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Erika Hammerschmidt
Blogs from 2015
Random act of kindness
2015/01/13
THANK YOU to the person who sent me silver wire from my Amazon wish list!!! I didn't recognize the name on it, so I'm guessing you're either a casual acquaintance whose name I've stupidly forgotten, or a fan who doesn't know me personally. (Also, I'm writing this cautiously because I'm not sure if you'd want to have your name posted in public). In any case, thanks so much! I made some really cool necklaces out of it.
Writing thoughts
2015/01/15
I'm thinking a lot lately about going back to writing fiction.
My big writing project lately has been a new memoir, Erika to Earth, where I talk about my life since the publication of my first book Born on the Wrong Planet, as well as exploring in depth some issues that I regret ignoring or portraying simplistically in my first book (which I wrote as a college student with limited experience and a somewhat idealistic worldview).
Similarly, I want to write fiction that portrays humanity with more of its true complexity than the first fictional book I published, Kea's Flight. When John and I collaborated on that novel, I still believe we did something good in telling the story of some strong and intelligent autistic characters like ourselves, but there are still aspects of it that I regret.
I've been working on a sequel, bit by bit, and as time goes on, I'm becoming more and more aware of how important it is for the sequel to be more inclusive.
I want to show a wider range of the disabled people that were mentioned living on the ship. The first book never went into their lives, and I regret that. I want to show those with more severe impairments, those who can't speak vocally, those whose intelligence was never recognized, those with low intelligence. I want to show Kea interacting with them, listening to them, taking their ideas into consideration. I want to see her learn to respect them, as I have.
I want to show non-disabled people who are more in-depth characters than Brandon from the first book. Life is not just autistic heroes versus allistic villains. I want to show interaction between autistic and non-autistic people as the complex, nuanced, sometimes enlightening, sometimes painful reality that it is.
"Kea's Flight" included a lesbian, a bisexual and an asexual, all female. I want to show more of the LGBTQ spectrum. I want to show gay and bi men, and maybe some trans characters. I want to make them complex characters and show more scenes from their viewpoints. There were also a few characters in "Kea's Flight" who were apparently Hispanic (though the setting is such that people's ethnic heritage is difficult to know). I want to show a wider range of people of color. I want to paint humanity as it really looks, in all its intricate detail, showing all the colors and shapes and fascinating twists.
I know I'll get things wrong, and I'm prepared to accept criticism. I hope to build my skill at accurately depicting all aspects of the world and its people.
I'm a growing and changing person, and, I think, so is Kea. When John and I created her, our hearts were more or less in the right place, but our awareness was narrower than it is now, and we made her in our image. I believe she can grow as we have, and expand her worldview and the diversity of her group of friends.
Window Plants
2015/01/29
My garden is looking nice today.
Valentine's Day Craft Fair!
2015/01/30
So, there's another craft fair at the Minnehaha Free Space!
Minnehaha Free Space Craft Fair and Bake Sale
Sat Feb 14, 2015
1:00 pm - 6:00 pm
This is the one at which I'll have a table, selling my handmade jewelry and other crafts.
My jewelry is crazy intricate Renaissance-fair-type stuff that you can see on my website.
There will be lots of other cool artists too!
Since it's a bake sale, there will also be baked goods! Probably including some vegan and gluten-free options, because Minnehaha Free Space is into that.
The craft fair will be at:
Minnehaha Free Space
3747 Minnehaha Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55406
email: radspacetc@riseup.net
call: 612-729-3733
If you can get to downtown Minneapolis, it's easy to get to Minnehaha Free Space from there by train. Here are directions from the downtown library. (I'll give very detailed step-by-step directions, because there was a time when I was so scared of going new places that I would skip out on fun events just because I would have to get to them on my own... in those days, knowing the route in this much detail would have been a big help for me.)
Without further ado:
*******
First, head from the library along Hennepin toward 5th Street:
At 5th Street, turn and wait at the Warehouse Station and Platform.
Get on a Blue Line train toward Mall of America:
Get off at the 38th Street Station:
Turn left and go down 38th Street:
Turn on Minnehaha and you'll be there!
Sirius talks, sings, and plays piano
2015/02/21
A couple cute little videos of Sirius the Starling.
Here he is playing his toy piano with great enthusiasm, while John designs D-and-D characters with a friend in the background.
And here he is chattering along while John and I watched a Chinese opera. At about 48 seconds in, he really gets going. Most of his vocalizations are still mumbly baby-talk, but the occasional "Pretty" or "Birdy" is quite clear.
Sirius the Artist
2015/02/28
Lately I've been trying to teach Sirius to draw.
It's harder with a starling than a parrot. Parrots are made to hold things in their feet, and once you've gotten a parrot to grasp a pen, it's easy convincing him to move it against a sheet of paper for a while. But starling feet can't really hold anything except the branch the bird is perched on.
First I had to make flat holders for little crayon pieces, big enough for his beak to grasp, but light enough for him to lift and move easily. Then came the task of presenting him with a crayon-holder and rewarding him whenever his beak touched it in any way at all. Gradually I've worked my way up to giving him a special treat when he holds the thing on his own for a few seconds. Some day in the future, I may be able to get him to hold it and then mash it down on a piece of paper, in the same way he attacks a bug or a blueberry, creating a few artistic strokes of color in the process of shaking it to death.
It certainly won't be great art. It'll be barely a scribble, and somewhat less satisfying for the fact that the bird didn't come up with the idea on his own. People looking at Siri's drawings may experience some of the disappointment they felt when they saw that online video of an elephant making a detailed painting of an elephant, only to find out later that elephants NEVER paint a realistic picture unless they are rigorously trained to paint that specific thing.
