tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56027922024-03-07T12:12:16.341-08:00 Thinking and Thinking and Thinking. (Also laughing.)Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05238212688663358230noreply@blogger.comBlogger151125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602792.post-88964239379536388362015-01-03T17:58:00.001-08:002015-01-03T18:00:31.756-08:00Sophie Made a Photo BookWell, technically, I made it. To her specifications, which were quite exacting. At some point during hour two, she let me commandeer the design process. Ignore all the Shutterfly propaganda below, but do enjoy a nine-year-old's POV on 2014...
Click here to view this photo book largerPhoto books are the perfect gift for any occasion.Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05238212688663358230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602792.post-62232366771722340652013-04-29T19:20:00.002-07:002013-04-29T19:20:35.074-07:00Crazy Stuff The Kids Say
S: I have laser hands, laser eyes, and I can make people
disappear. When I’m flying, I can be a
star in the sky.
H: I don’t have any superpowers. I have a super guy, and I
can ride on him. I’m going to go to the shopping store.
________________________________________________
S: Are we ready for our first exploring?
H: Yes, I am ready to zap people! Huh. Actually I feel a
Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05238212688663358230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602792.post-69197202449531918882013-01-16T15:04:00.001-08:002013-01-16T15:41:15.845-08:00Inoculating Against The Messages I Absorb
Yes, I took the "Postmodern Literature and Life" and "Critical Thinking" courses in college, so, yes, I know that ads, the media, the culture we swim in, etc. can do a number on our minds. But I also know that knowing that doesn't make me immune from their power.
To inoculate myself against the messages I'm absorbing from people who are trying to sell me things, I put together the Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05238212688663358230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602792.post-1030826588694776662012-12-04T11:16:00.001-08:002013-01-16T15:37:03.283-08:00I Heart Haim Ginott If I were going to put a bumper sticker on my car, it might say "I Heart Haim Ginott."
Dr. Ginott is funny, charming, wise, and wonderful. His ideas and the skills he teaches have been the number one influence on how I relate to and communicate with my kids -- and really with everyone. His workshops and books were the prompt fpr Adele Faber and Elaine Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05238212688663358230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602792.post-55269396199761738162012-11-18T22:44:00.001-08:002012-11-18T22:44:47.442-08:00Remembering Robert ReynoldsI wrote an essay about my intersections with chef Robert Reynolds, who died in August 2012 of brain cancer. He was an amazing and wonderful man, who was generous with his time, his food, and his extreme joie de vivre. He was also my neighbor. Look him up. Find his books. Read his blog. Take a class at the cooking school he founded. You'll quickly see why he was beloved by so many, and why Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05238212688663358230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602792.post-78186949631880452812012-11-10T21:32:00.001-08:002012-11-10T21:32:51.177-08:00100 Children For HenryOver half a pancake, a side of bacon, and a strawberry banana smoothie at a local cafe on Saturday morning, Henry let Sophie and I know he'd like to have 100 kids. He then proceeded to tell us the names he had in mind for some of them. They are listed below. (One person has suggested that Henry could now populate his own sci-fi fantasy novel. But I think he should just publish his own baby Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05238212688663358230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602792.post-91319969541328456262012-11-03T09:42:00.000-07:002013-01-16T16:37:33.061-08:00"Two frames can be the difference between something that works and something that doesn’t. It’s fascinating."
I watched Steven Soderbergh's "The Girlfriend Experience" the other night. Like his other improvised film with non-actors, "Bubble," it was pretty fascinating. And like Soderbergh's "The Limey" the film played around with time fracture/memory/sequencing brilliantly via editing. I went in search of more info, and came across this interview with Soderbergh from January 2012 by Scott Tobias. The Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05238212688663358230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602792.post-9260242689060889552012-10-21T14:51:00.000-07:002012-10-21T14:51:11.375-07:00101 Things To Learn in Art SchoolExcerpts from the book 101 Things to Learn in Art School by Kit White - the bits that seemed particularly new, surprising, or important to me.
2. Learn to Draw
- Drawing is more than a tool for rendering and capturing likenesses.
- It is a language, with its own syntax, grammar, and urgency.
