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peace-coast-island · 3 years

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Diary of a Junebug

Art therapy to deal with life's rotten lemons

Art has helped me in so many ways - and no I'm not exaggerating. It's literally something that keeps me going, helping me get through the day. I wouldn't say that art is my whole life, though it's been kinda more prominent in the past few years, but it's something that gives me a purpose.

That's not to say that I've been creating art all the time. Art blocks happen, lack of inspiration or motivation, or just the need of a break to step back and focus on other stuff. For me, creativity and inspiration are kinda like background apps that are running behind the scenes while I do other things. It's usually open so if inspiration strikes, then I have somewhere to put it to use for later.

Usually when I have an idea, I like to sit on it a bit before getting started - I don't know why, but that's how my brain works, though part of it's probably because I tend to procrastinate. That kind of creative process may not be practical if I plan to run a shop like Daisy Jane - who's usually consistent when it comes to creative output - but for me, it works out perfectly.

Since college, I've gotten into art journaling and now it's become kinda my thing as I've been doing it consistently for a long time. And by consistently I don't mean every day or on a regular basis, but it's something that's stuck with me throughout the years, even more so since I started running the camp. Even when there are days when I don't feel like journaling, it's still in the back of my mind, something to use for later when I do have the motivation to create something. Although I'm not creating content all the time, I'm always open to ideas and inspiration, and that's what keeps me going.

From going on adventures, getting into a new show or movie, reading something interesting, to just hanging around and not doing much - I find inspiration in all these things. I like trying out new and different things because it opens my mind to more ideas, more ways I can express my creativity. I guess that's why I've been journaling a lot more over the years - because there's so much I want to explore and expand on. It'll be interesting to look back on my journal entries in the far future to see how much has changed.

I wonder how future me will look back on these years. Hopefully it'll be mostly good memories.

The reason why I've been thinking so much about how art has helped me is because we've been making a lot of art at the camp. A friend of Daisy Jane has come to visit along with their sister and they're both in need of a break and some art therapy.

I've been following Ken at quillinkstudio since about last year thanks to Daisy Jane and I really enjoy their speedpaints and studio vlogs. Turns out that Daisy Jane knows Ken from college, which was why they gave a shoutout to Happy Floral Mail during a stationery haul video a while ago - and that was how I found out they know each other.

In recent vlogs, they've been opening up about mental health and emotional neglect following the death of their mother a few months ago. They have a complicated relationship with their parents and siblings, which was why they pretty much ran off after finishing college. The only family member Ken has the least antagonistic relationship is Carol, the one who has been constantly left to deal with everyone else's shit, resulting in her putting herself last.

Basically their family life's a mess. Their parents argued constantly - father was neglectful while mother was abrasive, and the siblings were selfish and snobbish - it's hard to believe that Ken came from a family like that. Being the youngest as a latecomer, Ken was probably spared most of the abuse as the father died when they were young and all the siblings except for Carol had moved out.

Carol's basically the neglected middle child who desperately seeks to please, only to be stepped on. Since the father's death, Carol stepped in to care for the mother in hopes of earning her love. While the other four siblings have their own lives, Carol was stuck trying to earn the approval of people who constantly put her down. It's pretty fucking sad and it's no wonder why she has all these problems now.

Ken says that they have mixed feelings about their mother. On one hand she kinda doted on them because they were the baby, often to the point where she forced them to fit into her image of what she wants them to be. They only visited her out of obligation because no matter how far they were, the mother still has strings attached. While she would brag about their success as an illustrator and writer, she also undermined them, pitting them and the siblings against each other.

After the mother died, Carol became lost. All five siblings were in the same room for the first time in years and as expected, it was a disaster. Later Carol and Ken got into a big argument in which Ken told her that if she continued with her self destructive behavior, then the next time they visited home it would be for her funeral. The two "had it out" as they described it, and it made them truly realize how fucked up their family was.

At least some good came out of the whole blow up seeing that Carol's here with us now. The day after, Carol admitted that she wasn't okay and hasn't been for years. So Ken suggested that she come along with them, to leave home and start over. She had always spoke about leaving for as long as they could remember, only to be saddled with the responsibility of taking care of the mother.

Like her sibling, Carol aspired to be an artist. She also dreams of being an actress and singer. And of course, the mother shot her down, forcing Carol to suppress her creativity. At least now, she's slowly finding herself again.

It wasn't easy, but Ken managed to convince Carol to get away. She basically took off without a word, which was really the only way she could've left. There's a lot of unfinished business Carol has to deal with, but for now she has to distance herself, which she's still struggling with.

For now Carol's living with Ken, which admittedly hasn't been easy. They worked out a contract with each other, like promising to keep up with therapy and learning how to communicate in a healthy way instead of letting things blow up. Ken wants to help her as much as they can as long as Carol's willing to do her part. There's a lot to unpack as we can't undo years of trauma, but at least we can put the past behind us and move on to a better future.

Art therapy has been super helpful for Ken and Carol. Along with filming a vlog, Ken's also working on their graphic novel, which is about the stuff they've been talking about on the vlogs regarding their family life. It was something Ken had been working on and off for a while before shelving it because at the time it was too difficult to write about. Now with the mother gone, a weight's been lifted off their shoulders, thus giving the novel a more hopeful message as the initial reason why they shelved it was because it ended up being too bleak.

Carol's been trying out different art mediums, figuring out what calls to her the most. So far it's painting and art journaling, the former which she hasn't done in years, the latter being something new. She's also learning digital art, which she's picking up quickly and seems to be getting into. It's good to see that making art has been helping her a lot.

In between art sessions we've been enjoying the scenery as usual. Carol has been practicing digital art by drawing sceneries, something she found out she enjoys a lot. Having spent most of her life in the suburbs, being out here in nature has been a refreshing change of scenery for her. Seeing her and Ken fascinated by their surroundings feels like watching baby birds taking flight for the first time. The two have a tendency to wander so it's been kinda fascinating to see them get lost in nature.

It's sweet but also kinda sad, especially for Carol. I can't help but feel bad for her, for her wings have been clipped for so long that she's unable to find her way now that the strings holding her back have been cut. At least Ken's there to guide her as she tries to find her footing, to finally take back her life after giving everything to uncaring people who just take, take, take from her.

Healing's a difficult process - they will probably drag each other down more than lift each other up. Ken's been open about how hard things have been for both of them, and while it fucking sucks sometimes, they knew exactly what they signed up for by taking Carol in. Ideally, they want to save their sister, but realistically it's not gonna work out like that. Getting her away and giving her the help she needs won't magically make all her problems go away, but it's a start.

Today, we took a walk along the mountain trail, where we collected berries, moonstones, and maple fern leaves. I've never seen maple fern leaves before as they only bloom every few years according to Isabelle. Since they're rare, we decided to collect a bunch to save for a later project. I have no idea what to do with the leaves yet but I'm sure we can come up with something great.

