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Holidays are here, and it means that I might be baking again. I don't like to eat the cookies I bake. I hope that Santa will send me some delicious French macaroons and other exotic cookies with fruit filling.

The Anonymous in Crowd Brings Sprats

We (my brother and I) decided that we can't sell loads of baked goods called 'aunt so and so's white trash cookies' ( if we made them, which is not the case), because we are not famous. And our blogs are not widely read, adding another obstacle to the riches available out there to everyone who may want them. I make good scones using just flour, baking powder, sugar and whipping cream, but it is not my original recipe. What's my point? My point is that we don't like sweet stuff all the time, and we are looking for something that tastes and feels like the color of money -- and yet it is not food.

EVENING NONSENSE

Pink Christmas trees: The big one by the entrance, and many small ones dispersed here and there. Glittery pink reindeer with furry black mufflers around their little necks. - It is kind of awful, but not bad. And the colors - they're bright, not really uplifting, but then, maybe they are, like when the afternoon sun colors the snowy earth. Where am I? What's with these small black plastic Christmas trees and... little Golden Buddhas? What is real and what is not real? Colors that go together so beautifully are: shaded orange and light, foggy purple/lilac. Now add some white snowflakes and tiny snowballs, gloves and mittens! Why is this image so comforting and beautiful, even without the flying gingerbread man?

The Story of Turtlenecks

So, winter weather is here! I wore a turtleneck today! I need to write some random nonsense here, so no stupid stuff sticks to me. We had burritos again. Mine had yellow rice and cheese in them. The light in my living room is yellow too! I am the proud owner of pine cones, just in time for the fireplace season!!! It feels stupid to post any pictures here and now.

BORED WRITER

Writing a blog is fun, but it's also a pain. I don't really feel like spending my time here, but I feel like I have to post something. I do this because I want to read what I wrote. The text has to be short, because I get bored very easily. I can read a book that I can hold in my hands, unlike the unreal one that can be found here. The radiation in my eyes and the sore butt from sitting in front of you are the casualties. I have admiration for you, but I can't express it beautifully enough to inspire anything greater than this moment of truth: The freedom from your tyranny is sweet like the chocolate covered hazelnuts that I am about to trade you for!!! Little by little the small steps grow; the larger character emerges. The accumulation of knowledge fights with the freedom. Today's other facts are: The freed character marches like a dancer, not like a soldier. The funny thing is that I don't like the seriousness, and grace can be found in doing nothing; lemons are on my mind: those yellow ones and those purple ones, simultaneously. I made some tea with honey and one slice of lemon. Years ago, in my children's drawing class at the civic center I asked the children to use a purple pencil to draw the lemons that were arranged on the table in front of them. When the class ended, my children who were participating that day, said to me: "mommy, next time, don't ask the kids to draw purple lemons".

ITALIAN AMBIANCE

There is nothing better than homemade Italian food, plus Italian opera, plus Italian conversation with family and friends!!!

Wieslaw

My brother has finally posted something NEW on his website. There is a beautiful picture titled "Autumn", and a very beautiful poem by a famous English poet.

THAT WAS ON OCTOBER 31

We carved pumpkins, and then we watched Dexter.

ENIGMATIC CHEF APPEARS AT THE BANK

What do you do if you can't do anything About it. There is something However That can make some sense: At The bank I talked to A Person And as a result Of Our conversation I Could become A Professional Chef . I already know how to cook.  And I also know how to peel A Lemon. Potato peeling is not my Strongest skill. Chopping onions -- I do it rather well And forgiveness is often Bestowed upon me On the account that A Part Of My Being IS Artistic in Nature -- that's What I heard Sometimes, So it must be true, No? Chef  is 'It' then?

FALL COFFEE

FALL OF METEORS

In the midst of Fall I am forgetting to write about it. I wonder about the meteor shower -- I just heard about it from Emi. She said that it supposed to happen about 1:00 a.m. And I said: " Are we supposed to wish upon the meteor?"And She said: " I don't know."

ANOTHER PINK CUPCAKE WITH SMALL LADYBUG

Ladybug, or biedronka (Polish). The frosting on a cupcake is raspberry flavoured, or "o smaku malinowym" (Polish).

RASPBERRY FLAVOURED LADYBUG CUPCAKE

The story goes like this: Lidia and Cindy had an idea in their heads -- And it was about the ladybugs & cupcakes. Lidia told me to draw a cupcake with ladybugs. Now you know. Are you happy?

