While wandering about looking for the necessary link to include with my blog entry on the flat artists a la Flat Stanley, what did I wander into but this good idea to educate about needs and encourage kids to do their part from an early age. Good idea, check it out - but fair warning: while you're nosing around over there try to stay away from the Barney's White House dog house. Those doggies are cute, cute, cute.

One of my daughters lured me over to a certain test-taking site by pointing me to a chart placing her political and social views on a chart that showed her being somewhere between Pope John Paul II and Gandhi. Hmmm, I thought. This was worth looking at. So I did. After I found out that my views put me in Donald Trump's social / political outlook neighborhood, I poked around more and it turned out that there was some very interesting stuff there . Before I go there though, I didn't score that far away from the late Pope but I was across some lines admittedly. I explain the Donald Trump thing by reminding you of my baton teaching story. I guess it's no surprise to anyone that I've been both a pragmatist and a capitalist since before I really understood what they are .

But back to the test site; the first test I took after leaving the social/political views issue claimed to slice and dice and classify my brain, which it says is:

60% interpersonal, 140% visual, 120% verbal, and 80% mathematical

Actual it explained that: "the score breaks down what kind of thinking you most enjoy doing. A score above 100% means you use that kind of thinking more than average, and a score below 100% means you use it less. It says nothing about how good you are at any one, just how interested you are in each, relatively" I'm with them on the Visual and Verbal thing and I know that I could be a hermit if needed, thus explaining the social thing, but I'm pretty sure either the test is full of hooey or I answered a couple questions wrong. Otherwise it would have rated my math enjoyment at about two percent. Then I really went over the edge by taking their "Death Test" which revealed the following: According to our research, you'll be dead by

September 2034 at age 87

Susan Dies at Age: 86.6 years
AVERAGE FEMALE LIFE SPAN:	77.1 years

Ok, but do they have to announce it so big ?

	WHY YOU DIE? 56% cancer 24% car accident 13% loneliness 5% drowning 2% wounds

That graphic is horrible. It looks like some Biblical illustration. And the next part is just downright depressing: You have 10580.1 days left on this earth.

You've already lived 67% of your life.

What? My grandparents were all born in the 1800s and they were older than that when they died way, back before modern medicine worked miracles! I'm being robbed. I feel like I just got here. Doesn't time just fly by after a certain point? I'd better get busy doing stuff and having fun like TODAY.

There are normally a plethora of blog-able topics at my house, and there are many more for a suburban Washingtonian to blog about. All this before we even get to the topic of ART!

But the art making had to suspend while I solved a pressing problem. WHAT was I going to wear to the shindig my husband's company's was throwing?The deal here is that wearing the corporate wife and artist hats at the same time has always been somewhat of a trick for me.

On the other hand I can't afford to miss out on an opportunity to say "Hi I'm Susan Reynolds" when we're talking about people who qualify as a "decision makers," thus getting invited to these soirees.

(After all, it was just the kind of event during which I first met Mark Felt, although I'd have never guessed he was Deep Throat, either then or in the time since.)

And although fifteen years ago I could still pull off this slinky backless number for a class reunion, I can't live in denial (or stay forty) forever. But I don't want anyone jumping to the obvious conclusion that I'm somebody's *grandmother who wandered away from the home and into the party.

With something like seven hundred people coming to an event in DC you never know who you will meet. Literally. So after lots of angst - back and forth - hemming and hawing, I bought two dresses.

On "event day" a tailored purple silk option turned out to be just the perfect thing for the weather. And the shade of purple is simply scrumptious enough to be designated by the Vatican to be the patron color of creative people.

I think I was going for the "classy but creative" look, although I don't think I would have been able to vocalize that until after the fact. At the end of the day I felt good, created the opportunity to hand out some business cards, recognized people AND remembered their names. Since I've learned the trick of eating before-hand I could skip balancing a plate and as a result was able to focus on business, both my husband's and my own. I did get a chance to bring up Flat Stanley and my fellow artists' projects on the theme, which is always good for entertainment. I'd call it a success all around. And fun, even if there weren't artists there.

