Mary Elizabeth Kimbrough Painting A Day

Dancing in Mobile

2012-01-25T14:00:00.000-08:00

Went to the first Mardi Gras event of the season last Friday night. This is a ladies' organization, old school, small, and held at the Mobile Country Club. Going to a little dance is much nicer for me than going to a huge "hall ball," the gargantuan events held at the Civic Center closet to Fat Tuesday. Nowadays I prefer a dance where I know most everybody, and it is easy to get in and out, food and drink are easily accessible, and generally one does not have to exert much effort!

The week had been tiring, but I was energized by my new red ball gown, and the prospect of seeing so many folks. It was balmy out, foggy, warmish, not one bit wintry...which is good for me. The crowd was small although quite familiar. These events are orchestrated to be the same year after year, and I suppose that is one of the attractions, the unchanging nature of old time Mardi Gras. I had a grand time seeing Corinna, Tunia, Lucy, and Charlotte, all friends I have not seen in a long time. The Stephenson sisters were there, and we always have a good time. My hostess was flitting around as usual, and I loved seeing her and her boyfriend. The leading lady was the lovely Melissa M, who had a fantastic kimono like dress on. My handsome god son was there, escorting his cute and clever debutante, and seeing them out on the town (again!) was nice. All the debs were looking so pretty with their handsome escorts, it took me back to the days when I took every Mardi Gras invite that came my way. Back then I went out every night and did not skimp on the liquor! Yikes that would kill me now...Anyhow the season is here, and I love being included, being a participant to the frivolity that is Carnival!! XOXO, MEK

High Livin in January

2012-01-21T19:29:00.000-08:00

I was out every night this week...and the days were full, too. On Tuesday night, I was driven to drink! Why? I lost the 5 tickets I had purchased for Dance Theater of Harlem. 3 friends, my mama, and I had planned to meet up at Fuji San, have a quick bite, and see the show. Jami Buck took that photo of me, which by the way I love, while I was wondering what to do. Now here is where it gets good: I figured out a way to solve the problem, although it was a gamble. It turns out that it really helps to know the right people, and on this night the right person was Wayne McNeil, who is not only a magnificent artist, and the education director at Space 301, but also incredibly kind, and helpful. He saved me/us.

As I took my very special seat at the Saenger, I felt the tension melt away in anticipation of the performance. "I am ready for some art to wash over me," I told my companion. My high school pal, Amy Rogers Pelton, dance teacher at Georgia College, had advised me not to miss this show, and I have to give her props. The show was amazing in every way....wonderful music, wonderful dancers, audience participation, an enthusiastic audience at that, visual stimulation, well it was the whole package. I saw quite a few friends from work, and some of the usual suspects that I see at art events, but the place should have sold out! This was electrifying and inspiring. We have Mobile Ballet here, so where were those people? This was first rate talent and it went unseen by the local dance community. Personally I felt lucky, blessed or whatever you want to call it, getting to see this terrific group. Made me want to whoop and holler, leap and kick, dance! Do not miss this if it comes to your community....and I want to thank the folks at the Centre For The Living Arts for bringing it here...bravo to all involved...and to Wayne! XOXO, MEK.
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Art at SHC, and Even MORE

2012-01-13T19:52:00.000-08:00

Last night my class at Spring Hill College met for the first time, and that coincided with the opening at the Eichold gallery on campus. The work is small in scale, whimsical, with a touch of the precious, a great attention to craft, and a nod to the 19th century. Titled "Penny Arcades," it is collaborative work of Christopher Deris and Karoline Schleh, both New Orleans based artists who teach at Loyola.

The wooden structures were made by Deris, while most of the imagery is the work of Schleh. Collaboration is great fun since artists tend to work alone. The fact that one is not responsible for the whole work, creates a freedom that may not be available when working alone. The spirit of play, often emphasized as a key ingredient for successful art making, is present in this work. I did feel that there was a bit of a division between the highly crafted objects (all wooden), all of which moved. and the imagery, which seems in opposition to the almost mathematical constructions. The fascination with a primitive sort of mechanization seemed present, while the imagery came off as a bit of a second thought. I spoke at length with Christopher Deris, a native of Slidell, La, about his work, and that was a great conversation. My interest lay in how he shows and markets this sort of work. Go and see this show because you will not see anything else like it any time soon. It is nice to go to the openings at SHC because the space is intimate.

Those tree structures up there, they move, and they were my favorite pieces in the show. Alas they were not part of the collaboration, but the work of Deris, alone. They were charming, kind of creepy, too, and they made the most marvelous shadows!!

In unrelated news my trivia team is on a roll. We have a new team mate who seems to be bringing us luck....and shocking I know, I skipped Artwalk tonight. I am so not a wintertime gal, and I just wanted to snuggle in at home and relax. I made my favorite comfort dinner, pot roast, and watched "Blue Valentine." When it came out I intended to see it but never got the chance. I had read about it so it was on tv and I bit. A couple of things came to mind, one that Michelle Williams is good but actually her complete lack of actressy vanity is what makes her good, and two do people really live like that? Oh this movie is a big downer, about a romance that cannot go the distance. The characters have the emptiest of lives, seem to have no interests, or passions, they exist so pitifully that I thought who could love either of them? The film wants to ask about the lasting ability of love and or romance, but the question is moot. It is sad and a bit of a downer.

Tomorrow I hope to get out and see Charles Smith's show at the Host Gallery, as well as a photography show. I still have a mini show up at Artology, until the end of the month. Be happy! XOXO, MEK.

High Livin in 2012

2012-01-03T19:33:00.000-08:00

I like to use the phrase high livin to express my own "lifestyle." That sounds so pretentious and silly but there it is. I cannot find a better way to describe the way I exist. Each year for about the past 6 years my devotion to high livin has grown, in part because I came to realize that many things I had previously believed in, turned out to be empty facades. More and more I want to wrench the best I can out of each day, and, when my co worker told me that her grandfather died from "high livin," I took the phrase and ran with it.

