Where is your light source?

I had the privilege of meeting the inspiring, insightful, "illuminating", and hilarious cartoonist Lynda Barry this week in a roundtable discussion at SAIC. I even mustered the courage to show her some of my own drawings from my very prolific period called: 1st through 3rd grade. She inspired me to go back to my own childhood drawings and remember what I was thinking then.

This pencil drawing is from the pad of paper that was always kept by the phone to take messages. I was 6 years old and my mom had the wisdom to hold onto it. I'm guessing I was thinking about the sewer system underneath the streets. I'm not sure if the lady's careful disposal of trash despite her unruly elbow was an early comment on environmental action. Lynda Barry did mention that I had a keen sense of light sources in my drawings. Sure enough, the drawing above includes the car's headlights in the background. Lynda included a light source above my name when she signed my copy of her book, One!Hundred!Demons!. She just plain rocks and has become my newest light source.

When Vacuums Arrive Without Husbands

"#&*@$!, the replacement belt I ordered from hoover.com doesn't fit this ancient model!"

You'd think that the fact that this vacuum belonged to my grandma and had sat in a closet as "back up" for 20 years would scare me away. But, I channeled my inner Amy and Martha (See youtube video below) and got crafty.

I went to the local hardware store and bought a Dirt Devil brand belt ($2.99!) and it still didn't fit! Oh, heavens! So I started cutting with the ole pair of trusty surgical scissors. It's kept nearby in case a guest is choking and we need to cut open their throat so they can breathe. 

By Golly, it worked! 

Notice how the autumnal burnt orange of the vacuum , carpet, and dining room chair, pair beautifully with the yellow cardigan.

I'm so excited, I might just tell Amy Sedaris about this at her booksigning this Saturday at the Borders on Michigan Ave. Her new book is Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People.