- Learning to draw is about learning to see.
- In this away, it is a Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05238212688663358230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602792.post-60840914270435458182012-10-21T08:39:00.002-07:002012-10-21T08:39:26.951-07:00Joseph Had a Little Overcoat
Love this book, and this animated version of the book. 100% fantastic.
Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05238212688663358230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602792.post-57998735501739431442012-10-20T23:15:00.001-07:002012-10-20T23:15:47.810-07:00"I've never been bored for one second of my entire life."
"I just try to remember what it felt like when I was a kid. I try to stay about fourteen, when I was really excited about stuff and I could practice the banjo for ten hours and never think that was weird or hard. I try to remember that -- just always being curious and learning. I've never been bored for one second of my entire life." - Danny BarnesJessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05238212688663358230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602792.post-12288761888223243122012-10-20T21:44:00.001-07:002012-10-20T21:44:20.509-07:00DylanQuotes excerpted from Mikal Gilmore's interview with Bob Dylan in the September 27 issue of Rolling Stone. I was writing these down in my book on a flight to New York City while listening to Dylan's new album on repeat my headphones. Rare to get the chance to be so immersed in anything...
"The old is still happening while the new enters the scene, sometimes unnoticed. The new is overlapping atJessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05238212688663358230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602792.post-56466208574297350482012-05-03T22:33:00.000-07:002012-05-03T22:33:19.019-07:00Frank Horvat SpeaksJessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05238212688663358230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602792.post-70616531411853509192011-12-22T23:52:00.000-08:002011-12-22T23:53:30.596-08:00"I find you don’t think of new ideas, you discover them"
A friend told me to take a look at Donald Sultan's work. Here's an excerpt from a 2009 article I found about him in the process:
"Growing up in Asheville, N.C., Sultan at an early age got interested in all aspects of theater, including set-building and lighting. At the same time, his father — who owned a tire store — would paint on weekends as a hobby, and Sultan would watch. He found Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05238212688663358230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602792.post-87183386109578055882011-12-19T11:37:00.000-08:002013-01-16T15:56:23.517-08:00Recent Conversations With HenryHenry: I want to make a card for Rocky Sand, Mommy.
Me: For who now?
Henry: Rocky Sand. I like her. She's my friend.
Me: Um.....I'm just not sure...who.....is that a pretend friend? Or....
Henry: Rocky Sand, Mommy!!!
Me: Wait, do you mean Sophie's friend Roxxann?
Henry: Yep.
______________________________________________________________
Henry: I got a wack! I got a wack!
Me: What?Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05238212688663358230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602792.post-64286985811611440562011-12-10T21:36:00.001-08:002011-12-10T22:40:00.204-08:00Richard TuttleRan across artist Richard Tuttle. Want to know more.
Richard Tuttle, Sum Confluence, 1964, Acrylic on plywood, 52.4 x 92.7 cm,
http://www.haberarts.com/tuttle.htm - Ricahrd Tuttle, from the 20 Pearls series
Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05238212688663358230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602792.post-38789873075749904562011-12-03T17:22:00.001-08:002013-01-16T15:58:25.844-08:00Blabla, Sukie, Jenni Rope
Blabla's blog. I was unaware of the level of awesome Blabla toys have achieved. The brother and sister fox (Sox and Suzette) are on their way to our house for Henry & Sophie's birthday.
The Blabla Blog is also chock full of amazing goodness and fantastic links.
Including a link to artist Jenni Rope (www.jennirope.com) whose paintings I like a lot.
And a link to one Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05238212688663358230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602792.post-43722883747894275802011-11-16T21:44:00.001-08:002011-11-16T22:23:27.661-08:00Laura Veirs' Tumblebee, My Kids' Songwriting Skillz, and The Old, Weird AmericaBeen listening to the new Laura Veirs CD Tumble Bee quite a bit.
Laura Veirs lives here, in the same town where I live, and occasionally I run into her. Once time I saw her at the supermarket. I came around the corner, and there she was, pushing a cart with her baby son, Tennessee, in it. I accidentally just went ahead and said her name out loud in a dreamy sort of way, "Oh.....Laura Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05238212688663358230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602792.post-90928271565262940562011-11-16T21:16:00.001-08:002011-11-16T22:33:21.786-08:00On My Mind This Week1) 30 Rock hurts me a little bit. I mean every episode is so deeply hilarious. How could it be so good?
