A real treat for Frida Kahlo and Barbara Kingsolver fans..... coming November 3rd!

A wonderful novelist tells the story of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera from a different viewpoint.I can't wait!

"The very least you can do in your life is to figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope." -Barbara Kingsolver

Baking (and raking) on Sunday, again!


Above, the baked crumb crust and the fruits for the pie. Below, the finished pie!

~~~~~~~~~The recipe I used~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pear Cranberry Yogurt Pie
1 baked pie shell*
2 eggs
1/2 c. granulated sugar
3 T all Purpose Flour
12 oz Plain Yogurt
1 tsp of Vanilla Extract
Ripe Pears and Cranberries




Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place sheet pan in oven. Place eggs and sugar into a bowl and whisk together. Add flour and mix with whisk until smooth. Mix in yogurt until smooth. Pour into pre-baked, cooled pie shell approximately 3/4 to the top. Add thinly sliced, peeled and ripe pears neatly and decoratively on the top. Add cranberries on top. Place in oven for 35-40 minutes or until it is fully baked. It will puff up and there will be no jiggle. Refrigerate over night and serve.
* Toasted Almond Crust
1 1/4 c. flour
1/2 c. butter, softened
1/4 c. almonds, toasted and finely chopped
3 T. sugar
1/4 t. salt
Mix well with hands until pliable. Press into bottom and sides of pie plate. Make the top edge as attractive as you can, and bake at 400 degrees 10-12 min. or until golden. Cool completely.

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This recipe was from Claire Murray's newsletter in September. It was impossible to find fresh cranberries here at that time. I found them yesterday. Of course, they add a pretty red touch to the pie, but I wonder if they will be TOO TART!...(groan about the pun...) We have yet to taste the pie which is still cooling. I did glaze it with a little apricot (apple jelly would work too) jam after taking it from the oven. [NOTE: (later) this was delicious! The cranberries were fine, and one could even use a little less sugar. It would still be good!]

It is a cloudy, cool day with light rain from time to time. I will be out raking leaves today (wearing those new boots) to work up an appetite for the pie.

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Mr. Pear is very mobile for having had knee surgery less than a week ago. He is doing great (unless he is supposed to be taking it easy....), he keeps showing off by walking around without the walker or crutches. Of course the pain medicine probably makes him feel invincible!

He walked out to our mailbox, using crutches, yesterday.

Art journal page for today......"He's Home!"

Doing very well. Thank-you for all your thoughts and encouragement!

We have the walker (and crutches), the pain medicine, the old movies to help pass the time, the computer to share and lots of time to play Scrabble with my mom. I have a job nearby so I can manage to work and still get home quickly if I am needed.

Many Blessings!

I have a couple of days off...maybe this whole week....I am finding more time to be on-line.
Today, I found this tutorial for making BOO banners. Of course, that meant that I have made two trips to Hobby Lobby for supplies (the hospital is very close to Hobby Lobby). Mom and I have had a successful time making these!

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Mr. Pear update....

My darling (sometimes) husband does not like being called "Mr. Pear". However, I can't resist because it makes writing a post so easy....easier than saying "DH" or "STEVE" or "my husband"......so, with him very much on my mind, as he is still in hospital with the total knee replacement surgery now 36 hours behind him, I wanted to write about it...

Then, I had a sudden urge to "Google" "mr. pear" and then hit "images".

Several VERY UNUSUAL photos came up....a guy with a pear tattoo on top of his shaved head, another guy with a pear-shaped face painted pear green. But the BEST ONE is the debonair pear on the INDIGO BLUE label....with his top hat and cane. AND note the smile and glasses...... *

This photo from my birthday evening shows Mr. Pear in fine form, clowning with the red reading glasses from my friend Lizzzie! I ask you, is he or is he not "Mr. Pear"???????

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In a more serious vein, please remember Steve in your prayers. This is a very painful operation, and he has a couple of hard weeks ahead before the wonderful benefits of the new knee are evident!

* old orange crate artwork by Richard Ankrom

About 4:30 this morning, I pulled on those new boots and drove Steve/Mr. Pear to our local hospital so he could be checked in for scheduled surgery.

He had a total knee replacement and seems to be doing very well. The hospital will be his home for the next 3 days...I will be there a lot and on call of course! They have him using a machine which gently flexes the knee. We have several weeks of recuperation and time off from work for him. [3 months off] Once he is up and around, we will travel to see family!

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When I came home this afternoon, the autumn sun was making the yellow maple leaves so brilliant and they just happened to be behind a pot of purple (red-violet) Tradescantia zebrina which is the complement of the yellow. The sun was also coming through the Tradscantia leaves! Wow! It was worth a quick sketch for my journal!

I always go a little bit crazy around my birthday, feeling like I need to buy something to celebrate, SO, it didn't help me to "resist" when my daughter sent me on a quest to help her find some boots. To make a long story shorter, I hunted for hers with no luck, in the mean time, she located some. So I could put them out of my mind.....yes????

Today, I was making a quick run to the mall for a charitable donation and passed the shoe/boot section in Penneys.

There they were, the only size left being MY size and ON SALE. So I quickly became my favorite charity and added the boots to the items I was getting for the donation. [BUT I AM KEEPING THESE!]

How should these comfortable boots be worn??? With skinny jeans, or skirts.....for more great looks, check this post.

It also occurs to me that the boots could be featured in a still life with some chrysanthemums and autumn items.

The end of a perfect birthday.....

Thanks to all of you who shared this day with me, through cards, e-cards, best wishes and even dropping by in the last day or so. This card shows peaceful slumber with fairies bringing sweet dreams. I can hardly wait to fall into my cozy bed, sleep for hours, and then get up tomorrow....as Emily Dickinson wrote, "Not knowing when the dawn will come, I open every door*" [..just not too early please!]

The illustration is by artist Cicely Mary Barker and was sent to me by my friend Cheryl.

Not knowing when the Dawn will come,I open every Door,

Or has it Feathers, like a Bird,

Or Billows, like a Shore — Emily Dickinson

