Pretty Pretty Bang Bang

Saturday was graduation for Suzanne at University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL) It was weird because it had been so long since I’d attended a graduation ceremony that I almost forgot what it was like. Fortunately, we had cool weather so it wasn’t stuffy in the auditorium. Unfortunately, we chose to sit in the bleachers and 2 hours on a hard surface is rough on the butt and back! We all survived and Suzanne has her Master’s Degree in – dammit I can’t remember but it’s impressive! Following the ceremony we had a celebratory lunch at Cafe Ivanhoe, another terrific meal at a new place. I ordered the smoked ham and brie sandwich with apricot preserves and it was terrific. Thanks again Suzanne for a lovely meal. Following lunch we ditched the guys and did some shopping. The malls were crazy with people, but we had a really nice time. We capped off the evening with wine and appetizers at the house. We just couldn’t take another heavy meal. What a great day.

Friday we went to St. Louis for Suzanne’s graduations (congrats again Suzy!). Since we’re in the big city and cuisine is more exotic than at home, we enjoy trying new things. This trip, Michael and Suzanne took us to a Turkish/Mediterranean restaurant called Aya Sofia. We didn’t have reservations for Friday dinner, but it wasn’t a problem. The extremely nice hostess asked if we’d mind having a cocktail in the bar (no problem!) and said our wait would be about 15-20 minutes. Suzanne requested a booth so we opted to wait longer for that particular seating. We hadn’t even finished our drinks when the hostess came and got us for our table. I’m glad we waited for a booth because it made the experience even better.

The place was warm and cozy with Turkish decor, gold accents and gauzy curtains around the booths. It was noisy, but not overly chaotic. We decided to start with the appetizer sample platters – one was seafood and the other was assorted. I can’t tell you the names of what we had, but everything was delicious. The seafood platter had shrimp skewers, swordfish cubes and fried calamari. Normally, calamari is a bit chewy, but this was tender and tasty. It wasn’t greasy at all. The other platter had hummus (very good), stuffed grapeleaves (my favorite), fried feta and something else I can’t remember. Everything was delicious.

We were so stuffed from the appetizers that Steve and I didn’t order a meal. I had another round of the stuffed grapeleaves and Steve ordered the soup and another appetizer that had cheese and pinenuts in a baked shell. Everything contained lots of flavor and garlic. We all awoke Saturday morning with a garlic hangover in our mouths! We’re putting Aya Sofia on our list of “must eats” when we’re in the city.

Sun! We have sun! There’s not a cloud in the sky! I want to use lots of exclamation points to convey my excitement I’m not facing another dreary day of rain! This may only last a day, but I want to park myself in the front lawn (which has reached White Trash levels due to lack of mowing) and soak up every ray I can! Alas, I’m in the studio this afternoon with Lara while she finishes her time with me. However, she’s drilling all the holes in oval earrings and I’ll have 20 pair when she’s done! Just another thing to celebrate! Hoorah! Hooray!

It’s still raining here (no surprise) and I’m home for lunch. Instead of watching TV, I thought I’d enjoy my latest purchase. I’m the proud owner of a Califone 1430 portable turntable. These are the record players used in schools in the 60s and 70s. You know, the ones with the front speaker and hinged lid with a handle for carrying from room to room. Today’s selection is the original Beatles ’65 album that once belonged to my dad. The bass is a little heavy, even with tweaking, but the sound is great. Even though the album looks worn, I’ve heard no skips and very few pops and hisses. Ah, the good old days. Gotta run and turn over the record!

This weekend we’ll be traveling to St. Louis to attend Suzanne’s graduation. Congrats Suzy on your Masters Degree! Naturally, my first thoughts center around my wardrobe. What to wear, what to wear. I originally thought about a skirt/top combo, but the weather is supposed to be cooler than expected. Outfit #2 is pants and a jacket. I do have my killer white Target suit I could wear, but is that too much? Once the outfit is chosen, I have to choose shoes. They should be stylish, but comfortable and something I can walk in for a distance. Then comes the jewerly. Almost everyone expects me in my own wares and I’ve made several cool pieces lately so I want to show them off. However, since they’re enamel, the colors must coordinate with my clothing. Yes, on days like this, these are the thoughts going through my head. I promise I’m not always this shallow. However, fashion is important.

