Dear Jim,

Flying Knots is my own rope routine. It is a series of single rope "tricks" knot on, knot off, sort of things.
Since I swing the rope and throw the rope around a lot during the routine my partner, Tom Allen, named it Flying Knots. On stage it's a musical routine that often goes into my Ring and Rope routine.

-Mary Mowder

Thanks for the tip, Jim. That might be something I'll keep my eyes open for.

Doing some intensive coin roll work today, will probably keep working on that a couple more days before going back to the sheep and others...

These guys arrived today... I look forward to working with them...

Be sure to feed them first! I couldn't tell from the pic whether it is a mouse pad, magician's pad or what- but they are cute!

Hi Jim,

Well, my new act has an animal theme, as you know, and that just happens to be a "mouse" pad.

Working on my new business card today. Will likely focus a fair bit on prop preparation, and my thimbles this week. I've been getting 6 sessions in per week consistently. Putting the act together piece by piece, making good progress, I think...

new card

back

So far, so good. The extra work is showing but I'm mostly working on weak spots in the routine.

I had a 4 hour walk-around Saturday but I was able to do the ropes in a more interactive style which goes over very well with kids. (My normal Close-Up performances are usually shorter and adults only.)

Hey magicalaurie I saw your videos of coin rolls and Toss a Knot. I work with shorter more supple rope so what you're doing looks really hard. Your coin rolls look great!

Coins from Australia have some fun animals.

-Mary Mowder

Mary that is great to hear! I am very pleased with the progress I have made also- I am really getting into this! My very favorite rope trick for kids is a Sandsational routine- the only drawback being that it eats up rope pretty fast.

Magicalaurie- You got me on the card back... now I am trying to fathom what it will look like- no fair! If you need some animals, let me know, my current crop:
6 horses
3 burros
4 pigs
about 25 cats
7 dogs
4 brand new beagle puppies
8 turkeys
about a dozen or so guinea fowl
fish, pheasant, grouse, Lady Gouldian finches
I think that's about it...

My "greatest discovery" this week has been rosin. I stopped at a music store, and for about $1.85 have seemingly solved my issues with the classic palm. If you haven't tried this, you must do so- go rosin!


Regards, ladies...

Jim

Dear Mandarin,

Glad to hear all is going well.

Can't believe you have time left for Magic.

Let me know how well your deck lasts and if you can do thumb fans.

-Mary Mowder

Hi, Mary!

Actually, the animals require less time than one would think- but I do have a ranch hand who handles a lot of the work. We 'free range" our horses, burros, and pigs, so don't have "stall" issues. However, it would be nice to have more time for the magic...

Not sure I understand the first part of your question, but yes, I can do thumb fans. I prefer the two handed because, due to some thumb issues, doing a one-hand fan really can hurt at times and probably doesn't do my thumbs any good.

One of the reasons I have gotten to heavily into rope magic is that rope is so much easier on the hands than cards or coins. Oddly, I am back into coins now, determined to find those sleights that work without thumb-crunching. I just deep sixed the original version of Tenkai Pennies, because I have trouble with the back clip and found a Roth routine that doesn't use it.

Let me know what you mean by how long my deck lasts... sometimes I am just dense...

Jim

Dear Mandarin,

My brain skipped a groove. When you said classic palm I pictured a card instead of a coin. Duh.
Once I was on the wrong track I never read the sentence right. So I thought cards and rosin wouldn't mix.

I have joint issues too. It keeps me from doing the boomerang scaling cards and several other things.

I avoided most rope for years(I've always done some) because I'm dyslexic and lots of rope stuff just looked like spaghetti to me.
When our friend Dennis Loomis started showing us some of the things he was going to put on his Rope DVD some interest in my brain just sparked and I really got into it. I mostly enjoy the fast juggley sort of effects.

Sorry about the mixup. You're not dense, I'm mental.

-Mary Mowder

No worries, Mary.

Yes, I love the way Dennis works the ropes- it has inspired me as well. Regarding the rosin, of course the bright idea occurred to me to try it with cards. I couldn't see any improvement at all, so I will stick with my glycerine...

Posted: Nov 15, 2009 11:01am
Well, ladies, I am about to cease being a "Special user", a designation I have never really appreciated. I wanted to share this moment with you! OK, here I go... wish me luck!!! Jim

Posted: Nov 15, 2009 11:02am
Here I am, on the other side...

Woo Hoo, YEA!

-Mary

Mandarin, this is a great idea!

Todd Shapiro
The Enchanted Cube and Sidewalk Shuffle
30 minutes
4 days/week
April

I plan to start this late January, because we're moving this week, and our baby still doesn't sleep thru the night, so presumably by January we'll be settled in and he'll be sleeping nights (I hope!)

Speaking of coins, Magicalaurie, how thin are those beautiful Chinese coins you received? I play around with US silver dollars, but I find them a little thick for ideal manipulation. If I could find something equally large in diameter but thinner that would be ideal.

Thanks, Mary.




:bg:





nice collection you've got there.


Todd,

thickness: 3mm , diameter: 40mm.

Todd-

Welcome! Glad to have you join us. January will be just fine, but if in the meantime you can get in some practice, go for it. Father of three knows what sleepless nights can do to parents. First things first. Anyway, we will look forward to you joining us- it has been good fun so far, and the improvement for me has been startling! It's a small (but mighty) group, but it seems always that way when there is work to be done...

Regards,

Jim

Welcome Todsky,

Did you just change your photo?

-Mary Mowder

Thanks for the welcome, Jim. I guess I didn't read the instructions carefully, so this will be my last post until I actually put in my 30 minutes.

Laurie, those coins are actually a bit bigger and thicker than US silver dollars, so too big for me! Thanks for the info.

Hi Mary, I've had this photo up for several months now.

Todd-

I hope this doesn't present a problem for you- all I was trying to do was get some of us (especially me) to actually DO magic as well as TALK magic. If that (or any of the "instructions", which I prefer to term "goals") seem unreasonable, we can change them!

Nothing says one can't "assemble" 30 minutes 5 at a time.

One of my interests is classical guitar. My first teacher demanded at least one hour of straight practice an evening. At each weekly lesson, I had to confess and then listen to the reprimands. Eventually it wasn't fun anymore, and I just stopped the lessons.

Some months later I found a new teacher, and very early on had to sheepishly admit that I had not practiced at all the week before. When asked why, I said that I could not put an hour together, so I just didn't practice. He told me if I even just picked up the guitar as I was passing through the room, it would count toward my time, and that I was to use whatever time I found available- so setting the 30 minute goal does NOT mean 5 minutes doesn't help. It all helps!

Jim

!

It's all good! I was waiting today for the appliances to be delivered to the new house, and I had cleverly brought Martin Lewis' Sidewalk Shuffle with me, so I got in a very productive half hour practice. This trick you have to be careful with: one wrong move and it's curtains! It necessitates regular practice (and then regular performance) to get all the moves right.
Thanks for the encouragement!