Best Grandpa Ever

My little nephew Skyler loves balloons. This has inspired my dad to learn how to make balloon animals for him, thus earning the title of "Best Grandpa Ever."

Making balloon animals had come up in the past and I'd guessed that YouTube had some tutorials. But Dad found a local clown (literally; I'm not being mean) who teaches classes and got instruction first-hand. (He also got a red nose to wear while making the balloon animals.) Then Dad had to go to a place called House Of Chuckles (!) to get a supply of animal-making balloons. And now he's practicing every day so he can surprise Skyler with new animals every week.

I'm really resisting italics here because every part of this story delights me. You know what else is delightful? This monkey. And my dad. 

Should Have Bought This Years Ago

Part of what makes winter so hard for me is getting up in the dark. Last year I discovered that there is such a thing as a "dawn simulating alarm clock" that gradually gets lighter and lighter to wake you up to an already-lit room. 

I didn't buy it last year because it was a little expensive and apparently I hated myself and wanted to be sad for another season. But not this year! Meet my new best friend:

I've only had this since Monday but I already love it. (Toby, however, has still not figured out how I am turning on the light while still in bed--I need to explain timers and sleep science to him.) This is totally me in the mornings now:

If you buy it, your bedroom will glow with the light of the sun and you'll wake up with perfect hair and makeup, too

I got mine at a little bit of a discount on Amazon. Check it out right here.

Two Things To Make You Happy Today

1. Space always does the trick for me. I'm sure you've heard by now that Voyager 1, launched in 1977 with the famous golden record of Earth sounds, is nearing the very edge of our solar system. I think the Daily Mail put this fact in context really well:

With absolutely no attempt at hyperbole at all, it is fair to say that this is one of--if not the--biggest achievement of the human race. For, as we speak, an object conceived in the human mind, and built by our tools, and launched from our planet, is sailing out of the further depths of our solar system--and will be the first object made by man to sail out into interstellar space."

2. And in further news of humans living up to the name, here's something that's been making the rounds: 21 Pictures That Will Restore Your Faith In Humanity. I just had to think of the end of the second Lord of the Rings movie and Sam saying, "There's still some good in this world, Mr. Frodo."

New Desk!

Internet, look! I finally have an adult-sized desk!
The saga of the desk began months ago, when I decided it was time to retire what I'd been using since I was ten. Then came the deciding what to buy, then came the deciding if I should just wait until I get a house and have something new delivered there, and then I saw a project that involved decoupaging filing cabinets, and everything clicked.

My parents had two filing cabinets in storage and my handy father offered to make a desktop (since the options from IKEA were the wrong size). So for the cost of paint, Japanese paper, and some shelving--plus a week of free labor from my dad--I have a new desk!
We (I use "we" loosely) decided to use spray adhesive instead of Mod Podge, and it worked out great. I'm glad I went with a subtle pattern, since there's already a lot of pattern in the room.

And LOOK--there are no visible cords. My dad rigged up a brilliant system for mounting the power strip on the back support.
I love the desk (Toby does too!). Thanks, Dad!

No Expectations

I felt a little lonely last night (which is pretty rare these days, fortunately) and then I remembered that the only person that I can expect to make me happy is myself. So I did that by working on a skirt and looking for houses for Toby and me online.

Here's the Rolling Stones song of the same name, from Beggars Banquet:

Today Is ANOTHER Great Day

Because I have a job again! I'll be starting here on Monday and I even have a title, one that has "senior" and "manager" and "writing" in it. Hot damn! Let the good times roll INDEED.



As Mr. Charles says at 1:47, I got fifty cents more than I'm gonna keep!


(No, not really, hon; I won't spend it all. Don't worry.)

Two Happy Things

1. There are magnolia trees in front of Kingsbury Hall*, and last night I saw that they're starting to bud. Spring is coming--the early-blooming magnolias know it.
2. The Married to the Sea comic site, which is updated daily, also makes me happy. Here's a favorite:


*The magnolias were the highlight of the performance for me. A radio play does not make for gripping staging, and I would think that holding a script would make it easier for actors to deliver their lines, not harder. There was a good pro-science crowd, at least.

This Guy Isn't Telling Kids To Get Off His Lawn

Via BoingBoing, yesterday I read an interview online at PingMag MAKE, "The Japan-based interview magazine about 'making things' " with a 97-year old botanical illustrator. The man, Chikabo Kumada, sounds like the most serene and happy person on the planet. He has an exhibition planned for his hundreth birthday!

I think the interview is just fascinating to read. The first few questions set up his career, so you could skip those if you're pressed for time, but it's really worth a look--there are quotes like this:

I hit the renaissance of my life when I turned seventy. That was when I really bloomed. Up until then it was like I had been like living in muddy water. (laughs)...So my 80s were really like the bloom of youth for me. But when you reach such an age, you could really die at any moment. So I felt that it was important that I didn’t miss anything, and I took another close look around my garden. And that was when I realized I was able to see things in flowers and leaves that I hadn’t been able to see before, and my work got more detailed.

And this: "I believe that any living thing can be beautiful if you love it."