Just Sitting...

And feeling very quiet.

On this weekend of Love

Which I might add

is a very tricky time indeed

I wish for you love

from the unexpected

And hope

where you thought there was none

For me, love looked like

miles of urban exploring

cerviche and churros

dreams about the future

and of course

chocolates.

The Friday Confessional, February 13th

Confession Number 55:  I keep a secret stash of junk food in my studio.  As my studio is right next to the International District, and therefore my favorite Asian Supermarket, that stash is usually written in foreign languages that I can not read, and therefore, can not be held responsible for their ingredients (read: corn syrup).  Currently there may or may not be a box of "Pocky for Men (and what does that mean? Men get the dark chocolate and women get the milk? I think that's all backwards!)," a package of those vanilla wafers (you know, the really addictive ones that you have to put away after having two or else you'll crunch through the whole pack), and one or two stragglers in a bag of sour chewy things.  I hide them in various places.  From myself.  But somehow, I always seem to find them.  I'm taking this to mean I need a bigger studio.  

Ambling and Rambling

The Short list of where and what Umber Dove has been up to for the last few days...

1)  A week in sunny California.  I know, I always mean to post a bit before I leave, but the whirlwind that is me packing (including the grueling debates between which over-the-knee socks make the biggest statement with which skirt and hat combo - I like to bring a hearty dose of "crazy artist" to the rather small town I grew up in - and the frequent hollers to BC asking if I've completely exceeded my 50 pound suitcase weight limit) combined with my total and complete lack of time-concept generally results in, you guessed it, no time for the blog-o-sphere.

2) Ringing in my baby sister's 21st birthday over clear martinis with a twist (me) and pretty pink ones with a cherry on top (her).  Ringing in just-because-we-could with my middle sister over lip-smacking (and seconds inducing) margaritas.

3) Swinging hammers, listing to Allison Krauss and Robert Plant, crafting rings in the wee hours of the night with my mum (in case you did not know, she is a fabulous jewelry designer to boot, and you can visit her shop right here).

4) Beignets and Café Au Lait, followed shortly by a powdered sugar high.

5) Finally exchanging Christmas gifts with my family.  I genuinely think I get just as much pleasure watching them opening gifts as I when I open my own.  And as far as "my own" I was terribly and wonderfully spoiled as ever, feeling incredibly blessed with a family that knows me and all my eccentric tastes so well.

6)  Running the old routes through the streets of Lodi, around the lake, through the nature area, startling huge gray squirrels and garnering the wrath of stellar's jays.

7)  Eating boiled kale, baked potatoes and dill-Havarti cheese.  After eventful meals (and going to TWO brunches on Sunday) it felt stupendous to eat my strange but favorite  food combinations.

8)  Playing with this little mongrel, my parent's new addition to the family, Fritz of Finney Rock the Yorkie of Spunk.  I don't care who you are and how you feel about small dogs, this one is FREAKING ADORABLE I WANT TO EAT HIM HE'S SO CUTE!

I know it doesn't sound like much, but that was exactly the point - I've been in desperate need of a week of "not much."  And a visit back home fit the bill.

So here I am, back in Sunny Seattle (yep, it actually is today), holding my to-do list off at arm's length, breathing deep, nesting in, glad to be home.

I

think

it's 

time 

for 

a

cappuccino

cheerio,

- Umber

  

The Friday Confessional, January 30th 2009

Confession Number 4:  I don't wear glasses.  I don't need them, as I actually have fantastic vision.  However I think that glasses on women (especially at the end of the day, while reading with a hearty glass of wine) are incredibly sexy.  

Confession Number 108:  I let my cat, Thai (he's the stout n' sexy brown fellow, not the disgruntled orange one - that's Sing) share my $90-total-splurge, Queen Size Swedish Tempurpedic Pillow with me at night.   Weighing in at a cool 17ish pounds and  stretching out a full 35 inches tip-to-tail, he snuggles into the kitty nook and purrs me to sleep.  This makes BC absolutely crazy.

Oh this game is getting fun!

Fess up my friends!