Happy Heathen Rites of Spring!

Happy Heathen Rites of Spring!

Find out more about today, the first day of Spring, 2010!

Happy Autumn Equinox!

Happy Autumnal Equinox!

Today is the Autumnal Equinox, or the first day of Fall to all of us.

There's a strange story that says that you can balance an egg on it's end on either of the two equinoxes, and you can read all about it here. Whatever you choose to do to celebrate, the day and night will be in a balance today, with light and dark taking up an equal part of the day. From here, it can only get darker each day until around Christmas, when prayers, feasting (or fasting) and arcane rites will persuade the sun to come back (with luck).

Which reminds me that I have to be really busy on planning and making Christmas presents! I hope you've got it all organized! Speaking of which, I'll finish the first green sock for Holly today and get started on the second one! Only 3 more socks to go, and then two pair of purple ones for her birthday, which is three days after Christmas.

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Well, I feel like I'm about to go over the falls in a barrel again. John sent me some photos (black and white, natch) for the covers of the third and last Steve Canyon DVD last night! I started them downloading and went to watch TV, then checked the computer later and turned it off. This morning, I checked the photos, and, as usual, they're great! I have a batch of things lined up to do today, so I'll be busy, but I can't wait to start work on them. They're going to be beautiful!

If you click on the link above, it'll lead you to a post on John's blog which has links to more info on Doug Drexler's blog about Steve Canyon and the DVD, plus links to an article Doug did about me.

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While John was sending me the photos for the DVD, he also sent a really bad scan of a photo he took of me years ago.

A while ago, I asked John for an opinion on my blog, and he said that he would probably want to read my blog even if he hadn't known me for so long. I asked what I could do to improve my blog, and he said I should write about things that had happened to me and things that I'd done.

So, here's one of them, which is an explanation of the photo.

Years ago (in about 1977?) John and I belonged to WSFA (Washington Science Fiction Association), which may (or may not, depending on who you talk to) be the oldest science fiction club still in existence. It was incorporated as a nonprofit organization, I think. I'm not a lawyer, but that's the way I remember having it explained to me.

Anyway, after years of having Disclave (a science fiction convention) and other events, WSFA had built up more money in it's treasury than it should for a nonprofit, and the IRS was beginning to make threatening noises about it. So, during a meeting, we put up several propositions for ways to use some of the money, and get them off our back. There was a vote, and we chose to rent a tall ship for a day, and go for a sail on the Chesapeake! Aha! Now the photo is beginning to make some sense!

So, John and I set out in my MGB GT for Annapolis and the docks. During a scenic ride, John was busy singing and refining a song he had written called "Gillilands Isle." I'm sure you can imagine the tune, if you think about it for a moment. The name in the title referred to Alexis Gilliland, who is a science fiction writer, member of WSFA, a friend, and whose name happened to fit well into a nautical-sounding song, with just a bit of tweeking. The link above, by the way, is to Wikipedia, but if you want to see more about the real Alexis, check here. He's a fabulous cartoonist! I remember going out for donuts with WSFA, and watching Alexis draw on the napkins.

Well, we had our day of sailing on the Chesapeake, forming up in lines to haul sails up and down, and generally having a fabulous time. John took the opportunity to get up and sing his song, and a good time was had by all. It was one of those long, lazy days where not much happens, but it's all fun, interspersed with frantic ship handling activities. I brought along a camera, and John and I put it to good use.

The photo above was scanned from a 110 negative, so it's not so good, but does convey the general idea. John thinks he can scan it better. I think he should go to WalMart, get them to print the neg and scan the print.

While I was looking stuff up for all this, I came across the Science Fiction Fan Dictionary, which will explain all the terms used by SF fen. If you happen to be a fan, you will enjoy reading it! I liked it so much that I put a permanent link to it in the sidebar so you can read it in the future.

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Well, new shows tonight include: Warehouse 13 and The Forgotten. Warehouse 13 is on all day today, the whole first season in it's entirety!

The Forgotten is a show I haven't heard much about, but it sounds like it's got a good premise and has the potential to be a great show. All we can do is tune in and see. It stars Christian Slater, so it can't be all bad.

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Well, the book version of Flashforward is being held at the library for me, so I'd better get going and walk over there and get it.

Have a great evening!

Happy Heathen Rites of Spring!

Today is the first day of Spring! 

It started a little before 8 am here. Today is the Spring Equinox (also called the Vernal Equinox), from an astronomical standpoint. That means that the sun is directly above the equator today, and the day and night are equal. Find out more in the link to Wikipedia.

I'm looking forward to more sun, warmer temperatures, and lots of sneezing, coughing and exhaustion from tree pollen.

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There was just so much to talk about yesterday that I either omitted things or found them later. So, here goes a try at getting the rest up here. This is mostly short items, but a lot of them.

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This is the United Nations International Year of Natural Fiber! I didn't know anyone else was celebrating what I have ever since 1988, when I learned to spin! Unfortunately, they plan to stop celebrating it at the end of the year, not go right on like I will. With any luck, this will make the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival the best ever this year!