And who knows who the cute young guy from Texas who I was talking Ohio-Texas football with might turn out to be in reality. It is Washington after all.

* Try to ignore the fact that I am somebody's grandmother. Let's just hope that people believe that I and said granddaughter's mother were child brides - even though we weren't.

Two weeks ago while watching one more sad image from Louisiana I just up and decided that I needed to create a sunny floral artistamp for autumn projects. I for one want some positive images in front of me for a change and my main criteria was that it should have nothing to do with water or New Orleans. Beyond that when I was thinking about fall colors I really wanted to avoid that "autumn gold" from my old kitchen appliances in 1970-something. (And remember that Avacado color? Yuck.) The secondary requirement was that it have absolutely nothing to do with mums in any way shape or form. Been there; done that; it's not the Homecoming football game corsage circa 1965. So instead I whipped up a confection of coral and orange kissed with sunny yellow and.here it is: Autumn Blooms - Issue 120.05. As usual it comes to you in the form of a pdf file that you can use ( and use over and over again by the way ) to print out your own stamps by the sheet. The list price for license to use individual artistamp issues is $5.00. A special for blog readers, Issue 120.05 is available via the "Buy Now" button below at $4.50. Use it on snail mail, art projects, in your journal etc. When are you going to get a specially designed piece of art at a price better than that?

This morning I was checking in with the Pentagon for a press packet dealing with General Dick Myers' last day on the job.

There's always something interesting on the Pentagon site in any case. But honestly today I had one verifiably good reason, and another simply good natured reason driving my visit.

a.) I feel called to rib my son that his branch is losing their Pentagon"in" with the end of USAF General Myer's term.

b.) Ephemeria plans to issue both USAF General Myers and USMC General Pace Artistamps in the next couple of days and I needed to locate the approved public information photos so I'm not infringing on copyrights.

Anyhow, while poking around the Pentagon website I came across a video that I think will touch and inspire just about anyone. Check it out at Red, White and Blue

Following up on the emergency preparedness topic, I've run across a book that looks beyond normal run of the mill issues surrounding a crisis. When Technology Fails: A Manual for Self-Reliance and Survival begins where most emergency books fail and has taken a closer look at the broader field of self-reliance rather than simply beginning with reactions in crisis. There's a lot to think about here. But if you want to skip entirely thinking of the long-term or move past the stockpiling Emergency Supplies (and I'll admit they think about more products than I would have thought about needing) you'll probably want to read through the CERF pages. Focusing on advice from craft artists who have lived through a natural disaster, CERF, although not specifically addressing details like emergency kits for artists, has lots of information that may be helpful in thinking about a possible emergency. Highlights for craft artists who want to be prepared for a natural disaster include:

1. Insurance: “Insure as much as you can afford.

2. Location: “Consider a safe business location, as far as possible from disasters happening (not near volcanoes, in possible flood zones, in old buildings with faulty wiring, etc.). “Check the flood tables for your studio's location.

3. Planning & preparation: “Reduce the clutter in living and workspaces. “Keep all receipts for all things purchased. Be diverse. If you are knocked out of production by a disaster, then have another skill to help you get back on your feet in the meantime.”

4. Responding to a disaster: Minimize water damage as quickly as possible. Never depend on government agencies to assist you. You will waste valuable time and patience.”

5. Keep an unsinkable attitude. Keep a journal. Don't forget to relax. “Keep a sense of humor.” Remember to be grateful for all that you DO have.

Lots to think about, or try to ignore depending on your personality and capacity.

