Part 3 / Habitation

Part 2 / Ordinary Magic

Part 1 / Valley

Keep tha fire burnin

Assume the woman you are.

These are the words of my soul sisters. And how. Thank you ladies for delivering such strong sentiment from two different places at once. The first time it came as a letter and the second a delivery straight from the horses mouth. Thanks.

January started off with a shift, as it tends to for many. This shift was a wise one. The kitchen I left was a good one. The environment there was sharp and fluid at the same time. This energy a direct reflection of the lead fish. Those fish, they are wise creatures. (Leo's best animal impression at the moment is that of the mighty fish. The sound of his lips meeting on word cue just gets me). Sidenotes aside, I am both sorry and relieved to leave that space. Small staffing makes way for large lessons. I learned a lot from Sarah, a woman whose practical and theoretical technique wowed me daily. Hank was not a fish but a bull. Torro! He taught me a lot about ease of character not to mention the art of squaring of ones shoulders while in the supreme shit of chaos. Line cooking is for funny folks. Anyway, it was a good job but the offer to look after a little man through the week was too good to pass.

So now I do that. Chase Leo. I think of my Aunty Marj every time I hide behind the kitchen pass and jump out to scare the living crap out of that poor boy. I know it is wicked, but he loves it. And so do I.

Amen for quality living.

QB.

I have started a woodworking class. It is humbling! Whenever I start to feel overcome, I look down at my hand stamp and move on. So far the class has covered board footage and wood economy. We learned about different types of saws and from there the teacher dove excitedly into lessons in blades. Now I know how to shop for saw blades-what to look for. After all these years, wood lessons have begun. Exciting! Due. The class goal is to construct a jointed wine rack made of white birch. Here I thought we would be expected to execute a set conceptual plan. No no no! This is not art school, it's woodworking. No room for fancywork yet. Keep it simple Margot. Start with the basics.

I am starting at basic. The precision required will be a real test. The lessons contain far more theory than expected. Theoretical thinking and building. Fractions are frightening but face I must. Math! Ahhhhhhhhhhhh     Open ahh for emphasis. So drawing and planning and batch cutting and sanding and sawing and beveling my way through winter I will go hi ho. Haven't been making a damn thing besides soup these days. It was starting to gut like a fish.

Looking forward to meeting the new babies of friends, Tracy's new gal Heidi and Nikaela's boy Ives. Strong names! Overalls for all!

As far as photography is concerned, production is slow. Keep tha fire burnin.

Looking forward to the next burn.

Balance is key I hear. Here is a look into January thus far. So far so good.

Work space in progress.

Guy at breakfast.

Bamba reads to Leo.

Dine here.

In rotation. 

Winter planter/ing.

Plastic planet.

Alan Jackson makes me breakfast at home.

HNY

New beginnings for all! Happy new year.

Year in Review

It's a sips of this and that kind of Sunday. Mugs of things lie around in lazy rotation. Between the ginger tea for health and the last of the killer pot of beet beef borscht made and then frozen a few weeks back, I'm set. And in between all that table to mouth action, there is a goblet of Kentucky bourbon at ready: Maker's Mark (it spoke to me the moment I tasted it). Big fan of whiskey. Big fan of bourbon. 

Out with the old! In with the new. Happy nearly New Year!

The moon is as over-full as two pregnant mama's-to-be out there. Oh women! Strong thoughts to you these days wherever you may be. 

Tracy are you in labor? 

Nikaela are you in labor? 

Thinking of you two as the time draws near. 

Today seemed like a good day as any to sit down to write. Here is a photographic review of the year 2012. 

I made a choice at the beginning of the year to spend more time with children and family, get to know my neighbors, make more food for people, sit around as many fires as possible, ride like the wind and worry less. I definitely made a good amount of soup and sat around plenty of fires.

This coming year I plan on challenging myself more in the darkroom, making a lot more roasts, baking bread, finding an art job and getting involved in my neighborhood because it's one in a million.

Smell ya later.

Photo. Andrea M