first day of school


Good progression. SU posted my credits on Aug 29...so the transcript is available. Will get all of that behind me by the end of September.So,the Hartford file will be more complete very soon.

Ordered some boxes for my holiday cards yesterday. Need to order the dog cards--but the honcho from the Art Trail says that cards don't sell. I am not sure. My cards are pretty nice and I am pricing them to sell.

Got a bunch of the plates spinning from the list yesterday. Having lunch at Dijon, a new french place down off RT 13 near the DMV--with a client and possible new writer who I am very enthusiastic about.

First day of school. A is happy. K is not. After all the time and definitive discussion with K's counselor it was as if we that meeting never happened. So, an email is in the hopper--and the phone call is going to happen tomorrow. We will need to see some change here.

Perfect day here. Clear skies. Lush grass. Seems too early for school to start.

The urn above is a calligraphic exercise. Working on some other images using tombstone images with the skateboard skulls.

framed


I was messing around with a more linear approach and decided to use the ideas of the cowrie shells for eyes that is sometimes used in african art. Here is one of the ideas.

Potpourri


Wrapping up the weekend.Luncheon went over nicely. Lots of swimming, lots of talk about manuscripts becoming Lulu books. Lots of interest there. The Cornell Chicken was great...new approach versus the hot hot grill...low heat, slower time...better, much better results. Every bit was devoured. I guess that would be qualified as success. Trying to get all the bits and pieces together to migrate to Tburg for the next few days as commuting and the first day of school doesnt make sense. But, next week it might! We bobbed in the waves yesterday after 6 p.m. and had a nice time...it was brisk but does wonders for the sleeping. The spa effect erased our brains...which is one of the many reasons we love Sheldrake.

Hopes for today:
--hassle Syracuse for the transcript. Called before. No results. Called our contact in the deans office..."its all "over there'". Now is the time to be the electric drill. I plan on calling daily for the next few days...and then crank it up to twice daily (with a contact name etc to make the pain more delightful).
--visit with my former employee, KD and her husband Dan here from Oregon.
--think out the future AR for my Animal client
--release the Memorial Gifts pub. for the Animal client to the printer
--order clear bags for the Holiday cards for sale during Art Trail weekends
--order a few sets of the dog cards (sets of 6 different each) from the ever fabulous Picture Salon. That means prep the files
--think about the Alchemy show and the Ancient Glass showbrands.
--finalize the 2300˚ postcards for the Museum

This might be hopes for the week!

We saw the Harvard Flowers exhibition at the Corning Museum of Glass on Sunday evening. It was wonderful. I had totally missed a very interesting point. Not only were plants entirely rendered in glass (to size) but, the Blaskas then exploded the view and took details or parts and rendered them at wellover 1000% of the original size. So, this small bud on a branch was expoded to show the same bud huge (as big as two fists put together)--but with a bumblebee within the cut-away--showing how the pollen is released onto the bee. To tell the bee story, the cut away flower was rendered four times with the bee's position and shape changing within the context of the flower. My absolute favorite big and small plant was a moldy pear and leaf...absolutely frighening...with the exploded view being this wigged out , "under the microscope" rendering of the mold magnified to being essentially a 12"x 12"x 12" view of the spores up close. It was striking. Memorable. The museum did a nice job of telling the people story of the father son team (Blaskas), and the individuals at Harvard who were instrumental to this singular collection being established, funded and collected. It is a shame that Harvard does not fully understand the import of this collection and focus on maintaining, conserving and showing this teaching tool to it's best. It transcends the Natural History vibe and goes to the world of art and materials. If you have a chance...please visit the show. It is memorable and might change the way you think about plants.


Kitty and I picked out several glass pumpkins for our dining room table and a few others. I have a friend and a second cousin who are going to be proud recipients. We had fun trolling the Corning Museum GlassMarket which truly is a treasure trove of things worth bringing home. We held tight to our wallets...buying only a small pumpkin patch!

In between


In between the cooking for our Labor Day, Birthday with Grandparents lunch, I figured I would log in to say hi. I had a happy trip to the amish stand this morning spending 10 dollars on a huge box of tomatoes ($3.00), 3 fresh onions, a small basket of the noteworthy blackberries, and green and yellow beans (around 7" long each). I have roasted a half dozen red peppers, shucked and prepped corn, washed the berries, set the table, cut the wonderful Ithaca Bakery cheddar/corn/jalapeno bread, blanched greenbeans, cut tomatoes and feta and currently have the chicken on the grill. Guests expected at 12:30. Lunch on the table at 12:45. Hopefully this will be quick so I can get back to being a sloth and reading my new book "Octavian Nothing" a very off kilter, "young adult" fiction about a boy raised by a philosophical society in pre-revolutionary Boston. Odd and thought provoking. Have waiting: the MOMA show catalog on Picasso and a book about Edward Gorey--which includes articles about him, his illustrations and some transcribed interviews. Odd mix...but goood. I got away from the weekly pilgrimage to the library...and It is going to be part of the new structure as I have missed the mix of reading that the library affords.

