Cooking Memories

1967, I turned 11 years old and for my birthday my granny gave me my first cookbook. My brother, sister and I often made something out of it for our parents usually on Sunday evenings for dinner and then we would have some kind of a performance for them. The recipes are SUPER simplified. I happened to have a fairly damaged bag of potato chips and it made me remember the potato chip chicken recipe and thought I would relive my childhood a bit. It was pretty good I must say. Here's to memories

See it's in my lap. This was my birthday and our cousin Vicki came to celebrate with us.

And the creamed corn is homemade, from freshly shucked corn!  Yup, I can cook!

Happy Blogiversary

Guess what today is...I almost forgot myself.  Yup, 14 years ago today I was sitting at our office, bored out of my mind, thinking about my momma.  She was closing in on the end of her life at that moment and I was also closing in on a deep depression that would keep me in a funk for about 3 years.  Luckily I found art, creating art again and I found myself in the process.  So happy blogiversary to me my friends, I'm happy to still be around, happy and able to share here for my friends to understand a little about me.  

Fathers Day and Birthday's

Yesterday we celebrated all the fathers out there, especially those in our family.  I first went to see my daddy and wish him Happy Fathers Day.  He is definitely getting older and a bit more frail but he's a tough old boot who loves his television shows (The Walton's Gunsmoke, Big Valley, etc.,) his sweet cat Susie and mowing the lawn.  

Later in the day we had the first Fathers Day celebration with our little family.  It was a first for the newest son-in-law.  We had vegan baked ziti and salad, which I must say was devine and a strawberry trifle.  I was so full I thought I would burst.  We enjoyed just hanging and watching old videos of my 30th surprise birthday party that included playing Twister.  Oh my, wish I had that body again.  Life could not be better for me right now.

Today we celebrate Af's 35th birthday.  I cannot, CANNOT believe my baby is 35 years old today.  Where did the years go.  I'm just so very happy to have my family close by now, especially during these days in the world.  I can take a breath of contentment.  

Happy Birthday my lovely, you are the sunshine of my life.

Birthday Dinner and More

Birthday food!  Yes this was my birthday dinner at the newly revamped Wild Fork in Utica Square.  I tried to get reservations at Amelia's downtown, but they were booked solid.  For my birthday I wanted to go to a restaurant and ORDER OFF A MENU!  It wasn't our first time out to eat since all the lock down stuff but the other places were small lunch places, this was BIRTHDAY DINNER! It was a great birthday all the way around. 

This week started off with a workshop.  Finally, a workshop.  The last one that was scheduled was for May with Patrick Saunders, and was canceled because of Covid-19.  I was in great need to be with other artists and learn.  (We all were masked during the workshop!)  Luckily my friend and incredible artist (one of the top in the field in the US), Derek Penix had one.  My studio partner, Linda is better friends with Derek and always enlists her to help him set up workshops in Tulsa, so I was able to jump right in.  This may be his last one in Tulsa as his entire family has moved to California and in fact this workshop was on his way out of town.  Derek can be a bit manic in the delivery of his knowledge he has to share with you, but well worth it.  He is absolutely amazing to watch and to listen too.  I was able to get this little Indigo Bunting finished in his class and posted it on Facebook and Instagram later in the evening.  I had three people interested in purchasing it and sold it to one of our cabin friends for a birthday present (they don't read this blog.)  So I know he is going to a loving home.  

Watching Derek paint his famous peaches is just something to see.  He starts out so very abstract with swooshes and swipes and all of a sudden, peaches start appearing.  

I own four Derek Penix paintings and now count this latest one as mine too...FIVE, I own.   

OMG...I love this one and he was hesitant on letting it go because it was one of his favorites, but now, it's MINE!  

It Rolls Around Every Year

It rolls around every year, that inevitable BIRTHDAY, and I'm glad, happy I'm still having them.  

Today, I am 64 years old.   

I'm a proud 64 and hope to make it to at least 85 or longer if my body and mind hold out.

The hair has already deserted me, at least the color has but I wear my gray quite well I think. 

Onward to 65 and social security, medicare and RETIREMENT!!!