Carpe You Some Diem!

All Moved In

2008-02-04T08:56:00.001-05:00

I'm all moved in! Head on over to http://rebeccaburch.com
See you there!

The Breakup

2008-02-03T09:55:00.000-05:00

Dear Blogger,

It's been great. You know it has.

When I first met you, the spark was there. I felt a tingling in my heart just thinking about you. I couldn't wait to spend time with you, sharing my innermost feelings and inspirations.

But it just hasn't been the same recently. I don't know. It's not you -- it's me.

It's true... I have been seeing another blog. I'm sorry, I know it's cruel... but Wordpress is just so easy to be with. I wasn't looking for a new blog, but it just happened. Wordpress completes me. It was just meant to be.

I'll see you often in my blogroll. I hope we can still be friends. I'd like that.

Love,
Becky

Wordpress

2008-02-02T13:18:00.001-05:00

Check it out -- I finally got my new classroom blog moved:

http://www.charlestoncatholic-crw.org/Departments/Art/wordpress/

I am such a huge fan of Wordpress! I have been considering switching to Wordpress, but didn't want to do it until I could figure out how to put it on my own server. Suzanne was able to show me just how do-able it is and the school's Computer Guy was able to install it in no time! This is really good becaue it makes the site more secure (since it's on our server) and allows a team of users to help edit the site. I love it!

I'm going to be moving this blog to Wordpress as soon as it gets installed on my server. Hold tight -- it won't be long!

Yeah, but is it art?

2008-02-01T14:21:00.000-05:00

Wow! I'm getting readers from all over!

Rick tried to comment on my blog about the Vietnam Wall, but I have anonymous commenting turned off, so he emailed me, instead. Here's what he had to say*:

Rebecca,
I tried to make a comment on your blog after reading it, but I guess you have to be a member. Here's what I had to say. I made a cross country trip to D.C. a year ago and I saw the statues,painting, fountains and I knew they were pieces of"art". Like most people, some I liked and some made little or no impression on me. When I came to TheWall and I walked down into the valley of names it was no longer a monument or someone's work of art.

Something that moving to an old man like me can't be art. Art has never made me cry like a child. Art has never touched me like it did when I
reached out and ran my finger tips across my friend's name. So what is
it? Rebecca, if you can, find a word that describes this remarkable phenomenon.

With respect,
Rick

And here's my reply:

Picasso's Guernica.

Hey, Rick -- that's my brother's name, too. Thanks for the comment. Yeah, I did have to turn off anonymous commenting because I
want to be able to prevent idiots from posting nasty things I don't want my kids to see. It's sad that I have to be that protective, but that's
how it is.

Anyway, I'm an art teacher, so I've got to argue with you a little but if you say that art can't move people. Not all art, maybe -- I'll give you that. Or maybe it's a personal thing, and what moves me might be different from what moves you. The BEST art moves us to feel things we didn't expect to feel, or to think about things in a new way. Take Picasso's "Guernica." You can't look at that and not feel the chaos and terror of the people during the Spanish Civil War. Or, how could anybody not look at Mary Cassatt's "The Maternal Kiss" and not feel nostalgic about good childhood memories?

Maybe you just haven't experienced the right art, yet. :) Great art, like great music or great theater, great literature, or great poetry can be intimidating, and sometimes it's plain hard to find. But it's out there. And the Wall is definitely great art -- look, it brought both of us to tears. We
totally didn't see that one coming.

God's peace,
Becky

So, readers, what do you think? What is art to you? Has a work of art ever moved you to feel something you didn't expect? What is the most moving work of art you've ever seen? Has a work of art ever made you cry? Let me know -- I'm interested in getting a lot of different viewpoints, here.
*any weird typos came from copying and pasting from email into Blogger. I tried to fix what I could, but I think it made it worse, so I'm quitting while I'm ahead.
_____________________________
On an unrelated note...
I will soon be moving my blog to http://rebeccaburch.com . This blog is currently accessable there, but the new blog will be a Wordpress blog hosted on my website domain. So, take a moment to update your links to that address now so you won't miss anything during the move. Thanks!

The Old Country Buffet Hostage Crisis

2008-02-01T08:20:00.000-05:00

This is our bus driver. We'll call him George. Isaac took this photo of George on the first day of our trip. George is a pretty cool guy -- he gave us a whole day's tour of D.C. for free, just because he loves the city. He did a pretty good job, too, cramming about a week's worth of touring into one day. It's kind of a blur, really... but we all had fun. Until dinner, anyway.

George has a dark side, though -- an addiction. And addiction can make a perfectly normal bus driver do some pretty crazy things. My friends, George is seriously addicted to the Old Country Buffet. All those fried foods, dripping with butter and gravy... all those desserts, lined up underneath the sneezeguard... the little happy "OC Bee" with his yellow, grinning, toddler's face... it all looks so innocent.

On the first day of the trip, we left a little later than expected, so we were running late for our lunch stop. George suggested that we get snacks at a truck stop he knew near Staunton, VA, and then drive on in and get dinner at Manassas because he knew "a really great place to eat." That sounded fine. We took a vote, and everyone agreed to wait for dinner.

When we rolled up in front of the "Old Country Buffet," my first thought was "oh, no. I HATE all you can eat buffets!" But the kids were starving and there was nothing else around so we went. It really wasn't bad. They had a decent salad bar, and the poached salmon on the seafood bar was really pretty good. Not my first choice... but I lived, right? It's all good.

Then, the next day, George took us on our tour. It was pretty awesome, I must say. He has the turbo-tour of D.C. down to a science, and since we just had a day to see the city, it was perfect! We did our tour, and were exhausted by the end of the day and were looking forward to experiencing something really great for dinner. Something local, and a little upscale. Something we couldnt' experience back home.

Once we all got on the bus, George gave us some options for dinner -- Union Station (has a lot of good stuff in a food court underground), a shopping mall (where we ate lunch, and I had some excellent Thai food), or another Old Country Buffet on the outskirts of town. One group on the bus wanted to go to Union Station, but George mentioned that he really didn't want to go there because bus parking would be an issue. Another group suggested we go back to the mall, but then he said we were going the wrong way and it was already late. So off we went to OCB, driving past all the lovely restaurants on King Street in Old Town Alexandria with the really great bus parking.

It was kind of funny at first. There were lots of jokes being throw around about how the bus driver was probably going to drive around and around until we all agreed to go to the OCB. But then the priest who planned the trip took the mic and said, "Guys, I think we're just going to go to the buffet." And then people got pissed!

It took almost an hour to get to the Old Country Buffet!!! It was clearly in a really bad part of town, in a strip mall with pawn shops and advance-check-cashing joints. The kids were starving, and my Mom was getting headachy and dizzy from not eating for hours and hours. Several elderly people on the trip were starting to get sick, and I was really NOT wanting to fill my belly with a bunch of greasy buffet food.

The majority of the people on the bus decided to walk to a Popeye's nearby, but I really didn't want fried anything, so Mom, the kids and I decided to go into the OCB. Once there, we were told that there would be an extra $5 fee added to our bills because we were part of a large group! The lady in front of us said, "forget that!" and hoofed it on over to Popeye's. I had to take Olivia to a restroom -- fast! -- and by the time I came back, the manager had been called to the mat, and agreed to charge us only $2 extra, "because it's Saturday."

By this point, the kids were tired, starving, and the thought of walking all the way to the Popeye's was out of the question, so we relented. The food was awful at this one -- the salad bar was brown and there wasn't any salmon. The bathroom was nasty... it was just really not a good experience.

The kicker came when the manager handed George a voucher -- for a free dinner, I presume. Heck, we would have paid for his din-din had he taken us somewhere we liked! The next day, we made it abundantly clear that we would not be stopping at another OCB -- so he took us to a mall where our choices were Taco Bell, KFC, or some Pizza joint that looked equally unhealthy. My digestive system is only beginning to get over it. (How did I ever survive college?!?) It's been a yogurt-and-salad week!

Lesson learned -- plan meals ahead-of time on bus trips or bring healthy snacks.

The Lincoln Memorial

2008-01-31T14:27:00.001-05:00

I am teh busy today... but I had to share these photos. I love the Lincoln Memorial. It has always held a certain magic for me, and I remember getting chills as I climbed the steps and his face emerged from the shadows when I visited last -- in sixth grade! It was so great to see my own children's expressions as they experienced the same thing during this trip.

Lincoln was an almost mythological character to me as a child. I grew up reading about him, just like Laura Ingalls Wilder and Gandhi. He was one of my earliest heroes, and I still love reading about him today. I am glad that my children are interested in history and in the same heroes that I loved reading about as a child. It's so neat to relive my childhood a little through my own kids. I get to re-experience childhood, but with the benefit of everything I've learned since then.

Monuments

2008-01-30T10:32:00.000-05:00

I think that the monuments in Washington D.C. are so embedded in our consciousness that we forget how meaningul and beautiful they are. I have to admit, my art-seeking goal in D.C. was more along the lines of the art museums and less about the monuments, but after revisiting those "must-see" sites with my kids, I realized that they are so much more impressive than most of us probably ever realize.

I think that the most touching monument is the Vietnam Memorial. I'm a big fan of Maya Lin's newer work, anyway, so I was able to view "the Wall" in the context of her other works. It's such an impressive piece, and I really don't think there is any way to experience it but to actually be there. You can't capture the experience in a photograph, or even in a miniature traveling exhibit, like the one that has been to WV in the not-too-distant past.

I'll admit, I cried like a little girl just looking at it -- especially in light of the current endless war with its enormous human cost. It hits too close to home. I never knew my Grandfather, who died in the Korean War when my Dad was only 3 years old. He was a kid, too -- only 25 years old, himself. My Dad has also served in just about every military activation since the Vietnam War, including Desert Storm and the current war. My cousins have also served, and I'm getting ready to see my Brother-in-Law off to Afghanistan this weekend.

It's funny how words are used for the soldiers who fall to somehow soften the blow. Casualty. Casualty? What the hell does that mean? These lives were just lost casually? Like "oops, we lost a few...?" That's bullshit. Each soldier is someone's Dad ... or brother. Or Mother. Or sister... each "casualty" is someone's life story cut short. Whether you support the current war or not, each life lost is a tragedy and there's no sugarcoating it. Seeing so many tragedies carved in inch-tall letters, stacked to the top of the wall and for 500-something feet is enough to move anybody to tears. Anybody with a heart, anyway...

And isn't that what great art is all about? Not necessarily making people cry... but making someone feel something unexpected. Great art should cause a reaction, in your mind or in your heart, and give you something to carry with you afterward. Who would have thought that a granite-lined gash in the ground could accomplish that? But it does.

Quiz Thing

2008-01-30T10:23:00.000-05:00

This Is My Life, Rated
Life:	7.3
Mind:	6.9
Body:	6.4
Spirit:	8.8
Friends/Family:	5.7
Love:	3.6
Finance:	8.2
Take the Rate My Life Quiz

Quizzes are fun. This one asked a lot of interesting questions that really made me think about the things I have in my life. I'm a pretty lucky chick. I think I should have gotten more points in the friends/family area because I have really satisfying relationships with my friends and family. I think the downside for that category was that my Grandmother is very ill and I have some friends who are also not doing so well, and their problems weigh very heavily on my mind most of the time right now.