Along with reading the outstanding book Getting Things Done recommended by Alison Stanfield , I'm also digging into the fascinating Al Qaeda Connection: International Terrorism & Organized Crime. Going into this one I wasn't sure if it would be seriously disturbing or more illuminating. Now I'd say it's a good dose of both. My life has come to one of those moments of synchronicity and I'm in "Get Prepared" mode. Today, as I'm listening to representatives grill ex-FEMA director Brown, scenes of a decimated gulf coast roll in the background. And on a clear September day in Virginia I'm not sure it would be possible to avoid the image of a burning Pentagon called up from the newsreel of my memory. The real question is how does an artist prepare beyond how a mom, or a lawyer, or a bank teller prepares? To prepare for a tornado, hurricane, flood or worse I've stashed trash bags, baby wipes, water, preserved food, battery powered lantern, radio in my waterproof container. And I suppose nearly everyone in Washington has a "grab and go" bag with pocket knife, needle and thread, shampoo, underwear, socks & extra prescription meds. But I can't help wondering if poets and musicians and artists need intangible things more than essential survival gear. I'm not suggesting stocking tubes of paint instead of water, but wondering if I would cease to feel and react like an artist if I became an evacuee. Sitting in a Red Cross shelter in West Virginia what would I want with me to soothe the muse? Laptops may not make it on the list of "essentials," but surely a digital camera plus some colored pens and pencils with a small sketchbook could make the cut. And, in theory at least, I'd gladly substitute a digital music player for an extra pair of socks. That's in theory though. Later I may realize that's just nuts. I could be just as stunned as I was after September 11, 2001 and incapable of having a creative thought. Googling "creative people" and "emergency" I found a fascinating paper on creativity in people involved with emergency response and The Arts in a Time of Crisis was a very interesting read. As far as the more common emergency needs go, the links and websites listed below can give us food for thought. But for the creative soul they offer little input. And it occurrs to me that it's a subject that deserves some consideration. I need to give it some thought. Wikipedia: Self Rescue Emergency Supplies Checklist Earthquake Comfort Kits Red Cross: Build a Kit / Checklist

Following up on a music entry which took you to the lovely land of David Gray, I've found some snippets of information to share. It seems that the folks over at NPR are in the same boat as many of others and are trying to catch up. Figuring out that we're all a bit behind on the technology curve they are experimenting with Podcasting. So here are some of their bits and pieces of podcasting information, plus links which I think you might find interesting

What is podcasting?

What do I need to hear podcasts?

How do I subscribe to a podcast?

I subscribed to a podcast. Why don't I hear anything? For information you can visit the NPR.org Help Center In the meantime I'm happily learning new things and figuring out how they can be helpful to what I do. Today Podcasting; tomorrow who knows what. The sky's the limit. I might even figure out Skype sometime this year.

Michael Yon calls himself an "independent informed observer". I call him a gutsy guy whose writing ability is only getting better. I've been reading his pieces for awhile now and all of it is interesting. But some slice of life stories strike me as particularly important to know about. The one linked here is particularly comprehensive and tells the story on many levels. From where I sit, it should be mandatory reading for everyone who wants to know what's really going on in what my son just calls "the desert." Read : Empty Jars; from Michael Yon Online Magazine To get Michael's RSS feed plug this address into your feed reader, yahoo homepage RSS server etc: http://michaelyon.blogspot.com/atom.xml

Last night again I witnessed the often hapless Redskins slip easily into - er - what else can I call it except their normal dismal performance mode when taking on the perennial nemesis, Dallas. Not being able to take any more virtual angst, I went to sleep after three and a half quarters with Dallas leading 13-0. So it was a shock to wake up this morning to this picture. I had to go to three different sports sites and check my sports feed to boot, just to make sure it wasn't April Fool's day. Apparently my turning off the TV and switching on my new favorite, the David Gray music mix, to help lull me into dream land was just the psychic clue Washington's squad needed to pull them out of their dismal performance. What? How can they score while I sleep? Especially after I hung on through hours of agonizingly pitiful performance. The lead seemed pretty safe considering the Redskins hadn't gotten beyond about the thirty yard line all night and had not scored a touchdown all season. I was seriously doubting the ability of Joe Gibbs, Joe Bugle and the over the hill coaching gang. This morning maybe it's time to make some art based on a "miracles" theme.

