Call for Artists

I know that after my Christmas blast of posts, I have been remiss in my blogging duties. I have been preoccupied with my plan to host an exhibition this summer. Here's the deal. I think it will be fine to hold the show in my garage. It has a couple of electrical outlets and is handicapped accessible. We can throw a tarp over the tools ,put some boards across the sawhorses and we'll be all set. I have parking for 15 cars or so and it's only a mile to a little shopping center where we can have overflow parking. Patrons will enjoy the walk.

 I can hire a juror who is deeply steeped in academia and has never had to make a living actually making pots or had to pay for his own studio and kilns. Fifty bucks or so should cover it since money shouldn't matter to a true artist. The juror must have a history of making ceramic objects that collect large amounts of dust and serve no other earthly purpose. They should sell for high prices that no one can explain and be too delicate to withstand the touch of a human hand.Since this will be a "blind" jurying, the juror may consult with his seeing eye dog as needed.  If you get in, it will be a case of American blind justice. ( Thank you Arlo) The final test is that his cupboard should only contain a matching set of plastic dinner ware from Walmart.

The jury fee is $25 for each entry. Naturally you may enter as many pieces as you wish. Artists should submit professional photos of all entries. Framed 8x10 prints preferred and they will not be returned unless accompanied by an additional $25 check.  Entries should have been made this year, never been seen before, and measure exactly 3 x 2 7/16 x 5 7/32. The juror will favor work made using original processes and nine or more glazes. The more toxic the better. Work should have originated near the center of the universe and have a significant impact on world hunger, peace in the middle east, and a solution to climate change. Extra consideration will be given for work that eliminates the federal debt. All work must be for sale. A nominal 85% commission will be charged. If accepted, the artist will be responsible for shipping both ways. We reserve the right to "compress" your work for easier packing.

I know a caterer who can hook me up with some partially full boxes of wine, recycled plastic cups and leftover nibbles at a good price. I can get out my harmonica and serenade everyone as long as we stay in the key of C. (As you my have guessed, the best thing about my harmonica playing is that I can't sing with a harp in my mouth.) It's always nice to have a few notables in the crowd so maybe I'll invite Mitt to come tell us about how to run a business. So, who's in???

Chicken Stew

Thanks for the input on the sign shop. I'm not going to rush out and blow it all at once so if those light bulbs come on, keep sending ideas.

OK, I know when I started this blog I promised not to bore people by reporting what I had for breakfast but this was lunch. Serve it thick as a stew, thinner like a soup, cook it down, bake, and serve as a casserole, or thicken as a pot pie filling. Remember, I'm no food stylist. You can make it as pretty as you want.

Season some chicken thighs with salt and pepper and brown in a little oil. I had skinless boneless and they worked fine.(If you use regular thighs, you will want to remove bones and skin when you shred the chicken.)

Remove chicken, drain fat. Saute' a chopped onion, a carrot, and a couple of stalks of celery in the same pan. Put chicken back in the pan and add a can of stewed tomatoes. Braise covered for an hour or so until the chicken is falling apart. Remove chicken and shred with a fork. If you want more broth, add another can of tomatoes. Return to pan with a diced potato.Simmer all til potato is done. Salt and pepper to taste. Finally, stir in a couple of handfuls of fresh baby spinach. As soon as the spinach wilts it's ready to serve.
Yum, Yum, Yum and pretty healthy too. Thanks for stopping by.

Ideas Wanted

OK kids, today I am going to share a problem with you and it's the kind of problem you wish you had. Do you know about those wonderful gifts that you didn't know you wanted and would not have gotten for yourself but someone knew you wanted before you knew? My wife Tina gave me a very generous gift certificate to a sign shop for Christmas. They claim to be able to put a sign on anything. A banner to emblazon the name of Whistle Creek across the booth, vinyl logos to stick on the van,magnetic signs for the van, embroidered logos on hats, shirts, etc. Sort of a one stop brand shop.I have some ideas but I wanted to poll all of you on what kinds of things you think might pay off. They say two heads are better than one and most are better than mine. I do not want to hang a shingle in front of the house but other than that, I'm open to suggestions.

In case you didn't get the riddle from last time.....

A Christmas Wish

Happiness

Here I go waxing philosophic when I should be waxing the Chevy. Every Christmas we are flooded with expectations of sugar plums dancing in our heads, wonderful family gatherings where everyone gets along,

peace, joy, and love for all mankind. It has come to my attention that this is not the case for everyone. For years we would go to a holiday gathering where the lady of the house set a high and arbitrary standard for everyone else. Everyone had to follow her protracted agenda and utter oohs and ahhs at the appointed time. The gathering was not about the family but about her.  After a drink or five, you never knew what she would say or who she would insult but you knew it was coming. It was one person's weight, another's job, someone's housekeeping, etc. Eventually, everyone got a turn and the evening generally ended with her being pissed that everyone did not want to be trotted down to her church and picking a fight with her husband. Many a feeling was hurt and holiday ruined. One year Tina and I decided that we had a foolproof solution. We realized that we no longer loved this woman enough to let her bother us. It was a Christmas miracle. They say forgiveness is a gift you give yourself and this worked the same way. An insult not responded to dies pretty quickly. Just let it roll off like water on a duck.Thanks for your input. I'll take that under advisement. The only power she had to hurt us was power we had given her. Lord knows she had her own demons to deal with and they drove much of her behavior. She had the makings of a nice life but spent a lot of it being miserable and freely sharing her misery with others. There are happy people in this world. Some have everything, some have nothing. Some are young and healthy, some old and feeble, some have had their bodies shattered by war.What I believe they have in common is that they are as happy as they have decided to be. Living well is the best revenge. Smile, it will make your friends glad and drive your enemies crazy. Decide to be happy. Here is one of my favorite Shel Silverstein poems. Merry Christmas.

It's All the Same to the Clam - Shel Silverstein

You may leave the clam on the ocean's floor,

It's all the same to the clam.

For a hundred thousand years or more,

It's all the same to the clam.

You may bury him deep in mud and muck

Or carry him 'round to bring you luck,

Or use him for a hockey puck,

It's all the same to the clam.

You may call him Jim or Frank or Nell,

It's all the same to the clam.

Or make an ashtray from his shell,

It's all the same to the clam.

You may take him riding on the train

Or leave him sitting in the rain.

You'll never hear the clam complain,

It's all the same to the clam.

Yes, the world may stop or the world may spin,

It's all the same to the clam.

And the sky may come a'fallin' in,

It's all the same to the clam.

And man may sing his endless songs

Of wronging rights and righting wrongs.

The clam just sets -- and gets along,

It's all the same to the clam.