October 31 - Joie De Vivre

I've been thinking a lot about New Orleans and its spirit due to my recent embodiment of Mardi Gras for Halloween. One thing that speaks so strongly to me is the concept of "Joie De Vivre", which goes beyond its common translation of "zest for life." It is so much more. Joie De Vivre means that one finds beauty in the small things, that one breaks open a fine bottle of wine on a Tuesday, that one is a dreamer among many, that one becomes a celebrant for every occasion and that one dances down the street at a funeral to celebrate LIFE!

It is in the spirit of JOIE DE VIVRE that I write this blog. Lassiez les bon temps rouler!

PS I decided to create this watercolor of Joie De Vivre and then I took a picture of it... So it still counts a photo... Sorta.

October 30 - Halloween: The Holidays

One of the greatest nights for Halloween EVER!

Great drinks, delicious snacks, a lovely little respite at Barrel 44, and an appearance on stage... According to strategically placed audience members, we were a crowd favorite!

Laissez les bon temps rouler!!!

October 29 - Lollipop Characters

One of my students created lollipops characters for Nola and myself. How cute are they?

I am located on the right, in full Headmaster Tumbledore garb. Love it.

Nola is located on the left, with a cute little bow.

Charming.

October 28 - Adventure is One Mistake Away

So I cheated...

I didn't take this picture BUT I love it so much.

If you've never seen A Softer World, you should definitely check it out. They take unique photos and add quotes to form comics. I'm obsessed. It's amazing. :-)

October 27 - Bumblebee

From the look on her face, I clearly deserve to be mother of the year... Oh, the contempt!

The inspiration? The iconic Blind Melon video for "No Rain."

October 26 - Peanut Butter, Jelly and Banana Sandwich

This is literally the best sandwich I've ever eaten. Try it if you haven't yet.

October 25, 2010 - Foam Sword Fight

My residents are hilarious. Someone found foam swords and there was an epic battle in the lounge. It was a great stress reliever for them. My great stress reliever of the day was yoga but I didn't want to disturb the Zen quality by snapping a picture. Oh, Monday!

October 24, 2010 - Doggie Parade

After a failed attempt to enjoy brunch at Northstar, J. Tulls and I attended the Doggie Parade at Easton. There were beautiful dogs in ridiculous costumes but it was quite a fun experience. Plus, it raised a lot of money for the Capital Area Human Society so that dogs without loving homes can have a happy Halloween.

PS I thought of you, JRL, the whole time. You would have loved it. I miss you.

October 23, 2010 - Otterbein Homecoming

Community Garden Scarecrow and Pumpkins

CCL Creativity in Action

The theme for Otterbein's Homecoming is Forever Tan and Cardinal this year so, being the playful people that we are, the CCLs decided to make it "Forever Tannin' Cardinal." We had a GIANT Cardinal on a GIANT beach chair, a walking sun (center of the picture) and lots of silly sunglasses. Amazing. :-)

PS Thanks to Melissa and Bryant Gilbert for the beautiful pictures!

October 22, 2010 - Dunk Tank

Amazing Thing of the Day: Dunk Tank

In order to raise money for St. Jude's, I was subjected to freezing cold waters and the torment of my students. I entered the water twice and it was just as icy the second time. Also, Nola decided to drink from the fire hose, which also supplied icy cold water to the dunk tank. Scratch #135 off the bucket list!

PS The last picture features my lovely first year CardinalCorps Leaders. They are hilarious.

October 21, 2010 - Ingrid Michaelson

"Immigrant Song"

"You and I"

"Maybe"

I went to see Ingrid Michaelson tonight and it was absolutely magical!

The opening act was called Guggenheim Grotto, a duo with disarmingly charming Irish accents. Heartfelt lyrics and a foot pedal drum, which adds undeniable intimacy to any song, meant every girl in the room was swooning. My favorite song was called "The Universe is Laughing", with a ukulele that managed to add spirit and brightness without being kitschy.

When Ingrid Michaelson arrived on stage, you knew you were in the presence of a true performer. She and her bandmates were cloaked in black satin robes and performed a brief choreographed entrance while audience members listened to the howl of Robert Plant on "Immigrant Song." One of my friends jokingly questioned if we were at the right concert. This is just part of the magic of an Ingrid Michaelson show: an incredible mix of irony and earnestness, sweetness and melancholy, flippant humor and emotional depth.

Ingrid's music had such heart that it was impossible not to fall in love with it. The highlights of the evening definitely included "You and I", which featured adorable vocal performances from all of her band mates, as well as "Nightswimming", which showcased her incredible talent with a loop pedal. Her amusing story about a drunken encounter with Michael Stipe added to its charm.

I left the show in such high spirits. I literally wanted to skip down the street, find the nearest playground, hop on the swings and belt out her songs for the next few hours. There is such authenticity about Ingrid, from her dreamy songs about love to her "exit" from stage by hiding behind a blanket before the finale, that makes you want to believe. To believe in love, to believe that everything really will be okay, and to believe that the world is truly full of amazing things that happen every day.