catsandflowers

I'm Back

2010-05-28T10:19:00.000-07:00

After a very long absence, I am able to return to my blog. Hopefully I'll have time to post something. I have been very busy with my garden friends & family on facebook, plus I have a huge new yard to get into shape. I bought a new home in September, and have had lots to do after moving out of a place where I had lived for 20 years. This house needs work, & the yard was neglected for many years. I am loving getting it cleaned of piles of debris & trying to turn it into a personal paradise. I have a long way to go before it is finished.

FUSCHIA

2006-09-01T12:57:00.000-07:00

On my porch

Graduation Day

2006-09-01T12:50:00.000-07:00

The day dawned bright & beautiful. Everyone was dressed for the occasion – summery dresses for North Carolina. The first part of the morning was very chilly, but after a while, we were all happy to be wearing cool clothing.

We arrived at the stadium at around 9:00 A.M., so Allie would be able to prepare for the processional. By the time we had taken our seats, the sun was starting to really beat down. Everyone was provided with paper sun shades and bottles of water.

The moment the Duke University Wind Symphony started playing and the graduates began filing down the steps in the stadium, I became all teary-eyed. I couldn’t believe my Allie was graduating, and that I was actually there witnessing this magnificent event. What a way to spend Mother’s Day!

I believe a few thousand young people graduated that day, and it was wonderful to see them massed on the field, after the very lengthy descent down the stadium steps. I had never attended a university graduation, and to me it was nearly overwhelming. We have great photos of Allie, and a video of part of the ceremony, to help us remember the beautiful and important day in her life.

After the speeches and Presentations of Candidates for Degrees, everyone left the stadium and proceeded to various locations for the actual Presentation of Diplomas. Allie received her diploma at the art museum, and we attended a reception at that location immediately afterward.

Allie was one of a small percentage of students from Trinity College of Arts and Sciences at Duke to graduate summa cum laude and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. What a proud grandmother I am!

Food

2006-06-06T07:35:00.000-07:00

We spent a good share of our weekend EATING. Saturday afternoon, we attended a reception on the East Campus on the lawn. This involved great food, some of which was served by Allie's co-workers from Trinity Cafe. I was putting some melon and cheese on my plate, when I heard someone say "That's Allie's Grandma!" It was Allie's close Trinity buddy and she was pointing me out to other personnel who were keeping track of the platters of food.

Allie's father arrived in the area later, and met us at a Greek Restaurant within walking distance of Allie's dorm. Allie, her grandfather, mother, and I walked there. Allie's father is Greek, Allie is half Greek, so a Greek restaurant was the order of the day. The food was good, and Allie's father treated us to dinner.

The next morning, we had to arrive at Duke early, as Graduation started in the Stadium at 9:30. Allie, of course, had to be there before that, to line up for the Procession. I will discuss this wonderful event in a separate post, as I am writing about food at this time.

After a reception following her receiving her Diploma in the Art Museum, we went to lunch at Elmo's, again a treat by her father. I ate strawberry pancakes and they were delicious. I don't remember what the other members of the party had. Allie recommended the strawberry pancakes, and that sounded good, so it was my choice - fresh strawberries and whipped cream heaped on the great flavored pancakes.

Dinner that evening was at an interesting restaurant in Durham, at an outdoor mall, a treat by Grandfather. Coral and I had pecan crusted trout - mmmmm. I have never had this, and it was a definite treat. Allie ate buffalo meatloaf. The restaurant was a Rocky Mountain Grille type of place.

A Dream Come True

2006-06-05T10:21:00.000-07:00

It is possible to watch Duke Chapel webcasts to be a part of the services and wonderful music of the Chapel Choir. It is even better, of course, to actually be in the amazing Gothic edifice, and watch the Choir processional, to have the sounds envelope you to the point of having tears in your eyes and being hardly able to breathe because you are so choked up.

The best thing of all is to be in the choir section, where you are totally surrounded by the music; the huge sound of the massive pipe organs, the swelling voices of the choir members, the brass instruments and tympanies.

