First Workday: 2011

When Cats Fly, Q. Cassetti, 2010, sharpies from the second sketchbook project, Long day yesterday. In the car most of it… We got Kitty tricked out with food and drugstore stuff with productive trips to Target and Whole Foods. Wow. If only we had one here in Itown (Whole Foods that is). Sure is the Museum of the Organic Lifestyle. Pricey but inspired buying, inspired display, and a complete grasp of what their customer is looking for. I was intrigued by the packaging we saw in the babyfood aisle—foil packets and these flat packages with sealable spouts (which really makes trash to go in the landfill…so environmentally, maybe not the message they are trying to get across. Yes, there is less, but it doesnt reduce to zero).

Kitty and Alex schlepped the whole contents of the back of the wonderbus to her room (skiis and more) and got her settled. We took back far less than we delivered so that the May pickup will be a crunch. Kitty seemed so happy to be back in her new digs, new friends, new opportunities, new things to share and try. Rob and I were comparing our first semester of freshman year to that of Kitty’s and yes, thank you, she is doing just fine. We forget how time is the big ingredient for change.

Rob had to work on a presentation in the lobby of the Holiday Inn Express until 1:30 when we picked him up to take Kitty back and say good bye. And then, we were off with sandwiches from Whole Foods and my lovely teabags from Harneys. I have been driving Rob crazy by carrying a shortie steel thermos with me when I travel. However, this trip, he saw how good it was. Everytime we stop for a bio break, I get hot water from the venue of choice (free) and then plop an elegant Harney teabag into it…and we have tea to sip between stops. For those of us coughing, sneezing and throaty, it has been a lifesaver. And, if you dont know about Harney Tea, you should>> I recommend the Hot Cinnamon Spice (reg and decaf), their bulk Earl Grey Supreme, the Holiday Tea (drank a box of the sachets in less than a week with Kitty) which are the basics around here. And the perfume of these teas are rich and amazing which goes right into the flavor of the tea. It makes the Liptons/Red Rose stuff seem like sawdust. More expensive but a transcendent experience.

First workday of the new year. Need to make it count.

I love Yelp.com

Sunday morning. Thank goodness the Pioneer Valley is a bit misty moisty as it is helping the ugly, rasping, hacking, choking coughs we have. So the quiet night at the quiet Holiday Inn Express was just what we needed, medicated.

I found our dinner spot through the wonderful yelp.com site after looking at my choices in Amherst, Northampton and Hadley while Rob power napped (and boy, did he need that). Yelp pulls through again! We settled on a Mexican place, Mi Tiennes (need to confirm) which is close to us at the motel. Yelp reviews promised delicious, the real deal, affordable and inspired. And it was served up gladly as promised. Their gorgeous tortillas, made in the kitchen were light, fluffy and airy. Alex had chorizo tacos with lots of fresh lime, cilantro and fresh cheese. Rob had a grilled steak that looked perfect. Kitty had huarches and I had sopas which were essentially the same except for the tortillas. Kitty's were thinner and long, mine were a bit fatter, and round ...English muffin sized. We had crema, a little cheese and some crispy beef on these cornmeal shapes. fab ($6.50 for 3). And we absolutely would never have found this gem if Yelp hadn't pointed us there as it is in the back of a lot that holds a small, rundown Knights Inn, next to a darkened coin op laundromat. My new favorite Hadley haunt. Maybe we just get the room inches from the restaurant's door, and settle in!

We drop Kitty off and noon and trundle home. Rob will be working here in the motel until then. Alex is here...so I will wrap it up so we can stock Kitty's dorm room with food etc.

More later.

trying out new tools.

I am trying something new. My iPad has this nice little program from Apple called "Pages" and I figured I would give it a try to see if the blogging could happen with the keyboard and tools that are native for this pad. I am finding that the pad is a bit brisker than I am as a typist - but with some practice, this is far easier than the phone stuff. It all just takes time.

We got off to Amherst around noon today with turkey pesto sandwiches, power bars and tea...along with a small pharmacy as R and I are suffering with the cold du jour. It wasn't a bad drive as everyone and their brother are home watching the game, and I am sure they are frying up the heaps of chicken wings everyone was selling Thursday night. I mean suitcase sized boxes of wings that I can only project out that "Dad" had the turkey frier jacked up in the driveway in anticipation and getting practice time before the game of the games, the food holiday every red blooded man in the U. S of A. Lives for, the long awaited and deeply relished, Super Bowl (of the universe). No Baked Wings for these cowboys. Hot fat only. And lay on the butter. We are a bunch of pansies and girls at our house. No hot fat, no wings. Just driving.

While Rob naps a bit, and Kitty and Alex thrill to another Food Network show, I figured I would chat a bit with you over the recent thises and thats. News! I moved my desk to the new space...and Rob cracked open one of the recycle immediately catalogs to find that Martha Stewart has a moderate line of furniture for the home craft room that is really quite nice. It is from Home Decorators http://www.homedecorators.com/S/MarthaStewartLivingCraftSpaceCollection/. It has a desk, all sorts of hutch type topper / organizers along with two types of flat files that configure well with the desk and the hutch stuff. Three painted colors-- an olive mossy green, a warm white and a birchy grey. End of the year money means I got three flat files for the new princess office digs. Cool? Right!

Am on the Hangar work. Have the Gem of the Ocean in hand. Am doing combat with the Rocky Horror. Have a viable Ragtime. Have a viable baseball one. We will see. I have such little time. When we get back to the grind, the nutcrackers and holiday schmaltz is getting toted back to the attic tout suite in prep for the next big gig..s valentines day splash to recognize the contribution Beth Chiron and team put out with creating and running our little Pourhouse "club". More on this as it develops.

Robs is awake. Gotta go.

new year: 2010 review

The year changed quietly for us. The great happening was around two, R. Had a blazing fever so I went on a search for acetaminophen …clunking and banging around until a bottle surfaced. What with the happy confab of my hot flashes and R.s fever, we could have turned the heat off in the house and melted all the snow in the vicinity.

It is New Years that is one of those milestones that gives me space to reflect on where I am, the year before..and possibly the year to come. We had big entertainment from the recent gig with the chorus to the cast party, a few birthdays, the dinners pre prom and pre dinner dance. We searched and found a college Kitty wanted to go to. She was accepted, packed, moved in, and has transitioned to having two homes. Alex on his own steam got a job washing dishes this summer at the Rongo. He is seconds from a drivers license(all self motivated activities). He has new musical friends— and they are actively music making, writing, trying, experimenting. Rob and team have moved the house forward from a new back porch, investigations on the kitchen, a new bathroom and a new studio for me. Robs work is good..with some fun nuggets embedded like cool people and travel. This year I had the pleasure to go to Museumwise at Sagamore which was a treat. This year I learned about bees, about Lubok illustration style, and worked on some new illo approaches. This year I helped the Hangar Theatre, Wide Awake Bakery and Farmer Ground Flour update their image. I was a rock for my big client. Mr. White adopted us. So much doings….and I have not surfaced any of the depths…just the tactical stuff.

It was a year of expansion and personal change. We helped two friends to change their thinking and lives. Kitty stepped into a new life confidently. Alex is taking on responsibility and focusing. Rob and I have newfound pleasure in more time together. It has all been wonderful.

Who knows the broad strokes of change and evolution for this year? Not I. But change is good and with the opprtunities presented to us.. What wonders will happen. I just need to be open and watchfulbto make sure I see them when they surface. Keep your eyes and ears open in 2011. I wish you the best.