Now high livin is not drinking and partying per se, although celebration is surely a big part of it. High livin represents living a full, vivid, and vibrant life, one that is brimming with enjoyment, curiosity, and wonder. And obviously, this is different for each person. My own passions are well known to you, as I mention them here often. In graduate school I came across a Sunday School book at a thrift store (my friend and I used to go there and "volunteer" so that we could get good stuff) titled "The More Abundant Life." This Christian theme is something that all humans can relate to, since, every religion emphasizes a richer and more rewarding life when whatever religion they are selling is utilized. As I am a self professed, baptized, church going, believing "cradle Methodist," I see this theme through the lens of my protestant faith. You can live more abundantly, in my opinion, with other religions as well, but this just happens to be mine. There is my favorite sort of Jesus, what I call Sunday School Jesus, representing the more abundant life, living in peace with all of God's creations, and with a rainbow to boot! How happy I felt as a child, knowing that Sunday School Jesus was watching over me. Even then I pursued high livin, although I did not know why or what Jesus had to do with it. I just liked it!

During the holidays I was reminded of my early years learning the high livin ways from my grandfather, Wallace Lindsey. As a young man my grandfather lived in New Orleans, and he talked about those years often (to say the least as he loved to wax on about his youth but I digress...). I went to New Orleans enough times with him to get an idea of what he was talking about. So over the holidays I went to NOLA with my relatives to celebrate a couple of birthdays. We dined at Galatoire's, the venerable old New Orleans restaurant, still wonderful after all these years. It is a special place to go, with fabulous classic food, and a tremendous atmosphere, one that lends itself well to celebrations. My group was full of the excitement of the occasion, and the thrill of being at Galatoire's. I had a flashback to being with Wallace, and how different it was, because for him, Galatoire's was just how you ate if you were in NO. It was swell and all but you did not make all over it. It was right, and that was all. That was an early lesson in high livin.

Now there is Buddha, smiling beatifically, because he knows what high livin is, just like Jesus. He knows about that right path, and that the cause of suffering is desire. I am going to put Robinson Crusoe in it here so concentrate....Robinson C states early and often what he thinks is important, having enough but not too much, and knowing the value of things is not in money when you are on a remote island. So today I am telling you that my idea of high livin is not about material things, although it is really nice to be able to go to Galatoire's, so some money is required. But if you can find a way to embrace every day with the open eyes of a child who knows that Sunday School Jesus, in his sandals and maybe carrying a lamb, has got your back, you are well on your way to a "more abundant life" or just plain high livin..............and this takes work, y'all, because meanness, pettiness, evil, jealousy, anger, sloth, um gluttony and all the other deadly sins can keep you off the path of high livin. So resist and have a happy year! XOXO, MEK.

A Few Thoughts on New Years Day

2012-01-01T21:22:00.000-08:00

Just before Christmas, I read that this essay, had won an award. As it was written by one of my very favorite authors, Jonathan Franzen, I looked it up, and, despite being in the throes of Christmas baking, cleaning, wrapping, etc..., and read all 12 pages of it. The essay combines all of the things I love about writing, that is it reaches into the past, and connects that past to contemporary life. It touches on all kinds of topics including depression, friendship, alone-ness, writing, birding, and travel. Wow I was bowled over, and quickly was lost in the romance of the first novel ever written.

Naturally the first book I downloaded onto my new Kindle was Robinson Crusoe. Currently I am enjoying the adventures of Robinson and his flock, plus the parrot, and his man Friday. This story is especially satisfying for the beginning of 2012, because it is about a man who had to make a new life, out of very little. There are many references to the uselessness of cash, because the only tender worth anything on the island is something practical, edible, or useful. This is repeated in earlier sections of the text, when Robinson is reminded by his father of the problems of having more than one needs. So RC occupies my mind just now.............

Meanwhile I was treated to =two wonderful New Year's eve parties over at my friend's houses last night. Both gatherings featured a variety of guests, all ages, and even some dogs, food and drink, but mostly they were about friendship and joy. How grateful I am for these friends, that they share with me. To me this is the true joy of life. The idea of staying in and being all sleepy on New Year;s Eve is appealing to some. I, however, feel almost like I have to recognize the passing of one year and the beginning of another. The momentousness of it should be observed. I got home all spent and a little tipsy (champagne anyone?), feeling like I had done the occasion proud. Plus Auburn fans were treated to a terrific game, in which our running backs were stellar, and Barrett Trotter seemed possessed by the spirit of his predecessor, Cam Newton.

This week I return to work, to real life, with renewed vigor and purpose. Although my mind will probably be on the island, my body will be at work. Humm it will be interesting to see how the two come together. Happy New Year! XOXO, MEK.

The Year That Was 2011

2011-12-30T14:18:00.000-08:00

Tired of year end lists? Yeah, me too. So you will not find one here. Instead I will just recap some things I want to remember today. Blogging helps me keep track of myself, emotionally, physically, historically. Sometimes my days get so busy that I forget what I have experienced, which is something I will try and correct in 2012.

2011 will be remembered as a bittersweet year (aren't they all?) because I think it is the year that I gave up on romantic love. I did not even try this year, just pretended that it does not exist. Really I do not think that it does. And people who cannot deal with me as a single woman, well they are pretty much behind me for good. Putting all of that behind me FREED me in ways I never imagined. No longer do I worry about what others think, I just do as I please. So I have had a great deal of fun this year, gotten to know some new people, who have turned into great friends, and partners in crime...reacquainted myself with some old friends, a lovely, lovely experience that I recommend. Where I once was dependent on just a few people for succor, well, now half of Alabama is on that list, and I cannot take a step in any direction without running into somebody who I feel close to. In 2012 I plan to take this even further, pursue fun and friendship with all my might. And I will not look back.

