Now that I'm back from the East coast speaking jaunt (next up: Fort Worth, Texas) here are a few curious facts and thoughts: Most of our time was spent in (or should I say on) Rhode Island. Fr. Gray informed us that the actual name of the state is Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, which simultaneously makes it the smallest state with the longest name. Newport, the southernmost town on the original Rhode Island, was beautiful. …
Delight in the Little Things
The New Bouncer
It's fun when you spot some childlike playfulness in the most unexpected places. Jason and I spotted this little guy in front of a restaurant in Newport, RI. Looks like R2's taller brother. …
FTERA, Do You Have It?
I have been given many good fortunes in my life but few compare to the blessing of my in-laws. Jason and I are constantly acknowledging how blessed we are by the excellent role models we have in both of our parents. I got an email from my father-in-law the other day, who just happens to be one of the wisest people I know. He has identified a condition that often accompanies Adultitis, which he called FTERA (Failure To Enjoy Recent Accomplishments). Do you have this condition? …
A Simple Way to a Great Day
The cool thing about kids is that they'll say hi to absolutely anyone. They don't wait for a "proper introduction" or feel weird about talking to someone they've never met. I don't know about you, but when Kim and I are on a walk in the neighborhood, and some random kid says "hi" as we walk by his front yard, that just makes me feel good. It's like a warm sugar cookie for my soul. …
Adults are Ruining Everything
They say misery loves company. That must be the reason why grown-ups suffering from full-blown cases of Adultitis are working so hard to ruin Halloween for kids. My three-year-old niece is going Trick or Treating as Darth Vader this year. (Yes, I did say niece.) She already has the next three years worth of costumes planned out. Next year, it's Luke Skywalker, then Darth Maul, then...a bunny. The other day on the radio, I heard the superintendent from the Madison School District mention that they don't encourage schools to have costume parties. They don't ban them; they just strongly …
Crabs and Coffee: View from a Camera
I finally got around to posting some pictures from the Seattle trip. (Check out my Escape Adulthood photo album) It's hard to sum up the whole experience in photos. I think that when people go to visit new places, they try and take a million pictures of everything they see and do. And they end up taking the same standard shots that everybody else takes. In most cases, the pictures never do the place justice, and you're always a little disappointed that you weren't able to capture the "feel" of the place. Somehow, your photos never end up as good as the postcards you bought in the hotel gift …
Scrapbook Away Adultitis
Attention scrapbooking aficionados! Michelle Thompson at Scrapability has taken the 8 Secrets from Childhood from my ChangeThis manifesto (free download) and applied them to the art of scrapbooking. She correctly (and wittily) states, "The link into any seri-arse scrapper’s identity -- the ability, just for a bit, to escape adulthood, remember your childhood and simply 'to play'." I think scrapbooking is indeed a great way to tap into that childlike creative spirit in a "grown-up" way. Definitely more productive than sitting in front of the boob tube. Here's Michelle's scrapbooking slant …
Smelly Hands
As some of you know from Jason's blog, we are currently in Seattle, WA. Jason is putting on four speaking programs here in the Emerald City. One of the things I was looking forward to the most about visiting Seattle was getting the chance to see the fish being thrown at Pike Place Market. Who would’ve known that by the time it was all said and done, I would be holding one of those famous fish. The smelly hands that followed the experience were well worth it. Speaking of smells, Jason and I commented on the amazing mix that filled the air at the market. There were fresh flowers, a plethora of …
Hello Seattle
Kim and I flew into Seattle yesterday morning for a week of speaking engagements. I'm writing this from my trusty new Apple PowerBook one suburb away from Redmond, the worldwide headquarters of Microsoft. It's beautiful here this time of year. This tree is right outside our hotel window. We are hoping to do a bit of sightseeing tomorrow -- if the rain holds out -- but for now I'm in my temporary command post in between drawing comic strips and coloring the October 30 Weeekend strip. My favorite childhood moment so far was the plane ride. …
I Love Fall
It really is my favorite season. Growing up with a yard full of trees offered many options for piles of leaves to jump into. My favorite thing to do was to rake up a big pile at the bottom of the slide on the swingset, climb those endless eight steps and fly into the crunchy sounds of happiness. The first fire in the fireplace was also a big deal. We had to break open the bag of marshmallows. Even though fall always seems like the shortest season it is filled with some of my favorite things in life: The crisp cool mornings. The traveling birds overhead. The gorgeous leaves. …