Bricks

Love is like a brick. You can build a house, or you can sink a dead body.

~ Lady Gaga

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There's no way a pig could build a house with those hooves. I guess that's why they used straw, sticks, and bricks instead of hooves.

Behave

Well behaved women seldom make history.

~ Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

- - - - -

Leslie: You're shitty.

Me: You're an idiot.

Leslie: You're a shittiot.

Me: YOU'RE a shittiot!

Leslie: That's my word!

Me: But I inspired you to come up with the word "shittiot." 

Then I realized I shouldn't have claimed that honor.

Leslie and I hardly ever fight, but we have a healthy bickering habit. 

Art

There are no rules. That is how art is born, how breakthroughs happen. Go against the rules or ignore the rules. That is what invention is about. 

~ Helen Frankenthaler

- - - - -

I came across a note I made about "coming across a Keith Haring scripture." I realized it was a typo, but I thought maybe it was more true that what I meant to type. Maybe art is scripture. Maybe it is sacred communication from the artist as creator to people. Maybe it is sacred communication from the creator to the artist to people.

Maybe not. I don't know a lot about art.

Careers

All creative people want to do the unexpected.

~ Hedy Lamar

- - - - -

I like to imagine that before these sculptures were made, the following conversation took place:

Person 1: I was a triple major in college, art - with specializations in animation and sculpture,  fire science, and zoology.

Person 2: Have I got a job for you!

Power

The greatest power on Earth is the magnificent power all of us possess... the power of the human brain!

~ Professor X

- - - - -

A lot of people know how to read. I'd rather be able to fly or something.

Travel

We traveled third class because there wasn't a fourth class.

~ Benjamin Firenze

- - - - -

I love to travel. I don't think I'm a very easy traveling companion, though. Like one time I was taking the luggage to the car and Leslie tried to micromanage me and tell me where to go. I hate it when people try to tell me how to do things. Why can't they just do the stuff themselves instead of bossing me?

Anyway, I snapped at her and said, "Quit micromanaging me. I think I know how to take bags to a car!!"

I stormed off and instead of going to the front door where we were parked, I ended up at some weird side door by an ice machine.

(pause)

Maybe it's not me. Maybe I am easy to travel with and it's Leslie bossing me that is difficult and she's the one who isn't a very easy traveling companion.

(pause)

Nope. I'm pretty sure it's me.

Birthday

No wise man ever wished to be younger.

~ Jonathan Swift

- - - - -

Today is Elizabeth's birthday. I'm really glad she was born. I learned a lot from her. Yes, some of those things are "don't do that" things, but some of those things have been "I should be more like that things.' Mostly I learned how to make even other people's stuff about you. Like how I posted this nice post that looks all celebratory because we're celebrating Elizabeth today, but really the highlight of the post is "6th Jul" which is MY birthday.

See how I did that?

I have to go stand in line now to get to see Elizabeth like she made everyone do at her pool party that one year.

Memories

It's odd the things that people remember. Parents will arrange a birthday party, certain it will stick in your mind forever. You'll have a nice time, then two years later you'll be like, "There was a pony there? Really? And a clown with one leg?"

~ David Sedaris

- - - - -

Dear Jared,

I hope you have a nice birthday. I am not sending you a clown with one leg. Or two legs. Please return the favor.

Love,

Chelle

Pondering

The vast majority of dogs love us at least as much as they love food.

~ Gregory Berns

- - - - -

And a very tiny small percentage are out to get you in your sleep. Not me. All dogs love me. But you... watch out. I hope you didn't get one of the outlier dogs.

Hazard

Of all the hazards, fear is the worst.

~ Sam Snead

- - - - -

You might think that little log cabin isn't much of a hazard on this disc golf course. But would you change your opinion if you found out that a fire-breathing monster who forwards chain letters lives in this cabin?

Lubrication

Trust is the lubrication that makes it possible for our organizations to work.

~ Warren Bennis

- - - - -

I have to tell you that when I entered "lubrication quotation" to find a quote to go with this image for the blog, I was a little nervous. I should have trusted the internet organization.

But I still don't.

Evening

In the morning man walks with his whole body; 

in the evening, only with his legs.

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

- - - - -

To really understand the word evening, you have to break the word up into its two parts "even" - to be even and "ing" - to do the thing that comes before the ing in this word. So evening means to become even again. We all need to do that after the day is over. Because days throw you totally out of sorts. Evenings, though... evenings are when the evening happens.

Doughnuts

New mysteries. New day. Fresh doughnuts.

~ David Lynch

- - - - -

Never trust a kid who doesn't like a doughnut. There's something there for everyone to like because if you don't like doughnuts, there is the hole where there isn't any doughnut.

Also, don't trust a kid who only like the hole where there isn't any doughnut.

Anthropology

Anthropology allows me to see things that might be obvious but usually remain hidden in a variety of settings, and put these into words.

~ Emily Martin

- - - - -

I anthropomorphize people all the time. 

Feet

Move with your feet. The hands will follow.

~ Masaaki Hatsumi

- - - - -

Zak moves a lot. He runs and jumps and falls and scooters and bikes. He chases and follows and hurries. 

I think it's good to do that when you're a kid. Just run fast - it doesn't matter where you go.

That's a lie. It matters a lot. And don't run so far that your parents don't know where you are. And also don't run into people. Don't run into traffic. Don't run in school - unless you're in gym or on the playground. Don't run into a swarm of murder hornets. Oh wait, there are no murder hornets in Maine. I don't care what the other four year olds are saying.

