In Art Materials class we each made a mandala, an artwork within a circular form. Jung felt that the very act of creating a mandala has a healing effect. The mandala is seen in all cultures and has been created by humans since the dawn of time. Jung also felt that the images within a mandala were straight from a person’s subconscious. I thought it was a very relaxing process, especially since our professor had Coldplay on in the background and I was using oil pastels which always blend so well together. Here’s the mandala I created:

I just love Sarah Susanka. She really gets it right when it comes to houses. Her Not So Big House series of books just rocks. Her whole premise is that new houses being built are far too big, and the spaces inside them end up being impersonal and unusable. And that a lot of older houses are not built for the way we live today, with someone in the kitchen cooking while chatting with their family or guests. Susanka’s solution is the Not So Big House, which really makes the best use of a small amount of space.

I love her suggestions for cozy nooks, especially the book nooks where you can hide away and relax or read, while looking out the window. And closed-in porches where you can enjoy fresh air even in the rain or the dead of summer with mosquitos all around. In today’s world of McMansions her approach is so refreshing, to move to a more sustainable method of building and maintaining houses.

There is nothing more comforting than a grilled cheese sandwich. It really takes you back to lazy Sundays of your youth. The texture of gooeyness and crispness is just amazing. Well everyone’s favorite perfectionist Martha Stewart has the recipe for a perfect grilled cheese. The key is to make sure the outside of the bread does not get too burnt, and has a golden color with a little brown in it. And to make sure the cheese fully melts. I like to cover my grilled cheese with a pan top to ensure that it melts well. You really have to watch it while it’s cooking too.

I used to cook the bread on both sides but my friend Roxanne said that’s a bit of overkill. We used to make grilled cheese all the time when we were both poor making 20 grand salaries a year and it was so pleasant and simple and fun. I make quite a bit more than that now, but I don’t feel like I’m that much more happy because of the money.