Jon Bon Jovi in Wichita

Greg and I went to see Bon Jovi in Wichita Thursday night.



The stage was crescent shaped, and he played to the whole audience, which was great for us because we were sitting behind the stage.



Of course, as I mentioned to Greg, some would argue that gave us a great view of Jon Bon Jovi's best side.



I was not unhappy with the seats.



He was totally into it the whole show - very energetic - definitely giving people their money's worth.



I guess that might depend on how much you paid, but I can't think of anything else he, or the other guys, could have done to give a better show.



He knows his audience. At one point he was talking and said, "Well, I'm going to stop talking. You didn't pay to hear me talk. You paid to hear music and watch me shake my ass."



And shake it he did.



And Richie Sambora played guitar like only he can do.



I was really struck by how they were all very much a "band," instead of Jon Bon Jovi's backup group. Credit all around for that. It's amazing for any group to stay together like they have - largely the same group for more than 25 years.

Catching Up

I just got in from a Bon Jovi concert. We were sitting behind the stage, but some might say that gave us a great view of Jon Bon Jovi's best side. Photos to follow.

Prepared for Anything

I was in Wichita today delivering camp brochures to schools. This was my fourth day doing it, and I've got one more day to go. But I'll be able to finish later this week.

I've decided a great way to learn any city is to visit all the schools. I've seen parts of Wichita I didn't even know existed. In the process I've found homes I'd like to live in, neighborhoods I'll enjoy driving again, and details I probably never would have noticed.



Today I turned a corner going to a school and was struck by this assemblage of flower pots on a porch. I stopped to take a photo because it felt so much like spring. Tonight when I looked at the photos I noticed they had a snow shovel on the other side of the door. I guess they're hedging their bets. Maybe it's the porch equivelent of "knocking on wood." No need to tempt fate or Mother Nature.

I had lunch with Martha today, which was very nice. The other days I've been eating something really quickly, and one day waited until after three when I couldn't deliver anymore to have lunch, but today I took time to visit with Martha and it was great. Whenever I have a conversation with her I leave with something to think about. I'm blessed to have a few friends who gift me with new thoughts on a regular basis, and she is one of them.

Today she mentioned that as people get older they start to realize time is not limitless, and choices have to be made about what they'll do with their time. Of course, for me, time has always felt in short supply - I've felt like it was scarce since I was a child. We were talking about this and I asked, "So do most people think time is unlimited?" She said, "I think so." Out of my mouth came something that made me laugh internally. I said, "That's not very logical."

The reason that made me laugh at myself is that "logical" is not one of the top 10 or 20 or 50 words I would guess someone would use to describe me. Yet, there it was, popping out of my mouth as if it were the most natural - dare I say "logical" - thing imagineable. That caused me to think about the other things I view in logical terms. There are some. I may have to make a list and see what the common thread is.

I came home a little earlier than usual tonight. I've been heading to Wichita early, so I could start delivering there around 8 a.m. and then staying on it until 4:30 or 5 when the last school closed before coming home. They've been some long days, and some definite effort involved, but this is very targeted marketing. Today I did the last school at 4:45, so I got home tonight in time to do a new piece of art.



I bought a 1942 magazine at the flea market Sunday and used some bits from it in this.

Tomorrow I'm in the office and will try to get caught up on some things. I have no doubt that new things have popped up while I've been on the road the last couple of days, and I already had a long list of things on my agenda. I guess I'd best get some sleep so I can be fresh in the morning.

Home is Where You Get Your Start

I saw a note recently that said, "Home is Where You Get Your Start."

Those are very true words, in more ways than one. Home is where we learn to walk, speak and function. It's where we learn the ways of the world, at least the part of it we'll be working within for the first few years of our lives.

Home is where we learn the basic building blocks we'll need to eventually make a home of our own. What we learn at home, in those early years, impacts us through our entire lives. Children in lower socio-economic homes tend to have lower vocabularies, and research shows this negatively affects them throughout life. So, yes, home is where we get our start.

But it isn't where we finish. At least it doesn't have to be. We can take all the good of home, of those formative years, and add to it. Or we can become mired in whatever was negative about those years and hold it tightly so it's an anchor we never move beyond.

I've thought about this before with regard to racism. If you teach your child racism, they will never be able to move beyond your world where that's accepted. They'll remain in your world, which may be your desire anyway. It just seems cruel to handicap a child in this way. Obviously, racism is far more complex than this, but I've just thought about how limiting it is for a child to learn that behavior.

