Hello from the Far North

I am sitting in the Driftwood Sports Bar in St. Ignace eating a piece of cherry pie and drinking a cup of coffee and taking advantage of their WiFi. This is a very familiar place even though it has changed tremendously over the last 30 or so years. When I was a youngster (late teens - early 20s) I worked in the bar with a wonderful older woman, Hazel Killibrew. Most people thought she was a total bitch, but she treated me wonderfully. I worked way too hard here and much too long hours (my shift was from 3 pm until close 7 days a week).

This is also the place where I met the hubster in 1976 when I was home for a visit, so it is special for more than one reason.

I have heard from the winner of the giveaway and will be getting her prize in the mail soon. I haven't had a chance to take any pictures since I've been here. My Mom has shingles and is miserable. She is 84 and doesn't get around very well anyway and now she is in much pain besides.

I spent yesterday in the kitchen. I made a large pot of zucchini soup and froze 6 servings and then when that was done, I made a pot of pea soup and froze 4 servings of that. When I get back to her house after taking care of online business, I am making a large pot of black bean and sausage soup and will freeze most of that. I was also planning to make some Navy bean soup, but I don't think there is room in the freezer for any more. I am not even sure how I am going to get today's soup in the freezer.

Just before coming here today, I went through three large boxes of pictures of my Mom's and sorted them and threw out all the duplicates and the pictures without people in them. I have 8 sisters and 5 brothers so needless to say, there are a ton of pictures from the early forties through today. I also went through my Mom's kitchen cupboards and threw out all the really old food (some of them had expiration dates of '05). Her cupboard is now better organized and she can see what she has without digging through it.

Later today I will make some corn bread and we will enjoy some of the pea soup I made yesterday and didn't freeze. We will watch a Tiger game today and I will get to see some of day 2 of the US Open.

I am missing my art room, not to mention the hubster and am planning to be home on Thursday. The first of the free Photoshop webinars is Thursday at 2 pm EST.

I'll try to post tomorrow, but won't have any traditional art to share. For now I am concentrating on the art of cooking and taking care of loved ones......