Have to go flip the birds.

Willows

I was talking with my friend Paula the other day about my findings, discoveries and amazing stuff I am learning and observing during this Memento Mori study. Paula, who is a visual poet, landscape architect and teacher at Cornell had her own observations and interest in this same topic. She set her landscape architecture students a semester long project of drawing graves at the biggest, oldest cemetery in Ithaca. She was intrigued by the stones that said Mother, Father, Sister and Brother...and how that language set up an interesting rhythm--a Philip Glassian, mantra that continued on and on...Paula, upon hearing about Lulu books plans on doing a photographic journal just on that. This prompted us to talk about what about Mother/Father/Sister/Brother...and when those people are gone, and those that carry their memory are gone...are they dead? is memory living? and if you are held in other's memory--either directly or through the puritanical genealogy that is drubbed into us by our parents--is that a way of justifying our own memories or establishing a structure we as descendants are hung from?

Is memory the afterlife beyond own own personal understanding, our personal religious beliefs, our faith?

We then spoke about willows and how they are rightful symbols to life everlasting. Paula drew this wonderful line drawing of how the willows grow, sending suckers down to root in the ground. The new tree grows and evolves--also sending suckers down..and so on. As long as there is plenty of light and even more water, the willows continue. So the victorian image of the weeping tree, or the leafy version done in New England--represents a natural idea that supports this endless cycle of life. Nice to think about as we speed down the Central New York road--seeing willow upon willow, the green fountains of life, and leaves.

Another perfect day. A little cool to swim...but I think we may make the attempt. School starts Wednesday. A's grandparent birthday is tomorrow. The baseball game was fun...Redwings lost to the Buffalo Bisons. Nice crowd of people...with our row mates offering us candy from their huge bags of twizzlers etc. and a silly man called "the Wing Nut" blowing a whistle continually and ringing two cow bells. Fall doesnt seem to far away.

Tonight, R has to be Manager on Duty at the Museum (which is until 8)--so the home team will join him to see the Harvard Flowers Show, buy the cheap glass pumpkins and amuse ourselves until he can go. Should be fun.

More later>>

One more day

LACDA (Los Angeles Center for Digital Arts) has an open call for entries (through 09/02/07) for a show called "Snap to Grid".
Here are some links to cut into your browser:

LACDA: http://www.lacda.com/

SNAP TO GRID
the UN-Juried Un-Competition

September 13-October 4
Opening Reception Thursday September 13, 7-9pm

Deadline for entries: September 2

Description:
LACDA announces an open call for our un-juried show featuring digital art and photography: "Snap to Grid". All entries will be printed (8.5"x11" on epson heavyweight matte paper) and shown in our gallery arranged in a grid. Entrants submit one JPEG file of original work. All styles of artwork and photography where digital processes of any kind were integral to the creation of the images are acceptable. Digital video stills and screen shots of web/new media and digital installation are acceptable. The show will be widely promoted and will include a reception for the artists.

After the exhibition the images and artist information will be available to gallery visitors to view in our artist portfolios. Prints can be made available to buyers on an as needed basis (if there is interest in an art work the artist will be contacted and a price will be determined). Artwork for future exhibits will be selected from the portfolios, and will also be available for review by area gallerists, curators and arts journalists. Participants retain ownership of all intellectual property rights to their artwork and prints are made by permission only.

Location:
This call is international, open to all geographical locations.

