'Fuzed'

No, this is not what I made but my idea was the same. I will post my finished projects after I pick them up.

I took a fused glass class the other night. It was a needed creativity boost for overworking through the holidays (not by choice). Eagerly I gingerly came down the steps from my porch as I headed into the night and squinted into the sky. The night was spitting snow that wanted to be rain and vice versa. In  essence slush. I drove my car into town and parked next to the historic NWI building. The lights within reflecting and glowing against the many pieces of glass art that twinkled and beckoned.

'Fuzed" Is the name of the business that offers affordable lessons in the art of fused glass. Tony is the owner. I wandered around the table where local ladies and friends were standing in front of their selected projects. Tree ornaments were popular for some. Another was making snowflakes. I wanted to do a bowl, two bowls. One with poppies for my Mom and another with tulips for my sister.

It was more difficult then I thought. Cutting and shaping the glass required just two tools but to get rounded edges was a bit more difficult then I thought it would be. I liked how every bit of glass was recycled. The vision in my head was difficult to achieve and Tony was kind and suggested I use a marker to draw the shapes and he would cut them.

We munched on apples, pizza and drank wine as we worked and created. Catching up with each others lives. Three hours in I realized I created fused glass the same way I paint. Suddenly I was done. The desire to work on it any further finished. Which just furthers my belief about myself that I'm in no way capable of doing any art in a mass production scenario. Small bursts to create one of a kind items, yep that is my style.

Dinner with Nick & Shannon {Sauteed Shrimp Linguine}

Tonight we are cooking together as we like to and have been inspired by watching the movie 'Chef'. The movie was good and about the cooking of some wonderful food. It was also about blogging and social media. We have decided to give my blog new life and an extra theme by adding one night of cooking together to it.

We could not find a recipe tonight that suited our mood and living in a small mountain town can be limited. Not so much on the choice of food but the time it takes to get to the store (and the lack of wanting to go) to purchase what we may need and want. So we decided to wing it and make it up as went along inspired by the flavors we craved and wanted for dinner.

Tonight Pasta and Shrimp. I wasn't feeling a cream sauce. Nick wanted Pesto. Alas no basil. The Roslyn Market had fresh salad greens, fresh spinach, homemade bread and fresh Crimini mushrooms. Nick and I are not writers of recipes we are creators of flavors. So if you are looking to get a recipe perhaps you best move your ass over to Epicurious.

Ingredient List:
Pasta Mama's Pasta (Plain Linguine)
Shrimp
Fresh Spinach
Garlic ( Fresh Minced)
Lemon Juice
Red Pepper Flakes
Small sweet peppers
Avocado Oil ( Out of Olive and this shits good shit although Olive Oil would have added more flavor.)
Pine nuts lightly toasted
Green onions sliced
Bacon

Farmers Market Baguette
This was sliced into rounds seasoned with Avocado oil, Happy salt and fresh minced garlic and baked on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 10 minutes and lightly browned. We dipped it into a bowl of balsamic vinegar.

Italian Blend shredded cheese (Tossed on top of finished pasta)


Bottle of Estrella  Merlot 2012 from Cali (to drink while cooking and eating)
Vanilla Ice Cream (later in the evening)
Pandora Radio (Nicks pick of the channel and mood)

Quirk or Crime?

The First Stonehenge Scotland's Master Builders.

I like magazines and interesting articles.
I also tend to steal them from the dentist, doctor and veterinarian offices.
Not a dirty little secret really because I will admit to it and putting it out there a wee bit further now via the web....that I'm guilty of a small form of thievery.
But I can't help myself. When I find some interesting tidbit of information I cannot live without I take the entire magazine or If I'm lucky I just happen to find the magazine being given away for free and can take it legitimately. But I believe it is kinder to take the entire magazine rather than ripping out the article. It's more tragic to pick up the magazine and not have that article in there than just never knowing you missed the article.

Do you agree? Do you steal in what you may feel is an innocent manner? Quirk or Crime?

The other day I was looking through the free pile at the Roslyn Library and it was full of good stuff. So I rummaged through the pile, a picture of standing stones and the words Scotland grabbed my attention and I quickly picked up the National Geographic the cover was titled "The First Stonehenge." Intrigued because of my current book I'm writing titled Heather and Stones set in Scotland I put it in my pile to take home and read.

The article was engrossing the discovery of a large mysterious stone complex buried beneath a farmers field on the Orkney Island called Mainland just off the North coast of Scotland. Archeologists are unearthing the remains slowly and the findings have been fascinating and are in fact changing history. The photographs in National Geographic magazines are breathtaking, works of art. The article had photos accompanying it and the detail of the stone work in the photo's was mesmerizing.

Check it out!
August 2014 issue.