
One of my wife's "bones of contention" in the Karmichael household has been my "music-come-media room" (our converted garage) and the state of it. Carlene finds and refers to it as my "junk room", mainly to the state of its disarray (untidiness to some); and I must admit to some embarrassment at times when visitors come and view it, especially when its state is used to mock... Anyway, last November, I think it was, I made a comment on Facebook that I was going to make a concerted effort to tidy the room up within a year.
Although work in the Hospital has been busier than ever, the social distancing and isolation has been good for us. I've left the Editing role of Inkspot (the Australian Cartoonists' Association's journal) to caricaturist Steve Panozzo, who's doing a pretty good job. My Ledger of Honour team sorted out this year's recipients reasonably early. And, even though I had some publishing plans that I was hoping to move on, the Australian Dollar and the pandemic has left me somewhat less enthused. So, essentially, I am left with no comic-related projects to work on (apart from my monthly commitment as a Committee Member of the ACA, and working on ideas for the upcoming ACA Centenary in 2024). Home life has involved gardening, reading more comics and graphic novels than I usually do ...and working on getting my room tidy…!
One of the joys of meeting and making friendships with cartoonists, has been learning that they have an unparalleled generosity of spirit. I want to make special mention today of American cartoonist Jeff Keane, who visited Australia for the first time almost eighteen months ago now. Last Christmas he sent a 2020 Family Circus Calendar and I thought today was an ideal opportunity to share his Mothers' Day cartoon for May with you here, dear reader .... Although we are all socially isolating, I trust you are finding things to do to keep yourself occupied that (maybe) you have been promising yourself that you will 'get around to doing when you have a spare moment'. Here's the time to seize that moment ...!