I was so lucky to be able to sit with the choir during Baccalaureate, along with Coral and Allie's Grandfather. Both the AEolian & the Flentrop Organs were used for the Anthem Kyrie eleison, sung in Greek. Allie had reported that in her years in the choir she had never performed when both organs were used.

We had entered the Chapel through a side door, just like members of the Choir, and worked our way through rooms and up stairways, where Allie opened the door to the Choir and Altar area, instructing us to take our seats in a specific section set aside for a few parents and some dignitaries.

The Procession of Candidates for Degrees was very impressive, even though it was one- third of the class. We stood while they were filing in to their seats, and had a great view of them doing so.

The Choir was in the areas near the front doors where they line up for the procession. A most beautiful piece was performed while they were in that area of the Chapel, behind the pillars, a Choral Adulation sung in Church Slavonic. It made me shiver.

After the Choir reached the Altar, we had a wonderful view of Allie in her Graduation Cap & Gown while she was singing. The Seniors in the Choir wore their Caps & Gowns.

I wish the service had been longer, because the time flew by, and I knew that I would never have another chance to be with the Choir, after several years of wishful thinking. It was absolutely wonderful.

Duke at Last

2006-06-04T15:45:00.000-07:00

I was finally at Duke, after thinking about it for four years. The great part of it was that I spent the night in Allie's apartment on campus. She was RA and had a very nice apartment just inside the front door of the building. She was very gracious and actually let me sleep in her bedroom while she slept on her very short couch.

I had a great sleep, after all that I had been through on the trains. I did not get a sleeper on any train, so I did not get as much sleep as I usually do. In the morning, Allie attended a special luncheon with a professor, and I checked out East Campus. I found Trinity Cafe by myself, in the East Campus Union. Allie worked there for a good share of her time at Duke. I had a nice lunch and chatted with her friends. Then I took a shuttle to West Campus and spent a few hours walking through the wonderful Duke Gardens. Unfortunately, I had to dodge raindrops a few times, and was unable to complete the "tour" of the whole place. There were some sections that I didn't see, but I saw some great areas, beautifully laid out, with wonderful flowers.

Eventually, I went back to Allie's dorm, and she and I went out for dinner. We walked to Elmo's, a neat place which is very popular and has great food. After that I called a cab, at her insistance, and headed for my hotel. Allie felt that I definitely should not try to get there by bus, with all of my stuff. I had reservations for the next four nights in a decent place with a kitchenette, and a couple of shopping plazas next door. There were a few places to grab a bite to eat.

I had another great night's sleep, after watching some TV, did a bit of shopping the next day, and waited for Coral and Allie's grandfather to fly in from Buffalo. They arrived in the afternoon, and after eating together, we drove to Duke, where we met Allie in front of the Chapel. She was singing in the choir for Baccalaureate that day (Friday) at 5:00. We chose not to attend at that time, and planned to go to the Saturday morning service. The graduating class was so huge that Baccalaureate was divided into three sessions.

Friday evening was spent at Coral's friends' house in Durham, where we had a very nice dinner.

On the Road Again

2006-06-04T15:27:00.000-07:00

On the railroad, that is. May 7, I left California to travel to Duke University for Allie's Graduation. That seems so long ago, that I can hardly remember what occurred on the trip. I had allowed an extra day for missed connections, but it seemed that I might actually miss Baccalaureate on Friday (I left home on Sunday morning). The train was very late arriving in Chicago, and the train that I had to catch to DC was waiting for us. Last year Amtrak had to provide hotel rooms for passengers on two trains that night, and I was 24 hours late arriving in Florida.

The next train was one from Washington to Raleigh, and it, too, was waiting for us. We were several hours late. We never went into Union Station, but walked across the platform straight into a car on the Southbound train.

I arrived in Raleigh late, and had to get a taxi from the station to Durham. That was certainly an expensive deal, but I basically had no choice. Buses between the two cities had ceased running, and I was dealing with heavy luggage. I made a deal with a couple of guys from one company and headed to Durham. Only one of the men went in the cab, and it turned out that he had no idea where he was going, of course. I was better at figuring it out than he was, and I have never been there.

