Today's Lunch in Portland

I walked 11 blocks in the rain to get another Menagerie Snack Plate at Savory et Sweet at the Lloyd Farmers Market. It was delicious as usual.

ben gay and rivers and roads

I love this song., especially"I miss your face like hell"

On a side note, I think Ben Gay was invented just to make you forget your back pain because of the burning and the stink. Ugh.

Lyrics to Rivers and Roads :

a year from now we'll all be gone
all our friends will move away
and they're going to better places
but our friends will be gone away

nothing is as it has been
and i miss your face like hell
and i guess it's just as well
but i miss your face like hell

been talking bout the way things change
and my family lives in a different state
and if you don't know what to make of this
then we will not relate
so if you don't know what to make of this
then we will not relate

rivers and roads
rivers and roads
rivers 'til i reach you

They Draw and They Cook- Illustrated Recipes!

I saw this on an etsy blog, what a cute idea! It seems my blog is becoming a place to point to other artists and not me. :)
Here's a link, you can subscribe to get the illustrated recipes on an rss feed.

More Demolition Pictures

I wish I had done a hundred paintings recently and could show you the best ten, but I've done one that is a surprise for a patron's niece so I can't even show you that.
But there is some major destruction going on in our house. I'm posting these so I can remember where we were about now, someday when it's done and all clean.
If you want to see what the house looked like before go here.



This is where the new closet and laundry room will be.
Our bedroom, where we've run into a bit of a problem. Apparently the upstairs is an addition and when they added the dormer, they left the old peak on the roof and tied it into the ceiling joists where we want to raise the ceiling. There are consultations going on.
Old bathroom plumbing, where the chimney that has been the bane of our existence was. It's one third of the way gone, thanks to our son.
My studio, where we also wanted to raise the ceiling but won't be able to.
Bathroom. This house was built in 1905 and we recently discovered that it was originally a one bedroom with no bathroom, and an upstairs sleeping porch. The sleeping porch (my studio) was enclosed and a grander staircase, bedroom and bath added second floor in 1917. Our walls aren't talking, but the ceilings are.

If you like art, you will like this blog, I think

http://www.thejealouscurator.com/blog

Check out http://www.thejealouscurator.com/blog

She posts work of artists she is jealous of. Above is the work of Andrea Kowch. Brilliant. Since I am jealous of almost any other artist, I can relate...I'm on page 11 of her posts and there is something amazing that I have never seen the likes of on every page.

I finally, finally got a thorny commission done today.... Whew, now maybe that is not hanging over my head, I can actually paint something I want to paint.

I need to post some more photos of our upper floor demo.

Everything seems so frivolous, considering what is happening in Japan. So very, very sad.

Wherein We Embark on a Daunting Project

This is the TV room before.
This is our window in the kitchen that will be replaced so we can have cabinets on that side. I will miss that window, but to have counter space and storage! An 8 year dream.
The TV room now
Yikes! Note cute old wallpaper. (house is 106 years old, and there are layers of old wallpaper) I forgot to take a picture of the plumbing, which is the reason we had to start this remodel now. It's really old, like a lead waste pipe and it's leaking. Scary.

We have moved into the basement so the upstairs can be demoed too. Eventually, we will have new bathroom upstairs, bigger closet with washer and dryer, all new drywall and higher ceilings (hopefully) new windows and a built in bed for the grandsons and other guests. Also hopefully, the wind will not be able to howl through the rooms. Apparently, daylight can be seen through walls all over the place up there.

The TV room will become our office and we will have new kitchen and full bathroom on the main floor. I'm excited! I will post progress photos.

Last night

I dreamed that I had three black and white kittens that I kept losing. Having an alive thing that I keep losing or neglecting has been a recurring thing in my dreams ever since I became a mother. It usually means that I feel like I am failing. Argh. The painting is by Sarah Kiser.

Take Me To The Woods

I got another piece of artwork from one of my favorite artists, Victoria Whincup. I have a beloved framed stuffie, Shaun, and when she showed some new drawings the other day, there was another that looked like Shaun and I contacted her for a print, but she would sell me nothing less than the original. I love her work, it's so gentle and peaceful and I'm always wishing someone would "take me to the woods"

I've included pictures of the new piece, framed, and the other Shaun that was a gift for our anniversary a couple years ago.

