Bethlehem, Books and Bagels

While researching a setting for my first novel, I fell in love with the city of Bethlehem, PA.
And as if orchestrated from above, we were able to stay overnight in Bethlehem while out on tour.
I was in researching heaven.

I ate the best bagel of my life underneath these two street signs. These streets had been named over 200 years ago and I had already written them into my book. This was the first time my little beady eyes were able to actually see them.

The Moravian’s (the town’s religious settlers) lived a very interesting life-men and women were housed separately, all land and property was owned by the church and no outsiders were permitted until after a flood devastated the town in 1850.
Sounds a little stuffy if you ask me.

This building that you see here is one of the surviving original structures. It’s pretty cute.

We enjoyed our second cup of coffee of the day here.
And possibly another bagel. And another cup of coffee.

Caffeine, Biceps and hands-on research makes me happy.
I can’t wait to go back someday…

ABOT’s, Bruder and Popcorn Balls

Bruder, Biceps’ and brother’s band, was nominated for two awards this year:
‘Best Indie Rock’ & ‘Best Newcomer of the Year’ at the ABOT’s.
(The ABOT’s are given to those considered the Absolute Best of Tulsa and are based on city folk voting for their fav thing.)

Biceps couldn’t attend, so I tagged along with brother & his wifey solo. Aren’t they the cutest couple?
Yes, that is a cage behind them for cage dancing. And yes, baby brother did get inside of it and strut his stuff for a moment. No, I won’t show you the photographic evidence that I have of said dance.

We had a limo ride that lasted .006 of a mile. But, it’s always fun to be escorted in a limo anywhere, no matter how short the ride…

This year, the ABOT’s were held in the historic Cain’s Ballroom in downtown Tulsa. I love Cain’s-it’s a venue where time has stood romantically still.
Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys played here. The Sex Pistols played one of their very few American gigs here.
I held hands in public for the very first time with Biceps at Cain’s, while watching Weezer perform. I love Cain’s for oh so many reasons, but this one is the most important reason.

About halfway through the night, the announcer called out the nominees for ‘Best Indie Rock’. The winner was announced.
It wasn’t Bruder.…it was ‘Scales of Motion’.
The band is super talented and it was right that they won. We were neighbor’s with the guy on the far right-he and his wife are pretty stinkin’ cool.

While sitting somewhere in this general picture area, waiting for the second category Bruder was nominated for, I noticed that my ‘swag bag’ contained a cookie and a popcorn ball. The popcorn ball was gone in ten seconds flat. The cookie soon followed. After my gluttony subsided, they announced the nominees for the Best Newcomer of the Year. My heart stopped…

Bruder won! Baby Brother waltzed onto stage, accepting the award, sans his other band mates.

He thanked his fans and what-not, saying very cool and debonair things I am sure…I was just too excited to really listen.

He looked so much like the rock star that he is. My sweet baby brother is all grown up.
I needed chapstick after smiling from ear to ear for so long.

The only thing that could have made this evening any better was if Biceps was able to be there.
Wait…what is this?…

What in the world? I guess he was there….
Congratulations guys, I am so proud of you!

Barn Wood Dining Table

I love to fill up a person’s belly until they are beyond full…and then heap a dessert on top.
A large dining room table, with the ability to sit twelve, was a dream of mine.
And Biceps and I made it a reality-a beautiful, unique and inexpensive reality.

Using recycled barn wood from Bicep’s century farm, we made the indestructible table for about $50.
If you don’t have access to barn wood, don’t worry. I’ll tell you how to make this with dimensional lumber you can buy from Lowe’s.

What you’ll need to make your own dining room table:
Circular Saw
Drill with a 1/2” wood drill bit and a phillips drill bi
(16) 5” carriage bolts, 1/2” thick with matching nuts
A box of 4” wood screws
Belt Sander with 80 & 40 grit sand paper
Tape Measure
Speed Square
(4)Mailbox Post Holders (found at Lowe’s)
Socket Set & Hammer
Primer & High Gloss White Paint
Paint Rollers, brush

No barn wood? No problem!
Here’s what you’ll need:
(6) vertical table top pieces:1 1/2” thick, 8’ long, 8” wide.
(2) horizontal bottom pieces: 2 1/2” thick, 8” wide and 4 feet
in length.
(4) 4”x 4”Mailbox Posts (for the legs)

Using your speed square, measure your vertical table top pieces to be 8’ in length. Measure your horizontal bottom pieces to be 4’ in length.