And yeah... I totally need to get more exercise.

Oprahma

2008-01-29T18:26:00.001-05:00

I have entirely too much fun with Photoshop.

Trip to D.C. Part I

2008-01-29T08:38:00.000-05:00

I love roadtrips. I really, really love to travel. I start packing weeks before the trip and count down the days -- that's how excited I get about going places. This trip was no exception. I knew it was going to be a blast and couldn't wait to show my kids all the cool things in Washington D.C. I am so lucky my boss gave me the time off to go. This is a trip the kids and I will remember for the rest of our lives. It was that much fun!

Because we had to pick up people from different churches in the southern WV area, we took the long way to D.C. and didn't get there until late in the evening. Our driver gave us a driving tour of some of the more famous sites in the downtown area, and then dropped us off at our hotel -- the Savoy Suites of Georgetown. I didn't have anything at all to do with planning the trip, so I really didn't know what we had in store for accomodations, but I was pleasantly surprised with the hotel. It's located near the cathedral (you could see it really well from our rooms) and we had a nice room with a kitchenette. There are plenty of places to eat near the hotel, and a Whole Foods just a block away (handy -- because I had to run there to buy cold medicine for Isaac.) It's a safe neighborhood, too -- lots of local residents jogging and out walking around. I was impressed with the service, too. I want to plan another trip to DC to stay longer and show the kids around, and I will definitely stay there again.

Dinner was not so great. We stopped at some place called the Old Country Buffet, which is a lot like Golden Corral and other all-you-can-eat buffets. I mean, it wasn't bad... I'm just not a big fan of quantity-over-quality, and there weren't many low-fat, low-carb options on the buffet, other than the salad bar. Even the veggie dishes were dripping with cheese, gravy, or fried. The kids liked it, though, and we were all hungry and tired of riding in the bus all day, so it was OK. Besides, the bus driver seemed to really, really want to take us there, so nobody complained too much. Little did we know what we had in store for the next evening...

I fell asleep with the curtains open, staring at the cathedral. It's such a gorgeous sight! It looks totally out of place in downtown Washington D.C. You would really expect to see it in Europe, or even New York, but not D.C. That night, I had dreams of walking around the cathedral grounds, looking up at it from the ground, with the moonlight falling down on the frosty carved stone, making the cathedral look like it was made of crystal.

Stained Light

2008-01-28T16:57:00.000-05:00

Too tired to write much, but a picture's worth a thousand words, right? So this post should be a verbal bargain. It's almost like reading Moby Dick, except with more colors and less descriptions of whale anatomy.

The trip was a blast. There was history and trivia, beautiful and moving art... a hostage crisis (Nobody was harmed in the process, unless you count being forced to eat at a large, artery-clogging all-you-can-eat buffet two nights in a row torture) and a coup d'charter bus. All-in-all, this trip had it all, except for maybe better food... but I'm not complaining (although my digestive system is PISSED!) I had a blast and so did the kids, and I have some great photos to show for it. I think I'm going to have to plan a DIY trip for the entire family this summer -- no charter busses or greasy dinners allowed.

Be patient... more later.

Playing Hooky With Abe

2008-01-24T14:08:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow, I'm skipping school to go hang out with Abe Lincoln.

Actually, it's for a really good reason. I'm taking my kids to Washington D.C. to see the monuments and museums. Sunday is West Virginia Day at the National Cathedral, and they're going to be participating in that as acolytes (altar boys) so we decided to make a long weekend of it and see the sights.

Some people would take issue with me pulling my kids out of school for a little mini-vacation, but since nobody does the 5th-6th grade field trip to D.C. anymore like they used to, I thought it would be ridiculous to take them to DC without spending at least one entire day touring D.C.

I'm pretty excited about it, actually. Giddy, even. A day off, plus extra time with my kids, plus history plus art? It just doesn't get any better than that. Well, actually, it could have been better -- I'm missing the Edward Hopper exhibit by a week. Of course, I don't know how much time we'll have for art exhibits, especially since the kids aren't quite old enough to really get Hopper, so I probably wouldn't have gotten to see it, anyway. So it's really better that it not be an option, because I would have to see it.

Mike is staying home with the baby, so it's just the big kids, my Mom, and myself. As much as I will miss the rest of my family for the weekend, it's going to be neat having the "big kids" to myself.

I'm finishing up my sub plans and then I'm outta here. See you all back here on Tuesday! I will probably post a photo or two. ;)

This post is bananas!

2008-01-24T08:26:00.000-05:00

... and so is my morning.

I was on my way to school this morning on Rt. 119 halfway between Spencer and Walton when I saw a guy pulled off on the right side of the road, in a really narrow place. One of my worst fears is of hitting someone who's having car trouble (especially after reading Evil Twin's Wife's story yesterday) so my attention was on that side of the road, especially since there was really no room for him to park on the shoulder there.

In the oncoming lane, a guy was traveling at a pretty good click when all of a sudden, he decided to swerve into my lane to pull up behind the broken-down vehicle. He was going so fast that I really didn't expect him to suddenly decide to drive the wrong way in my lane, and I was looking around the stopped vehicle, so we came thisclose to smacking head-on.

It would have been ugly. My 1998 Maxima -vs- his old-school Ford Bronco (made back when cars were heavy and everything was made of metal.)

I swear, the guy swerved so close, I think I felt our bumpers touch. I couldn't find a mark on my car, so maybe it was my imagination, but it had to have been really close. I saw the accident start to occur and had come to the conclusion in my mind that I was going to die in a head-on collision today, listening to Grunt the Pig on the Bob & Sheri morning show, and having an especially good-hair-day. (At least I would have died laughing and happy.) I didn't even have time to come up with a really good string of expletives, or to slam on my brakes. That's good, about the brakes, because I probably would have hit the other guy or the rock wall to my left to avoid a head-on with Mr. SUV. I really don't know how I avoided hitting anything, other than to assume divine intervention or some other unexplainable suspension of the laws of physics.

I swear, idiots should have to have a large insignia on their vehicles, sort of like slow-moving vehicles have those big, orange triangles. "Warning: This person has poor decision-making skills. Keep clear."

Sheesh. And now to move on to the slightly less-nervewracking task of teaching teenagers.

Embrace

2008-01-23T11:56:00.001-05:00

Midterms

2008-01-22T13:18:00.000-05:00

I hate doing my midterm grades. I would rather figure out taxes. Seriously.

ROWR!!!

2008-01-22T08:30:00.000-05:00

Dude! I've won an award for blogging! I am pretty stoked about this, because I've only recently started writing very much on my blog -- it used to be mostly art and very little writing. So, yay! (See? I'm so eloquent that I can get by with gratuitous "Dude!" and "YAY!" statements.)

So, thanks a bunch to Evil Twin's Wife from the blog The Glamorous Life of a Housefrau. She's got a great blog, and if you don't know her, you should check her blog out.

Now, I'm supposed to give three bits of advice to fellow bloggers and nominate 5 other bloggers that deserve the award. Here goes:

1. Don't limit your topics to one thing. I started out trying to focus this blog on art only, but my life is all over the place, and so I felt like I was missing out by not writing about things I felt strongly about. While I do try to post an original photo or piece of art every day, I write about anything and everything. It keeps me entertained -- hopefully, you enjoy reading about my crazy life, too.

2. Lern tu spel. Lern grammer, to. Really, it's like hearing your favorite song played on an out-of-tune violin to read a great blog post with major spelling and grammatical errors. I'm not a language Nazi, and I'm sure I live in a glass house, but I do believe that everyone should have at least a passing understanding of the English language. If you don't know how to spell a word, look it up.

3. Keep it simple. It's a blog. Casual language is fine. It's easier for others to read, and writing in a casual voice gives your posts personality. Conversely, writing in a more formal style makes your posts seem stuffy and it sometimes hides the simple beauty of your observations.

Okay, now for the hard part -- nominating others! There are so many great blogs on my sidebar, and even more that I've subscribed to on Bloglines that I haven't gotten around to linking to, yet. Here are the top 5 who come to mind:

Author Suzanne McMinn -- her blog "Chickens in the Road" is dear to my heart because we are practically neighbors, but also because her blog is everything a blog should be: thought-provoking, full of useful information, humorous, and heartwarming. I love her writing style, but -- duh -- she's an author!

Juanuchis' Way -- an awesome artist, all-around cool person, and fellow 'Piskie! She writes about whatever's on her mind, from art to news to animals. Her blog is always a good read -- hilarious-yet-poignant stuff.

Don't Print This -- You probably read Bill Lynch's writing in the Gazette, or in the Gazzblogs, but his personal blog is my favorite. Bill is an excellent writer, and he's written some great posts about heartwrenchingly personal issues. That's not easy to do!

Interview With The Chinchilla -- I love interviews. I really, really love to read about other people and what their lives are really like. Mr. Chinchilla's interviews are great because he asks the most interesting questions! I don't have a clue how he types (do they even make chinchilla-sized keyboards? He must be a text-messaging wiz!!!) but there is always something great to read. And he's just so darn cute, too!

Goat Rope -- This one's a new addition to my blogroll, but it's quickly become one of the blogs I check first. El Cabrero has just done a series of blog posts centering around some central ideas of Sun Tzu's "The Art of War," and is now writing about faith. From Sun Tzu to Philosophy? I'm there!

I only get to pick five to give the award to, but there are so many who truly deserve it. Hey, maybe these guys will pick some of the ones I wanted to pick, myself.

Making a Room Divider From Old Doors

2008-01-21T18:42:00.001-05:00

4 old doors from the Habitat for Humanity Re-store: $100

paint: $50

hardware: $20

a space of one's own: priceless!

My oldest son is eleven-going-on-fifteen. He shares a huge L-shaped bedroom with his two younger brothers and has been jonesing for his own room for a while, now. Building a new room is out of the question, but I came across the idea for a room divider a while back and thought that would work out perfectly!

I really wanted some cool vintage doors with panels in different configurations, but couldn't find what I wanted, so I finally just settled on some plain hollow-core doors from the Restore. This worked out just fine for a kids' room, because it has a really smooth, modern look. I painted them with shiny, primary-color paints, except for one door, which I painted with chalkboard paint. I then put the hinges on them accordion-style so the whole unit would fold flat against a wall when we need to open the area up. I attached leftover metal flashing cut into square shapes to the red door -- you can use write-on/wipe-off markers on it and it also holds magnets! I am going to put hooks on one blue door, and maybe some cork tiles painted red on the second-to-last blue door. I'm also going to put a funky doorknob on the red door because the hole is already there.

It looks really good, it's sturdy, and it moves easily so Isaac can have his "room" completely private or open it up all the way without much difficulty. I might attach one side to the wall if it gets tipped over, but it seems sturdy enough that it shouldn't tip unless someone really gets a good run at it and knocks it hard.

He's pretty excited about it. He's still got a pretty good-sized man-cave back there, and the two younger kids have a regular-sized room, too. I probably wouldn't recommend this for a smaller room unless you used something lighter, like screen doors with filmy curtains or something. This would be too imposing for a small room as-is.

