M. Denise C.

Wordless Wednesday: Letting Off Steam

2012-02-01T07:01:00.000-06:00

--Wordless Wednesday
Letting Off Steam, Fanny Brennan, hand-crafted lithograph on Arches
cover paper, paper size: 6 x 7 in., image size: 2.5 x 3.5 in.

More on this image later. MDC

Michelle Rocked

2012-01-27T08:47:00.000-06:00

I recently saw My Week With Marilyn, starring Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe. The film also stars a number of my favorite British actors, including Kenneth Branagh, Eddie Redmayne, Michael Kitchen from Foyle's War, and even Jim Carter (Mr. Carson from Downton Abbey). Others include Dame Judi Dench, Dominic Cooper, Toby Jones, Emma Watson, Miranda Raison (MI-5), and Julia Ormond. Dougray Scott from Scotland also gave a standout performance as Arthur Miller. I so enjoyed seeing all these actors all together on the big screen.

This film recreates the story of Marilyn's time in England filming a movie with Sir Laurence Olivier, based on the book by Colin Clark. Kenneth Branagh and Eddie Redmayne star as Sir Laurence and Clark, respectively. Williams is totally believable as Monroe in 1956. Get used to seeing Eddie Redmayne on screen in the next few years, because I think his unique face will be seen everywhere. What can one say about Branagh? He did his usual superb acting in this one. And I have been waiting for the next Wallender.

The main reason to see this film, however, is Michelle Williams. She is beautiful and perfect and tragic. I thought I was watching Marilyn Monroe in the film and not Michelle Williams playing Marilyn Monroe. I could only feel sorry for how difficult this role must have been for her (pills). Michelle Williams also did her own singing in the film. And she can sing, too. Michelle rocked.

Wordless Wednesday: Structure

2012-01-25T00:01:00.000-06:00

Wordless Wednesday:

--Photo courtesy of Bubba Hernandez (see also Moon Zero Bird Records)

A Tuesday to Remember

2012-01-24T22:36:00.001-06:00

Wow. I woke up very, very early this morning and immediately turned on espn2 to watch what was happening in Australia at the Open. Great way to start the day. Nadal was playing Berdych. I like Nadal a lot, but was rooting for underdog Czech Tomas Berdych. He didn't come through. I really tuned in to see the outcome of Federer versus Del Potro. I was afraid for RF, but was happy to see he beat Juan Martin as easily as he had young Aussie phenom Tomic in his previous match. Gotta love Fed.

--(January 11, 2011 - Photo by Mark Dadswell/Getty Images AsiaPac)

Then I went to work. I was busy the whole morning on several different projects that seem to never end.

At lunch, I decided to go to the mall to walk around and get out of the building. When I was walking, I decided to pop in to the Martin Lawrence Galleries that is located in Galleria Dallas. I have been meaning to go in there and check out the art I have been noticing as I walk by. Also, I was looking up an artist for a blog posting and noticed that some of this artist's work was represented at MLG. The gallery was in a bit of a disarray because they were hanging some new arrivals. Lo and behold, the artist's work that I asked about was stacked at the desk and so I got to look at the works piece by piece at my leisure. Cool. I am buying a signed print soon and will post about the artist soon. I finished walking and went back to work.

On my way back to work, I received a call from a travel coordinator that I have been playing phone tag with for the past few days and got some info on a trip I am planning to a quite exotic and fascinating place. I am simply stoked to go to this place and I think it is going to happen sooner rather than later. I am happiest when a trip is being planned. I'm not saying when or where yet, because you just never know what might happen before then. I have been burned before a time or two and had learned not to say too much too soon. And thankfully learned that lesson and tragedy had been avoided just weeks ago. But now there is total excitement. A great lunch hour.

Another few hours of long distance correspondence with one of the engineers I work for (who is in Stavanger, Norway on business) and the day was nearing an end. Well, not quite. When you work for someone who is traveling overseas and is staying up at least until midnight to get work done, then you really don't want to fret about leaving the office right at 5. So, even though I had plans for later, I stayed and finished up some problems dealing with unexpected late situations. Even though it was pouring rain, I actually made it to the book signing I was going to fairly quickly. This signing was at the indie bookstore I love called A Real Bookstore. I met Pam from pixelimpress at the store for the signing because one of the two authors this evening is her client. More on these authors in another posting. Waiting for Pam, I chatted with the owner of the store, Teri Tanner, who was the driving force behind the recent Stephen King appearance that I posted about not too long ago. Did I tell you that I happened to luck into getting one of the 250 out of 1,000 books at the Stephen King talk that is signed? Oh yeah. 1st edition signed copy of 11/22/63. That was very much a night to remember. Before tonight's talk, I also met several of the other people who ventured out in the pouring rain to see these authors. I came away with two new books and an enjoyable evening of a talking with other like-minded people who love books and blogging and authors, etc.

And guess what? I am ending this day of work and satisfaction by watching the Australian Open. The day has come full circle. Especially with many things that truly make me happy: tennis, art, accomplishment, travel, books, friendship, and tennis again. One terrific Tuesday.

Wordless Wednesday: Trafalgar Square

2012-01-18T08:40:00.001-06:00

--Wordless Wednesday

Animation of a Gerald Murphy Painting

2012-01-13T00:01:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite paintings to view at the Dallas Museum of Art is Watch by Gerald Murphy. The museum has moved the oil-on-canvas painting around the building to different locations in the past few years, but it is usually prominently displayed. The last time I viewed Watch, in early August, Murphy's work was on the third floor of the museum amidst a number of works by strictly American painters. Below is Watch:

Watch is a fairly large painting. The dimensions of Watch are 78 1/2 x 78 7/8 inches (199.39 x 200.36 centimeters). Following is a picture by Michael Spear Hawkins, photographer, of one of his friends in front of the painting that gives perspective as to how large a canvas on which Gerald Murphy worked:

Inspecting Watch close up is interesting in that you can see the precision in which Murphy delineated all of the precise parts of a watch. Some pencil lines can still be seen in some places from what I recall.

I always wondered what it would be like to see Gerald's* Watch start ticking. Guess what? I was doing some searching regarding Watch and happened upon this short animation of Gerald's work by an animator from Stuttgart, Germany. Following is what I was excited to find on Henning M. Lederer's website:

HERE is a link to Henning Lederer's website posting of the animation. Henning's wordpress site is entitled "machinatorium" as he apparently enjoys animating similar works to Watch, as well as other works. Henning's wordpress site is only one part of his complete website, which can be found HERE. I have enjoyed perusing Henning's site the past few days and have enjoyed his animations, collaborations, artwork, and creativity.

For a little more information on Watch, the DMA's educator blog posted an entry that can be found HERE.

Finally, you can view a short episode of KERA's show think about the Murphys and the exhibition at the Dallas Museum of Art that was shown in 2008 by clicking HERE.

*I use Gerald, as I have read Everybody Was So Young by Amanda Vaill a couple of times, as well as several other books about the Murphys, and have a real appreciation and affinity for the style and creativity of the Murphys (Gerald and his wife, Sara) and their group of friends from the 1920's in Paris and Antibes.

Wordless Wednesday: From Lanai

2012-01-10T22:32:00.000-06:00

--Wordless Wednesday

Fun Video Friday--Finca Vigía

2012-01-06T13:19:00.001-06:00

--beautiful video with music of Ernest Hemingway's Finca Vigía near Havana, Cuba.

Wordless Wednesday: Kitty Cat

2012-01-04T00:01:00.000-06:00

--Wordless Wednesday

Short Story Reading in 2012

2012-01-02T21:26:00.001-06:00

I've decided to read a short story a day in 2012. I am sure there are formal challenges out there in the blogosphere, but for some reason I grossly fail at any challenge I enter. I am keeping track of the stories in my new tab above called "2012 Short Stories."

For today, I just finished reading "Hearts and Crosses" by O. Henry. If you didn't know, O. Henry was the pen name of William Sydney Porter and he lived in Austin, Texas, for many years. Porter worked at various occupations and gathered experiences and stories in Texas that he later used in his writing.

In this particular O. Henry story, two cowboys were having a conversation as they were herding cattle on the range. My favorite lines from "Hearts and Crosses" is the following:

You may fill in a mile, a meal, and a murder between your paragraphs without detriment to your thesis. So, without apology, Webb offered an addendum to the conversation that had begun ten miles away.

--O. Henry from www.simtalk.com

My Last Post of 2011 (or) All About Rob

2011-12-31T08:12:00.000-06:00

Hello, everyone! Today is New Year's Eve, which means this is the last post of 2011. It hasn't been a prolific posting year for me, but I thought I would end the year by obliging one of my friend's requests.

I recently saw one of my old friends, and maybe the second thing he said to me that evening was "When are you going to do a blog post about me?" So, here you go, Rob!

Oh, is it Rob? Or is it Robert? Or is it Robbie? Robbie?!? Who calls Rob Robbie? How cute. I never knew . . . :-) It was always just Rob. The things we learn 40 years later. You see, I went to grade school with Rob. And high school. Ok, I did know he went by Robbie with his family. It just surprises me when I haven't heard it in a while.

Anyway, here is Rob and his beautiful wife, Martha, whom he met when he went to Texas Tech in Lubbock in the early 1980s. They have been married a long time and have two kids.

Apparently, according to Martha, Rob likes to parade around his house.....singing "Can't touch this...na na na....." when he's feeling proud of himself! Hahahahaha!

Martha says he has a favorite line he uses all the time: "You are so over thinking this!"

Rob's favorite word is "NO." In fact, he is known as Mr. No Man!

Rob and Martha have a lake house and I know Rob likes to hunt. Martha says that as Rob gets older, he is even more proud about the fires he builds outdoors!!

And here are Rob's children:

Also from Martha: Robert (our son) is waiting for his dad to turn 80 so he can finally beat him up.

Rob's daughter, Allye, who recently graduated from TCU:

And Martha also says Rob really has always wanted their daughter, Allye to call him "Dad EEE" . . . and she won't!

