It amazes all the time to hear from so many men that they are not doing life with other guys that can speak into their lives.  That men today feel that they are tough enough to be able to handle life on their own.  One of the things that I have learned over the years is that I need to surround myself with men that are willing to fight.  I need to surround myself with men that see that this life lived in a relationship with Christ needs the support of others that are see the need for a battle ready group.  Here is a picture for us to look at when it comes to what kind of guys we need in our battle ready group:

Spring is about new beginnings, so I thought I would post about a few!

Handmade Detroit has a new swanky website. User friendly and jam-packed with tips, links, and local shows. Check it out!

Gazelle’s House of Handmades now has an online shop, just in case you want to shop in your PJs. This is my favorite room at Gazelle’s- The Pink Room!

I have lots of new items in my Etsy Shop. I have spring fever when it comes to crafting lately.

What are your new things for spring?

…These might be good for you…

Light grey Adidas Gazelles on sale at Goodfoot for $70.

Last week Anthony and I visited the “Out of Africa” wild animal park in Camp Verde, Arizona.  We had a nice sunny day all to ourselves, and the temperature was surprisingly warm, considering that the week before we had snow. The first part of our tour was to go into the Serengeti on an open-aired bus, armed with giraffe food (read: carrot strips).

As we pulled up to the gate to the habitat, the male giraffe knew it was feeding time. The food was gone in no time. And at one point the giraffe put his head inside the bus while our young tour guide fed him her last strips. As we moved the bus along the wilderness we encountered other herbivores like zebras, gazelles, and ostriches. Off into the distance we could see the big cats perching on the roof of their shelters, waiting to be fed. The whole adventure was just marvelous.

The next part of the “Out of Africa” experience was to enter the carnivore area and follow along with the meat truck. It was feeding time for the big cats, hyenas, wolves and bears… oh my! The workers threw frozen whole turkeys over the fences to the hungry animals. Our guide said the animals are only fed every other day. Gosh were we lucky that we picked today. I was especially grateful to see a rescued three legged young leopard; he lost his leg tragically in a feeding accident to a lion in the next door cage in another zoo.  The lions, tigers, leopards, and black panthers of this animal park all quickly grabbed their catch and then trotted off somewhere quiet to eat. All but one male lion that just stood his ground waiting for the crowd of people to move on so that he could eat in peace. He let out a sharp growl at Anthony, and the guide told the crowd to move on so the male could eat. Boy am I glad that my pet cat Mona does not growl, but she sure knows how to meow until she gets her special canned cat food each morning.

All in all, Anthony and I love animals. What better place to celebrate this passion but at a really neat wild animal park?

Do you want to get closer to your animals? How is your relationship with your pet? Is your animal feeling her best? Check out pet therapy at Center For The Self.  I can use ColorPuncture therapy to clear blockages with both the pet and pet owner.

So I’ve got an entire shelf of film at my house that are just waiting to be developed, and of course I didn’t label any of them.  My goal is to get them all developed over the course of the next couple of months.

The first  roll is a COMBO ROLL!!!  There were several events that wound up on this particular roll.  The 2nd Annual Skate or Die Party, Gazelles Playing the Mohawk in Austin and a few shots from the Gazelles Video shoot.

Enjoy!

So, its official! Enamor items can now be bought in a store! I’m soooo excited!!!

I took an hour road trip to White Lake, Michigan today to take some things to Gazelle’s House of Handmades. The driveway was welcoming with colorful signs and decorations. I met with Tammy, the owner, soon after being greeted by her dog upon entering the shop.

I walked around the house-turned-craft shop and took many photos! There were some amazing things! Jewelry, artwork, pillows, COOKIES, baby items, CHOCOLATE, housewares, COFFEE, and holiday items are just a variety of what you can find at Gazelle’s. This is truly a unique place for gifts… and maybe stuff to buy for yourself too!

I found myself walking around many times, each time finding something I didn’t see the first time. So fun! Tammy said she has around 100 different artists selling at her shop right now, after only being open since this summer. I feel honored to be part of her shop too!

If you live in Michigan, this is a must see shop, well worth the travel to get there. Gazelle’s is closed on Sunday’s and Monday’s, but is open the rest of the week. The shop is located at 6680 Grass Lake Rd, in White Lake. Please visit the Gazelle’s website for more information.

Several months ago, Ben and Abbie had their first “for better or for worse” moment: they decided to run a marathon together.

They started out strong, running together six days a week along the lake shore, past their new condo and the grassy spot where they got engaged, nothing between them but the Chicago summer sunshine and a gigantic yellow lab.

Of course, life eventually got in the way – as it always does. Abbie’s responsibilities as Dimmer Queen of the World kept her out of town for days at a time, and Ben was spending more and more time in the lab, playing with worms under the auspices of finding a cure for cancer.

Then, Ben injured himself. He claims he hurt his knee trying to keep up with Abbie’s high school track-star pace, but the physician in him knows the truth: after one too many sleepless nights studying at Starbucks North & Wells, his leg muscles had finally atrophied.

It looked like Ben wasn’t going to be able to run the marathon after all.

But on the morning of the Chicago Distance Classic, he was up with the sun (like he is every day), pumping himself full of coffee (like he always does) and lacing up his running shoes (which were still brand new and in the box). Ben knew how important it was to Abbie that they run this race together, and that alone made it important to him.