I became a better bridge player in 2011, and a better cook. I took my folks on a road trip, and spent a good bit of time at the beach. I saw my bro perform with Emmylou Harris (thrilling!). My work still delights me on a (mostly) daily basis. Politics have been a horror this year, altho I was pleased that Osama is no more. My favorite movie this year is Midnight in Paris, hands down. The best fiction I read this year was Great Expectations, nonfiction The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks, and the best essay is Farther Away by Jonathan Franzen. Oh and for a documentary movie go to The Cave of Forgotten Dreams directed by Werner Herzog. Music is harder but I loved the Ben Sollee performance at Space 301. Coke Zero is my pick for the best new product of 2011...yummy.

I miss my friend Joyce, and the way she brought my church group together, very much. My boss passed away in the last month of 2010 so this has been my first year working without him, altho his replacement has been wonderful.

I continue to enjoy blogging and hearing from you all. I plan to truly resume painting in the new year. Congratulations to all of you who experienced milestones this year, weddings, babies, new jobs, etc...For the rest of us (and that includes me) even though what you accomplish seems small, it is still so important to celebrate your own self, your own feats every day. I do think this is one of the secrets of a happy life. Do not let the expectations of the world rain on your parade. Also if you are stuck in a boring and seemingly endless conversation, there is always, "oh I have to get to the loo," or a simple daydream to take you away. Avoid boredom at all costs. Happy New Year to you and yours! XOXO, MEK.

Movie Time!

2011-12-28T19:00:00.000-08:00

Saw My Week With Marilyn this afternoon with Melissa, followed by a quick but yummy repast at Yen. The movie was entertaining, rather like My Favorite Year, or any other movie/play/tv series about another production (30 Rock for example). The players are top notch, including Dame Judi Dench, Kenneth Branagh (who steals the show), and Michelle Williams in the title role. Williams does a nice imitation of MM, funny that because MM was a concoction, a parody of a sexy woman, really almost a drag kind of character. Williams face struck me as all wrong, as it is as round and puffy as a muffin, and MM herself was more classically beautiful. They shoot her with a golden sort of aura, which, for this film, is also strange. The Elsie Marino character played by real MM in The Prince and The Showgirl, was more pink and lavender, ha, but who would know that besides me. My Week With Marilyn is lovely to look at, as it features nostalgic postwar images of the English countryside. MM is a woman about whom much has been written (and I have read most of it!), but little is really known. She is a cipher of a person, someone you can write any kind of story over. Her story is, for me, touching, sad, and interesting. She seems to have been a person who craved a certain kind of attention and fame, while resisting it at the same time. Well she was a Gemini, and is a classic one at that! The movie is a nice diversion, fun, but just do not take it as the gospel. You might want to check out the movie that inspired it, The Prince and the Showgirl, or the excellent book by Norman Mailer, Marilyn.

Today was all about the 50s for be because it is also my parent's 53rd wedding anniversary. We had a terrific lunch at Abba on the hill to celebrate. Be well! XOXO, MEK.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

2011-12-27T21:58:00.000-08:00

Hello and belated best wishes. Christmas went by in a blur of parties, cooking, family, shopping, you know, all the things that we are supposed to not do at Christmas. Despite all those fb posts about "the reason for the season," and how we should take a step back and not give in to what is expected of us at Christmas (hello Today Show 'psychologist' who looks like a porn star), as usual I attempted way to much. The positive here is that I mostly succeeded! I did not miss much...went to many great gatherings, partied like a (middle aged but still) rock star, felt really grateful for the hosts and hostesses, too. I managed to get everyone a gift, and get it wrapped and delivered on time. My annual Christmas eve dinner was close to perfect this year, and here I allow myself to brag. Yes I served 15 people at my dining room table, and not one dish had gotten cold! There were no fights or disagreements, nothing caught on fire, and my trees stayed upright (true they are small and fake but still),and I did not overspend.

My aunt and cousin had their 50th and 80th birthdays around 10 days before Christmas, celebrated with a terrific road trip, and another pal had a birthday just a few days prior to the holiday. Those events were great, and I was so happy to be included.

Also I decided, albeit in a moment of insanity, to bake for $ (usually I just bake for Jesus) during Thanksgiving and Christmas, but this turned out fine, getting all the cakes done in time....so here's to you and yours this week between Christmas and New Years...have fun, hit the sales, watch football, RELAX! That is what this week is devoted to for me. Tomorrow is my parent's 53rd wedding anniversary so I will take them to lunch, and mark their years of devotion, of survival, of family life, and love. I am thankful to them for so many things, and one of them is that yes they stayed the course, making my life, especially during the holidays (what if I had to do so much of this twice?), easier. XOXO, MEK.

Bunko Christmas Party

2011-12-20T19:12:00.000-08:00

My bunko group never plays a game: we just party! The Christmas do is our biggest party of the year...so big in fact that it takes two bunko gals to do the month of December. This year Bryant and Karen hosted, at Karen's lovely Llanfair home, and all 12 of us were there. They served beautiful food, Karen's crabmeat app is the best...tenderloin, asparagus casserole, salad, cake, and the beverages! Oh poinsettias, and all kinds of yummy wine. Our gift exchange or "dirty Santa" was great fun. There were no bad gifts at all. The best thing about bunko is that I have gotten to know about 8 women that probably I would not know, except for this group. Bryant, Melissa, Malinda, and myself grew up together. The rest of the group, Kim, Karen, Mary Anne, Peggy, Kristin, Kathy, Cindy, and Julie came together because they lived in the same neighborhood. It is so nice though to know that once a month you will get together with these friends for some fun. Sometimes one of us is going through a bad time, and the group is there for support, but mostly it is fun. Seeing friends go through good times and bad, watching their children marry and have children of their own, cheering friends on when they get a new job, boyfriend, or husband, is nice. Friends are really important for me, and it has been one of my life's goals to collect as many fabulous people as I can. This is a set of friends that really is a treasure! Happy holidays to you and yours. I hope you are enjoying the people you love right about now as much as I am...XOXO, MEK.

