Cedar Maze Annual Spring Art Show

Disclaimer: Please note the information in this post is not a paid advertisement. I happen to like Snyder's work very much and want to share with you information about his upcoming art show.

This is another favorite place of mine -- Cedar Maze. Every year sculptor Steven Snyder opens his outdoor stone sculpture gallery to the public. This year his show will be held two weekends on May 14-15 and May 21-22, 2011 from 11 am to 6 pm, rain or shine.

If you're looking for something beautiful, unique, creative or whimsical, this is the place to find it.

At the moment I'm not sure which weekend or which day I'll be going, but going I will. I always enjoy seeing what this talented sculptor creates from the stone he uses.

Hope you can make it!

Namaste
Chris

Jazzy & Tigger

This is Jazzy(left) and Tigger, horses owned by my friend Anne, who also happens to be a very talented potter and artist. I mentioned her in a recent post for an upcoming Student Pottery Sale at Kissimmee River Pottery, located in Frenchtown, NJ. Recently, I spent the afternoon at Anne's house doing my first photo shoot of her horses.

For me, they are beautiful, powerful, mystical and graceful equine free spirits. 
I'm not sure how many photos I shot but there were about 12 or 13 that weren't half bad considering it was the first time I shot an animal that moves like greased lightning in the blink of an eye. But I won't bore you with all 12. I've narrowed it down to four, plus the one at the top of this post.

 Jazzy

Tigger

Jazzy

 Tigger

This happens to be one of my favorites.

He looks pensive.



A warm day is on tap. I'm not ready for summer, yet. But any weather where the sun is in residence is all right by me.

Namaste

Chris



The Art of Color

No, this is not a post about dogs. Just a few shots I took while wandering around Frenchtown, New Jersey this beautiful Easter Sunday. Sorry about the reflection in the above shot.

This was only a small section of a much larger circular stained glass piece done

by Don Hector of Hector Studio/Art Glass,

who makes incredibly beautiful stained glass windows,

doors and anything you can imagine.

This explosion of color wicker planter sat

 between Cathy Smith Designs and Hector Studio mentioned above.

I love orange and purple!

I can't believe the state of this door! Nor do I want to know where it goes

 or even what's behind it. It's funny it was painted but not fixed.

Can there ever be too many tulips?

Or pansies?

The Chinese Year of the Rabbit.

A explosion of vibrant color!

And last, but not least, to come full circle with the photo at the top of this post and for all dog lovers (as is yours truly), the sign below was alongside the one at the top of this post.



Wishing you all a beautiful and colorful Spring!!

Namaste

Chris

"State-ly" Mailbox

I pass this mailbox often in my travels and finally the other day I pulled over and grabbed a few shots especially with the beautiful daffodils blooming around it.

It's a clever idea and I wonder if the owner lived in all these states before finally settling here in Bucks County or did they come from family or friends who've lived in New Jersey, Iowa, Illinois or Arkansas to name a few. It took me a second or two to realize the flag was actually a California license plate. The knob is a miniature eight ball from what might have been a miniature pool table. How clever and creative!

Just one of the unusual things I often see on my daily wanderings with my camera.

Wishing you all a Happy Easter or however you celebrate this upcoming holiday.

Namaste

Chris

Peanut Blossoms

This quick and easy cookie recipe came from a friend and neighbor years ago. Recently, I had a reason to dig it out of my recipe box for an upcoming art show I was in and volunteered to make cookies for the event.

Peanut Blossoms

Whisk:
1 ¾ cups of sifted flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

Cream:
½ cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup peanut butter (I used Smart Balance creamy peanut butter)

Gradually add:
½ cup sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar

Add:
1 unbeaten egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat all ingredients well. Blend in the dry ingredients gradually and mix thoroughly.

Shape dough into balls using a rounded teaspoonful for each. Place on greased baking sheets. (I found a teaspoon too big as the cookies spread and get larger as they bake.)

Bake in 375 degree oven for 8 minutes. Remove from oven. Top each cookie with a chocolate kiss (I use Hershey’s Dark Chocolate Kisses) pressing firmly so the cookies crack around the edge. Let cookies sit for a few minutes and then move to a cooling rack until totally cool.

I just realized I missed the last part of the recipe the last time I made them, which says, “Return to oven, bake 2-5 minutes longer until golden brown.” If you want the kiss to retain its shape don’t do this last part.

Yield: 3 dozen cookies

These cookies also freeze very well.

Enjoy!

Namaste
Chris

Kissimmee River Pottery

If you live in or are visiting Frenchtown, New Jersey the weekend of April 29 through May 1, stop in at the Kissimmee River Pottery for their Student Pottery Sale.

Having never been to a pottery sale, I plan on going to see the work of 15 potters; one of whom is a friend of mine and an excellent potter.

