Paint

If it takes 10,000 hours of practice to be considered an artist I have a hellova long way to go. I probably have a total of 100 hours having only been painting over the last eight months, still without any formal training I feel I have made some progress. My aim is not to be world renouned (but it would be nice), I simply want to be the best I can be.

Rain & Jazz

It's been raining here on the Wet Coast for what seems like weeks with the very odd day of sunshine. I love,love,love rain. It's soothing and contemplative like a good piece of jazz music. If there is the perfect rainy day jazz piece this would be it.

Cake

I am not a big fan of chocolate, never have been, but every once in a while I come across something chocolately that blows my socks off. This chocolate cake recipe does the trick. It's stupid easy, fast and deliciously moist like cake should be. I make mine in a bundt pan just because and I actually prefer it frosting free, the rest of the household goes for the thick gooey icing. You be the judge.
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3/4 cup butter or margarine
2 cups sugar
1-1/2 cups boiling water
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add boiling water. Stir until the butter and sugar are dissolved.

Sift the dry ingredients into the butter, sugar, and water mixture. Mix well. Add eggs and vanilla extract. Mix.

Pour into a greased and floured 9-by-13-inch pan. Bake about 35 to 40 minutes, or until cake tests done. Cool on a rack before frosting.

Vanilla Butter Cream Icing

1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
1-1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 to 4 tablespoons milk

Cream butter and add confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract. Mix in 2 tablespoons of the milk, adding the rest 1 teaspoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached. If you add too much milk, just add more confectioners’ sugar until you get the right consistency.

Friday's book

"Write what disturbs you, what you fear, what you have not been willing to speak about. Be willing to be split open."

Great advice and my favourite quote from Natalie Goldberg's 'Writing Down the Bones'. My suggested reading of the day. http://www.nataliegoldberg.com/

Where is the slick solution?

The cataclysmic Gulf oil spill is surely a sign of our dysfunctional times. In a matter of days, men went to the moon and saved the Apollo 13 crew from going into orbit around the sun. The Hubble camera brings us beautiful insights into the mysteries of deep space. In the Afghan war, drone aircraft, piloted from thousands of miles away, attack 'terrorist enemies'.
Yet, after 40 days of trial and error they cannot plug an oil leak that now threatens to contaminate beaches and wetlands thousands of miles away.

I'm late, I'm late

I can't believe it's been nearly two years since I've posted to my blog! I had every intention of filling up pages with photos of kittens, sunsets and close-ups of babies, however I appear to have been distracted. No need to bore anyone with details, stuff happens when...oh look...kittens.

The lovely photo is by the wonderfully talented Maggie Taylor, whose art takes me behind the looking glass. (http://www.maggietaylor.com/)

Back to school

the hum of the XBox has stopped
the last blue ring of kool aid stain fades from the kitchen counter
blades of grass swept from the floor
tired marbles now rest

lunch is made
instructions for safety and good manners
reminders to absorb it all
a kiss,a lingering hug

one more cup of coffee
laundry
making up the bed
a child's warmth still remains