msklystron In reply to HugQueen [2013-03-11 01:17:08 +0000 UTC]

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

msklystron In reply to robeoftheheavens [2013-01-21 18:18:17 +0000 UTC]

You're very welcome!

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

msklystron In reply to bea-art [2013-01-21 15:12:45 +0000 UTC]

You're welcome!

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

msklystron In reply to HugQueen [2012-07-11 18:31:26 +0000 UTC]

It's so nice to hear from you. I'm fine, just busy with the kids at home for summer holidays and art stuff. I have a couple of shows coming up and I spent a few afternoons as 'artist in residence' at a local arts centre/gallery. The weather has been awesome, dry and hot with cool breezes (with the exception of a few humid days). It's been an arid July so far. The grass, which is usually quite green at this time of year is already August brown. The garden is doing well, but as usual plants I expected to thrive are struggling and plants I expected to struggle are thriving. The lawnmower and the toilet in the main bathroom went on the fritz and I had to replace both. Boring but essential items in a home. The toilet, at least, which is a dual flush water-saving model, will pay for itself in no time. Water has slowly and quietly become more and more expensive, even though Toronto sits on a Great Lake. My oldest moved out to live with her boyfriend and before she moved a stick of furniture into his place, they broke up. Sigh. A broken heart isn't a good way to start a summer. Her room at my home has already been snapped up by another sister, so she's hanging out at her dad's.:/ Otherwise, the other three girls are doing fine and looking forward to a fun summer. The younger two and I have some day trips planned, including a visit to the new Star Trek exhibit at the Science Centre. They're also going camping in August. My second oldest and I are exhibiting at an art festival together. She with her original crochet designs and I with my digital art. My cats have been very naughty as usual. One of them (don't know which) killed a female Baltimore Oriole.:/ So I went out and bought bells for each of them. By the time they figure out how to be ninjas (moving so stealthily that their bells remain silent) summer will be over and the birds will have flown south.

So, how about you? Are you enjoying your summer? Anything new on the horizon?

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

HugQueen In reply to msklystron [2012-07-16 00:53:16 +0000 UTC]

Likewise!

Oh, a good kind of busy it seems like! At least mostly. :) That is excellent weather, we have had quite a few muggy days and then some very gorgeous ones. Now if only it'd stay with the breezy, warm, dray days.

Of course, sometimes gardens have a mind of their own. As long as your plants are doing okay overall though, that is good. Eeep, that's terrible. I'm glad you got that all sorted out. Boring but essential is still good, they're essential afterall.

Aw, no broken hearts are not a good way to start the summer. I hope she can at least enjoy the rest of her summer a bit. I'm glad they're all doing fine though. <3

The Star Trek exhibit sounds really exciting! I hope you have lots of fun at the art festival! ♥ Aww, poor bird. Bells, that is a great idea to keep them from repeating that.

I am doing quite well and am enjoying my summer. It's kind of crazy to see we're halfway through July all ready! For the most part nothing really new, though I am taking my first vacation by myself in late August. I'm going to California so that should be really fun.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

msklystron In reply to HugQueen [2012-07-21 16:31:27 +0000 UTC]

Good to hear! The last few days here have been perfect. Sunny and warm with cool nights!

Overall, this is the best year ever for my garden. Mine isn't much compared to my friends' who really know what they are doing, but I'm proud of my humble efforts. My second eldest daughter has been a big help with planting and some of the watering and whatnot. My oldest daughter has lots of friends who are trying to keep her spirits up. There was a minor gossip crisis, which my daughter nipped in the bud in a very mature way. I'm very proud of her. She and her boyfriend had been together for 4 years and were planning to buy a house together. It's good that they both realized they weren't meant for each other before it was too late.

I'll let you know how the festival and Science centre visit goes. This week we're painting the middle daughter's room and catching up on house and yardwork and errands, which is boring but must be done.

California!!! I've been to LA more than once, because my brother and his family live there. I also have an uncle and some cousins in the area too. You're going to have a great time. There's so much to see and do there. Have a wonderful time and be sure to let me know how it went (and if you have photos too).

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

msklystron In reply to uani73 [2012-07-01 22:31:56 +0000 UTC]

My pleasure!

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

msklystron In reply to ATrue [2012-06-14 19:40:19 +0000 UTC]

Done, finally!

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

ATrue In reply to msklystron [2012-06-15 01:38:31 +0000 UTC]

Cool!

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

msklystron In reply to ATrue [2012-06-15 02:10:42 +0000 UTC]

I especially liked the embarrassing moments question.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

msklystron In reply to ScribalWriter [2012-04-28 23:24:00 +0000 UTC]

My pleasure absolutely.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

msklystron In reply to athena-starbuck [2012-03-20 15:38:34 +0000 UTC]

My pleasure!