We had called Allie on the driver's cell phone to make sure she was at her apartment in the dorm, then headed out. At some point, after we were on an expressway, he called Allie again to ask her what exit we should use. It was hard to understand him, and Allie couldn't help because she has had to remain basically on campus, or nearby, as she had no car.

Then I saw a sign that I felt led to the right exit, and I found the way to her dorm.

Why I Can't Sing

2006-05-01T23:15:00.000-07:00

I believe I mentioned a while back that I lost my singing voice after having my thyroid removed in 1961. Sometimes I thought perhaps I was just looking for something to blame, but I did totally lose my voice for months at the time and I have never been able to hit the notes right since that time. Singing was an important part of my life then – I sang to my babies. I had been in choral groups in high school. My children and grandchildren have carried on the tradition.

Today was the day of the diagnosis. I have been losing my voice for a few years, and it has been getting worse as time goes on. People have noticed that I am hoarse most of the time. Family members have mentioned it when I am on the phone. Last year I had a very difficult time reading my stories to patients at a nursing home. They couldn’t hear me, and I was unable to increase the volume. My writing “professor” told me that I obviously have a problem with my voice. I was beginning to be concerned, and the difficulty was annoying.

My heart doctor made an appointment for me to see an ear, nose, throat doctor. When I first mentioned my symptoms to the ENT doctor, he gave maybe three reasons that I would be having problems. As soon as he checked the back of my throat, he told me that my vocal chords are paralyzed on the right side and have probably been that way since my surgery in ’61. He stated that the left side would have compensated for the paralysis back then by stretching toward the right side, but as I have aged I have lost the elasticity and I am losing my voice.

One of the possibilities to cure this is surgery, but he said that he wouldn’t want to do it because I am on Coumadin, etc. I said “I don’t want you to do it, either. That is the least of my problems, so I’ll just deal with it!”

When I return from my trip east, I am to call him and he will make arrangements for me to go to Martinez for therapy. He told me the therapy would be difficult, but it should help me quite a bit. We’ll see. Therapy and I don’t do too well (knees, back). I am not very conscientious when it comes to that. I would never have made out well working out in a gym.

Sometimes when I think about the fact that I have been unable to sing for 45 years, I get upset. It makes me even more upset to realize that I was right all along about the surgery – that something had gone wrong and “someone” slipped. The doctor was telling me about a very famous opera singer many long years ago who lost her voice after thyroid surgery.

LOST

2006-04-27T17:15:00.000-07:00

My garden path totally disappeared during our "wetter than Seattle" winter. This is a six foot wide flower pot garden.

Flowers of Another Color

2006-04-26T22:28:00.000-07:00

Sterling R. DeRosa Pin I sold recently

Very Large Coro Pin also recently sold

I still own this beauty - a huge unsigned fur clip

1920's or 1930's basket pin I sold at a show in March. All Original with stones of many colors

Thank You for the Music

2006-04-26T16:58:00.000-07:00

That is the name of the concert I attended last week at Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco. It was absolutely incredible! I thoroughly loved it, as I am a huge fan of choral music, especially when done by a very large group.

The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus performed, with the Community Women’s Orchestra and Stockholms Gaykor (Stockholm’s Gay Choir). Daughter-in-law Becky plays violin in the Women’s Orchestra, and it was her first major concert. The venue was definitely impressive. Anyone would want to perform at Davies.

I had a great seat, in right orchestra, ten rows back. Chris and two of Becky’s friends were in left orchestra. I was looking for Chris before the concert started, then saw a movie-star-handsome guy, distinguished-looking with grey streaks in his hair, dark suit coat, and decided it must be my son. He and Becky made a beautiful couple, with Becky in her black clothes – long black skirt, and her long dark hair flowing from the barrette she was wearing. She is a pretty girl, an asset to an orchestra. I guess I shouldn’t base her contribution on looks alone.

