Soaring seaward

The first hot day hit like an exhaust fume from hell.
We didn't have the air conditioners in (yes we use
portables - and yes we use air conditioners), and the heat
in the house was stupefying. Last night Steven and I
hardly slept, and tonight I find myself yearning like
a trapped bird for Nova Scotia. The
pull to get in the car and go is
strong. Vruumm, Vrummm,
Vrrrrummmm as my sons would say gunning their trucks when they were little (toys not ride ons, you guys are touchy tonight!).

Fuel of course is prohibitive. Flying isn't an option, and... I just want to go.Out there we live in our little one room school house, (two if you count the makeshift second floor)
we read, play cards, and plan the
next meal. We go to a fabulous beach in a nearby provincial park
every day. We visit our wonderful friends, and get restored back to something approaching warm,
positive and human. For me summer = Nova Scotia = schoolhouse = beach = friends = fun.

Photos: The schoolhouse,
the hill running down to the beach,
the beach, playing volleyball at
our friends' party, our dog Zoey (left)
with her friend, Kujo.


Have a flying away night.

Have a great show Norene

My friend Norene in Pugwash and her friends are having a show in Halifax
this weekend, if you're in town check it out.

Opening Reception: Sunday, May 4, 2008, 2–4 pm
Exhibition: April 29 - May 25, 2008

Craig Gallery at Alderney Landing
2 Ochterloney Street, Dartmouth, NS
(next to the Dartmouth Ferry Terminal Building)
902-461-4698
www.alderneylanding.com

Gallery Hours:
Monday: closed
Tuesday-Friday: 12 noon - 5:30 pm
Saturday: 9 am-5 pm
Sunday: 11 am-4 pm

Featuring: Shannon Bell, Norene Smiley, and Diane Wile-Brumm

Norene is a fabulous artist I met last summer when I visited
her cafe´looking for the former owner, a friend of my boss at
Seneca, John Struthers. I haven't met John's friends yet, but I
immediately took to Norene and Greg, the current owners.
Last fall Norene, who is also a writer and editor (it makes sense that
we connected) visited Toronto, and for a change we made dinner for her.
In the summer we ate at her café as often as was humanly and fiscally
possible. The image tonight is a snippet of one of the paintings from
her blog.

One of the great things about the internet is the way it fosters
connections. I hope Norene doesn't mind me advertising for her
show and featuring her image. I have been seriously trying to
figure out how to get there for Sunday, but I have an opening
myself tomorrow night at Todmorden Mills for the Don Valley
Art Club Spring Show, and I think I'd be too tired if I flew to
Halifax Saturday and flew home Sunday night after Norene's
opening. But you should definitely check it out.

If you're closer to Toronto than Halifax you're welcome to
come to the DVAC opening at 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Todmorden Mills
is just off the Bayview expressway, on Pottery Road, just before
it climbs the hill. But I say ...

Have a flying to Halifax day!

Salad days

I often think that I've been extremely lucky in my life. I love my family and friends. Our animals are funny and strange. We get a lot of entertainment just from watching them.


I live in a vibrant international city, and teach in the
country just north of town.

I also think that noticing what works in your life is a
choice every day. So why the salad? My son Christopher
has Timbah the cat perched on his shoulder. Timbah
is even stranger since we got the Siamese cat, Fiona.
There's Sam carrying the flowers he bought for his
girlfriend's birthday. The lady in the flower store arranged
them to perfection for him. And the salad? Why the salad?
That's been part of dinner for the past two years, and delicious.
My friend Flora puts great food shots on her blog, and Lina's
blog is about food -- so here's a variant on
Nanny Muir's salad.
4 tbsp. good olive oil
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, pressed
Salt -- a shake or two
Pepper, a grind or two
A baby fingernail size pinch of Keen's dry mustard
A shot of Worchestershire sauce
Blend together in a large bowl.
Add -- two cups of grape tomatoes (ripe)
A tomato or two if you have some
One large red pepper, sliced (throw out the seeds and core)
One avocado (ripe) cut into pieces (throw out the peel)
Any other salad vegetable you like
A large colander's worth of salad greens, rinsed and spun

Toss -- Eat -- Yum.

So -- two fine sons, a sweet husband, two lovely insane cats, a
faithful dog, a warm extended family, good friends, great work,
wonderful bosses, engaging work friends, super students, a car
that runs, a warm house, wonderful chances to produce
and sell art, great art clients, and a super community,
and salad. That is the good life my friends!