Now, I am not equating Siri's artistic career to that of the elephant in the video. From what I've heard, those elephants are treated terribly, beaten and gouged every time they draw a line the wrong way. I don't do punishment. I train exclusively with positive reinforcement. Siri gets plenty of healthy food every day (the recommended mix of dog food and poultry mash, with applesauce on the side), but if he does a trick I've taught him, he immediately gets dried flies and other special treats he wouldn't otherwise have. If he disobeys me, nothing happens; I just don't give him a treat.
There are many reasons why I don't use punishment or negative reinforcement. I don't like making any living creature unhappy. And I don't think it would work well, either. Some animals just don't understand it. Truth be told, I didn't understand it in my own childhood. Punishment didn't work on me. I always saw it as an attack that deserved retaliation, instead of a consequence to be avoided by changing my behavior. Whenever it happened, it poisoned the relationship between me and the people teaching me, instead of making it the enjoyable social interaction it should have been.
Positive reinforcement works. It's the process behind Siri's progress on the piano, from showing zero interest in that silly toy, all the way to elaborate recitals like this:
And yes, it may be disappointing, in a way, that he didn't come up with it on his own. But, at this point in time, it's worth remembering that he enjoys it enough to do it on his own. When he's craving attention and treats, he will spontaneously fly to his piano and start playing, without my having to initiate anything.
Yes, he's doing it in order to get something... but that whole process of playing piano, getting a treat, then playing some more, is fun enough for him that he deliberately chooses to begin it.
I think training can be a great part of life with a pet, enjoyable for both human and animal. I've known this ever since I was a child teaching tricks to the family dogs, and whatever other creatures found their way into our home. We took in a lot of unusual stray animals over the years; our house seemed to attract them somehow. Once we even found a guinea pig under some bushes in the backyard. After we brought it inside and fed it, my first reaction was to teach it to shake hands.
It was a very young and cute black-furred guinea pig, very friendly and eager to please, if pleasing me meant that I would give it carrot sticks. This creature would do anything for carrot sticks. So I held a piece of carrot in its face, letting it sniff and nose at the morsel, but holding on tightly, not letting it have a bite until it actually started to paw at my hand. I rewarded each touch of the paw with a carrot bite, until the guinea pig had begun to associate the treats with the action, and soon it was putting its paw in my hand every time I reached out to it.
My parents didn't let me keep the guinea pig; we had enough pets already at the time, so they gave it to a family they knew. It wasn't a family of close friends, just casual acquaintances, so I never saw it again... but I'm told that it lived for ten more years, which is ridiculously old for a guinea pig.
I'm certainly not claiming that this long lifespan was due to learning how to shake hands. But I do believe that learning tricks is healthy for pets, and fills a void they may have inside them, left over from their wild ancestors.
If there's one thing most pets are in great need of, it's mental stimulation. They live in an environment where predators are unheard of, and food and shelter are given to them with no effort on their part. Certainly it's less stressful than life in the wild, and most pets don't want to leave this safe haven. But one can't deny that it gets a little boring after a while.
Animal minds, including ours, are made for a world where they're facing constant challenges in order to stay alive. Of course most of us, human and animal, will choose a safer alternative if we can get it. But in order to stay happy in that safety, we need hobbies and games to challenge our minds.
I believe that learning tricks is one of the greatest games that pets can get to play. It's a combination of engaging mental challenges, snacks, and social time with the humans they love. In fact, it's so fun that it could even be translated into an enjoyable game for our own intellectually advanced species.
Imagine playing with a friend: you are the trainer, and he is the trainee. You have a task that you want him to do (arrange all the pencils in order of color, or walk in a square three times, or wave a feather-duster at the television; be creative and make up something weird) but you can't use language to communicate it.
Your only way to tell him what you want is to give a specific reaction when he gets part of it right. He moves randomly around, doing random things to get your attention, and if he happens to touch the pile of colored pencils, you say "Good!"
He pays more attention to the pencils, moving them around. You say "Good" again when he gets two of them parallel to each other, then again when he happens to get a couple of them in order of color, and so on. See how complex a task you can teach without any words except that one little expression of praise. It's like a cross between "Charades" and "Warmer, Colder." It's fun!
I think Sirius enjoys his piano lessons and drawing classes, and not just because he gets dried bugs to eat. The strongest proof I have is a certain thing he does from time to time. In fact, he did it just now, while I was typing an earlier paragraph.
He flew to his piano, and played several notes. I poured him a little pile of flies next to my computer, and he came and ate a few. But before finishing, he flew back to the piano, leaving flies uneaten. He played some more notes... and then, without me doing anything, he returned to the pile of flies and rewarded himself.
If he were only doing it for the treats, wouldn't he just have stayed and finished the flies at his leisure? I believe that the give-and-take of playing, eating and playing again--- the pattern of the game--- fascinates him on some deep level, and he enjoys it for itself, as a whole.
Maybe some day we'll be able to say the same about drawing.
A Fun Project: Do-it-yourself Tiny Books!
2015/03/23
If you're like me, you'd LOVE to have a dollhouse-sized bookshelf full of classic literature that you can only read through a magnifying glass.
I recognize that not everyone is like me. But if you ARE...
Well, now you can!
All you need:
- One of these tiny-font PDFs I made:
-A computer
-A printer that has high enough resolution for the words to be clear. Many home printers work for this. (If you're unsure, test the printer by making a document with text in font size 2 and printing it, then seeing if you can read it with a magnifying glass.)
-Scissors
-Large (about 2") binder clips
-Liquid glue (such as Elmer's glue)
-A jar lid about 2 inches across and more than 1/4 inch deep
1. Print the PDF on the printer.
2. Cut a thin strip off each side of each page, so that the lines separating the pages go to the edge of the sheet.
3. Cut the pages apart on the lines, starting by cutting them into columns vertically, then cutting each column apart horizontally.
4. Make each column into a stack of pages, in order, with the top page of the column on top of the stack. (Don't leave out the blank page at the beginning!)