Below are Rob's cute parents:

And here is Rob's mother in law with Martha. Phyllis lives with Rob and his family:

Oh and something nice (from Martha) - My mother tells everyone that her son-in-law cooks all her meals! He really does!!!!

Awwww, Rob!!

I have run into Rob on and off throughout the years. He was working in the building next door for a short while and I had gone to the bank in that building. So good to see Rob walk by at the time and chat. Another time I ran into Rob, I was working at a golf tournament for a charity event. I was working one of the holes for a closest to the pin contest or something. This foursome strolls up after it had been raining all morning and I looked like total crap. Yes, it was Rob with a local DJ (Kidd Kraddick). I was so mortified. Oh well. As usual, Rob was very nice.

Rob's best buds through the years:

--Robert V, Joe, Peter, and Rob

At our 30th grade school reunion, Rob supplied the beer since he worked for Coors/Miller at the time. So generous! Here are Rob and two of my good friends from grade school:

Below is what I call the Rob look. What is missing is the eye roll--it's hard to capture in a photo!

Okay, here are most of the important women in Rob's life: his sisters, wife, sister in law, and mother:

--Such a beautiful family Rob comes from. He also has two brothers. When I say beautiful, I mean beautiful inside and out!

If I am not mistaken, Rob worked at the Mobil station at Buckner and Garland Rd. Unfortunately, they tore down this beautiful piece of history located in Casa Linda shopping center. Now it's a bank.

Some thoughts from some friends:

. . . At the 10-year (high school) reunion, we had a set up that when Rob hugged someone, he would look my way and I would mouth their name to him!

He didn't talk to me, but I always thought he was adorable.

Can't say enough great things about my man, Robbie. The dude has been like a brother to me. One of my best friends since jr high. Roommate through college. So many life experiences shared.

All I can say about Rob is wanderin' fingers in grade school I am sure he had grown out of that.

Rob is an outdoorsman that loves to hunt and fish. When he spins a yarn about a fish he caught or a deer he shot, most likely the size of the fish or the size of the deer will grow over time.

Rob is very generous and never hesitates to share whatever he has, including his cabin and lake house.

I don't really have a quote, but I think it might be, "Malouf, can you fix this thing I just broke."

Once when I was at Mass at St. Gabriel's in McKinney, I was admiring good looking guys coming back from Communion (don't we all still?), and I admired Rob before I realized it was Rob! I thought of course that guy is good looking, he's a Farquharson!

OK, Rob. Enjoy your post!! I am sure as people contact me, there will be more . . . MDC

UPDATE 12/4/2012:

ROB RESPONDS!!

Thanks so much for making good on your promise about my blog! I am concerned however with the facts....

This mentions nothing about my swashbuckling days in the Gulf, my secret service days with President Bush (the first one) or my work at NASA to improve the space shuttle -- my work to improve the O Ring....

Despite all that, thank you for the kind words and pictures of my family and friends.

God bless,

Your BFF-Robbie

From MDC: Awwww, Rob!! You're the best . . .

Quick Review: 11/22/63 by Stephen King

2011-12-04T17:39:00.001-06:00

11/22/63, written by Stephen King and recently published, is a look back to what might have happened if John F. Kennedy had not been assassinated. This thick tome was written from the viewpoint of Jake Epping, a 40-something man from 2011, who gets a chance to visit the past and change history. Epping finds a "rabbit hole" that takes him to the day of September 9, 1958, in Lisbon Falls, Maine. Epping goes on this quest a few times, first exploring and then actively changing events, trying to help certain people he has encountered on his trips to the past. Each time he goes back, he starts from the same day again, and if he wants to accomplish the same things as previously, he has to repeat them. Only he usually tries to improve what he has done before.

--JFK motorcade on 11/22/63 from Wikipedia

I have not read a King novel in a long time and wanted to find out if I still enjoyed his writing. Less a fan of horror, I thought this story was just right in mixing the unbelievable with history. Characters such as Lee Oswald and his wife, Marina, came to to life on the page. Some other historical figures that I have forgotten about or really never have been familiar with are present. Don't worry, Oswald is the bizarre character he has always been. Since there is a 5-year time period before the event, I enjoyed the glimpse back at the world of the late 50s/early 60s, when life was simpler without the constant barrage of electronics of all sorts. However, I would not want to go back myself to those times of racism, sexism, and geographical isolation for most.

King obviously did huge amounts of research to get the story and characters just right and needs to be commended. Epping, a high school teacher in 2011, finds a job in a small town south of Dallas/Ft. Worth, while visiting the two cities numerous times to put his plan in motion. He also falls in love. The small town dynamics are so fun to read about, especially if you have experienced them for yourself. Of course, I enjoyed his travels on some of my most well-known Dallas stomping grounds. Greenville Avenue, for example, is certainly a very different place today, and is still constantly changing.

The greater part of the first section of the book was spent resolving a couple of murders that Epping became emotionally caught up in while he is still in the northeast. King's setting of Derry, Maine, very familiar to most followers of his fiction, plays a big role in this book.

I can only highly recommend 11/22/63. Every few years, I like to visit The Sixth Floor Museum and I never fail to appreciate the hard work of the curators and the relics and displays they choose to present. I avoided going to this museum for a very long time until I was forced to take some clients there years ago. (Going to The Sixth Floor is so much better than having to cart people to Southfork Ranch.)

--Texas School Book Depository building, 2009

There are only two events that usually give me the shivers if I start reading about them: the Manson murders and the JFK assassination. And who to address the latter better than Stephen King?

Finally, An Answer

2011-11-29T20:37:00.002-06:00

A few months ago, I found myself in a terrible reading slump. I wanted to participate in the International Anita Brookner Day last July 16th, but could not choose a book and could not focus to read, even though I had just bought two used Anita books in Arkansas. I also had ideas for some interesting interviews, but I could not force myself to think of questions and prepare them. Fortunately, I was not very busy at work at the time, because I don't think I could have had enough focus to do a very good job. It was all very strange. I felt anxious and discombobulated a lot of the time. It took awhile before I really even became aware that something was wrong, it was so gradual. Then I just wrote it off to being anxious and decided to talk to my doctor at my upcoming yearly physical. I went walking every few days with a friend of mine and I noticed I was not as peppy as normal (thinking it was the heat). I even felt some chest pain at different times, but since I was never short of breath and could breathe okay, I didn't really worry. (Stupid, stupid, stupid). Anyway, I went to my physical and told the doctor I was anxious and could he please give me something for it? Everything seemed normal to him at the time, as far as he could tell, but the blood tests would tell more. I made a follow up appointment and then waited another month for that appointment. When I got there, the doctor assured me he knew what was wrong. My thyroid levels were out of whack, and he thought I was suffering from hyperthyroidism. So the anti-anxiety medication was as useless as I found it--it just had made me sleepy. He could not treat me, but assured me I was in no danger and needed to make an appointment with an endocrinologist. Well, another 5 or 6 weeks (with a trip to Maui thrown in) and I showed up to the endocrinologist's office. They gave me a radioactive iodine pill to do a scan on my thyroid the next day, after explaining what the results could be and after another blood test. The numbers were the same on that blood test, still showing hyperthyroidism. After the 6-minute scan the next day, the doctor confirmed that I had Graves' Disease. All I had ever heard about Graves' Disease was that Barbara Bush had it and it made her eyes bug out. There were two treatment options: a drug with terrible side effects or killing off my thyroid with more radioactive iodine. After reading about it overnight, I quickly opted for the iodine. The radioactive iodine. After a month or so, I would have to take thyroid medication for the rest of my life. I have known a few people with thyroid issues that have to take medicine everyday so that seemed to be the lesser of the two evils. What was funny was waiting for that radioactive iodine pill the next day and seeing a nuclear lab wheel in a military container. Then that container was opened to find a metal thermos-like container. After taking that container apart, a radiologist set the containers in a bin that could be shut quickly for radiation protection. After opening the thermos container, there was one lone pill that looked like a cold capsule--my specific dose of radioactive iodine that I had to swallow. I did and that has been it until I go back to the doctor in mid-December. The endocrinologist also gave me a prescription for a beta blocker to help with the heart-related symptoms. That drug helped almost immediately. I have to take it until I get reassessed and I am happy to, believe me. You can look up Graves Disease if you want. I found one of the better explanations to be at www.mayoclinic.com. I think it was caught fairly early, because of course I have heard horror stories now of the mental aspects that are not so pleasant. One of my friend's current boss was fired early in his career due to Graves' Disease and his inability to focus. He thought he was going crazy. Anyway, I just thought I might tell everyone what has been going on--especially those that I was preparing interviews for and have seemed to fallen off the face of the earth. I will be working diligently in the next few weeks to prepare these. Also, I wanted to share what's been happening in case it happens to you. Graves' Disease is hereditary and is not life threatening, although I must say I think I had a majority of the very annoying symptoms. I found out one of my grandmothers had her thyroid removed in the late 40s or early 50s. And today I found out one of my cousins also had thyroid issues a while back. Thank you to everyone who was very supportive at this time. I really appreciate it immensely.

Oh, the only books I could manage to read were some of the Sharpe books by Bernard Cornwell and one Stuart Woods book. Sharpe is a great character and I am glad that it was him who helped me "soldier on" through this weirdness.

JFK Blogs

2011-11-21T22:17:00.001-06:00

Here is a link to John White's JFK Assassination blog where he posted one of my pictures of Dealey Plaza. John has been studying JFK and the assassination since the event. He lives in Knoxville, Tennessee. John has not been to Dallas since 1990 and his pictures are not in digital format, therefore he needed some pictures. Also, if you check his links, he has another blog called JFK + 50. Check out his very interesting blogs.

Wednesday November 23, 2011

Here is a link to a friend of mine's blog: my staycation by pam at pixelimpress. She took some great pictures of Dealey Plaza recently with her new camera.

