Kim and I grew up in small towns. Occasionally, a train would pass through, blocking a road and putting traffic at a standstill. This was incredibly inconvenient when you were already running five minutes late. Sometimes you could backtrack and take an alternative route, but most of the time you had no choice but to wait. And wait. And wait. It's one of the most annoying things ever. Not once did I ever see anyone take a photo of the train. Things work differently in Yellowstone National Park. People get super excited about traffic stoppages. You might even say they hope for …
The Blog
Reality Check
The Grand Prismatic is one of the things I was most looking forward to seeing on our family trip to Yellowstone National Park. It's like I had to see it to believe it was real. This is not an uncommon sentiment when it comes to this magical place. The early explorers who came back with stories from Yellowstone were written off as crazy people. Surely a loose screw, an overindulgence in booze, or insanity caused by being alone for too long was easier to believe than the tall tales that returned. Upside-down waterfalls? Boiling rivers? Bubbling mud? Twenty-foot beasts? Please. Well, …
Lessons from Wondernite
Our fifth Wondernite is in the books. Between that and the Wonder & Whimsy Society Family Reunion we hosted in our backyard the day after, I'm still in introvert recharge mode. I recently discovered that as an Enneagram 5 wing 4, my internal battery is like that of a ten-year-old smartphone: it's not capable of ever achieving a full charge, and it drains really fast, especially if it's doing processor-intensive tasks, like streaming video, or, you know, hosting back-to-back live events with hundreds of people. This week I thought I'd share some thoughts and lessons …
How Many Crayons?
How many crayons do you need to make a masterpiece? If you are judging by how many they give you with the kid's menu at a restaurant, apparently the answer is often...two. Back in the day, a box of 64 Crayola crayons — complete with a sharpener in the back — was as valuable as anything on earth. It contained every color known to mankind (who even knew there was such a color as periwinkle?!), including silver and gold, which I'm convinced was made with real bits of the precious metals. A box of 64 crayons turned anyone into an artist. Everything was possible; there was nothing you …
The Silly Things We Believe
Where does strawberry milk come from? Pink cows, of course. It's a silly thing that some children believe; something grandparents tell grandchildren when pulling their leg. I created this painting for an art fair we exhibited at in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, a land filled with dairy cows. I was pleased that so many people who saw it got the joke, reminiscing nostalgically about the "fact" that strawberry milk comes from pink cows. Part of the humor comes from considering the silly logic of children, and the outlandish things they are prone to believe. I, for one, used to believe I was …
Waiting for Answers
Have you ever texted someone a question and then those three little dots pop up as they formulate their reply? You know the three dots. Depending on how consequential their response is, that delay can feel like an eternity, right? We want answers now, but sometimes they take a while to come. From the very beginning of our relationship, Kim and I talked about living in a lake home one day, surrounded by tall pine trees. It took over twenty years to come true, which was approximately nineteen more than I expected. Over that prolongated waiting period, I asked God what was …
Alligators & Adultitis: Why We Need More Laughter in Life
An alligator can live up to 100 years... which is why there's an increased chance they will see you later. One of the midwives who helped Kim on her journey into motherhood had experience working with the Navajo people. She told us about a custom of theirs in which the first person to make a newborn laugh is obligated to throw the family a huge party to celebrate the occasion. According to their tradition, it’s considered the moment in which the baby is fully present and “in the world.” I think that’s pretty cool. You often see people rejoicing over baby’s first words, first steps, …
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Good Tidings or Dark Intentions?
Quick! You're on the beach with a friend and you spot something approaching on the horizon. To your amazement, you make out an armada of giant rubber ducks coming to shore. What is your reaction? Are you excited? Overjoyed? Concerned? Skeptical? Worried? Afraid? Are they visitors or invaders? Do they bring good tidings or dark intentions? Sometimes a painting can just be a fun picture that makes you smile. And sometimes it contains a deeper meaning. I asked people on social media to share their perceptions of this painting, and it may or may not surprise you that their responses …
How to Be a Great Surfer (Or Anything Else)
I've watched surfers in Hawaii, San Diego, and yes, even here in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, which is also known as "The Malibu of the Midwest." The majority of a surfer's time seems to be spent paddling, floating, and waiting. From what I hear, it's all worth it, because the feeling you experience when you're in the middle of a great wave, having timed it just right, is a moment of euphoria. I feel like I have some sense of this as an artist. There are moments when I'm in the zone at my easel, when time stands still, every brush stroke feels pre-ordained, and the joy of creating fills my …
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A Message in a Bottle
On our very first date, Kim and I agreed to live on a lake. As we began the process of getting to know each other, we got talking about our ideal place to live. For some reason, Idaho was mentioned. (When you grow up in a small town in Illinois surrounded by cornfields, almost everywhere feels more exotic.) We talked of mountains and potatoes (obviously), but pine trees and lakes took precedence. We both agreed that living on a lake surrounded by tall pine trees would be an ideal place to settle down. (We didn't necessarily know it would be together.) The two of us dated for …