One of my favorite days....

.... July 4th.

*Parades.
*Giving kids permission to run in the street for candy.
*Super Soaker fights with the firemen in their trucks.
*Standing for our veterans.
*Saluting our flag.
*The smell of the charcoal grill.
*Laughing with good friends.
*Cold beer, sangria and delicious food.
*Children running in the backyard.
*Sun setting.
*Mosquitos biting.
*Over to the "grand stand."
*Cover band.
*Dancing with friends.
*Under the stars.
*Blankets.
*The murmuring of voices.
*Glow sticks.
*Bang.
*Ooo.... ahh.
*Bed.
*Leaving the party mess clean-up for tomorrow.
*Thankfulness.
*Gratitude.
*Our country.
*Our military.
*Our freedom.

(Not Quite Wordless) Wednesday: Waterfalls

When we bought our house 10+ years ago we had no idea what hidden treasures there were.  On a bike ride one evening my husband and I stumbled upon beautiful trails filled with wildflowers, waterfalls and Blue Herrings.

What a happy accident to fall upon such beauty just a short bike ride away. 

On a recent visit the kids had a fabulous time climbing the rocks near the waterfalls while I, with camera in hand, got clicking...

"...but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life."  John 4:14



Linked to: Live and Love Out Loud, Super Mom, Project Alicia

(Not Quite Wordless) Wednesday: Refreshing!

Nothing says "refreshing" like kids playing unabashedly in a fountain on a hot summer day.

These were taken at Crown Fountain, a.k.a. Millennium Fountain in downtown Chicago. As you can see, the kids are having a blast keeping cool. ...

Linked to: Project Alicia, Live and Love Out Loud, Love that Shot

(Not Quite) Wordless Wednesday: A "Literal" Yellow

I'm linking up with a couple of photo challenges over the next few weeks.

One of the challenges: yellow.

Now going with the challenge of yellow, a flower seemed kind of typical and unoriginal. I had a sculptor professor in college who would tell us all the time:

DON'T BE LITERAL!

I have worked my whole life to be anything but literal in my work. But this first flower pictured below seemed anything but typical.  And besides, anything The Artist and Author of this world makes is going to be original.

Plus, for those that know me, I'm more of a black & white kind of gal.  Color has been a refreshing change/challenge. ...

"Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come..."  Song of Solomon 2:12

Linked to: Live and Love Out Loud, Live Every Moment, Project Alicia

Art School: Confidence

I really hate labels.

I will not call myself an artist.

I will not call myself a photographer.

I feel those are labels that are far too overused by people who are not worthy to claim them, myself included.

I was in a gallery show last summer and had to wear a name tag with the words ARTIST printed in big letters.  I can't tell you how awkward and hard that was to wear. 

As a studio art major in college we started off dipping our toes into everything.  Whether it was carving marble, making casts in hot wax, etching plates in vats of acid, turning the crank of a printing press, drawing live models or painting- I did it all. Well, most of it. ...

Photography never made it on the list of things I had time to do back then.

Rather, I found my love of art history, pursued my love of drawing and had a love affair with a giant printing press.  I would spend my weekends alone in the studio carving print blocks. It was me, a mug of coffee, and the smell and sound of black ink on a brayer.  

But from the day I met my husband in one of those art studios in college so long ago, I have always referred to him as the artist, not me.

I prefer to call myself: someone who likes to take pictures.  My "artist" husband doesn't like this.  He says,  "You don't take pictures, you make beautiful photographs."

I suppose I should work on that silly thing called self-confidence. But I am so grateful for my husband always being there to cheer me on.  At what point will I gain the confidence to give myself a label?  I may never, and who really cares. ...

Since writing the original draft to this post, a man in my church, two years older than me, died suddenly of a heart attack.  He leaves behind a wife and three children.

My heart is breaking for this family, and for a sweet little eight year old boy who I taught Sunday School to.

Life is short.  I'm going to do the best with what God has given me for the time I have here.

All of this is fleeting, and none of it is coming with us.

".... being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."  Philippians 1:6

Art School: Calluses

I was thinking today about how 'well' we all take criticism. I'm always right, I'm assuming you are too?  When I was getting my degree in Studio Art, critiques were a common thing. Professors and peers would point out your strengths and weaknesses. Generally, it was a time to point out the weaknesses.

