A Grand Day Out!

Dunno if any of you are fans of the Wallace and Gromit series of short films (there were one or two longer ones, too), but I believe the one where they go to the moon because they are out of cheese, was called A Grand Day Out. I was thinking about that all day today, as we went about our many adventures! Me and the moms.

I got one pic of us together that she’s pretty happy with, so I’m gonna go ahead and share it here. It’s already on Instagram and Facebook. LOL… she’s gonna be famous!

She was rather stunned that I made it to pick her up only about 20 or 30 minutes after 8 (I did a little tidying up before I left, and that took up some time. BUT I was awake and actually fully out of bed by 7 AM).

First stop was a local bakery for Sprinkle Fest. They did indeed have a massive sandbox full of sprinkles, but I reluctantly left that for the kids. HA! The first time I saw this event advertised, they were running it on my daughter’s birthday, but she didn’t want to go. And it was her day. And I guess I was busy every other Sprinkles Fest since then? This time, it just so HAPPENED to coincide with another event I had requested off for. Same day, different time. As did the art show, on the way to downtown. Three events, all in one day, which I had already requested off, with no overlap between any of the events, so we could DO THEM ALL MWUAHAHAHA.

We dipped inside the bakery to see what was going on in there, and sampled Birthday Cake Kringle. OMFG SO DELICIOUS!!! I may have to get one or half a one or something! Or just go back for more of their famous NYT Cookies. They said they were voted the best chocolate chip cookie in Wisconsin. And they are AMAZING!

They had live music outside, and bounce houses, a coloring table, make your own frosting, all kinds of things for kiddios. I guess it is primarily an event for families with younger kids. But hey, who isn’t just a big kid at heart?

The duo on guitar and such played some kids’ songs but also some Tom Petty and Bob Dylan, etc. I was especially pleased that we arrived in time for “Free Fallin” since there’s a lyric about vampires!

We missed the store’s mascot, and I had wanted to get a photo with them. But that’s okay. I still took PLENTY of pics today!

Besides the music and Kringle sampling, and the enjoying of free bottled water, I did the Build Your Own Donut Bar, and got a Long-John. Here it be:

Melted chocolate on top, with some candy bar pieces (two kinds but I wasn’t sure what they were… just that they looked REALLY good), and some mini chocolate chips. That’s what I had for breakfast, since I hadn’t stopped to eat before we went to Sprinkle Fest. Breakfast of Champions.

We didn’t stay all the way up until the last giveaway announcement because it was kinda hot, even once we moved into the shade, under the big tent. From there, we had a brief pause at my parents’ house, then headed to the library for Zine Spectacular!!!

On the way, we listened to Sleep Token’s cover of “I Wanna Dance with Somebody.” My mom agreed that Vessel has a beautiful voice, and she told me a story about a dance she’d attended. There was a guy who offered her a dance. She said he was like no one she’d ever danced with before or since. They were totally in step and in sync for the whole song. Then, it ended, and he said he had to go dance with some other people. She never saw him again and never learned his name.

My mom has a “one who got away!”

She said afterward she didn’t enjoy the zine thing as much as the other two events, but she asked polite questions of everyone displaying their stuff. If I wasn’t kinda strapped for money and saving up for kiddo’s visit, I would have picked up a couple things.

There was someone who had a zine with essays about movies and had done a piece on MOONSTRUCK, which I ADORE! Full-color collaging on the pages, accompanying the articles and such. And there was someone else who had stickers and a zine and a $600 hand-beaded necklace all devoted to K-Pop Demon Hunters. Kiddo wants to watch it with me! AND that seller also had earrings made from Pokemon cards, which reminded me of someone I used to work with, who I’m still friends with, so I told her about that, and said, “Thought of you.”

At another booth, someone had zines and things about a project to interview members of the Oneida Tribe. I signed up for his email newsletter and got a free button for doing that, and took a pic of his flyer about the art installation relating to the project, at the Oneida library. May have to check that out, too!

The highlight for ME of this part of the day, was making a “zine.” Maybe if I would have made it at home, there would have been original poetry included. I suppose I could still tweak it? But it feels done. My mom was pretty impressed with how it turned out. I’ll show you the pics I took of each page.

Before I stopped and asked where the zine event was being held, we also looked around upstairs, since it wasn’t on the first floor, and I started out working by process of elimination, instead of asking for directions. Just a little stubborn!

Once we learned we had to go to the basement, I said, while we’re up here, let’s stop and look at the art on display right now (which is always on the second floor).

That’s where my work was displayed this past winter.

Here are some of my pics of the current artist’s installation. GORGEOUS work!!! These were my fave pieces out of the display. But really every painting was amazing.

EDIT: FINALLY found the part of the library website where they show the names of the artists on display. These are all pieces by Shanti Bennett.

Somewhere in all the chaos, we also picked up my prescriptions (I was doing all the driving). Did we do that on the way to the library? Now, I’m not sure. It was a very full day. BUT… meds acquired.

Following looking at the art exhibit and the booths at the zine event, and me making one, while my mom chilled a bit (flipping through magazines intended as make-your-own-zine-fodder and eventually drifting upstairs to look around), we went out for a late lunch/early dinner.

