TBT:

Keepin' it classy, there bartster

Here is proof positive that middle age men revert to humor from the third grade.Some middle age men? OK one who keeps a blog of sketches and doodles. This toon goes back about six or seven years ago when I first started experimenting with ink washes. Now I notice some compositional choices that that would clarify the joke. Live and learn.

Thought for the day....I didn't promise perky, did I?

Bummer when one's awkward adolescence lingers uninterrupted into middle age.

Whom can you trust?

"You've reached the Ringee Dingee Phone Company.
Our number is no longer in service."

Wedding Anniversary Wednesday

August 20, 1994

  Those kids look so young! I remember the morning of the wedding. Almost every morning, I'd go for a nice long walk. That morning, I remember walking and each step all but suffusing a deep sense of contentment and well being. It surprised me that I didn't feel nervous or anxious about the ceremony and the momentous nature of the wedding day.
   I'd be hard pressed to come up with another day that rivals this one as my "happiest day". I will say I'm quite happy with my bride's return from a road trip this week and that we'll get to be together on our wedding anniversary.
Love to our families and friends. We still think about how so many made our day (and the ones following) joyous and filled with possibility.

Now hear this

It says here that our organization is not hierarchical

Friday already

Was that TODAY?

TBT-Fret naught

It was the mid sixties and I had my first guitar

I think it's funny that I didn't use the fret board and simply strummed the strings. It's more likely I held the guitar and told stories than actually played. I've had guitars since and present have two (plus a ukulele and a nose flute). My style is more with finger picking, plucking, and thumping and not a lot of strumming. Truthfully, I never got the hang of maintaining a constant rhythm while strumming. Because of acute stage fright when playing, I limit my audiences...for a while opinion was divided; one dog would stay and listen and the other would leave the room.

Thick brow humor

Right, I'll get the thinning shears

So why is it that my beard is thin and wispy, yet  my eyebrows(not to mention--I just did-- cilliae from my nostrils and ears) produce tresses worthy of a shampoo commercial? And they say God lacks a sense of humor.

RIP, Robin Williams

Dog Days

   My friend (a REAL-live very accomplished potter, drawer, gourmet and animal whisperer) Gary does fun sculptural animals on his pots. I have two mugs by Gary that have pups on the handle, one beagle and one doxie that me made special for me. Gallons of coffee, iced tea and water have gone into these, my favorite mugs. Check out his work at Gary's Third Pottery Blog.

Recently I thought I'd give the animals on the pottery a whirl too. It seemed like it would be fun to blend the animals into the mug handles and to peer over the rim. I'm now working on version 2.0---some things I'd do again, others I'd do differently.

What's in the mug?

Here's looking at you

The animals don't mind if you rest a thumb on them...
disregard the way too loopy handle.

Handy thumb rest.

So I haven't come up with a mug design I totally love yet. I do have ideas for more animal and people handles and for some drawing on the sides...There are lots of ways to make faces.

Back to the drawing pad

The astute and regular viewer will notice the sketch versions of some recent blog posts. Astute and regular as you are (sorry that might be a bit too personal) you'll notice some experimentation with style. I tend to go back to Robin Hall's work and style and try to riff on that. The simplicity appeals to me beyond its intrinsic quality  because I think when it's done well (an elusive goal for me) ideas sparkle with additional clarity and 'oomph'.

Wedding Whoops

Who warned you of the wrath to come...sorry-- wrong text.

I've had my share of oops moments over the last twenty five years (counting seminary and practicum experiences). Happily I have yet to have the particular moment our little nebbish in this toon is having.

Interestingly, there are people who believe that one can open sacred texts at random and derive immediate inspiration or guidance. Seems to me the least injurious result would be embarrassment. A professor we had liked to tell a story about a young person seeking guidance for his love life. His random turn to scripture took him to a passage, "you shall go out with joy". I wonder if Joy thought that serendipity was such a good thing.

The dark side to all of this is that plenty of times, we misinterpret, misappropriate, and otherwise distort sacred texts and lose sight of their basic trajectory. Uh oh...blog post is morphing into a sermon....better hit the 'eject' button.