#spring extravaganza 2022

[greensparty]

2025 Northeast Comic Con Spring Edition

For several years now I’ve been lucky enough to cover the Northeast Comic Con (read my coverage here), a fun cool convention for lovers of comics, pop culture, and collectibles. Most recently I attended the Fall edition in Nov. 2024.

Here are some of the highlights of some of the guests I got to speak with at this season’s NECC:

Actor Barry Bostwick is quite a veteran of film, TV and theater (he is a Tony winner), but for cult movie fans he is known for playing Brad in The Rocky Horror Picture Show. I asked him what it's like to know this 1975 movie is still having midnight screenings with fans dressed as characters and talking to the screen? "It's amazing isn't it? We're on our third generation of fans. They keep getting younger and younger. It's an honor to be a part of something that was politically and socially wonderful for its time. But the bottom line of the whole thing is it was a big party!" he said. I became aware of him with his short-lived TV sitcom Dads (ABC 1986-87) and he later became known as the Mayor on Spin City (ABC 1996-2002). My son was with me and he asked him "How did you feel being in an episode of Phineas and Ferb?" where he played Grandpa Clyde Flynn. He said "I loved it because I got to sing a song about Bigfoot. I love for kids to see these wholesome family fair."

Actor Mark Rolston has been a noted character actor in film, TV and voice-acting for quite sometime. Of all the parts he's done in films like Aliens, The Shawshank Redemption and The Departed, I asked his favorite. "People would be surprised but my favorite role is Alastair in Supernatural [he appeared in 2 episode of the CW series in 2008]" he says it was the best time he had. I mentioned how memorable he was in one episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm in a 2002 episode.

Singer Cowboy Mach Bell is a frequent guest at NECC and I talked to him at the 2022 Collectibles Extravaganza. He sang in the Joe Perry Project from 1982-84. He currently has the Cowboy Mach Bell Experience and has written some memoirs too.

Actor Alan Ruck has been a trusty supporting actor in countless films and shows, but my all-time favorite movie he acted in was Ferris Bueller's Day Off as Ferris's friend Cameron. I've watched the movie hundreds of thousands of times since I saw it in the movie theater at age 10 and then re-watched the VHS and later DVD. In recent years there's been some internet theories that the entire movie exists in Cameron's mind and that Ferris is what Cameron wishes he could be (a Fight Club theory). I asked Mr. Ruck what his feeling was about this theory? "Whoever came up with that, if it was for a college paper, I hope they got an A in that class! It's very clever and a fun way to think about the movie!" He is also known for working with a lot of people multiple times, i.e. he and Matthew Broderick has done theater together prior to Ferris, he worked with Heather Locklear on Going Places (ABC 1990-91) and then Spin City (ABC 1996-2002), Charlie Sheen in Three for the Road and then Spin City, and director Jan de Bont on both Speed and Twister. Does he like working with co-stars more than once? "Oh yeah! You make friends on these movies and sometimes you don't see each other for years and years, but if you had a good relationship on whatever the first thing was, it can pick up right where it left off. When you work with people you're friendly with, there's an innate level of trust. You know what they're about and how they're going to do things. You feel safe. It's always comforting, a nice way to work."

Model / actress Kristine DeBell stole many scenes in the late 70s / early 80s, notably Meatballs and The Big Brawl. She actually had a small part in I Wanna Hold You're Hand, Robert Zemeckis's directorial debut. In 2017, my short film The Beatles Boston played at the Mendon Twin Drive-In between I Wanna Hold Your Hand and A Hard Day’s Night. I was truly honored! I asked Ms. DeBell about working with Zemeckis so early in his career. "It was pretty cool. Obviously I had a very small part. But he was an amazing director, kind and funny. A wonderful experience."

Big thanks to Gary Sohmers and the NECC team for another fun-filled con!

For info on Northeast Comic Con and their other events

[nikolausstark]

open starter ! location: silver sun flowers, downtown !

After several extremely busy days at the shop, they seemed to have hit a lull that Niko was more than a little thankful for. He’d spent the last fifteen minutes dozing off in the back to try and make up for his poor sleep schedule while one of his younger employees looked after the shop before he’d come back out to relieve them for their lunch break. He yawned into the crook of his elbow as the bell above the door rang cheerfully and he offered a wave in response, shifting his weight to stride towards the guest with only the slightest limp– the dark circles under his eyes offset strangely by the altogether bright smile on his face. “Hey, there! Something I can help you find? Or do you have an order to pick up? Whatever you need– I’m your man, so to speak.”

[samnawaz]

spring extravaganza — closed starter for yao lin. ( @yaodlin​ ) location — outside of twice baked, sunday !

Colorado had proven to be one of the more interesting places Sam had ever lived— for loads of reasons, really, but the one she was the most enamored with in that moment was the fact that pot was legal and she was high as a kite-- chewing thoughtfully on the last of an edible she’d decided to spring for at Twice Baked. She didn’t get stoned all that often in the grand scheme of things but she could admit that it was a pleasant experience, all up-- even if it had a tendency to make her space out something fierce. She blinked slowly-- recognizing that someone was trying to get her attention likely far later than she should have. “Sorry? Can you run that by me again? I’m gonna be honest with ya, mate, I’m more than a little stoned right now-- bear with me.”

[jaykartal]

spring extravaganza — closed starter for rüya seren. ( @ruyasercn​ ) location — the jade palace, sunday !

Inviting Rüya out to brunch on Sunday was perhaps the most clearly couple-y thing they’d done in quite a while and Jay had been nervous to even ask— he tried to avoid those things most of the time but the moment he’d realized he was stressing over nothing he’d calmed down a bit. He could spend a day screwing around in the city getting day-drunk with one of his best friends without having to overanalyze every other word that came out of his mouth. Still, that didn’t mean he couldn’t tease her about it a little throughout the day— they wouldn’t be friends if he couldn’t. “So,” Jay said brightly as they approached the Jade Palace, “You ready to be my brunch date for the day? I’m an excellent one-day only boyfriend,” He joked, grinning down at Rüya as they settled into a small line that had formed at the entrance. “I’m surprised you’re functioning right now so I’m feeling pretty flattered you got out of bed for little ol’ me.”