Inspiration and Understanding

2011-12-19T21:11:00.000-08:00

Wonderful American Masters program tonight on PBS about Charles and Ray Eames, iconic mid century designers, best known for the "Eames Chair," but for this blogger, the people who made the world look like I remember it looking. Although that is not a good sentence, it really does express how the Eameses effected me. If you missed it, see it, and if you saw it, please share your thoughts with me. Here is what I am thinking about in relation to this story.

Charles was an architect/designer with Utopian ideas, and he is the standard bearer (IMO) of the concept of equality through good design. Simple, but superior, products, would and could enhance people's everyday lives. The Eames chair is iconic because it reflects that mid century, post war, but still influenced by pre war, Utopian political ideas. Ray was a fine artist, who studied with Hans Hoffman, a modern painter and theorist. Hoffman had an incredible reach, because he instilled the gospel of modernism in so many students. Find someone around my age who did not have at least one teacher in art school that studied with Hoffman. Ray Eames is not known for her painting but for the artful way she set things up, and the modern design that she added to Charles' work. There is also the beginnings of feminism in this pair, as Ray was an unconventional wife for her time. She worked alongside her husband, as a team mate rather than a helpmate. The couple was childless, which freed her up for a working life rather than the typical female role of the time. The views of her home, her graphic designs, and the objects she collected and kept for inspiration are reminiscent of Matisse's work. And for this blogger Matisse is the ultimate artist for depicting beauty and ease in everyday, European life. The Eames sold the American vision of simple and sophisticated delight in day to day living, via design, color, simplicity, modernism, and maybe above all, whimsy. The appearance of a life enjoyed and experienced seeped into all of their work, which exceeded the applied arts, and extended into visual communication of the highest order.

Well look these folks up, for they are fascinating! XOXO, MEK.

Dreaming

2011-12-06T20:08:00.001-08:00

Dreaming of having some time off during the holidays (please please please), dreaming of being debt free, of world peace, of my knight in shining armor (hahaha),winning the lottery...oh yeah. But last night I had a strange but happy dream. I was at my family's beach cabin, with my folks, my brother, sis n law, neices, and the three family dogs, plus neice Sadie's newly acquired (and nonexistant) small, mixed breed, white pup.

Neice Sadie made a new friend on the beach, the second Obama daughter, Sasha. Turns out the POTUS and his family was staying in a fancy condo on Orange Beach. But since Sadie and Sasha hit it off, and they wanted to spend time on the beach with their Portuguese Water Dog, Bo, they had the secret service cordon off the beach, so that we, and they, and all five dogs, could frolic freely in the surf and on the sand. It was grand swimming in the Gulf of Mexico with the Prez and his daughter. Eventually we headed up to our cabin, for some food and game playing. Our place is pretty snug with all of us inside, so POTUS (Tall!) and daughter plus dog made it even more crowded, but jolly you know. We boiled shrimp, made salad, and added French Bread for dinner. We played Scrabble on the coffee table in the den. POTUS told us about growing up in Hawaii and how he wanted to return there and live. We all had fun, and the Obamas were so easy to be with. It was an awesome dream. Now can you interpret it for me? Please! Oh the Pres especially loved Sadie's puppy..while I am here I want to wish a happy birthday to my cousin, Brad, my cousin Julia, my friend Terri!
.XOXO, MEK.

Dolls!

2011-12-02T20:02:00.001-08:00

For the past six weeks I have been plagued by allergies that I now know came from a drug that I was prescribed. I had asthma first, then hives, and now cramped calves that have resulted in a painful tendon. I have not had a good walk since last Saturday (with Gayle and Meg on the beautiful campus of Spring Hill College), which makes me cranky! Work has been intense as it is the end of the semester, with students making wacky, last minute requests, and in general too much to do. Last night I came home dog tired, made turkey chow mein (the last of my Thanksgiving Turkey), and since I had felt too put upon to go get dog food, I whipped up cornbread, and some dark meat of the turkey for Mr Lucky. Next I got on the computer, completed my exam, and set it up for the students. At that point I was freezing, yawning, ready to turn in.

So, naturally I turned on the TV, hoping for Law and Order or some other show that would lull me to sleep. Flipping thru the channels I landed on a gem of a movie, one that got my attention, so I woke up a little bit and watched one of the worst, and best, movies ever, Valley of The Dolls. Summer of 1975 my family took a driving vacay out west. We went all the way to San Fran, up to Wyoming, to Yosemite, Santa Fe, Vegas, Grand Canyon, all over in our Ford Ltd, just purchased for the trip. My bro and I listened closely to the radio for our favorite summer song, Elton John's Someone Saved My Life Tonight. Mama would read aloud from books by western writers, I remember hearing her read Willa Cather. I brought my own "western" novel to read, Valley of the Dolls, a dogeared paperback that I must have gotten at a trade in bookstore. Wow what a great read! Even then I recognized it as totally trashy, but I did not care. It was fascinating. I had seen the movie when I was much younger, probably around 1970 or so, on a night when my folks were out, and the babysitter let me stay up and watch. I did not even know the name of the movie. The only things that registered were that the movie was grandly entertaining, uber glam, and that Sharon Tate, murdered by the Manson gang, was in it. Now after reading the novel, I could put the story together.

