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Guy Fawkes

November 6, 2012 //
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Yesterday was “Guy Fawkes”, a bonfire night, an English custom celebrated in New Zealand – mainly because it is the only time of the year when you are allowed to have private fireworks. In previous years nothing much happened in our neighbourhood. We live in what some might call a lower socio-economic area (and love it). But recently a lot of houses around here were for sale and we got a set of new neighbours. It looks like the area is starting to gentrify. One sure sign was the amount of fireworks we had here last night. The street went to town!

Much to the pleasure of some of the Dedes, but not all. While Devil, Sunny and a bunch of others ran out in the garden to watch, Cat, Mouse and puppy Lou huddled together under a blanket and were visibly uncomfortable with the goings-on. Mouse pleaded with me to make them stop. I pretended I would do something about it, knowing very well that I couldn’t. But I hoped it would be all over in half an hour anyway.

When I came into the garden the Dedes were standing around in a circle and Devil was daring Daredevil to use one of the rockets as a jet pack. You should have seen me… I turned into a human rocket… This was definitely one step to far. Devil is grounded for a week!

Apologies that I didn’t get a photo of this incident. It was over all too quickly.

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Categories Art, Fun, Hand Puppets, Life

New Entrants

November 5, 2012 //
2

Clay Head told me I should give Bobby a break and let him do his job. Fine by me. I have other things to deal with this week. Next Saturday is the puppeteer workshop I am running with the “Older Women’s Network”. It has been on my mind for weeks. The duration is 1.5 hours and I have arranged and re-arranged my approach on how to spend that time at least a hundred and fifty times. I haven’t developed a formal outline yet. Instead I have made new puppets. I thought puppet making will clear my mind, unfortunately I came up with more silly stories.

The picture today shows the latest entrants, bar Bobby. He is doing his rounds with Clay Head trying to find out who cancelled the party. So he was too busy to attend the photo shoot. Cash Cow is a bit slow, she hasn’t got her colours yet. In fact she is Cash Cow V2. The first one didn’t work out, so I remodeled her into a monkey. Cheeky little thing pushed himself to the front to get his skin first.

The new entrants are (in the back row from left): Rob Daylight, the daylight robber and Daredevil the wannabe hero. In the front row: Cash Cow with the empty udder, Monkey (no explanation needed) and Harvey, the rabbit with a gambling problem.

These puppets I have made especially for the workshop – they are members of the Touch Troupe. The idea was to have this troupe as a set of public performers who might not pop up on the blog much. But then Cash Cow has already moved into my garage, she needed a cheap crash pad. She is so broke she can’t afford to pay rent anywhere else.

Here goes this idea!

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Categories Art, Fun, Hand Puppets, Life, Photography

Oh, Bobby…

November 4, 2012 //
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Bobby got his colours yesterday. It was a very nice ceremony. Congratulations, I say with a smile …and gritted teeth. I can tell you guys, I am very disappointed!

Yes,we all knew Bobby will become a policeman one day… He looked like such a fun guy while he was still at the Academy and we were all looking forward to having him on neigbourhood watch. But now that he is finished he turned out totally different.

Have you ever experienced this? You give someone a tincy whincy bit of authority and overnight they turn into real pricks and start terrorising their old friends – only because they can do it, because they have the power. Bobby seems to be one of those.  Yesterday he cried tears of joy for winning the election,  thanking everybody and shaking hands with every single puppet. Today he is a stickler for rules. He stands upright and has this “don’t-mess-with-me-look” on his face. All the fun seems to be gone. He is like a brick head.

I certainly hope this change of behaviour is because he is young and inexperienced and has to prove himself to the world… He takes his new job seriously and doesn’t want  to muck it up… – not because he is a red-neck idiot!

Only time will tell.

Maybe it is my fault, and I was a bit too hasty when I  said to my reader Whichwillitbe that if Bobby stuffs up he will be out of his job faster than you can say “boo”

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Categories Art, Fun, Hand Puppets, Life

Election Result

November 3, 2012 //
6

The voting for the head of the investigation into the cancelled email has closed now. There is a big surprise! We got another vote last night from far-away India and after counting all the votes, there is a tie…. Two of the candidates, Bobby and Clay Head have exactly the same amount….

