tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32022880496680068822024-03-17T20:03:10.320-07:00Postcards in the Air Art and Thoughts on the Wing marthaslavin.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103331217021325363noreply@blogger.comBlogger530125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3202288049668006882.post-59751786300568844232024-03-15T08:13:00.000-07:002024-03-15T08:13:59.889-07:00PRIMARY BLUES<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizdzSUovcxdrHW03onQoix-uBALTGQcXclC8vsDag01ACdFjmvcv0avPex-8l6t9IFNLhgqsoCfThyMCYPXxuC6JAS8mNR0btdGwoSjnpHZQx7bEhKqtVOnRIQ8uffMEivCKhLoyL4I-NMT81PLbsM1xThEptdygkq-7MiJCOrNDJ0P6mRAX2QGOgq2rM/s4032/IMG_3065.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizdzSUovcxdrHW03onQoix-uBALTGQcXclC8vsDag01ACdFjmvcv0avPex-8l6t9IFNLhgqsoCfThyMCYPXxuC6JAS8mNR0btdGwoSjnpHZQx7bEhKqtVOnRIQ8uffMEivCKhLoyL4I-NMT81PLbsM1xThEptdygkq-7MiJCOrNDJ0P6mRAX2QGOgq2rM/w640-h480/IMG_3065.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>While waiting for Bill to get a shave at a barber shop, I wandered into the Cotton Patch, a fabric store nearby. The store, in an old bungalow, is filled with quilting fabric, sewing machines designed for quilters, and all the other accessories for that craft. When I did quilting, I frequently roamed through their huge collection of cotton fabrics ready to inspire.<div><div><br /></div><div>A row of batik fabrics caught my eye. I couldn't resist the blues and purchased three 1/2 yards of beautiful fabric. The batiks took me back to Japan again where blue and white is a favorite color scheme. We arrived in Tokyo during the year of the rabbit, and rabbits proliferated in the blue and white designs of home furnishings.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpPMG56yixrPCa9uyZ5IWlRxN72PCPLvplWsg4x2sRsCg9A3jEU9pjnl3t6BDUtcsFZ-xbVdqL-yrY8hWHrA8CXMkIwLSLqhgI43JX2FebC87HMwVoYP1C5zWiVJEaoVv6PnoohSG4EirQS-N746m9qP1_4XCIJJVdo3Ix6nh8R7b1zQzOYu3Bh1jwHM4/s1376/IMG_9620%20(4).jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1149" data-original-width="1376" height="534" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpPMG56yixrPCa9uyZ5IWlRxN72PCPLvplWsg4x2sRsCg9A3jEU9pjnl3t6BDUtcsFZ-xbVdqL-yrY8hWHrA8CXMkIwLSLqhgI43JX2FebC87HMwVoYP1C5zWiVJEaoVv6PnoohSG4EirQS-N746m9qP1_4XCIJJVdo3Ix6nh8R7b1zQzOYu3Bh1jwHM4/w640-h534/IMG_9620%20(4).jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>At first, the abundance of rabbits and the blue and white pottery was overwhelming and I vowed to avoid their purchase. But eventually, I learned to appreciate the patterns. I frequented a shop in the Azabu Juban in Tokyo that sold items in that familiar color scheme. I also visited an indigo dye producer, bought an indigo jacket covered in embroidery, acquired pieces of blue and white china, and collected small samplings of blue and white fabric intending to make them into a quilt. At my Sayonara party at an onsen, we all wore blue and white yukata to commemorate our friendship.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYVWlrDHrx8rwXSIGTeEYkFjywgTtXjdQizXlnqotjz0aq0gsifJ9nNC-y5oVqvxyws-Bz21MRL1E1qW3DOEEsGjoW3JBMBI2OUyeSCpqUKHGE2INbPOs36d_m2g7mJw_H0t9wLpiYT7Wtv3N4gYrGJnXkEckqvwXrl9uiQTR1-lPkrib4QDoRqPZ0gXQ/s2931/photo1550.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2031" data-original-width="2931" height="445" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYVWlrDHrx8rwXSIGTeEYkFjywgTtXjdQizXlnqotjz0aq0gsifJ9nNC-y5oVqvxyws-Bz21MRL1E1qW3DOEEsGjoW3JBMBI2OUyeSCpqUKHGE2INbPOs36d_m2g7mJw_H0t9wLpiYT7Wtv3N4gYrGJnXkEckqvwXrl9uiQTR1-lPkrib4QDoRqPZ0gXQ/w640-h445/photo1550.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sayonara party at an onsen in Japan. <br />We all wore blue and white yukata<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div>Instead of a quilt, I am playing with small pieces of the batik fabric and paper that I've held onto while waiting for the right idea to come along. The pieces include several photos of textures that I've captured on my walks, ribbon from a gift, seeds from a tree at the Cal Poly Pomona campus, paper bags, a sheet from an old Japanese book, and a strip of orange, hand-made paper. Blue is the dominant color of most of the pieces, but I plan to insert orange, its complement on the color wheel, as a highlight. Collages, like quilts, give me a way to use personal items in a piece of art to bring back memories of places and people.</div><div><div><br /></div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1aw89iKghBVYgTcu0Qkn9zi9cLw9RmWrwsLMiMhgMyJz4tx3gmAj2np6dkMMyNpO-xgArh1B0YLYptJhBNTEjXCsCnmulH8zOMPn7Pti-CleI7kovEiT52M1hv8XyDEw6DbvGlqKTyO0tpQZTwMr30UhWRq-rHzYxjO0OlXaRlERbtk5Igsv4BzkQgzg/s3370/IMG_3063%20(1).jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2820" data-original-width="3370" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1aw89iKghBVYgTcu0Qkn9zi9cLw9RmWrwsLMiMhgMyJz4tx3gmAj2np6dkMMyNpO-xgArh1B0YLYptJhBNTEjXCsCnmulH8zOMPn7Pti-CleI7kovEiT52M1hv8XyDEw6DbvGlqKTyO0tpQZTwMr30UhWRq-rHzYxjO0OlXaRlERbtk5Igsv4BzkQgzg/w640-h538/IMG_3063%20(1).jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What works and what doesn't?</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpKWqrGH-mRXOl2G3UvajsGjQGpCabZxRd9JKtD3HabR5FCObu_fwwqNnb8YT-Y6Xy3GbFpy8XKxn8LiYiEXAd6RtqW-Ve1cCblOIjcDH8TTXG-3z7uRRrS20AtFsW5IX4RCHD7lClsQlw4LAdE21uHialQt_XbRWYqv0QWaC_2AHX_A8dSpKKFdZm4dg/s3699/IMG_3060%20(1).jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3699" data-original-width="2211" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpKWqrGH-mRXOl2G3UvajsGjQGpCabZxRd9JKtD3HabR5FCObu_fwwqNnb8YT-Y6Xy3GbFpy8XKxn8LiYiEXAd6RtqW-Ve1cCblOIjcDH8TTXG-3z7uRRrS20AtFsW5IX4RCHD7lClsQlw4LAdE21uHialQt_XbRWYqv0QWaC_2AHX_A8dSpKKFdZm4dg/w381-h640/IMG_3060%20(1).jpeg" width="381" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All the Worlds in One Place by Martha Slavin</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgXaNrC2qWQeGb3IFBh7BPGHqOXTk86C0cWfzPtIXWgA0hSlw4g1jDFij4Aes70oNLJusUlmhl4ZQlQo22WxvBWYtEn2sQDLOpywdy19jkWycPLIsatJY5IiaL6OrF0jdcA_YTwlXO-UGg5sKas5_fS_uryF3eubpCOPg8jte6ryQCWU66tjJ9DodoMzg/s3934/IMG_3066.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3934" data-original-width="2264" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgXaNrC2qWQeGb3IFBh7BPGHqOXTk86C0cWfzPtIXWgA0hSlw4g1jDFij4Aes70oNLJusUlmhl4ZQlQo22WxvBWYtEn2sQDLOpywdy19jkWycPLIsatJY5IiaL6OrF0jdcA_YTwlXO-UGg5sKas5_fS_uryF3eubpCOPg8jte6ryQCWU66tjJ9DodoMzg/w368-h640/IMG_3066.jpeg" width="368" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Feathers & Brick by Martha Slavin</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Though I haven't glued down anything yet on these two pieces,</div><div style="text-align: center;"> I think these two designs will be keepers.</div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">**************</p><p> So often when I write a post, I find other writers using the same topic during the same week or after I publish mine. This week Kevin Fisher Paulson wrote about language and grammar and the New Yorker published a wonderful cartoon about color theory:</p><p><a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/fisher-paulson/article/column-languages-english-europe-18716070.php">https://www.sfchronicle.com/fisher-paulson/article/column-languages-english-europe-18716070.php</a></p><p><a href="https://www.newyorker.com/humor/shouts-murmurs/color-theory-explained">https://www.newyorker.com/humor/shouts-murmurs/color-theory-explained</a><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Take a look at the offerings at the Blue and White store in Tokyo:</p><p><a href="https://www.blueandwhitejapan.com">https://www.blueandwhitejapan.com</a><br /></p><br /></div></div>marthaslavin.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103331217021325363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3202288049668006882.post-10862142756052582582024-03-07T12:03:00.000-08:002024-03-08T08:07:36.718-08:00SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS TIME<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlGX1Omc2EeSw7vUD10s-4Yg1hvmz4hAEol1wpJJV_yP8349MEBmGLVY3fXQSyKUmJ85wuZQpd5kXm5lYsADlpT4GujzaF_geiEq47J1uipBiq15qICqx_5Nan5RQX7nhsuxYhaBkPEE9txkuLiREoAdEPbLpPxSfu0pbkh1YzX6mqp3E9VsZdKDRbLCU/s2902/IMG_0879%20(2).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2902" data-original-width="1538" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlGX1Omc2EeSw7vUD10s-4Yg1hvmz4hAEol1wpJJV_yP8349MEBmGLVY3fXQSyKUmJ85wuZQpd5kXm5lYsADlpT4GujzaF_geiEq47J1uipBiq15qICqx_5Nan5RQX7nhsuxYhaBkPEE9txkuLiREoAdEPbLpPxSfu0pbkh1YzX6mqp3E9VsZdKDRbLCU/w340-h640/IMG_0879%20(2).jpeg" width="340" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>We take time for granted, don't we? Except when we realize how quickly a year is going by. It's already March (IT'S ALREADY MARCH) and we are in a Leap Year, which makes me wonder again why we have a Leap Year.</p><p>Last year I noticed that the dates in February matched up with the dates in March. In other words, usually March 25 is on a Saturday just like February 25. April and July had a similar pattern. I flipped through calendars for previous years and found the same peculiar alignment except during Leap Years. A simple thing you would notice only if you were looking at a yearly calendar, not your normal weekly planner or monthly calendar.</p><p>In the West, we officially adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1582 CE to correct the date for Easter, which had moved because the Julian calendar being used at the time did not account for the loss of portions of a day in a year. (You have to be a mathematician to figure this all out.) All of the calendars adopted by various cultures have to account for the need for extra days to continue to be accurate. We add a day in our Leap Years, in India and with the Chinese lunar calendar, months are added or subtracted.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY6iWLrqGdC_u5YjrRv5u3xM8yAwuHaoCA_LYsle9DTJp0GGFHi0BaKn9naAtOqHvW1Q98icaO2Trnah4TiRQu4rAvfTM_CPEvVSDYbGlYIKzEX88WswRNI97G7E9ldrg2LVRpM-O7t5b_0tlgFYcHL8tbPl1he7H_xFIr376RUSvuQqNmw6l7vy2JSBE/s1835/IMG_8002.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1620" data-original-width="1835" height="566" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY6iWLrqGdC_u5YjrRv5u3xM8yAwuHaoCA_LYsle9DTJp0GGFHi0BaKn9naAtOqHvW1Q98icaO2Trnah4TiRQu4rAvfTM_CPEvVSDYbGlYIKzEX88WswRNI97G7E9ldrg2LVRpM-O7t5b_0tlgFYcHL8tbPl1he7H_xFIr376RUSvuQqNmw6l7vy2JSBE/w640-h566/IMG_8002.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>The Hindu calendar, a much more complex system of time, revolves around changes in the sun, moon, and constellations and is much more 3-dimensional than the Western calendar. If we lived in Japan, we would be using the Gregorian calendar, but also we would understand that we lived in era Reiwa 6, because each new emperor selects the name for the era of his rule. During the 6th century, the Japanese borrowed their original calendar from China and Korea, long before the Gregorian calendar arrived. In most Asian countries, 2024 CE is also the year of the Dragon.</p><p>When we lived in Japan, we realized another change to our calendars. Flying to and from California to Asia Pacific countries, we lost or gained a day. I didn't mind adding a day on our return home, but even losing one day the other way seemed unfair.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6eU22YKgacry4D_HNF2E7SzM8i0OPfvVUV73OYcfkGPffXXW_SPUh6u3BuZrDPnqfz-IHtLhTZMAVq9gQpKnH98tRfkn_iWPln951gy2C-E6Dct480B78sZQugra5Y4anKEMLcGLLBT9BM_gkzvf-GJhPg3I8R5vqCy_irV8GSrv8cvkVJa3mg3nXlYw/s3391/IMG_0981%20(2).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2542" data-original-width="3391" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6eU22YKgacry4D_HNF2E7SzM8i0OPfvVUV73OYcfkGPffXXW_SPUh6u3BuZrDPnqfz-IHtLhTZMAVq9gQpKnH98tRfkn_iWPln951gy2C-E6Dct480B78sZQugra5Y4anKEMLcGLLBT9BM_gkzvf-GJhPg3I8R5vqCy_irV8GSrv8cvkVJa3mg3nXlYw/w640-h480/IMG_0981%20(2).jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p> And now we are approaching another time adjustment. Most of the U.S. changes to Daylight Saving Time on the second Sunday in March. This year on March 10. Benjamin Franklin originally suggested the idea, but the U.S. didn't implement DST until WWI. Farmers objected to its implementation after the war (farm animals don't change their time to fit our schedules), and DST was dropped until later in the century when we were no longer a majority agrarian society. There are now efforts to keep DST year-round. If you are like, me the adjustment to the time change in the Spring takes time.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibumsJ_zGWFe_JGmLpc51USLX-VWbRdat_hjJCQSV_HueLJJJR8F36EQ5k4cBIzyrTmv4Sr3DKhTc_Gz6c52JlQVmxRa8CBt4mGro-yuVsCGqHh6VsunIZhCeM-RaxoJ-nFuA6L25Pq9txWFsPucsT2R3taf5Q1d9ayHcigH8qbX8SDcm0uXb3bBXAl0E/s2593/DSCN9022%20(1).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1903" data-original-width="2593" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibumsJ_zGWFe_JGmLpc51USLX-VWbRdat_hjJCQSV_HueLJJJR8F36EQ5k4cBIzyrTmv4Sr3DKhTc_Gz6c52JlQVmxRa8CBt4mGro-yuVsCGqHh6VsunIZhCeM-RaxoJ-nFuA6L25Pq9txWFsPucsT2R3taf5Q1d9ayHcigH8qbX8SDcm0uXb3bBXAl0E/w640-h470/DSCN9022%20(1).jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>marthaslavin.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103331217021325363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3202288049668006882.post-63983394317474309652024-03-01T08:07:00.000-08:002024-03-16T14:44:48.949-07:00A TOUCH OF WHIMSY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPq5Gobc_rvBf_5lMahXsAHjHYym6Mr7jwBuvMQQ81r02KhnHd9kdrso-bTYoiBilOJmfNLUl_abGA9jHJe0FOOxEaBrEcSYMRhHFKvUYfpRxZgOE3vYNVu_5VIwqF7IrHhEabq3AUb7Fnf53lnaUWV8nswkDvtzrHotDQq1h_yptEimGDCdq1LuVtgS4/s3433/IMG_3007%20(2).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2371" data-original-width="3433" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPq5Gobc_rvBf_5lMahXsAHjHYym6Mr7jwBuvMQQ81r02KhnHd9kdrso-bTYoiBilOJmfNLUl_abGA9jHJe0FOOxEaBrEcSYMRhHFKvUYfpRxZgOE3vYNVu_5VIwqF7IrHhEabq3AUb7Fnf53lnaUWV8nswkDvtzrHotDQq1h_yptEimGDCdq1LuVtgS4/w640-h442/IMG_3007%20(2).jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>High-rise apartments and office buildings line most of the streets in our neighborhood. We are also close to two professional sports complexes, which means some days the streets are filled with cars and people. A couple of blocks away from our apartment is an empty block-long parking lot used by people attending events at the sporting venues. One day, we turned the corner and found that the entire parking lot was filled with circus tents. Cirque de Soleil had come to town and overnight, like magic, had erected tents all over the lot. We hadn't been to one of their performances in a long time, so we bought tickets, walked into the largest tent, and watched with awe the acrobatic performers. Behind us sat a family with an eight or nine-year-old boy who had never seen acrobats in person. We heard his rapturous "Oohs and Ahs" as his eyes followed the acrobats through the air. What a delight to hear him captivated by their magic.</p><p>I thought of that performance when Carol DuBosch, a calligraphy teacher, posted a challenge to create a pangram, a sentence that contains every letter of the alphabet. I like challenges and I like whimsy, so I decided to try. First, I asked myself, is it even possible to design a sentence that uses each letter only once and still makes sense? Of course, after a few tries I discovered pangrams are more challenging than I anticipated. I remembered the grace of the acrobats who did amazing feats, but only after years of practice and perseverance. </p><p>What makes a word work are the vowels. They have all kinds of uses, don't they? They are handy to finish words and to separate words into syllables. How do I find enough short words that don't rely on too many vowels?</p><p>I looked at examples from a list of pangrams, of which the most famous, "A quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog," still uses two "e's". I did find a pangram that is only 26 letters long: "Mr. Jock, TV Quiz Ph.D., bags few lynx." My favorite of the pangrams came from Carol DuBosch: "I vow that poetry, quilts, and ink can fix and jazz up a boring home."</p><p>My own attempts didn't succeed very well. (Not that I spent too much time on this activity.) I couldn't make a sentence with only 26 letters that made sense, which is common with pangrams (who bags lynx?). My sentence was too long with too many double letters: "Quickly wax over my dainty, lazy judges from the pub."</p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqRHFHzI1cvOPmIcS6LiPWXqkscxB67rggFgUH7svjMkh9Hnob81E-Urwoxn-eIODcKqUgVLNcqALtUmXvTO2BcACNMvmeShq6p_MQWC3toy6fFEoJFvDMDstrCN6x0yGxkGQRNgnHqKLCXXu1-pvsAENJ6LjDePXiZRLezq5-x-z0N7GDNEN7EuFXQuI/s3480/IMG_3096%20(2).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3480" data-original-width="2770" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqRHFHzI1cvOPmIcS6LiPWXqkscxB67rggFgUH7svjMkh9Hnob81E-Urwoxn-eIODcKqUgVLNcqALtUmXvTO2BcACNMvmeShq6p_MQWC3toy6fFEoJFvDMDstrCN6x0yGxkGQRNgnHqKLCXXu1-pvsAENJ6LjDePXiZRLezq5-x-z0N7GDNEN7EuFXQuI/w509-h640/IMG_3096%20(2).jpeg" width="509" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><p>A little laughter for the day and puzzlement too. Maybe this week I captured some of the whimsy and challenge we felt while watching acrobats in the air.</p><p>One last piece of whimsy. A good friend gave me these two paper ornaments called Triskele paper globes. They are beautiful and will be a welcome addition to hang near me. (Thank you, Janet)</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUn_4MGaxIxsOfZyPXMeztFb1HsQcHkvUdxTFl8jU2tje7WjlsHgtHvi1Mn2jwMF2i9EgV6mZ3sIFLDe1GTa-f-7oPxsLvG6gj8Fhm_y6D7QtMEY48DQdQ0q_TBkDq1r8FaUT9OGlwaMz71ZNdXqhqa5w5P0vVa5VUjbS4TIzIPGdnWmtC5GHWMOBiFUY/s3954/IMG_3018.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2583" data-original-width="3954" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUn_4MGaxIxsOfZyPXMeztFb1HsQcHkvUdxTFl8jU2tje7WjlsHgtHvi1Mn2jwMF2i9EgV6mZ3sIFLDe1GTa-f-7oPxsLvG6gj8Fhm_y6D7QtMEY48DQdQ0q_TBkDq1r8FaUT9OGlwaMz71ZNdXqhqa5w5P0vVa5VUjbS4TIzIPGdnWmtC5GHWMOBiFUY/w640-h418/IMG_3018.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>If you would like to try to make one, check Hattifant's website. You will be surprised at how simple these are to make:</p><p><a href="https://hattifant.com/triskele-paper-globes-flower-edition/">https://hattifant.com/triskele-paper-globes-flower-edition/</a></p><p>Cirque de Soleil performs in San Francisco till March 17:</p><p><a href="https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/usa/san-francisco/shows">https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/usa/san-francisco/shows</a><br /></p><p>Find Carol Dubosch's calligraphy:</p><p><a href="https://www.caroldubosch.com">https://www.caroldubosch.com</a><br /></p><p>Check out these fun facts about the English alphabet:</p><p><a href="https://www.rd.com/list/facts-english-alphabet/">https://www.rd.com/list/facts-english-alphabet/</a> </p>marthaslavin.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103331217021325363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3202288049668006882.post-72688955349933775412024-02-23T08:26:00.000-08:002024-02-23T08:26:08.259-08:00CIRCLES AND SQUARES: BASIC ELEMENTS<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5_iaFfG0CznFBeLsl065z4jX0W10YZJUIUXbeHn0ww5yoQhBVKCd_Wk8FQSAMfSYyFuoAuQgQEuzEv8oy8ErtwH7rCOeVx6hzbJgvrDq8KZsDH7AdpaEs2D7cJvwfpzaJvjzZ6jDpAIov2lrqrdK8IjdAM-qRtx8ZQ4REvWDcACcZcQkyLfLEUpw_UEc/s3251/IMG_2980.jpeg"><img border="0" data-original-height="2484" data-original-width="3251" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5_iaFfG0CznFBeLsl065z4jX0W10YZJUIUXbeHn0ww5yoQhBVKCd_Wk8FQSAMfSYyFuoAuQgQEuzEv8oy8ErtwH7rCOeVx6hzbJgvrDq8KZsDH7AdpaEs2D7cJvwfpzaJvjzZ6jDpAIov2lrqrdK8IjdAM-qRtx8ZQ4REvWDcACcZcQkyLfLEUpw_UEc/w640-h490/IMG_2980.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">An unfinished Neurographic design </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">What would you put in the square?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Instead of snow, much of California in February is covered with green. The hills sprout new lime-green grass as we receive more and more rain. The green surprises visitors from colder climates, especially if they have visited California during the summer, our dry season when the hills are brown.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This past weekend I attended Letters: California Style, a calligraphy conference organized by the Society of Calligraphers, held at Cal Poly Pomona, an oasis nestled in the hills in the LA Basin. I've gone to the conference since 2014 except for pandemic years and always come away flush with new ideas. Like I am, most of the attendees are older, nerdy women who enjoy expressing themselves through lettering and art. Cal Poly Pomona provides a perfect venue where we can sit in a classroom with floor-to-ceiling windows that give us a glimpse of the green hills and the budding fruit trees while we toil away like Medieval monks on a craft that takes concentration and precision.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This year I chose Cherryl Moote's class for creating art books. In other classes, attendees worked on improving their calligraphic and hand lettering skills with a choice of several other well-known calligraphy instructors, who also showcased their own work at our lunchtime gatherings. One of the teachers, Viktor Kams, began as a graffiti artist in Spain, then studied calligraphy, and is now a professional calligrapher and tattoo artist. He designs logos for businesses and anything that can contain his exquisite calligraphy including tattoos. He showed photos of some of his freshly made tattoos on the arms of clients. The designs were beautiful, but the clients' arms were still red from the procedure. You could feel the collective silent gasp of his audience, not a visible tattoo among them. Calligraphers have been around for a long time creating all kinds of lettering. Now, Kams represents the next generation of calligraphers who are interested in experimenting with their craft.