I will be in California for one of my sales trips from June 2nd through June 15th, 2023 with a big selection of paintings and works on paper. Please email me at pamsmilow@me.com if you are interested in setting up an appointment to meet with me and see art in the quiet of your home or if you would consider hosting a small "art gathering" during that time in exchange for a piece of art.
The Return of Olli and the Gogos
Hope you enjoy this short documentary entitled Ollie and the Gogos: A Rocumentary as much as I did.
It's the story of an infamous high school band in the 1960's from a small town in the middle of nowheresville Pennsylvania, that reunited forty years later to once again experience the magic of playing together in their old high school gym. What makes the story extraordinary was the fact that only one of the seven had remained connected to music in the interim years. But the band members were determined to play again and they spent the next year buying instruments, taking lessons, and practicing...
Though I don't think they will win any Grammy's for their performance, it is nonetheless such an inspiring and beautiful story about lasting friendship and the ability of music to unite and inspire...
Filmmaker Diane Bloom does a great job of capturing the joy and excitement of the band together again. Who says you can't go home again!
To learn more about Diane Bloom's major award winning other documentary, An Unlikely Friendship, check out my previous blog no. 17 and click here.
Chasen's Chili Recipe from Hollywood
CHASEN'S CHILI RECIPE
courtesy cravedfw.com
This is the stuff of which Hollywood legends are made. Rumor has it back when Elizabeth Taylor was filming Cleopatra in Rome she craved the chili made at Chasen's Restaurant in Los Angeles so much that she was willing to pay $100 just to have the order shipped to her. For years the recipe remained a closely guarded secret. It seemed the owner David Chasen came to the restaurant every Sunday to privately cook up a batch which he would freeze for the week, believing that the chili was best when reheated.
Ingredients:
1/2 pound dried pinto beans
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 cups onions, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1/2 cup butter
2 pounds beef chuck, coarsely chopped
1 pound pork shoulder, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup Gebhardt's brand chili powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
Directions
1 Rinse the beans, picking out the debris. Place beans in a Dutch oven with water to cover. Boil for 2 minutes.
Remove from heat. Cover and let stand one hour. Drain off liquid.
2 Rinse beans again. Add enough fresh water to cover beans. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered for one hour or until tender.
3 Stir in tomatoes and their juice. Simmer 5 minutes. In a large skillet sauté bell pepper in oil for 5 minutes. Add onion and cook until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in the garlic and parsley. Add mixture to bean mixture. Using the same skillet melt the butter and sauté beef and pork chuck until browned. Drain. Add to bean mixture along with the chili powder, salt, pepper, and cumin.
4 Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer, covered for one hour. Uncover and cook 30 minutes more or to desired consistency. Chili shouldn't be too thick--it should be somewhat liquid but not runny like soup. Skim off excess fat and serve.
Makes 10 cups or 6 main dish servings
three poems by
e.e. cummings
but the other
by e.e. cummings
but the other
day i was passing a certain
gate rain
fell as it will
in spring
ropes
of silver gliding from sunny
thunder into freshness
as if god's flowers were
pulling upon bells of
gold i looked
up
and
thought to myself death
and will You with
elaborate fingers possibly touch
the pink hollyhock existence whose
pansy eyes look from morning till
night into the street
unchangingly the always
old lady sitting in her
gentle window like
a reminiscence
partaken
softly at whose gate smile
always the chosen
flowers of reminding
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by E. E. Cummings
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Charity of the Week:
Sandy Hook Promise
Did you know that the number one killer of children in America is gun violence. Please help protect our kids by donating to Sandy Hook Promise.
Painting of the Week
My niece and nephew’s house in Brooklyn with my art www.pamelasmilow.com and my dad Mel Smilow chairs www.smilowdesign.com
Products of the Week
Please visit our artShop to see our line of colorful everyday products including scarves, giclee prints, cutting boards, yoga mats and other gift items--designed to put a smile on the face of anyone using them.
Phone cases to fit most cell phones—for a full seleciton of products, check out our artSHOP www.pamelasmilow.com/shop-all
New York, NY 2022
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.