Friday Unrelated Information

1. From the ever-wonderful Letters of Note blog (check out Steinbeck writing to his former professor, too),  here's Noel Coward giving relationship advice to Marlene Dietrich:

Do please try to work out for yourself a little personal philosophy and DO NOT, repeat DO NOT be so bloody vulnerable. To hell with God damned "L'Amour." It always causes far more trouble than it is worth. Don't run after it. Don't court it. Keep it waiting off stage until you're good and ready for it and even then treat it with the suspicious disdain that it deserves. 

"Gay husbands" give the best advice, don't they? 

2. Here is a song about a lazy harp seal, who has neither a job, nor money, nor camera, nor jacket. It pretty much made my week.

Skyler

He continues to be the cutest baby in the world:

That is all.

Goodbye, Duck

Did you hear that bassist Donald "Duck" Dunn died in his sleep Monday at the age of 70? He was, of course, the long-time bassist for Booker T and the MGs; but I got to know him from The Blues Brothers (of course). Here he is in the white t-shirt, with the pipe:

You can hear more clips from his most famous performances here. 

Tuesday Project Roundup: Look!!

I think the title deserves two exclamation points, because the fact that I had a few hours to work on this tunic is nothing short of amazing. 

It's not quite done yet--it needs a collar and a hem and some topstitching--but I'd forgotten how much I can get done when I have the Fortress of Solitude back to myself.

Happy Birthday, Arthur Sullivan

Yesterday was the birthday of Arthur Sullivan, the second half of Gilbert and Sullivan and the one responsible for the music. Or, in other words, I now have an excuse to post this:  

Also: This.

Friday Unrelated Information

1. Depressed Copywriter is pretty much perfect, especially if you know of or happen to be a depressed copywriter. Some examples: 

2. On a less cynical note, I hope all the moms out there have a Happy Mother's Day. If you need a card for your own badass mother, you can download a printable PDF of this one here. 

What Camping As A Vegetarian Is Often Like

Hippie Poem Wednesday

This hippie poem appeared on The Writer's Almanac today, which gives it far more poetical credibility than coming from, say,  a site with the name of Mystic Mamma. It's by Joy Harjo, whose birthday is today.

Eagle Poem

To pray you open your whole self
To sky, to earth, to sun, to moon
To one whole voice that is you.
And know there is more
That you can't see, can't hear
Can't know except in moments
Steadily growing, and in languages
That aren't always sound but other
Circles of motion.
Like eagle that Sunday morning
Over Salt River. Circled in blue sky
In wind, swept our hearts clean
With sacred wings.
We see you, see ourselves and know
That we must take the utmost care
And kindness in all things.
Breathe in, knowing we are made of
All this, and breathe, knowing
We are truly blessed because we
Were born, and die soon, within a
True circle of motion,
Like eagle rounding out the morning
Inside us.
We pray that it will be done
In beauty.
In beauty.

Tuesday Project Roundup: Car Knitting

Before the camping trip I realized that 1.) I would probably not be driving and 2.) if so, then I could knit in the car. So I looked around for a small accessory-type project and landed on a knitted tie (using this pattern). 

No, it is not for me. But it's not a sweater, so I'm hoping to avoid any "sweater curses."  And no, I haven't worked on it since the car ride home.

Sunday Night Conversations: The Right Word

Here's some advice about word choice, as given out by my best friend last night: 

I watched The Universe last night and they were describing things like the scale of our solar system and the speed of light. And that's the time to use the word "awesome"--not when someone refills the ice in your water.

Friday Unrelated Information

1. This is making the rounds in advertising circles and it is awesome: This Advertising Life. 

2. Here are some pictures of Skyler enjoying his birthday presents this week, taken from my brother's blog. 

Playing the piano!

And riding on an inflatable rubber burro...

I have no idea where my parents found this, but it's really great. Every kid needs a red rubber donkey, right? 

Thursday Poem

The opera last night reminded me of this poem. It's not really about opera, though. 

After Love

Jack Gilbert

 
He is watching the music with his eyes closed.
Hearing the piano like a man moving
through the woods thinking by feeling.
The orchestra up in the trees, the heart below,
step by step. The music hurrying sometimes,
but always returning to quiet, like the man
remembering and hoping. It is a thing in us,
mostly unnoticed. There is somehow a pleasure
in the loss. In the yearning. The pain
going this way and that. Never again.
Never bodied again. Again the never.
Slowly. No undergrowth. Almost leaving.
A humming beauty in the silence.
The having been. Having had. And the man
knowing all of him will come to the end.

A Night With My Imaginary Boyfriend

Tonight I get to hear my imaginary Russian boyfriend sing in the Met's "Live in HD" broadcast of La Traviata. I'm looking forward to it. I'm sure he is, too. 

It's been non-stop culture around here lately. I'll have to listen to this if I start feeling too fancy.

Tuesday Project Roundup: (Glacial) Progress

I was able to turn last week's fabric and pattern into a cut out pattern and a finished front! That's not a lot to show but it's progress!

The front is hanging oddly on the dress form because it's just a front. But maybe by next week it will have  a back attached.

Look Who's One!

The Smartest Baby in the World* is one years old today! He had a big party Saturday afternoon to celebrate.  There were cupcakes:

 

There were so! many! colors! on the gift bags:

And there was the toy piano to try out: 

It's incredible to think that in 36 weeks you can grow a brand new human, and that in 52 more you can go from this: 

To this (yes, he's walking):

Happy birthday, Skyler!

*Totally un-biased auntie opinion.