Inaugural Post

Hi.  My name is Art Flores. I am very excited to be starting this blog for you.  If you are reading this, you know by now that I have named it Art Abides.  I’ve been asked what that means a few times so I’ll clear that up.  Abide can mean a lot of different things depending how you use the word.  In this instance, in what’s probably the simplest meaning, it means to “stay” and to be steady.  But it also means to be accepting…to be accepting, sometimes, of things that are not easy to accept.  I like that.  As human beings, I think that we are naturally tribal, meaning that we stick to what we know.  So, we wind up with certain types of people over here and other types over there.  Often, we divide ourselves by race, political leanings, or religions. We completely forget that there is so much more we share in common than we don’t.  I’m just as guilty as any.  It’s been tough for me realizing that I am not a young man anymore.  But as I’ve aged, not always like fine wine I might add, I’ve learned that our differences should not only be abided. They should be celebrated.  They are a part of who we are. And at Art Abides we do!

While I was researching on starting a blog, a lot of the information told me to focus on one niche.  I couldn’t do that.  There is just so much that I am passionate about.  My family says that I have way too many hobbies.  I love reading and music.  I enjoy collecting books and old records. Mostly I collect jazz and classic rock albums.  I enjoy fishing and hunting when I can. I do play a little guitar but don’t expect any videos of my playing.  As much as I enjoy it, I have to admit that I’m not very good but I will keep playing…not because I’m good but because I like it.  I’m passionate about music and movies and go to concerts and shows regularly so you can expect some reviews from time to time.  We’ll publish some restaurant reviews as well.

I LOVE FOOD!  I would probably die without it! I’m a BBQ freak.  I love looking at it.  I love smelling it.  I love cooking it.  And as evidenced by my ever-increasing waistline, I love eating it.  I appreciate the times I get to prepare big meals for my friends and family.  I cook so hard that I wake up sore the next morning.  I enjoy coming up with new recipes with leftover BBQ meats.  It doesn’t matter if I’m cooking for 3 people or 30.  If the smoker is smoking, I’m filling it with meat.  Whatever doesn’t get eaten gets vacuumed sealed, frozen and eaten later.  But it isn’t just BBQ.  It’s Mexican. It’s Italian.  It’s seafood.   

So, Art Abides is going to be a personal blog.  We’re going to write about all of it.  Some posts will feel like a journal entry. Others just a simple recipe for a dish I grew up eating.  I will also invite guest writers regularly to share some of their passions and insights.  I’ll spotlight community members that I respect, admire or find interesting.  It may be a business leader. It could be a teacher. It might be the local delivery person. Or perhaps it’s the guy on the corner asking for your spare change.  We all have a story.

I hope you will enjoy being a part of the Art Abides community. I have enjoyed planning and putting it together.   We’re going to need your help spreading this crazy thing for it to be a success. Please, please, please subscribe to the blog. Share it with your friends on all your social media outlets.  Tell you friends about it and share posts as you get them.  I encourage you to get engaged and comment when it’s available on your social feeds.  Thank you so much for being a part of this!