October 28, 2013 by gn0mel0ver

Rhode Montijo

As many of you know, I love art. My family and I collect whimsical surreal pieces in our home. One artist I have had the pleasure of meeting is Rhode Montijo. We own four pieces of his fun art. He is the creator of a comic called, “The Halloween Kid.” I believe a special is supposed to be airing soon. He has been hard at work on it. It is based off of the children’s book he wrote (he also wrote “Cloud Boy”). I figured with Halloween here it is a perfect time to showcase his art.

Our first piece by him is my favorite. It looks like two gnomes playing in a tree. But there is a creature shambling towards them. I think it looks kind of like Ollie.

This is such a whimsical little creature. I liked the scale of him on the page. In a few weeks I will be doing a post about how to save money on your framing. I definitely used those tricks for this piece. Isn’t he cute?

I like this collage of creatures. It is interesting. I like to mix pencil drawings in with more colorful pieces. It allows the eye some rest.

A fairy king perhaps? Rhode’s imagination and drawing technique is fantastic.

Here is Rhode Montijo and myself at Comic Con in July. I wish I would have gotten a picture of him with his lovely wife, too.

Rhode Montijo loves Halloween. I remember reading once on his blog that he leaves door hangers he created on homes he feels truly got into the fun spirit of Halloween. He really is a sweet man with an imagination to match his talent. I have met him three times and he is always smiling. We love to have his art in our home.

October 4, 2013 by gn0mel0ver

“What does the fox say?”

My ten year old son came home from a three day overnight camp. He cuddled up to me and insisted I watch a You Tube video concerning some sort of fox and dancing. He called it “super funny.”

My daughter had come home the day before and told me that this fox video has replaced Gangnam style.

When I asked her if this was a good thing…

I was greeted with a snort. A laugh. And a single sentence, “it’s awesome.”

Being that I had not seen my son in three days and this was his one request. And also feeling like maybe I should be “up” on what my children are watching on You Tube, I obliged him. Especially after last week, when my husband and two kids came home laughing after going to the video game store together. Apparently there had been a clueless mother there attempting to buy her seven year old child “Grand Theft Auto.” The cashier had to talk her out of it. I did not want to be “that” mom.

This is the video that is all the rage right now. “What does the fox say?”.

So I watched it. Um. Yes. That is all I have to say about it.

“Um.”

I really am getting old. I will agree it is quite catchy. I know this because the song has been in my head for three days.

My son just read what I wrote in that paragraph and this was his response:

“Mom. I don’t think you’re getting old. When I first saw it, I thought it was weird, too. But then I agreed that the music is good. Everything else is just…weird. I then looked up what a fox does say, because I was curious. It makes kind of a bark, but shorter. Well, actually, it makes over forty different sounds. I only know five of them. In the fall, it makes a mating call.”

He paused here.

“I don’t know what that sounds like,” he pondered.

Hmmmm. I don’t either.

However, I will conclude that that was well said, son. Well said.

I don’t think a fox could have said it any better.

September 20, 2013 by gn0mel0ver

Reading: The Name of the Wind

I recently finished reading my favorite book in the world, “The Name of the Wind,” for the third time. It is written by Patrick Rothfuss. It is part of a trilogy. The third one has yet to be released. Bated breath, folks. Bated breath.

The reason I love this book is because it can appeal to anyone. I am a lover of fantasy. Science fiction. The surreal. And while this book is set in another world and it has magic and such, it is written in a more fluid fictional first person narrative. Meaning the main character is telling his story and he can be related to by most. The words in this book are pure poetry.

I wish I could quote some of my favorite verses. There are so many quotable sayings in the book. Unfortunately, I recently read you cannot print a quote from a book without permission from the author. And, thus, I shall not. It makes me more than slightly nauseous to think of Patrick Rothfuss reading my drivel.

It does take a bit to get into the book. Each time I read it, I get stuck on the first thirty pages for about two days. But then the story opens up. And you get lost in it.

The story centers around Kvothe. It starts out with him as an inn keeper relating his story back to a transcriber. And boy what a story! The main premise of this book is him getting to The University to try to learn the name of the wind. It is what Harry Potter would be if it was set to poetry and music. And I say that with the highest regard, because if I ever won the lottery, the very first thing I would purchase is the first edition Harry Potter book.

Kvothe is an unlikely hero. Well, aren’t all heroes usually unlikely? So, I guess he is a likely hero. You are definitely rooting for him even as you disagree with some of the choices he makes. But that is what makes this book great. Not good. Because you do care. You care about a character who does not exist. True magic. That is what that is.

As soon as I finished this book, I promptly picked up the second one (for the second time) and breezed through it. And then, in a purely nerdy fashion… I made notes and guesses about what I thought was going to happen in book three.

Then I googled it. Because that is how much I love this book. I found forums discussing just this very subject. I swiftly felt like an idiot. So many wonderful theories and ways to look at these books. Not only did I not feel worthy to post my theories, but I also left the forums firmly believing that Patrick Rothfuss is a genius. If what these people theorize is correct, he will have brought the whole story together so beautifully. And unbelievably intelligently. I cannot even stand it. That is how smart these books are.

Have you read these books? Are you anxiously awaiting the finale? Do you have any recommendations of your own for me to read while I am waiting? And tell me I am not alone in my firm belief that brains are mightier than brawn in making a grown woman swoon.