I Like This, and It's TRUE

Click here to go to Lizzy Stewart's Blog. Here's a link to her etsy shop, where you can buy the print.

Oswald and Band of Horses

We got to be grandparents this weekend, had Asher starting friday night. It's been an absolute delight. Terrible, but I adore watching TV with him, especially little kid shows. When something particularly good comes on, he turns and smiles at me, just like someone I love does. We watched this episode today, the quality is terrible, but I LOVE this cartoon, love the music, love the artwork, love the sentiment. And Oswald has a weenie dog like our Zoe.
I got hooked on it when we had Asher for 2 months and every time we watched it was a very peaceful few moments, because he loves it, (also Kipper The Dog) and is one of the few parts of the day when I could just sit still with him.

This episode starts in the middle, but I thought particularly poignant. Oh, the people and dogs we lose in our lives! I hope they all come back.




Also, did you see Band Of Horses was on Austin City Limits this week?

Come Home

A beautiful song I heard last night on AI. Expresses how I feel today, powerless and just about hopeless, but wishing, wishing for 2 I've fought for.

Come Home by One Rebublic

Hello world
Hope you're listenin'
Forgive me if I'm young
For speaking out of turn
There's someone I've been missing
And I think that they could be
The better half of me
They're in their wrong place trying to make it right
But I'm tired of justifying
So I say to you

[Chorus]
Come home
Come home
Cause I've been waiting for you
For so long
For so long
And right now there's a war between the vanities
But all I see is you and me
The fight for you is all I've ever known
So come home
Oooh



[Interlude]
Everything I can't be
Is everything you should be
And that's why I need you here
Everything I can't be
Is everything you should be
And that's why I need you here
So hear this now

[Chorus]
Come home
Come home
Cause I've been waiting for you
For so long
For so long
And right now there's a war between the vanities
But all I see is you and me
The fight for you is all I've ever known
Ever known
So come home
Come home

More lyrics: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/o/one_republic/#share

Food

Gosh, two posts in one day! All my leisure time is showing, I guess. It's amazing what you can get done when you aren't taking care of a toddler.

So first of all, about food, today we were in Portland and I went to the Lloyd Farmers Market and got a Menagerie snack plate from Savory et Sweet. I think I posted about having one in July, it's a veritable bounty of deliciousness. The picture above doesn't really do it justice. It had a prune with blue cheese, a delicious half sandwich, a cucumber stuffed with quinoa salad, a slice of pear, grapefruit and cheese, a pea pod, an asparagus spear, a roasted blue potato and a yellow chili, roasted walnuts, and the thing in the bottom right corner is a crepe with vanilla whipped cream. I was dreaming about making a summer meal of bites like this for lovely friends all afternoon, even though it was bitterly cold. It's so nice to eat a beautiful healthy meal.

And then tonight, I got to enjoy the first meal of our new dinner co-op. My friend, Aishi, came up with this idea of four couples making meals for each other once a week, so you only cook once and you get 3 other meals delivered to you. Tonight she delivered a delicious Fish Stew, Caesar Salad with roasted capers and bread. Tomorrow is my night to cook and I am making Turkey Stuffing Meatloaves and Mashed Potatoes with Herbs and salad, with a Lemon Tart for dessert.

The dinner is from Rachel Ray, and the Lemon Tart recipe is from Grand Central Bakery cookbook. All new recipes, my fellow co-op members are guinea pigs . I'll let you know how it goes.

Kindle Reading

This is Asher, 21 months. He thinks it's really fun to take off his pants and sit on the onions in my pantry. I tried to capture that for you, but no dice.

I read two good books recently, one was read on my new Kindle, that Dave got me. It was this one, Major Pettigrew's Last Stand and since I am cheap and already had the book from the library, I read with glasses, The Help

The reason I wanted a Kindle is you can adjust the font, so I won't have to read with glasses. I hate glasses! So far I love it, but currently Dave is using it to read Shogun. (for the 5th time) I think he needs his own.

