Purt Near Perfect:

I was trying to explain to a friend of mine why I schedule time to create. After a long conversation, I knew she would understand better if I shared with her a book I love, "a practical guide" called "The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It For Life" by Twyla Tharp. When mundane things fill my day, I've often experienced a sort of artistic writer's block. It seems that my mind gets so full of "things to do" and "daily chores" that I can't let go of the lists and produce even a straight line! So when I need to get off dead center, I use some of the creative exercises suggested in this book to jump-start my brain cells. I could never-ever be a Twyla Tharp (only in my dreams!) but simply reading about how she lives outside the box helps me shake myself and open my mind... it's like Boot Camp for creativity!

This Is My Message To You:

Dedicated to Meg ~ don't worry 'bout a thing, cause every little thing's gonnna be alright...

(B Is For Bob's Three Little Birds from Noggin... if you haven't heard this version or seen the video -- you are in for a treat. Consider it a gift.)

Swoon:

I am very happy with movies this year... so many great ones, and it looks like 2009 will end with a bang! One of the "bangs" will come on December 18 when The Young Victoria will open in limited release. Oh the stars: Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend, Paul Bettany (my very favorite star hunk -- swoon, swoon), Miranda Richardson, Jim Broadbent, etc. I hope the movie will be as fantastic as it deserves to be -- from the reviews I've read so far, it is!

Years ago when I saw the movie Mrs. Brown, I became intrigued with the life of Queen Victoria, especially her marriage to Prince Albert. Her husband's early death was her undoing and she fell into a deep depression, basically disappearing from public life. But it is incredible to note that her reign as Queen lasted 63 years and 7 months -- longer than any other British monarch before or since -- and longest of any female monarch in history! I've read "Queen Victoria: A Personal History" by Christopher Hibbert (which I highly recommend) and Victoria: The Young Queen by Monica Charlot. Alexandrina Victoria was an amazing woman!

Welcome To The Neighborhood:

Long story short: she put on the gas instead of the brake, went through the garage door AND the house... thought I would only see things like this on America's Funniest Videos. The new homeowners bought this house on Friday. Interesting remodeling job...

The Painter Of Light:

I'm sure everyone is familiar with the paintings of his ships at sea... most history books are filled with them. J.M.W. Turner (Joseph Mallord William Turner) -- the son of a barber and wig maker, and mother, Mary Marshall, a housewife -- was born in 1775 at Covent Garden in London. Turner received almost no general education but at 14 was already a student at the Royal Academy of Arts. In 1791 for the first time he exhibited two watercolours at the Royal Academy. He was a Romantic landscape painter, watercolourist and printmaker, whose style is said to have laid the foundation for Impressionism. Turner was considered a controversial figure in his day, but is now regarded as the artist who elevated landscape painting to an eminence rivalling history painting. Although renowned for his oil paintings, Turner is also one of the greatest masters of British watercolour landscape painting. He is commonly known as "the painter of light." At the time of his death, Turner left some three hundred paintings and nineteen thousand watercolours to his credit.

The above painting, Mortlake Terrace (1827) is my favorite. A fashionable London suburb, Mortlake Terrace lies next to the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew, visible here on the distant bend of the River Thames. This is one of a pair of views commissioned by the owner of a town house, The Limes, named after the magnificent lime trees lining its terrace. Both scenes portray the blazing disk of the sun, flashing a reflection from the stone parapet. This painting looks west over the garden at sunset after the children have abandoned their toys. A black dog barks at the Lord Mayor’s flag-decked barge. This dark accent, which enhances the summer evening’s hazy paleness, was a last-minute addition. Just before the Royal Academy show opened in 1827, Turner cut the dog out of paper, stuck it onto the wet varnish, and touched it up with highlights and a collar... now that's modern!

My Cousin Wayne:

"This is the third book we have written together, though separately we have written others... But to say ‘written separately’ makes no sense, for when two lives have been bent for so many years on one central enterprise -- in this case, gardening -- there really is no such thing as separately.”
With these words, renowned garden designers, my cousin Wayne Winterrowd (on the left pictured above) and his life partner Joe Eck, begin their fascinating, new book, Our Life In Gardens. It is a deeply moving book about the life and garden they share, North Hill. It contains much sound information about the cultivation of plants and their value in the landscape, and invaluable advice about their area of expertise: garden design. There are chapters about the various parts of their garden, and sections about particular plants -- roses and lilacs, snowdrops and cyclamen -- and vegetables. They also discuss the development of their garden over time, and the dark issue that weighs more and more on their minds: its eventual decline and demise. Our Life in Gardens is a deeply satisfying perspective on gardening, and on life.

