On Growing.

I am putting alot down in the next couple of postings (sorry for my longwindedness).



Mmm...garlic.

Future peas and fava beans.

It has been really great working in the garden lately, it keeps me sane getting dirty. When the future is so uncertain, it feels like the perfect use of my time, working with what I have, where I am.
I guess that's my recent motto (my mother used to say)..."Grow where you're planted." That's not to say settle for less, but just work with what you've got and be happy to have the things that you do have.

Getting creative.

My new project is starting a baking business. I am grateful at the moment for the economic (what are we calling it now?)__________. It is allowing/forcing me to get creative with my moneymaking endeavors. I have been baking our bread recently to save a little money (it's so expensive to buy right now). This brought me to the current business idea. I will do home delivered bread within our neighborhood (Woodlawn). I'm still working out the details but the flyers are coming right along and everyone I share the idea with is enthusiastic about it. Here's hopin' (and alot of bakin').

Inspiration in the Plaster

This came out of nowhere. The texture that the sanded plaster left on the board turned into this lonely older man. I quite like it though.


Another vision that came from the way the plaster was sanded. My process is becoming a bit like looking at the clouds. If you look at them long enough they become things you never would have imagined on your own.




I start with a piece of plywood, then cover it with a layer of joint compound (with a little bit of gesso in it). Once that is dry, I paint a single color wash over the entire thing. After the paint is dry I sand it down to a smoother surface. That is when the "cloud gazing" effect comes in.

This one I painted directly on the plywood. This piece had the interesting diagonal piece of wood in it, which inspired the piece.


This is a scrap from a desk that Chris and I made recently. I thought of Grandpa Fritz as I carved it. I also thought about his handy chain-mail glove when the blood beaded up on my finger after I stabbed it.
Here's the desk. It's an old door and old kitchen cabinets, we're pretty proud of ourselves, and it's very handy.





The posting that follows is incomplete. I had to take a break, but I haven't covered Washington DC, NYC or Vermont. You're probably overwhelmed anyway, this unemployment gig is allowing me a little more time to update my blog.

The Epic Journey

My housemate and dear friend Ruthie has decided to move to New York City to be a nurse. So, after just a few short days after arriving home from Christmas, we hit the road. The trip was exactly what I needed.

Eugene, LA, Tucson, Silver City, Navasota, New Orleans, Brookhaven, Auburn, Asheville, DC, NYC, Waterbury, Portland.


Santa Monica Beach...cold...rainy...quiet...hilarious purple raincoat.

Joshua Tree National Park... stunning...warm..awesome bouldering.

Our friend Sayuri made us felted sheep. This one came along for the trip. We let him graze in Joshua Tree, don't tell the Park Ranger.

More Joshua Tree.



Ruthie's friend Kelsey "dumpster diving".
Mt. Lemmon...headache...nap...warm...beautiful.

The climate on Mt. Lemmon goes from Mexican to Canadian in a short 30 minute drive. Cacti on the bottom, snow and pine trees on top. We stayed with Kelsey and Ant. Check out my sunglasses if you will...$5 special at the Tucson flea market.


MMM...Silver City, NM sure has some good cake, art,


...and sunsets.

Mississippi everyone! These little ones were super fun to walk around the farm with, best tour guides ever, hands down.


Oh Amzie. We stayed with this man, he was totally, awesomely crazy. He is a painter and a regular character in the French Quarter. Walking around with him we quickly learned that he was a local celebrity. Even Brangelina might recognize him.


Scoopin' poop with Coop. In the Blueridge Mountains! So peaceful.



I love this one, she's a keeper! I'm sad to have her all the way over there but I got to see her in her new community and it all felt very right.

What I took away from the trip...
1) The world is most definitely shaded by your inner well-being.
2) No matter where you go, people are people. They may be a little more this or that but we're all in the same boat.
3) I love New Orleans.
4) I love my family and friends.

North by Northwest

So after three long weeks at home with family and friends we hit the road and headed back Northwest. It was great to be home and see everyone but we were ready to get our lives back in order and get back to work singin' and a-paintin'.

After stopping in Denver to visit Chris's cousins we stopped off in Aspen and hung out with our friends there. We didn't get a chance to ski but we went to lots of wonderfully inspirational galleries. I was most impressed with Alexis Rockman's work.

Next it was Utah. We stopped off in Salt Lake City to check out the Mormon center of the world. It was interesting. I've never been to a city like that. I don't think any mormon's will be reading my blog so I will say, it was pretty eerie. The billboards driving into town were 50% Bridal/marriage based, and 50% advertising employment with the Mormon church. They had huge, I mean huge buildings surrounding the Temple that included a Mormon conference center, business center, and bank. Enough, it was weird.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Sunset on Kanapolis Lake Christmas evening. One of one hundred photos taken by Chris of this beautiful sight. After stuffing ourselves and playing a killer game of Apples to Apples we hit the road for the Glover Christmas celebration.
If it can't snow on Christmas a beautiful sunset is a perfect substitute.


Christmas with the Glover family was beautifully hectic, we had great food and conversation. Stella opened every present left unattended and was overjoyed with everyone.



Chris's little cousin Jack in his PJs, he is the most gentle mellow kiddo I know.


There were lots of pictures of this little one but this one is pretty nice, ol' Spaghetti Face Alvarez.


Chris and I wearing Grandma Nancy and Grandpa Fritz's old ski suits, pretty stylin'. We had the most wonderful day of sledding in Newton the day that I arrived home. It snowed the entire train ride from KC to Newton.

If I don't post Christmas pictures until the end of February it kind of makes the Christmas spirit last longer, right?

Washington DC

Hello all,
Brad will be so disappointed in me. I remember when I went to Europe a few years ago he said that I should post photos on a blog as I go. That was my plan for this trip and I have failed you. I am already nearly to my final destination and haven't posted anything since November! EEEK!!! Unfortunately I will not be posting any photos until I either get home or get to Katie and Sandy's house in Vermont, in about 5 days. Ruthie and I have had a great time thus far. She went on ahead of me to NYC so that I could hang out a bit more with my long-lost friend Jen here in DC. Yesterday I went to the Hirshhorn Museum ( a Smithsonian branch) and saw many inspirational/odd pieces of modern art. I also had the opportunity to visit the Renwick Museum, there are some crafty folks in this country we call home...Wendell Castle for example, check out his "Ghost Clock" it's amazingly deceptive. It looks like a grandfather clock with a white shroud over it, in reality it is all carved from one solid chunk of mahogany. Phenomenal!
I will put up pictures from California to Vermont soon.