Happy 2021!
Yeah, yeah, I know about 2020. No complaining here, and no unprecedented overusage of the word “unprecedented”. Just keeping on keeping on. Steady, sort of predictable, finding the good things in life about being a full time artist in Central California, AKA “flyover country” in the Golden State. (We feed the world, and don’t let anyone forget it.)
- Have you heard of a “Covid fee”?? I ordered some photographic prints from Shutterfly and there was a “covid fee” added to my order. What in the world for??
- Drying persimmons the hoshigaki method is so bizarre but the best dried fruit I’ve ever eaten in my life. A friend is trying this method and sent me this photo. She also sent a photo of some finished ones, but they look rather alarming. I want to try this next year!
- Rosemary and Thyme is a lovely thriving gift/clothing/home goods store in downtown Exeter where my studio was for 4 exciting years. The owner is one of the most creative, original and innovative people I’ve ever had the privilege of knowing, and her store is now becoming an online shop. If you like cool stuff, beautiful stuff, good stuff, for yourself or for others, this is the local place to support.
- Maeve Binchy really is my favorite novelist. I’ve loved her writing since the 1980s, and with the current difficulties of getting library books, I started rereading her books. She is the only author whose books I automatically bought and kept. (I used to buy Sue Grafton’s books but decided I wasn’t going to reread them so sent them on to unknown bookshelves; also used to buy Barbara Kingsolver’s books but hit a few I didn’t like so that was the end of that.)
- There is so much confusion and conflict in trying to discern truth these days. I heard from several sources that there are 21 cases of The Wuhan in our little town and one person has died of it. The truth is that there have been 21 known cases since the thing started and the person who died (a friend and former drawing student), died from heart failure after a surgery that didn’t turn out well for her.
- Using “www” before your web address is so last year.
- People aspire to riches in order to avoid ugliness.
- Ring picking is something I never have heard of. It is a method of picking citrus to a particular size, using a metal ring to measure each piece as you pick. How could I never have heard of this before??
- This isn’t anything I’ve learned but maybe something for you to learn about me. I enjoy doing yardwork and occasionally assist a friend with some of her vacation rentals. Sometimes I just can’t resist using the prunings to make a wreath.
- This isn’t new information either, but Pippin is just too cute to not keep taking pictures of him.
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And final piece of irrelevant jibber-jabber: Persimmons are so beautiful. They taste good when dried the traditional way. (No thanks, I don’t like persimmon cookies.)
Remember, I make art that you can understand of places and things you love at prices that won’t scare you.
Oops. I think I let Pippin into the house.
7 Comments
From Sharon, who continues to get error messages:
1. Maybe it’s a “we’re desperately trying to survive so we’ll take any income we can get” fee?
3. Thanks for the link; I’ll check it out! Maybe they’ll ship?
5. Whatever works to instill fear into the public and make them compliant and easier to control.
6. Tough. I do it anyway, because it IS part of the URL, so there!
9. Beautiful, and a great way to “reduce, recycle, reuse!”
10. Sorry, MINE are the most cutely photogenic (see attachment)!
Better New Year to you and yours!
Happy New Year to all. That’s a good topic: “Must-keep books.” Mine are “The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency” series by Alexander McCall Smith, also his “Corduroy Mansions” series; Laurie R. King’s “Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes” series. Also keeping Anthony Horowitz mysteries. Ditto about Barbara Kingsolver; I really liked her “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” book but tried a couple of her novels and did not care for them.
I have my Dad’s old set of ring pickers, they used them for oranges here.
I have a recipe for lemon-glazed persimmon bars that is delicious. If you don’t like persimmon cookies, you might like these!
Happy New Year, Marjie! I liked McCall Smith’s #1 Lady Detective series, will look into the others. I really liked Animal, Veg. by Kingsolver and loved her first 2-3 novels, along with Poisonwood Bible. Then, meh.
Wow, ring pickers have been around for awhile, and I never heard of them. Ever. My dad specialized in citrus nursery, but had many different mature orchards through the years and somehow I missed this detail.
I would LOVE to try your recipe, because I have 3 frozen persimmons that I don’t know what to do with and hate to waste food.
I will definitely check out Rosemary and Thyme ——love to support small businesses!
I laughed to myself when you shared about Sue Grafton novels….I too followed her for years…working my way through the alphabet. I like the mystery of the case, but more than that I enjoyed the fact that she wrote about places on the California coast. I went to college at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and would be still be living there still if there had been jobs in the area. LOVE the central coast. Sue Grafton allowed me to “visit”. Which reminds me, I don’t think I finished the alphabet.
Happy New Year. I hope that people continue to discover you, and your many talents.
Happy New Year, Anne! I loved Kinsey, but after reading all the books a minimum of twice, I decided the shelf space was needed for other things. Santa Teresa was Santa Barbara, and it was fun to see her mentions of places I recognized. I am with you on the Central Coast! Sue died after writing Y.
I think Rosemary & Thyme will ring your bell – the owner is a truly remarkable person with a sense of what people like.
Happy New Year Jana. I enjoy reading your blog and look forward to it each day. I gave a couple of orange themed gift bags this Christmas and one of your note cards, the one of the orange grove and wind machine, I believe Lemon Cove, was perfect.
Wow, Nancy, that is an old card! What a great gift bag for people to receive from you. Thank you so much for following my blog – I appreciate your kind words. Happy New Year!
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