September Newsletter: Weird Question, Stuff You Might Like, Top Cartoon
I'm posing a question that you can answer by voting in a poll. Plus other fun things!
In this issue:
Weird Question
Stuff You Might Like
In Case You Missed It…
Weird Question
Everywhere I walk these days, I encounter spiderwebs.
In my yard… on the street…
I’m even seeing spiderwebs stretched across the open sky.
I can’t avoid them! And I’m tired of being scared, so I’m wondering: Should I try to become fully comfortable with spiders?
Because, at this point, if I walked directly into a spider, I would lose my mind, then run, run, run… until I reached an ocean.
And then I would keep running.
I feel like that plan doesn’t end well.
Interestingly, I HAVE figured out how to manage spiders in our house. My strategy is to name the spider and attempt to befriend it.
That strategy works, but then again I’m in control of that situation.
Unexpectedly walking into a web and then having a spider frantically crawling ON me? That’s a whole other story.
So I came up with three ideas for how I could cope with that situation.
Pretend I’m a world-famous “spider whisperer” with my own TV show. The spider I just walked into is very upset, and the world is watching as I calm it down.
Imagine the spider is my beloved pet. It has a tiny bed, a tiny food bowl and, yes, tiny socks that I knitted for it. I don’t mind if my dog crawls on me, so I shouldn’t care that my pet spider is crawling on me, right?
Imagine that the spider I walked into is a mystical creature, full of good luck. Every time its legs touch me, the spider is transferring good luck directly to me. The longer it’s on me, the more good luck I receive.
Or… I could take things in an entirely different direction:
Forget all these mental games and invent a headpiece that will break up the spiderwebs before I even get to them.
So, which option do you like best for me? Cast your vote.
If I DO walk directly into a spider, I will absolutely report back to you about how I handle it. And if you never hear from me again, you’ll know what happened.
Have you ever walked into a spider web and ended up with the spider ON YOU? Leave a comment and let us know how you survived!
Stuff You Might Like
New Book: “Parenting Is Weird”
My cartoonist friend Chesca Hause, of the webcomic Litterbox Comics, has a book coming out! It’s called “Parenting Is Weird: Tails from the Litterbox,” and it hits shelves this Tuesday, September 19.
She sent me an early copy, and I’m loving it. She really nails all the humor of parenting—especially younger kids. Watch her share more about the special features of the book here.
I highly recommend this book if you want to laugh about parenthood. And who doesn’t? You can find it at Amazon or an independent bookseller near you.
TV Show: Hidden Lives of Pets
This show on Netflix is ridiculously endearing. It’s almost too much to take. If you have a subscription, check it out. It’s a documentary-type show and there are only four episodes.
TV Show: Strange Planet
I enjoy everything cartoonist Nathan Pyle does, including his webcomic Strange Planet. And now Strange Planet is a TV show! If you have an Apple TV subscription, give this show a try. I really enjoyed it! It’s interesting to see how a webcomic transforms into an animated show.
In Case You Missed It…
The Huff Post recently featured my cartoons in an article called “Relatable Comics About Everyday Household Frustrations.” If you missed it, find it here!
As always, I’m posting cartoons on Instagram and Facebook. I’ve also been sending out the Monday Motivation emails. And I’m going to restart the Bowl Game stories soon!
In addition, I’ve been sending special bonus content to everyone who is a paid subscriber ($5/month). This month, paid subscribers will see a video about how I go from initial idea to finished cartoon. I’m also planning a “Day in My Life” video. Oh, and I send out fun pieces of art to this group. If you think you’d enjoy this, sign up!
We’ll close with the most popular cartoon in the past month. I posted this one in August…
And, yes, I AM putting anything Claire mentions on her “wish list.” We’ve entered the holiday zone, people! No more random purchases!
OK, well let’s meet again tomorrow for another Monday Motivation. And in the October newsletter I’m going to be sharing some holiday gift ideas, so watch for that!
Take care, everyone! And thanks for reading!
~ Adrienne
Hedger Humor
Your Fortune: You will attempt to knit some socks for a spider you’ve befriended, but you will keep underestimating just HOW SMALL they need to be. “OK, these are definitely tiny enough!” you will say, as you finish up some socks that are so minuscule you can barely see them. But then when you go out and use tweezers to try and put the socks on your spider friend, you’ll realize that, NO. The socks are still too big! But hang in there, and keep trying. You’re so close.
At one time, my husband and I bought a house (aka, the Money Pit) that needed EXTENSIVE renovations. It had been the home of the man who started the savings and loans debacle in the 80's, sold at auction to a couple who used it for collateral for business that went bust, then sold to another couple who had turned it into a...wait for it...UNLICENSED Assisted Living Facility and somewhere between 6-12 elderly people were reported to have lived there. A house in the woods, with lots of stairs, sunken living room, a cat walk, and a pool. To this day, I'm convinced there are bodies of elderly people in those woods. After that, it sat uninhabited for 10 years, until my husband saw it and HAD TO HAVE IT. A nightmare--especially for the hairy WOLF SPIDER citizens who had created a metropolis in the house. Every morning the bathroom sink would feature a wolf spider, just chilling. My husband was afraid of bugs, so it was my job to get rid of them. One morning, I spotted the MOTHER OF ALL WOLF SPIDERS, as big as my hand, in the laundry room. I swung at it with a broom--and missed. To my horror, IT HISSED AND JUMPED AT ME. I swear I levitated and looked like a cartoon character running in the air. We named him Guido and told him he could have the laundry room, as long as we could use it.
I try to ignore spiders in the house: exception -- when they build a web above my bed (because then I can’t sleep, imagining it joining me).
As to how to survive when one lands on me... I’m sorry. I don’t know -- I died. I’m writing this as the ghost of my former self.