As I walked up the carpeted stairs to my desk, not really aware of the soft texture beneath my slipper clad feet, the words were there, floating in my mind and ready to tumble forth in brilliance upon this page. Yet as I sit here, first post of 2012, I suddenly realize those words have removed themselves to some quiet part of my brain and no longer seem so persistent.

If only you had been in my head but a mere half hour ago. How I could have entertained you. Now, I just really want a nap.

But…I will persevere with some of my original intent.

This morning as I stood in the kitchen here at Boxwood, being wrapped in the tantalizing smell of homemade blueberry muffins and trying to compose a quick image, my partner came down the steps. Maybe it was the same scent that brought him to this part of the house or maybe it was my earlier call of “MUFFINS.”

He sat down at our little kitchen table located by the often chilly, but picturesque back window with a view of the yard, and poured himself a cup of coffee. It was still steaming as he poured form the thermos to his cup.

“Are you Instagramming?” he asked.

I had not thought about doing that with this image, but since he mentioned it, it became a mental to-do item.

“Nope. It’s for the cookbook,” I said and realized I had to explain. A year or more ago, I started compiling my favorite recipes into one document with a table of contents. Recipes are easier to access this way. When I first told him of the idea, he thought I should make it graphically desirable. WIth the passage of time, the cookbook idea faded from memory.

For quite awhile I continued to amass my favorite recipes with no thought to design. I still am not quite there. But it occurs to me that it would be nice to document the outcome of those recipes. Hence this morning’s impromptu muffin shoot. Maybe I’ll put such images in the cookbook. Maybe I won’t. I am undecided.

For those who are interested, here is the recipe:

Blueberry Muffins

For 12 regular or 24 mini muffins you will need:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup melted butter
3/4 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 400°.
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In another bowl, stir together the butter, yogurt, egg and vanilla.
Stir the liquid ingredients into the dry just until the dry ingredients are moistened.
Blend in the blueberries.
Spoon into muffin tins.
Bake at 400° for 10 to 12 minutes for the mini muffins or about 15 minutes for the regular sized muffins.

First iPhone 4s photo! Is a self-portrait too vain (I think that is rhetorical)?

It’s morning after a sleepless night. The sun has yet to reveal itself fully and my mind seems a record with a scratch, forcing the needle of thought to repeat an unrecognizable phrase over and over again.

I am grateful for the pause between the phrase and repeat. I am grateful for images made yesterday here at Boxwood, so that for a few minutes thoughts are merely visual.

Interesting enough this plant was in a container at the time.

While slapping away Mosquitos with one hand and in between applying Deep Woods Off with the other, I photographed a German bicycle. The image was made last Sunday after a reenactor tactical in Doswell, VA while I consulted with Ken for an upcoming painting. His subject matter is German soldiers.