Money in the Mail

I don't know that I've gotten cash in the mail for quite some time. Possibly since the 1970s. There have been the pseudo-checks now and again that try to get me to buckle under for some sort of scam, but no cash in many years. So, this was a happy surprise! Annnnd...it's back in my court and I must admit that I am a bit stumped as to what to do next. Now that I have more time (ahem) it seems as if I have less than ever. Today I went out for lunch with some friends from work and we had such a good time, four hours slipped by and we still weren't done hanging out. And then my day had gotten away from me and all my best laid plans to work on stuff were postponed for another day. Funny how that happens...it's like those freeways where you think you'll have more room if you build more lanes but then more traffic mysteriously shows up and clogs the freshly flattened asphalt and snarls the roads anew...this makes little sense...it would be nice if money behaved the same way that traffic does. Or maybe it does...hmmm, taking that analogy to its logical conclusion, you make more money (lanes) and suddenly there are more things (cars) that present themselves to be bought with your newly minted dough (driven on new pavement)...so, ok, I guess money does behave similarly to traffic. OK, for sure I am rambling now. But continuing on with my ridiculous comparisons, maybe money and time have an inverse relationship? Which could be a good situation for me...maybe now that I will have less money yet more time, I won't be able to spend as much? Or maybe I will have to stretch and or enlarge my coins* to make them go further, in which case, this penny is the perfect solution. And while I have you here reading my whacked ramblings, did John ever tell you the pennies story from his trip to India? I was going to put the word "pennies" where the asterisk is but thought better of it when suddenly I remembered our friend's fabled story. If you don't know the tale, you might ask him to recount it for you. You will never think of pennies the same way.

Patterns in the Mail

Handcrafted mail offerings are down, way down. Reversing this mail pattern, here is a pattern in the mail. It's a pattern and it makes a pattern and it is a pattern in the mail.

From 1982 it came

Coincidentally when I got this, I was, yes you guessed it, looking at patterns online and in Photoshop. I was looking at Greek-vase patterns, to be precise. Simple borders. Simplicity patterns.

Bird with Crown

I am so sorry it's taken me this long to post. This week has been so surreal. And your painting is also surreal. There is so much beauty here. And you are so very consistent that I must tell you that you should think about doing more painting. Look again at your painting of the Woman in White. There is another one here that I cannot remember the title of, but if you will look at those two and then at this one, you will see what I mean. There is a hauntedness, an otherworldly quality to these paintings.

Half Mail / Half Ant - MANT

I salute you.

I mean, this is a masterpiece. And it got through, no problem.

Proof.

As suggested, I played with scale. It's interactive.

This guy can't believe it and looks a little nervous.

But I cherish MANT.

Call back!

How did you manage this? I had no idea there was going to be a part two, let alone that I was dealing with a to-be-continued situation. I apologize profusely for the long delay in posting this assortment of cuteness extraordinaire. Here goes:

I love that side-eye from Dirk. Nellie looks skeptical. But what are those mysterious lines on the back of the Kitty Cat Cards? Let's see what happens when we put both packs of cards, Series 1 and 2, together:

A fish! That is some long-range planning! How did you plan this? Was it intentional? It had to be. To keep me on my toes, no doubt. And, while I'm on the topic of planning (and digits), I've got my next one all planned out but not assembled just yet. Maybe next week. Let's keep our fingers crossed that it makes it through the mails. Yes, you too, Nellie.

Pieta - 1980s

Look, I found my old photo of Ed being very arty and very 80s. The irony, the pathos, the historical reference for no discernible reason--this makes me feel young again.

And yes, I used to wear that union suit as jammies because I was very fashion forward, as you know.

DUCT TAPE

In all the months we've been sending mail, it occurred to me to do this. Kudos to you for duct-tape mail. And it's traditional too, silvery-gray. So durable, water-proof even. Jackson wanted to know how you kept it all from sticking, except for the part that was supposed to stick. I told him, "Superior textile know-how."

The envelope is perfection.

 

Official! Guaranteed!

I love this so much! I don't think I told you this but some of my more recent dreams have been about trying to dial a number or write an address and getting it wrong over and over and over again. In these dreams I've not been able to reach the person I keep trying to call and I have to punch the numbers in repeatedly, each time fumbling over tiny keys. Or I am writing and can't get the pencil to make the letters I so desperately want to mark down. And here is a little box of dreams that has arrived at its destination against all odds. Look inside:

How did you do this!? It's like opening up the night sky. Here is what is inside:

I've had a version of every one of these. My favorite, besides flying, which happens so infrequently, is the secret room dream. Maybe it's because of all the House Hunters International I've watched. It's true. I'll take you on a tiny tangent to say that one of my co-workers has a very close relative who is the main producer of that show. I'm not sure what to do with this information, except to say I am hoping that one day I will get to meet and speak with this person. Ridiculous, yes. Besides, I'm convinced the show is rigged and scripted. A morbid fascination. I am very happy to note that we don't have a proper tv so I am forced to watch it on youtube or when we're on vacation. TMI, I know. Now I am not sure how to transition back to your incredible dream book. Let me close by showing the last two photos. One is the other side, the bottom, of the inside. It's a tactile experience that is so strange it could only have been inspired by dream logic. The color, also, is a perfect complement to the royal blue of the rest of the box. And the little gold hummingbird. It is, of course, the only possible artifact that could have accompanied these dreams that are so comfortably nestled in their box.

Buttered Toast!

HAR. This is just so fantastic. Look at this ceramic buttered toast! Made it through the USPS - NO PROBLEM. Butter intact, charm intact. You are a wonder. A mail-art wonder!

 

The light is trickier in my back yard in the spring--more leaves on the trees. You get to see my big, fat hand as I hold the art to the sun. But that's toasty, isn't it?

I started something for you but it's not working as I planned. Will begin again. :)

Ceramic Toast

This was a hefty ceramic surprise. It got here fine—not even a chip from its long journey. The stamps are fabulous and remind me of leather-crafting in the 70s. I had a bracelet with these kind of letters on it (courtesy the Tandy Leather store). And it can hang on the wall too. Did you know Keith and Jackson are addicted to toast? And I recently got Jackson to branch out into grilled cheese. It's been a banner year for toast.

I know this blew our mail-lady's mind

Personal toast

I haven't shown you my new wall display. I got the frame from Cost Plus (I had a coupon). Wish the wall wasn't white behind it but I'm not allowed to paint our rental. I suppose I could paint the frame itself (it's "distressed" white), but it might clash with the art.

Card of Wood

I have been admiring this mail art since it arrived last week! I'm happy to hear Jackson has become such a woodworker! How did he cut this card? What kinds of tools does he use? How did he measure it to be exactly postcard sized? I know, I am asking lots of questions, but carpentry always amazes me. I love building little objects but strongly suspect I don't do things the correct way. Can you send a picture or two of other things he has made or is working on? And, the drawing on the other side: very Mondrian! Is that a "zentangle"?! A fantastic collaboration! Other views:

At last - Cracker mail

So delayed but it took a while to get back into "regular" existence after the holidaze. I just finished building Jackson's workbench project that was started at Christmastime. It was an epic, month-long saga of getting the right part for this workbench. Yesterday my parents showed up to find me hammering away, trying not to swear like a sailor. They rescued the workbench project with their perfect hi-we-were-just-in-the-neighborhood-thought-we'd-stop-by timing and tool logic. Jackson is now the happiest junior woodworker in the western hemisphere.

I owe you some mail. Perhaps the completed workbench will help with that.

And now: cracker in the mail.

 

Yum!