thoughts, "ready, able," "muto," Modest Mouse, John Choo Moore, Xicoh, Bash Bish Falls

1. A day trip to Bash Bish Falls, Mt. Washington, MA

2. Our favorite Mexican restaurant, Xicohtencatl, in Great Barrington, MA. Conveniently on the way home from our day in the woods.

3. John Choo Moore makes beautifully designed and handcrafted bags in San Francisco. My husband showed this ("Beauty through Bamboo") to me- something he saw on one of the handcrafted bicycle sites that he looks at.

4. Modest Mouse. (Image via Poster Cabaret)

5. I show my Art 1 students this gem by the graffiti artist, Blu, when we are working on a lesson about graffiti lettering. While a large portion of students respond with, "That guy does a lot of drugs." There is usually a handful in the crowd that say things like, "I want to be friends with that guy, he's so cool." And one student yesterday says, "You like that? Well, you'll love this, Ms. K..."

6. "Ready, Able" by Grizzly Bear. Outrageous. It always makes my day when my I learn something from a kid. (Thanks K.T., you know I think you are wonderful!)

7. While there are many families within the school community that I teach that have been seriously affected by the devastation from the tornado on June 1st, one student in particular has been in my thoughts completely. I hope that somehow my thoughts of love and sympathy are making their way to her.

Henrietta Lacks, Tony, an inspiring story, Bob, the perfect bicycle, Hot Sauce, a party

1. A fun party with friends yesterday.

2. Beastie Boys: Hot Sauce Committee Part Two. Old and fresh all in one.


3. A great story on NPR about Robert Penn who discusses his quest to build the perfect bicycle in his book, It's All About the Bike: Happiness on Two Wheels.


4. Remembering Bob Paquette, Senior News Producer and morning host on WFCR 88.5,who passed away suddenly a couple of days ago. He visited my studio a couple of years ago to interview me about a show that I was in with a couple of other local artists. I often think of him sitting next to me at my studio table talking about what I was working on. I will cherish that. Mornings will not be the same without that voice.

5. Inspiring story of a 90 year-old man who has just celebrated living with type 1 diabetes for 85 years. Being in my 20th year , I am grateful for the advancements in managing the disease and hopeful that it will progressively become less challenging (both physically and emotionally) to tend to.

6. My good, good friend, Tony.

7. I have been reading with enjoyment: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot.

Hadley grass, porch dining, Ben Shahn, baked oatmeal,elephants, Albert Cullum, soundtrack

1. The soundtrack to Amelie (Yann Tiersen) in my studio. For over 10 years now. Listen to a bit. Image from here.


2. The work of the inspiring educator Albert Cullum. Image via A Collection Of.


3. Elephants are amazing creatures. Image via the thoughtful animal.

4. To make: baked oatmeal.



5. Ben Shahn. Image via C20th Graphic Design.



6. Eating dinner on the porch. Soon it will be warm enough to enjoy 6am coffee there too.



7. Fresh cut Hadley grass. Yum.

new paper, Cornelia, "Quiet ground," Chocolate and bread, peanut noodles, Larry B, bursting

1. the bursting green.



2. My good pal from graduate school, Larry Bamburg, has an exhibit of his work in Amsterdam. "Go team!" is right! image via Grimm Gallery


3. Peanut noodles with tofu and loads of greens.




4. a favorite, indulgent breakfast: Chocolate and Bread (Berkshire Mountain Bakery) with peanut butter, hot coffee.


5. I love the textile designs of Etsuko Furuya. I have made two skirts with fabric designed from her line, Echino. Recently got this one, "Quiet Ground."image via PhatFabric.



6. I have long been in awe of the work of Cornelia Parker. Amazing. Poetic. image via Colectiva.


7. a new pad of smooth bristol paper.

The Boston Marathon, raspberry bars, awkward family photos, Joy Division, seeds, sketchbook project, studio vacation

1. Vacation= time in my studio. I was cleaning shop and playing today. I cut up an old painting and turned it into this circle-y thing.

2. I have been participating in this sketchbook project organized by & In One Another. Each participant is working in a sketchbook that the group made by hand. Over the course of sixty days an assignment or theme is offered every other day. The above is my response to "Nothing to worry about." When the assignments come to a close, the completed books will be on display at a local gallery. I very much enjoy having assignments. Must be the teacher or student in me.

3. Planting seeds with my honey for our garden. Cucumbers, basil, morning glories, tomatoes, nasturtiums.

4. Teaching achievement of the week: I introduced two teens to the awesome-ness that is Joy Division. Their mouths dropped in amazement. It was so fulfilling to see how much they appreciated them right away. Them are some cool teens.

5. A place to go to laugh: awkward family photos.

6. I will be making these raspberry bars this week because this week is all about me being a domestic, art goddess. They are a JMP favorite.

7. The Boston Marathon. It's really inspiring. Though I had lived in Boston for years without actually going to see it in person, in 1998 I finally did. At that time I was very sick with a heart infection. I clearly remember how in awe I was watching all sorts of people running together and being applauded as they went by. And by all sorts I mean blind people, people with prosthetic legs, a man pushing his severely disabled child for 26+ miles. Even though I grew up being told to "take it easy" because of certain health issues, I decided that day that once I was in the clear from the infection, that I was going to start running. Even if I ran just a mile, I was going to start. A year later, I was running 6 miles at a stretch at least 4 times a week. I run a lot less now (more like 2 miles, 3 times a week) but still do and I am always reminded that seeing the Boston Marathon that first time was my inspiring moment to start. Especially today. And today I ran.

Riverside Industries, nice strangers, "Dust in the Wind," Nina, Root, the poetry of crap, Olga

1. Our sweet heart of a dog, Olga.


2. ...and the poetic messages that she leaves us. This one is called, "Shit heart."

3. Root. Drink it. Perhaps with some Gosling's ginger beer, some wedges of lime, on the rocks.

4. Nina Simone.

5. Driving around town with my nine year old nephew belting out "Dust in the Wind" by Kansas. He also played solo air violin next to me while I drove. Man, I just love him.

6. Nice strangers.

7. We went to a fantastic fundraising event for Riverside Industries for adults with developmental disabilities. They raised thousands of dollars to support their programs including building an on-site greenhouse. Amazing things happen there: art, gardening, cooking, friendship.

The Fugees, a roll of film, DrawOn!, sketchbooks, intermezzo, Green Elephant, Glenn and Ini

1. On the drive home we listened to the Misfits and Ini Kamoze. ...that's how we roll!


2. Green Elephant Bistro. Yum.

3. The Pomegranate Inn. Hey, if it's good enough for Michael Kimmelman, it's good enough for me. When we stayed here a few years ago, we were introduced to the lovely concept of intermezzo, the Italian, much more laid back, lot more sexy version of tea time.


4. We visited Space Gallery in Portland, Maine to attend this fantastic event : The Sketchbook Project. We looked at my book, Lissi Erwin's, one from Australia, one from Spain, one from Peak's Island. Above: me with a page from Claire Worts (Perth, Australia) sketchbook. I loved her drawings of her sewing machine and her new baby girl. Next stop on the tour: Atlanta, GA.

5. A large number of our Visual Art students participated in an activity that we organized in conjunction with the DrawOn! program organized through the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield, Connecticut.

6. The serendipity, the adventure, the art, the friendship, the strangers, the evolution of this story completely made me smile.

7. The Fugees. If you want to dance and make art.