Home is where we get our start, and depending on who is in that home with us, and how they see the world, we can flourish or flounder. Even children in lower socio-economic situations, with parents who use fewer words each day than their more well-to-do counterparts, can grow beyond that.

But, it's much harder for those children, who grow up to be adults who are still working hard to achieve. I always wonder what they would be or do if they had a different start. What if they had gotten a start that didn't require them to work extra hard to function at a basic level? What if they had come from a home where the basic needs were taken care of and all they had to do was learn? What if?

Of course, that's always the difficulty -the what if. We are all a mix of nature and nurture and we can't ever separate one from the other. So that start we get at home is just that - a start - the beginning.

Chocolate Cupcakes

It may not look that good, but trust me, it tastes good.

You know I wouldn't hold out on the recipe, so here it is!

Chocolate Cupcakes

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup milk

Cream sugar and butter. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Bake for 15-18 minutes at 350 degrees. Makes 18 cupcakes.

I used my new favorite chocolate frosting, but you can use whatever you prefer.

Frosting
1 c. sugar
1/3 c. milk
5 tbsp. butter
1 c. chocolate chips

Mix sugar, milk and butter in saucepan and boil for one minute, stirring continuously. Add chocolate chips and stir until melted. Po

You can dip the cupcake into it upside down when it's freshly made. Or let it cool a bit and then frost as normal.

Studio

I spent about six hours in the studio today. I lose track of time when I'm in there. This is the latest thing I'm working on. It includes paint, watercolors, pastels, fabric dye, and more. I love the process and getting to mix the colors and create the patterns.

Earlier in the day I went to Home Depot to have them cut more boards for me to paint on. They were very pleasant, even though I know it's a pain to cut all those smaller pieces.

Last night a young man named, Brant, was incredibly helpful. Then I went over to the paint department and the young lady there was great.Today a man named, Bryce, happily cut a 4 by 8 sheet for me. All very pleasant to deal with and very helpful.

There are so many things I need to be doing around the house, none of which I accomplished today, but I enjoyed playing in the studio.

Paint Samples

Last night I went to Home Depot to scope out some board to have cut to paint on. I couldn't help visitng the paint sample area, which is not a place I need to go. I always have the urge to paint a room. Of the things I need to do in my house, painting rooms is not the most pressing.

But look at all those pretty colors... all the pretty colors...

I resisted.

Today I had some board cut to paint on. Hopefully I will be able to satisy those urges to play with color with small amounts of paint in the studio instead of gallons of paint on the walls.

Elton John and Billy Joel in Concert in Wichita

Wednesday night Greg, Mia, Sharon and I went to see Elton John and Billy Joel in concert at the new Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita. The concert was great.



The pianos rise from under the stage and they do a few numbers together. Then, Elton John does a set by himself, then he leaves the stage and Billy Joel does a set by himself. They finish with a few more songs together. Ending, of course, with "Piano Man."



Billy Joel is much chattier with the audience, and is very expressive.





He got the audience laughing and gave us a range of emotions.





He also did a number playing the guitar. I didn't even know he played the guitar, but I saw it with my own two eyes. He gave us some of that more typical rock and roll persona than being behind the keyboard all the time.



Naturally, watching both of them play the piano was wonderful. Billy Joel's piano rotates a couple of times so everyone gets a chance to see his fingers on the keys.



Elton John seems to be much more about playing and singing - more serious and focused.





Both of them were great.





The lights play a part in the show too, accentuating various songs.





I really recommend the show. They were fabulous individually and together.

Blogging Woes

I've been unable to publish on the blog for a couple of days. I think all is resolved now, but fear not - all is well with me.

Learning My Place

In the last year and a half or so I've had to "learn my place" in various aspects of my life. This has not always been a pleasant or graceful process. Maybe it never is if our place isn't what we think or expect it to be.

I heard someone talking about Edgar Allen Poe recently and they mentioned that he had never seemed comfortable in the world. They speculated it was because he was orphaned at an early age and so he never felt like he belonged anywhere, that he fit anywhere.

I think the difficulty comes when the place we've long defined as "ours" is no longer occupied by us. When we lose our place, we lose our footing. There's much flailing around as we struggle to get a grip again, and find a new place. We have to learn how to function within this new framework that's not of our own choosing.

It feels alien to be removed from a place we've always thought of as ours. It's nearly impossible to fathom that we are no longer welcome there, no longer wanted, no longer needed. We thought it was "ours" and we held steadfast to it through thick and thin. But, then, one day, we realize we have to learn our place again. The one we knew, that we were comfortable with, is gone. This place, this space we thought would always be ours to occupy, is gone. Our place has been eliminated, usurped, modified, gifted, or otherwise changed.