Abandoned, Part II

2008-01-21T10:13:00.001-05:00

Another picture from the abandoned church I shot yesterday.

I really wanted to go inside and take some pictures from the inside looking out through the windows, (I love these windows!) but the people who lived next door were eyeing me suspiciously. When I walked toward them to ask permission, they went inside and started watching me through the window. A weird reaction, for sure! So, I got outta there.

I am obviously an "outsider," though -- here's what these people probably thought of me:

* I was not driving a pickup truck. In fact, I was driving a (gasp!) Japanese car.

* I was wearing a Charleston Catholic hoodie -- Charleston = city dweller (scary) and Catholic = rich people cult, very much like Scientology, but with pedophiles (even more scary.)

* I didn't have a single NASCAR sticker on my car. That could have bought me a little bit of credibility around here.

Of course, I am neither a Charleston resident, nor a Catholic (and the Catholic church is definitely NOT at all what people make it out to be) and I do know a good bit about NASCAR history, although I'm not exactly a fan. But they didn't know that.

This experience really drove home the fact that, no matter how long I live out in the boonies, I will always be a "city person" to the locals. Not that that's a bad thing -- people around here love the outsiders just as much once they get to know you, but there's always that delineation. You're never a local, even if you live here your whole life. And it takes a long time and a lot of work to really be accepted around here. It has taken me since 2001 to start to feel like I really belong here, and the belonging part has really only happened within the last year.

The way I see it, though, I've got the best of both worlds. I work in the city, among the hustle and bustle of city life and gorgeous architectural treasures everywhere you look, but then I can go home and climb trees and catch turtles with the kids and not have to worry about letting them run free through the woods. I can have a cappuccino and look at art galleries during my lunch break, then stop and buy eggs from somebody's house on the way home from work. I live the perfect life for me, long commute or not.

Although, next time I shoot this church, I'm going to drive there in my husband's Ranger, wearing an Earnhardt shirt.

Abandoned

2008-01-20T20:37:00.000-05:00

I have this obsession with finding and photographing abandoned churches and old schoolhouses that can only be rivaled by Suzanne's obsession with outhouses. It's something about finding something that has been such an important part of so many peoples' lives, like a church or a school, just abandoned there to fall apart. I would love to know the stories these buildings could tell. I guess I'm a closet history nerd.

I've driven past this abandoned church on Middle Fork Road near Reedy, WV a few times, and have been taken by the country-gothic windows. I stopped today to snap off a few photos, despite the fact that it was so cold my hands were too numb to feel the camera. No matter-- look at that gorgeous sapphire-colored sky! Blue skies and bright sunshine can be deceiving.

St. George's

2008-01-19T12:03:00.001-05:00

I love this building. It looks kind of out-of-place in Charleston, right next to the uber-boring architecture of the shopping mall.

I'm home sick... feeling horrible. I had just kicked the upper-respiratory funkiness that everyone in my home was passing around, and now I've got the sinus funkiness that everyone else is passing around. My head feels like it's encased in a thick block of Jello. I would really like to go take a nap, maybe watch a good movie or do something that involves a minimal amount of standing upright... but it doesn't seem likely. *sigh* Moms aren't allowed to have sick-time.

Laundry calls...

Hey! I know these kids!

2008-01-17T12:27:00.000-05:00

A student (girl) and ex-student (boy) of mine are having their first art exhibit opening today -- 5:00 PM at Komax in South Charleston, WV (D-street.)

I'm not taking credit -- the exhibit is of work created in an afterschool art program taught by local artist (and amazing person) Barrie Kauffmann. I am just really happy to see these young artists getting some exposure, and I hope they have a really good turnout for their show. They're both super-cool kids and I know the art is going to be impressive!

I probably won't be going ... my daughter had ear tube surgery this morning (it went really well!) and we'll most likely chill out at home tonight. I will be catching the show at some point, real soon, though. I am so proud of these kids!

Evel

2008-01-16T13:20:00.001-05:00

Skycycle, 2008
10" X 12", India Ink, watercolor, and gold leaf on cotton rag paper

New art! This is my first "real" art project (as in, for myself -- not something done for class, or crafty stuff) in a long time.

I've made a lot of things to use as examples in class lately, but nothing blogworthy, as we're studying pretty rudimentary stuff. This is my first "real" art project in a long time, and I am surprised at how easily it came together.

I used a blotted-line technique that Andy Warhol used a lot in the early days of his art-making. It's a pretty tedious process -- you draw on non-absorbent paper, then print on absorbent paper, and you get a really cool effect, but it's kind of tricky because you can only do a small area at a time, and you have to print in exactly the right spot each time. I like how it has a sort of funky, wobbly look, almost like old rock posters from the Fillmore.

Bonus -- it *might* be published. I'll let you know if and when.

7:45 AM

2008-01-16T10:07:00.000-05:00

Another experiment with panoramic photography (click picture for full image.)

I have been asked to take a panoramic photo of the entire CCHS school population, so I wanted to experiment with things that are moving and to see how they will blend when I put the images together (because nobody can stand completely still, and in a group that large, somebody's gonna move.)

Moving people worked out just fine. Moving cars, not so much. Check out the red mini-SUV in the front! It looks like a tiny toy car. I would totally buy something like that, though. It would have to get crazy good gas mileage!

I guess people are smaller than cars and don't move far enough within a frame to get messed up. They do get repeated if they move from one frame to another during shooting, though -- but that isn't hard to fix in Photoshop, and nobody's going to move that much in the portrait.

Animusic

2008-01-15T10:08:00.001-05:00

My father-in-law told me to look up some neat videos he saw on PBS, and I'm glad I found them. These videos are fascinating, and the music is pretty awesome, too! I'm showing Animusic 2 to my middle-schoolers today, and they are actually sitting here watching it, bodies and mouths completely still, in awe!

It's really neat how computer animation allows people to "build" machines like this that you could probably never build in real life... and then do something with them. This one reminds me of the ball sculpture at the Clay Center on steroids.

Livestock Market, Spencer WV

2008-01-15T09:38:00.000-05:00

Another old photo, remixed. This is the livestock market in Spencer, WV, catching the light from a brilliant winter sunset last year. I messed with the contrast and colors a little bit to maximize the golden light that was already there, and to make up for the atmospheric conditions that sort of dulled that out a little bit.

It was a crappy morning, and I can't seem to get motivated. I haven't been getting enough sleep, and the cold, snowy, grey weather isn't helping to convince me to get out of bed and accomplish anything. No matter - I slid into work today, anyway, and am getting grades done and lesson plans completed for my sub on Thursday -- I'll be out to take Olivia to get her second set of ear tubes put in.

I feel like livestock today -- herded from one place to another place, while there's this whole big world outside.

At least I've lost 10 pounds since Thanksgiving. That makes me feel slightly different than livestock.

Universal Symbols

2008-01-14T10:44:00.000-05:00

My students are now studying universal symbols and creating their own new signs. We probably don't realize just how many symbos we see every day to inform us (like the man/woman signs that tell us which restroom to use) but there are literally thousands of symbolic signs out there. We practically have a second language of symbols on signs.

Some of them are pretty obvious, but some are not so much. It's sometimes fun to come up with new definitions to some of the more humorous signs. Like this one:

According to Zefrank, this one says "Push Button, Recieve Bacon."

As my students come up with new universal symbols, I might post a few here until Art 304 gets moved to its new home. I might also poke fun at warning signs I find while out and about.

My Kitchen

2008-01-14T09:12:00.001-05:00

I love my kitchen. This is about the closest thing I have to an art studio at home, sadly. But it works. Here, you see my latest project -- a room divider for my oldest son. My 3 sons have a huge, L-shaped bedroom, and the oldest is jonesing for his own space, so I decided to make a room divider for him out of old doors. I couldn't find the cool, vintage doors that I wanted, but I promised to make it for him ASAP, so I went with the hollow-core doors. There will be four of them, painted in different colors, and this one is painted with chalkboard paint.

You can also see the cute vintage aprons I turned into curtains. I have a serious vintage apron problem. I blame my aunt Bonnie, who used to let me play in her apron drawer while she cooked Sunday dinner when I was little. I loved her aprons, and now whenever I look at these, I think of her. She just turned 90 a couple weeks ago, and is still one of my biggest inspirations in the kitchen. If you want to know what to do with just about anything in the kitchen, hang out with a depression-era cook.

And yeah, there are dirty dishes in the sink. Sue me. We actually use our kitchen. It is the place for yummy meals, creative projects, creative projects that become yummy meals, and creative projects that become funny stories. Maybe eventually I'll have an actual art studio somewhere in my house, but for now, the kitchen is my creativity place.

Fire Extinguisher

2008-01-12T20:44:00.000-05:00

Mom, Art Teacher, Tattoo Designer

2008-01-11T14:35:00.000-05:00

Guess what I did today? No, I didn't get a tattoo, but I designed one. A friend wanted a tattoo based on the Celtic triple spiral, or triskele. She knew what she wanted but couldn't quite put it into words, so I helped her figure it out. Off she goes this evening to get this inked. I have no idea if it's going to work as a tattoo, but there it is.

It's kind of neat thinking that something I created will be put on someone's skin for the rest of their lives. Or, at least for a really long time... but it's kind of weird, too. I hope it works out for her, because she really loves this design, and it's a perfect symbol of things that she would like to bring into her life. A good tattoo artist should be able to take this and work with it, I think, and hers is probably the best in the valley, if not the entire state.

Oh, yeah. Watch out, Kat Von D.

You, too, can be an artist!!!

2008-01-10T19:00:00.001-05:00

I love old stuff.

I recently went on a little shopping spree at the Spencer Antique Mall, which is sort of like a huge flea market full of neat old stuff. Not junky flea market finds, though -- really interesting goods from another time. I bought some pretty vintage aprons which I turned into curtains for my kitchen, some homemade hot pepper jelly (not an antique... but homemade canned goods are old-fashioned, so it's all good,) an antique pink Lindy Star ring (my Christmas gift to myself!) and some old magazines. Among them was a really torn up 1950s Popular Mechanics magazine that the lady threw in for free because it was in such bad shape. I had the bright idea to use it to decoupage a box with a mechanical theme, and came across this ad.

Gee, you could get $65 - $80 or more a week! Hahaha! So things haven't changed, much. And I love the sultry model. The funny thing is, all the nude models I've ever seen in drawing class were nowhere near this gorgeous. In my first figure drawing course, the first week of school, there were all these jocks in the class because they thought they would get to see women like the one in the ad. When the model showed up, HE was about 50, paunchy, with a lot of body hair and moles. Funny -- the class was a lot smaller the next week. Wonder why?

Grody models aside, I do think the human body is gorgeous, and don't understand why people get so uptight about nudes in art. There is a huge difference between art and pornography, and I'm always surprised that my students understand that difference more readily than a lot of other people. Maybe it's the generation, but I don't think so. I think we learn to be really offended about everything once we grow up and get suspicious and jaded about the world.