We wound up staying on the mountains all day as we kinda got lost a bit at that fork in the trail where things kinda get confusing. There's a peak up there I haven't explored until today as whenever I try to look for it, I can't find it. The trail only shows up if we get lost but by then it's getting late so we have to put off exploring for another time. Finally, after years of trying, we finally got to explore the peak!

Getting up there was tricky as the slopes are super steep. We had to take the long way around so we could take short breaks and not risk anyone getting injured. It's a daunting climb, but the view was so totally worth it! Not only the view is breathtaking, I can see even more places to explore. That's what I love about exploring new areas - it's like unlocking a door leading to something bigger.

Since we worked so hard to get up here, it made sense for us to spend the rest of the day making the most out of our discovery. Now that I know how to get there, I now have to find a way to make this area more accessible with things like trail markers and ladders. Ken documented the whole trek for the vlog, an impressive feat as, like I said, the climb wasn't planned. As fun as the whole thing was, don't expect something like that again - in other words, don't try this at home, kids.

(Will that stop me from doing something like that again? Knowing how I tend to be a poor planner, probably not. Then again, I guess it's good to be aware because if things go wrong at least you knew beforehand.)

At the peak, we found a field of colorful pinwheel astras. The light breezes caused the petals to spin, which was fascinating to watch. Normally I don't like looking at spinning things for too long because I'm kinda prone to getting headaches but looking at the pinwheel petals was surprisingly calming. It was kinda funny when the four of us immediately pulled out our tablets/sketchbooks to draw the flowers. We also took a bunch of pics too and they turned out great.

After exploring around the peak for a while, we rested underneath a giant lemon tree. The tree was full of perfect lemons - it was like nothing I've ever seen before. Lemons are kinda hard to come by as they don't grow at the camp, so they're only accessible at the market box for me. Finding a perfect lemon is like striking gold, so to see so many at once is like hitting the jackpot. So of course, we collected a bunch and later made lemonade when we got back to the camp.

Speaking of lemons, Ken and Carol are taking the perfect lemons as some kind of a sign. Something about them growing up with a neighbor who always gave them crappy lemons from their tree that end up sitting in the fridge until they get thrown away. Ken says it's a really long story that's funny and interesting so it looks like they'll have to cover it in the upcoming vlogs about the camp. Seeing how the lemons seem to be a sign of hope for the two, I'm intrigued.

#animal crossing #animal crossing pocket camp #Diary of a Junebug #headcanon ramble

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occasionally-writing · 5 years

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The Art Of Making Apple Cider

A/N: Man, I haven’t written for this fandom in a long time. Well, here it is and yes most of the prompts I’m probably going to write are all Fall themed since my favorite season and Holiday is right around the corner! Now, please enjoy the fic and maybe have some apple cider on you as you read? XD

Summary: Patton invites Virgil to go with him and pick some apples for the apple cider he suddenly wanted to make.

Word Count: 1740

“Hiya Virge! Want to help your good ol’ pops out with something?” Patton asked once he noticed the anxious side stepping into the kitchen on a semi-late Wednesday afternoon. Pausing slightly when he noticed the other holding a wicker basket along with a stepping stool, Virgil’s head went to all the bad ideas first before he took a deep breath and stepped towards Patton, placing his hands in his hoodie pockets to show that he got his attention. Grinning happily, Patton explained how Roman had conjured up some apple and orange trees in the backyard of their mind palace and that he wanted to go pick some of the fruit so he and the rest of the sides could enjoy some homemade apple cider. Letting out a hum as he rolled over the explanation Patton had given him, Virgil stared at the fatherly side before he let a small smile lift on his face, nodding to show he would help. “Aww! Thanks Kid-Virge! Now come on! Let’s go out and have some fun, yeah? I’ll tell you the kind of apples we need when we get out there!”

Taking the stepping stool out of Patton’s hold before he ran, Virgil snorted and followed the excited other out the door, following him as they made their way off the stone porch and out into the backyard. Peering around the area, Virgil took in how the leaves of the trees were beginning to color with the promise of Fall coming around the corner. Taking in a deep breath, Virgil grinned when the scent of his favorite season reached his senses, silently applauding Roman for putting so much finesse into everything when it came to the seasons and holidays. Finally making it to the trees, Virgil set the stepping stool down while Patton squinted at all the trees, trying to find the right apples to go with. Spotting the ones he wanted, Patton squealed and pointed towards them, practically bouncing with excitement.

“So, we’re going with the...Honeycrisp and Granny Smith apples?” Virgil asked, making sure those were in fact the ones Patton wanted before he climbed the stepping stool to pick the apples. Nodding, Patton quickly climbed the stool and carefully picked the apples he needed with a gentle touch. Moving towards one of the orange trees since Patton asked him to pick one, Virgil jumped up and skillfully pulled an orange from the tree. Cupping it in his hands, the Anxious side strolled back over to Patton to see that he already had ten apples in the wicker basket, five of the Honeycrisp and five of the Granny Smith. Placing the orange in the basket as well, Virgil sighed softly as the soft Fall breeze twirled his and Patton’s hair around before the air around them was silent again. “Okay, we got the apples. Now what, Pops?”

“Now! We go back inside and get everything ready for the cidering!” Patton cheered, giggling happily as he practically skipped back towards the house. Rolling his eyes as a soft smile rose on his face, Virgil followed the cheerful side in a much slower pace before both of them were now back in the kitchen, getting everything they needed to start the process of making apple cider. “Okay, first we need the slow cooker out...there you are! Virgil, could you cut the orange into a few slivers and make sure to peel them? I’ll get the apples ready!”

Nodding, Virgil got to work cutting the orange and peeling it while Patton got to work with washing the apples and slicing them into little slices, placing them into the slow cooker before he got to work on the others. By the time Virgil got the orange all peeled like Patton wanted, the younger side turned around and carefully slid the fruit into the cook with the rest of the apples. Pulling on Virgil’s sleeve, Patton bumped their hips together playfully as they dunked their hands under the faucet and washed them, rinsing the stickiness the fruit would later leave on their skin if they didn’t. Moving back towards the slow cooker, Patton conjured a huge wooden spoon and began to gently stir the fruits together. Turning towards Virgil, Patton smiled and gently nodded towards the spice cabinet that Logan had Roman install so it would be easier to find whatever spice they needed for cooking.

“Could you get the...ground cloves and the ground cinnamon down?” Patton asked, keeping his eyes on Virgil as he climbed up the counter and looked for the spices that the Moral side listed off. Once he found them, the Anxious side stored them in his pockets before he carefully got down, closing the cabinet doors as he did so. Pulling them out, the younger side gave them to Patton and watched as the side placed them on the counter, now giving the apple cider is full attention. When he was sure that everything was stirred in how he knew they liked it, Patton handed Virgil the spices and smiled brightly at him, moving to the side so the other could get closer to the slow cooker. “Now, we need two teaspoons of the ground cinnamon and a half a teaspoon of the ground cloves!”