Although it's heartbreaking, we have to accept that it will never be again. It's gone. And we must go on to another town, home, job, relationship, whatever "place" it is.

We'll never again have that same feeling of coming home to that figural place we knew as ours. The world gloats as its good fortune of taking the place where we felt steady, loved, comfortable, and stable. Now we can only begin the search, and the long road of mistakes, that will lead to learning our new place.

Treasure Trove

This is how my day started.



These are boxes of brochures to be delivered to schools. I couldn't get all of them in the van, and didn't get all of these delivered today, so needless to say I'll be making more trips to Wichita in the coming days.

This is how my day ended.



Look at this treasure trove! My friend, Jami, gave me all these goodies today. I'm just beside myself with the possibilities they offer.

Of course, some of them are destined to be framed, like this amazing Christmas postcard.



Some will be used occasionally, like these delicate little napkins.



Some of them may find their way into art projects. So many lovely things. I couldn't wait to spread them all out on the table in a pile tonight and get a photo to share with you.



So many lovely things from such a lovely person. Thank you, Jami!

I spent part of the weekend at Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. It's one of my favorite spots in the area. Of course, it's not the best time of year to see lots of wildlife. It's known for birds, but you often see lots of other critters around.

Saturday I spotted this deer - one of 13 that were grazing in an area near the road. This is the look of a deer that knows it's on a game refuge and it's not hunting season. Most of them didn't even bother to look up, none of them ran. The couple who looked up were more annoyed than frightened by my presence.



Saturday night Greg and I went to the Fox to see the play, "Late Night Catechism." Martha couldn't use her tickets and passed them on. It was really hilarious. I learned the appropriate way to address a nun is, "yes, sister." It seems to be a very versatile phrase.

The whole weekend was nice weather wise. I went out for a walk in the neighborhood this afternoon. It was great to need only a couple of layers, but not hats, scarves, gloves and coats on top of them.

The best part of the weekend was my sister in law, Mary Ann, calling Saturday morning and sounding normal. When she had lung surgery late last year they messed up one of her vocal cords so I haven't talked to her much in months. It sounded like it was such a strain for her to talk, and my brother's not a big talker, so I stopped calling. Fortunately, she has recovered fully and sounds normal again. I'm so thankful.

As always on Sunday night, I wish I'd gotten more accomplished over the weekend. I either have too many projects or not enough energy or some combination of the two.

Feeling Good About The World

I'm feeling pretty good about the world tonight and this young man, Jason Klamm, is why. He has been working with the Cosmosphere's Education Staff to redo a camp area used for one of the elementary camps, Lunar Base, we offer each year. It is his Eagle Scout Project.

He raised the money for the project and created these various "pods" connected with tunnels to outfit the room. Previously they were using tents. Jason's dad helped him build, his mom helped with the sewing, and some of the other boys from his troop helped set it all up today. I was so incredibly impressed with Jason and the other boys from his troop.

You can see the whole story in the Hutchinson News on Monday, so I won't begin to tell it here. But suffice it to say that spending a couple of hours with Jason and friends today left me feeling pretty good about the world and its future.

Okay, yes, I know, I'm easily swayed, but this was impressive. And he's impressive. Tom mentioned today, and I concurred, we'll all be voting for Jason Klamm one day.

Otherwise my day was a very busy one - I didn't even have time to go to lunch. It was a real pity because it was a beautiful, gorgeous day so I hated it that I never got to leave the building until after 5 and by the time an appointment was over it was 7 and dark before I got home so I missed the sunshine.

But, it's nice to go to bed feeling good about the state of the world. At least one little tiny, Eagle-Scout-to-be part of it.

Bonus question of the day - courtesy of Tom:
On the side of the lunar base pod Jason is standing in front of, what is the crescent shape?



Did you say the Moon?



Me too.



But it's a lunar base, so that's the Earth.

Random Observations

Today has been a fascinating day from an observation standpoint. Some random thoughts from the day...

1. I had a conversation with someone today that left me a little uncertain if I was in on the joke or if I was the joke. Even now, hours later, I'm still not sure which it was. But, just like a car wreck you can't stop yourself from looking at, I wasn't willing to leave the conversation because I wanted to figure that out. Was it a "conspiratorial" or "condescending" tone? No idea. Maybe after I sleep on it I'll know.

2. In marketing we often talk about who the audience for a particular product or service is. If you don't have children using cloth diapers, you're probably not in the market for a diaper service. If you are 17 you aren't likely to buy life insurance. You get the idea.

