Blog No. 159: The Book of Awakening, Starry Night Sky, Two Air Fryer Recipes

January 5, 2024

The Book of Awakening

I’m not one for New Year’s resolutions. Not sure why. I always feel like I don’t ever really carry them out anyway and I just feel that this is something we should be doing every day, not just on New Year’s Day.

But never say never—this year, while cleaning up my desk piled high with papers and books and everything that had accumulated over the holiday, I came across a book that my friend Dyan gave me last year called The Book of Awakening by Mark Nepo, and it is a daily dose of wisdom and meditation. The author set out to write his thoughts in hopes of introducing his readers to their own wisdom.

So I decided I’m going to try and read this every morning as Dyan does just as a reminder of how to center myself and what’s important in life.

Below is the January 3 entry, which, as you could see, I started a couple days late. Even though God is mentioned in the title of this entry, I do not see the book as at all "religious" in the typical sense of the word. I’m sharing it with you here today in case you are inspired to get your own copy and have a look at it every day like I am planning on doing.

Starry Night Sky

One of the pleasures for me of being up in Maine is going out in the middle of the night and looking up at the stars. Sometimes I am even too lazy to put on a coat, even in the dead of winter. It is refreshing and I don't have to go far...

From my little rented cottage, there is very little light pollution so it is a great place to view a good portion of the sky, being on the rocks with the ocean 180 degrees in front of me. Here is a simple lesson from an Indiana Science teacher on how to identify basic constellations.

The New York Times publishes a sky calendar every year and it can be synched with your regular phone calendar. And here is a what to look forward to in 2024 including meteor showers, moon schedules, eclipses etc..

Two Air Fryer Recipes

***Courtesy Eleanore Park, NY Times Cooking App. Photo Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.***

For those of us who have air fryers, here are two super easy to prepare recipes adapted from the New York Times Cooking App. Tasty and crispy without the amount of oil usually required for frying...Looks like a good meal to me! Complete it with a good salad of your choice...Courtesy of Eleanor Park and Melissa Clark.

***Courtesy Melissa Clark, NY Times Cooking App. David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.***

CHICKEN THIGHS
Ingredients for 3 servings
3bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 6 ounces each) or boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Salt
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
Step 1 Heat air fryer to 375 degrees, if preheating is recommended for your air fryer.
Step 2 Pat chicken dry. Add salt to both sides of chicken thighs. In a Combine the sour cream, mustard and rice vinegar in a bowl and coat the chicken. (Chicken can be marinated up to 8 hours.) Refrigerate, then let return to room temperature before cooking.
Step 3 Transfer chicken in an even layer to the air-fryer basket. With bone-in, skin-on thighs, place them skin side down. Cook chicken until browned all over and skin is crisp, flipping halfway through (approx. 15 minutes). With boneless, skinless chicken thighs, put in fryer smooth side down. Cook until browned in spots and their juices run clear, flipping halfway through, about 15 minutes. When fully cooked, an instant-read thermometer inserted into a thick part of the thigh should read 165 degrees and the juices should run clear when pierced. Return to fryer if not done and check every few minutes. Let chicken thighs rest slightly and then serve.

FRENCH FRIES in the Air Fryer
Ingredients yields 2 servings
1 large russet potato cut into ¼-inch-thick sticks
1½ tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1½ tsp kosher salt, more as needed
¼ cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
Step 1
 Put potatoes in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Soak for at least 30 minutes (or up to overnight, stored in the refrigerator), then drain and pat very dry.
Step 2
 Heat the air fryer to 350 degrees, if preheating is necessary. Line a rimmed baking sheet with paper towels.
Step 3
 In a dry bowl, toss potatoes with 1 tbsp oil and 1½ tsp salt. Transfer to air fryer and fry at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, tossing halfway.
Step 4
 Turn the air fryer heat up to 400 degrees. Drizzle potatoes with ½ tbsp oil. Cook for until golden and crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes, tossing or stirring halfway through. Transfer immediately to a serving platter and sprinkle with more salt.
Step 5
 While the fries are cooking, make the sauce: In a small bowl, stir together mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard and paprika. Serve alongside the fries for dipping.

Painting of the Week

Love in the Pacific Northwest, mixed media on canvas, 50” x 80” $8500

Charity of the Week:

About The Author

New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow, began writing the creative lifestyle blog “things we love” in an effort to foster a sense of community during times of isolation and reflection. To read more about her and her art, visit her website and check out the essay written by the Hammond Museum's Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.

Source: https://pamelasmilow.substack.com/p/blog-1...

Blog No. 158: Anders Goldfarb Photographer, Uniontown Band, Wayne Dyer on Letting Go

December 30, 2023

Anders Goldfarb Photographer

Anders Goldfarb Documentary: Buildings as Buildings by Peter Mattei—a look at Greenpoint and Williamsburg Brooklyn 1987 - 2007

***Williamsburg/Greenpoint 1987 – 2007.*** *Photographs bynAnders Goldfarb. Text by Bonnie Yochelson.*

Click image for more Coney Island images

A very very long time ago I had a friend named Anders Goldfarb. I knew him way back when, in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the 1970s. He was from Brooklyn like my Dad, passionate about photography and always such a character--funny with a self-deprecating sense of humor, dark, garrulous, irreverent, compassionate. Son of Auschwitz survivors, his parents' past was never far from his psyche…

Somehow he popped into my head recently and I looked him up. I was so glad to see that he is still pursuing his passion and I love his photographs as much as I used to. He is old school all the way and is also now an adjunct professor of photography at Pace University in downtown New York.

In the days of digital everyone can do it photography, Anders was and remains a total purist, shooting exclusively in film and often with his old Rolleiflex--he is a product of the old school photographers, who he still greatly admires, including Robert Frank, André Kertesz, Berenice Abbott, Walker Evans, and Sergio Larrain, to name a few.

Anders' work is particularly relevant today--for many years he rode around on his bicycle, documenting Greenpoint and Williamsburg, Brooklyn before it disappeared to development, gentrification and its current renaissance. His book Passed Remains by art historian and curator Bonnie Yochelson is a beautiful and haunting testament to Brooklyn's history and is available today at Spoonbill Books on Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn and also on Amazon. For any of you Brooklynites out there, this book might be of special interest to you.

Anders can be reached at andersgoldfarb@gmail.com and follow him if you like on instagram.

Uniontown Band

My friend Eddie Holm and his two bandmates Chris Long and Fred Royal just released an album of original music entitled Uniontown, after recording it a few months ago in North Carolina. They have been playing together one way or another since the 1980s and have a deep longstanding friendship in and out of music. It shows.

Guitarist Chris wrote most of the songs and is the lead singer, Fred is a master on drums and provides some of the vocals along with writing a song or two and Eddie rocks it out loud and clear on bass…

The album Uniontown is now available on Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music. and I invite you to listen and enjoy it. I personally think it is really great—a mix of good old rock and roll along with a slight mix of swamp and country. The songs are varied and multi-layered but they have a definitive sound which makes them stand out. There is not one bad track on the whole album--hard pressed to pick favorites but I do especially love Shotgun Never Aimed , Caledonia, and Higher Ground.

You can follow Uniontown Band on Facebook, Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music or email them at theuniontownband@gmail.com.

Wayne Dyer on Letting Go

Of all the myriad of self help gurus we are surrounded by these days, one of my most favorite is Wayne Dyer, who passed away a number of years ago but who is still my go to person when I am looking for a little wisdom and a reminder of how to stay centered…

Here is one of his brief and wise talks—this one on letting go. You can find a lot of his other enlightening videos on youtube if you google him.

Here is a song to go along with the theme: Turn Turn Turn, written by Pete Seeger, sung by Judy Collins and Pete Seeger. Reminds me of the quote "let go or be dragged." And just by coincidence, came across this Pete Muller tune just now entitled Letting Go, which is also apt.

Painting of the Week

Gert Mathiesen, Red Guitar, mixed media on paper, 11” x 15”

Charity of the Week:
Food Bank of NYC

Source: https://pamelasmilow.substack.com/p/blog-1...

Blog No. 157: Krista Tippett Interview, Blaschka's Glass Flowers, Carl Jung

December 23, 2023

Krista Tippett Interview on 10% Happier Podcast

Krista Tippett is known for her very successful interview show @onbeing but in this case, the tables are turned and she herself is being interviewed by Dan Harris on his podcast 10% Happier. I thought this was a perfect choice for this week's blog as the year winds down. Three Skills for Staying Calm, Sane and Open in a Chaotic World

Glass Flowers by Leopold and Rudolph Blaschka

I had an open studio last week and it was great to meet some of my neighbors in the building who stopped by. One of the people I met was Dimitri, a scientist, and somehow we got on the subject of the Ware Collection of Blaschka Glass Models of Plants (aka the Glass Flowers) which he had just seen and greatly admired at the Harvard Natural History Museum in Cambridge, Massachusetts. I looked it up and found this to be a truly amazing collection with a very unique story.

Harvard University originally commissioned these glass flowers beginning in the 1800s as a teaching tool and they took fifty years to complete. The work was done exclusively by a father and son team: Leopold (1822-1895) and Rudolph Blaschka (1857-1939), native to the area of the Bohemian Czech-German borderland but who worked from their studio in Dresden, Germany. I share this short documentary on the collection—and I can't wait to go and see it in person one of these days soon in Boston.

According to those who have seen this exhibit in person, you cannot believe, even six inches away, that these plants are not real. The collection of over 4,000 models, representing more than 830 plant species, is considered one of the University's greatest treasures and is the only collection of its kind in the world.

