Looking back, it’s fairly obvious that I’ve always aspired to keep a “board of directors” for advice and guidance. I haven’t simply looked up to people around me in silence and awe, I’ve literally roped those people into mentorship and service. I have many memories – some crisp and less-so – of talking philosophy, economics, life stories, relationships, values, goals, etcetera with one, some, or all of these wonderful humans in a variety of spaces and times. The better I got to know each of my chosen ‘board members,’ the more human they became to me. This is not to… Read More »
Decompression
Never underestimate the power of decompression, be it time alone with a good book, or sharing the craziness of life with your friends. I say “sharing” carefully – somehow getting together with friends to “decompress” has become fairly synonymous with BITCHING. If you’re a creative person making your own way in today’s world, yours is a path of increasing uncertainty these days. Getting together with friends and colleagues that are your equals in passion and motivation is a great way to refill your own energy tank. Getting together to “bitch” will just drain your tank further. Choose your Friday nights… Read More »
Scrapple-oh-dil-oh-dee-ay
Everyone needs a little scrapple in their life. I guess I just got carried away…
Pancake Saturday
Some days, the only artistic thing I get to do is express myself via pancakes. I’m not very good at it yet, but I’m getting one morning a week of practice… which is more than I can say for other hobbies I used to have pre-tiny-humans!
Bedtime Approaches; Fear the Carrot…
Tonight was just your average night. Finish with work, pick up kids, haul them up the 22 stairs into the house… breathe… (maybe!) And start dinner. Oh dinner. How I’ve come to hate thee. Virtually every parent of a toddler anywhere knows what I’m talking about. Especially if they have the dreaded “picky eater.” Which is, you know, probably almost all of them. At least one per household if you made multiples. “What would you like for dinner, Liam?” “I DON’T WANT DINNER! I WANT JUICE! AND CHEESE!” That’s… pretty much how every night starts. Various attempts ensue… I try… Read More »
Thorn ‘n Thistle
You know how most people, for fun, have hobbies? Like, maybe on the weekends they like to go to the theatre with friends? Or, perhaps they’re concert addicts and they can tick off a list a mile long of all the rock concerts they’ve been too. Maybe they’re involved in sailboat racing, like my mother-in-law. That’s a little more hard-core than the standard weekend activity… but you know what I mean; pretty much everyone has something. We just happen to be farmers. Which is, you know, like, a whole separate lifestyle? Involving back-breaking manual-labor?!? Yeah. That’s our “hobby.” So, the… Read More »
Captain’s Log: Day 216
As requested by certain amazing medical staff: Day 216. (Guess what? I didn’t even have to count. You can Google that.) Mom sounds AWESOME this morning… almost totally normal! Through the weekend she had still sounded really loopy… She still sounds tired, but that’s new normal for now. The slurring is gone, she’s conversing with me instead of just rambling down crazy-lane… awesome-sauce. I would say that “The boredom continues…” … except for this weird thing when she got lost in the library?!?! (There is… no… library… mom…) And that she’s having techni-colored dreams… And Bonnie charged up her… Read More »
Let There be Light?
Air has sound. Initially, we think of it as silent, invisible substance. But dig deeper and think of the wind — the sound changes as it encounters obstacles, impediments. It’s just air, but it definitely has sound. Think of the sound of air as it’s compressed and released. Our lives are surrounded by the sound of compressed air… refrigerators, air conditioners, pumps… so many of us are so used to it that we’ve become unaware of it; we’ve tuned it out. (Actually, fun fact — did you know that compressed air is so widely used that it is often regarded as the fourth… Read More »
Captain’s Log: “They of the Fine Behinds”
I don’t know. Maybe mom just missed their butts. Mom’s yesterday was boring. Mom… behaved? I mean… we’re just waiting to make sure the swelling goes down so that everything can get moving again so… we’re just… sitting around. Today should be… boring. WHICH IS GREAT! WHICH IS SPECTACULAR! This is exactly what the doctor wants! He wants her to be bored to tears with no headache. OH THE DOCTOR! That’s all I hear about when I call… “Dr. Easy-on-the-Eyes” and the other Doctor that always comes with him, who is also “Not-so-Bad.” Yes, indeed. They have nice bums, I’ve… Read More »
Geriatric PB&J
I work in a warehouse with a shared kitchen facility. And this lovely man, who works for the business next to mine, keeps the above snacks in the fridge. At LEAST 97.38% of the time. Like, I can basically guarantee that when I walk up there on Tuesday mornings, fresh packs will await me. Now, I’m a believer in all things peanut butter. But I just can’t help smirking every time I open the fridge because it’s totally, 100%, “Old Man PB&J.” And I am 100% delighted by it. Old men are adorable. True Story.