Graffiti clean up in Florence!

on the side of the Brunelleschi cathedral, Santo Spirito 2009

Well, it's about Time! http://www.angelidelbello.org/index.php a group that is working on cleaning up Florence's (Firenze) horrible problem with graffiti!

Fiorentini! e' tempo di comminciare a reprendere la citta'! E' da troppo tempo che i muri communali sono stati disgraziati da graffiti! Adesso che questo gruppo che e' dedicato di pulire la citta..hanno bisognio di piu persone! :-)

If I was still living there I would be part of this program. I have been disgusted by how degraded the city streets have become in the last 5-10 years. (and have written about it at least a few times in this blog- the latest time here: in "Florence, choked with graffiti" I only hope that this can continue to be funded, and they can get a handle on the graffiti problem.

Oh, and before you go and give me hell about not appreciating graffiti, this shit in Florence is just cut rate tagging...and it is on historic buildings! it's a real tragedy.

e' una vera tragedia.

update on the Wheat free

So it's been a few weeks now that I have been wheat free (mostly- I cheat with black licorice, which to me is a staple food and it has some sort of wheat product in it, but not like it's a dinner roll)

I honestly can say that going off wheat has been much easier than I had anticipated- My biggest worry was my Italian husband, who is a total bread fanatic. I mean completely over and above bread love, it's become obsession. Thankfully, we have Barrio Bread co. here in Tucson so we can pick out our favorite loaves every Wednesday at Cosmo's school (Yay Waldorf!) Anyhoo- that's completely off point....well, not completely, but note that Guido + Bread = LOVE.

So- the Wheat free lifestyle, well, it started with a trip to Trader Joes. I went to my fave TJ's (we are spoiled with multiple Trader Joes here in Tucson) and I bought a whole bunch of gluten free/wheat free items. A few of my friends were working there that day so I got lots of helpful suggestions. (thanks guys) I bought corn pastas, Udi bread, lots of fruits and veggies and gluten free cereal (Barbara's Puffins).

I already eat a very good diet full of most of the things I've mentioned, so it was no stretch for me to simply substitute bread, cereal and cookies (like I need any cookies!). I noticed the lack of dietary "glue" sticking things together... the bread had a good flavor, nothing compared to Barrio bread, but passable for toast and sandwiches. The pasta was OK- we tried a much better gluten free pasta made from Quinoa...oh, and I found out that I like Quinoa now! Other than the substitutions I was all set. Once I figured out that I could eat popsicles and kettle corn everything was A- OK!

Oh, I will admit I DO miss very much my Bob's Red Mill musli- (one thing that is certain to be re-introduced asap). But other than that I'm fine.

What? How do I feel? Oh, yeah, that IS pretty important. You can figure from my writing that I'm in a good mood today- really good, actually. I still have my pain, nothing really has changed on that part- but I feel Deflated. I HATE feeling full, so I eat just until I am satisfied...but always would feel puffy and kind of pushed around by my food.
I notice a calm- I feel simply fine- the medicines are doing their jobs, as long as I remember to take them in time, and I am waking up feeling rested in the mornings (something I've NEVER experienced before!) My insomnia is still showing up every once in a while- I've been sleeping on the couch much less lately.

that's pretty much it for my update- I'm sure there are more things I will remember but my hands are hurting and I need to stop typing!
Ciao for now- Maureen

Wheat free? Me?

After having 2 years of intense chronic pain (and going through a myriad of painful treatments and surgery) my Dr finally told me to try wheat free.
OK, I'll fess up- She HAD mentioned it before, a few times but I resisted mostly I thought it would be difficult (as I am married to a real life in the flesh Florentine Italian who is truly in love with his pasta and bread...and is thin as a rail at 50 years old) Plus she hadn't really told me to do it- she had just suggested.
Honestly, I am very diet resistant due to my lifetime of always being a bit on the pudgy side (unless I was starving myself, like one year in High School that I actually became skeletal and sick) At 5'1" a pound doesn't have many places to hide- Over the years I had pretty much resigned myself to thinking that unless I really suffered and dieted I was always going to be shaped like a Pug, never a Whippet.
Well, back to the Wheat free- I am so desperate to feel better that I've decided to really give wheat free a good try. I stopped eating wheat since the moment my Dr told me I should (about 8 days ago)
And I'm honestly surprised at how easy this shift has been for me.
I think having a few friends who have wheat allergies/Celiac disease Does help me. I have for years kept mental notes about new gluten free stuff I see and now (that I have my nifty Iphone) I often will shoot them a photo of a great gluten free Menu. I have in effect already done my shopping.
AND I've done my shopping. First day ASAP I went to Trader Joes and did a Gluten free shopping trip. Piece O'(gluten free) cake! My friends had told me about the "only good Gluten free bread out there" Udi's bread (it's not bad!) and I found many other good alternatives- for Cereal and pasta too.