"CANDY STORE" GUEST

Actually I was the guest at her home. "Candy Store" is

a working title for a story that I am thinking about.

SKY BLUE CHIFFON DRESS

"Błękitna Kania"; Rysunek na papierze; ołowki kolorowe "Prismacolor",
 Malgorzata Kawashima 2009 All Rights Rserved.
Ciocia Marysia smarzyła kanie na patelni. Byly one panierowane: najpierw w jajku, potem w mące, znowu w jajku i na koniec w bułce tartej. Smaczne były niemożliwie! Dlatego w przyszłosci (19 years later) zjadłam kawałek tej fałszywej kani na Florydzie. Chciałam odtworzyć ten smak sprzed lat. Niestety to była pomylka: Czubajka Kania nie rosnie na Florydzie! Zjadlam trującego grzyba! Byl to specymen nazywany tutaj parasolem o zielonych sporach, green - spored parasol, czyli Chlorophyllum molybdites. Dostałam tez od Cioci Marysi podarunek: sukieneczkę z błękitnego szyfonu - Sky Blue chiffon dress.
For the English version of this part of the Kania Tale, please go to Cabbage Rules My Universe.

FAIRIES EXIST

fairies exist -- mine is a mushroom.
in prismacolor pencils on charcoal paper.

PRESENTED IN A NEW LIGHT

the digression from the kania tale continues... if anyone is asking-- i bake because it is a form of art -- it's like edible ceramics. This doughnut isn't fried.

THE BLUE VASE

"Night Time at the Art Studio", detail , 2004, watercolor on paper.
The rest of the story about the umbrella mushroom (Czubajka Kania) is not very relevant at this time. This doesn't mean that it won't be told later. The blue vase occupies the front page tonight. It is the quasi Impressionism again.

THE CZUBAJKA KANIA TALE

Aunt Maria (ciocia Maria) visited us in Koniecpol. It was summer of maybe 1963; She came with uncle Romek and the kids -- Teresa, Paweł, and maybe the older girls -- Zuzanna and Helena. I am not sure if they all came, but I am sure how they came : They all came in my uncle Romek's tractor trailer, that was parked on Polana, a large clearing on the edge of the birch and pine forest adjacent to our house/kurnik. Plenty of mushrooms in it too, but not Kania. To hunt for Kania, we had to go further into a deeper forest on the other side of the asphalt road. To be continued....

THE FALSE UMBRELLAS STORY

This story begins in Poland, with the visit of my aunt Maria -- the culinary expert. When I was five years old, aunt Maria introduced me to the art of cooking Czubajka Kania -- the extraorydinarily delicious tasting Parasol mushroom ( Macrolepiota procera). Since I don't have any more time for writing this evening, the next chapter of this intriguing tale will be presented in the next post.

IMPRESSIONISTICALLY SPEAKING

Looks like a lilac, but it isn't. Good for painting in the style of Impressionism. I don't really like to paint but to look at things like an Impressionist. I have the Impressionist's eye, but then, who doesn't?

LOTUS LILIES BY MALG

I was trying to paint like Monet. Watercolor, 2001. Painted on location: Wetlands by the City Hall, Sunrise.

IMPRESSIONISM?

Yes! This is my impressionistic photography example. One of very few, actually -- It was raining, and it did it.

A VERY SMART PERSON'S TUESDAY CONFESSION

I don't want my writing to be a bunch of lies, so I will be brief. Tonight I am bored and that's why I have this blog -- instead of watching television without involving my brain whatsoever I am spending time writing about anything that comes to my consciousness.

CATS IN THE ROOM

Kipu and Felix are happy to have Lidia's bed all to themselves. I didn't cover the bed with the cat blanket, like L. told me to. But I will. The weather is nice. The cold fronts are not here yet.

The Agreeable

The weather is nice today. Everything seems to be very agreeable.

The Visiting Hour

I thought it is time that I write something. My life takes a very interesting turn -- I am standing and I need to sit down all the time. Tomorrow guests are coming, and I feel like I have nothing to receive them with. My mask is slowly sliding off -- beneath it there is a face that isn't hungry anymore, curious anymore, pretending a little only. And it is a very friendly face, like a visage of a puppy. I am happy.

My Own Mushrooms

I found these mushrooms by our hotel near UCF.