5. When all pages are cut and stacked, pile all the pages together in order, into one big stack. Line them up and make sure they are very even. Clip the stack together with a binder clip on the RIGHT side of the pages (opposite from where the book will be bound together).
6. Pour a thin layer of glue into the jar lid. Dip the LEFT edges of the pages into the glue, and let them soak for several seconds. Be sure to soak the edges of all the pages in the stack, but not soak too close to the printed words.
7. Once the binding edge is soaked in glue, remove it from the jar lid and put another binder clip on that side, clenching the sticky page edges together. Let them dry.
Or (and I've found this works better) instead of adding a second binder clip, just flip the handles of the first binder clip up, to hold the sticky edges together, and stand the book up on the other end to dry.
8. When dry, remove the binder clips. The left edges of all the pages should be fused together now, forming a book binding.
9. Cut out the cover image on the last page. Wrap it around the book and use glue to adhere it to the front cover, spine and back cover. If it is too large, cut it to size.
10. Let the glue dry and enjoy! If desired, cover the binding with duct tape in whatever color you prefer.
These books make fun gifts, and are nice for dollhouses or other miniature displays.
Currently I have these PDFs available:
I can make others, if they're available in the public domain in .txt form ( Project Gutenberg is a good place to look). Send me your requests! Just make they're not TOO long (if the text file is more than 500 KB, the book tends to turn out thicker than it is tall, which will look silly).
Another Craft Fair and Bake Sale coming up!
2015/03/24
So, there's another craft fair at the Minnehaha Free Space!
Initially their calendar said April 18th, but it has apparently been changed to the 25th.
Minnehaha Free Space Craft Fair and Bake Sale
Sat Apr 25, 2015
1:00 pm - 6:00 pm
I'll have a table, selling my handmade jewelry and other crafts.
My jewelry is fancy Renaissance-fair-type stuff that you can see on my website.
There will be lots of other cool artists too! Watch for details at Minnehaha Free Space's Facebook page.
Since it's a bake sale, there will also be baked goods! Probably including some vegan and gluten-free options, because Minnehaha Free Space is into that.
The craft fair will be at:
Minnehaha Free Space
3747 Minnehaha Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55406
email: radspacetc@riseup.net
call: 612-729-3733
If you can get to downtown Minneapolis, it's easy to get to Minnehaha Free Space from there by train. Here are directions from the downtown library. (I'll give very detailed step-by-step directions, because there was a time when I was so scared of going new places that I would skip out on fun events just because I would have to get to them on my own... in those days, knowing the route in this much detail would have been a big help for me.)
Without further ado:
*******
First, head from the library along Hennepin toward 5th Street:
At 5th Street, turn and wait at the Warehouse Station and Platform.
Get on a Blue Line train toward Mall of America:
Get off at the 38th Street Station:
Turn left and go down 38th Street:
Turn on Minnehaha and you'll be there!
COMICON!
2015/03/25
Guess what! The Minnehaha Free Space Craft Fair is not the only event where I'll have a table this spring!
I will be at COMICON, too!
No, not Emerald City Comicon, or San Diego Comicon, nor yet even the Wizard World Minneapolis Comic Con. The Comicon to which I refer is this one on the State Fairgrounds:
Times:
May 16 and 17, 2015
Saturday and Sunday
Doors open at 10am
Show ends at 5pm, both days.
Prices:
Admission is only $12
Admission is pay at the door only.
note: Save $1 on your admission by bringing a nonperishable food item to donate to the food shelf.
Children 9 and under admissions are FREE.
Place:
Location of MSP Comicon:
MN State Fairgrounds GRANDSTAND
1265 Snelling Ave N.
Saint Paul, MN 55108
Getting there from downtown Minneapolis involves the Blue Line train and the 84 bus, like so:
If you want to get there from somewhere else, or using a different transportation method, feel free to type your own stuff into Google Maps .
I will have comics, books, and a few merchandise items for sale-- come and see me there!
New Book Needs Readers
2015/03/26
As some of you may know, my first published book was Born on the Wrong Planet , a memoir about my weird childhood, printed by Autism Asperger Publishing Company.
Since its publication, I've jumped from one genre to another, self-publishing several books including a science fiction novel, a short story collection, a children's book, and various comic collections.
But now I am back to the memoir genre. This time, it's titled "Erika to Earth." Instead of focusing on my own weirdness, it's about the weirdness of the rest of the world. In addition to telling my own story, it explores many aspects of human society in general, from my somewhat alien perspective.
It's the "next book" I was talking about in this post . That essay dissecting the dubious concept of "lie-detecting" and "signs of lying" will be part of it.
There are also chapters about things like:
-cooking
-indoor gardening
-how counting sheep can turn into a surrealist fantasy
-the dangerous concept of expecting fictional characters to behave consistently when real people don't
-pet starlings
-married life
-my obsessive fear of societal collapse and the extinction of humanity
-subconscious meanings in paintings
-haircuts
-the fine line between standing up for yourself and being a jerk
-the fine line between being healthily satisfied with what you have and settling for an unacceptable situation
-the fact that words are symbols
-the parallels between Christmas traditions and autistic routines
-whether my indifference to music makes me a bad person
-exercise
-willpower
-the definition of emotion
-how common one-in-a-million coincidences actually are
Interspersed with those chapters are some more recent stories from my life since the publication of BOTWP, and the various homes, careers, pets and friendships that have come and gone.
Basically, I'm looking for people to proofread the draft for me. You don't have to be an expert on grammar, spelling, or any of the topics I address in the book (although if you have enough knowledge to catch any errors I made, I'll appreciate it). What I'm mainly seeking is a wide range of readers who can give me their input on whether the stuff I write is unclear, ambiguous, confusing, or otherwise hard to read.
I can send digital copies in PDF, RTF and TXT form.
You don't even have to read the whole book. I'd be happy even just to receive comments on one chapter at a time, whichever one you have something to say about.
