Prairie Paradise from Patrick Gannon on Vimeo.

Free stuff! | KitRex.

While Ian was out for an adventure-filled day with grandma and grandpa, the rest of the family ventured out to the Nature Center/Bird Blind at Madison County’s Pammel Park. I *think I was the only one to see birds, but the boys sure had fun running around in the snow!

Our oldest artist-in-residence surprised me this morning with “Pete in Crayon,” a commissioned piece for one of our magazine photo shoots.  Photography, assembly, and adult supervision provided by the talented StacyZ.

…a good friend of mine makes her bed every single morning. It helps her room and house look cleaner. But more importantly, she says it sets the stage for the rest of her day. One small accomplishment within seconds of waking up. One task completed. Even though small, the brain registers the completed task as a success—and puts momentum for the day on her side.

Little victories lead to big victories. Small accomplishments lead to larger ones. Momentum builds. We begin to feel productive. And the impossible becomes achievable.

via 12 Simple Ways to Create Momentum in Your Day | Becoming Minimalist.

Last weekend I jumped at a Rhodes 88 key listed on Craigslist. Looking past the rough tolex and one missing tine/tonebar, this thing is amazing. The boys and I have already put in a few hours of “Frosty the Snowman” and Christmas tunes; I’m looking forward to the many hours yet to come.

Here’s a short tune from Eli (the eldest) and I, Nighttime Rhodes

The fact is that most of us are wandering around, scared shitless, wondering what the fuck’s going to happen next. That’s as true when you’re 11 as it is when you’re in your 40s. It’s one reason that people feel very discouraged or disinclined to try new things—they feel like it’s not for them.

I understand that you’re asking me this because you’re trying to get the narrative, but my narrative is that I’ve never known what’s coming next—I still don’t. I fell down the right set of stairs and have been surrounded by people who have picked me up and said, “Let’s try this again.” It’s been one anxious block of uncertainty after another.

via The Great Discontent: Merlin Mann.

10 Easy Pieces: Wall-Mounted Shelving Systems : Remodelista.

What has vanished over the past 40 years isn’t just Americans’ rising incomes. It’s their sense of control over their lives. The young college graduates working in jobs requiring no more than a high-school degree, the middle-aged unemployed who have permanently opted out of a labor market that has no place for them, the 45- to 60-year-olds who say they will have to delay their retirement because they have insufficient savings—all these and more are leading lives that have diverged from the aspirations that Americans until recently believed they could fulfill. This May, a Pew poll asked respondents if they thought that today’s children would be better or worse off than their parents. Sixty-two percent said worse off, while 33 percent said better. Studies that document the decline of intergenerational mobility suggest that this newfound pessimism is well grounded.

via The 40-Year Slump.