All wet.

Plans, plans, plans.... 

say what you want about them.  They are usually pretty useless.  The act of planning has value, but the plans themselves?  Often of much less importance in the end.  Because when it comes to most things, we're just not really in charge.

For instance, Minnesotans were planning on a hot, dry summer. The weather people thought so -- all signs pointed to it.  And yet late spring has broken all kinds of rain records.  In fact, a zoo up north got so much rain overnight, the seals and a polar bear planned their escape and swam away.

True story (and actually a sad one -- 11 animals died).  Anyway, our much talked-about plans for coping with the sure and dreaded drought?  All wet.

Right now my own life is also failing miserably to conform to my plans.  I am supposed to be dealing with moving vans and whatnot....instead, I am what?  Not.

I am twiddling.  My thumbs, my toes, my brain, anything that can be twiddled.
Spinning my wheels,
cooling my heels --
would be watching paint dry, but the paint dried about 6 weeks ago, so even the entertainment value of that exercise has now evaporated.

At least we now have a definitive answer to the question of home vs. off-site studio.  Off-site wins!  If you want to keep working while Ms. Fate is throwing water on your plans and having a good chuckle about it.  So I'm making note of that, for future reference.

One good thing that my current lack-of-a-life is affording me, however, is time to do things like read, and see movies! 

I've always been a huge fan of YA -- never stopped reading books for Y after I became an A, actually.  It's a guilty pleasure, only I don't always feel guilty about it because thank goodness there's a whole lot of very worthwhile literature for young people, and it seems to be on the increase.

Two of my recent favorites:

Both sophisticated, quirky and interesting.  Both spunky, charming and romantic.  Both written by men, which I found to be particularly intriguing --



teenage love stories written by men?
Fascinating and a breath of fresh air.

About time, I say.

One is obviously (and heavily!) illustrated by Maira Kalman -- a definite plus!

I'd highly recommend both, if you're looking for breezy summer reading that will make you laugh and smile and sigh a bit.

And speaking of smiling and sighing...

Another kiddie love story by a man --
a movie that I am completely smitten with:

Even if you're not busy raising time-wasting to an art form (as I am) you should take a little time out to see this magical movie!  Take the kids!  Or better yet, leave them home!  It is pure delight.  And yes, I admit I love Wes Anderson so I was biased from the moment I bought the ticket.  But still . . . Were you ever a kid?  If so, see the movie.

And I'd love to know what you're reading!  Please share! Because I have a feeling I'm going to have a little more time to kill, before all is said and done...

Yikes! June 20 already?!
Well then . . . Happy Summer!