One more to go...

The white elephant gift. Got a whole stocking full o stuff for $2.49, including the stocking. My favorite part, releasing a brown ceramic cat from the Salvation Army pound.

Everyone needs some puppet scripts to act out bible verses.

Holidays down here are fun. That's right fun. Never thought I'd say that.

Working in restaurants and non-corporate places you quickly find that they have good events where people laugh, enjoy food, wine and general randomness.

There is no shortage of that down here and owners generously shut down their operations to do it up and celebrate. I'm always surprised when tourists get peeved when things are shut down while town's staff is out cavorting. I think cause we know how to do it right.

Appreciation is all I'm feeling right now. The gatherings and festivities just seem to echo it in all kinds different ways.

I love that when I asked my boss if we could have a Santa Pinata, she decided to make one and sent a picture of her in mid-process.

I love that I have met people I can talk and laugh with that actually understand me and vice versa. I have sat and listened to some of the funniest, weirdest stories in the last year that I can't seem to get enough of.

I love that I can go to my new local yoga place and get to take a class from my old roommate. Where I now open my chakras, I used to drink rum and have great conversations with an artist who first introduced me to watercolors.

I love that I can be invited to go to two friends book openings and enjoy art basel goodness in one month with my super talented artist friends.

I love that my own art is opening up as I learn to open myself up to all the good stuff life has to offer.

Indeed, its been a very good year.

Lock and Load

September was a busy one. How is it that 2011 is almost over???

Lots o stuff been going on. What you ask? Well....

20 year high school reunion with the Catholic high school girls.

There was wine.

Midwest meals. Soul food restaurant owned by an old back up singer for Ike and Tina Turner. Fried catfish and chicken anyone? It was gooooood.

A visit to the St Louis botanical gardens. This is the climatron and I used to want to live in it.

I realized after walking through it looks just like Key West.

The best part of the gardens is feeding the Koi fish in the Japanese garden. Man have they grown! They still stick their mouths open for you to feed them.

I love them!

These are the bastard ducks that reached into the fishes mouths to get the food. It felt like a carnival game to try to drop the food directly into the Koi mouths. I got a few direct hits.

Fun with acrylics and clothespins = mailbox clips.

The final schellacked frappuccino vase.

The pickle pen jar came out nicely. Inspired by Ecuadorian fish graffiti. I'm currently painting dirt. Yes dirt - you'll see.

I'm starting to see my obsession with all things fish.

The new round of printed cards just received yesterday. The upgrade in camera and computer are definitely working out! Will be good for the website stuff.

Saw a great couple exhibitions at the St. Louis art museum with Mom. One of Francisco Clemente and his woodcut prints. Lots of ideas going.

Now off to write a press release.

Pisaq Market Day

The river that flows through the Valley of the Sacred Incas. Walking it into town was awesome. Such a crazy strong current.

On that walk I got to watch a sheep chase a cow all the way down it. That was one angry sheep!

The market had everything you could ever want. A lot of the locals who live up in the mountains and can't make it down everyday come on Sundays to sell their stuff. There were a lot of Rasta peeps from the US too.

Cool blues.

The vegetables taste so different down there. They have a lot more life and flavor. I wanted to eat everything I saw. Last night I made some quinoa soup last night to remind me of how good we ate in Peru. Que bueno!

Ecuador

This is Arturo's - a really awesome dude who can cook like crazy. We swung by his place practically everyday for his fantabulous food. I'm still craving the fish soup. He had the cutest pitbull he tied up in the back who looked so sweet. I desperately wanted to pet him but I restrained myself because we happened to find out he had killed a small donkey. Apparently he didn't like donkeys too much, he seemed to be ok with people though.

If you haven't noticed Arturo's favorite color is blue.

Arturo cookin' it up.

MMMMmmmmm. Langostinos!

Tuna and plantains.

(Paul, Me, and Master Chef Arturo)