In the words of Leopold Blaschka explaining their extraordinary talent, "Many people think that we have some secret apparatus by which we can squeeze glass suddenly into these forms, but it is not so. We have the touch. My son Rudolf has more than I have because he is my son and the touch increases in every generation. The only way to become a glass modeler of skill, I have often said to people, is to get a good great-grandfather who loved glass; then he is to have a son with like tastes; he is to be your grandfather. He in turn will have a son who must, as your father, be passionately fond of glass. You, as his son, can then try your hand, and it is your own fault if you do not succeed. But, if you do not have such ancestors, it is not your fault."

Crash Course in Carl Jung

I recently became interested in Carl Jung and Jungian psychoanalysis in an attempt to explore different aspects of myself that puzzle me. Jung's wholistic approach and philosophy resonates with me, since according to him, so much of life takes place on the subconscious level--our daily existence is just the tip of the iceberg. I came across this "crash course" in Jungian philosophy on youtube--it is a simplified version I am sure but serves as a broad overview of his theories.

Painting of the Week

Gert Mathiesen, Red Figures, Fish mixed media on canvas, 45” x 88”

Charity of the Week:
National Dance Institute

Source: https://pamelasmilow.substack.com/p/blog-1...

For those in New York—please pass it on to friends if you can…d

Blog No. 156: John Bradshaw and Oprah Winfrey, Arctic Daughter, Music I Listened to this Week

December 16, 2023

Healing the Inner Child

This is an exercise that will take seven minutes and requires you to close your eyes.

I don't think there are many of us who have not experienced some kind of trauma in their lives, much of it dating back to things that happened when we were way little and that have disappeared into our subconscious.

As a victim of trauma herself, Oprah has spent much of her life being a champion of self care and healing and here, along with renowned psychologist John Bradshaw, she presents to us a simple exercise that asks us to address that traumatized inner child within us. Through dialogue, she starts us on a path to healing.

If you give it the seven minutes it takes, I trust you will find it therapeutic and enlightening...

Arctic Daughter on Netflix

All roads for me are leading to nature and an examination of ruggedness which I haven't at all had in my life, being a quintessential New York urban type for most of my life.

Hence, the fascination with survivalists and people who can perservere in the wilderness or even simply brave the Maine winters…

The Arctic Girl tells the story of Jean Aspen, a woman who beginning as a child, has spent much of her life relying on her inner strength and resourcefulness in an often unforgiving environment. And Alone, which is already in its tenth season (where have I been?!) takes me to worlds I can't even imagine…

Music I Listened to this Week

Come Healing by Leonard Cohen

Watching the Wheels by John Lennon

I Am California by John Craigie

***PRNewsFoto/BET Black Entertainment Television/AP Images***

Don't You Worry About a Thing by Stevie Wonder

Concierto de Aranjuez guitar by Paco de Lucía

Circle of Steel by Gordon Lightfoot

Valley Winter Song by Fountains of Wayne

Painting of the Week

“Music is the moonlight in the gloomy night of life” a quote from German writer and philosopher Jean Paul Friedrich Richter

Charity of the Week:
National Dance Institute

Source: https://pamelasmilow.substack.com/p/blog-1...

Images below are clickable and lead to further links…so click away!

Blog No. 155: Wisdom from the Dying, Patti Smith/Sam Shepard Friendship, Vegetarian Chili

December 9, 2023

The Best of The Oprah Show: Wisdom from The Dying

Many of you who know me personally know that I have had a lot of death in my life. Before my husband died suddenly in 2013, I have to say I avoided the subject of death because it terrified me. Since then, after ten years of "research" into the subject of death and dying, I can now say that what used to scare me now gives me comfort.

We all will have experience of death, whether it is confronting our own mortality or losing a close family member or friend. There is no avoiding it. This episode of Oprah Winfrey's television show, The Wisdom of the Dying, may just be of use in helping us know how to approach the subject and talk about it with our loved ones.

I was with my mom the last five days of her life. She wasn't feeling well and got into bed on a Thursday. By Saturday she was no longer talking and was more or less incommunicative. But that afternoon, she started raising her arm (as a ballet dancer would during a pas de bras) and extending her hand to the sky, her eyes opening wide and looking up as if she was seeing something. I often wondered what she was doing and in fact, filmed it to show my sister, who wasn't there, asking her if she had any idea. It wasn't until months later when I talked to a hospice worker who told me it is amazing how many people in their dying days seem to be reaching out to someone or something....

The dying often talk in terms of travel: time to get in line, time to go home, time for a trip, time go get the train...This wise Leonard Cohen talks in those terms in his song Going Home.

Patti Smith/Sam Shepard Friendship

Photo courtesy of ***Rebecca Miller | Credit: FTWP***
***Copyright: Rebecca Miller***

My Buddy: Remembering Sam Shepard on his Birthday
Courtesy The New Yorker --by Patti Smith

Hello everyone,
Today Sam Shepard would have turned 80 years old. So strange to think of him gone, so strange to reconcile the passing of time. I was in my early twenties when I met Sam. Our relationship was like the moon with it’s many phases. In fact we both got tattoos together at the Chelsea Hotel in 1971. Mine was a lightening bolt, his was a crescent moon. When Sam passed away on July 27, 2017 I was on the road. I had only left him some ten days before and the aura of his presence was still with me. I wrote this piece for the New Yorker, and thought perhaps you may like to read it…
—Patti Smith

"…He would call me late in the night from somewhere on the road, a ghost town in Texas, a rest stop near Pittsburgh, or from Santa Fe, where he was parked in the desert, listening to the coyotes howling. But most often he would call from his place in Kentucky, on a cold, still night, where one could hear the stars breathing. Just a late-night phone-call, out of a blue as startling as a canvas by Yves Klein; a blue to get lost in, a blue that might lead anywhere. I’d happily awake, stir up some Nescafe and we’d talk about anything. About the emeralds of Cortez, or the white crosses in Flanders fields, about our kids, or the history of the Kentucky Derby. But mostly we talked about writers and their books. Latin writers. Rudy Wurlitzer. Nabokov. Bruno Schultz.

Gogol was Ukrainian, he once said, seemingly out of nowhere. Only not just any nowhere, but a sliver of a many faceted nowhere, that when lifted in a certain light, become a somewhere. I’d pick up the thread, and we’d improvise into dawn, like two beat-up tenor saxophones, exchanging riffs.

He sent me a message from the mountains of Bolivia, where Matea Gil was shooting Blackthorn. The air was thin up there in the Andes, but he navigated it fine, outlasting, and surely outriding the younger fellows, saddling up no less than five different horses. He said he would bring me back a serape, a black one with rust colored stripes. He sang in those mountains by a bonfire, old songs written by broken men in love with their own vanishing nature. Wrapped in blankets he slept under the stars adrift on Magellanic Clouds.

Sam liked being on the move. He’d throw a fishing rod or an old acoustic guitar in the backseat of his truck, maybe take a dog, but for sure a notebook, and a pen, and a pile of books. He liked packing up and leaving just like that, going West. He liked getting a role that would take him somewhere he really didn’t want to be, but would wind up taking in its strangeness; lonely fodder for future work.

In the winter of 2012 we met up in Dublin, where he received an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from Trinity College. He was often embarrassed by accolades but embraced this one, coming from the same institution where Samuel Beckett walked and studied. He loved Beckett, and had a few pieces of writing, in Beckett’s own hand, framed in the kitchen, along with pictures of his kids. That day we saw the typewriter of Synge and James Joyce’s spectacles, and in the night, we joined musicians at his favorite local pub, the Cobblestone, on the other side of river. As we happily staggered across the bridge he recited reams of Samuel Beckett from the top of his head.

Sam promised me that one day he’d show me the landscape of the southwest, for though well- traveled, I’d not seen much of our own country. But Sam was dealt a whole other hand, stricken with a debilitating affliction. He eventually stopped picking up and leaving. From then on, I visited him and we read and talked, but mostly we worked. Laboring over his last manuscript, he courageously summoned a reservoir of mental stamina, facing each challenge fate apportioned him. His hand, with a crescent moon tattooed between his thumb and forefinger, rested on the table before him. The tattoo was a souvenir from our younger days, mine a lightning bolt on the left knee.

Going over a passage describing the western landscape he suddenly looked up and said, I’m sorry I can’t take you there. I just smiled, for some-how, he had already done just that. Without a word, eyes closed, we tramped through the American desert that rolled out a carpet of many colors- saffron dust, then russet, even the color of green glass, golden greens, and then, suddenly, an almost inhuman blue. Blue sand, I said, filled with wonder. Blue everything, he said, and the songs we sung had a color of their own.

We had our routine: Awake. Prepare for the day. Have coffee, a little grub. Set to work, writing. Then a break, outside, to sit in the Adirondack chairs and look at the land. We didn’t have to talk then, and that is real friendship. Never uncomfortable with silence, which, in its welcome form, is yet an extension of conversation. We knew each other for such a long time. Our ways could not be defined or dismissed with a few words describing a careless youth. We were friends; good or bad, we were just ourselves. The passing of time did nothing but strengthen that. Challenges escalated but we kept going and he finished his work on the manuscript. It was sitting on the table. Nothing was left unsaid. When I departed, Sam was reading Proust.

Long slow days passed. It was a Kentucky night filled with the darting light of fireflies, and the sound of the crickets and choruses of bullfrogs. Sam walked to his bed and lay down and went to sleep, a stoic, noble sleep. A sleep that lead to an unwitnessed moment, as love surrounded him, and breathed the same air. The rain fell when he took his last breath, quietly, just as he would have wished. Sam was a private man. I know something of such men. You have to let them dictate how things go, even to the end.

