Friday Tip

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! I hope you’re someplace cool today!

In tips past I’ve told you tricks that involve old stockings, like this one and this one. Here’s another! And it’s seasonally appropriate.

Stockings are useful gardening tools.

As you can see from the photo, I’m using an old stocking to support this pumpkin that has grown up the fence. The stocking, securely tied to the fence, will stretch as the pumpkin grows and the vine doesn’t have to support all the weight.

Stockings also work well to tie tomato plants to stakes without cutting into the stems.

Do you garden? Do you reuse stockings or other unlikely items?

M2

P.S. It turns out this is my 600th tip! If I’d realized that, I would have tried to make it more momentous. Ah well!

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 19 Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page. Or you can just tip me if you liked this.

Published in: on 28 July 2023 at 3:56 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Friday Tip

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! This is a  bit of a specialty tip today.

If you tap dance, you can make sure you always have a good dance surface with a tap board.

How many times have we had to perform on carpet or some other less than ideal stage? It can make a regular burlesque routine challenging, but for a tap dancer, it can be impossible to perform.

The answer is a tap board — a portable wooden dance surface. You can buy them or make them (there are plenty of tutorials out there). For our most recent show, Scratch constructed one for Ava that was disguised as a briefcase, which opened flat when she was ready to dance on it. (it’s not light, but Ava handled it with grace).

M2These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 19 Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page. Or you can just tip me if you liked this.

Published in: on 21 July 2023 at 3:32 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Friday Tip

Dear Constant Reader,

It’s another hot and humid day. Ah, summer in New England! While this tip is especially helpful in summer, I think it’s pretty good year round.

Pack clothes for after the show. 

After sweating your way through a show, it feels good to put on some fresh clothes afterwards for socializing or just the trip home. If you can’t bring an entire set, at least bring some clean underthings to change into.

M2These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 19 Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page. Or you can just tip me if you liked this.

Published in: on 14 July 2023 at 9:29 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Blogaversary

Dear Constant Reader,

WordPress just reminded me that I’ve been writing missives here for 12 years.

Thanks for being here for my eclectic, erratic writings!

M2These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 19 Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page. Or you can just tip me if you liked this.

Published in: on 12 July 2023 at 3:21 pm  Leave a Comment  

Friday Tip

Dear Constant Reader,

Summer is here! It’s very darn hot in Boston. Here’s a seasonal tip!

Consider keeping a small folding fan in your bag.

Not only can it help you cool down but you can use it to speed up drying your liquid makeup or pastie adhesive when it’s humid.

M2These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 19 Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page. Or you can just tip me if you liked this.

Published in: on 7 July 2023 at 5:04 pm  Leave a Comment  
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