7-Imp’s 7 Kicks #74: Featuring Up-and-Coming Artist, Eric Lamson

h1 August 3rd, 2008 by Eisha and Jules

Jules: AUGUST 3rd?? IT’S AUGUST ALREADY? Mercy sakes.

Whew. Yes, it’s the first of the month. And that’s when we feature a student of illustration or a brand-spankin’-new illustrator here at our seven kicks list, our meeting ground for listing Seven(ish) Exceptionally Fabulous, Beautiful, Interesting, Hilarious, or Otherwise Positive Noteworthy Things from the past week—whether book-related or not—that happened to you. And I can hardly believe it’s already…well, almost Fall. Sorta.

This week we’re featuring artist Eric Lamson, who studied illustration at Montserrat College of Art in Massachusetts. As Eric’s bio at his site—featuring his award-winning, Poe-esque “Gold Bug”—states, he works in pencil, acrylic, and oil. He also creates illustrations in relief, “using a unique method that he originated, utilizing: masking tape, cut illustration board, glue, joint compound and gesso.”

HOWEVER, that bio—and Eric’s site, for that matter, and the artwork on it—is dated 2006. And it just so happens, Eric told me, that he has been “kind of on a soul search. I’ve been struggling with finding the right way of working that best suits me…I’ve been kind of moving away from children’s illustration lately.” So, the opening image up there, “Shiva Monkey,” also a Montserrat award-winner, and these three below images—one from a fable of Aesop; one entitled “Introvert,” and the 1984 image—are examples of Eric’s earlier work as student of illustration:



And now…well, now Eric—who was was involved in a group show last April at the OneWay Gallery in Narragansett, Rhode Island—is doing something different. In his words:

The last four images are examples of the current series of paintings that I’m working on called the Lapis Series, which you can see are quite different from my early work…There are a total of 11 paintings for this series thus far. Most of them are large paintings averaging 32″ X 48″. I paint with acrylics on gessoed board.



Eric wasn’t sure if we’d want to feature his work at 7-Imp, what with his new direction. BUTOFCOURSE we want to feature him.

Also, I don’t know if it’s pleasing or irritating to an artist to hear a person say: I had to do a double-take. I thought that was a photograph. I guess it depends on the artist’s intent behind each piece. But I really did have to look twice at some of the Lapis Series pieces and wonder at the skills it must take to make acrylics look like photography. Pretty amazing.

We thank Eric for sharing his art work with us this week, and we wish him the very best.

Kicks time! Eisha, are you able to break away from Breaking Dawn to talk to us?

* * * eisha’s kicks * * *

DANG, those paintings really DO look like photographs. Amazing.

Don’t bother - it’s crap.1* My brave thing for this week: actually having guests in my apartment, despite the fact that we’ve been here a year and still have boxes sitting around. Some of them I’ve just decided to pretend are furniture, and have distributed coasters and table lamps on top of them. Thanks to everyone who’s visited so far and didn’t say anything like, “So… when did you move, again?”

2* One of those visitors was Adrienne. It was excellent! The X-Files movie – not so much. Seriously, people. It’s bad. But I had a blast anyway. And I was so very glad I had a fellow librarian sitting next to me to share my horror when I’m-a-doctor-now-not-FBI Dana Scully just up and used Google to do her very serious medical research. I am not even kidding. If she hadn’t turned into such a boring-ass character over the past 8 year hiatus I would have offered myself up as her personal research assistant. For free. Because, dude, for serious. Google?

Breaking Dawn.3* I had a lovely long phone conversation with a Cambridge friend that I had shamefully fallen out of touch with for months.

4* The friend and I decided that I’m way overdue for a visit, so I’m gonna go hang out with her over Labor Day weekend.

5* I finally got an appointment with a new primary care doctor, and I LOVE HER.

6* I went to a Breaking Dawn release party at a bookstore. I got a great big dose of something I’ve missed in the past year of not working in a public library: seeing teens excited about books.

