Five things I am grateful for today

1. Drawing class #1. I like the way the teacher communicates--I like the way she encourages the students yet speaks with honesty about what she is seeing. I like how she is flexible while still laying down the law on how she wants us to do things. I like the size of the class, around 15 people. I like that it is downtown--outside of my usual flight pattern, it feels like an adventure. I liked the people sitting near me, from the little bit that I spoke to them. I like that we don't have to share our work. I liked the exercises. I liked that she said that it isn't so much a class where we make art as a nuts and bolts class for the skills of how to draw. If I am not expecting to make art it takes a lot of pressure off.

2. Last night E and I stayed up watching The Outlaw Josie Wales. And we ate snacks (carrots and parmesan pita chips with a dip that I made, and cookies) while watching the movie.

3. Mead and I met up at a coffee shop around the corner from my art class after she got off of work. We had fun sharing some ideas. It feels good to have friends who inspire me to think hard and to grow.

4. I had a good phone chat with my mom today. Short but full of love. Three weeks from tomorrow we meet up in San Francisco for five days for her birthday and the wedding of a family friend. Yippee!

5. I am going to go do some drawing and writing and then maybe make a few cards.

Recipe for the very best dip I have ever made:

1 cup cashews

3/4 cup water

3 Tbs almond butter

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

2 Tbs Braggs liquid aminos

a good squeeze of lemon juice

some roasted red peppers

1 garlic clove

Put it all in the food processor until it is really well mixed and the sesame seeds aren't all whole anymore. Try not to eat it all at once. Eric loves this too, it's not just me...