I was far away, standing in the rain before the sleeping lion of Lucerne, a colossal, noble, stoic lion carved from the rock of a low cliff. The rain fell obscuring tears. I knew I would see Sam again somewhere in the landscape of dream, but at that moment I imagined I was back in Kentucky, with the rolling fields and the creek that widens into a small river. I pictured Sam’s books lining the shelves, his boots lined against the wall, beneath the window where he would watch the horses grazing by the wooden fence. I pictured myself sitting at the kitchen table reaching for that tattooed hand.

A long time ago Sam sent me a letter. A long one, where he told me of a dream he had hoped would never end. He dreams of horses, I told the lion. Fix it for him, will you? Have Big Red waiting for him, a true champion. He won’t need a saddle, he won’t need anything. I headed to the French border, a crescent moon rising in the black sky. I said goodbye to my buddy, calling to him, in the dead of night.

Vegetarian Chili

Recipe courtesy Melissa Clark, Newe York Times Cooking App, photo by Julie Gartland for the New York Times

After a week of rain in the Pacific Northwest including what is now called an atmospheric river for the past three days, this vegetarian chili sure sounds good and cozy...

Ingredients
Yield: 4 servings

FOR THE PICKLED ONIONS
1 lime
1 red onion or shallot, thinly sliced
Large pinch of kosher salt
Small pinch of granulated sugar

FOR THE CHILI
Olive or grapeseed oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, or to taste, minced
1 teaspoon chile powder, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon dried oregano, plus more to taste
2 (15-ounce) cans beans, drained
Kosher salt
Fresh cilantro, diced avocado and sour cream, for garnish (optional)

PREPARATION
Step 1
 Make the pickled onions: Squeeze lime juice into a bowl, and add onion, salt and sugar. Let rest while you make the chili.
Step 2
 Prepare the chili: Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Add the oil. When hot, add onion and sauté until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic, chile powder and oregano and sauté until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Add beans and tomatoes and a few large pinches of salt and let simmer until the tomatoes break down, about 20 minutes.
Step 3
 Taste and add more salt, chile powder and/or oregano to taste. Serve with the pickled onions and any of the garnishes you like.

Painting of the Week

Quote of the Week
“Music acts like a magic key, to which the most tightly closed heart opens.” ― Maria von Trapp

Charity of the Week:
National Dance Institute

Source: https://pamelasmilow.substack.com/p/blog-1...

Blog No. 154: SnowMilk Clothing, ProPublica, David Beaudry

December 2, 2023

SnowMilk

I love New York—you never what is just around the corner. Ran into a popup booth on 32nd Street with wonderful cool clothing by a company called Snowmilk—I already owned one shirt by them that I bought outside the Brooklyn museum last spring. They print on recycled clothing, really cool art work, great colors and often with meaningful quotes.

Founded by musician Doobie Duke Sims who originally had no experience in business, he now employs 11 young people and together they create unique upcycled articles of clothing by printing on gently used jackets, coats, t-shirts, etc. I love their stuff!

I wanted to buy the whole booth but settled on this coat and another cool shirt, sold to me by a very nice person named Tox.

Follow them on instagram and check out their website—everything is for sale and you’ll be supporting young artists and at the same time you will be looking extra hip.

Little did I know I am in good company. Whoopi Goldberg recently wore one of their jackets on The View and Novak Djokovic put on one of their shirts just after winning the US Open.

And if you are on New York, you can find them in person in addition to buying online by going to a few different spots: Chelsea Market @chelseamarketny @artistsandfleas , Union Square @urbanspacemarkets , Columbus Circle, & 32nd & 5th @mardigrasproductions.

Tox wearing one of their colorful jackets

ProPublica

ProPublica is an independent, investigative newsroom that digs deep into issues related to politics, business, criminal justice, the environment, education, health care, immigration, and technology, with the belief that investigative journalism is essential to the sustenance of our democracy. We need them now more than ever!

Founded in 2007, their mission is "to expose abuses of power and betrayals of the public trust by government, business, and other institutions, using the moral force of investigative journalism to spur reform through the sustained spotlighting of wrongdoing." Comprised of approximately 150 editorial staffers, their reporting has contributed to the passage of new laws, reversals of harmful policies and practices, and accountability for leaders at local, state and national levels. Their multi-award winning reporting is responsible for exposing so many wrongs and leads the way where other news media falls short. For a summary of some of these stories they have published that have major impact, click here.

The Plot to Overturn the Election,” a collaboration with PBS’ FRONTLINE, won the news documentary category of the Edward R. Murrow Award in 2022 and has been responsible for informing legislators, prosecutors, and the public in the myriad of ways the Republican party has corrupted our election process.

David Beaudry

Who knew that David Beaudry, our host in Seattle (along with his beautiful wife Karen) and an ophthalmologist by profession, was not only an amazing Seattle eye doctor but also had a hidden secret life as an artist. He comes at it honestly—his mom was an incredibly talented painter and he always found a way to keep his creativity alive over the years, mostly by his mastery of the culinary arts. I can attest to that by the amazing meal he made for us last night!

I am a believer that everyone is capable of creating, whether it be in the kitchen, by sewing, drawing, playing music, building a sand castle... For me this capability is the beauty and essence of our souls.

David's daughter Sarah gave him this small blank journal book last year for Christmas—A Sketch A Day—and he took up the challenge. I was amazed at so many of his drawings that I had to include some of them here…David draws what he knows: landmarks from Seattle, the city he calls home, everyday objects around the house, the nature that surrounds him...

David has a lot of other passions including tennis, fly fishing, gardening and golf. He is also an avid bread maker and has perfected his Joanne Chang's marvelous multigrain sourdough (he's renamed it birdseed sourdough) over the years...

Painting of the Week

Head, mixed media on paper, 30” x 22” $1500

Quote of the Week
“Music is the divine way to tell beautiful, poetic things to the heart.” ― Pablo Casals

Charity of the Week:
ProPublica

To quote their website: “ProPublica is an independent, nonprofit newsroom that produces investigative journalism with moral force. We dig deep into important issues, shining a light on abuses of power and betrayals of public trust — and we stick with those issues as long as it takes to hold power to account.”

Source: https://pamelasmilow.substack.com/p/blog-1...

Blog No. 153: Tyler Henry's Brain, Pádraig Ó Tuama Poems, Gordon Lightfoot Tribute

November 24, 2023

Tyler Henry's Brain Scan

This is truly fascinating in my opinion! Tyler Henry is one of the most well kmown mediums of our day and Dr. Drew set out to have a look at his brain while Tyler was doing a reading of someone to see what kinds of activity were present in his brain. The results are truly amazing and indicate something highly unusual is going on in his brain...

Watch this video to see Tyler Henry in action reading Steve-O and what the activity in his brain indicates.

Tyler is the star of a reality show entitled Life After Death. If you are interested, here is an episode from that Netflix show

Pádraig Ó Tuama Poems

How did I miss this guy? Pádraig O’Tuama. Wow, what a beautiful person, a poet, an Irish theologian, a reconciliation mediator. Poetry and storytelling in in his blood, as it is to many Irish people who grew up with exposure to poetry from an early age. Here is a beautiful poem that just struck me...

THE FACTS OF LIFE
That you were born
 and you will die.
That you will sometimes love enough
 and sometimes not.
That you will lie
 if only to yourself.
That you will get tired.
That you will learn most from the situations
 you did not choose.
That there will be some things that move you
 more than you can say.
That you will live
 that you must be loved.
That you will avoid questions most urgently in
need of your attention.
That you began as the fusion of a sperm and an egg
 of two people who once were strangers
 and may well still be.
That life isn’t fair.
 That life is sometimes good
 and sometimes better than good.
That life is often not so good.
That life is real
 and if you can survive it, well,
 survive it well
 with love
 and art
 and meaning given
 where meaning’s scarce.
That you will learn to live with regret.
 That you will learn to live with respect.
That the structures that constrict you
 may not be permanently constraining.
That you will probably be okay.
That you must accept change
 before you die
 but you will die anyway.
So you might as well live
 and you might as well love.
 You might as well love.
 You might as well love
— Pádraig Ó Tuama, from Sorry For Your Troubles

HOW TO BELONG/BE ALONE
Written by Pádraig Ó Tuama
Listen
It all begins with knowing
 nothing lasts forever,
 so you might as well start packing now.
 In the meantime,
 practice being alive.
There will be a party
 where you’ll feel like
 nobody’s paying you attention.
 And there will be a party
 where attention’s all you’ll get.
 What you need to do
 is to remember
 to talk to yourself
 between these parties.
And,
 again,
 there will be a day,
 — a decade —
 where you won’t
 fit in with your body
 even though you’re in
 the only body you’re in.
You need to control
 your habit of forgetting
 to breathe.
Remember when you were younger
 and you practiced kissing on your arm?
 You were on to something then.
 Sometimes harm knows its own healing
 Comfort knows its own intelligence.
 Kindness too.
 It needs no reason.
There is a you
 telling you another story of you.
 Listen to her.
Where do you feel
 anxiety in your body?
 The chest? The fist? The dream before waking?
 The head that feels like it’s at the top of the
swing
 or the clutch of gut like falling
 & falling & falling and falling
 It knows something: you’re dying.
 Try to stay alive.
For now, touch yourself.
 I’m serious.
Touch your
 self.
 Take your hand
 and place your hand
 some place
 upon your body.
 And listen
 to the community of madness
 that
 you are.
 You are
 such an
 interesting conversation.
You belong
 here.

Krista Tippett had a gentle conversation with Pádraig Ó Tuama in 2017. Amazingly apropos to this day about conflict resolution...