Nodding softly to show he was listening, Virgil added the right amount of spice while Patton stirred it all in, making everything was mixed properly. Putting the spices back while Patton finished up, the two carefully added the water and Virgil let the Moral side know when to stop as it was almost full. When he was sure that the fruit was covered by the water, Patton nodded and turned the heat on the slow cooker to high, glancing at his phone to count three hours in. Telling Virgil this, Patton smiled and laced their hands together, pulling the other into the living room of the mind palace to watch the new Steven Universe movie that just got released! They’d been meaning to watch it and now’s their chance! And it would give the cider a chance to cook without them watching for the whole three hours.

“The movie was good, right?” Virgil asked, leaning into Patton shyly before the Moral side clicked some previous episodes to watch. Hearing Patton ramble on about the good parts of the movie, Virgil nodded and snickered at some of the jokes he made before the sound of a timer went off and they were alerted that it was time to check on the apple cider. Sliding in front of it, Patton took his wooden spoon and began to mash the warm fruit, grinning when it mashed nicely, making it into a soft smoothie looking liquid that even had Virgil’s mouth watering. “Weren’t we supposed to add sugar or something?”

“Oh yeah! Brown sugar, can you fetch that for me Virge?” Patton asked politely, flashing the Anxious side a silly face that had Virgil hiding his laughter as he went to grab the bag of brown sugar. Putting in a cup and ignoring Patton’s efforts for him to add more, Virgil quickly snatched the bag away from the sugar loving side before he dabbed a bit of it on Patton’s nose, making his getaway to put the sugar back in the food pantry. Once he got back, Virgil sniffed the air and sighed softly, the wonderful scent of the apple cider they made just beginning to waver around the home, obviously getting the attention of Roman and Logan since the two of them heard their doors open on the second floor. “Better get some Virge before they come down. You know how those two are.”

Snorting softly, Virgil smiled a little and moved towards Patton, grabbing his favorite ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ mug and handing it to the Moral side. Filling it up just as the two sides entered the kitchen, Virgil held his mug close and playfully growled at Roman when the Creative side went to reach for it. Having their own given to them, Patton was last to make his and when he did, he noticed that there was barely any left to really fill his mug up halfway. Letting out a small sigh, Patton smiled sadly and took whatever was left, which made Virgil frown. Moving closer to Patton as Logan and Roman bickered about something Virgil rather not get into, the Anxious side pressed their shoulders together and peered in Patton’s mug with furrowed brows. Biting his lip, Virgil glanced down at his own filled to the brim mug before he quickly made the decision to pour some of it in Patton’s cup.

“Here, you can have some of mine. I don’t mind sharing...after all, I had fun today Pat,” Virgil whispered into the Moral side’s ear, keeping his voice low so Roman wouldn’t notice him talking and want to listen in as well. Blinking into his now fuller cup, Patton felt his eyes grow teary as he glanced up and stared into Virgil’s worried gaze. Placing his cup to the side counter for a moment, Patton moved until he was face to face with the other, just staring into his eyes with an unreadable expression on his face. “U-um...Pat? Everything okay? I-if you uh..don’t..w-wha!”

Not getting a chance to finish his sentence, Virgil barely bit back the yelp that left his mouth as Patton pulled him forwards and pressed a quick kiss to his hair covered forehead. Flushing underneath the makeup he was lucky to put on in the morning, Virgil cleared his throat and shyly moved his gaze away from Patton, who was quietly giggling as he lifted his mug back up and hid his grin within the cup. Leaning into Virgil more, Patton sighed and continue to sip his cider, observing the way that the two others finally stopped bickering enough to appreciate the beverage he and Virgil made for the whole group. Making a mental note as he peered at Virgil again, Patton glanced towards the backyard again and wondered how long it would take to quickly make another batch. Afterall, he didn’t want Deceit to miss this yearly special, right?! Making up his mind, Patton kept it to himself as he just listened to the pleased hums the rest of his family gave off as he huddled closer to Virgil, who for once, was completely relaxed as he passed against the Moral side as well.

#sanders sides #sanders sides fic #moxiety #virgil sanders #patton sanders #logan sanders #roman sanders #deceit sanders #sympathetic deceit #mentions of deceit #my writing #Not a request #Please enjoy the fic

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sternbilder · 6 years

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the games i played to completion in 2017, ranked in order of how much i liked them

mostly for my own reference and i’m gonna try to keep this out of the tags but read on if you want to read about me getting super excited about video games i guess

p/ersona 5 - look i know this wasn’t a perfect game like there are Several Large Complaints i would like to file regarding plot and pacing and premise even but this was. still my favorite game of 2017 and just such an enjoyable 120 hours to have spent holy fuck?? like everyone’s always talking about how stylish p5 is and goddamn are they right like it’s such a gorgeous game!! the loving detail they put into every aspect of the UI, the beautiful character sprites, that effortlessly cool contemporary tokyo vibe that oozes into every aspect of the game!! and the gameplay (which i played on normal difficulty, being a series beginner) was both challenging and rewarding and both the dungeons and the school life segments (considering the sheer variety of Shit You Could Do not to mention all the charming-ass characters with compelling sideplots) were just. an absolute treat?? plus the soundtrack to this game was just killer so there’s also that

n/ier: automata - SPEAKING OF GAMES WITH GR8 SOUNDTRACKS. i think this game’s soundtrack probably ranks up there with my favorite video game OSTs of ALL TIME FOREVER like seriously. it is so so good. anyway friends it took me four (4) days to beat this game and another full 24 hours just to process this game like. y’all know i’m always a slut for sad robots and BOY HOWDY did this game have that thing. not only is the game itself gorgeous but i’m pretty much in love with the Entire cast (but especially 9S, who is my special son) and i’m crying,, eternally,, about the c/d/e routes and even though it probably wasn’t the Most impressive and best written game Ever it had a lot of good twists and revelations and a real sense of weight and suspense esp. in the later playthroughs which i am ALL ABOUT. not being much of an action RPG person i never really fell in love w/ the combat but it was fun enough even though it got kind of repetitive and too hack-and-slashy for my taste after a while?? actually fuck the bullet hell hacking minigame tho if i’m gonna be real

f/ire emblem fates (birthright, conquest, and revelation) - listen i know this game was like objectively garbage but i’m still trying to justify having spent a literal 1/3 of my year playing it so bear with me for just 2 hot seconds. first of all hi yes there’s a running theme here bc i dig the shit out of fe14′s OST?? also even though the plot was kind of a mess the characters and supports still grew on me a lot after a while and actually the gameplay was really fun?? maybe it’s bc i played it on hard/classic (as opposed to fea which i played on normal/casual) but i really enjoyed the combat a lot more in these games than fea--actually i do think there’s actually a lot of actual improvements here, especially with all the new classes, the improved dual guard/dual strike rules, and no fucking weapon durability, etc. as well as a lot of the more unusual victory conditions (in conquest and revelation, not so much in birthright) like i feel like there were a lot of highlights and i genuinely enjoyed the battles in fe14 a lot and sure the whole waifu nintendogs concept is creepy as hell and babyrealm is a fucking joke but i still thought this was a Pretty good or at least enjoyable game so you can fight me on that front