Leon Sullivan Way

2008-01-10T14:06:00.000-05:00

I am learning how to make panoramic photos. This is kind of a cheater method -- I took several photos, pivoting from one side to the other, overlapping each photo by about 1/3. Then, I put them in photoshop (CS3) and it actually analyzes the photos and overlaps and rotates them to fit. The result is pretty neat! Click the photo above for a larger image, or go here to see even bigger versions.

I like how the perspective is distorted. It would have to be, because you're looking at 180 degrees simultaneously. It reminds me of the really old panoramic photos made with special cameras back at the turn-of-the-century.

I will definitely have to experiment with this some more.

Self-Portrait in Violet and Orange

2008-01-09T12:41:00.000-05:00

...just playing with color.

Unfocused

2008-01-09T10:12:00.000-05:00

This photo turned out blurry to begin with, but I kind of like it that way.

It kind of mirrors how I feel today. The warm weather of the last couple days is giving me a little early spring fever. I want to get outdoors and into the sunshine, but I'm stuck in my basement classroom with a brick wall 3 feet away from my windows. Gah! I have a million and one things to do but I might just have to go for a walk at lunchtime.

It doesn't help that I'm trying to avoid caffeine. I made it until this morning... but I needed a quick shot of diet Pepsi Max to get myself awake and functional. I'm not feeling the midmorning slump that I usually get when I have 2 or more full caffeinated drinks in the morning. I hope I don't crash after lunch. I did get 7 hours of sleep last night, straight, without waking up at 3 AM. That's pretty good for me! I feel great today... just sort of unfocused.

What? Me? Unfocused?!?!?! I know, right?

Train Bridge

2008-01-08T08:31:00.000-05:00

Another old favorite...remixed. Probably too much digital tweakage, but I need color today.

I like how the beams at the top of the bridge make stars.

I can't seem to get in gear today. The first week of school after a big break is always an adjustment, but this time seems much worse. It's such a struggle to keep my energy level up during this time of year, anyway, but when sleep patterns get interrupted and busy school days leave little time for fun activities or physical exercise, it's easy for me to turn into a big, unfocused, low-energy mess. I have a million things to do today, and the temptation is really high to flood my system with caffeine to try to get through it all, but I kind of think that actually adds to the problem because I can't seem to wind down enough in the evening to feel like going to bed at a reasonable hour. So, it's decaf today... we'll see how that goes.

Hi, my name is Becky and I'm a caffeine addict.... *twitchtwitch*

Shine

2008-01-07T14:50:00.000-05:00

The bell rang.

I stood in the hallway, watching them trickle in, one by one – a Star Trek Borg-like sea of white polo shirts and blue corduroy pants; long ponytails and ribbons; L.L. Bean book bags with monograms and a mass of jangling trinkets on rings hanging from the zipper pulls. They flooded the room in groups, giggling and squealing loudly as I encouraged them to find their seats and get ready for art class to begin.

Except one.

In this wave of noisy teenage conformity, one face quietly stood out. It wasn’t so much her look, although she did have a very classic, unpretentious beauty – but her presence. At an age when most students were clumsily fumbling around for some sort of role to play – the Popular Girl, the All Star Athlete, the Biggest Flirt, the Goth Chick -- Laura was just Laura. THE Laura. “Laurag,” as her friends lovingly called her. She owned her role, her face, her wardrobe, her body – even the space she moved around in seemed to be infused with Laura-ness. She was like a celebrity without trying to be one. She owned her own identity, not the other way around. In Middle School, no less. I know adults who still don’t know who they are, or who feel limited by who they think they are to others.

So, naturally, in a class that is all about expressing yourself – Art Class – you really have to know who you are to be good at it. To be honest, my class should be called “Art and Identity” class. Or “Who the Heck Are You, Really?” class. To have a student like Laura spend time in my classroom was like having Carl Sagan sit in on your physics lab. Giving her assignments in art seemed like a formality. The lessons were mere prompts for her to let lose the flood of pure creativity that she carried within her at all times. The next day, she would quietly turn in her assignment, grinning, and I would try not to shout “oh my God, that’s BRILLIANT!” and embarrass her -- although I know that inwardly, she would love the reaction. Artists love for people to “get” our art. Laura simply didn’t want others to feel like they were getting dissed when their work didn’t receive the same praise. But she was always quick to compliment others’ work and offer constructive suggestions without ever making others feel inferior. She would have been an awesome teacher.

There is a poem that I found in a magazine once, and I cut it out and hung it beside my desk. It has been wrongly attributed to Nelson Mandela, but it was actually written by Marianne Williamson, and if you told me it had been written by Laura Glassburn to the rest of the world, I would believe it:

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, "Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?" Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.

It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear,our presence automatically liberates others.

While I’m devastated to hear about Laura’s accident, I consider myself so lucky to have been touched by her light. As I look around, I see glimmers of Laura everywhere – at Charleston Catholic, Capitol High School, at the Capitol Theater, in the faces of everyone she knew, in the entire city of Charleston and beyond … and as those she encouraged to shine spread their light out into the world, her light will continue to shine brighter and brighter, forever.

*Laurag -- pronounced "Larg" -- was a former student of mine. She was killed in a car accident on December 20th, 2007. There will be a memorial service at the Capitol Theater this Sunday at 2 PM.

Projects

2008-01-06T11:56:00.001-05:00

Hubby's big engine project is apparently near completion. Know how I know? The house was perfectly quiet, and then all of a sudden this deafening roar rose up from the basement garage, the walls shook, the baby started running for the basement door to find the source of that awesome noise, and the cat nearly had a heart attack. Welcome to life at Casa de Chaos.

I've been busy with some projects of my own, thus the lack of blogginess. Mine are not nearly as glamorous or adrenaline-powered as hubby's, but I am happy to spend the time to get these things done -- closets organized, kids' rooms decluttered, outgrown toys and clothes donated, etc... I have taken on the task of building a room divider for my oldest son out of old doors. This is going really well, and I'll post photos when I get it done. It's a neat idea I stole from a decorating magazine, although I had difficulty finding the really cool vintage doors I really wanted, so it's going to be a little more plain than I wanted. Oh, well. If this works well, I might make another one for the dining/computer room to divide off the ugly computer area from the dining area. Maybe...

I also have some art projects in the works. Yay! I need to keep with it so I won't lose my momentum.

Leaf

2008-01-04T21:07:00.001-05:00

Home

2008-01-03T18:10:00.000-05:00

My bro, the IT Ubergeek, in front of "The Batman (Bellsouth) Building," where he worked in Nashville.

A long time ago... oh... roughly 30 years ago, I got a Christmas present wrapped up in a bunch of blankets. My parents brought home my baby brother in December of 1977, and I was pretty excited about that! He was kind of like a doll, but even better -- especially once he got old enough to climb trees and play "Dukes of Hazzard" with our big, plastic Big Wheels trikes. He's a fun brother to have, with a really quirky sense of humor and endless supply of interesting-and-sometimes-unusual conversation topics.

This year, I got another cool Christmas present: my "little" brother has returned home to West Virginia. Ricc has moved back to WV after landing a pretty cool job in Nashville and even buying a house! I have to admit, my first thought was "what are you doing?!?! Are you crazy?" It seemed that all his dreams were coming true in Nashville and he was just starting to build the life he had always wanted. But he said he missed home, and when a really good job opportunity presented itself, he pounced on it. Within a couple months, he was moving back to WV, and yesterday he started his new job.

It's funny how West Virginia becomes so much of who we are. West Virginians can move away, but a lot of times, they come back. If they don't, they probably wish they could. I know a lot of ex-West Virginians who have been trying to return, and who haven't been able to find work here. Many take huge pay cuts to move back here, they want to come home so badly. Those who don't make it back still feel a connection to West Virginia and other WVians. A friend of mine who lives in NYC told me that she's joined a West Virginians' club that meets to watch WVU ball games and hang out. How cool is that?

I remember as a teenager, wanting to live in New York City or some other place with a lot of action and income potential and shiny bright lights. Now that I'm older, I can't imagine living anywhere else. There's something about West Virginia that you can't find anywhere else. There are plenty of beautiful, scenic, mountainous landscapes all over the world, and there are plenty of friendly small towns where people greet each other with genuine smiles. But there's just something about this state that takes hold of your heart and won't let it go, no matter how far away you travel. I can't put my finger on it -- it's just hard not to love West Virginia.

Ricc loves the new job, by the way, and I'm thrilled that he's back home. I can't wait to see his face at family barbecues, football games, and all those other family events he's been missing. He's such a cool uncle to the kids, and our family is very close-knit, so I know he's really missed us all. I'm glad he got his Christmas wish to come home, but I think the present goes to the entire family.

Land Line

2008-01-02T21:27:00.000-05:00

It's the end of an era. Today starts a brave new world for me... the change of my life, completely. It's going to be a difficult adjustment, just changing from the way things were to now.

My parents got rid of their land-line.

It makes sense. It's expensive and under-used (except for those rotten telemarketers and survey-takers.) Land-lines are an obsolete technology. Heck, I can never catch them at home, anyway, so I am usually calling their cellphones. But getting rid of the landline... that's kind of hitting me wrong. I am really having a weird feeling about this -- a feeling I wasn't anticipating at the announcement of this change.

It's the first phone number I ever memorized, and it was almost like my name through my teen years. So many memorable phone conversations have happened through that number. So many people I love who are gone have dialed those digits in the past. It's such a weird thing knowing that 3049495453 will be no more. It's almost like if they sold the home I grew up in and moved away... it's that weird to me. And yet, I'll get through this. Somehow.

Oh, yeah, it is the new year and all...

2008-01-02T11:42:00.001-05:00

Guess I should do the following things:

1. Wish everyone a happy New Year. Here it is: Happy New Year! :) I didn't promise to do it eloquently, and with the amount of over-the-counter cold meds coursing through my veins, you probably shouldn't hold your breath for much more. But I do mean it -- I hope 2008 is a great year for everyone. It's a nice, round number. It looks promising.

2. Discuss the old year. Or not.

3. Make some resolutions. Dang, that's a hard one. I'm not good with resolutions. But the New Year is a good time to evaluate your life and plan a course of action to right wrongs, better oneself and start over as a better person, so I'll join the herd and go for it. So, here are the things I need to do this year.