What's in it for you? Well, unfortunately, I can't offer material goods, but you'll get to read the book, both free of charge and before it officially comes out. And if you give me any useful constructive advice, I'll put your name on the dedication page (unless you'd rather I leave you out, or credit you by a pseudonym).
This book may not be for everyone. Please note these things before asking me to send you a copy:
This book contains some mentions of violence, both by and toward autistic people, including some discussion of an abusive relationship. It also has some mentions of suicide and sexual assault (in the abstract, not referring to a specific case).
It contains some mentions of animal death, some mentions of human death, lots of discussion of severe anxiety, some ableist language, and various emotionally traumatizing conflicts.
It has a lot of discussion of social justice and civil rights in their various forms, mostly in support of them, but reasoned in what I hope is a critical and rational manner. I'm not asking people to evaluate my opinions, but I'd welcome constructive criticism of the way in which I present my thoughts.
If you still think this is a book you'd like to read and critique, please send me a message at humanalien at gmail dot com with an email address where I can send you a digital copy.
If you can't read it yourself, I'd still very much appreciate you passing on the link to this post to others who may be interested, through email, blog posts or whatever.
Thank you all,
Erika Hammerschmidt
Only two more weeks to the craft fair!
2015/04/12
Really looking forward to that craft fair at the Minnehaha Free Space! It's coming up soon!
Minnehaha Free Space Craft Fair and Bake Sale
Sat Apr 25, 2015
1:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Paper Boxes
2015/04/20
Recently, while preparing for my upcoming craft fair, I've figured out a way to make a wide variety of useful rectangular boxes out of regular 8.5" x 11" sheets of cardstock or paper.
Knowing how to do this can come in handy for any seller of small arts and crafts, providing a cheaper and more personalized way to package your goods than store-bought boxes.
Start with an ordinary sheet of paper or cardstock, any color. (For smaller boxes, you can split a sheet of paper in half and use the resulting 8.5" x 5.5" sheets. Any square or rectangular piece of paper works.)
Decide how wide you want the box to be. Fold up the sides accordingly.
Fold each corner in, lined up with the folded edges.
Fold the ends of the paper in, as shown; then unfold.
Then fold the sides in, as shown, followed by the ends.
Now unfold the whole thing. You've created the creases that will allow you to complete the project.
Refold the square on each corner so that it points inward.
Now comes the slightly tricky part. Fold the corners in, inverting them so that the top edges of the paper walls touch the inner bottom. The box's walls are half as tall as they originally were, but they are now held in place.
To make the box lid, take a second sheet of paper and fold the edges as before, allowing slightly more space in the middle than the first one.
Follow all the previous instructions for the second box that will form the lid.
The lid now fits on top of the box, and the box can now be lined with tissue and filled with your handmade jewelry or other trinkets.
You can make several different box sizes using this basic formula; just adjust how far you fold the sides in the first step.
Sirius mumbling and cuddling
2015/04/20
Sirius the starlingis really cute when he snuggles against my neck and mumbles sweet baby talk in my ear.
Comicon is just a couple weeks away!
2015/05/01
Remember my earlier post about MSP Comicon?
It's coming up soon, May 16th and 17th, 10 am to 5 pm each day!
Again, it's on the State Fairgrounds in the Grandstand. Entry fee is $12 in cash, paid at the door (save $1 by donating a canned good at their food shelf).
I will have a table for my webcomic "Abby and Norma," and also some jewelry and crafts. Come see me there!
Project Finished!
2015/05/20
Finally finished and photographed the jewelry collection I'm making for a local art show at the Vine Arts Center in Minneapolis, put on by an art discussion group called "The Art Salon for Fertile Minds."
https://www.vineartscenter.com/
https://www.meetup.com/Art-Salon-for-Fertile-Minds/
I will post more about this show as our plans progress.
The theme of the show is "The Space Between the Words." That can be interpreted many ways... the phrase was chosen because we are a group of artists who discuss our art at the Art Salon every month, and our art is created on our own time, "between the words" we say at the group.
My own interpretation refers to my short story collection, "If the World Ended, Would I Notice?" In the first story, "Doug Day," I described a necklace given by one character to another. It was basically my dream necklace, the epitome of exactly what I find beautiful.
If the World Ended, Would I Notice?
Between two paragraphs, I included a pen-and-ink illustration of it. So the inspiration for this jewelry collection came literally from "the space between the words."
The project is almost done. It's crafted in sterling silver and stainless steel, with lemon quartz, blue mystic quartz, pearls, amethysts and other assorted gemstones.
It includes a necklace, earrings, ring, bracelet and crown.
Garden
2015/05/25
Took some pictures of my window garden today, because it's looking very pretty and it makes me happy.
(And yes, my bean plant decided to wrap around the garlic growing in the Twilight cup. Beans are sneaky tentacle monsters.)
Vulcan priestess cosplay
2015/05/27
Fun fact about me: Of all the species in Star Trek, I've always identified most with the Vulcans. There was definitely a period of time in my teens and young adulthood when I considered myself Vulcan-kin (Vulkin? Anyway I didn't have a word for it at the time, being an 80's and 90's kid). And even though I don't describe it that way now, I still feel some sort of deep kinship with them.
My fascination with Vulcans led to my fascination with finding ways to make the human ears appear pointed, and eventually to my fascination with making "elf earrings" that bend the ear tips into points when worn.
But the reason they're elf earrings, and not Vulcan earrings, is because they wouldn't work for cosplaying most Vulcans from canon. I certainly can't imagine Spock wearing them, or any Starfleet Vulcan, for that matter. They just don't fit with the general air of calm professionalism.
And yet there is an area of Vulcan life where such illogical adornments don't seem totally out of place. I refer, of course, to ceremonial garb, worn by priestesses and other participants in archaic Vulcan rituals.
