Where I talk about getting older

I used to not like having my birthday so close to Thanksgiving. It took away from all the attention that was supposed to be spent on me. (When you're a kid, it's supposed to always be about you, right?) It was even worse when my birthday would actually land on the holiday itself. "Here comes our Turkey Birthday Boy!" or something similar would be blurted out by family members at our annual family Thanksgiving get-together. It was quaint, I had to admit.

After a while, I got used to my birthday being where it was. And now, I actually enjoy it. It's comforting to know that we'll have a family reunion of sorts each year, within close proximity to my birthday. It works out alright. On top of all the turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and all the usual holiday feast-havings, there'll be a nice, big birthday cake for all to enjoy by the end of it. See? It works out for everyone, doesn't it? You can thank my parents for that, guys. We get to have cake as well as pumpkin pie for dessert! What a deal!

This year, my birthday was two days before Thanksgiving and it was fantastic. A perfect day to celebrate being born. Starting with a cinnamon bun topped with a trick candle (nice try, Andrea), my day got better as I spent several hours in various bookstores and antique malls, getting the tips of my fingers dirty by digging through old books and magazines, finding some wonderful old ephemeral treasures. Case in point, this incredible Fortune Magazine from July 1952:


Jerome Snyder has be my new favorite illustrator. Just look at the shapes and colors he uses for this piece. Simply wonderful.

Later on, we had pancakes for dinner ("pancakes for dinner, you say?" yes—pancakes for dinner, I say) at the month-old Slappy Cakes on Belmont Street, which turned out to be such a fun experience we're thinking of going here for every one of our family member's birthday, even more so.



To end the already fantastic day on a high note, we had passes to see a sneak preview of Fantastic Mr. Fox. It was pitch-perfect. I have so many good things to say about this film, I'll have to put it all in an official review here on the blog later on. Such a great film, and everyone in the family enjoyed it immensely. Ava wanted to see the movie again immediately afterwards, which is a high compliment, I should say. Go see it. Seriously, I'm not cussin' with you.

So, having a birthday so close to a holiday where you ponder over what you're thankful for isn't half bad, really. If anything, it enhances my own birthday experience, maybe even merging it with the holiday in a way. I'm thankful to be alive, to experience a birthday yet one more year. And am thankful to be able to celebrate my birthday with my family, who laugh and grow with me, day in and day out. For without my family, my life would be empty and souless, like the puppets of Mr. Fox, once the lights are turned off by the end of the day. Andrea, Ava, and Ezra: all three of you give me that determinable spark in my heart, that sparkle in my eye. Thank you for making my birthday oh so fantastic.

Ava Thursday: My Birthday

All I wanted for my birthday this year was some art by my kids and a pair of retro Nikes. So, here's what I got:


This is the cover to the card Ava created. I love it, of course. That's Ava with big ol' gloves and rings on her fingers.

The card has a super-special added bonus: the markers are the scented kind, so Ava's dress smells of strawberries and the sea smells of...something blueberry-ish. I think.


This is the inside, when you open the card. Yup, all the colors here are scented and the card smells so yummy. That's a Nike Daybreak shoe up there on top. She drew this from memory. She had seen the shoe on Nike's site when Andrea was showing it to her before my birthday, and she had remembered all the details: the colors, the swoosh, etc.


Found inside my birthday card was this little sheet of paper, drawn by my girl. Ahh, the fabulous Nike Daybreak, a classic Nike shoe from back in the day. I was an avid runner from '77 to about '84. My dad and I were Nike geeks. He had Daybreaks, I had a pair of Terra TC's. Among others. So, when I found out that Nike was making reproductions of some of their old shoes, it was only natural for me to hook myself up with a pair.

On Saturday, Ava accompanied me to the downtown Niketown and patiently sat through me putting on three different pairs of shoes. They had the Daybreaks, but not my size. Too small. But, man, the Waffle Racers looked sweet. And better yet, they were a perfect fit:




Would you like some waffles with your morning run?

Side note: You would think that since Uncle Phil owns Laika, that we LAIKAians would receive some nice Nike discounts, right?

Nope.

That's all I'm gonna say.


Big, big thanks to the wifey and kids for making my 39th a happy one. Love you guys.

Happy Birthday to me

Today I turn 39. One last gasp before I hit the big 4-0. I'm not scurrred, nosiree. Bring it on! I don't feel 39 and, really? That's all that matters. I feel at least 6 years younger. (But I still should get out and run some, just for insurance.)