Sweat Equity:

I've decided that I must not be producing Aphrodisin -- you know, the protein that is tightly bound to my pheromones, the real chemical signals that say "come to me!" I haven't been "hot" lately so I guess men aren't responding to my airborne sexual sweat messages. God knows I haven't been going around sniffing male armpits! And since I don't have periods anymore, I'm not susceptible to the McClintock Effect either (the pheromones that readjust women's menstrual cycles so that they are in sync with each other). Did you know that your VNO -- vomeronasal organ also known as Jacobson's organ -- is located between your nose and mouth... it is the first stage of your accessory olfactory system which is the pheromone receptor. So if pheromones are the clue to the compelling mystery of attraction between men and women, why isn't more research done to measure this form of sexual chemistry? Doesn't it stand to reason that spraying yourself with a delightful-smelling, pheromone-filled perfume might be easier than stuffing yourself with oysters? Just wondering.

Set Your Piggies Free:

I can't help it -- today it's raining AGAIN! and I needed something good to get my day started... needed to get in the right frame of mind to battle the "dark sky blues." For me, it doesn't get any better than Elmo and Ricky. You've probably seen this before, me too, but I never get tired of it and it always makes me laugh!

I became a huge fan of Ricky Gervais back in 2002 and have been watching his career ever since. I haven't seen The Invention of Lying yet -- waiting to see it with my youngest daughter who shares my sense of humor. Maybe this weekend? Can't wait!

Simple Man:

While listening to the soundtrack to Almost Famous on my ipod, I reviewed the album's list of songs. It's been a long, long time since I'd seen the movie and had forgotten how many really wonderful songs were included: Tiny Dancer (of course!), I've Seen All Good People, Slip Away, Feel Flows, America, and so on. But the one that jumped out at me was Lynyrd Skynyrd's Simple Man. The message made me think of a young man I know (Robert) and his wise mother. What lyrics! I can't stop thinking about the powerful words...

"Mama told me, when I was young

Come sit beside me, my only son.

And listen closely, to what I say.

And if you do this

It will help you some sunny day.

Oh, take your time...

Don't live too fast,

Troubles will come, and they will pass.

Go find a woman and you'll find love,

And don't forget son,

There is Someone up above.

And be a simple kind of man.

And maybe some day you'll love and understand.

Baby, be a simple kind of man.

Won't you do this for me son, If you can?

Forget your lust for the rich man's gold

All that you need is in your soul,

And you can do this if you try.

All that I want for you my son, Is to be satisfied.

Boy, don't you worry... you'll find yourself.

Follow you heart and nothing else.

And you can do this if you try.

All I want for you my son,
Is to be satisfied."

Fall Madness:

It is a B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L day! The sun is shining and there is a slight breeze in the crisp autumn air. Yep, I would call this Fall day absolutely glorious. Wish I could bottle it! There is rain in the forecast, but I don't care because I can bask in today's beauty. God is good, all the time.

SLC:

Four and a half years ago today, my husband died. He was only 52 years old. We were high school sweethearts -- we began dating when he was 16 and I was 15. We dated for 5 years, and had been married over 30 years. He was half my soul... dimidium animae meae.

So much has happened since he died that I can hardly wrap my mind around it. It literally takes my breath away.

"Where you used to be there is a hole in the world which I find myself constantly walking around in the daytime, and falling in at night. I miss you like hell." -Edna St. Vincent Millay

Shot in the Dark:
I had a flu shot Monday morning and that night I was wracked with fever and chills. I was so spent on Tuesday that I could barely lift my head. If that's what people feel like when they have the Swine Flu, all I can say is God bless 'em!

Howdy Stranger:

Can't wait till this weekend! I'm going to one of my favorite restaurants, Tillman's Roadhouse. It's located in Dallas' Bishop Arts District, and is exactly the kind of place I would love to own if I owned a restaurant: cute boys dressed in pearl-buttoned western shirts by Billy Reid; wooden "taxidermy" heads hanging from damask wall panels; saddle leather topped stools; an over-sized, aqua-velvet tufted-chesterfield couch; a movie projector in the bar (usually playing Giant); over-sized crystal chandeliers; plush banquettes and ceiling-tall drapes; fantastic bartenders and fantastic drinks; creative and oh-so-delicious food offerings like popcorn drizzled with truffle oil and hot peanuts both served in darling bird-decorated-over-sized pewter spoons... Trio of Fries (Parmesan black pepper kennebec fries, chili dusted purple peruvian fries and smoked salt scented sweet potato fries with housemade catsup and horseradish pickle mayo)... Venison Frito Pie... The Big Sexy (house-ground foie gras-sirloin burger with tomato, and lettuce or with caramelized shallots, melted brie and madeira aioli)... Grilled Pork Chop (with dallas goat cheese-coffee polenta)... or how about S'mores Table Side (made-from-scratch orange, maple and coffee marshmallows with cinnamon grahams and dark chocolate bark complete with fire and skewers!) There's so much more... Have I made you hungry yet? Ya, I know!

