Work in Progress, Ragtime, Q. Cassetti, 2011

Looking at the weekend, already!

Indian Garden, Q. Cassetti, 2011, sharpieToday is a brilliant, blue sky day with sun beaming down on the back forty, casting long purple shadows on the walnut trees that I can see from my perch.

Speaking of perch, Rob and Mandy put together the absolutely gorgeous Martha Stewart “Craft Room” flat flies from Home Depot’s Home Decorator site>> I got three, pale warm grey “three drawer flat files” (which are subdivided drawers that you can customize the compartment shape). I know I promoted this last week, but now that we have the real thing in hand, I am even more enthusiastic. The quality is beautiful though its like IKEA times ten to put together….but if you are looking to equip a studio or need flat files (the metal ones will really set you back a pretty penny)…and you can look real, and functional without it looking industrial. Take a look. I now have a real live orderly place to put my things and try to keep my work in some semblance of normalcy. I think, I hope, I am on the edge of knowing that life is going to be more sane with this.

Yearbook was great today. The team has figured out the software and they are absolutely diving into it. I need to work with Victor on the cover as he has some high expectations with gradients and masks and stuff. Will need to see what we can do.

Need to dive into the workload. There are some things to critique. Things to specify. Some calls to make. 

no snow da

 

Inspired by Indian Women, Q. Cassetti, 2011, sharpieAs the sauce is stewing and the water boils for dinner, I will talk to you via my iPad. I am typing away on “pages”— liberated by my ability to stand at the stove and attempt to write and listen to the radio. I started a gigantic pot of spaghetti sauce this morning with meat cooking, mushroom plumping ( porcini..for depth) and a gigantic can of red sauce ( red pack) with veggies. We can be snowed in! And tiny Alex can eat.

Shady was frisking in the dusty, icy snow— her favorite time of the year. Mr. White is yellow white in the clean blue white snow. Both wood stoves are now functioning, so we can hunker down with our hats on and soak in the heat as the chill sets in tonight . Kitty called to say that Hampshire College closed today due to all the snow. We will see here as the Tburgers are pretty puritanical and it really needs to be dire before anything is closed around here.

I designed and ordered a valentine for a friend. I agreed to a chicken illo to be in the next edition of “Edible Finger Lakes”. I recolored the “Ragtime” poster and moved the elements around on the Rocky Horror to make it more PG.

Am living in the warm pool of Madhbari illustration — the gods and goddesses, the happy cows, the pod heads that are space fillers, the flora and snails, and the endless fish that seem to also fill the pages the way the Pennsylvania Germans wedge birds into the nooks and crannies to make sure nothing on their pages can breathe. In my Indian world, these benign cows smile placidly at the fish while the happy pod heads narrate the rich story they are all inhabiting—inviting us in. Lines upon lines with the occasional big white (or black) field to rally force some visual order from the twirly embroidery.

Let’s see what happens!

Tuesday with a great date 1.11.11

Madhubani Garden, Q, Cassetti, 2010, sharpieToday was a big day of showing off. I took the posters down to the Hangar group and showed them the progress we have had in the imagery. I am going to recolor the Ragtime poster( which I am good with) and there was some agitation and sensitivity around the Rocky Horror graphic (a bit too over the top from some)…which I mean, it is Ithaca where people are a bit sensitive about this sort of thing. So, I am good with the input and will work towards making some changes.

Worked on some of the standards for my big client. Interesting to be reviewing from the outside with the lense of someone who will be using these standards. There is good progress. Erich tweaked the grammer and punctuation…and I did the design sweep. It is interesting to anticipate how these standards will be modified, mangled and misunderstood. And, the optimistic side says, think of how wonderful the world will be if one or two of the plethora of agencies out there, if they “get it” and consistency is achieved.

My new furniture (three flat files from Martha Stewart) came late yesterday. Six enormous, heavy boxes are sitting in the hallway. There might be a bit of construction here in the evening.

Need to get Peggy’s valentine done and taxes paid. An evening of parts and pieces to anticipate along with maybe a bit of the snow they are predicting.

Five out of six entries that got into Illustration West 49, Society of Illustrators, Los Angeles, by Q. CassettiMonkey, Q. Cassetti, 2010I was cruising Facebook to find out all sorts of people found out about Society of Illustrators, Los Angeles and what they got into their Illustration West 49 Show. I was combing my email looking for my note and kind of threw my hands up and figured I didn’t get in. But, I tried again late yesterday afternoon, to find out, yes, I did get it….and yes, I got quite a few pieces in! So, here is a posting of those images that got in. Now is the question of money and time…and whether it is worth spending a ton of money to get work framed and out to LA for a week’s show in Gallery Nucleus. Will need to weigh my options.