d/anganronpa v3 - ok let me me the first to admit that i honestly?? don’t really like dr as a franchise very much and the only real reason i got into it in the first place is to fill the ace attorney-shaped hole in my heart in between releases thereof (as well as superficial similarities to other games i like, like ze) and while i still enjoy the gameplay and investigating and mystery-solving parts of it and those aspects i still find very enjoyable and well-written a lot of the rest of the games really kind of fall flat for me?? like tbh i’m not a huge fan of the art style, the sense of humor and localization don’t really do it for me, the characters are cute but kind of over-the-top and not super relatable to me personally, and honestly the whole ~evil mastermind did it for the lulz~ trope being played super straight disappointed me a lot about the first game especially?? that being said i know this is a bit of a base breaker but i actually really liked the direction that sdr2 took with its ending and it made me hopeful for the sequel, which brings me to drv3 which surprised me in a lot of pleasant ways?? like personally i think it’s the best dr yet and while i can see why people would be disappointed with the ending and feel like it may be a cop-out i think it was still clever enough that i appreciate it for trying?? or maybe it’s just bc i didn’t like the original so much and the departure from that felt like kind of a breath of relief but that’s just me idk

f/inal fantasy x - guess who was late to the party and played her first final fantasy in this year of the lord 2017!!! it’s me!!! honestly i was expecting more from this game overall in terms of plot just because it’s such a Classic and all but fwiw i still liked it?? i didn’t super love any of the main characters and the story was a little predictable and even though i played the remaster it’s still an obviously dated game but NEVERTHELESS it was still just a solid RPG and i genuinely enjoyed playing it!! i should play the sequel sometime but. i’ll get to it after i clear out this massive backlog i have currently as we speak sobs

the witness - i don’t talk about this game enough bc honestly it isn’t the kind of game that can have a real fanbase (no real characters or plot, etc.) but i still enjoyed the fuck out of this, holy hell. i mean it’s i guess kind of an open-world exploration-slash-puzzle concept which sounds kind of boring but the world is gorgeous and the way the game presents these puzzles for you to solve and teaches you the rules in a way that’s entirely self-explanatory and intuitive but still super difficult and ultimately rewarding is just so gratifying and i was just so so impressed at how creative they got with these puzzle designs and the way the world seems to unfold itself the more you unlock its secrets?? anyway i know this is near the bottom bc i do love me a video game story and this particular game doesn’t have that but PLAY THIS GAME IF YOU LIKE PUZZLES IT IS JUST SO COOL AND FUN AND GOOD

the n/onary games (999 only) - this is a replay but still worth mentioning i think?? obviously 999 is one of my favorite games of all time and i was super pumped about the remake and while i didn’t quite enjoy it as much as the very first time i played 999 on my DS it was still a good game!! tbh i mostly just played this game for the voice acting which i was pretty impressed with, and also i got to pick up a lot of the bilingual bonuses i obviously missed while playing my localized copy of the original game which was cool!! i wasn’t as impressed with the updated sprites unfortunately, i felt like their quality was inconsistent and some of them looked like kind of a rush job to me but ymmv i guess?? i think overall i still prefer the DS version even with improvements like the flow chart in the newer version, mostly because 1. i actually appreciated having to literally replay parts of the game in the former bc i feel like it’s more in the spirit of the game if you know what i mean, and 2. some details near the ending that they changed, which you definitely know what i mean if you played the game. still, i appreciate that it’s made the game more widely accessible and if you haven’t played the game pls go play this game i’m literally begging u,,

u/mineko (question arcs only) - ok the only reason i have this 8th on this list is just bc i haven’t technically finished it yet and BOY am i the kind of person who lives entirely for that sweet sweet payoff but there really isn’t THAT much i can say?? like thanks to the ps3 patch the art is pretty decent i guess?? i’m liking all the characters so far?? there’s a whole lot of Bullshit that doesn’t make any sense at this point but i’ve been promised metagame and mindfuck in due time so i guess i’ll just have to see?? yeah this is more of a tbd review than anything i don’t really know what to say besides i’m just so eager to play the other half of this game and get the answers to all these gotdamn MYSTERIES already

braid - i mostly just played this bc i knew it was made by the same person?? studio?? as the witness and while i liked braid and i really enjoyed the puzzles it was just too short for it to have really made an impression on me?? like i know that there is a story and a Twist but it didn’t really do much for me with how abstract it was and just in terms of sheer volume of content it doesn’t quite compare to the other games on this list like don’t get me wrong it was still good!! and if you need a way to kill an afternoon i still highly recommend it but it just wasn’t as memorable to me as p5 or nier was unfort

#/#//#///#////#/////#cam thoughts #if i just play one more i'll get to a nice even number.........what should i play #what should be my last game of 2017

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underbananamoon · 5 years

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Masking is a process in which an individual changes or “masks” their natural personality to conform to social pressures, abuse, and/or harassment. -wiki

I enjoy making memes, they’re something I can do creatively that takes little time. I made the one above and these recently:

I didn’t note the misspelling of “autistic” until yesterday and haven’t fixed it yet. Aaaarrrgghhh

Speaking of creativity (don’t I always) here is a wooden box I keep on my desk within reach. I have not done mosaics since the early 2000’s and this one I did then, all four sides which I switch out for a different view now and again. I have a suitcase of broken pieces. Perhaps I’ll start this up again. I’ve a waste can in the bathroom that is mosaiced too, all these years it’s held up.

All three of my children have artistic gifts. My youngest, Silas, collects treasures from the ground, as do I, and here is something he created recently which I adore!

PRISONER OF TIME by Silas Gonzalez

My middle son Jer and his wife C. recently attended a Boston Symphony Orchestra concert. Here is the lovely photo. They are a beautiful couple and always take nice pictures.

Do you see what we are seeing? We are thinking it’s a motion-blur effect although I don’t see blur! Note the suited man in the background. He’s lost his head!

I looked for a photo of the painting my son Jer did last year about anxiety, it’s a self portrait with gears in the head, very nice, and I can’t find the image-when I do I’ll update this blog. The painting was shown at the museum in Rhode Island- 2018, RICART show.

So I’ve been reading this, among many other books:

This blog is high on imagery, and not so text-forward! Let me say this book is awesome! I love reading about the lives of creatives. I’ve marked many areas in the book for a later more extensive ‘review.’ I feel as if my brain is smoldering. The last few weeks have brought two of the worst migraines I’ve had in my life. I’m cognitively pretty low (which explains the typo in my meme!) but I’m keeping on. Here’s a quick iPadArt I managed to do.