The sound-track playing in the background of my life really affects my day. I am attuned to the pace of comings and goings, the burble of various fountains, phones ringing, meowing; all these bits and pieces flowing through my life. Music also plugs into that mix, and the latest musical additions to my sound-track both energize me and raise my spirits. One CD that has slipped seamlessly into the music library in the past week has been South from Heather Nova, which some fans claim is heretical and untrue to the "real" (edgier?) Nova. To me South seems more like the womanly creation of someone who is finding her adult voice. However, as much as I like it, Nova takes second place to the work of David Gray, in particular the new Life In Slow Motion CD. For a real treat you may want to check out NPR for a LIVE concert David did here in Washington at the 9:30 Club last month

• Hear David Gray in Concert

If you listen to the concert you can just skip everything that comes after this and go order Life In Slow Motion which just came out on September 13 either as the CD or the cool new Dual Disc! But for the rest of you, here's my description of the CD: "Alibi" and "The One I Love" kick Life In Slow Motion off with lyrical qualities and the rest of the music falls in line in a most lovely way. I heard an Allison Krause like vocal in "From Here You Can Almost See The Sea," and the unmistakable influence of Bob Dylan in "Ain't No Love." And it's amazing how "Disapearing World" is positively Lennon-esque. And who could have predicted that I would ever utter the following words: One of my favorites just has to be "Hospital Food." NPRConcert: - The One I Love - Nos Da Cariad - Please Forgive Me - Alibi - Lately - Long Distance Call - Ain’t No Love - Slow Motion - Hospital Food - My Oh My - Disappearing World Encore: - From Here You Can Almost See the Sea - Sail Away - Baltimore - Freedom Learn more about the NPR podcasts NPR: All Songs Considered

An eclectic mix of fresh music by emerging artists and breakout bands -- from NPR.org's Web-only music show. With host Bob Boilen. More Information Updates: Wednesdays at 4:15pm ET Duration: approx 15 minutes

Subscription link

Warning: this has nothing to do with art. Even if I was driven to design a stamp when I heard about this becoming an issue, that fact is entirely beside the point. So, here's the scoop. New York Law School , in normal contrarian fashion, is holding a panel discussion entitled, "Is Constitution Day Constitutional: Byrd-Brained Idea or Welcome Opportunity?" This all comes after new federal law was passed, requiring every American school that receives taxpayer funding to teach students about the U.S. Constitution on or around Sept. 17, the anniversary of the document's signing in 1787. So here's the thing. The Education Department is not policing ANY schools to make sure they're complying. And the law does not specify how schools present the lesson, which means that New York Law can, as each other school can, create its own class or program. But that fact notwithstanding, NYL is publicizing this "discussion of the constitutionality of the law." They wonder "if congress really can require schools to present programs or distribute materials relating to the United States Constitution on or about Sept. 17 each year." Oh - and they say that they will "discuss potentially more appropriate ways to teach Americans about the Constitution." OK, that's me with the dumbfounded look on my face. Since each school comes up with their OWN lesson or presentation - um - I'm wondering exactly WHAT the folks at NYL will be comparing to their "more appropriate" approach. Don't even get me started. I'm not one who normally can abide being lectured by the law's author, the dapper though pompous windbag, aka: the Senator from West Virginia, Robert Byrd. I mean, after all, even for a Senator this is a guy who acts like he's pretty much superior to everybody else, bar none. And tacking this "event" on as on amendments to a spending bill raises my hackles too, but watch me make every effort to ignore that. In the end I guess it comes down to being open minded enough to support a little more basic education and a little less politically correct kumbaya singing. What can I tell you; I'm the mother of four and regardless of being educated in some of the best-funded school systems in the US, only #4 (incidentally, the only one who home-schooled from the middle of grade one through grade twelve) has much of a grasp of history. Have you seen Jay Leno in his Jay-Walking questioning of people on street corners? I mean come on people; let's admit we need help. So I say, bring on the History! Make the History Channel mandatory watching in the time saved when schools stop studying the geography of outer Slobovia. I see this NYL stunt as merely another excuse for a bunch of elite attorneys who give liberalism a bad name to bemoan how downtrodden the American people are with such unreasonable requirements such as expecting the nation's educators to actually illuminate us about the benchmark of our liberties, our Constitution. Here's a thought, though. Perhaps New York Law might better serve the community, their students and their country by sending faculty and student body volunteers into schools, village halls, fire houses and libraries (See a video of a discussion with students) to discuss the living document that our constitution is and how it affects our everyday life. Sure. That's going to happen. constitutioncenter.org