She got a two egg omelet and a chocolate chocolate chip muffin. But she said I could take the muffin home. Not sure if she had originally planned to eat it herself? She’s been even more cautious about her sugar intake since the TIAs, since she still thinks they may have been caused by ice cream on an empty stomach; however, if that’s true or not, she can think whatever she likes, as long as she takes care of herself, and keeps up with the medication for the blocked artery in her neck.

I had the turkey and dressing, with mashed potatoes and gravy, and green beans with bacon bits. It also comes with a lil cuppy of jellied cranberries. Hadn’t had their turkey dinner in a bit. Very tasty. But I didn’t remember it coming with SO MUCH TURKEY! I had 6 slices, on top of EVERYTHING else… the turkey on a BIG bed of dressing, and the two sides. I couldn’t even finish it. Just had the rest a moment ago.

That’s where I took the pics of the zine I made. The background you see is the table at the restaurant. I took a pic of what I ordered too, but I dunno that y’all need to see that. It’s not an especially sexy food pic, as food pics go.

It was, nonetheless, delicious.

Then, we stopped back at their house again, so she could rest up a little. She lay down and watched some TV. I charged my phone & surfed the net & chatted with my kiddo.

Our last stop together was an art gallery that has also shown my work in the past. Tonight was the opening of Claws vs Paws, a show with portraits of cats and dogs. Just before we headed in, I had said I hoped they had snackies, because I could go for some cheese (they did, indeed, have snackies, and I had just a nibble of cheese, a cracker, and two or three baby carrots with dip).

(OH and it was another gallery who ran two shows I was featured in, who presented the zine event. So that was fun, too! Will have to see about making more visual art and looking for Calls for Art that I can submit to).

There was some heavy rain off and on today, and some thunder and lightning. We waited out a big, sudden summer rainstorm, before heading to the gallery. Here’s the sign from the front door.

Here’s a taste of that show:

Samantha Surowiec’s Can We Be Friends? watercolor, which she said was made with only 3 colors, I believe. She was standing in front of her piece, so we got the scoop on its inspiration. Her kitty apparently really just wanted to play with a mousey, but the mousey eventually ran away.

Jam’s Magic. I really dug this piece’s vibe. Paint Pens. Self-taught artist.

Danielle DeJardin’s Wildin,’ Photography

That one reminded me a lot of my boi Happy who now lives with my parents, only his eyes are greener.

Another Danielle DeJardin piece, incorporating photography and graphic design. Complete Control.

There were dog pieces, too, as noted, but I was the MOST interested in the cats.

It was a very inspiring day, all in all, with all the creativity, and sensory details, and FUN. I got a little sad once or twice, feeling like the people presenting zines had been able to fund printmaking, and merch creation, and such. But maybe if I make an effort and look into doing those things, and budgeted for it, I could, too. I also just need to make some fresh art. And check in with my massive stash of paint and see what’s still good.

Really, I suppose, it’s a matter of priorities, and placing more priority on my creativity. My writing AND my art. Investing in both.

After the gallery, I dropped my mom off and headed to the grocery store. I had ALSO put together a list, in the app, while she was resting, before the art gallery visit, so I would be READY. I had already filed away my paper coupons into my ginormous boho purse, and had looked them over ahead of time, to see what I could use, and take them into consideration when building my list.

I spent just over $60 and managed to save over $22 with in-store specials, digital coupons, and the paper coupons I’d gotten in the mail. SO glad I finally started using those. I guess in the past I just felt overwhelmed because I am not the most organized about my mail, and sometimes, it all just feels like a lot. Things get lost.

Working on that, as well.

(In other news, the Blu-ray player remote was temporarily MIA, black-on-black on a black desk, behind a black PC…but I found it, without venting to anyone over my anxiety over its absence, once I calmed DOWN, and just happened to see something behind the monitor that I hadn’t noticed before.)

What was REALLY cool at the store, though, was this display of balloons over the refrigerated case in the floral department, which reminded me of a coworker and her love of flamingos.

I swung back around to my parents’ house, to pick up the restaurant leftovers I had left in their fridge.

Conversations have begun about preparing for end of life. I guess some of my cousins thought we hadn’t looked into anything yet, but I had already started. Their concern may have prompted my mom to take it all more seriously, because she’s now willing and interested to look over the list of resources I had put together already, and get more information, too.

I also asked her today, if she HAS to go to a care facility, does she have a preference as to which one? She does. It’s a non-profit organization that’s putting up assisted living apartments in a full complex that will include a library branch and more, all in the same building. She said they looked reasonably priced and like they provide good care.

So, we’re working on all of that, but at least, it seems like maybe she’s closer to being on the same page as me and my daughter, about these things. There’s still my dad to talk things over with, but we’ll get there.

My mom thanked me over and over again for doing so much with her today, and said someone or other told her, “All you watch are reruns.” She does watch a lot of news, but she also has a lot of older, comfort shows she binges.

It’s good for her to get out and have adventures. She said that, too. It was bittersweet, the way she put it. That she doesn’t know how much time she has left, and she ought to have some FUN while she can. So, it was good for both of us, that we did today.

I got home and got everything inside, and all the groceries put away, and checked in on the cat, without a single moment of anxiety attack. I think today did me a lot of good, too.

My daughter’s coat for her Halloween costume arrived today, too.

So many great things to look forward to!

Mkay, gonna do something creative with the day, before calling it a night. Work tomorrow, then a trip with a friend, to help her see a specialist, in a bigger city.

Na-nites!

P.S.– Full Moon tonight!