’80’s car
We started in the studio then headed outside to hang with the car.
stacie
what they love
When I arrived and began photographing it soon became evident that this stoic boy and crazy monkey girl are really and truly the same kids I photographed way back when. I had a great time spending time with these guys. It is always nice to spend time with friends.
Modern Day Hunter and Gatherer?
This morning on my bike, riding to get milk and cereal for my kids before they woke, I had a thought, “I’m a modern day hunter and gatherer.”
Then all the reasons this statement is not true came to mind. We still don’t have chickens, our garden is a pile of weeds and dead starts, and I do not hunt. In reality, I am feeling a bit like a sustainable-living failure. There IS something, though, to be said about coming home hot and sweaty from the effort of getting food for the family. That’s all I’ve got. I ride to get most of our food. I am not an athlete, but I can be seen riding my route several times a week throughout the year.
So, if you ever think you are a sustainable-living failure and a far cry from being an athlete, try dusting off that bike and get yourself a basket (or trailer) to hold a few groceries. Or, if that isn’t possible, at least use your reusable bags.
“Mommy? Why does everyone like disgusting food and bad music?”
“At the Pool” after his 1st and last official little kid swim meet
“Disgusting food? What disgusting food does everyone like?” He said “You know like McDonalds?” Oh, that. So I explained how fried food is so tasty that people love it even though it is really bad for us. That, and the fact that advertisements and brand names are very influential. How super processed junk food is, for the most part, invented in chemistry labs by scientists, not chefs. I always figured American “cheese” was made to help keep the US populace from starving during the Depression… high in fat and calories… why else would anyone want to eat it? But, no, it was made as a convenience food (comes in slices, melts easily, shelf stable) in the 50’s and became a household name despite the flavor, thanks to great advertising, in the 60’s. Fake flavoring must have been so new and fresh. It was a novelty and sought after, advertised on packaging rather than hidden. Now it’s hidden in the ever popular “natural flavoring” which is code for chemicals derived from things of this earth. If you ever wondered why people are growing more gardens, raising chickens, goats, pigs and cows the loss of trust in our food system is the reason.
What about bad music? The music we listen to in our house is decidedly under produced and not super popular. Not top 40. Not the Frozen sound track (which my boys HATE with a passion).  We listen to songs written and created by the performers singing and playing them. This was a bit more difficult to explain, but ended up sounding a lot like the discussion on food that we just had. Producers, music execs and people who have made formulas (music scientists?) put music together and advertisers (essentially) create the look of artists. They create mega stars, something that the masses will undoubted consume. I told them that it is difficult for me to connect (or trust) an artist that is singing someone else’s words or playing another’s tune. I think music, because it is art, should be made from an authentic place. It should be real and reflect an artist’s life experience no matter how absurd or silly.
That, more or less, was what I discussed with my kids while driving home from the pool the other night. Say yes to Indie Rock and Slow Food.Â
Wolves
I heard this song, titled Wolves, the other day for the umpteenth time (Phosphorescent has become a favorite). When I heard it again I realized it was played on a Ukulele. I’ve been learning to play this little instrument since January and my list of rock songs I know is pretty short. Â I quickly added this to my list (found the tab here).
I have been contributing to a monthly self portrait project and May’s theme was “song title”. I couldn’t decide, couldn’t decide. Especially since I just photographed using a song as inspiration pretty recently (see Talking Backwards). But once I learned the lyrics to Wolves I realized how profound the song really is.
I love music and am often blown away by the meaning, power, cynicism, and even humor found in some of my favorite songs. IÂ feel a connection to the songs and artists that I love often because of their lyrics. Sometimes I just realize how very different I am from them. Â Either way, the spoken word is powerful and can be quite beautiful.