I do have a talented family. Here is artwork by one of my favorite people in the whole entire world- his first iPadArt creation:

My little granddaughters (not so little now) love to paint rocks

( https://www.facebook.com/groups/1840242882913721/ ) and hide them around the valley for people to find. They love finding them too.

Truly, if you have a chance to check out Silas’ art please do. Links at end of blog. He is my inspiration. The order day he brought me this wee frog and several others for me to see (and then released).

What do you think of these found rocks? I love them. In my next blog I will post the innovative thing Silas created with them!

He and I and Al will be interviewed further this September for Keri Bower’s upcoming film on Disability and sex, called “Desire.” Link bottom of blog. Like Desire’s FB page for updates.

For anyone who has read my book, you are familiar with my parents’ relationship and you may know I lost my mother too soon, she never saw the book, truly it is an homage to them as much as it is to my my late husband, my aspergers and selective mutism tribe, celebration of living, and accepting loss. My father, pictured here on the left, age 86 is out fishing on a boat with my cousin W., the hay-baler you also may remember from my book. My father is enjoying his life!

My oldest son, dx’ed like me, started a paranormal investigative group years ago before it was truly a thing. It’s called CT PASTS (Connecticut Paranormal and Supernatural Tracking Society and my my other son and also godchild are members. Someday I may be brave enough to share my own experiences here in a blog regarding that genre!

I’m still doing my thing for Art of Autism, who is currently seeking poems/and or art. This is not a trending thing (peace) it’s for real, we feel this strongly, send in your peace submission and be a safe place for people to pause in the midst of all this chaos, when they see your art or read your poem.

You can contact me too at [email protected] if you have a blog idea (we can pay bloggers) or if you’d like to be a part of the PODS project. Hope to hear from you.

Personally, I have been trying to feel well so I started Keto June 3rd. I love the discipline, and the creativity involved in planning meals. Because it does take planning to truly make it work, and it does power through metabolism slumps. I’m losing 2 1/2 lbs. a week, just right. Last night I had french fries for the first time (since May?) and I am so happy to know they tasted terrible! My goal is to be at a better weight next summer for my trip abroad. I want to be able to ambulate comfortably through those ancient ruins!

Al, my partner, has a vegetable garden so this is a big help, he has a knack for growing all the greens and peppers I can eat! He’s also going to start refinishing frames for my artwork. Here’s a question I want to throw out there, if you were asked to dress in mime for a paid gig (air travel included) and recite your poetry, would you do it? I would….but mimes don’t speak, so I’ll have to figure something out. More on that to come!

Personally, I am struggling with the chaos in this world, as we are all- I am sure, and also the voices in my head are telling me that my elderly cat Mister Po who is nearly 20 years old (longer than most of my relationships with men)- is nearing end of life. He is having several seizures a day. Here is a collage I did of the two of us a few years ago:

It is made of lots of cut up paper. I made one for my friend Starr who lost her beloved cat. Seen here, you may recall her from my book as well. The colors are not true to the real art, it is not a good photo.

It looks nice in her home as seen here. The art to the right of the serenity prayer is an artwork called Evanescence by my son Silas.

My Mister Po, above in his playful mood, (pre-seizures) and with shedded hair on his head.

Here is a meme I made long ago:

I have to close now, it’s errand day and the heatwave has let up. It’s too nice to be inside. Before I go I want to share what my dear friend Keri Bowers said to me yesterday during our nearly 2 hour talk. We were going on about negative mantras that get stuck in the head, those voices that try to take you down… and she said

“Do what I do and say to those voices, ‘Thank you committee in my head for weighing in with your opinions, I’ve heard them, now fuck off!’ “

Words to live by!

CTPASTS: If you have a presence bugging you, you know who to call.

https://www.facebook.com/pg/CTPASTS/posts/

About me, my book:

https://mercurygirl49.wixsite.com/underthebananamoon-1

More from multi-talented Silas:

https://silasmgonz.wixsite.com/artworkbysilas/about

https://silasmgonz.wixsite.com/artworkbysilas/gallery

The DESIRE film on FB:

https://www.facebook.com/normalfilms/

About P.O.D.S. (people of diversity, speaking):

https://the-art-of-autism.com/p-o-d-s/

My Family, My Updates, and Art Masking is a process in which an individual changes or "masks" their natural personality to conform to social pressures, abuse, and/or harassment.

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chickeninthewoods · 5 years

Text

2004 films

| The Bachelor | Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2004 (late-nite) | Pulled from the pile of purchased DVDs at the folks'... to great disappointment. This is a bad, bad film, and Chris O'Donnell truly sucks. Phoned-it-in sucks. This explains why he hasn't worked much in the last 5 years - which was a bit of a mystery up until now. Avoid this like the plague.

| Spanglish | Dec. 27, 2004 (afternoon) |

| Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban | Sunday, Dec. 26, 2004 (late-nite) | Dark and long. The kids are growing up, and the films are, as well. I think my mom is borrowing this from my sister. She has all three, unfortunately mostly in fullscreen.

| Snow Falling on Cedars | Sunday, Dec. 26, 2004 (late-nite) | Fantastic and incredibly sad. This was pulled from the stack of purchased DVDs at my parents' house over xmas vacation (who knows why they buy what they buy).

| Rivers and Tides | Saturday, Dec. 25, 2004 (afternoon, w/ the 'rents) | A gorgeous, nearly-meditative study of the work of Andrew Goldsworthy, who creates sculptural installations in and from nature.

| Seabiscuit | Saturday, Dec. 25, 2004 (w/ the 'rents) | Oddly-paced, but exciting. A book moved to the screen doesn't always work well, though, for the reasons well-illustrated here. The historical snippets might have worked well as chapter introductions, but they make for a confusing set of transitions on screen.

| De-Lovely | Friday, Dec. 24, 2004 (evening) | A mess of a film, though pretty and entertaining. But maybe that was intentional. Porter's life was a mess, albeit an entertaining one.

| Before Sunset | Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2004 (late-nite) | I had planned to watch this on the plane to Indy, but after watching the original last night, I couldn't help popping this one in today before my trip. I'm frustrated as hell by it, and the sudden ending, but I guess that's the reality part.

| Before Sunrise | Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2004 (late-nite) | Luminous, like Julie Delpy's skin.

| 24: Season 3 | Week of Dec. 17, 2004 | My current policy is to review television series all at once, rather than a disc at a time, but I wanted to begin by noting that this season does not start out well. The tech is particularly bad, and I don't really care about what happens next.

| The Door in the Floor | Saturday, Dec. 18, 2004 | A little less dark than I thought it might be, and more tangible. I haven't read any Roth, ever, and now I'm prompted to start. I'll have to rent it again to watch the commentary and featurettes -- I'm fascinated by writer/screenwriter collaborations, and the adaptation process (so long as the writers can also talk).

| The King of Comedy | Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2004 | I think it's not possible to watch a film on the recommendation of someone who says its their favorite. I just don't have much to say about it.

