For the first time in a long time, I spent a little time recently wandering around downtown and looking in various shops. Some old shops and restaurants have disappeared and others have taken their place. Amazingly, some places have continued to stick around for decades even as the population has grown and changed. The local artist cooperative, Trimble Court Artisans, has so much good work! I feel like they've really upped their game by partnering with so many new artists. They've been around since 1971 and I admire how they keep adapting and growing. It's made me think about resilience and reinvention.
Here's a look at what I've been doing since I last wrote:
On My Work (Art) Table
I've been simultaneously working on two goals: creating the habit of regular drawing practice and learning more about how to use the Procreate digital drawing program. It's fun and a good way to relax at the end of the day. Here's a recent piece I did of a milkshake:
In the Kitchen
I checked out a new cookbook titled Cook What You Have by Christopher Kimball which is all about using what's in your pantry. I was impressed that the pantry items were actually things I do have like cans of beans and bags of pasta. I also liked that many of the recipes gave you options within them for substituting spices or other ingredients. Unfortunately, I only had time to try one recipe (Cuban Black Beans) and it didn't turn out well. Edible, but not great. (I think I managed to overcook the beans.) I don't fault the recipe. Christopher Kimball is known for America's Test Kitchen and Milk Street and I've successfully made his recipes before. I have a few more recipes marked as possibilities and will try at least one other.
What I'm Reading
Isn't it funny how sometimes you end up reading on a particular theme without really meaning to? I read Nothing to Lose by J.A. Jance which features the long-running detective J.P. Beaumont who is now in his 70s. (As a fun aside, you can read the author's blog where she talks about how she came up with her character's birth date.)
I also read Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto which has a 60-year-old protagonist. Apparently I like older sleuths in my mystery fiction! I'd particularly recommend the Vera Wong book if you're looking for a light, funny read. The main character owns a tea shop and some of the characters have artistic careers as painters and photographers.
On My Library Hold List
There's about a dozen books on my hold list right now including: You could make this place beautiful: a memoir by Maggie Smith.
What I'm Watching
I watched the new Working: What We Do All Day documentary series on Netflix. There are four episodes: Service Jobs, The Middle, Dream Jobs, and The Boss. I found "The Boss" the least interesting of the four. It's always fascinating to see how other people spend their time at work.
Made Me Laugh
The new book Revenge of the Librarians by Tom Gauld has fun comics geared towards readers, writers, and (of course) librarians. If you were an English major, you'll probably enjoy some of the literary references that others may not understand.
New in the Shop
See you in July!