7* And the book itself: [DON’T WORRY, NO SPOILERS HERE] I just finished it (it’s Sat. afternoon as I’m typing this) and I’m still trying to figure out my overall reaction to it. Parts of it were very satisfying, but parts of it were so unexpected I still can’t get my mind around them. But I’ll definitely say this for Ms. Stephenie Meyer: the woman has an imagaination that will not quit. Pretty much every major plot twist had me thinking “What?! Whoa! Did NOT see that coming!” What more could I have asked for?

* * * Jules’ kicks * * *

1). I met two friends and their children here this week. One friend’s in Oak Ridge; the other’s in Atlanta, so we occasionally meet up in Chattanooga. And one has cancer, but is—at this moment—cancer-free, so that is excellent news. And we had a really great time catching up, despite our children running off at every moment in five different directions.

2). I’m reading the ARC of Emily Jenkins’ Toy Dance Party to my girls, and my four-year-old and I were laughing so hard at one point that we were both in tears. And, to boot, we read the first chapter sitting on the front porch right before a big rain.

Eisha and I plan to co-review it, too, since we adored its prequel.

3). My mother-in-law watched my girls all day one day this week so that I could catch up on work in BLESSED SILENCE. And boy howdy and howdy boy do they LOVE going to her house to play.

4). My friend, Andrew, called me yesterday. He is on a reading spurt, as he described it, and he had JUST finished Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (for you Shelley Nerds—and I say that lovingly—he read the first edition, the 1818 one, and not the revised 1831 edition). He said he absolutely had to call someone who would appreciate how much he enjoyed it. And he went on and on in his wonderful Andrew way about the writing. He was all, “JULIE, SHE WAS NINETEEN [EXPLETIVE] YEARS OLD WHEN SHE WROTE IT! When I was nineteen, I was, like, ‘You want me to write a paragraph? Can I get back to you in a few days?’ SHE WAS NINETEEN! HOLY [EXPLETIVE]! I MEAN, [ANOTHER EXPLETIVE. AND YET ANOTHER creative EXPLETIVE] IT WAS [EXPLETIVE] GOOD!”

Now that, my librarian friends, is a booktalk.

5). My four-year-old and I somehow got into a conversation this week about where she was, if anywhere, before she was born to me and how she chose me to be her mother. And she said: “I was crawling around in the forest and I found you and went into you and I SAT in you.”

Simon Pegg. Anyone else see him on Letterman this week? Heavens, it was funny.6). Running and playing at a water park with my girls, as in getting buckets of water poured on my head, and going to see a marionette production of The Frog Prince and looking forward to watching Simon Pegg’s “Spaced” with my husband, which he purchased this week, and starting Haven Kimmel’s newest novel, Iodine.

Impressive how I crammed four kicks into one, huh?

7). My brave-ness of the week: I don’t mean to bring the room down, but my be-brave moment was spending the very early part of last week trying to track down friends who were in this church when this happened and being terrified that some of them might be hurt…or worse. But, whew, they are all okay, though my heart goes out to the loved ones of those who didn’t make it or were seriously wounded.

8). BONUS: Haven Kimmel’s blog post on “The Sopranos” has a special place in my heart right now. I’m still not done watching the series yet, but I understand these feelings she has.

9). BONUS, PART TWO: I like knowing Sam’s about to start touring, but WHERE IS HER “NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE” SIGN? JUST WHERE O WHERE IS IT?

BONUS FOR ALL: Gwenda was on NPR’s Weekend Edition yesterday, talking to Scott Simon about Anne of Green Gables! Here’s the link.

What are your kicks—or bravenesses—of the week?





28 comments to “7-Imp’s 7 Kicks #74: Featuring Up-and-Coming Artist, Eric Lamson”

  1. Oh, wow, I love these illustrations–I loved the turtle best in the top series, and then the acrylics below were amazing. Eisha, I don’t have my copy of BD yet so I skimmed your last kick…and, Jules, I love what your 4-yo said about choosing you. Awesome!

    Kicks this week:
    1-My ten year old is now eleven! Wow, how did that happen? He got lots of books for his birthday–what a surprise!
    2-going to Chicago this week for the Terminus (Harry Potter) conference
    3-where I think I can also see John Green in a library event
    4-there’s been some sad stuff here, losses and funerals, but my immediate and extended family are all well.
    I think that may be it for now…things are fine, just a little quiet.