Also, if you run faster than the speed of sound then I guess you don't have to listen to your parents yelling at you for running.

Guidance

Every time you don't follow your inner guidance, you feel a loss of energy, loss of power, a sense of spiritual deadness.

~ Shakti Gawain

- - - - -

I don't like it when people tell me what to do unless they tell me to do things I already wanted to do. Not like chores... Like when I text Kirk about my blog and ask, "Is it okay if I say this and post it?" I like it when he says, "SURE." I don't like it when he says, "Eh... probably not quite." 

He ruins everything.

Sign

The really critical thing isn't who's sitting in the White House, but who is sitting in the street, in the cafeterias, in the halls of government, in the factories. Who is protesting, who is occupying offices and demonstrating? Those are the things that determine what happens.

~ Howard Zinn

- - - - -

And sometimes there is a highly critical thing sitting in the White House. You can see it sitting in almost every photo even if others are standing. Just sitting around.

Bouquet

Glorious bouquets and storms of applause are the trimmings which every artist naturally enjoys.

~ Golda Meir

- - - - -

I make one of these bouquets for Leslie at some point every year. I think they are clever and beautiful. I guess that makes ME the artist, doesn't it Leslie?! Where are MY STORMS OF APPLAUSE?

Actually, she always says thank you.
Not storms of applause, but that's okay.

Radio

TV gives everyone an image, but radio gives birth 

to a million images in a million brains.

~ Peggy Noonan

- - - - - 

I like podcasts. I used to listen to old times radio show reruns on the radio when I would go to bed at night. I liked those stories - well some of them. Podcasts are like that but different. Also, you don't have to have a radio for them. 

(pause)

I guess I should have chosen a different photo for this blog post.

Doughnuts

Whether you take the doughnut hole as a blank space or as an entity unto itself is purely a metaphysical question and does not affect the taste of the doughnut one bit.

~ Haruki Murakami

- - - - -

This is what it looks like when you sample a variety of doughnuts. They were so good. I love the lemon doughnuts the best. 

(pause)

I had too many drafts in my blog files labeled "Doughnuts" so I'm posting this one. 

Responses

Writers sometimes give up what is most strange and wonderful about their writing - soften their roughest edges - to accommodate themselves toward a group response.

~ Mary Oliver

- - - - -

I don't write about my work very often, but yesterday I got an email from a student about a delay in a submission for class because she was helping out some family members.

I responded:

Know what?
The world is a shitshow.
Post when you are able.

I hope time with family is less shit and more show.

I think that might be the most wisdom I've ever shared with anyone. 

Dangerous

I want to stand as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can't see from the center.

~ Kurt Vonnegut

- - - - -

People talk a lot about edges like they are dangerous. Actually, the edges of a puzzle give you the frame and everything else fits. Have you ever started a puzzle from the middle and built out? That's a lot harder. 

Harder isn't always better and the edge isn't always the most dangerous place to be.

Also, I love puzzles.

Identity

We are all of us more complicated than the roles we are assigned in the stories other people tell.

~ Tara Westover

- - - - -

Zak is still figuring out who he is going to be. Until he figures it out, I guess his plan is to be a little creeper boy. 

Goat

The world is not to be divided into sheeps and goats.

~ Alfred Kinsey

- - - - -

Bah! Who is he kidding?

Vroom

A motorcycle coming down from 30 feet at 70 miles an hour gives you a terrible jolt.

~ Evel Knievel

- - - - -

Evel Knievel was a whiner. I have never once heard Leslie complain about that kind of experience. Sheesh, Evel Knievel.

Hopeful

Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today.

~ Thich Nhat Hanh

- - - - -

This morning I came to the park early to do some writing. I do that sometimes. I gotthere at 7:15 or so. When I pulled in and parked, I heard "I Wanna Rock 'n' Roll All Night" blasting from a parked car.

I really hope that guy has a good weekend. I also think if that is the song he plays every day to get pumped up to go to work... well, I hope it works for him.

Enjoyment

Enjoy life. There's plenty of time to be dead.

~ Hans Christian Andersen

- - - - -

What you enjoy and what I enjoy might not be the same thing. Good times look different for each of us. For example, while this establishment is named "Good Times" I bet this place isn't "good times" for the deer.

Magic

And suddenly you know... it's time to start something new and trust the magic of new beginnings.

~ Meister Eckhart

- - - - -

When I was a kid there was a show on called "The House with the Magic Window." The Magic Window would turn on and show films about field mice (Tales of the Riverbank) and other things. 

That's where I learned to always look in peoples' windows. In case you were wondering, most of them aren't magic. Unless making people angry is a magic power. In that case most of them ARE magic.

Amazing

I can't imagine having a favorite Marie Curie biography.

~ Leslie Lewis

- - - - -

The quote above surprises me. I think of Leslie as having a pretty good imagination and this particular thing doesn't seem too difficult to imagine if you really try.

Quit being so lazy with your imagination, Leslie. You can do it. I'm not sure you're even willing to try. As Marie Curie used to say, "TRY HARDER! BE LIKE ME! Who do you think put the CURIE in 'CURIOUS'? IT WAS ME. C'MON LAZY BOOTS!"

Outrage

Probably don't ever start a podcast because you're outraged about something.

~ Savannah Bailey

- - - - -

I was thinking that maybe "inrage" was an antonym of outrage where you direct the rage inward. Turns out it is an obsolete spelling of "enrage." Also turns out "obsolete" is a misspelling of "wrong".