This is unprecedented – there is no rule about this situation in the Dede Puppet Voting Handbook. So what to do? My first idea of course was that I should have the casting vote. But on second thought, this is not the best idea. The Dedes resent me already for making up all the rules. If I had the casting vote, the whole election would be rendered a mockery, wouldn’t it? I could have put forward my candidate in the first place and not gone through the whole  election process.

In the end I discussed the issue with Philosopher, who has a really good head on his shoulders. I was hoping he would go for Clay Head, after all he had put him forward.

Far from it!

“There is no doubt,” Philosopher said, “Clay Head, as an outsider will do a great job.” But he also agrees with the reader Whichwillitbe, who voted for Bobby: The young ones should be given a fair chance. How can they gain experience when the old farts always get the best jobs? So his suggestion is that both of them will head the investigation together. This will take the pressure off Bobby as it is his first job outside the Academy and he can learn a lot from Clay Head‘s expertise. Clay Head will get some recognition and a foot hold back into the Dede world (We all have the feeling, he regrets converting into a clay head.)

By the way, Bobby will get his colours this afternoon.

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Categories Art, Fun, Hand Puppets, Life

Another riot

November 2, 2012 //
2

It isn’t my week! I really need a break, to go away for the weekend and leave this lot behind. We just had our little tiff at Halloween when they took the mickey out of me, and now, only two days later, I have another riot on my hands. I wish they wouldn’t always jump in, boots and all, before they know the entire story.

I went to a Gallery yesterday to sound out the possibility for an exhibition of the Dede puppets. Procrastinator, even though I haven’t started him yet, has held me back for a long time. But finally, finally, finally, I went. It was all very positive. Usually I would mull it around in my head for a while and quietly discuss how to proceed with my partner. But as it happened I skyped with my brother in Germany last night. Unfortunately, when I skype I shout as if I have to be heard on the other side of the world without the aid of technology. So all the Dedes overheard the conversation and they took issue with what was said.

I told my brother that the curator suggested it would be better if I sold the puppets. All of a sudden I heard this kerfuffle in the living room and through the glass door I could see all the Dedes huddled together for a group hug and then they scurried off towards the studio. I continued my conversation telling my brother that I am not ready yet to part with them and certainly not with the original cast. However, I might, and only might, think about creating some new characters to sell at the exhibition. But of course by that time my Dedes were already up in arms and painting placards.

They slipped this picture I posted here under my bedroom door and I haven’t seen any of them this morning.

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Categories Art, Fun, Hand Puppets, Life

Aftermath

November 1, 2012 //
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Wednesday night is sports night, so I left the Dedes to their own devices. When I came home, they were lying on the sofa with stuffed tummies. Obviously they had been out collecting lollies, despite my explicit veto. I have to say, I didn’t feel sorry for them. Sunny’s permanent grin was gone, he looked like he was close to throwing up.  He didn’t in the end, but I hope it taught him a lesson. I am soooo happy that Halloween is only once a year.

Back to normal… We still have a vote going on, to decide who will get the job of heading the investigation into the cancellation email. It is a very close race… Bobby (the newcomer) is at the moment one vote ahead of Ducky (the dye in the wool politician) and Clay Head (the external consultant). ––  I love statistics :)

Unfortunately, like any other election, participation is pretty poor and to be honest we have only had one vote so far. My official statement of course is: “We are not releasing the figures”. If we don’t get any more votes by Friday (New Zealand time) when voting closes, it will be Bobby, who will head the investigation.

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Categories Art, Fun, Hand Puppets, Life, Photography

Friends again!

October 31, 2012 //
0

All four of them have apologised… and now that I am finished washing the egg off the front porch, I have to say they are quite cute. I can’t be angry with them for long. But with these masks they are definitely not allowed to go trick-or-treating tonight.

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Categories Art, Fun, Hand Puppets, Life

Egg on my face

October 31, 2012 //
0

Sometimes I wonder if the Dedes think I have no feelings… They really made me cry this morning. But let me start at the beginning.

