Molly Goatwax

Because I really need to get the adrenaline pumping

Three deer jumped into the road in front of my car this evening. I missed the faun, trailing, by inches. The jackanapes tailgating me missed hitting my rear bumper by about the same distance.

From the other side of the studio

A lazy Saturday. Today is for puttering about: chipotle mayonnaise, better than the type at the store. I usually get a small can of chipotles in adobo and decant them into a glass jar for the fridge. I put a few of them in the food processor with low fat mayo and gave it a whirl. Perfect for squeeze bottle convenience when assembling sandwiches! Watch out, those tinned peppers are hot. Aim for a deep shrimp color. Now we've got butter bread baking in the bread machine. I'd feel like a cheat, but the results are too tasty. My smoked turkey will get the best treatment in town.

The Rush Hour Traffic Jam of 2011

Wow. I would have been a lot more stressed had I not left work an hour early on Wednesday. People were stuck in traffic for NINE hours just a mile from our house. Drivers abandoned their cars on the expressway and some sheltered at the hotel hard by, even though it had a power outage. Some people didn't get home until the following day and the newspaper now refers to it as an event in capital letters. By contrast, Hubby, the tot and I were marveling at the thunder snow from the warmth of our home, comforting a scaredy cat, Homer. I have so much to be thankful for, not the least of which is the upcoming weekend. Chili cook off...Sunday! ( No, I'm not competing, unless there's a category for volume consumed!)

glopular and slidey

My drive home from work through a deluge of ice balls wth lightning stressed me out. Ugh. More than usually stressed, which this season has been almost as heavy as the winter storm now coating the country from Maine to Mississippi, as reported by CNN. That's a lot of snow. It's been a lot of stress. The snow and ice will melt away and I'm hopeful that the stress follows suit. The cookies I smell from the next room will help.

Drop Leaf Table by the Side of The Road

This one looks as if it would match the maple chairs I used to have.

It Shines

Once again , the Spoetzl Brewery in Shiner, Texas has hit it out of the ballpark. I am a big fan of their seasonal offerings. Just as my source has run out of Shiner 101, a Czech style pilsner with a true pitch, Shiner delivers Dortmunder style Spring ale. It's crisp and clear with a mild bite and so fresh. Hints of honey and lawn do not make it sweet or green but anticipate the welcome air of spring. Watch out, though. At 5.5 ABV it may sneak up on you. And no. It's not too early "Renew with a Spring Brew"! Yummy. Oh! The best part is that it costs about the same as The National Swill. A no-brainer. Visualize me hypnotizing you over the internet and go get some.

Soup's on!

This morning the teen aged daughter and I crossed the little stream at the end of the street and joined the school community in a day of service. While some cooked cassaroles and some made pillows, our group glazed low fire soup bowls for the Sarah's Hope Empty Bowls project. It's a fundraiser and we were reminded that our breakfast bowls at home hold the certainty of food while others' do not. Besides which, it was fun. I painted a small orange tabby curled asleep at the bottom of the bowl I glazed in a garden theme. In March, someone will pay to have that bowl filled at a soup supper and then take it home. Many restaurants are bringing their signature soups and you can sample as many as you'd like. Yum! It's time for chili! It's going to snow!

New start

Today I am preparing supports for the next series. Ten pine panels to prime, the cigar boxes get matched to papers, hardware is collected. I don't know where I'll take them, but they'll be ready. This part of the process feels like the start of a new semester.

At the end of the day

Today is the final day to submit or edit your Baker Artist Award nomination, a template for an online presentation that reminds me of a mini-blog. I have been working on mine in bits and snatches for months and I have those feelings of regret and release similar to those I feel at the hanging of a show. It's been a wonderful opportunity to get a new perspective on grouping, presentation and the development of the thought process. Next up! Clock mechanisms! In my "paintings"!

Believe

The feel good civic slogan that is Martin O'Malley's legacy on a cop car's cracked bumper.