We didn't go to the Beach.

Jeff and I did not actually travel to the nice Texas beach but instead, we drove about an hour out to Marble Falls, where his family lake-house resides. He snapped a few nighttime photos from atop a lofty mountain, we had some ramen at the house, and watched the art-house insanity circus that is Blue Velvet. We then headed back to our tiny home and sickly cat in Austin. It was a nice night.

Now, I'd like to define 'nostalgia': "a yearning for the return of past circumstances; the evocation of these feelings."[via.] Nostalgia can evoke feelings of sentimentality, romance, fondness, or happiness. Nostalgia is a creeping feeling that can overwhelm a person, if properly summoned. Is there anyone out there who has yet to daydream or reminisce about ones' childhood or even just a few years back? My childhood memories might be categorized under the old 'americana' epithet; as a child, I remember running through my backyard, exploring the grass and its companions, playing with Barbies, dolls, cards, marbles, buttons, (trinkets of any kind, really), dressing up in my mom's old clothes, having tea parties and watching great cartoons every morning. One of my favorite cartoons was Rugrats on Nickelodeon. This show definitely conjures up some nostalgia for me. What do you remember?

Mark Mothersbaugh made some great music for the show.

Although I wasn't a baby when I watched the show, I identified with the characters because they had the same thirst for exploration as I did. Also, unlike real babies, they could form coherent sentences.

The patterns and color schemes of the show seem as if they, themselves were awakened from a daydream...purples skies and orange-y clouds, turquoise bushes and deep, green grass...

The archetypal characters were quirky and unique to the show, but they still somehow reminded you of someone you probably knew.

Angelica reminded me of my best friend Charlene, who was mean and would make me play the boy Barbies EVERY. TIME. She was also aloud to say stuff like 'stupid' and 'shut up.' What a villain!

And of course, I loved Didi's style. She had great, flaming hair and she knew how to color coordinate. Those glasses - work it, Deeds!

I like that the Rugrats began most of their adventures based on a tiny misunderstanding that is solved through a big adventure. They find fear in their misunderstandings, yet aim to solve it through courage and exploration. I think that the mistakes and precariousness in which the characters find themselves encompass the great experience that is childhood. Everything seems new, big, bright, and confusing, and when we think back on it now, those memories come as vivid daydreams.

That was a nice walk down memory lane, wasn't it? More to come, including small illustrations or inspirations by me.

I'd like to explore a few concepts in relation to 'nostalgia' in the future: sounds, patterns, color, the act of watching and listening (as a child in particular), past and past-times, daydreams, exploration, and archetypal characters of the 1990s and in cartoons.