TO BE AN ARTIST, OR NOT TO BE?

Shannon and Denise have been best friends, since seventh grade. They did everything together, well, almost... Shannon was more creative, and did things like painting, scrapbooking, photography, and writing. Denise, liked to cook, and bake candies, cookies, pies, and gourmet meals. She had every kitchen gadget known to man, and was still wanting more.

Shannon could never understand it, don't get me wrong, she liked to try new recipes too, but was more into the simplified method, like the oven.

Denise's birthday was coming up and she needed to go shopping, but she had no clue what to get her. She drove around aimlessly, and where do you think she ended up? The hobby shop, of course.

"I think if she'd just try something one time, she would surely like it, we could go to paint classes together" she thought to herself, as she was browsing through the endless isles, getting so many ideas, and reminiscing a little bit. That would be so much fun, I remember when I got my first canvas. I didn't realize how creative I was 'til I started painting, and just did whatever came to mind. But, of course, if your not that brave, there's a lot of tutorials and different things out there, to get started, thanks to social media, to practice by.

As she was filing her cart with all the cool stuff, she decided enough was enough, she didn't want to buy out the whole store, so she went to the check out, with paint, canvases, storage containers, how-to books, and brushes, everything to get her started.

"I really hope Denise likes this stuff" she thought while she was putting her packages in the trunk, of her suv, and went to get lunch.

Denise just got a new air fryer, and had a few recipes she wanted to try out in it.

"Hey Shannon, what ae you doing, Tuesday night?"

"Nothing that I know of, why?"

"Well I just got a new air fryer, and there were a few recipes I wanted to try. I thought you might want to come over for a game night, and dinner."

"Sure that sounds good, we can celebrate your birthday early," she said excitedly.

"Fantastic!, thanks so much, see you then".

Shannon wrapped the presents, and was getting ready to head over to Denise's. I should have baked her a cake, but I'll just swing by the bakery, and get something good from there, let's see what they have. She thought walking in, and smelling all the delicious aromas, mmmm, I just love this place, she found a Boston Cream Cake, Ooooh, that's the one, I looks sooo good, I hope it goes with the meal Denise has planned.

She drove two blocks to Denise's, unloaded her packages, and the cake, and went right in. They've been friends so long that the need to knock has been forgotten.

"Hi! she said, what's cookin'?, It smells sooo good.

"Hey, hi!, Denise laughed. I think I got a little carried away, I couldn't make up my mind, so I made a smorgasbord, I hope you're hungry, I made bacon wrapped avocado, cauliflower tots, which I wrote the recipe down for you, and cheesy beef empanadas."

"Wow! did you invite the whole neighborhood?" she asked teasingly.

"Nope, just us, and you can take home as much leftovers as you want, I know how much you loove to cook", she said sarcastically.

"You must have been cooking all day."

"Nope, wrong again, that's the beauty of the air fryer, you have minimal prep time, and you put it in and poof!, it's done, in no time, at all, and here's your first recipe to try", she handed her the recipe card. It read: CAULIFLOWER TOTS (green giant)

1.) Pre heat air fryer to 400 deg.(f) Spray the basket with non stick cooking spray

2.) Place as many C tots in the basket, as you can, making sure they don't touch. ( cook in batches if necessary)

3.) Cook in pre heated air fryer, for 6 mins

"Well that's cool, maybe I'll try it, now, can we eat?, I'm hungry, and I brought the desert", she laughed. "I hope we can save room for it".

After they finished eating and clearing the dishes, Shannon gave Denise her presents.

"Oh wow!, what's this?, I wasn't expecting so much stuff.."

"yeh, I know, I kinda got carried away too, I couldn't decide on just one or two things", she laughed. So I pretty much bought everything." she said excitedly. "So go ahead and open them." she encouraged.

Denise opened her first present, reluctantly, she saw a blank canvas, her heart sank, then the paints, and brushes, she was starting to get agitated, but didn't want to show it, or seem ungrateful, "Oh, this is nice", she told Shannon half heartedly.

"Yeh, I thought it was cool, I remembered when I got my first canvas, and paints, how excited I was. I even signed us up for a paint and sip class, next Saturday, I thought it would be fun to go together," she rambled on more excited than before.

"Yeh, sure, that'll be fun", she said sadly.

"Denise, what's wrong? You don't like the presents do you?" she asked, with concern in her voice.

"Well I know we've been friends forever, and I don't want to hurt your feelings, but I don't get why you bought me all this stuff, you're the artist, not me."

"I know, I wasn't much of one, either, before I started, she chuckled, but I kept practicing, then it became kinda addicting, now when I see things, I think how cool it would be to paint it. It's very calming, some people say it's therapeutic, and once it's finished and the final product is so rewarding. When I enter my pieces in the art show, to get people's reaction, is a feeling I just can't explain. I just wanted you to experience how I feel. I didn't mean to be so pushy, and I'm sorry. But would you still go to the paint class with me, and just TRY it"?

"If it means that much do you, I will, but can you do something for me?"

"Sure, what's that?"

"Well, you know how much I love to cook, and try new recipes, I signed us up for a Pampered Chef class, she laughed, and now I realize, I feel the same way about cooking, as you do painting. But if we both agree to try it, for the sake of our friendship, then we got nothing to lose."

"I think I can do that, and maybe we can alternate cooking, and painting."

"That sounds good, now can we play the game? What did you bring?"

"Uno, are you ready to get beat?"

"Ha! are you is the question? And thanks so much for the presents, and CAKE!, I really love all of it."

"You're welcome, I'm happy you like them.

They hugged and were both relieved that they could agree to disagree on not seeing eye to eye on each others hobbies, but respected their friendship enough, to support each other.

"Let's eat cake, I like cake" they both laughed.