"Tillman's is an update on the classic Texas roadhouse. Regional menu favorites, familiar tunes, no-one is a stranger hospitality — all energized with a modern take."

Perfect Poppers:

My youngest daughter is coming home for Fall Break, and my brother, his daughter-in-law and granddaughter are coming to town for a weekend visit. So Friday night before we load in the car and head over to a favorite restaurant, I'm going open a bottle of good Zinfandel and serve Blue Cheese Popovers with fig preserves and walnuts on the side. So easy and oh-so-good... thank you, Martha Stewart!

Blue Cheese Popovers
2 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
2 T butter (melted and cooled)
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper (freshly ground)
1 1/4 cup blue cheese
1 T fresh thyme (leaves only, chopped)

In a large bowl, use a whisk and combine all ingredients, whisking as you add each one. Cover the bowl and refrigerate OVERNIGHT. The next day, whisk again a little and then pour into mini-muffin tins that have been buttered. Fill to the top of each muffin well. Put rack at highest level and in a preheated 425° oven, bake for 20 minutes till they “pop” and are brown and crusty. Best served hot from the oven!

Colorstrology:

I'm still working with my brother on signage for the new restaurant. My task today is to convert the designer's collection of interior paint colors into PMS colors. (The Pantone Matching System allows designers to "color match" specific colors when a design enters production stage -- regardless of the equipment used to produce the color. This system has been widely adopted by graphic designers, reproduction and printing houses for a number of years now.)

Did you know that Pantone combined with Colorstrology expert Michele Bernhardt to determine a Color of the Year? "Mimosa" (PMS 14-0848) is THE color for 2009. I wasn't even aware that there was such a thing! Where have I been? "Pantone, which provides color standards to design industries, specifically cites mimosa, a vibrant shade illustrated by the flowers of the mimosa tree as well as the brunch-favorite cocktail, as its top shade of the new year, but the company, in general, believes the public will embrace many tones of optimistic yellow. In a time of economic uncertainty and political change, optimism is paramount and no other color expresses hope and reassurance more than yellow. The color yellow exemplifies the warmth and nurturing quality of the sun, properties we as humans are naturally drawn to for reassurance,” explains Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. “Mimosa also speaks to enlightenment, as it is a hue that sparks imagination and innovation.”

So, it's Mimosa, as in orange-hued yellow. Not black to symbolize the dismal housing market, ongoing war in Iraq, and perils of global warming. Not beige to represent the hesitation with which fashion designers are creating their collections, fearful that shoppers won't buy anything that's too out there. But yellow. Searingly sanguine yellow. Mimosa "represents hope and optimism," reports British Vogue.

As much as I want to rally against choosing a color the world doesn't feel on the inside right now, I have to hand it to Pantone -- they've embraced a year of change. Wonder what 2010 will bring... Still, I think I'm going to stick to drinking my champagne and orange juice rather than wearing it!

With Chisel In Hand:

It's raining again -- lots of dark skies and blue days -- so I've been trying to concentrate on things that make me smile. Will Kautz' American Folk Art woodcarvings make me smile. I'm drawn to his artistic sense of humor. And his life story is truly inspirational.

Will's father, William Charles Kautz was a fine artist in New York and creativity was an important part of Will's home environment. He remembers sculpting marble beside his dad when he was still a boy. But as a young man, Will was often torn between a drive to be creative and a desire to do something for the vulnerable in society. In 1980, he entered seminary and earned a M.A. in theology and ethics and was later appointed as a Research Fellow at Yale University. In 1985 he began full-time law school with a young family and no money. At this time, Will began to carve. Initially, he hoped merely to pay a few tuition bills with whatever he could earn from his art, but within a few weeks, his designs began to sell a quickly as he could produce them. The first year law student would study by day and carve by night. Three years later, Will completed law school and passed the Vermont bar exam. For the next ten years, Will maintained a volunteer law practice for victims of domestic violence while supporting his family with his art. Through the years, Will has sold his work to numerous galleries and collectors around the world. His art has been displayed at the Museum of American Folk Art, the Shelburne Museum and the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. He has been chosen by Early American Homes magazine for its annual Director of America's Best Traditional Craftsmen, and is a juried member of traditionalfolkart.com.