Take care of myself. I think a lot of other Moms will relate to this one. When you have kids, the needs of others often overshadow the things you need for yourself -- often to the point of serious self-neglect. We seem to think that we need to take care of everything our children need before we take care of ourselves, but there are only 24 hours in the day, so we never really get around to ourselves. As my kids are getting older (and uh... they have a father) I really need to delegate more responsibility to others and make time for trips to the gym, spending time with friends, and of course, my own art. Not to the detriment of my family... but just enough to be good to myself.
Lose weight. I've had a rollercoaster weight year. I am definitely a stress-eater, and have a sedentary job, for the most part. I need to address that right now before it becomes a really unhealthy lifestyle that is hard to come back from. I work downtown where I love to go for walks, and I have found lots of healthier alternatives to foods I really love. I got a good start in 2007 and need to keep myself motivated to exercise, even during the sleepy, dark winter months when I don't want to do anything but hibernate.
Pay off all my bills. This is another trend I'm continuing from last year, and I think I can be completely debt free after this next tax return. Of course, our old, overworked washer is threatening to give up the ghost, so we'll most likely have to buy a new one this tax-return season, but if I'm smart, I think I can pull this one off this year.
Start grad school. I can't get my Master's Degree in one year, but I need to pick up a few continuing education hours to keep my teaching certificate. Might as well take courses toward a Master's, even though the GRE terrifies me. I need to suck it up and just do it, scary test and all.
Continue to fight depression. Surprise! I have clinical depression. Who knew, right? I'm just a big ray of sunshine and all. But yeah, it's true, and I've found how tricky it can be and just how bad it can screw up a person's life in a very short period of time if left untreated (see first bullet.) 2007 saw the beginning of treatment for that (at the urging of several good friends -- thanks, you guys!) and it's been going well. It's not as easy as just taking meds, though, so I have to continue to make myself get sunlight, exercise, eat right, and control stress in 2008 or it will all be a wasted effort. It's a lot of work, but it hasn't been as difficult to deal with as I thought it would be. If you think you might have depression, I urge you to get yourself checked out and fix it now. It's been the best thing I've ever done for myself and my family, and it really wasn't a big deal to find a course of action.
Make more art. I seem to do art in spurts. Because I teach it all day, it is sometimes hard for me to get inspired to do it for myself, not just for examples to use in class. Photography has sort of given me an artistic outlet that is portable and easy and different from most of what I teach, but I really need to get out my paints and other art supplies and make a little bit of time each day to work on other things.
Tell people what I think of them. Often and honestly. Even if they look at me funny. Life is short, you know? I get so much inspiration from my friends and family, and they probably don't know it. You never know, it might make someone's day if I said something like, "you are the strongest, most positive person in the face of such a difficult situation that you're going through right now. Just knowing you gives me inspiration to deal with problems in my own life without losing my love for life." (That's for my friend Julie.)

Okay, that's my list of goals for this year. It looks like a lot, but really, I think this list is pretty conservative and realistic for me. I should be able to do all of this in 2008. 2007, while not the best year ever, laid a pretty decent foundation for these goals to be met.

If you've read this far, you deserve a sticker or something. Or even better, maybe some inspiration to fix what's broken in your own life, home, relationships, etc... May 2008 be your year of positive changes and happy surprises.

This Is Not My Cat

2008-01-02T11:15:00.001-05:00

This is Pringles, our cat who is not ours, but lives in our house. I think Pringles has adopted us. Pringles actually belongs to the neighbors, and was Cody's (our dog's) best friend. Pringles and Cody would hang out all the time together, despite the species incompatibility. They would eat out of the same bowl, sleep in the same dogloo, and would even groom each other. It was the weirdest thing! They rarely fought, and if they did, Cody would always let the cat win.

After Cody died, Pringles wouldn't leave the dogloo. It was so sad to see the poor kitty in mourning for her best friend. We started taking food to Pringles and bringing the cat inside to stay warm. I am fiercely allergic to cats, so bringing the cat indoors was a big step for me, but my allergy meds seem to be keeping the sneezes away as long as I vacuum often.

During Christmas, Pringles stayed under the Christmas tree and the kids gave her lots of snuggles. I think we got a cat for Christmas. Oddly enough, the neighbors haven't come looking for her.

Today I am home sick with a house full of bored kids who were not expecting a snow day. I kind of wish they had gone to school, as I would do well to curl up in a ball in bed and not move. I feel awful! I really, honestly think that an angry colony of fire ants have taken up residence in my sinuses. Just being upright is not enjoyable. I am hoping the kids will play on the Wii, the husband will amuse himself with his engine project, and everyone will let me chill out (literally) in my room in peace with some hot tea, a vaporizer, and some rented movies. More likely, though, I'll be hounded with complaints of boredom, requests for snacks, and the occasional "honey, have you seen __insert item here___?" And I still have Mount Washmore waiting for attention in the laundry room, a bowl of mushy bananas that need to be baked into banana bread, and bills to pay. (Ugh... math with a headache? Not fair.)

Moms shouldn't be physically able to get sick.

Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots

2007-12-29T11:16:00.000-05:00

Christmas just isn't Christmas without a Rock-'em Sock-'em Robots tournament! This is my husband, Mike, and his brother, Tony, who have had numerous robot battles throughout the years. Tony's wife found a brand new set and it was the most popular toy around during our visit to their house Christmas Eve.

Tony is off to Afghanistan in February and we're all worried sick about him. His training appears to have something to do with minesweeping. Of course, any mission over there is going to be dangerous, but minesweeping is not at the top of my list of jobs that I would want for him to be doing. Hopefully, he'll be in one of those ginormous tanks that allows soldiers to clear out a whole minefield while remaining safely inside.

His deployment is for 400 days, but with the recent happenings in Pakistan, I'm really concerned that this whole thing is about to get blown wide open. I put myself on a self-mandated news fast because it's all freaking me out. For now, I'm just going to enjoy this photo and laugh about these two big kids at Christmas.

Red and Green

2007-12-28T11:13:00.000-05:00

Meh... a little overexposed, but oh well.

The visitors have all gone home and we've done all the traveling we're going to do (for the most part) over the holidays, and how we're home again. It's been a whirlwind of a Christmas, but it's been a good one. We had a great time, the kids are happily playing their new Wii (that thing is SO COOL!) and the cat is happy to have us home again. Most importantly, we got to spend time with our family, and my heart goes out to all those who are missing someone at Christmas.

I have some home projects to tackle while I'm off, so I'm still crazy busy but I am so glad to be home again.

Nativity Creativity

2007-12-21T10:33:00.000-05:00

Hey, check it out! Our packing tape Nativity installation made the Gazette!

This was part of the December Artwalk, and my students put on an exhibit of not only the packing tape Nativity scene, but also a variety of pieces done throughout the first semester. It was a huge success-- we had a lot of visitors and people seemed to enjoy the art. They had a lot of great things to say about the other venues, as well! I didn't get to check them out, but I know that there are always lots of great things to see during Artwalk.

Maybe we'll do another artwalk in February -- remember, it's always the 3rd Thursday of each month, unless otherwise noted on the website. There will be no artwalk in January.

Mango

2007-12-18T10:36:00.000-05:00

We go through a lot of mangoes at Casa de Chaos. My family usually won't eat anything "weird" but I have gotten them to try and like my mango salsa.

Enginescape

2007-12-17T21:40:00.000-05:00

So, Mr. Burch has been building an engine in the garage for... oh... a really long time. It's a major undertaking he's doing for side work, for a friend. I have no clue what any of this stuff is (except for the spark plug wire, and only because it's labeled.) I just know that you push the pedal and the engine goes "vroom, vroom!" and the car goes forward. Occasionally, these nutheads hook them up to nitrous and take them to the track and the cars go forward really, really fast.

But it is pretty, this thing, with all the chrome and shiny nuts and bolts and wires and oddly-shaped components. It's almost finished, and is just about ready for its new home inside a '66 Mercury Comet. I shot a series of enginescapes that I might post from time to time when I don't have anything else to post. I like how this one turned out.

I've been rounded up!!!

2007-12-17T17:48:00.001-05:00

Well, hello, all you people from Crooks and Liars! Apparently I've been featured in Mike's Blog Round-up, which is a compliment despite the fact that I am not a crook or a liar (well, unless you count stealing all the Reese's cups out of my kids' Halloween candy, in which case I am guilty as charged. They're too young to fully appreciate the awesomeness of the peanut butter and chocolate combination, anyway.) Maybe I'm just an outlaw, or a renegade. Eitherway, howdy to you all. Kick your shoes off and stay for a while. Look around, and don't forget to stop by again sometime.

Cookie Dough!!!!

2007-12-16T18:56:00.000-05:00

One of the best things about Christmas are the simple joys.

Another ghost sign ... and a pigeon

2007-12-15T22:01:00.001-05:00

Red Sky At Night

2007-12-14T11:24:00.000-05:00

I caught this sunset a couple evenings ago, on the way home. I was running late and wanted to hurry home and get dinner started, so I didn't get to really get out and take a lot of pictures.

No pretty sunsets or sunrises lately, though. It's just drab and grey and soggy. There has been a lot of flooding in Roane and Jackson counties, and water was right up to the road in places on my way home. Yuck.

Pieta

2007-12-13T08:41:00.001-05:00

This is the Pieta sculpture at Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral in Charleston, WV. I am not Catholic, but I work at the High School associated with this church and attend student masses there, so I feel very comfortable in this church. I stopped by a couple days ago to say a prayer and light a candle for my Grandma who is isn't doing so well, and was so captivated by the color in this shot that I had to snap a photo.

I know that a lot of people find religious imagery to be divisive, but when I see this sculpture, I think about the way this type of art can communicate the most fundimental ways we are all alike. We all suffer losses. We all grieve. We all love someone so much that losing them is like dying, ourselves. Whether we worship God or not, we are connected by the human condition.

I think too often we find ourselves bickering over our religous differences and refuse to acknowledge that we're really all pretty much the same. Who can't look at this sculpture and not identify with Mary (or anyone else who is suffering) on some level, regardless of religious beliefs? Empathy doesn't require a religious conversion.

Primary Colors

2007-12-12T19:57:00.000-05:00

Reflections

2007-12-12T12:31:00.000-05:00

Ghost Sign + Graffiti

2007-12-12T10:40:00.000-05:00

The juxtaposition of old and new is kind of fun, but I'm bummed that someone would tag a ghost sign. Now someone will probably paint it all beige. *sigh*

Sicko

2007-12-11T09:33:00.000-05:00

I just watched Sicko. Wow! What an eye opener. I don't do movie reviews -- I leave those for the Film Geek -- but I just have to speak out about this one.

Ironically enough, I was stuck at home with a sick kid, which is about the only way I'm going to get time to watch a movie (or be able to wrestle the remote away from those determined to keep it on Spike or Noggin 24/7!) I like Michael Moore's movies, but I do admit, he sometimes exaggerates and omits info in order to make a point. (That's kinda how it goes when you want to make a point, so I don't consider that a bad thing in his work. It's like anything else, you watch it, but it's still up to you to learn all you can and consider all angles of the issue before you make your mind up.) I was really expecting this movie to be a little over-the-top, exaggerated, and making the problem out to be bigger than it really is.

However, I found it all to be a pretty logical take on the healthcare management industry, its corruption, and its ugliness. I'm not completely sold on socialized medicine, but the movie makes a lot of good points about why it works for other countries. (I still think our country is too greedy to make it work. Leave it to America to screw up a great idea.) Moore's movie centers around a group of 9/11 volunteers who have health issues stemming from 9/11, and who have been refused coverage. You won't believe where they finally get treatment they need, and how much it ends up costing them!

Of course, I'm watching this after getting royally screwed by my own insurance company. My middle son, Joseph, recently had to have surgery for an impacted tooth. The insurance company refuses to cover it because the doctor checked the box for "surgical extraction" and not "impaction." Even though he states in his paperwork that it was a badly impacted tooth and that immediate surgical removal of the tooth was medically necessary, because he didn't check that box, the insurance won't cover it. Seriously... that's the explanation I got when I called the insurance company to see why it wasn't covered. It all came down to which box was checked.]