[mellygregs]

2021 Year End Top Five Photo Extravaganza!

The first two images were taken during the first half of the year, when we were restricted to being close to home. It was such a joy when spring came with the beautiful colours of nature.

The last three were taken away from home in the summer when we we had a lot more freedom. It was glorious to get out and about and explore again.

Thank you for all the ❤️ and lovely comments you’ve sent me this year.

Wishing you all a fantastic 2022, that’s happy, healthy and full of good things.

Melanie x

[go-scottishgal14]

from The UK Times...

Harry and Meghan drive their point home with far slicker PR

Hilary Rose

Monday April 18 2022, 12.01am, The Times

And so the latest installment of the Harry and Meghan show returns to California, royal connections burnished, Netflix paymasters gleeful, and Slava Ukraini, obviously, as Meghan said in her inevitable turn centre stage. She is due to fly home today, with Harry following later, after she has read her children’s book to some kids there. It was billed on publication last year as her “first” book — shoot me now — and if I did its PR I’d bill it as the ultimate bedtime story, guaranteed to put your kids to sleep in no time, or your money back. In case you’ve forgotten, and alas I cannot, it’s about a bench, and has all the wit, verve and narrative arc you’d expect of a piece of furniture.

Nevertheless, the fact is that the H&M show is now a slick, nimble, multimillion-dollar money-making operation. They’re working what they’ve got, and who they know, to the nth degree. In comparison, the royal family’s PR strategy looks like it was patched together in a leaky ballroom by men in suits, and I say that as someone with a weakness for the royal family and, indeed, men in suits. Look, I don’t work in PR. I have no idea how you position and strategise a royal family modelled on service in the celebrity-obsessed 21st century and the age of the internet. But if you throw enough money at the problem, there must be someone who does? The Sussexes are effectively pulling the rug from under the Cambridges’ feet. The H&M show is what you get with a big budget for the most ferocious PRs, which for the past few days has been essentially a series of “happy coincidences” and public displays of affection, bathed in spring sunshine. Extending an olive branch to the royal family just before the PR extravaganza that is the Platinum Jubilee, for example. Invictus coming hot on the heels of the happy coincidence that their PR agency, Sunshine Sachs, also did the PR for an event at which they were given an award for “distinguished public service”.

Or take that photo op at Invictus, of H&M driving mini Land Rovers with kids. Am I alone in detecting the whiff of a dig at the Cambridges, after their Land Rover PR debacle on the recent tour of Jamaica? They inspected local troops there wearing uniform (him), hat (her), standing up in a Land Rover that had been used for the same purpose 60 years ago by the Queen. Their intentions were presumably to honour the Queen, but in 2022 the optics were, as they say, unfortunate, and no amount of courtiers saying the Jamaicans asked them to do it changes the fact that somebody should have had the nous to say “no”. Put Harry and Meghan in jeans, on the other hand, grinning in toy Land Rovers? Bingo. And finally, what a lucky coincidence once again that the next brickbat due to be lobbed by the couple, Harry’s autobiography, will only be published later in the summer. Any Jubilee photo ops will be safely in the can, Netflix may have its balcony money shot, and Harry and Meghan will be back home in California speaking truth to Oprah. The latest installment of the H&M show is now over. It won’t be the last.

[instruth]

PLEDGES TO REMEMBER

Blossoms in spring

In abundance it brings

Dressed for the occasion

Royal Ascot in newer fashion

Red roses for the sweetest smile

All gather from near or from miles

Strangers or friends, hand in hand

Beauty ignites music and bands

Celebrations in extravaganza

Buskers on the main bazaar

Romances, kissing lovers

Pledges to remember

©Johnny J P Lee

24 October 2022

Photo, J. P. Lee

[merlinsbudgiesmugglers]

2022 Wrapped

Thanks for the tag @ashesandhackles

Post the top 5 works you’re most proud of that you released in 2022 (not necessarily your most popular),

Rubs and Disappointments - This was the first fic I wrote, it was for the TTB Spring Fling. The prompt to write a rare-pair had me jumping back into my love for Katie & Oliver

The Potter-Granger-Weasley Pool Party Extravaganza - Another TTB Server Fest fic. This was tough, I had two prompts (pool party and lunascope) that I had no idea what to do with, but I'm really happy with what came out in the end.

Mischief Managed - I loved writing Lily Luna and I'm excited to write more of her this year. It's so much fun exploring her as a Slytherin, showing the Slytherin traits that she's inherited from both of her parents, as well as being a little sister whose goal is to use those traits to frustrate her brothers

Remadora Ficlets - I spent about two weeks hooked on these two and these ficlets are what came out of it. I love Tonks and Remus so much, and they have such a messy relationship that it fun to write.

Not So Bad - I really enjoyed writing from Ron's point of view. Especially during HBP when he and Hermione are dancing around their feelings.

your top 4 current WIPs that you’re excited to release in the new year

I have a couple more Ted x Andromeda fics to finish and post, looking at Andromeda telling her family and the consequences they face for their relationship. I'm also working on a Dean/Padma fic, and one with Harry and Ginny straight after the war.

your top 3 biggest improvements in your writing over the past year,

Writing descriptive language. I have such a clear view of the scene in my head, it's finding the right words to get it down

Working with Beta readers. It's hard as a perfectionist to show an unfinished work to someone but I'm working on that more.

Just writing. Getting the words on the page instead of day dreaming over them.

your top 2 resolutions (ways you wish to improve your writing/blog) for the new year,

1. Work on writing dialogue well. As it is I hate writing dialogue and do anything I can to avoid it 2. Practice writing in different tenses and different points of view.

and your number 1 favorite line you’ve written this year 

ok this literally changes every day as I discover different lines I've written, but here's today's favourite from my Ted & Andromeda fic, Not Tonight. It's more than a line, but I love this little interaction.