After tragedies and solemn events this seemed like a good time to do a couple of fun things. Luckily for me artistamps can be designed in a shorter period of time than the bigger stuff, so it's easier to produce a creative response to the drama of current events with the Ephemerian Artistamps. Some issues are planned in advance. But others just kind of bubble up to my consciousness from some creative cauldron where they've been percolating in response to the news of the day. The newest - Margaritaville to Splittsville - is one of those creations of serendipity that takes a light approach to what could be a serious issue in the normal world. But in Ephemeria the palace folk have decreed that celebrity weddings are not valid until the celebrities have fulfilled all three of the following: a.) have been "matched' by e-harmony b.) have been living as a functional couple for seven years c.) have spent two months in a two bedroom ranch home in the suburbs of Rochester NY caring for two year old triplets without outside help So we didn't see this as really unexpected event. And besides, I thought that it may be just the thing for your latest project or a fun addition to snail mail. It will be available as part of a Collection in the future but today it's being issued as a commemorative sheet that you can print out of your computer and start using today and as many times as you want in the future. If you're part of the artistamp group you've picked it up already but anyone else who wants it can order via the "add to cart" button. To say thanks for your support I'll throw in something special since I'll know you're finding out about it through my blog. So promise me you'll have fun with it, OK?

The artistamp marking the National Day of Prayer and Rememberance has been issued and will be distributed within the next 24 hours as an attachment to the members of the Artistamp Freebies group. If Artistamps are a new thing to you or if you would like to learn more about Artistamps see the Artistamps page on the website. To get this particular issue of the images and any new stamps that are issued as freebies in the future simply join the freebies group. Make sure to specify when registering that you want to get individual emails. Here's why: The stamps are distributed as PDF attachments which you can open and print by the sheet, but if you are not set up to get individual emails yahoo will strip the attachment and you will not be able to get the files. As always, artistamp freebies are just that; free. In this case I'm asking that you make any size donation to one of the Gulf Coast Charities, even if that donation is a dollar. Other artistamps can be viewed throughout other entires in this blog and on both the Artistamp page of the website and on a separate Artistamp Sampler Sheets page.

I was fascinated with Walking in This World, Julia Cameron's follow-up to her successful book: The Artist's Way. It seem like a natural thing to write about after the National Day of Prayer and Rememberance service at the National Cathedral this morning. Here's the thing; what strikes me about Walking in This World is not how practical and do-able I find her suggestions for creative people. What touches a chord with me is that an underlying spirituality shines through in her approach in which our best selves are nurtured. Even in 2005 when we are overstimulated and stretched thin we are reminded to be good to ourselves. Cameron encourages us to take the time to build the atmosphere in which we can do what we are meant to do, create what we are meant to create, and be what we are meant to be. Perhaps the most remarkable thing about my writing this today is this bit of synchronicity. I went to Amazon to get the ISBN number to provide a link to the book and discovered that it is on Special right now for $6.99 (list price is $32.95). Of course I grabbed a copy to use as a gift, and since I wanted to wrangle free shipping, I dropped Getting Things Done into my cart. My favorite Art Biz Coach, Alyson, gave it high marks in her Blog. You probably know that the issue is a recurring theme of frustration with me, so after Alyson's recomendation I'm looking forward to reading this. Needing to spend another seven bucks to reach the $25 free shipping threshhold, I added Guerilla Marketing for Free to the list. The ideas I picked up from his first book Guerilla Marketing in 1984 turned my six student after-school art class into a five day a week program with three instructors a short three years later. That's what I call results, so I swear by this guy. If you're looking for more book ideas see the column to the right of this entry. All are well worth your time and some are available used through Amazon Marketplace sellers.