Stephen King Speaks

2011-11-21T15:22:00.001-06:00

On 11/11/11, I went to hear Stephen King speak at a local high school. Being on an indie bookstore’s email list alerted me to the event. This particular bookstore was opened not too long ago after Legacy Books, located in Plano, Texas, went under due to the economy. The owner, Teri Tanner, scaled down the operation and moved to another suburb of Dallas, where she opened A Real Bookstore. Since the tickets were first come, first serve, I got to the high school about an hour and a half early. Of course, the auditorium was already quite full. For the next hour, the University of Louisiana-Monroe jazz band entertained the audience while we waited, followed by the high school jazz ensemble. Finally, it was time for Stephen King.

--Stephen King at an event on 11/10/11 at the Majestic Theater, Dallas, Texas

Did you know that Stephen King has sold over 400 million books and has had them translated into 33 different languages? He is from Maine and has been married to his wife, Tabitha, for 40 years. The night before this event, King was at a benefit for The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, the museum located in the old school book depository building in downtown Dallas. King’s latest book is entitled 11/22/63 and tells the story of what might have happened if Lee Harvey Oswald had not succeeded in killing President Kennedy. I have not read this 849-page book yet.

The skinnier-and-grayer-than-I-imagined King was warmly received by the eclectic audience. He started his talk by answering a few questions that people always ask him. What scares Stephen King? He said just about everything, including dropping dead of a heart attack, spiders, snakes, elevators, and the news. What’s it like to be famous? Well, sometimes King is recognized, mainly due to his cameos in TV shows and movies. He said writers aren’t supposed to be famous. However, he has autographed books at events sitting on the john. Whenever anyone mistakes him for Stephen Spielberg or Francis Ford Coppola, he obliging admits he is them! He told the story of having lunch with Bruce Springsteen once in the East Village and this teenage girl kept looking at them and approached the table and, of course, only focused on the Boss. As personable as he is, King seems very comfortable with his fame and seems like a really laid back guy. He loves talking about his days as a high school teacher. And just when you think he is through with a subject, he thinks of another story and has to tell it.

In 1971, on 11/22, King thought of his book premise about that date in 1963. He said he was 17 when Kennedy was killed and that the date is such a “pinch point” in history. He believes that we should follow the gun: Oswald ordered the gun, Oswald picked up the gun, Oswald was sighted at Love Field, Oswald had the picture of himself made with the gun, and the gun was found at the school book depository. The story is a time travel story beginning on September 9, 1958. He had to do a lot of research for this book, research he could not have done at the time he thought about the idea for the book. King was also inspired by the election of President Obama in 2008. There seem to be a lot of parallels with the current president and Kennedy: youth, problems growing up, not easily electable at the time (Kennedy’s Catholicism, Obama’s race), wives, kids. They both inspired real hate. King wanted to write this book because “history repeats itself” and he wanted to remind people of what happens when there is real hate in a society.

--Stephen King at McKinney North High School on 11/11/11

King talked about how helpful people were once he arrived in Dallas. He said people were so willing to talk about the assassination. The only similar place he has been that people wanted to talk so much about what had happened in their town was Selma, Alabama. People helped him with the smallest details so he would get everything right. An example is the spelling of Killeen, Texas (he had misspelled it as Kileen) to the pronunciation of a still existing radio station as KLIF (pronounce “cliff” instead of “k life”). King then read an excerpt from his new book. King’s description of Dallas at the time was spot on (not very flattering, I must say). He read eloquently and changed his voice for different characters. I thought his talk and reading were wonderful and luckily, he was still willing to answer about 10 or 11 questions readers sent in to the bookstore.

Some of the questions follow:

How do you research a place? A friend gave him a book about Oswald. He did a culture study using newspapers from the time and the Dallas Public Library has old movies about Dallas in the 1960’s. King went to the school book depository and became friends with curator Gary Mack and was allowed access into the closed off by plexiglass actual perch of Lee Harvey Oswald.

How has your work influenced your children? King has two sons and a daughter. His eldest son is also a writer and writes under the name of Joe Hill. He has always taken the approach of standing back and letting his children live their own lives, but is there to support them.

Do you believe in heaven, hell, and a happy place? King is agnostic and he has not read Hell is for Real, the new book by the young boy who almost died. He’s not a big organized religion guy. He knows religion gives people a sense of order, so he says to those people: Knock yourselves out. His mother was a devout Methodist and he went to church every Sunday and Thursday growing up. He had to do many bible drills as a child. His mother also liked to drink gin and tonics with his aunts and they played rags and boogies and he said that’s the “Praise God” to him.

Is it harder today to get established as a writer? Maybe. Self-publishing and the business end of books are in a flux these days. He is more concerned that people just need to get words on paper. He put all his reject letters on a nail on the wall and he finally got Carrie accepted.

Out of all the movies and TV movies, etc. that you have written, which one of the productions do you think got it? King did not hesitate and he said Storm of the Century. He also really likes The Shawshank Redemption and Stand By Me.

How do you prepare your environment to write? Well, King makes tea, takes his vitamins, and has his anti-smoking toothpicks handy. He says his worst day in the chair writing is terrific. He feels like his head is going to blow off when he has written something really terrific. He feels privileged to do the job of writing. He likes to enter a story and then the characters take on their own lives. King is a very thankful and grateful man.

This might have been one of the best author talks I have seen, and I have seen a great number in the past two or three years.

Art from Maui

2011-11-01T08:17:00.000-05:00

When I visit Maui, I usually do not buy a whole lot, but this trip I wanted to purchase a few prints by some Maui artists. Many of the artists on Maui have booths at the Maui Swap Meet held every Saturday and it is a great place to get some discounts on their prints and works. You can rely on the same booths being in the same spots from year to year. The Swap Meet is now held on the grounds of the UH Maui in Kahului. The Maui Tropical Plantation also has a handful of artists with small galleries on the grounds.

--Giclee print of a photograph of a South Maui beach by Maui artist Rebecca Lowell. We met her in her small gallery at the Maui Tropical Plantation. Giclee prints of photographs have the look of a painting without the high price. This was photographed at the beach where my brother and sister-in-law were married 10 years ago.

--Giclee print of surfboards, also by Rebecca Lowell.

--One of my favorite purchases! This small print of a batik is entitled Dressed for the Occasion and is by Phil Soo. His website can be found HERE. Go to his website to find out more about batik. I love the bright colors and the texture.

--Another print of a batik by Phil Soo showing windsurfers on the north shore of Maui at what appears to be Kanaha Beach.

--Print of Tutu's by Ken Loyd

--Lahaina3 image by Ken Loyd from his website

Ken is perhaps my most favorite artist on Maui. I love the bright colors and the feeling of happiness I get from looking at his works. I talked to him for a while and he actually grew up in Dallas, spent some time in Austin, went to Chicago where he was mentored by an older artist, and then moved to Hawaii in 1983. He developed his own unique style and is very popular on Maui. You can see his work at ArtbyLoyd.com.

Maui has a thriving art community!

Pictures from Paradise

2011-10-29T01:53:00.001-05:00

Aloha! Following are some photos that were taken by me, my brother, and my sister-in-law when I recently visited them in Kihei, Maui:

--Hale (pronounced hah-leh)--my brother and sister-in-law's Hawaiian house

--My sister-in-law's sunflowers

--The sunflowers seem to be smiling!

--Located in Maui Meadows, a neighborhood above the highway in Kihei

--My brother's bamboo railing on their lanai (patio)

--From the balcony of the Royal Mauian condos

--Park next to the Royal Mauian condos

--Another view towards the beach

--The previous trees just before sunset . . .

--Towards the sea and West Maui

--The lone catamaran always anchored near Kamaole I beach

--From the rooftop. The shadows form on the water as the sun rises above Haleakala crater.

--Haleakala Crater one afternoon, the only afternoon that there were no clouds covering the top of the crater. Haleakala translates as House of the Sun. This phone camera picture does not do justice. The crater is beautiful in the morning when the sun is rising from behind.

--A couple of standup paddleboarders between the trees.

--Sunset from the rooftop of the Royal Mauian

One day we took a 4-hour boat trip with Blue Water Rafting. We boarded the Zodiac boat just before 7 am and returned to the Kihei Boat Dock right at 11 am. Along the way, we snorkeled at 3 spots: the Kanaio coast, the backside of Molokini crater, and in front of the Makena Surf resort in La Perouse Bay. Lots of colorful fish, jellyfish, eels, and even a small, white-tip reef shark were seen. Following are some of the wonderful pictures taken by my brother. Captain Dante Prince and his 2nd mate, Steve, provided a good time to approximately 15 people. Both of these guys were from the Boston/Cape Cod area, but have been on Maui for quite a while.

HERE is a link to one of Blue Water Rafting's videos of one of their trips.

--Lava flows on the Kanaio coast past La Perouse Bay in South Maui

--Formations formed as the lava cooled.

--Archways and caves were formed by the cooling lava.

--A huge arch we wanted to go through but couldn't due to waves

--Note the beautiful water . . .

--We backed into this cove a little.

--Sunset from the Humuhumunukunuku Bar at the Grand Wailea Resort

--Dark clouds in late afternoon. South Maui is very dry and gets little rain.

--The other direction

--On Kamaole I again

--More Kamaole I

--Baldwin Beach on the north shore

--Baldwin Beach from the other direction

--Near Sugar Cove and Sprecklesville on the north shore

--These guys were having fun.

--Maui has lots of red dirt that will stain the soles of your feet.

--Towards West Maui

--Young pineapple growing at the tropical plantation

--Zip line platform at the tropical plantation

--Apple bananas

--Macadamia nut trees

Some of the food we encountered:

--Ono from Fish Market in Paia Town, with cole slaw and Cajun rice.

--More ono from Cafe O'Lei in Kihei. Ono means good.