Featured Potters
Anne Ballantine
Valerie Chaucer-Levine
Nanc Conner
Marie Cuper
Deb Donahue
Bob Fellner
Rosemary Fellner
Susan Goeckeler
Ann Greer
Amy Kamenir
Bob Moncrief
Phil Unetic
Marian Van Buren
Irene Veneziano
Rosa Yoo

The reception is on Friday, April 29 from 6:00-9:00 pm. Hours for Saturday, April 30 and Sunday, May 1 are 10:00 am-5:00 pm.

Directions: www.kissimmeeriverpottery.com

Kissimmee River Pottery is located at One Eighth Street, #11, Frenchtown, NJ 08825. Phone: 908.996.3555.

Look forward to seeing you there.

Namaste
Chris

Floral Walk

Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)

After ten days of not being able to do a three mile walk due to inclement weather, Friday finally arrived with beautiful weather that beckoned me out. It was a little windy and chilly but the sun had finally made an appearance and I was fortunate enough to get a walk in before the day descended into a half hearted sun and overcast skies.

Here in the east, Spring is definitely here. Below are a few of the flowers I saw along the way.

Dutchman's Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria)

White Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora)

The last shot is a rain-soaked pansy from our deck the day before.

Hoping Spring has arrived or is on its way soon wherever you are.

Namaste

Chris

Frustration Central

Yesterday, I had a melt-down on the way to the gynecologist's office.

I don't own, nor want, a GPS duck-taped to my car’s dashboard. When trying to locate a place, I go out to Bing or Google for directions and, if need be, print them. I even look at, and prefer using, an ancient document called a map, which is as scarce as hen's teeth these days. A map? Who uses a map? Well, I do.

Anyway, my gynecologist has three office locations and I have never been to this location. I leave at 1:00 p.m. giving myself plenty of time to get lost and still get there on time. Well, get lost I d0 . . . in a big way!

It’s 40 minutes before my appointment and I pull off the road to call the office and get directions. Guess what I get? A menu and after making a selection, I'm immediately bounced into voice mail!!!!! I hang up and a few minutes later try again getting the same response. Over the years, I've learned hitting “0” (zero) will usually get me a body. This time it dosen't work as a disembodied voice announces, "the operator is not available at this time." How can this be? Operators are always there!

What to do? So I dial again hitting the number for "emergencies." Finally, an actual person!!!! The first words out of my mouth are, "This is not an emergency but I have a 2:15 appt. and I'm lost. Can someone please give me directions?" I’m put on hold while they try to find someone to deal with the crazy lady at the other end of their emergency line. Many seconds pass and I'm thinking they either forgot me or they're giving me time to cool off. Then a friendly voice picks up and gives me great directions.

But my ordeal isn't over yet!!! Route 309 is a heavily traveled road at all times of the day and there is still construction! Where isn’t there construction or “road closed” signs these days, especially where I live. The road narrows and I am forced into a single lane cattle-shoot of Blaze orange highway cones when I look in the rearview mirror to see an idiot (not the word I really want to use) in a Jeep Wrangler literally on my bumper. My blood pressure is still at warp level and is rising rapidly.

I think to myself, I am so tired of aggressive, rude and ignorant drivers. So I slow down. He can't pass me as we're in a cattle-shoot. But when I finally manage to move over to let his Royal Idiot-ness pass, I raise my finger in the universal, ubiquitous salute. Not once, not twice but as many times as I can until he's out of sight. I know very childish and equally as rude no doubt and all the while thinking, one of these days that salute is going to get me in some major trouble or dead. Doing the salute is not something I engage in but there are times when I’m pushed beyond my limit and this was one of those times. I know I’m rationalizing.

My blood pressure is reaching critical levels and I say to myself, This is just great! When the nurse takes my blood pressure it's going to be through the roof! So I start “breathe-ing” as my friend Se’Lah often says to me and incredibly find myself calming down rather quickly. It’s all that yoga and breathing I do, I’m sure of it.

I make it to the doctor’s office on time and the god's are with me because the office is patient free. Usually, his offices are always a sea of pregnant women and I have to wait until he wades through most of them before I get to see him. Not a problem. I was pregnant once and know how uncomfortable it can be.

The nurse takes my blood pressure and it's 170 over 55. That doesn’t sound too bad. (Since writing this post I've learned normal/good BP is 120 over 80. So 170 over 55 is high!!!)

In the end everything turns out well. On my way home, I get lost for 5 minutes but arrive home without any further travel or harrassing drivers issues.

After all this, I now have good directions to this office and the best time to make an appointment for next year, which I’m going to mark down in my datebook as soon as I can find it!!! Yes, a datebook an actual book with calendar pages in it. But then I’ll have to leave myself another note in the very same datebook to indicate where I’ve filed the directions as I’ll never remember them, nor where I put them, by next year.

Hope you’re all having a good day.

Namaste
Chris