Fred Babb 'Get Smart Make Art' T-Shirt

Pointing out each other's weaknesses can be challenging.  Taking the criticism can be even more challenging. I'd like to think I've built up my share of calluses through life. Calluses hurt, but if we choose to, we can use them to learn and make us stronger.

One thing I have learned (setting my early sarcasm from above aside) is that I do not know everything. There is always somebody out there who knows more. Years ago when I was working as a display artist I dealt with a boss who "knew it all." She was very quick to point out my every flaw. It was draining to say the least, and I resented her and her critiques of my work. But after we sat down and talked, I learned that the reason she was so 'hard on me' was because she saw so much potential in me and wanted to teach me everything she could so I could move on to better things.

Are we taking the calluses in life and choosing to learn from them? Or, are we letting anger and resentment be the callus that build within us.

(Not Quite Wordless) Wednesday: Irises

Beauty in our own backyard.....

Linked to: Live and Love Out Loud, Black and White Wednesdays, 
Wordless Wednesdays But With Words, Crazy Days of Summer, and then, she Snapped, Blogging from Bolivia

(Not Quite Wordless) Wednesday: Earth, Green Up!

And God said: Let there be color.  Okay, so those weren't exactly his words.

God spoke: "Earth, green up! Grow all varieties of seed-bearing plants, 
Every sort of fruit-bearing tree."  And there it was.        
Earth produced green seed-bearing plants, all varieties, 
And fruit-bearing trees of all sorts. 
God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:11-13 (from The Message)


I loved the words, "Earth, green up!" in this 'contemporary language' version of this verse.

What a gift spring is with new color breaking through....

The flowerers....

The wetlands....

The conifers....

Even with the absence of color, God's artistic hand is there....

Now get outside and enjoy it.

Linked to: Live and Love Out Loud, Alli N Son, Project Alicia

                 Mrs. Mama Hen, Love that Shot

We got a pet(s)!

For any of my friends that know me- the above statement makes them laugh.

A brief back history:

1. I can't stand dogs, although I can appreciate other people's dogs (sometimes).  When I was in grade school, a friend that I was walking home with was attacked by a dog.  Apparently I still suffer a bit of traumatization from that.  My parents eventually got a dog when I was in high school, and after a few years, I grew to love him.  I think I may have even cried when he died.

2. Fish smell to "fishy".

3. We had gerbils for a few brief weeks when I was a child.  We learned the hard way that daddy eats the babies.  Then there was the time the babysitter decided to let them loose all over the house......

4. I grew up in a house with cats.  I love cats.  But the "neat freak" I have become as an adult has led me to not want to have to deal with the smell and mess of animals.  (That, and having three kids at home all day is enough of a mess for me.)

But I finally loosened up a little as a mother.  (YAY ME!)

Yes, I must say, my daughter's pet(s) are the perfect fit for our family.

They're quiet.
They don't smell.
They involve no walking.
They're low maintenance.  In fact, they pretty much take care of themselves.

Their home doubles as a night light.

And you can cuddle with them if you wish.

What more could you want from a pet?

The Dark Side.... ((tweet))

I've crossed over to the dark side.  Will someone please turn on the lights?

Really, I don't know what I'm doing.

Everyone is speaking a language that I don't understand.

I'm having a one-sided conversation with myself.

It feels a bit weird.....

..... and lonely.

But since I refuse to be left in the dust, A Little Bit Crunchy is now on....

((gulp))

..... Twitter.

Yes, I broke down and did it.  And no, I did not check out "the book" from the library.

In my opinion, the real party is over on Facebook.

But for you die-hard Twitter-ers, A Little Bit Crunchy is there for you too.  :)

(Have patience with me.)

214, would you please STAND UP?

Business men drink my blood.... like the kids in art school said they would.....

Yes, I was a kid in art school.....

..... and  these are lyrics to an Arcade Fire song.  I felt that since they were mentioned in my 'about me' here on my blog it was only fitting to write a short post about them.  

Daddy D and I are regular concert goers.  We usually frequent lesser known bands in much smaller venues.  I actually avoid large venues with seats at all costs.  But when I saw two of my favorite bands, The National AND Arcade Fire were coming together, I knew I'd have to let my "seat issue" go.

We logged on for tickets the second they became available.  Within seconds the first show sold out.  But, we did manage to get seats for the second show.

