"Oh, see, it's a cake. And it's on fire."

Today, I took most of the day off and enjoyed some time with HF. We met at college because her suitemate was my best friend, because she was in all my Spanish classes, and because we are obsessive about Latin American/European culture, food, artsiness, and being *elegantly* different. Plus she gave me her kick-butt Ann Taylor hand-me-downs. [singing, rather loudly] Who could ask for anything more?

She's leaving for a missions trip soon, and I needed to get out o' dodge for my therapy homework (as I've now taken to calling it, because I'm still thinking like a student, one entire year after graduation). We decided to head into Baltimore and hit up the MICA (Maryland Institute College of Arts) Graduate Thesis Projects Exhibition.


Who are those hot girls in front of that "elliptical non-literal narrative?"

The projects themselves varied. One woman worked in textiles, creating a three-panel 8"-tall composition with concentric circles and other shapes called something like "It began to rain." It's hard to describe it verbally (a good sign) but it surprised me how vivid it was. Another woman painted amazing scenes of her MD hometown's farms. Another stitched messages on baby's onesies (like "Angel" and "Vessel of Our Hopes and Dreams") and alternated them with circular displays of doilies crocheted by her grandmother during her battle with Alzheimer's. In one spectacular display, a a woman took pictures of people reflected off a mirrored switchplate. The painting showcased above was from a woman whose work was described in the program like so: "Ober's oil paintings juxtapose domestic patterns and common objects into elliptical, non-literal narratives." She seemed to incorporate lots of stacks of colored lines, one of which inspired HF to explain them to me with the quote in the subject. She's brilliant.

We also enjoyed a wee bit of walking, even in the heat. We discovered Corpus Christi, a Catholic Church right on the grounds of the college, the lovely original 1830s building of the college, and these brownstones, in which I would love to live because OH MY GOSH, the exterior wall undulates like some sweet, transplanted dream of Gaudí.


In an alternate universe, art-majoring Erica LOVES her home!

OF COURSE only grad students and faculty at MICA can live there. Speaking of things I can't do, here's an image of HF getting WITHIN 20 MINUTES OF ARRIVAL/INTRODUCTION Persephone to curl up on her lap and purr like mad. She didn't even have to set down her mate (MAH-te), Percy was just glad to bask in her affection. Yes, I'm turning faintly green, but who could really be jealous of such a great friend?


I, who have been trained never to do so, COVET THE CURLS.