grace in small things::15/365

1.the small swarm, of possible honeybees, in my potting shed.that had no interest me, as they were busy doing something, it was fascinating, and a little scary, in an exciting fun kind of way.

2.My newly planted asparagus bed. small tender spears, poking up through the soil.every row I planted, I have success.This will be a spectacular bed when mature.

3.My new raised bed, that is all rich soil, and no weeds!

4.The crispy sweetness of Ines Rosales, tortas de aciete. thin golden brown layers,covered in sugar, each bite filled with a sugary crunch and tender anise seeds.

5.the return of the barn toad. Every year we have a toad that hangs around the barn, and my flower gardens.I am glad they provide the perfect homebase for my toady friend.

grace in small things::14/365

1. Jack-in-the-pulpit, rich green, and purple,punctuating the woods.

2.the scent of etching inks, carded onto warmed copper.

3.A steady palm wipe, that adds another layer, to the print I am making.

4.Seedless red grapes that burst upon toothsome bite into sweet, tart and juicy.

5.Fresh Spearmint tea, and sharing it with my studio-mates.

grace in small things::13/365

1.Working beside my husband and my son, filling the raised bed, that was built for me, for Mother's Day.

2.Planting the Asparagus crowns, I bought this morning, marveling on how this bunch of roots , are going to be future dinners for me and my family.

3.Using compost I made myself, to put in said Asparagus bed, to feed and nourish, those growing spears.

4.Thankful for a sunny and breezy day, to plant, there were no bugs!

5.Thankful that I can prepare an asparagus bed.I can still turn sod, pick rocks and weeds,and plant 3 rows of asparagus.

grace in small things::12/365

1. Asparagus-cooked simply, and eaten with your fingers.

2. Rain storms in the spring, with quiet flashes of lightening.

3. Finding a fool proof method, to make chicken cutlets, that is quick,and delicious.

4. Listening to a Barred owl, calling out into the night.

5.Loving that my son drives us to the movies, and knows a quicker way to get there.

grace in small things::11/365

1. My sister's cat Megs, who came to live with us many years ago. She's a sweet purring poof of soft fur, who outsizes the younger cat, but who is timid and shy, and purrs as loud as an outboard motor.

2.the View from my upstairs window,on all sides there are something to see, and sigh and feel grateful for and enjoy.

3.My first prints, which are rudimentary at best , but so vital, in teaching myself about being an artist.

4. Walking barefoot, on the fuzzy bathroom rugs, thick in pile, and deep blue in color, and so soft on my feet.

5.Clouds, I love them.

love in this club.

Seriously, this music is righteous, and will make you smile unbelievably HUGE!

hit play, Now!

grace in small things ::10/365

1.Enjoying the blooming magnolia blossoms, inside my house. My friend Deni has a beautiful magnolia bush, often when it's in bloom, she cuts of the lower bud filled branches, and shares.This year her son Sam, did the honors. thanks Sam

2. Sushi made with brown rice, omg!

3.Brownie bites from Whole Foods!

4.Listening to Rachel Maddow's podcasts, she's intelligent, and keeps me up to speed with what's going on with the world.

5. Thankful, I have a studio to go to and create prints. Right now I have a work in progress, not even close to a finished idea ...but getting definitely warming

grace in small things ::9/365

the breakfast edition.

1. Hot strong dark roast coffee, frothy with the perfect amount of milk.

2. The icons that jump up and down on my Mac's dock, relentlessly until I click on them.I pretend my computer has figured out the best way to get my attention, and it always makes me smile to be pestered by them.

3.Having a good morning read, on the interwebs.

4.Letting the cat in through the side window, now that the grill is back in place, and she can sit there, looking in and meow at me, until I do.

5. Perfect instant oatmeal, that's creamy warm, and a complete little boost to get you going on your day.

grace in small things ::8/365

1.Soaking sweet pea seeds to plant in the morning.

2.Wearing shorts for the first time this year.

3.Having the weekend off, to enjoy the hot sunny weather.

4. Listening to the peepers fill the night air with their song.

5.Sitting around the fire tonight, enjoying the peepers, and the night air.

grace in small things ::7/365

1.An ice cold glass of Harpoon's IPA.

2.Sweeping all the winter grit off the porch,which is a win win. It's clean and I exercised!

3.Perfectly cooked pizza crust, the right amount of crunch,and flavor.