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I got a comment on yesterday's post!

Thanks Jo for all of your excellent posts...and not just the ones about what I'm up to with you. You are an outstanding writer and artist and my life would be so much poorer of an experience if not for meeting you that August day in College Park in 1976!

John, I really would have missed out if I hadn't met you, too. Never in my life have I known anyone who is so supportive of the creative people around him, and I'm honored to be one of them. Everyone around you does better work and gets opportunities that they never would have had if not for you.

And you're really the best friend ever, right up there with my Mom and Holly as the best friends of my entire life. 

I wouldn't have had the chance to do the covers for the Steve Canyon DVDs if not for you. And I wouldn't have a computer if not for you. Yes, thanks Laura, I haven't forgotten that you gave me the computer, but you wouldn't have known I needed or wanted one if not for John.

I never would have had a chance to work on movies if not for you, and I never would have had my own IMdB page, either.

And I haven't even mentioned what a fabulous artist you are. And that's only a small part of your creativity. How many people have dreamed of making movies and creating special effects? How many people have dreamt of bringing back a wonderful series like Steve Canyon? How many have done it? 

You did it!

You are the best!

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Just because you aren't John, doesn't mean you can't comment on my blog, you know. I love comments, and might even answer yours!

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I found a great tutorial on how to do applied I-cord! I'm going to add it to my sidebar so you (and I) can find it again! 

There was time that this tutorial would have driven me crazy and I'd have had a hard time doing it, but since I found Knit Picks needles, I've discovered that the sharp points they have make picking up stitches easy without a crochet hook. I just insert the left needle in the place I want to pick up the stitch, and then knit it! Easy as that! I love Knit Picks needles! So, if you have trouble picking up stitches the way she shows, you might try needles with sharper points or inserting the left needle and then knitting as a way of picking up a stitch.

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The new Knitty has an unbelievable lace shawl called shipwreck in it! I am absolutely in love with this pattern! There's another triangle called the Aeolian Shawl that I thought was very pretty until I saw Shipwreck. Among the other patterns that are so beautiful are Ripple, and many more neat patterns and especially Fit + Float, a beautiful lace scarf that gets lacier at the ends until the ruffle.

I'm really going to have to make the Shipwreck shawl! I'm already thinking about changing some of the center patterns, but I love the big net-look edging! And the iridescent beads are just perfect on it! I like the hearts, too, but I think it needs starfish on it somewhere. The leaves in the third pattern out from the center look like seaweed, and I can't bear to remove the hearts, so I guess the stars would have to be in the very center. I'd rather have them where the leaves are, though. But look at that border! It looks like a net, but it also looks like water washing up on the beach in that photo, and when worn. I love it!

Oh, I have to do this!

Get the pattern on Knitty!

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Science fiction is pretty thin on TV tonight unless you're into Battlestar Galactica. If you are, we're already in the middle of a BG extravaganza. Today, the SciFi Channel is actually the All-Battlestar-Galactica-all-the-time channel.

Who is the last Cylon? Who cares?

I liked the original BG, and I really wanted to like the new BG. 

I loved the original Starbuck. And I really wanted to love the new Starbuck. I like Katee Sackhoff, and if you take away Starbuck's viper, and give her a T-34, she's me. So, I really, really, really wanted to like her and the show, but it all went wrong for me somehow.

And I just couldn't, no matter how much I tried.

So, for those of you (like John) who love the show, don't let me be a wet blanket, this is your day, enjoy!

Other than that, we do have a new episode of Dollhouse, and it promises to be a good one.

Have a great Spring!

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PS--The Yarn Harlot is making Battlestar Galactica socks!

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Another PS--You should really watch this even if you're not a fiber artist and/or don't like sheep!

These people made art out of sheep, and it's SO funny! You'll love it!

Happy Autumn Equinox!

It's officially Autumn!

Today, the day and night portion of the entire day will be equal lengths. Days will get shorter as they've been doing since June.

It's time to get prepared for those gloomy Winter months, as I've been doing for a while with my hat/mittens/scarf set.

I should be out doing things today, but I don't feel well, and don't want to stray too far from a bathroom. So, no bus rides for me. I'm not sick. Just blah.

The premier season is really getting underway on TV at this point.

After a day of Dark Angel, the SciFi Channel will be showing 4 more episodes of Lost tonight starting at 7:00 pm (here). 

At 8 pm, NBC will be showing a recap of the previous season of Heroes, followed by the two hour premier of the new season of Heroes. 

Also at 8, The Sarah Connor Chronicles will be on.

For those of you who feel that three things you want to watch on at the same time is causing scizophrenia, G4 had the episodes of Lost that were shown on SciFi on later in the week last week, so it seems reasonable to think that they will do that again next week. Check local listings.

Looking forward to tomorrow night on TV, we will have a new episode of Fringe, a new Eureka, and the premier of The Mentalist, all on at the same time.

To prevent DVR meltdown, it should be noted that the new Eureka will be repeated at midnight, so you can record them all. Oh, and there will be a showing of the Eureka episode from last week at 8, too.

Such excitement!