SIDEWALK CHALK

Sidewalk chalk is a staple of childhood in the Shafer house – along with bubbles, slip-n-slides, and water guns. Our driveway is often covered with graffiti: aliens with fourteen eyes, giant scary spiders, kick-ass rainbows. Every single one of us becomes a Klimt, a Van Gogh, an Escher, a Michelangelo, when we’re squatted on the ground with a fat piece of chalk between our chubby little fingers.

But holy cow, guys. Some folks have taken this childhood art-form to a whole ‘nother level. And it is oh, so good.

Any childhood activities you’ve seen translated into grown-up fabulousness that have made you stop and stare in wonder? Share ‘em here!

Big grins,

Myn

Morning Sickness and WINNING!

The past five dayshave been a crash-course in Morning (aka, all-day) Sickness.  Shafer Offspring#1,2,and 3 were each a pre-natal breeze, but Shafer Offspring #4?  This kid marches to the beat of his/her own drum.  And it’s making sure I know it.

Which means I’m behind.  On everything.  Homeschooling?  The kids are beginning to think that their lessons will be taught by Sponge Bob and Patrick Star.  The book?  Oh, yeah, my literary masterpiece…it’s, um.  Simmering.  Blogging and the class I’m taking about the wonders of blogging?  *mirthful laughter* Oh, that will take care of itself.

Only, it won’t.  None of it will.  And I’m looking at day six of near-uselessness.  Blech.

On the bright side, the world isn’t spinning like a carnival ride today, which means I can sit upright.  Who-hoo!  And I have *just enough* energy to brag a little.

Yesterday, during one of the six, count ‘em, six hours that I was awake, I saw that dear, sweet Ginger Calem had mentioned me in a Twitter post.  I followed the link and found that she had given me an award for my blog!  Of course I immediately started weeping like a fool, which was then followed by a craving for cheese quesadillas, followed by a bout of nauseousness so strong I spent the next forty minutes in the fetal position on the floor, rocking back and forth wondering what the hell I did to piss this little baby off?

After I recovered, I went back and re-read her blog.  It was so sweet and thoughtful, and fun, because, well come on – when is winning stuff ever not fun?  And I really, really, really needed a pick-me-up.  So thanks, Ginger.

Part of the fun of the Versatile Blogger Award is getting to pass it forward – now I get to pick 15 award-worthy blogs I dig and share ‘em with you, and I get to tell you seven things about moi that you most likely didn’t know.

Let’s start with those:

(1) I majored in piano performance in college.  And flunked out.  Twice.  I cite artistic differences.  :)

(2) I have castrated many a bull-calf.

(3) Every single year of my adult life I have decided to take up running…and then I don’t.

(4) As a kid I had a hamster named Ollie who was so fat he’d get stuck in his little hamster-tubes.  I’ll never forget his little squeals as I’d push him out with the end of a wooden spoon.

(5) I married the first man who asked.  Best.  Decision.  Ever.

(6) I dislike spaghetti.  Except when I’m pregnant.  When I’m pregnant, I love spaghetti.

(7) I once played Maria in an all-school production of The Sound of Music.  I’m sorry, Rodgers & Hammerstein.  I’m sorry, Julie Andrews.

Phew, glad that’s off my chest.  I’ve been carrying the Rodgers & Hammerstein guilt around for awhile now.

Hey!  Before I get started on ‘the List’, you guys must check out Ginger’s blog, because she’s frigging awesome.  She’d totally be on ‘the List’, but I don’t know if that’s allowable in the rules (Rules?  What rules?  I have no idea if there are actually rules for this…).  Anyway, go check her out, and COMMENT on her blog.  Because we bloggers and crazy about comments.  It’s our frigging cat-nip.  For reals.

Now, for the awards.  Drum roll, please.

Adéye Salem – I had to put this woman’s blog first, because it’s the only blog that I check every single day.  No matter what.  If you all want to know what SuperWoman looks like, Adéye will show you.  She’s amazing.  Mom to seven kids, four who are adopted, and many who have special needs.  Every single child of hers flourishes.  It’s amazing and beautiful, and the love this woman carries for voiceless orphans is nothing short of inspiring.  Adéye Salem is my hero.  Period.

Liz Schulte – I can’t come away from her blog without cracking up.  Her post on genetically engineered salmon and zombies is just so…wow.  Oh my gosh.  Go there right now.

Colin Falconer – Here’s the thing about Colin.  It doesn’t matter what topic he’s writing about, he always manages to grab my attention. Which, in the blogging world, can be tough to do.  After all, if a reader gets bored, she can move on to the next thing in a nano-second, and never look back.  But I’ve never started reading a post on Colin’s blog that I haven’t finished.

Joe Kwon - If you haven’t heard of the band the Avett Brothers, you are really missing out.  They are so, so good, and their cellist, Joe Kwon, is one of my all-time faves.  He has a blog that features pics and food from touring.  It is a fun, visual place to go.

