Skip to main content

Biking to School with Kids

I love biking to school with my children. It's a great way to start the day, and it's a lot of fun. Both of them have their own bicycles, meaning I'm basically herding two slightly erratic cyclists.

My kids' two-wheelers are quite new and pretty decent. Mine is more like a rusty ten-speeder with a penchant for chain slippage. It's a cheap, rickety bike from China but it's my vehicle of choice for running errands, and honestly, it gets the job done.

My youngest is still working on his steering. My eldest, on the other hand, is all about speed. She thinks she's in the Tour de France, so I'm constantly shouting, "Slow down!" Of course there are moments of near disaster. But you know what? Despite the mayhem, there's something undeniably satisfying about arriving at our destination, slightly out of breath, on our bikes.

There are also moments of pure, unadulterated joy – like when we are pedaling along the street, the sun on our faces, the wind in our hair (or what's left of mine, after the stress), and we are all laughing. In those times, I think, this is actually pretty great. Even if it is a bit like herding cats on wheels.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

When chocolate meets art

I heard it's National Chocolate Day, so I thought I'd share this video about Orlando's newest and sweetest attraction.

Hand-Painted Bags That Tell Your Story

  Most bags today look like they were produced by bored machines in a dimly lit factory. You can walk into any mall and find rows of identical leather (or “leather-like”) things, all claiming to express individuality. Ironically, though, they all look exactly the same. Then there’s Abby Verano . Her bags are not mere accessories; they’re declarations. Each one is hand-painted, touched by an actual human being with an imagination. Abby doesn’t just sell you something to put your wallet and smartphone in; she sells you a story, a vision, a little revolt against the tyranny of sameness.  Her tools are simple — brushes, acrylic paint, bags made from pandan leaves, and creativity. No duplicates. No clones. Just one-of-a-kind art pieces you can carry.

'The Immigrant' by Michael Murphy

Michael Murphy is a master when it comes to optical illusion. His most recent work, The Immigrant , is a three-dimensional composition made of 2,300 black wooden spheres suspended with translucent fibers. When you view the sculpture from the right angle, the seemingly chaotic array of objects suddenly aligns to form an image of Michael's partner Natasha Vladimirova. The imagery was inspired by the contributions immigrants make in enriching the society and economy. Natasha is an immigrant and it is with her help that the artwork was made possible. Michael studied sculpture at Kent State University and received his masters degree from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. The Brooklyn-based artist became famous when he created the first fine art portraits of Barack Obama during his 2007 presidential campaign. His work has been featured in various publications and websites and can be seen in numerous permanent installations around the globe.