hello frühling, ja liebe, it's SPRING!

It's the first day of real warmth, in t-shirts, eating ice cream, sitting around, and drinking beer in the sunshine type weather... Everybody's happier, it's in the air.

The windows are open and there's music in the courtyard and I'm really really happy about a European summer...

around about

a status update

dell...
is looking for awkward in the thesaurus.
is ungainly.
is artless, blundering, unrefined, uncouth and graceless.
is trying to write something but it's like getting blood from a stone.
is consulting the thesaurus for new ways to say hard.
mmmm yes, difficult...
also vague and kind of confusing... oh well...

consider me haunted... or at the very least, momentarily possessed.

beer & cigarettes

beer is good for your complexion, chocolate cigarettes aren't...

hot-crossed buns

I have managed to cheer myself up completely by baking amazing hot-crossed buns. They are soft, fluffy and fragrant and better than any I've had since my Mum made them when I was little...



1 cup milk
1 sachet of dried yeast
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup butter, melted and cooled
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
4 eggs
5 C flour
1 1/2 cup currants or raisins
1/2 cup of chopped candied orange peel
1 egg white

Glaze
1 1/3 cup icing sugar
1 1/2 tsp. finely chopped lemon zest
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1- 2 tblsp. milk

If you haven't baked with yeast before, do some reading first, for some background and prepare to witness some special magic. In a small saucepan, heat milk to luke warm, but not hot. Pour warm milk in a bowl and sprinkle yeast over. Mix to dissolve and let sit for 5 minutes.

Gently mix in sugar, salt, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg and eggs. Gradually add flour, dough will be wet and sticky, and continue mixing until smooth, about 5 minutes. Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and let the dough "rest" for 30-45 minutes.

Mix until smooth and elastic, for about 3 more minutes. Add currants or raisins and knead until well mixed. At this point, dough will still be fairly wet and sticky. Shape dough in a ball, place in a buttered dish, cover with a lid or plastic wrap and let rise overnight* in the refrigerator. Excess moisture will be absorbed by the morning.

Let dough sit at room temperature for about a half-hour. Line a large baking pan (or pans) with parchment paper (you could also lightly grease a baking pan, but parchment works better). Divide dough into 24 equal pieces (in half, half again, etc., etc.). Shape each portion into a ball and place on baking sheet, about 1/2 inch apart. Cover with a clean tea towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.



In the meantime, pre-heat oven to 400° F. When buns have risen, take a sharp or serrated knife and carefully slash buns with a cross. Brush them with egg white and place in oven. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350° F, then bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack. Whisk together glaze ingredients, and spoon over buns in a cross pattern. Serve warm, if possible (Hot Cross Buns).

Instead of this glaze I just made a sugar syrup with some sugar, lemon juice and a little zest and cinnamon, simmered on the stove til slightly thick, and brushed on hot... It added some extra sweet sticky zest at the end... then I pulled out the white picture icing and added some lightning bolts...



*if you cannot possibly wait until tomorrow, break off a bit, and form it into bun shapes, and place on a tray and let rise for an hour in a warm spot and then bake as directed, and you get the early bun. Not terribly different from the next day bun, still delicious, and a whole day earlier...

frohe ostern bunnies

It's easter. I'm wearing angora socks, scarf and gloves... So I am basically being a bunny.

I have been all fake spring SLUMPS... post first signs of spring, it's actually colder and more miserable than it's been in months, snow, hail, sleet, wind...

There are still new leaves and budding flowers and even some peachy, cherry blossoms but I am feeling all cheated cause it's heavy rain forecast and it's arsch kalt.

It's also because I am driving myself crazy, unable to finish anything at the moment, and there are lots of things almost finished. It's really boring...

I can muster a little bit of cheer, as we are surrounded by trees covered in coloured eggs... but this easter is no picnic... sadly...

cottage industry

Penelope MADSKILLZ Durston is opening her store 'cottage industry' this saturday 22nd, easter saturday from 11am 'til 6pm.

I just gave her the madskillz moniker, because the lady can make everything, from clutch purses to cushions, top to toe, leather, angora, tapestry, goodness & treasures aplenty. If I were in Melbourne, I'd be there to covet things too. Drop in and say hello.

cottage industry, 67 gertrude street, fitzroy.
Visit her blog for sneak peeks and more...

ummm...