--Appetizer by sister-in-law

Following are some more random pictures:

--Inlet near the Grand Wailea Resort

--You see some strange plants in Hawaii that you never see anywhere else. But I have no clue as to what these are . . .

--From the Marriott in Wailea towards the West Maui mountains

--Mountains near the tropical plantation

--It's hard to see, but there are two sea turtles in this picture.

--West Maui from the north shore

I hope you enjoyed these pics of Maui. Not pictured are seeing some great guitarists and musicians, a different sunset everyday, nice meals with friends and family, and watching the Rangers (back when they were ahead of the Cardinals).

Aloha and Mahalo!

Moneyball

2011-09-27T00:06:00.001-05:00

Moneyball is the latest Brad Pitt movie, which opened Friday at theatres. I think Pitt is a great actor; however, I went to see the movie because baseball was the subject. Specifically, this movie was the true story about Billy Beane, general manager of the Oakland Athletics and his quest to compete against the more monied teams such as the New York Yankees in the early 2000s. By using statistics and percentages, Beane and his assistant played the odds by signing unknown players depending on their numbers such as on-base percentages. Of course, Pitt played Beane. In the movie, Jonah Hill played his assistant named Peter Brand, based on the real assistant with a different name. What happened when they implemented this new way of choosing players? They started out that season losing game after game, and the movie portrayed team manager Art Howe's reluctance to get on board with Beane and Brand as the reason for so many early losses. Once Beane traded away Howe's favorites and he and Brand's choices started to play, the team turned around the season and then had one of the longest winning streaks in baseball of 20 games in a row, still the American League record. I won't spoil the outcome of that season, but Beane and his assistant did change the way the rest of baseball, including the wealthier teams, choose and analyze players.

I love baseball movies even though I am not enthralled with today's Major League Baseball and the constant signing of players to outrageous contracts. Just think of Bull Durham, The Natural, Eight Men Out, and Field of Dreams. I think this movie is just as poignant. Billy Beane started out as a hot prospect that didn't pan out. He started scouting and worked his way up to the general manager's position. When his team lost Jason Giambi and Johnny Damon to free agency, the team was in dire straits. He had to wheel and deal and hope the numbers theory worked. Beane is portrayed as being divorced with a teenage daughter, even though several scenes show him clearly wearing a wedding ring. In real life he was remarried and had twins at the time. I read that Kathryn Morris played his wife, but her scenes were cut. I guess this was to make Beane more of an underdog, and it works.

There were a couple of other great actors in the movie that I love to see, but one of them was not the right casting. Reed Diamond had an uncredited role as Mark Shapiro, general manager of the Cleveland Indians. He is probably best known for his years on Homicide: Life on the Street, one of the best police dramas on television for a few years. Philip Seymour Hoffman played Howe, the A's manager. I thought this role was grossly miscast. Let me show you why:

--the real Art Howe

I remember Art Howe as the third base coach for the Texas Rangers for many years during the Bobby Valentine era, and he was one nice looking man back in the day. In short, Hoffman is no Art Howe. Hoffman is a great actor, but I don't think sports movies are his forte. He is better suited to more dramatic roles. He was not very charismatic at all in this role. This miscasting was all I could think of during different scenes Hoffman was in. He did have the unhealthy, pudgy major league manager look a la Whitey Herzog and Tommy Lasorda, but he didn't have the sparkling blue eyes Art Howe look. No, no way.

--Phillip Seymour Hoffman as Art Howe

Aside from this miscasting, I do recommend the film, Moneyball, based on the book by Michael Lewis. It was a longer than usual movie, but I didn't really notice the time. Moneyball is another great baseball story to enjoy.

Highlights from the Wadsworth Atheneum

2011-09-18T14:05:00.001-05:00

When I was in Connecticut last month, I got the opportunity to go to the Wadsworth Atheneum, the oldest museum in the United States. My friends and I visited the museum on a Sunday afternoon and went on one of the free docent tours. The particular docent spent approximately an hour and a half informing us of the museum's Renaissance to Romantic European paintings, more much than the requisite 30-minute allotment. Following are some of my favorites, as well as a sampling of what this museum has to offer. Click to enlarge the pictures.

--Norman Rockwell, The Young Lady with the Shiner, 1953,

oil on canvas, 34 x 30 in.

Having gone to Catholic school and my friend always in trouble, we could relate to the above painting.

--Jackson Pollock, Number 9, 1949, oil on canvas, 44.25 x 34 in.

--Giovanni Paolo Panini, Interior of a Picture Gallery

with the collection Cardinal Silvio valenti Gonzaga, 1749,

oil on canvas, 78 x 105.5 in.

I like the Panini painting above because he had to recreate about 200 paintings in miniature.

--Jan Sanders van Hemessen, Loose Company, 1543,

oil on canvas, 33 x 46.5 in.

There really is a lot going on in Loose Company. The background on the other side of the door is supposed to be some time before the front scene. The cat stood out to me, and I never noticed the dog until later.

--Duane Hanson, Sunbather, 1971, polyester and fiberglass

polychromed in oil, 71 in. length

--Albert Bierstadt, In the Mountains, 1867,

oil on canvas, 36.1875 x 50.25 in.

The museum has an extensive collection from the Hudson River School and is probably most known for these paintings.

--Diego Rivera, Young Girl With a Mask, 1939, oil on canvas, 42.25 x 21.5 in.

We had a great visit to the Wadsworth Atheneum. My only recommendation that I would do different is to park on the street and not at the designated garage across the street and down a sidestreet.

Fun Foto Friday

2011-09-16T15:57:00.000-05:00

--A big Thank You to Allie Baker from The Hemingway Project, who spent the summer in Spain and brought me a sash from Pamplona as she got to witness the running of the bulls. She also gave me an extra copy of the Sylvia Beach book. Muchas Gracias, Allie!

Texas Book Festival 2011

2011-09-08T13:54:00.000-05:00

--I don't think the festival folks knew about the wildfires when they chose this picture.

Texas Book Festival 2011

Wordless Wednesday!

2011-08-31T17:04:00.000-05:00

--Kite surfer in the waves . . .

(click to enlarge)

Visiting Mark Twain's Hartford Home

2011-08-28T18:03:00.004-05:00

I might not be reading or writing too much these days, but I did take a few photos and did buy some postcards when I was visiting friends in Hartford, Connecticut recently.

We visited the Mark Twain House and Museum. Set on a hillside on busy Farmington Avenue in West Hartford, the Samuel L. Clemens' house was the place to be on a beautiful day with the temperature in the low '80s degrees Fahrenheit.

The photos start with some postcards I purchased at the gift shop in the museum building on the grounds because the house is kept very dark and no picture taking was allowed inside. Click to enlarge all pictures.

--Isn't it a beautiful home? The architect was Edward Potter. The interior was decorated after it was built by Louis Comfort Tiffany and his associates.

--This is the sitting room that the ladies would retire to after dinner for music and gossip. The bust is of Olivia Clemens (Sam's wife) at 19 and the large mirror was a wedding gift from her parents.

--The library was created to be comfortable and had a Turkish feel. Twain read to his visitors and entertained guests and family in this room.

--A view of the fireplace imported from Scotland in the library.

--The beautiful conservatory

--The Clemens' bedroom. The bed was imported from Venice (he paid a hefty price), and Sam discovered it was a fake so he put his pillow at the foot of the bed to enjoy the ornate fake headboard. His daughters would take the angels off the posts and play with them. His nightstand jutted out just as in the picture.

--The children's classroom. Olivia Clemens homeschooled her 3 girls in this room.

--The billiards room on the 3rd floor. The small desk in the right corner is where Clemens did most of his writing. He entertained his friends and played pool in this room. The room has 3 balconies where Clemens would "step out" to if he did not want to greet visitors.

And now, my pictures:

--Note the ornate brickwork.

--The huge, beautiful porch would be most enjoyable in the spring and summer months. Carriages could pull up in to the front door in inclement weather and be covered.

--The detached carriage house

I was a little jealous of the guide that led the tour. What a beautiful and historic place to get to work on a daily basis.

My French Heritage . . .

2011-08-16T23:55:00.000-05:00

I am taking off the month of August as I am in a reading and writing slump and the temperature in Dallas has been over 100 degrees Fahrenheit for 40-plus days. There has been only one day of rain and cool temperatures since late June/early July. See you in September . . .

Esteban Vicente Collages at the Meadows

2011-08-01T22:19:00.003-05:00

--Banner for the exhibition I went to see on the last day--great exhibition of this Spanish artist's collages and small wooden sculptures at the Meadows Museum.

--Labels, Esteban Vicente, 1956, colored paper, printed paper, ink, charcoal, gouache, and pastel on cardboard, 48.875 x 35.375 in., Museo de Arte Contemporaneo Esteban Vicente, Segovia, Spain

--Kalani Hawaii, Esteban Vicente, 1969, colored paper and charcoal on cardboard,  52 x 40 in,  Museo de Arte Contemporaneo Esteban Vicente, Segovia, Spain

--Untitled, Esteban Vicente (Divertimento), 1981, Collection of Robert S. Warshaw

More pictures of some outdoor sculptures at the Meadows:

--Wave, Santiago Calatrava, 2002, Meadows Museum, Dallas, Texas, U.S.A.

On a quiet day with no traffic it is soothing to hear the creaking of the sculpture as it moves . . .

--Crepe myrtles in the background help add color to the suffering landscape

in the 100-degree F weather.

-- Sho, Jaume Plensa, 2007, stainless steel, Meadows Museum, Dallas, Texas, U.S.A.
(Look closely)

--Geometric Mouse II, Claes Oldenburg, 1969–1970, Cor-Ten steel and aluminum,
Meadows Museum, Dallas, Texas, U.S.A.

--Horse and Rider, Marino Marini, 1951, bronze, Meadows Museum, Dallas, Texas, U.S.A.