I hope to get some art done in the next few weeks. I know this blog has been sadly lacking in the art life department.

Cathy Cullis

I've spent a very pleasant morning reading back through Cathy Cullis' blog. She inspires me so. I am so in love with black and white and stitching and the moodiness of her work. Above is one of my favorites.

I was so pleasantly surprised to find one of my paintings in her mosaic monday series! I think I didn't know about it, don't know how I missed it, but if I did know, I'm thanking her again for posting "Their Mother Waits For The Garden". Thank you, Cathy.

Cabin in Plain, WA Leavenwerk

I was privileged to be invited on a long weekend at a snowy cabin. I got to be the 'mom' to a bunch of youngsters, it was beautiful and we had such a good time. Thanks, Chelsey.


Topless snow angel, as loss for a prolonged poker game
Mckinley
Nurtz
Poker
Bedroom
Camp Leavenwerk
Mckinley and Brewster
Sweater for Asher, almost done, he might be able to wear for two weeks before he grows out

A tree fell

Last night, big windstorm and a tree (ornamental cherry, covered with ivy)in our backyard fell and took out very nice neighbors power and squished their shed, among other things. It has done some damage to our fence and there is a big mess, but my anxiety is for them.

Songs

These are songs I love right now:

Love Remains The Same Gavin Rossdale

Ari Hest Cranberry Lake

Bitter Heart Zee Avi

They are In Love The Weepies

Falling in Love Matt White

Lille Lisa Hannigan

Lets Stay Together Nick Driver

Chasing Pavements Adele

Make You Feel My Love Adele

News

Thank you to all who have inquired about where I have disappeared to...

We have had our 18 month old grandson for 24 days, and before that we had him a lot. That means, although my life is full of happy baby screams and laughter, tickling and kisses, there is not much time for creativity, hence, not much of an art life.

We took our house off the market and had to adopt out our beloved greyhound because she was not trustworthy around him full time.

I did paint something the other day when I took him to daycare for a much needed break, and it made me so happy to paint again, I know I am going to have to find a way to keep doing that.

Thank you for caring about me and my art and for writing and letting me know. It means a lot.

Apple Crisp from "the cabin"

Years ago, years and years ago, we used to go to our friends, Sherry and Kirk's cabin in Eastern Washington near Lake Entiat. We often went in the fall and got apples. One year, we decided to make apple crisp and found this old cookbook with this recipe in it. As far as I am concerned, it's the best. It might be because it has so much butter in it. It's crazy good. Those were some good times.

8x8 pan, buttered. Oven 350 degrees

4 tart apples, peeled and sliced

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

3/4 cup butter, room temp

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp salt

lemon juice

Place apples in buttered pan. With pastry blender, cut in butter and sugar, add flour, salt and cinnamon. Sprinkle the apples with lemon juice and then crumble the topping on top.

Bake at 350 degrees for an hour or until apples are tender, and the crust is lightly browned. Serve with Vanilla ice cream.

Love and Happiness

A song by Emmylou Harris, wishes for her daughter. I have the same wishes for my children.

Love and Happiness

Here's a wishing well
Here's a penny for
Any thought it is
That makes you smile
Every diamond dream
Everything that brings
Love and happiness
To your life

Here's a rabbit's foot
Take it when you go
So you'll always know
You're safe from harm
Wear your ruby shoes
When you're far away
So you'll always stay
Home in your heart

You will always have a lucky star
That shines because of what you are
Even in the deepest dark
Because your aim is true
And if i could only have one wish
Darling, then i would be this
Love and happiness for you

Here's a spinning wheel
Use it once you've learned
There's a way to turn
The straw to gold
Here's a rosary
Count on every bead
With a prayer to keep
The hope you hold

You will always have a lucky star
That shines because of what you are
Even in the deepest dark
Because your aim is true
And if I could only have one wish
Darling, then it would be this
Love and happiness for you
And if I could only have one wish
Darling, then it would be this
Love and happiness for you