Beacons

Posted on June 6, 2019 | Leave a comment

I was raised studying the Bible. My family attended various Churches of Christ, where I was taught to do as the good book said, simply and without a lot of fuss.

One of the tenants that I was taught (and that I like to think grew in a fertile mind) is to let your light shine, or not hide your light under a basket.

I have found a few ways to let my light shine over the years.

In my kiting, I am proud of the results of my kitemaking, sharing the results with friends at kite festivals. Also sharing them, and any other kite related nuggets with the public at large when I make it to the beach to fly.

I participated in a community chorus for some years, growing my skills and contributing to that community where I was able.

I try to show up fully for any work that I do, and always endeavor to really hear my customers.

I like to think that my light shines in the ways that I am raising my sons and also in the ways that I help the local scout units keep moving.

If you haven’t noticed, I feel strongly that actions speak louder than words (thanks dad) and that our light shows in the work we bring to the world.

Filters

In Physics class some years ago, I learned that you can make rainbows from white light. That if you place something in front of a light in the right manor, it can break the light into segments.

Looking at the process a little closer, my classmates and I saw that not only can the light be divided, but parts of the light can be blocked. With the right tools one could take a light that was not white (say yellow or blue) and get a red or violet light.

Something over the last couple months has triggered this concept of filters, and had it quietly circling in the back of my head.

Collision

This morning while I was absorbing an episode of Johnathan Field’s Good Life Project featuring Elizabeth Gilbert, something was said that catalyzed a realization for me

Mr. Fields was presenting a quote, that I can’t attribute at this time, that we are the average of the five people that we surround ourselves with. I won’t go into an analysis of the validity of the thought, but the idea made it into the same particle accelerator that the concept of filters had found to run in, and I think I like the results that I got.

I will present that we are indeed beacons, the temperature of our light being determined by our mindset and the level of our own enthusiasm for our current occupation(s). Further, that the people that we surround ourselves with serve the light that we project as filters.

Choose wisely

Assuming that I’m on the right track (and I always do until presented with better evidence), it can be difficult for our greater communities to see through to the true light that we project if we are allowing our light to be blocked by a dark individual, keeping our light from the world. If we let our light go through a mindset that is incongruous with out light, our community is far too likely to see us filtered in a way that incompletely represents us.

Further, if we choose wisely, there is the distinct possibility that bringing ourselves close to those that compliment, and brighten, our light can present us to a larger community, and that we may even be able to find some to bring into our orbit that can focus our light, to make it even more powerful, or let it reach communities that it would not have been able to on our own.

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Posted in Don't keep your day job, Like Living in Paradise

Lighter

Posted on April 23, 2019 | Leave a comment

Things are still messy on the home front, but should be wrapped up soon. The amount of time this project is taking is frustrating, but not surprising, to me.

Scouts hasn’t been a whole lot better, some people just don’t want to let you help them.

To combat some of this frustration, I turned to my kites.

For the first time in months, I sat down to make a miniature kite. It turned out alright.

The next morning I had an even better experience. I made time on my way to work to fly one of my Della Portas. The winds were flukey around 2 mph, so the kite had to be persuaded to fly, even with the new dacron line that I got for it (probably about 50Lb, but I’m looking for 30Lb).

Between the sound of the surf, and focusing on the kite and the moist air the short but engaged flight was refreshing, but the ringer came as I was headed for the car to finish my commute. A gentleman waved me over to his truck to share how much he enjoyed watching me work with my kite.

As a kite maker, it always pleases me when someone comments on something that I’ve made. However, it is rare for the kite flyer to get any recognition for flying a little single line kite. The kite that I was flying was small and is pretty stable, but with the conditions it was work to keep the thing in the air, and I appreciated that someone notice the effort.

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Posted in Uncategorized

Past time for an update

Posted on February 26, 2019 | Leave a comment

The best laid plans …

I have been remiss in posting. So much has been happening in my life, and none of it involves the path that I want to be traveling.

I’m still where I want to be, but my family life has become a bit more messy, and will likely take another month to get things cleaned up.

I have made time to run a training event for den chiefs to serve between the troop and pack. It was a good event, and I learned that when given time to develop it, I can still feel some jitters about making a public presentation. I’m accustomed to opening my mouth and making a nuisance of myself in front of large groups, but rarely have the opportunity to organize programs.