Harp In The Mouth Trick:

Rick Estrin 's music is another thing that makes me smile. He's known as one of the very best harp players, singer/songwriters in the blues world today.

He looks cool too. He wears 1940s suits, a thin moustace, Elvis-style pompadour, and Roy Orbison-style tinted glasses.

"When you talk to any of the top harmonica players, they will immediately name Rick as one of the best guys in the world,” says Bruce Iglauer, owner and founder of Alligator, the premiere blues record label. "The showmanship has sometimes taken people’s focus off what a great musician he really is,” Iglauer says.

True South:

I called my hometown in Louisiana yesterday (no, not Bon Temps!) to talk to a guy at a sign company about a logo I've developed for my brother and nephew's new restaurant. Never spoken to this guy, don't know him, never met him. After we discussed business, I told him I'd get him the vector file as soon as possible and he said, "Okay, thank you, darlin'." That made me smile all day. I wasn't offended the least little bit. I knew he wasn't being fresh. He wasn't being a male chauvinist, and it wasn't sexual harassment. He was just being friendly. He was just being Southern.

Other things about the South that make me smile:

People waving... in the South, people like to wave. They wave hello, they wave goodbye, and they wave just to let you know that they saw you. Whether you're driving in town or down a country road, anyone passing by will get a wave. It's just the friendly thing to do!

Small talk... Southerners love to chat. If you're running errands, make sure you allot yourself time for chit-chat. From the grocery store to the local cafe, you will find someone who wants to chat.

Commonly used phrases and sayings:

"Y'all" -- means "you all," everyone, or every one of you

"Fixin' to" -- as in "fixin' to go to the store;" "fixin' to leave;" "fixin' to come;" sounds funny but "fixin' to" makes perfect sense!

"Younguns" -- small children

"Reckon" -- means "I suppose so"

"Yonder" -- as in "over yonder," which means "over there"

Jai Ho:

My youngest daughter wants to attend a college module this summer in Northern India exploring the traditions and teachings of Tibetan Buddhism. She'll study under several high lamas, visit temples and shrines, and establish an email and face-to-face relationship with a Tibetan monk. Sounds interesting, but the Catholic school girl/Presbyterian woman in me has lots of questions and doubts. Looks like I need a spiritual guide!

Whistle While You Work:

"With her backpack as her favorite tool, Mimi travels throughout

the United States discovering new motifs to paint en plein air."

Sounds romantic, doesn't it? While I do love working with natural light, I don't love painting outside. As a matter of fact, I can't think of anything more painful... the bugs, the sweat, the squinting, the lugging, the inconvenience of it all. I say throw out the pochade box! Give me an over-stuffed cushion on a cozy couch, a great big tabletop, an electrix halogen lamp, layers of shelving stacked with art supplies, immediate access to files and art board, the loo and a sink right around the corner, music at my fingertips, AC or heat as needed, and I'm a happy camper!

(Pictured above is Henri Matisse at work in his bed!!!)

Journaling:

I wish I could remember where I got this, but I didn't write it down!

"By the time we graduate from high school, we will have learned and forgotten several million facts. Most facts were worthy of forgetting, but writing them down keeps the most important ones. In your journal write the lessons you have learned, the good that you do, the good that happens to you, insights, successes and mistakes.

Consider each day, then review to see how you are doing. When you consider the day, encourage yourself with your successes and bring the mistakes into perspective."

Playing For Change:

My sister sent this today for my viewing pleasure! Did you happen to see it last October? If so, I'm sure you won't mind seeing it again!

Documentary producer Mark Johnson traveled around the world filming musicians "in an effort to foster a new, greater understanding of our commonality." He created a new mix in which essentially the performers are all performing together — worlds apart. So sit back and enjoy Stand By Me brought to you via Santa Monica, California; New Orleans, Louisiana; Barcelona, Spain; Moscow, Russia; The Congo; Amsterdam, Netherlands; Zuni, New Mexico; Gugulethu, Umlazi and Mamelodi, South Africa; Pisa, Italy; Caracas, Venezuela; and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

"This song says, uh, no matter who you are, no matter where you go in your life, at some point you're gonna need somebody to stand by you..." Thanks, Patty.