  2. oh, but I did mean to add, I had such fun playing along in the Twilight debate last weekend! Thanks!


  3. Libby, it’s okay – my last kick is spoiler-free. I just added a note up there that says so. I’m so sorry about your sad stuff. But I’m really jealous you’re going to Terminus and might get to see John Green!


  4. Libby, I’m also sorry to read about sad stuff, but have fun seeing John and happy belated birthday to your son! And happy reading to him…


  5. Jules, thanks for the link to Haven Kimmel’s “Sopranos” post — per se, and for giving me a heads-up about Haven Kimmel at all… Another wonderful writer I now need to catch up on!


  6. Happy Sunday!

    Thanks for featuring Eric’s work. Love to hear about new illustrators. Those “photography-like” pieces are amazing.

    So glad to hear none of your friends was injured last week, Jules. Thoughts and prayers to all those affected.

    Your friend, Andrew, sounds like a riot! Love to hear about people so passionate about something they’ve read! And your little one, choosing you to be her mother. Well, can you blame her? LOVE Emily Jenkins — didn’t realize she had a Toys sequel!

    Eisha, we’ve been in our home 9 years and still have boxes lying around. At some point, you just have to tell people you’re into the casual look and not worry about it!And you’re the second person I’ve heard from today with mixed reactions to BD. How much do you think all the uber hype might affect reader expectations and reactions?

    Today I have one big kick and brave thing rolled into one, that didn’t necessarily happen last week, but during the past year: Deciding to start a blog! Tomorrow is my official Blogiversary, and I’ve had fun reflecting on everything that’s happened since that fateful day last August (what a kick to find out that you also started 7-Imp in early August)! I’m posting about it tomorrow, so stop by for a cupcake or two.

    Have a great week, everyone!


  7. JES, Haven cannot POSSIBLY blog enough for me. But thank heavens she’s doing it at all.


  8. JAMA, NO WAY HAS IT BEEN A YEAR!!!!

    I’m screaming this.

    Time flies.

    I’m so glad you’re blogging! What an addition you’ve been to the kidlitosphere.

    Happy, happy birthday! I’m definitely in line for a cupcake tomorrow.


  9. Thanks for sharing Eric’s work. I really like the Tortoise and the Hare piece as well as the Lapis pieces. The 1984 piece is so fitting. Shake it, Shiva monkey!

    eisha: Hurrah for a good doctor! Speaking of doctors, I can’t believe Scully Googled! I still want to see the film, but with ticket prices being what they are, I may wait to see it on television or borrow it from a friend, since I’m sure I know people who will get it upon its release.

    Jules: Good thoughts and healthy vibes for your friends. Good to hear that Toy Dance Party is hilarious, because I loved Toys Go Out. Andrew’s reaction to Frankenstein = classic (no pun intended!) I wondered if he’d like Angelmonster. Your daughter’s comments = adorable.

    Go Gwenda!

    Happy birthday to Libby’s son, and good vibes to Libby’s loved ones.

    Happy blogiversary, Jama!

    My kicks for the week:
    1. Writing articles.
    2. Typing up scenes.
    3. Being told some awesome things, believing what I was told/promised, and getting my hopes up, and then –
    4. Discovering the truth, feeling disappointed, but holding my ground, turning them down, and keeping my chin up.
    5. Auditioning!
    6. Meets, greets, and Q&As filled with fun, laughter, good people and good books.
    7. Bread. On sale. And now in my stomach.


  10. The illustrations are beautiful!

    Eisha-Now you’ll need to have a discussion on Breaking Dawn. 🙂

    Jules- Glad your friends are okay and sad to hear of the tragedy.

    Jama- A year? Happy blogiversary!

    My good news is I’m all relaxed from my vacation last week.


  11. Eisha, I have been embarrassed that we finally stuck something on the bare walls after a year so your cardboard box story made me feel better. It’s cool you and Adrienne got to catch up, I love hearing about people from blogs meeting as it just shows how cool the internet is (plus I was thinking of you guys as I read The adoration of Jenna Fox this week)

    Jules, reading on the front porch before a big rain sounds like a perfect moment.