Nora turns to her, cheeks flushed, and a sudden, teasing grin spreads across her face. ‘Ted Tonks is staring at you,’ she trills, nodding in his direction with her eyebrows wagging.

(Don’t look.)

Andromeda scoffs, a lifetime of training helping her to keep a mask of indifference. ‘You always think he’s staring at me.’

(Don’t look.)

‘Because he always is!’ She’s right, of course. Glances in the hallways, smiles over tea, a wink as he hands over a pint at the pub after work, his fingers grazing against hers.

(She looks.)

Tagging anyone who hasn't been tagged yet

[greensparty]

Stuff I'm Looking Forward To in October

Well it is now Fall and the 4th quarter of 2024. In addition to Rosh Hashanah (10/2-10/3), Yom Kippur (10/11-12), Columbus Day (10/14), Indigenous Peoples' Day (10/14), and Halloween (10/31) as well as the Vice Presidential Debate (10/1) here is what's on my radar this month:

Movies:

Daytime Revolution

As a Beatle fanatic I always appreciate it when a documentarian goes for the less obvious part of John Lennon's history, i.e. LennoNYC, The Lost Weekend: A Love Story, John Lennon: Murder Without Trial, and Revival69: The Concert That Rocked The World since Imagine: John Lennon is the single most comprehensive doc about Lennon. So this new doc about Lennon and Yoko Ono taking over for Mike Douglas's TV show in 1972 has my attention. Opening on 10/9 (Lennon's birthday).

Piece by Piece 

Morgan Neville is one of the great documentarians of our time and he's been on a roll recently after last year's Bono & The Edge: A Sort of Homecoming with Dave Letterman and this year's Steve! (Martin). Now he's back with a Pharrell Williams doc as documented by legos. What an approach! Opens 10/11.

Saturday Night

Jason Reitman, who has made many great films, takes on the very beginning of Saturday Night Live in 1975. I am a lifelong SNL fanatic and I certainly hope this biopic can live up to the bar that is set. Opens 10/11 (the anniversary of SNL's premiere).

Anora

Sean Baker has very quietly become one of the most exciting voices of indie film to emerge in the last decade with his quirky character studies about sex workers. His new one won Palm d'Or at Cannes Film Festival. Opening 10/18.

Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

Thom Zimny and Bruce Springsteen are becoming one of the great director/subject relationships in film! They've done performance pieces like Western Stars and Springsteen on Broadway as well as making-of fly-on-the-wall docs like Letter to You and original archival footage like The Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concerts. Now Zimny is back with a chronicle of The Boss's 2023-2024 world tour. Premieres on Disney+ and Hulu on 10/25 (review to come).

Don't Move

Nothing like a good old clock-is-ticking-before-you-die horror flick. In addition to producer Sam Raimi, this was co-directed by Adam Schindler. Way back in the 00s I worked as a PA on the HBO specials Dane Cook: Vicious Circle and Justin Timberlake FutureSex/LoveShow, where Adam was one of the assistants. It's very cool to see how far he has come since then. Premieres 10/25 on Netflix.

Music:

The Smile Cutouts

One of the best albums of this year so far is easily Wall of Eyes from The Smile, Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood's Radiohead side project with Sons of Kemet’s Tom Skinner. Since that release in January, they have somehow found time to do a whole new album dropping on 10/4 (review to come).

The Linda Lindas No Obligation

I included The Linda Lindas' debut album Growing Up in my Best Albums of 2022. They are on a roll and recently opened for Green Day. New album drops on 10/11.

MC5 Heavy Lifting

MC5 are pretty much the architects of what became punk rock. I love their legendary live album Kick Out the Jams. Earlier this year we lost founding members Wayne Kramer and Dennis Thompson. But the good news is that just as the band is going to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, they recorded a studio album (their first since 1971) that is set to be released on 10/18!

The Pixies the Night the Zombies Came

The 9th studio album from The Pixies is coming at an interesting time. Just two years after their excellent album Doggerel (which I named my #4 Album of 2022 it was easily their best album since they reunited in 2004) and a few months since they parted ways with bassist Paz Lenchantin, their bassist since 2014. New bassist Emma Richardson has been touring with the group since the Spring. I for one am really looking forward to this! Album drops 10/25 (review to come).

Events:

Collectibles Extravaganza

The team that run the Northeast Comic Con are back with their Collectibles Extravaganza. I had fun at the 1-day event they did in July. This one is in Boxborough, MA on 10/5-6.

Film Festivals:

IFFBoston Fall Focus

My favorite film festival is Independent Film Festival Boston, which takes place in the Spring. IFFBoston’s mini-fest Fall Focus happens in the Fall to showcase some of the Fall festival darlings before they get released during end of the year Awards Season. This year's Fall Focus is 10/31-11/3 at the Brattle (Harvard Square, Cambridge).

[altarflame]

2022 Year in Review

2022. Ok. "Bad" and "good" are not super nuanced nor mutually exclusive (life is complex!) but they're what I'm doing.

The bad was extensive enough that I really wanted to find some catharsis in putting it all down at once, and maybe even having a couple of people read it all and go, dang.

Bad: -I had a terrible ear infection, and then such an extreme reaction to my antibiotics. This crap really ate up most of January with pain, appts, vertigo, side effects (terrible joint pain! complete lethargy!), etc. -Aaron called us hurt badly one day, from the skate park - ER trip later we learned it was a serious break. He had to wait a week for the swelling to go down before they could operate. Total agony. -But Jan and Feb were also full of constant text and phone support for one of my two long term best friends, Kristin, who was caring for her dying sister Keegan (someone I'd hung out with lots of times, been to multiple homes of, etc) up in Maryland. Hospice in the living room, cancer play by plays, very heavy. Many emotional calls to my own sister. -Aaron's ankle hardware installation surgery was super triggering for me (I have hospital/surgery ptsd), though of course I kept it together for him and sobbed to Sterling about it later....and Aaron was incredibly pissed and very hard to be around for weeks of immobility, which he's never been able to handle. I was up all night with him in pain, calling a doctor, twice.   -We all caught COVID in February, were pretty dang sick for a couple of weeks, and then had the brain fog/exhaustion for another month+ after - I have been back on maintenance inhalers for the first time in years, ever since. -Keegan died Feb 20.  

