Girls Night Out!

Yesterday was a good day. 

First, I got to pick up three of my paintings newly framed from Melissa at Stone Soup. She did a great job and they looked really good. After I got those, I rode on down to see Ken at 7p7 Ceramics Gallery and handed them off. He picked out a wall to display them on and we hung one up to look at it. It was exciting to see them up!

Afterwards, headed on over to my good friend Cricket's house to share the good news and catch up with her and the cutie patootie Seava, her four month old daughter. We went to Sandy's got an egg and cheese sandwich and headed for the beach. Sat down by the water and watched the sky turn beautiful colors as Seava slept soundly on her mamma's lap.

After our beach chat, I stopped by the Studios of Key West to sign up for a class and check out the latest exhibition there. It was a portrait / writers exhibit. The writers looked at the photo portraits of people they didn't know and wrote a bio for them. Really cool stuff.

Later on, met back up with Cricket and Seava to head over to Louie's backyard. We went to the opening of a new wine bar upstairs. Beautiful views and the wine bar comes complete with open kitchen and a great tapas menu. Took in the sunset and Seava even scored us a cookie when the chef came over and offered her something other than her fist to gnaw on. Way to work it, Seava!

Headed back to Cricket's place and walked to Dions gas station to pick up a 6 pack of Amstel Light. As soon as we turned the corner you could smell their signature fried chicken. It is scarily the best fried chicken you'll ever have. 

After returning home, had a beer while enjoying the hot tub in Cricket's backyard. Sitting under the stars with Seava splashing around trying to conjure up her first words, we listened to the Ipod shuffle away. The hot tub felt amazing especially after Monday's workout on the water at the kayak place. 

Cricket made us some chicken soy burgers which tasted really good and a lot like real chicken. Probably much better for you than the gas station chicken we had smelt an hour before. Life definitely does not suck.

What's the Happs?

Took a break from painting to take a quick jaunt to the water and see what kind of new stuff Ken has going on at his gallery. 

It was a nice overcast day and the weather was perfect. A light breeze and with a little water light show. Sometimes cloudy days are more interesting than the sunny ones. The water lights up into emerald, turquoise and jewel tones that pop out from the gray menacing skies. I just love it and have gotten caught in the rain many a time.

Ken is a local artist and has a ceramics gallery on White street called 7p7 Ceramics. He makes beautiful porcelain pieces that reflect the tones and textures of Key West. The one above reminds me of sand and sky. His studio is in the front of his house complete with kiln and wheel. It's a cool set up.

But really the star of this whole operation is Willie. Ken's lovable furry sidekick who barks like a madman when you scratch his butt the right way. Don't we all? 

WILLIE!!! WILBUR! or Williebear is what he likes to hear.

As we're chatting up about his new work, a stranger stops to offer flowers. Why that's so nice!  

He tells me to be careful cause the thorns are trying to start a war with him. I grab the beautiful flowers and give a very thankful thanks. That was a really kind thing and why I love living down here. 

He gives me very strict instructions to put it in the freezer at a very cold temperature so that it will live forever. "But nothing lives forever. And besides I have a very small, sad freezer that I don't want to shove this beautiful thing into." I try to tell him. 

He seems dismayed and gives me the instructions again and tells me "If you do this, you'll have it forever!!" I tell him I'll put it in some water when I get home and thank him once again.

After brief introductions, he tells me he'll be right back cause he's going to go pick me some more. "That's ok, James, I've got to be going anyway." I say. 

"Well next time I see you, I'll have some more flowers for you." he says as he rides off. 

Can't get better than that.