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In Cherryl's class, we concentrated on creating unexpected art books. Unexpected, because we couldn't plan each page of our book. Instead, we started with a large sheet of paper, made designs all over the surface, and then folded and cut the paper into smaller book forms. We never knew what would happen once we folded the original design into smaller segments. The results were unexpected, amusing sometimes, and wonderful to view. Some people used colored inks, marking pens, and stamps to create images while others used paste papers, water-soluble crayons, and lettering to enhance their designs. Though we all used similar materials, no two books looked alike. In three days, we also made mock-ups of different ways of making a book including using a Lark's Head binding for heavy-weight paper, three versions of a two-minute book, accordion books, and a flat-style Australian reverse piano hinge binding, which takes longer to say than to make. Cherryl has written several easy-to-use books about various bookbinding techniques that can be found at John Neal Books online.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiyVCdvko8bdF0UyR3bFhat2GwAje9hCuejANUKxWpjHc7Hk07l1CvbhdkW4V72HOxNeUCo_EkBzP3To4tj_lz7-1TyUwWpjgiwRm-napauq-oxfO8eYsjy60TPwWbuVAOtP1RSWO8poebbywvkQEe8fJtWnrtfnTBmqWqqiSO9kVD1I3IrhsOQme6ysQ/s3659/IMG_2960.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2323" data-original-width="3659" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiyVCdvko8bdF0UyR3bFhat2GwAje9hCuejANUKxWpjHc7Hk07l1CvbhdkW4V72HOxNeUCo_EkBzP3To4tj_lz7-1TyUwWpjgiwRm-napauq-oxfO8eYsjy60TPwWbuVAOtP1RSWO8poebbywvkQEe8fJtWnrtfnTBmqWqqiSO9kVD1I3IrhsOQme6ysQ/w640-h406/IMG_2960.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Designs on a large piece of paper using ink, scraps of paper, <br />tea splatters, and Cretacolor AquaGraph pencils<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfPQSR1c_HwVrENeBzV3PTyTExadNEoUOUY-7L7Ot-bk_qGidqHBrBj_fQsSrNWpNtzwIz4QRtrDPiBhExEF4QFISI-iEt09sR7eYjFTJmKwNB3yOfkUii7XFVuim_kmgGvSOtVpq9LkSIlgr48sorvdp2bU6LsuIp94KUlr0Jh5QmlSUu0Msy_M8AyWc/s3459/IMG_2973%20(1).jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2911" data-original-width="3459" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfPQSR1c_HwVrENeBzV3PTyTExadNEoUOUY-7L7Ot-bk_qGidqHBrBj_fQsSrNWpNtzwIz4QRtrDPiBhExEF4QFISI-iEt09sR7eYjFTJmKwNB3yOfkUii7XFVuim_kmgGvSOtVpq9LkSIlgr48sorvdp2bU6LsuIp94KUlr0Jh5QmlSUu0Msy_M8AyWc/w640-h538/IMG_2973%20(1).jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>Two-Minute Book folded from the original large piece of paper</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUVfxW94PlO1e6fwCF91rbVP6RK3Ea2SXFqH9WgeozQJdPa4bgdQXfCXGTIjSlf_xDRteS4NYTU9TP24PNkXOt35S0x9WdkIah8qBR_cwm6PvURtv8uMaFiFU-af-8vJWJoMJhUs8KrMQl4-rgsGDIbrn2PrJO19oKwJJtVGb2kMcFUvb0o0VKSBqaHl0/s3245/IMG_2974%20(1).jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2780" data-original-width="3245" height="548" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUVfxW94PlO1e6fwCF91rbVP6RK3Ea2SXFqH9WgeozQJdPa4bgdQXfCXGTIjSlf_xDRteS4NYTU9TP24PNkXOt35S0x9WdkIah8qBR_cwm6PvURtv8uMaFiFU-af-8vJWJoMJhUs8KrMQl4-rgsGDIbrn2PrJO19oKwJJtVGb2kMcFUvb0o0VKSBqaHl0/w640-h548/IMG_2974%20(1).jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I came away from the conference with renewed enthusiasm for bookmaking, joy for having seen friends I hadn't seen in a long time, inspiration from the many works done by other attendees, and glad that my accidental choice for my Word for the Year is Unfinished. I brought home books that I will continue to work on and know that I have new ideas to try.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpltrPYtiS190xDPkiP_pMCWHh0pdjEjQ3jjUzums9HYrJrDr20J6WT2EaO15Pnzk38V_mHsUJWb1q0d4JCU_sri8Q8E3bT7CL6VsBeIAn-hbAJ336BmtK5IoZAWhh2MfCiGpdclHktWee89gbkW1jhyKFst7PM7eXUELHF9CLL81Y9Tg9d5h7SFG0608/s2723/IMG_2971.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2723" data-original-width="2393" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpltrPYtiS190xDPkiP_pMCWHh0pdjEjQ3jjUzums9HYrJrDr20J6WT2EaO15Pnzk38V_mHsUJWb1q0d4JCU_sri8Q8E3bT7CL6VsBeIAn-hbAJ336BmtK5IoZAWhh2MfCiGpdclHktWee89gbkW1jhyKFst7PM7eXUELHF9CLL81Y9Tg9d5h7SFG0608/w562-h640/IMG_2971.jpeg" width="562" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> Two Two-Minute signatures with Two-into-One Cover</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi08DRssV2o3hcnyAISFvG3bmEjkQ_6zXRuk1baAbjuXhoAe6zkdeLdltu6jpmXCr12FaG-JKhXjPUx_9BbpwFoI1zSzG-6WMlOK97WpyPULECXNTQ7Vbf10NKQas8SKBYsq1V6-WiisF0syQd75dYiOoQfxc2ZQ6uHWmkNU86axC16aLoMHtseHhkrddk/s3161/IMG_2972.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2526" data-original-width="3161" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi08DRssV2o3hcnyAISFvG3bmEjkQ_6zXRuk1baAbjuXhoAe6zkdeLdltu6jpmXCr12FaG-JKhXjPUx_9BbpwFoI1zSzG-6WMlOK97WpyPULECXNTQ7Vbf10NKQas8SKBYsq1V6-WiisF0syQd75dYiOoQfxc2ZQ6uHWmkNU86axC16aLoMHtseHhkrddk/w640-h512/IMG_2972.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHDtUx7rvCcLz0AKtnLA3mh2CNf7mzjih-H6FGyZZRIyF-aUQR-rZBMmfO3r3eUDruBrx57PC60KVnCUPfs1Yy4CM7RUYPfz2JhvP4Har4SLxy2qtrDp-S01-sm-Eb1iwtD9EC4mHQbAXObXcfbvLHNyVVPBm7oQJXSApJCVipTPHRxVx6a0UfaDUURXo/s3000/IMG_2975%20(1).jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2118" data-original-width="3000" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHDtUx7rvCcLz0AKtnLA3mh2CNf7mzjih-H6FGyZZRIyF-aUQR-rZBMmfO3r3eUDruBrx57PC60KVnCUPfs1Yy4CM7RUYPfz2JhvP4Har4SLxy2qtrDp-S01-sm-Eb1iwtD9EC4mHQbAXObXcfbvLHNyVVPBm7oQJXSApJCVipTPHRxVx6a0UfaDUURXo/w640-h452/IMG_2975%20(1).jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Accordion book with doodles on a cover with neurographic lines</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVF6mP_cwAsUpooCcR-LOA-cF3l_vVRdbSu1Z0_SQLDRN-LZILuuavD2O8ERUgk_4MDUquLuMmvkY01-dkgBvYHwkFVyPm4D3xxomLL3QOlIZgrmfGxUr_WQDlMIyQ4PBBm0wfOp_bHn2ABAQC2QhbR6IV0-4lvk01ReBfHYVTeceR23Ai1osyeSgRSoM/s3994/IMG_2976.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1925" data-original-width="3994" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVF6mP_cwAsUpooCcR-LOA-cF3l_vVRdbSu1Z0_SQLDRN-LZILuuavD2O8ERUgk_4MDUquLuMmvkY01-dkgBvYHwkFVyPm4D3xxomLL3QOlIZgrmfGxUr_WQDlMIyQ4PBBm0wfOp_bHn2ABAQC2QhbR6IV0-4lvk01ReBfHYVTeceR23Ai1osyeSgRSoM/w640-h308/IMG_2976.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Accordion book with no lettering or cover yet</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNJ8uOczx4P_b5bqnKARfIrlygFOGiZlTxLUNGQ7SmxjxoLuAb_f6bOm49YRHwgmgyRBjavk9cVXoiBsL1WItuXLY0EmeWhGLHew3GJYOXb5Gt3FBwy0NJFqBlBNv6FvvJqVijgi7njpUh9VzCydVAAHM14HLNJY2V9geye0S6uKBN44AXIyoVpoM30zY/s3119/IMG_2981%20(1).jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3003" data-original-width="3119" height="616" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNJ8uOczx4P_b5bqnKARfIrlygFOGiZlTxLUNGQ7SmxjxoLuAb_f6bOm49YRHwgmgyRBjavk9cVXoiBsL1WItuXLY0EmeWhGLHew3GJYOXb5Gt3FBwy0NJFqBlBNv6FvvJqVijgi7njpUh9VzCydVAAHM14HLNJY2V9geye0S6uKBN44AXIyoVpoM30zY/w640-h616/IMG_2981%20(1).jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Mock-up for Lark's Head Binding</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Check out Cherryl Moote's website:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.mootepoints.com/index.html">https://www.mootepoints.com/index.html</a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Books available at John Neal Books:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.johnnealbooks.com/search.php?search_query=Cheryl+moote&section=product">https://www.johnnealbooks.com/search.php?search_query=Cheryl+moote&section=product</a><br /></div><div><br /></div>Be amazed at the work of these calligraphers:<div><br /></div><div>Viktor Kams:</div><div><a href="https://misterkams.com">https://misterkams.com</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Cora Pearl:</div><div><a href="http://www.corapearlcalligraphy.com/work">http://www.corapearlcalligraphy.com/work</a><p>Randall Hasson:</p><p><a href="https://randallmhasson.com/caligraphic-works/">https://randallmhasson.com/caligraphic-works/</a> </p><p>Barbara Close: </p><p><a href="https://barbclose.com/barbaras-work">https://barbclose.com/barbaras-work</a> </p><p>Suzie Beringer:</p><p><a href="https://rainwriters.com/suzie-beringer/">https://rainwriters.com/suzie-beringer/</a> <br /></p><p>Carol DuBosch:</p><p><a href="https://www.caroldubosch.com/artwork/artist-books/">https://www.caroldubosch.com/artwork/artist-books/</a><br /></p><p>Harvest Crittenden:</p><p><a href="https://www.acornartsclassroom.org/harvestcrittenden">https://www.acornartsclassroom.org/harvestcrittenden</a></p></div>marthaslavin.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103331217021325363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3202288049668006882.post-49901006807858985112024-02-14T11:48:00.000-08:002024-02-16T07:54:11.189-08:00RANDOM PATHWAYS<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWiw0ILHhlnoknNWXJDzP7aDfb_6hBE9SLHfVEsP8Zjrd6CUS4uaVaTcLLMW-hh0JGZLvlCgzT0yUTv4CTEGYc36gsXQsVwD2TzT0WKDbxlTIJfLELFF0NGjqzD8wLkOO5bC76ov2kNkOgo08s9UlsEsdMTPGXdbDOI0jbxhHeG39IUQ6ZMaULPNHgEL8/s3372/IMG_2854.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2542" data-original-width="3372" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWiw0ILHhlnoknNWXJDzP7aDfb_6hBE9SLHfVEsP8Zjrd6CUS4uaVaTcLLMW-hh0JGZLvlCgzT0yUTv4CTEGYc36gsXQsVwD2TzT0WKDbxlTIJfLELFF0NGjqzD8wLkOO5bC76ov2kNkOgo08s9UlsEsdMTPGXdbDOI0jbxhHeG39IUQ6ZMaULPNHgEL8/w640-h482/IMG_2854.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The opening page from Postcards in the Air 2023 book</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Pens run dry</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">just like a river in a drought</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">sometimes the pen fails:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">words don't tumble out,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">don't scratch across the surface.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Other times</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">a pen pushes ideas</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">across a page</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">swirling around rocks and boulders</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">of the mind,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">creating small pools,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">leading to new pathways</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">washing away dirt</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">to find what is hidden beneath.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I can't say I've ever experienced writer's block or artist's block. Early on, I learned that I needed to push through hesitation, think of everything as practice or an experiment, or pick up some other piece to try. Some days when I start and stop with ideas that don't pan out, I slip another page up onto my computer, start writing about something else, and keep doing that until I reach the kernel that had been waiting there in the shadows of my mind. I have heard of writers who get so stymied that nothing comes out. After ten years of writing this Friday blog, I am confident that some idea will percolate up out of the dregs. With a computer, I don't scrunch up a piece of paper and throw it into the wind. I can save those unfinished ideas in another file and maybe take them out to work them over again.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm more picky with myself with art. Coming from a family of artists, I have much to compare my work against. I have managed to rise above the self-doubt that creeps into creative work. I think of what I am doing as play, as practice, and that eases the doubt. I am lucky I do not earn my living with my work. I am always surprised and pleased when someone offers to buy one of my pieces, but that is not my goal. My art is my way to express my thoughts and feelings, and to develop more skills.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sometimes simple ideas become the groundwork for something bigger. Since we moved to our new apartment in January, I have taken a photo every morning from the same spot looking out the window over Mission Creek and the buildings on the other side. The sun hits the windows of the buildings, creating brilliant jewels of light. The shadows of the morning slide down into the creek, and the birds begin to circle the water below. Some mornings grey clouds fill the sky, other times the sky is bright blue. The window spot has become a good place to start the day.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2b1bEfHfKnEts8pckfooqngYmWp0DvGSa6VgtrBCRYcVUklvuYYfS7XkE6IzaEFHol9Xk1DUII6qRVhYsskSyRAK1ntO30U4Ian1c1MUqGEEDhABttKwYGM7fQpa8057CbW7O3jbar_6Dqgjg7LvC7gYNRwkeQpeNG85v7MabayeGeb771hXntGmT-NE/s4048/mosaic4d42c1d4a2aa401911ad85f0de39cdd5b88fe386.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4048" data-original-width="4048" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2b1bEfHfKnEts8pckfooqngYmWp0DvGSa6VgtrBCRYcVUklvuYYfS7XkE6IzaEFHol9Xk1DUII6qRVhYsskSyRAK1ntO30U4Ian1c1MUqGEEDhABttKwYGM7fQpa8057CbW7O3jbar_6Dqgjg7LvC7gYNRwkeQpeNG85v7MabayeGeb771hXntGmT-NE/w640-h640/mosaic4d42c1d4a2aa401911ad85f0de39cdd5b88fe386.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>A friend invited us to a local ballet production. The company created a ballet in honor of Mary, her wife, who passed away a couple of years ago. Mary had been a big supporter of the ballet, and, among other things, was a certified clown. The ballet called Dr. Magic was a delight and focused on all the movements that clowns use at the same time presenting the love that people felt for Mary. The ballet was a wonderful way to pay tribute to someone who brought joy to others.</p><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUIpv1anp7_nRdT-I2nHVweZfEQQWmAd12QVWl2KaLDoNMOV15oEJR0DnIgnBr9MXKLXmvtv3f6mZSa4drYMw28TSDo3EYRQnygEjzZdqCvKM9gZr4jQ3-0u0yrIYcC6CbQvLi137mA76qg_Q7bSPAf8P7EkRjmsvhrsF5rgC4We_xxylLLGD7CpMdE-g/s3172/IMG_2931%20(1).jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2090" data-original-width="3172" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUIpv1anp7_nRdT-I2nHVweZfEQQWmAd12QVWl2KaLDoNMOV15oEJR0DnIgnBr9MXKLXmvtv3f6mZSa4drYMw28TSDo3EYRQnygEjzZdqCvKM9gZr4jQ3-0u0yrIYcC6CbQvLi137mA76qg_Q7bSPAf8P7EkRjmsvhrsF5rgC4We_xxylLLGD7CpMdE-g/w640-h422/IMG_2931%20(1).jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>I started writing posts for this blog in 2012. The anniversary of my blog is in March. I only wrote nine posts in 2012 and 2013 so I consider 2014 to be the official start date since I wrote almost every week during that year. Recently I found a blog publishing website that allows me to have a printed version of all my posts. The books look terrific. They are well-designed and formatted so that each post is easy to read. At the beginning of the book, the publishers have pulled a collage of the photos I've used within the year. You can see the pages at the top of this post. I am pleased with the result and so glad that people continue to read my blog posts. Thank you!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwts8Yl-t9cSgHfw0HYEzhGoVwAnEfNsska-X899CtUhs65V3LlUGclZnLcP2-45v2Lqxl5W-7IIpT4xwfZNANL5ufaFzhdxTU_noBTU1Ruk1WjdPK8QaicfpWgXfFllE1ABwbV-yTDshHHS5IX7B2y9ytnXy_BhXEwjMU3ewC8G38TAwzq-mff9Bbt_4/s3004/IMG_2852%20(1).jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3004" data-original-width="2099" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwts8Yl-t9cSgHfw0HYEzhGoVwAnEfNsska-X899CtUhs65V3LlUGclZnLcP2-45v2Lqxl5W-7IIpT4xwfZNANL5ufaFzhdxTU_noBTU1Ruk1WjdPK8QaicfpWgXfFllE1ABwbV-yTDshHHS5IX7B2y9ytnXy_BhXEwjMU3ewC8G38TAwzq-mff9Bbt_4/w448-h640/IMG_2852%20(1).jpeg" width="448" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigGLaONl8VIeElKU19RX54Yjq__noFdkZbLyJCUPOBg_mB25Cr9qDuEjPCwo5iKMuS02-DcyHmfikeK0Y3Qgh2p21DY4BS66P3PkjvJ7gwdkg8OQGvYyeW4xaAYN6YwAFMsPIZw8WtrXk71UavYijoaReX2LFN_cc5ACMHmH3lqz3roAvvSDc26JGMCzk/s4032/IMG_2929.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigGLaONl8VIeElKU19RX54Yjq__noFdkZbLyJCUPOBg_mB25Cr9qDuEjPCwo5iKMuS02-DcyHmfikeK0Y3Qgh2p21DY4BS66P3PkjvJ7gwdkg8OQGvYyeW4xaAYN6YwAFMsPIZw8WtrXk71UavYijoaReX2LFN_cc5ACMHmH3lqz3roAvvSDc26JGMCzk/w640-h480/IMG_2929.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">**************</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">An important documentary, 20 Days in Mariupol, is well worth watching. A good reminder of what is at stake in Ukraine.</div><p><br /></p>marthaslavin.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103331217021325363noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3202288049668006882.post-23990740917981370172024-02-09T08:22:00.000-08:002024-02-09T08:59:41.763-08:00GOOD WORDS NOT FORGOTTEN<p> <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUJQunyYNgiyX_HEE1dedBfzSWqj-OfQ3O0UKXIkv2Vw5mkHv92CQsEitlGd91SkbLWcq6LVwFlqgEUrMeJZMCX7UzgBLDSWl0lzZsVp7SFV7ENT2FASuZiauwuecNVBKoELjsbzBY1o-ZYNoEHaSmYAQ7DDmRHKKje-R00cjLPeYSWUQXfyy1Du-GEG0/s3012/IMG_2901%20(1).jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3012" data-original-width="2382" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUJQunyYNgiyX_HEE1dedBfzSWqj-OfQ3O0UKXIkv2Vw5mkHv92CQsEitlGd91SkbLWcq6LVwFlqgEUrMeJZMCX7UzgBLDSWl0lzZsVp7SFV7ENT2FASuZiauwuecNVBKoELjsbzBY1o-ZYNoEHaSmYAQ7DDmRHKKje-R00cjLPeYSWUQXfyy1Du-GEG0/w506-h640/IMG_2901%20(1).jpeg" width="506" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When was the last time you heard someone say, Hogwash, or Balderdash, Bullpucky, Razzamatazz, Fudgel, Dillydally, Lollygag, or Tin Whistle? Did you know that a Tin Whistle is a kind of Fipple Flute along with the recorder and flageolet? Have you ever heard of a fipple flute or flageolet? I hadn't, but I love the alliteration when I say these "F" words.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span> </span>If you look up the origins of these colorful words, you will find some interesting connections. Some are replacements for swear words or as "lollygag" was once used, as a euphemism for love-making. Lollygag became a word that means to waste time instead. Hum.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span> </span>Reading Kory Stamper's <u>Word by Word, the Secret Life of Dictionaries,</u> reawakened an interest in the origin of words. English is such a versatile language that words change meanings and usage over time. That's why we have lexicographers who painstakingly create the definitions found in our dictionaries to help us keep track of what a word means.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyQ1cMqiOffB1c9wMOwxSc9MS2SS_V9vAswn0hps9QAtGCtqxTubZyOn4i-bFHUpeJTVHgtA5CZ-l49hmXLh6rvm9RMzuhnBjGt41nPKHdmfLR_98LoLgeJebIbnw0_PPNsiWlMR_8drcZhd_4MR3Ypu3OkxHuQ0e5-KT46gESFKYDs93dCAZTTs9AWm0/s2271/IMG_0023%20(1).jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1901" data-original-width="2271" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyQ1cMqiOffB1c9wMOwxSc9MS2SS_V9vAswn0hps9QAtGCtqxTubZyOn4i-bFHUpeJTVHgtA5CZ-l49hmXLh6rvm9RMzuhnBjGt41nPKHdmfLR_98LoLgeJebIbnw0_PPNsiWlMR_8drcZhd_4MR3Ypu3OkxHuQ0e5-KT46gESFKYDs93dCAZTTs9AWm0/w640-h536/IMG_0023%20(1).jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sakura: Signs of Spring</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span> </span>The meaning of an acronym can also change over time. LOL used to mean Little Old Lady, but now it's Laugh Out Loud, what will its next iteration be? In our hurried-up world, words that are too long become acronyms instead, such as Post-Modernism shortened POMO, OMG instead of Oh My God, and FOMO or Fear of Missing Out. The use of acronyms flourishes in the English language because it accepts change and adapts to new meanings.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span> Other languages have different ways of dealing with new words and meanings. In France, any new word needs to be formally approved by the Academie francaise before it appears in their official dictionary. Yet, in everyday use, foreign words creep into French, "weekend" and "smartphone" being prime examples.</span><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><span> The Japanese use three different alphabets to create words. First, The Japanese used kanji, the original written language borrowed from Korea and China. Kanji is an ideogram version of writing and includes both sound and meaning within the word. A good example is the word "Mori", which means forest. Mori repeats the symbol for tree three times and looks like a forest.</span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnSns_RhATDSm9qVYG8u15JbSo_cgdOc5d3SYz72hblwmLbvdji5kXz8s7gAYOFf9cNsCGUnSRUfF-BYgIs8fYqCkOsgTJDd4HmlGQlHY7yWvhJVH8xl_fTu7FR-Rqs9nvV0q4fZcI2cQSjBoXk6RNdH6RSwiMceAl_mZ7kBCwidhQ1gkMEFNrZ9M5XKg/s2447/IMG_2894.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2327" data-original-width="2447" height="608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnSns_RhATDSm9qVYG8u15JbSo_cgdOc5d3SYz72hblwmLbvdji5kXz8s7gAYOFf9cNsCGUnSRUfF-BYgIs8fYqCkOsgTJDd4HmlGQlHY7yWvhJVH8xl_fTu7FR-Rqs9nvV0q4fZcI2cQSjBoXk6RNdH6RSwiMceAl_mZ7kBCwidhQ1gkMEFNrZ9M5XKg/w640-h608/IMG_2894.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span> </span>Hiragana and Katagana, the other two alphabets developed by the Japanese, have different purposes and are syllabic. Hi ra ga na and ka ta ga na are easy to pronounce once the syllables are separated. Hiragana is a placeholder between nouns and used at the end of sentences. Katagana is used to make the written expression of foreign words.