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September 2007
Some random thoughts to close out the summer of 2007, mostly because I've been so focused on other things this month that I haven't thought about what I should write for my column.
My fondest congratulations to Ron for seeing his lifelong dream finally taking flight. I've known Ron since marrying into the family nearly 28 years ago, and I've always admired his abilities in the visual arts. In August, he signed a contract to produce a large piece of custom artwork for a company, with a good possibility of other contracts to produce art for more of their facilities. In addition, he's on the schedule for a gallery showing in Las Vegas next fall, and his art is getting noticed. When we visited with Ron and Bonnie a few weeks ago, he stressed to never give up on our dreams. He's living proof that sometimes it might take years, but that success comes to those who invest the effort into their dreams and remain open to opportunities. I'm thrilled for you, Ron, and I take inspiration from you. You rock.
Switching gears here, I recently saw a teaser for a theatric adaptation of "Horton Hears a Who". Based on the trailer, that strange noise you hear in the background is Dr. Seuss spinning wildly in his grave as his creation is subjected to the butchery of Hollywood's money-making machine. While I appreciate the entertainment industry wishing to bring the late poet's work to the big screen, one does not pay tribute to a genius by redefining and diluting his work with lowbrow humor. Both the Grinch and Horton were brought to animated life wonderfully by Chuck Jones (the Grinch in 1967 and Horton in 1971), and the incredible prose of Dr. Seuss was kept intact by adding animation to the unabridged texts of the books. It's hard to imagine improving upon either the books or the Chuck Jones adaptations, though it's not hard to imagine the dollar signs in the eyes of the current crop of producers as they mutilate the manuscripts. I thought they might have learned after the travesty of the movie version of "The Cat in the Hat", but obviously money talks, and logic walks.
Cardan's Pod is still in the hands of the editor, so I have nothing new to report on that subject. I'm hoping the time it's taking is indicative of her workload, and isn't a bad omen on the manuscript. Meanwhile, I'm finishing up another project and getting ready for this year's
NaNoWriMo in November. Sign-ups for WriMo begin in October, and if you've ever had the inkling to write a novel, I heartily encourage you to head over to www.nanowrimo.org and consider participating. It's a fun, crazy, and wild way to jump into writing, and I had a blast with my first WriMo last year. I'm looking forward to NaNoWriMo 2007, and would love to hear of others joining in.
This month, I'm going to step out of my comfort zone and participate in Flutestravaganza! with our local Flute Club. This will be an all-day flute recital to benefit our Community Food Bank, with people making financial donations to the Food Bank to sponsor performers, and the audience donating non-perishable food items on the day of the event. Public performance scares the daylights out of me, but I'll endure some nerves for a good cause. If you're involved in any of the arts, I encourage you to look for opportunities to put those creative energies to good service. We don't have to be professionals to do something positive; heck, we don't even have to be that good. We just have to be willing. If I can get through my "set" without dropping my flute, I'll count my participation as a success.
See you next month, and listen to Ron. It's only too late for your dreams when you give up.
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