[yeahmrrogers]

10 Mister Rogers Quotes to Remember on Bad Days

[slyorty]

Some days are harder than others. Mr. Rogers always knows just what to say to help make the skies feel blue again.  Lots to look forward to these days as well, including the art show at the end of this project. I’ll tell ya what, that’s going to be a bittersweet time and right now it’s a light at the end of my tunnel. 

[slyorty]

Good news! All of my frames arrived intact! Ready for prints next...

[themuppetmasterencyclopedia]

The Muppets Halloween Puzzle

[slyorty]

Big steps, lots of boxes checked

Today was the final day to submit our labels and vinyl to the museum. I squeaked in with my last minute Spanish translations and feel a huge sense of relief and gratitude for all of the people who were a part of this project. 

I’ve been making lists and checking them off and seeing this work fly by in checked boxes, but also in smiles and hugs and “thank you”s, and eyes lighting up, and poems, and songs, and “you saved my life”s, and all the ways that people come together to make something bigger than themselves. 

It’s been a beautiful process and I’m proud to be here making it all come together. I never really feel responsible for my work. I feel like I just show up to it and hope it works out. This time, I can see how that piece is something to be proud of too. The showing up to it is hard. And I’m doing it. I get to pat myself on the back, I suppose. 

Moving forward, I’ve got my frames ordered and my last payment just came in, so it’s time to order another set of sample prints to check my final edits and then on to the enlargements and framing them. I can’t wait to see them looking fancy in their big kid frames.  I’ll drop off the kids’ maps to the museum soon as well, so they have them on hand. I might keep fiddling with mine until the last minute, just cause that’s how I do. 

Keeping on. One check at a time. 

[slyorty]

Feeling immense gratitude to all the beautiful faces who came out to celebrate with us today in the garden. Fall Fest was magic!

[slyorty]

[slyorty]

We’ve been working and playing with our map these days. Last night the garden got some plants in the rows and this morning they got watered, harvested, and fed to the neighbors.  Tiny me is pumped about it and ready for the Fall Fest coming this Saturday, where she will make her official debut. 

[slyorty]

Update on my work

Still plugging away at interview details and photo edits and reedits and organizing. Which quotes to use in the show? Which shots? Why?  Still fussing with felt details- fun and tedious work.  Planning the Fall Fest for the garden coming up at the end of Oct- lots to do. Setting intentions for what is next.  Met with Josh and Sai in the garden today and got to share my home and heart with them- always peaceful.  Feels good to have neighbors asking me to remind them when the show will be. I keep one piece of PACE work on my schedule every night to try to keep myself organized and at it without getting overwhelmed with all the moving parts. Just keep swimming, Shauna. 

[jimhenson-themuppetmaster]

[slyorty]

Bert is out here mapping his neighborhood too! Today I’m working on more felt people. SO MANY FELT PEOPLE!!!!!

[slyorty]

Mapping Our Block with the neighborhood kids was a blast! #paceneighbors #pace #paceartist #publicart #publicartist #mussertown #lancastercitypa #mapmaking #loveyourblock

[slyorty]

This weekend a few folks got together to work on this bright neighborhood map and it was lots of fun. Let’s do it again! 

[slyorty]

Recent connections, thoughts, and feelings.

I met two new neighbors (plus a dog) this week and one of them helped me carry heavy things. I’m feeling very grateful. The other one told me about how he got a book from my porch a while back and gave it to his girlfriend and he was very grateful to be able to do that for her. I’m glad he told me about it. Both of them are named James.  I did my first interview ever with my across the street neighbor and worked out all of my tech issues and his nervousness issues together. Now I’m ready to schedule more of them and figure out how to edit them. Yikes/Woot! I got adobe installed and figured out how to get photos into it. Family photos and interviewee headshot=check. Now to learn how to edit them with it. Whew!  Two neighbors got to know each other this week. That was neat to witness.  We opened up two new garden beds for new members. We’re growing together.  I got to see Dom perform twice for the opening and closing of Water Week AND help with his clean-up event over the weekend. Trash pickup is SO different when working with a group! I’m so used to it being just me and one 4-year-old. Teamwork makes the dream work, friends!

[slyorty]

Family Photo Shoot fun from today’s sessions. What a joy it is to be with these beautiful people! 

[slyorty]

Unedited outtakes from the first day of Free Family Photo Shoots in the garden. We had a great turn out and lots of fun.  All of the time slots are filled for this coming weekend and I’m looking forward to capturing many more smiles and so much love in the garden! 

[slyorty]

This week the PACE cohort met up to tour the beautiful space where we’ll have our show and we got to see each other for the first time in real life. Everything became clearer for me when we met the curator and saw the space. Looking forward to that chunk of work later in the year. Now, I’m still plugging away at the signups for the free family photo shoot(s) and asset map felt work. Organization and time management and communication skills are being put to the test lately!  I also got to see Matty out on the town this weekend and then popped into Libby’s Phonotel event and had a magical time.  Fingers crossed for clear skies and easy translation this week for signups! 

[slyorty]

I took a walk alone tonight

I took a walk alone tonight, something I’m not sure I’ve ever done since living here, at least not since I could remember. It’s funny how having babies and chronic illness affects your memory and thus your reality. Like, maybe I walked this block a hundred times before, but none of them are here now that I have this little one with me all of the time.  The walk was quiet and the air was fresh. I felt rushed to get back before it got too dark as my night vision is not so hot and I couldn’t be late for the all-important bedtime ritual.  I went out with the intent to double check my mapping of hydrants and empty tree wells. I took my flyers along in case I ran into some neighbors because I always do and I found some, like always.  I was able to pass out 7 flyers and speak to 10 neighbors about the project.  It is so clear that my 15 minutes/day of Duolingo for the past 3 years is just not paying off as I’d like it to. My reading of Spanish has improved, but forming sentences and picking it up in conversation is just too hard and it’s easy to feel frustrated. I am met with many blank faces when I try to explain, even with the Spanish on the flyer. People want to know more and I can’t tell them. Blah.  I had planned to go flyer last week, but got a delay with printing and then thought I’d go tomorrow and Fri, but now I realize I will be sorely disappointed if I don’t ask for help from a Spanish speaking friend to accompany me. Fingers crossed they can help and that the weather holds out.  I’d like to have people scheduled by now and I do have a bunch of interested folks to do so, but my big priority is this block and those are the folks I’m missing.  We’ll get there. We always do.  Pro tip: Teach your kids Spanish. 

[slyorty]

Fellow PACE artist, Libby Modern hooked me up with this beautiful poster-turned flyer to pass out to the neighbors on my block.