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span> </span>Cherry blossoms (sakura) are a significant part of Japanese culture because they appear at the beginning of Spring and are transient. People gather for cherry blossom viewing parties and watch as the buds turn to blossoms and then the blossoms fall and cover the ground like pink snow. I found this Japanese word for the changing nature of life which includes the symbol for cherry blossom:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Mi kka mi nu ma no sa ku ra</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFMlwPiS7mZ0FRxlIF9xukRC00p7MEVU_Y8GDZpF1fApXN_uebx86rQGKy7KD7fPM2SHKbf5RwMDLe5Lbh23BdWv_74POZghKWsUW-YaMC9UwBZNbB3GNq3ABhecGML2ptTbU4e7DuXMmt5gdV_TUDtOp9jIXW03W3RVf6YOTqn0xrUeL9W1KZj9oCftc/s3650/IMG_2895.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="652" data-original-width="3650" height="114" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFMlwPiS7mZ0FRxlIF9xukRC00p7MEVU_Y8GDZpF1fApXN_uebx86rQGKy7KD7fPM2SHKbf5RwMDLe5Lbh23BdWv_74POZghKWsUW-YaMC9UwBZNbB3GNq3ABhecGML2ptTbU4e7DuXMmt5gdV_TUDtOp9jIXW03W3RVf6YOTqn0xrUeL9W1KZj9oCftc/w640-h114/IMG_2895.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The last character of this word stands for sakura (cherry blossom). Can you see the tree? There is also the symbol for female within the symbol:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbyAarmK8KUFaTRAL6dmfCXheSvx2LvGsXmCO4lwcMBz27AfQJBzf_TM4sPwSKzF2hCi4X3jNkmio5ZuVYT85LYJ1hCH74kLcTN4VJkEg5vMfSzpjT65Vxoa6YPdNhfLznf7GPYpyXQHQykatFeqDm6rEoohfQmEMqXlEC8piZ2RycRNgGq74ZjbxkGRA/s625/IMG_2895%20(1).jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="625" data-original-width="619" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbyAarmK8KUFaTRAL6dmfCXheSvx2LvGsXmCO4lwcMBz27AfQJBzf_TM4sPwSKzF2hCi4X3jNkmio5ZuVYT85LYJ1hCH74kLcTN4VJkEg5vMfSzpjT65Vxoa6YPdNhfLznf7GPYpyXQHQykatFeqDm6rEoohfQmEMqXlEC8piZ2RycRNgGq74ZjbxkGRA/s320/IMG_2895%20(1).jpeg" width="317" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">That's the beauty of discovering the origins of words I hadn't known or used before.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">***************</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Thanks to these four delightful books that inspired this post:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Kory Stamper, Word by Word: the Secret Life of Dictionaries</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Joe Gilliard, <u>The Little Book of Lost Words</u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Yee-Lum Mak,<u> Other Wordly</u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">John Koenig, <u>The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows</u></div><div><br /></div>All four are available at <a href="https://bookshop.org">https://bookshop.org</a><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">**************</div><div><br /></div><div>Looking for something to make for Valentine's Day? Check out my Project Directions page. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Happy Valentine's Day!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieXy5uLd04Q4fC0hVO_w4_ao8NqR6J6dPwY9FM6b2QbnhocVeDkb3PW8Dbk4zR8eOFSLJcy_JDmuzE1zrxad4podm9c9tbJBYF-1T5IqDIrXW3YOBRoKrOYnDRcTjqKoMUlbSK31VVjkBP8IVKRwwCq804zx3UZgBUZNXA5Y6dk8TKLZZJCYjSbI0TYrI/s1447/IMG_0075%20(2).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="986" data-original-width="1447" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieXy5uLd04Q4fC0hVO_w4_ao8NqR6J6dPwY9FM6b2QbnhocVeDkb3PW8Dbk4zR8eOFSLJcy_JDmuzE1zrxad4podm9c9tbJBYF-1T5IqDIrXW3YOBRoKrOYnDRcTjqKoMUlbSK31VVjkBP8IVKRwwCq804zx3UZgBUZNXA5Y6dk8TKLZZJCYjSbI0TYrI/s320/IMG_0075%20(2).jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p></div>marthaslavin.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103331217021325363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3202288049668006882.post-44051457350201755722024-02-02T08:28:00.000-08:002024-02-02T08:28:25.495-08:00SEEING RED<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWCrR0bSJWF2KykEZ3_muR79L_1fT81lZTnkhoyb7_TqrMYyN0vf6qm0VkfEQs83Xn1hB-MqVgT57bzg7nneK3xAip2Qv_NMHfNkycrKxsHUvMyXVFr9ke221DPj50_yg8n894V0cvHQCJ3rJ6o0I3HqmeDMPlVYzuSufl3Z-5FXekKhF2jZfd1-xPOCQ/s2110/IMG_4733.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2110" data-original-width="2071" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWCrR0bSJWF2KykEZ3_muR79L_1fT81lZTnkhoyb7_TqrMYyN0vf6qm0VkfEQs83Xn1hB-MqVgT57bzg7nneK3xAip2Qv_NMHfNkycrKxsHUvMyXVFr9ke221DPj50_yg8n894V0cvHQCJ3rJ6o0I3HqmeDMPlVYzuSufl3Z-5FXekKhF2jZfd1-xPOCQ/w628-h640/IMG_4733.jpeg" width="628" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kuratake watercolor reds and blues</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><p> Among all the colors on a watercolor palette, I find red to be one of the hardest to use. Red often becomes too bright, too bold, attention-getting, or too muddied and dark and not easy to pick up with a Magic Eraser or wet Viva towel. I have to be careful where I paint it. A small spot of red will draw the eye and stop there. In this quick sketch below, I used sprays and dabs of watered-down red to lead the eye across the page. The red anchors the black marks and helps to give the sketch depth.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Z6MrRRZpRC9d_e4JoU1SWWluCtJEE9ng0YOF7XC045mSTn_jZzSV8bV2tFTim8M9RHA8CSCZLCgbjs8Zib5PtUf0AsxjxObU-203Z0ocuxv0JK1IFWw6S0rZWvu_Z-FSG5AarZSuWHVd5gngIUNDrcMgiJdBPdwl6R-MeW1xPpBsjG_UxYHxHgEpBcw/s4651/_WES9785%20(1).jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2708" data-original-width="4651" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Z6MrRRZpRC9d_e4JoU1SWWluCtJEE9ng0YOF7XC045mSTn_jZzSV8bV2tFTim8M9RHA8CSCZLCgbjs8Zib5PtUf0AsxjxObU-203Z0ocuxv0JK1IFWw6S0rZWvu_Z-FSG5AarZSuWHVd5gngIUNDrcMgiJdBPdwl6R-MeW1xPpBsjG_UxYHxHgEpBcw/w640-h372/_WES9785%20(1).jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>When I make abstract calligraphic pieces, red is a useful tool. One small square somewhere in the mark-making anchors the abstract strokes.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhktdbdEhMPxWEWDXumj0X6abcVxZRbViqJrSoljX8JIyhflEkrsBIcOu7SfeMfH1hR-i1kLm_yraB485KjjTp5wLT6yBmSbMP5MBFbAl68V5BiFbNx258MSZK2yll1-n_UHYLJFFs53fi08Q-FLfgGfovUhyphenhyphenfqeDoqKEKhndMc7wJKjLeHQgm4Rnxf0qk/s2295/IMG_0930%20(2).jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1977" data-original-width="2295" height="552" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhktdbdEhMPxWEWDXumj0X6abcVxZRbViqJrSoljX8JIyhflEkrsBIcOu7SfeMfH1hR-i1kLm_yraB485KjjTp5wLT6yBmSbMP5MBFbAl68V5BiFbNx258MSZK2yll1-n_UHYLJFFs53fi08Q-FLfgGfovUhyphenhyphenfqeDoqKEKhndMc7wJKjLeHQgm4Rnxf0qk/w640-h552/IMG_0930%20(2).jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Like all colors on the color wheel, red has warm and cool variations. I gravitate towards the cooler versions since I tend to paint with colors that are mixed together, greyer, and quieter than something right out of the tube. I have to be careful mixing red into other colors on my palette. Just a small spot of red can overwhelm other colors. Adding a touch of red to blue makes a good tone for clouds or shadows.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsjw0rpR79Ub-Iniy1OYEaUmKUNaXjGp_qDEn4ZjVcSKqZmtkmCTHYkvOPepvAc892EUY9Dnb5vUyD1XUE-WluyZRI53tIyqy1sELLUOixX8GcvV0ahHH06yraWmMqA2TcJ0sB5j2CvhDWyO0kjqfHeBh8-TSHkFERVZR9ZIxFj-QW5Cax4hTOGm3Wxf4/s3019/IMG_1375%20(1).jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3019" data-original-width="2257" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsjw0rpR79Ub-Iniy1OYEaUmKUNaXjGp_qDEn4ZjVcSKqZmtkmCTHYkvOPepvAc892EUY9Dnb5vUyD1XUE-WluyZRI53tIyqy1sELLUOixX8GcvV0ahHH06yraWmMqA2TcJ0sB5j2CvhDWyO0kjqfHeBh8-TSHkFERVZR9ZIxFj-QW5Cax4hTOGm3Wxf4/w478-h640/IMG_1375%20(1).jpeg" width="478" /></a></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p>I found a small dried-up blob of red watercolor in an old palette tray and put it in some water to see what would happen. Once the red blob dissolved, the result was red water, of course. Could I do anything with that red water? I put it into a spare bottle and sprayed it across part of an unfinished watercolor. Too much light red (pink!) splatter. I wiped it off before it had time to dry. I brushed six small red squares on a page in my art journal and dropped some ultramarine blue onto the wet surfaces. The blue mixed and fanned out on the wet red surface.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo9V15yQvhKiuK4IPcC7R8szl5-lgN9ab5IuCokbobk_SgbxBRVEKiCH8ImaMD19qtNewngtU2OldOu6MQVyNYBeCl5S21dIFV8ynKmgSwxStj9tHJFY203lSCf5JMZakozWzznPuujkooXHG9uMto9TwbT_LxUC60RRQKCopoES4mSjXwQfKyzj5oo8w/s3740/IMG_2836%20(1).jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2751" data-original-width="3740" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo9V15yQvhKiuK4IPcC7R8szl5-lgN9ab5IuCokbobk_SgbxBRVEKiCH8ImaMD19qtNewngtU2OldOu6MQVyNYBeCl5S21dIFV8ynKmgSwxStj9tHJFY203lSCf5JMZakozWzznPuujkooXHG9uMto9TwbT_LxUC60RRQKCopoES4mSjXwQfKyzj5oo8w/w640-h470/IMG_2836%20(1).jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>I thought about those squares and couldn't come up with a way to use them in a painting so I decided to try to use the red tinted paper as background for sketches. I had watched from my window seagulls, crows, and pigeons stand as sentinels on the corners of the buildings like the gargoyles of Medieval cathedrals. Sparrows and finches lined up along the edges too. I wanted to remember those images. I used the squares to draw small versions of what I'd seen and painted them with regular watercolor. I used gouache, and white and yellow colored pencils to cover some of the pink areas and to make the birds' beaks stand out. Making art is a process of trial and mistakes to help me decide if the attempt is successful or not. In this case, it was a good experiment, but one that I probably will not use again. The red water will be good for our two indoor plants.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha6gXbTzNgPg_o-19KaWWlEqJF_zAwKO-i0aIgJkaV4cK1Roe6BscsRurhqJVYjGamNpN3YcxIHyyKK_UYZv_SnXczdFVNQqb2UZw9mzDhmDb0PIEyQ2swOJQ8pP-jwjlYueCj-eFnOv5UyTRtrgs2sqWS_FllHFk2SDjL-bTHAvGzPotRcyMQVKCq5Io/s1693/IMG_6815.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1166" data-original-width="1693" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha6gXbTzNgPg_o-19KaWWlEqJF_zAwKO-i0aIgJkaV4cK1Roe6BscsRurhqJVYjGamNpN3YcxIHyyKK_UYZv_SnXczdFVNQqb2UZw9mzDhmDb0PIEyQ2swOJQ8pP-jwjlYueCj-eFnOv5UyTRtrgs2sqWS_FllHFk2SDjL-bTHAvGzPotRcyMQVKCq5Io/w640-h440/IMG_6815.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Painting with red as part of an exercise in Birgit O'Connor's watercolor class</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>marthaslavin.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103331217021325363noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3202288049668006882.post-77734777578332913192024-01-24T16:58:00.000-08:002024-01-26T08:08:03.826-08:00WHAT'S ON YOUR BOOK SHELF?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63Bb9M6aZKziloarZdE0gMzahI44B13kdGNfJti4eacHN0Hn5TUKD22B8YhtFjAMBmuanWfWNnO3hK__VUs_PoPANsmlcbQXL0GBLg__TwXIlBYUJ2_ySQ9QyAcsE1EazTQP-QCUUhzzgnx7zI7a6Xp3jLF3QU90OBTlGsXnOdLjtYL-VIW0bk0ygigo/s4032/IMG_2830%20(3).jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63Bb9M6aZKziloarZdE0gMzahI44B13kdGNfJti4eacHN0Hn5TUKD22B8YhtFjAMBmuanWfWNnO3hK__VUs_PoPANsmlcbQXL0GBLg__TwXIlBYUJ2_ySQ9QyAcsE1EazTQP-QCUUhzzgnx7zI7a6Xp3jLF3QU90OBTlGsXnOdLjtYL-VIW0bk0ygigo/w640-h480/IMG_2830%20(3).jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Maybe because it is winter. Maybe because it is cold outside, and we stay inside more often. Maybe because January is a quiet month and a good time to read. I find myself reading more books in January. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A long time ago, I started to keep a list of the books I read. I have filled several small volumes with titles, authors' names, and notes about the books. I didn't include the books we remember from childhood such as Nancy Drew, Wind in the Willows, Winnie the Pooh, Jane Eyre, Mary Poppins, Tom Sawyer, and Huck Finn nor did I include books from college such as The Illiad and The Odyssey, Crime and Punishment, Beowulf (how I ever got through the old language of that book, I don't remember), and all the other world literature that was required reading at that time.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Looking back on my list, I realized that in the last few years, I have read my favorite book of the year in January. The titles include <u>Hamnet </u>by Maggie O'Farrell, <u>The Wild Places</u> by Richard MacFarlane (the one book I needed a dictionary at my side as I read it), <u>The Heart of Everything That Is: The Untold Story of Red Cloud, an American Legend</u> by Bob Drury and Tom Clavin, <u>The Library Book</u> by Susan Orlean, and last year, <u>The Lincoln Highway</u> by Amor Towles. This year, I think my favorite could be <u>Word by Word: The Secret Live of Dictionaries</u> by Kory Stamper, a lexicographer, who is one of those people who decides which words will appear in a dictionary, defines the word and changes the description as the usage of the word evolves. She makes something that seems like an unexciting life into something magical and important.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggmrgrUx4CFHchU5_UWVJutmE_YP4zxqxhuHmXF43566dYi3R2bg4NsfM13038bj5R8lYq5NRfpNTR7ytDvdsDPMTejmqUdVvorn_jU1yUBmG-gKzsKwpEhFakRlSsi2L6ubjqZ1iJcCtrTMeRxk0A-Ujic6eSHoq0ExIzKEmkJmxWUv_cW_fIV0fRsF4/s3243/IMG_2828.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3243" data-original-width="2198" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggmrgrUx4CFHchU5_UWVJutmE_YP4zxqxhuHmXF43566dYi3R2bg4NsfM13038bj5R8lYq5NRfpNTR7ytDvdsDPMTejmqUdVvorn_jU1yUBmG-gKzsKwpEhFakRlSsi2L6ubjqZ1iJcCtrTMeRxk0A-Ujic6eSHoq0ExIzKEmkJmxWUv_cW_fIV0fRsF4/s320/IMG_2828.jpeg" width="217" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjMqn_ibMgDav0fqoLcXWRVkx9CXrGFHr1L1twcIL-0AH6jP0QyDolDGa8RgAnTTjeRv2UFwb5jaGdIZJOkXuNrUfkzJshLgJ_ZwuutY3l2FUx3oreX8wREDP5vMTsrofVrEBu0dwAQ0M9ZPzcknQj5vPmYCnSLMzIP8LjNhB4exYcH3Viiu3LY9TNTGg/s4032/IMG_2829.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjMqn_ibMgDav0fqoLcXWRVkx9CXrGFHr1L1twcIL-0AH6jP0QyDolDGa8RgAnTTjeRv2UFwb5jaGdIZJOkXuNrUfkzJshLgJ_ZwuutY3l2FUx3oreX8wREDP5vMTsrofVrEBu0dwAQ0M9ZPzcknQj5vPmYCnSLMzIP8LjNhB4exYcH3Viiu3LY9TNTGg/s320/IMG_2829.jpeg" width="240" /></a> Two good reads</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">By fourth grade, my parents allowed me to check out books from the adult section of the library. My first choices included history books, especially about the White migration across the Plains in the 19th century and the effect on the Native Tribes already living there. The most recent book I read about this era, <u>The Heart of Everything That Is</u>, was another gut-wrenching, unmasking view of that time in our history.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I also discovered a love of mysteries. I remember reading my way through the Mr. and Mrs. North series written by Francis and Richard Lockridge about married sleuths who solved mysteries in the manner of Agatha Christie novels. I also powered through all of Christie's mysteries. Playing Clue with my sister increased my interest in solving "Who Dunnits." I enjoyed reading how an investigator explored the other characters who became prime suspects. I found good company in Presidents Kennedy and Obama who also liked this genre.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What kinds of books do you read? Mysteries or non-fiction? Sci-fi? Generational stories? History or Biographies? Romances? What piqued your interest in these genres or themes? Do you have a favorite from last year?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">**************</div><p>One of my favorite writers, Margaret Renkl, wrote three wonderful essays about winter in her state of Tennessee. You can read them in the New York Times here:</p><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/22/opinion/snow-winter-climate-change.html?searchResultPosition=1">https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/22/opinion/snow-winter-climate-change.html?searchResultPosition=1</a> </p><p>Check out her website here:</p><p><a href="https://margaretrenkl.com">https://margaretrenkl.com</a><br /></p><p>Good book recommendations by friends:</p><p>Mary, Marcia, and Letty recommend: <u>Lessons in Chemistry</u> by Bonnie Garmus</p><p><u>The Magnificent Lives of Margarie W Post </u>by Allison Pataki</p><p>Bill recommends: <u>The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store</u> by James MacBride, <u>West with Giraffes</u> by Lynda Rutledge, and <u>Democracy Awakening</u> by Heather Cox Richardson</p><p>Christy recommends: <u>Horse</u> by Geraldine Brooks and <u>Dictionary of Lost Words</u> by Pip Williams</p><p>Rose recommends: <u>Wannabe</u>: <u>Reckonings with the Pop Culture That Shaped Me</u></p><p>Marcia recommends: <u>Horse</u> by Geraldine Brooks, <u>Demon Copperfield</u> by Barbara Kingsolver, and <u>Trust</u> by Herman Diaz</p><p>Mary, Marcia, and I all recommend stories by Kate Quinn: good reads</p><p>Check out this updated version of the 100 Must-Read Classics. How many have you read?</p><p><a href="https://www.penguin.co.uk/articles/2022/05/100-must-read-classic-books">https://www.penguin.co.uk/articles/2022/05/100-must-read-classic-books</a><br /></p>marthaslavin.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103331217021325363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3202288049668006882.post-38793428364272693692024-01-19T08:46:00.000-08:002024-01-19T08:46:50.081-08:00EARLY MORNING ON THE EIGHTH FLOOR<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiclQ2AQ8v7olg_nBloPWqAqZGcO7UL4E0IGqaRGtrlIkPlVJD4F3zt5o3VoEV1gEDSibH3iY6QmpsO01YzE9h6D9AYnNYKvcrR5ETIMB89CrkdjoCCXahP5Fz7CFWOA6lHvIKV86hsE1nPe97ef_NK0v6i3IuF_f3Rv3vzADVplsNyT65A5p0wshubxUw/s615/mosaic7b51f5443b37e16ba3255c9fa038fc093d9ff956.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="615" data-original-width="615" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiclQ2AQ8v7olg_nBloPWqAqZGcO7UL4E0IGqaRGtrlIkPlVJD4F3zt5o3VoEV1gEDSibH3iY6QmpsO01YzE9h6D9AYnNYKvcrR5ETIMB89CrkdjoCCXahP5Fz7CFWOA6lHvIKV86hsE1nPe97ef_NK0v6i3IuF_f3Rv3vzADVplsNyT65A5p0wshubxUw/w640-h640/mosaic7b51f5443b37e16ba3255c9fa038fc093d9ff956.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photos for January from the Northeast Window</td></tr></tbody></table></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Not too early in the morning from the northeast bedroom window of our new apartment, I can watch the sun hit the windows of the apartment buildings across the channel. The sun touches a few of the windows with golden light. The seagulls circle and land on the still waters of the channel. I hear their off-key caw as they greet each other. I check the shoreline for the rocks that are hidden by high tide. Sometimes the water is as reflective as a mirror. Other times, the wind ruffles the water and the mirror disappears. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I can see the giant electronic billboard at Oracle Park where the Giants baseball team plays. The billboard is on 24/7 and flashes enormous photos of ball players, Motocross riders, or the trendy entertainers who will come to the park in the future. I can see the towers of the Bay Bridge rise above the park and Yerba Buena Island in the distance. I watch steam rising from pipes on several buildings and I have to remind myself that this isn't Tokyo or Paris. I am in San Francisco.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I see a chattering of sparrows fly to the edge of the roof below and line up like little soldiers. I watch walkers amble across the street to the channel parkway, many with dogs in tow. I hear the roar of freeway traffic which sounds more like a river than individual cars and trucks. I hear the occasional forceful commuter train whistle as the train surges towards the Fourth Street terminal. Sirens from ambulances and fire trucks screech as they race towards the hospital emergency rooms. Occasionally, I hear the alarm that signals one of the drawbridges across the channel is moving upwards as all traffic stops on the streets.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX3J0pWrQiMyWizCFDxxnjAdswwdzaQlI11f45M5Fh1CpjWbmRD9GjdWf2ywjCNgPOKIayEcoLbgNHwUo37Fcqfa0TlxiBioWbubBCVCHkVEvrbBfepobILZ0YXcYHn7fZfIzOIebxf2EJjyPr2hAxzFH7cvO7tI9ovPs1NSwz3OahVatHLts3C_ViWWA/s4032/IMG_2799%20(1).jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX3J0pWrQiMyWizCFDxxnjAdswwdzaQlI11f45M5Fh1CpjWbmRD9GjdWf2ywjCNgPOKIayEcoLbgNHwUo37Fcqfa0TlxiBioWbubBCVCHkVEvrbBfepobILZ0YXcYHn7fZfIzOIebxf2EJjyPr2hAxzFH7cvO7tI9ovPs1NSwz3OahVatHLts3C_ViWWA/w480-h640/IMG_2799%20(1).jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Channel Street</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I am too far above the street to notice any odors or feel the street-side weather from the window. The northeast window looks out onto Mission Creek, which separates us from the rest of San Francisco. Bill and I moved to another apartment on the corner of the building in the same complex we had been living in since November. I like that there are more windows. Bill misses the sun from our old south-facing apartment. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">At night, the view from the northeast bedroom window is a different story.