The Help (Movie)

2011-07-28T21:45:00.004-05:00

Recently, my coworker and family and fitness blogger, Stephanie, and I were slated to go see the movie version of The Help, thanks to the Dallas Museum of Art's Arts and Letters Live program. Since we went to hear Kathryn Stockett speak at one of their events some time ago, we were invited to a pre-screening of the movie set to be released August 10th. Stephanie's thoughts on that author event are HERE and my own are HERE. I had also written about the book itself in January of 2010. Unfortunately, Stephanie got sick on the day of the screening so I found another friend to accompany me. My best friend from 5th to 8th grade went with me to the Angelika Dallas.

What did I like the most about the movie?

The casting was definitely the best. I was a little leery of Emma Stone as Skeeter, but this versatile actress was a great choice. Allison Janney as Skeeter's mom was another great choice, too. However, Bryce Dallas Howard perhaps was one of the better castings in the movie. As Hilly Holbrook, she had that fake nice act down pat. She was just as I pictured Hilly. Octavia Spencer as Minny was also a coup for Tate Taylor (the director). She was perfect in this role and all that role entailed--especially the scene and flashbacks of the "terrible awful."

Does the movie stay true to the book?

I read the book at the end of 2009, so more than 2 1/2 years later, I didn't notice anything being different in the story. I might have forgotten some details about Skeeter's maid Constantine and her story, but I still don't think anything in the movie was changed very much or if at all.

What is another aspect of the movie that was outstanding?

Just from following some of the style blogs, I enjoyed the decor and styling of the southern houses of the Phelan's (Skeeter's parents) and of Celia Foote's older home and the 60's look of the house of the character Elizabeth. As a matter of fact, I recently toured the Hemingway-Pfeiffer home in Piggott, Arkansas, and I thought the floor plan of the Phelan's home closely resembled the Hemingway-Pfeiffer home's bottom floor front two rooms almost exactly. Just the decoration was different but the layout seemed the same.

The neighborhoods, the drugstore/diner, and the cars all brought me back to the 60's. The dresses, uniforms of the maids, hairstyles, cars, buses, TVs, and other details also contributed to the authenticity of the time.

--The above pictures are from the Hemingway-Pfeiffer home in Piggott, Arkansas

Did I feel the movie was an accurate portrayal of life in the South in the late 50's/early 60's?

Yes. If anything, the movie doesn't get down and dirty enough about how horrible blacks in general and the help were treated. There are scenes about Medgar Evers' murder and of the Kennedy assassination, which do remind viewers of the turbulence of the times. Of course, there was a lot of humor in this movie to balance out the disturbing images and issues.

Can I relate personally to the movie in any way?

I never lived in a big house and wasn't raised by maids. I grew up in a suburb of Dallas in a three-bedroom tract home. But I can relate to the attitude of the some of the characters. I know several people older than me that were basically raised by their parents' help as well.

Who gave standout performances in the movie?

The four main actresses are on the movie poster for good reason. All four of these women were superb in their roles. Viola Davis is the actress I am most familiar with and I don't think I have ever seen a subpar performance on her part. She is always outstanding and as Aibileen, I hope she receives many accolades.

Sissy Spacek and Leslie Jordan had some great one liners, especially Mr. Jordan as the The Jackson Journal editor, Mr. Blackly.

What did you not like about the book or the movie?

This book and movie have no strong male characters at all. The movie will be pegged as a chick flick, but I think most men will enjoy it and should not stay away from seeing the wonderful performances.

Fun Foto Friday: Wiener Dog

2011-07-22T00:05:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday, EMH!

2011-07-21T00:05:00.022-05:00

On this day in 1899, Ernest Miller Hemingway was born. I celebrate because learning about his life has enabled me to make many new friends in the past 3 years. Thank you, Ernest! I am still learning about EMH and am excited to hear about the newest publication:

The Letters of Ernest Hemingway, Volume 1, 1907–1922

Edited by: Sandra Spanier, Pennsylvania State University

Edited by: Robert W. Trogdon, Kent State University, Ohio

Apparently, there are going to be 16 volumes and this is the first.

Reading EMH's personal writing in Letters from the Lost Generation: Gerald and Sara Murphy and Friends edited by Linda Patterson Miller sparked my curiosity to want to learn about more him and his life. I have learned so much in the past 3 years, and cannot wait to discover even more about the life of this interesting, talented writer.

Wordless Wednesday: Postcard from Spain

2011-07-20T08:12:00.000-05:00

--Wordless Wednesday

Fun Foto Friday: Rabbit

2011-07-15T08:59:00.003-05:00

This town, Forney, east of Dallas has the "Jackrabbit" as it's oldest high school's team mascot. In 1974, the town's centennial year, this rabbit was installed downtown.

Food and Fitness 4 Real

2011-07-08T12:26:00.001-05:00

My friend and coworker, Stephanie, has started a new health and fitness blog, which I think you will enjoy! Stephanie has already posted 10 times, so you can catch up and start following her! Her other blog, Suiresphere, is a personal blog, but this new blog, Food And Fitness 4 Real, already has wonderful recipes, fitness and running tips, and dining out hints. You can also follow Stephanie on Twitter. Check out Food And Fitness 4 Real!!

The above picture is just a sample of what you see on Stephanie's blog. I see good things happening with this blog and blogger in the future!!

Wordless Wednesday: Welded Lion

2011-07-05T17:57:00.000-05:00

--Wordless Wednesday

Photo courtesy of Sandy MacKenzie (artist). Previous welded art posts are HERE and HERE.

End-of-June Movie Update

2011-06-28T23:35:00.004-05:00

--Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy

I went to see X-Men: First Class not too long ago and absolutely loved this movie. I had never seen any of the other X-Men movies and this was a prequel to the others, so it worked for me. Why did I decide to see this one? Because of Michael Fassbender. And James McAvoy. How could I go wrong? I didn’t!!

Anyway, the movie was much better than I had expected. Apparently, there are two teams of X-Men (and women: January Jones, Zoe Kravitz) and this movie shows how the teams were formed. Also, one of the young actors grew up in the Dallas area. I didn’t know that until after the movie. He is Caleb Landry Jones. I recommend this movie because of its ensemble cast, story, and action! There are so many great cast members I did not mention (Kevin Bacon). Once again, for a superb review, go HERE to Kristen at I Think, Therefore I Review's in-depth dissection of the movie.

--Owen Wilson and Marion Cotillard in Midnight in Paris

Before seeing X-Men, I also viewed Midnight in Paris and Beginners. Of these two movies, Beginners was by far the better movie. Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris was really like two movies: one a silly Lifetime television movie and the other a really beautiful look back at Paris in the 1920’s (cinematography, costumes, etc.). Marion Cotillard was outstanding as the girl from the 1920’s that Owen Wilson’s character meets at a party after the Fitzgeralds (as in F. Scott and Zelda) pick him up on the street at midnight one night. He keeps going back to that same spot every night at midnight to meet up with the writers and artists of the Lost Generation. Of course, I was most interested to see how Hemingway was portrayed. This Hemingway was very, very handsome and bohemian, but wasn’t nearly as disheveled and boisterous as I pictured him. But it was the manner that this Hemingway spoke that I didn’t appreciate, as if he was reading his own prose and using all his writing clichés. And there was no mention of his first and/or second wives and son, which figured prominently in this part of his life. Also, the Fitzgerald was too concerned about everyone else (Ernest, Zelda) to really be Scott (not enough self-doubt). The actress that portrayed Zelda was spot on. I didn't think Kathy Bates was that good as Gertrude Stein, but really only in her appearance. The Picasso was superb and so were the Dali and Man Ray. There were so many so quickly it was hard to remember them all. I have enjoyed Owen Wilson’s movies since Bottle Rocket, and I liked his character here. However, the modern day scenes in this movie were just not that enchanting. Wilson’s character’s fiancée was bitchy and spoiled, her parents were snotty, and these characters were flat and had no appreciation of the magical Paris, only of the high-dollar shops and restaurants. Maybe that is what Woody Allen intended, but I felt I was watching a not very good TV movie during these scenes. I would see this movie again just for the opening scenes of Paris and for the 1920’s vignettes.

--Christopher Plummer and Ewan McGregor in Beginners

Beginners was definitely the best movie out of the three that I have recently seen. Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer, and Mélanie Laurent were superb. The film was written and directed by Californian Mike Mills. Plummer plays an older gentleman who was married a very, very long time, but after his wife dies, he comes out of the closet. After he meets and lives with a younger man, he finds out he has cancer. His only child, Oliver, is played by McGregor and Laurent plays Oliver's new girlfriend. The film is shown in flashback from Oliver's point of view, and parts seem to be like a documentary. Beginners is about risk and (and in) relationships. I highly recommend this movie before the others. Ewan McGregor is such an intriguing actor. His performances are always superb. Oh, there's also a cute dog in the film.

Fun Foto Friday: Banksy in Big D?

2011-06-24T05:42:00.000-05:00

--Photo courtesy of A. Sansone

I doubt it, but still . . .

For more information on Banksy click HERE and HERE.

A Ticket to the Circus: A Memoir by Norris Church Mailer

2011-06-21T10:05:00.006-05:00

A Ticket to the Circus: A Memoir by Norris Church Mailer

ISBN 978-0-8129-7987-9

Random House Trade Paperback Edition

New York

2011

I have not been in a reading mood lately but needed to fulfill my 52-52-52 Challenge obligation, so I went to the bookstore to kill some time the other day and was trying to think of books I wanted to read. I finally thought of Norris Church Mailer’s book about her life. I didn’t even remember the title, but quickly found it in the biography section of Barnes and Noble. I love the title: A Ticket to the Circus: A Memoir. If you don’t know who Norris Church Mailer is, she is the sixth wife of the great writer Norman Mailer. She was with him for 33 years until his death in 2007. She died in 2010 from gastrointestinal cancer at the age of 61, after suffering many years from the disease. Personally, I did not know very much about Norman Mailer, his life, or his family until this book. The only book of his that I have read about 15 years ago was The Executioner’s Song. Of course, I thought the story of Gary Gilmore and his quest to be executed by firing squad was extremely well written, and had enjoyed previously the movie based on the book. I searched in my memory bank and remembered that I even went to hear Mr. Mailer speak at SMU at one of their literary festivals a while back. I had only read the one book, but I knew it would be a once-in-a-lifetime chance to hear him speak. I have no memory of what he talked about. I was seated near the back of the auditorium. I just remember that I thought he was very old and it might be boring, but his talk was better than I expected. Also, I remember him taking questions from the audience and a young black student in front of me asked him a question about James Baldwin. I bought a poster from that festival as a remembrance, as that was way before I actually took evening classes at SMU and was much more interested in writers and their craft.