More talk later today. 

Better understanding the obvious

Collection of images of Evelyn Nesbit

Had a meeting with the new Director of the Baker Institute and new Assistant Director for Development/Public Affairs. They have a change agenda which should be interesting to see how it evolves…and whether I am in the mix or not.

Prior to the meeting, I had a little oasis of time and went to GreenStar. My granola was critiqued by my major eaters and they suggested we get rid of the sunflower seeds. So, minus the sunflower seeds, it changes the ballgame.There I was at the center of the green universe in Ithaca, fully immersed in the bulk grain bins. Adding more nuts is an option (pecan pieces, not walnuts…they are too definitive) but is there anything else?. Turns out, there were all sorts of other rolled grains outside of oats. There was rolled rye, rolled rice and a nice (visually) rolled Kamut (a relative to wheat but apparently nonwheat eaters have no trouble with this). I am a visual person and the Kamut was golden and a bit thicker than the other grains, so I weighed out a bag to see what could happen with it. I liked the thickness, the less bendy quality (than Oatmeal) and maybe it would add some crunch to the mix as it might grab the oil/syrup sauce in a good way. Last night proved I was right. Best batch yet. New add…vanilla to the slurry. Onward.

Also bought some vegetarian “meat” from the “Field Roast” brand. Vegetarian meatloaf and vegetarian chirizo. lets see what these things taste like without the meat titles. Also  bags of basmati and arborio rice. Bring on the snow. We have enough stuff to last the winter. It was so nice and tranquil at GreenStar at 8 a.m. It was refreshing from the normally shopping cart olympics that go on during prime time during the weekend when we normally go. It was sane enough to check out the nooks and crannies to see what else is there. I found peppercorns and the spices quite a treat.

Hangar Theatre posters are wrapping up. One more…and then tweak time. The Triathlon is knocking on my door too. Valentines too. Yikes.

Today was haircuts for the boys and lunch at Thai Express. Back home, and frankly, exhausted as this cold is still holding on like a hungry monkey. I am a bit better…but tired. Tomorrow its the zoned zone.

The Evelyn Nesbit pictures come out of my doing research on ladies in picture hats (1900) on Flickr. There are some really searchable antique picture sets from several national sources. While I was looking, I found these of Evelyn, the wife of Harry Thaw (nut, drug addled idiot and related to me), and lover of Stanford White. I have never really thought about Evelyn and what she was all about. Well, a picture does tell a story. This is a young girl, whose lawyer father died, and whose mother took her to a photographer as a model and away they went. Today, she might be on a reality show such as “America’s Top Model”. But instead, influential tastemakers such as White and Charles Gibson (who word says that Nesbit was one of the reference women for his famous Gibson Girl) took her in hand and hurdled her into the limelight. I mean, I audibly gasped with the flower pictures (above). They are so amazing, fresh, and timeless. Imagine seeing this delicate girl in the broad daylight. Spiritually, she does match up with Gibson’s girl. Her life was formed by tastemakers, supporting her family. She tumbled into a horrific marriage with Harry…experiencing her own addiction to drugs and alcohol without the fortune that these men made from her.

Must go scan and think about this lovely girl.

quiet day

Rocky Horror Poster, Q. Cassetti, collage, 2011Fruits of my labor for today/yesterday. Have been setting them up and beginning to knock them down. I have four out of 5 posters for the Hangar done with three approved. They are all due on Tuesday, so I still have to put my head down and run at it. I am panicking over the Ragtime thing, and may instead of drawing it, work it up in photoshop and then decide on drawing or a photo composition. There is just too much niddly-ness needed in the image. Once we get the images done— I will be relaying out their brochure (based on the model from last year), doing all the covers of the programs, two different sized posters and  a huge banner layout for the building. Then, we will only have to worry about the Ithaca Running Club graphic illustration they are interested in.

Still not 100%. More like70% but better than the 15% I felt on Monday. So, the needle is moving in the right direction — just not fast enough for me.

Wonderful Ursula Roma is working on the writing for the 3x3 article coming up for me. Poor Ursula tried to interview me as I gasped and choked and sent her my thesis. I think we got a scrambled bit of something and I will be interested in seeing what she makes with the magic lunchbasket of wigglies I gave her. Jason Koski will do the pix (hopefully after I get this mop cut) and then we will be good). I really should have Erich add images to the website to build that out.