~~~~~~~~~~~~~Still learning new things~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I love reading a quiet novel which may be full of extra tid-bits of information from the real world in which the novel is set. The latest one which I am reading is "The Lost Art of Gratitude" by Alexander McCall Smith.
In it there is a reference to Scottish artist Anne Redpath (1895-1965). I had not heard of her before... Wow! Do I love her work! So much red, pink and lots of gray (it rains a lot in Scotland!)
Enjoy! [Images from the Internet]



(above---she did travel and live in continental Europe too...this window seems to look out on the Mediterranean coast)

I can definitely say that reading (which two of the subjects are doing!) may seem like a very passive activity but it continues to broaden and deepen my world!

I requested 5 more words..... these are from Gemma. They are,"Venus, luminous, moonlit, pearl, fawn". As it is that spooky, frightful, scary time of year, I thought this was perfect *---

"Like Venus, she emerges from the luminous, moonlit mist.
The Moon is a pearl at her throat.
She is an October fawn."
[art print by artist
David Stoupakis]

* Autumn can mean it's time for a macabre costume as well as homey and delicious like pumpkin bread!

If you would like 5 words, just leave a comment and request your 5!

AUTUMN QUEST......THE ALMOST "STARBUCKS" PUMPKIN LOAF RECIPE

Yesterday, I brought home a slice of this autumn treat from our local Starbucks to share with Steve. The slices are quite large and I had read that the calorie count is over 400, so sharing was perfect! There has been a lot of on-line discussion about trying to find the recipe. [My friend Gayle got me started on this by sending me the original "top secret recipes" version. It had no spices, so we knew we had to keep searching. ] The Starbucks loaf is topped with chopped pumpkin seeds.

I have a can of pumpkin, should I bake this morning???? (one can of pumpkin should make a double recipe....) [in the photo, the "real thing" from an Internet photo.]

I found this recipe in a comment at the Wooden Spoon blog..

Connie aka The Goddess (CrimsonDove) said...
Starbucks Pumpkin Bread

1 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground clove
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
¼ cup dark brown sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
¾ cup canned pumpkin
¾ cup vegetable oil (I used canola)
¼ cup pumpkin seeds, chopped

[NOTE: one could substitute 13/4 t. pumpkin pie spice for all the spices]

Preheat oven to 350F.Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and 
salt, set aside. Beat eggs, sugars, and vanilla in large bowl on high speed for about 30 seconds. Add dry ingredients and mix. Add pumpkin and oil, mix. Pour batter into a greased loaf pan. Bake approximately 70 min. or until the top of the bread begins to brown. When the bread is cool, slice into approximately 1 inch slices. Serves 8.

Here is my pumpkin loaf. I think it was a great success. I DID have to bake it about 90 minutes to have it done in the middle!

My 5 words [from beautiful creative Carmen] are family, visual, flowers, watercolors, indigo. I am using art which relates to each word.

You can click on the photos to see more detail!
family (a page by my granddaughter, Lilia!)

visual (a page with beautiful Madison Ave. photography)

flowers (a painting of summer flowers by ME!)

watercolor (also by ME!)

indigo (love those blues!)

If you would like to have 5 words to write about or do art about, just leave a request in the comments and I will send you 5 special words!

This Saturday October 3rd (tomorrow!) I will be participating in a blogging studio tour to celebrate this publication!

Some of you may not know that I have other blogs for my various creative outlets. The tour will be here! I hope you will come by and see the studio! [and my other blogs!]
Meanwhile, I will be working today and tomorrow. Looking forward to more creative time on Sunday!

Baking on a Sunday...

This is an art journal page about comfort food. I often end up baking something on Sunday afternoon. It is one day when I have several hours at home.

This past Sunday, I was looking through a art project from my childhood. It was a collection of mimeographed recipes we had made as a third grade class in order to give our moms a cookbook for Christmas. [by the way Mom, I have that cookbook here!] among the recipes was this easy recipe for a cherry cake, AND I just happened to have a can of cherries sitting on my counter!