How Malg Found Mushrooms in Orlando

I am holding "trujacy prawdziwek", czyli false porcini, while Lidia is taking a test. Earlier that evening I went for a walk, and it ( the walk) turned into a full fledged mushrooming event. As you can see, there are a lot of specimens that mimic chanterelles ("kurki" po Polsku), and boletuses, czyli podgrzybki. One large "rydz"-looking specimen might be edible, actually. Fake Chanterelles - "kurki" nieprawdziwe jednak Rydz - Lactarius deliciosus niestety chyba nie Bunch of Boletus mushrooms

"Podgrzybki" jadalne?

Old Cars Have "that" Look

1927 Chevrolet "peddler wagon" sketched

at the Muscle Car City, Punta Gorda,

July 22, 2009; dark brown eyeliner pencil on paper.

VACATION ON SANIBEL

I learned something: the Earth is round!

STARFLOWER

It’s time for a story. This time it is a story that was being created in June, but the thoughts and occurrences happened earlier, and now I must write, otherwise stuff will break out like a zit. I am not willing to keep pace anymore. Here is a starflower with magical color of the land of gods, where the rainbow visits very often. Feast your eyes my dear reader, and please forgive me for being vague or insensitive - after all I am only human. This story is shortened dramatically due to the fact that I have too much to say, and not enough patience to work on conveying my stuff with eloquence and grace; therefore I am opting for a reading session of someone else’s stuff - The Da Vinci Code.

GARLIC SKINS

Garlic Skins.

FLORIDA LILAC AKA CREPE MYRTLE

Florida "Lilac" on May 15 2009, by the supermarket that

I call "my publix". To see real lilac go to Marzenna's blog Przemyślenia...

WHEN MY CAMERA MALFUNCTIONS, I'M FORCED TO DRAW

"These Are Gardenia Flowers in this Bottle", pencil on paper

I LOVE GLORY

Beware, waffles are being made here!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GOOD MORNING

Dzień dobry

THE STORY ABOUT A GLITTERY BUG

The story about this bug ******************is not going to be told now, because I don't know him that well.

NOT A PANCAKE TALE

This story is about everything at once. I feel I am expanding, and it could be that I am just getting fat, since I like to eat. Or it could be that the world is so nice and I like to taste it, and in doing so I make myself large. Since I haven't visited any pancake houses lately, it must have been just those delicious purple-blue grapes and strawberries that I not only admired, but nibbled on.

THE COPPER PLATE BUG

The Bug with a Glittery Back. Photo by MK. ...................................................................................................... I am in the process of making my second collage on wood, and its working title is "Not All the Glitter is Gold". Today I found this intriguing looking bug that knows how to camouflage himself. He was sitting on H.'s laundry pile when I captured him. 30 minutes later I took him out by the canal to release him from the mason jar. When he was out in the sun, I noticed his shiny, glittering back - metallic looking plate in the shape of a leaf.

FRESHLY PERCOLATED KAWA IN PICTURES

Pijemy kawe z mleczkiem. Dwie male czarne. Czekamy az perkolator przestanie spiewac. Mglisty opar juz zniknal z metalowej czesci. Perkolator zaczyna pykac - zobacz misty vapor na dolnej czesci metalowej. This story is for Marzenna. She lives far away from my house, and I invited her for coffee.

MISS MARGO NOTICES THAT FELLOW HUMANS REALLY EXIST

I developed a strange appreciation for people in random places, like the supermarket where I go almost everyday -- those faces of total strangers, the fellow humans that are on this planet with me at the same time -- we share the earth together. And then there are the people that are closer to me, because they are close to my children: my children's friends, boy-friends, girl-friends, guy friends. But, the people that want to have lunch with me -- why don't I care about them that much? - Because they talk to you through Internet, via email. You don't see them, they are not real. You tell your art class students (who are on the average 10 years old), that the drawings that we, the artists do (draw), are not real, that they are like an illusion; and you don't really know if they believe you Miss Margo.

I ate pancakes on Sunday, in April

I took this picture before devouring this triangular

stack of pancakes made by Chef HK, who

is a master of making pancakes. I used to think

that pancakes have to be made from the box mix.

We usually had a box of pancake mix

in our pantry. It was Bisquick, and then

I saw a movie with Spencer Tracy and Katherine

Hepburn - where she wanted to be a perfect little

wife, and made him waffles from scratch---wow! -

this was definitely a big culinary revelation to me! -

I copied that movie waffle recipe and later found a pancake

recipe in some cook book. From then on I made my own

pancake mix, but not for that long... we are back buying

pancake mix again - Aunt Jemima this time. Chef HK gets

good, fluffy pancakes from the box mix every time, which can't

be said about my personal "from scratch pancake mix".

