What’s in the Candy Dish?

It’s been a while since I did a regular posting of links to things I’m loving – all those fabulousities, curiosities, and brain igniters that are currently delighting me.  I’ve missed doing that, and so today I’m introducing a who-knows-how-regular feature: What’s in the Candy Dish?  The timing feels especially auspicious because in one of those cosmic winks that can only make you laugh, today as a friend was texting me and meant to say vigorous artwork her spellcheck decided she meant “licorice” artwork.  So licorice artwork it is.

Digging around in the never-empty dish…

Eye Candy:

• I’ve been having the most incredible surreal dreams lately, and last night’s sleep theatre had me standing under a fabulous old tree with all sorts of masks hanging by ribbons from the branches.   For a while I was obsessed with making paper mache masks, and some of the ones I made over the years were hanging from the tree, but so were hundreds of other totally fantastic and wildly strange ones I didn’t recognize.  When I woke up I thought about a video I’d seen years ago with the art of Anne Siems. It took me a while to track it down but it was so worth seeing again – this strange animation done in collaboration with Robert Campbell, entitled…wait for it…”Between the Lines a Dream is Hiding.”  See it here.

• We’ve been having a lot of rain here this week, and now I’m wishing we had some of this Seattle goodness – artist Peregrine Church’s Rainworks.

Heart Candy:

You owe it to yourself to discover the beautiful musings (and photographs) of Mary B. Maulsby of Walking My Path: Mindful Wanderings in Nature.  Pop over and read her latest post and then treat yourself to a slow meander through her archives.  I’m portioning out my dips in small savory doses, and I can honestly say she is true heart balm.

Brain Candy:

• I’m married to a science-y guy, and if you asked me to put myself on some imaginary continuum of types, I’d likely happily place myself in the poet-y range.  So I suppose I have a natural affinity for delight when science and poetry merge, as is the case with this story – astronomers cracking the secret of one of Sappho’s poems.  Here’s the overview from the wonderful blog of Clive Thompson, but if you’re so inclined go ahead and read the actual scientific paper – it’s not drier-than-sawdust technical.

• Reading this post “Make a Bigger Pie” on Oh My Handmade sent me directly to the library to get a copy of David Foster Wallace’s The Pale King.  I’ve been thinking lots about what it means when civilizations and societies reach a declining point – do they know they’re on the decline or do they carry on oblivious?  In many ways it feels to me that we in the United States are far down the slope of no return.

Ear Candy:

The other night I woke up from a dream thinking I had heard someone saying “Who?”  I was disoriented for a moment, and decided I had heard an owl. Now the truth is I’ve never, in all my life, heard an owl in the city, so clearly my brain was just scrambling trying to make sense of something it couldn’t.  But even if I didn’t actually hear an owl, I’m delighting in finding this vintage illustration where there might actually be some moon serenading being done by some owls.

On the other hand, here is some real ear candy:  Laura Mvula performing “Sing To The Moon”

Tongue Candy:

One of my friends is totally raving about this strawberry recipe as her new fave brunch concoction. It’s not strawberry season here in the Midwest yet, but I have to say this does sound like a delicious treat for this long holiday weekend.

So there you have – dips into the candy bowl of my world.  I’d love to hear what you think?  What candy are you indulging in?  What’s got your brain on fire?  What song are you singing to our beautiful moon? Do tell – you know I love to hear.