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1vM_2AauPtAeKNvYmuPVpU-9oCL0usiab1uEoQlxkajXWK0HcWTQlmY6ltrX4fBjPI1jSlcaXfEvFaYkx2rT_toPRGI0TVgpIBu5Xc_f3QRTkqUCxgGM7GDzhCwExmfg7WUZZUBZyn2xw2wWZhdE8D6tPuI4PcsjqIuNYBhozbhgicRKTjwALwdjZJ-U" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4166" data-original-width="6246" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1vM_2AauPtAeKNvYmuPVpU-9oCL0usiab1uEoQlxkajXWK0HcWTQlmY6ltrX4fBjPI1jSlcaXfEvFaYkx2rT_toPRGI0TVgpIBu5Xc_f3QRTkqUCxgGM7GDzhCwExmfg7WUZZUBZyn2xw2wWZhdE8D6tPuI4PcsjqIuNYBhozbhgicRKTjwALwdjZJ-U=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mission Creek at night by Bill Slavin<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><p></p>marthaslavin.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103331217021325363noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3202288049668006882.post-15814884425026730812024-01-12T08:21:00.000-08:002024-01-12T08:21:13.471-08:00LOVE STORIES<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzO1RX4-Lgc_p_XsYo5A2OvesQ390wCfnqyX75kautCrrFU3SowXDWZ81dlkEE4fl2EG_EiUjOPFt3eI447mxR8elYPn_tQo9no02pCuwjZaBSByyfbS_ptIwtSko6W5vrbUf71G8fIR7KmCsKH6HxMUzd3P4bk0YpfM4EOZFiKVX1jzaqvh76lMpPbac/s3264/IMG_4290.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzO1RX4-Lgc_p_XsYo5A2OvesQ390wCfnqyX75kautCrrFU3SowXDWZ81dlkEE4fl2EG_EiUjOPFt3eI447mxR8elYPn_tQo9no02pCuwjZaBSByyfbS_ptIwtSko6W5vrbUf71G8fIR7KmCsKH6HxMUzd3P4bk0YpfM4EOZFiKVX1jzaqvh76lMpPbac/w640-h480/IMG_4290.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />The tall handsome young man turned from the counter as a young woman walked through the cafe door. His eye lit up when he saw her, and they stared with delight into each other's eyes.<p></p><p>A soppy beginning to a romance novel? No, just an everyday occurrence at our local cafe. We live in a neighborhood full of young people, young families, medical students, and people from all over the world. We hear different languages spoken around us and listen to Happy Birthday songs sung in the children's park across the way. We see the beginnings of new love as the couples around us chat with enthusiasm about their daily lives and new-formed ideas. </p><p>As the young couple greeted each other with sparkles in their eyes, two grey-haired couples walked behind them. They entered the cafe with the casual assurance of old relationships, aware of each other, one touching the elbow of the other, and knowing exactly what one or the other would order. The four elders sat down together in the back and talked amiably among themselves.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX8WB3a54aIEHZT_WJM5k5tsLhrplDmXuJcysXG43Q2A4ruZ1cB2ynvVBmzcCroRwnlDaLdpdpzPvRyhD0Fp_zqTOdasiM9VJ142N6cwIT1uovYzPc-KcdDcMxU6-FnaVOYKMQ6OpoEVtKZUkfSY90pKuXlMpd5EZv04_sopvADCojYOT1VmLNdgpvcDA/s3264/IMG_0202%20(1).jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX8WB3a54aIEHZT_WJM5k5tsLhrplDmXuJcysXG43Q2A4ruZ1cB2ynvVBmzcCroRwnlDaLdpdpzPvRyhD0Fp_zqTOdasiM9VJ142N6cwIT1uovYzPc-KcdDcMxU6-FnaVOYKMQ6OpoEVtKZUkfSY90pKuXlMpd5EZv04_sopvADCojYOT1VmLNdgpvcDA/w640-h480/IMG_0202%20(1).jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Someone asked my husband Bill what the secret to a long marriage was. His immediate answer was "Curiosity." I would agree, but I also would consider, "Commitment." And a sense of humor about each other's foibles. When we have the inevitable rough patches in our marriage, I lose my sense of humor and patience. When those important traits come back again, I know all is right with our world.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I think of other couples that I know. One couple's sense of humor fills their lives. They haven't lost the sparkle in their eyes when they look at each other and laugh with glee at either a witty or ironic phrase one of them utters. They chuckle at their comical facial expressions. They are both artists and some of their creativity seeps into their daily lives.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Another couple does almost everything together, checking with each other before making any commitment, and holding hands as they walk together. Another couple highlights the good in the other so that their friends know what the best part of their partner is. Two others give each other a kiss and say, "I love you," each time they go separate ways. Thinking of all of these couples, I do not think there is one answer to the question of what makes a marriage or a long relationship work. Maybe, a little bit of luck to have found someone with the right balance of acceptance, empathy, and willingness to work at staying together.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCGxzM_Zdar4I0sHzdkfbGVXnBTpfVx2MW7myU1kAiU8WAn6I3KwCKPA1SbuH38K4LqXcV51Dv_XQikiW7PxKGGsCDHwvfmX0IqYwqzlx8SXzGXlXzveXkZDYXraXLzYZVg3bP_2M9En7GNHu0dBq49FgOv-NdgfRk0mLNS1_e3j-XRj2AqgRNPG4cUF4/s4032/IMG_5472.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCGxzM_Zdar4I0sHzdkfbGVXnBTpfVx2MW7myU1kAiU8WAn6I3KwCKPA1SbuH38K4LqXcV51Dv_XQikiW7PxKGGsCDHwvfmX0IqYwqzlx8SXzGXlXzveXkZDYXraXLzYZVg3bP_2M9En7GNHu0dBq49FgOv-NdgfRk0mLNS1_e3j-XRj2AqgRNPG4cUF4/w640-h480/IMG_5472.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>marthaslavin.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103331217021325363noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3202288049668006882.post-71789317458842540842024-01-03T12:30:00.000-08:002024-01-05T07:51:52.399-08:00FULL OF IDEAS<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfdWNZ4bFLD57sUvGopVtDog9mEeZTRIOgCR664g1gfT-nVD3-uWaGFGsGaT2ai8EgPPW16_jiX9-DQ1njLQmsOyABVi-CfpLAvgqOf6qH4k-nVEzuH8X5a-suP9SDsqLb35yl6IEUQqUJxXxgVgXSY3WN_26x6bXUgyNroB2qJoMBUqRgRFlka7ES4zg/s3694/IMG_2760%20(1).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2453" data-original-width="3694" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfdWNZ4bFLD57sUvGopVtDog9mEeZTRIOgCR664g1gfT-nVD3-uWaGFGsGaT2ai8EgPPW16_jiX9-DQ1njLQmsOyABVi-CfpLAvgqOf6qH4k-nVEzuH8X5a-suP9SDsqLb35yl6IEUQqUJxXxgVgXSY3WN_26x6bXUgyNroB2qJoMBUqRgRFlka7ES4zg/w640-h424/IMG_2760%20(1).jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Letter G, one of three completed pages from my newest ABCEDarian</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"It's in the Bekins" has become a weekly phrase we utter when we can't find something. We hadn't planned to spend a year living in different places after we sold our home. We thought a few short months would give us ideas of places to live (and it helped us eliminate some) and a house to move into. We packed up most of our belongings into Bekins storage vaults.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now that winter has set in with its chilly mornings and grey skies, we ask, "Where's that warm sweater? I only brought two shirts and a couple of pairs of pants. The rest is "in the Bekins."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"Mixing bowls, measuring cups, kitchen scissors, and knives? They're in the Bekins."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"Where are my rulers, stapler, photo storage and shredder, punches, and craft papers? In the Bekins," we both exclaim.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Tempting to buy new replacements, but then what would we do with the new ones when all the stuff "in the Bekins" is delivered to whatever place we find to live? Twice as much as before and we were trying to downsize? We have to laugh at ourselves, which is not "in the Bekins."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFE9RU2SfbG6x8OAzoNAUgRubJydps1M5bVVxrNMwNxethZWsR87foPDKZHfyLnU5YvlHCNAjf2dfRKybgceVW-2fYXGKs-4SbX3hz3edgDqX5H8Clcz8g12as05Eq6q5ZEsZcbyb6eG7u48C-T8AptgG5rXmJH5OIehqJiJGkbGCxKHJ6Hp24Wd6z9Ks/s3858/IMG_2785.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2642" data-original-width="3858" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFE9RU2SfbG6x8OAzoNAUgRubJydps1M5bVVxrNMwNxethZWsR87foPDKZHfyLnU5YvlHCNAjf2dfRKybgceVW-2fYXGKs-4SbX3hz3edgDqX5H8Clcz8g12as05Eq6q5ZEsZcbyb6eG7u48C-T8AptgG5rXmJH5OIehqJiJGkbGCxKHJ6Hp24Wd6z9Ks/w640-h438/IMG_2785.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At the beginning of the year, many artists and writers put down their thoughts about the coming year. Some people pick a word to live by for the year, and others make resolutions. I've already added and canceled an exercise app realizing that I had little time to add other routines to my morning stretches in January (we are on the move from one apartment to another this month). The app suggested fasting to lose weight. I decided to postpone any changes till February and deleted the app after reading their food suggestions. At least the app made me think about my daily meals. I've decided that my word for 2024 is Unfinished.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj78rtMJjNIM6FU-pACrkeqF-3joaUS-cJAUIEbt0dXN4FD6WoVG6BrfLI2gtBP_GMX70cI257FF9iBRg1ddLLHgvJEnJLFmw27pDw_LIRV_qW1NPd54pRF42xLSAB9D2Zx4l1MezSGYWvX4J30eAP8Ioy99XjyYLf0Djj7QmJVigN4sOUsY0SCprX7dm0/s3729/IMG_2783.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2593" data-original-width="3729" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj78rtMJjNIM6FU-pACrkeqF-3joaUS-cJAUIEbt0dXN4FD6WoVG6BrfLI2gtBP_GMX70cI257FF9iBRg1ddLLHgvJEnJLFmw27pDw_LIRV_qW1NPd54pRF42xLSAB9D2Zx4l1MezSGYWvX4J30eAP8Ioy99XjyYLf0Djj7QmJVigN4sOUsY0SCprX7dm0/w640-h446/IMG_2783.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div></div><br /><br /><p>For the last couple of weeks, I've returned to the ABCEDarian sketchbook that I started in a calligraphy class last February (full circle: maybe my year needs to start in February). The art journal is divided into two-page spreads for each letter of the alphabet. It is unfinished. I like to make alphabet books, but this book has taken more time because I have tried to stay with words that inspire me to make art. The letter J had me stumped. Journal is the obvious answer, but what after that? I wrote down J words: Jump, Japan, Jazzy, Joy, Jumpstart, and January. Phew, just a few. I thought of that process like bubbles rising from a bubble blower with some of the ideas growing, some of them popping as soon as released, others gathering together into clusters as they rise above me. I kept the pages for the letter J simple with copies of pages from other sketchbooks and an illustration of those bubbles rising. Now I can turn the page to start on another letter.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Unfinished still.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVQ7K088ieBKX35Ly21aIf8IUMX6s9OC_VyeF40HY23Ziot3-Cg3l0zqW4gf2J2_RMn_M9Ad_wooM1Bf_OhbxMxkqnh_M9xTZcqIAXVPcG6QwgRL9RlDgfaNlXHD9hplQhllY02c4kCBjYuZiAHNS4II1BnbZfFErp3E3xP14O8aBEyNpIuhluimRxszs/s3252/IMG_0005%20(1).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1933" data-original-width="3252" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVQ7K088ieBKX35Ly21aIf8IUMX6s9OC_VyeF40HY23Ziot3-Cg3l0zqW4gf2J2_RMn_M9Ad_wooM1Bf_OhbxMxkqnh_M9xTZcqIAXVPcG6QwgRL9RlDgfaNlXHD9hplQhllY02c4kCBjYuZiAHNS4II1BnbZfFErp3E3xP14O8aBEyNpIuhluimRxszs/w640-h380/IMG_0005%20(1).jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">************</p><p>A good post to read to start your new year. Check out Literally Letty here:</p><p><a href="https://literallyletty.blogspot.com/2023/12/the-birthday-challenge-what-will-you-do.html">https://literallyletty.blogspot.com/2023/12/the-birthday-challenge-what-will-you-do.html</a> </p>marthaslavin.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103331217021325363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3202288049668006882.post-50655296754171690622023-12-29T10:05:00.000-08:002023-12-29T10:05:28.532-08:0050 YEARS AGO<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj39KYt81udR39BWz8JpmVTll-3Dj6rrA1CEG0OfDy8BFcWm9cYX8Rto35y0fWbmdCiZdH6BIS-bsf-BdIEQnUi9rv4QNTKsNARVJglDjkuYDsjrsHTXW1miECMdIAIQfW1L8KVkRsLeklQ6Jz6-CNJ1C_keSJeCbHj57mUEXfnR4f5vOoMD2usnOQnpzU/s1978/IMG_0371%20(2).jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1978" data-original-width="1851" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj39KYt81udR39BWz8JpmVTll-3Dj6rrA1CEG0OfDy8BFcWm9cYX8Rto35y0fWbmdCiZdH6BIS-bsf-BdIEQnUi9rv4QNTKsNARVJglDjkuYDsjrsHTXW1miECMdIAIQfW1L8KVkRsLeklQ6Jz6-CNJ1C_keSJeCbHj57mUEXfnR4f5vOoMD2usnOQnpzU/w598-h640/IMG_0371%20(2).jpeg" width="598" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Five Signs of Life: Square, Triangle, Circle, Cross, Spiral</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> What events in the last year stand out to you?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We can all think of wars, extreme heat, and the recession of democracies as important events that occurred in 1973, but three anniversaries speak of some pretty strong cultural influences. Disney and Warner Bros. celebrated their 100th anniversaries. The Hip Hop music phenomenon celebrated its 50th. All three of these have had a tremendous impact on American culture. The reminders of these anniversaries brought me back to 1973 to see what else happened that year. Going back to 1923 will have to wait.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I scoured online for 1973 and discovered two lists, one from the Saturday Evening Post (I didn't even know that the SEP still existed) and another from the Houston Defender, a now-online news source focused on Black information (I didn't know this news source existed until I looked online). These two publications are other echoes of our culture along with the anniversaries of Disney, Warner Bros, and Hip Hop.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Saturday Evening Post began publication in 1897 and came to our house every week, often with its covers designed by Norman Rockwell, and full of mainstream American stories. It is still available in print six times a year and digitally. The Houston Defender started in 1930 as a physical paper that has transitioned to online with stories centered mostly on Black American life.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I combined some of the events on their lists for 1973:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Roe v Wade ruling</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Motorola introduces the first cell phone</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Gerald Ford became Vice President after Spiro Agnew resigned</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Watergate scandal continues</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Vietnam War ends</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">OPEC oil embargo</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Occupation of Wounded Knee</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Passing of the Endangered Species Act</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Billie Jean King v Bobby Riggs tennis match</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">DJ Kool Herc invents Hip Hop</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Films of the Year: Exorcist, Enter the Dragon, American Graffiti, and Blaxploitation movies such as Detroit 9000 and Cleopatra Jones</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Books: <u>Carrie</u> by Stephen Kin, <u>Breakfast of Champions</u> by Kurt Vonnegut, <u>The Best and the Brightest</u> by David Halberstam, <u>Sula</u> by Toni Morrison, <u>There is a Tree More Ancient Than Eden</u> by Leon Forrest</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Which of these items on this list do you think has had the biggest impact on us today?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicANIa28pHBqH_c_d2Dt_9hKT8WxKxwOxHXl_ZkB8mirSAVZPuyDDbSAS82Ky0wvpmC81j366SX4XsORAZ2SNkW-MVnay1BCy4t0OXo_Ict-_TgLpTdZecpjOjnEhrmQogRQjANrrWwNSVoTrXcVXWMyd6veFkURl0l_LPIoQjo6jEoM0a17JvQTJnRWk/s1860/IMG_0073%20(1).jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1860" data-original-width="1831" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicANIa28pHBqH_c_d2Dt_9hKT8WxKxwOxHXl_ZkB8mirSAVZPuyDDbSAS82Ky0wvpmC81j366SX4XsORAZ2SNkW-MVnay1BCy4t0OXo_Ict-_TgLpTdZecpjOjnEhrmQogRQjANrrWwNSVoTrXcVXWMyd6veFkURl0l_LPIoQjo6jEoM0a17JvQTJnRWk/w630-h640/IMG_0073%20(1).jpeg" width="630" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">***********</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Something to think about: Thanks to the writer</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Rebecca Solnit who posted this photo this week from the Science Photo Library</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">of the earth taken from the point of view of the Pacific Ocean.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXxBslBTFVTB2LfB0l51aGZNL-eXyqSfBrRXc_ehnCGjIgDVILraWvbws3tyrfXT810MJh5_RbMgMqTK8rl_AkHqdQy4cU174uQRjLfr3-7Oh4ohtpc62ANyQ6HneXGRe9o3-dJSius8UTxULclBPMRjKAt-NlXAQ_BLu8auK_p6s8GFDQhwcP1mhtXtw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="623" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXxBslBTFVTB2LfB0l51aGZNL-eXyqSfBrRXc_ehnCGjIgDVILraWvbws3tyrfXT810MJh5_RbMgMqTK8rl_AkHqdQy4cU174uQRjLfr3-7Oh4ohtpc62ANyQ6HneXGRe9o3-dJSius8UTxULclBPMRjKAt-NlXAQ_BLu8auK_p6s8GFDQhwcP1mhtXtw=w499-h640" width="499" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Check out the Houston Defender:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://defendernetwork.com/category/news/national/">https://defendernetwork.com/category/news/national/</a><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Link to Saturday Evening Post:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com">https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com</a><br /></div><p></p>marthaslavin.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103331217021325363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3202288049668006882.post-26983733145444298732023-12-22T08:08:00.000-08:002024-02-01T15:06:54.076-08:00A GOOD YEAR FOR FACES<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjolv7VhsqodYWjE5_y8eg5_OvE4dZ8mBvdcKyDRCCHo2Y_bbEg5RCrUgpqZfhCdSTDIXEYg1OsYimGSvArHhBoHIKpWH4hDxNLuI9mFXFnMX0n85RgApzxhL6_Xk5Mj1D70AOtzU_1q9xnVZpD1cBDoP1n4wfnVHDgy2vKW_gAdEO0jg4d1dAeOqmVDsM/s5712/IMG_0156.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5712" data-original-width="4284" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjolv7VhsqodYWjE5_y8eg5_OvE4dZ8mBvdcKyDRCCHo2Y_bbEg5RCrUgpqZfhCdSTDIXEYg1OsYimGSvArHhBoHIKpWH4hDxNLuI9mFXFnMX0n85RgApzxhL6_Xk5Mj1D70AOtzU_1q9xnVZpD1cBDoP1n4wfnVHDgy2vKW_gAdEO0jg4d1dAeOqmVDsM/w480-h640/IMG_0156.HEIC" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div><span style="font-size: x-small;">After too much coffee? by Bill Slavin</span></div></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><br /><div>2023, full of tragedy and tumult, has been in a personal way something to treasure. Just like everyone else's, my smile disappeared behind a mask during the pandemic. I would smile as I talked with people, but my facial expression remained hidden partly because of the mask but because I also shielded my eyes by wearing large sunglasses. The glasses covered my eyes and most of my face quite well. With a mask and adding a hat, all my facial expressions vanished. With a mask on, I struggled to let people know that I had empathy for them. I removed my glasses so they could see my eyes, but that was not enough. My muffled voice behind the mask didn't carry the emotion I wanted to express. Body language became more important.</div><div><br /></div> <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCobDYg-Fsjs60Y-B6aL5BNPLYfcHzb3gm3VUNm3KP6-NX79uR6PXbldh3IuMAuIzEFjnxtOwo9HkCs45WCU1WnZbUd0S05xOcGoazAM9S3OpHw9LkbnRSCorpUM8uoc2t5hA6_tMwCmH9XVgUHKmLxk-zURNirRWXDm_h3BLlromMsh-RvKV1TyC55dQ/s4032/IMG_1647.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCobDYg-Fsjs60Y-B6aL5BNPLYfcHzb3gm3VUNm3KP6-NX79uR6PXbldh3IuMAuIzEFjnxtOwo9HkCs45WCU1WnZbUd0S05xOcGoazAM9S3OpHw9LkbnRSCorpUM8uoc2t5hA6_tMwCmH9XVgUHKmLxk-zURNirRWXDm_h3BLlromMsh-RvKV1TyC55dQ/w480-h640/IMG_1647.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Merry Christmas Shout-Out</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />I rarely see someone with a mask on now. I am one of the cautious ones who still places one on my face when I know I will be in a crowded place for a long period. Most of the time. Until cold weather arrived, we continued to eat at restaurants on their patios instead of inside. We appreciate the wonderful dimension created by outdoor seating in a restaurant space. We are going to sporting events and other crowded activities that would not have been on our list during the pandemic. By pure luck, I haven't had Covid yet.<div><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWuIOSt9LYocZMsZzwxDRZHxBVNtEy2BJtum3NJQcRGtniYlNplAK0zmijnCMx-O3yYxYcPP6fHZycDMyhu7GH_KeEmHB5kHT7zNW5lmMBnFK7Y4K42gB7Bpam_TfoFNU388o4h0rgF_fIYBBjaZrTAf2n7r-ZtCmGr_GGCqqBEgtWr6xLmgvzgqDoOkM/s2741/IMG_2060.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2565" data-original-width="2741" height="598" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWuIOSt9LYocZMsZzwxDRZHxBVNtEy2BJtum3NJQcRGtniYlNplAK0zmijnCMx-O3yYxYcPP6fHZycDMyhu7GH_KeEmHB5kHT7zNW5lmMBnFK7Y4K42gB7Bpam_TfoFNU388o4h0rgF_fIYBBjaZrTAf2n7r-ZtCmGr_GGCqqBEgtWr6xLmgvzgqDoOkM/w640-h598/IMG_2060.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Peeking at you"</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>People have often made comments about my wide smile, a family trait. My favorite came from a student at the end of the day. He said, "When I walk into your room and see your smile, I know I am okay." A smile has been my way to assure people of my good intentions, that I'm friendly, and that I appreciate the work they do.<div><br /></div><div>Smiles, though, can be full of contradictions. In other cultures, a smile could be an indication of someone's poor mental health or a sign of danger. In our culture, women often are told they smile too much or they are told to smile because they look too stern. Smile and a woman is too girlish. No smile and she is too severe. In 2023, I found that someone's smile was extra special to see.