| Jersey Girl | Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2004 (afternoon) | Ooh, this was cute! 13 Going on 30 cute, 3 Men and a Baby cute. The kid was great, and the Sweeney Todd bit was cute even in its un-cute-ness. A definite recommendation for parents and families who want to see a decent movie.

| A Home at the End of the World | Thursday, Dec. 9, 2004 | I'll admit, I rented this for the much-anticipated kiss between Colin Farrell and Dallas Roberts. It wouldn't have been worth waiting for, if that's all there was to this film. But all the things I disliked about marginally similar films, I liked about this. Where Forrest Gump was nearly campy, this was understated and honest. Where the Myth of Fingerprints was sarcastic, this was lacking all irony. At the same time, where Big Eden was celebratory and fantastical, this was pretty raw. So I don't know exactly how I feel, but I'm glad I saw it.

| Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind | Saturday, Dec. 4, 2004 (afternoon) | Reviews were generally positive, but I had received a recommendation against watching it just a few days prior. I enjoyed it, and would certainly keep it out of the "never again" bin, though it probably won't end up on a best list. As other reviewers noted, its the emotional core that saves this film from a bad sort of quirky, and I did appreciate that. But I felt it didn't go far enough exploring the morality of doing such a bizarre and radical thing. I would have preferred a "what if" movie with a love/life story running through it, to a love/life story with lots of other stuff piled around it. Jim Carrey didn't annoy me, though, and that's a rarity. Kate Winslet is yummy.

| Capturing the Friedmans | Nov. 27, 2004 (afternoon) | Truly one of the most amazing films, ever. While working on a short film about children's pary clowns in NYC, the filmmaker happened upon an extraordinary story of a family caught in an avalanche of molestation charges and media frenzy in the mid-1980s. The film includes footage shot by family members during the time of the arrests and court proceedings, as well as present-day interviews with police and other persons involved. If netflixing, be sure to get Disc 2 as well, as there are hours of additional footage and follow-up interviews with the filmmakers.

| Maze | Nov. 1, 2004 (afternoon) | This scared me off initially, fearing it was a Rob Morrow vanity piece, but then I forged ahead on faith in Laura Linney. And I wasn't disappointed -- the film is quite lovely, surprisingly nuanced, and I forgive Rob Morrow his salary whining in the 90s (Janine Turner, however, is getting her just desserts in dry-eye commercials)

| Ghost World | October 25, 2004 | I held off on seeing this when it was playing at York Sq., but it was fun on dvd. Scarlett and Thora bring so much to the table.

| The Apprentice, Season 1 (all discs) | Oct. 20, 2004 | Addicted to S2, thought S1 might be good. Soapy fun.

| Seeing Other People | Oct. 20, 2004 | Julianne Nicholson is always great, but the movie wasn't my favorite. Vulgar and ultimately a little boring.

| Dopamine | Sunday, Oct. 10, 2004 | I like Sabrina Lloyd, and the story here was interesting, but I didn't ever really latch on to anything in this picture. There was so much unexpected darkness, maybe that pushed me away. | Normal | Friday, Oct. 1, 2004 | I was so skeptical... but this was handled with about as much grace and dignity as I could ever have imagined.

| Uptown Girls | Sunday, Sept. 19, 2004 | Decent fluffy entertainment.

| Dinner for Five: Season 1, Disc 1 | Sunday, Sept. 12, 2004 | Never as interesting as it promised.

| High Art | Saturday, Sept. 11, 2004 | Not as hot on the most recent viewing, but I'm sensing the ambition element more clearly each time I see it.

| Alias, Season 2 (all discs) | Week of Sept. 6, 2004 |

| Tuck Everlasting | Sunday, Sept. 5, 2004 |

Alexis is a wonder, and I'm so glad she has a spot on the WB for a while.

| Charlotte Sometimes | Sometime in September, 2004? |

| 13 Going on 30 | Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2004 | I watched this on the plane, BDL>>DTW, and finished in the wrap place in terminal B. Cute, cute, cute entertaining fluff.

| Mona Lisa Smile | Monday, Aug. 9, 2004 | I don't know why I haven't returned this yet; it was good, though not in the Wonder Boys-kind of way I had hoped. Not much new to say, though it was interesting to watch how the juxtaposition of super-smart-capable and wanna-be-housewifey played out

| Watching You | Friday, July 30, 2004 | This was a set of short films, all lesbian-themed in some way. I got it because I was looking for a short called "travelling companion," which had been on another set of shorts on VHS a few years ago. The quality of gay-themed cinema has come so far in the last few years, though. My favorite ("10 rules") was actually in the "extras" section, though I wasn't sure exactly why there was that division. The title short, "Watching You," was set in Israel (??), though that never was mentioned explicitly.

| The Cucumber Incident | Monday, July 27, 2004 | This was an indie (so indie it's not even in IMDB yet) documentary, viewed on the Sundance Channel's DOCday. It tells the story of a group of three women in a family who basically raped and beat the husband of one of the women, who had been molesting his daughters. It's complicated and awful -- the wife who let her husband back in the house after he'd been to prison for molesting her older daughter, the child protection system which didn't intervene after subsequent charges (and let him back in the house after his imprisonment), the complicated revenge / scare tactics they exacted, and the overwhelming weight of the justice system that fell on them as a result. Everything about this is awful, and though I never felt like we really got to the heart of the women's fury as they prepared to terrorize this guy, that may be as much a result of midwestern stoicism as it is a comment on the film's ability to draw out their story.

| A Mighty Wind | Saturday, July 24, 2004 | I've watched this more than once now - I don't know why, but it's silly and entertaining and even ok musically.

| Travelling Companion | Tuesday, July 20, 2004 | I watched this on an interminable train ride from New Haven to Boston, when the train literally broke down in the middle of rural Rhode Island. Nice.

| Casa de los Babys | Monday, July 12, 2004 | I may need to give this another look before I comment too much. I rented this while my sister was visiting, and I'm not sure we finished it.

| Along Came Polly | Sunday, July 11, 2004 | B+

| Girl With a Pearl Earring | Sunday, July 4, 2004 | Watched this at T's up in New Hampshire -- it was a lovely portrait, and a really creative and daring way to make a film about a painting.