Show Dates:
September 13-October 4, 2007

Gallery Statement:
Every year for 50 years the L.A. Municipal Gallery has held its "Open Call" exhibit where any artist can show up with their art and an entry fee (to benefit gallery programs) and the piece is shown. The Los Angeles Center For Digital Art decided to launch an international experiment of the same nature where the artists upload images that are printed and hung by the gallery. The hundreds of works are displayed in a grid like installation (reminiscent of postcard art shows of the 1980's) where every work submitted is exhibited. The usual (less than democratic) selection process where only the precious few are chosen is turned on its head in a curatorial anarchy where everyone gets to participate and the viewer is literally left to be the judge. The show represents a snapshot of a current moment in art history when digital imaging has reached the hands of the many, an age where culture belongs to the "mobblogers" around the globe. From Thailand to Texas, amateur to academic, beautiful to banal and beyond the monumental quantity and variety of "Snap to Grid" becomes an aesthetic experience where each individual piece adds to an agglomerative effect that has a life of its own.

perfect day to turn 14


Today is A's 14th bday. We have had the great presentation of the presents--skaterwear, dvd movies, old cds (ZZTop, Metallica, Bob Marley etc. from half.com), and a camera to his surprise (and I hope happiness). We are finishing a birthday lunch with a lemon poppy seed cake and burgers and preparing for a trip to see the Rochester Red Wings play with hopefully, more of the sicko mascots (Roger Clamson etc.) It is gloriously clear, the wind whipping, sailboats cruising by...but cool enough that sweaters do not seem out of order. After all, it is September...time to get the wool back out of the back of the closet, and back on our backs. Ah, summer. It is amazing that we have had 14 years with this wonderful boy...such a gift from the bony 5 pound, 21" inch smiling infant to the towering young man @ 6", deep voice and winning smile...that are turning girls' heads everywhere he goes. He is loving movies these days citing Quentin Tarentino and Stanley Kubrick as his favorite directors. Metallica, Bob Marley and Jimmy Hendrix on the top of his musical charts. Within this context (re music) it is as if (when we were his age) we were listening happily to music made 40 years ago...taking us to tunes of the 30s. Yipes!

Working away with cut paper and inking shapes. I am on to the death heads on the short cupid style wings from the Marblehead burial ground. Was cutting some urns that could evolve into a border? or a side detail. Passion still there.

Feeling positive about what I am going to say to the Seminar students at Syracuse. The how I got from here to there ending up in Tburg and running my own show is essentially the talk...with some portfolio and illustration....but more about the progression and learning around all the change. Also, would be good for any of the girls in the audience to see how another girl figured it out. There is no clear way to have a job and kids at the same time. The more options they hear about, the more options they will understand versus the learning on your own program I have been through.

Delivered the work to the Community Arts Partnership late Thursday for the opening next Friday. R. to France on Saturday. Lucky duck.

More later. Need to get in front of the lunch dishes and moving the kinder into the wonderbus to get rolling to do a little basketball shoe shopping prior to dinner before the game (maybe the Rochester Dinosaur Barbecue)?

willow

Willow sketch as part of the body of Memento Mori images. Came close to wrecking the car driving back from Rochester looking at the drapey willows lining the road. Also have been looking at the willows from the Marblehead cemetery for reference. More later on this>>

Happy Birthday from Steuben


Happy Birthday
Robert Cassetti & Q. Cassetti, 2007
Height 2.25"
Item 9175
$500 each

Mark a very special birthday, a new baby's arrival or a personal milestone with this delightful confection — a gift that will be cherished forever, especially when personalized.

Glass cupcake. Good pricepoint. Originally was to have a silver candle or a silver candle in a silver candleholder that could actually hold a real birthday candle (wax) that you could light. Proposed was for the packaging was a small, casebound, bakery box tied with red and white string with a mini doily under the cupcake. As you can see, it was pared downn to keep it conceivable price wise.

Suspended Canoe

The holiday card for the dog client is cute as pie. Really. I think this thing might have "legs" and maybe get into Print Regional and or the lesser of the illustration shows (upcoming deadline). It has been the first of my illustrations to print...and it was very exciting to see it live on press. This stuff prints well with all the flat color...so I am re-energized to start rolling on more dogs, a fox, a llama, a tiger and a few cats for possible use in a pub for the same client. Could look really good...and push that hand/ approach to illustration along.

While on press, I was given a new Steuben catalog to find out there were 4 brand new Q&rc designs finished, photographed and printed. The cupcakes were featured in the section on gifts. Too bad the silver candle was dropped off the design...it really made the piece work. Rob's NYC piece will sell. Kind of makes me want to think about doing some more designs (self motivated)--as they do get done...and they do spin a little $$./

The drive up and back from Rochester was beautiful on 96 to 5 and 20. The produce is bursting this season...with the funny stand after stand of pale green cannonballs of cabbage for sale. Fields and fields of cabbages to be picked and open topped big trucks filled to the brim with them too. Lotsa cabbage and corn (cheap now, $2 a dozen), tomatoes by the bushel, peaches are still here with nectarines coming in. The amish farmstand I support had huge blackberries for $2.50 a huge box. These were black and glossy and as big as a lychee nut each. They had gigantic red peppers for $.35 each...so I have 5 of them ready to roast and keep around. They are so lovely to have. The parking lot sized stands featuring mums on a grid in every color imaginable (except for blue) were in business. This is such a robust time of the year. Everything at full fruition--full bloom, full tilt. Even the huge dahlias, those dinnerplate dahlias are bursting forth. This is the time we should have Thanksgiving. So much to be thankful for.

