Shifting priorities

I wanted to start working on 6 balls again so I made a new set of balloon juggling balls. My left hand is really rusty so I got frustrated this morning. As far as juggling skills you really do have to use them or lose them.

I made a very hard decision yesterday. Etsy is taking up a huge amount of my time for very little financial return. So I'm slashing my Etsy hours to the bare minimum, and I'm going to revamp my juggling show and make performing my main focus again. I'm going to make a juggling show with a pirate theme.
I had to ask myself, what has been the most lucrative work for me over the past 30 years, and the answer to that sure wasn't arts and crafts. Most of my income has come from juggling or hypnosis or face painting, or belly dancing. So I'm going to be spending my time where the money is. Sure beats starving. I will still keep my Etsy shops, but I will no longer worry if things sell or not. And I also made a new Etsy chatroom to celebrate called Pirate's Cove. So when I need to socialize, that's where I will be. If you see the room open drop by and say hello.
In the meantime, I'll be clearing all my arts and crafts out of my tiny apt. to make room for juggling and belly dancing. I will keep 2 or 3 projects handy to feed my craft addiction, but I'm tired of everything else being underfoot and making a huge mess. It's hurting my relationship too. We can hardly find each other in all this clutter.

Five Bag Juggling Practice

I made these beanbags with balloons and rice. Not only five balls in the frame, but five in the air at the same time. Self-portrait.

Flats

If memory serves me right these are Juggle Bug clubs. I almost ordered some Henry's, but I decided I don't earn enough money juggling to justify the cost at this point.
Today I was practicing right hand flats. I totally suck at left hand flats, but as soon as I feel 'unrusty' I'll start working on left hand flats so I can do a full cascade with all flats.

Haskett Library park photos

These photos were taken at the park by the Haskett Library in Anaheim CA. I only took my batons and my flower sticks with me so I could focus on just those two things.
I absolutely hate being this fat, but I'm not going to get any thinner sitting on my couch and pouting.

Ugh some people just don't get it

I was in such a good mood when I got to the park when this India(n) man comes up to me. He starts asking me all these questions...
Him: What are you doing.
Me: Getting some fun exercise
Him: Are your children all grown up (now how did he know I had children?_
Me: Yes
Him: Well are they in college?
Me: No, one already graduated and one is married and expecting a child.

By now this is really getting on my nerves.
So then he says Is your husband at work?
So I say yes.(I'm divorced but I sure wasn't going to tell this guy anything else).
And he says, "And you are just here doing this?"
So I say, "He's at his job, and I'm at mine.I have to practice during the week so I can do shows on the weekend."
Well, that totally confuses him. And things just kind of went downhill from there.
Finally I just turned my back on him and he left. But that was the end of my good mood. What the hell is wrong with people? And more to the point, why can't I just say, "Sorry, I don't give strangers personal information." That would have been rude but would have nipped it in the bud.

Now I'm using the library computer. I should have practiced longer, but I'm not in the mood now.

Balancing clubs/pins

I'm best at balancing things on my nose, but tonight I decided to work on forehead and chin balancing. Here are the best photos from my practice session tonight. The best way to learn is in a still room with a peacock feather.

3 clubs

I decided I better get off my duff and practice some juggling at the park before the 3 rainstorms heading our way hit. Even so the park was still soggy from the morning mist. My goal today was do take self-portraits doing 3 clubs. So here are the best photos from my little experiment.

Club Juggling

Cairo Carnivale a few years ago.

Bounce Juggling

A very inspiring bounce juggling video.
Viden One Of The Best Bounce Juggling Video - Funny home videos are a click away

Hooping it up.

Teapot Hat and Juggling

It was sure a nippy day for outdoor juggling. But I had to try out the new teapot hat I just made. Remind me to find a gym or something to practice in.

Juggling Wisdom

When I was in line waiting for the Harry Potter book to come out, I met some jugglers in line and I really wanted to juggle with them. So I ran inside Barnes and Noble and bought yet another set of cube bean bags made by Klutz.

Then yesterday I was sitting in a park, and decided to use my Sharpie marker to write on the blank sides of the juggling cubes. For one thing, now they won't get mixed up with anyone elses. But I also chose inspirational words that are qualities that will make a better juggler. I'll see if I can remember all 9.
1. Joy
2. Confidence
3. Devotion
4. Humility
5. Determination
6. Imagination
7. Inspiration
8. Peace
9. Originality

These qualities also apply to dance and other performing arts.

Orange Jugglers

For a few months the Orange Jugglers were meeting at the Buena Park mall but last time I dropped in they weren't there. Turns out they lost a spot again as the Mall is building a new Chucky Cheese in the spot where the jugglers met. So now they are once again looking for a new free or very cheap spot to juggle in.

I just joined world of blogs.

I just joined Globe of Blogs to see if I could meet more people interested in juggling.

Juggling Meetings

The Orange Jugglers are now meeting in Fullerton on Sundays. For specifics go here: http://www.orangejugglers.com/#meetings

I'm trying to arrange a meeting in Anaheim for the Nova Jugglers. If you live in Anaheim please contact me.

Juggling clubs.

Here's my friend Tom juggling my clubs at the archery workshop.
I was working on my club juggling when suddenly I remembered a bit of my old routine. So I worked on expanding it a little, in the hopes of developing a nice juggling routine.
I was thinking about what Dr. Oz said about the ideal workout being 30 minutes of walking a day, plus yoga and weight lifting. I really think juggling counts as weight lifting. He would too after doing 100 tosses with juggling clubs. It doesn't seem like much of a work-out until you stop doing it and get back into it again. And of course, heavier props are even more of a work-out. (Bowling balls come to mind).

Internation Jugglers Assoc. Convention.

For those who didn't know, every year the IJA puts on a wonderful and huge juggling convention in a different city of the U.S. This year's festival just ended. http://www.juggle.org/festival/
I have a juggling tribe on www.tribe.net called World Juggling. I only have about 17 members, and I could never figure out why there wasn't a greater interest. Then I see recently the same person open two tribes...one called Juggling and one called Contact Juggling and they already have about 150 members. I just don't get it? Why don't people support existing tribes instead of undercutting those already around. If those 170 people had joined mine, I'd have almost 200 people now. It's one of those little things in life that will just annoy me right now. I wouldn't mind at all if some of you joined my world juggling tribe. http://jugglers.tribe.net/ It might even cheer me up a bit.

juggling store

http://www.jugglingstore.com
There you go. He'll be vending at the Isla Vista Juggling Festival this weekend as well.

Isla Vista Juggling Festival

I was driving up the coast when I pulled off in Santa Barbara to look for a pretty spot to eat lunch. As I was looking for a parking spot, I happened upon a juggling store. (For those of you that juggle, you know how rare that is).
He asked if I knew that on March 26, 27 was a juggling festival at UCSB so I said 'You mean the Isla Vista Juggling Festival?' I had forgotten all about it. I'm working at an Easter event on Sat. and I'm debating if I want to drive 2 hours back to SB to go to the festival. I may or may not, gas is so high right now. I've already spent $60 on gas this trip, and I still have to drive from Atascadero to Anaheim to go home plus a week of driving in between. OY!
At any rate, I had a good time at the Juggling Store and I bought a blue faux acrylic ball for contact juggling. He said the Sphereplay contact juggling balls are being discontinued, so I'm glad I bought one now. I'll see if I can find his website for everyone.

W.C. Fields invented this form of juggling.