Use your circular saw to cut your wood.

Line up your horizontal 8’ top pieces on your 4’ bottom piece.
Watch your fingers as you do this, unless you like that blood blister look. I know I do.

With the top side of your table facing up, trace the holes that will attach your mailbox post holder (legs) to your table top on each corner of the table.
(Note, you will be attaching the mailbox post holder underneath the wood you are seeing presently.)

Attach your 1/2” drill bit to your drill and get to work, drilling through both the top piece and the bottom piece.

A standard table top height is 30”. The thickness of my vertical table top pieces plus the horizontal bottom pieces was 4 1/2” thick. I cut my four posts to 25 1/2’ tall to make the table at the normal 30” height.

Pound your mailbox posts into the holder like you just don’t care.

Now, pound your 5” bolts into your drilled holes like you just don’t care about that, either.

Screw in the rest of your vertical table top pieces to your bottom horizontal pieces with your 4” wood screws. I used about (6) wood screws per piece on each end.
Once all of your top pieces are attached to the bottom pieces, grab a friend, offer them a cold beverage and then con them into helping you flip the table over.

Use your socket set to attach the carriage bolt to the mailbox holder, tightening the nut as far down as you can.
Or in my case, as far as you can and then ask Biceps to finish it off for you.

Using a 40 grit sandpaper and your belt sander, sand the puddin’ out of your table.
Upgrade to an 80 grit for a nice smooth finish if you like. I wanted my table to be pretty rustic, so I stopped after the 40 grit.

Next step: paint-ville! Prime and paint your table and let it dry.

You’ll need to bribe approximately 4 strong men to move your table indoors. I bribed them with cake during my brother’s birthday party.
I am very, very sneaky….

But trust me, the backache is worth it. You can sit twelve people around this table, have your entire meal in the middle of it and still have room to dance on top.
Not that this scenario has ever happened before. But if it did, the table wouldn’t mind.
It’s just that awesome.

Pride in my Parental Units

There’s this really great couple that gave birth to me.
Well, the couple didn’t, one of the two did.
At any rate, I have been secretly visiting them
for the last couple of days.

Hanging out in the book store that they own, I’ve been focused on bothering their customers and generally just raising heck.
I’ve even been messing with their facebook account. Heh heh.

When they weren’t looking, I started poking around, making a wish list. I loved these. Now, I just need a little kid so I am not a weirdo for owning them.

Same deal with these cute onesy’s. I mean, seriously. A felt lamb with a cute little tail stitched onto a pink onesy? Maybe a kid wouldn’t be so bad….I’ll need to run it by Biceps.

And the plethora of exquisite yarns makes me want to pick up the needles and get to work on all of my knitting needs. The variety of gorgeous, enticing, colorful…

…plentiful, beautiful and soft yarn draws me in like a moth to a cat’s mouth.

Baby, this yarn just don’t quit.

I love these gloves. I need these gloves. These gloves need me.

‘Pipsqueak Knits’ caught my eye-but the pictures inside of tiny tots bedecked in knitted hats, jumpers and gloves-captured my heart.

I spend most of my time in this section, catching up on my reading, playing with toys and hogging the comfy chairs.

But, eventually I try to seek credibility by heading back into the ‘more mature section’, browsing through the fiction, the biographies and the study guides.

Fake maturity can last for only so long. I re-shelved the Bonhoeffer biography, drawn to something more enticing.
Chuck Norris and lots of it.

After two cups of free coffee, I usually end up buying something. I bought this for a neighbor’s new baby.
It’s one of my favorite books that they carry and it’s written by the same author of ‘Goodnight Moon’.

The koala travels the world, seeing the moon shine down on the different countries he visits. I think I relate to the koala on a deeper level than most. Not on a ‘furry with big ears’ kind of level, but more of the ‘traveling the world’ level.

Eventually, I end up in the Bible section; fascinated and overwhelmed with all of the different versions and translations. It’s a good thing that I have smarty pants parents that will straighten me out, if need be.
You should stop by Parable Christian Bookstore if you are ever in Arnold, Missouri. My parents would love to show you around and offer you a free cup of coffee.
And while you’re there, tell them that I am pretty proud of them.