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

msklystron In reply to wh0rem0ans [2012-03-06 04:20:57 +0000 UTC]

My pleasure!

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

wh0rem0ans In reply to msklystron [2012-03-06 10:35:28 +0000 UTC]

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

msklystron In reply to SRSmith [2012-03-03 01:35:33 +0000 UTC]

You too! Your piece adds a touch of talent, skill and artistry to the lit section.

I thought the old gent who read the poem about the sumac was terrific! Reading his words on the page, I could grasp emotional progression toward the shrub, but hearing him say the words really brought the poem to life. The idea of doing podcasts for the writers is genius. It was an honour to be part of such an amibitious labour of love for the arts, which was inclusive in the truest sense of the word. I also had fun meeting the glitter lady, who frequents value village. Her personna on the page (she wrote about her experiences of post-WWII life in Corktown) couldn't be more different than the personna I met last night. I found a sort of kindred spirit, more fiery than myself, but equal in devotion to my art, in Shiela Bello (she presented the 'talk' poems). I'll definitely be keeping in touch with her.

You, of course matched your little photo and your written words and approach to writing exactly. It was very nice to meet you too.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

SRSmith In reply to msklystron [2012-03-04 03:46:58 +0000 UTC]

His reading of the sumac poem was fantastic - quite the performer!

I've never been one to put on a front, so generally what you see is what you get, so I'm glad I wasn't a huge surprise!

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

msklystron In reply to SRSmith [2012-03-04 21:41:05 +0000 UTC]

I also got to meet three of the young top 10 artists. Unfortunately I didn't get to speak with the girl who won the youth lit award. Her parents whisked her away after the presentation I think. I was so glad that the councillor came through for the presentations and that I could keep a low profile, revealing my identity to only a select few, like you, known to me via their awesome work or those among the submitters least likely to have 'issues' with my judgement.

You're also rather tall, which made finding you in the crowd a little easier. Height isn't easy to judge on the net.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

SRSmith In reply to msklystron [2012-03-05 17:50:14 +0000 UTC]

"Height isn't easy to judge on the net"
Haha - yes, I suppose I could have put something in my DevID shot for reference! Maybe one of those shop-doorway rulers to gauge robber's heights. Of course being a smart-ass, mine would have to make me look like I was 8ft tall!

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

msklystron In reply to SRSmith [2012-03-06 04:32:00 +0000 UTC]

Ha ha! Robber's heights. That reminds me of the doorframe in my rec room incised with the girls heights over the years. Even when two of the four girls (#2 and #3) exceeded my 5'6", I insisted that I was still the tallest. Oddly, my oldest is the smallest at 5'2.5" (the .5 is critical), which makes her shorter than the youngest, who is 5'4".

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

SRSmith In reply to msklystron [2012-03-06 12:49:44 +0000 UTC]

Neat that they're all within a few inches of each other. When you're measuring half inches, that's close!

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

msklystron In reply to SRSmith [2012-03-20 16:50:12 +0000 UTC]

...and my 12-year-old, who I refer to as my 'attorney', is still growing. She was always one of the smallest kids in her class until last year.

How about your kids, do they have a doorframe in the house to track their growth?

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

SRSmith In reply to msklystron [2012-03-20 17:56:21 +0000 UTC]

We've had door frames over the years, but having moved once then completely renovating our house those were the door frames that were taken down (kitchens never survive reno's). Now we just compare photographs - 'see, you were much shorter then...'

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

msklystron In reply to SRSmith [2012-03-26 23:21:03 +0000 UTC]

Photographs work. My doorframe is in the rec room and I renovated around it. Even though it would have been better for me to move and have a fresh start, I remained in my decrepit marital home so that the kids could have their familiar friends, neighbours and teachers. My oldest is slowly beginning to move out with her fiance. Once the next sister down moves out, I'll look for a smaller place with less yardwork and maintenance issues for me.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

SRSmith In reply to msklystron [2012-03-27 04:37:32 +0000 UTC]

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

msklystron In reply to eddiebadapples [2012-02-23 04:38:19 +0000 UTC]

Welcome back! I missed you. Love the range of sadness, irony and joy in your work.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

msklystron In reply to ScribalWriter [2012-02-25 20:25:20 +0000 UTC]

My pleasure!

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

msklystron In reply to ajsanaje1 [2012-01-23 20:27:37 +0000 UTC]

Thanks for the invite. It sounds like a wonderful group. I've spread myself pretty thin on dA so I can't join, but I'll definitely watch.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

msklystron In reply to ScribalWriter [2011-12-27 17:11:01 +0000 UTC]

My pleasure!

👍: 0 ⏩: 0