P.S. You can always check out Patrick Rothfuss’ blog in my blog roll. And his Facebook page is wonderful. But my favorite post of his was one he wrote this past Valentine’s Day. He is such a beautiful writer. This might be the best blog post ever written. Oh! Also, I just want to quickly note that he curses on his blog. This does not bother me. But you should be warned, in case that affects you negatively.

May 30, 2013 by gn0mel0ver

The Mission Project From H%!#

In California, every child in the fourth grade is required to do a project on a mission. So, basically, parents all around California are elbow deep in glue and tears throughout the month of April.

I had dreaded the impending mission project for months.

My husband told me he would do the project this year. Score! It was a series of four projects. They completed the first three items quickly, but had saved the biggest project for last. This was, to build a replica of the mission assigned to the child.

They had two months to complete it. Which would have been fine, had the date not have been changed. It was originally due May 20th. This is how I found out the date had been changed:

The afternoon of May 2nd, I picked up my child from school. I noticed quite a few children leaving the grounds with elaborate mission projects in their hands. I began to grow alarmed. The dread crept from my heart and trickled down my back.

“Hey, when is your mission project due?” I asked my son.

“Oh, not until May 3rd,” he responded.

Time stood still. My voice became squeaky with terror, “That’s tomorrow.”

No response. Just big eyes staring at me from the back seat. We drove home in panicked silence.

My husband was at work and would not be getting home until long after the children’s bedtime. I was mad…

And that is all I am going to say about that. Oh, and my son was grounded…for forever.

I knew we had five hours to get some sort of mission completed. Let’s begin by holding hands and agreeing I am not good in a crisis. I found the pizza box from the night before. I began frantically ripping it apart. Oh? They had cheese and marinara tile flooring in missions? Yup, I bet you never knew that.

Once I had my base, I wracked my brain for an idea. I quickly began searching the house for materials. My husband was going to build a Lego mission with my son. I immediately scrapped that idea. I only had five hours. So, I grabbed my box of Q-tips and raced to my pizza box. As I began stacking the qtips and trying to glue them together, my children gathered around me and began mocking my idea.

“Oh, my God! What are you doing? Q-tips? Really mom?” my daughter taunted.

My son, being more invested in the project, began shaking his head. “No, mom. Just No.”

I threw the Q-tips to the side. I tore the doors to my pantry open. A bright beam of light shone down from the heavens. It landed on my three boxes of graham crackers. And all was right with the world.

I grabbed one box and began ripping it open. I started hot glueing two graham crackers together all over the table. I let these sit and dry. Then I picked them up and began glueing them together to make the walls. Yes! It worked perfectly…

I am lying.

The graham crackers disintegrated where the two ends met the glue. It was a gloppy sad mess…I am so mad! I have to write the company! How dare these treats meant to be eaten and digested by children not stand up to hot glue. The very idea.

Then a brilliant plan formed: I could make rice krispie treats! I had just enough marshmallows for two giant batches. Those would stick together and we could roll it and cut it into shape. This might be okay. I grabbed my marshmallows from the pantry. And then gasped as large stale marshmallows flew across the kitchen floor. One of my lovely children had decided to open the bag and eat a marshmallow many weeks ago. And then left the bag open. Wasn’t that kind of them? Wasn’t that lovely? The image of the beautiful marshmallow cereal oasis dissolved in my head.

Thirty minutes had passed. My head was spinning. There was only one option left… Legos. Oh, I guess there were two. But I hate cutting cardboard more than I hated the project.

I have never built a Lego.

I HAVE NEVER BUILT A LEGO!

I quickly realized this after every single one of my fingernails had broken off separating all of the white legos in my son’s collection. I tried to put them together for a base and the pieces would not fit together. I pulled my knees to my chest and started sobbing. How was I going to get this done? The reality hit me that I probably wasn’t. And the failure of our parenting crushed my soul with its sorrow.

My daughter stepped in. As she does. She happens to be the only capable one in the family. And I am so grateful.

“I’ll build it with him, mom,” she said.

Actually, what she really said was, “You Idiots! I’ll build it.” She gets rather frustrated with tears.

At this point, I wasn’t going to get mad at her observation. It was true. My house looked like a chimpanzee had ran rampant. I moved over so she could start.

“I will work on this until 8:00. I have to do my homework at 8:00. If I do not have the red roof started by 7:00, then you can panic.” She told me in her matter-of-fact voice.

I set off to the kitchen to make her favorite dinner. The kids worked together on that project for the next three hours. At 8:00, the roof was not on. But that was okay.

It was not the fanciest mission that ever was. It does not really look all that much like the real building. Most mission projects are ten times this size. He will be lucky to get a “C.” But I can honestly say no parent hands built this. It was the work of my two children. Regardless of what grade he receives, I am very proud of it. I am incredibly proud of my daughter for stepping up to the challenging situation. Her work on it was all that held this project together. It was all that held me together.

This little mission was built from tears, broken fingernails, sibling love, and pure frantic motivation. There never was one so beautiful.

And I am not speaking of the mission.

Gnome Lover

Stumbling through life while still having fun

The

Rhode Montijo

“What does the fox say?”

Reading: The Name of the Wind

The Mission Project From H%!#