She turned out to be a good friend he went to college with, but our expressions seem to ask for explanation. Otherwise you'd make crazy stuff up, or just assume we look goofy for no reason.

It was great spending time with Peter. I'll put the signed copies with "Spook" Poppets in the store tomorrow. And we've made some extra "Spook" Poppets for the people who've already ordered books.

Here I just look goofy for no reason. Sometimes my eyes look slightly crossed in photos. Probably because sometimes my eyes are slightly crossed.

This is Greg Ketter, of DreamHaven Books, publisher of Strange Birds, Strange Roads.

Off to the studio I go...

Smoke, Evil Beagle and Da Bounce

Already this morning the fires were on our minds. We begin our days with the news, hoping for improvement, sad for the damage already done. By midday we could see the smoke moving over the mountains and by four thirty, when I took this shot from our back yard, it brought us the somber reality of loss.

The LA County Public Health site used a photo I posted here last year, of other fires.

You can see an update of the fires and containment status on Google Earth.

Peter Beagle, it appears, got his dose of Vitamin Evil during Vcon last week.

Thanks to Rubius for this photo.

Strange Roads will be available in January. I've read the three stories. You won't believe where Peter has taken Poppets.

Or possibly, where Poppets took Peter.

Either way, wow. I'm both honored and delighted he went there. I look forward to sending you down those very strange roads indeed.

On the home front:

I like this bit of baby action best when I hear little Logan in my head...I don't like it.I don't like it.I don't like it.

But then, I know he does.

And, finally,

The Poppetzez haz lef the buildin'.

Whew! If you're expecting some, they're on the way.

G'night

Shadows and Light

Orion was assigned a presentation about shadows.

So, we played in the dark, talked about light and how photographs are made.

He left for school with a photograph and new information pinging around in his head.

Soon enough he'll put it aside, then later on, he'll connect it to other information, constructing, piece by piece, his map of how things are.

*****

Today I received new stories from Peter Beagle, written around art images I sent him. I was both surprised and delighted at how he interpreted the art and where he went.

Strange Roads indeed.


*****

I'm reading bits of Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book, looking forward to more bits. Later I may envy you, wishing I could read it again, for the first time.

***

Orion and I won the Gran Prix of Mario Kart today. He in first place and I in second.

We rode in the parade. We danced...for real.

***

The Freedom From Religion Foundation has erected its first billboard in Madison, Wisconsin. If you live comfortably near Madison and have a Poppet and send me a Poppets On Tour photo of your Poppet with the billboard I will happily send you another poppet of the color of your choice.

No kidding!

*****

And a few days ago Derek Ash sent me two new Halloween poems. They are cool and sort of...poppety.

***

Today was the first day of a shipping marathon. Poppets are headed out in many directions to all sorts of new adventures.

**

Lots of creativity these days. Lots of making. Shadows and Light.