Valley has been called the last movie made by the studio system, and I think therein lies its magic. It is formulaic, melodramatic. The actresses are all highly glamorous, unbelievably styled, and tragic. You kind of know who they are based on, and what their outcomes will be, but you still watch. The songs are ultimately cheesy, while the acting is completely over the top, especially Patty Duke. She was big in the tabloids back in the 60s. Of course Sharon Tate was memorable not only for her beauty, but because of her notorious and heinous murder. 1967, the year that the film was made, was a time when the world had changed, and movies were becoming much more naturalistic, freer, and open. Valley was an anachronism, and it was not well received. But if you start twittering or face booking about it, you get responses. It strikes a chord in many. Yep, it is BAD! But the glam factor draws me in every time. All the women have impossible amounts of hair that is often piled high on the their heads, or cascading around their face during a drunken or drugged rant. Barbara Parkins is swell in a fall. Remember them? False eyelashes are on everybody...even in bed they wear false eyelashes. Sharon Tate's character commits suicide in false eyelashes! The song, Come Live With Me is just atrocious, but I know all the words. Honestly I cannot resist this campy concoction. After reading the novel, I proceeded to read all of Jackie Susann's books, as well as her biography. Much of the book is culled from her own life, which makes it even juicier. Wow. I know that I could not read the book now, but the movie, with its dated visuals, old Hollywood women's picture slant, and bad acting should not be missed. Oh do not let me forget the great role played by Lee Grant, which mostly consists of smoking and glaring! In a few years she would be in one of the coolest and influential movies of the 70s, Shampoo. And acting via smoking is awesome in this movie. I would give the smoking Oscars to both Patty Duke and Susan Hayward.

So watch it when you get a chance. Settle in and savor it. XOXO, MEK.

Turkey Hash

2011-11-27T16:08:00.001-08:00

Had a request for this recipe...so here it is. Do people in other areas eat turkey hash after Thanksgiving? If they don't, they should. It is so much better than those silly and complicated recipes that we see around Thanksgiving like "Turkey Pot Pie," or even worse, "Turkey Tacos." This takes minutes to prepare, and I bet you do not even have to go to the store. Everything is already in your house.

Turkey Hash

Ingredients

2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 cup of finely chopped onion
1 cup of finely sliced celery (this is optional for those who dislike celery. i happen to love it.)
2 cups of peeled and diced potatoes (I cook them for about three minutes in the microwave beforehand)
2 cups of shredded turkey
1/2 cup wine (white or rose is preferred to red)
1 tsp of Tamari or Soy Sauce
1 cup leftover gravy
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup of sliced mushrooms (again this is optional)

In a heavy skillet over medium heat, cook the garlic, celery, and onions in the fat. When the onions and celery are soft, you can add the potatoes and mushrooms. Cover and let cook over medium low heat for about fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally so nothing sticks. When potatoes are soft and getting brown, add the wine to deglaze the pan. Ad the red of the ingredients, and cook until heated through. If you like, serve over grits or rice. I do not do this, but many people do. Another option is to serve it with a fried egg on top. Very nice! Enjoy!! XOXO, MEK.

Thanksgiving

2011-11-26T20:08:00.001-08:00

Just read this from Diane Keaton's new book. I have had a disappointing day - which is stupid because I knew my team (Auburn Tigers) would lose to the Crimson Tide of Alabama. It was inevitable...still it is disheartening, and embarrassing, to take this so hard. I did have a wonderful time at hostess Melissa's, watching with a tight group of Auburn grads. And we had an excellent meal, too. So I came home and read and tried not to think about it. This essay came up, and I was transported back to Thanksgiving, just two days ago, and Thanksgivings past.

This year I cooked Thanksgiving dinner for my folks, and for my great friends, the Alexanders. Cooking is a satisfying activity for me because it allows me to pursue transformation, that is taking something and turning it into another thing, another object really. Like alchemy maybe. The meal was delicious, and the company delightful. It was a happy day. Growing up, I never gave Thanksgiving a thought. It was spent with family, usually kind of cold and dark, there was alot of good food, and I saw my cousins. Sometimes we ate in Butler, mama's hometown, and sometimes in Thomasville, daddy's hometown. After the meal the men watched football, in a serious manner, while the women sat around the dining room table and talked. Typically the children played together, although some years factions developed, which was less than pleasant. I had two girl cousins who conspired against me under a fig tree in the side yard of my great grandmother's house in Butler. Yeah how is it that we always remember the bad times? Thanksgiving was not a thrilling holiday for me due to the fact that there were no gifts. My mother was much more interested in Christmas, so I was, too. As an adult Thanksgiving came to represent a rest, during an extremely busy time of year, whether I was making pottery or teaching. Some years it would be the only day I took off between Labor Day and Christmas. So I appreciated that. We spent a few Thanksgivings at the beach, one memorable one in Butler with my Uncle Pat, but we no longer see our relatives on Thanksgiving. This made me sad year after year, until this year, when the love and gratitude around my table was palpable. Taking control of the day was a saving grace for this blogger. Once again I learned that one can make one's own family, one's own life, even without much family around. As people have passed on and change has come, this has started to make sense to me, finally. At last there is some freedom in how I might approach Thanksgiving. I think of my friend Doug Ford, who, when asked what is was like to be an orphan during holidays, responded with "well now I could spend Christmas in Singapore if I wanted!" What a great attitude. I think of Doug on holidays and hope that one day I might go with him to Singapore on a holiday.

One of my "old" friends, Gina Hedberg with me at Auburn Homecoming last weekend.

My table, pre Thanksgiving dinner........

My big, juicy bird. It was perfect!

So gratitude is something that felt real this year. This blogger is grateful for friends and family, for the fact that even now, I can make new friends who are swell, and who make my life better. Not that I do not cherish my old friends, because I do! My job gives me pleasure most every day,, as does my work as an artist, writer, and cook. I am much smarter than I used to be, which is awesome. and I can make Thanksgiving dinner, too.I have a loving family, with parents who are healthy and whose company I truly enjoy. Life is really good. So happy holiday season to you. If you feel blue, count your blessings, and invite somebody over! They will appreciate it more than you know, and you will be better for having done so. Tomorrow I will make turkey hash, get ready for the end of the semester, do the recycling, and give thanks!! XOXO, MEK.

