a pocket ukulele

About 4 months ago I started getting interested in pocket ukuleles. They are technically called sopraninos and they are really a thing. I promise. Pocket ukes are cool because of how transportable they are. So, after looking up an instructable, I decided to move forward with the rudimentary tools I have and make one.

I chose some soft pine to start because I was going to have to carve it. This was before my new jig saw (which I got to make the appropriate cuts for my kitchen island countertop). I'd show you pictures of the process but I didn't actually take any. I drew out my shape on paper before transferring it to the wood. I took about a million years carving with tools that were in the house when we moved in. The six-pack of carvy things has a $2 yard sale sticker... Finally, I moved on to the next step. I carved out the inside where the sound hole would lead. It's rather square but I need to invest in a spoon carving tool if I want it any other way. Next, I checked to make sure the thing would make sound by wrapping a string around it tightly and plucking. I didn't want to get too far and find out it didn't work. All was well so I glued the back on then drilled holes for my tuning pegs, being careful with each successively larger bit to go less deep for the right taper to match the chopstick tuning pegs. I did a crap load of sanding before searching for a fret calculator, attaching my bridge and but, calculating and attaching frets. Toothpicks in shallow saw grooves did the trick. I added nails in the end to attach strings. Fishing line is all they are. The chopsticks got cut and sanded. Attaching the strings was a bit of a beast because I had to remember a couple of fishing knots. The darned thing is holding the strings on though it goes out of tune with time.

It now looks like this:

I'm going to add a walnut stain made from soaking walnut shells on water for a few days. That will be edited in below.

What instruments do you play or make?

Ain't it been a while?

I am in a place if inspiration. Many things have lead up to this feeling and I think Jeanine said it best yesterday, Joy is a place where you are vibrating. Smiling is inevitable. Laughter is always an option. The world is on your side and nothing can stop you.

I may not work in a place where I feel financially supported or even completely supported by management but my teaching team is absolutely incredible. I am so grateful for our ability to work in a collaborative and cooperative team. We have some truly wonderful children and families that we are empowering to be advocates for their own well-being and not enabled by public service.

Something that was really telling about the direction of our organization was when Jeanine shared that our director had okay-ed the following exercise: Take a note card from the pile on the table. On it, write the one thing you feel is the most important change we could make as an organization. Leave it on the table. These answers will be typed and turned into the director for the management team to address in a productive way. My feedback for our organization is that we all must be held accountable in order to build and maintain respect and a high level of professionalism. This also applies to the children and families we work with, not just the staff. In order to accomplish this goal it is imperative that we also raise our level of communication of information. For example, yesterday's in service training had no posted hours other than the arrival time at the VFW. As no one had said anything contrary, my team and I figured we were expected to work our full daily hours as usual on in service days and came in at 8 for a team meeting. This was not the intention of management but how were we supposed to know if they didn't tell us? I am excited to move forward with the new receptivity of our management.

To add to this elation, Viv and I travelled the short distance to Turners Falls, MA to see Kristen Ford play her solo set. She vibrates passion and joy while performing. She and I had met at the Michigan Women's Music Festival this past summer when she was on sound crew. (What is it with sound techs?) She opened for the Night Stage Lights' annual puppet show and I was hooked. Seeing her last night reminded me how amazingly talented she is with musicality, technicality, and simplicity. She sits in the middle of a small-ish set-up including a kick drum, high hat, drum sticks, pedals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar and a handful of mics. Over the course of her set she created a musical journey through complex and simple combinations of her instruments, often playing multiple at one time including singing vocals. She also beat boxes. ::le sigh:: We bought two more of her CDs before leaving. I'm listening to one of them now.

In the end, today is Saturday and I am still vibrating. The feeling has been building for a while and the description from Jeanine identified it. Joy. I'm ready to get things moving. I have so many goals right now, all attainable but only with time. Progressing my organization, refining my musical technique on my ukulele, returning to dance classes to refine my body's musicality, and to keep on living life in this place of joy.

Cleaning

Cleaning under the radiators at Links was rewarding. The following images are the bounty.

Lipstick?

Sometimes you just need lipstick...

Do you ever just feel like you need a little something to spice yourself up? We haven't had fresh groceries in a while. I have laundry yet to do. It's much past time for a haircut. So what do I do instead of accomplishing any of these tasks? I put on a little lipstick. Yup. It's only been since May for the Aerial Showcase and before that since it was for dinner theater in 2009 but I did it anyway. And it feels fabulous.

Love,

Francesca

Good Evening, Chicago!

I simply had to document the sunset this evening. Eowyn and I were on our way to MDQ. Now, we're sitting in the audience. Perhaps this is my 9th viewing?

sunset as seen from the Montrose Brown Line Platform

-and then I lost track of time. Here I sit at Chava. Alone. Knitting. Currently, I have 6 projects to complete: 4 pairs of wristlets in varying lengths, a flower hat, and a Christmas stocking. I take this to mean good things considering most of these orders were arranged at Fest. The thing that I find most difficult, though, is that when I finish these it will be time to decide what to make next, particularly if no neww orders have come in. I do have an exciting package coming soon: mini moos! If you haven't seen them before, you're in for quite a treat. They are basically half-sized business cardsd but I have 25 different front images and a very sleek photo logo on the back. I'm pumped to start passing them around!
Back to knitting I go.
Side note: I will be starting rehearsals for my premier cube piece when I get back from Michigan in a week. So exciting!
Love.

The Cube: Day's 1 and 2

Here's the taster of day 1:

Here's the much longer video of day 2:

 

Now I'm off to contemplate what I've done...

Wedding Week Photos

Here are a few images from the week we spent traipsing around the few states between Chicago and Pine Grove Furnace State Park. Wedding photos of the ceremony and reception will happen later. I'll add more about the week leading up after a little while.

 

 Glass Snack Set from the thrift store. I bought all 4 of them... Perhaps as a gift?

 I want to call him Frank. He visited Viv while she wrote guest names on the table coverings for the reception. She moved him just before he messed up her artwork.

 Pepper-staches

 One of a few images of the Flight 93 Memorial in PA. We stopped on a whim and I'm glad we did.

Clouds through OH. I couldn't help myself.