So you're perhaps seeing that already, just a couple of months in, this year is really kicking my ass, eh? It's kind of funny, I was all set on setting some intentions as January rolled out and THAT NEVER HAPPENED. Continuing....

-Ananda and Pierre broke up, after 6 years together. -I walked out of my house one day and found my car had a giant tree branch through the windshield. -Sterling had some scary (though ultimately benign) post-covid problems that sent us to the ER in the middle of the night. -Over the late spring/early summer TWO other social workers in my region left my company (for totally different personal reasons), both women who'd worked there for years, and I was suddenly contending with a totally untenable triple caseload. I couldn't take any PTO for months, which is hard to deal with at my particular job, and was regularly still working late every Friday. So many stupid emergencies, so much anxiety interacting with management. Totally overwhelming. -Sterling and I still made it down to Pompano on a whirlwind weekend, to stay overnight and attend Keegan's celebration of life, which was a Cake-as-the-soundtrack Hipster extravaganza with an open bar and a poorly formatted slideshow. These are details Kristin and I laughed about. It was wonderful to see her mom and son again, albeit under terrible circumstances and with tears all around. -Beginning of August, Sterling and I drove up to Maryland to take everything we could possibly want of Keegan's stuff, from Kristin (she was donating everything she couldn't give away - she also wanted me to take her favorite plants since she's moving across the ocean soon). This was a good trip in many ways, but like, we're also going through the items of her deceased sister AND my Nana took a turn and we suddenly knew she'd die soon, while I was up there. I had to sit alone with my laptop and write some stuff out. I don't know. These two trips are the most gray area of the bad/good dichotomy being false. Like Sterling got to show me chain places he hadn't seen since childhood, and we drove through the town he lived in with his wife, but we also got EXTREMELY sick of driving. -Mid August, my dad entered the hospital, and was in for several days that involved LOTS of long calls between him and I as well as some with my sister - he almost had open heart surgery, actually left Against Medical Advice, generally scared the shit out of everyone while having panic attacks and getting security called, it was a time. There've been many complicated updates after all his copious specialist visits, ever since. -Later in August - listen to this shit - first my OTHER long term best friend, Jess, started having really bad health problems of her own, she had emergency surgery; she was awaiting possible next surgery, she couldn't eat for days that were turning into weeks - she came down from Tallahassee and it took her extra hours to make the drive and she slept half the visit (she was only in town for 3 hours...) and I couldn't get ahold of her the next day to verify she'd made it back. I was really scared. Like really, really fucking scared for her, for half this month, and so triggered about the medical part but not wanting her to keep any of it from me. -And so WHILE THAT'S unfolding, like Sat she's over napping and Sun I'm sending her Tally bestie to do a safety check - Monday, I end up in the ICU with a bunch of friends, watching Clarence die, while simultaneously providing phone support to my nephew Wolfgang because his best local friend in New Orleans shot himself THE SAME MORNING. Clarence and I weren't close, but I had some notable memories with him, he was a fixture in my community and his partner Colleen is a friend. He was only 40 and had a sudden brain aneurysm. I organized a fundraiser for Colleen, and a meal train, and took her tea and listened to her tell the whole harrowing story. Ananda and I took an ex of his that is a friend flowers, too. Wolfgang and I were texting each other from separate funerals, that weekend - me with a bunch of 30 and 40 something goths in the woods, him in NOLA with his gen z LGBT crew... -my diverticulosis flared up for the first time, into horrible pain, I ended up in a CT scanner. It's fine, but I hated it. -THEN, September, less than 2 weeks later after Clarence/Wolfgang's friend, my Nana died in the morning and my former sister in law, Mindy (Robby, Wolfgang, and Patrice's mom) died in the evening, THE SAME DAY. My Nana had been on hospice for almost a year after being immobilized by strokes for a decade, but I still took it harder than expected. Mindy had done a lot of hard living, but seemed stable enough - nobody expected that at 46, she would just literally slump over dead in the middle of putting together a piece of furniture with my mother in law. Poor Teresa tried CPR for 12 minutes. I am still worried about Teresa. I chose to go to Mindy's funeral, rather than my Nana's (they were on the same day, in different cities), since I am estranged from my mother and I wanted to be there for my niece and nephews, and for Teresa. -I also got a terrible UTI in Sept, and maybe partially because it's only the second one I've ever had, or maybe because of the DISASTROUS antibiotic fallout back in Jan, I tried for too long to keep it at bay with dumb supplements and water that kept beating it back but not knocking it out, thereby increasing my suffering.

Are yall HEARING this shit? Is it even possible to keep all these names straight? Can you believe any of this?

In October, things started getting MUCH HARDER THAN ANYTHING ELSE I'VE SAID SO FAR (I'm serious), but about someone close to me who has asked me not to share about it in any kind of identifying or detailed way. Seriously I was sobbing myself to sleep at night, I walked around feeling like I was going to throw up all day every day for about 15 days. I was reaching out for help. This is not romantic or about Sterling, though it certainly impacted him too. The person is mostly ok now, though I continue to worry. I'm sorry it's vague, but my experience is definitely not complete without a reference to this being included.

I guess it's good that by late Summer, new trained people were taking on caseloads at my job as replacements and I was able to ease up a little with work, have time off when I needed to, etc. Otherwise this shit would just not have been possible.