    Jama, congrats on the one year blog anniversary!

    Little Willow, I really admire your positive attitude towards life.

    1. On the one year anniversary of arriving in the UK we went out badger watching with a group of people from work, and saw 6 badgers! They were very cute, smaller than I had expected but lovely and stripey. A real treat!
    2. Other animals seen from the hide included a muntjac deer with little horns (I think I’ve mostly seen little females before this) and foxes (I’ve never seen them as more than a glimpse running behind a bush before)
    3. Today we visited the British museum, just for fun. I don’t think it’s possible to get tired of the British Museum.
    4. Also in London I bought the most frivolous shoes of my life. They are a lovely green that are slightly mottled. I think they look like dragon skin. I justified it with birthday money and the fact they are also well-made and comfortable, but really, I just loved them.
    5. As well as my potted plants I let interesting looking weeds take root in my yard, just to brighten up the paving-gravel dullness of it, and one has turned out to be a lovely sunflower!
    6. I finally got around to visiting an optometrist, and he seems good. And my eyes are healthy, yay!
    7. Despite homesickness I have really enjoyed my first year here.

    My brave thing of the week was taking back a jumbo jar of vegemite to the Australia Shop to swop for some other goods as it was past its expiry date. I didn’t have a receipt and was sure I’d have to convince the assistant her manager had said it was OK and almost couldn’t be bothered, but made myself go in. And it was OK! I have a smaller non-off jar and some other stuff too now.


  12. Jules, I’m glad your friends were okay. I feel awful for eveyrone who was even remotely connected, as well as for us as a society at large. Let’s keep working to let the light in.

    Eisha, BD was something, eh? And I totally didn’t see it coming that Bella’s father was a Cylon all along, and that Jacob was able to move the entire state of Washington to another location somewhere in the South Pacific, but I really did guess all along that Edward was simply a figment of Bella’s imagination.

    Aw, come on. How could I resist? That alone was worth one kick.

    Really, though, just so you know, Meyer refers to “Union Lake” in Seattle, and it’s really “Lake Union.” As far as I know, no one calls Lake Michigan “Michigan Lake.”

    My kicks:
    1) Sunflowers in the yard.
    2) My mom is going to be here any minute.
    3) Pineapple crush strawberries from our garden. I’d forgotten I’d planted them there, and was wondering why the berries weren’t ripening. This is a good trick on the birds, who also think they’re not ripe. They may turn red next year because of cross-pollination with the other strawberries.
    4) My first “bingo” in Scrabulous. It was “peritus,” and I took a screen shot.:)
    5) New Mexico Piñon Coffee.
    6) My new snowdrop and crocus dolls (featured at my website).
    7) All of you in the Kidlitosphere.
    7)


  13. I really love those rock paintings by Eric. I could spend all day admiring lovely rocks by the water. And in a painting the colors never dry out bland!

    I’m sorry to read about the sad stuff but glad to hear the fun, interesting book chats. We get up and go on.

    My kicks:
    1. We had a really fun VBS week at my church. Relaxing, enjoyable, silly and nurturing all rolled in. On Friday we all drove to the beach and spent the day together. Love my village!
    2.I’m reading Walter Dean Myers The Glory Field. It’s a family saga covering an African American family in S.C. from 1753 – 1970’s. My favorite kind of historical fiction and Myers is a brilliant writer.
    3. We are reading The Mouse and the Motorcycle for bedtime story and I am delighted to share it with my six year old, who LOVES motorcycles.
    4. Baked bread today and planning to have BLTs with fresh homegrown lettuce and tomatoes. Best Sunday night supper eva!
    5. Wendy’s is giving away audiobooks of the Magic Tree House books by Mary Pope Osborne on CD. We got two today and Buddy is entranced. Just right stories for K-1st graders.
    6. I finished up July’s water in (mostly) children’s literature theme on my photoblog: http://www.sandycovetrail.blogspot.com and had a really great time doing it. Never noticed before how many of the books I love feature exquisite descriptions of water in all forms.
    7. Forced myself to get to the Y at 8:30 am for the Pilates class for the third week in a row and I am sore today. But happy I am doing it!