I was hooked into Ms. Mailer’s book from the start. I knew she was from Arkansas and happened to meet Norman Mailer at a lecture when he came to Little Rock, but couldn’t wait to find out the circumstances. Can you imagine being a high school art teacher, divorced with a small son, and falling in love with an older guy that is still married to one lady, taking a sabbatical from another, has 7 kids, and is a famous author? Well, that is what happened to Barbara Davis Norris. She left her young son, Matthew, with her sweet parents and moved to New York to be close to Mailer and see how their relationship would work. She also had aspirations as a model and as a painter, so New York was a great escape for this tall, southern-born and bred Baptist 70’s hippie woman.

I liked a lot about A Ticket to the Circus:

--Ms. Mailer writes in a very honest, readable way. I enjoyed reading about her life growing up, her first marriage to Larry Norris during the Vietnam era, and her experiences teaching art to 70’s teens. Even if she never met Norman Mailer, I think she led an interesting life, or at least wrote in such a way as to make it seem interesting to me.

--Norris Church Mailer, John Buffalo Mailer, and Norman Mailer (from www.nytimes.com)

--I enjoyed learning about Norman Mailer and his life as a father and husband, as well as a son and brother. For a serial philanderer who only lived with one of his children past the age of 7, Mailer spent every summer with most of his kids in Provincetown, Massachusetts, and it seems they felt close to one another and enjoyed their relationship with their father. Most of his kids are creative; all have no issues such as alcohol or drug abuse, and all live very productive lives. Ms. Mailer’s first son was Norman’s only stepson and they were close. Her second son with Mailer, John Buffalo, was the only child of his that he lived with from birth to adulthood.

--the Mailer family including his mother and sister (from www.nytimes.com)

--I enjoyed learning about many of the books Mailer has written and really would like to read some of them.

I did not really think Ms. Mailer should have shared a few things, such as how she slept with Bill Clinton before he was governor of Arkansas, but it is her book and her story. Cannot some things be kept a secret forever?

One thing about the book I enjoyed was how pictures were interspersed in the book relative to the time being written about, instead of having an insert in the middle of the book with tons of pictures.

I really wish I could have seen and met Ms. Mailer in person, as I think I would have liked her a lot. She seems to be one of the reasons the children are close to one another. Even though Mailer cheated on her, too, I think he loved her and their life together. I would have enjoyed hearing her read excerpts from her book and talk about her life with Mailer, his children, and her two sons.

Jumping to Conclusions

2011-06-14T22:38:00.001-05:00

Not everyday does one get to chat with one of her literary heroes . . .

--Norton Juster, author of The Phantom Tollbooth

--Milo and Tock jump to the Island of Conclusions (my favorite chapter)

--Iconic cover by Jules Feiffer

--a new young fan

Challenges

2011-06-09T15:39:00.003-05:00

I am participating in a couple of book-related challenges. The first is the 52-52-52 Challenge sponsored by Amanda at The Zen Leaf. HERE is Amanda's posting introducing the challenge and HERE is her posting on the first day of the challenge that mentions how she has already lost 43 pounds, 28 of them this year!

The premise is simple: 52 weeks, 52 books, 52 pounds. You might not need to lose 52 pounds, but attempting to lose a pound a week is a reasonable goal for the majority of readers. Check it out.

As for me, I have not lost a pound yet, but have been tracking my food and fitness for the past couple of weeks and have definitely increased my fitness time. That is victory in my book! Also, I read Bel-Air Dead by Stuart Woods. Not great literature, but always a fun read when Stone Barrington is the main character. And when Woods mixes in his other lead characters, the result is always more fun . . .

**********

Thomas at My Porch and Simon at Savidge Reads are sponsoring International Anita Brookner Day on July 16th. All Thomas and Simon are asking is for readers to try one book by Anita Brookner before this date. I am happy to say I have already listened to two audiobooks by Anita Brookner and am reading a third. The ones I listened to were The Rules of Engagement and The Bay of Angels. I am now reading Undue Influence. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed the audiobooks. Ms. Brookner has such a unique style of prose that I really enjoy. Thank you, Thomas and Simon. They have created a stand-alone blog for this celebration and you can learn more about Anita Brookner at this great IABD blog.

Wordless Wednesday: At Grapevine Lake Near DFW Airport

2011-06-08T08:43:00.001-05:00

--Wordless Wednesday

Fun Foto Friday: Mavs Come Back in Game 2

2011-06-03T08:27:00.001-05:00

The Dallas Mavericks came back in the 4th quarter last night to tie the NBA Final series 1-1. The media seems very biased towards Miami. Let's go, Mavs!

--Dirk Nowitzki putting the heat on . . . (Photo by Tom Fox of the Dallas Morning News)

And since this is my blog I am throwing in a picture of JJ.

--JJ Barea (Photo by Michael Ainsworth of the Dallas Morning News)

Arkansas Adventure: Part Two

2011-06-01T22:59:00.000-05:00

After my driving day to and from Piggott, Arkansas, the next day I explored Little Rock and went to the William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum. Little Rock is easy to navigate because it has a triangular highway structure (including North Little Rock) and a middle loop. The library has a unique, modern design. It really is a beautiful and architecturally striking building:

--from www.datravelmagazine.com (Destination America)

Here is another view:

--from www.pleasantlivinghome.blogspot.com

And another:

--from the architects' site (Polshek Partnership Architects)

The Library has four levels: the bottom floor houses a restaurant and meeting rooms, the next level is the street-level entrance and security area with a couple of exhibits such as a Presidential limousine. The second level houses the Cabinet Room replication, as well as a year-by-year timeline and major subject area groupings with memorabilia, and also on the second level is a theatre giving an overview of the Clinton presidency (12 minutes). The third level houses many of the gifts from all over the world and various souvenirs from famous people. Also on the third level are special exhibition areas such as the Dr. Suess one I viewed. There were many of Dr. Suess's propaganda drawings done during World War II. Also, many of his non-children-oriented works were displayed. I happened to catch the Dr. Suess exhibition near or on its last day.

--Lance Armstrong's 1999 bike and jersey from the Tour de France

--a work by Dale Chihuly that the artist donated to the Library

After approximately an hour and half, I was finished seeing and reading all of the major displays (I didn't do the audio tour). It is good to always have something different to do if I return. The library has a shuttle to take you about a 5-minute walk away to downtown Little Rock to their Museum Store.

I enjoyed buying a few souvenirs:

--I also bought some Toms shoes that had just arrived at the store.

I savored the history on display at the Clinton Library, as I have at the two other presidential libraries located in Texas that I have previously visited. I always enjoy the personal correspondence on display and the life story of the subject. It is so amazing to remember all of the major world events that occurred during a particular presidency.

After walking around downtown Little Rock, I found a fabulous used book store called River Market Books and Gifts. This bookstore is actually part of the Central Arkansas Library System. It is located across from the downtown River Market shopping area and was a nice respite from the heat of the day. The bookstore is housed in an old warehouse and has a couple of levels. There is also a cafe/coffee shop and a nice patio area. I could spend lots of time here on the weekends if I lived in Little Rock. This entire building complex is called the Cox Creative Center and also had a great children's area and displayed lots of art from local artists.

--Cox Creative Center, Little Rock, AR

I ended this day by going to see the movie Thor at a local theatre. An enjoyable escape from the heat that I would rate 3 stars. Chris Hemsworth (see my previous post on CA$H) will probably get more roles after this movie. Natalie Portman was fine as Jane Foster. I barely recognized Ray Stevenson (Titus Pulio from HBO's Rome).

Esteban Vicente at the Meadows Museum

2011-05-31T18:04:00.007-05:00

A new exhibition is currently at the Meadows Museum through July 31, 2011, featuring one of Picasso's contemporaries. Abstract expressionist Esteban Vicente's work developed through the years, as you can see from this small selection of work from the Museo Esteban Vicente located in Segovia, Spain.

--Landscape with a red umbrella, Esteban Vicente, 1931, oil on canvas,

13 x 16 1/8 in., Museo Esteban Vicente, Segovia, Spain

--Untitled (Princeton Interior), Esteban Vicente, 1966, charcoal drawing on
paper, 14 x 17 in., Museo Esteban Vicente, Segovia, Spain

--Untitled, Esteban Vicente, 1988, colored paper, charcoal, and gouache on
canvas, 42 x 20 1/8 in., Museo Esteban Vicente, Segovia, Spain

Check out Esteban Vicente.

Fun Foto Friday: Armadillos

2011-05-27T08:24:00.000-05:00

--Click to enlarge.

These cute critters are feeding in my friends' backyard, along with the possums, raccoons, and, of course, cats.

Arkansas Adventure: Part One

2011-05-24T21:09:00.012-05:00

--My picture of the Hemingway-Janes house in Piggott, Arkansas

(click on all pictures to enlarge)

Last week I went on a jaunt to Little Rock, Arkansas, and from there took a day to go see the Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum and Educational Center in Piggott, Arkansas. Piggott is located in northeastern Arkansas, close to the Missouri border. If you look at a map, Piggott seems to be halfway between Little Rock and St. Louis. This was my second Hemingway site to visit, the first being a trip to Idaho in 2008.