-December has featured everyone being sick with something, and Aaron having screw removal (ankle) surgery - which went very well but meant a lot of extra Stuff the week of Christmas. The first Christmas I've ever had with my Nana gone. Many surprise tears. I was seriously having PTSD nightmares in the night and then waking up crying with old Christmas carols playing in my head, like she used to have on all December. While on my period and trying to shop and bake and decorate and find a secret santa gift for someone at the office and attend an evening work event and a friend's show and and and. Stupid exhaustion. SO MUCH SLEEP DEP. Commiserating with Teresa and Patrice about their first christmas without Mindy, and with Kristin about her first Christmas without Keegan, and with Colleen about her first Christmas without Clarence. Listening for hours at times as Sterling hashed out his very complicated feelings about this holiday, which he has started to look forward to (which feels very very vulnerable).

I'm typing this NOT at a New Years Eve party I was invited to OR at the hospital where my great niece was born, because I have covid for the 2nd time. Been testing every day, because of these impending events - to no avail. My car is in the shop not being worked on because holiday, as I wait to find out if it's A Huge Deal problem or not.

I am also feeling some borderline panic at times because I totally spaced on it being the last day of the MONTH, in addition to the year, and thus missed my opportunity to get all my work documentation in on time - at a time when that is being scrutinized more than normal. And there's nothing to be done but wait out the weekend and hope for the best.

I had a sense of never resting for much of this year, of not having the ability to fucking chill long enough to feel I was savoring to the degree I want to. That if I wanted to value and prioritize good things I had to force them into spots where I could be sleeping (or staring at a wall and dissolving). I am certain I spent MUCH more time than normal sitting on the phone on hold, for 10 million different reasons.

GRRR forever except also I'm ending the "bad" right there.

Good list...Because there is good, lots of it, GODDAMIT:

-I had a 7 hour long ritual fire in January, with my best local friend Katie. I took dried herbs and flowers, snacks, and tinctures with me, and she fed us, and we never ran out of things to talk about. -I read Sterling the last couple of Dark Tower novels. We laughed, conjectured, and cried our fucking eyes out together, talked endlessly about them, THE MOST SATISFYING THING. We've since started the Vampire Chronicles and are halfway through book 3, so many great things to talk about. -Ananda registered for college! Dual degree track of library science and art history. She knocked out remedial math and then did her first semester. It has been really interesting talking about with her. And it's been fine and flexible to continue as a Starbucks supervisor while she does this :) -Elise got into the art high school of their dreams! The open house and application process had been so exciting, and then when we opened the "yes," it was really something. -Isaac has worked his way up the rungs of a local volunteer organization; he coordinates events, does their taxes and payroll. He's only 18! But he's been knocking many things out of the park. I am so proud of him all the time. He also cooked many pots of soup for the household, and did UNTOLD loads of dishes, this year. -I brought home a painting I love so much that I've literally, actually looked at it every single day since, drinking it in, always spotting something new. -Likewise I scored some pretty amazing outdoor furniture along the way, curb find chairs and yard sale mirror, shelves off my local fb "buy nothing" group - and I ADORE my patio at this point. From my bed looking out through the glass doors as well as out there. It's magic and I appreciate it continuously.   -There is not a day that passes that I don't swell up with gratitude, either looking out a window or stepping out my front door, about living in such a wooded neighborhood surrounded by such massive towering oak, pine, and sweetgum trees. This often happens on my way to the car, in the driveway, pausing to spin in a slow circle - or as dusk approaches, from my room or the dining room, when everything outside turns into a backlit sillhouette. -I established a whole system of jars on a dedicated herb table (table free from a friend), that we make tea from regularly. This has made me really happy and has led to me gifting people blend bags and goody jars of all sorts. It's one of the only areas of our house that I try to really keep immaculate. Isaac gave me a mortar and pestle for mother's day that's a part of it. -I hit 3 years at my job in March, which means I get several days more per quarter of PTO now. They're also investing in a ROTH 403B for me whether I contribute any money or not, now, and some other perks. -That night of Keegan's celebration of life down in Pompano, the airbnb Sterling and I stayed in had a whole intentional labyrinth outside for a yard, with raccoons and huge snails, and a gazebo and a koi pond. And a whole wall mirror next to the bed, super hot. We went to the beach very late and were both enchanted and FLIPPING OUT to find bioluminescent sand, just live glowing blue dots in the darkness. -I really made tons of tinctures this summer. Stopping on workdays in the sticks to forage, filling up weekends with it. I went out with Aaron, with Elise, with Sterling, gathering flowers, stripping wood. I made jam from the beauty berries in my front yard, too, and harvested so much roselle grown from seed. I handed out grief tincture at funerals. I've got a lot in the works! -Isaac and Aaron rode their bikes to a 35 mile trail, the entire trail, and back, starting at 6am on a Saturday... just because they wanted to. They had brunch out together after. I am endlessly fascinated and happy about my kids choosing to spend time with one another. These two also each funded an independent trip down south and hung out with my sister and her kids (along with their old friends). -I finally started licensure supervision weekly, and joined the NASW, and registered for the licensure exam. -Katie picked me up and drove me out to the cemetery one Saturday, with flowers and shells we both had for multiple graves there. Good wine picnic.   -Ananda and I went and saw Florence and the Machine in Orlando- we were draped in lace, and it was unbelievable. I cried from happiness several times over. Intense and necessary. Fabulous italian food after. -I got two different raises in quick succession (a small one for being there a while and the cost of living adjustment they give everyone annually) as the fiscal year changed, and can actually see the difference somewhat. -Instead of a hurricane, we all got enforced surprise time off with a bonus cold front, and Sterling and I, man, we stood outside in the first cool air of the season in these piles and piles of leaves that had blown down in the tropical wind, and watched our cat step carefully, exploring, and laughed and just felt.... surreal and amazing? This was one of a few long weekends where we were also just doin' it in long multi-hour times with naps sandwiched between events. -That hurricane day is one of several days that Jake and Isaac have taken Elise out all over town just because they wanted to - to parks, playing Pokemon, eating out. -Katie and I took her dog Charlie to the beach. Good adventuring. -I had the experience, for the first time in years, of finding a new book in person, buying it, and then staying up all night long devouring the entire thing. I'm Glad My Mom Died, by Jeannette McCurdy. -Isaac voluntarily took over seeing Elise through algebra, and is tireless and inspiring in this (successful) effort. It is humbling.   -I bought a bicycle! The first bike I've had in several years - it's a vintage cruiser, used, yellow, and I take it out a couple times per week ever since. Extra great when Sterling comes and skates alongside, or Aaron rides with me. -Sterling's and my overnight for my birthday, man, we had a MASSIVE jaccuzzi tub we could fall asleep in together, a balcony we could see the ocean from, the sand was made of barely broken down shells and he collected hundreds of them for a project. Super cool. We sat on a balcony over the ocean, at a restaurant on the beach, eating some great stuff the next morning. -He had a show, actually played the drums at a paying gig, and I got to spend great hours with Nick watching and cheering and clapping and eating. He did great and was on top of the world about it. There's another show scheduled with a different group of people, incidentally, and this one is at a venue with a cover charge (rather than a big outdoor birthday party). -We went to a gorgeous wedding for his friends Russ and Amy. Sweet to stand there holding hands and tearing up. Great food, outdoor space, Destin was there. -We rushed soup and hugs over to Katie one night that she was sad, and wailing between us about things. -Jake wore a suit for his 17th birthday, LOVED his party full of sweet polite kids (at a bowling alley and then watching movies here), looked incredible. -His girlfriend's mom texted me, "thank you for raising a son that my daughter is safe with." <--Pause for emphasis -I actually made peace with being 40 - and "in my 40s" moving forward, which was bafflingly difficult and happened just in time for me to turn 41 with some contentment and ease. -Some good media - I devoured the entirety of the Pocket Coven Podcast, before starting on Between The Worlds (mostly out of desperation that the Pocket Coven Podcast was no longer making episodes). Sterling, Ananda, Elise and I burned through Season 1 of Sandman on Netflix. Ananda and I had a fun time watching The Kardashians on Hulu and over analyzing all of it - it's densely packed with hosting SNL, wearing Marilyn's dress, courtroom trials, passing the bar exam, advocating for death row inmates. So easy to love and to hate. Not at all like the made up barely strung together reality show of yore (that I could never have sat through). The new Florence album is BOMB AS HELL, the Dresden Dolls are recording again... -I have really had a ton of fulfillment from being an aunt this year. It's become a valued part of my identity. I took Wolfgang and Robby out to the beach and for dinner, after their mother's funeral (they wanted these things, and needed someone to understand their ambivalence/guilt at seeming apathetic, as that was a very complicated relationship). I've talked to Patrice so much more (she is devastated by the loss). I continue to just talk to Wolfgang every day, like I have for years :p I took Ananda, Isaac, and Elise to Patrice's baby shower and was able to spring for things she really needs. I was able to see all my sister's kids in person in May, and then pick out thoughtful gifts for them (choosing books for people is kind of a thrill of mine... so glad to have so many kids who read in my life) - and treats - and have it all in the mail before Christmas, and Zoom with them as they opened it. It feels special and cool to have the bandwidth to invest in these relationships, since my own kids aren't so tiny and needy anymore. -My children's desire to buy each other and myself (and their dad and also Sterling...) Christmas presents, is so wonderful. Ananda and Isaac pooled resources and got me a new Le Crecuset dutch oven! Isaac got Grant gift cards and money and a letter explaining the hiking trip he wants to take with him. And Ananda got me a replacement labradorite ring, and Lego flowers. Elise's cards are always a high point, super thoughtful, they've made Sterling tear up more that once.   -Also I am now a GREAT AUNT! Patrice gave birth YESTERDAY! I got play by plays from my mother in law and from Wolfgang, and have had many pics since. It is killing me that I can't be over there because Covid, but, soon enough. I GUESS.   -I have witnessed the huge progress in Sterling and me, practicing at all kinds of things in our relationship; it's beautiful. For instance, he used to get really freaked out and triggered anytime I was upset about anything, due to previous partners flipping out so hard and to such extents, and taking all their upsets out on him. But 3 years into this, he can actually do an amazing job anytime I'm upset about something not to do with us, and can at least get through the helping me part before he freaks out, if it IS about us. That's one example of a million things, and it's both of us, like... being with someone who will absolutely get under a blanket to let me talk into their chest anytime, who is completely down for all kinds of sex, etc etc, has had me have to confront the places where it's just hard for me, personally - to speak up, to communicate directly, I've delved so deep into the most shy and private parts of myself. I feel like I'm experiencing new kinds of dreaming that are related to how I fall asleep (in his arms) every single night. Like it's enabling me to access more of my own subconscious, as wounds get uncovered and then healed. I'm not exaggerating. I've figured major shit out in dreams this year, and woken up to, say, know how to close up the quilt edge without binding, or how to understand Grant. It's like a wall between my sleeping self and my waking self, that's been made up my whole life of not wanting to go to sleep as a sad unsafe kid, is dissolving. In many ways my song of the year would be "Here, In my Room" by Incubus. "The Party" referenced therein being one that took place almost 5.5 years ago now. The fiction-worthy-wind being ka from the Dark Tower. His scars, my incision. I can't say enough and there's no way to say it. -I started a book about hospice. I have not CONTINUED it yet.... clouds of grief and fogs of illness obscuring too much, too often. But - it will happen. 

[samnawaz]

spring extravaganza — closed starter for bash qureshi. ( @bashqureshi​ ) location — downtown, tuesday !