Had a nice swim in the lake last night, and just repeated it early this morning. The sky and water were the same color so it seemed that the canoes we could see from our windows were suspended in the air. The only give away was the shadow on the water that seemed to ripple occasionally.

Peace on Earth

New Steuben Design:

Peace on Earth
Robert Cassetti & Q. Cassetti • 2007
Height 4.5" with base
Item 9172 • $3,000

A pair of angels trumpets good news. Their figures, etched in a renaissance calligraphic style called "chancellersca", seem to multiply in the prismatic facets out of this elegant design, creating a chorus of angels to celebrate a happy event.

More later. Just back from a presscheck...and need to catch up>>

Thought bubble


I woke up early, very early this morning and let the stream of images and ideas amuse me until it was time to crawl out and drink coffee at a more "civilized" time. Lots of good ideas I want to capture:

Memento Mori:
>Consider the gravestone shapes. Some of them are absolutely puritanical (just a rectangle of tremendous proportions), some are slightly embellished rectangles and others go for baroque. Instead of putting borders on an image, consider the image shape...and how does it go someplace from there.
>Note that when drawn with a point, a picture goes from nice to mean and scary. Good point. Stick with the points...unless its a cherub.
> Yesterday's fun with cut paper silhouettes manifested some cool stuff with drawn images. Work on that more. Do a spread of urns and a spread of either cherubs or winged skulls and see what happens. Could put the slash style on a better footing. More designed. Also, looks like some of the early Warhol advertising art. Look at that.
>Work on more hand lettering. This is the stuff that can be integrated into the drawings. Type for the copy.
> Excerpt blog for copy. Edit the crap out of it.
> Write a nice acknowledgment to the two people who were the impetus to this work. Write a nice dedication to the home team. Design it as a sticker to print on the epson and can be applied to the book.
>Work on line drawings of the willow. Marblehead cemetary had some nice references. Consider a willow spread with an urn knocked out of the pattern for copy. Could be pretty.
>Consider using the mighty epson for a book jacket cover (that folds all the way into the spine of the paperback book). Consider drawing some intense sharp shapes to make a pointy/scary pattern. Remember the ribbon idea (thread it through 2 slits made in the book jacket cover (as the paper folds into the book) on both covers, and run the loose ribbon between the book jacket cover and the cover. The ribbon is only to be seen at the side of the book. Keep the ribbon either black (grograin) or a metallic pewter to maintain the one color job-bed ness of the piece.

Valentine's day piece:
> Consider the square Lulu book.
> Consider a folded piece of output from the mighty epson inspired by the quicky done at SU for Whitney
>Consider selling it via q.cassetti.com Why wouldn't people be interested in custom valentines ($20-$25)/ Goes beyond flowers, shows some intelligence and an ability to use the web?
>Consider selling it on Esty.
>Send to customers.
>Consider the folded "ice cream cone" shape that then could be a japanese accordion book type of thing. Gluing a piece of duplex board to the top and bottom single "ice cream cone" shape...could be cute. Maybe overly cutsy.
> If its a book, what's the packaging? Can Lulu perfect bind a 24 pp. book? (they seem to work in signatures of 8 and 16).
Could I do a 32pp piece? (16 spreads?)
> Or do the book and repurpose the illustrations into a series of folding cards that are printed chez studio.

Other thoughts:
> These projects are going to generate a lot of art.
>Consider other uses for the art in addition to packaging the whole thing as a show (and having the pubs for sale along with giclees of the images (selected) from the show.
> What else?

Good thing this is a part time enterprise.

That's the dump. Gotta get to Tburg early cause I have a meeting exactly at nine. Looks like a beautiful day. School is a week away. Yipes!