Sometimes a graphic image evolves; and suddenly I know just where it should be.

This time it was a daisy; simple and lovely in the identity design I'm working on.

Then bit by bit a reincarnation of my seventies flower child self asserted herself and the before I knew it the daisy had morphed into a symbol of Love, Peace and Flower Power; picking up the rainbow of colors of a pop symbol.

This is when I grabbed it, psychedelic colors and all, for the "Lost in the 70s" artistamp.

Hey, man, like groovy to stare at while listening to the Mamas and the Papas. Or slap it on a letter to your roomie who dragged you to Woodstock.

I'm adding it to the catalogue of Ephemeria's Artistamps in pdf image file "sheets" for the artsy use of flower children and aging hippies. I'll even consider letting the "me" generation and corporate sell-outs in on the fun.

Orders for the Lost in the Seventies Artistamp, Issue 110.05 will be processed in the order in which they come in. Paypal the license fee of $4.50 to studio@susanreynolds.com

The license means you are entitled to use the image as many times as you wish. You will receive a PDF file containing a half-sheet of the artistamps ready to print at home or office.

News worth passing on: You Can Help by Donating very simple stamped cards USArtQuest has put out a call to stampers, scrappers and artisans of all kinds to help build “We Care” Card Art Kits: They are asking that you stamp and emboss at least 6 Christmas/Holiday cards with envelopes and send them to USArtQuest. They will supply the goodies with which evacuees can jazz up the cards (think brushes, watercolors, stickers, markers, etc.) And USArtQuest will do the assembly, packing and shipping of the kits to the affected areas. Those who receive the kits will have, for at least a few hours, the opportunity to sit, paint, embellish and finish the cards for their friends and family for the holidays. We all know that something as small as sending or receiving a card can be very important. The deadline for you to get the cards to USArtQuest is October 5th and lots more details are here: http://www.usartquest.com/about/cardkits.html

Well folks they're talking about us over at the trendwatching.com newsletter In fact, they're calling us minipreneurs. Among those included in this classification are cottage businesses, mompreneurs, solopreneurs, eBay-ers, small and micro businesses, freelancers, side-businesses, weekend entrepreneurs, web-driven entrepreneurs, free agents, sponsored bloggers and so on. Doesn't almost everyone you know fall into that group somehow? But the trendwatch folks didn't stop there. They've introduced me to another term I wasn't familiar with; Generation C which they use to describe people who provide Content on the web. Trendwatching says "anyone with even a tiny amount of creative talent can (and probably will) be part of this not-so-exclusive trend." I agree. And actually any of us who write or provide images online are already part of this group. It's an interesting subject. But you'll want to read more about it and how you can profit from the trend at the Trendwatch Generation C pages. You can follow this whole subject by subscribing to the Trendwatching RSS Feed through your reader or go to their syndication page. And don't forget that if you want to get my blog entries through a news feed / RSS check out the step by step in my earlier entry. Or just put the address http://ephemeria.blogspot.com/atom.xml into your favorite feed reader. Note: I'd love to hear if anyone knows how the difference between a small business and a micro business is defined, either on the Trendwatch site or elsewhere.

OK, here's the report on my own Zinio "e" format magazines experience to this point. Without placing an order for anything or giving a credit card number I was able to click on over to the Zinio.com website and within about five minutes I had ordered free e-copies of three magazines of interest to me. I chose Stamp, Step and Dynamic Graphics. And all three were delivered almost immediately. None are the current issues on the news-stand but all are up to date in any case and I'm pretty happy about finding out about this whole thing. And I'm also very pleased that I could download them immediately without having them jam up my mail box. They (the folks at zinio) have a neat "delivery system" and reader software and it was easy to obtain the sample issues and then open and read them. I really got the impression of actually leafing through the pages. And this is a good thing since these particular publications are graphics rich. I'd give Zinio an A plus on my experience and the quality of the product so far. But I'm going to now order something I have to actually pay for and see if there's a perceptible difference between that and the freebies. Stay tuned!