For as long as she could remember Sam had been described as someone who had absolutely no trouble making her own fun; she’d never really sorted out whether that was a compliment but it was true all the same. Her workload for the week had been made remarkably light and she’d allowed herself to take the time to explore Providence Peak in earnest-- pleased to be able to lean into the feeling of getting lost in crowds the way she’d started to miss after having been away from Melbourne for so long. Still, with no real destination in mind she’d resolved to ask the first person she could wrangle into a conversation whether they had any recommendations. “Hey, mate-- I hate to bother ya but I’m a little out of my element here. You wouldn’t happen to have any recs for spots to hang out, would ya? I’m bored out of my bloody mind and I can only wander around so much, y’know?”

[jaykartal]

spring extravaganza — closed starter for nazli ertuğul. ( @nazlixertugul​ ) location — the jagged yard, saturday !

Somewhere into his third beer Jay realized that his friends had more of less ditched him— he wouldn’t hold it against them, really but it was a little embarrassing to be pressed against the bar alone when so many people were clearly coupled up and having a great time. Not that he wasn’t having fun by himself but it was the principle of the thing, wasn’t it? It wasn’t the coolest move to ditch your friends in the middle of a night out but his friends, he mused, had the collective self-control of a peanut or something and he’d always been the most collected of the group. He sighed against the mouth of the bottle in his hand and took a step towards the exit, only to bump into someone far more roughly than he’d intended. “Shit, sorry! It’s crowded in here but I’m usually not such a disaster just trying to get through a room,” the apology was quick and his smile that much quicker, the beer he’d had enough to make him loose and not quite so tense and anxious as seemed to be his general state of being. “I didn’t spill anything on you, right? If I did the next one’s on me-- to make up for it.”

[providencepeakrp]

Today is the day many adults in Providence Peak have been waiting for. No, it’s not Friday yet. Okay, so maybe the second most-awaited day, but if you have been waiting for this day like most of our lovely city citizens, make sure you meander down to Mayor Harris’ table set-up at the Spring Extravaganza and drop your tickets into the baskets for the various raffle prizes offered below! Each person is allowed to purchase 5 raffle tickets for $5, all proceeds going toward the continuation of the city’s revitalization project. May luck be in your favor this week!

If your character is joining in on this fun, please SUBMIT in list format with the character name on top how your character spent their tickets to the main. They must pick one prize per ticket, entering a total of five possible prizes.

Put Your Records On Vintage Basket

The Vinyl Countdown has gathered a beautiful basket full of records from the 1970′s in mint condition, accessories and cleaners that will help your record player run smooth as honey, a vintage AC/DC concert tee, and a gift card worth $30 to be spent in their store.

Take a Break!

A voucher for one free ‘anger management’ session is being offered courtesy of The Break Room. Add your tickets to the jar in hopes of a moment to destress and a chance to imagine a fancy ceramic duck is your coworker for an hour!

A Day with the Wolves

Ever wondered what it would be like to spend a day with the wolves? Well, you may get to find out! Wolf Wild Rescue has donated A Day with the Wolves, where one winner will have the chance to see what it’s really like to be up close and personal with these ferocious animals.

Walk the Red Carpet

Cinematic is rolling out the red carpet for you for one night only! Win this prize and you’ll be in for a night full of unlimited popcorn and soda pop with some of your closest friends and family in a private theater rental, showing any movie of your choice!

Emergency Preparedness Kit

Providence Peak Memorial is all about safety, especially when it comes to the safety of their locals. The basket carefully curated by several of their staff members is full of first aid kits, emergency supplies in case of a natural disaster, and a handy backpack to put it all inside. So whether you’re preparing for disaster or a zombie apocalypse, this prize was made for you.

Wine and Dine Basket

A specially curated basket by The Grape Escape that’s exploding with handcrafted cheese, grape wines, and a wooden board crafted for only the best charcuterie boards has been donated by the locally owned vineyard.

Who’s Your Main Squeeze?

If you’re a regular at this Summit Lake establishment, this is your lucky chance! The Main Squeeze is offering one lucky winner an opportunity to score free drinks for an entire year (limited to one free drink per day).

Shopping at the Skyline

This year, the Skyline Mall is getting in on the spring festivities and offering a $500 shopping spree to one lucky winner. Think you’ve got the luck it takes? Throw a ticket, or all of them, into the pot for this special opportunity.

Romantic Evening for Two

A steaming etouffee, a glass of wine, and a few beignets await you and one special guest at Amelie’s in a romantic candle-lit dinner for two, including appetizers, entrees, dessert, and a bottle of wine.

Adult Toys and Accessories

Just because winter is ending doesn’t mean it’s time to stop spicing it up with your partner of choice. Condom Sense has provided a a brand new Rabbit vibrator, spring flavored lubes including strawberry jam, peanut butter, and coconut, and their specialty made toy cleaner to help the spice continue long into the warmer months.

2022 Ford Bronco Outer Banks

With leather-trimmed seating, four door entry, and a sleek Area 51 exterior color, this 2022 Ford Bronco, Outer Banks edition, is a sure fire grand prize in this raffle. Choice Motors is offering the keys to this brand new vehicle to one lucky winner. Will you be cruising through the spring season in style?

[siknik13]

Lady Lemon Marmalade!

The Lemon extravaganza! Greetings, dear meows! I hope you all are having a tremendous start to 2022! February is here, and dead winter for most of the country, in the States at least… But where I reside in forever spring/summerville of Southern California, winter lasts for about 2 months MAX before it starts heating up again. Citrus is abundant EVERYWHERE from oranges, kumquats, limes,…

[anysquared]

Dear Friends of AnySquared,

A very belated Happy New Year! February 2022 will be AnySquared’s 12th Anniversary, an excellent time to celebrate everything we have accomplished in the past year and get excited about everything coming up this year. We won the Artist-Run Chicago Grant from Hyde Park Arts Center! We received an $8,000 grant in mid 2021. The grant sustained AnySquared, supported our events this year, and helped purchase items that we needed to replace or add to our arsenal of tools and materials to create events, murals, etc. For the first time, we were also able to give artists stipends.

