On My Mind Mondays: Toward a Common Goal

Mulberry is fascinated by the pressure canner

• Independent bookstores:  I listened to a Fresh Air interview with Ann Patchett who was compelling in her argument for buying books at actual bookstores and not online.  More often than not, I buy online because it's often less expensive and conducive to off-hour (aka impulse) purchasing; however, I do value bookstores, and frankly, I can afford to pay full price to support local economies so that's what I'm planning on doing whenever possible from here on out.

• Wabi Sabi (continued):  I'm reading Simply Imperfect:  Revisiting the Wabi-Sabi House by Robyn Griggs Lawrence, and her explanation of the concepts and how to make them part of one's life resonates with me.  I cannot claim to be a minimalist by any stretch of the imagination, but my life seems to be a constant work-in-progress where I continue to try to whittle things down and get everything closer to what I value.  I'll be working on slowly decluttering spaces around me.

• Eggplant with Anchovies:  This is what I'm making for dinner tonight.

• My upcoming trip to Oakland:  I'm off for a visit with the boy and will have a lot of time on my own (the boy's got to work).  I've signed up for a sashiko workshop already, and a friend has recommended I check out the Ai Weiwei installation on Alcatraz.  While I'll be seeing the boy daily, part of this trip feels as though I'm on my own, which is quite interesting.  What will I do with my time?

• Fashion Blows:  My friend, Abi Slone, curated this exhibit showcasing some of the late, great Isabella Blow's clothing.  It's got a short run, and I'm going to Toronto to see it tomorrow. 

• Interrogation of the Closet:  I've been trying to "curate" my closet/wardrobe for the last couple of years, slowly.  I'm working with the theme "Making my closet work better, not bigger."  Now it's time for the inquisition, as it were.  I'm going to take each rail of clothing (yes, there are more than one), divide it based on how often or the last time I wore an item, and then figure out what stays and what goes.  In conjunction with that, I've conceived of a creative nonfiction piece that deals with the process.

• Apples:  Today I've got to utilize the last of our apples.  Applesauce & hard cider are on the schedule.

I've never seen Gwendolyn so fully sacked out on the DVR before.

Oh Yeah - Nashville!

Springtime in Nashville was quite lovely.  Sunday was spent mostly hanging out with friends and making a trek to Ann Patchett's bookstore, Parnassus (stopping for donuts along the way).

Monday was the day where we had to get to some of the must-dos/must-eats of the trip, starting with a trip to Arnold's, a "meat plus three" establishment.  The ladyfriend had the kielbasa and kraut with mac-n-cheese, mashed potatoes (some people love carbs!), and brussel sprouts.  I had wanted the catfish, reckoned to be the best in America (meaning the States) by Bon Appetite, but it wasn't on Monday's menu.  Instead, I made the radical choice of liver and onions.  I know, liver and onions!  I chose mac-n-cheese, turnip greens, and brussel sprouts as my sides.  There was some cornbread involved as well and a shared piece of pecan pie.

Rick, who ordered the tilapia, looks a little less, shall we say "full"?, than I do here:

Note - I'm wearing my Imogene + Willie jeans, which might contribute to the "full" feeling.

After a couple of diversions, we made our way to Hatch Show Print, an amazing letterpress poster maker.  They've made posters for all kinds of acts, not just country.

And then it was time for the Country Music Hall of Fame!

Thanks for the reminder!  Good thing I left my rifle at home.

The Country Music Hall of Fame was great.  I don't really consider myself a country music fan, but I actually do like the earlier stuff.  I was particularly interested in their Bakersfield Sound exhibit, which highlighted the honky-tonk sound out of Bakersfield.  Unfortunately the lighting was not great for photos (no flash, please!), so I'll have to rely on these few photos and my memory (such as it is).

More Hatch Show Print work at the Hall of Fame

In the meantime, I've checked out some country music CDs from the library; I think they'll jog the memory a bit until we make it back down.