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjja82_LfK5uJvQsnkzbmrvWQHxe9qeoPGpW2ULulBeBkaMbkWo6cTmMNqpY6cPC7iKNkTq7AtUUMRB_dvQmD-eaDL_cfO2gd_8uf3X0dNFuSz8ABL3H0FZgIXNQHM-VW9NtzNuEV7ryD7aMOm-3yfaiRFogkzn369Mc5iu-cZtWC0nkE-tGxmZLySGM7o/s3088/IMG_6765.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2316" data-original-width="3088" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjja82_LfK5uJvQsnkzbmrvWQHxe9qeoPGpW2ULulBeBkaMbkWo6cTmMNqpY6cPC7iKNkTq7AtUUMRB_dvQmD-eaDL_cfO2gd_8uf3X0dNFuSz8ABL3H0FZgIXNQHM-VW9NtzNuEV7ryD7aMOm-3yfaiRFogkzn369Mc5iu-cZtWC0nkE-tGxmZLySGM7o/w640-h480/IMG_6765.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>Though I valued the mask for protecting me from Covid, I discovered one more unexpected consequence. Wearing a mask not only guarded against Covid, but affected how I communicated with others. 2023 has been a year of getting reacquainted with the smiles on other people's faces and seeing the other facial clues we express that signal how we are all feeling. I am glad.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><br /><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div></div>marthaslavin.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103331217021325363noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3202288049668006882.post-54215271567021018452023-12-14T14:17:00.000-08:002023-12-19T15:55:12.538-08:00RUST AND RESPECT<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXhFFBS-L38g2SQysuI-J5iQFDih5WuyC_tzGbdIKjIQqZu9B0nAw7ygYTE2DbffYysaeI362kScmeIl-AVd4scyH0vswKkTLDdpuL_Os4rTHTSz7uKd0pF8zPL35S-eDSTxOK03D6yy4e58dOQtI0ibw0s82Bm8ZluKPYdaK586Pfx70-v3B0byYsoGY/s3350/IMG_2699.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2649" data-original-width="3350" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXhFFBS-L38g2SQysuI-J5iQFDih5WuyC_tzGbdIKjIQqZu9B0nAw7ygYTE2DbffYysaeI362kScmeIl-AVd4scyH0vswKkTLDdpuL_Os4rTHTSz7uKd0pF8zPL35S-eDSTxOK03D6yy4e58dOQtI0ibw0s82Bm8ZluKPYdaK586Pfx70-v3B0byYsoGY/w640-h506/IMG_2699.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rusting water pipes</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>Stepping out of our apartment building, I hurry across the street to my quick respite from concrete: a walkway lined with trees and bushes. Several alleys of trees in our neighborhood give me the chance to walk underneath their welcoming limbs away from the streets lined with buildings. Bill and I also live a short distance from the canal behind Oracle Park where kayakers paddle during baseball season in hopes of catching a home-run ball. The canal is alive with seagulls, herons, and cormorants who roost along the edges. The canal is also the entrance to Mission Bay, a former industrial area, where we live. Walking around the neighborhood, I have been hard-pressed to find new drawing inspiration. Instead of my usual trees, acorns, people, and birds, I find lots of buildings and massive steel beams. Some artists love to portray this industrial look, but I'm not one of them.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4YziN-3wOqBk-EVK1IogbjGATpVEz969bKApz6_ZxjCVhRnlmjkar70gAUvukf9MinDBAm4PKtbkQCIEFapORkZG4IzwEY5NL_9k6YSVJPg7Gk8zwcqdLy8UY7XxpXfs253C2OsIsM-rbkBTf6cjEwy8LPvrZoi9efr943PdgOUYMdCf6qAAk5V62TMw/s3127/IMG_1371%20(1).jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2533" data-original-width="3127" height="518" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4YziN-3wOqBk-EVK1IogbjGATpVEz969bKApz6_ZxjCVhRnlmjkar70gAUvukf9MinDBAm4PKtbkQCIEFapORkZG4IzwEY5NL_9k6YSVJPg7Gk8zwcqdLy8UY7XxpXfs253C2OsIsM-rbkBTf6cjEwy8LPvrZoi9efr943PdgOUYMdCf6qAAk5V62TMw/w640-h518/IMG_1371%20(1).jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steelworkers of America</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>While we lived in Danville and Aptos, I could walk out the door and find natural objects to pick up and take home to draw and paint. Not so here in the city. As I walked around the streets what first interested me were the rust-colored street plates that dot the pavement. They aren't plain; instead, the surface is covered with wave-like patterns, perhaps an interpretation of the water that surrounds the area. The covers are the color of rust or Burnt Sienna, one of my favorite colors. I began looking for more rust.</p><p><br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2619" data-original-width="3566" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTJrh_y5gDFmWtc_GhSz4Fd2VMUP39f_F3YbZYCk41alay3dEnmTwzpqpOBY1Hi3JOIqF2Du8y1sygFnSWm4NANTdXOc_fjF1XNnRjAA1ufvGh1GWFWqCi-WpRpGomsL-aTl1nrpht6CXmt9DZ00Qsaa6cr1_PokqxtTGBssSpMZ4BvRcem-aM8bEuSj0/w640-h470/IMG_2700.jpeg" width="640" /></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p>Along the waterfront, we walked part of the San Francisco Bay Trail, which circles the Bay. The trail comes off the Golden Gate Bridge, runs on the Embarcadero, and continues south beyond Mission Bay, Dogpatch, India Basin, Bay View, and Hunter's Point where slaughterhouses, the Naval shipyard, warehouses, lumberyards, and steel mills once were located. For a long time, this area was the backwater of San Francisco where early immigrants pitched their tents and irradiated ships after atom bomb testing in the 1950s docked. Now the area is rapidly transitioning to condos, tech and medical offices, parks, and athletic facilities though Hunter's Point still has a superfund site where toxic waste keeps being found even after the initial clean up.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjic8FGDy37x0ttwIMuQGyNg4MkQwA9GSYnvH8Jyk9y4hko-CM2H6-yQMULN9XFH1IP1iExs2h1acsm2mA-KCd7dFACt5f05ylTnPRZW5FOyfXiB7iHRs1XOCFlllVc79Q4_KLqLPFjKz2C_9frwdN1wEScuwbRkRsbxTC_jPnLrD6KsFRqwISqWyTtEcQ/s3397/IMG_2717.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2482" data-original-width="3397" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjic8FGDy37x0ttwIMuQGyNg4MkQwA9GSYnvH8Jyk9y4hko-CM2H6-yQMULN9XFH1IP1iExs2h1acsm2mA-KCd7dFACt5f05ylTnPRZW5FOyfXiB7iHRs1XOCFlllVc79Q4_KLqLPFjKz2C_9frwdN1wEScuwbRkRsbxTC_jPnLrD6KsFRqwISqWyTtEcQ/w640-h468/IMG_2717.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abandoned buildings at Crane Cove Park</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><br /></p><p>When Bill and I walked the trail, we came to the surprise of Crane Cove Park, a small beach and playing field named for the two monster metal cranes at the side of the park. I saw a feast of rust across from the small beach behind chain link fences that surround the Union Iron Works National Register Historic District. The park is part of a tribute to its previous history as an industrial area and to the workers who built ships and loaded freight on to barges, especially during WW II. Beyond the fences sit abandoned brick and sheetmetal buildings ready for redevelopment. As we walked past the fences to 20th Street on Pier 70, we saw the beginnings of reclamation of the area. Restoration Hardware has moved to the former Bethlehem Steel Building at the entrance to the pier. Inside the brick buildings that line the street, we saw room after room of computers. The area is trading heavy industry of the past for the modern tech equivalent.</p><p>In just a few spots along the trail, we watched the remains of the natural world with shore birds circling the water to come in for a landing and to dry their feathers in the sun.</p><p style="text-align: center;">************</p><p><br /></p><p>Read more about the Mission Bay area here:</p><p>John King's 2019 article about the Pier 70 project:<br /><a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/At-San-Francisco-s-Pier-70-everything-that-s-13693328.php">https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/At-San-Francisco-s-Pier-70-everything-that-s-13693328.php</a></p><p>What Mission Creek looked like in the 1920s:</p><p><a href="https://www.foundsf.org/index.php?title=Mission_Creek_1920s">https://www.foundsf.org/index.php?title=Mission_Creek_1920s</a><br /></p><p>San Francisco Parks Alliance:</p><p><a href="https://sanfranciscoparksalliance.org/projects/blue-greenway/#/home/page">https://sanfranciscoparksalliance.org/projects/blue-greenway/#/home/page</a><br /></p><p>Tour of the Blue Greenway (taken 7 years ago) which gives a full view of what the rehabilitation includes.</p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDAuxjq2PcA&feature=youtu.be">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDAuxjq2PcA&feature=youtu.be</a> </p>marthaslavin.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103331217021325363noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3202288049668006882.post-65570634862956760422023-12-08T08:15:00.000-08:002023-12-08T08:15:43.006-08:00MAKE IT EASY<p><br /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJHWbuwx4ZovsjRdVawV4qAvkuwHTK4XWmO9dIUlvcSWTwrWy_XFly7nan3ZGYQQdlWHKoozXq_vKEWaBK4JxkCuNjf5lTVJchbVTkarhPPxWFy41UJVoz33WgChPmShK68xBOoW626iOqmOX2bT24CwZp3MARoLpNKZIhfPMb-dp8BqGVi4ZKg2LHhr4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2840" data-original-width="2065" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJHWbuwx4ZovsjRdVawV4qAvkuwHTK4XWmO9dIUlvcSWTwrWy_XFly7nan3ZGYQQdlWHKoozXq_vKEWaBK4JxkCuNjf5lTVJchbVTkarhPPxWFy41UJVoz33WgChPmShK68xBOoW626iOqmOX2bT24CwZp3MARoLpNKZIhfPMb-dp8BqGVi4ZKg2LHhr4=w467-h640" width="467" /></a></p><p>During the holiday season since high school, I found fun in decorating our house and making cards and holiday ornaments. </p><p>When I was in high school, I learned to make a paper sculpture ball out of two pieces of full-size (about 20 X 30 inches) metallic paper. On each sheet, I would measure out one-inch marks across the page, and meticulously score those marks along with the diagonal lines that crossed the pages. I carefully folded each scored line until the paper turned into half of a ball-shaped ornament. I would repeat that process with another piece of paper. When I did the ornament right, it was a beauty to behold.</p><p>When Bill and I were first married, we made our own holiday cards. He would cut out the shapes I had designed from a linoleum block, I would spread printer's ink across the finished block, and then press it on a piece of colored paper.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWi_BPK6CXd_M11PR0d8PUT1vwPa_t2ql_GLMbF-I99YSORb04Zyu3bgkamMhcpHZXpHQw8XBZit9-PqyRBRzjPfbUsRyTsylNlEKETFvnv2QWvoVop-mr_7IAg8XcdTx5Tuq1Xkx6jBByPjyODHElFHl94Vym2nobw-ZNTiIe4_quD8Ob1PXZC-RQCZM/s3320/IMG_1562.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3320" data-original-width="2410" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWi_BPK6CXd_M11PR0d8PUT1vwPa_t2ql_GLMbF-I99YSORb04Zyu3bgkamMhcpHZXpHQw8XBZit9-PqyRBRzjPfbUsRyTsylNlEKETFvnv2QWvoVop-mr_7IAg8XcdTx5Tuq1Xkx6jBByPjyODHElFHl94Vym2nobw-ZNTiIe4_quD8Ob1PXZC-RQCZM/w464-h640/IMG_1562.jpeg" width="464" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>A few years ago, I made some cards to add to the ones we now make using Bill's photographs. I wrote up the instructions for them on this blog. Several people have requested the instructions for making my holiday tree cards. What makes this card special is how easy it is to make with whatever supplies you might have to create a simple homemade card.</p><p>Supplies you can use:</p><p>Painter's tape and hole punches</p><p>Sturdy paper such as Strathmore postcard paper or smooth Bristol board</p><p>Watercolors, watercolor inks, watercolor crayons, or watered-down food coloring</p><p>A clean sponge or brush and the end of an unsharpened pencil</p><p>Water, scissors, glue, and a ruler</p><p>For tree variations: collect holiday-colored paper scraps and round stickers</p><p>Sequins, crystal stars, go with what you want on the tree!</p> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjCKC-xGGZuJ5fmfbNBHnBS89Bxrx1CyMqIP7OxVll0uGLtZU3TCl9bnlNLTljx1Kh0Q386wB30FhponRN1DWbT5J2-KYlm0To4BebIl8RdAGqd4FALIXe8pnm6aodNDGhc32d3Q6NiWRZJZI0tOHph2Db48WVMbCHvNMGJ8PufSUVV8A_bpo3IeLkyJi8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjCKC-xGGZuJ5fmfbNBHnBS89Bxrx1CyMqIP7OxVll0uGLtZU3TCl9bnlNLTljx1Kh0Q386wB30FhponRN1DWbT5J2-KYlm0To4BebIl8RdAGqd4FALIXe8pnm6aodNDGhc32d3Q6NiWRZJZI0tOHph2Db48WVMbCHvNMGJ8PufSUVV8A_bpo3IeLkyJi8=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjCKC-xGGZuJ5fmfbNBHnBS89Bxrx1CyMqIP7OxVll0uGLtZU3TCl9bnlNLTljx1Kh0Q386wB30FhponRN1DWbT5J2-KYlm0To4BebIl8RdAGqd4FALIXe8pnm6aodNDGhc32d3Q6NiWRZJZI0tOHph2Db48WVMbCHvNMGJ8PufSUVV8A_bpo3IeLkyJi8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">Tape off an equilateral triangle on the postcard-sized paper you choose. Make sure the inner edges of the tape are secure. Using the color agent of your choice, fill the triangle with green. Let it dry. Using the end of a pencil dipped in red paint or ink or red dots made with a hole punch, scatter red dots over the tree.</div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">Add another small triangle at the bottom for the tree trunk.</div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">If you like to do hand lettering, use either pen and ink or markers to add holiday greetings to your card. If you aren't confident about your writing skills, you can make a copy of the phrase from the original cards or find other phrases from other cards or magazines, cut them out, and paste them in place.</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgrTwbPxitfudUxQR9DPLiT5xYQPvOSkMP0oYPV8F8q_jC27cCsn4mqI2fi0VVJ0IFfaAaNtCkAOC2XvZTdA-6i3_axXNLldYFaa50Tko_GjBt_MeqIgi5298DO2Avef_ty2VK9s34yurXpHQKpnbmEMLZuC8p8tDLn0CBelm3ZSWpVRtDU_YMbEPsomTM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="1595" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgrTwbPxitfudUxQR9DPLiT5xYQPvOSkMP0oYPV8F8q_jC27cCsn4mqI2fi0VVJ0IFfaAaNtCkAOC2XvZTdA-6i3_axXNLldYFaa50Tko_GjBt_MeqIgi5298DO2Avef_ty2VK9s34yurXpHQKpnbmEMLZuC8p8tDLn0CBelm3ZSWpVRtDU_YMbEPsomTM=w640-h176" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Variations on the holiday tree:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 238);"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #0000ee; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiLDy-p7SNnxFOIz3l3lOIZtWa-fcX8rjCHMUtShGzWhRupjxwkIHA6l5GBZRI_zsJ5txw_nTpJJGWHOuZm_FJ5IKeagVHGF2RKjZmd0Va-Ikzq7wyGOMUnBnVK3qR3XDl4kuiIaw-KZ4E9_lrms9-yAlI0oZoXOFdmpomNic_qHFReEQ_g4VnbjlaVXQ/s2457/IMG_9927%20(1).jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2457" data-original-width="1783" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiLDy-p7SNnxFOIz3l3lOIZtWa-fcX8rjCHMUtShGzWhRupjxwkIHA6l5GBZRI_zsJ5txw_nTpJJGWHOuZm_FJ5IKeagVHGF2RKjZmd0Va-Ikzq7wyGOMUnBnVK3qR3XDl4kuiIaw-KZ4E9_lrms9-yAlI0oZoXOFdmpomNic_qHFReEQ_g4VnbjlaVXQ/w464-h640/IMG_9927%20(1).jpeg" width="464" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Card made with round stationery stickers and a crystal star</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 238);"><u><br /></u></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 238);"><u><br /></u></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 238);"><u><br /></u></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 238);"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: #0000ee; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgufnTOlwNr0BE0m1qX2wtKH_oDWKTFJHtrTtBeutpUltKuanLXVHhUnR3L_05DFR2R5KPULknzPWuSyGw3jdM99Lzfr43DYvAyv7vLQQZfnlDuCx5A2zTcMktxZqgxsIPnS2zrqx7IPbc2AToYUKbVVxX3svmIgNuSf7CVeLfOMR5miMxFmBDUqQTQYMY/s2905/IMG_9923%20(1).jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1988" data-original-width="2905" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgufnTOlwNr0BE0m1qX2wtKH_oDWKTFJHtrTtBeutpUltKuanLXVHhUnR3L_05DFR2R5KPULknzPWuSyGw3jdM99Lzfr43DYvAyv7vLQQZfnlDuCx5A2zTcMktxZqgxsIPnS2zrqx7IPbc2AToYUKbVVxX3svmIgNuSf7CVeLfOMR5miMxFmBDUqQTQYMY/w640-h438/IMG_9923%20(1).jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Decorative paper cut to fit the triangle shape<br /><br /><u style="color: #0000ee;"><br /></u></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 238);"><u><br /></u></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 238);"><u><br /></u></span></span></div><p></p>marthaslavin.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103331217021325363noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3202288049668006882.post-42266603141005012082023-12-01T08:21:00.000-08:002023-12-01T08:21:26.653-08:00GATHER TOGETHER<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE_n1YLCc5Zdil_OGuBMffJvD2YYLT_7cwwLKUXoPfDFpyBpRTsHI54nIcGXYc75_vutrO_BJ7lCzMTE4SW5pYsU1-yMwo1vyufv_PcGCWmwdr9nYjjJVsLJXNG45I8SxqwcsTRbMF3aWzqX1JeBMQ5Re-kATzCXLtmdjkHvrwbUUMarLLLpwfw7dg1Eg/s3264/IMG_1143%20(1).jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE_n1YLCc5Zdil_OGuBMffJvD2YYLT_7cwwLKUXoPfDFpyBpRTsHI54nIcGXYc75_vutrO_BJ7lCzMTE4SW5pYsU1-yMwo1vyufv_PcGCWmwdr9nYjjJVsLJXNG45I8SxqwcsTRbMF3aWzqX1JeBMQ5Re-kATzCXLtmdjkHvrwbUUMarLLLpwfw7dg1Eg/w640-h480/IMG_1143%20(1).jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>I grew up in an LA suburb. We never had snow for the holidays, maybe a little rain. We still gathered for holiday meals around a long maple table and at the children's tables nearby. My mom prepared the usual Thanksgiving meal: pickles, olives, turkey, mashed potatoes, overcooked vegetables, Waldorf salad, rolls with lots of butter, and pumpkin and mincemeat pies. At least that is what I remember.</p><p>Along with my sisters' children and our granddad, I sat at the children's table. Our granddad was never embarrassed to join us and made us laugh. My grandmother showed me how to set a table and told stories about her siblings back East. My parents didn't drink alcohol except at holiday meals. Sometimes they would have a glass of wine and let us have a spoonful and then laugh at our scrunched-up faces in response to the taste. Boyfriends and my sisters' husbands joined the table over the years, and then their children took over the children's table.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTX5rtm1AYwXSQrZvw5pznsaTVDnJth167lT4A4ORpJjS9GnmgRJ6Rnk6O5cJzMC6Evbs5ixvztdwjj_wNwFq-pI7rZ984P9I4G-gnq__Xq1O94LxntCb5XvWoDw1k_wj3vK71R1Lkr-HtauPUBRMq0JskoL0Z4bbZxW3EfwrnnxYrVCvypmyILDE4AbY/s3264/IMG_9676%20(1).jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTX5rtm1AYwXSQrZvw5pznsaTVDnJth167lT4A4ORpJjS9GnmgRJ6Rnk6O5cJzMC6Evbs5ixvztdwjj_wNwFq-pI7rZ984P9I4G-gnq__Xq1O94LxntCb5XvWoDw1k_wj3vK71R1Lkr-HtauPUBRMq0JskoL0Z4bbZxW3EfwrnnxYrVCvypmyILDE4AbY/w640-h480/IMG_9676%20(1).jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>I continued the holiday traditions when I married and moved away. We had a smaller gathering, just my in-laws and sometimes a stray friend, and then our son Theo. I love to cook and used the Sunset Magazine's version of roasting a turkey -- upside down until it reached almost done. The white meat was juicy and tender because the juices followed gravity. I pulled it out of the oven, poured a mix of alcohol over the bird, and lit it aflame. I put it back in the oven for a short time until the top skin was brown and crispy.</p><p>Our holidays changed when we moved to Japan. Turkey was not a meat that was eaten there and to order one was extremely expensive. We joined with other ex-pat families either around their table or at Roy's Restaurant in Omotesando (the same restaurant found in Hawaii).</p><p>Our move to Paris changed our holidays again. The local butcher shops prepared turkey along with rich pate. Somehow, no matter which French person cooks the food, it tastes better than anything I can conjure up. I had to walk several blocks home lugging the turkey and pate on a platter. I was always grateful to make it home in one piece. We would invite an African friend to dinner to celebrate friendship in a different place than our American home.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCaTrivyKOE80UT6XAcU6bZBXSJxfAg5DW9GtkpCo5wSSToipEu7Z2VT4YXys6xXf4E2C3DrAAed38aoHvT0PqoWfVjRipkXgalA7y8md-2xtnJ44z8OdKjGzzYe81N0MWwm1m-zu939H1GIq6qM3XAwle-PmSqIammm6znkOBEZLRMfpZAAsSYjff620/s3264/IMG_9678%20(2).jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCaTrivyKOE80UT6XAcU6bZBXSJxfAg5DW9GtkpCo5wSSToipEu7Z2VT4YXys6xXf4E2C3DrAAed38aoHvT0PqoWfVjRipkXgalA7y8md-2xtnJ44z8OdKjGzzYe81N0MWwm1m-zu939H1GIq6qM3XAwle-PmSqIammm6znkOBEZLRMfpZAAsSYjff620/w640-h480/IMG_9678%20(2).jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>Once we came back to the U.S., I returned to our holiday traditions until about 10 years ago. Theo graduated from college and he and his long-time girlfriend split their holiday times between two families. We meet a couple of times during the holiday season and recognize that the holiday day doesn't have to occur on the nationally designated day. What is important is getting together.</p><p>This year, once again, our holiday is different. We have moved and had lunch at Farley's, the pub at Cavallo Point, a hotel that is situated at the old Ft. Baker site on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge from the City. The hotel has a beautiful view of the San Francisco Bay. We have never been there when it is foggy. The lawn in front of the hotel allows us to walk before dinner. We can sit in the rocking chairs that line the porch. We had a quiet early dinner, a green salad with chicken added and Parker House rolls served hot in a small cast iron skillet. We had a wonderful day by ourselves and texted messages to family and friends.</p><p>What I've learned from our many changes is to enjoy the tradition as well as the change. There is happiness to be found in both.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBGXOqMwaWrY-fJ7doOfW1P9d100dsraG5k7DwIzdkK_0pJbsslf-8twpnZisVVMBsDlgxW_mI-C_qGIl3CWkUsiZw-xSoNP6Ic3fIt1FOABt8pXa0SeiLYyxu5mFB8CdyoxN0PkuCTVLNyEtwiBfRlFbZz1mSXyOX4QliLay7FyGCKYf1Kurxwcpyb3c/s3030/IMG_2586.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2990" data-original-width="3030" height="632" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBGXOqMwaWrY-fJ7doOfW1P9d100dsraG5k7DwIzdkK_0pJbsslf-8twpnZisVVMBsDlgxW_mI-C_qGIl3CWkUsiZw-xSoNP6Ic3fIt1FOABt8pXa0SeiLYyxu5mFB8CdyoxN0PkuCTVLNyEtwiBfRlFbZz1mSXyOX4QliLay7FyGCKYf1Kurxwcpyb3c/w640-h632/IMG_2586.