| Dead Like Me (entire first season) | July, 2004 | So bummed I don't get Showtime anymore... rent the dvds if you get the chance, it's almost as good as Six Feet Under (the first year of SFU)SHO

| Things You Can Tell Just by Looking At Her | Wednesday, June 30, 2004 | I watched this in the car, driving from my parents' house in Michigan down to visit my sister in Indianapolis. It's not a bad car-movie (if such a category exists), except that I did get a tad claustrophobic at one intense point. I really thought I had seen this before, but I had only vague moments of deja vu as I watched it. The women were just amazing -- Glenn Close, Callista Flockhart, Amy Brenneman, Cameron Diaz (and more) -- but I was particularly amazed by Callista Flockhart. I don't think it's reasonable to question her talent after watching her work in this film -- something so far from Ally McBeal, so different and difficult. The movie is a set of one-acts, each focusing on a different character. The supporting characters in each act are extremely sparse, though there's a bit of connection woven throughout the film, between the characters. It's important to understand that they're living in the same time, the same world. Glenn Close is an Ob/Gyn with real emotional maturity and intimacy issues; Cameron Diaz is a relatively well-adjusted blind girl whose sister (Amy Brenneman) is taking a backseat; Holly Hunter is a successful, albeit lonely bank officer who reels at the pointed analysis of a homeless woman who buns her cigarettes; and Callista Flockhart is a woman tending to her dying lover (Valeria Golino). There's also a piece with Kathy Baker who infantilizes her new short-statured neighbor, but I found it really odd and jarring compared with the rest.

| Raising Victor Vargas | Tuesday, June 29, 2004 | Watched on the plane from Detroit to Hartford -- though I think I'll want to see it again when I can hear and concentrate better. This would make a great double-feature with "Real Women Have Curves", for the sheer heart of both

| The Banger Sisters | Sunday, June 27, 2004 | Watched mostly on the plane between Hartford and Detroit, and finished up at my parents' house in Michigan -- this was a fun little showcase for a variety of veteran and newcomer talent. Goldie Hawn's butt really is amazing, Susan Sarandon proves she can give up scenery-chewing for Lent, and Eva and Erika somehow manage to look like sisters (though moreso if their parents were Susan and Goldie...)

| Nobody's Baby | Monday, June 14, 2004 | Caught this one on Showtime, found by the Tivo's Radha Mitchell wishlist. I'm not sure what Radha's doing playing these desert waitresses (e.g., When Strangers Appear), but this one wasn't bad. A little anachronistic, maybe, but not awful.SHO

| All the Real Girls | Saturday, June 12, 2004 | Though I really like some of the actors, I just didn't find this movie that compelling. It was slow, and maybe would have been better if I had seen it on the right kind of day (e.g., long, slow, cold and weathery).

| Trembling Before G-d | Saturday, June 12, 2004 |

| Purity | Saturday, June 12, 2004 | I watched this nearly in a double-feature with Trembling Before G-d, and it was so stunning. Clearly bitter and biased, but stunning.

| Saved | Friday, June 11, 2004 | Saw this Heathers-in-a-Christian-High-School in the theatre, opening weekend. Not terribly crowded, which was surprising. The movie was just delightful; funny and interesting and terribly attentive to the details, which was important. It's fun to see someone like Mandy Moore play a character this deliciously saccharine, too. Go see.Orange

| Marathon | Thursday, June 10, 2004 | Caught on the Sundance channel -- and couldn't tear myself away. It's a faux-documentary of a girl who does an annual 24-hour crossword puzzle marathon in NYC -- mostly on noisy subways and buses. The dialogue is minimal, the plot is pretty much nonexistent, and yet its riveting to watch, for some reason. It's one of the few times watching a film where I felt like I was in that zone of a conversation where I was truly getting to know someone.

| Out of Season | Sunday, June 6, 2004 | A surprisingly ok new grrl movie, which is unusual. And since I wasn't expecting anything at all, I was a very thrilled little camper. This definitely goes on the recommendations list, maybe even above 'Go Fish' (though after 'Get Real').| Soldier's Girl | Friday, June 4, 2004 | A really wrenching look at the story of a particular casualty of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (pre-"Don't Pursue," I think). I don't know how close to the truth this story was, but I'm not sure it matters. It was beautiful.

| The Company | Wednesday, June 3, 2004 | I've been dying to see this ever since it came out, but I was a bit disappointed. While the dancing was just out of this world, I had trouble adjusting to all the jumps between performance and slice-of-life/rehearsals and story. I think that was intentional, but it just didn't work for me. I love the Joffrey, though, and it was worth the time spent just to watch them dance. Neve included. While I'm usually the first to scrunch up my nose at something that appears to be a vanity piece, this is most certainly not one of those times. No one hires Altman to do a vanity piece, for starters. For an Altman-esque look inside the ballet, this is what you want. But I still prefer Center Stage for the energy of the dance world (as soapy as it can be).

| xx/xy | Tuesday, June 1, 2004 | I wasn't sure what to make of this -- it sounded too much like that other film with Kathleen Robertson in a menage a trois -- but with Mark Ruffalo, I wanted to give it a shot. It was interesting for the blurriness and for the look at a particular kind of person's behavior in a relationship, but I didn't love it.

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joementa · 7 years

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Week of March 27, 2017. I Fell In Love With The Band At The Rock Show.

As I write this, I’m sitting on my couch with Michael Jackson’s Off The Wall on the turntable. This is one of my favorite non-summer Saturday night albums, and definitely my favorite MJ album. Yes, I just said that. Off The Wall is definitely my favorite MJ album, and it’s not even close. And yes, I’ve heard them all. This is one of those albums that’s just perfect for kick-starting your weekend. Take a look at this FIVE song run that opens the album. It’s almost hard to believe how good this is. “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough”, “Rock With You”, “Working Day and Night”, “Get On the Floor”, and “Off The Wall”. These songs deal with Bruce-like issues with a ‘70’s soul vibe that sounds like the good part of disco (i.e. TSOP) and not the lame cheesy part. If that opening run doesn’t put you in a good mood and ready for your weekend, I don’t know what will. And make sure you check out “It’s The Falling In Love”. What a song!

On Friday night, I had the pleasure of seeing The Menzingers play a sold-out hometown show in Philly. Oh my lord. What. A. Show. I have not been to a rock ‘n roll show like that in a long, long time. The energy. The sense of community. The band totally rocked the show, and the crowd, including me, rocked just as hard. There was lots of movement throughout the entire set, and it’s shows like this that are my reasons for exercising as intensely as I do. Sure, I could scale back on my workouts which would mean I would have seen the show from further away. But when you are in a pit with hundreds of people singing and dancing to some of the best new rock ‘n roll, you realize there’s no other way to enjoy it than being in that pit.

This show was a real treat, and if you haven’t seen The Menzingers on tour yet, or heard their fantastic new album After The Party, I cannot recommend it enough. Run, don’t walk, to your local record store right now and buy the album. Stop reading this, and immediately go to their website and buy tickets to their show. You won’t regret it. The band has such a great time on stage. And the crowd does too. As I told everyone I would, I went absolutely nuts during “Lookers”.

This was a special show for me. It felt like the old TGA days for me. There were so many of my friends at the show. It really hasn’t been like that since TGA went on their break. It was fun to watch my friends in the pit, rocking as hard as possible. This is one of the things I like most about music. I love seeing everyone else so happy.

It’s crazy to think that I nearly missed this show. Let me explain. In 2012, TGA was touring their great album Handwritten, and I went to a ton of shows on that tour. The Menzingers were opening at the Philly show on November 27. At that time, I had never heard of them before. A few of my friends told me that I needed to make sure I saw The Menzingers, so I did. And nothing happened. I didn’t get it at all. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t think they were terrible. Not by any means. They just didn’t do anything for me.