I realize I can’t do anything about the weather, but something’s gotta give here! I feel like I was relocated to Seattle while I was sleeping. Last night, around 1:45, we had a tremendous storm which interrupted a perfectly solid sleep. Again, I awake to find water seeping in one of the windows in the basement, my welcome mat soaked, and just enough rain to keep me from wogging (that’s walking and jogging) this morning. So we went to the basement for a weight workout – boring! As I’m driving to work, rain pouring down, I see a hint of blue sky to the west. Perhaps the afternoon will be better. However, since I’ll be working in the basement, I won’t notice.

I applied for the St. Louis Art Fair knowing that I had a snowball’s chance in hell of getting in. They are a top ten art fair in the nation, it’s extremely competitive, and they have a ton of entries. No surprise to find out I didn’t make it. However, yesterday I received word that I was on the reserve list. If anyone cancels, I have a chance to show. Pretty cool considering there were over 1,500 entries and only about a dozen were chosen in jewelry.

While it’s not Monday, it has rained enough to justify the title of this posting. Things are in a state of depression right now. First, Suzanne had to deal with the loss of a beloved pet on Saturday, then today my mom calls me in tears to tell me that she’s taking her cat to the vet this morning to be put down. I know most people think of their pets as animals, but Suzanne, mom and I think of them as family. I know what they’re going through as I faced the loss of my lovely grey kitty three years ago and it still sometimes makes me sad. He was such a joy. at least I have my two little goobers to greet me when I get home. That is, unless they’re comfortably snoozing on my bed.

I need some sunshine, some laughter and some alcohol.

Exciting news today in my world. I received my acceptance letter as a juried member of The Best of Missouri Hands. I’m really honored I was accepted because I understand it’s stiff competition. I was laughing because they sent the juror’s comments on my slides, but I have no idea which pieces they’re talking about! All the slides are numbered and I can’t remember what I sent. Oh well, I’m still pumped about the inclusion. I’ll have my own page on their website sometime this summer so I’ll keep you updated.

I love my friend Mary. We’ve known each other since we were 9 and have enough history and secrets between us that we’re like sisters. Her husband and kids are like our family and we love seeing them, however our lives are all busy we don’t get together as often as we’d like. Last night was one of those rare evenings that make me really appreciate the people in my life. Doug, Mary’s husband, is an Italian chef so anytime we can get him to cook for us is a treat. Mary called and told us to bring the wine and French bread and that we’d be snacking our way through dinner. In other words, we’d not have a big, formal meal. Cool with us since the main reason for getting together is to hang out. Of course, Doug pulls out all the stops and prepares a fantastic feast. First there was the spinach artichoke dip with tortillas. Not that crap you get at TGIFridays, but a delicious, creamy concoction with just enough garlic for flavor. Mary made an olive/feta cheese bread that we dipped in olive oil and it was the perfect combination of savory and saltiness that really didn’t need any oil. “Dinner” was grilled fresh salmon, twice-baked potatoes, fried shrimp, lemon pasta with tomatoes, chicken with feta cheese, French bread and a lovely tureen of goat cheese, fresh basil, tomatoes and onions. All of this was served family style so we could have bites of everything. We paired this with some lovely Pinot Noir Steve and I brought. Mary and Doug’s youngest, Madeline, had a friend over and the girls amused themselves by creating a party for us to attend. Once dinner was over, we were given invitations, then invited downstairs for the fun. We were greeted by “confetti” which consisted of loops used for weaving potholders, ushered to our seats, and offered snacks of mixed nuts and suckers. Like we needed any food. It was really cute and funny. Then we went upstairs and played Pass The Trash, the only mindless card game we could play while drinking, and laughed until our sides hurt. It’s nights like than when I really wonder how I lived without Mary in my life for so many years. We lost touch after college. I’m just glad I have her now. Her friendship and family are a real treasure for me.