In the next few weeks I will be offering a giveaway of a large painting, in honor of the holidays and my 100th blog post. Stay tuned for details…

Elizabeth Cotten

Print by JustaJar Design Press available for purchase on Etsy

On November 5, 2022, Elizabeth Cotten (1893-1987) was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Some people thought it was long overdue. Working as a domestic and caregiver for the Seeger family (relatives of Pete Seeger), Elizabeth was discovered in a room one day picking away at the guitar. Totally self taught, Cotten had a very unique way of playing: she was left-handed and held the instrument upside down. "The Seegers hired Cotten, whom they called "Libba," to cook and clean and look after the kids. They were surprised to discover that she was a musician, too, says Peggy Seeger. "When I was about 15 I walked into the kitchen and I saw her playing the guitar that was hanging on the wall. And she was playing 'Freight Train.' Then she started trotting out songs. She knew a lot of songs. We would have been happy to do the cooking and cleaning if she would just play!" The Seeger family recognized right away her talent and eventually helped her to achieve a career in music. Most famous songs include Freight Train and Shake Sugaree but she has written many other great ones as well...For more of her folk and blues roots music, listen here.

A few MOMA favorites

I hate to sound so old and change resistant but in some ways I never really got over the Museum of Modern Art renovation or the return of Guernica to Spain. I liked the old museum! I knew where all my favorite paintings were and now I am lucky to even see a few of them once in a while...Here are a few Picassos that feel like old friends and that I have loved over all these years...

No Knead Bread

I probably shouldn't be eating so much bread but this recipe is so easy, so delicious and crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and totally irresistible! I was graciously invited to a dinner at some new friends' house in Tenant's Harbor and Jo proved to be an amazing cook. The bread was only one of the many good things she made that day and she wasn't proprietary about any of the recipes. A few days later I made this no knead bread myself. Recipe below. You can substitute beer for water if you like...

NO KNEAD BREAD

Ingredients
3 cups all purpose or bread flour
1/4 teaspoon yeast (active dry or instant)
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups water (or beer)
1 1/2 tablespoons extra flour for shaping

First mix dry ingredients together and then add the water (or beer), combining together (with your hands if you like--it will be sticky so put some flour on your fingers). Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and let sit out on the counter for 12-18 hours. Preheat oven and pan to 500 degrees (very important that both are very hot), shape the dough (by flouring the counter and your hands) into the shape you want and place in a dutch oven or loaf pan. Cook covered for 30 minutes and then uncovered for 15 minutes more.

Painting of the Week

When you live in Santa Barbara, you can even have paintings hanging outside on your terrace! Here is my friend Barbara Edelston Peterson, jewelry designer (https://projectbemoved.com/foreste-and-hils/) and founder of the Whole Champion Foundation, in her beautiful “tree house” home.

Unique Gifts for the Holidays

Charity of the Week:

Doctors Without Borders

About The Author

New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow, began writing the creative lifestyle blog “things we love” in an effort to foster a sense of community during times of isolation and reflection. To read more about her and her art, visit her website and check out the essay written by the Hammond Museum's Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.