The Guthrie

O'lover is a gifter of surprises. ones that were never seen coming.
for instance:
he just rented us an art studio at the beautiful guthrie in downtown salt lake.
our studio overlooks a very important site.
we've spent a lot of time at the Moroccan, a music venue/practice space and the portal to another world. anyone know the red bennies?

before pic of the studio...
it looks much handsomer now just in time for TONIGHT when the guthrie studios open for the downtown salt lake gallery stroll.
6-late at 200 south 158 east. Surprise us and COME!
xo,
quel

Editor's Note: I'm prepping a return volley of unexpected happenings to O'lover. One of the surprises will be to PICK UP a paint brush. he will fall flat over. (I'm well aware that i keep setting up studio spaces and then rarely using them. like this time and this time.)

The Trendsetter

this is my cute mom eating her favorite snack.

she used to eat 12 lemons a day. RIND, seeds, and all. now she's cut down to 1. it takes her will power people. in spades.

but she's strong.

momma mia never paid heed to "kid food" as distinct from "adult food". at our house you were either nursing or eating stuffed grape leaves and gyoza like everyone else. and yes we were nursing while talking and walking and writing cursive (wink).

food wise i'm my mom's "mini-me". and would roll my eyes when my friends' moms would cut the crust from their wonder bread.

but lately we've discovered some divergence. last night momma mia served "bichos" for dinner. for those of you who don't know spanish we're talking about plates full of bugs. with antennae. I refrained but O'lover, joined the meal late and helped himself to a giant bowl. and is still harboring ill feelings that i hadn't warned him but watched bemused as he rolled little crinkly legs in his mouth. nope, those weren't hard shelled bean sprouts.

my mom would make an excellent prisoner of war. a much admired quality is her ability to appreciate the protein in a worm laden apple or cherry.

o- how i wish i could be so practical!

thanks for all the varied foods you make us Momma Mia!

Look who started a blog!

My sister Tam Tam's blog.

My cousin Florencia's blog and band. Florencia is the lead singer (standing in the middle.)

all things neat & saccharin sweet

Susan and her ol' pal art prof Bruce Hixon Smith.
The Springville Museum of Art is soooo polite with its disclaimers.No me gusta hot dogs but i LOVE paintings of them. Especially when rendered by Mr. Wayne Thiebaud (who was at the Springville Museum this very day!).
Oh! I could slurp up his thick heavy frosting paintings. I feel a bit diabetic just from looking.

In session

Sundance Author Series
Environmental Defense Fund

the woman delivers!

this pic was taken after O'lover and I already chowed some of the delicious home made lemon cookies.
Zina thank you thank you thank you! The handwritten note, the lemon wedge watercolor, the divine cookies (how'd you know they're my fav?!!!) the promptness & prettiness of it all! you are the best!! Seriously warmed my heart and filled my belly.

So now Zina avert your eyes!

Dear everyone else: If you ever want to do an itty bitty special anonymous nice thing for someone DO IT FOR ZINA. it's a wise investment with generous dividends.

thumping the hive

i love where i live. i love my cordial neighbors, the mountains, the tree-lined streets, the river and lake. sometimes i want to gather up all the provo goodness and give it a thankful squeeze. and when people say "crap" about Provo i used to want to put up my "tiny ineffectual fists" and defend it. But not anymore! Provo can steady its own ark (i can be so old testament).

my fling with provo is ongoing despite A WHOLE LOTTA THINGS which have been coming to a head recently. i hate the culture of obedience. wait. before this is a full blown vent...really all my fuming botherdness about provo comes down to...

...the small-minded contingency of elected leaders (one in particular) at some of our reVISIONing downtown meetings that can't stand the "artist-types". but of course these sorry citizens of whom i speak tell me this while saying, "except for you raquel" and I'm thinking "I'm so embarrassed to NOT be included with the artist-types whom you show such great disdain." and i'm also thinking, "Uh, VISIONS are artists' specialty. LISTEN to the artists!!"

signed,
O- that i could be considered a dangerous, subversive artist-type!