Ashton and Pete's Wedding

2011-11-12T20:42:00.001-08:00

It was an honor to attend Ashton and Pete's wedding this evening in the Cathedral downtown. This church is beautiful, brightly colored in yellows and brick orange with hints of lime green. It has a tropical color scheme which suits this part of the world. The bride is the daughter of my friends since childhood, Pam and David. We go way back, and when their daughter came here for grad school, with her fiancee, we got to catch up. Pam's brother is also a friend of many years, and I do not ever tire of seeing these funny and interesting people.

The bride and groom are both young and good looking, just like you want the bride and groom to be. They are starting out , each with a career and an education, and you just can't help but think that these two are going to have a wonderful life. So tonight was a celebration for this couple and their families. I saw old friends, met some new ones, oh especially enjoyed the precious bridesmaid who is currently studying in Spain. Pam, who caters back home in Texas, made sure that her friends from the lonestar state were impressed by the local cuisine, so we had etouffee, grits, ham, sweet potatoes, oyster nachos (!), catfish, soft shell crab, well you get the picture. We feasted, we drank, and there was dancing. I felt happy to be among these people, happy to be alive in the moment. Long friendships are sweet things to cherish. Tonight I am doing just that...XOXO, MEK.

Out on the Town

2011-11-11T19:47:00.001-08:00

The hives kept me in all week, and I was beginning to feel like a shut in. Therefore I stepped out this evening, with a most entertaining pal, for November Artwalk, a little dinner, and a view of the magnificent moon. 11-11-11 is Veteran's day, a day off from work for me, and a day to remember our servicemen and women, past, present, and future. My own daddy never had to go to war, and neither did either of my grandfathers. My maternal grandmother had five brothers, and each of them went to WWII. Their mother, Jessie Bush Christopher, was a stoic if there ever was one, unsentimental, and unemotional. I often wonder though how she got through the war, with all of her sons so far from Alabama. The amazing thing is that every one of those men came home, unhurt. I am thinking about the folk's who are now serving, and that they will be home soon, and how great that is.

The day was gorgeous here...bright blue and sunny, cool but not too cool, a perfect November 11. I dined with friends, went to the new Ulta beauty store (!), something I had been looking forward to due to being a long time beauty junkie. The dog and I walked, and I got a pedicure. Fairly self indulgent but so pleasant. This evening I headed out for Artwalk, and approaching downtown, the gigantic golden moon shone down on the port of Mobile. We saw the work at Space 301 (the paper show which I was happy to see again), the show at The Skinny Gallery (Mobile Arts Council Gallery), Artology (celebrating its first birthday), Kangal Gallery, and the Host Gallery.

At The Skinny Gallery the McPherson family is showing, that is Bertice, her brother Joey, and her niece. The work shows a variety of mediums from this talented family, clay, jewelry, drawing, and some wonderful shaped paintings on wood. Biographical in nature, they have the feeling of paper doll cutouts (over sized), with a hint of strangeness that comes from the large scale, the slightly off kilter imagery, and the titles.

Also at the Skinny is Emily MacMillan's most compelling works dealing with the civil rights movement. I know Emily as a photographer, so it was nice to see her mixed media pieces, as well as Robert Rauschenberg-esque printed pieces. These works are really lovely to look at, brightly colored, and skillfully composed. It was great to see Emily, herself, in person, after so many years.

Artology was crowded with folks celebrating the gallery's first anniversary. The Host Gallery has some great pieces by my friend Danielle Juzan. The old Cathedral Square Gallery space has been taken over by a retail emporium which is quite nice. They have several vendors with nice merchandise. Hey have any of you noticed how hot OWLS are this season? The new emporium had several owl themed items, and I keep seeing them everywhere I go.

After a lateish little dinner at Samurai J's, where I ran into an old student and laughed with my dining companion, I am home contemplating the week of the hives. Sure do hope they continue to dissipate. There is so much I want to do in the coming weeks. Hives do not fit into the picture that I have of my life! A few shots from tonight....altho not as many as I would like....XOXO MEK.

It Gets Under and On Top of My Skin

2011-11-08T20:18:00.000-08:00

Last time I posted I was high on the experience of Ben Sollee's music, and now, one week later, I am high on the music of Roman Street, and the sound of my friends' voices. I have had a rocky week, month, fall...trying to figure many things out, how to be the person I want and need to be, how to make art when I am questioning what my art practice is right now, and how I can do what I want to do in this community. My relationships have felt fractured for a while, so I wonder if I am not meant to have any real, true lasting ones. Now I am like a honeybee, and I can flit around quite happily for a good long time, taking a bit of honey from here and there. But even I yearn for continuity and security. Deception really makes me feel like I have had the rug pulled out from under me...oh I felt that this week. Add that to the fact that my allergies have been working on my body with a vengence. I have had asthma attacks and now hives. This is not a complaint or a request for sympathy, but instead I think my body is reacting to the things that I have been doing wrong, specifically, hanging on to a past that is gone (I mean all that is past is past, right). I am going to have to find my courage and get myself out of this funk, and if it means leaving sentimental things behind, I now have the courage to do so. I hope that in the coming weeks I can show some of my progress to you...also today a birthday shoutout to my great friend DBK! Blessings on Meg (Little Owl) and her mama and daddy who made me feel so good tonight, thank to my student Micheal who told me he did not need for me to help him register this afternoon...because he is heading to Troy in the spring, for a 4 year degree!! He had a big smile on his face and I am so happy for him. Hope can come from the strangest places, an encounter last night at a Burger King in Fairhope of all places, I went in to get a giant Coke to get me through a long Monday night class and ran smack into a lady I had not seen in so long! We had a few hearty laughs together...good for my soul, then Miss Emily at Faulkner told me about her grandson last night...a little boy who is succeeding and optimistic despite all the odds being against him...finally Mississippi defeats the "Personhood" Amendment much to my surprise, while Ohio restores collective bargaining rights to its public employees. Uh huh there is some hope here after all....happy belated birthday also to PJB, who had magnificently survived a terribly hard year....now if I can only get off of the Prednisone and get rid of these hives.....XOXO MEK.