The letter we got said:

Dear Mrs. Burch:

We have recieved a claim for a surgical procedure and are unable to provide coverage for this procedure because it costs us money. We highly recommend that next time your son has a dental issue, you get him to down a bottle of Jim Beam, grab a pair of pliers, and pull his tooth your own damn self.
Good luck with that!

Sincerely,
McHealthcare-Mart

Or something like that. (Good thing he didn't have a life-threatening illness! I would hate to see what they would recommend for a heart transplant!) So, yeah, I'm bitter, especially after so much of the family income goes straight to those bastages who say they can't pay for this sort of thing. I am tempted to take that amount of money each month and save it on my own. Even if our employers didn't match our contributions, we would at least be able to take our money and pay for our own medical expenses. Of course, it would wreck us in the case of catastrophic illness, but if they're not going to cover anything anyway, it's kind of a draw.

But I digress. After watching Moore's movie, I'm even angrier at the fact that this sort of crap goes on all the time and people aren't rioting in the streets. Regardless of how you feel about socialized medicine, I think that one thing should be obvious to everyone -- we need to fix the healthcare problem, and it needs to happen right now.

Even if you're not a Moore fan, I would highly recommend checking out this movie. Then, go out and do the research on your own and decide what you think should happen with our healthcare situation. And then, by all means, get out and do something about it. At the very least, vote. We've got to stop accepting the screwing that we get by politicians and corporations and start making this country a place where the common man (and woman) can afford to live in excellent health and happiness. We have no excuse for accepting anything less. This is America! If we can't afford healthcare, even for people who work fulltime and make decent money, something's definitely wrong.

Musical thingamabob

2007-12-10T21:43:00.001-05:00

Oh, and I just added a playlist to the right. It plays a new song from my list of favorites at random, and you can let it play or turn it off. It's a pretty varied list, so hopefully, you'll find something you love that you never knew existed. Otherwise, turn it off.

If you find it really annoying, let me know. It's easy to turn off, though...

It's kind of fun to think of it as a Musical Magic 8 Ball. Ask a question, then hit "reload" and see what song starts playing. (I just asked if I will ever be a supermodel and "Lost Cause" came on. I'm shocked, really...)

Thanks to my new friend, Carletta for the widget!

Miniaturized Guggenheim

2007-12-10T21:37:00.001-05:00

I'm having fun with the miniaturized trick. This is an old photo I took back in ... oh... 2003, I think? I just miniaturized it.

I ♥ NY. I want to go back there soon! I just found out that I will be visiting Washington DC at the end of January, though, so that's a close second. I hope the Hopper exhibit is still up at the National Gallery. Dang... I think it ends just a week before I'll be there, though. :(

Himself the Elf

2007-12-10T08:20:00.001-05:00

I caught an elf in my house! Well, I didn't "catch" him... unless you count catching him on film. He was moving awfully fast! He must be scoping out an inconspicuous entrance for Santa, and maybe checking to make sure we're full of Christmas spirit.

Odd... he looks just like Jonathan, my two-year-old, only with much bigger ears. :) I hope we passed inspection. He seemed awfully interested in the big plate of cookies on the kitchen counter -- until he saw the camera!

Clay County Christmas

2007-12-08T12:28:00.000-05:00

Each year, the school where I teach puts on a huge charity event for disadvantaged families at a sister church near Clay, WV. It's a truly heartwarming thing, seeing a whole school (two whole schools, if you count the grade school) come together to help others. Social work is a big thing in my school, and it always makes me a little teary-eyed to see kids who have so much working to help those who don't -- and they really enjoy it!

I decided to make a little video highlighting this program, and my 6th graders came together to do a neat little stop-motion animation sequence at the beginning of the video. It was hilarious, filming that sequence. Each student had a present to animate, and I would yell "GO!" and they would move the gift a little bit, jump out of the shot, and I would snap the picture. Then I would yell "GO!" and they would do it again. As crazy as it was, it worked really well, and the kids did a great job. I have never laughed so hard, though -- my sides still ache from filming it yesterday.

So, here it is:

This is truly why I love my job. I love my kids, I love the people I work with, and I love the way this school comes together as a community. You just don't find this in every school.

Cookie Time!

2007-12-07T08:28:00.000-05:00

I spent yesterday evening making pizzelles -- traditional, wafer-thin Italian cookies made with anise. I made a huge batch to take to school, and they disappeared so quickly, I decided to make some for Olivia to take to school for snacktime. You have to have a pizzelle iron to make them (it's that thing to the front left of the bottom photo that looks like a George Foreman grill.) Like biscotti, they're not terribly sweet and are good with coffee or your favorite coffee-like drink. (I like mine with chai. The flavors go well together.)

Museum of Bad Art (MOBA)

2007-12-04T10:32:00.002-05:00

The Museum of Bad Art is a hilarious online gallery showcasing horrible art that has been rescued from trash bins and thrift stores everywhere. Even funnier than the art is the commentary about each piece by MOBA curators.

I will occasionally check the recent acquisitions to make sure that none of my own art ends up there.

Buddha Dreams

2007-12-04T07:58:00.001-05:00

Another Mark Soppeland piece from the Lightscapes exhibit.

More from The Clay Center

2007-12-03T13:03:00.000-05:00

I love this photo, even though the face is slightly blurred. This is my youngest, Jonathan. He LOVES the "ball machine" in the lower level of the Clay Center. Saturday, we sat there for maybe a good 45 minutes watching the balls roll around inside the kinetic sculpture, a sort of Rube Goldberg-like gizmo that sends the ball on a neverending ride through rails, conveyor belts, turnstiles, and just about every other method of getting from point A to point B. Jonathan enjoyed anticipating when the conveyor belt would pick up a new ball and start the process all over again. He was standing there saying "Here it comes!" when I took this picture. I love the look on his face, like "are you watching this?!?!?"

Grotto of Dreams

2007-12-03T09:40:00.000-05:00

This is a piece from "Grotto of Dreams," a portion of the Lightscapes exhibit at the Clay Center (Juliet Museum of Art, to be exact.) The artist who made this figure is Mark Soppeland, who makes some really interesting, highly-detailed assemblages using found objects and light sources. He made a collection of pieces for his "grotto," and a few extra stand at the entrance of the exhibit.

White Branches

2007-11-30T13:40:00.001-05:00

This tree is really gorgeous. I see it every day when I drive past it. It's so white and has such an interesting shape up against the dark background. My photography juju wasn't with me yesterday, though, so I'll have to shoot it again sometime.

Red Berries

2007-11-29T15:14:00.000-05:00

I don't know what these are, either, but they sure look Christmas-y, especially in front of some frosty-looking birch branches.

Whirligig

2007-11-29T10:29:00.000-05:00

Actually, it was perfectly stationary. It just looks like it should be spinning. I have no idea what these things are called, but they grow on vines and make these feathery puffs that just seem to come out of nowhere between the trees near Charles Fork Lake.

Lightscapes

2007-11-28T10:54:00.000-05:00

Photo totally ripped off from the Gazz.

If you haven't had an opportunity to check out the "Lightscapes for the Holidays" exhibit at the Clay Center, you really should go. It's definitely not one of those "if you've seen one, you've seen 'em all" holiday exhibits you expect to find around Christmas -- not that there's anything wrong with familiar and comfortable, but this is a pleasant surprise.

The exhibit is a series of installations and sculptures using light as a medium. The photo above shows the awesome local artist Mark Tobin Moore in front of his exhibit, "They Are Still With Us," which calls to mind all the people who are no longer with us, who we remember especially during the holidays.

I am taking all my classes to see it, even if we have to zip over and back during the regular class time, because it's just that cool. I am lucky that the school is practically next door to the Clay Center (especially the Juliet Museum of Art, located upstairs in the CC) because it's such an excellent resource. People really don't understand what a treasure we have in our city. It's so much more than just a performance hall and kids' museum -- and it has so much potential to grow through the years, too!

New 'Do

2007-11-28T08:24:00.001-05:00

I got my hair cut. A few of them, actually.

To be honest, I got it cut pretty drastically right before my art show, but didn't like it so I got a redo. My hair was about mid-back length, and I loved it, but it was such an ordeal in the morning to get ready. I'm already getting up at 5 AM so I really don't want to spend any more time getting ready than I have to. That, and being a Mom and an art teacher, I was always getting stuff in my hair -- paint, peanut butter, silly putty... So off it came.

I kind of like it. It's kind of got a Maggie Gyllenhaal thing going on. It's fun and girly. And it's easy to fix -- my hair is naturally curly (really curly!) and so I was spending a lot of time trying to tame it by force. Now I just add some "product," scrunch it a little, and dry it with a diffuser, and I'm good to go. I might get it layered just a little bit more so it's not so angular, but I like this "inverted bob" thing.

It's interesting how a new hairdo can make your whole world a happier place. I'm not good at being a girl. I have horrible nails, and I don't spend a lot of time on hair and makeup. I don't have a clue what to do with eye makeup, but when I get a haircut that I really like, my whole day just goes better. Of course, having a little extra time to sleep instead of trying to beat my hair into submission might have a little to do with that, too.

Of course, that all changed when I ate a Caribou Coffee bar for breakfast this morning and realized when I got to school that I have little black coffee bean pieces stuck in my teeth. *sigh* You can't have everything.

This Blog Post Brought To You By The Letter "T"

2007-11-27T09:43:00.000-05:00

So, my friend, Alissa, has a huge, foam "T" in her classroom. It's a prop for a play, but it's green, so we had joked about decorating it up as a "Christmas T."

I snuck into her room while she was out, covered it with cutout pears, and stuck a picture of Danny Bonaduce on it. Now it's "A Partridge in a Pear T." Get it?!?!? A Partridge? In a pear "T"???

Thanks, I'm here all week. Tip your bartenders.

The Art Show Opening -- The Purple Moon

2007-11-26T13:35:00.000-05:00

The always-awesome Rudy Panucci and his companion, Melanie came out to the show -- looking fabulous, by the way!

My husband, Mike, and daughter Olivia, checking out the Goebel prints in the alcove.

I call this one "Charlestonian Gothic." I always make dorky faces when people stick a camera in my face. I like being on the other side of the camera, better. Anyway, that's my exhibit. The piece in the middle is made up of 9 smallish photos of fun things -- toys, disco lights, paintbrushes, hot rod parts... you get the idea. It's called, obviously, "Play." The two on the right are miniaturized shots, and the Statue of Liberty is a mixed media oil pastel/ink/scratch art piece.

I love these ladies! These are my friends Julie, Robin, and Tracey (from l-r behind me). They came all the way from Spencer to surprise me at my show opening, then we all went out to eat at Sitar of India. Yum!!!

It was a blast. The Modern Guy and Modern Lady have a sweet little shop, and I enjoyed looking around. A lot of people came through. It was a good showing!

Next up: the rest of Friday's Artwalk.

Gingko Leaves

2007-11-25T12:59:00.000-05:00

I'll update on the November Artwalk later. It was great!

8 things

2007-11-23T09:43:00.000-05:00

Buzzardbilly and Muze Euterpe both tagged me for the 8 things meme. It's pretty simple -- I list 8 random things about myself and then tag other people to do the same. This works really well, because I'm away from home and forgot to bring my card reader, so no photos until I get home.