"Werewolf bar mitzva, spooky, scary, boys becoming men, men becoming wolves....."
I mean why is that so funny? And yet. And that's the tip of the freaking iceberg of hilarity.
2) Revisiting the deeply satisfying, mysterious, charming and whimsical Maira Kalman blog for the Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05238212688663358230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602792.post-63095818254466321172011-11-16T15:11:00.001-08:002011-11-16T15:12:54.119-08:00Blog MakeoverI noticed I hadn't been here in a while. Just didn't feel like, uh, "home" anymore. So I've given the blog a makeover, and we'll see if I stop by more frequently. I'm quite sure everyone's waiting with breathless anticipation.Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05238212688663358230noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602792.post-41045327812828199732011-11-16T14:53:00.001-08:002011-11-16T14:58:34.646-08:00Phone Call With Ben TodayJessica: Hey. What are you doing?
Ben: Serving Little Lord Henry.
Jessica: Sounds rough. Maybe I’ll come home late.
Ben: Henry keeps looking at me. Suspicious - like "What are you saying about me?" There he goes again. His head keeps whipping around.
Jessica: What's for dinner?
Ben: I’m going to put on a pot roast.
Henry (yelling): What does that mean!
Ben (to Henry): That means Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05238212688663358230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602792.post-11770408326537076872011-11-14T15:59:00.000-08:002011-11-16T21:15:50.907-08:00Free Download: Getting Ready For Giving BirthSo I spent a lot of time figuring out how I was going to have a natural birth. Not because a natural birth was my deepest heart's desire, but becuase I didn't want to get gutted like a fish again with a repeat Cesarean.
Yes, avoiding going under the knife for major abdominal surgery (again) was a powerful incentive to figure out what it was going to take for me (someone who was not necessarily Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05238212688663358230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602792.post-50516653282092813632011-07-29T14:00:00.001-07:002011-07-29T14:02:58.880-07:00Clean As Bone, Clear as Light, Firm as StoneAn anonymous poem Madeline L'Engle liked to quote - I had this up on my wall in my bedroom for a long, long time in high school (although I'm not sure I really "got it" at the time, based on the journals I kept). This is still what I aspire to:The written wordShould be clean as bone,Clear as light,Firm as stone.Two words are notAs good as one.Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05238212688663358230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602792.post-11237052566255145592010-12-30T18:09:00.000-08:002010-12-30T19:53:22.350-08:00My 2010 In Facebook Statuses (Stati?)<!--StartFragment--> <!--StartFragment--> <!--StartFragment--> January 1 Top five crazy things Sophie said in '09: #5: "Hey Mommy, I became not clothed!"#4: To Henry: "You've got the smile head!" #3: "Mommy, I get upset about sugar because I want it. And I can't get it." #2: "Daddy, come look at this freakin' poop!" #1: During a game of Simon Says: "Simon says stop this freak showing!"Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05238212688663358230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602792.post-55059923315561392592010-08-25T00:37:00.000-07:002010-08-25T00:38:40.721-07:00Conversation With Sophie Regarding Her Glass of WaterSophie: "Mom, I don't have very much water."Me: "Yes you do. How much is in that glass?"Sophie: "Half."Me: "Right, your glass is half..."Sophie: "Empty, Mommy."Me: "Uh oh."Sophie: "What?"Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05238212688663358230noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602792.post-5455671478848426432009-11-10T13:16:00.000-08:002009-11-10T13:25:08.626-08:00More on Exhaustion and the Creative Process...A (long) while ago, I wrote this entry about exhaustion and the creative process. Today, I stumbled on another take on the idea by Brian Eno. This site excerpted it from an interview Eno did in 1977 for a publication called "Melody Maker." Eno was sharing a conversation he'd had with his friend, the painter Peter Schmidt: "I describe[d] an experience I had in Scotland recently where I climbed a Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05238212688663358230noreply@blogger.com0