Appreciate the Process

When I first spotted the Red Ball project on A Cup of Jo, I flagged the post to read later. To my surprise, the project originated in St. Louis!

RedBall began as a requested commission by Arts in Transit, an award winning public art bi-state agency based in St. Louis. I was asked to choose among a series of sites and propose a temporary work. After being drawn to an unlikely underpass lacking the glamour of other possibilities I worked through a series of ideas, trying to figure out how to make evident my pull to this particular place. In a late night sketching session, after many failures and in a moment of frustration to realize the compressed potential of the site, I jammed a gigantic ball under the bridge to make myself laugh. Excited, intrigued, and having nothing else I liked, I showed the sketch to my project manager the next day over ice cream at Crown Candy. She laughed too, and thus began the RedBall Project.

Read all about it here.

What do you think about this kind of art?

I turned thirty in January. I was (am) really excited about being thirty. In honor of my thirtieth year, I've decided to donate $30 to thirty causes that are important to me.

My first donation was to my godson's Jump Rope for Heart fundraiser for the American Heart Association. I'll all for cardiovascular health and such, but the real reason I decided to donate was because he was so darn excited to raise money for the cause. He even asked his mom if he could donate his Christmas money. I also have very fond memories of participating in St. Jude's Mathathon in elementary school.

[image from Epic Self]

Among the things we inherited from the previous tenants of our home was a subscription to Food & Wine magazine. This week I made Cat Cora's North African Fish Stew. It was a hit, even with my fish-abhorring little sister.

North African Fish Stew

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 medium red onions, thinly sliced 2 tablespoons golden raisins 1/4 cup salted roasted cashews 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced 1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced 4 medium tomatoes—peeled, seeded and sliced crosswise 1 inch thick 1 tablespoon ras el hanout (Moroccan spice blend) 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock 1 1/2 pounds catfish or tilapia fillets, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes Salt and freshly ground pepper 2 cups couscous 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 2 scallions, thinly sliced

In a large, deep skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add half of the onion and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until browned, 8 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate. Add the raisins and cashews to the skillet and cook for 1 minute. Transfer to the plate.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the skillet along with the remaining onion and both peppers. Cook until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the tomatoes, ras el hanout and stock, cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Season the fish with salt and pepper and add to the skillet. Cook over moderately high heat until the fish is cooked, 5 minutes.

Happy Thanksgiving, y'all! Today, my sister SG, B, and I are in Virginia with B's family celebrating our good fortune and hard work. My favorite thing about the holidays is the opportunity to practice old and create new traditions. A few years back, my dad started a new tradition of serving a community meal at his church. B's family always listens to Arlo Guthrie's Alice's Restaurant. SG loves to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. For some reason, I always associate Thanksgiving with Walt Whitman's poem O Captain! My Captain! My dad had me memorize it in the first or second grade - not sure why but I'm sure it made a cute party trick - and I've taken to reading it every year around this time.

O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done; The ship has weathered every rack, the prize we sought is won; The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting, While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring:

But O heart! heart! heart!O the bleeding drops of red,Where on the deck my Captain lies,Fallen cold and dead. O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells; Rise up—for you the flag is flung—for you the bugle trills; For you bouquets and ribboned wreaths—for you the shores a-crowding; For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning; Here Captain! dear father!This arm beneath your head;It is some dream that on the deck, You’ve fallen cold and dead. My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still; My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will; The ship is anchored safe and sound, its voyage closed and done; From fearful trip, the victor ship, comes in with object won; Exult, O shores, and ring, O bells!But I, with mournful tread,Walk the deck my Captain lies, Fallen cold and dead.

One of my favorite comedies on television right now is Community on NBC. The writing and plotting are intelligent and witty, the cast is brilliant and beautiful, and the potential for watching episodes over and over is enormous.

Here's an example that demonstrates the thought that goes in to every episode. I didn't even notice Abed in the background until I saw this montage of clips from the episode.

I love making lists, so Christmas was always one of my favorite holidays. Here, in no particular order, are some of my needs and wants.

Women's Silk Interlock Glove Liner and SmartWool Cozy Mittens to keep my hands toasty warm in the cold months.

A Fountain Pen crafted from a bleacher seat originally part of the historic Yale Bowl.

A Customizable iPhone 4S Case to protect my new toy.

Two or three new exercise pants to replace my old worn-out ones.

Weatherproof winter boots for the upcoming snowy season.

Felted alpaca dryer balls from a farm in Mississippi to keep my clothes soft.

Today, our building manager informed us that a VIP with a security detail would be coming by to view our apartment this afternoon. It turned out to be the House Majority Whip. DC is a strange, strange place. I think I like it.

I made these oreo brownies today for  Number 32 from my life list. I'm not sure why. I don't care for chocolatey sweets. I had one small piece and I already regret it. Hopefully B and the folks at work will enjoy them!

[image from Kevin & Amanda]

Tonight, B and I had supper at Ethiopic, an Ethiopian restaurant near our new place. I love the thick, stewy consistency of the cuisine AND that I get to eat with my hands!  Even though our new place is only a half mile from where we live now, we're really excited to explore a new part of our neighborhood.

Last night, B and I went to the 9:30 Club to see Fitz and the Tantrums, a six-person soul/indie pop band from California. It was awesome!