It was obviously meant to be that I should try this one! [It is rather like a cherry clafouti, just simple and wonderful!]

If you move your cursor and click, the photo of the page will enlarge and you can read the recipe. [You will also see that turning to baking for comfort food is BIG with me! My current stress??? We have been short-handed at work, but as of yesterday (Monday) we have someone else to help us, so I can relax!]

NOTE: I used only 3/4 c sugar and it was plenty. Be sure to add natural almond flavoring if you have some, almond flavor compliments the cherry flavor so well!

I finally have a copy [from the reserve system at our library] of this book, The Forgotten Garden, by Kate Morton. It is very enjoyable! I've read for hours this weekend and am saving Part Three for the next few days. The mystery is unfolding!



First Sunday in autumn, garden update.

Still lots of green tomatoes, I hope some of them will ripen now that we are having some sunny days!

A bloom and a baby cucumber. I don't know if this one will mature, but maybe.

This is my resident garden assistant. He is helping me figure out were the sunniest location is for next spring's "Lasagna Garden".

Today I harvested what basil I could, leaving the plants still growing and hoping for more in a week or ten days.

It is time to make Ina Garten's pesto ! I freeze it in ice cube trays, then in freezer bags and have pesto for cooking all winter!

A good friend, of many years, had a birthday this week. I had made this little English cottage quilt block with her in mind several years ago. It has now become one side of a tea cozy for her.

The other side has a little Kate Greenaway girl embroidered on it. I think it came together very nicely. Now for that pot of tea!

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I am working on some watercolors of pears and peaches...they are so gorgeous I have to paint them before I can eat them! Also copying some Mary Oliver poetry in long hand to use as collage backgrounds.

Our garden has lots of green tomatoes. I harvested a cucumber and large beefsteak tomato this week. I have planted some beets...a few only came up...and some turnips...lots of those came up. We will see if they produce any wonderful beets and turnips for me to watercolor! [There is always the farmer's market here!]

This is my day off, I really feel like hibernating with this cool cloudy fall weather we are having.

Perhaps just read a book, or do a collage, or cook something to go with the tea!

Better than armchair travel!!!!

A fabulous new travel business opened on the internet today! Our daughter, Laura, just launched TRIP CRAVE! Laura has years of experience with an internet site selling travel to the Caribbean. [ http://www.caribbeanjourney.com/ AND http://www.villacollections.com/, see my family links on the side]

I hope you will visit and bookmark this new site which will bring you wonderful travel ideas at great prices!!

Something new to practice....

Marilyn knits by "throwing". This is how I learned and have been knitting.

Anna-Liza knits by "picking", this is what I am practicing.

I really enjoy knitting and handwork. I have "produced" so many items because it is so much fun! Now, instead of making something, I am allowing myself just to practice. I want to learn to be a "picker" as well as a "thrower". After doing English knitting (throwing) for many years, I want to learn continental knitting (picking)...(it is faster and easier, uses different finger muscles so hands are less tired!)

I had assumed that I "was what I was", ( a thrower) until I read this post from Knitting Daily.

It is very peaceful just to sit and practice this technique while watching public television series or DVD's from the library. Whether I produce any knitted items or not, I am enjoying this. I think it IS rather like yoga, especially when the pressure to make something fabulous has been removed.[Variegated yarn in "Rose Bouquet" from Patons Decor, wool and acrylic blend.]

Getting practical this week....I found a great bargain!

If you love Kashi cereals and grains, go to www.kashi.com and JOIN! You can then print out great coupons for their products!

This week, thru Saturday, Walgreens is offering boxes of Kashi cereal 2/$5.00. With the coupons good for $1.50 off/ box from the Kashi website, I ended up paying $1.00/box! Now that was fun!

Somedays at work things are fun!

We have used machines here which are sometimes ready to sell. Here is a rare Singer model 337. These were made in 1963 to 1964 in Scotland. They are all medal except for the tension dial which is plastic. But the most wonderful thing about this is its color!!!! Aqua, turquoise....just wonderful!

So today, I tested and demonstrated that this machine does still sew well.
I could take it home....but I already have 4 machines...so restraint is called for.
We will find a good home for it!

Lasting images of summer.....

My grandson enjoying perhaps his first corn on the cob! [I'm not the only "foodie" in this family!]

August day in front of the Plaza. [I wasn't on the trip, but love the photos!]

My grandchildren snuggling on a colorful sofa with Manhattan in the background! [To me this is almost like a collage, the many shapes, colors and elements crowded together, making it a challenge to find their faces. The warm sunny tones in the foreground contrast with the cool blue grays of the skyscrapers outside the window with its strong vertical black bar elements.

I love this photo! Great job, Laura!]
note: click on photo for closer view!

Riding around in the city, my daughter and grandson. Hugs to you both!

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NOTE: Just posted today's collage!