The Husband Test

As you know, my husband and I have two daughters. While they are many years away from getting married, I talk them quite a bit about the importance of picking a good man to marry. We are (only half jokingly) making a husband test. Question #4, for instance, is Are your teeth naturally straight or did you have braces? The latest question we have added is #6 - Do you have any aspirations of becoming a rapper? This is deal breaker. Look at Brit. We don't need any more good little Southern fried church girls ending up bald and in rehab.

My daily art from last week turned out icky. I think I shall staple the pages together so no eyes may fall upon it. I wasn't feelin it last week. Preoccupied.

Project Runway stars on other shows - Nick Varreos was on The Hills, teaching at FIDM - y'know the school where Heidi dropped out and that other girl goes to pout before working at Teen Vogue. ho hum. Emmett McCarthy was on What Not To Wear. He has a shop called EMc2 and the gal getting new threads went in there to shop and Emmett rang her up.

Blake is on AI right now. I really like that kid. The pic above is Court at the Spring Art Show last year in front of a quilt made by one of my fourth grade classes made of handpainted blocks with Matisse inspired motifs. Her shirt says Trust me. I'm a Blonde.

Whatcha doin' this summer?

Why don't you take a class at Arrowmont School of Art and Craft in Gatlinburg, TN? It's summer camp for grown ups and there are no top bunks, they do all the cooking and cleaning and you get to make cool stuff for a week. Cheryl Prater and I are taking the Printmaking Funhouse class the week of June 3 - 9. This will be my fifth trip to Arrowmont, thanks to the Robert Wilcox scholarship. I never met the man, but his gift has totally changed my life. I will turn 40 on June 9 and I can't think of a better place to end my thirties. Arrowmont has shaped me, what I make, how I think on a daily basis ever since that fateful June day in 2002. I truly love that place. I am always so excited on the drive down there and so exhausted on the drive back. I am going to try SO hard this year to have fun and relax and not take it so seriously and kill myself in the studio until midnight every night. I say that now, but we'll see.

The class I am taking looks like a perfect fit for a book artist. I expect t0 learn lots of new tricks. I think of printmaking as being messy, though, and I like clean hands.

My favorite photo

This is not a family member. She is a stranger. I saw this photo in my favorite local antique store one day, loved it and turned it over to check the price - $8.00! Outrageous. I would never pay that for an old photo somebody else threw out. That night, I dreamed about the photo, that someone else had bought it. The next day, on my lunch, I ran right over and bought it myself. That was in 2003. I have no idea how many copies I have made of this little face. She has a story to tell me and I am still listening.

I hate the new NBA eligibilty rule. I hate the one-and-done thing in college. College ball used to be fun to watch. You could get to know the players in four years of watching them. I have had my heart broken too many times by my college players going pro early. Jared Jeffries, for instance. When I hear IU has some big time new recruit, I don't even want to know the kid's name until he is a junior. I admit, however, that I think it's a little funny when guys to to the league early and tank. If they hire an agent, they can't go back to school , so they have to go to Europe and play or sell used cars. The Europe part is especially funny because soccer is their basketball. I haven't watched too much college ball, even my beloved IU, in the last few years. I know, kids like Mello and LB want to get PAID to play ball. Excuse me, have you priced a college education lately? Getting your bachelors degree for playing a sport you supposedly LOVE seems like fair pay to me, but then again, I believe in education. Does anybody know what ever happened to Luke Recker?

Courtney has decided to play AAU. We have a tournament this weekend. Her soccer thing in Illinois got cancelled due to field conditions from 13" inches of melting snow. Oh, well, it's still a ball and a net.

Last Week's Daily Artwork

Happy President's Day! We had school today to make up for one of our snow days. It's still a short week, though, for kids. They get out Friday afternoon and we have meetings. The art teachers are getting training on how to use our new smart boards! Exciting! Well, Rob and Amber came in first last night. Grrr. I think I like Joyce and Uchenna and Kentucky best. But the worst show is coming on right now - that horrid Wife Swap! I have to watch with my finger on the switch so I can change the channel quick when it gets too nuts. There is a real piece of work on there tonight - raw meat eaters. I ain't talking about steak tartar, either. I mean fermented chicken and beef. They love bacteria because God made it and do not clean the house. They brush their teeth with fermented butter. It's either a religion or some thang a woman made up to get out of cookin' and cleanin'. Amen, sister.

It's time for AAU basketball and the first practice for the girls is tomorrow night. Whit is playing for sure, but Courtney hasn't decided. Her school basketball season kinda soured her on the sport altogether. I am not sure she would spit on a basketball if it was on fire.

I love this color!

I bought these roses on sale for $1.99 at the grocery store. This coral -y orange might be my very favorite color in the whole world. When I have to wait in line at the grocery, sometimes I pick a long line on purpose so I can get caught up on my reading. I would never buy the National Enquirer, but I ain't too proud to read it while I'm waiting. I mean, how else would I know that Jessica Simpson is dating John Mayer - AGAIN! I am so looking forward to the issues coming out next week with the Britney-head-shaving episode. There was a terrible article about how she was trying to get Justin back but now he's BFF with K-fed and they were making fun of her. Um, someone needs to get that girl a memo that she has 2 kids to raise!