Note: Willow Tree - Grief, death, earthly sorrow. Often carried at Masonic funerals, the willow is the tree of human sadness.
Interesting that the willow tree shown in the picture commemorates someone named Felix, which in latin means happy. If you didnt know it was a person, the juxaposition is good.

solid blacks





Scanning around in the world of Memento Mori and have found some great type samples I will use as my model for some of the lettering I plan on messing around with in the psychotic Book of Kells mode. I like the naive thicks and thins...and think I may try to not just render the forms, but look at adding the incision to the forms. We'll see. The nice thing about the words MEMENTO MORI is that I will not have to design 11 letters but 7...and as M and N are derivative, and I and T are relateed...it knocks things down...albeit, there might be a ligature or one of those funny letters that ascend? The gravestones commonly show the word "Ye" as a Y with the e nested in the V of the letter Y. Very cute.

Also am planning to cut a bunch of silhouettes and shapes with some nice black paper R surfaced in out neatening and throwing during the weekend. I am also trying out some big ink shapes that I will bring into photoshop/illustrator and cut into digitally. The nice thing that happens there...is the "hand" still exists...not so perfect--a bit wobbly, so the digification is not so apparent... I also plan to work on some line art and merge it with the cut silhouettes as there might be something there as well (red and blackware from Greece as a prod or advertising art of the late 50s and 60s...). Just a thought.

The double portrait logotype will finish up today. Done. May work on a new typographic mark for Glass Lab...a portable glass studio that is going to start travelling the world for art shows--simple applications like teeshirts and a hand out rack style card.

Got my holiday cards (I am selling) back from PSPrint. Color was a little brighter than what I had anticipated (but really not to the detriment of the illustration along with snappy red envelopes I am going to package them with. Got some pale blue envelopes for the dog holiday card (thinking of selling) and orange ones to go with the "High on Life" skull card I am planning on producing. The holiday cards are being sold in sets of 6 for $9...or $8.50. The dog cards will be more (they are bigger)--probably around $2.25 each or sets of 6 for $12. High on life card will be $2. each. All for the Art Trail party.

Also, will need to get the work to the SPCA show later this week. I think we are on to something with these clip frames with images that are full bleed. And the checque to the State of the Art Gallery for the Art Trail intro show. Biz-ee.

Need to go wake the kinder up>> the day awaits>

To Dude

As someone's mom, to be "dude-ed" has been rather unsettling. First off,I am no dude--I am someone's mom. Second, in the informal --dropping dude into sentences much the way "uh" is--slurred into whatever content being communicated--what does that mean? Or the ecstatic, cheery opener to a conversation that sings "Dude!!" (in a LOL spirit) with a musicality...that can be translated as perhaps "Hey! You!". I have not liked being a dude until I have put it into the italian context which it is the furthest from. I think that dude pretty much morphs into use the way the italians use Regazzi.

Regazzo is a boy. Regazza is a girl. More than one boy is Regazzi. More than one girl is Regazze. Mixed group, Regazzi--informally, kids--Ciao Regazzi (guys, gang?). So, the word Regazzi is used often, fast and furiously. To that, I can dig dude. Dude is sexless and really ageless. It can be used as a place holder like "uh"--but you can draw it out to make yourself sound pretty dumb/stoned without much trying. Dude is also a good swap for "guy" which also is pretty generic.

Okay, dudes?

Cool day today due to the rain and front that came through last night. Am working away on urns, swirls and thinking about hourglasses. Have thumbnailed the lulu pub...and am on track. Planning on 32 pp +4 cover. Black and white throughout.
Need to check on that. Might have to be 48 to get it bound. No problem on that. If I make Oct.1. my cut off for the images, there will be plenty of time to do the final layout, copywriting etc. for a November 5 delivery. The Lulu folks said it takes 2-3 days to do the printing. And, if I send one out just as a dummy...and then do a mini production after that...I will still hve the time. Maybe a little virtual chat online tomorrow...to get some guidance.

Just made a blueberry cake and a keylime mango pie for guests tomorrow along with a denudification of the veggie stand a block away. If the clouds move a little, it will be perfection.

Gravestone imagery from Wiki


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravestone

"Gravestones may be simple upright slabs with semi-circular, rounded, gabled, pointed-arched, pedimental, square or other shaped tops. During the 18th century, they were often decorated with memento mori (symbolic reminders of death) such as skulls or winged skulls (called "death's heads"), winged cherub heads, heavenly crowns, urns or the picks and shovels of the grave digger. Somewhat unusual were more elaborate allegorical figures, such as Old Father Time, or emblems of trade or status, or even some event from the life of the deceased (particularly how they died). Later in the same century, large tomb chests or smaller coped chests were commonly used by the gentry as a means of commemorating a number of members of the same family. In the 19th century, headstone styles became very diverse, ranging from plain to highly decorated. They might be replaced by more elaborately carved markers, such as crosses or angels. Simple curb surrounds, sometimes filled with glass chippings, were popular during the mid-20th century.