Penny Moore – Penny has two blogs: one for her writing, and one for her book reviews.  I love reading her book reviews.  Not to mention, she’s just a sweetheart of a person.

Jillian Dodd - Two words:  ManDay.  A reason to open your computer Monday morning and face the world.  A little ManDay objectification never hurt anybody.  *contented sigh*

Alicia McKenna Johnson – Alicia’s blog is fun because, well…the stuff she writes about is fun.  Foreign movies, music, off-the wall stuff.  I like all of it.

Kristen - Gezellig-girl’s blog is bright, happy, food-oriented, and fun.

Jody Hedlund – Jody’s blog isn’t the kind I normally find myself spending time at – she spends a lot of time talking about writing, and I usually shy away from that, unless I’m looking for something specific.  But here’s the thing – she gave me a book.  Her latest book, the Preacher’s Bride.  And I read it, even though it’s not a genre I gravitate to.  But guess what – I liked it!  It was good!  I told people about it, and even passed the book on, on the condition that it had to be given to someone else after they finished it.  And now, because of that silly little giveaway, I find myself over at Jody’s blog, just to see what she’s up to.

Kim Mullican - I really like Kim’s frank voice.  And her silly pictures.

Shauna Callaghan – I dig this blog because (a) I always come away from it learning something new, and (b) she’s a typical mom.  I love the typical.  It makes me feel better about my own typical-ness.

Amber West - She’s an accidental gardner who loves to laugh.  Since I am an incurable black-thumb, I will live vicariously through Amber’s accidentally grown sweet potatoes, while enjoying her jokes.

Anthony Salem – Adéye Salem’s husband.  They blog on similar topics – parenthood, family, orphans – but it’s neat to see those topics through a male perspective.

Susie Lindau – Susie’s blog is one I’m new to, but if her costume mishaps are any indication of what’s to come, I’m hooked.

Elena Aitken – She’s in the process of releasing her first novel, which makes me uber-happy-giddy for her.  And her description of being a newby-yoga-ite are so spot on, it’s awesome.

Ali Dent - Ali’s blog has a more serious tone than what I’m typically drawn to.  I like it though.  She feels like one of those friends you could sit down with a cuppa and talk for hours about things that nourish your soul.

Holy cow.  I think I did it.

Now, those of you listed, who feel so inclined, pay it forward!

Big grins and lots of love,

Myn

LISTENER

Vincent Van Gogh.  Artist.  Painter.

I love how this man took something relatively ordinary – painting – and made it into something totally his own.  His paintings are distinctively his.  They weren’t like anything else at the time.  He created his own standard.

I’m sure that to a lot of folks at the time, what he painted must have seemed like nonsense.  After all, his brother – his best friend, his confidant, his provider – was an art dealer, and he had a hard time selling Van Gogh’s art.  Van Gogh had connections, and was clearly talented, but at the time it didn’t matter.  What he painted wasn’t what people wanted.

Now, we stand back and look at his paintings in awe, drawn in by the vibrancy of his gloppy colors, drawn in by that horizon that was always, always at eye level.  But back then, Van Gogh was just some poor, crazy dude who painted because his passion demanded he do it.  Very few folks thought very much of him.

Van Gogh’s story always makes me a little sad.  Not simply because it’s tragic – which, of course, it is; but because we live in a world where popular art (and I think this is historically true, not just a modern day plague) is mostly a process of Copy+small_variation.  Copy+small_ _variation.  Copy+small_ _ _variation.  Don’t get me wrong – I don’t think that’s all bad, by any stretch.  It’s just that it’s so rare to see an artist take a medium – painting, sculpture, music, whatever – and do something so radically different with it that it’s hard to describe.

And maybe that’s a good thing.  Maybe we can appreciate those few and far between better because that’s what they are.  Few, and far between.

Last weekend, the hubster went to Omaha to visit his brother.  I think of his bro as something akin to a YouTube spiritual guide.  He’s always got his finger on the pulse of something cool.  Funny, serious, astounding, whatever.  We never come away from a trip up there without a good YouTube video in our back pocket.

Last night, after the kids were in bed (oh, those blessed couple of hours when the offspring are asleep and we’re NOT), Thomas pulled YouTube up on the ol’ Apple TV, and blew my mind with a band (band?  I have no idea if that’s the right word for it) called Listener.  I’d never seen/heard anything like it.  They take a couple basic things – music, poetry – and make them all their own.  A man speaking, shouting, so musically, so beautifully, that you can’t help but stop and listen.  It’s powerful, but I can’t describe to you why, exactly.  It’s beautiful, but it’s not.  If I had to put it into a genre, I’d be screwed.  iTunes puts them in Rock, but I think that’s probably just because where the hell else would they put them?

I’m probably late to the game with Listener, but holy cow, better late than never.  This is good stuff, you guys.  And good stuff is meant to be shared.  So here are two videos for you to enjoy.  They’re the same song – one performed live, one not.  If you like them, go find them on iTunes.  Support the arts and the artists you love.  And revel a little in a bit of art that marches to the beat of its own drum.