Glimmers: my wife is recovering from her recent surgery and even more recent hospitalization for pneumonia. We were able to go out for Chinese food this week, which thrilled us both. She’s been shut-in almost all winter except for medical stuff. Also, I threw in the towel on building a mandocello from scratch and did something I wouldn’t recommend: I ordered a seven-string guitar kit from Amazon and (God willing) will be converting it into a mandocello. The reason I wouldn’t recommend using an Amazon kit as a platform is because I’ve seen a lot of reviews from buyers who ran into issues such as ill-fitting parts and improperly seasoned wood. (There are others sources for quality kits like Guitar Kit World and BYOGuitar that sell kits that are more reliable and consistent in quality. Guitar Kit World has fantastic online support for first-time builders.) The reason I went with Amazon is mostly the price. The fact that I’m going to modify the kit will void any warranty, and since I’ve built quite a few electric guitars from scratch I’m confident that I will be able to remedy any problems that might stop a beginner in his tracks. The kit has arrived and I’ve inspected it and inventoried the parts and everything looks good. I’ll be documenting the building on Substack (photos and text only, no video, as I don’t have a proper camera). Gillian, if you and your little friend decide to build a stringed instrument I’ll give you all the help I can, just let me know what you’re planning. There are plenty of tutorials on YouTube, and the best one I’ve seen is a three-part video by a Belgian guy on his channel Tchiks Guitars. This guy’s channel is so much fun that my wife watches it with me, even though she’s never played an instrument in her life. Thanks for sharing this fine post. It’s always a pleasure to see you in print!
Rafael, that is a glimmer indeed that your wife is getting better. I’ll be glad also to see your mandocello come to life. It will be a few years before I have time for a stringed instrument - I am still spending every spare minute finishing our house. Thank you for your generous offer to give me a hand!
Read too many things tonight that were filling me with a rising panic. Thankyou for this Gillian, laughing at a LOLigarchy is just the lightness I needed!
Today's glimmers: doggo cuddles before work, always birds - spotted 5 New Holland Honeyeaters singing a gorgeous song as they splashed around in the bird bath this evening and an absolute ripper of a sunset.
You are welcome - laughing at men with oversized egos and way too much power feels appropriately subversive. Doggos always feature in your glimmers - what sort of dog/dogs do you have? (Did I ask that already?)
Indeed it does! Yes always birds and always my dog 😄 I have a little ginger English staffy. She's an old gal now, with a frosty face, but will always be my baby. Very snuggly and endlessly entertaining with a hilarious, sassy character. I think she's in my profile picture in the background.
Yes she is! I hadn’t zoomed in on your pic - lovely to see your smiling face and your gal! We had a staffy cross when I was a kid - so much energy!! xox
Oh Gillian -- this made me laugh, thank you! My glimmers: a friend I haven't seen for awhile coming to visit; several hours of silence and solitude, and a bigger tax return than I expected.
Yes, he(?) was! We managed to help him escape once it got dark by getting him into the bathroom where I could help him out the window - so extraordinary!
Your combination of insights and humour keep me separate from the insanity of the chaos.
My glimmers - an apology was accepted. A beautiful day was spent with husband and a friend. A fire i spotted when locking up my chickens was just a neighbour incinerating rubbish with a water hose in hand. Phew. It allowed us to have a friendly chat. X
You are welcome Jocelyn! I never set out to draw political cartoons with L’il Bean but they keep falling in my lap! Glad to make you laugh :) Funny how a feeling of relief can also be a glimmer!
Sounds like a techno utopia! I actually have a plan for a series of small paddocks around the house with some sheep to rotationally graze everything I have to mow at the moment!
Glimmers: my wife is recovering from her recent surgery and even more recent hospitalization for pneumonia. We were able to go out for Chinese food this week, which thrilled us both. She’s been shut-in almost all winter except for medical stuff. Also, I threw in the towel on building a mandocello from scratch and did something I wouldn’t recommend: I ordered a seven-string guitar kit from Amazon and (God willing) will be converting it into a mandocello. The reason I wouldn’t recommend using an Amazon kit as a platform is because I’ve seen a lot of reviews from buyers who ran into issues such as ill-fitting parts and improperly seasoned wood. (There are others sources for quality kits like Guitar Kit World and BYOGuitar that sell kits that are more reliable and consistent in quality. Guitar Kit World has fantastic online support for first-time builders.) The reason I went with Amazon is mostly the price. The fact that I’m going to modify the kit will void any warranty, and since I’ve built quite a few electric guitars from scratch I’m confident that I will be able to remedy any problems that might stop a beginner in his tracks. The kit has arrived and I’ve inspected it and inventoried the parts and everything looks good. I’ll be documenting the building on Substack (photos and text only, no video, as I don’t have a proper camera). Gillian, if you and your little friend decide to build a stringed instrument I’ll give you all the help I can, just let me know what you’re planning. There are plenty of tutorials on YouTube, and the best one I’ve seen is a three-part video by a Belgian guy on his channel Tchiks Guitars. This guy’s channel is so much fun that my wife watches it with me, even though she’s never played an instrument in her life. Thanks for sharing this fine post. It’s always a pleasure to see you in print!