Tantalizing Tuesday

2011-11-01T21:17:00.000-07:00

It has been a long and lovely day, beginning early with a walk in the dark. I met Gayle and Patti and we took our morning constitutional through Ashland Place, chatting away about anything and everything. It was chilly, and the sky was clear, full of stars and velvety looking. Class went well today, since we discussed the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism. I played cards with 3 great friends this afternoon...and this evening went to see Ben Sollee at Space 301. Sollee rode into town from Mississippi, on a bike no less, with a drummer and a merch gal. He and drummer Jordan Ellis put on a phenomenal show tonight, making all kinds of sounds, bluegrassy, carribean, dissonant, jazzy, rock and rollish, folkie, but melding it together with vocals, rhythm, and joy. Sollee's vocals complemented this full bodied sound, while the play between the two musicians was great fun to watch. I wanted to get up and dance, but settled for dancing in my seat instead. I did lose myself in the music, and worked hard to just be there. I came out of the show feeling refreshed, inspired, and happy. I may become a groupie for this guy! Always remember that live music is not recorded music, and the experience of a performance like the one I saw tonight cannot be conveyed fully via words. I am so glad that I was not at home looking at tv or vacuuming or some other mundane task. I was out on the town living and listening and being reminded that I am alive. It was delicious! Thanks to Wayne for inviting me, and to Wayne and Vik for the fun time at Samurai J's before the show. Space 301 is becoming a more dynamic place every day, and we are lucky to have it. Support it any way that you can. Our community is better for it. XOXO, MEK.

Sweet Potato Soup

2011-10-29T12:21:00.000-07:00

If you did not previously think I was the best blogger on your blogroll, I think this recipe will change your mind. At the Green Goddess last Sunday my mama ordered the sweet potato soup, which she graciously shared with me. It was so good, and all week I thought about recreating it. This afternoon I did it...and it is superior. It is deliciously spicy but at the same time creamy and comforting. It is full of the flavor of the deep south in fall (sweet potato!), as well as Asian spices (curry, ginger yummy). If you want a new twist on the sweet potato, which is so economical and so healthy, at your Thanksgiving table, this might be your recipe. Next Sunday I am hosting a birthday dinner party for one of my favorite people. This will be our first course. I had it for lunch along with a hearty slice of whole grain bread from the bread lady. My breakfast was pretty intense, eggs benedict at Spot of Tea, so I am not that hungry....but oh I am very pleased with myself! Well try it. It is easy, inexpensive, healthy and it will make you happy. XOXO, MEK.

Sweet Potato Soup a la MEK
Ingredients:
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp flour
3 green onions, chopped
1 tbsp fresh ginger, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups mashed sweet potato
1 small can chicken broth
1/2 cup half and half
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 tsp curry powder
salt and pepper to taste
thai basil for garnish

In a dutch oven heat butter and olive oil on low heat. Add garlic, ginger and green onions, and cook slowly over low heat until soft. Add the flour and mix with the fat and vegetables. Stir in chicken broth and cook until thickened over medium heat. Stir in the sweet potato, half and half, coconut milk, and spices. I did not salt mine at all because I figured there was enough salt in the chicken broth. You can do more or less curry depending on how much you like it. Basil is not necessary but I had some in the garden, and for me it was a nice complement. Enjoy this. It made enough for me to have 2 nice bowlfuls. For a first course for 8 I will double it.

The Sublime at the Fair

2011-10-28T20:27:00.000-07:00

Oh the sublime can transport one like nothing else. Surely that is what Kant must have thought. His concept of the sublime was taken by the Romantics and made into their very own cri de couer. The resulting works are classics, Frankenstein for instance, in horror or other emotions that can cause one to abandon all reason.

I have not been on a roller coaster in years, so when my friend suggested we take her son, I said yes. The fair used to be a big deal for me because my daddy was involved in the Jaycees, and they put on the fair here in Mobile. He would take me out to the fairgrounds with him while the fair was being set up, making me feel like I had the inside track! I would chat up the ladies who won prizes for cakes or jams. When I was a little older my art work got in the competition at the fair, and I swelled with pride at seeing something I made hanging in that tent. I loved every aspect of the fair except the haunted house. Big pigs and cows, carnival food, spin art, well each of these was special to me. This evening we walked through the tents, which I hate to tell you are not what they used to be. The rides though, were terrific! The minute we finished the "Crazy Mouse" rollercoaster I turned to my friend and said "that was the sublime!" I was exhilarated and happy all because of the wild ride. Surely this is one of the reasons people continue to go to the fair...this crazy rush that one gets from scary rides. All that screaming, and faux fear, serves a purpose as well. Whatever I have been worrying about is currently gone from my mind. I am spent, in the best sort of way. Stress of the past week is vanquished.

The fair takes place in the fall, at least in my town. The heat of summer is gone, and hurricane season is almost behind us. We are in the midst of the "second harvest," and about to embrace what passes for winter around here. I am reminded of the fact that the fair began as a agricultural celebration, and it seems timeless and natural, to go out and get all sublime for a night just before winter comes. XOXO MEK.

Papercuts at Space 301

2011-10-27T14:38:00.000-07:00

Papercuts is at Space 301 until December 17, and it is worth a trip downtown. Paper is a medium I adore, and I would much rather paint on paper than any other surface. Paper is reactive, and like skin, shows everything that it goes through right on the surface. This show, though, is not about things on paper, instead it addresses what can be done with paper as a medium, not as a surface. Cutting, poking, tearing, sculpting, all of the above are done to and with paper in this show. I could address all kinds of topics here, thoughts about craft and ingenuity are going through my brain. Really there is quite a bit of conceptual thought here. Like much contemporary art, the work has an ephemeral feel, it is PAPER, ok? So time becomes a topic as well. Will the work last? Does it matter? I was reminded of some of Eva Hesse's work, pieces that look like they will be gone in a few years, if not sooner. Go see it. You will want to make something ASAP! XOXO MEK (there I am in the last photo my feet visible under the cut paper scrim).