4.Finding a new rechargeable lithium battery, for my older Leica d-lux.

5.Parallel surfing the interwebs, with the hub.

grace in small things ::6/365

1.A cup of hot genmaicha,such a subtle flavored tea,with the yummy note of toasted rice, to tie it up nicely.

2.Planting seeds for flowers this summer.

3.Listening to music on my laptop, while I type this.

4.Settling into a warm house as the afternoon, turns rainy cold.

5.Having asparagus for dinner, all buttery, and lemony divine.

grace in small things ::5/365

1.Planting seeds for lettuce, and scallions, and sugar snap peas today.

2.Looking forward to the rain to water, said seeds.

3.Napping with my cat posse,a cat on either side of my body,keeping me secure, as I slept.

4.Editing my daily 365 minute videos, even though I am 20 days behind!!

5.Pleased that my hair is long enough to put in little hair clips. and not looking like a total dork.

grace in small things ::4/365

1.Attending my friend's art opening---->.

2. Listening to my favorite podcast, while inking a copper etching.

3.Having Friday off from work.

4.listening to the wind, blow by the building that the studio is in.

5. the sound of the plate cutter, as it cuts a piece of copper in half in a satisfying "chunk"

grace in small things::3/365

1.Loose leaf tea.

2.Daffodils that are blooming.

3.Watching the Starlings, build their nest under the roof of our back porch.

4.Spending the day at the studio, creating, contemplating art, and eventually pulling prints.

5.Watching the dog roll in the grass, then straighten herself up, to properly soak up the sunshine.

grace in small things ::2/365

1.A sunny and breezy day to hang washed clothes in.

2.Planting seeds, for arugala, and a piquant salad mix.

3.Tarragon, that is poking it's little leaves, through the soil, to let me know it has survived the winter.

4.The nakedness of the trees right now, making it so much easier to see the crows, when they land.

5.My dog napping by following the sunny spot around the living room floor.

grace in small things ::1/365

1.Having my 10 year old neice, climb into my lap, so we can talk.

2.Boston Baked Beans- that have been cooked for days.

3.Red Tulips, that are blooming in my mudroom.

4.Our cat Ginger, who caught a mouse in the house, yesterday!

5.Easter Dinner , with the family, everyone was happy relaxed, and hungry, and it all was sooo good.

100 pushups!

Now before you get too impressed with my hidden prowess, and silently envy me, take a deep breath, it's something I'm thinking of exploring with my flabby, but mostly healthy 46 year old body.
100 push ups is a program where you take a little push up test and see how many good form push-ups, you can do. It is safe to say that I am in the 0-5 bracket, does this disgust me, hardly, I didn't think I could do that many! I'm not such a weakling after all.From there you do push ups, for your work out. It stresses there should be a day of rest, between work out days. hey I like that concept, already.It also stresses working out only 3 days a week and take weekends off,I could agree to that.

Now when I took the test this morning, I did them, but boy It worked me, but I felt no pain, no sore muscles, so I thought cool. that was until tonight when I felt my biceps and triceps singing a little pain song to me, while I watched Antiques Roadshow. That's why they made Tylenol, and Arnica Montana, to ease the soreness.

I read about this from one of my facebook friends, yes that's right, I admit it, I have friends on facebook, and sometimes they even influence my life, a little.

Take a look yourself, it sounds pretty doable, you can do regular plank style push-ups, or modified knee bent push ups, so right there I'm not too fearful, as the modified bent knee ones will accomplish just as much, as the plank style, and who knows, maybe I'll graduate to that style, as I strengthen my body.

I am pretty sure I have written much about various ways I tried to commit to doing regular exercise, it's not like I don't know it's possible, but for some reason or another, after I have done a months worth,I begin to be a fair weather friend, I do it less and less, and then stop, and then flab out some more.

I recently came to the conclusion, that I won't be getting any younger!! so why the hell not. I'd liked to be a retired, active, Grammy someday, so maybe counting to 100 will insure that.Here goes nothing.

the windy city

This year the Southern Graphic Council Conference is going to be in Chicago, I've never been there, and I'm looking forward to it.
To see all these printmakers in one place,will be amazing.I'm looking forward to listening to Kathan Brown, from Crown Point Press. She has written many wonderful books about printmaking, one that I am especially fond of called "Ink,Paper,Metal,Wood", it recounts her different experiences with different artists. It's not a name dropping kind of book, it instead, is written as genuine respect and admiration, for the artist that have joined her there.It's a very inspiring read, and reason to explore printmaking.
Along with something wonderful like that is, the other things I'd like to see in Chicago, "the bean" at Millennium Park, I am looking forward to seeing the Art Institute, and trying some deep dish pizza.