I have also volunteered to give away more time to help the girl troop that is starting out as an extension of Troop 47. I have also refocused some of my energy with the troop to get the patrol leaders council functioning. I was disappointed this last weekend to miss an event for higher functioning Scouts.

I have promised myself to help with the Blue & Gold banquet (another opportunity for me to face the fear of group presentations) and Pinewood Derby for the pack, but have avoided helping with the district race to protect what little time, energy, health I have reserved. I have even refused to serve as a Nova mentor for my youngest and his associates in the pack, but have tried to get another parent to volunteer for the position.

In January, I’ve gave away some back-stock of miniatures to the kitemakers events that I’m familiar with and contacted a former supervisor about using her as a mentor (since then I learned the origin of the word Mentor and will have to share that with her and then her reaction to the info here). That was the limit of my progress on the kiting front.

I haven’t applied any energy to the “Paradise” posts, finding a home to buy, or toward the kite guide service this year. I keep reminding myself that once I have things straightened out on the home front, then I can apply some energy toward the passion projects, but the enthusiasm that I had for the works doesn’t effectively carry over to the expanded list of chores.

As it is mid-winter, work has slowed to a crawl. I’m getting the bills paid, but I’m not bringing in enough to pay for the things that lie broken around the house, or for that growing list of chores.

I’m working (and resting, although, I ought to get off my butt and try a yoga routine or two) to not get depressed. But, too much of my energy right now is going into buoying my attitude, and not to preparing myself for another grueling summer.

I’ve continued listening to self help podcasts, especially Johnathan Fields “Good Life Project” (starting from 2016), but haven’t come away with quite enough enthusiasm to sit down and write out a post. I haven’t even had any inspiring outings to catch up with the meet up group, in the woods, or just along the beach.

Here’s hoping that my luck and health holds, and that the hole that I’ve been living in doesn’t get any deeper. I can hardly wait to get back to sharing this life in paradise.

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Posted in Don't keep your day job, Like Living in Paradise

Stealing away

Posted on December 3, 2018 | Leave a comment

Our listening group

So today I payed hooky from family and life to make a run to Portland to sit and meet with a group of folks listening to the DKYDJ podcast.

It was a long slog, made longer by handling some errands while I was inland, and I knew it would be. However I thought it was essential to meet up with these folks. I really wanted to get some validation and whatever suggestions I could get from creative minds that have no background in kites.

Fortunately I got the validation that I was hoping for (even better than I actually expected), and some solid suggestions to improve the product.

Besides my selfish desires being fulfilled, it was a lovely chat with some friendly, caring, and creative people about their desires, objectives, challenges and misgivings.

I’m pretty certain that I’m the oldest of the group that met today (not everyone made it) by a good margin, and I hope that I didn’t dominate the conversations with the suggestions that I make very naturally to my Scouts when we discuss their challenges.

Prime example from my one of my friends

On my way home tonight, some of the misgivings expressed by one of the members (which echoed thoughts from plenty of other listeners throughout the podcast thus far) regarding the desire for a passion project, but the lack of a passion, lead me to think of my friend Scott Hampton and his side hustle(s) of many years.

Scott is now a retired school teacher from Utah, but when I first knew him he would have been one of my teachers. He had the kiting bug, but also had a family.

I met him at the Washington State International Kite Festival (WSIKF), a week long festival that fills a mile of a wide beach in Southwest Washingtin. Scott had brought some wire figure sculptures featuring kites. These were popular, I believe they sold out, paid for his trip, but most importantly created and audience for him.

The next two times that I saw Scott (at that same annual event) he further endeared himself to that audience by selling posters with representations of the flying works of the attendees of the event.

Scott never left the day job, but pivoted his creative drive, and developed his technique and his audience over the years. Now he is making gorgeous kites, banners, and wind toys and his work is instantly recognized by his group of fans that spans the globe.

Telling bad stories relentlessly

My visit with the listening group showed me that my kites can be appreciated by folks without a background in kites, but that I need to add two things to my packaging.

First I need to include instructions. Both for flying the kite and displaying the card. I want to make them as concise as possible, wish me luck.

Also, they pointed out that my story will be an important reason that people will purchase the card and a way to generate future direct sales.