I didn’t know what to expect at a concert of the Gay Men’s Chorus. I was not certain what types of music I would hear, but I loved all of it. I am a bit of a snob when it comes to music, with classical and opera being my favorites, although music from shows and certain other music appeals to me also. I knew the reputation the Chorus has for being First Rate. Robert Seeley’s music from Naked Man, Exile and Metamorphosis was wonderful. This music spans the years from 1996 to 2004, and when I saw the dates, I thought it would be too modernistic for my taste, but the notes are absolutely beautiful.

Stockholms Gaykor is an impressive group. They performed many great pieces, and when they did the Village People Medley, the audience went wild. Talk about enthusiasm. The Gaykor, plus SFGMC Alumni combined voices with the Gay Men’s Chorus to totally fill the stage, along with the Women’s Orchestra, and totally fill the hall with a glorious sound that caused a standing ovation. I was so happy that I was there.

I had never been to Davies and it was way past time to check out that place. It is great. After all, MTT hangs out there (Michael Tilson Thomas). He was with the Buffalo Philharmonic, then went to Europe for a while before taking over the helm at the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. He has made San Francisco his home for years now.

Fred's Iris

2006-04-25T13:15:00.000-07:00

Fred is my neighbor.

The More I Am Here the Better I Like It

2006-04-08T16:34:00.000-07:00

Yesterday found me at the de Young again. I have now been there, at least in the building, five times since October. Not bad, considering the problem of getting there in the first place.

I visited the Art & Crafts exhibit again, to concentrate more closely on the items, and the descriptions. I missed more of the small items than I thought I had. There are some really incredible pieces in the exhibit, pieces that I would love to have in my home. That is if I had a really nice place, like the house in Buffalo. Items in this show would have been wonderful in the Buffalo house, which had Frank Lloyd Wright architecture. It was around the corner from a documented Wright house, which is seen in at least one of the volumes on his buildings. I decorated with several Arts & Crafts period furniture pieces, although I believe none had the “important” labels.

Another reason I went to the de Young was in response to an email I had received from the Education Department notifying me of the Friday Night at the New de Young program for last night. I was so happy that I bothered to go to this event. Four Strings Tango (Quartet) entertained with an all Argentina Music event, including a lovely young couple dancing to some of the pieces performed. It was a cozy evening in a room filled with an attentive audience, a rather informal event with seating along the sides of the room, and on the floor, the Quartet playing against a wall of glass with the noiseless rain and wind a mere backdrop to the comfort of the interior.

Four Strings Tango, with Abraham Becker music director, used instruments made by Peter Van Arsdale of Berkeley, two violins, a viola and a cello. Mr. Van Arsdale also demonstrated violin making last night, in the Free Zone outside the individual galleries. There were several events happening in that area. The new building makes great use of its spaces, drawing in the public, getting them involved in many aspects of the art world. I was wishing that I could live in the city, further enabling me to make use of the fine arts facilities and becoming involved in things I love.

Today was a Fabulous Day

2006-03-24T22:08:00.000-08:00

I took Allie to the new de Young. She decided that she would like to go there before returning to Duke tomorrow. I hope she had a good time, because I loved my day.

It was super being able to walk around in an art museum with a student who has chosen art history as her specialty. We enjoyed talking about various works that we saw, or at least I enjoyed it.

The traveling exhibit that opened last Saturday is “International Arts & Crafts”, organized by the Victoria and Albert Museum. There are many fabulous pieces in this particular exhibit. I had been looking forward to attending when the exhibit opened. Of course, I truly like the American Arts & Crafts Period, but I especially enjoyed seeing the beautiful work from Great Britain and Europe. The Scandinavian pieces were of interest, as were the Russian objects.

I am not certain which items in the whole of the museum that Allie liked the best, but she definitely seemed to show interest in many things. I was afraid that she was not able to “visit” the exhibits for as long a period as she would have liked, and I also feel that she would have wanted to see things that perhaps she did not see. It is always difficult to do a large museum justice in a few hours, and it is also not easy to ascertain which period appeals to a person other than oneself.

