The Most Wonderful Gift

For my birthday, I received this amazing drawing from a person so special that words cannot begin to capture my feelings. We share many things: an appreciation for sea creatures, music and snuggling. And right now we are both particularly interested in nebulae, galaxies, stars and the solar system. You know, a little thing called The Universe.

I first saw the picture in an e-mail, and was not so subtle when expressing my admiration for it, blurting out something totally inelegant like, "Oh my god, I want that so much!" But I didn't mean for it to actually end up in my possession. And yet it did, because the generous parents of this unique and sensitive being collaborated with him to make my wish come true.

I will treasure it forever.

In a rocket, looking at a comet (comet not pictured).

And for those who might share our fascination with the cosmos, I would highly recommend the Discovery Channel series How the Universe Works. It's available on Netflix. For the past few years, since moving to a new spot on Earth, I have been listening to it every night as I fall asleep. It's the perfect lullaby.

And here is another lullaby:
Under the Milky Way - The Church (Starfish, 1988)

Some Songs I Love

Straight Outta Compton -  NWA (Straight Outta Compton, 1988)
Gangsta's Paradise - Coolio featuring L.V. (Gangsta's Paradise, 1995)
Rapper's Delight - The Sugarhill Gang (Sugarhill Gang, 1979)

Would You Wear It In Your House?

If Dr. Seuss designed evening wear, it would probably look a little something like this. Would you wear it here or there? I would wear it everywhere!

image source unknown

Dream Tree

Trees belong to no one, but I secretly wish this tree was mine.

The Angel Oak - specific image source unknown

Some Songs I Love

God Only Knows - The Beach Boys (Pet Sounds, 1966)

The Sound of Silence - Simon & Garfunkel (Sounds of Silence, 1965, and an earlier version from 1964)

Time In a Bottle - Jim Croce (You Don't Mess Around with Jim, 1973)

Diane Izzo: 'One'

In 1999, Diane Izzo released her debut album One. It is an arresting and perfectly executed album. Raw and dark and elaborate. Damage, disintegration and harrowing, devastating beauty. It is so pure and honest -- you can hear her truth in every lyric and every chord. This may be one of the only posts I do about an album without linking to a song. While I know all the songs can stand on their own, I could never listen to them that way. This, probably more than most I've encountered, is an album. A whole. An experience. A work of art.

One never got the attention it deserved. Journalists are now calling it "one of the best singer-songwriter albums ever to come out of Chicago." I think that's an understatement. In my opinion, it's one of the best albums to come out of anywhere ever, regardless of geography or genre. I waited and waited for something else from her, but it never came. It seemed like Diane just disappeared from the face of the earth. Every couple of years or so I'd do a Google search in hopes that there would be a new release, but I never found any mention of anything. Last night I checked again and I found some very sad news. Diane passed away in 2011 from brain cancer. I am heartbroken. It strikes me now how fitting her debut album title is.

One.

This Boy Has Broken Down

I love this song so much.

Old Town - Phil Lynott (The Philip Lynott Album, 1982)