  14. I love Erics paintings of the paintings of the rocks and the shore especially since I looked for agates this weekend at the coasst and found pretty much sand.
    I am happy to know their is a sequel to The Toys Go Out. Such a great book, Jules.
    Eisha, shall I send you a pic of our garage after 3 years? Still looks like we are moving in.
    My kicks:
    1. This is kind of a brave moment: 24 hours without my computer. I left it home when we went to the coast.
    2. Long walks on the beach yesterday and this AM. Fabulous this AM, will post later the photos.
    3. Another brave moment of not being afraid to walk over slippery bull kelp and a rocky terrain to get a better look at the cormorants on the cliff.
    4.Seeing our good friend in Idaho earlier this week.
    5. Think I have received 20 registrations for the conference.
    6. Meeting a fellow blogger on Friday who was visiting from California.
    7. Many blog entires this week.
    Have a great week.
    6.


  15. Little Willow, word to what Emma said about you. Also: I hate it when people break promises, unless they really just can’t control it. I have a particular spot in my heart for people who say they’re gonna do something and then do it. It kills me to break a promise to someone, even if it’s over something minor. I avoid it at all costs.

    Bread: Yum, as always.

    Vivian, so glad you had a good vacation.

    Emma, I will have to look up what the hey a muntjac deer is, but I’m glad you saw one. ….I also once visited the British Museum and figured I’d be happy moving in. One can never spend enough time there. And: Yay for your lone sunflower!

    Alkelda: Now, that coffee sounds MIGHTY, MIGHTY GOOD.

    Andi, I will have the opportunity to meet Walter Dean Myers next year, but I won’t blog about it ’til I know the event is public knowledge. I am very excited. Oh, and his son, too! I get to hear Christopher speak! …..Also: I’m glad you’re enjoying the reading with your son. And thanks for the water link; I was wondering about that.

    Jone, glad you had fun at the beach, and congrats on all the registrations. Wish I could be there.


  16. JES, we’re both big Haven fans, and I’m so glad she’s about to get another one.

    jama, HAPPY BLOGIVERSARY! I’m with jules – you’ve been a great addition to our circle of blog friends. And, re: BD – I think it’s just a very different book from the first three. Not necessarily a bad thing, but unexpected.

    Little Willow, that’s a good plan – I wouldn’t recommend spending $9 to see it. Sorry you had some disappointments, but I’m glad to see your eternal optimism is undiminished.

    Vivian, how rare to have a vacation is actually relaxing. Mine always seem to get overbooked. Congrats!

    emmaco, I know, I wish more of you guys lived close enough to visit. And our walls are still bare, too. I fully support the frivolous shoes – they sound adorable.

    Alkelda, I KNOW! Who’d have guessed? Did you think the flying monkeys were too much, though? And I had a hard time believing that the seventh horcrux was in Bella’s hope chest all that time. *snicker*

    I’d never heard of pineapple crush strawberries, but they sound delicious.

    cloudscome, that book sounds amazing. I’ll have to check it out. And I LOVED The Mouse and the Motorcycle – I’m so glad it still holds up.

    jone, whoa! Two brave moments in one week! And one was even life-threatening. I’m deeply impressed.


  17. emmaco: Thank you.

    eisha: I want to believe! Sniffle. Thanks.

    Jules: Me too. Broken promises hurt me. Motive and intent are important. Sometimes, stuff happens, okay – but others throw around big promises with no intention of ever following through. I would rather someone not promise something they have no intention of ever doing.


  18. I am having a truly awesome Sunday, and Eric’s art and everyone’s kicks are making it that much more exciting. (Although ack that’s bad the way you had the scare this week Jules, and Libby with some sadness, too, and Little Willow with some disappointment. I’m glad everyone’s persevering, though, and finding good things even so.)

    Alkelda, That laugh you just heard was me after I read that synopsis of BD.