Rafael, that is a glimmer indeed that your wife is getting better. I’ll be glad also to see your mandocello come to life. It will be a few years before I have time for a stringed instrument - I am still spending every spare minute finishing our house. Thank you for your generous offer to give me a hand!
Read too many things tonight that were filling me with a rising panic. Thankyou for this Gillian, laughing at a LOLigarchy is just the lightness I needed!
Today's glimmers: doggo cuddles before work, always birds - spotted 5 New Holland Honeyeaters singing a gorgeous song as they splashed around in the bird bath this evening and an absolute ripper of a sunset.
You are welcome - laughing at men with oversized egos and way too much power feels appropriately subversive. Doggos always feature in your glimmers - what sort of dog/dogs do you have? (Did I ask that already?)
Indeed it does! Yes always birds and always my dog 😄 I have a little ginger English staffy. She's an old gal now, with a frosty face, but will always be my baby. Very snuggly and endlessly entertaining with a hilarious, sassy character. I think she's in my profile picture in the background.
Yes she is! I hadn’t zoomed in on your pic - lovely to see your smiling face and your gal! We had a staffy cross when I was a kid - so much energy!! xox
Thank you!! LOLigarchy - needed the laugh today. What a circus…
Circus indeed - resets my lower expectations everyday, ever lower :(
Oh my gosh, this made me laugh, thank you. And I loved the clip, mine mine mine.
Glad you loved the clip - probably my favourite bit of animation ever!
Oh Gillian -- this made me laugh, thank you! My glimmers: a friend I haven't seen for awhile coming to visit; several hours of silence and solitude, and a bigger tax return than I expected.
Glad to bring you a smile xoxo
Terrific! A whole new set of definitions that - alas - are too descriptive of the times. Thanks for your work.
Thanks for reading Leah, do I remember right, you have a book coming out soon?
Yes. Discovering the Spiritual Wisdom of Trees, coauthored with Beth Norcross, will be released on Earth Day, 4/22. Thanks for asking.
Send me a reminder when the time comes and I will include it in my glimmers - it certainly will be a glimmer - I am looking forward to reading it!
I love your illustrations, Gillian. What a time we live in...
The microbat that you describe sounds so cute! xx
The bat was amazing, you will be please to know I managed to rescue him back outside last night, but not before he crawled up my arm!
Wow! He crawled up your arm!?!
Yes, but such a tiny delicate thing there was no fear :)
Nice Gillian...your ice pole note reminded me of a beautiful meme on IG of kids trying to say "popsicle"... I'll send to you if I find it again x
I did wonder if icey pole is an Australian term!?
Definitely Australian 😉 my friends Grandma from Melbourne used to say Icey pole!
Aussie?
Ha, Yes, what gave it away? Bloody Hell, or Icey Pole?
That little bat sounds incredible ❣️
Yes, he(?) was! We managed to help him escape once it got dark by getting him into the bathroom where I could help him out the window - so extraordinary!
Simply brilliant, thank you for the chuckle!
Glad to give you a laugh!
Love this! Thank you for the laugh this morning. It was much needed.
You are so welcome!
Thanks Gillian,
Your combination of insights and humour keep me separate from the insanity of the chaos.
My glimmers - an apology was accepted. A beautiful day was spent with husband and a friend. A fire i spotted when locking up my chickens was just a neighbour incinerating rubbish with a water hose in hand. Phew. It allowed us to have a friendly chat. X
You are welcome Jocelyn! I never set out to draw political cartoons with L’il Bean but they keep falling in my lap! Glad to make you laugh :) Funny how a feeling of relief can also be a glimmer!
glimmers...ride on mower therapy. Bless you Gillian.
Thank you Ian, hilarious you love the ride on, I mostly hate it - I am allergic to grass so have to wear a full suit and mask, so much fun in summer!
My glimmer hope for you...may you receive a self driving computerised mower that does it for you 🙂
Sounds like a techno utopia! I actually have a plan for a series of small paddocks around the house with some sheep to rotationally graze everything I have to mow at the moment!
this is great.
glimmers- a long overdue 3 hour catch up with my best friend
- finding 2 eggs in the newly hidden chooks nest, not sure why they can't just use the nest boxes
- finally getting a sour dough starter going
Yay for sourdough! and chooks! and catch ups!