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">**************</p><p>A friend recently lost one of her sons to suicide. Her blog posting here includes her husband's response to the tragedy. It's a beautiful thoughtful response to a tragedy:</p><p><a href="https://www.francielow.com/2023/11/27/love-is-enough/?fbclid=IwAR1xqS1XHPazhnG-Zmio4k-Yvk3NohCoAQvGM1uyIBhcDBwbqw0Dab11osA">https://www.francielow.com/2023/11/27/love-is-enough/?fbclid=IwAR1xqS1XHPazhnG-Zmio4k-Yvk3NohCoAQvGM1uyIBhcDBwbqw0Dab11osA</a> </p>marthaslavin.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103331217021325363noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3202288049668006882.post-82330871944183595252023-11-24T08:42:00.000-08:002023-11-24T08:42:07.518-08:00SOMETHING NEW EVERY DAY<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEic-UfcOYIZS_FI4JEdCefckCtn63MY3kOnxAUwWPeR1-YMcgzgY3y7n49LP4xjJQqF2jpGmZXwmQ2pMIFcBhtdW-ncF98g9SPKRSeOQF6A-mVCdzW5p9drW9tdOQ3qYDOwACCv2RBDPzQfCTxaxwT3owebn_4fLcva1jMQncYMQuO9tWzbngPw-gUctRg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2071" data-original-width="3129" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEic-UfcOYIZS_FI4JEdCefckCtn63MY3kOnxAUwWPeR1-YMcgzgY3y7n49LP4xjJQqF2jpGmZXwmQ2pMIFcBhtdW-ncF98g9SPKRSeOQF6A-mVCdzW5p9drW9tdOQ3qYDOwACCv2RBDPzQfCTxaxwT3owebn_4fLcva1jMQncYMQuO9tWzbngPw-gUctRg=w640-h424" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New postcard design</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>A friend who is approaching ninety years old told me she just purchased a book called <u>Change Your Mind: 57 Ways to Unlock Your Creative Self</u> by Rod Judkins. My friend is a wonderful artist, especially of animal portraits, and continues to learn every day. She is hope.</p><p>According to a very small study of art students in 2014 skills developed by drawing increase the areas of the brain that control spatial recognition and fine motor performance. A good reason to take up the practice of doodling. I knew before I read about the study that there was a good reason to make art and it is not just the old mantra of left/right brain thinking. This study showed improvement on both sides of the brain.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDbER8d_AfuSJBG00V3BsW1V4U1cZMyzsmWs5lAx4QuN7sb-mDh6gl3MgjpqtXdrezEBS-fvBrXVmT_YsR41mO7-oQFu8KdceQrRFmiF6ymkjJYTjU4HHCzG3BuocfmdYMzhAKfpkPfP6W6ArAIrg4gWX6e-bSN7Lm-D6jCpi2BHIJ3xYbn59w_c_dOR4" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4275" data-original-width="4275" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDbER8d_AfuSJBG00V3BsW1V4U1cZMyzsmWs5lAx4QuN7sb-mDh6gl3MgjpqtXdrezEBS-fvBrXVmT_YsR41mO7-oQFu8KdceQrRFmiF6ymkjJYTjU4HHCzG3BuocfmdYMzhAKfpkPfP6W6ArAIrg4gWX6e-bSN7Lm-D6jCpi2BHIJ3xYbn59w_c_dOR4=w640-h640" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doodles I turned into a book</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><p></p><p>This past year I have been able to take several Zoom art classes, which have been good time savers for someone with a long to-do list. They offered me the chance to relax, learn some new techniques, and see people I haven't seen since the pandemic. I recently took a class from Roxane Glaser, who is not only a lettering artist but a yoga instructor as well. She began her class with some yoga exercises before we picked up a pencil.</p><p>Roxane used her abstract watercolors as the foundation for holiday cards. The designs she used were similar to ones I had produced several years ago.<br /> <br /><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgEeLIzeRvDKJ0AExQFijpdFKkgh-WhFxYd6X5VEPNQaU80lHDOzmiwIf29Qy8Q3NS3BJY1y_ZmwzAm6CQ9zfqX_7fEMaTRv2P_WVgDCrF9_LQf-Q8EjSltTsbkUvXmNhXhqv-sotRb2d7y0BaTXZMmjJQHPwSk_S-AwMXtTYFqDeUGe7gWGMFdZHD585o" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2293" data-original-width="1572" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgEeLIzeRvDKJ0AExQFijpdFKkgh-WhFxYd6X5VEPNQaU80lHDOzmiwIf29Qy8Q3NS3BJY1y_ZmwzAm6CQ9zfqX_7fEMaTRv2P_WVgDCrF9_LQf-Q8EjSltTsbkUvXmNhXhqv-sotRb2d7y0BaTXZMmjJQHPwSk_S-AwMXtTYFqDeUGe7gWGMFdZHD585o=w440-h640" width="440" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">by Martha Slavin</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div>In listening to her design process, I discovered something new to me: neuropathic art, which is a technique used by art therapists to help overcome anxiety and other mood disorders. Artists have adopted the technique and enhanced the process with color and shapes. Similar to Zentangles, which is another form of doodling, neurographic arts starts with a line. Rather than using patterns inside shapes as Zentangles does, you start with a thin marking pen at one edge of the paper. Once you notice the direction you are going, you change the direction and repeat that process until the line goes off the page. Artists have taken this line pattern further by rounding off each corner, adding color, and overlaying shapes on top of the line. The design can then become the background underneath a cutout shape.<br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwlyY33gIKDSF_1j02xU12bPmMDDSjP_8IY26LO6op7HYxxvhnbGhcY0faP6z7GraO3xj32fMaTL4AWn7RxmgYHC42uaXYCj6cn3MpNONh1Ro6RhqSHHepdS0-4-R8AmBCJxhitjgjl5KDVrPkMzBCeWubO9co580mL2d2xScdfrLv0ll1Ecmuu1pKg0E/s924/mosaic835173854495222d2bd98b305aaea1a0f0b87ec6.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="618" data-original-width="924" height="429" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwlyY33gIKDSF_1j02xU12bPmMDDSjP_8IY26LO6op7HYxxvhnbGhcY0faP6z7GraO3xj32fMaTL4AWn7RxmgYHC42uaXYCj6cn3MpNONh1Ro6RhqSHHepdS0-4-R8AmBCJxhitjgjl5KDVrPkMzBCeWubO9co580mL2d2xScdfrLv0ll1Ecmuu1pKg0E/w640-h429/mosaic835173854495222d2bd98b305aaea1a0f0b87ec6.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Neurographic art in six steps</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>I have been doodling since I could hold a pencil. I tried Zentangles and then adapted the idea to include my own patterns. Whether I am sorting lead type for letterpress printing, doing calligraphy, doodling, or creating a piece of neuropathic art, I can confirm that doing this type of artwork has a meditative quality that improves well-being by getting into the zone of creativity where I become oblivious of the world around me and time doesn't matter.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6UK6By2TIZrItw9Vq5ytPaGh5MVPT7fpb2esq3amMUlHAyvfFOHve4oOEKSSEeoICTtYGBCMiRfgx1PqGQWhVrTCNTbux3LRYuoWqNT3i3wDPiAXvhPIPW1YpI9Je_bj5EzlFZXfQQsDItCdXELIj0_OQIOW-2YXWgHrp1kZ6PfWKbqHcBgrqQj_G1hI" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1848" data-original-width="1848" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6UK6By2TIZrItw9Vq5ytPaGh5MVPT7fpb2esq3amMUlHAyvfFOHve4oOEKSSEeoICTtYGBCMiRfgx1PqGQWhVrTCNTbux3LRYuoWqNT3i3wDPiAXvhPIPW1YpI9Je_bj5EzlFZXfQQsDItCdXELIj0_OQIOW-2YXWgHrp1kZ6PfWKbqHcBgrqQj_G1hI=w640-h640" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zentangle design using their prescribed patterns</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><br /><br /><br /><p>Check out Roxane Glaser's work here:</p><p><a href="https://www.superdoodlegirl.com">https://www.superdoodlegirl.com</a><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Articles about the effects of art on the brain:</p><p><a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/how-art-changes-your-brain_n_5567050">https://www.huffpost.com/entry/how-art-changes-your-brain_n_5567050</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.vanvaf.com/post/the-benefits-of-neurographic-art">https://www.vanvaf.com/post/the-benefits-of-neurographic-art</a> </p>marthaslavin.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103331217021325363noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3202288049668006882.post-5195297371646255602023-11-17T08:03:00.000-08:002024-01-07T12:30:49.487-08:00EVERY SMALL IMPROVEMENT FEELS BIG<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRf5oSabbMq-A7WuLXZkIXnfP3WPiucbYJYSdAMrSQz7jry82u-ivX6gTVL8TYJLlJCggc0O8A3aVskixi5GTVvorcaMnBMWcEZSKGGWMz3JuubvJJPgLMo72bGwbjqQOGZGMtqkAtptQE8Tb-_G07JHct9iLoOaTQkchjc2y-_S50nQdfw_RlkSH8k8Y/s4032/IMG_2608.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRf5oSabbMq-A7WuLXZkIXnfP3WPiucbYJYSdAMrSQz7jry82u-ivX6gTVL8TYJLlJCggc0O8A3aVskixi5GTVvorcaMnBMWcEZSKGGWMz3JuubvJJPgLMo72bGwbjqQOGZGMtqkAtptQE8Tb-_G07JHct9iLoOaTQkchjc2y-_S50nQdfw_RlkSH8k8Y/w640-h480/IMG_2608.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Layered letters, a technique I learned in a Cora Pearl class recently</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p>Watercolor escaped me this past month. So did calligraphy and even drawing in my sketchbook. Our move to San Francisco disturbed my creative routines. I knew the impulse to create would come back, I just needed a solution.<div><br /></div><div>I found it with a table. A small lesson about myself and my need for a dedicated place to make art. Our furnished apartment in the City has a Minimalist vibe, just right for the many young people who populate the neighborhood. The apartment came with everything including two desks in each bedroom. Bill moved one desk into the living room and I placed my desktop, files, notes, and other items that help me manage our household and write my blog and other stories on the other. Not enough room there for artwork in progress. I tried leaning a drawing tablet against the edge of the table, but that was clumsy and not sturdy enough, and I didn't have room to spread out supplies. I needed another table to have my tools around me. The stress of the topsy-turvy moves we've made left me no time to reach the engagement in my work once described by Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi as creative flow, to sit in the zone of creativity, and to get lost in thought which makes creativity a joy.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisN0QIzU6W7ROEzxPeisk8rcoTh4Y_ve2MSuXBO5jTLobc3vYWULFH55n3gCZLJxnYioArFf63xlFVJEGWOzOarUOmQl0ZwVoPOnlddiwR0cBEpjKcbHTmr_g8j7_Wzo_rOp4eVr6bxTdxe0WFWDc8UQs4BPFsszev1FaFFVMK-1LJ9RO2tjd9MD9TK8o/s2048/IMG_8390%20(1).jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisN0QIzU6W7ROEzxPeisk8rcoTh4Y_ve2MSuXBO5jTLobc3vYWULFH55n3gCZLJxnYioArFf63xlFVJEGWOzOarUOmQl0ZwVoPOnlddiwR0cBEpjKcbHTmr_g8j7_Wzo_rOp4eVr6bxTdxe0WFWDc8UQs4BPFsszev1FaFFVMK-1LJ9RO2tjd9MD9TK8o/w640-h480/IMG_8390%20(1).jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Posterized flower photo done on my desktop</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I ordered a table online. Three weeks later, I received a note from the apartment manager that my table had arrived at the front desk. Package deliveries are nothing like deliveries at our former home where a package would arrive and lean against our door. The apartment complex has implemented many security measures: key fobs for entry and elevator use, a room for locked USPS mail and parcel boxes, and a locked room for packages from UPS and other delivery services. In a complex that contains two buildings, one with five stories, the other with 14, one can imagine the number of packages that arrive daily at the front desk.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHWd1nYiEU_CjBP4YWoLQ2gyXyetiOKn5e6anQgOytvhnJ0-geXYKOpg-e2a_DXbP7vMsNDyuEOC9wd4yVdl3x8w7KM7XMY5ZexQKrqE7xfLPmpIb3YFRdq0IlKVMQsYP0502-_E7Aa8BGey89PRCkie3MzLYr9594puPrBW_eoKVcu4F5CGew_2lHTb0/s3207/IMG_2616%20(1).jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2286" data-original-width="3207" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHWd1nYiEU_CjBP4YWoLQ2gyXyetiOKn5e6anQgOytvhnJ0-geXYKOpg-e2a_DXbP7vMsNDyuEOC9wd4yVdl3x8w7KM7XMY5ZexQKrqE7xfLPmpIb3YFRdq0IlKVMQsYP0502-_E7Aa8BGey89PRCkie3MzLYr9594puPrBW_eoKVcu4F5CGew_2lHTb0/w640-h456/IMG_2616%20(1).jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brushstroke practice to loosen up</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgckoJtsAWBnE2NEFj6YIoVpcaRNU1WjE-x8vpi5uLbLk9LUIfEQ2pludy0VWbYy6nuOpn_QAbX0xenRsl0h6dZJxKQXjGJ1hr6mTbUQcB1ONhtpojXm5Vd2yScbrkLkLRFhDLX2f14ecFCYykmlPNcSJgglRyYIK7AmDkux2369UBpM9cKFb8W9wobr3Y/s3188/IMG_2616.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2310" data-original-width="3188" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgckoJtsAWBnE2NEFj6YIoVpcaRNU1WjE-x8vpi5uLbLk9LUIfEQ2pludy0VWbYy6nuOpn_QAbX0xenRsl0h6dZJxKQXjGJ1hr6mTbUQcB1ONhtpojXm5Vd2yScbrkLkLRFhDLX2f14ecFCYykmlPNcSJgglRyYIK7AmDkux2369UBpM9cKFb8W9wobr3Y/w640-h464/IMG_2616.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Same painting upside down. Which is more pleasing?</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>We live in the shorter of the two buildings, a half block away from the front entry. We have to plan for package pickups. We can either take the elevator down to the street level and walk to the front entry or walk down one flight of stairs to the third floor which is connected to the first building by an expansive patio area and then down their elevator. We are still figuring out delivery services. Every day we find a new adventure in just making our way in an apartment building.</div><div><br /></div><div>Of course, the small metal table needed to be assembled. I became proficient at assembly when we moved to Japan and transported boxes of bookcases, beds, and tables that needed to be constructed on our arrival. But this metal table flummoxed me. The screws connecting the legs only went in halfway. I needed an electric screwdriver to finish the task. Ours is packed securely away in our storage containers along with our paper shredder, pencil sharpener, rain boots, measuring cups, tax files, lightbox, and other items I didn't think we would need while existing in limbo between houses with most of our possessions stored away.</div><div><br /></div><div>We purchased a new electric screwdriver and with Bill's help, I now have a table. And already I am happy to sit and draw and paint some postcards. I made a set of overlapping words to send to some art students from St. Cloud State University, my dad's alma mater. I began to feel the sense of immersion that comes when something I'm working on is going well. For the cards, I used the words Grow and Change. When Bill saw them, he laughed, "Enough already. I don't need to grow or change for a while." Me too.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMcb7rzcG0Bdc6ZL6bihKwX8tqqzhbQPCMimv2KvNdWQ43TAazMVycgnvWvIG0_Tt2IFKWB58hz1YkteLPM-uWJCZgtakaPyEP9V5TijcfuJpaK0wAY-WSSREDN0VxRv5Rlz769WsC26EZ79kJ_oVwPQErMe4CxkTE9PsRpQRcZ94Ou_J4ROPje7VA5I/s3800/IMG_2611.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2196" data-original-width="3800" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMcb7rzcG0Bdc6ZL6bihKwX8tqqzhbQPCMimv2KvNdWQ43TAazMVycgnvWvIG0_Tt2IFKWB58hz1YkteLPM-uWJCZgtakaPyEP9V5TijcfuJpaK0wAY-WSSREDN0VxRv5Rlz769WsC26EZ79kJ_oVwPQErMe4CxkTE9PsRpQRcZ94Ou_J4ROPje7VA5I/w640-h370/IMG_2611.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Second version of Change/Grow postcard</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirugxeAMBoS0j_xfYFEvU36UcPrhH4R_5wZzZSrsQDd_7Qo2Qcp-BnEGE1oG67jzNRKP47GJfsu_uJk0lNEiGGmCq7N3kaVnKaB9W8dz0ulPtgYfY4kM-gQwTAlQsJ9pdREoBgKmDVlrXzth1WoAhN4Ui3KBwFa9nDQIziUNLGi17nmzAw8y3wOZWQL90/s2745/IMG_2483.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1926" data-original-width="2745" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirugxeAMBoS0j_xfYFEvU36UcPrhH4R_5wZzZSrsQDd_7Qo2Qcp-BnEGE1oG67jzNRKP47GJfsu_uJk0lNEiGGmCq7N3kaVnKaB9W8dz0ulPtgYfY4kM-gQwTAlQsJ9pdREoBgKmDVlrXzth1WoAhN4Ui3KBwFa9nDQIziUNLGi17nmzAw8y3wOZWQL90/w640-h450/IMG_2483.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Third version Which would you pick of the three?</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Read more about Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's research into happiness and creative flow:</div><a href="https://solaramentalhealth.com/flow-and-happiness/">https://solaramentalhealth.com/flow-and-happiness/</a><br /></div>marthaslavin.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103331217021325363noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3202288049668006882.post-61723619656329605462023-11-09T13:17:00.000-08:002023-11-29T13:09:42.745-08:00REEL TIME<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3MkI8UiCtKZAyH1JFkJT_sr_b_w3Kk0j5Ub_hN4jCOKAo0F0byGFBnpG5iQgA14ERt9ZZr4F3P3MSMsdbschv8gbSkyHEjm7h3EZYRRmApQugUAtWLhhWN1tJXFFho5FXkUMx3MVmDgUAtEnH8KnFPX8tCLpkA7zPzsiVF6eLY9cevolfKySxi1nArtg/s2407/IMG_1043%20(1).jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2201" data-original-width="2407" height="586" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3MkI8UiCtKZAyH1JFkJT_sr_b_w3Kk0j5Ub_hN4jCOKAo0F0byGFBnpG5iQgA14ERt9ZZr4F3P3MSMsdbschv8gbSkyHEjm7h3EZYRRmApQugUAtWLhhWN1tJXFFho5FXkUMx3MVmDgUAtEnH8KnFPX8tCLpkA7zPzsiVF6eLY9cevolfKySxi1nArtg/w640-h586/IMG_1043%20(1).jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The last roses of autumn</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Just as the TV showed the French police officers erupting out of their car to end a frantic chase of a right-wing terrorist trying to blow up housing for immigrants, we heard the wail of a siren in the background adding to the tense moment in the movie. We first thought the sound was bringing more officers coming to help on the screen. It took us a few seconds to realize that the alarm wasn't part of the film's plot but instead was coming from outside in our neighborhood. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We paused the movie, walked out onto our tiny balcony, and stood searching the air for the source of the siren. A man on the street was getting into his car. The lights inside his car turned dark as he closed the door. The alarm kept going. It wasn't his car alarm shrieking.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We couldn't figure out where the shrill sound was coming from until we saw a group of people moving around in the glassed-in lobby of the apartment complex across the way. Then several people exited the building, not running, but ambling down the stairs. They gathered in groups in the small park nearby. In one third-floor apartment, a man came out onto his balcony with his little dog in his arms and sat down in one of his balcony chairs. The alarm kept wailing. He didn't move.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We didn't see any visible smoke. Finally, we walked back inside, picked up the TV clicker, resumed the movie, and watched the police officers frantically shooing people out of their apartments and out of the building before the bomb went off. The panicked dwellers ran downstairs, streamed out of the building just before the noise of the explosion hit them.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The alarm outside across from us stopped. No fire trucks arrived. False alarm.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Reel/real life in a city.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhqbZXOfMypCjkmfDtHNR0Bu4wiQrdrML_HhRE-EURYVc8Odsr_zZymCsmojckmhNZ4ZmmdpNPbIiQxs3tzucEZRXNJMjV1o737b5mSm9i5-Y8Q96Yuo4e4k-wdJ7j_6h579I1hz0dP7RA9QUnOp5JlpwNsbytA40lQZ0b8IzzIiZorYzcWMKXrBSgFZ8/s2448/IMG_3570.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1511" data-original-width="2448" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhqbZXOfMypCjkmfDtHNR0Bu4wiQrdrML_HhRE-EURYVc8Odsr_zZymCsmojckmhNZ4ZmmdpNPbIiQxs3tzucEZRXNJMjV1o737b5mSm9i5-Y8Q96Yuo4e4k-wdJ7j_6h579I1hz0dP7RA9QUnOp5JlpwNsbytA40lQZ0b8IzzIiZorYzcWMKXrBSgFZ8/w640-h396/IMG_3570.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beauty when we need it</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>I have stepped out of my usual stories with this week's post. The coincidence of the movie/real-life incident was so extraordinary to me that I had to share it. I thought of the movie and the police officers responding to an emergency and I thought of real people and how often we discount something that is possibly life-threatening and don't move until we are pushed.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>New York Times' Monday edition had a spectacular display of photos from the Webb telescope with interesting commentary about each photo:</p><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/11/05/magazine/james-webb-space-telescope.html">https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/11/05/magazine/james-webb-space-telescope.html</a> </p>marthaslavin.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103331217021325363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3202288049668006882.post-16081927884813641302023-11-02T13:31:00.000-07:002023-11-03T08:25:54.201-07:00REFRESH OLD TOOLS<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwa98w3u5VCsYnZ53z1uW0mvZxvL8pfzhtlHtRnGZ5DZSaDlsXq32SLkNQUCnToQgy9jTGq0jSDykphXKTVIBsY-xJUopCs-d6mYYAHqb7Z306c2mNnbP7RDTcJZB8uRicv62zVcB3UuhQXvyjki6Uk5PFbl3pGTjmwdzeOfHB3kynR9nAj-kI5OncDhM/s4032/IMG_2558.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwa98w3u5VCsYnZ53z1uW0mvZxvL8pfzhtlHtRnGZ5DZSaDlsXq32SLkNQUCnToQgy9jTGq0jSDykphXKTVIBsY-xJUopCs-d6mYYAHqb7Z306c2mNnbP7RDTcJZB8uRicv62zVcB3UuhQXvyjki6Uk5PFbl3pGTjmwdzeOfHB3kynR9nAj-kI5OncDhM/w640-h480/IMG_2558.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of my well-used pencils</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>A pencil. </p><p>My favorite tool to use for drawing or doing crosswords. I have them scattered around the house.</p><p>If you learned to write with a pencil, you probably used a yellow Dixon Ticonderoga 2 HB, a soft pencil right in the middle of the pencil hardness scale. This pencil was designed by Joseph Dixon in 1812, though earlier pencils can be found as far back as 1650. In the U.S. the pencil came into its own during the Civil War. Soldiers needed something easier to write with than a quill and ink. They carried knives and could sharpen pencils to a point.