All I know is that I thoroughly enjoyed spending the hours with Allie, the little lunch we enjoyed in the café, our discussions of individual works and certain periods, and I even enjoyed her critique of the architecture of the building. She thinks it is ugly.

The huge flower arrangements in “Bouquets to Art” which were scattered throughout the museum were of interest to me. It was also an exhibit that I had wanted to see. Some pieces were very weird, some beautiful. Tomorrow is the last day for that exhibit, so I lucked out.

The weather was icky, rather dismal and rainy, therefore it was a good day for museum going. The only bad thing was that it was difficult to see much from the top floor of the tower. On a good day, the view is incredible – the old buildings scrambling over the hills of San Francisco, the top of the Golden Gate Bridge, the Pacific Ocean peeking through an area in the distance.

Allie, I will miss you when you return to North Carolina, but at least I will see you again in May when you graduate. I can’t wait to visit you and see Duke. I’ll be one proud grandmother when you receive your diploma. I am already a proud grandmother – you made Phi Beta Kappa.

Surprise!

2006-03-17T09:43:00.000-08:00

Surprise! Chris called me yesterday afternoon and asked what I was doing last night. He wanted to take me out to dinner, so planned to pick me up at 7:30 and we would go to a local restaurant. When he got here and got out of his truck, he said "I brought a date." It was dark, so I didn't immediately see who it was and when she got closer to the porch, I exclaimed "What are YOU doing here?"

It was my ALLIE! Straight from North Carolina! She is here for a job interview next week. She told her mother not to tell me because she wanted to surprise me. All through dinner I kept looking at her and saying "I can't believe you are here! I can't think of anything to say." I managed to ask her all kinds of questions, though.

Photos

2006-03-15T22:18:00.000-08:00

I took the magnolia photos two years ago at FILOLI GARDENS, Woodside, California with my SONY Mavica FD73. Filoli is a Magical Place!

Magnolia

2006-03-15T22:02:00.000-08:00

Never Prejudge

2006-03-15T21:59:00.000-08:00

The weekend was great. I made fantastic purchases, had great sales, and it was great fun. Perhaps I'll elaborate at some point.

Catching Up

2006-03-09T19:54:00.000-08:00

I certainly have not contributed to the blog world lately. I spend so much time writing witty words to describe items I am listing on ebay, that my brain is totally fried by the time I think about doing anything on here. I have had ideas at times, but just didn’t get around to writing.

In January, my next door neighbors moved out. I really liked them, and I miss them. They are a young Mexican couple, and she was expecting a baby to be born shortly after they moved. They were very pleasant and friendly. She works at a restaurant where I eat Mexican food sometimes, and I always enjoyed going there when she was working. She told me she would bring the baby here so I can see her sometime.

Right after they moved out, neighbors from a few doors away came knocking on my door to tell me that they were going to be my new neighbors in the place the Mexican couple vacated. They are from the Fiji Islands – of Indian extraction. They are also very friendly people. The only problem is that they take care of people’s kids, so it can get rather noisy next door. At this point, they have already moved in.

My neighbor on the other side, Katy, suffered a mild stroke a couple of weeks ago. She is such an active woman, swimming and going to the gym everyday – going on cruises two or three times a year. She is definitely an older lady. I can not believe the stamina she usually has.

My grandchildren are doing marvelous things right now. I am very proud of all of them. Grace is going to Atlanta to sing at the end of the month. She is in a few groups. Allie just made Phi Beta Kappa. That is really great. I can’t wait to go to her graduation at Duke.

I should write everyday, and then I wouldn’t have to search for things to talk about. I am uptight right now, kind of at loose ends, because I have to go set up for a show tomorrow, and it will be a new deal to me. The promoter has combined the antique show with a doll show, and took my large space to give it to a doll dealer. I had a wonderful space, because it was large, and I could set up many tables, with room for customers to walk all the way around them. They were able to see in the cases very easily that way. Now I’ll have a tiny space that will be difficult for display, and it costs the same amount. I may never do this show again after this weekend. I have been doing the show four times a year for many years now. Nothing ever stays the same.