    My kicks:
    #1-LAST Sunday, I went and visited Eisha, and she fed me this great pasta salad and some of that COFFEE BEER I’ve been coveting lo these past many months. AND we saw the movie and ate out at Moosewood and had dessert and talked and it was very fun, even if The X-Files Movie was out there in the bad way. (By the way, Eisha, I cannot stop telling people about Scully Googling. It was just so shocking.)
    #2-THEN, on Tuesday, I went out for dinner at the Leaf and Bean and then out to see Son of Rambow with Tricia (of The Miss Rumphius Effect, but you all knew that). Ah, fun.
    #3-This was one of those weeks where I worked REALLY HARD at work. Even though I was tired at the end of it, I felt really good about what I’d done (three big programs, lots of public service, and some hard-core getting crap out of my office) when I left the library Friday night.
    #4-I felt extra-good because I was able to spend Friday evening reading BD, but let us not speak of it.
    #5-Yesterday was a thoroughly good, causal day spent with friends capped off with a long-overdue viewing of The Dark Knight. Wow, that movie was good.
    #6-This is the big one: TODAY TAMMY AND I MADE BLUEBERRY JAM!!! AND CANNED IT!!! It was seriously like magic, and way easier than I had anticipated. Plus, OMG it tastes good, at least judging from the big spoon I might have licked jam off of before I washed it. And maybe the pot. I mean, I shouldn’t be wasting food, right?
    #7-My brave thing: one of the things with friends I did yesterday was an afternoon barbecue at a friend’s house and I knew there was going to be this person there with whom I’d shared a kind of awkward situation and I wasn’t sure how that was going to go so I was kind of thinking about skipping the barbecue and avoiding the whole thing, but then I decided that it was too stupid of me to let a little fear like that keep me home. And it all worked out just fine. I talked to the person in question, and I think we’re all cool now, which is–whew–a relief. And I had such fun at the party.


  19. Okay, MY first kicks for this week is that Jules’ daughter was crawling around in a forest before she decided to sit in the womb. That’s amazing. I mean, maybe she was. Who knows?

    2. I’m no longer a TA! I get a brief break from grading papers before the Fall semester starts.
    3. Breaking Dawn Midnight party, all the way. Because of this party I have photos of Eisha growling at a seal puppet that has fake fangs in its mouth.
    4. The neighbors across the hall, who were already friends of ours, are finally moved in! This means I have multiple sets of friends in the building, and won’t have to go outside pretty much at all in the winter but can still seem sociable. Sweet.
    5. I finished the wedding thank you notes! Two months after the fact, but still.
    6. Justin and I got our second batch of free, farm-fresh vegetables this week and have been having a grand ol’ time making veggie pizzas.
    7. British humor. My dad has been sending me numerous “That Mitchell and Webb Look” videos this week. It’s a sketch comedy show, and it’s amaaazing.


  20. I hear ya, Little Willow. Me, too.

    Adrienne, I like your be-brave moment, ’cause I would have probably let that stop me. You go. What a good week it sounds like you had, and yes isn’t “The Dark Knight” a-freakin’-mazing? (How about that infixing there?)…We saw it at an IMAX theater, which is cute and all, but not if it’s so crowded that you’re in the, like, fourth row. Our necks just hurt. But I’m still glad we saw it.

    I also have this bad, bad, awful luck of—EVERY DANG TIME, WITHOUT FAIL that we go to a movie—I end up next to some loud, stupid person. Remember in “Batman Begins” when Bruce is training with that vigilante group, the League of Shadows, at the top of a mountain in god-knows-where, and Ra’s al Ghul is giving him that final test and Bruce walks toward a chest with something inside it and any idiot knows what’s in there, since we know all about Bruce Wayne’s personal demons and it’s a test and all? The guy next to me totally whispers reeeeeeeeally loudly to his apparently hearing-impaired wife:

    “I BET THERE ARE BATS IN THAT CHEST.”

    And so for “The Dark Knight,” it was so crowded that nary a seat was empty. And the couple next to me were quiet, big Batman nerd-fans, so I thought, excellent. But then chick RIGHT NEXT TO ME put on tiny, tiny headphones and was somehow wired in to the dialogue—I don’t understand this phenomenon—and I heard the feedback for the entire movie.