39 and lovin' it. What a better way to start off my birthday than by getting a present for myself? Because I deserve it, right? So... I saddled over to my Amazon Wish List and bought me something that I've been pining for a very very VERY long time. Didn't tell Andrea. She knew that I was going to get it, but didn't know exactly when to expect it.

On Monday, she calls me to tell me that there's this huge box from Amazon in our living room. The FedEx guy struggled with it while going up the steps to our front door she says. Really? I reply. Hmmmm. I'll be home right away.


Ava takes the big Amazon box out for a spin. What's inside? Besides my daughter?


Inside the Amazon box was this big, beautifully detailed cardboard box.


Ta DAH! Charley Harper: An Illustrated Life, by Todd Oldham. It's an incredible book. Massive. Humongous. Amazing.


Yes, it's that big.


Beautiful endpages upon opening up this massive book. The artwork just knocks you off your feet, it does.


The Harper Family of Cincinnati. That's Edie, Brett, and Charley. Wife, son, artist. Both Edie and Brett are artists in their own rights. Runs in the family. You can see the contents of the book on the right there.


Todd Oldham conducts an interview near the front of the book. Haven't read it all, but from what little I've read, it's inspiring.


Each chapter is layed out like this. Big, bold, beautiful. Oldham did a fantastic job in the overall layout and design for this book. The Neutra font by House Industries is perfectly used throughout the entire book. Nice.


One last one before we go. This is the back cover. Good to the last drop.

My thoughts on this book? I'm speechless. Charley's work was amazing by itself, but Todd Oldham did an amazing job in presenting it here in a large format, with thick paper. I swear I could probably tear each of the pages out of this book and have them framed. The quality here is that good. Two hundred bucks is a mighty steep price to pay for a book, but Charley's work is totally worth it. If you're willing to splurge this Christmas, go for it. You'll be glad you did. I am.

Previously: RIP: Charley Harper.

Three is the magic number.

Well, would you look at that....The Ward-O-Matic turned three yesterday. That's like, 37 in blog years. I think.



To celebrate, I took the kids to Astoria, OR, for the day. Well, actually, I had to drop off a painting for an upcoming show at the Lunar Boy Gallery, which is a pretty cool gallery in this pretty cool little marine town in the northwestern-most part of Oregon. Right at the mouth of the Columbia River. Quite an impressive village with some quaint old buildings and a massive bridge that spans the river over into Washington. I took Ava & Ezra because the wife has been incredibly sick for the past 5 days. She needed some more rest so I thought, hey, I'll just take the kids on a road trip. We had a blast. It was fun checking out a new town with some beautiful vistas. The kids are always up for an adventure.







Speaking of adventure, The Goonies was shot here! Had to visit the house, of course. You know you love it.


Check the Flickr for more Astoria pics.

More about the show coming up....

Ava Thursday: Birthday Card for Rachael

Can't believe my little girl is 7 years old today. 7 years! I know it's incredibly cliche for me to say this, but it's amazing how time flies. I remember the day Ava was born, when we had to pack our stuff and head off in the car to the hospital at around 9pm on a Tuesday evening. We were living in a tiny cottage-like house in Decatur, Georgia and I remember how suddenly we went from a 2 to a 3 -- we were a family in one day.

So to honor both her birthday and Ava Thursday, here's a card Ava made for her friend Rachael back in June. Some special sparkly letters and border along with heart shaped kites flying in the wind.



This was the inside of Rachael's card. I like how Ava felt the need to show who's card this was made for by pointing Rachael out. In case you were wondering, Rachael's the one with the glasses.


This is Ava and I at City Museum in St. Louis, MO, 2004. Looking at this photo, I can see just how much Ava has changed. With each passing year I see less baby fat and more long, knobby knees and gangly legs. I find it harder to pick her up and swing her around playfully like a rag doll. She loves that. "Pretend like I'm a rag doll, Daddy!" This past year she really took to reading -- it came natural to her like breathing. It helps to have a mom who reads to her every single night (and she does it really well, too). When we had family in this past weekend, it was so cool to look back and see her read to her cousin Luxie in the back seat of the car. She even added all the dramatic emphases where needed, just like her mom.



Happy Birthday, Ava! Mommy and I love you very much. Here's to a great 7.