I must add here that waffles come out OK from the

homemade mix, but since I hate cleaning the waffle iron,

pancakes are ruling in our kitchen once again.

Thank you Aunt Jemima!

it's nice to share

Today I' m reading other people's stuff. My writing is being put on hold. Last night Lidia showed me "TOOTHPASTE FOR DINNER " BY DREW, and today I ended up reading his wife's NATHALIE DEE COMICS.

THE SANDWICH AND THE PICKLE WEDGE TALE

It’s hard to write these Tales from Pancake Houses. I don’t get paid for doing them, and I don’t really like eating pancakes that much – I eat pancakes once a year, when I go to North Carolina with my family; and lately, because of the economy, we haven’t been going there at all! Today I am eating at a pancake house a.k.a. diner, but It’s a Greek place, so pancakes are not the best item on the menu, I assume. I am hanging on the edge of things lately, so I won’t even say anything about food - I’ll eat my mysterious sandwich with a wedge of a pickle and drink some Orange Pekoe tea with a slice of lemon, and I’ll be on my way. Reporting from the edge of things - - “Your Writer”; April 17, 2009; 2:34 pm.

STRAWBERRY RED

BLUE HAZE

BLUE AND HAZY

Blue is not my favorite color, but I like it. I like it enough to take pictures of blue flowers. I like haze and fog, and I like when things are not clear and slightly out of focus - - my focus, not yours. You, dear reader, can adjust your focus to your liking. My efforts to present the images to you are important, but the final impression is entirely superfluous, and if I may add: totally appreciated, but in a very impersonal yet a bit subjective way.

Bachelor's Button

Centaurea cyanis

The struggles are not over

but they are less dramatic

or less painfully felt

I am keeping my thoughts close to my bones

and not spilling them over to my heart and hands

I work more

saving money to go to Moscow with Nathalie

I wish those words would mean what I want them to mean

but as they have said: We escape ourselves and hide with bad lattes

between book shelves. This would've been fine

if moods didn't need Godiva chocolates to be paid for

with credit cards.

PEOPLE ARE IMPERFECT, BUT CLAIM TO BE MADE IN THE IMAGES OF GODS

I went to a channelling meeting, and there was food there. The flan was with coconut shreds, and then a piece of mint stepped into it after being separated from the salad of red onion and walnuts. I also ate roasted fingerling potatoes and sampled other stuff. My Corning Ware casserole with a blue cornflower was left in Reverend Larry's refrigerator. I feel fine, because I have a family: two daughters, husband, dog, 3 cats, plants; and my table wears pretty tablecloth that I sewed myself. There is a worm glow in my home, and my younger daughter sings; my older one pampers her cat. I am happy when I return home from my troubles and my travels.

CELEBRATING THE GIFT OF HAND DECORATED HAT

Hat Made by Cindy. Photo by MK.

Hat Made by Cindy. Photo by MK.

The Hat hung on the wall for a while, since February of last year.

Cindy - Lidia's friend, gave it to me for my birthday. I never wore it to the Garden Tea party.

Today was the Hat's glorious day.

TROPICAL WISTERIA MAGIC

Tropical Wisteria a.k.a. Queen's Wreath, Sandpaper Vine, Petrea volubilis, Bluebird Vine in Bloom: Full Magic Power. Pictured here is our Wisteria

grown from a seed and planted under the "art room window". Photo: MK

This beautiful double flower has a double life in double color. It charms with two different shades of blue: the bottom petals are hazy lilac-blue, and the top flower is vibrant blue-purple. The bottom petals dry on the vine and lose their color, but the top delicate, soft violet/pansy-like flowers drop to the ground creating a magic carpet - I doubted that they belonged to the Tropical Wisteria I saw last Tuesday on the grounds of the little botanical garden by the painting studios of the U of M Art Dept. in Coral Gables (where I painted as a postgrad student 17 years ago). Lidia was there with me.

ART CLASSES NEEDED IN THE COMMUNITY

Sometimes things are going their own way. Stuff grows on its own, without planting. Confusing messages heard and spoken interweave themselves totally uninvited, and unintentional chaos brews itself like tea. I take a moistened teabag and stain a 9"x 12" piece of white watercolor paper. I think I need to consult a Psychic.

THE YELLOW DOUGHNUT SUN

Photo of the Yellow Doughnut taken with Wies's iPhone on March 11, 2009.