So, as Seth Godin has said, I need to tell my story until I get better at telling it. While I obviously don’t mind writing, I really will have to get over the twisting in my gut when I think that I’m waving my hands screaming “Look at me, look at me!”.

So my homework from the meeting is, write my story, rewrite my story again and again, until it is good. Can I hope for great, without perfectionism stalling me?

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Posted in Don't keep your day job

Winter weather

Posted on December 2, 2018 | Leave a comment

Playing tourist

There is always plenty to do when you live where so many others would like to, but yesterday I made a rare opportunity to break away from the overlapping obligations that I should have been giving some attention to and my ever growing to do list, to dodge rain showers and take a walk on the beach.

A simple stroll on the strand is exceedingly rare for me. After all, if I’m at the beach, no matter the company that I’m keeping, I would prefer to have a kite in my hands (and half a dozen more in the air). However, as I don’t have any new kites to test, my window of time was limited, there was little wind, and I just wanted to enjoy the scenery for a change, my youngest and I jumped on a break in the grey skies to walk along the ebb tide.

Our jaunt was quite refreshing and helped to maintain the mood that I was pleased to have found myself in.

A time for all things

That mood was very nearly broken by the news.

With the state of the world today, likely reinforced by the fact that I am maturing and therefore care a little more. I have taken to listening to news podcasts to try to stay abreast of current events, while staying free to move about and get some things removed from the previously mentioned to do list.

Yesterday’s headlines were important enough that one of the weekday only shows that I subscribe to posted an episode on death of the 41st president of  these united states.

For some background, I’m a Scout leader (and relatively patriotic, although I never thought myself suited to serve in the military or domestic services) and grew up while Mr. Bush was Vice President and graduated High School while he was President, and have until recently thought myself to lean to the right (politically).

While he was in office, I never really paid much attention to him, and never gave him more than a thought afterward (except to wonder how much influence he exerted on his son when he also became president).

Part of the coverage presented a side of the man that I’m sad to say I missed out on. The presenters read the text of the note left at his desk, to the president that not only followed him to the office, but beat him in the election to the position.

I won’t ever be certain if my reaction was due to sentimentality brought on by my advancing years, fatigue from my work load and current health condition, the sad fact that the grace, supportiveness, and command of the English language appear to be absent in and be seen as weaknesses by our current political chief and his cohort, or by some combination of these factors and others that I haven’t recognized.

Never the less, for the first time in my life, I like the generations before me, found myself crying over the death of a President. In the middle of doing some (much needed) yard work, I found myself doubled over. Not from exertion, but quietly sobbing and letting a tear or two slip from my eye, to mourn a man that I had failed to appreciate while I had the chance.

I ‘m having enough trouble processing my feelings here and hours later, I did not have an interest in sharing my feelings with my youngest son (who was out “helping” me) so I turned away to pull myself together, and vowed to myself to pay homage to the life of kindly service that was described to me, by continuing to put my house in order, to pursue my goals and dreams, to support my community in the ways that I see fit, and to share these thoughts in this diatribe.

Back to work, or other work

So after taking some time away from the grindstone to process a feel or two, and to enjoy a bit of the grandeur in the neighborhood, it is time to get back to make sure that I can make time to do those things again. The day job needs me and the side hustle wants some hours as well.

It’s such a blessing to have so much to do.

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Posted in Like Living in Paradise

Some clips

Posted on November 29, 2018 | Leave a comment

I have been remiss in posting about my miniature kites.

The morning after my last post I managed to get some time to shoot the longest gallery fly I’ve had yet.

My sons and I had spent most of the morning setting up the Christmas tree lot for the Boy Scout Troops big fundraiser, and found the gallery empty and quiet.

Unfortunately, I mounted my camera upside down. After sitting on the frustration for a few days and taking a couple more to figure out editing in iMovie, here are the results.

The show this month is a 2 woman show featuring paintings and collages from one artist that provided a great backdrop for my little kite as it floated by, and assemblage art that unfortunately didn’t always show up well in the background.

Part of the show was an interactive piece that I had to drag Luc away from so we could get to the rest of our list of chores.

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Posted in Miniature Kites

Not every day is a holiday

Posted on November 27, 2018 | Leave a comment

So the holidays are here.