Tom DiMenna & Eddie Holm: Gordon Lightfoot Tribute

Gordon Lightfoot died this past year—perhaps the biggest Canadian folksinger of all time (Leonard Cohen is his only serious competition in my opinion). I have always been a big fan of Lightfoot and his music brings me back to my teenage years and youth in general.

I spent last weekend being a groupie and going to a concert of my friends Tom DiMenna and Eddie Holm in New Hampshire, who have joined forces as a Lightfoot tribute band. Tom is a wonderful guitar player and singer and Eddie accompanies him beautifully on bass guitar. Their sounds meld so well as they perform much of Lightfoot's catalogue, including all our favorites.

Below are a few short clips of the concert at the St. Kieran Community Center in Berlin, NH for your enjoyment. Please check them out and help them grow their circle by following them on instagram, youtube, facebook and on Tom DiMenna's website too… If you like what you hear, please feel free to share with friends too. I always try to help people get more exposure for what they do well…

Tom and Eddie will be performing again on January 19th in Belfast, Maine at the Basil Burwell Community Theater and on January 20th at the Rex Theatre in Manchester, New Hampshire, if you happen to be in the vicinity.

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, probably the most well-known song of Gordon Lightfoot

Gordon Lightfoot’s Race Among the Ruins

Love this Gordon Lightfoot song Steel Rail Blues

Sundown written by Gordon Lightfoot

Foot tapping to Gordon Lightfoot’s Rainy Day People

Painting of the Week

Quote of the Week
"Most of our lives we live closed up in ourselves, with a longing not to be alone, to include others in that life that is invisible and intangible. To make it visible and tangible, we need light and material, any material."
--Anni Albers

Charity of the Week:
Doctor's Without Borders

Source: https://pamelasmilow.substack.com/p/blog-1...

Blog No. 152: A Conversation with Heather Cox Richardson, Carolyn Doelling on Aging, Collard Greens for Thanksgiving

November 17, 2023

A Conversation with Heather Cox Richardson

She's brilliant. There is no two ways about it. Heather Cox Richardson knows her history inside out. Boston College professor, prolific author, publisher of the nightly current events newsletter Letters from an American, she needs no notes, total date recall, no confusion about who did what and when—-not just recent history but way back too….I have said it before and will say it again. Heather Cox Richardson is a national treasure and as our country's history professor, is singlehandedly elevating our knowledge and consciousness of our American history. “Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it”—Edmund Burke
And on the more hopeful side, a quote from Mahatma Ghandi: "Remember that all through history, there have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they seem invincible. But in the end, they always fall. Always."

Her latest book Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America is out and she wrote it to read like short essays you can read in segments before bed. As part of her book tour, here is a conversation she had with fellow historian T.J. Stiles at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco at the beginning of November.

Carolyn Doelling on Aging

74 Year Old Model Proves Age is Just a Number

I've written about Carolyn Doelling before but she never ceases to amaze me so here she is again in an interview on The Grio.

After retiring from a career in corporate philanthropy and fundraising, as an older woman Carolyn felt invisible. She fell into modeling after voicing those feelings to a local clothing boutique owner, who asked her if she would be interested in modeling for them. Carolyn agreed and soon realized that this could become a platform for her to advocate for older women (and men too) to take on new challenges, to let go of the fear of aging, and the idea that it is never too late to reinvent and reboot oneself. She also started dressing differently, adding a lot more bold colors to her wardrobe, a reflection on an attitude change to counter the feeling of invisibility. It worked! Doelling shows us that adding years to our lives doesn't mean we are over the hill--leading by example that success can come to and in all shapes, sizes, and ages, and that it is never too late to seize the day.

Collard Greens for Thanksgiving

This simple collard green recipe is a nice addition to any heavy Thanksgiving meal and can serve as a healthy antidote and cleanse to all the traditional Turkey day fare.

STIR-FRIED COLLARDS
Recipe from Yung Chow Adapted by Joan Nathan, courtesy of the New York Times Cooking app.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings
INGREDIENTS

3 bunches tender collard greens (2½ to 3 pounds total)
Salt
2 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
6 garlic cloves, chopped
A few grinds of black pepper
2 to 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
½teaspoon granulated sugar

PREPARATION
Step 1
 Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Have a bowl of ice water ready. Wash and trim the greens, and cut into 2-by-3-inch pieces. Blanch in batches in the boiling water for 1 minute (begin counting after the water returns to a boil), then immediately transfer to the bowl of ice water. Drain well. Lift the greens up by handfuls and squeeze out the excess water, then spread out on a kitchen towel and pat dry.
Step 2
 Heat a wok or skillet over high heat (medium-high if you have a powerful stove), then season with salt and let it brown lightly. Add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and stir until lightly browned. Add the greens and pepper and stir-fry for about 1 minute. Stir in 2 tablespoons oyster sauce and the sugar, then taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve immediately.

Painting of the Week

Charity of the Week:
Doctor's Without Borders

Source: https://pamelasmilow.substack.com/p/blog-1...

Blog No. 151: Gabor Maté and the Situation in the Middle East, Me and Bobbie McGee, Human and Animal Connections

November 11, 2023

Gabor Maté and the Situation in the Middle East

Like many of us, I am trying to make sense of the events in the Middle East since the atrocity that took place in Israel on October 7th and for that reason I have hesitated to write about it…The issues are so charged on so many levels. So hard to sort out this very difficult and complex situation, which is replete with complicated history and emotions running so high.

My college roommate Claudia referred me to this conversation between Gabor Maté and his daughter Hannah that took place on October 28th, 2023. His thoughts make a lot of sense to me. Maté is a Hungarian/Canadian Jewish physician and author, a leader and expert in his field of adddiction, childhood development and trauma, and a Holocaust survivor himself whose grandparents were put to death in Auschwitz. He has dedicated a lot of his energy for much of his life attempting to improve Israeli Palestinian relations.

As Maté states, "It is almost impossible to speak about it without emotion—it doesn't matter which side you are on. It just brings up so much history, so much pain and frankly so much trauma that it is difficult for us to engage with the rational parts of our minds when our emotions are so overwhelming in the light of such devastating events."

"Nothing will justify anything that happened on October 7th because that is not justifiable. But at the same time, if our intention is to move forward, to create some basis for peace, we have to be able to understand the experience of the other…" No easy feat when emotions run so high…and the pain is so deep…

"When we are emotional and only emotional our perspective narrows. It becomes defensive and we get consumed by self defense and attack. Understandable but that doesn't lead to peace…what leads to peace is a willingness to understand the experience of the other and for us to to be guided by the parts of our brain that are adult… and that happens in the mid frontal cortex where empathy insight compassion and self awareness are modulated."

For Maté the essential question comes down to this: Are we going to move forward or are we simply going to repeat the traumatization and tragedy of the decades? I think this talk is worth listening to and considering…

Me and Bobby McGee

Always loved this song--many of us did, judging by the amount of musicians that covered it--everyone from Willie Nelson, The Grateful Dead and Gordon Lightfoot to name a few. What i didn't realize is that although Janis Joplin was the one who made it famous, it was Kris Kristofferson who wrote it along with music producer Fred Foster...

Below you will find several of my favorite versions of the song, beginning with my number one, Janis Joplin's classic and probably her most famous song, which sadly came out posthumously just a few days after Joplin's death. Kris Kristofferson, who was at one point Joplin's lover, did not even know himself that it was to be included on her album Pearl until it was released.

Janis Joplin's version, Me and Bobby McGee

I discovered this wonderful version by these four greats: Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, Gordon Lightfoot, and Ronnie Hawkins.

Here's a nice duet with Sheryl Crow and Kris Kristofferson

The Highwaymen version by country greats Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson

And the simple gem of a version by Gordon Lightfoot

This is the first version Kristofferson originally gave to Roger Miller to perform. .

The song was actually based on a true story of a crush Foster had on a secretary named Bobbie McGee. Here is the history.

The Highwaymen ***Johnny Cash***, ***Waylon Jennings***, ***Willie Nelson**, and*** ***Kris Kristofferson***.

Humann and Animal Connections

I found this video above on social media and halfway through it, it occurred to me that not only do we underestimate animals but maybe our fear reaction not only alienates us from the animal kingdom but also spurs a fear reaction on the part of animals. The man in this video is just sitting there quietly observing, remaining calm, and the bear he has known for so long approaches gently with no malice. I am not telling you to go out there and try it yourself--this man obviously had a long term relationship with this particular mother bear but it just made me wonder....When I think of my personal reaction to bats, bears, and other wild animals I might encounter, I know I give off vibes of fear....and we all know that animals defintely can smell that.

I went in search of other unusual stories of close bonds between humans and other animals that we as humans would usually avoid and discovered this amazing video below

Painting of the Week

Old Crow Medicine Show mixed media on canvas 55” x 55” $8500

Quote of the Week:

"It is okay to be heartbroken for more than one group of people at the same time.
--Anonymous"

Charity of the Week:
Doctor's Without Borders

Source: https://pamelasmilow.substack.com/p/blog-1...

Blog No. 150: Artist Tomas Saraceno, Dolphin Communication, Ted Lasso and Mr. Rogers (Copy)

November 5, 2023

Tomas Saraceno

Hot Air Balloon made out of recycled plastic bags

Solar powered hot air ballon with a message:

I took this photo above of my late husband Gert many years ago at the Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen and it has always been one of my favorite photos of him. At the time I probably knew the name of the artist who created the translucent sphere with live plants but forgot it and often wondered who he was. Well, I just came across a photo of a really cool hot air balloon made of recycled plastic bags and looked up who made it and realized it was one and the same artist I had loved so many years ago from the biosphere exhibition.

