aarp | The Direction of Intention

Taste The Memory [David’s blog on saturday morning smack-dab]

Posted on February 17, 2024 by davidrobinsoncreative

It’s true. Taste can be a time machine. Champagne and burgers and fries – an odd combo to be sure – will always transport me to a specific magical evening in 2013, the night Kerri and my relationship launched into the mystical. It’s the story behind the story of why we had the Burgermeister truck cater our wedding.

After she wrote and produced this cartoon, we had a lengthy and delicious conversation about the foods that take us back. Try it. You’ll be amazed at the places you revisit. I landed in Slumgully. And Columbus’ delightful and mysteriously shaped pancakes for dinner. Extra syrup!

This week, we added a sure-fire food-memory destination: shrimp tacos with caramelized pineapple and red cabbage. Good god. I just went there and now I’m starving!

read Kerri’s blog about FOOD TIME MACHINE

like. eat. remember. comment. share. eat some more. support. eat again.

buymeacoffee is a prerequisite for eating baked ziti in a tiny bistro unless the bistro only exists in kerri’s imagination where money is not an issue.

Filed under: smack-dab | Tagged: aarp, artistry, childhood, childhood memories, david robinson, davidrobinsoncreative.com, food, Kerri Sherwood, kerri sherwood itunes, kerrianddavid.com, kerrisherwood.com, memories, memory, middle age cartoon, middle age romance, recipes, senses, shrimp tacos, slumgully, smack-dab, story, studio melange, taste, the melange, the poser of taste, the power of the senses, time machine, transport | 2 Comments »

Expect The Burst [David’s blog on saturday morning smack-dab.]

Posted on February 10, 2024 by davidrobinsoncreative

It’s alright. I know she will inevitably burst and I’ll be covered head-to-toe in her thoughts and opinions.

She’s the same way with gifts. She can’t buy presents ahead of time because she gets too excited to give them. Overwhelmed with gift-giving-anticipation, she bursts.

She’s the same way with ideas. There’s too little space in her heart and mind to contain so many burgeoning ideas. She bursts several times a week. It’s why she’s a pile-organizer. Her good ideas stack up because they have no where else to go.

What’s not to love?

read Kerri’s blogpost about BURSTING

likesharecomment. and/or support.

buymeacoffee is…

Filed under: smack-dab | Tagged: aarp, artistry, bloggers, burst, cartoon, cartoonists, david robinson, davidrobinsoncreative.com, editor, giving, heart, ideas, Kerri Sherwood, kerri sherwood itunes, kerrianddavid.com, kerrisherwood.com, middle age cartoon, middle age romance, mind, opinions, overwhelmed, process, relationship, second chances, story, studio melange, the melange, thoughts, two artists, withholding, writers | 2 Comments »

Don’t Wait! [David’s blog on saturday morning smack-dab]

Posted on February 3, 2024 by davidrobinsoncreative

I’ve shared Master Marsh’s insight before: “Customer service…” he said, “…is a firewall against serving the customer.”

This smack-dab is hot off the reality press; it just happened. When she hung up the phone, she immediately reached for the computer. “What are you doing?” I asked.

“You’ll see.” she smirked.

It tickles me that Kerri so readily translates and transforms her real-world experiences into our cartoon land personas. If nothing else, if no one on earth ever reads our weekly comic strip, of this I am certain: smack-dab is good for our mental health.

“As the customer, isn’t the business supposed to be valuing our time above their time?” I asked, knowing I was about to get that special stink-eye saved for my too-idealistic-no-duh-commentary. She didn’t disappoint!

“Where’s the complaint department?” I asked in mock rage.

She smiled, “Your wait time will be three hours and fifteen minutes.”

read Kerri’s blogpost about WAIT TIMES

Bonus cartoon from the Flawed Archive:

share it. like it. support it. comment on it. we thank you for any or all of it.

buymeacoffee is a tip jar dedicated to keeping cartoon characters real.