We don't know exactly WHY these logical people have so many ceremonies shrouded in antiquity, let alone why they attend them dressed up in extravagant gold and gemstones. But they certainly do. Though Vulcan priestesses haven't been shown actually wearing ear jewelry of this sort, it fits surprisingly well with the style of what they do wear.
So here's my own take on the Vulcan ceremonial outfit. The robe, sleeves and headdress are a thrift store gown, window curtain and shawl. The inscription, taken from canon Vulcan clothing, is made of brass wire and sewn on.
The crown, inspired by T'Lar in "The Search For Spock," is made of brass wire, copper wire, garnet and glass beads, and clear quartz points, while the IDIC pendant is brass with a garnet bead. The shoes were already perfect when I found them at the thrift store. The elf earrings (now Vulcan earrings) are brass with garnet and glass beads to match the crown.
And no, I will not take off my glasses for this costume. Visual impairment does seem to be uncommon among Vulcans, but I'm sure it still happens sometimes. And, as a desert species, I think they would find it quite logical to treat it using a method that also provides protection against sand, dry air, and the ultraviolet rays of the sun.
Come to think of it, maybe I should invest in some of those Transitions lenses.
Back from Chicago!
2015/06/03
John took me to Chicago for the week of my birthday! It was really cool. I will be posting lots of pictures.
Here are a few from the time we spent walking around in parks and stuff. There is really weird cool outdoor art there!
Baha'i House of Worship, on outskirts of Chicago.
Chicago Uni
2015/06/04
University of Chicago, which John is seriously considering for grad school.
Fascinating mixture of extravagant antique and bizarre modern architecture.
Church at University of Chicago
2015/06/12
The university chapel, which looks more like cathedrals in Europe.
University of Chicago church windows
2015/06/18
Every little stained glass window was different. This place is insane.
Shedd Aquarium
2015/06/19
Some bizarre fish. I especially like the guy that swims around with his giant mouth open under his paddle-shaped nose.
More Shedd Aquarium
2015/06/20/
A few more weird water critters. Moray eels seen from the front look WEEEEIRD.
Optical Illusion Rays
2015/06/21
Here are some rays in the Wild Reef exhibit at the Shedd Aquarium.
Fun fact about me: I had been to the Shedd Aquarium once before, as a small child. I have only the vaguest memories of it. But to this day, I still have lots of weird surreal dreams, which often come with a sense of being somehow connected to the Shedd Aquarium.
One recurring dream is about going around in some kind of museum with lots of exhibits behind glass, each with something strange and otherworldly in it. Visiting the Shedd Aquarium last week definitely brought back that feeling.
Another dream I often have involves fish inexplicably swimming around in the air.
It can't have been caused by this exhibit, which was installed pretty recently. But this is a freaky optical illusion.
The rays are swimming in a shallow pool in the center of a darkened room. The pool is lit from within. So there is virtually no reflection on the surface of the water, which makes the water effectively invisible. It looks as if the rays are swimming around in the air, an inch above dry sand.
It took me a while to figure out what was going on. If you look at the right angle, you can faintly see some reflections that tell you the water is there.
But there is no plaque or anything to explain the illusion. So, I'm pretty sure some people go to the Shedd Aquarium and come home thinking it has LEVITATING LAND RAYS.
Crystal Cake!
2015/06/22
I made myself this cake for my birthday. It has four layers, poured one on top of the next and baked together: white, yellow, light chocolate and dark chocolate. (Since it's rock-themed, I wanted it to look a bit like geological strata.)
After baking the cakes themselves, I coated the tops with melted chocolate chips, and set the crystals!
They are sugar crystals, created by dissolving tons of sugar in a bit of water on the stove, adding food coloring, and letting it sit in bowls for a few days, until a crust of rock candy had formed over the surfaces of the bowls. (I had been hoping to make geodes, and I'd lined the bowls with lightly greased aluminum foil, but unfortunately nothing crystallized on the insides of them.)
Candle pics by Trini Tran, who attended my birthday party on the 6th. (I use votives and base 10 math for my birthday candles. 3 candles on one cake + 4 candles on the other cake = I am 34 years old.)
Candy Sushi!
2015/06/23/
Another snack at my birthday party! Candy sushi, made from a Rice Krispie bar mixture, wrapped around Twizzlers and Swedish Fish, and covered in Fruit Roll-Ups.
Some pretty Sirius the Starling pictures
2015/07/01
He was looking very shiny.
Took a few videos of Sirius the Starling.
2015/07/02
Latest crowns
2015/07/03/
My latest batch of wire-wrapped adjustable crowns.
Made with stainless steel, sterling silver, brass, copper, and a variety of rough stones, including rough citrine, amethyst and clear quartz points, rough garnet dodecahedrons, and iridescent (titanium-coated) quartz points... as well as a variety of polished beads, including round garnet, round amethyst, pearl, faceted oval champagne topaz, faceted teardrop clear quartz, faceted irregular rutilated quartz, and faceted hexagonal cherry quartz.
These ones are not currently up for sale at https://www.theheathersmith.com because I'm saving them for a local craft fair. Other crowns are up there, though, and several more like these are up for auction at Convergence this weekend!
Assorted necklaces I've made for the upcoming craft fair.
2015/07/04
Elf Earrings
2015/07/05
New set of elf earrings, up for sale at www.theheathersmith.com for $25 plus shipping.
As usual, these are simple ear cuffs that don't require any piercings; they bend the tip of the ear into a point. They don't work for everyone, but I find them quite comfortable to wear.
These ones are sterling silver with a pearl and clear quartz point hanging from each.
A new craft fair coming up!
2015/07/08
Come see me on
Saturday, July 25, 2015
from 1 pm to 6 pm
at the Minnehaha Free Space!
Follow Minnehaha Free Space on Facebook
I will have jewelry and stuff!
Reminder about the craft fair!!