His name is Tomas Saraceno and he is from Argentina. He is one of the most interesting artists I have come across, combining his profound interest in nature and how we as humans interact with it on our small planet. His multidisciplinary art is both cerebral and down to earth and is very hard to categorize as he is truly an original thinker. His subjects cross disciplines and include but are not restricted to explorations of cities in the sky, nature and our interconnectedness, vibrations, climate justice and air pollution to name a few.

Saraceno had an exhibition recently at the Serpentine Galleries in London where he explored his fascination with spiders and their webs. "Spiders are essentially blind, at least according to human standards. This, however, does not stop them to create an image of the world through the tremors they send and receive through their webs,” he remarks. "A spider-web is more than a specialized instrument for transmitting seismic signals, it is “an extension of the spider’s body, it is the embodied cognition of its mind. Through it, spiders can orient themselves and communicate with other species.”

Saraceno knows that humans are not separate from the climate of the world and in fact, his interest in spiders has a lot to do with their webs, which he sees as integral and inseparable from the spider itself, just as we humans he sees as interconnected to the earth. This is the overall message he wants to convey as he sounds the alarm on climate change.

If you want to dive deeper, here is another interview with Saraceno on The Art of Noticing.

Coolest spider web I ever saw (in Nosara, Costa Rica)

Dolphin Communication

Here is an adorable video that caught my eye involving a young toddler and a dolphin in an aquarium…. Thought it might bring you some joy…

Dolphins have always been one of my favorite animals ever since I was a kid. It probably started with he tv show Flipper, which my sister and I absolutely loved, but it went way beyond that…and I have always thought that humans were anything but superior beings in the animal kingdom. I read a book How Smart Are Animals when I was six or seven and then I remember being fascinated by Margaret Lovatt and her experiment in Gregory Bateson's lab in the Caribbean, where she actually lived with a dolphin in a waterproofed upper floor of a lab, flooding the indoor rooms with a couple feet of water. Her bed was elevated slightly above the water and would allow the dolphin to live comfortably in the building with her for three months.

Click to hear a short documentary on human’s attempt to communicate with dolphins.

Recent sightings of dolphins in southern California, home to nearly 450,000 common dolphins.

Lessons from Ted Lasso and Mr. Rogers

THINGS I'VE LEARNED FROM TED LASSO

1. "Be Curious, not judgmental."

2. "Doing the right thing is never the wrong thing."

3. "I have a really tricky time hearing folks that don't believe in themselves."

4. "Change isn't about trying to be perfect. Perfection sucks. Perfect is boring.

5. You know what the happiest animal on earth is? It's a goldfish. It has a 10-second memory. Be a goldfish."

6. "For me, success is not about the wins and losses. It's about helping these young fellas be the best versions of themselves on and off the field."

7. I think that if you care about someone and you get a little love in your heart, there ain't nothing you can't get through together."

8. I think that you might be so sure that you're one in a million that sometimes you forget that out there, you're just one of 11." (about teamwork)

9. "Taking on a challenge is a lot like riding a horse, isn't it? If you're comfortable while you are doing it, you're probably doing it wrong."

10. I promise you there is something worse out there than being sad, and that's being alone and sad. Ain't no one in this room (world) alone."

WISDOM FROM MR. ROGERS

"All of us, at some time or other, need help. Whether we're giving or receiving help, each one of us has something valuable to bring to this world. That's one of the things that connects us as neighbors—in our own way, each one of us is a giver and a receiver."

"Anyone who does anything to help a child in his life is a hero."

"As human beings, our job in life is to help people realize how rare and valuable each one of us really is, that each of us has something that no one else has or ever will have something inside that is unique to all time. It's our job to encourage each other to discover that uniqueness and to provide ways of developing its expression."

“When we love a person, we accept him or her exactly as is: the lovely with the unlovely, the strong with the fearful, the true mixed in with the façade, and of course, the only way we can do it is by accepting ourselves that way."

t's good to be curious about many things.”

"Discovering the truth about ourselves is a lifetime's work, but it's worth the effort."

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping."

"The thing I remember best about successful people I've met all through the years is their obvious delight in what they're doing and it seems to have very little to do with worldly success. They just love what they're doing, and they love it in front of others."

To watch Ted Lasso from the beginning.

On one of the last days of my sister Judy Smilow's life, she wanted to spend the afternoon with me and she decided to go to the movies to see this film A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. We sat holding hands, laughed and cried, and it will always hold a special place in my heart.

Painting of the Week

Back working in my beautiful Maine studio on the ocean. work in progress…

Song of the Week:
Where is the Love by the Black Eyed Peas

Charity of the Week:
Doctor's Without Borders

Source: https://pamelasmilow.substack.com/p/blog-1...

Blog No. 150: Artist Tomas Saraceno, Dolphin Communication, Ted Lasso and Mr. Rogers

October 28, 2023

Tomas Saraceno

Dolphin Communication

Click to hear a short documentary on human’s attempt to communicate with dolphins.

Lessons from Ted Lasso and Mr. Rogers

Painting of the Week

Song of the Week:
Where is the Love by the Black Eyed Peas

Charity of the Week:
Doctor's Without Borders

Blog No. 148: Julia Louis-Dreyfus Wiser Than Me, A Little Lift and Songs of Peace, Wahat al-Salam-Neve Shalom

October 21, 2023

Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Wiser Than Me

Photo courtesy of ***Ryan Pfluger and August Image***

Women are wise. We all know that. And older women are even wiser. So says me and so says Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who has dedicated a new podcast to exactly that subject…Beginning in April of 2023, through her podcast Wiser Than Me, she has conducted interviews with such luminaries as Isabel Allende, Fran Liebowitz, Ruth Reichl, Jane Fonda, Diane Furstenberg, and Amy Tan, to name a few. Take your pick of any of these conversations-—they are all good! I especially like the Isabel Allende one for her openness and honesty and the Ruth Reichl one for her descriptions about food and what she says about perfection.

A Little Lift and
Songs of Peace

In light of all the horrors occurring around us, and because we all need a little lift and a laugh from time to time, here are a few things that should definitely raise your spirits, even if it is just temporary. If you click on one thing, don't miss clicking on Lipstick--if that doesn't make you laugh, nothing will.....

And here is a small selection of songs for peace:

Pride (In the Name of Love)
U2 Bono

Give Me Love
by George Harrison

Imagine
John Lennon

Peace Like a River
Dolly Parton and Dionne Warwick

Wahat al-Salam – Neve Shalom

Poster designed by Hunterwasser to raise funds for the village.

Being busy working hard in California, I hardly had time to be glued to the awful news coming out of the Middle East these past couple weeks--and am only now catching up and realizing the depth and breadth of the horror that is occurring in Israel and Gaza. It felt too important to ignore writing about it but I struggled to find the words to describe all the emotions swimming in my head around this conflict. When I asked a wise friend if she could recommend an article I might cite in my blog about the subject, she suggested I write about Neve Shalom/Wāħat as-Salām, a village half way between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, whose name and mission stands for "oasis of peace."

Founded by Egyptian born Father Bruno Hussar, Neve Shalom/Wahat as-Salam is comprised of 70 jewish and arab families, in hopes of creating a model and context in which peace is possible. In Hussar's own words; "We had in mind a small village composed of inhabitants from different communities in the country. Jews, Christians and Muslims would live there in peace, each one faithful to his own faith and traditions, while respecting those of others. Each would find in this diversity a source of personal enrichment."

It is the residents' hope that it can be a model for a different kind of future. And since it all starts with our children, the stories emanating from NSWaS and its school provide a glimpse of what might be...The young children of the primary school have yet to be tainted by hatred and historical grievances. "They epitomise the potential to rise above ethnic and national origins, underscoring the importance of liberating ourselves from our own biases."

Though nothing is perfect, I hope this offers a glimpse of what might be...

Photo of the Week

This is a part of a series of photographs I took while visiting Dachau, one of the first concentration camps built by the Nazis in Germany. It serves here as a reminder that anti-semitism is alive and well and we must do everything in our power to combat it as well as all other forms of hate that exist throughout the world…

Charity of the Week:
Doctor's Without Borders

Blog No. 147: Andrew Speier Firefighter, Tips for a Better Life, Chicken Spinach Stew

October 13, 2023

I’m still in the Bay Area with a big selection of my art and available also for private appointments through Tuesday. If you happen to be in the Berkeley/Albany area, you can contact me for details to come to my last home show Sunday afternoon. You can reach me by phone 917-239-3789 or by email at pamsmilow@me.com for details.

Andrew Speier Firefighter

The bicycle drawing I gave him circa 1970 which he uncovered in a move and which prompted him to look me up.

Andrew and fellow firefighters working in the pit after 9/11.

I recently got reacquainted with an my old friend, Andrew Speier, who goes back to our early teenage years when we were both involved with American Youth Hostels bicycle trips (AYH)—we continued a friendship afterwards around riding our bikes to crazy places. Most memorable for me was riding down from Westchester and across the George Washington Bridge. Andrew was a bicycle fanatic then and today, some fifty odd years later, he still is!

Turns out Andrew did a lot of things in between our AYH days and now, including choosing a brave and heroic profession as a firefighter. He became a firefighter in the Pacific Northwest in 1977 while attending the Evergreen State College in Olympia. He worked for the New York Fire Department from 1985 until 1991 in midtown Manhattan on Engine 54, Ladder 4 and Battalion 9.