The Yellow Doughnut

Welcome, we meet again, and this time you will read about the Yellow Doughnut. In this story, like in life, there are other characters besides the main one. The girl behind the counter who was advertising the doughnuts is one such character, and I shall call her the “Girl with a Sour Smile." I was first introduced to the Yellow Doughnut when the “Girl with a Sour Smile” insisted that I buy it. I refused to buy it and after sampling it I said, "It’s too sweet." - I lied. The flavor was lemony and slightly tart. The doughnut was beautiful. The next morning I went to the café to buy the doughnut and ate it. One week later I bought it again. When I opened the paper carton that the doughnut was packaged in, the spectacular yellow frosting with intense yellow sprinkles appeared to outshine the rays of the sun. There are no illustrations to go with this tale, but the image, however imperfect, will be available later on.

The Collage on Wood #1

Detail of the collage on wood. The Collage on Wood # 1, 09

CUTE MYSTERY UNDER INVESTIGATION

I found this little composition book. It contained a curious drawing dated February 26, 2009 and titled "Daily Doyly". If I came from another planet I might have a problem recognizing the items portrayed in the sketch, but here in North America these sort of things, meaning the little milk pitchers and the little syrup dispensers are commonly served in pancake houses. What is the role of the doily decorating the serving plate, and what do the letters MBK stand for?

MAYBE IT WASN'T CANCER

In the evening I hopped to another pancake house. There was a woman with melanoma on her forehead there. My companion reminded me that today was Ash Wednesday. So… that melanoma was a cross made with ashes? Yes. Then what about the other woman, the one from the morning pancake house? Did she have ashes between her eyebrows? It is possible.

FOREVER CHARMING IN MY MIND

I don't know for sure if I can call this story “Charming”. It happened during the breakfast hours at a certain pancake house -no, not that "hopping" one; and since it is a mystery, I shall try not to name anything or anyone for the sake of keeping the mystery alive. There were two young men sitting at the window table in front of me and speaking Spanglish to one another, unaware that among the breakfast customers there was a writer plotting to write about them in her newest mystery tale. ”Bird & 137th Street... un restaurante colombiano”, said one of them, and then they both left. Soon the next group came to that table: party of four that probably walked straight from the nearby hotel; they all looked refreshed and too perky for the early morning hour ( before 8 am). One of the women had a large, black mole between her eyebrows, and to my knowledge, it looked like a skin cancer. She ordered pancakes with blueberries. Immediately following this scene, something new started developing behind me: Two middle-aged guys were talking in plain English about pancreatic cancer. The mother of one of the guys had it. And all the while…your writer was being sandwiched between those two different types of cancer. This, my reader, is the mysterious story that left me with a feeling of a moment in time and space that was...charming, dignified and delightful like my waitress, who was young and pretty, and constantly refilling my coffee cup.

MY ART SOON TO BE FOR SALE

Check out my old paintings from the years 1987-2004. I would like to sell prints made from sellected original art, old and new. My most current work is in pencil on paper, and in watercolor on paper, and is rather small: no larger then 9" x 12". My talented niece Matylda sells her art on Etsy, in her little store called Relic Dwellers, and I would like to put my art for sale on Etsy too, sooner or later. I am currently under the impression that I can do it sooner then later.

To You

"Luminous Rose". Photo by LK. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Remembering the Person, The Little One ~~~~~~~ Walking through snow~~~~ Singing a song~~~~~~~~~~ Written and composed by self~~~~~ And now Sadness wants to win~~~~~~ Hang on -- I dedicate this moment to You.

What to Do with Pączki?

Undercover pączki, all ten of them waiting to be eaten.

No one wants to do that (eat them). Too big, too heavy, too

lardy.

To eat or not to eat

My bro Wies says that I should sign up for ads by google business. I' m not sure if I want to do that, but he covertly reminds me of my "loser artist" status with no prospects for financial abundance, so I feel guilty. Guilty for not listening to his advice; after all he is the older brother. Older siblings know best. Right? Wies says, that I have to choose between doing art and starving, or doing business ( like having ads by google pop up on my blog) and eating delicious breakfast with home fries, eggs and rye toast plus coffee with milk. Is my bro's advice the answer to my financial bliss?

Nostalgia

"Rose Embellished" (detail), 8"x 11", watercolor pencils,

permanent marker and graphite on paper.

So, we meet again, said he to me. You look pale. So, what is it to you? Nothin, I'm just leaving a comment under the picture. OK, anything else? Yes. When are you going to plant those leftover little flowers that rooted on the window sill?