I have always had a terrible time waking up- I would fall back to sleep in a second- deep in a hazy waking slumber. But today I woke a full hour before my early morning alarm- with a refreshed feeling that I don't ever recall having in the morning. EVER! Oh, and then I went about my day on MINIMAL pain medications (until 5 pm when the day's activities took their toll). Do I think it was because of the lack of wheat? Honestly, I'm too much of a cynic to jump on the bandwagon so soon...but I'm cautiously optimistic about this change in diet. Oh, and if I start losing my pudge? I would be OH SO SOLD on a wheat free future.
Stay tuned- I'll surely revisit this topic again in the near future. Meanwhile, I will be reading a new book that I just bought on the interwebs: "Wheat Belly" by Dr William Davis . I'll do a review once I've read it. (warning: I am a slow reader- I like to savor and digest what is written. For current reviews you can check the book's Amazon page: http://www.amazon.com/Wheat-Belly-Lose-Weight-Health/dp/1609611543 )

New BLOG Title and address!

Hi there everyone-
I have decided to change my blog's name and address-
My new name is MBZ Metalsmith

and the new Address is http://MBZmetalsmith.blogspot.com .

I just decided that since my work is becoming considerably less about my production line (aka: Cosmo's Moon) and more about my artistic choices, that I should change the name to reflect the point of view.

Nothing is really changing as blog fodder however- I will continue to write about a variety of things that are important to me as an artist, a mother, an Arizonan, an eccentric and liberal practicalist.
I hope you all enjoy my posts- I certainly enjoy reading your comments!

thanks- Maureen


ps- pain update? the spinal cord stimulator did not work. I'm at the crossroads again and am looking in a few different directions to see if we can find an explanation for the pain and hopefully an end to it as well.

Metalsmithing Org (no dot)

As many of you know I am out of commission right now due to a painful nerve condition in my neck and shoulder. I AM going in tomorrow for the installation of a test for the spinal cord stimulator which is supposed to be a very successful treatment, so we are very hopeful that I will find relief and be able to get back to my life soon.

newly bundled student tools and some tools awaiting the bundling.
I love this fab Mexican Oil cloth - totally easy to clean and great to look at!

One of the things I am looking forward to doing is Teaching. I have not had a class for a few years now, and I really miss it! One of my big problems is getting a larger class together on the time frame that Tucson Parks and Rec has scheduled (Monday mornings?!!) . It's not an easy time to fill, and I totally understand, I think I would not want to take a leisure class on early Monday morning either!
So-

I've decided to take my show on the road and offer much smaller classes (3-4 students) on a much easier time commitment (whenever it fits into your schedule- for 4 hours at a time, within 5 miles from the U of A in central Tucson-). I will offer these mini classes to my friends and Facebook friends- They are meant to be fun activities for you and a couple of your close friends to get together and try over a glass of wine and loaf of bread.
Have a short class, make a pendant, chat, visit and learn something new.



Meanwhile I'm on the threshold of healing from this awful pain- I get a trial run of the spinal cord stimulator tomorrow and possibly will have a full install within a month or so.  While I am working on my health and re-gaining my strength I will be organizing my tools in preparation for my next phase of my career in metalsmithing.
This week I spent sewing some tool folders and color coding my tools-
Blue red green yellow are student tool packs.
Orange? Pewter.
White? studio tools.

Lime Green? Those tools are MINE!! (keep yer filthy mitts off of them!)

Ciao, Arrivederci, so long, fare well...
May the flux be with you
MBZ