Hmmm... this is surprisingly difficult. Let's see how it goes:

1. I wasn't actually supposed to live. I was born prematurely, and had the whole incompatible RH blood thing going on, to boot. My parents were told that I wouldn't make it. So, really, I have always been the kind of person who, when you tell me I can't do something, has to prove you wrong.

2. When I was in kindergarten, I wanted to be "an artist or a teacher." How about both?

3. I don't like coffee. Not straight-up anyway. I love the occasional mocha, but coffee out of the pot, not so much.

4. My Great-Grandfather was from a poor, small fishing village in Italy called Pescara. He died when I was very young, but I still remember the scent of the sweet cherry tobacco he used to smoke. I loathe tobacco smoke, but whenever I catch a whiff of someone smoking that kind, I smile and think of him.

5. I took piano lessons for 11 years, and my parents recently gave me the piano I learned on a a gift. I still play from time to time, but I'm kind of rusty. I'm getting back into it, though. I want to teach my kids... at least until I find a better piano teacher. :)

6. Some items on my "things to do before I die" list: land a part in a community theater play, learn to kayak, learn to speak Italian, learn how to make stained glass windows, visit Italy, visit the British Isles (more geneology study), visit every major musem in America (I'm well on my way to that one), visit the Ghost Ranch, and see Casa Azul in Mexico City. This is a very small sampling of this list.

7. I was in labor with my first child for 37 1/2 hours. It was not pleasant. It was at that point that I decided that the unmedicated, all-natural childbirth is really not my thing.

8. My oldest child is now bigger than me. I find this oddly unsettling. I am not prepared for my kids to grow up, even though that's kind of the point of parenting. I need to work on that.

I did it! That was hard. Okay, watch out ... I just might tag you!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-22T10:31:00.001-05:00

Cody

2007-11-21T14:46:00.000-05:00

About 5 years ago, on a summer morning, at about 6:00 AM (earlier than anybody has any business being awake on a summer morning) we got a phone call. My husband took the phone into another room and finished the call, then came back to bed. I decided to go ahead and shower and get my day started before the kids got up. By the time I got out of the shower, I found out what the call was about.

"MOM!!!!" my then-4-year-old son shouted as he burst through the bathroom door. "WE HAVE A DOG!!!!"

"WHAT?!?!?" I complained. I hadn't been consulted about having a dog, and Lord knows I have enough to take care of, with 4 kids and a husband. A dog? The kids weren't even old enough to take care of a dog, so surely it would fall on me to take care of this pooch. I wasn't having it.

But as soon as I saw his adorable face, and the kids just covering him with hugs and kisses, and the way he rolled over on his back as if to say, "more, more! More hugs and kisses, please!" I wasn't about to be the one to say "no."

Apparently, he had been dumped off at one of my husband's friends' houses out in the country -- a popular place to dump unwanted pets, apparently. The dog was too young to have been weaned properly, so he was malnourished. Adorable, but skinny -- with messed-up ankles from the lack of calcium in his diet. The friend didn't have the heart to take him to the pound, and my husband didn't have the heart to turn him away, and so we got a new pet.

Cody turned me into a dog-lover. He was the sweetest, most appreciative pet I've ever met. He loved the children and watched over them when other adults were around. Once, he even attacked my father-in-law for playing too rough with the boys. I was amazed -- I didn't know he even had it in him to attack anyone, but mess with these kids and -- whoa, nelly!

Cody was the neighborhood's pet. He knew where to go to get the best treats, and everyone loved him. He once crashed the mayor's daughter's wedding near our house, and rather than turning him away, they gave him treats.

He was hit by a car today -- on my birthday, no less. I never thought I would love a dog this much, but I can't imagine life without him. It didn't hit me until I heard the tinkle of his tags as my husband removed his collar. Olivia's taking it the hardest, but the oldest two are too cool to show grief very openly right now.

Little Artist

2007-11-21T09:36:00.000-05:00

I have an assistant today. :)

Lunch-hour Peace

2007-11-20T11:16:00.001-05:00

While you're taking a lunch break and pondering the chaos of holiday visitors, why not take a few minutes to visit an art gallery?

Here's a great one, and you won't even have to leave your desk -- The Missing Peace -- Artists Consider the Dalai Lama. This is a fabulous exhibit in which artists represent the teachings of the Dalai Lama, his persona, and other aspects of his existence. It is an impressive exhibit, including works by Richard Avedon, Chuck Close, and even Richard Gere.

Here is an overview of the exhibit, information about the artists, and upcoming dates and locations of this exhibit.

Study of an Onion

2007-11-20T09:56:00.000-05:00

Mmmmmmm... onions! I took a few shots in my kitchen while putting dinner together on Sunday. I love the satin-like, slightly irridescent sheen of onion skins.

This onion was especially tasty. Produce always seems to be so much better when it comes from the farmer's market, as opposed to the supermarket.

Now THAT'S a funeral procession!

2007-11-19T14:35:00.001-05:00

(More on the Lyell Clay funeral)

What a fitting tribute for someone who has done so much to share his love of the arts (especially music) with the citizens of West Virginia! It was an awesome sight. The sounds weren't too bad, either! How could anyone not love the sound of a really good New Orleans jazz brass band?

This guy plays a MEAN horn! Wow!

Students from neighboring Charleston Catholic High School checking out the scene.

RIP Lyell Clay

2007-11-19T11:01:00.001-05:00

If you're driving in Charleston today, you might want to avoid Leon Sullivan and Virginia Streets today. The Lyell Clay funeral is going on at First Presbyterian, and it's a pretty big event. There is a horse-drawn hearse and everything -- a New Orleans-style procession. They're going to shut down Virginia Street for the funeral, which starts around 11:30. It's a fitting procession for a man who did so much (and, through his foundation, will continue to do much) to bring art and music to the Mountain State.

Lyell Clay is, of course, THE Lyell Clay, of the Clay Center of the Arts and Sciences, the Clay Foundation, and of course, the Charleston Daily Mail. He will be greatly missed.

On Customers Calling For Goods

2007-11-18T11:36:00.001-05:00

Red Chair, Yellow Bucket

2007-11-17T20:46:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite photos, remixed.

Flowerscape Redux

2007-11-17T10:12:00.001-05:00

Another one from my spooky hike before Halloween. I like this one.

Aerial

2007-11-16T21:26:00.000-05:00

You don't see those very often, anymore. Can you even still pick up TV with them?

Ghost Sign

2007-11-16T10:32:00.000-05:00

Apples

2007-11-15T20:48:00.000-05:00

Turnips

2007-11-15T20:23:00.001-05:00

Shameless Self-promotion

2007-11-15T08:34:00.000-05:00

Opening is Friday November 23 (Artwalk) 5-8 PM.
The Purple Moon is located on Lee Street, between Capitol and Summers.
Come and check it out. Better yet, come and buy stuff. :)

Blessing of the Mountains

2007-11-14T14:49:00.000-05:00

This was from the Blessing of the Mountains on Saturday. It was a church service to bless some mountains (including two with major historical sites on them) that are threatened to become flattened by Mountaintop Removal mining, despite major opposition to blasting those sites.

The two priests work at the church I grew up in, the Church of the Good Shepherd in Hansford, WV. They're great guys. :)

In praise of graffiti

2007-11-14T08:21:00.000-05:00

I like graffiti.

I'm not advocating vandalism, really... I don't like crappy vandalism that destroys property and creates an eyesore (like the swastika that someone painted on a wall in the middle of Spencer that stayed there for months until someone finally painted over it.) But I do like the funky, colorful treats like these that pop up from time to time. Some can be very thought-provoking. Others are just fun to look at. I have no clue what these tags say, but I love the designs. I saw these on a train while visiting the University of Charleston campus. It would be interesting to know where these tags originated and the stories behind the people who created them.

To me, graffiti like this is the modern equivalent of ancient cave art. It's the purest form of art. The purpose of it is simply to say "I was here." It was created just to be seen, made by a regular person with whatever spray paint he or she had available, and maybe a quick cardboard stencil or two. No money involved, really; no fame. It's spontaneous, and fun. Go to a big city, and the graffiti is everywhere -- and a lot of it is really impressive artwork!

I think the real vandalism is advertising. I would much rather see some nice graffiti on a wall than a great big billboard for a car dealership.

Costumes and Candy = Human Sacrifice

2007-11-13T14:30:00.001-05:00

So, I was checking the kids' Halloween candy stash after trick-or-treating, (okay... busted... I was totally looking for Kit Kats) and I ran across a little booklet with a Jack-o-lantern on it and the words "BOO!" in big, orange letters.

"How cool!" I thought. "Somebody gave out one of those coupon books for Wendy's Frosties or something."

Oh, how wrong I was...

It was a little cartoon 'zine published by Chick Publications, aimed at educating little kids that their participation in Halloween festivities would damn their little souls to hell because Halloween is the equivalent of a Satanic Christmas.

According to the booklet:

1. Halloween is actually a modern name for the evil holiday Samhain, which is the day all the Satanists would sacrifice humans. In return for their victims, they would leave Jack-O-Lanterns to "scare off death demons."

2. Because our society condones this Halloween foolishness, teens are turning to witchcraft and human sacrifices happen all the time.

3. Satan uses Halloween as a sort of a recruiting gimmick to lure innocent kids to the dark side with candy and idol worship.

[tongue_in_cheek] Who knew? Well, you've been warned. Next time you have an urge to dress up as Elmo and go door to door begging for candy, you may just be doing the devil's work. [/tongue in cheek]

It's scary that people will buy this crap, much less push it on little kids.

Apparently, the outfit that publishes this drivel also publishes a whole lot of stuff, including a book about how the Catholics are going to take over America.

I would be amused if not for the fact that people actually believe this stuff.

A is for Apple

2007-11-13T08:21:00.000-05:00

Thanks to everyone who posted supportive comments over the weekend. My Grandma had a couple good days and we had a really nice visit yesterday.

Gloria

2007-11-11T18:44:00.001-05:00

I am worried about my Grandmother. She has had two (at least) mini-strokes in the last year, maybe more. The last episode seemed like a cluster of attacks, really... on top of some other health issues she's got going on. I'm getting all her medical info through others, and so I'm not really understanding what's going on, but none of the information sounds like anything I want her to have to go through.

Getting old sucks.

Just a year ago, she was still living at home, working as a substitute teacher, going wherever she wanted in her car, and wearing out anybody silly enough to try to keep up with her. Just this week, my Dad had to take her home to have her utilities shut off for good, and to have her mail forwarded to his house. She's living with my parents, and misses her home and her freedom. She'll never drive again. She can't make her famous fried chicken anymore. On good days, she can go on short shopping trips with my Dad and come home so exhausted, she's asleep on the car ride home. On bad days, she can't even talk or put her slippers on.