When I wrote K-fed, that made me think of Keds. I saw a super cute pair at the mall this afternoon. They were pink and brown stripes and had that deconstructed thing happening. We tried to find XS or S Colts Superbowl hoodies for the girls, but no luck - just XL and XXL. This was the first chance I have had to do any shopping in the last 2 weeks. We went to Wet Seal and I bought them a couple of things for Spring. That store always has so many cute, little, inexpensive things.

The Amazing Race all stars starts tonight. I hope Rob and Amber go home first. Enough of them already. I hope the Hippies are on there. Ta-tow! My American Idol pick is Brandon Rogers. He is my Chris Daughtry of this year. He's like Lenny Kravitz meets John Legend. I adore John Legend. He's on my ipod.

This week , so far and some stuff I forgot to blog about

1. I totally forgot to say anything about David Beckham playing in the States. Both Crew and Fire are within easy driving distance from my house and I WILL see him play. Also, if I ever get a tiny, yappy housedog, I will name him Beckham.

2. I do not like NASCAR, and now that the season is again upon us, I will have to see it, hear about it and know about it. Strangely, I did enjoy both Days of Thunder and Talledega Nights.

3. Bowling Green got ripped off last night. Why do I care? Bowling Green is coached by Dan Dakich, who was a member if the undefeated 1976 NCAA championship Indiana Hoosiers, coached by RMK. How 'bout those Red Raiders?

4. We went to an ODP soccer thing Sunday. Courtney has been invited to play for Indiana in a friendly vs. Illinois in Decatur at the end of the month. Kinda cool.

5. We had 2 snow days this week. I had a TON of stuff to do, so it worked out.

6. Check out the Editor's Blog at ClothPaperScissors and go the link about Make it U. Cannot wait!

7. Got my hair done yesterday - touch up the roots, highlights and a new cut. Doug did "the bangs" -au courant!

8. JR gave me an unusually extravagant Valentine - roses an an IPOD SHUFFLE!! It's like a tiny, pink tic tac of music! So cute!

9. Went to my ortho today - released!! He is sure this episode with the pinched tendon is over! and I am free from that brace!

10. Ultimately, I feel sorry for Anna Nicole and Daniel and Dannielynn. I know there are a lot of bad choices she made and maybe bad things she did, but we don't have the death penalty for confused and lost.

11. The book above was made in July 2003 in Dan Essig's class at Arrowmont. It's one of my favorite things. Probably not top 10, but 12 or 13, anyway.

Peyton Reads My Blog

My pal, Cheryl Prater, told me how to put that google analytics thing on my blog. I check it once in a while. Last weekend, I had a visitor from MIAMI. It was Peyton, wasn't it?

This week's pages are, of course, dedicated to the Colts' win. "Lord Help Our Colts" is actually a song. It started back in the bad old days when the Colts couldn't buy a win, and COLTS stood for Count On Losing This Sunday. On one of the Indy radio stations, every Monday a blues guitar player/ singer/ writer dude named Duke Tumato (sp?) would sing this sad song about the Colts latest defeat, changing the lyrics to retell the lowlights of the past Sundays game. The chorus was always the same - Lord Help Our Colts. But then Peyton came to town and the Tony came to town and the losses became few and far between. The song, however, lived on, as a continued prayer for success. It does work, apparently. The rings don't lie.

I am updating today because I will be tired tomorrow night. The girls have ODP soccer at Wabash college tomorrow, which is a little over 2 hrs drive each way. I will have about 4 hours of nothing to do. I could read a book, work on an article, work on stuff for Chicago, work on the skirt I started Wednesday - I don't know. I just hope I can find a nice warm spot by a sunny window to sit and wait. I have been so tired lately. I just can't shake it no matter how much I sleep. I think the lack of light has finally knocked me out. Spring begins NEXT MONTH.

You know you got it, child, if it makes you feel good

"Piece of my Heart" - I think one of the greatest songs ever concieved, written or sung. Except for Faith Hill's version. I read that she NEVER heard Janis's version before she did it. What? Didn't you have a radio growing up?

It is good to be me right now. The girls and I ran a 5k yesterday. It was 15 degrees and windy, so who knows what the wind chill was. WHITLEY won the womens race and COURTNEY was third. I finished. Not last. Ran all the way.

I saw a good doctor on Thursday about my arm and hand problem. I got a shot in my elbow and a brace I have to wear for 2 weeks all the time. Most movements are difficult with it and some are impossible. But the doc thinks this will fix it.

My Colts are up 29 - 17 with less than 2 minutes to go. AND our schools are on a 2 hour delay for in the morning because of the extreme cold. It will be 2 below in the morning, not counting wind chill and there are a lot of kids who have to wait outdoors for the bus. I have to be at school at 9:50 insterad of 7:50. Cool.

Oh, wait, my Colts just won. Tony Dungy is the first African American head coach to win the SuperBowl. And he coaches in MY state. Indiana really is the coolest place ever. I look awful in royal blue, but I'm getiing a Colts SuperBowl champs shirt.