2015/07/20
Repost of my earlier post:
Come see me on
Saturday, July 25, 2015
from 1 pm to 6 pm
in the Twin Cities
at the Minnehaha Free Space!
I will have jewelry and stuff!
Boosting this because it's this weekend! If you're in the Twin Cities area, check it out!
(Still room for more crafters too, if you're an artist in search of a place to show and sell! This craft fair happens every other month, give or take, and costs nothing up front for the artists, just a voluntary donation afterwards of a percentage of your profits.)
Sirius the starling is cuddly sometimes.
2015/08/11
Space Between the Words Art Show!
2015/08/12
It's coming up!
The Space Between The Words
a group art exhibit by the Art Salon for Fertile Minds
Gallery Hours and Events at the Vine Arts Center
2637 27th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55406
Second Floor Gallery
I will be showing a collection of wildly elaborate jewelry I created, based on a scene from a short story in my collection "If the World Ended, Would I Notice?"
All the art will be there from September 3rd through September 26th. See here for exact hours and dates.
I will be there to meet and greet on September 12, 6 pm to 9 pm at the grand opening.
I will also be there on September 17th, 5:30 pm to 8 pm, to demonstrate art techniques, and on September 24th, 5:30pm to 8 pm, to read from my short story collection.
Hope to see you there!
How to make a "Disarm the Bomb" Pinata
2015/09/08
Instructions:
Supplies:
Cardboard box
Drinking straws
Black duct tape
Wire and nuts
Scissors
Candy
Timer
Wire cutters
Door hook
Belt
Directions:
Close one side of the box.
Make holes with the scissors.
Cut the straws.
Put the straw pieces in the holes.
Use tape to hold them in place.
Cut the wire.
Put one piece of wire through one set of straws.
Wrap the ends around nuts.
Put the rest of the wires through the rest of the straws. Do not hold them in place with nuts.
Make loops for hanging.
Cover most of the box with black tape. You can decorate it to look like a bomb, add a timer on it, etc.
Fill with candy. Hang the box from the loops, and invite guests to "disarm the bomb" by cutting wires. When they cut the wire that holds it shut, the bomb will "explode" and the candy will fall out.
Get ready for Fall Comicon!
2015/09/09
I've got a table at Fall Comicon, on the Minnesota State Fairgrounds, this October 10th!
I'll have books, comics, and jewelry!
Fall ComiCon -
October 10, 2015
10am-6pm
ADMISSION $8
KIDS 9 and UNDER FREE
$1 OFF W/CANNED GOOD DONATION
MN State Fairgrounds Education Building
1265 Snelling Ave, St Paul, MN 55108
Fall Comicon
2015/10/17
Here I was at the Minneapolis Fall Comicon on the State Fairgrounds! It went great-- I sold tons of stuff and met so many fun people!
Dreams for the future
2015/10/18/
Here is one of my current fantasies, which I'm writing down mostly so I'll be able to remember every detail of it years from now, if the time ever actually comes when I can put it into action.
Basically, John is hoping that someday he can get a comfortably-paying job that lets him work from home, and in the fields he's studying, that's somewhat a possibility. And we may soon be in a position to put a lot of money in savings (if we can sell the condo before another dismal housing market crash happens...) Anyway, we have a dream about what we'll do if we, somehow, manage to become totally financially stable.
It involves buying a piece of not-very-developed land, not too far outside a city somewhere, and setting it up with wind and solar power, and a fair chunk of space to grow our own food... living somewhat off the grid.
And we would make part of it into some sort of attraction for local people. We got the idea from this awesome hobby-farm/petting-zoo/mini-golf-course near Minneapolis:
https://bigstoneminigolf.com/ (warning: horrendous flash site, with embedded music and everything. But great place to go in person.)
John and I have somewhat different dreams after that point. John wants to have a horse. I'm fine with pretty much anything as long as we can have wind and solar power AND a Monolithic Dome Home. I am praying that Monolithic is still in business by the time we can afford one, because these ultra-energy-efficient, ultra-long-lasting, friggin-tornado-proof miracles are an absolute object of worship for me.
https://www.monolithic.org/
Anyway, the following is what I fantasized about today. I thought of it because of our amazing pet, Sirius the Starling...
...and how, even though he is a totally ordinary bird by ecological standards, one of the most common, overpopulated pest species on our continent, visitors to our home STILL act as if they are witnessing some amazing zoological wonder whenever they get to see him and hold him.
Granted, he IS pretty awesome. He can sing. And talk.
And play the piano.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lG1KHnoUr4
So the feeling is somewhat justified.
But anyway, I was thinking about how even a common bird, or other small animal, can be a kind of wondrous and fascinating thing, to people who aren't used to seeing any animal besides a dog or cat up close.
And I got the idea for the Bird Garden.
I want to have two Monolithic Domes.
One, we will live in.
The other will be a shelter for "pest birds," the invasive bird species that aren't protected by law, that most states allow people to kill, capture, and keep as pets, but that wildlife shelters often won't take.
Common starlings. House sparrows. Rock pigeons. If you find one orphaned or injured, bring it to us. If you must have a nest of them removed from your property, give us the babies instead of destroying them.
We won't breed them or release them. (We couldn't, anyway. Most birds raised by humans consider themselves humans, and don't even want to fly away and live as birds, or mate with their own kind.) They will live out their lives in the Bird Dome, an educational and entertaining attraction.
It will have a tiled floor, several big windows (with shutters in case of bad storms) and plant-friendly electric lighting as well. It will be FULL of potted plants. Everything from flowers and vegetables to trees, as long as they're bird-safe. And statues and sculptures and fountains. It will be like an enchanted fairyland.
Except the fairies will be birds.
There will be plenty of hiding places for them in case they want to be alone, but if they want company (probably human company, since they'll be mostly human-raised and human-imprinted) I will spend virtually all my time in there. If I can't, I will hire people to spend time with them when I can't be there.