Flash forward about seven months, and I was talking to a great friend of mine about music. We both love TGA, so were talking about them, and then started talking about other bands. He mentioned The Menzingers, and I told him that I had had trouble getting into them. He stopped me dead in my tracks and insisted that I buy their third album On The Impossible Past. I did so. And I LOVED it. It hit me so hard, and I was instantly in love with the band’s music. I’ve followed them ever since. After the show on Friday, as I was literally out of breath from singing and dancing and fist pumping so hard, and counting down the minutes until I got back to my hotel so I could change out of my sweat-drenched clothes, I felt so lucky that my friend and I had had our conversation almost four years ago. Imagine if we weren’t talking about TGA on that day. We may have never discussed The Menzingers, and if that had happened, I might have continued to write them off. I might have followed their new music. And worst of all, I could have decided not to go to this show. That would have been a terrible decision! I’m glad the opposite happened, and I’m glad I have great friends who are not afraid to be persistent about telling me about truly great music.

The next day after The Menzingers show, we had a few hours to kill in Philly. Hm. A few free hours in Center City. I think I know how to fill those hours….RECORD SHOPPING! We ended up at Long In The Tooth, one of my favorite stores in Philly. They have a great selection of new vinyl and you can find some real used gems if you spend the time digging. Luckily, we had the time to do some digging and as a result, I found some really great gems, a few of which were on my want-list.

Dave Hause – “Time Will Tell” 7-inch This comes with two non-album songs, including a cover of the Souls’ “Ghosts On the Boardwalk”. Not a bad deal for under $4.

Blood Orange – “Dinner” b/w “Bad Girls” 7-inch I didn’t even know this existed. I LOVE Blood Orange, and neither of these songs are on any Blood Orange albums.

Miles Davis – Tutu What an album! This is a great late-night Saturday night album. I was doing some research on this album and I read that this was originally planned to be a collaboration with Prince. Can you imagine an album with Miles Davis AND Prince?!

Angel Olsen – Burn Your Fire For No Witness

And now the fun begins. Long In The Tooth had a TON of Prince vinyl. Unless I already had it, or there were visible scratches on the used vinyl, I bought all of it.

Prince - Batman My Dad got me into Prince, and he loves this album. We listened to this on CD all the time when I was a kid. Check out “Trust”.

Prince And The Revolution - “Anotherloverholenyohead” b/w “Girls & Boys” 12-inch

Prince - “Letitgo” 12-inch

Prince And The Revolution - “Let’s Go Crazy” b/w “Erotic City (‘Make Love Not War Erotic City Come Alive’)” 12-inch

Here is a list of some of the music I’ve been listening to the past week. Format: musician – album title, or musician – “song title” (album title).

Bob Dylan – Triplicate

Ryan Adams – Prisoner

Kendrick Lamar – “The Heart Part 4”

Craig Finn – We All Want the Same Things

Laura Marling – Semper Femina

Dave Hause – Bury Me In Philly

Conor Oberst – Salutations

Crystal Fairy – Crystal Fairy

The Shins - Heartworms

The Menzingers – After The Party

The Menzingers – “Lookers” (After The Party)

The Pretenders – Learning to Crawl

Counting Crows – “A Long December” (Recovering The Satellites)

Camp Cope – Camp Cope

The Cure – Three Imaginary Boys

John Mayer Trio – Try!

Wilco – Summerteeth

The Cure – The Head On the Door

Miles Davis – On The Corner

Miles Davis – Tutu

Sam Beam & Jesca Hoop – Love Letter For Fire

Bob Dylan – Fallen Angels

Bob Dylan – Shadows In the Night

Wilco – A.M.

Ryan Adams – “Do You Laugh When You Lie?” b/w “By the Way” and “I’m In Love With You”

Ryan Adams – “Blue Light” b/w “On My Life” and “I Lost My Fucking Mind”

Michael Jackson – Off The Wall

Prince – Batman

Blood Orange – Cupid Deluxe

Lissie – Back To Forever

Nina Simone – Let It All Out

Hootie & The Blowfish – Cracked Rear View

Music is not only fun to listen to. It’s also fun to read about! Hear are a few articles that I’ve read recently, which I think are worth your time.

- JM (John Mayer) has a new album coming out on April 14, called The Search For Everything. The NYT did a feature article on him on March 26. The link to that article is below. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/23/arts/music/john-mayer-search-for-everything-interview.html?ref=todayspaper

- (F)JM (Father John Misty) has a new album coming out the week before JM’s new album. It’s called Pure Comedy and I can’t wait to listen to it. The NYT did a feature article on this (F)JM, and the link to that article is below. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/14/arts/music/father-john-misty-pure-comedy-interview.html?ref=todayspaper

- Dave Hause’s new album Bury Me In Philly is one of my favorites so far from this year. I discovered his music in 2012 when I saw him touring in support of his debut solo album Resolutions. He recently did an interview with Xtra Mile Recordings about that album. You can (and should) read that interview by clicking the link below. http://www.1.xtramilerecordings.com/dave-hause-on-resolutions/

- Last week I mentioned Dylan’s Q&A with Bill Flanagan. I think it’s so good, and hilarious, that I will mention it again. Carve some time into your schedule to read this. http://www.bobdylan.com/news/qa-with-bill-flanagan/

- Jack White is one of those musicians that you just have to love if you’re a music fan. I wish all musicians had his passion and love for music. The New Yorker did a feature article on him recently, appearing in the March 13, 2017 issue. The link to the article is below. http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/03/13/jack-whites-infinite-imagination

- New Miserable Experience by the Gin Blossoms was recently reissued on vinyl. It is a great summer album (check out the song “29”), filled with catchy choruses and ‘90s guitar riffs (never a bad thing). A lot of people know some of the Gin Blossoms hits, but not many people know about how they were close to never being popular at all, and yet at the same time had the potential to be one of the world’s biggest bands. This story explains some of that. http://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/gin-blossoms-new-miserable-experience-at-25-w473690?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=daily&utm_campaign=032917_12

- The New York Times Style Magazine recently included a feature article on Tom Waits, Kendrick Lamar, and Beck, discussing their creative process and the urgency and emergency they feel when creating. That’s quite the group of talented and creative musicians right there. A feature article of each of them discussing their inspirations and creative process is bound to be worth reading. I’ve read it, and it is. Take some time to read it. Here is the link. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/01/t-magazine/beck-tom-waits-kendrick-lamar.html?_r=0

Now I am listening to Dylan’s great new album Triplicate on the turntable. This is an album that was meant to be listened to on vinyl. And it’s a great Sunday album. So after you listen to MJ’s Off The Wall on a Saturday night, you can listen to Dylan’s Triplicate on a Sunday. You can always find the connection in music!

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