nights like this

As promised, here is your first glimpse into my new and improved studio, my new space for "making." So far, the new larger space has been very good for my brain, and I spent most of the day there today painting giant wolves and bears.

I feel inspired to write about another wonderful event I attended last night in Palouse. Apparently, they have a Variety Show every year as a fund raiser where members of the town and surrounding area come to show off their talents. It takes place in the Grange which is a charming little place. You know that type, large wooden floor, little stage, kitchen area, etc. I kept imagining how nice it would be if they had one of those Raton style rodeo dances there.

There were some talented and not so talented people who hit the stage. I fell immediately in love with an old gray haired cowboy named Milton, who happened to be telling poetry made all the better due to his ridiculously handsome Australian accent. His appearance and demeanor was reminiscent of my other gray haired love, Cormac McCarthy. First he performed a poem about a woman he loves but has never met. Then he performed a poem about a black belly snake with the assistance of two little kids from the audience. Of course, the kids were hilarious. The boy who was the snake was a ham, overacting much to the delight of the audience. And the little girl who played the role of Grandmother was dressed in a jeans, boots, and a suit jacket that looked to belong to her older brother. Quite odd attire for a little girl, but something I could see my own little girl wearing someday.
Also in the mix were a painfully awkward little girl singing one of those songs from the Sound of Music (I hope someone tells her she doesn't sing well before she goes on American Idol and embarrasses herself someday), a crazy talented 13 year old named Shiloh who is already on the road to fame, and a bizzare Christian rock band from Idaho, who's lead singer was the father of one of the kids in the band.
But the BEST part was a performance by the Vienna Sausages (as they like to be called). This is a group made up of the town mayor, two council men, the town pastor, and the town police chief. They performed a dance routine to "One Singular Sensation" dressed in inappropriately short jean cutoffs and sleeveless flannel shirts. At first I couldn't believe what I was seeing, and then I just couldn't stop laughing. They were chanted back on stage to perform an encore which began with them posing one by one on stage to "Everybody was Kung-Fu Fighting" and exploding off the stage into the audience with kung-fu moves of their own. It was absolutely brilliant. There is something so refreshing about seeing adults acting like 8 year olds.

I am so thankful that nights like this still happen in the world.

Before I go, I want to share a photo of the cake Mary and I made for Kristy this week. My kids are totally getting animals on sticks for their cakes every year.