Wednesday, June 24, 2009

The Joy of Blowing Bubbles




How cool is this? This is my boy who is ten (and a 1/2) who told me he wanted to learn to SCUBA dive, which thrills me to no end as I now will have live in dive buddy. How I wish I had been as adventurous as he when I was his age. Both of my children never cease to amaze me.

Recent post about my daughter, Alex.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

So, I am 40 now.


According to my closest friends and some family, this is what I have to look forward to. The funny thing is that I really do not feel any older than I did twenty years ago, sans the youthful recklessness and 30 inch waist. I was provided with a list of things I cannot do anymore:

1. Stand behind the cameraman and wave frenziedly.
2. Use Slang (Yo).
3. Wear animal print clothing.
4. Own a "saucer on a pole" halogen lamp.
5. Draw smiley faces over the letter "i". (never did this, ever)
6. Ask for an autograph. (Not even Farah Fawcett?)
7. Photocopy any body parts.
8. Be arrested while shirtless on C.O.P.S.
9. Hold the high score on the Pac Man machine at the 7-11 on the corner. (bummer)
10. Drive down the road with windows down listening to Led Zeppelin as loud as my ears can take it.

In response, I have created this list of things I can do:

1. Have selective hearing loss when uninterested in a conversation.
2. Fall asleep on the couch on Sundays while watching WWII documentaries.
3. Look at young people and say "We NEVER looked like THAT at their age..."
4. Find real joy in total silence and a paperback.
5. Realize that my children will learn more from their own mistakes rather than my advice.
6. Take comfort in knowing that I know a hell of a lot less than I thought I did at 20.
7. Never too late to learn anything - case in point: I will learn to play the banjo this year.
8. It's OK to be wrong, it's even more admirable to admit it.
9. I have met several people, been many places and have seen plenty of things that remind me, as cliche as it sounds, everything, absolutely everything we have are gifts - time, people, health and wealth - none of these can be taken for granted.
10. Finally order that black speedo with my initials embroidered on the front in bright red. After all if I can't embarrass my kids at the beach what good am I?

I expect at 80 I will look at this list and laugh.

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Asolare 2009






For the last three summers we have been invited to a wonderful party at the Asolare Fine Arts Foundation. Ostensibly it is a birthday party for its founder Jim Moon and a fund raiser for the foundation. I am always astounded by the concentration of gifted people who attend. This year was exceptional with two artists from Macedonia who actually produced two extraordinary paintings. Chip Holton was there doing sketches along with a crew of amazing sculptors teaching all of us how to take our foam sculptures and cast them in aluminum - really amazing.

Click here to see the slide show. Allow a minute to download as it is set to music.

Click here to download individual pictures from the slide show.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Sublimely Southern



What expresses true Southern life more than the Magnolia Blossom? Short lived, beautiful and despite many creative names painted in gold on ornate glass bottles, there has not been a successful reproduction of their amazing perfume.