His company was one of those to respond to the events of September 11, 2001. He found out later that day that all of his fellow firefighters from the 9th Battalion were missing (and tragically he found out later had perished). So, true to form as the helper that he is, he got on a plane and two days later was digging in the pile, trying to uncover survivors. He stayed for a month doing that hard and heroic work. Andrew kept a compelling diary of his experiences then and an article was also written about his experiences in those early days after the tragedy—it originally appeared in Fire and Rescue Magazine and I share both with you here.

Andrew continues to do this heroic work in Washington State as Battalion Chief with the McLane-Black Lake Fire Department in Olympia, Washington.

Andrew today as Battalion Chief and Rescue Instructor in Washington State.

Andrew and his lovely wife Renee and two friends at the end of their Buffalo/NYC bike ride October 2023

Simple Tips for a Better Life

Everyone has ideas about how to live your best life. I thought I would include some of these tips from notable people here.

My favorite is the advice of Mark Twain

Deepak Chopra had some good ideas too about life.

And Henry Miller, although he talks more specfically about writing, has some good tips about living a creative lifestyle...

Chicken Spinach Potato Stew

LEMONY GREEK CHICKEN SPINACH STEW
by Sarah Di Gregorio
Courtesy NYTimes Cooking

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 red or yellow onion, finely chopped
8 large garlic cloves, smashed and finely chopped
1½ teaspoons coarse kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 pound ground chicken
1 heaping tablespoon roughly chopped fresh rosemary (leaves of about 1 large sprig)
or 1½ teaspoons dried rosemary
1½ teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
Black pepper
1½ pounds Yukon gold potatoes (about 3 medium), scrubbed and chopped into ½-inch chunks
6 cups chicken broth
Juice of 1 large lemon (about ¼ cup juice)
1 (8-ounce) bunch mature spinach, stems included, chopped, or 1½ cups frozen leaf spinach
¼ to ⅓ cup lightly packed roughly chopped dill
Crumbled feta and crushed pita chips, for topping

INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1
In a large pot or Dutch oven, warm the oil over high heat. Add the onion, garlic and salt and cook, stirring, until the onion and garlic are softened and just starting to brown, 5 minutes. (Decrease the heat to medium-high if necessary to prevent scorching.)
Step 2
Decrease the heat to medium-high and add the chicken, rosemary, oregano, red-pepper flakes and several generous grinds of black pepper. Cook, breaking up the chicken into crumbles, until the meat starts to lose its translucent pinkness and is turning white, about 2 minutes. Add the potatoes and stir well to combine. Add the chicken broth and half the lemon juice, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom. Bring to a rolling boil and then lower the heat to maintain a very brisk simmer. Simmer until the potatoes are nearly tender, 15 minutes. Step 3
Add the spinach and dill, to taste. Continue to simmer briskly until the potatoes are tender, about 5 minutes more. Taste and add some or all of the remaining lemon juice, as well as more salt and pepper, if desired. Serve in bowls topped with feta and crushed pita chips

Painting of the Week

The bicycle drawing I gave Andrew Speier circa 1970.

Charity of the Week:
Doctor's Without Borders

Blog No. 146: Alain de Botton on Love, Jimmy Carter Guinea Worm Eradication, Autumn Song Playlist

October 8, 2023

I’m in California, criss crossing the state through October 17th. Let me know if you want to see some of my new work. I am doing shows in San Diego/La Jolla and the Bay Area and am also available also for private appointments. You can reach me by phone 917-239-3789 or by email at pamsmilow@me.com for details.

Alain de Botton on Love

I don't know about but it seems that everywhere I turn there is another podcast, article, or talk about relationships: the secrets of successful connections, how to get along better, the ingredients of a successful marriage and how to define and find love...Something we humans all tend to seek...Maybe it is because we are so little connected these days since we are all so busy on our phones...

For a definitive discourse on the subject, I looked to an On Being interview that Krista Tippett conducted with Alain de Botton, Swiss-born British author, public speaker and founder of The School of Life, The interview is entitled The True Hard Work of Love and Relationships." To quote him, "Love is a painful poignant touching attempt by two flawed individuals to try and meet each other's needs in situations of gross uncertainty and ignorance about who they are and who the other person is but we are going to do our best…that is a much more generous starting point…"

On the ancient Greeks and their pedagogical view of love: "One of the greatest insults that you can level at a lover in the modern world apparently is to say "i want to change you." The ancient Greeks had a view of love which was essentially based around education. "Love is a benevolent process where two people try and teach each other how to become the best versions of themselves…They are committed to increasing the admiral characteristics…"

A lot of wisdom here. Well worth the listen or the read...

Jimmy Carter and Guinea Worms

Always nice to hear a success story, especially when it involves a wonderful former president who just turned 99 and the end of a terrible, extremely painful disease. Through the Carter Center, Jimmy Carter has dedicated his life after his presidency to doing good on so many levels, including his work on human rights, tropical disease eradication, world peace and his most notable work with Habitat for Humanity.

Since 1986, The Carter Center has led the international campaign to eradicate Guinea Worm disease, an extremely painful and debilitating disease that at that time afflicted 3.5 million people in Africa and Asia. Working closely with ministries of health and local communities, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and many others, to date the worldwide count of Guinea Worm cases is now down to an astonishing 6!

Autumn Songs

Here is a nice playlist of some of my favorite songs to welcome the Autumn Season...

Simon and Garfunkel Leaves That Are Green

The Mamas and the Papas California Dreamin/

Painting of the Week

Midnight Moon, mixed media on canvas, 54” x 84” $8500

Charity of the Week:
Robin Hood Foundation

“Robin Hood is New York City’s largest poverty-fighting organization. We support low-income families by building and fueling the most impactful nonprofits across all five boroughs that are elevating people from poverty.
***Over three decades, we’ve invested more than $3B in New York City to ensure low-income families are on pathways needed to realize economic mobility.”***

Blog No. 145: Stolpersteine and Hannah Goldrich, Cassidy Hutchinson, Barbara Streisand Sings Avinu Malkeinu

September 30, 2023

Hannah Goldrich and Stolpersteine

Stolpersteine (Stumbling Blocks) in Germany

The German artist Gunter Demnig's work has always combined art, performance and provocation in public spaces and his most notable project to date has been the manufacturing and laying of stolpersteine (stumbling blocks--small brass memorial plaques placed in the pavement of Germany and other countries across Europe to commemorate the victims of Nazi persecution). Those honored include Jews, Romani people, LGBTQ+ people, the disabled----all those persecuted for their religious, political and social beliefs under the reign of Hitler's National Socialist Party.

An old and dear family friend Hannah Goldrich and her family recently travelled to Heilbronn, Germany (also my mother's hometown) to lay stolpersteine for her relatives who were such victims. Her hometown newspaper, The Eugene (Oregon) Weekly published an article about her life and her return to Germany to lay the brass commemorative stones. Hannah's parents, Max and Trude Victor were responsible for my family's living in Usonia, the cooperative community where I grew up (they knew my mother back in Germany), and they were a major influence on me. I look to the way they lived their life as a model of how I want to live mine...with their love of art, design and culture. To this day I fashion my life on the old school European cultured way they showed me growing up.

Gunter Demnig, artist and creator of the stolpersteine

Cassidy Hutchinson

Enough, tell all book released Monday 9/25/2023

I don't usually get into politics here but if there is a hero amongst us, it is 25-year old Cassidy Hutchinson who is wise and gutsy way beyond her years. Nor am I often in awe of a conservative card carrying republican but she is one with integrity, single-handedly standing up for what she considers right and the truth against very strong powers to be. Hard to believe she is was only 24 years old when she testified before the January 6th committee..

She has a new book out called Enough (if they had asked me, I would have named it GUTS!). I listened to it on tape nonstop since it came out on Monday--couldn't put it down. If you want a true insider guide to what really went on behind closed doors in Trump's White House, this is the book...It's chilling! and Cassidy Hutchinson is a true patriot for coming forward against very serious threats...If our democracy is saved, I attribute a lot of the rescue to her....

Barbara Streisand sings Avinu Malkeinu

You don’t have to be Jewish to bask in the beauty of this song….

Thought this was apropos of the Jewish New Year, especially after Yom Kippur when some among us take stock and atone for our sins...Israel is in the fight for their life as a democracy and what is going on there can just break anyone's heart.. .I'm taking you back to better days of hope with Barbra Streisand's beautiful singing of Avinu Malkeinu for Simon Peres (1923-2016), his favorite song, in 2014. It asks God to have compassion for us and our children and to help bring an end to war and famine and cause all hate and oppression to vanish from this earth.... Hope for peace, justice and democracy--we all need that right now.

Let's not give up on the dream!

Painting of the Week

Charity of the Week:
Robin Hood Foundation

Blog No. 144: The Soul of Money, Creative Shopping Bags, Taking to the Streets

September 23, 2023

The Soul of Money

I can't believe I hadn't heard of this book...The Soul of Money by Lynne Twist was written in 2003 and reissued again in 2017 but it is just as relevant today as it was back then...In it, through great storytelling of her myriad experiences all over the world trying to combat world hunger, Twist explores the pervasiveness of money in our culture, the ideas behind scarcity and sufficiency, our attitudes towards "poor people" and how with a shift in perspective, aligning money with soul, one can actually manifest one's most soulful interests and commitments in an arena where profound and lasting transformation could occur. . Twist believes that when we let go of trying to get more of what you don't really need, which is what we are all trying to get more of, it frees up immense energy to make a difference with what you have. It is a must read! Don't just leave it to me or my friend Eddie who recommended it after a conversation we had about money. Below are a few more notable recommendations about this transformational and inspirational book:

"To anyone who wants to transform their lives and the world, I give this book my highest recommendation.
--Deepak Chopra

I want to warn you, your life will not be the same after you pick up this book. The Soul of Money delivers a message that will move, inspire, and touch your soul so deeply that you will not be able to live your life in the same way."
--Paul Dolan, President Fetzer Vineyards

"Lynne Twist's eloquent book, The Soul of Money, is an indispensable resource for all those interested in transforming their relationship with money and its influence in their lives..."
Charles Garfield, Univ. of California Medical School, SF

Lynne Twist is a global activist and has been her whole life. She has taken it upon herself, through her work with The Hunger Project and her organization The Soul of Money Institute, to tackle many of the world's deepest problems, fighting to end the scourge of world hunger, alleviate poverty, empower the status of women and girls, and work towards environmental sustainability and social justice. She definitely is one of our unsung heroes...

