It was just as well that two very good friends could not make it for all of the big soirée that was my 50th birthday celebration: that meant two additional birthday weekends with each of those friends.
At about 3am Sunday morning, I ended the last of those celebrations. What better way to close that out than with the friend who has hung in there with me for decades and even drove to Houston for that 30th birthday, and of course was here in Austin for the emotionally tense and strained 40th birthday (who knew divorce was in my future for that coming year!).
Of course we would map out a day that included the West Austin Studio Tour. Not until our last stop did we really hit the jackpot: Empty House Productions on Jessie Street.
But what does any of this have to do with food, you may ask.
A good question.
Not much of a connection. But there is a connection.
Tenuous, but a connection.
It is coming soon, that connection.
This installation design by Belén García-Mendoza inspired me to re-arrange all my shelves back at home. I have not done that yet. It just inspired me to do that, someday.
(Belen's little girls were handing out her beautifully graphically designed flyers. She does hand-painted fabrics, painted tableware, murals. She has branded this all as Miss Pepita Creative Studio. And all only in the 2 years after moving here from Spain. Fabulous talent.)
Soon after the moment the gal who is the dynamo behind Sudaderie and those embroidery works in crazy different shapes and designs opened her mouth we figured out what the deal was here.
Just about all these women who did this work that we were gazing at so lovingly were all Spanish. Straight from Madrid.
Ah. That explains the paella pan.
A clean paella pan was on top of the stove. There was a stove because in what looks at first to be a regular house on arrival is in fact a house with no furniture because each room is exhibition space.
There is also an immense backyard, perfect for parties, as it so obviously had been earlier in the afternoon before we arrived. We could see a paella pan on the big table outdoors, with not a bite left from the earlier gathering.
Finally they figure out about Melissa's growing up in Spain. I say finally because Melissa does not lead with this at all. Once she did get going with the Spanish, they took her for a madrileña.
After we ask about the installation piece (pictured a few pictures above) in the shower, with the stones all painted with black ink with swimmers, each one very different from the others, representing women swimming through life and life issues, we meet the artist, Carolina Alcocer, in person. More beautiful Spanish (Melissa, not I of course).
There follows an invitation to join them for paella the next day, outside in the yard under the pergolas and the trees.
Lovely.
(Already sold, this piece. This and other works in this style all by the very young (to me) and very tiny Heather Sundquist.)
The paella gathering was not to be, however.
Turns out one can play hooky from the workload and side jobs for only one very full day per weekend. Work beckoned, so no paella.
And that's the food connection.