Weekend, walked around, went to a bunch of shows, got drunk, came home and phoned people. Oh I miss the voice of the telstra message bank lady.

Got news that Hoops won the Albany Art Prize. Very proud. Will try not to embarrass her though. Perhaps I just did.

Today it's cold again. Like really. Not getting much above 5 degrees, so I can keep quiet about spring. I am cooking a big pot of home-baked beans (can't find them here) and I made strawberry jam last night, and was pleased to discover this morning it has set perfectly.

Also I have to ride to work, as the U-bahn strike continues for another week. I'm surprised there hasn't been a riot. It's big. Imagine no trains and lots of walking all over town. For everyone. Berlin's a big town.

a bit of polaroid love

chip chop

Adam lets me cut his hair now, I get all gleeful about it. SNIP SNIP.
I do ok, a bit rough and tumble, but raffishly handsome.

I have the day off so I am going to paint some pictures and drink cups of tea, in preparation for the weekend. Little things are making me happy, like haircuts, and carrying home a whole box of the most delicious beer after work. Also bigger things like parcels from the other side. Drawings from my boys, and homemade tomato sauce, thank you Tai! Best go buy some wurst to sizzle up and splash the sauce.

A song for your weekend. Inspired by miss problematic and Al Green.

That tweeting bird also reminds me of this new RAISED BY WOLVES blog, and Adams video from the woods.

woodsy

Went to the woods, was lovely. We saw wild pigs trampling through the forest, and wood peckers and ponies and lakes and boats and ducks and swans and we picnicked and climbed treehouses.

small and grey, big and grey

We walked right across town, it's a big walk.

The park is bustling with children, dogs and drug dealers... a friendly mix... I was called sunshine lady by the latter... Ha... Some grey photos...



Berlin is full of these bleak empty spaces. It feels like something, alienation or perhaps just mousiness... Small and grey, big and grey...

just complaining

This video kills me, their little grumpy faces...
Speaking of complaints choirs, the st petersburg one does too, a bit slow to start, but with complaints like, 'my heart is full but my wallet's empty, anyway, she would not love a poet like me...'
Actually, I have watched heaps of them now. Culturally significant complaining, politics, life, and a bit about the weather, a bit about the price of beer, a bit about love...

I've written my own song of complaints, there is something quite pleasing about it...

kitchen

the sun comes in the window now, this is new, it's good. it's goodbye dark days. at least as a general pattern. yup, that is good. What is also good is that Adam just baked almond and chocolate brownies... mmm...

a photo lovestory, worth a peek at every page... here might be easier... forget safe search...

wood is good

lets talk about art baby...

Its a tuesday in Berlin and we are home from some big white cube gallery love...

Went to the last day of Martin Parr sunday at C/O Berlin
gross and grand and terribly familiar... not very white cube though... Berlin has some lovely dingy spaces... this is one.

Went to True North at the Deutshe Guggenheim last week, I loved the series by Roni Horn, Pi. A circle of photos set in Iceland, connected and disconnected and repetitive, and dramatic like the blips on the horizon.
And Stan Douglas's work made me wanna get all quadraphonic soundtrack for my next exhibition...

Today we managed about 10 new shows, about a half marathon, one of which was truly horrific paintings; in a nothing really horrific about it, but fuck, it's bad type way... lets not talk about it.

Then a beautiful video installation at DAAD, by Sejla Kameric, 'WHAT DO I KNOW' I left feeling it needed a harsh edit, but then was told it was a 15-minute short film extended to a 23 minute 4-part installation, GOD, no wonder... why does art need to be more impenetrable than film?

Enjoyed the show at ngbk, Don't Worry, Be Curious, ARS 4th Baltica triennial of fotokunst, complaint choirs, collages and beautiful photos.

At the show paper 8 at Upstairs Berlin there was one really beautiful detailed ballpoint drawing by Butt Johnson which also made me quite happy, old school still life stying, lovingly rendered games consoles. Go to his website for more, like this weird portrait of kermit in repose...



I forget the rest for now. Oh September gallery had something going on, which means I liked it, but have lost all ability to talk about art, baby.

Let's talk about you and me. I hope you are well. It's an amazing day here, I'm going outside.