Out of the blue, I was contacted by Garrick Webster from Computer Arts Magazine in the UK about my folk inspired work (particularly that of Lubki). He wanted images and me talking about why folk art? who requests it? what does it mean? How does it work/not work? I am not sure whether it is an ink on paper magazine or that of the web. Either way, I am flattered and who knows what will happen. I sent him a little whitman’s sampler of folk related images and lots of bla bla blab and we will see how he chops it all up and makes sense of it.

I got an interesting phone call from my new ad agency friend, Chris, who wanted to know if we could meet up with Dwight and Charlene (these amazing egg producers) who were down at the Regional Access checking on an order (hundreds of thousands of their eggs had frozen). I will be doing portraits of them in the future and having them here for me to take a picture of them was a real (albeit quick ) opportunity. Dean came along so as I forced salami sandwiches on them, Dean regaled us with farming tales, his invitation to attend the next TED conference in NYC in a few weeks and the whole food movement he is involved with which, from my experience with Thor and Stefan here with the grain, has a real overlap. So, though unplanned, there was some work related fun and new people in my life. And, I got some good pictures, too. Dwight and Charlene are adorable.

Rob is here. Time to go.

 

heads down

Original Poster for Ever So Humble, Q. Cassetti, 2011, digitalWorking on the Hangar. Finished this up along with the Gem of the Ocean and Rocky Horror. Rocky took a turn(wonderful) while I was tooling around in photoshop. I will share tomorrow and see what you all think!

Second Workday: 2011

Raggedy Ann and Andy, Q. Cassetti, 2010, sharpieI am feel a whisker better. I couldnt really breathe yesterday…and was choking and coughing like a nut. But I slept a little bit better and took some over the counter pharmaceuticals which seemed to open my head up a bit. Alex is home feeling bad as is Rob. Its in the water…or at least the air.

However, got a bunch of stuff off my desk so I could do the same today to get ready for the onslaught. I got a nice email from the new team of folks at the Baker Institute for Animal Health to talk projects/process etc. which is nice as you never know when the people change and whether the work I have done has any lasting value than the last administration. Good news. We will see.

Did a bit of research on Madhubani art. Interesting note here:

“The origins of Madhubani painting or Mithila painting are shrouded in antiquity, and a tradition states that this style of painting originated at the time of the Ramayana, when King Janak commissioned artists to do paintings at the time of marriage of his daughter, Sita, to Hindu god Lord Ram. Madhubani painting has been done traditionally by the women of villages around the present town of Madhubani (the literal meaning of which is forests of honey) and other areas of Mithila. The painting was traditionally done on freshly plastered mud wall of huts, but now it is also done on cloth, hand-made paper and canvas.”

Note the honey is part of this program too! I think this interesting image to the left, the amazing tight crop, the happy eye floating amongst polka dots, flowers and stripes with a total abandon and happiness. Look at the wiggily eye, the solids and line…no shading, no mystery added.

Gloria has left us after a few weeks here in TBurg—back to Southern California, her horse and friends. Seemed like a quick visit, but good for her to connect back up with friends and family and parents. The team is nudging a new tub into Kitty’s soon to be finished bathroom (Yay!). It is amazing that the house is beginning to be a bit more wrapped up than ever…with projects finshing, the exterior touched in every spot…without any reference to the slummy aspects of the house. The new projects are moving the needle significantly—but in the tuning of the life in this historical house versus function or no function. More later. I leave youwith pattern!

 

 

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.

IF: Resolutions

The Cholmondeley Ladies ( cats), Q. Cassetti, 2010, sharpies, the second sketchbook projectI am resolved to be true to myself. Whatever I see in the mirror, the reflection in a dark window, the glance in a glass, is true and something I should be happy with. I will embrace my wicked side along with the one that suffers to be good. There is something in parallels that disturb and challenge. This is my resolution, to better understand that paradigm.

Looking over the horizon

More from the Madhubani women artistsIsn’t this the nuts? I mooshed three illustations together just to get it to you. I am dying…this is line times a zillion. What white space? Noodlers unite!

Today is the last day in the office this week, I hope. Rob moved my office yesterday to the old princess bedroom in the wing over the kitchen. It is a quiet haven overlooking the backyard. So I am sitting here with the light streaming in the windows. I have a view of the snow  out back—all golden, purple and blue. It is great not being perched by the front door where the dog yaps yips and barks…constantly jumping up to to the fed ex guy, and all the antics at the door while trying to continue to work. New year, new office and maybe new name (not legal name/ but working name). The new gallery needs to be named too. So they might be linked, or might be more related to the geographic/location.

I made a few quiches last night along with trying out another King Arthur recipe (their Cream Cheese Pound Cake that I “added in” coconut) which used up more stuff from the fridge. The teen eaters devour this stuff (the chocolate cake from Thanksgiving was 90% devoured by the end of day Sunday. Whoa. So, the flour is flowing.

