things in rows

SHOES

This was one of the pieces of art at the exhibit I went to on Saturday afternoon. A whole wall (well,not a WHOLE wall - but a good part of one) was taken up with these shoes. CERAMIC shoes. Truly amazing and all identical pairs. My friend Ritika used to do ceramics and was trying to figure out how they were made. A mold, but then what? There is something very zen about this -- and it made me think of the exhibit of shoes I once saw in Lowell at the Boot Mill, years ago. Anyway - I love the orderliness of this artwork - probably because my life feels a little chaotic these days.

COOKIES

I baked tonight after dinner. Cookie Crescents. My rows of cooling cookies aren't as exact as the shoes above but then, you wouldn't expect them to be, would you? This is another way to bring calm and peace to my world: baking. And these are so simple and so delicious that I have to give you the recipe. (see below)

Cookie Crescents (this recipe made 58 cookies - what kind of a number is THAT? I probably ate two cookies' worth of dough while I was making the crescents)

Into the food processor, throw the following ingredients and mix till dough just holds together.

3/4 cup butter (cut into pieces) 1/2 cup cornstarch 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar 1 cup flour (I used white whole wheat just to make myself feel virtuous and I always throw in a drop or two of vanilla - you can't go wrong with vanilla) Form the dough into little crescents and bake at 325 for about 15 min or till slightly brown around the edges. ( You can roll them in confectioner's sugar while they are still warm but I prefer them without it). That's it! They are easy and addictive.

WINDOWS

This is one piece I am sorry I cut up. I thought it would be too dreary and boring as a whole cloth piece, but I think I was wrong. I never really did anything with the individual pieces and now they are scattered. Gelatin print demo piece from a workshop, maybe 5 years ago.

COFFEE CUPS

1993 - you know the story. I quit/was fired from/ the job from hell. The first thing I did was make this quilt, which I drafted myself. Order in another time of chaos. It hangs in the guest bedroom and I think it is still my favorite of everything I have ever made. Isn't that odd? It makes me feel calm every time I look at it. And they are definitely coffee cups, not tea cups. That was the next version. So with all this talk of cookies and tea, it is time to sample the goods (Marty already ate 3 of them hot out of the oven) and check my Entourage email. If you have sent me a personal message in the last few days, please send it again. When the genius reformatted my drive yesterday, I lost yet more e-mails...and if I haven't answered you it's because I didn't receive it. Off to make a cuppa. P.S. - I have also lost all my zillions of e-mail addresses. If you leave a comment and I can't click the link to your e-mail, please send it to me off list.