American Artist

I have gone on a bit of a buying book rampage. And I love it. The books next to my bed are exciting and oh so new to me. I can't wait to watch the stack get smaller & smaller as I finish each one. At the used book store near our house is the best memoir section in the world. I spend a long time standing at the back of the store, reading each and every title of the four tall bookshelves. This time around I found a fantastic find, The Olive Farm by Carol Drinkwater. Sitting next to it was The Olive Season, the sequel. I looked on the back of the first book and saw the words: ten acres of disused olive farm in the South of France. And the fact that I would have the next book in the series waiting for me, I might have cussed quietly. Little did I know, there is a third book in the series and maybe several more. Nice find.

Outside of Austin we found a used book that was huge & perfect. I picked up:

Drinking by Caroline Knapp
My Michael by Amos Oz
Telling by Marion Winik (I read her memoir First Comes Love last year and have missed her writing ever since)
Season 2 of Twin Peaks (for $6, how is that possible)
Patti Smith American Artist, photographs by Frank Stefanko (after my love affair with Smith's Just Kids, I couldn't believe my luck at finding 162 black & whites of her for 3.98)

Here are some of my favorite photos from the book.







I roasted my first chicken last weekend. It involved lemon juice, oregano, garlic & lots of butter. I think I will make it again this weekend, roasting potatoes & carrots too.

I keep thinking about 'The Four Coursemen' that I saw a couple weeks ago on the cooking channel. It was an hour of heaven. A group of friends in Athens, Georgia have a supper club a few times a month & traveled around the state looking for fresh produce & meat. Made me want to be part of that little group.

On the greatest side note of all, Doogie Howswer, M.D. is on every nite at 7:30 on a channel here. It's really spicing up my life.