So he ran with her.

He ran with her when the gun went off and thousands of people swarmed through the gates. He ran with her along the lake front, where they had begun their training, and he ran with her as the course grew unfamiliar. He ran with her when his knee began to ache, refusing her offers to stop to rest and rehydrate.

And when he could run no more, Ben did what he always did: he urged Abbie ahead.

This is a guy who manages to succeed in everything he tries — a talented student, scientist, singer, photographer, even drummer. You kind of want to hate him, but here’s the thing: he has absolutely no ego about it.

When it comes to Abbie, on the other hand, Ben has an undying confidence in her ability and insists that she follow her dreams. Like the time Abbie casually mentioned to Ben that she was thinking about getting her MBA –- and suddenly, business school catalogs mysteriously began to arrive in the mail.

For her part, Abbie is incredibly strong and independent. She’s out of town all the time, and she rarely whines about having a husband who spends 95 percent of his time in the lab. 

Ben and Abbie are both completely fine on their own. But here’s the remarkable part: after they’ve been apart for any appreciable amount of time, you can actually see them light up when are together again. Ben and Abbie love to be together, not because they need each other, but because they love each other. And that’s amazing, after ten years together — to still light up like that.

Anyway, Abbie ran ahead, determined to finish the race not just for herself, but for the both of them. She ran strong and fast, on the heels of the Ethiopians and the gazelles, and I swear to you that she was barely sweating.

When Abbie crossed the finish line, she kept on running. She looped back around the crowds, past Museum Park and back on the course, against the current of other runners. She ran until she found Ben, hobbling pathetically along the course.

All they had to do is look at each other, and they just lit up. And they knew they could carry on.

They ran together those last few miles, laughing and entertaining each other with their usual silliness and stupidity, the way only best friends can.

When they reached the home stretch, Ben and Abbie fell into step with each other. They were holding hands when they crossed the finish line.

Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs.! Have a great time in Maui! And Ben, stop reading my blog on your honeymoon! That iPhone is so confiscated.

This weekend was too much fun. Probably the most interesting weekend I’ve had in a while. Work was fun on Saturday, then we went to see the Gazelles at XCW on Saturday night … shit was crazy! I got to wrestle my room mate Stephanie in a real life wrestling ring. Who beat who is not important, what is important is that I wrestled Ben Shawver and beat him. There’s footage of me clothes lining him on someone camera phone. You better believe that will be posted soon.

Sunday we watched the Cowboys game at Jason’s parents house in Southlake. Good Company was Plentiful yesterday. All Get Out spent the day with us due to an auto accident the night prior. It sucks that their trailer was mutilated, but I’m glad I got the chance to meet them all. They’re incredible guys (not unlike myself,) and their music is pretty amazing too.

Hopefully everyone has an amazing week.

Enjoy!

Last week we went down to Austin Texas to watch Gazelles perform with our good friends Pompeii. The show was amazing not only due to the music but because of all of the friends we got to see while we were there.

Enjoy.

We went on a trip to Wichita Falls a few weekends ago with Gazelles, now we all have brain damage.

Enjoy!

So, I leave for tour in about 5 weeks. I’m leaving with a band called The Famine. They recently signed to Solid State Records and consist of members of Embodyment and Thorn vs. Side. I’ll be on the road with them doing front of house sound. It should be a lot of fun. We’re doing a lot of really big venues. You can check the dates after the break.

I’m also booking plenty of tours right now.
I’ve got Paper Cities, Broadcast Sea, Gazelles, My Son My Executioner, Don the Reader, Triumph Over Shipwreck all going out for tour in the coming months.

THE FAMINE
5.23.08 Colorado Springs, CO @ The Black Sheep
5.24.08 Salt Lake City, UT @ Avalon Theatre
5.25.08 Spokane, WA @ The Boulevard
5.26.08 Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
5.27.08 Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theater
5.29.08 Sacramento, CA @ Club Retro
5.31.08 Pomona, CA @ The Glasshouse
6.02.08 Phoenix, AZ @ Clubhouse
6.04.08 Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater
6.05.08 Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater
6.06.08 El Paso, TX @ Club 101
6.08.08 San Antonio, TX @ White Rabbit
6.09.08 Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
6.10.08 Dallas, TX @ The Door
6.11.08 Little Rock, AR @ The Village
6.12.08 Oklahoma City, OK @ Diamond Ballroom
6.13.08 Joplin, MO @ The Foundry
6.14.08 Kansas City, MO @ The Beaumont Club
6.15.08 Louisville, KY @ Headliner’s Music Hall
6.17.08 Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews Hall
6.18.08 Grand Rapids, MI @ The Intersection
6.19.08 Cincinnati, OH @ Bogarts
6.20.08 Cleveland, OH @ House Of Blues
6.21.08 Allentown, PA @ Crocodile Rock
6.22.08 Philadelphia, PA @ The Trocadero
6.23.08 Towson, MD @ Recher Theater
6.24.08 Norfolk, VA @ The Norva
6.25.08 Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
6.26.08 Nashville, TN @ Rockettown
6.27.08 Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
6.28.08 Lake Buena Vista, FL @ House Of Blues
6.29.08 St. Petersburg, FL @ State Theater
7.01.08 North Myrtle Beach, SC @ House Of Blues
7.03.08 Bushnell, IL @ Cornerstone Festival