BRAVE STAR
singing like a slow scent beneath the sunArchive for December, 2007
160.
yes!!! i’m so excited:
PHILADELPHIA, PA.- The Philadelphia Museum of Art will be the only East Coast venue for the first major exhibition in 15 years to be devoted to Frida Kahlo in the United States. Frida Kahlo (February 20-May 18, 2008) examines the art of one of the most influential artists of the last 50 years. The exhibition includes more than 40 of the Mexican artist’s self-portraits, portraits, allegorical and symbolic paintings and still lifes, among them paintings that have never been exhibited before and others that will be seen in the U.S. for the first time. The exhibition is drawn from more than 30 collections in the U.S., Mexico, France, and Japan. Two of the most important and extensive collections of Kahlo’s work – the Museo Dolores Olmedo in Mexico City and the Jacques and Natasha Gelman Collection of Modern and Contemporary Mexican Art, Cuernavaca – have lent many of their most treasured Kahlo paintings. Read more at art daily…
159.
i finally added some books to my goodreads profile. hopefully the new year will bring me plenty of time to read some of them. any recommendations?
157.
here’s a better video to follow-up on my lame one: ten-year-old musical prodigy gabi wilson. i was watching her somewhere the other day and i actually had a “you go girl!” moment. her parents must be proud. unlike the parents of these two.
155.
I want some cupcakes!
for three 8 inch layers
2 ½ cups sifted all purpose flour
1 ½ cups sugar
1 teaspoons soda
1 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoons cocoa
1 cups buttermilk
2/3 cup butter or margarine
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoons vinegar
1 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/3 ounces ( 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons) red food coloring
Mixing Instructions:
Line bottom of baking pans with waxed or parchment paper. Grease sides of pans. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour, soda, salt, and cocoa together. Set aside. Cream butter or margarine and vegetable oil. Add sugar and cream until fluffy. Beat in eggs. Add vinegar and vanilla. Mix until fluffy. Add food coloring. Fold in dry ingredients, alternating with buttermilk. Bake until done, about 25 minutes.
(Makes 7 cups batter)
Cream Cheese Frosting
2/3 cup butter
8 ounce- package cream cheese
2/3 teaspoon vanilla
2 2/3 cups powdered sugar
2/3 cup pecans or walnuts
This tasty recipe is courtesy of Ms. Tayari Jones.
154.
just taking a break from writing to send you all my love and to wish you a joyous kwanzaa…
in love & unity,
adb
153.
I want to sleep like the birds
then wake to write you again
without hope that you read me
Donald Hall from “Midwinter Letter”
152.
last night i was so exhausted. i couldn’t even get through another chapter of the artist’s way before i went to bed. yeah…i’m not following the 12 week course, i’m just picking and choosing things to do. anyway, i passed out before midnight, something i haven’t done in months. it was really nice, actually, to go bed at a reasonable hour and wake up early. the day does indeed feel longer…so anyway, i had this dream last night that was so vivid. i don’t really remember where we were (some kind of party, i think) or who else was there (i vaguely remember my other homies…) but i was all dressed up and i was walking around a house with this boy. i don’t know who he is, but in the dream he was my boyfriend. and it was so strange because i loved him. i could feel in my dreams that we were in love. he was holding my hand so that i wouldn’t fall while i was walking down the steps and i remember noting to myself, that i could count on him. that we could count on each other. and it was just really, well, lovely. i felt great waking up early this morning, warm with the thought of my mystery man, who loves me. i’ve been thinking about it all day. i wonder who he is. i wonder where he is…the one thing my dream did remind me, though, is that i really value reliability and accountability, and i’m learning how to recognize when people are unwilling/unable to be that for me. and it is finally making it easier for me to know when to move on. there have been people that i have been giving space to. people that i have made excuses for, for neglecting me, and i will not let myself do that anymore. i realize now that i need to move those guys out of my heart/conscience in order to make space for people that i can count on and who will treat me the way that i want to be treated. so if that means being single a little while longer, until i find what i want, that’s fine with me. i’ve also made a decision to hold myself accountable even more in maintaining relationships, returning phone calls, working on getting to know people, etc… i know i can be a real flake sometimes, and i know when other people do that shit to me, it irks the hell out of me, so i am going to try to not be like that. i caught myself doing it yesterday and i corrected myself. i had, out of anxiety, postponed some artistic work that i was supposed to do with some folks that i respect. but instead i recognized and took responsibility for the fact that i was letting my fear determine my action (or lack thereof) and fuel my disrespectful/discourteous behavior. so, mark my words…
the other highlight of the day…i got some new boots! finally:
I’m not a big fan of Steve Madden but they were on sale…and pretty darn cute…
Tomorrow is my first real day of vacation. Not one damn thing planned. I’m so excited. I really want to finish my reading and get some more writing done. I’ll also be going to the cemetery to put some flowers on Pop-Pop, Uncle Pat, and Uncle Greg’s graves tomorrow. I’m actually looking forward to it…the ancestors have been good to me.
If you haven’t noticed by now, I love this time of year.
Love!
adb
151.
my winter break has been off to a productive start. after i turned in my final essay, i stopped at the used bookstore and picked up a copy of the kama sutra as well as julia cameron’s the artist’s way. while i’m not feeling particularly blocked at the moment, cameron’s book offers some wonderful tips for reviving creativity. i’ve actually been writing on my own. doing actual work! i’m so proud of myself. i’ve been working on a poem for the past few days for a musical track that i’m collaborating on with some old friends. the track uses a sample of miles’ “concierto de aranjuez” from sketches of spain. its sounds dope and should be fun to record….i also spent a large chunk of yesterday dying my hair. it turned out awesome! i died my bangs “golden copper” and the back “cocoa brown.” it looks like this now: 
please disregard my raisin-esque lips–this cold weather is killing them…
anyway, today i woke up early, babysat all day, and then decided to make up a holiday mix. so…here is my 25-song playlist for holidaze 2007:
The Little Drummer Boy – Lou Rawls
Christmas Reggae – Bob Marley
Now Behold the Lamb – Kirk Franklin
Let It Snow – Boyz II Men
Oh Happy Day – Edwin Hawkins Singers
Warm Fire – Yusef Lateef
Carol of the Bells – Tran-Siberian Orchestra
Baby, It’s Cold Outside – Ray Charles & Betty Carter
Silent Night – The Temptations
Ave Maria – Stevie Wonder
Hallelujah! – Quincy Jones
Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town – Jackson 5
White Christmas – Otis Redding
Go Tell It On the Mountain – Mahalia Jackson
Purple Snowflakes – Marvin Gaye
All I Want for Christmas – Mariah Carey
Oh Holy Night – Al Green
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas – Luther Vandross
Adeste Fideles – Luciano Pavarotti
The Little Drummer Boy – Johnny Cash
Merry Christmas Baby – James Brown
What Are You Doing on New Year’s Eve? – Ella Fitzgerald
White Christmas – The Drifters
This Christmas – Donny Hathaway
Little Saint Nick – Beach Boys
i’m slowly getting that holiday cheer…
love!
adb