I am not one to use the word depression, but between health, schedule, the number of balls in the fire, and missing some of my extended family and friends over Thanksgiving, I do find myself in a bit of a malaise.

So how do you re-energize yourself when you find yourself in a slump?

Remind yourself of your purpose

Unfortunately, most of us are not surrounded by cheerleaders. So when you’ve been sacked (again), you need visualize the goal line for yourself.

Before you dust yourself off and get back to work, make certain that when you do that work that you’re headed for the right direction. That last knock down might just be the punches you have to roll with, but there is the possibility that they were actually the rest of the salmon letting you know which direction the stream actually flows.

Take care of yourself

I’m awful at doing this myself, but when you’re down, there is nothing like a walk. Exercise your demons by exercising your body.

I’m not one to encourage anyone to turn their life upside down and commit to a yoga program or hit the gym for hours everyday, but it is startling what a good walk can do to straighten up your thoughts and your body’s physical alignment.

Not that I’m against yoga. If you can find a teacher and environment that suits your needs, I would encourage anyone to (gently and mindfully) explore the connections that a practice can help develop between mind and body

Bring on the dance team

Once you’re certain you have properly charted your course, and your ship is in shape, put some wind in those sails.

Find your hook, that (or those) things that will pump you up and make you feel unstoppable. Then employ that hook mercilessly. The carrot doesn’t work when the horse can’t see it, so keep you motivators close at hand.

Once you get some traction it should be easier to keep moving, but every no and again we all get bogged down. Just keep practicing these steps. Make sure you’re doing what your supposed to, make sure your strong enough to get it done, and get your self fueled up for the next leg of the drive.

Asking for directions

Sometimes we all lose sight of the goal, or find that the goal was just a mirage in the desert. That is not the time to sit and die in the sun, but neither is it time for action. It won’t serve you to wander around lost.

When you need to get your bearings, the first thing to do is to get quiet. Unplug, get away from the TV, the phone, and as many of the obligations that you think you have to take care of immediately.

Take some time to take care of yourself, but also get out and make some human connections. Spend some time volunteering.

Once you’re listening to what is really going on, then wander. Try something new. It may light your fire, it may help you reconnect to a previous passion, if not you can always try something else.

Get out there and do. As long as you’re listening, you will hear it when something calls to you. When it does, congratulations you have a new focus. Enjoy all that your new passion will bring to your life and you community.

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Posted in Like Living in Paradise

What a morning

Posted on November 16, 2018 | Leave a comment

How many minis?

I think that I’m starting to feel a little better, although I don’t know how that is really possible. I’m still spluttering. I’m still waking up too early (and even staying up too late on calls). I’m not eating as well as I should be.

Despite all that, I’ve found a reservoir of energy that I’m applying to the miniature kites. They are still not perfect (I would like anyone that receives one to help me improve them by helping me with the survey that I posted about last week), but they are good enough to move forward from R&D to limited production.

I woke this morning after about 4 hours sleep (again), and wanted to get right to the work. I had started on this kite the day before yesterday after bedtime, but was called away to a lock-out half way across the county. While I didn’t have a way to keep my eyes open after the call, I jumped right back into it this morning.

  • 2 inch Pentagon
  • 2 inch Pentagon on card

After wrapping it up, I still had some time, so I started into another, finished and prepped it to mail out. It is a belated birthday greeting that I had threatened to send out to a friend who has given me some grief over kiting, but especially kite making (it is also an ironic note as he has recently discovered a couple branches of power kiting).

  • 2 inch Sotich Shield kite
  • 2 inch Sotich Shield kite on card

Kudos to me!

As each of these was ready to bundle up, I posted them to facebook and my new Instagram account. No one has found my IG, but several of my friends and family reacted to the two fb posts, which stoked my ego in a nice way.

New material and tools.

On my way home from one of my lockout calls (it’s been busier this week that it often is) I found a new print to work with. I think this might become a birthday card for my dad.

The other day a slowed down for a moment to cut out a new template for a 3 inch version of the pentagon shape. I’m not ready to make one yet, but I am equipped now.

What else is coming down the pike?

This weekend I will take most of the day on Saturday to help put together the Christmas tree lot with the Boy Scout Troop, and Sam has a birthday party that he wants to go to all afternoon and into the night, but with any luck I will have some energy left over to make up some kites to use as samples to take to Winddriven (otherwise maybe a nap is in order).

