I have found something new to love about daylight savings. When you work overnight, 3:00 comes one minute after 1:59! Suddenly, I am nearly half way done with my shift, which is so nice because I slept only like 45 min this afternoon. Insomnia, you ask? No, just fun - it was a great day, why sleep through it?

When I say "fun", I really mean lunch with Adam, tanning, washing my windows (hello, sun!), spending time with Katie, going to church... Oh, I also went to the MIA and saw the limited time New Guinea exhibit. That was great.

What I love about the art I saw today was that it was so beautiful & functional. Drums, paddles, shields, bowls. Most of the aesthetic appeal was also functional to some extent- connecting ones self to nature, ancestors, a certain task (often war or hunting). I loved that they carved their bowls shallow, with beautiful swirls and curls in the bottom, so they could hang them on the wall and display art in between uses. Yes, why can't bowls be art? I also loved that when they carved designs in their battle shields, they incorporated their familial history in the art as another means of protection. I mean, if you had a great warrior in your family, might as well bring along his/her spirit when you go to war, right?

Anyway, it seems that I have an important decision to make: who would I want to carve out of wood and perch at the top of my shield?

Ok, these are my more "less distantly related" options:

Mom: She's feisty - I wouldn't want to see what would happen should someone threaten her family or home. And she'd look good doing it, which is important in my cultural context.
Dad: He's a protector, too - and always seems to know what's right. Hm, I might need his level head in battle. And, he's a craftsman, which would come in handy when assembling said shield.
Grandpas: Both in the army, both skilled craftsmen. Yes, with their help I could make weapons and then actually know how to use them. And, I think with Grandpa Harms's help I'd be a fair and honorable warrior, which would be important should I ever want the privilege of being perched on top of someone else's shield (it is never too soon to think about these things, you know).
Grandmas: Fearless, these ladies. Ha, and we can't forget about the time Grandma Brown marched over to that girl after school and punched her for making fun of her new yellow coat. Yeah, it might be wise for me to tap into some of that spirit, should I need it.

Look at that, what a well equipped & useful group of ancestors I have. Ok, I think I might be ready.