Yes.... seats.  Not standing on the main floor like I had hoped.... but seats.  Not just seats, but seats in section 214.  Let me just say, if you are afraid of heights or suffer from vertigo, section 214 is NOT where you want to be.  Fortunately I suffer from neither.

When the concert began, everyone stayed in their seats.  How could anyone listen to amazing music and stay seated?  It was beyond me.  Doesn't your body just need to move and jump?  A chair is like a straight jacket for me.

A couple of people began to stand.

This was sad.... so I stood.  My friend and husband stood too.

Who was that crazy blonde woman dancing and screaming in section 214?  Yes, that was me.  But let me say, by the end of the song, all of section 214 was on their feet.

I wish I could say the same for sections 213- 201.  But section 214, thank you for forgoing the shackles of your chair.

You 'did me proud'.

I Don't Speak Twitter

I have a Twitter account and have never used it.

The language of Twitter is something I can neither read nor understand.  All those # and @ signs leave me totally confused.

Our library offers classes on how to use Facebook and Twitter.

I made fun of the people that signed up for those classes.

But now I know they made those classes for people like me.

((sigh))

I know I should try and send A Little Bit Crunchy over to the Twitter side, but I just can't bring myself to do it.

Perhaps instead of enduring the humiliation of taking a Twitter class at the library, I should just check out this book instead......

Thank goodness our library now has a self-check out line so I don't won't have to endure the humiliation of a librarian checking the book out for me.

So for now I'll stick to my familiar Facebook that I know in love.  If you suddenly see A Little Bit Crunchy on Twitter, you'll know I had some time on my hands to take 'The Class'.  (But please keep that between us.)

A Little Bit Crunchy has been on Facebook for almost 3 months now.  Are you a fan?

Thanks for following!

Well, that's an hour of my life I'll never get back!

Last night I watched prime time TV for the first time in about a year.

I realized I wasn't missing anything.

We don't pay for TV.  Our choices are limited.

My news comes from on-line.  My entertainment comes from the library.

But tonight I gave in, and against my better judgment, I (finally) let my son watch Wipe Out.

I'm not sure what demographic that show is geared for..... but I'm not it.

To each there own.

I can now check that off my list of things to do.....

.... and never do again.  :)

Epic FAIL or Happy Accident?

I am embarrassed to admit that I had an epic FAIL in my kitchen.

I don't think this has ever happened to me before when it comes to a dessert.

((head hung in shame))

I'll spare you the details, but it came out a sticky, gooey, underdone mess.

I was ready to throw the whole pan away but decided to start slicing instead.

My son came in and asked for a taste.

I obliged.

"Mmmmmmm.....," he said.

He went on to say, "Well mom, even though you made a mistake, your mistake might very well taste better than if you had never made the mistake in the first place."

What a sweetheart.


My son went on to ask me if I planned on serving these to my friends.  He said I should.

So be warned friends.....

if you taste anything from my kitchen in the near future....

it may be an epic FAIL....

or a happy accident.

Dishwashing Helping Hands

My 7 year old daughter decided to surprise me by hand washing all the dinner dishes that didn't fit into the dish washer.

There were a lot of them.

There was water everywhere.

I think 1/4 of my liquid soap was gone.

"Clean" meant that there were still bits of food left on everything.

She even decided to start putting the "clean" dishes away.

That's when I walked in and caught her.

This is the moment where I had the choice..... good mom or bad mom.

(Stop.)

(Think.)

(Don't react too quickly.)

I went with 'good mom'.

"Thank you for doing the dishes sweetheart.  That was a great surprise."

Now off to sort all the "clean" dishes from the clean dishes.

Conversations in the mini van.... Lady Gaga

"Mom, who's Lady Gaga?"

"A singer."

"Mom, do you listen to Lady Gaga?"

"No."

"Why?"

"I don't care for her style of music."

"Is she that singer that dresses inappropriately and sings about inappropriate things?"

"Yes.  How did you know that?"

"You told me."

"Oh.  I'm a wise mom."

"Is she inappropriate because she shows her belly button?"  "Does she wear her pants on her head?"  "Does she wear her underwear on her face?"

(The conversation quickly was spinning out of control.)

"Mom, do any of your friends listen to Lady Gaga?"

(Silence.)

(Don't worry friends, your secret is safe with me.)