Shopping Bags

As a wonderful graphic designer, my friend Jill Korostoff has a knack for finding cool and clever visuals to put a smile on our faces...Have a look at these creative and different takes on mundane shopping bags. They made me smile...

Taking to the Streets

I grew up with a German mom that escaped Nazi Germany in the nick of time. She got out late but she was one of the lucky ones who did. I grew up haunted with the question of how something like that could have happened, how the people either didn't see it coming or did and just wanted to believe nothing would come of it...

What worries me a lot these days is that we are just sitting ducks, watching our democracy taken away from us right before our eyes, and we just think it can't happen...I've been screaming for a while, asking where are the organizers, why aren't they demanding we take to the streets. Demonstrations I believe helped stop the Vietnam War. Civil disobedience does work. Boycotts do too. Why, now of all times with climate armgeddon on the horizon and democracy in America in grave peril are we just sitting there...

Well, this past weekend we did show up in the streets en masse. It was climate Week here in NYC and the UN General Assembly is in session so many world leaders were in town...And 75,000 of us came out to demand the end to fossil fuels. It was envigorating, inspiring and gave me renewed hope...Let's make it a habit. God knows there is enough to protest about...

Painting of the Week

“We See Trees” mixed media on canvas 54” x 80”

Charity of the Week:
Jane Fonda's Climate Pac

***“I started Jane Fonda Climate PAC, which is laser-focused on one goal: Do what it takes to defeat fossil fuel supporters and elect climate champions at all levels of government.***
***I believe this is the most important thing I will do in my lifetime.”***

Blog No. 143: Biko's Manna, Roz Chast I Must Be Dreaming, Alison Mesrop Caterer

September 16, 2023

Biko's Manna

I came across Biko's Manna, these three adorable and very talented kids straight out of Johannesburg, South Africa while fishing around instagram. The three siblings come from a long line of musicians and have been playing music for most of their lives. They have gone viral--they are all over instagram, tiktok and youtube. Their enthusiasm and good humor is contagious--a pure joy to watch: Biko has a beautiful, resonating voice and she is accompanied by her brother Manna. Her younger brother Mfundo picks up the slack with background dancing and a big broad smile...

Here are a few videos where you can see and hear them in action. In fact, they are just straight off a tour in the United States. If you have any doubt about their talent and the sheer range of their abilities, listen to their virtual concert below. And if this leads you to want more, search social media--they are all over it.

Roz Chast I Must Be Dreaming

I've always considered myself kind of an outsider in the way I think--I usually go against common knowledge and the way many people feel about things... As an example, I encouraged my daughter not to take AP classes in high school--she was already on overload with school and track and I felt sleep was more important than loading up on college credentials. I didn't go to art school because art is something very hard to teach--I was highly motivated and didn't need the push and didn't want to be heavily influenced by someone else's aesthetic. As a painter, for my career I operated outside of the traditional art world. It just never felt like my people...

So this is probably why I love Roz Chast--she has an unbelievable sense of my kind of humor, is an unconventional thinker and is honest about it and not afraid to show her vulnerability. And that's why I am so excited that she has a new book out--I Must Be Dreaming--it is going straight to my birthday list! I always want to hear her take on things--and it is on one of my favorite subjects: dreams...

If, like me, you want to find out more about her, here is a great interview she gave to the Paris Review back in the summer of 2021. It is a long one but well worth sticking to. In it she explains her creative method, her approach to "art" and I love the way she avoids pretension like the plague... And here is her most recent interview from the New York Times about her new book...

Alison Mesrop Caterer

There are some caterers in New York that fall under the radar and Alison Mesrop is one of those...she is a superstar in the world of delicious food and she serves a large population of very famous people but quietly. I love her cooking and every time I have a party, I turn to her. Her menus are delicious, abundant and innovative...and she takes the stress out of any gathering one might have, whether it is a small dinner thing or a large wedding or other huge event...I share with you a couple of my favorite of her dishes, complete with recipes...

Ali can be reached via email: AliMezFood@aol.com.

ALSATIAN ONION TART

For the crust:
1/2 lb. all butter puff pastry (she uses Dufour), thawed overnight in the refrigerator
Parmesan cheese
Remove pastry from refrig just prior to rolling out.
Sprinkle work surface liberally with parmesan cheese.
Place the pastry on top of the cheese and sprinkle more cheese over the surface of the pastry. Roll the pastry to a thin 13" x 9" rectangle--(the cheese prevents sticking.)
Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake at 400 degrees on the middle rack until golden...about 15 minutes.
The topping:

2 lbs yellow onions; thinly sliced
1 stick butter
4 tsps. kosher salt
1/2 c. white wine
1/2 pound gruyere cheese, grated

In a large saucepan melt the butter, add the onions and saute over medium high heat, stirring occasionally until caramelized. (approx. 30-40 minutes). At the very end, add the wine and cook for about 30 seconds longer.

Assembly:
Spread the onion on crust and top with the gruyere.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbling slightly.
Cool at least 10 minutes before cutting into slices of various shapes and sizes with scissors or a pizza cutter.

TUNA TARTARE ROLLED IN CUCUMBER

Combine 1 hour ahead of assembly:
1 pound sushi grade tuna, cut into very small cubes
3 minced garlic cloves
1/4 c. finely chopped cilantro
1 inch knob of peeled ginger; grated
1/4 c. finely minced red bell pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 c. soy sauce
1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp. honey
1 tsp. hot pepper flakes (optional)

With a good vegetable peeler, cut approx. 30 strips of 2 english cucumbers

Assembly:
Place about one generous tbsp. of the tartare at the bottom of each strip
Roll up tightly. Garnish with tobiko and shisho leaves (optional).
Place in a small baking pan lined with paper towel and refrigerate until serving time.

Cucumber alternatives:
wonton triangles or tortilla chips

Painting of the Week

Think of All the Beauty Still Left in the World mixed media on canvas 59” x 72”

Charity of the Week:
David Hogg's
Leaders We Deserve

Founded by David Hogg and Kevin Lata, Leaders We Deserve is a grassroots organization dedicated to electing young progressives to Congress and State Legislatures across the country to help defeat the far-right agenda and advance a progressive vision for the future.

Blog No. 142: Carl Jung and Synchronicities, Oprah Deepak Meditation, Alexandria Ocasio Cortez

September 9, 2023

Carl Jung and Synchronicities

How many times do you think of someone and the next second the phone rings and it is that person? How often do you remember someone who is no longer alive and then their favorite song comes on the radio...or you have a dream and a symbol from the dream appears the next day at your breakfast table? Or you repeatedly see the same sequence of numbers over and over again...?

I didn't realize that it was Carl Jung that coined the term "synchronicity" to describe “a meaningful coincidence of two or more events where something other than the probability of chance is involved.” Jung believed that these occurrences are directly related to the observer’s mind, and serve to provide powerful insight, directions and guidance, according to Alec in his newsletter Arts of Thought.

I for one feel that synchronicities come at me all the time these days and although I often chalk it up to mere coincidence, I do wonder deeply and am beginning to believe that there is something much more to it... I try to pay special attention to these events when they do happen and feel somehow that, like dreams, they lead me to a shift in consciousness that connects in a bigger way to the universe...they also give me comfort...They say that seeing these signs is a good indication that one is shifting to a higher vibrational frequency and evolving into a more fulfilled version of oneself. I would like to think that is true...

Here is a twelve minute crash course on synchronicities. Stick with it if you can in order to hear the absolutely amazing story of Esther and the $1 bill...If you want to hear more personal stories, here are some more examples of people's stories about synchronicities.

"Synchronicity is the sense of the numinous--a powerful feeling of wonder and awe that lifts us outside of ourselves, taking us outside of the everyday routine of our lives and connecting us with the divine."--Carl Jung

I welcome any of your synchronicity stories--things that have occurred to you that you consider more than a coincidence--I would even go a step further and say that if you email me your stories at pamsmilow@me.com and include the names and emails of three friends who you think would want to receive my free weekly blog in the future (please warn then first), I will send you a free animal print of your choice from my website as a thank you.

Meditation

I am no expert on meditation. In fact I am a total beginner but I thought I would share with you the meditation I try and do every day. It is one led by Deepak Chopra and Oprah Winfrey, where they pick different themes and explore it in a 21 day series. Some of these series are available free on youtube in segments and the one I am doing now is on Perfect Health. (they have had series on gratitude, getting unstuck, and the energy of attraction, to name a few). What I like about these meditations is that both Oprah and Deepak offer a short beginning introductory talk, where they speak about something useful to work on, and then they present a sanskit mantra and then complete silence for the next ten minutes or so. I personally don't like guided meditiatons where they talk all the way through--I find it distracting. I am not even sure I am doing it right but I just sit there, try and push any thoughts that come in out of my mind, say the mantra over and over and try and focus on the ever changing blankness of the colored screen behind my eyelids... The whole process takes about 20 minutes or less...and I do it once or twice a day...