Today I was at a business where I thought their whole premise was odd, and the people running it to be very sloppy in their approach to everything - from poor planning to bad execution. It was loud, with terrible food being served by the managers who were dressed like they were going clubbing instead of talking to business people. As I was mulling over how this just wasn't "right," the obvious occurred to me - it was very simple - I just wasn't their market.

One person at my table was quite interested in their services and was picking up brochures. She was also the only person at our table who ate heartily and went back for seconds. I took one bite of the food, politely spit it out in my napkin, (well, as politely as one can do anything involving "spit"), and pushed the plate aside. I'm not the market.

The people who are their market aren't interested in being served great food - if they want food, it just has to be basic sustenance - and they don't see much difference between one thing or another. The loud atmosphere suits them just fine - they're content to speak loudly over it - and they're not there for conversation. The clubbing vibe is cool - they like clubs. I'm just not the market.

Doesn't mean there's anything wrong with the business. It's just not geared to me. I would never trust a gathering to these folks because I think they don't handle details well. Other folks would just think, "it's okay... no big deal." But I'm not the market. Period.

It's good to be reminded of this obvious fact on occasion.

3. I went to a number of schools today to deliver materials. Thank goodness for GPS units. Even when it would tell me, "you have reached your destination," sometimes I couldn't figure out exactly what I was looking for. But, very quickly I learned to search for something that looked like a prison.

When did we start building schools to look like prisons? I didn't vote "yes" on that bond issue. All that's missing is the barbed wire fence. But, some of them do have the fences, as if preparing for this inevitability. I began to say aloud to myself in the car, "oh, there it is, the prison for children."

Is there some reason we have to build schools to look like prisons? Is there some reason we have to confine children in a prison-like structure in order to teach them?

The contrast to this was that the people I met inside the schools, by and large, were open and friendly. I caught a glimpse of fourth graders playing various Olympic games in a gym at one school, and a first grader skipping down the hall at another. I decided there's not much that's more adorable than a first grader skipping from the office back to class. Her dark hair was in long, braided pigtails if you need to complete the picture in your mind. What could be cuter?

I'm guessing I'm very much the Johnny-come-lately to this observation and the rest of you have already noticed the striking architectural similarity between prisons for adults and schools for children. Rather ironic since there's a correlation between people not achieving in school and going to prison, but it's too late for me to go off on that tangent. Maybe another time.

4. It's really good to connect with people. Different people on multiple levels. I watched two people who are geniuses at connection work rooms today. It was masterful. I wanted to prostrate myself like Wayne and Garth and chant, "I'm not worthy," but it would have been disruptive so I refrained.

5. Things change. Even things you don't expect. You can't stop it, so you might as well welcome it.

Quote of the Day

“Writing saved me
from the sin
and inconvenience
of violence."

- Alice Walker

Sunlight and Super Bowl Rings

Teresa and I tried out a new place for lunch - the Firehouse Cafe. It's in an old firehouse, as if you couldn't guess that. I tried a burger, and it was okay.



They were doing a booming business, so I guess some people think it's better than just okay. I did love the sunlight coming through on the table, and on Teresa.

Most of the menu is devoted to breakfast, so hopefully I'll get to try that out soon.

I love going out to breakfast with someone. Seems like such a nice way to start the day. It rarely happens, however, because few people want to get up that early.

Tonight I went to a black history month event. It featured the African American male voices, a local gospel group I've always enjoyed.



Dr. Curtis McClinton spoke about his own life as a professional football player, as well as his early life, all while sporting a Super Bowl Ring.



He ended his presentation by singing "Old Man River." He had the deepest voice I've heard in a long time. I have to say that his presentation wasn't what I expected, from the content to the Super Bowl ring. But I guess that's part of the beauty of such an event - surprises.

Creative Sisterhood

Tonight was Creative Sisterhood and it was a very nice evening.

I had the day off today so I had time to putter around the house a bit, which was great. I had lunch with Trish, but other than that I was pretty much home tidying up a little and working on some projects.

Last night I baked a new cake to share with Creative Sisterhood. I'm not generally a big fan of cherries, but I love this cake. It's wonderful.



Cherry Chocolate Cake

1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 3/4 cups cake flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling

Cream butter and sugar, then mix in eggs and extract. Add remaining ingredients and mix. Pour into 9 by 13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

Frosting
1 c. sugar
1/3 c. milk
5 tbsp. butter
1 c. chocolate chips

Mix sugar, milk and butter in saucepan and boil for one minute, stirring continuously. Add chocolate chips and stir until melted. Pour over warm cake.