My only hesitation, is that it's the end of March, the weather could be much like here, coldish, possible rain and snow!!!, so now I think of what to pack, thin, but warm layers, I have a great wool pea coat, that'll keep me warm, but now the possibility of snow, poses the shoe challenge. Luckily, I own lots of wool socks, and a pair of black work boots, I was hoping to bring only one pair of shoes, these great Asics I recently purchased. These are dream sneakers, they came out of the box, went on to my feet, no breaking in period. they were comfortable from step one.But sneakers and pssible snow...brrr. That may change depending on the weather, and I'll throw a hat in my suitcase too, but that will hardly take up any room.I figure I'll just be aware of the upcoming weather and dress accordingly, I live in New England after all, and our weather changes, one minute from the next,I'll just plan on packing smart.

the hairy post

today I got my hair cut, it's been over 4 months, it was longish, and not making me crazy, and I thought hey, I'll give this a shot, I kind of like it.
So my idea was to get in between the short short cuts I used to get and this long overgrown hair I have now. I went to a new stylist and frankly, my expectations were high, i love that she lives across the street, I can walk there...cool.

She asked me what I wanted, I told her I thought what I'd like, I like the length, but I knew it needed to be styled, and well she agreed, and started saying long in the back(yes!!) shape up the bulk in the back (well okay)and then make it wash and go (YES!) and then she said something but some height on the top (umm okay), and then her scissors went cutting and there was a lot of hair falling, kind of sickeningly in slow motion, and then I looked up and well gulp... my hair was short, like wtf short!!!

I looked in the mirror,I smiled in shock and paid, and left...noticing, it's still winter, and now I would need to wear earmuffs, as my ears were exposed, and chilly...brrr.
Now I was home to process, and I went from pissed, to crying out loud, freaking maybe I am losing it, I never before have cried over cut hair, maybe I was due. Whatever I was not liking it, so I continued to rant out loud occasionally noticing my dog's look of concern.Finally ,I got over my big bad self, and realized that my hair will grow, and well she did give me a really great cut. So now I'll just buy some cute earmuffs.

grocery store observations

This came to me while I was shopping for groceries today.It's one of those mundane tasks, that you have to do whether you want to or not.
I especially like to observe couples that shop together, basically I see this with straight couples, gay couples seem to be able to get that whole concept of divide and conquer. Whereas straight couple either actively shop together and split the work load, or they, don't. If they don't then it's mostly the man pushing the carriage, looking like an impostor, feeling a little out of place, or scared. You'll often find them standing there gripping the carriage, in a quiet aisle, while their loved one is off hunting and gathering. I find it curious behavior, as to why he can't continue on in the maze of the store, putting things in the carriage,maybe these couples aren't list shoppers,so he has no clue, what kind of cereal he eats, or chips he likes to snack on, or even what kind of toilet paper he likes to use. It's a little sad, and well a little annoying.
I also love to see the woman's gentle redirection of the cart,it's done silently, and by hand.We know that shopping aisles are like streets, that have two sides, you need to get on one side of the other, middle of the aisle shopping is for straight men, and permissive parents, who feel it's okay to let their kids push those huge car carriages down the middle of the aisle, because well the child can't see over the car part of the carriage, and so they stay in the middle, to avoid bumping into things, which keeps the parent lectures to minimum, and leaves them in peace, to push the carriage, as slow as they want.
This sometimes impresses and again annoys me depending on how much of a hurry I am in.
The other thing that has always impressed me , is the ability of kids to stare, directly at you, not even shyly looking away, if you look back at them.I always hope a little that this skill will carry this child to adulthood, where they will continue to make direct eye contact, instead of looking away.
My last observation,for now whatever happened to just politely saying excuse me, when someone is blocking your way in the aisle, or in front of your item you want to get to. I frankly get annoyed by people, who will just stand there passively, waiting for me to get out of their way, just say "excuse me", and I'll move, I'm not a mind reader, and I won't turn to a pillar of salt if you ask me, I'll just move , and not think another thing about it.