And whoever is there looking after them, will also get to be a tour guide. People from the city who want the experience of being surrounded by tame birds, they can come visit any time, for a tiny entry fee and hand-stamp that lets them stay all day.
They can buy baskets of food to let the birds eat out of their hands. They can peruse my gift shop where I'll sell all the random crafts I make, as well as any bird-related stuff I can think of. They leave with warm feelings in their hearts, and lots of newly-learned facts about birds that I will have shoved into their heads.
And maybe we'll have other animals living in the Bird Garden as well... rats? guinea pigs? lizards? Anything that's fairly easy to care for, fairly friendly, and not very capable of harming a human. I'd have to figure it out. (The Big Stone petting-zoo/mini-golf-course has goats and horses and stuff, and I wonder how they do it without too many instances of customers getting bitten or kicked and suing them. I'm gonna inundate them with emails of praise and advice-seeking, if I can brave their awful website.)
So, that's my fantasy. I know it will cost money and might never make money, and it would be lots of work, and there would be legal things as well as logistical things I'd have to figure out. But, for the moment, I'm finding it incredibly fun to dream about.
Children's book
2015/10/19
Recently I got inspired and wrote out the text of a children's book, with descriptions of the illustrations I want to draw.
It's about dragons and fairies and wizards.
It's also about definitions.
It's also about learning to see how amazing things are, even if they're common and you've gotten used to them.
I don't know if I'm good enough at drawing to do the illustrations justice. I want them to be really gorgeous and magical. I might end up commissioning someone else to do them, except I don't have money, so I might have to wait until I do, or find someone who's willing to draw them in exchange for getting a percentage of any revenue from the book.
Anyway, here it is.
1
What is a dragon?
Have you ever seen one?
How can you be sure
if something is a dragon or it's not?
(picture of a reptile tail sticking out from behind a moss-covered rock)
2
What does something need to have
to be a dragon?
Does it need to fly across the sunset
on webbed enormous bat-skin wings?
(picture of flying dragon)
3
Or can it still be a dragon
if its back is bare
and it explores the forest or the ocean
with its maw and claws and tail,
and nothing else?
(picture of wingless dragon, maybe eastern style)
4
Does it need to scorch its food
with breaths of flame to be a dragon?
Or is it still a dragon
if it has earthy ordinary breath
and eats its dinner fresh and raw
and all that flickers from its mouth
is that quick-moving tongue to taste the air?
(picture of dragon's head with mouth open at a flying bug, forked tongue sticking out)
5
Does it need to live inside a mountain
filled with hoarded gold like honey in a tree?
Does it need to capture maidens,
fight the knights who come to rescue,
then devour them with relish like a beast?
(dragon in cave surrounded by treasure, with armed knight visible through the mouth of the cave)
6
Or could a dragon live
out in a desert, burrowed in the sand,
or on an iceberg in the ocean,
or in a garden, or a treetop nest
and steal no gold except the golden grain
it scavenges from farmland
to bring home and eat by moonlight,
instead of knights and damsels?
Would that still be a dragon?
(dragon on tree branch, eating a stalk of wheat)
7
Does it have to be gigantic,
tower taller than a castle,
with its teeth as big as swords?
Or could there be a dragon
that could curl up in your hands
no bigger than a newborn kitten?
Would that still be a dragon?
(adorable picture of hands holding teeny dragon)
8
What is a fairy?
Have you ever seen one?
How can you be sure
if something is a fairy or it's not?
(picture set in a garden, of a hand reaching toward a flower. the flower is turned away, and part of a dragonfly-like wing can be seen protruding from the other side.)
9
What does something need to have
to be a fairy?
Does it need clear and iridescent wings?
Or could there be a wingless fairy
that climbed the poppy-stems
to see across the field
and swung from spider-webs to play at flight?
(pic of a wingless fairy climbing a stem while winged fairies sit on the top of the flower)
10
Does it need to be as clever as a person,
or could it still be a fairy
if it had a simple little mind
like butterflies and ladybugs?
Does it need magic powers
to grant wishes, and give gifts of spells
to newborn princesses?
Or could it live a plain and ordinary life,
eat, sleep and raise its children
just like any other creature?
(picture of a fairy waving a wand while holding a book in the other hand... standing on one twig of a branch... on another twig of the branch, a fairy curled up in a little nest with several small fairies huddled up next to it like kittens to a mother cat.)
11
Does it need a human shape?
Or could it still be a fairy
with the body of a cat,
a squirrel, or a frog, or a raccoon,
or some strange-looking thing
you've never seen?
Would that still be a fairy?
(pictures of animal fairies perched on different twigs of a branch)
12
Does it need to be as tiny
as the blossom of a bleeding-heart?
Or could there be a fairy just as tall as you
Who held your hand
and walked the garden paths beside you,
keeping up, with steps as long as yours?
Would that still be a fairy?
(picture of two human forms seen from behind, only difference is that one has wings. they are walking in a garden. in the foreground, a picture of a sprig of bleeding-heart flowers with fairy swinging from it)
13
What is a wizard?
Have you ever seen one?
How can you be sure
if you're a wizard or you're not?
(picture of child trying on a wizard hat in the mirror)
14
What does someone need to have
to be a wizard?
Do you need a dusty cloak,
a wrinkled, pointed hat,
a wand of ancient oak inlaid with gems?
Or could you still be a wizard
In faded jeans, a sweater
and a pair of mismatched socks?
Do you need a glow of magic light
that you can call forth from your wand
to light the way in darkness?
Do you need a crystal gazing ball
to scry and spy into a far-off place?
(picture of a traditionally dressed wizard from behind, seated at a table, waving a wand over a crystal ball. behind the wizard, looking at the wizard's work with awe, is the same small child, who is dressed in jeans, sweater and mismatched socks.)
