Happy New...wait...when was that?

I'm around, but have been lazy recently. I guess not "lazy" but just not blogging. I've been planning things and sending out poetry submissions to clear out every piece I have that is finished but sitting around on my computer still. (And I have a new laptop because my old one finally lost its mind) Clearing out some of that poetry makes way for finishing some short fiction. And continuing work on my NaNoWriMo novel. I wrote over 50k on that story in November, so yay! But I need to add about 25k to finish it out.

In December I was trying to finish a different novel, but didn't. I decided to split the story between two characters. The main narrator is left in the dark a lot, and I figured getting her "I'm new to this and don't know what's going on" narrative too often would get annoying. So I'm giving the other part of the story to the character who has the most power and knowledge, but throws away some parts of what is going on because it doesn't fit with what she thinks is useful. She's a fighter, no time for whimsy. Take no prisoners. Ever.

Other than writing, I have some art projects I've been working on. More about those some other time.

I'm attempting to take some edX courses. Poetry in America: Whitman, and Intro to the Music Business start this month. Also starting in January, Coursera has Roman Architecture and Soul Beliefs: Causes and Consequences. I should know enough about Roman Architecture between all the Art History, Ancient History and Classics courses I've taken, but wanted a refresher on locations, engineering and terms.
I think the most interesting course will probably be Fantasy and Science Fiction: The Human Mind, Our Modern World. That one starts in early February. In late February there's another intriguing course offered through edX called Library Advocacy Unshushed. Once those courses start I'll probably have some comments on them.

So, there's an update. I hope to get back to regular posting in the near future.

One last thing--Steampunk World: A multicultural Steampunk fiction anthology has a couple days left in its Kickstarter campaign, check it out.

Columbus Arts Festival Observations Part 1

I've been trying to catch up on sleep (which can be a full-time thing once an insomniac hits the wall of irrational annoyance/anger/frustration/brain no work good...crap), also doing the Insanity work out (Exactly as advertised), working on writing projects (Pinboards: A sunny romance with thieves and Story of an Unknown Title-- not their actual titles) and went to the Columbus Arts Festival over this past weekend. So, I've put together some commentary on things I overheard at the arts festival. This is Part 1:

Hipster girls-
"Oh, these are cute. Makes me want to sew"
"I have a sewing machine."
"Oh really? Does it work?"
"I think so."

They were looking at some very intricate Peruvian cloth projects (I can't find the artist's name in the listing or I would post it). I only remember the Peruvian part because I read the artist's information page at the booth, but still can't remember the name. The textile projects (can't think of a better way to describe them) looked like tiny figures and animals and objects sewn onto these scenes made from fabric. The figures and animals looked like they have a little batting in them so they stand out from the backgrounds like little pillows. It's all brightly colored and festive-looking, but you know, in the wild, it is the brightly colored creatures that will kill you.
So, the two girls are talking about making these things.
I like the idea of competition, even when I'm not really involved in it, so I took a close look at one of the pieces. I didn't see any construction stitches. The dolls all have their little details sewn onto them. It's so folksy, tiny and perfect like a kitten in lederhosen.
As I look at the fabric, I start to believe that I, too, could make such a thing. I've done my time sewing small details onto fabric projects...maybe not details this small, but definitely a tedious amount of sewing by hand.
I begin to imagine my future sewing projects...with their tiny little faces and perfect details that I would likely lose blood over. (I have sewn through my fingers with a sewing machine on a couple occasions, and have also fallen victim to my own hand sewing short-comings--one time, while sewing ivory lace onto a pastel-colored corset...of course. Don't worry, I just put tape on my finger and kept sewing. The corset was fine, and done on time.)
But a strange thing happened as I left that booth of fabric wonders.
I looked back.
And decided that there was no way in hell that I would make one of those things.

There must be Inca magic embroidered into them...