Filed under: smack-dab | Tagged: aarp, artistry, cartoon, cartoon characters, complaint department, customer service, david robinson, davidrobinsoncreative.com, Idealism, idealistic, Kerri Sherwood, kerri sherwood itunes, kerrianddavid.com, kerrisherwood.com, middle age cartoon, middle age romance, second chances, story, studio melange, the melange, time, two artists, value, wait times | 1 Comment »

Do A Take [David’s blog on saturday morning smack-dab]

Posted on January 27, 2024 by davidrobinsoncreative

It’s true. Every single day.

Imagine my good fortune.

read Kerri’s blogpost about TAKES

like. share. support. comment. thanks.

buymeacoffee is a thing you do if you so desire and a thing we appreciate when you do.

Filed under: smack-dab | Tagged: aarp, appreciation, artistry, cartoon, composer, david robinson, davidrobinsoncreative.com, double take, good fortune, Gratitude, Hallmark, Hallmark movie, in love, Kerri Sherwood, kerri sherwood itunes, kerrianddavid.com, kerrisherwood.com, love, middle age cartoon, middle age romance, painter, romance, romance movies, second chances, singer songwriter, smack-dab, snuggle, story, studio melange, the melange, two artists | 1 Comment »

Uncover The Story [David’s blog on saturday morning smack-dab]

Posted on January 20, 2024 by davidrobinsoncreative

Cleaning out, for Kerri, has been like an archeological-story-dig of her life. I am a relative newcomer to the house and came with a truckload of paintings and not much else, so we are mostly excavating her life before me. Sometimes there is a gasp. Sometimes hysterical laughter. Sometimes I know she has found something important because of the profound silence. Sometimes there are tears.

Always there are stories. Treasured stories. Memories stirred by the simplest of finds, a shirt, a cassette tape, a teething ring.

I am the lucky recipient of her story-archeology and delight every time I hear her say, “Come look at this.”

read Kerri’s blogpost about THE TEETHING RING

like. share. support. comment. all are helpful. all are appreciated.

buymeacoffee is a story opportunity just waiting for you to say, “once upon a time…”

Filed under: smack-dab | Tagged: aarp, archeology, artistry, cleaning house, cleaning out, composer, david robinson, davidrobinsoncreative.com, Kerri Sherwood, kerri sherwood itunes, kerrianddavid.com, kerrisherwood.com, life stories, lost and found, memories, memory, middle age cartoon, middle age romance, musician, painter, second chances, stories, story, story archeology, storyteller, studio melange, teething ring, the melange, two artists | 1 Comment »

Forget It! [David’s blog on saturday morning smack-dab]

Posted on January 13, 2024 by davidrobinsoncreative

Words have become like socks in a dryer. With no reasonable explanation they simply disappear into space. Two socks go in. One sock comes out.

We’ve turned our word loss into a game. “ARGH! I CAN’T THINK OF THE WORD!” she says. “IT BEGINS WITH A THE LETTER C.” And so we commence a hearty round of word-hide-and-seek. And, inevitably, invariably, the lost word does not begin with C but is hiding behind any other of the 25 available letters in the alphabet. We know the game is over when the word jumps out of hiding and we declare, “YES! THAT’S IT!” followed by, “Wait. That doesn’t begin with C…”

The good news? I can’t remember it. But I know it’s here somewhere and begins with the letter “G”.

Read Kerri’s blog about LOST WORDS

share. like. support. comment. all are helpful and appreciated.

buymeacoffee is the secret potion capable of keeping our vocabulary intact.

Filed under: Language, smack-dab | Tagged: aarp, aging, artistry, cartoon, cartoon about middle age, david robinson, davidrobinsoncreative.com, grocery shopping, hide and seek, Kerri Sherwood, kerri sherwood itunes, kerrianddavid.com, kerrisherwood.com, language, mind blank, old record, second chances, smack-dab, story, studio melange, the melange, two artists, word drops, word loss, words | 1 Comment »

Don’t Move [David’s blog on saturday morning smack-dab].

Posted on January 6, 2024 by davidrobinsoncreative

There is a stack of books by her bedside. Strategies for cleaning out the house without doing psychological damage. Strategies for transcending deep emotional attachment to things so the cleaning out process can commence. As a dedicated minimalist, someone who’s spent the majority of life accumulating no more possessions than could fit in my car, I can only watch her go through the heart-grind of the her necessary preparation.