15
Do you need to ride across
a field of clouds
astride a knotted wooden
straw-thatched broom,
or write an incantation
with an ancient quill on parchment
that enchants your thoughts
and sends them off in secret
to another person's mind?
(wizard writing in a fancy book with fancy quill pen, while holding two fingers to side of head. In background, child is flying on a broom.)
16
Or could you still be a wizard
if you did all those same
astounding things,
but in your own way,
using only ordinary pieces
of the ordinary world,
enchanted only with your cleverness?
Would you still be a wizard?
(Picture of child wearing wizard hat, waving wand, writing with same pen in same book, but still wearing ordinary clothing)
17
You might never see those magic fairies
with the forms of tiny people
and the crystal wings of flies,
But nature's fairies
are flying all around us,
the Hummingbird,
the Dragonfly and Butterfly,
the narrow-waisted Wasp,
the chubby Beetle, lifting up its shells
and spreading into flight.
(pictures of described creatures)
18
Perhaps you'll never see a dragon
with leather wings and burning breath,
But nature's dragons show themselves
in many forms:
the Garter Snake, the Boa,
the Iguana and Komodo Dragon,
regal with their long and whiplike tails,
the Bearded Dragon
with its mane of spines,
the bones and teeth
of ancient giant dragons
like the Spinosaurus and the Mosasaur.
(pictures of described creatures)
19
The mermaid and the unicorn
Are real, though very rare.
They just don't look
the way they do in books...
they're plump and gray
and go by other names:
Rhinoceros and Manatee.
(pictures of described creatures)
20
Witches, sorcerers
and wizards and enchanters
are among us,
but they don't wear cloaks
or pointed hats
(unless they feel like it).
(picture of person in lab coat and wizard hat)
21
Their magic
is in tools and in machines,
and they can fly,
make light from darkness,
send their thoughts
from one mind to another
using only pen and paper,
and they can see what's happening
a thousand miles away,
then travel there within a day.
(picture of a kid writing in a diary under a blanket, using a flashlight)
(picture of someone video chatting on a phone)
(picture of an airplane)
Their magic can be big or small,
as complex as an airplane
or as simple as a book.
If you can read this, you have magic too.
22
And sometimes
we still wish for wonder.
But, if fairies
like the ones in stories
came out of hiding
and we saw them every day,
we'd be amazed a little while,
but then get used to them
and find them just as ordinary
as dragonflies and lizards
and the neighbors from next door.
(picture of someone waving away a fairy from their face like an annoying bug)
23
You may look around
at plain and simple life
and yearn to feel amazed
by magic in the world,
by strange and wild things
you've never seen before
...and, yes,
by all means,
go explore,
discover something new, and then,
when that new thing gets old,
keep finding newer things...
(picture of someone underwater, swimming and seeing fish around a reef)
24
But don't forget, between discoveries,
to learn to feel the wonder
of the ordinary things
you see each day,
the fairies and the dragons
in the garden,
the miracle of writing,
and the sorcery of speech,
the magic everywhere
that's just as wondrous
as the magic in a story or a dream.
(picture of someone reading a book in a garden, surrounded by insects, birds and lizards among the plants)
Dancin' Around
2015/10/20/
My silly starling plays with a hair accessory.
Thank you!
2015/11/01/
Thanks very much to whoever anonymously bought me quartz and amethyst from my Amazon wish list! It was a lovely surprise to come home to.
I have the sweetest and most awesome fans and friends. Happy Halloween to you all.
New job
2015/11/02
After about ten years at Target, I have moved on to a new pharmacy tech job at Merwin LTC.
I had gotten to work in the Target pharmacy for a couple years, starting as an inventory specialist and eventually becoming certified as a technician. I really enjoyed it, and was very sad when downsizing and system upgrades eliminated my pharmacy job and I was moved back into the stockroom.
After a few weeks of this, Greg, a former coworker of mine from the pharmacy, started posting on Facebook about his new job at Merwin, and how great it was, and how they were looking for new techs.
So... I decided to give it a try, and sent them a resume listing Greg as a reference. I got an interview, which ended in a job offer, and next thing I knew I was learning to be a pharmacy tech again.
It's closer to home than my former workplace, and on better roads for bicycling, though not on any very good bus routes. I'll be riding my bike most of the time.
Actually in the winter I'll be riding a trike, for stability in the snow. My parents are lending me one. Someday I hope to have one of my own, preferably with a fairing, and a narrow enough wheel base to fit easily through my door. This one is a bit of a hassle to get in and out, but we've figured out a pretty good system for it.
So far I really really like the new job! I'm picking up the work pretty fast, and the time goes by fast because there's always something to do.
And the people seem really nice. The day before Halloween a lot of people came in wearing costumes, and there was pizza, cookies, ice cold soft drinks, and candy for everyone. It's a very friendly and happy environment.
I'm hoping to learn about the super-cool prescription filling robot soon.
Sirius's new snack
2015/11/04/
Hey, remember when I posted about buying bugs from Arbico Organics?
Well, they found that post, and liked it so much they sent me some more treats for Sirius, to say thank you! Another bag of dried flies, and a little canister of dried fly pupae ("Cocoon Capers") which he was delighted to try!
Look at him eat those little things. He's adorable and soooo happy.
I can only reiterate: Arbico Organics is a great company!
TWO upcoming holiday craft fairs!
2015/11/17
For those in the Twin Cities area who are looking for fun and eclectic local places to do holiday shopping... you may want to stop by my next two craft fairs!
I'll have a table with jewelry, books and trinkets at two local events this winter:
The Minnehaha Free Space December Craft Fair
3747 Minnehaha Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55406
Sunday, December 13 at 1:00pm - 6:00pm
The Vine Arts Center Holiday Sale
2637 27th Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55406
December 5 + 6, 2015
Saturday 11am - 5pm
Sunday 12 - 5pm
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