Josephine Sacabo at the Ogden

2011-10-24T20:00:00.000-07:00

I am very picky when it comes to photography, disliking so much overtly technical work, unless it is by Andreas Gursky. I am less inclined to love the medium (as opposed to painting or printmaking) but there are photographs and photographers I am fascinated by. One of them is Josephine Sacabo, whose work is on display at the Ogden alongside Ersy's work. The women are neighbors, which is interesting, but what is more interesting is Sacabo's work. It is haunting but in a good way. The pictures can be viewed as abstract compositions of light and dark, as shimmering and intriguing works on paper, as a companion for poetry, and as narrative images. The power here is that all these interpretations are possible. Really words are not useful in describing these photoraphs because they have an ephemeral quality that puts me in mind of very early photographic images, like those of Talbott Fox. The installation of this work is also wonderful, and the work of Ersy complements Sacabo's work considerably. I would urge you to see this show, and or to seek out this woman's work. These images are stong and are much stronger in person! XOXO MEK.

Ersy at Ogden Museum

2011-10-23T19:52:00.000-07:00

Finally got to the Ogden Museum of Southern Art in NOLA this afternoon. The show by a sculptor, Ersy, a native New Orleanian, got my attention. This woman works precisely, with wood, metal, bronze, making small things, and large things that make the viewer think of antique toys, dollhouses, horror stories, and Hieronymous Bosch. Some of the work alludes to Carnival, that upside down world of satire that flourishes in the old city of New Orleans. Ersy lampooned royalty, the Catholic church, and carnival itself in a miniature parade. Animals play a large part in her lexicon. Rabbits and mice scamper through the work, as symbols and as reminders of nature and mortality. The smallness of most of this work is refreshing, and playful. I clearly remember making miniatures as a child, building dollhouses out of shoesboxes, and crafting cunning objects that looked real. Recreation of something in miniature must be a compulsion for those of us who choose visual art as a career, as I know several of us who did this in childhood. Ersy has taken this to the extreme, and because of her extreme devotion to craft, brings it to an adult level. I just got finished teaching my students about the Sutton Hoo burial along with the amazing metal objects it contains, which lead me to look at the Yorkshire Vale hoard and other Iron Age Anglo Saxon finds. Bronze and metal crafting lends itself to precision, and serves to remind us of the importance of metal work to ancient artisans and civilizations (hello book of David, the furnace and all that). This medium remains relevant, especially when designed and brought to fruition by Ersy. XOXO MEK.

Like Laughing

2011-09-16T08:01:00.000-07:00

This article inspired this post.

Tuesday morning I read something in the NY Times that was to me quite funny. My coworker, LaVada, came in so I shared it with her. We both burst out in great big howling laughter, because it was that funny, and it was funnier to experience it together. At that moment our boss strolled into the room, and busted our hilarity up, but she did not really seem to mind. All day long I felt great, just remembering our big laughter, and I sailed through the day on that high. Humor, and laughter in general, is a hallmark of my life. I like artwork that is funny, and I can find humor in most every aspect of life. This has been with me always, and it does not seem like something I had to learn, more like something that was embedded in my psyche from the beginning. When I read that article this morning, I thought well there it is, the answer. How interesting that this article came to me today, on a day when I am still enjoying that funny moment on Tuesday. Maybe laughter is the thing that makes our friendships deep. Those with whom we can really and truly laugh, with whom we can find common ground, and truly be our real self with, those are the relationships worth sustaining for a lifetime. I have a painting up today that I doubt was ever intended to be funny, but, the first time I saw it, in the summer of 1978, I howled. My family took a long vacation that summer since I was going off to college that fall. My brother was in the Junior Olympics in Columbia, SC that year. That was our first stop. As I recall he did great and won his event...score! Next we parked our 1975 Ford LTD (oh so fine) at the airport and flew up to New York. It was mine and my brother's first visit to the city. We stayed at the Algonquin, very lovely, very NY. It was a terrific trip. We saw three Broadway shows, as I recall, Annie, Da, and Chorus Line. We went to a jazz club in the village, where I observed the coolest people just experiencing the music. We dined at fabulous places, including one place that was so hip, we spotted David Johansen, then of the New York Dolls (we recognized him from reading Cream magazine). Well our hotel was very near MOMA, and some days my bro and I would wander over there alone. Each and every time we saw this Willem DeKooning painting we laughed and laughed. There was a Carl Andre piece that made me laugh, too. It was so simple and spare, such a contrast to the art that I had previously seen, that it made me laugh. The DeKooning Woman, well when you read up on old Willem D, he does not appear to have been that funny of a guy. I wonder if he would find my laughter funny or if he would take offense? Well I am still laughing after all these years, and so many of you that I have laughed with, I hope we keep it up. It is really a cure for what ails you. Speaking of which, get well soon wishes go out to my friend GRA. And you have a great weekend, laugh as much as possible! XOXO, MEK.

Surface Prep and More

2011-09-15T20:35:00.000-07:00

Beginning to actually work on this canvas, which I have been prepping all week. I have attached a piece of fabric, and created some raised areas using modeling paste. Now the fun begins. I will paint, trying to be slow and methodical (that is so not me), so that I will have a surface that can take some transparent images I have prepared. Gonna try and reference rococo and the old south all at once.

Nice day here with the feeling of fall in the air. Was able to get away for a quick picnic lunch with my friend at her new job! We had sandwiches from Food Pak...nice! Long walk with Mr L this evening, then a cooking session. Weekend promises to be full of fun and fellowship and football! XOXO, MEK....a happy birthday shoutout to the very young and very wise Kim Saks, an internet friend.