Hangin' with Damma

Last weekend was family weekend at Adrian College. I took Arianna to see the festivities. She loved the inflatables for ages three and up (she is such a big girl). She got her face painted, ate cookies, and saw the stadium. She wanted to see uncle Jeff, but he was on the field lost in a mass of black and gold.
She gets the whole idea of recording a moment with a photograph. Fun times.

What's all the fuss?

Go to http://www.tor.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=comic&id=11345&page=1 to read Great Uncle George's Will by Andi Watson. Andi writes graphic novels that appeal to my inner child. There is something Mary Poppinish about the fantasy in his works Princess at Midnight and Glister. Love it! He just can't produce work fast enough to satisfy my hunger.

Aeolian Harps

At the Art-a-licious festival in September I met a person for the Cool People list.
The artist Steve Cameron makes Aeolian Harps, which he described as an "organic" harp that plays by the force of the wind. Is is a beautiful instrument that has "been around since ancient Greece and has been a source of inspiration for poets, authors and composers."
Take the time to investigate these instruments.

Homecoming

Mikkie was in town for AC's homecoming, in big part because her son Ian is now attending AC. Ian plays trombone in the band and is involved in the choir.

I took Mikkie to Farmers' Market and she bought some raspberries so I made my famous Devil's Food cake with raspberry filling and chocolate ganache. Oh Lord, was it good! I used Better Homes and Garden's Cookbook recipe for the cake. It was an easy and tasty recipe I will use in the future.

Mikkie also bought a wild shelf mushroom that is orange colored. I was freekin out saying I wouldn't eat it, but in the end I tried it. It tasted like dry chicken. So when I returned to the Farmers' Market I told "Mushroom Man" that I lived, and that it tasted like dry chicken. He was concerned and gave me a new one and I bought a Hen of the Woods. Well these two (pictured above) are so tasty! The Hen of the Woods is my new favorite mushroom. It has a mellowness to it that I am having trouble describing. The Mushroom Man is now on my Cool People list.

Mikkie is a ceramic artist. She teaches youth art classes at Manassas Clay, in Manassas Virginia. She gave me one of her beautiful bowls, that make me feel so happy to touch and see. I miss Mikkie and have so many laughs when she is around so having her art is like a cozy blanket.
I had no art of my own to give her. FAIL. I am trying to make more art that doesn't need a side of a house to be on.
FYI Mikkie's husband Doug works with NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope which recently discovered a "supersized ring" around Saturn, using infrared light. Spitzer brings me much joy. The images it has captured of distant galaxies were a source of inspiration for me when I was designing my door.

"Chair-ity" for Art-a-licious

The Lenawee Council for the Visual Arts hosts an annual art event in September. People in the community are asked to decorate a chair to auction off and raise funds. This is the second year I have participated in designing a chair. I wish I had taken a picture of last year's chair. I guess I was feeling kinda insecure about my work. It was a really nice little chair (painted in apple colors -red, green and yellow); I shouldn't have felt inadequate. Anyway the chair above is this years contribution. I quilted the top using rag ball strips made by my grandmother. I love this chair and it has a wonderful story behind it. I hope it will find an appreciative home.

Eating Good

A few months back Randy found a recipe for Kansas City Ribs, which makes the best rips on the planet.

Naked Lilies

It was a good year for the Naked Lilies. I had ten stalks full of sweet pink flowers.

The Happiness Menu

MP and Rosebud helped deliver Meals on Wheels. After all were fed we went to the farmers' Market and the As Is. We bought shallots, tomatoes, corn, and zinnias at the Farmers' Market. At the As Is MP bought fabric for a "charity chair," I found frames for some projects I have been conceptualizing and some toys for my students shadowbox project, and Rosebud bought a giant dog. Also, MP found a book for me to read, "Things Fall Apart" which just so happened to be on my book list:} She read it in college and said she remembers enjoying it. So far it is an exciting read.