Introduction

Welcome, Autumn.

Two in the morning I walk outside and there has to an Eskimo word for what the snow is doing right now. It's sparkling but in the most subtle way. A glint here and there caught out of the corner of my eye - nothing deliberate. Penstla I have learned is the word for the idea of snow, astrila is the word for snow sparkling with starlight - what is happening is a combination of those two.
Already snow. I feel late in bringing this zine out.
Things happen.
The Portland Zine Symposium was in July, shortly after the publishing of my last zine. I went to John Issacs screen printing workshop, participated in a hugging exercise, hosted an honesty booth where people just took what they wanted and left cash, met some true badasses of the industry (including Theo Ellsworth: see mini zine: D-List Celebrity Magazine),  ate a lot of free of bagels with hummus and was practically steamed alive in the humidity.
Snowball died in the middle of September. There is a story in here about that. A little cedar chest with her ashes sits high above the motley of the house between two Jesus hands. My family got together for a memorial and I was able to loosen the tight thread wrapped around my heart.
Bendfilm happened in the beginning of October: two weeks of putting together awards for indie film winners - spray painting porcelain figurines, staring at a computer, sketching out pictures, being practically unknowable to Kevin.
So.
I've been taking baths, pulling Sark in with me - a glass of wine and I force myself to sit there for an hour. I burn candles now and wear boots to keep my feet warm - prepared for sudden fall time gusts. The purple in my hair is gone, and I am on a tea drinking rhythm which involves green tea in the morning, mate in the afternoon, and chamomile at night. I will survive.
Stories in this zine include: a comic section regarding my weekly trips to Costco, a quip about a Craiglists ad, a mix for my friend Jessica's baby Dahlia, the story of how I met Stephen Baldwin, and a comic about Kevin though I will try to fit more an before this goes to print ...

Now friend, grab a blanket and get in your reading chair for 15 minutes plus of a concentrated batch of solid Rachel Lee-Carman material.

(if you want to see something that makes you smile go to jonsiandalex.com and go to recipes...)

http://www.mendosa.com/snow.html