Associations

The photo has nothing to do with this post. His name is Daniel Bernard Roumain – calls himself DBR – and he performed at our venue on Sunday and Monday. I think he’s fun to look at…not to mention an amazing artist. So, having nothing really relevant to slap up there…I’m going to enjoy looking at DBR.

So, anyway…

When driving home late at night after a concert, I am often in a contemplative mood. I usually drive slowly and take advantage of the time alone. Sometimes in the summer, I roll down the window and enjoy the night air and the hiss of the tires on the pavement.

Sunday night was just such a night. I was deep in my solitary thoughts. And then the radio started playing a song that brings back such intense memories. I don’t really know the name of it, but if you’re into pop music, I’m sure you’ll know which one I’m talking about. The “hook” is “I hope you had the time of your life.” It’s a wonderful song about enjoying life to the fullest. The segue into the chorus includes plaintive violin strains that always make my throat tighten, for some reason. I felt my eyes welling up. Y’see…when my daughter graduated from high school, some parents put together a cumulative video of the past four years. It was full of bittersweet moments…and that song was the background music. It was totally appropriate and will forever be linked to one of the best times in my life – being the parent of a terrific kid who was enjoying an amazing high school experience – blissfully unaware that those years were indeed the time of her life.

There are other musical memories. Dvorak’s New World Symphony brings back the pain of my mother’s funeral. “Red Rubber Ball” instantly puts me back in a black ‘58 Chevy at dawn after prom night – on my first date with the man who was to become my husband.

How about you? What memories does music unlock for you? I’ll bet there are tons of them, when you stop and think about it.

February is Short for a Reason!

I don’t like February much. It’s a real downer of a month. It just seems to put a damper on everything. My friend, the City Mouse, noted a late-winter blogging phenomonon in a recent post. He calls it Seasonal Blogging Affective Disorder. He says the cure is to just post your “dishwater items.” Kind of a blogger’s stream of consciousness thing, I guess. Whatever…it works for me. Here’s what’s whirling around in my dishpan this morning.

Last night I was the emergency airport transportation for one of the artists we presented. That was cool. He was nice and we had good, comfortable conversation on the way in from the airport (that doesn’t always happen). But, this morning, I realized I still have the van keys in my pocket!!! ARRGH! That means someone had to get creative for the ride back TO the airport. I’m sorry, kids. I’ll bake you cookies.

I have to work a young person’s talent show (!!!!) tonight. The talent is usually questionable, but such a crowd consumes lots of concessions, and my concessions income is way under projections so far. I feel like such a whore.

My kid is up to her eyeballs in algebra – the subject that prevented me from completing my bachelor’s degree. The very WORD “algebra” makes my stomach turn. She’s struggling. I hurt for her. I can’t help. I hurt for me. Did I mention how much I hate algebra?

My kid tested out of two college courses yesterday, saving quite a bit of money and time. Did I tell you she’s going back into the Navy and wants to be a pilot? Do pilots need algebra?

I’m falling deeper and deeper “in like” with the previously mentioned Person Who Shall Not be Named – and it scares the crap out of me!

My house is a mess. I hate it when my house is a mess. But, I am such a mess in general, that my house has little chance of being anything else. Must…do…something…about…the…house!

I went to a new church on Sunday. I filled out the visitor card. Big mistake. Huge. Especially since it didn’t really feel like “the one.”

We have an AMAZING artist coming Sunday. We’ve sold less than 200 tickets. He’s kind of “different” and isn’t selling anywhere that he’s booked. But, still…it’s kind of embarrassing.

There’s more dishwater in the bottom of this pan, but I think it’s just going to go on down the drain. Soon February will be over, and the March winds will blow and bring the renewal of spring. I hear dishwater’s good for flowers.

Doctor, it Hurts When I Do This!

So, I just finished my second week of trying to get healthier. And it hurts! Big time.

You must understand I have gone from being totally sedentary to being somewhat active in a very short period of time. I’ve done 12 miles in each of these past two weeks. That’s a lot for a couch potato! I have loftier goals, but right now, just getting back to my car at the end of one of these outings is a major accomplishment!

We have a lovely, large greenspace nearby with oodles of paved trails. My favorite is a 3-mile circle through the woods and past several small ponds. It’s a little hilly and provides a pretty good workout. Today we did a different one – a 1.6 mile trek around the largest of the “lakes.” I was ready to quit after that relatively light exertion. The accumulated toll on my feet and legs is getting to me, apparently.

I think I finally got the right combination of shoes and orthotic inserts today. At least my arches and toes weren’t screaming at me. I can’t say the same for my shins and calves, however. At this rate, it’s going to be a while before I can stand to work hard enough to get my heart rate up to the target zone. I was/am in really sad shape. But, hey…I’m working it. And I’m feeling good.

Yesterday I had to dash up to the balcony to help with an emergency, and I didn’t have time to wait on the elevator, so I took the stairs. And didn’t have to huff and/or puff. That made all the time on the trail totally worth it!

Oh, and after 24 miles of hoofin’ it, you wanna know how much weight I’ve lost?

A whopping one-half pound!

Oh well…success is measured in many ways. Thank goodness!

Geezers on Harleys

Ok…so my still-nonexistent love life is progressing at a snail’s pace. If at all. So, I decided to jump-start things a little and sign up for Match.com. Methinks I’ve made a $60 mistake. Oh well…it could have been worse. If nothing else, it’s an interesting people-watching opportunity.

