Simmers and Sputters

I love the winter light. This afternoon I was sitting by the window in our front room catching up on some email correspondence enjoying the grey light and white winter sky criss-crossed by all those bare Pecan branches. The sun was setting and I loved watching the light turn dark grey and then grey blue and then deep smokey charcoal; it was enough to make me go right out into the studio and start on a new drawing. But I didn't. Instead I went right into the kitchen and made some Butternut Squash Soup.

Homemade Granola in our Giant Jar

This kind of experience has been recurring the last two weeks. Most of my desire to be creative in the studio has been re-routed into the kitchen and so my hours are full of quiet domesticity instead. This is not really a bad thing. I just need to figure out how to fit the art making between the keeping of a house and garden.

David getting domestic with the Nieces

Speaking of gardens, David and I enjoyed a truly giant head of cabbage from my parent's garden. Cooked up with bacon, onion and garlic I was surprised to find it was rather spicy tasting, far more interesting than your grocery store variety cabbage. The head was so big we only used half of it, so yesterday I cooked another large pan full with some Apple Cider Vinegar and Mustard Greens from the garden. Now that's some healthy food.

Giant Cabbage Head

We have also had Kale in our smoothies this week, Chard with our eggs, Hummus made with Flax Seeds, Rutabega with a Roasted Chicken, and Apple, Pecan, Rasin Whole Wheat Muffins to which, after tasting, David said: "These are healthy muffins!"

Healthy Muffins, Gluten-Free Bread and Tomato Basil Soup

Healthy eggs and marginally healthy sausage

I think our bodies are enjoying some top rate nutrition.

Pomegranate with Yogurt and Honey

Besides cooking we have been tweaking our ever morphing house with some new shelves for our piles of books, Spackle and wall touch-ups, new red paint on some outdoor metal chairs and a small shelf transformed with robins egg blue paint and light green and cream paper lining. Add in some general garden tidying and pruning and really we have been quite busy.

Next week is our 1 Year anniversary of being married and so I doubt much creative work will be taking place as we are going out of town to celebrate. But things are rumbling... I have dreams of imaginary rabbits and magic birds to deal with soon. There are also girls in red dresses and Cranes on spindly legs to make worlds for. And then I still have all the Octopus and Squid adventures to chronicle! Soon, soon.