I’ve actually been quite productive the past week— reading, research,and writing as well as the line art for the new Dicebox index page and some design work. Not that I have anything I can actually show anyone.

In fact, the only proof I have for being productive at all are the mason jars of canned plums and plum conserve. About 20 jars so far and I’m still not resolved that I won’t be able to use or give away all the fruit on my tree— I haven’t harvested a tenth of it yet. Not even using several pounds
to make wine will help much. If that indeed is the fruit wine my friend Becca and I decide to try our first time out.

I have to say I found buying wine making supplies much more satisfying than canning supplies. I think it helped that we bought the wine equipment at an enthusiast store staffed with people who do their own home brewing as opposed to the staff in various kitchen and supermarkets who were vaguely aware that people did indeed can food. Well, okay, then there is the mad scientist aspect of the hydrometer, air trap and carboy that one uses for wine making.

But canning itself has been satisfying, in a labor intensive, this is my first time kinda way. I was actually pleased when to jars came out incorrectly as it gave me new confidence that I had processed the rest correctly. Though I won’t know how truly successful I was until three months later, when I go open the odd jar of conserves.

At least there have been no exploding jars so far.

September 5th 2002

Cleaning, cleaning, cleaning

Having given myself a small window of freedom, and bursting to the brim with all the things I want to do, naturally the first thing I did was totally clean and reorganize my studio.

Not a bad thing really—beyond finding certain items lodged under furniture and rediscovering certain books (and weeding out other books to sell to Powell’s) I had a chance to go through old sketch books (painful) and notebooks (illegible). I was pleased to find and remember some pretty good ideas I once had, now destined to be processed in the creative mill for use in something else.

Of course, there’s still all the various drawers in in studio to go through—which’ll be a perfect excuse to rent a slew of movies to entertain myself as I do so, guilt free.

I’ve also been clearing out old obligations and commitments that people have let me slide on in my pursuit to finish Chapter 1.

And the website–I’m attempting to locate and correct all glitches and navigation problems. And then there’s the updating and checking of the links page, etcetera and so on.

And then, of course, there’s Kip’s and my flat, the yard and the plum tree—which I’ve finally positively identified as a Brooks. Which, as the variety was discovered in Lafayette, Oregon and introduced in 1946, is a pretty safe bet for most plum trees found in the backyards of Portland. Very tasty.