The drive to Little Rock, Arkansas from Dallas, Texas was quite pleasant. Texarkana is a little more than halfway and is a great place to stop. T Town is growing and there seems to be lots of construction along the highway there. Once you get into Arkansas a bit, the landscape begins to change to have more hills and more trees. Everything was green, as this area has had plenty of rain and storms this spring.

Since Piggott is approximately a 3-1/2 hour drive from Little Rock, I decided to go to Piggott the very next day before exploring Little Rock and visiting the William J. Clinton Presidential Library. I wanted to get my day of driving done since the weather was so pleasant. Seeming to follow a railroad line, the drive to Piggott was uneventful. Rice is the crop in this part of Arkansas, as there were man made rice paddies, graineries, and irrigation systems all along the way. I passed through the German towns of Waldenburg and Weiner, Jonesboro (where Arkansas State University is situated), and was close to Piggott when I got to Paragould. I love that name. Apparently, the name is a blend of Paramore and Gould (Jay Gould) of railroad fame. Not too much further down the highway was Piggott.

The museum in Piggott sits on a hill and consists of the former home of Paul and Mary Pfeiffer and a barn/studio that Hemingway used to find some solitude to do some writing. He used this barn/studio when he was visiting the parents of his second wife, Pauline Pfeiffer. I loved the beautiful landscaping and tall trees that were on the property next to the barn/studio.

Here is an postcard of an older picture of the barn from the 1930s:

And here is what is looks like now:

--A different angle

The barn/studio is very rustic looking and has screens and electric lighting near the roof now. I am sure a lot of the wood has had to be replaced. Here is an interior shot of the barn where tools and other equipment are kept:

As you can see, great care and renovations have kept the barn looking quite nice these days. The grounds are very well kept by the current crew. The museum gift shop is located on one side of the barn, but the other side on the top has the studio where Hemingway worked and relaxed. Following is an interior shot of the upstairs in the studio:

--Can't you imagine Ernest at the desk or playing poker with friends or family?

The really fun and so very interesting part of the museum grounds to see for me was the Pfeiffer-Janes house. After Paul and Mary Pfeiffer died, Mary in 1950, their home was bought by a local family named the Janes. The Janes owned a department store in town and they knew the significance of keeping the house in good condition. In 1982, the house was put on the National Historic Register. Arkansas State University bought the house in 1997 and has restored much of it to its original state (including the beautiful colors on the walls) as the Pfeiffers had it in the 1930s. Even much of the original furniture and many possessions of the Pfeiffers are now in the house. Following are more postcards and pictures of the interior of the house:

--From a postcard. You can see the beautiful wood trim, pressed tin ceilings, and polished wood floors.

My grainy pictures of this same sitting room:

--Having just seen a Stickley exhibit at the DMA, I loved seeing the Stickley rockers and couch in this room.

The adjacent room contained this Steinway baby grand, which I believe was a gift from Paul's brother, Gus.

--From a postcard. I also liked the lace panels that were on all the windows. Each room seemed to have a different pattern. Mary Pfeiffer had similar curtains when the Pfeiffers lived in the house.

--From a postcard. This dining room's table was elaborately set with the family's china and Depression era glass and a beautiful tablecloth when I saw it . . .

--From a postcard. The stairwell in the middle of the house was beautiful. Upstairs, there was a nice landing all around the stairwell with the bedrooms surrounding that space.

Another interesting site next door to the Hemingway-Pfeiffer museum is the Matilda and Karl Pfeiffer Museum and Study Center. Karl Pfeiffer was Pauline's brother. This house and surrounding grounds contains a house museum, botanical gardens, animal sanctuary, the Matilda Pfeiffer Mineral Collection, and the Pfeiffer Native American Artifact Collection (which Matilda procured from a local collector when he retired). Matilda Pfeiffer was a great collector of minerals from the 60s to the late 80s. I was overwhelmed at the number of cases on display in the great room of this house (built in 1933) containing minerals, geodes, Indian arrowheads, and other personal Pfeiffer memorabilia. This house was also very beautiful. It had more of a modern feel (maybe because it was bricked on the outside), but I enjoyed seeing this beautiful house, too. The house has a sunroom and large side patio and there is a lagoon in the back. The lagoon was a cement swimming pool until Matilda decided she would convert it back to a more natural state. The pool was the site of one of the scenes in A Face in the Crowd starring Andy Griffith and Patricia Neal. Many Piggott locals and children were featured in the film.

I took mainly outdoors pictures at this house. This was because the cases with minerals were lit up and the sunshine from the windows was very bright. Following are a couple of the pictures:

--Path to the Matilda and Karl Pfeiffer house. The trees and landscaping were lovely.

--Pond at the Matilda and Karl Pfeiffer house that was once a swimming pool.

I did manage to buy a few souvenirs from the well-stocked gift shop:

--Postcards, a literary journal from 1999 featuring EMH and the Hemingway-Pfeiffer museum, stationery, a bracelet, Hemingway: The Toronto Years, and some pamphlets.

I had wonderful personal tours led by Karen at the Pfeiffer-Janes house and barn/studio and by Teresa at Matilda Pfeiffer's home. Everyone at these homes seemed to really love their jobs and had a lot of great information about the Pfeiffers, Piggott, and Hemingway. I am really grateful that I got lots of attention as a group of schoolkids had been there earlier. What I learned about the Pfeiffers (Paul and Mary) were that they were very rich people during the Depression, but helped their neighbors and fellow Piggott citizens in various ways. Many of the local women would make quilts and Mary Pfeiffer would buy many of these even though she didn't need them. When she died, a whole room-sized huge closet was filled from top to bottom with quilts that she had bought and stuffed into the space to help others. Also, Paul Pfeiffer overlooked many debts since he was a landowner/landlord. And, it has been found that the house was constantly being painted to help men earn some money. The exterior of the house was found to have 47 coats of paint done during the Depression time period. Pauline Pfeiffer's parents were very generous, religious (devout Catholic) people. They even had one of the downstairs rooms made into a chapel.

I knew nothing about Karl and Matilda Pfeiffer and found their home and museum extremely interesting. Karl liked hunting and he and Ernest would go hunting in the area. Matilda lived approximately 20 years after Karl had died, continuing with her collection and specifying in her will that the house and grounds become a museum. Piggott can be proud of these good citizens.

Ernest never visited or corresponded with his in-laws after his divorce from their daughter, maybe because they were such good people and he felt guilty. He did write a major portion of A Farewell to Arms and some short stories in Piggott. Pauline died in 1951, the next year after her mother died.

Facing a long drive back to Little Rock and after a couple of hours at these beautiful houses/museums, I was on my way. Thank goodness for audio books. I listened to the better part of an 8-disc audio book on my way to and from Piggott. No, it wasn't one of Ernest's books, but was The Rules of Engagement by Anita Brookner. I am participating in a Brookner challenge, so I chose this book and am now thoroughly hooked on Brookner.

Below are few related links I have found:
--from an Arkansas magazine (great photos at the bottom of the article)
--from an online journal
--from an online travel blog

Part Two of my Arkansas adventure will be posted in a few days . . .

Ode

2011-05-23T07:45:00.019-05:00

I had sat in my room in the dark, feeling the cool summer breeze blow the screen in and out, in and out, along with the sounds of the neighborhood: a dog barking, a gate shutting, diesels grinding up the hill on the highway not far away. In the distance I would hear the sound of a motorcycle. The sound got louder and louder and closer and closer and I could recognize its unique cadence. Happy to know he was safe and home again.

Years later, completely and totally unexpected, in another house and in another neighborhood, I listened to a message and the very worst thing had happened. A few excruciating, harrowing days later, he died.

Fun Foto Friday: Irony

2011-05-20T17:24:00.002-05:00

--End of Trail Motel in Broken Bow, OK

Festival Time in Texas: Lakewoodstock

2011-05-16T08:45:00.001-05:00

Lakewoodstock:

--Darryl Lee Rush (on the right) with his band. They play Americana music . . .

--Thin White Dukes (a Bowie tribute band). It's nice to be familiar with all of the songs. The lead singer was ill with the flu, but you really couldn't tell because he seemed so energetic.

--Jefro and cut-out Rip setting up the stage for Club Wood. Rip could not be there due to family obligations. But he was there in cardboard!

--Club Wood playing! That's Johnny Tone on the far right.

--Colin Boyd flirting (not with me unfortunately, but with the littlest Wood)!

--Colin Boyd singing. Have a listen to Juliet . . . You can't tell probably, but the bass player was also in the Club Wood photo.

--The Sutcliffes. Yes, Jefro (harmonica) plays in two bands, too.

--Cricket Taylor (lead singer for The Electro-Magnetics)

--The Electro-Magnetics fabulous Kenny Withrow (and of the New Bohemians)

--Historic Lakewood Theatre

I can't relate completely how wonderful the weather was in Dallas for May. Usually is it already in the 90's and very humid. The temperature was in the pleasant 70's/80's with little humidity. Perfect festival weather. What a great music day . . .

Can't wait for next year!

Fun Foto Friday

2011-05-13T13:44:00.003-05:00

--Fairy Fondant Cake created by my friend Sandra in her current cake class. Say that a few times! Isn't it great? It's all fondant . . .

She took the cake to the Dallas CASA office to share it and now this is what is left:

--as always, click to enlarge these pictures

Tipu's Tiger

2011-05-10T22:39:00.000-05:00

I wanted to learn more about the Tipu Sultan's "toy" after reading about it in Sharpe's Tiger . . .

--from www.ablogabouthistory.com

You can learn more about the Tipu Sultan's tiger on Wikipedia or from the Victoria and Albert Museum.

More Welded Art . . .

2011-05-06T16:31:00.001-05:00

Almost a year ago, I posted about a creative coworker, Sandy MacKenzie, and her welded art. Following are a few more pieces from her portfolio of works. Some have a Texas flavor and all are very creative. The previous posting can be found HERE. Click to enlarge!