Some form of simple decoration is once more popular. Special emblems on tombstones indicate several familiar themes in the Christian faith. Some examples are:

* Anchor - Steadfast hope
* Arch - Rejoined with partner in Heaven
* Birds - The soul
* Cherub - Divine wisdom or justice
* Column - Noble life
* Broken column - Early death
* Conch shell - Wisdom
* Cross, anchor and Bible - Trials, victory and reward
* Crown - Reward and glory
* Dolphin - Salvation, bearer of souls to Heaven
* Dove - Purity, love and Holy Spirit
* Garland - Victory over death
* Gourds - Deliverance from grief
* Heart - Devotion
* Horseshoe - Protection against evil
* Hourglass - Time and its swift flight
* Ivy - Faithfulness, memory, and undying friendship
* Lamb - Innocence
* Laurel - Victory
* Lily - Purity and resurrection
* Mermaid - Dualism of Christ - fully God, fully man
* Oak - Strength
* Olive branch - Forgiveness, and peace
* Palms - Martyrdom, or victory over death
* Peacock - Eternal life
* Poppy - Eternal sleep
* Rooster - Awakening, courage and vigilance
* Shell - Birth and resurrection
* Six pointed star - The God
* Skeleton - Life's brevity
* Snake in a circle - Everlasting life in Heaven
* Swallow - Motherhood
* Broken sword - Life cut short
* Crossed swords - Life lost in battle
* Torch - Eternal life if upturned, death if extinguished
* Tree trunk - The beauty of life
* Triangle - Truth, equality and the trinity
* Shattered urn - Old age, mourning if draped
* Weeping willow - Mourning, grief

Greek letters might also be used:

* αω (alpha and omega) - The beginning and the end
* χρ (chi rho) - The first letters spelling the name of Christ
* IHS - Stylised version of iota-eta-sigma, a Greek abbreviation of Jesus"

Elaborately carved grave slab at Shebbear (Devon, England) showing a skull sprouting flowering shoots, as a symbol of resurrection

High Summer


One of those hotter than blazes summer days. I was musing that it would have been sad for the summer to end without a few little firecrackers to remind us that it is and has been summer. We all are trying to do stuff and are dragging around with the heat. The breeze is blowing however, which makes it slightly more bearable. Back to the spa water in about 20 minutes to lower the core temperature. The hosta we have in front of the house are beginning to bloom--big 6" long white trumpets that exude the most amazing fragrance. I have tried to identify the species...and they never get into the nuances that are needed so as to match what we have. These plants are beasts--always giving more when I chop away in the spring (quite nastily) to cleve the plants "for their health"--and more like in greed to have more of these lovelies. Beautiful beasts none the less. The hosta I threw in lakeside adore being there...so the hosta snacks that are being consumed by Bambi et al (quick...the gun!)are making a 15 minute trip north and will, next summer be residents of the lake.

The water was crystal clear, brisk and heavenly this morning. We all tread water and threw sticks for the dog. The only really scary thing about being in the clear water is seeing the big, floppy carp that like to swim along with us. Mother duck and ducklings were making the rounds along with a duck Kitty proclaims is a common merganser.

I am chipping away at all the little places that collect crap, litter, old ikea parts etc along with the random crayon, bead, rubberband, snippets of this and that. Out, out out. Musty yarn> good bye! Broken pots, rusty dull shears. See ya! Old magazines that reinforce my Rip Van Winkleness. Paperbacks that have been read...and will not see the light of day. Books given to us that none of us will read. Old pads of paper with 2 sheets of paper in it. And of course, my favorite, the thousands of used double and triple A batteries that haven't grown legs to walk to the trash can.It is a good week of stuff clearing, but it is cathartic to begin this process.

Going to make a lemon bagna calda with blanched green beans, and a Mango/Key Lime Pie along with steamed and cold local produce and some grilled chicken for friends tomorrow. Need to see the vegetable man at the top of the hill to see what else he has to offer. Blueberries? Peaches? Tomatoes? Kitty and I are eyeballing a curried pea soup (cold) in the July Gourmet...maybe that for later this week? And there is a blueberry "pudding" that looks delightful as well. A's birthday is next Saturday--so thinking about food for that is inline...however, stuff with anchovies, capers or anything wierd is off the list.

More later>>

photo: Common Merganser