    To quote Haven Kimmel’s aforementioned blog post on “The Sopranos”: “I can’t honestly remember the last time I entered a movie theater. Also there are other people there, and I don’t want any part of that.”

    But I still go. And I’m still glad I saw “The Dark Knight.”

    Dana, I KNOW! I loved Piper’s comment. I loved how fairy-tale it was. Congrats on having new friends in the building. Score. You’re already savagely lucky, as I’m sure you know, to have Eisha as a neighbor.


  21. adrienne, I believe jam-making is powerful magic indeed. I’m going to have to pay a visit to Rochester before it’s all gone. I’m also impressed by your be-brave moment because I would probably have stayed home too.

    Dana, you are totally leaving out the photos of you and Justin wearing the fake fangs. They were fetching. And thanks for sharing some of that fabulous veggie pizza with me before the party. YUMMMM…

    jules, that movie-luck you have is tragic. But I believe that I am now the last person on the planet who hasn’t seen Dark Knight, so I’m gonna have to brave a theater too.


  22. Jules, I meant to tell you in my earlier comments about how lovely that your four-year old chose you after she was in the forest. Children from birth to seven are still connected with the heavenly/spiritual realm, and what comes out of their mouths is just staggering in beauty sometimes.

    I missed the “one brave thing a week” challenge and think I’m going to have to take part in it actively. Here’s one thing that has made me decide that I need to be outspoken when there is a need:

    My mom told me that when her step-daughter was getting married, she asked her partner’s ex-wife if she could bring anything to the special bridal luncheon. The Ex-wife said, “The groom’s mother is vegetarian.” So, my mom brought homemade vegetarian sushi. Then, she got to the party to find that it was a catered event, and the ex-wife had the caterers serve my mom the sushi while everyone else got these delicious Maryland crabcakes. My mom said nothing, and her partner was oblivious to the whole thing. As soon as I heard that story, I thought, “No more am I going to be silent when there is injustice, even when it’s a seemingly small deal.” I am actually pretty good about sticking up for other people, but often falter when it comes to myself.


  23. P.S. I forgot to add that the groom’s mother was not a vegetarian. The Ex-wife PWND my mom.


  24. eisha, go see it already. it’s very good.

    alkelda, that must have sucked for your mom, to put it eloquently. that kind of thing—when someone gives common courtesy the middle finger, even when it’s seemingly small, as you put it—REALLY puts my husband off, as it should. as in, he will flat-out not want to be friends with someone if even the most minor courtesy is disregarded. or if someone’s bad at, say, the art of conversation. (translated: someone can’t handle the give-and-take of conversation and instead hogs it and goes on and on about themselves. he’ll tell me he pretty much doesn’t ever want to talk to that person again, whereas i’m all, i’m sure they had a reason for being full of themselves today.)… so, yup, i know what you mean.

    and as i get older, i get less tolerant of that, too.

    anyway, you were probably travelling when we did the be-brave announcement, so by all means, join in.


  25. Eisha if you want to see my cute shoes I put a photo in a comment on my blog’s list (won’t try to html it here as I know that often makes the spam filter mad).

    Alkelda, that’s so rude. Who has the energy to plan these petty things?

    Adrienne, I am awed at jam making! It seems so accomplished.

    Woops, didn’t mean to start commenting again!


  26. Thanks for the good wishes, everyone.

    Jules, I HATE when people talk in the movies — and I also end up having someone with a BIG HEAD sitting right in front of me so I can’t see good. Arrghh!


  27. Emmaco, I’ll help: Here’s your link for all to see. And I’ll even put the picture here.

    Those are some savagely cool shoes.

    For some reason, your comments got snagged by spam anyway yesterday, even though you didn’t have links. Weird.

    Jama, sorry for your movie-going tragedies as well. Some people are just cinema-cursed.


  28. Alkelda: that makes me so mad. I can’t even imagine the sheer evil it took for that woman to treat your mom that way. Grrrr.

    emmaco, you didn’t say they were green dragon-skin MARY JANES!!! I love them! I love them so bad!


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