Here is my big New York purchase. A lovely green apron with some Tomie dePaola art on it.

NOT to be a Debbie Downer (I promise to still write up some NY highlights), but here is where I am today:

After an interesting morning of me making silly mistakes and getting huffy I've decided to wear this apron while working on art or stories that I don't want people to comment on YET. That's the problem with not being a monk or a stylite--I don't live alone on a pointy rock and sometimes I open my mouth or share a sketch too soon before it is ready to share OR I am ready to take criticism on it. This morning I should have known better, but it is hard NOT to want to talk out a new plot idea or show a sketch sometimes. Especially if none of our in-house doors lock.

The new house rule (also applies to all house visitors) is: If I'm wearing the green apron and I show you something or read you something all you can do is smile and say "That's GREAT! Keep going!"

You CAN'T say it like Ben Stein or Joan Rivers--more like Hayley Mills in Pollyanna or Julie Andrews at any time. Once I take the apron OFF and I ask for feedback you can be brutally honest, but while the apron is on it is a world without criticism so I can keep creating without any internal or external editors.

Am I the only one who feels this way or makes this mistake? Still looking in my writing books for corroboration that other authors and artists sometimes share their work too soon, too, before the idea has had time to root and grow more than those two little bud leaves. I'm hoping that this IS true and NOT that the story line I told Aaron about this morning stinks like old manure.

I've been sensitive about my new work before, but part of this irritability might be due to our plane ride home from NY...

Aaron and I spent Valentine's day walking all over Manhattan in cold snow and whipping winds, but our JetBlue flight was still listed as departing at 7:30 pm. We took the subway to JFK and got there shortly before 6 pm. We didn't get on the plane until 9:45 pm and THEN we sat on a full plane until three in the morning smelling other people's hot Nabisco snack breath. We finally took off around 3:30 am. Thanks to a really nice crew and pilot we landed safely in Seattle, but JetBlue management seems a little screwy. I get nervous on planes normally without sitting on one for six hours and not moving or sleeping. And we were some of the lucky ones.

So my sleep cycle is a bit wacko and I'm edgier than normal this weekend. My new apron might stay on permanently for the next few days. I'm going to bake some bread now and maybe let that story idea do some rising and proofing, too.

And NO MORE plant or pastry mixed metaphors I promise.

Jaime