Birthday Boy

"Three" has never tasted so good: pigs in blankets, french fried potatoes, mixed fruit, baked beans and of course cake and ice cream. Happy Birthday!

Small Tasks

"I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble." - Helen Keller

Here are my "small tasks" of the day so far.

• wake up kids
• feed kids breakfast
• clean up breakfast
• get Sarah on bus
• mend Erik's shirt
• color with Matt
• run 4 miles with Matt
• snack with Matt
• read with Matt
• diaper change
• sing music with Matt
• laundry, 3 loads
• clean kitchen
• do dishes
• put houseplants outside in sun
• make lunch for Matt and me
• watch Pooh Bear Shapes dvd with Matt
• put sheets back on bed
• pick up everywhere
• check in with email, clients
• organize mail, bills
• attend Sarah's play at school
• drive with kids to Target for a few mid-week groceries
• put away groceries
• put away laundry (are you still reading?!)

It's been a warm, sunny day full of small tasks but big moments. Sarah was wonderful in the play and is happy to be home early. Matt and I have chatted about many things; I can hear him as he laughs, playing in his room.

C is for Cookie

My husband is of the "if it's not broke, don't fix it" variety. This also applies to cooking. This morning I tried a new breakfast cookie and well, it was met with silence. Here is our family's tried and true recipe. I prefer granola myself but my husband lives for these (as does Matt). The recipe is from Cooking Light. You may want to double it.

Breakfast Cookies

3/4 c. packed brown sugar

1/4 melted butter

2 large eggs

1/4 c. chopped dried figs (or dates)

1/4 c. dried cranberries (I use Craisins)

1 t. vanilla

1 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 c. wheat flour

1/2 c. unprocessed bran

1/2 t. baking soda

1/4 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. allspice

1/4 sliced almonds

granulated sugar to sprinkle on top (about 2 t.)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in chopped figs, cranberries and vanilla.
3. Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours, bran, baking soda, cinnamon and allspice, stirring with a whisk. Add flour mixture to egg mixture, stirring just until moist. Gently fold in almonds.
4. Drop by level 1/4 c. measures 4 inches apart on 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle evenly with granulated sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes or until almost set. Cool 2 minutes on pans. Remove, cool and eat.

Digging a Deep Well

The potter Ken Ferguson was a friend of my parents; he and my father traded work. There is a new book about his work. I love quotes I can sink my heart and mind into and this one jumped out at me:

My students have often heard me say, 'You have to dig a deep well.'

The problem people have understanding the phrase 'digging a deep well' is that people don't realize that it doesn't have to be within the world of ceramics, and it doesn't have to be about art. 'Digging a deep well' is an experience, a challenge, something you've done or that you've faced which forced you to make a decision. You had to decide where to focus. Are you going to get the best of it, or is it going to get the best of you? These things make you a stronger, more sensitive, more passionate person; a person, willing to be tolerant and understanding, able to focus on work and less critical of other's work.

It has to do with intellectual curiosity. An afternoon spent by observing a phenomena of nature and then drawing it, studying it, examining it, trying to figure out how it happens, why it happens and the answers to all of those questions. You go outside of yourself. You have a new experience, and you try to understand it.

[Incidentally, Ken's sweet wife, Gertrude, gave me a copy of  Song of the Lark when I was a child. I didn't read the book for many years but when I did, I immediately read every Willa Cather book.]

Gotcha!

Each year I find this flower past its flowering. I found him yesterday and quickly took his picture. Isn't he cute? His closest neighbors are grape hyacinths which are feet away. It was a lovely warm day and I walked the yard joyful about anything green. Last evening the kids and I took a bike ride. Spring will be here soon (even if it's not here today).

My current project is a set of placemats for spring. I am finding them more time-intensive than expected (see the rows of stitching?) but am excited about the fabric (same as the hat). More to come.

Change

"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing. To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable." - Helen Keller

[The quilt is from Alabama Chanin. Check out the new Alabama Stitch Book.]

New Find

I must be starved for art. In the plans: a trip to the State Museum's new quilt (and impending knitting) show; the couture show at the IMA; a trip to Mass Ave and Fountain Square to just poke around in galleries. Sarah has art camp at the Art Center over spring break and am hoping for a "freaky friday" experience so I can go in her place. This image is by artist Kelly Packer - I bumped into her site this morning and really liked her work. Makes me want to make time to draw today.