If you can't stand up, STAND OUT

Little story ....my friend Dave, a quadrapalegic coined the phrase...


If You Can't Stand Up...STAND OUT...


....and lives it everyday. He was injured in a car accident in his early 20's. After a brief transitional period, transformed into the amazing dynamic man he is now.


Dave works a full time job, has skiied in British Columbia, sky dived, parasailed, kayaked, traveled to Europe and all over the U.S. He has been on the Today Show and raised money for charity, not spinal cord injury mind you, but Lupus. The essay he wrote got the attention of the Today Show and and the National Lupus Foundation and he was able to direct peoples hearts and checks to this cause.
http://www.lupus.org/webmodules/articles/anmviewer.asp?a=366&z=14

Last year Metro asked him to be the key note speaker at a spinal cord event, he's an incredible communicator and touched lives that day..as always. He has such a calm encouraging demeanor, it touches everyone he meets. Friends, friends of friends from years ago, waitresses, business owners, hospital staff and the easy way he connects, networks and intertwines us all.

I started selling these t-shirts and hats with his phrase on them at my shop http://cafepress.com/imaginestudios with the intent for the proceeds to go toward the care and feeding of his van, his source of freedom. The van is currently running on prayer alone and needs some help.


Sooooo....If you know of anyone in a wheelchair who could use a little encouragement to BE who they were meant to be...or know of any organization that may be interested in carrying these items please direct them my way.


Thanks so much!

Big Party. June 2nd Downtown. Be there.

JUNE ART REVIEW The “JAR”
1301 E. 9th St., Cleveland, OH 44114 216-771-0900

A.R.T. Home We’re Blowing the Lid Off the Art and Talent of Greater Cleveland!

June 2nd-17th, 2007Over 17,000 Square Feet to Showcase the Wealth of Art in Our Area

In the Galleria at Erieview

Best of Show Prize

My piece "treasures in darkness" is a contender. It's a 3D collaged piece, wood, paper, wire, rocks, paint, a key.....loads of symbolism and words.....a tad dark, dare i say creepy, but I'm happy with it.

Got my tickets in the mail last week.....MY ticket is number 127......that's MY number, my email address, the crazy number I use for everything, so in my twisted thinking it's my golden ticket from the wonka bar. A coincidence, I think not.

Come out and vote for me....$15, gets you in to the event, live bands, food, a couple drink tickets and the chance to check out some interesting art and the interesting people who created them.

cleveland email list

Ah, yes, spread the word, thanks for the reminder...
I joined this cool blog group...stop over, check em out. It's new and i'm not sure what to do there yet, not to worry though, I write constantly. There are fitness tips, and things for sale and in general what's happening in the Cleveland area info. (i'll figure out my niche soon and get busy too)

http://clevelandemaillist.blogspot.com/

Pay Attention

Opened my email this morning to this happy surprise.......

Congratulations!

Your piece "Pay Attention" has been accepted for publication in the Summer 2007 premiere issue of {32klx}, Central Ohio's newest independent literary journal.
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask! Thank you for your submission, and for participating in our exciting premiere issue!

Sincerely,
the Editors

It's a little something I wrote months ago, and included in my submission at the last second...

pay attention

Love the calm before a storm, the eerie silence, heavy air, the smell, the quickly shifting clouds, darkening sky....I stand out on the porch to see it roll in, and stay there as long as possible. I can hear the thunder, watch the clouds form, see the weird green haze, uncertainty is palpable, and i'm standing still, waiting. I can already see the lightening and it's headed straight for me, this one isn't blowing over.
Change set up camp, started little fires and never bothered to put them out. This storm should douse the embers once and for all. Maybe I should do something, batten down the hatches....whatever that means, move to safety, put the lawn chairs away at least.....no, I'll just wait. Things are set to blow about and I'm going to let them.
Curious, but detached. Normally I navigate this life with my feelings, a person turned inside out. But so much depends on outside circumstances right now, it hardly matters what I want. Contingencies, if/then, limbo, everything is connected, blah, blah, blah.....
I wish I knew what I wanted to see happen but even if I knew what that was exactly, it wouldn't matter. Maybe it's better this way, I can't be disapointed if I'm just waiting. Besides, I've taken self sabatoge and turned it into an art form, like synchronized swimming. Always trying to one up karma. Good things happen and *pow* got to go and even the scales. Ought to send a memo, clue myself in to this stupidity .....no, who reads memos anyway.

reposting this as a reminder....my favorite local band is playing FRIDAY night in Medina, (my original stomping ground)

Skinny Moo, check them out here.....http://www.skinnymoo.com/. they have downloadable songs and all sorts of cool stuff on their site, but you have to see them in person. Check em out...and you too, can become a groupie....er, moopie!

This will be the first rally in the alley of the season, a must experience event.
Rally in the Alley -
Main Street Cafe
Date:Fri May 25, 2007
Time:7:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Where:17 Public SquareMedina, OH 44256(click for map)

The Traveling Art Carnival, BIG ART SHOW, is coming to Cleveland!
Sunday, June 10th @ Pat's in the Flats 2233 w 3rd
registration for artists to show and sell your work is free.

Art! Music! a couple local bands are still needed for the Cleveland show. For more information and registration please visit- bigartshow.com or email info@bigartshow.com

Spread the Word!

(Copying and pasting this bit of info, I don't know all that much about it....just an fyi.)

"seen one tree, seen them all..." i've heard that phrase more than i care to admit in the past couple months, after about the 4th rendition, i had to wonder....hmmm, i wondered.....are my paintings really that boring, were clevelanders really so anti-tree hugging, or could there be another explanation....thankfully, there was a 'kind man' (hmpf) who let me in on the whole rude drive-by bashing that had been happening....it's a quote, by President Reagan...ohhhhh I see.....but it's still rude. I like my trees, especially now that I'm phasing out of the canvas and deciding to salvage old pieces of solid wood from one of my many insane remodeling projects.....feel so much more wholesome, real, like everything to this point has been like fake plastic flowers vs silk, pretty well made silk vs the real deal, cut flowers vs potted, potted vs in the earth.....seedlings to the compost.....and back again.....

the actual quote, in context, is a bit less biting... http://www.snopes.com/quotes/reagan/redwoods.asp