In addition to using the money for supplies and support, we filed paperwork to become a 501c3 NonProfit organization! Now that we are a 501c3, we can create new sustainable platforms of support for Chicago artists and generate inspirational and fun programming that allows artists a chance to leverage their art to organize for the greater good.

Click here If you would like to support the overall work of AnySquared and want to make a tax-deductible donation

_____ Highlights from the past year

Since Dec 2020, we have hosted nearly 30 AnySquared Spotlight art talks online. Artists took centerstage with our talks that featured those of all experiences first weekly and then monthly after we went to in-person Studio Days in the spring. Thanks to Lily BE's steadfast collaboration since December, we are grateful to have it streamed on Hairpin Arts Center's Facebook Live. See our fantastic lineup of videos on here >

In February & March, we streamed our Life in Progress Video Series, wrapping up our LIP 2020 Arts Festival programming that was interrupted and canceled in March 2020. The series showcased work that expresses definitions and critiques of "progress." See our three video programs here >

Beginning in mid-April, after a winter and early spring hiatus, we resumed in person Weekly Studio Days at AnySquared with safety measures. Masks on! Make Art on Wednesdays!

In June, AnySquared was invited by Renegades of Funk to paint on Project Congress mural walls. Check out all the murals organized by ROF wrapping around the exterior walls of the Congress Theater at 2135 N. Milwaukee, Chicago.

In July, we collaborated on Art in the Park with Unity Park. The lead organizer of the event was AnySquared's Helen Sanchez-Cortes. We helped organize the events of the day, provided volunteers, and created and completed the "Taking Care of Each Other" community banner mural (drawn by Helen) with the help of the broader community. It was a beautiful day of art plus community.

In September & June, we hosted 2 Against Da Fence outdoor mini art festivals in collaboration with Renegades of Funk. These events were a celebration and cooperation of the communities around Project Logan. It included: art on the fence, sticker-making, painting on the wall, and art vending. We were also excited to open up the community mural wall for painting this time! June IG photos • September IG photos • September facebook album

In mid-October, AnySquared hosted the ART-OFF! at the Hairpin Art Center, featuring 30+ artists curated by Tattianna Howard and produced by AnySquared volunteers! The event included live painting, slaps/sticker-making, an interactive art wall, and many many artists! The ART-OFF was an amazing artmaking extravaganza, and it was exciting to see an exhibition created before our eyes! facebook album • Instagram video

In Late October, AnySquared was invited by Logan Square Neighborhood Association to be part of the Dia de Muertos / Day of the Dead installations at Comfort Station. The beautiful ofrenda was created by Cesar Luna, Helen Sanchez-Cortes, Alys Calvillo, and Josue Aldana with Bee Figueroa. See photo details of the alter.

In early December, we capped off the year with Renegades of Funk: the Ornament Tournament was a fun holiday event with, decorating bulbs while showcasing over 60 artists from around the city, including artists from AnySquared! IG photos 1 • IG photos 2 • IG photos 3

_____

Upcoming Programming & Projects

We are excited about future AnySquared community arts events and collaborative projects that provide mentoring opportunities, including:

Art. Swap.Meet! Feb 26, 2022

AnySquared Spotlight Art Talks

Exhibitions

Summer Outdoor Community Arts Events

Community Mural Projects

AnySquared Online Store

2021 was another year that was not easy for any of us, but we are grateful that we could move forward despite COVID setbacks. We remained flexible and ready to pivot when needed. With your help, we can continue making good things happen that support our work and mission. Your donation will help fund our future work as well as supplies and artists' stipends that make our events and projects happen. Please make your tax-deductible donations payable to AnySquared, PayPal: projects@anysquared.com, or donate on our website. Wishing you a safe and art-filled year, Tracy Kostenbader, Anysquared

_____

Help Support AnySquared! Donate Via Square OR PayPal: projects@anysquared.com

If you prefer to mail a check: AnySquared, 2328 N. Milwaukee, 2nd floor, Chicago, IL 60647

____

[houseofbrat]

BRF’s upcoming summer hell 2020

After doing quite a bit of (vedic) astrological research, just thought I’d throw this out there for those interested. 

With today’s news that Prince Pettigrew is now employing an extradition lawyer, I feel I would be remiss to not point out that his shit is just starting for this year. To what length it’ll go to this year, I cannot quite say. But I do know that it’ll be bad and make the Queen look bad. 

I expect something in the public sphere to be happening--perhaps an indictment in the US, more revelations published by Fleet Street, or a civil case naming him in the US--in late March to early April. Who knows exactly what it could be, but I’m telling you right now, whatever happens publicly with Wormtail in the spring won’t be the end of it. 

As a sidenote, I think it’s worth noting that Charles has been trying to sideline Wormtail for a very long time. This article in the Mirror was posted almost a year ago in March 2019, which was before Epstein was arrested in July of last year. Way before that article, there is the infamous “Trouble with Andrew” article from Vanity Fair all the way back in 2011. If you haven’t read it, feel free to do so now because the subheading notes the Queen as Andrew’s enabler. 

Whatever will happen regarding Wormtail in June will probably blow the latest Sussex mess extravaganza out of the headlines. I suspect that June and into July will be a series of public relations blows to the Queen with a lot of pressure on her until the second or third week of July but still continuing throughout the summer, likely until the end of August. Might continue into the fall but need to see how things are into mid-summer to be sure.

I know most people are thinking about the impending Sussex divorce; however, we may be looking at a possible (short-lived) regency for the Queen by the end of the year (2020). Philip may possibly pass away between June and November of this year, which may be the thing that precipitates the Queen having a regency. Or he may just live until 2022. Or the regency could become politically necessary from a public relations standpoint due to the serious nature of Andrew’s upcoming scandal. We’ll see. 

But it does appear to me that Charles will ascend to the throne in 2021. Likely between 06 April 2021 and 20 June 2021 with a coronation to follow between April and June 2022.

Fasten your seatbelts folks! The next fifteen months will be bumpy!