--Abstract

--Shovel Bird

--Armadillo

--Opossum

--Duck

--Singing Cowboy

--Tornado

--Tree

--Wine Rack (this one is now painted)

Kathryn Stockett Talks about THE HELP

2011-05-05T14:26:00.002-05:00

I had the pleasure of going to hear Kathryn Stockett speak about The Help (New York Times bestseller) recently in Dallas. She is on a 24-city tour due to her book being released in paperback. The picture below is from her appearance in Houston the night before she spoke in Dallas:

--Kathryn Stockett in Houston (from houston.culturemap.com)

What an immensely enjoyable evening my friend and fellow blogger Stephanie and I had! You can find Stephanie’s excellent report HERE. Stephanie and I go to many literary events together and I believe this event was our favorite one of the past two years. Ms. Stockett started her talk in a very soft-spoken manner, and then her voice became stronger and louder as the evening progressed. I think she was overwhelmed by the overflow crowd at the beginning of her talk at the downtown First Presbyterian Church of Dallas, which was an alternative location from the Dallas Museum of Art’s Horchow Auditorium. Too many readers wanted to see and hear Ms. Stockett expound on her first novel and I definitely believe there were more than 1,500 people in the audience.

From the talk Ms. Stockett told of how she was born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi, and her primary caretaker was the family maid/nanny, Demetria. Living in New York City after college and working in the publishing industry, Ms. Stockett started writing about Demetria in order to assuage some of her homesickness. These writings were the basis of the novel. Ms. Stockett began the talk by declaring, “What a week it has been so far! Osama bin Laden is dead.” She was in New York and was trapped in her neighborhood for a while after the September 2001 bombings.

After telling the audience about her good friend and director of the movie version of her book, Tate Taylor, Ms. Stockett then read part of a chapter from the point of view of the character Minny. Minny is the feisty maid that works for the strange Celia Foote. I simply love when an author reads their own work. Of course, Ms. Stockett told of how her good friend, Octavia Spencer, was the one casting requirement that she absolutely insisted on for the movie and also told of how Ms. Spencer accompanied her on her first book tour and made the readings and tour so much easier and fun.

The rest of the allotted time for the event was spent taking questions from the audience. It is always so interesting to hear what questions people will ask and, of course, many readers just want to tell Ms. Stockett how proud they are of her tackling the subject she chose and how adorable she is. From the event I gathered that I need to listen to the audio version of the book, as it is read by Ms. Spencer. Harder to convey to you is just how delightful it was listening to Ms. Stockett and why she is so “adorable.” This is one funny, feisty, proud Southern woman! She recommends authors such as Katherine Anne Porter, Eudora Welty, Kaye Gibbons, etc., as she learned much from reading and rereading them. She also encourages any aspiring writer to set aside some part of each day for some type of writing just to get the hand moving and words flowing. After so much rejection before she found an agent to take her on, she has a never-give-up attitude. If you have a chance, go see Kathryn Stockett speak, but more importantly, read The Help if you have not done so!

My previous review of The Help can be found HERE.

Flyovers

2011-05-04T13:34:00.003-05:00

--Flyover built in the 1970s near where I grew up (picture from 1995). Ahh, the sound of diesels grinding their gears down on the highway at night. Growing up near highways, the music of my youth . . .

--Another flyover area I travel through everyday now before construction. See the highway in the distance? The next 9 miles are now under construction. Ugh!

--Flyover I travel through everyday now during construction. I still can't believe it is finished.

--Flyover I travel through everyday now after completion. I'm not sure I can take another 5 or 6 years of construction . . . but I guess I have little choice. By the way, this flyover is called the High Five due to the five levels of roads. The highest bridges are 120 feet high (37 meters).

Congratulations to Scott Pelley

2011-05-04T09:31:00.000-05:00

Scott Pelley is succeeding Katie Couric as anchor for CBS Evening News. You might be familiar with his reporting from watching 60 Minutes. Mr. Pelley is from Texas and spent many years reporting for a couple of stations in the D/FW metroplex. I think CBS has made a great choice in Mr. Pelley.

--Scott Pelley from www.newser.com

Wordless Wednesday: Eddard Stark

2011-04-27T00:10:00.000-05:00

--Sean Bean as Eddard Stark in Game of Thrones.

Are you watching? I hope so . . .

26 April 1937

2011-04-26T05:00:00.003-05:00

--Guernica, Pablo Picasso, 1937, oil on canvas,

137.4 in x 305.5 in, Museo Reina Sofía, Madrid, Spain

4 Things

2011-04-20T11:48:00.005-05:00

I decided to do a meme today, since I haven't been motivated to write anything for the past week or so. This meme is entitled 4 Things as seen at The Zen Leaf, a great book blog. Following are my four things in response to the phrases:

Four jobs I’ve had in my life:

1. Janitor for a doctor’s office (doctor is now 88 years old and in trouble for improperly prescribing medicine that caused a death recently—such a sad story)

2. Sales clerk at a men’s clothing store in a mall (now defunct Bond’s that was based in NYC)

3. GED teacher to adults and at-risk youth (Give me the youth any day vs. the adults.)

4. Engineering tech at petroleum consulting company

Four books I would read over and over:
1. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
2. Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
3. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
4. Miss Lizzie by Walter Satterthwait

Four places I have lived:
1. Lubbock, TX

2. Mesquite, TX

3. Garland, TX

4. Denton, TX

Four books I would recommend:

1. The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway, Finca Vigía Edition
2. Everybody Was So Young by Amanda Vaill
3. Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear

4. The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Four places I have been:

1. Paris, France
2. Rome, Italy
3. London, United Kingdom
4. Oslo, Norway

Four of my favorite foods:

1. Chilean sea bass
2. Prime rib with Yorkshire pudding
3. Fried catfish
4. Spaghetti with Italian sausage

Four of my favorite drinks:
1. Sparkling water

2. Diet Dr. Pepper

3. Grand Marnier liqueur

4. Cabernet Savignon

Four places I would rather be right now:
1. Kamaole Beach, Kihei, Maui, Hawaii, USA

2. Trafalgar Square, London, UK

3. Piazza della Signoria, Florence, Italy
4. Champs de Mars, Paris, France

Four things that are very special in my life:

1. Friends and family

2. Books

3. Music

4. Learning

My View of the World

2011-04-19T09:43:00.003-05:00

Here is my view of the world on a daily basis . . . .

From my desk in my office, where I spend a majority of my life!

It is nice to dream . . . A London tube map adds some color, too.

A little art never hurts . . .

Can't forget the contiguous 48 . . .

Aloha . . .

The Farm by Joan Miró

2011-04-12T19:31:00.001-05:00

--The Farm, Joan Miró, oil on canvas, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

The Farm is currently on loan to the Tate Modern, London. An article on its provenance can be found in the current issue of ARTnews magazine. More information can be found HERE at the National Gallery of Art's website.

Another article, on Miró and his work, can be found HERE from guardian.co.uk.

One of My Favorite B Movies . . .

2011-04-10T08:55:00.002-05:00

is The Mighty Quinn starring Denzel Washington and Robert Townsend, not to mention veteran British actor James Fox. Ebert actually gave this film 4 stars in 1989. It's one of those movies I don't mind watching over and over again, which is unusual since I don't really like to rewatch movies in the same decade. Mystère . . .

What is one of your favorite B movies?

Jeremy Irons in the LA Times Magazine

2011-04-06T09:08:00.000-05:00

--Excerpt from LA Times Magazine interview of Jeremy Irons:

You’re known for having one of the greatest voices in the world. What is your favorite word to say?

Crepuscular. The crepuscular hour is when the sun dips. In movie terms, you call it the magic hour. I also like excellent. Excellent is a word I use because it’s very encouraging, and I learned long ago that when anybody came up with an idea I would say, “Excellent.”

But what if the person’s idea is actually horrible?

Well, you just don’t do it.

Wordless Wednesday: Flint McCullough

2011-04-06T00:01:00.000-05:00

--Robert Horton as Flint McCullough

Raggle Taggle April

2011-03-31T22:03:00.006-05:00

Before I get to April, I want to close out March (Women's History Month) by providing a link to the list of

500 Great Books by Women

**********

Also, yesterday, March 31, Google paid homage to Bunsen of the Bunsen burner fame and I thought the picture was cool:

**********

Ok, now on to April. Happy April Fool's Day! HERE is a little history of the day.

**********

April is National Poetry Month. In honor of National Poetry Month here are the lyrics (by Joni Mitchell) to Both Sides, Now. One of my favorite songs, a poem without the music:

Bows and flows of angel hair and ice cream castles in the air

And feather canyons everywhere, I’ve looked at clouds that way.

But now they only block the sun, they rain and snow on everyone.

So many things i would have done but clouds got in my way.

I've looked at clouds from both sides now,

From up and down, and still somehow

It's cloud illusions I recall.

I really don't know clouds at all.

Moons and Junes and Ferris wheels, the dizzy dancing way you feel

As every fairy tale comes real; I’ve looked at love that way.

But now it's just another show. You leave 'em laughing when you go

And if you care, don't let them know, don't give yourself away.

I've looked at love from both sides now,

From give and take, and still somehow

It's love's illusions I recall.

I really don't know love at all.

Tears and fears and feeling proud to say "I love you" right out loud,

Dreams and schemes and circus crowds, I’ve looked at life that way.
But now old friends are acting strange, they shake their heads, they say

I've changed.

Something's lost but something's gained in living every day.

I've looked at life from both sides now,

From win and lose, and still somehow

It's life's illusions I recall.

I really don't know life at all.

***********
Taxes are due on April 18th instead of April 15th this year.
***********

Don't forget, EARTH DAY is always April 22nd.

**********

Finally, a clip from HBO's Game of Thrones, premiering April 17th. This clip features Sean Bean and his role as Eddard Stark:

Wordless Wednesday: Cows and Cafe

2011-03-30T06:02:00.002-05:00

--Wordless Wednesday (Click to enlarge)