Since I’m 60, I’m looking for matches in the 60-70 range. I did NOT expect that close to half of those listings would have the word “Harley” in their screen name – such as bobharley62, or harleymantn. Either that, or they wax eloquently about long, romantic rides in the country with the woman of their dreams strapped on behind them. Now, THAT’s exactly how my arthritic behind wants to spend a weekend afternoon! What IS it with the geezers on Harleys? Don’t they realize that their potential “girlfriends” aren’t going to be any more receptive of life on a motorcycle than their ex-wives were?

And, then of course, there are the sales pitches. Oh dear. “I’m a laid-back man who knows how to make you happy. If you’re wanting to be spoiled rotten and experience pure love like you’ve never known, then I’m your man. I like bringing home surprises for no reason other than to make you happy. Pleasing you pleases me. Snuggling on the couch is my idea of the perfect way to spend an evening.” Oh, puhleeeez! I want to write to these guys and let them know that I’ve got their number. If they were this warm, considerate and giving, there’s NO WAY they would be divorced. No woman is going to let such a gem go. No way. No how.

And we’re not even going to explore the possible nuances contained in the commonly-found phrase, “I’m very open-minded.” Beg pardon?

While we’re on the topic…does entering geezerhood mean you have to give up your razor?

I suspect I’m too old and crotchety for these games. SIGH….

Embossed Cookies

Would you like to make some showy cookies to give your honey or to take to the office this week? I enjoy making these embossed cookies for Valentine’s Day. People can’t figure out how they’re done. And I just love making people think I’m smarter than the average bear. They’re easy, really. Just time-consuming.

I should have done this post a couple of weeks ago. And I should have done a better job of documenting the steps. But, I didn’t realize what a horrible job I did in that regard until I sat down to do the post – and by then, the cookie dough and icing were all used up. Bummer. Maybe you’ll get enough of an idea from the text and example cookies to give this a shot on your own.

Basically, here’s the drill:

You need a cookie dough that won’t spread (much) when baked. Here’s my tried and true recipe.

You also need a soft, rollable icing that will take an impression. Again…here’s my recipe.

You will roll out the icing about 1/8 inch thick onto waxed paper, texturize it and cut cookie shapes out of it. For most of today’s cookies, I embossed the rolled-out icing with a polymer clay embossing sheet. On some of the others, I used rubber stamps to get the texture. Pull away the excess icing from around the cutout shapes, leaving the shapes on the waxed paper.

The icing shapes – still on their waxed paper base – will be popped into the freezer on a cookie sheet while you cut out the cookies themselves…using the same cookie cutters and in the same quantity as the icing shapes.

Cookies will then bake about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, the icing shapes continue to freeze.

When cookies are done, you simply pop the frozen icing shapes onto the hot cookies. Icing melts onto the cookie, but retains its embossing.

You put them all on a plate and gather the “oohs and ahs.”

Here are some non-embossed cookies I did last year, using the same concept. I just poked little holes in them with all sorts of drinking straws.

Here’s a plate of cookies I did last year using a variety of embossing tools from my cake decorating supplies. Look around your craft and kitchen supplies. You may find lots of things to use for texture.

And, finally, these cookies are perfect for Easter, a first communion or perhaps a christening. They were embossed with a large rubber stamp. The cutter was custom-made to fit the stamp. That’s a whole ‘nuther discussion, but one that opens up worlds of possibilities.

I know these directions are a bit murky, but, I wanted to share these pretty morsels with you as the holiday nears. If you have any questions, feel free to drop me a line.

The Show

Well…the art show was Saturday night. I had to work a performance and couldn’t go, so DD stood in for me. Her head is so buried in the books these days that I was grateful for the opportunity to get her out of the house and into a social situation.

Sales weren’t so good. I just sold three pieces – the first, third and fifth ones in the series of photos below. One of the organizers told me that most of the artists sold nothing, and those who did sell usually only sold one piece, so she was happy for me. And, honestly, it wasn’t about the sales for me. I wanted to make myself more known – and find out how strangers respond to my work (My friends gush, but hey…they’re my friends.) Turns out, I got a lot of positive feedback. People are just reluctant to let go of their money for luxuries these days.

Financially, the show was a significant net loss for me. I made a little money, yes. But…my daughter came home raving about one of the artists. Turns out, he’s the same artist whose work was installed in “my” lobby yesterday. Now I know why she was so taken with it. I couldn’t help myself. I put a “sold” sticker on one of the smaller pieces. I can’t afford the one(s) I really, really want. He’s got a website. Even though the photographs can’t begin to capture the glowing nature of the colors he uses, check him out: http://www.dannybroadway.com/index.htm

An Anniversary

Today marks 17 years of my being single. 17 years ago today, I left a man whose favorite indoor sport was abusing both me and my daughter…bought my own house in a nearby town…and began what was to be “the rest of my life.” It’s been a good 17 years. I’ve done so much in this timespan…been so many places…known so many wonderful people.

But, I’ve done it all alone. Of course, I have terrific friends, but you know what I mean…there’s been no significant other. At any point. Nada. Nothing.

My daughter’s psychologist asked me to join them in this week’s session, and he really focused on my solitary existence. (Apparently, it’s a worry for my child.) He made me admit out loud some things that have only been known to me – and he made some very valid points about my lifestyle and the choices I’ve made and continue to make. It’s interesting how another person’s viewpoint can bring clarity. I’m still sorting all that out.

But, the thing is…I had already begun to thaw. I was really amenable to his suggestions. It made me a little weepy to bring it to the surface, but since I haven’t cried in years…that was a good thing, too.

So, yes…I have a victim in mind. And, incredibly enough, it seems this may not end in disaster. It remains to be seen.

Did you hear that rumble? It’s the sound of my defenses crumbling.

This is scary for a 60-year old hermitess.