*</p><p>I am taking a series of classes called the Liberated Line, my favorite design element. Each Saturday focuses on a different element of design. We use shape, form, texture, value, space, and color combined with line. Last Saturday's instructor, Amity Parks, took me back to my beginning drawing practice. We used various hard to soft pencils that we each had on hand. I picked up my favorite Eagle Draughting pencil, which is about 6B, very soft, and no longer made though they can be found through online dealers starting at about $20 a pencil. </p><p>We worked to create a palette to show what we could achieve by varying the pressure we put on a pencil. We worked through the Bs, reaching the Ticonderoga 2HB, and then began to experiment with 2H. The pencil weights go from 9B to 9H. Some brands, such as Blackwing, use their own scaling system. I discovered in my first drawing class what a difference each grade and brand of pencil made in my ability to manipulate the line I drew. I loved the soft quality of the Eagle Draughting pencil. I still do. The series of Hs gave me little room to create dark and light strokes. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOceN15VW9M5oSQx8QnIjKNEjiRuSQPWPN4rxolQWp3ko2C-I1uFo0-FBn2qZq91Jf3f0JUcnZ0FRafCVBtFgqEQtVEaNkDsmGZeooJBMXQDkQ57uWdh54LUSWhyphenhyphenUtbCYvERmxerLTZ_M1Ioq8MGObHoA7Aw_VQOA9jVwJnUQq5XffGA-xEMHkjQQhfuU/s3826/IMG_2561.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2973" data-original-width="3826" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOceN15VW9M5oSQx8QnIjKNEjiRuSQPWPN4rxolQWp3ko2C-I1uFo0-FBn2qZq91Jf3f0JUcnZ0FRafCVBtFgqEQtVEaNkDsmGZeooJBMXQDkQ57uWdh54LUSWhyphenhyphenUtbCYvERmxerLTZ_M1Ioq8MGObHoA7Aw_VQOA9jVwJnUQq5XffGA-xEMHkjQQhfuU/w640-h498/IMG_2561.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Checking the hardness of a line with each type of pencil<br /> & creating a value scale for each pencil</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOlP0fLoTyNSy5hrfQ9yS-K-qbKNX9dbbW2gOwGWLbNdjFLV9FtRn-a3lHpYRmk8kE6QxMwGBwLlqlI05PdoGCCmAVzVUefd5A54a-rcrlLrIO7cY2PUjHpfCss9Mi51DBroPS-lnwErSvVKMYw9Ytc2Ozt-trXWfDcSacDpubYJa4h4ICGK1drcHszYE/s2971/IMG_2560.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="2971" height="628" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOlP0fLoTyNSy5hrfQ9yS-K-qbKNX9dbbW2gOwGWLbNdjFLV9FtRn-a3lHpYRmk8kE6QxMwGBwLlqlI05PdoGCCmAVzVUefd5A54a-rcrlLrIO7cY2PUjHpfCss9Mi51DBroPS-lnwErSvVKMYw9Ytc2Ozt-trXWfDcSacDpubYJa4h4ICGK1drcHszYE/w640-h628/IMG_2560.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We used other pencils, chalk markers, and Conte pastel pencils<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />During the day, we experimented with various ways of creating a letter, including adding color. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgos9QkvQii6-QYNQyJa1zJegM0PnQi_DkE4XvHTAi1GUTO2E_KwDhq88X8YhzXMoE9be6KFDSZd8TZEXI84Hn400GZjdv6pCYpnR1RobDJaaOYVNLFC5mqjBIDsMnK6JoVX8zP3Yt3bARahlcHuoVB6yojZy9xJRYECrBdFxN9WTqvjrgKkd4ovoZU5Qs/s1759/IMG_2563%20(1).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1321" data-original-width="1759" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgos9QkvQii6-QYNQyJa1zJegM0PnQi_DkE4XvHTAi1GUTO2E_KwDhq88X8YhzXMoE9be6KFDSZd8TZEXI84Hn400GZjdv6pCYpnR1RobDJaaOYVNLFC5mqjBIDsMnK6JoVX8zP3Yt3bARahlcHuoVB6yojZy9xJRYECrBdFxN9WTqvjrgKkd4ovoZU5Qs/w320-h240/IMG_2563%20(1).jpeg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiigPr1t3_WokVM6O6cueFsV6t7eAShfiqb1N9K3plhoxw3Ns8VnzC1k5G2g-U_WlwpbFBkyHjyI-2eN7SJ-Spmowed8LP2u1pCwky-Peoc11MIsgtpYaumi-JTsl8bb5-Gzuw2SbHCFAWRiEaYuYV1KcRUUjDpyHgNViQ4Tws-F1eFl0gHwXMfhC4dNx0/s4032/IMG_2566.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiigPr1t3_WokVM6O6cueFsV6t7eAShfiqb1N9K3plhoxw3Ns8VnzC1k5G2g-U_WlwpbFBkyHjyI-2eN7SJ-Spmowed8LP2u1pCwky-Peoc11MIsgtpYaumi-JTsl8bb5-Gzuw2SbHCFAWRiEaYuYV1KcRUUjDpyHgNViQ4Tws-F1eFl0gHwXMfhC4dNx0/s320/IMG_2566.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My favorite exercise was a letter hidden within a value drawing, filling the entire area with a variety of pencil marks. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnRYm232qolkiL_5uqMsLvQNBNZ9TsDLRbXDLxwH30apeNMr9I25d32VnKYqe6qumR5i9kbPbNk5jXhEHiPFBCmOKvaRX-TySBU3_D8p1A4QGRUDtvYKGqrA48xGTeG8vI8IY6LNbxyr1MlqiUyOmzduG5KVl_yBRlGKc80a2-9ilIFN_gchYfJGA4IQU/s3112/IMG_2564.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3112" data-original-width="2831" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnRYm232qolkiL_5uqMsLvQNBNZ9TsDLRbXDLxwH30apeNMr9I25d32VnKYqe6qumR5i9kbPbNk5jXhEHiPFBCmOKvaRX-TySBU3_D8p1A4QGRUDtvYKGqrA48xGTeG8vI8IY6LNbxyr1MlqiUyOmzduG5KVl_yBRlGKc80a2-9ilIFN_gchYfJGA4IQU/w582-h640/IMG_2564.jpeg" width="582" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Halfway through a pencil drawing using both 2HB and 6B pencils</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnlQZ1xn4lVEEtcedSkH_qPcGDA_W3tb7fUsiJr4MnGVVMGeM0VqPiBzmQguk2DUGzdbU71HaSSK7xAhSa_LHL_LKep2j13UgL8ij5F86IDvhvKH4yczk2J1VzoiW_c4B9pYCHNSo87jqvKPXtIF1sqFz7OjY88DwimXb6hCddLF6Z2a78INUYCymNHfE/s3053/IMG_2565.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3053" data-original-width="2768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnlQZ1xn4lVEEtcedSkH_qPcGDA_W3tb7fUsiJr4MnGVVMGeM0VqPiBzmQguk2DUGzdbU71HaSSK7xAhSa_LHL_LKep2j13UgL8ij5F86IDvhvKH4yczk2J1VzoiW_c4B9pYCHNSo87jqvKPXtIF1sqFz7OjY88DwimXb6hCddLF6Z2a78INUYCymNHfE/w580-h640/IMG_2565.jpeg" width="580" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished capital H (can you see it?)</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">As Paul Klee once said, "A line is a dot that went for a walk."</div><p>*</p><p>Learn more about the history of the pencil:</p><p><a href="https://www.themarginalian.org/2013/06/24/history-of-the-pencil/">https://www.themarginalian.org/2013/06/24/history-of-the-pencil/</a></p><p>Story of the Dixon Ticonderoga yellow pencil:</p><p><a href="https://weareticonderoga.com/our-story/">https://weareticonderoga.com/our-story/</a> </p><p>Check out Pencil Talk:</p><p><a href="https://www.penciltalk.org/2008/04/eagle-draughting-pencil">https://www.penciltalk.org/2008/04/eagle-draughting-pencil</a><br /></p><p>Tour the Sanford Pencil Factory:</p><p><a href="http://www.pencilpages.com/articles/sanford/tour.htm">http://www.pencilpages.com/articles/sanford/tour.htm</a></p>marthaslavin.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103331217021325363noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3202288049668006882.post-75706785011451171812023-10-27T08:28:00.001-07:002023-10-27T08:28:29.937-07:00WORDS COME ROUND AGAIN<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC9et1_zIibP9afQsgH1AGatn99Z3mroo7XbTTuTCDaWxTOtMB4Gn1vqfOK_tyf_1gqMLNFs3IfCXZVCRvRdM_6NU3Vk9J9gK5HnpbMRHL20TcAs9O7wCuxxOOAePOJ-0bw3FUyNYQNQ5z4k-7ZfnP6D3crlA5UKTr5lnQk3mjp8DKb3Ca_Bch7gZrZyE/s2736/IMG_1658.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="2736" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC9et1_zIibP9afQsgH1AGatn99Z3mroo7XbTTuTCDaWxTOtMB4Gn1vqfOK_tyf_1gqMLNFs3IfCXZVCRvRdM_6NU3Vk9J9gK5HnpbMRHL20TcAs9O7wCuxxOOAePOJ-0bw3FUyNYQNQ5z4k-7ZfnP6D3crlA5UKTr5lnQk3mjp8DKb3Ca_Bch7gZrZyE/w640-h640/IMG_1658.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It doesn't feel like fall yet in San Francisco.</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>Davenport. When was the last time you heard someone refer to a couch or sofa as a Davenport? The name originally came from Cheshire, England, and was used by a furniture manufacturing family in New England for their expensive, fancy settees, divans, chaise longues, or chesterfields. Maybe if you came from that area back East, you are more familiar with the word Davenport. Recently I have only heard Davenport as a name for a place or person, not something to lounge on.</p><p>I received an email inviting me to the International Calligraphy Conference next summer which will take place in Davenport, Iowa. I was curious why that town in the middle of the country in the middle of summer had been selected. I was curious about the name Davenport too. I remembered hearing it used in my childhood, but rarely since. I discovered the conference was dedicated to the work of Father Edward Catich, a monk from St. Ambrose University, who wrote a book entitled The Origin of the Serif (only a calligrapher would write a book on a small mark which has major significance in letter design. Amazon offers the paperback version of this book for $130 -- a collector's item, for sure.) But I digress from the word Davenport. Last night as we sat down to watch the first episode of the original Miss Marple series on PBS, I smiled when I saw the name of one of the leads, Jack Davenport, an English actor. I also discovered that there are twelve towns in the United States called Davenport. There is a lake in Minnesota and also a mountain peak in New Mexico with the name. The first Davenport to arrive in the U.S. was Lancelot Davenport. Now that's a name to remember. Davenport seems to be everywhere I look.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCAq1tqiZrLjxxY_-_YyMIpWS2ypsT_o_2gReD7BPRjYX3A-hdHwbYAaUV_6A_1v0lxfsCDZ78jkQxhkap_2s2-GVxYRnyj7bWKB2-2zly57HEeswfIRqemKI5H5bl6QiEQG_QvdTEf4OQDzoExgrtvoAs764Z-uKCU4xb0stNhVz8Bde93o982-4n6rU/s3821/IMG_2525.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1815" data-original-width="3821" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCAq1tqiZrLjxxY_-_YyMIpWS2ypsT_o_2gReD7BPRjYX3A-hdHwbYAaUV_6A_1v0lxfsCDZ78jkQxhkap_2s2-GVxYRnyj7bWKB2-2zly57HEeswfIRqemKI5H5bl6QiEQG_QvdTEf4OQDzoExgrtvoAs764Z-uKCU4xb0stNhVz8Bde93o982-4n6rU/w640-h304/IMG_2525.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Practicing more layered letters with Neuland font, which is sans-serif</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><br />Recently as we drove along Highway 1 which hugs the Pacific Coast, we passed the town of Davenport, which calls itself Whale City. Davenport is only a couple of short blocks long and easy to drive by, but it is a good place to watch whales as they migrate through Monterey Bay. Nearby Shark Fin Beach offers plenty of places to explore, though because of the cliffs towering over the beach, checking tides before walking down the beach paths would be a good idea.<br /><p>This morning I opened an email from the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco and found that Matthew Davenport, author of <u>The Longest Minute</u>, would be speaking about the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Another Davenport!</p><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyvz2pt8C4D-hsi3_KhHogG7dPXMz7ZDic4FBcIP_EViz0dIDjDt4wuthofdAbT6Th7deyj3ZCZj5Vs0K7ddci6qn4N3oD7wiXY_ZliK_TMEiBMLPPMkVi8Mgq-SOJFvrL8RYR5HoZQ2yLhtqFMuyb921p2gGe6vxQyWs2bYZMV_p4_rQN4oONKlxmZgE/s2771/IMG_8360.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="2771" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyvz2pt8C4D-hsi3_KhHogG7dPXMz7ZDic4FBcIP_EViz0dIDjDt4wuthofdAbT6Th7deyj3ZCZj5Vs0K7ddci6qn4N3oD7wiXY_ZliK_TMEiBMLPPMkVi8Mgq-SOJFvrL8RYR5HoZQ2yLhtqFMuyb921p2gGe6vxQyWs2bYZMV_p4_rQN4oONKlxmZgE/w640-h276/IMG_8360.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Letter formed with serifs</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>I mention these examples of a word that pops up repeatedly for a short time because I also find that true of themes in books that I read. For example, earlier in the year I finished Amor Towles' book, <u>The Lincoln Highway</u>, which takes place during the Great Depression. I also read <u>The Personal Librarian</u> by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray, about the Black woman who was the original librarian for the J.P. Morgan Library, and <u>The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek</u> by Kim Michelle Richardson, both books are based during that time period. The era between the two world wars fascinates me because so many of our ideals and beliefs about America are reflected in the cultural, economic, and political events that occurred from the Great Influenza of 1918 to the beginning of World War II and they continue to echo in the present day. </p><p>I don't intentionally seek out books set in the time period between the two world wars, yet I just finished <u>West With Giraffes </u>by Lynda Reynolds, based on a true story of transporting two giraffes across the country. I picked <u>West With Giraffes</u> because a friend writes essays about rhinos in Africa, which has nothing to do with the subject of <u>West With Giraffes</u> except they are both about African animals and their interactions with human beings.</p><p>This theme of personal development during a long trip resonates with me. <u>America the Beautiful?</u> by Blythe Roberson tells about her venture alone into our National Parks and the unsettling history she discovers behind one of the best things about America. <u>The Ride of Her Life</u> by Elizabeth Letts, describes how Annie Wilkins rides a horse across the U.S. to reach the Pacific Coast and what she discovers about mid-century America.</p><p>My question here at the end: Why is it that when something is noticed, its appearance multiplies? I just got an email that Tim O'Brien, author of <u>The Things They Carry,</u> is out with a new book called, <u>America Fantastica,</u> and whether it is a good book or not (read the NYTimes review), it follows alongside a fictional character in search of himself by traveling across America.</p><p>Check out Davenport, California:</p><p><a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g32282-Davenport_California-Vacations.html">https://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g32282-Davenport_California-Vacations.html</a></p><p>Check out the course offerings at the International Calligraphy Conference:</p><p><a href="https://www.calligraphyconference.org">https://www.calligraphyconference.org</a></p><p>Tim O'Brien's latest book:</p><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/23/books/review/tim-obrien-america-fantastica.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/23/books/review/tim-obrien-america-fantastica.html</a><br /></p><p>Interesting online magazine to read:</p><p><a href="https://defendernetwork.com/e-editions-2021-live_migrated/ ">https://defendernetwork.com/e-editions-2021-live_migrated/ </a> </p>marthaslavin.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103331217021325363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3202288049668006882.post-72154361181047654522023-10-19T14:01:00.002-07:002023-10-20T13:06:48.039-07:00MAKING MARKS<p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDIhTgTJmYSuEpThhI0JDjLWH6QsmDgEG5uEVFz7Z4_mZzfRBgB46Xz2-YVwdPJL2LdFeds3RVH6sqtNDCtm9JoErkvsaS5NOERMbSeCxzmEihEkNl9IVp0hdst-luViY7iwKXBjnYD6If9emq8_DmA1soyAY0HlTjv1Ovz5gAnNZmB0JWRYIYWehA_S0/s4032/IMG_0687.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDIhTgTJmYSuEpThhI0JDjLWH6QsmDgEG5uEVFz7Z4_mZzfRBgB46Xz2-YVwdPJL2LdFeds3RVH6sqtNDCtm9JoErkvsaS5NOERMbSeCxzmEihEkNl9IVp0hdst-luViY7iwKXBjnYD6If9emq8_DmA1soyAY0HlTjv1Ovz5gAnNZmB0JWRYIYWehA_S0/w640-h480/IMG_0687.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A mural in Capitola with some lettering fonts used by graffiti artists</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Some weeks I find it hard to sit down and write. World events get in the way. Yet, I also know what value and calmness I receive when I write my thoughts or draw what I see around me. I think about the calligraphy classes I have taken and the meditative quality they create from concentrating on one task. Maybe today is a good day to work with my hands. A moment of solitude.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF_luX8mZ0nUxNiOmS1f-LEccTAFiTPVE-0KHhT_2094pX7VHTPgswbx3WAhqIkTZTctsh5B-sACSqX-bvKoxWeDLykFR2UI4mpLPsfZqHV7-pRFXkl5nninvY5g9fIw-e1Gbvxo3utff3Ho3FmpYXkKQBptZYGuatCJLconkCvm5hVmxMSX3wwC34xLA/s1827/IMG_2512%20(1).jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1655" data-original-width="1827" height="579" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF_luX8mZ0nUxNiOmS1f-LEccTAFiTPVE-0KHhT_2094pX7VHTPgswbx3WAhqIkTZTctsh5B-sACSqX-bvKoxWeDLykFR2UI4mpLPsfZqHV7-pRFXkl5nninvY5g9fIw-e1Gbvxo3utff3Ho3FmpYXkKQBptZYGuatCJLconkCvm5hVmxMSX3wwC34xLA/w640-h579/IMG_2512%20(1).jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A part of a piece of graffiti in downtown San Francisco<br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Last Saturday I took part in a class led by Cora Pearl, who is part of a group of five amazing calligraphers each offering a one-day class this month. Their subject, the line, is my favorite design element. Line is the fundamental element before shape, value, color, texture, or contrast. Without lines we have nothing.</p><p></p><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaiex3tVwucYeYZzrGX8FECuFR1uez4Dkea4N732hUWUkX5xpGD0Nkmum6xWwrPbBF6BykAyp_4uhcFnIgA8pAkd6ySw1Enaao4gYHZajWmkPffHVCvyRnOhex4EYb5uzHS1py-bLnmJIxBFLBGzePMJyqRFDKWfrt3bthsaBtAMBYXPZXcMhI0hU8Iq0/s2687/IMG_2508%20(1).jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2553" data-original-width="2687" height="608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaiex3tVwucYeYZzrGX8FECuFR1uez4Dkea4N732hUWUkX5xpGD0Nkmum6xWwrPbBF6BykAyp_4uhcFnIgA8pAkd6ySw1Enaao4gYHZajWmkPffHVCvyRnOhex4EYb5uzHS1py-bLnmJIxBFLBGzePMJyqRFDKWfrt3bthsaBtAMBYXPZXcMhI0hU8Iq0/w640-h608/IMG_2508%20(1).jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lines across the front of a building</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><br /></p><p>Humans make marks on everything they touch including caves, buildings, canvas, and the sand beneath our feet. We also now make marks in the sky. Last weekend over our heads the Blue Angels performed aerial stunts that mark the sky and follow a long tradition of aerial acrobatics that began with the early barnstorming pilots during the Roaring Twenties of the last century.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZYIFeZ2yuv50XGVwyy4nm9ps2NIi3-8HxZazfxHlLuABitC5YQZs9UwB6cqz2I9DNYVEkXf1Old3lovnt3NaTdPDY5Hzjy6mHO090p5MDo9YcwjQxhrko-sXSj0eJnsHihTvCsCx1JxZ1ZRcRBm5jSppIFS7cQMjEvlI-ius5CfrMBSNvux4f-x-UkUI/s916/mosaic5f8edc192e5ac8b34b952fcf80cf411aaf9cd001.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="916" data-original-width="916" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZYIFeZ2yuv50XGVwyy4nm9ps2NIi3-8HxZazfxHlLuABitC5YQZs9UwB6cqz2I9DNYVEkXf1Old3lovnt3NaTdPDY5Hzjy6mHO090p5MDo9YcwjQxhrko-sXSj0eJnsHihTvCsCx1JxZ1ZRcRBm5jSppIFS7cQMjEvlI-ius5CfrMBSNvux4f-x-UkUI/w640-h640/mosaic5f8edc192e5ac8b34b952fcf80cf411aaf9cd001.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mosaic of jet trails by Bill Slavin</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>Since moving to San Francisco, I've noticed how many empty storefronts trail along the streets. They have become a venue for graffiti in quantities that I haven't seen since the beginning of this century. Many people then were outraged by the seeming desecration of public spaces and rightly so, yet some of the graffiti artists, such as Banksy, Dondi White, and Lady Pink, became well-known because of their fantastic flourishes on grey concrete walls. Their work exists in museum exhibits now. Many cities adopted the practice of public murals in response. The murals fill the ugly grey walls, with ideas, lines, colors, and honors to citizens of their communities. In the Bay Area, murals proliferate in Oakland, Santa Cruz, San Jose, and Walnut Creek.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1H-wRaUAtAjt9BTWzH6Gj-ntWJMfhd20_MlHo-6-OcvEsV43CXGbAFiIYGpZouO6i2MADbhSXDJK7tHAWhkUX48jkDGNKTU62rnQjDOvku0lh9MqYvGPXLGn5QBFlSM_zlOcbFlVM_E_9p2Mq1WngQJgwKCodiruRdaMXLLcumyvekLsEvslA-9h2VtM/s3791/IMG_0443.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2843" data-original-width="3791" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1H-wRaUAtAjt9BTWzH6Gj-ntWJMfhd20_MlHo-6-OcvEsV43CXGbAFiIYGpZouO6i2MADbhSXDJK7tHAWhkUX48jkDGNKTU62rnQjDOvku0lh9MqYvGPXLGn5QBFlSM_zlOcbFlVM_E_9p2Mq1WngQJgwKCodiruRdaMXLLcumyvekLsEvslA-9h2VtM/w640-h480/IMG_0443.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">on a San Francisco side street<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>You may or not like the graffiti put up by taggers or you may or may not like the designs made by architects and designers that appear on the outsides of buildings. For me, one of the values of art is to present new ideas in interesting ways that test your comfort zone. Once I take the time to look and try to understand the other person's feelings, ideas, and process, I can decide whether I like what they produced or not.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijk1MdO_DxxfRf5rS0wuE8QK3IXCqeZ_201kly091qYU1vsDF074wbkOpuUZYBa1wjMJX4fFuP4JWT8ebTI40QorH3BmPmtazDcxBN15xeSeRv5nbuQUf6A00nGdl-K2fPqnmFkhxfr4fMQYqo_LqTGcI_0Kyp0y45RpFnhP0cAUiuB3Av4Mgh-R1Tm3o/s3046/IMG_2481.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2197" data-original-width="3046" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijk1MdO_DxxfRf5rS0wuE8QK3IXCqeZ_201kly091qYU1vsDF074wbkOpuUZYBa1wjMJX4fFuP4JWT8ebTI40QorH3BmPmtazDcxBN15xeSeRv5nbuQUf6A00nGdl-K2fPqnmFkhxfr4fMQYqo_LqTGcI_0Kyp0y45RpFnhP0cAUiuB3Av4Mgh-R1Tm3o/w640-h462/IMG_2481.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Layered lettering produced in Coral Pearl's class by Martha Slavin<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>Check out the TimeOut article about street artists:</p><p><a href="https://www.timeout.com/newyork/art/top-famous-street-artists">https://www.timeout.com/newyork/art/top-famous-street-artists</a> </p><div>Check out the links to these calligraphers:</div><div><br /></div><a href="http://www.corapearlcalligraphy.com">http://www.corapearlcalligraphy.com</a><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://yukimiannand.com">https://yukimiannand.com</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.amityparkslettering.com">https://www.amityparkslettering.com</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.lacalligrafia.com/about/">http://www.lacalligrafia.com/about/</a> Massimo Polello</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.mikegold-letterarts.com">https://www.mikegold-letterarts.com</a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /></div>marthaslavin.