Saturday, we take Kitty back to her other family at Hampshire…healthy, bouncing and well shod (I gave her two pairs of shoes for Xmas)…along with skiis, presents, coats etc. We need to get new phones before too. My old phone spun out with a new iteration of iTunes and couldnt reboot. Sunday we come back. Not much lazing around the woodfired stove for us.

Musical Cows

Cowherd, Painting from the Madhubani region of IndiaNow, who could resist this? right? Our old pal Shiva with his cows, by the river with an audience of attentive fish. The tree is magnificent. The Shakers WISHED they drew this tree. And all the patterning?! Don’t you love the cows laying down? I do…with their funny legs bent and their sweet demeanor as they take in the charming flute music presented to them. We saw some pretty divine Highland Cows on the way from Mecklenburg to Odessa this morning in the bright sun, blue shadows and their golden coats shining off the snow. The drive was noteworthy for the winter color—and the brilliant sky we have not seen in a week or so (and its back to grey now). But exciting as I went to pick up the check and paperwork to get my new wheels this p.m.

Peter D. stopped by yesterday to visit which was great. We had a nice dinner with tutti Cassetti and a little quieter time later. I have been churning away on thumbnails for the Hangar (no live work until direction is approved). I am using my iPad to do the basic sketching even before I get to the tracing paper. Do not forget the power of tracing paper. It is remarkable think paper and really can get you methodically finishing ideas and moving to another in quite a chop chop way. This is real illustration. Not the musing and blah blah fantasy talk I am engaged in, but the real—put down an idea and refine the crap out of it…and move on to the next. So, good to work on this skill too.

Gotta go. Rob awaits me for something.

Day after Advent 2: What a wonderful world

Madhubani Painting by Bharti DayalSo, Today is our thirtieth wedding anniversary. We are having FB requests to post a few pics which I might do just for fun…I am thrilled to be housebound with snow and cold and noplace to go so I can jump on the work for the Hangar. Got a bunch of stuff to close on the car…and move forward.

I got a curious email from an Indian fashion designer and fine artist  who saw my work (on LinkedIn via the Behance Portfolios I have streamed there). Lesson here is, whenever you can have twitter feeds or rss feeds do the heavy lifting to get your work sent to different networking sites, do it. You never know who will see this work. She said that my work reminded her of Madhubani art (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mithila_Painting). And so, I took a look!. Love this stuff! Wiki tells us that this painting technique was practiced by women and passed down to each generation from woman to woman. Wiki also says:

“Madhubani paintings mostly depict nature and Hindu religious motifs, and the themes generally revolve around Hindu deities like Krishna, Ram, Shiva, Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati. Natural objects like the sun, the moon, and religious plants like tulsi are also widely painted, along with scenes from the royal court and social events like weddings. Generally no space is left empty; the gaps are filled by paintings of flowers, animals, birds, and even geometric designs. Objects depicted in the walls of kohabar ghar (where newly wed couple see each other in the first night) are symbols of sexual pleasure and procreation.”

No room to move, eh? I can do that.

Look at this jewel:

or t his one with the flower faces, the baby elephant and the sky fishes?

There is much much more. Just when things started to slow down…a little internet shove ! Cheers

Day after Advent #1: Phew.

Swanheart, Q. Cassetti, 2010, sharpie, from the second sketch book project

Phew! Another year done! Wrapping and boxing, list making and shopping, cooking and sorting. All done. Phew.

The amazing “feast in a box” (icebox) is the total way to go. I had the stock, gravy, stuffing mix (not the cornbread part), the cake layers, the bread all done. Turkey went in around 9 a.m. I iced the cake, tossed the stuffing and threw a salad and a veggie together so the holiday went without a hitch and the nightmare of carving and creating a mediocre gravy didn’t happen. Yay for me! Yay for kitchen schmarts. Yay for a freezer (if you dont have one, get one..but be clever about how you use it). A freezer is a not forever thing, but a hold until next week, next month thing. And you can have plates and plates of different food that you made yourself (just not concurrently). So, dinner went without a hitch. The glorious pure turkey (freerange, no antibiotics, organobird) did all the things it did to my delight at Thanksgiving. All the food happened at one time as was hot. And, we seated everyone for dinner around 4:45 p.m. to make it an early evening for all of us. It was a nice party. Quiet, but nice.

