Here's to the mundane

This morning I read an article about Brian Crane who writes the comic strip Pickles in the hubbs' alumni magazine (don't judge--my OK Weekly hasn't arrived yet).  Crane didn't start writing comics until he was 40 and has now had 21 years of success and is one of the most wildly syndicated cartoonists of the day.

From the article, "Brian is an unassuming genial family man, married for nearly 40 years, but beneath that unassuming exterior is the quintessential cartoonist.  His mind records and stores seemingly inconsequential, but covertly funny, details of life for future use."

I have been thinking of that ever since.  I think that trait not only makes a successful cartoonist but a good blogger.  It's something that I need to work on.  I'm not just looking for the funny details of life, but the meaningful, the thought-provoking and the charming.

I'm working on it.  I haven't felt like I have that memory these days.  My memory seems full of other things but I am dedicated to making space.

So here's to a mundane and amusing future.

It's the Little Victories

Where is that reset button?  I'd like to use it today.

I've been dealing with this little medical problem which is probably no big deal but which does involve trips to the doctor, ultrasounds, biopsies and blood tests and it has me a little stressed out (more details to come when I know more).  

Today I went to the doctor for a fine-needle aspiration biopsy on my neck (ouch and just as gross as you are thinking it is).  On my way to get my blood drawn after the biopsy the oil light came on in my car.  I pulled over and ran in the grocery store to pick up some oil.  I popped the hood, threw my purse on the front seat, closed the door and added the oil.  As the oil was chug, chug, chugging into the car I heard an unmistakable little click--the door locks engaging.  I had forgotten that if you unlock the doors of my car and then don't put the key in the ignition the doors all relock. I was miles from home, my phone, purse and wallet were in the locked car and my neck was sore and covered in bandaids. 

And the victory is that I kept my cool.  I cursed once (loud) but I didn't cry and didn't get mad.  Mostly I just remembered to be thankful that I have a hubbs who would bring me the spare key, that the baby wasn't with me and that missed blood tests can be rescheduled. 

How soon is too soon?

How soon is too soon to worry about Pica (an eating disorder defined by the eating of things that are not food)?

Crayons

Cream Eye Liner

And Sand

 (these are all from this week)

There has to be a reason Dr Oz calls it the most bizarre eating disorder

Book Club: Sept 2

I've taken a couple of months off of book club and in that time I've made a horrible discovery. 

Are you ready?

I love fantasy books.  It's humiliating and brings to mind all kinds of even more embarrassing things like dungeons and dragons and teens with braces. Yikes.  Before you judge too harshly just think of Harry Potter.  Lord of the Rings.  Twilight.  Ender's Game. Those are respectable fantasy books right?  You've read them.  Me too.  And I guess that my love of fantasy started there but it's progressed.  You show me any book where people can do magic or trees talk and I'm going to love it. 

The bad news is that my mom loves those same kinds of books so my summer vacation in Utah was an indulgence (and I mean about books. Though come to think of it, it was sort of an indugence in every other way too. My mom has a whole shelf of her storage room dedicated to Swiss Chocolate.) but I'm ready to get back to intellectual reading (and not eating a candy bar every day). 

For September we're going to read The Shipping News.  I've heard that it's charming and we're going to love it.

And I know that this is not a design blog and any designer who came to my house would be terrified (Even though it's breaking the first of Jonathan Adler's 10 commandments I am a minimalist) I love this.  I think I'm going to try to recreate it (but maybe in my living room).

When You've Got it, You've Got it

While I was home I spent some time working in my dad's office. For his birthday this year I changed some of his old LPs to MP3s.  While I was digging through his things (a girl has to do something while waiting for those files to convert). I found this picture of my older sister, my dad and me.

I love everything about it. I love the smiles, the attitude, the clothes (look at those socks with the hearts on them), the hair....but mostly I just love the people (and the pizazzy Tyra pose I'm striking).   

Sometimes I long for a time when I was that self confident and assured while picture taking.  These days I tend to spend my time taking pictures worrying that my tummy looks big or my hair looks frizzy.  I'd like to take a lesson from my 4-year-old self--just throw out your hips and stare down the camera and everything else will work out fine. 

*Also, if any of you are still getting a malware warning please let me know.  I think I took care of the problem but my computer skills are so basic that I can never be sure.

Claire's Book Club: Huh?

Claire and I checked out this book from the library. 

It's darling.  I love the Lazoo line.  I like their bright colors and their artzy little drawings.   And, now that Claire has mastered knowing her facial features, hair, fingers, toes and belly button I figured it was time to start talking about colors.

She likes the book (she actually took it with her to her nap just minutes ago) but yesterday while I was reading and describing the pictures to her I ran into a little trouble with purple page.

Onions are purple, grapes are purple, plums are purple and ......any ideas as to what that is on the upper right? 

Home again Home again

What I learned on my summer vacation.


Women of the world who are raising families in small apartments,
I love our apartment.  It's clean, airy, we don't have to pay for any repairs and I have my own bathroom--what's not to love? But while I was on vacation I learned that there is something that our small apartment with wall to wall white carpet will never allow us.