I learned my lesson early in our life together. She left for the afternoon and I thought it might be a good idea to clean the basement. She still has not recovered from the damage I did to her organizational system. I have not recovered from the searing look she gave me when I proudly showed her the newly cleaned basement.

And so, the necessary purge preparation has begun. I remain at-the-ready, afraid to move until…

read Kerri’s blogpost about CLEANING OUT

like. share. support. comment. many thanks!

buymeacoffee is…

Filed under: smack-dab | Tagged: aarp, artistry, attachment, attachments, clean house, cleaning, cleaning out, david robinson, davidrobinsoncreative.com, Kerri Sherwood, kerri sherwood itunes, kerrianddavid.com, kerrisherwood.com, middle age cartoon, middle age romance, minimalist, preparation, purge, relationship, saturday morning smack-dab, second chances, smack-dab, story, studio melange, stuff, the melange | 3 Comments »

Go Wireless [David’s blog on saturday morning smack-dab.]

Posted on December 30, 2023 by davidrobinsoncreative

As someone who’s never had to navigate the horrors of an underwire bra, I find myself distinctly unqualified to make a comment. And, as someone male, who’s never had to navigate the horrors of an underwire bra, I find silence-on-the-subject is by far the wisest choice.

I can, however, completely understand the resolution to live each day with less pain. The less pain and discomfort the better! I’ll join Kerri in that resolution! Literally or metaphorically, go wireless or go home!

Happy New Year.

read Kerri’s blogpost on WIRELESS

share. like. comment. support.

buymeacoffee is a world without underwire. metaphorically.

Filed under: smack-dab | Tagged: aarp, artistry, cartoon, cartoon about middle age, david robinson, davidrobinsoncreative.com, freedom, freedom bra, go wireless, Kerri Sherwood, kerri sherwood itunes, kerrianddavid.com, kerrisherwood.com, new beginning, new year's resolution, New Years Eve, resolutions, saturday morning smack-dab, second chances, smack-dab, story, studio melange, the melange, two artists, wireless, wireless bra | 1 Comment »

Feel The Light [David’s blog on saturday morning smack-dab]

Posted on December 23, 2023 by davidrobinsoncreative

We sit squarely in the center of a community of generosity. At night, when we turn out all the lights except those wrapped around our many holiday trees, we close our eyes and breathe it in. We feel it. The quiet grace. The kindness. The support. The friendship.

Earlier this year, traveling through our metaphoric miles of very rough road. Kerri said, “We should lean into the light more.” That’s why we sit in the twinkling light of the trees, eyes closed. We feel the light.

This we know: we are rich beyond measure.

read Kerri’s blog post about FEELING IT

like. share. support. comment. close your eyes and make a wish…

buymeacoffee is twinkling light wrapped around a holiday tree…

Filed under: Gratitude, smack-dab | Tagged: aarp, artistry, bloggers, cartoonists, christmas, community, community of support, composer, david robinson, davidrobinsoncreative.com, feel the light, friendship, generosity, generosity of spirit, grace, holiday, Kerri Sherwood, kerri sherwood itunes, kerrianddavid.com, kerrisherwood.com, kindness, middle age, middle age cartoon, painter, riches, smack-dab, story, studio melange, support, the melange, two artists | 1 Comment »

Strut Your Flannel [David’s blog on saturday morning smack-dab]

Posted on December 16, 2023 by davidrobinsoncreative

As I’ve written before, we are a scintillating couple riding high on the cutting edge of fashion. Not. Black t-shirts. Black thermals. Jeans. That’s about it. Though (make sure you are seated for this next shocking bit-o-information): I have a few new flannel shirts. Two are green. One is black. Stand back! There’s some green in the house!

In other regions of flannel interest, there are sheets (it’s winter and cotton is an ice-cold-night-time-plunge that I avoid) and, at holiday time, the buffalo-plaid-flannel pjs make an appearance. I’d strut-my-flannel on the way to the coffeemaker in the morning but tis the season to be humble so fa-la-la-la-lah, la-la-la-la!

Truth? I couldn’t strut in the morning no matter what I was wearing. Buffalo-plaid helps hide the shuffle.

read Kerri’s blogpost about FLANNEL