Then, after the dishes were swept away, I got right into the great boneyard roasting with leeks and onions, celery and onions (with the skins). So, this morning that whole pile of vegetables and brownness got popped into the cauldron on top of the stove to cook away all day into the next round of turkey stock. I just need to click into processing the rest of the food (soups, stews, pies) so we have a weeks worth of dinners on hand (a real vacation). Kitty is ice skating with her friends on their pond. Alex is off making music or trouble with his new friends….

I need to download “Pencil” as my Christmas present from Kitty was a tutorial in this software to make simple little animations. I had a beginner this afternoon around lunchtime, so I need to show good faith and give it a try before she gets home. I recieved some great books on soupmaking and breadmaking, a piece of glass enamelled by Emilio Santini’s wife (a spur by my hubby to get to enameling on glass), some cocktail napkins with my name on them(!), and books on illustrative topics. It was a good Christmas. Not over the top or anything. Pretty simple, but satisfying to all, I hope.

Interior of the Shadyside Presbyterian Church, Pittsburgh, PA froToday I can also be retrospective. Tomorrow, December 27, Rob and I celebrate our 30th anniversary! Who would have guessed! In my case, I am proud of this accomplishment and cannot imagine having a better partnership with anyone other than his wonderful man. We have grown up together. We have gone over quite a few speed bumps in our journey, but bounced along problem solving and pushing each other to be the best we have the ability to be. These are things that when standing in the gold tessellated nave of my church, I could not have imagined…I just knew this was right and good and it has been. Marriage is a toss up, and really for me, it is a test of faith in that gut knowledge that the journey will be enriched and bettered by the other person on the trail with you. It is faith in yourself, your partner and trust that you will continue to have faith, trust and abide by the contract that marriage puts on your relationship. For me, the contract is the piece many do not value. If the contract is broken (the stuff about love and obey, as translated by the partners..)then the whole of the marriage cannot survive completely. Also, I believe that this contract is truly between the partners and the Greater One and if broken, then difficult to get back to a place of trust, of faith, of love. I have been blessed by so much and one of the greatest is my marriage to Rob.

On that note, I am sounding a bit preachy and I apologize. I need to go and get the pencil..and make some lines wiggle for Kitty. More later>>

Advent Calendar Day 25: The Radiant Baby

Double Radlance, Q. Cassetti, 2010, sharpies from t he Second Advent Calendar ProjectMerry Christmas to everyone.

I have been thinking about Christmas, the things that symbolize it and trigger that Christmassy thing from mulled cider and spices, to soaring accapella voices to the smell of pine and the quiet of the snow. But to me as a mother, I reflect on these carols with lyrics that include “Oh Come Let Us Adore Him” and I think about Mary.

Mary.

Poor girl. Pregnant, married to some older dude foisted on her due to her condition which was very mythological as she concieved as a virgin (Think streams of gold coming down from the heavens as the Sienese painters portray it). There she was, stuck with a husband she had to deal with, the uncomfortable ride and walk to do something for the government (taxes and census stuff, but in today’s parlance, it could be a DMV violation for having a headlamp out), a big drag for someone who was pregnant without wanting to be so. Sure, the angel visited and brought her a lily, and announced in scroll talk that she was going to bear a child, a son etc…a heavenly trip to the OB/GYN without the blood tests…and I am soooo sure she was comforted by that unnatural occurance. It is scary enough to be pregnant and not fully knowing what the end game with the birth might be, but alone in foreign country with an old coot as a husband and no one else to help should she need it. Terrifying might capture the tone. Did the angelic host help with the birth? No. They were busy helping the shepherds and the kings to follow the star…So, friendless and sheltered in a barn, Mary bore her son. I am sure it was not simple, it hurt and she was pretty much on her own. We forget the toil to have this baby. We forget her youth i and inexperience to have this child. Forget the god stuff. Her son.

Mary wasn’t thinking of people who “come let us adore him”—but of the tender bud, the little child, that radiant baby that was the beginning of her new life as a mother and a wife to Joseph.  She was exhausted, but pleased that she could finally breathe again and sleep in a way that was not gymnastics in order to get comfortable. With the singing angels, yes, the religion teaches us its about the promise of Jesus…his birth to then live, die and promise us rebirth in heaven. But to me, its about a mom…learning to be a mom, to help her son be the man he is going to be—teaching him right from wrong, providing food and learning his favorites. Its the shepherding of this new family that gave this son the confidence and support that he could grow up to be the person he was predestined to be.

So the promise in what Jesus represents, this small newborn that is supposed to do big things….the promise in this day is also that we can be supporting roles in our own children’s lives. Shaping them to do great things…maybe not Messianic things, but important regular things just like Mary and Joseph. And we can remember their births, their birthdays as milestones around which a family has grown and been built.

Happy day. Happy Birthday.