| DEACCESSING!! FIRST, THE CHAOS!!!!
Dear Friends Near and Far:
I had announced last August that I was going to reduce my belongings to 15 cubic feet, sell my house and travel to finish my book. Who knew it would take so long? I must have thought I could do it with the whisk of a wand or that the seven dwarves would appear and help me. Here I am in my loft discovering semi-useless items I’ve saved for years.
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| After tutoring and doing residencies last spring, I spent June “de-accessing,” hauling stuff out of closets, creating chaos and clutter where space and order once reigned, getting rid of extraneous stuff through a studio sale, and assorted, sometimes desperate donations. Any passerby was liable to be asked if he’d like some art or writing magazines, whose glossy photos of bizarre sculpture or tips on getting published were too valuable to be shredded by recycling machines.
After some trauma and almost no sleep, I finally got rid of enough stuff for my tenant to move in on June 20, and I headed for the family reunion in Indiana. My advice: Clean your closets NOW! Be ruthless! Ask yourself “When did I last touch this platter, jacket, book, basket, let alone use it?” Unburden yourself! Then if an adventure or a life-changing situation comes up, you’ll be ready.
(Oh yes, the house and that gorgeous view of the river is still available. See it here. Wanna move to Pittsburgh? I’ve got just the place!)
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| I THOUGHT YOU’D GONE! |
This was a recurrent question throughout the summer. Instead of departing for the Azores in early August, I stayed with family in Indiana to help plan and celebrate our parents’ 70th anniversary. Yes, 70th! A milestone few people reach. Here they are, Herbert and Elnora, at 95 and 93, bedecked with leis, lovingly transported from Hawaii by my brother’s family. So my summer was bracketed by two family reunions: gatherings of warm hearted people, laughter over shared food, tales of the past year and stories of childhood weaving a cape of affection and shared memories around me. And all against a background of Indiana green, not the yellow green of spring, but the deep green of summer that is a solace to the eye. |
| PAEAN TO THE RICHES OF SUMMER |
As part of the world moves gently into fall, my thoughts still linger on the fabulous food we had in Indiana. (Can I go anywhere and not concentrate on food? Absolutely not!) Until you’ve tasted an Indiana tomato, warm from the sun, juice running down your chin, you have not lived. I pity the deprived souls who have only had those pink plastic balls masquerading as tomatoes which are shipped from distant states. And the desserts we made! Here’s an Italian version of an Indiana fruit pie, a crostada made with nectarines and blueberries, perfected by my brother Tom. Simply roll out a crust, lay it on a cookie sheet. Top with 3-4 cups of fruit mixed with 3-4 Tbsp. of cornstarch and flour, a pinch of salt, cinnamon, dash of vanilla and a cup of sugar (or to taste). Squeeze in a little lemon juice. Fold the crust over, brush with egg white or milk and dust with sugar. Bake 45 minutes or until brown at 375 degrees F. Voila! Your guests will genuflect and think you’re the next Martha Stewart!Of course, I gained a few pounds savoring these delicacies, but I’m now walking it off in Buenos Aires.
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| CLOSING NOTE
Ironically on a walk through the Botanical Garden last week, I discovered a statue of Mercury, just as Mercury, the planet, is going into retrograde. For those of you who believe that the planets affect our lives as the moon affects the tides, this often portends difficulties in communication and travel. It’s a good time for introspection, reorganizing and cleaning out, and finishing projects begun earlier. And on that note, I’ll go back to working on my book!
I look forward to your comments sent to my new email address, providing Mercury cooperates.
Between newsletters, keep up with new photos and stories of life in Buenos Aires on my blog, An Unrealistic Life.
Please continue to forward this to anyone who might be interested and invite them to sign up.
Until then, keep savoring life, have an artful day, and dream unrealistic dreams!
Elena Hiatt Houlihan
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NOTE: You may be a close friend or relative, someone
who’s genuinely interested in the continuing saga of my book, a teacher or student I’ve worked with, an editor I’m trying to impress, a perfect stranger I met briefly in the airport, at an opening, or had an intense conversation with in the Paris market or a Bangkok cafe. (Perhaps you’ve forgotten me, but I have not forgotten you!) Since I’m NOT making any promises to make you RICH, BRILLIANT or FAMOUS in 5 easy steps (not yet anyway), if my stories and observations don’t enliven your day, then hit UNSUBSCRIBE. We have a strict anti-spam policy here at The Wandering Muse, though we acknowledge that some friends in Hawaii actually consider spam quite nourishing. If you’ve been forwarded this newsletter, please click below to subscribe. Merci mille fois!
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DANIELA AMORUSO ARCURI
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| Daniela and her partner, Armando, were the first people I interviewed for my book, An Unrealistic Life: The Art of Following your Dream Without Getting a Real Job. As I continued collecting stories, they moved back to Argentina, and the plot became thicker.Daniela and I have finally reconnected and I’m absorbing the rest of her story. She recently performed in Sebastian Tango here in Buenos Aires, and is hoping to return to teach in the United States this fall.
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