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103331217021325363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3202288049668006882.post-5578109763181858542023-10-13T06:23:00.001-07:002023-10-18T17:07:26.209-07:00TWO GODS in the BUILDING<p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8nJclJvX5Gl1ZGaXndKJ7XOIuoPN2yDXHzlaEGr6vCPM1tB7tpXdmnwnC4DTez9pde4scLfBpRd170ZcxpMwznNy7x6z3lbxZ_s4q-ZWyUP5nL-gFDcUfRhg1PJuwWTlCIxlgpOuoBqtpaNXRVISzr7XwaWeRww7ID7iPlCUe85emyvJjc8J8r1Q80qg/s1999/IMG_3593%20(1).jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1574" data-original-width="1999" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8nJclJvX5Gl1ZGaXndKJ7XOIuoPN2yDXHzlaEGr6vCPM1tB7tpXdmnwnC4DTez9pde4scLfBpRd170ZcxpMwznNy7x6z3lbxZ_s4q-ZWyUP5nL-gFDcUfRhg1PJuwWTlCIxlgpOuoBqtpaNXRVISzr7XwaWeRww7ID7iPlCUe85emyvJjc8J8r1Q80qg/w640-h504/IMG_3593%20(1).jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> Bittersweet became our favorite restaurant in our short time in Aptos. The name conjures up all kinds of feelings about this last year. I think of our move and what changes in a neighborhood over time. People move in and out. Children play, grow, learn to drive and leave. Cars drive into garages, the door closes, and the street returns to the quiet of an adult-filled neighborhood. Bill and I have witnessed and joined the migration from neighborhoods.<p></p><p> One last evening at Bittersweet, Zeus served us. His first name, an unusual one, given to him by his mother so that he would grow up strong, made me laugh. My family's name is Heimdahl, the guardian of the rainbow bridge into Asgard, the Norse mythical home of the gods. With the two of us in the same room that evening two gods existed in harmony together at Bittersweet.</p><p>We still spend a lot of time traveling back and forth to the East Bay. Coming back recently and driving down a street, I realized what I missed about living there: overhanging street trees. We are now living in San Francisco, we are surrounded by concrete buildings, and we look down from our windows on a relatively quiet city street with a children's park across the way and see the tops of the well-trimmed street trees that line the block. Not the same feeling as the enveloping canopy of an avenue of stately, old trees, who could if we could talk in the same language, tell me the stories of what they had protected for the last 50 years.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC2pQBKEocSdmVorLa1EyCimyjxzqAw2PyNhCkcwdTPvdQMz0uyeLbfIeSAdwdN1qJOqp218SKYxXrVzTgkMkv1ABwAIM5t0V-PZ_koM3jmtfeMiMR7Qh9q50I2sL2S3SAxG7QXqM49ep2MZzWABJ1oP_87IJ0cWLvdUKM9kMy7Fm9fptaMpCRmJhEf4E/s3033/IMG_2472.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3033" height="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC2pQBKEocSdmVorLa1EyCimyjxzqAw2PyNhCkcwdTPvdQMz0uyeLbfIeSAdwdN1qJOqp218SKYxXrVzTgkMkv1ABwAIM5t0V-PZ_koM3jmtfeMiMR7Qh9q50I2sL2S3SAxG7QXqM49ep2MZzWABJ1oP_87IJ0cWLvdUKM9kMy7Fm9fptaMpCRmJhEf4E/w640-h638/IMG_2472.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watercolors aren't working right now, <br />but this one I saved by using markers on top.</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>Our new place in the city is different from either the East Bay or Aptos by the sea, but we lucked out in finding a two-block-long street that runs along the channel that separates the rest of San Francisco from Mission Bay and is a walk from the Giants ballpark and the Warriors Chase Center but also runs near other streets where the trolleys, trains, and buses of a busy city clang along their way. The park across the street is called Children's Park and we can hear the happy chatter of little kids playing among the structures of the park. We've noticed many people walking their dogs (pandemic dogs?), bringing them into restaurants and grocery stores, and reminding us of the well-behaved dogs who would sit quietly in a seat at a Paris cafe.</p><p>Instead of a 55+ community, we have landed in just the opposite. Most of our neighbors are 45 and younger. We watch as parents struggle with bags, strollers, and dog leashes and remember those days. We hear conversations about work and coming events at Golden Gate Park. Once in a while, we notice French among the many different languages spoken around us. </p><p>The local grocery store is around the corner and offers organic fruits and vegetables, a butcher's shop, a good deli, and long lines at certain times of the day. Across from the grocer is a wine and cheese shop that serves small plates including various panini with one called Paris, a ham, gruyere, and cornichon pickles concoction on sourdough (the best of San Francisco and Paris). We haven't lived in a city since we lived in Paris and these little shops and our tree-lined street remind me of Rue de Lasteyrie in the 16th Arrondissement.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8PR51LayfPoJq6LEdFnwHlihlUO3vNnhPxUButsjMZKl0az5pgTVKi8KMc3eloyAN3tGB8np6YwJ3Wa-yUK2Ud-oDHYU5eEHQdG3mx22Q9hqDjSiJ3YO9v56pPTz1MxEG_-p8gNhV8MTl3yUlhEEzkmU8Xk_DeODdZWPnHWn5azUbmn-8PNxT2JDEd2o/s2245/IMG_7040%20(1).jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2085" data-original-width="2245" height="594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8PR51LayfPoJq6LEdFnwHlihlUO3vNnhPxUButsjMZKl0az5pgTVKi8KMc3eloyAN3tGB8np6YwJ3Wa-yUK2Ud-oDHYU5eEHQdG3mx22Q9hqDjSiJ3YO9v56pPTz1MxEG_-p8gNhV8MTl3yUlhEEzkmU8Xk_DeODdZWPnHWn5azUbmn-8PNxT2JDEd2o/w640-h594/IMG_7040%20(1).jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>Our new go-to place is just at the corner. Reveille Cafe offers light fare as well as coffee and tea drinks. We noticed the barista wore a T-shirt with Japanese characters across it. The phrase was in support of Ukraine the barista's homeland. He told us that his dad was Ukrainian and his mother was Israeli. Our mouths dropped open uncertain how to reply. He talked of family in both places. I thought of Zeus and Heimdahl and wished those mythical figures could intervene in both places.</p><p>As we sat down for lunch, we felt lucky to be in a place that was safe. We are discovering once again that city life is exciting, bustling, noisy, and overwhelming. Bittersweet in many ways.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>marthaslavin.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103331217021325363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3202288049668006882.post-64212126208230346872023-10-06T08:21:00.003-07:002023-10-19T09:40:47.158-07:00EXPLORING<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWhJJgUaLViVB-TfTnKhsvS5EUPtADjvZ3QRadrr71UnkVPc6pz-6OYPrzziCGU0usH0z-iNLK68Cfgiu50jt5x3F3da5JcueLgnoaoGYnZ6eEw8_cyzKVYv2qmuYMcQIdx32CBKKGmZmREl8FbHb0Tf3t921JtEWA4vJ9ktJGFsQAl1xoVGBxXrIKYas/s2797/IMG_2444.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2021" data-original-width="2797" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWhJJgUaLViVB-TfTnKhsvS5EUPtADjvZ3QRadrr71UnkVPc6pz-6OYPrzziCGU0usH0z-iNLK68Cfgiu50jt5x3F3da5JcueLgnoaoGYnZ6eEw8_cyzKVYv2qmuYMcQIdx32CBKKGmZmREl8FbHb0Tf3t921JtEWA4vJ9ktJGFsQAl1xoVGBxXrIKYas/w640-h462/IMG_2444.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flowers outside Gail's Bakery in Capitola </td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We are good explorers. We are also homebodies. We are between homes for now and exploring new places to test what part of the Bay Area we would like to settle in once again. I was born in California, Bill is a transplant from Illinois, and we have been in the Bay Area since college. We know the famous places. We've walked San Francisco, Palo Alto, Carmel, and Oakland many times.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In 1998, we began our first exploration of a new town with our move to Tokyo where Bill went to work and I set out immediately to explore our neighborhood, one block at a time. As I walked the busy streets, I turned around and looked down the street I'd just walked so that I would remember how to get home. Without breadcrumbs to drop, it would be easy to get lost, especially with our move I became illiterate and couldn't read the street signs.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Back in the U.S., exploring is a lot easier for us. When we sat down to dinner at At Water Restaurant next to the San Francisco Port, we let Jordan our server know we were new to the City. He regaled us with a list of all his favorite places and events including the upcoming Cirque du Soleil, which performs in a tent right across the street. He reminded us that this is Fleet Week. We took mental notes of his recommendations because you never know when you will spot something new in a familiar place. As we walked out of the restaurant, we spotted a strange grey-clad ship docked right next to the SF Port entrance. It looked like a spaceship that had landed, though actually, it was a Marine supply ship offering tours. We watched as a group of navy personnel strolled out of the area. Fleet Week had arrived.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha2AAY2D8yuye4YUKzaF5YJSFKHoO1GYqNvf0wmn0uxMgiH4aL3kdQRJ9OVIorqRf2OR6V11zvP6v_45stsLkkFViQDQx3WZP4LsgrYodhL6e65GKrfHis_6OW0RrgV_hfprWHL8B5qZMobDLY31psfH7y-PHe50t58C3sHYrG3k6BDbMXw3f7Lh6aavY/s4032/IMG_2449.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha2AAY2D8yuye4YUKzaF5YJSFKHoO1GYqNvf0wmn0uxMgiH4aL3kdQRJ9OVIorqRf2OR6V11zvP6v_45stsLkkFViQDQx3WZP4LsgrYodhL6e65GKrfHis_6OW0RrgV_hfprWHL8B5qZMobDLY31psfH7y-PHe50t58C3sHYrG3k6BDbMXw3f7Lh6aavY/w640-h480/IMG_2449.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flowers outside the Seabreeze Cafe in Santa Cruz</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Local knowledge helped us during our stay in Aptos and directed us to some excellent restaurants and events we would have missed. Santa Cruz, known for its surfing, also hosts a Shakespeare festival in a local park and a skateboard festival. Capitola next door offers an art festival right next to the beach. Caroline's, a thrift shop in Aptos raises money for programs for children with special needs. The store has contributed over $3 million dollars to these vital programs. The shop is a good way to buy a different kind of souvenir after a trip to Aptos. We spent our last night at Bittersweet, our favorite restaurant in Aptos.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5X1xtwUQsTJgw4fd1M88PdJiAPdBV49l3PrVFqPA5JYKE0oYSL-DgrZive6Fy1Xa3jinwiiyHXvVygK_iNi2-xmpVlMRXlhOngQ1pUL546piVJ9V5aqUhU0v87Q8-m18I8vLNNQMnlE8hyphenhyphen0HrXufailbTj37JBc0zW1czsrqNVSCiQEqip-yC7pHzji8/s3634/IMG_2451.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2982" data-original-width="3634" height="526" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5X1xtwUQsTJgw4fd1M88PdJiAPdBV49l3PrVFqPA5JYKE0oYSL-DgrZive6Fy1Xa3jinwiiyHXvVygK_iNi2-xmpVlMRXlhOngQ1pUL546piVJ9V5aqUhU0v87Q8-m18I8vLNNQMnlE8hyphenhyphen0HrXufailbTj37JBc0zW1czsrqNVSCiQEqip-yC7pHzji8/w640-h526/IMG_2451.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barn near Watsonville</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We felt sad about leaving Aptos. We had begun to find the community we look for when we are in a new place. We found good restaurants and friendly, helpful people. The weather was great and everywhere we looked flowers grew in abundance. As we drove around the area, I noticed the barns next to fields on Highway 129 near Watsonville. They have inspired my next watercolor project (once I unpack my essential watercolor supplies).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA0o9oQx4mSVRPkDNKJGp78lDzzTX1ba_pz-eb7mHDSOZ4u05U2BvFGHCIc3UejluVvqHpmfC4dCmQFvTJEdSeGkUrvPxUvCfVzIkVJLp4AKGFOUoihxbKrxEPyPmT9jWNW7VAsCVY4nzCcMFhJJoF6eiaFQLRO5KUhdA1emVwqbxadLtVQWVqv6Ezluk/s3961/IMG_2453.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3014" data-original-width="3961" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA0o9oQx4mSVRPkDNKJGp78lDzzTX1ba_pz-eb7mHDSOZ4u05U2BvFGHCIc3UejluVvqHpmfC4dCmQFvTJEdSeGkUrvPxUvCfVzIkVJLp4AKGFOUoihxbKrxEPyPmT9jWNW7VAsCVY4nzCcMFhJJoF6eiaFQLRO5KUhdA1emVwqbxadLtVQWVqv6Ezluk/w640-h486/IMG_2453.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Next barn to paint</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>As we drove out Highway 1 to San Francisco, we saw the beginnings of the annual pumpkin festival in Half Moon Bay with cars lined along the road and groups of people wandering among the pumpkins. A sure sign that Autumn is here and new adventures await.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6lLSkXFEzZcV63TQMvnZ4-rIj4rmjinFmG9juOW0uzyqu0tbHRM7QBzXz11jQ14YDUf14l-9xnSqYDDf1J1xSCjaVZ2GS-6zZJVaGUAVo_g3vRo3KinVxJHIvvsU13_Al4PC3GHjw2TP7RY7wc1z1xIH442H2WverLLh9LfCU_jhB39qcqPg3NWbRb58/s3170/IMG_5098.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2304" data-original-width="3170" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6lLSkXFEzZcV63TQMvnZ4-rIj4rmjinFmG9juOW0uzyqu0tbHRM7QBzXz11jQ14YDUf14l-9xnSqYDDf1J1xSCjaVZ2GS-6zZJVaGUAVo_g3vRo3KinVxJHIvvsU13_Al4PC3GHjw2TP7RY7wc1z1xIH442H2WverLLh9LfCU_jhB39qcqPg3NWbRb58/w640-h466/IMG_5098.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Check out Caroline's in Aptos:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://carolinesnonprofit.org">https://carolinesnonprofit.org</a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Restaurants to try in Aptos:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Bittersweet Bistro </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.bittersweetbistroaptos.com">https://www.bittersweetbistroaptos.com</a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Cafe Cruz</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.cafecruz.com">https://www.cafecruz.com</a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Sparrow</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://cafesparrow.com">http://cafesparrow.com</a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Venus</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.venusspirits.com/vsckbeachside">https://www.venusspirits.com/vsckbeachside</a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Aptos Street BBQ (and blues every night):</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://aptosstbbq.com">https://aptosstbbq.com</a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Seascape Resort</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.seascaperesort.com">https://www.seascaperesort.com</a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Manuel's Mexican Restaurant (go early, long lines, they don't take reservations):</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.manuelsrestaurant.com">https://www.manuelsrestaurant.com</a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Excellent Aptos Markets:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">New Leaf Community Market</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.newleaf.com">https://www.newleaf.com</a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Deluxe Foods</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.deluxefoodsofaptos.com">https://www.deluxefoodsofaptos.com</a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>marthaslavin.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103331217021325363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3202288049668006882.post-14414164263094235922023-09-29T08:15:00.001-07:002023-09-29T08:15:47.050-07:00UNSEEN STORM<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4b2gTgBL_-h8yDYfitLyfiJVUxKnAHNu6xoNFspNrbZd6raSf6GGBkQutXPJ1rGLc6Tbp9r_NGqCVuFVu4XeP8wKL2GTGLAwCyenuNqkXf3JmBiajeVOKxNPOe4Gpq5QEvp23PY6mF0KikrpKK6ko2Sd3yNsnDScSQ_YijKjWvF9A1JmG2JPWaSG4cho/s4032/IMG_2333.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4b2gTgBL_-h8yDYfitLyfiJVUxKnAHNu6xoNFspNrbZd6raSf6GGBkQutXPJ1rGLc6Tbp9r_NGqCVuFVu4XeP8wKL2GTGLAwCyenuNqkXf3JmBiajeVOKxNPOe4Gpq5QEvp23PY6mF0KikrpKK6ko2Sd3yNsnDScSQ_YijKjWvF9A1JmG2JPWaSG4cho/w640-h480/IMG_2333.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Montara State Beach</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>The forecast predicted rain and big waves last Tuesday. We found a few sprinkles on our car as we left San Francisco to go back down the coast to Aptos. Fog instead of rain was in its usual place south of the city. By 11 a.m., though, the fog lifted, and we looked up at blue skies, no rain in sight. Then we turned to look down on the ocean by our side. The waves were as predicted, crashing against the rocks near the shore and spreading across the beaches like a wedding veil. The edges of the lacey water stayed in place and sank into the wet sand as the rest of the water receded. Some waves traveled as far as the ocean wall near our car.</p><p>To reach most of the beaches along this stretch of the Pacific Coast means a long trek down two-to-three-story flights of wooden stairs, worn smooth by the weather, or by meandering down sandy pathways to reach the beaches where we could spread our towels and watch the soothing waves. Tuesday the waves were anything but soothing, letting us know once again how powerful nature can be. Locals along the beach said that Tuesday's wave action isn't unusual in winter. After all, north of Half Moon Bay, the Mavericks surfing competition takes place when the big waves are at their peak in November through January. But the big waves on Tuesday (some predicted as tall as 16 feet) in early fall were different. They were a surprise and seemed to come out of nowhere.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqp-9dFDVWLzSJSRYgglAAnguE4SGe6STgF7lwy8KyYsnwds7h4Y34pV_ncTyXS-hdh7QsL8XB2-ODvl1Uro-iIJSwNVgbHsb7hVcYo4YqGvwZwJiO7YkRg8l9smuVLU6iKRQteMvYSvEh_tiOxDO1OIeYgf2EF6drB_QimLT-53wvyOvDihNk1opNv1U/s4032/IMG_2445.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqp-9dFDVWLzSJSRYgglAAnguE4SGe6STgF7lwy8KyYsnwds7h4Y34pV_ncTyXS-hdh7QsL8XB2-ODvl1Uro-iIJSwNVgbHsb7hVcYo4YqGvwZwJiO7YkRg8l9smuVLU6iKRQteMvYSvEh_tiOxDO1OIeYgf2EF6drB_QimLT-53wvyOvDihNk1opNv1U/w640-h480/IMG_2445.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rio Del Mar Beach by Bill Slavin<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Later in the day, we drove down to Rio Del Mar Beach, one of the few beaches with walk-on access to the sand. The day before we walked along the edges of the waves leaving plenty of dry sand where most people gathered for picnics and to play games. The beaches are strewn with detritus left from the fierce winter storms we had last year. Massive, bleached, wave-softened tree trunks litter the area. All along the beaches from Santa Cruz to Manresa, people constructed tepees with these thrown-about-like-straw logs, draping the tepees with towels to provide shelter from the sun.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO1RrOjYqzZESyK1kZzAimZ7NtMJ5YnDGHBcBkvj-jJj9rCqzUXENo1ozVA8a7BeVoWofd53t1YGYDmgp1_tztQJ5pWK0mPJUZUci-2M7bFOwUV1VIBAeLEi0GvSGRD5b6f2UYMwA1tkfUKMISEXPZrynnmrVu4WKj4vo0GndXyBvu9eEwoV7DveICcVY/s4032/IMG_2446.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO1RrOjYqzZESyK1kZzAimZ7NtMJ5YnDGHBcBkvj-jJj9rCqzUXENo1ozVA8a7BeVoWofd53t1YGYDmgp1_tztQJ5pWK0mPJUZUci-2M7bFOwUV1VIBAeLEi0GvSGRD5b6f2UYMwA1tkfUKMISEXPZrynnmrVu4WKj4vo0GndXyBvu9eEwoV7DveICcVY/w480-h640/IMG_2446.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rio Del Mar Beach <br />Photo by Bill Slavin</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><br /></p><p>Yellow tape and metal fences clung to the top edge of the sea wall warning walkers along a walking trail away from climbing down the rocks and trees to the beach. During previous visits to Rio del Mar, an inlet stopped at the dry sand and a ramp led us down to the beach. Once on the sand, we could stop and watch the seagulls, pelicans, and other shore birds as they searched for food along the softly breaking waves.</p><p>Today as walked away from our car, the beach was mostly gone, inundated with pools of water that joined with the inlet to cut off the ramp down to the beach. The seagulls, usually swimming in the inlet water, were bunched in one higher sandy area and did not move when a person walked through their midst. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT-VUJN_Wcttf8mC3MAyNvjsLHJaX3D4sbVcP_d1yzhnO3OQ-_2-IzZPRbZSjXIQh4KN9AopveZk-vuYDy4-bmLLkQcAUvNsQPWscSWOhX4n1MFy7PS_5fkF4cXNTqcyQ-YlY1_dNw7Nat5ldJuiksvt0VRtlueid31Xk9J2mqjgZVNJvGmqn-dgnR7jM/s4285/Waves%20(6%20of%206).jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3428" data-original-width="4285" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT-VUJN_Wcttf8mC3MAyNvjsLHJaX3D4sbVcP_d1yzhnO3OQ-_2-IzZPRbZSjXIQh4KN9AopveZk-vuYDy4-bmLLkQcAUvNsQPWscSWOhX4n1MFy7PS_5fkF4cXNTqcyQ-YlY1_dNw7Nat5ldJuiksvt0VRtlueid31Xk9J2mqjgZVNJvGmqn-dgnR7jM/w640-h512/Waves%20(6%20of%206).jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pescadero Beach Photo by Bill Slavin</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>We stared at the crashing waves in wonder. The waves, not so high as further north, still crashed with fury just below the dry sand lip. Once a wave came in, we expected it to rapidly withdraw, instead the water spread slowly over the lip and out on the dry sand towards the man-made sea walls. We marveled at how easily the coast can change from unseen forces such as faraway storms. I remembered advice from my childhood: Never turn your back on the ocean.</p>marthaslavin.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103331217021325363noreply@blogger.com0