I am the Audience

Doing art

May 19, 2022

a day in this life, art, dancing in the field of dreams

Poet and novelist Margaret Atwood on the universal nature of writing:

“Everyone writes in a way; that is, each person has a “story,” a personal narrative which is constantly being replayed, revised, taken apart, and put together again. The significant points in this narrative change as a person ages—what may have been tragedy at twenty is seen as comedy or nostalgia at forty. All children write. (And paint, and sing.) I suppose the real question is why do so many people give it up?”

I don’t think we do. I think a lot of us just change mediums.

When we were dating, I commented to my husband that I don’t “do” art. I just enjoy it and collect a little. He said he thinks my home and garden is my art. I can get behind that.

There was a Georgia O’Keefe exhibition at Reynolda House a few years ago that was absolutely stunning. In addition to paintings by her, there were photos of her and several pieces of her clothing that she had made for herself before off-the-rack became the standard for how we dress ourselves. Those functional objects were also beautiful. And there’s a lot to be said for creating the life you want. For making things just so because that’s what makes your heart sing. (See also the clothes of Frida Kahlo.)
Bleeding Heart redux

April 19, 2022

a day in this life

‘Valentine’

I had a thriving pink bleeding heart that I tried to transplant. That was not successful. But, this seems to be a good choice.
Amaryllis adventure

March 21, 2022

dirt under my nails

Three years ago, we were at Costco in the middle of November and they had some amaryllis bulb trios for sale in a nifty wooden box with glass vases. I decided that would be fun. A coworker had told me I could put them in a flowerbed when the forced bulbs finished blooming and they would come back in a year and a half. They bloomed last summer.

I had so much fun watching those solid red amaryllises bloom that I have gotten a couple for the years following. In 2020, I got a ‘Picotee’ and ‘Minerva’.

‘Minerva’

‘Picotee’

Last year, I got ‘Magical Touch’.

‘Magical Touch’

I have put the solid red plants in the front and the mixed colors in the back. My mother prefers red amaryllis and hates actually caring for plants. So, in 2020, I got a ‘Red Lion’ for her telling her she could give me the bulb when it finished blooming and I would plant it in my front bed. She loved the idea until the angle of the sun coming in her windows caused it to break itself off. Now, she says she’ll just enjoy them in other peoples’ homes.

At Xmas time, as ‘Magical Touch’ finished blooming, Lowe’s put their unsold amaryllis bulbs on sale. So, I got a red one to add to the front. It took forever to bloom and has only just begun to put out a leaf.

All flowers are reproductive organs of plants. I know this. But, in my experience, lilies are usually sold as bulbs. This one is making seeds.

The stem by itself is 19″ tall.

I have never tried growing lilies from seeds. It may not work. But. I already have them. What I have a got to lose?
Butter beans

February 25, 2022

a day in this life, family, music

When I was little, my dad taught himself to play the guitar. When he was actually able to play songs, we would sing along with him. He played for decades and tended to choose old country music, Hank, Patsy, Waylon and Willie.

One of our favorite songs to sing with him was Butter Beans by Little Jimmy Dickens.

In the Episcopal church, the service on the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter Sunday is frequently when babies are christened. The service starts with no lights and no music and as it progresses. Candles are lit and music is added during the collection, which happens around the middle of the service. Eventually, everyone leaves the church to exuberant hymns with candles and lights everywhere, in anticipation of the joy of Easter.

For 3 or 4 years (if I recall correctly, I wasn’t always there) some of the members of my parents’ church were in a jazz band and they offered to do the Easter Saturday music, giving the choir a break from singing before all the action on Easter. The music was always good and the recessional was a kind of Dixieland parade into the parish hall where there was a party for the newly christened, their families and the rest of the congregation.

The year my youngest nephew was christened, they played Just a Closer Walk With Thee. Just the music; no voices. And my younger sister and I got tickled. In the middle of the service. We tried really hard to stifle the giggles. But, we weren’t as subtle as we hoped and our youngest sister, the mother of the candidate, leaned up and asked us what was so funny. And we told her. So, there were all the daughters of the rector snickering in the middle of the christening of his youngest grandchild. We did manage to pull ourselves together by the end of the hymn and finish the service behaving like adults.

Later, in the parish hall, my father sidled up to me and said. “What had you all giggling during the Offertory?”

And I said, “Because, they were playing ‘Butter Beans’ in church.”

The beginning of the service, before we all processed in, silently.

Click through and listen. Then, tell me we were wrong.

He couldn’t.
Picking a nit

February 22, 2022

a day in this life, food & drink

I wish restaurants wouldn’t call any random salad they want to fancy up a Caesar salad.

Kale & Radicchio, with creamy sunflower dressing, grilled onion, nori, and whatever “crumble” is, is NOT remotely a Caesar salad.

They aren’t even cousins.