I'd mentioned that I'm reading the book The Mystery of Children, by Mike Mason. Great book. I love this passage on work and play: Adults largely avoid working with children because children have an unnerving habit of turning work into play. This drives adults crazy because we tend to be so goal-oriented. Adults know too well what children have yet to learn: Work is supposed to be drudgery. Children are not yet enslaved by work, nor do they intend to be. They are quite content living all day long in a big, happy playground. When it comes to work, children must eventually learn that being …
Play
Found It
It was brought to my attention recently that I do not have a hobby. Not a "real" hobby. I have never really noticed, to tell you the truth. I like to walk, take baths, listen to music, take naps, and sometimes I like to read. These are things I like to do, but they do not really fit as hobbies. After a little research and reflection on what hobbies really are, I would have to agree that I really do not have one. So, I went in search for something that I could do to relax that I would be passionate about. This was a harder task than I thought it would be. Of course I had some outside factors to …
How To Build a Cardboard Castle
I really wish Mr. McGroovy was my fifth grade teacher (no offense Mrs. Morel.) Mr. McGroovy is a former elementary school teacher with a mission "to do what I love, play to my strengths, and spread joy to others."Mr. McGroovy spreads that joy on his groovy Squidoo website: How to Build a Cardboard Castle. We're talkin' full-fledged plans, ideas on where to find boxes, decorating tips, and the skinny on box rivets. The only thing missing is a step-by-step guide to digging your own moat. I think a little placard about Mr. McGroovy should be installed as part of the cardboard box …
Last Supper, LEGO Style
I'm an absolute sucker for creative LEGO concoctions, but this one may take the cake. I bring you The Brick Testament, the brainchild of the Reverend Brendan Powell Smith (he's not actually a Reverend.) Smith has photoillustrated a whole bunch of Bible scenes constructed entirely out of LEGO pieces. I love the photography, especially the use of perspective and varying depths of field. It's an ingenious work of art designed to "give people an increased knowledge of the contents of The Bible in a way that is fun and compelling while staying very true to the original versions." There are even …
My Brother, The ‘Stache Master (Almost)
Tonight I am quite proud of my little brother for finishing as runner-up in the highly prestigious Mustaches For Kids competition. Long-time readers may remember me blogging about this event last year. I was supposed to be a judge, but got sick. I was invited to judge this year as well, but had to decline because I was related to one of the entries. My brother Doug, who moved to Madison with his wife late last summer, has been cultivating his mustache for four weeks now. He ended up going as a sleazy van conversion salesman, and put on quite a performance. His improv and acting experience came …
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Mud Ball, Anyone?
One of my favorite parts about traveling with Jason to gigs is being able to meet different people. People have amazing stories, if you take the time to ask and get to know them. I met a really neat woman in Atlanta a few weeks ago at one of Jason's gigs. Since our visit we have emailed back and forth a few times and she shared with me a great story. Here it is.. "I put some play into my day yesterday when my 17-year-old son and I had an impromptu game of mud ball. …
One Time, At Grown-Up Camp…
Did you ever go to summer camp? I had my only summer camp experience when I was in high school. Other opportunities presented themselves before that, but I was too shy and frankly, chicken, to give them a try. But in high school I went to a week long art camp held at Northern Illinois University, which turned out to be my alma mater. The worst part about it was that it was held during the NBA Finals in which the Chicago Bulls were aiming for their third championship. While they clinched, I was in a hallway making drawings with chalk. But the best part were the friends I met, the things I …
A Match Made in Krypton
Well, I finally did it. I took the "What Superhero Are You?" quiz that Jason shared last month. And it's official. Jason and I were meant to be together. You may remember that he is most like Superman. (He was very excited about this, by the way.) Well, I am most like Supergirl. According to the quiz I am "Lean, muscular and feminine. Honest and a defender of the innocent." …
Buried in Relaxation
Jason and I have been busy relaxing these last few days. He had a gig in the Tampa area, so we decided to tack on a few days to bury ourselves in relaxation. Actually, since the weather cooperated, I asked Jason to bury me in the sand. It was awesome. I have to admit the process of being buried in the sand was similar for me to the process of trying to hurry up and relax. You know how it is – you have a certain amount of time, with certain restrictions, and your goal is to relax as soon as possible. …
Tie Day
My dad works at a lumber yard. It's a small town place; been around since 1848. In a sea of gigantic, homogenized lumber yards which feature discount prices (and employees with discount experience) Maze Lumber stands out because of its knowledgeable employees and non-crappy building materials. You'd think this would be enough to stand out in the marketplace. However, price competition is a seductive mistress and it can be easy to be intimidated by the Big Boxes (i.e. Wal-Mart, Menards, etc.) and slip into the belief that you must compete on their terms. This ill-fated belief is why so many mom …