Alexandria Ocasio Cortez

Official Portrait, courtesy ***Franmarie Metzler; U.S. House Office of Photography***

After seeing Mitch McConnell freeze twice in the past month or so on television, I had a new revelation that our government is truly being run by corpses--people well past their prime that should not be clinging on to the power for the sake of their egos...I have nothing against older people--i am one myself--but it is time to introduce a new guard. Thankfully there are some of these younger people stepping up right now and they need to be supported.

Alexandra Ocasio Cortez is one of these people--and already elected for the third time, she is becoming a young old timer...From waitress to congresswoman from New York's 14th congressional district which includes the eastern part of The Bronx and part of north-central Queens, AOC, as she is known, recently gave an interview in the New York Times where she talks about what she has learned since entering congress. I found the interview interesting and I hope you will too.

In the future, I plan on featuring a few more of our up and coming young leaders...

Painting of the Week

Blue Bird at Midnight with Moon mixed media on canvas 18” x 80”

Charity of the Week:
Unicef: Morocco Earthquake Victims

Blog No. 141: Salagnac Architects, Spirit Children of Fontaine Manse, The River by Mary Oliver

September 2, 2023

Salagnac Arquitectos

Salagnac Arquitectos Offices in Nosara, Costa Rica

Growing up in a Frank Lloyd Wright community, I am well aware that architecture has a tremendous effect and power to influence lives. On our recent trip to Costa Rica, we stayed in a beautiful home designed by award winning architects Evangelina Quesada and Lucca Spendlingwimmer of Salagnac Arquitectos, a Costa Rican based firm who pay special attention to simplicity and beauty and give new meaning to the concept of inside/outside. Like Frank Lloyd Wright, they "promote the maximum integration of the building and the environment, in order to diminish the impact it causes on nature." In this type of architecture, "human comfort can be accomplished by means of efficient energy consumption systems, bioclimatic design strategies and advanced technology. This innovative architecture integrates, in a creative way, the environment, technology and aesthetics."

If I ever build a house, I would definitely consider hiring them to design it. We were in Nosara, Costa Rica in the rainy season. Afternoons were spent sitting comfortably outside in covered areas with glass roofs, and with the huge glass windows, even inside one had the impression of literally living in the jungle. And as a bonus, there was also a fun interplay of reflections throughout the whole house...

Spirit Children of Fontaine Manse

This is a good story! A friend recently turned me on to Snap Judgment Radio (Storytelling, with a BEAT), a podcast described as "mixing real stories with killer beats to produce cinematic, dramatic, kick-ass radio."

I usually stay away from ghost stories because they scare me--but this 12 minute one, The Invisible Children, based on Kathleen Mcconnell's book Don’t Call Them Ghosts: The Spirit Children of Fontaine Manse- A True Story" didn't frighten me at all. In fact, I found it an intriguing story about kindness and open-mindedness...a ghost story with a heart.

The River by Mary Oliver

I've had quite a few rivers in my life lately. The Damariscotta River in mid-coast Maine, the mighty Hudson, the Nosara River in Costa Rica. This Mary Oliver poem seemed apropos...

THE RIVER
by Mary Oliver

In one day the Amazon discharges into the Atlantic the equivalent of New York City’s water supply for nine years.

Just because I was born
 precisely here or there,
 in some cold city or other,
 don’t think I don’t remember
 how I came along like a grain
 carried by the flood—
on one of the weedy threads that pour
 toward a muddy lightning
 surging east, past
 monkeys and parrots, past
 trees with their branches in the clouds, until
 I was spilled forth
and slept under the blue lung
 of the Caribbean.
Nobody
 told me this. But little by little
 the smell of mud and flowers returned to me,
 and in dreams I began to grow dark,
 to sense the current.
Do dreams lie? Once I was a sad fish
 crying for my sisters in the glittering
 crossroads of the delta.
Once among the thick reeds I found
 an empty boat, as narrow
 as a man’s waist. Nearby
 the trees sizzled with the afternoon rain.
Home, I said.
 In every language there is a word for it.
 Deep in the body itself, climbing
 those white walls of thunder, past those green
 temples there is also
 a word for it.
 I said, home.

Painting of the Week

This super large collaborative painting sold yesterday in Copenhagen. So happy it gets to stay in Denmark. Available in poster format.

Charity of the Week:
Maui Food Bank

Blog No. 140: Bird Watching in Nosara, Costa Rica, Ice-Cream Truck Short Story, Schumann's Kinderszenen

August 25, 2023

Bird Watching, Cosa Rica

I kept track of all the birds I saw in Costa Rica with the help of my eyes, a pair of opera glasses (not that great for bird-watching but better than nothing) and a kayaking guide named Gabriela Brendle of NaturTours Gabriela who was excellent at spotting these often shy creatures and being able to identify every species we saw. She also pointed out four crocodiles that I would have preferred not to see...

Orange-Chinned Parakeet. My favorites and by far the noisiest

Ice-Cream Truck Short Story

I always loved when the ice cream truck came around. My favorites were Chocolate Candy Crunch with the chocolate bar inside…I liked the creamsicle, the strawberry shortcake and the chocolate eclair too.

I have had a subscription to the New Yorker Magazine for years but these days I seem to fall further and further behind on my reading of them. That's when plane rides and trips come in handy. I bring a big stack of them and try and make my way through...

This Canadian writer Souvankham Thammavongsa's short story called The Ice-Cream Truck touched my heart and I share it with you here (I hope I haven't violated every existing copyright law in the process). Ice-cream trucks definitely fall into my category of "things I love." The ice cream, of course, but also just the sound of the approaching bells that never fail to get my heart fluttering with excitement, even today!

The Ice Cream Truck by Souvankham Thammavongsa

Not a lot of good sounds could be heard on our street. Police sirens and ambulances. Next door, a man often yelled, his shouts sometimes quickly followed by a soft thump. On our television, a movie played: a building being blown up, gunfire, and flames. We weren't supposed to watch things like that, but my brother and I were home alone. I was ten years old and he was eight.

Our parents had told us to keep the television loud so that it would sound as if there were an adult with us. They'd shown us the places we could hide together, if we felt scared. In the bathtub with the shower curtain drawn. In the closet beneath a pile of clothes. When they were not home, we weren't allowed to go outside. We couldn't ride our bikes or look for pretty marbles on the ground.

It was summer. There was no school to go to, and it cost too much to hire a babysitter to cover the time my parents worked, even just a teen-ager saving up for a prom dress. We didn't live near grandparents. There were no cousins next door, no aunts or uncles in the neighborhood to go to. So it was just the two of us.

"You hear that?" my brother asked me.
"What?" I said.
"The ice-cream truck."
I listened. And there it was. That tinny little sound twinkling somewhere nearby.

When you hear an ice-cream truck on your street, it means that someone has thought of you. It means that someone thinks you deserve something good in the world, and you don't have to imagine that for yourself all by yourself.
That day, the ice-cream truck came to our street.
I slid the chain off the door and unlocked it. I grabbed my brother and we ran outside to the curb. The sound of the ice-cream truck was so loud, so close. My brother and I waved it down.

The ice-cream truck stopped for us.
We were frantic in our joy, screaming out what we wanted to eat, and for some reason the man in the truck made it for us. We got what we asked for and ate quickly, trying not to let the summer heat take it away from us. We licked our fingers, hands, wrists. And we laughed for no reason other than that we could.

We hadn't noticed the ice-cream truck leaving. We hadn't noticed its loud music pulling away, growing distant.
My brother looked over at me with sudden sorrow, and said, "I forgot to pay. Did you?"
I forgot, too.
I understood then why ice-cream trucks maybe didn't come to our street. Why, when we'd heard the ice-cream truck before, it was always a street over, where there were brick houses with front lawns and sprinklers and bright flowers.

We promised each other that we wouldn't tell out parents. We wouldn't tell them that we'd gone outside. That we'd eaten ice cream. That we hadn't paid. We spent the rest of the afternoon watching cartoons about small blue people who lived inside mushrooms.

I am forty-four years old now. I will be forty-five this summer. I hadn't heard an ice-cream truck in my neighborhood in years, but a few weeks ago there it was. Faint, twinkling. There was no one to ask, "You hear that?" I could go outside now without having to tell someone. I grabbed some cash and ran.

I didn't know exactly where the ice-ream truck was, but I moved to where its music felt loudest. I closed my eyes and followed what I felt.

When I opened my eyes, I saw someone who looked like my brother. A little boy, running. I knew he wasn't my brother. I reminded myself that my brother had grown up and that he had died just last year. Whoever this little boy was, he knew where he was going. So I ran in the same direction.

And there it was, the ice-cream truck, in a parking lot. I got in line like everyone else. When it was my turn to pay, I gave the man in the ice-cream truck everything I had, a twenty-dollar bill, and I told him to keep the change. The man gave me a standing ovation.

I took my ice cream with me and ate it in the sunshine. I deserve this joy, I said. I deserve it all."

Schumann's Kinderszenen

What can I say...I just love this piece of music: Schumann's Escenes d'infants op. 15 (Kinderszenen, Scenes from Childhood) played by Argentinian pianist Martha Argerich. And here's another version of it by Vladimir Horowitz. At one point I could play it on the piano and I hope I can get there again--it's probably been thirty years since I last sat down at the piano I had in my studio at the time and tried...

Products of the Week

Our new **Tea Towels** are in with some BRAND NEW COLORS! Based on botanical images from an antique book from the 1850’s, I then collaged on top, transforming the staid prints into a more contemporary and jazzy look…a great and affordable option for a housewarming gift. $25 each. https://www.pamelasmilow.com/tabletop-kitchen

Charity of the Week:
Maui Food Bank