Happy Birthday Mr. Mayor!

Ben by T. Benson

Today is one of those bittersweet days.  It’s Ben’s fourteenth birthday, and I’m not sure quite how to feel.  This one snuck up on me, unlike when Isabel turned eighteen.  Fourteen isn’t the same type of milestone birthday that thirteen, sixteen or eighteen is; that is until you think about what’s coming up this year.

Ben will be starting high school in the fall, and he’ll be one more step down the road to adulthood.

I’ve written quite a bit about his sister in this space, not as much about my boy.  I’m not sure what that is, exactly.  Perhaps it’s because my relationship with Isabel requires much more tending.  We are more alike than we care to admit, and that makes for more drama.

Ben is both easier and harder.  Up with the sun and awake until the last possible moment each day, a bundle of constant motion and thought, Ben is the polar opposite of his sister. 

Some things, like school and sports, come easy to him.  Others, like sitting still or keeping his opinions to himself, not so much.

When he first started playing flag football, his head coach at the time taught the boys to shake hands with the coaches and thank them after each practice or game.  He also taught the kids to thank their parents for bringing them.  This has stuck with Ben, and he’s a hand-shaker to this day.  It has earned him the nickname, “The Mayor.”  We are usually the last ones to our car after practice or a game, because Ben has to shake hands with every coach, teammate and referee.

Dave and I fondly joke that Ben will be a trial attorney or a talk radio show host.  He has Dave’s gift of gab and my need to argue everything.  We have to constantly remind Ben not to over-analyze every situation or to correct every person in the room.  His memory is remarkable, as well.  He can tell you where we had dinner on a particular date, who sat where, what everyone ordered, our waiter’s name and probably the songs that were playing in the background.  I still have to remind him to feed the dogs, though.

Right now, like most kids his age, Ben wants to play football in the NFL.  In reality, he seems to be destined for other things.  His performance in the Cambridge Academy indicates that he will go far in school and can be just about anything that he will set his mind to.

For now, he’s my workout buddy, the kid who leaves his socks on the floor and always tells me that he loves me.  He’s an All-American Boy-Next-Door and my baby.

I know, Ben.  You’re not a baby anymore; but, I’m proud of you and I love you more than all of these words can say.

Happy Birthday Mr. Mayor!

Passion – making pictures #reverb11 #postaday2011

Tags

drawing, passion, postaday2011, Queen_of_the_Squirrels, reverb11, Sara_Rose

Passion – If you could quit your day job and your quality of life wouldn’t change, what would you do?

The Queen of the Squirrels - by B. Baltzell

Don’t worry…this isn’t another post about roller derby.  That’s a new obsession, but something that hasn’t fully formed yet.

Instead, if I could just do one thing, I’d like to be an illustrator.  I am captivated by the artwork in children’s books, and I’d love to find some way to do it in collaboration with a writer, or come up with something on my own.

I love to draw.  I’ve never taken any art classes, with the exception of one drawing course in college.  I tend to work best from a quick idea.  Someone tells a story or makes a comment, and I immediately get a picture in my head that needs to be translated as a cartoon or a drawing.

A while back, my friend, Tracy, told a bunch of her Tweeps about things that she did as a child.  She grew up spending a lot of time in the woods around her house, and fancied herself “The Queen of the Squirrels.”  I could immediately picture Tracy as a little girl, wearing a crown of twigs and leaves, standing on a tree stump, delivering judgements and kindness to all of the woodland creatures.  The next morning, I dragged out my drawing pad and my colored pencils and got to work.  I spent the better part of the day drawing.

My family knows that when inspiration strikes, it’s best to leave me alone until I finish the project or the flame burns low.

Last Christmas, my business partner had been working on Christmas cards at a folding table next to her couch.  There was a long cloth covering the table, and she tripped over it getting up to answer the phone.  She ended up with a terrible black eye, and a sheepish grin when she told the story.  I worked for a couple of days on a cartoon of alternative stories for her shiner.  I slipped it in with her Christmas present and gave it to her at our office Christmas dinner.  She loved it, and had it framed.  It hangs in her kitchen for all to see.

Next, I need to work on a drawing for my friend, Sara Rose.  My vision of her is as a wickedly funny, glittery Glinda…all pink and sparkly and awesome.  Her reign of Taco Tuesday domination is growing to legendary proportions.

Eventually, I would like to learn to paint.  For some reason, I can’t translate the pictures in my head to paint the same way that I can with colored pencils.

As the years progress, I am more determined to find a way to do this.  I may never get published, but it’s definitely something to shoot for.

My step-dad loves children’s books…maybe I need to work on him to come up with a story…hmmm.

In the month of December, I am participating in reverb11.  It is a chance to look back and reflect upon the year just passed, and to look forward to 2012.  Each day, a prompt is issued, and the reverb11 community interprets the prompt in accordance with their own experience.  Join us, won’t you?

http://reverb11.geekinhard.com/2011/11/list-of-lists.html?spref=tw

Grace in Small Things Sunday Edition #gist #postaday2011

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#graceinsmallthings, blankie, cousins, postaday2011, rain, Sunday

I absolutely love this exercise.  “Waging a battle against embitterment”

I really need to resolve to do this at least once a week.

1)  My daughter’s blankie - Eighteen years ago, or so, my mother cross-stitched a beautiful cream-colored blanket with kittens and bunnies.  She edged it with soft ivory eyelet trim.  We took Isabel home from the hospital wrapped in it, and it’s never left her since.  If she’s watching TV, or curled up on her bed doing homework, the blankie can be found tucked next to her.  Today, I put the blankie in the wash, and when I pulled it from the dryer, I marveled at its softness.  There are holes and the eyelet is a bit ragged from Isabel rolling it between her fingers absent-mindedly.  All that’s left of the kitties and bunnies are a few fur colored knots.  Knowing how much love went into making the blanket, and how much Isabel has loved it her whole life, my heart swelled as I held it.  Thanks, Mom!

2)  Rainy Sundays – It wasn’t pouring or anything, and we didn’t get anywhere near the amount originally predicted; but, the day was just gray enough and cool enough that we could hunker down in our jammies, watch “Vacation” and football, and write the afternoon away.

3)  Cousins – Last night, I got to hang out with my cousins, Lisa and Rachael.  Rach is here for the holidays from Australia, and it’s been too long since we were together.  Dammit, these two make me laugh!  We went to a roller derby bout, decked in our “derby” names.  Lisa – ACDC (After Cancer Derby Chick) Rachael – Bush Whacker, and me – Barbie Que.  After the bout, we went to a local pub and talked a mile a minute, laughed at the terrible bar cames being played with the DJ, and relished every moment.