However Saturday goes, on Sunday I should be able to take most of the day from the family and make a whole mess of kites in a variety of shapes and sizes (including some new custom 3 sticks) from both napkins and tissues.

Once I’ve got that selection ready to show off I’ll mail off a sample to the owners of Winddriven, and then keep making some more to take to OKR and send out to Warm Sands and U-MAKE.

All this productivity has got me inspired to work on some other projects, but most of my sewing room is filled up with this non-sewing venture and all of the other projects will take most of the room. So other projects are on hold until I can first catch up, then get ahead on production, but I do have so many news toys that I am really excited to play with when I can pay for them and dedicate the space to putting them together.

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Posted in Miniature Kites, Pentagon, Shield

Trying to live up to my moral obligation

Posted on November 14, 2018 | Leave a comment

It’s been a minute, but I have been busy. I’ve been making some progress on the bringing the miniature kites to market, I started to blog on a completely unrelated topic, Scouts still want to take up as much of my time as it can get, work still wants more time than I can give it, and I’m still fighting off that cold.

From time to time I have had thoughts bump into the receptors that may be related to the self doubt that Cathy has mentioned in probably every episode of the Don’t (just) Keep Your Day Job podcast. I am posting my thoughts and progress on this subject under a category by the same name. Of course, I do not mean any appropriation of the title. I just want to help identify the train of these thoughts, want to recognize the source of the inspirations, felt the “moral obligation” to put them out somewhere, and don’t want to clutter anyone else’s space up with my drivel.

New blog posts

On the subject of moral obligations, I came across this quote on Facebook the other day and it really resonated for me. “Reading and writing cannot be separated. Reading is breathing in; writing is breathing out.” The little voice in my head instantly translated “Reading” to “Listening”, and then that gem ran headlong into a long-lived ear-worm of mine.

One of my off the cuff responses to a casual greeting “How are you doing?” is “Just another day in paradise.” (although on a less good day the response can be “Thank you for asking.). While sometimes I wonder why I don’t naturally link that verbiage with Phil Collins (who I adore), being a child of the Eighties, I recognize that it is quite natural that I link the words with Diamond David Lee Roth (who I could live without).

So at a special moment, I connected these two thoughts with the concept that it is my moral obligation to share what I have been blessed with out in the world (or at least the digital world). I concluded that I had to start posting on the premise “Like Living in Paradise” where I hope to address attitudes that I encounter in my day to day on the Oregon Coast. I will try to sprinkle in some descriptions of activities and things to see.

Progress as of late

Besides the posts on the new blog, I have made several mare baby steps that have me very near having my minis to market.

I made a new template, and tried making a couple mini kites based on a pentagon that I’ve made in a larger size. I really like the concept as it provides lots more space for graphics.

I started an Instagram account, followed a few folks, commented on some of their posts and made my own first posts. I’m not comfortable with the media yet, and I’m certain that I’m not utilizing it to the utmost, but all in good time.

I folded and cut out a bunch of cards in a few different colors and figured out the corners that I want to use for my older kites (that I intend to send out to kiting friends because of differences in the construction from the newer ones).

I ordered a few supplies, some for the final steps on the cards and some for the Della Portas. Now I need to settle in and pound out a bunch of minis to use as samples for Winddriven. Also I will be able to make some progress on some life size art kites that have been on the drawing board for WAY too long.

That’s all I have for now. If anybody is actually reading this, please drop me a comment.

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Posted in Don't keep your day job

Back to kite making

Posted on November 14, 2018 | Leave a comment

I’ve slacked off making miniatures for a little bit, but I think it is time to get back into gear. I have a handful of cards cut out and figured out photo corners for some of my older kites, so now I just need to buckle down and make them.

This is the latest to come of the bench. I’m particularly fond of the swirl at the heart, I find it reminiscent of the eagle from the German State crest.

2 inch Sotich Shield

I do wish that this pattern was available in colors other than pink. I would love to see it in a bright blue or green, or a medium brown, but I am enjoying the swirls. On my next kite, I think I may play with part of the swirl from off center.

2 inch Sotich shield on card

Smooth Winds

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Posted in Miniature Kites, Shield