She still hasn't lost her sense of humor, but I can tell that she knows this is the beginning of the end. I don't even want to type that -- to acknowledge that it's just going to get worse until it doesn't, anymore -- but the elephant is clearly in the middle of the room, now. Everybody in the family knows how this thing works and nobody wants to talk about it, but everyone has to answer the same, uncomfortable questions about what happens next, and then after that, and after that... what do we do when we can't lift her, or when we can no longer provide the care she needs at my parents' house. And then there's the guilt that comes along with even discussing the end of her life -- as if putting it into words will cause it to happen, despite the fact that she's very old and has all kinds of medical conditions; any one of which that could spell the end for her. (Come to think of it, I'm pretty impressed that she's held up this well through it all. She's a toughie!)

The worst part is just watching her fall apart. She's always been dignified, intelligent, opinionated and sassy. She could cause an entire room full of people to explode in laughter at one of her perfectly-timed one-liners. Just seeing her curled up in her chair (she's so tiny, now!) watching TV, unable to muster enough energy for her trademark laugh, much less a comical remark, just seems so wrong. How did this happen? It's too soon -- nobody's ready for this.

And then there are my children. They know she's not OK, and that this goes beyond having a headache or being tired. They just know. It's eerie, the things kids can pick up on. Especially Joseph -- he's having a really hard time with this. But even Jonathan (my two-year-old) knows. He kept returning to her side to stroke her arm or talk to her yesterday, and when she fell asleep, he covered her up with a blanket. I am worried about how they'll deal with her loss of ability and clarity... and worse. And how much do I allow them to see? What do I tell them? When do I stop letting them around her... or do I? She loves them so much -- it would be punishment not to let her see them, but then, this can get ugly... What's the right thing to do, as a mother, and as a granddaughter?

Maybe God made the deterioration of age so ugly so we can all accept the inevitable goodbyes to the people we love. Maybe this time we have left with her, however long we get, should be seen as a blessing. All I can do is cherish the good days and try to comfort her on the bad ones, for however long I have left with her, and not waste any time thinking about the end of it. I also hope I can shield the children from things they're too young to understand while still allowing them as many treasured moments as possible with her while she's here -- and providing them with compassionate guidance through some of the toughest lessons life can throw at them. This is when it gets hard, this "living," thing -- admitting that at some point, it all comes to an end.

I want to stop the clock.

Another Miniaturized Shot

2007-11-09T09:17:00.001-05:00

I'm still experimenting with miniaturizing photo scenes, but I really like the way this one turned out.

Rotoscoping

2007-11-08T13:20:00.000-05:00

I am such a spoiled art teacher.

Art is expensive, and nobody's going to argue that fact. And there are so many art media to try, it can really begin to get expensive to have an art program if you want to give kids a well-rounded art with experiences in a lot of different materials. My program is pretty expensive to have in a school because I think kids need to experience everything from traditional media (paints, pastels, etc...) to modern art media (film, animation, photography) and that can really add up.

So, imagine my surprise when I asked for 5 licensed copies of Photoshop CS3... and actually got it! Not that my school doesn't supply me with the things I need for my program, but because they supply pretty much everything I ask for and this program costs about $600 straight off the shelf.

Now that I have it, I have to learn how to use it. Luckily, my friend David from Carrot Revolution pointed me toward a really neat collaborative video project he's starting -- Rotoball. The project involves rotoscoping, which is basically like tracing over video and then discarding the video layer so all that remains is the drawing. (Find out more about rotoscoping here.) So far today, I've been messing around with the program and came up with this:

I cheated and used filters instead of drawing on a seperate layer, but you get the idea. I got the general idea of how it works, so now I'm going to try rotoscoping in earnest. :)

Winter's moving in.

2007-11-07T07:42:00.000-05:00

Shoo! Shoo! Go away, winter!

Ugh. I am not a winter person. I think I was meant to live where it's at least 60 degrees out every day and sunny. I can take all the sweaty 90 degree-plus weather you can throw at me, but give me a few cold days and I'm toast. I wish I could box Charleston up and move it right next to Savannah, GA -- another favorite city of mine.

Today is chaos. I'm supposed to be at school for 1/2 day, then parent conferences until 9, and somewhere in there I've got to find time to help build theater sets for the school play... and grade papers ... and clean my classroom before the parents get there. Instead, I'm home with a sick baby who sounds like a barking seal. I just spent a while sitting with him in the bathroom with the shower running, and that worked wonders. Soon, we're off to the doctor's office, then I'll tag off with Daddy and hope I can get to school before conferences start.

Do they sell clones on Ebay?

Oh, well. I might take this route to school because I like the view. I ♥ Charleston -- winter and all.

Your kid could paint that? Yeah, probably.

2007-11-06T11:07:00.000-05:00

Ever since the movie My Kid Could Paint That came out about Marla Olmstead, the 4-year-old "artistic prodigy," I have been following her story with an almost obsessive interest. The kid is adorable -- you can't not love her -- and she reminds me very much of my own little "artistic prodigy" at home, Olivia.

To be honest, when I first heard about Marla, I expected her art to be the stereotypical stuff we expect from little children. After hearing all the flap, I expected a fluffy tree and some birds in the sky represented by little "M's" in black crayon... I didn't expect these large canvases that look more like Peter Max than Preschool Princess.

Marla's work is actually pretty good, but it's also entirely believable that a child could create it. (I'm speaking as an art teacher, here, with a lot of training and experience in the development of the artistic process at different age and maturity levels in children.) People refer to her work as "abstract expressionism," and I can see that... although abstract expressionism is pretty much what kids do naturally when they're allowed to create art without inhibition. They tap into the emotions that colors give them, and the experience of putting the paint onto a surface, and the joy of putting things together in a picture that communicate something. All kids are abstract expressionists. Kids are content to represent things in abstract ways, partially because they don't have the ability, yet, to draw realistically, and partly because sometimes you don't need realism to communicate an idea -- sometimes a less realistic style carries your message even better. Abstraction works, and abstract designs are fun to make and look at. That's why children in my classes have always been drawn to images by abstract expressionists. It goes beyond "I could do that." Art is every child's first language. It just comes naturally for them to express themselves through art, until – at some point -- kids feel like they're too "grown up" to draw anymore. Or not.

Back to Marla. Marla has an excellent feel for composition, which is something that a four-year-old can understand. Composition is not a complicated science -- in a nutshell, it's as easy as "if you put something yellow on the left side, you need to put something yellow on the right side to balance it out." It isn't hard for kids to learn good composition, but they typically aren't exposed to the principles of design much at such a young age. My guess is that Marla's had good training, from either a parent or annother adult, but that hardly makes her a fraud. Many famous adult artists have had extensive training. Age isn't really as much of a factor in whether or not an artist makes good choices, compositionally, as is having exposure to good art and an understanding of design.

What impresses me most about Marla's art is that, at some point, someone put quality art supplies in her hands and let her go at it. Do you know many parents who would give a toddler non-washable paints? I don't think so. I am thrilled that someone gave her access to well-built canvases, quality paints, brushes, palette knives (don't worry, they're not sharp,) and other supplies; threw a dropcloth down on the kitchen floor, and let her experience making real art. Someone encouraged her to fill in the entire background and then add details, painting from the background to the foreground (something kids don't do, automatically.) Someone gave her a crash course in composition and color, lots of encouragement, and an endless supply of good paint. Not surprisingly, the end result is gorgeous.

Compare Marla's training to that of the average child of her age in America. What kind of artistic training do kids get in preschool? Not much. Preschools usually don't have certified art teachers, and while pre-K teachers do give kids a lot of "art projects," it's generally fingerpaint and crappy newsprint paper, or macaroni and glue, or other items commonly used by schools and other institutions where the quality of the end result isn't really a consideration. And that's fine -- kids need these experiences -- but these teachers aren't teaching a lot of design skills beyond just giving kids a sensory experience with art supplies. These teachers aren't trained to teach art, and art teachers aren't hired for pre-K and elementary age children because it as assumed that young children wouldn't understand good art (or have any real need to.) Other kids are not getting the artistic training that Marla is getting, and sadly, the problem just gets worse as art programs are routinely cut further in most school systems. Some students don't get the artistic training that 4-year-old Marla has gotten until they're in high school -- and then only if they have room in their schedules for art courses and are lucky enough to attend school in a district that will ply an art teacher with good (expensive) art supplies.

My verdict: Prodigy? Maybe, maybe not. Great art? Sure -- Marla has a great feel for composition and color and loves to express herself through art. She is every bit as qualified to call herself an artist as many other artists whose work sells for $25,000 a pop. Awesome kid? Absolutely.

You think your kid could paint that? You're probably right. Get them some quality paints and take them to galleries often for inspiration. Better yet, bring more good art teachers back into the school systems (especially at the younger levels) so all kids can capitalize on their inborn artistic genius!

I'm so getting my daughter an easel!

New Aquarium

2007-11-06T09:39:00.001-05:00

Meet the newest members of our family:

"Are you talkin' to me?"

Olivia, admiring her birthday present -- a new aquarium! She sat like this for hours. She loves these fish!

One fish, two fish...

2007-11-05T19:24:00.001-05:00

We have a new pet. Three, actually. This is a messed-up photo, but I kind of like the blurriness of the fish against the sharp detail of the bubbles and leaves.

This is "Goldie." We have really original names for pets and stuffed animals here. "Goldie," "Bear," "Dolly"... you get the idea.

Six!!!

2007-11-05T09:35:00.001-05:00

One of the things about having a birthday the first week of November is that you can still get by with having a Halloween-themed birthday party! We had Miss O's birthday party over the weekend, and it was a blast! We called it a "masquerade ball" just in case anyone questioned our creepy choice for a little princess's birthday party theme. :)

I can't believe she's 6 already!!! It seems like just yesterday that she was born. I remember the day perfectly. It had been cold for a few weeks, already, and we were blessed with a few really warm, beautiful early November days. I went out for a walk feeling great -- oddly, no pain, no signs of labor or anything. It was absolutely gorgeous out, and the sky was the most brilliant cerulean blue against the few orange and yellow leaves left on the trees. I saw lots of different bird varieties, as well as rabbits, deer, and squirrels. I felt like I was in a Disney movie! I thought to myself, "too bad I'm not anywhere close to going into labor -- what a beautiful day this would be to be born on!!!"

And then I felt a twinge.

Of course, any Mom can tell you that a twinge does not mean anything, and labor pains can go on for literally days. But these didn't let up. In fact, by the time I turned around to walk home, I had to hold on to people's fences to walk! I had left my cellphone at home (duh!) and almost thought I wouldn't make it back! But I did... I threw a few things into a bag, called my parents to come get the boys, and off we went to the hospital!

My little princess was born so quickly, the doctor almost didn't make it to her birth! As I held her for the first time, I remember being amazed at just how girly she looked! Even with her scrunched-up newborn look, she looked like a perfect little china doll. She had a girly little cry, and such a calm baby personality. She was the easiest baby of all four of mine -- easiest birth, easiest to take places, easiest demeanor... best sleeper!!!

She still has that peaceful personality. She wants to be "an art teacher or a space guy" when she grows up, and is content to paint and draw for hours. She loves to read books with me, and is elated to be learning how to read, herself. She loves to find beautiful things in the world and point them out to others. It's interesting to me how much her personality and interests match the day of her birth -- the peacefulness, the beauty of nature, the warmth...

She's such a cool kid, and I am lucky to have her in my life. Happy sixth birthday, Olivia!