FACE
of a baby: inquisitive, interested, very slightly alarmed.
Actually, this baby's father is into photography and he seems to have inherited the gene. Whenever this little guy sees me his attention is riveted by my camera. I keep expecting him to say "And how many Mega-pixels is that one?"

SOME RECENT BOOKS
I have been enjoying.
The Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas. A happy re-read. For some unknown reason I think this book is great despite never having quilted, farmed or visited Kansas.
Pieter De Hooch: 1629-1684 by Peter Sutton. The best book on De Hooch I have ever read with the most reproductions too. I'd say De Hooch is my artistic role model except that he became an alcoholic and ended up in the madhouse, a pauper. So I'll just say that his work really speaks to me and I love it on some deep level that I can't even explain.
Crystal Clear by Jane Heller. The opposite of deep but totally satisfying fun. A new genre I really like: women's detective/romance/humor/adventure.
Schott's Original Miscellany by Ben Schott. Lists of things you had no idea you would be interested in seeing till you see them. Perfect for browsing before bed or at other odd moments.
Publishing A Blog with Blogger by Elizabeth Castro. I have to confess straight away that Liz is my old college roommate and friend and that she use Genre Cookshop as a "How To" example on pages 16-17 ("Linking") which totally blows my mind. But, all pride and prejudice aside, if anybody is looking to start blogging themselves, this would be a terrific book to have on hand! Thoroughly illustrated, clearly written and easy to use. Liz is just so amazing.

CITYSCAPE
Looks like a painting by Hopper, but it is just a photo by Miller. This is a route I often take going downtown to Pearl Paint, a store where I get most of my art supplies. There is amazing light in winter.

ABSTRACT SNOW SCULPTURE
My neighbor Hiroshi is a skilled craftsman, and about once a year he turns his attention to the medium of snow. The neighborhood is always in awe of his creations.

FRIED HONEY
Another original recipe from the autism cafe. Chef Henry not only thinks outside the box, there isn't a box anywhere in sight! Come on down for a little taste of culinary outsider art.

BOARDWALK IN WINTER
My friend Eliza Auth and I went to Ocean City yesterday to check out the Ocean City Arts Center which has invited us to have an exhibit there in May. It was a nice place, and I am really looking forward to it. Of course, Eliza and I both wanted to go look at the ocean while we were there. The beach in winter is beautiful, bare and sparkling. The near empty boardwalk with its closed shops had another feel, somewhat ominous, despite the bright carnival colors still in evidence. Kind of like an american "Last Year at Marienbad"!

COMFORT FOOD
During the recent snowstorm I was seized by a primitive, atavistic impulse to bake chocolate chip cookies. Preparing for possible famine and loss of calories due to freezing temperatures. Anyway, our ancestors would have been baking cookies in their caves if they had had chocolate chips and vanilla, you can be sure of that. Lack of oven mitts might have been part of the problem too.

SLAM THE CANS (OBSESSION)
A new game thought up by Henry. I think he has a touch of cabin fever as he is not a big fan of all the snow we are having lately. If only we had a gym or a swimming pool in the basement (well, we sometimes get quite a bit of water down there but it'd be hard to swim without bumping into floating boxes and boots and empty pots and the like)!

SNOW PLAY
Two hour delayed opening of school this morning meant lots of time for burying your brother in the snow.

SNOW DAY DESPAIR
Poor Hugh came downstairs on tenterhooks this morning hoping for a snow day off school because of the big storm that hit yesterday. When he heard there was only a two hour delayed opening his despair was intense. But pragmatically he went right to work on his homework from yesterday that he'd put off doing, only stopping every now and then to give way to his disappointment. Of course, he soon cheered up and is now running around outside throwing snowballs with the neighborhood children!