greetings from kingston - preparation for reparation (Patreon)

hallo loves -

just a quickie

greetings from rough draft coffee shop in kington, new york, where i am attempting to get my life together before attacking the holidays.

first off - WELCOME, WELCOME to a whole slew of new patrons who popped on here to grab the holiday card. welcome, friends, this is an amazing place and you're gonna like it here. wave hello in the comments, we're readin'. HALLO!!!!!!

all y'all: just a pre holiday-blitz note to all of you from a hazy-brain day....

my little brain hasn't quite recovered from 48 straight hours of photoshooting and sorting, and my processors are all on the fritz trying to put together this book - it was going to just be photos and a little bit of text and now i've decided i have too much to say, given the state of politics outside my window, it just doesn't seem like the time to speak simply through pictures. you'll see more soon, all of this is going very fast. the book will have to be handed in within the next few weeks for release along with the album, so just know that if i seem distant, it's because i'm deep in the depths of book-writin. and if i'm blogging and tweeting a ton, it's because i'm procrastinating.

 :)

a couple random thoughts today...as i know it's high stress time for many of us.

holidays are always an emotionally stressful time in the best of all worlds. 

family merges. expectations bubble. triggers are yanked.

slow down, drink less, eat less, or at least map out your mindlessness more mindfully if you can. don't forget: we argue more when we drink. and in the wise words of anthony: say less. you don't have to say everything that comes to mind, you don't have to counter every ignorant or hurtful thing anybody else has to say.

there's an incredible power in saying less, being quiet, and letting certain things slide and washing over you. go ahead, call people out, but choose. you don't have to pick every moment. stand up for what is true and defendable...but also take care of yourself and pick your battles. if you've got difficult families (and i know NONE OF YOU DO) - strap your own oxygen mask on first before helping others. and not be a downer: but most people don't change. flow with them, lead by example, and enjoy the fleeting moments of strangeness with enough detachment that you aren't a black hole of drainage by the end of the holidays. 

some relationships will strain to the brink before they will repair. sometimes you need to wait a long time and leave a lot of space before things and repair. leave space. sometimes the key isn't to try to fix, it's to back off and let the other party come forward. don't do everything.

and

- i am saying this mostly because i need to hear it more than anything - 

know that you're not going to get it all done. 

you're just going to get some of it done, and that's enough.

.......

ummm

here's another little fun sneak peek at the photoshoot from yesterday/day before...it's coco karol (who took part in the shoot) chasing our insane guinea fowl (they eat the ticks!!) across the driveway trying to get them into a shot. note the many telephones as well.

yes - this is where your money goes. i spent over $100 on antique telephones for yesterday's shoot. :) the guinea fowl, on the other hand, are all paid scale.

it was really overwhelming looking at over 100 photogrpahs yesterday and laying out album covers, book covers, merch, ad mats for promotors...i can't really see straight anymore.

i need images like this to squeegee my brain.

FEMINISM!

if all else fails,

i'm thinking this is a fine record cover...

a couple random things....

MARIA POPOVA has a new book out today. she's a great firned of ours (she runs the incredible site brainpickings.org):

and neil and i both write things for it!!

here's a little blurb:

"A Velocity of Being: Illustrated Letters to Children about Why We Read by 121 of the Most Inspiring Humans in Our World"

A labor of love 8 years in the making, featuring contributions by Jane Goodall, Yo-Yo Ma, Jacqueline Woodson, Ursula K. Le Guin, Mary Oliver, Neil Gaiman, Amanda Palmer, Rebecca Solnit, Elizabeth Gilbert, Shonda Rhimes, Richard Branson, Marina Abramović, Judy Blume, and other remarkable humans living inspired and inspiring lives.

more about it here!

looks like a perfect gift for many people....

https://www.brainpickings.org/2018/11/20/a-velocity-of-being-letters-to-a-young-reader/ 

...........

while we're at it, the ordering period for the holiday card is over but the DRESDEN DOLLS & AFP merch sales are still on.....here's where you can get all the info on the new items added, restocks of old favorites that were previously sold out and details on the holiday sale...

there's lots of STUFF we need to clear out!!!!!! and we have a few handmade journals left!!

http://amandapalmer.net/holidaysale2018

and here's the info for the dolls merch and slaes....if you wanted the metal shirt, it's here....and a ton of old shirts, vinyl and CDs that need clearing out!

http://dresdendolls.com/dresden-dolls-holiday-merch-bonanza

.......

NEW YORK/UPSTATE! don't forget to get tickets to PARTY IN THE CEMETERY #2 - my goth woods takeover in woodstock to clear out all the bob dylan vibes floating around. 

i'll play, there's a great band called weeknight opening up, there will be special surprise guests, and then we will dANCE OUR ASSES OFF!!! last time was *really really fun* - total goth hootenany - come come come. WE RENTED FOG THIS TIME I SHIT YOU NOT!

ALSO, if any of you are in MAINLAND EUROPE, the amazing legendary pink dots are touring in december and edward just sent me the dates.

if you've never seen them live, they changed my life, and you gotta go. their shows are religious experiences.

https://legendarypinkdots.org/tour-dates/

that's it for now

if i don't manage to write tomorrow - have a beautiful thanksgiving holiday if you're in the states, and if you're not in the states, wish us all luck with our insane families....

massive love and gratitude to you all

x

x

a

 p.s. new patrons: i almost always the signature below. it morphs, but it's mostly links for new people and reminders to patrons that there is an internet beyond!

------THE NEVER-ENDING AS ALWAYS---------

1. if you’re a patron, please click through to comment on this post. at the very least, if you’ve read it, indicate that by using the heart symbol.

2. see All the Things i've made so far on patreon: http://amandapalmer.net/patreon-things

3. join the official AFP-patron facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/afpland

4. new to my music and TOTALLY OVERWHELMED? TAKE A WALK THROUGH AMANDALANDA….we made a basic list of my greatest hits n stuff on this lovely page: http://amandalanda.amandapalmer.net/

5. general AFP/patreon-related questions? ask away, someone will answer: patronhelp@amandapalmer.net