Something I've noticed....

Is it just me, or does the new Secretary of the Smithsonian look like the Captain of the Titanic? This is Secretary Wayne Clough (above). And this is Captain John Smith (below), the guy who went down with the famous ship. Reincarnation? Just wondering.

After the tongue lashing I gave my husband this morning...

He probably thinks I should take one of these. All I wanted was to declutter the house so we could put Christmas decorations up. However, I don't think my delivery was, well, nice.

I'm sure if I was drugged, I would have been much friendlier about it.

But really, I'm more of a swear my head off and give the finger kind of girl.

Dear Hillary,

Time to go accept some serious apologies...

Having siblings is fun....

On StumbleUpon.com and came across the website OneSentence.org. The point of the site is to tell a story in one sentence. So far my favorite is:

After I tricked my little brother into eating a Jalapeno pepper for the first time, I told him eating another one would cancel out the spiciness of the first.

This is a picture of my brothers last Christmas. I'm sure if the opportunity presented itself, Bryce would do this to Eric.

Holy Mother of God!!!

There was a time when I worked on archaeology sites and we would find Black Widow spiders. Yep, the kind that could kill you with a bite. But I just found a tiny, itsy-bitsy spider who somehow found a place in a drawer that I opened about 5 minutes ago. I made the same face that little Chapin made here. You would've thought it was a tarantuala, but really, it was only about 3 centimeters.

I'm so lame.

I love this blog....

Bookshelf is a simple little blog that shows all the different ways you can display your books. I'm completely addicted to it and it's updated often. This is one of the latest entries and it's the entryway of a bookstore. Too cool.

The photo is by Fernando Onions.

If you are a museum freak like me...

... you are always looking for a new and exciting museum to explore, regardless of where it is in the country or the world.

I've recently come across a museum while online located Amherst, Massachusetts that has me ready to hop in my car and head north. The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art has developed a collection of artwork that really should receive more recognition than it usually does. If you've heard Eric Carle's name before it's probably because of his classic (and a Sadiebug favorite) The Very Hungry Caterpillar, first published in 1969. Since then he has published over 40 children's books that are currently in print. The 40,000 square foot museum opened in 2002 and includes a library, art studio, exhibition space and an auditorium. The museum is very family friendly and definitely a great place to stop while on vacation in the Northeast.

The museum has highlighted artists such as the Spiderwick Chronicle's Tony DiTerlizzi (seen below) as well as family favorites Dr. Seuss, Mo Willems of Knuffle Bunny fame, and illustrator Dorothy Kunhardt who illustrated Pat the Bunny in 1940:

And you can also purchase exhibition catalogs and posters, as well as a multitude of other books, classroom supplies, and gifts. This is a great site to explore with their virtual tour and information for professional illustrators as well as visitors who just appreciate children's book art.

If you live near Cedar Rapids, Iowa...

You are one lucky person! There is a new exhibition of artwork by Mary GrandPré, illustrator of the Harry Potter series at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art. Mary is actually from St. Paul, Minnesota and has been an illustrator for over 20 years. It's worth going back to your Harry Potter books and having a second look. The exhibition Mary GrandPré: Harry Potter and Beyond will be shown from November 1, 2008- February 1, 2009. Which means it's perfect for a holiday outing. Check out the virtual exhibit of some of her illustrations. Way cool!


This one is: Mary GrandPré, “Olivia Opal in Rumplestiltskin,” 2001, from Once Upon a Fairy Tale by various authors (Viking Press). Pastel on paper. On loan from Irwin Terry and Bill Campbell.

I can't keep the house clean...

We keep finding Sadie's banana puffs in mysterious places. *sigh*

This one is not for the kids...

It's been one of those days. And it makes me feel better. Just make sure the kids don't hear it. I warned you.

Basically, the warm Obama vibe has at least temporarily left Washington, DC. Everybody is back to being a jerk. Particularly the ones on the Metro. When you have locals, slow-pokes, tourists, type-A's, businessmen, sassy women with a lot of 'tude, and pompous blowhards all on the same train, ugly things are bound to happen. That is when I think of all these lovely words. Especially when the escalators don't function and I'm late for work.

Happy Veteran's Day...

Yeah, I've written a bit on Obama, but I have to say that I really hope he will fix this mess we are in and start providing Veterans with the medical, psychological and family benefits they deserve. A lot of people aren't aware that even though I tend to lean on the liberal side, my brother is currently serving in the U.S. Army. This is a photo taken at Fort Bliss in Texas where he is right now. He volunteered over 4 years ago, and was recently caught in the stop-loss system and is now putting his life on hold. He will likely have to go to the Middle East (again) and serve there for over a year before he is released and can go to graduate school. My problem with all of this is if we have a volunteer Army, how can the Army force someone to stay beyond their contractual limit? The unfortunate fact is that they can, and they did the exact same thing to my grandfather. He was sent to Korea.

The fact is, the military is far more complicated and infuriating than the media reports. It's full of problems and issues that are continually brushed under the carpet. I'm hoping that with this next administration, there will be more transparency to show the issues these soldiers face and how the federal government is responding to those needs. Military families are going through difficult times right now, and I hope those programs get the funding they rightfully deserve. On that note, Happy Veteran's Day.... and I hope you all enjoy this beautiful photo of the National World War II Memorial in Washington, DC from my friend Brent Tomerlin

Thank God.

I don't think I could handle another Vice-President that likes guns and hunting. That didn't work out well the last time.

Deadheads for Obama

I'm not much of a Grateful Dead fan (even though I met Mickey Hart a few years ago...) but my husband is. So here is his Deadheads for Obama shout-out!

The Wizard of Id...

... got that right.

Since my hometown is in Northeast Ohio...

I feel that I must give some sort of explanation every election season. Luckily, this guy did it for me. Thank you, Mike Polk!