Piecrust and Coasters

OK, Yesterday was a physical challenge. Today is recovery day (physical) and payback. As it is Sunday, I am using the day to prepare for the weeks creative endeavors, preparing some of the supplies and meetings of artists and meetings of minds, as well as a few other personal preps. It is a pretty autumn day so it is a perfect day to do some mental prep for the coming changes of season and the shortening of the days. 

I took a short walk up hill to bring a deserving neighbor a home-made peach pie. Is pie baking an art? Lora Hott, an old friend of mine in Virginia Beach, Virginia, once scolded me years ago when I made a pie that had messy untrimmed edges. She asked why I put so much effort in making delicious pies (peeling fresh fruit, getting the best ingredients, going through all the effort of making a good pie) and making an ugly crust? Her point, it is in the small details that we see the beauty of things. The Shaker societies saw this, and certainly computer programmers can understand this, as well as Haiku writers! 

Carole (wonderful neighbor) and I are embarking on a little art project this week. We are also using up some of my junk. I have a lot of old tiles laying around here (kitchen, bathroom and hallway project extras, does this woman ever throw anything out?), pieces of cork left over from a map project Jesse (my son) made about 10 years ago that I couldn't throw away (it was just too useful looking) and some glass (that is new) and Carole will be donating wood pieces that come from Ray's workshop (I think woodworkers always save little precious treasure of pieces of wood that they will use someday) and Ray's labor (he doesn't know about this part yet) we will tell him later when we get to that part. Long story made short, on Wednesday we are experimenting with Lazertran Inkjet decal waterslide paper. This is cool new stuff and I, of course, bought the whole professional packet about 6 months ago and have never opened it. When Carole came back from Africa a couple of months ago (Ray and Carole's son is in the Peace Corp in Namibia) with awesome photographs she realized she just had to do something fabulous with them, hence our coaster project.  We will print, then transfer her photographs onto tiles, back them with cork, then have Ray make awesome coaster holders out of wood for them and she will have really great Christmas presents for her family ( I will have some too). One project down. One thousand more to go. And I have a great idea for the birch bark...maybe I can start on that this week as well......