Last night we had a discussion about Halloween. A few of them wanted to go trick-or-treating. As I am European I am not used to this custom and I immediately said: “This is for kids, you are supposed to be grown-ups!”

Someone (it might have been L’Artiste) replied, “but we are small and when we wear masks nobody will notice. We will just take you along as adult supervision.”

“I am not letting the Dedes go around the neighbourhood extorting lollies from the good people. –  And I certainly won’t take part in it! That is a sound No. Do you read me?” I was surprised they bought it so quickly. The reply to my no’s are usually …but, but, but… Not this time. They shrugged their shoulders as if they wanted to say “We didn’t expect anything else from you” and disappeared swiftly whispering to each other.

What a big fright I got this morning when I was about to fetch the newspaper… Totally oblivious and still half asleep, I opened the door and there they were… sitting on my doorstep. They were all prepared with the good organic eggs from my fridge and a big bag… and worse, they all wore angry looking masks of a suspiciously familiar looking face. “Trick or treat” they shouted, but I had no chance to answer or even close the door quickly… the first egg landed fair and square on my knee …and it almost broke. Thank goodness they are no good at throwing anything.

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Categories Art, Fun, Hand Puppets, Life, Photography

Wake-up call :)

October 29, 2012 //
4

Philosopher and I sat together for a long time last night. He is the most non-judgemental puppet I know. Of course I filled him in about what had happened last week while we drank a bottle of wine and devoured the chocolate fish they had brought home.

As a consequence Bad Conscience came to visit me this morning. At 5:23 am! He told me off and pointed out that the scale moves scarily to the right and I am getting older too. If I don’t want to have a body with niggles here, there and everywhere I should live more healthily. Would you believe this at 5:23 am in the morning? Did he have to tell me then? I asked him if this could wait until the sun was up. What does the sneaky puppet say to me? “I find you more perceptive at this hour of the night!”

“But I will have forgotten by sunrise”

“I will just keep coming back until you get it” he said. And I know he meant it. He is very persistent.

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Categories Art, Fun, Life, Photography

Welcome home

October 28, 2012 //
2

Philosopher and Lou returned from their boating trip today. I haven’t seen either of them so cheerful and chatty for a very long time.  Lou couldn’t stop telling us how wonderful their trip was and they proudly produced their early morning catch from the last day. I’ve never seen Lou so animated. When he was telling us all the gory details of how they wrangled the great fish from the sea, all the dede puppets listened their mouths wide open. But somehow their story seemed a bit fishy to me, even though I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.

I took Philosopher to the side, looked him in the eye and asked him if this was all true. I know Philosopher can’t tell porkies and he readily told me  me what really happened:

They left last Sunday. Mouse had organised the charter boat for them. After they stocked up on supplies for the week from the supermarket, they went down to the marina to pick up the boat. Philosopher was asked to show his paperwork as proof that he can handle a boat. Unfortunately Philosopher doesn’t believe in paperwork, certificates and the like, so he doesn’t have any. “She’ll be right” is his general attitude in life. Usually he manages to convince people of his abilities and knowledge without a problem. Not this time… These people were insisting he showed them the correct papers, as if they were the border police. There was no way they would entrust him with their boat without the right stamp. So in the end Philosopher had to give up.

Now they were in a pickle… Mouse had made it very clear to Philosopher, Lou had to be out of the house when the party was on. He believes it had something to do with Skeleton coming to the party on her own. (Skeleton is the object of Lou’s desire. It’s all very complicated and I don’t want to go into detail right here. But I can assure you, it is all very awkward). So Philosopher convinced Lou that roughing it under a bridge for a week is almost as exciting as going away on the boat. They went to the park to find themselves a nice place under a bridge and stayed there for the week. And they really had a wonderful time. Lou made friends with other puppies running around in the park, chasing balls as young puppies do. In the end he didn’t want to come home today. But Philosopher came up with their tall story and they had a bet going about whether anybody would notice it was all fibs. Of course Lou then couldn’t wait to get home and see who would win the bet about the tale of their week.

 

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Categories Art, Fun, Hand Puppets, Life
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