I feel very ready to retire. That is why I am really blowing out a good share of my signed jewelry on ebay. The prices on some items have been satisfactory, but many things have basically just been there as a way to get my money back that I spent in the first place.

Time to cook. The blueberry pie is out of the oven, so now I’ll think up the rest of the supper.

Chip

2006-02-09T17:59:00.000-08:00

For Chris & Craig

Singing the Blues

2006-02-08T22:44:00.000-08:00

Today was interesting and enjoyable. I went to the Richmond Health Clinic for a lunch hour presentation for Black History Month. There is a great art exhibit of portraits of Blues artists. The work is wonderful and is done by a couple of artists. Both men were at the clinic and gave interesting speeches.

A local poet read one of her poems, and there was live music by two different keyboard musicians and a woman singing the Blues while accompanied by one of the musicians. She apparently recently retired from working at the Clinic. Her voice is great, and the whole audience loved her lively renditions. It was standing room only, and I was really happy to see how many of my acquaintances from the Clinic were in attendance.

The audience consisted of mostly employees of the Clinic: nurses, doctors, technicians, pharmacists, office help, and all of the other people that work to keep this wonderful clinic in great running order.

Lunch was served – a potluck for the employees, food that they retrieved from their lunchroom, and a couple of tables full of meats, cheeses, fancy crackers, and fruit for the rest of us.

There have been many great exhibits on the walls and in the showcase at the Clinic, on a variety of topics. The main purpose is to educate the patients, and to laud the accomplishments of the local residents, whether it relates to the history of the area, or the contributions brought to the area from the residents’ homelands. This area truly has a multicultural makeup. Employees and patients are from all areas of the world.

Hatshepsut

2006-01-28T18:43:00.000-08:00

I finally had a chance to return to the de Young yesterday. It had been in the back of my mind for a long time. I truly needed to get there and check the exhibits I didn’t see in October.

The Hatshepsut : From Queen to Pharaoh exhibit had not yet opened when I was there, and it was a must. I am totally thankful that I was able to see this great installation before its end date of February 5.

The unprecedented exhibition of over 260 objects from twenty-three museums throughout the world highlights the reign of the female pharaoh Hatshepsut, who shared the Egyptian throne for nearly two decades (1479 – 1458 B.c.); first as regent for, then as king and senior co-ruler with her nephew, Thutmose III. It is the largest and most comprehensive exhibition of art focusing on Hatshepsut and her time ever staged: presenting a vast treasure of monumental royal statuary and relief; superb sculpture representing members of the royal court; and a wide variety of ceremonial objects, finely crafted furniture and boxes, dazzling jewelry, and other exquisite personal items that tell the fascinating reign while revealing the diverse and exquisite production of the early Eighteenth Dynasty.

There were so many items that I really loved, but I believe I liked the gold jewelry best of all. It was very amazing. I had a gold ring that I recently sold, made in an unusual way, with a scarab in a setting that revolved. The gold was done in a rope-like method near the part with the swiveling scarab. In the jewelry exhibit yesterday, there were a couple of rings made the same way. I knew my ring came from Egypt, and it was hallmarked, but I obviously don’t believe that it was of the same age.

I saw so many items that made the old brain of mine start working in high gear, soaking it all up. Many artifacts were in such pristine condition that it was hard for me to fathom their age.

After I spent a few hours checking out the Hatshepsut exhibit, which is on the lowest level, where, apparently, traveling exhibits will be located, I had lunch in the café. Then I went to the second floor, to check out the Oceania and Africa sections. There were many very interesting items in that area, and I actually liked a lot of the pieces from New Guinea.

I saved my favorite American paintings for last. I had to visit them again, of course. I realized as I was walking through the galleries that I acquired a sense of peace and tranquillity when surrounded by paintings of the American masters. It was as if I was home again. It is where I belong, with art that is totally pleasing to me, with magnificent paintings of the Hudson River School and earlier. California paintings in the deYoung are truly beautiful. I can never soak up enough of this art.

Of course, when I go to the Legion of Honor, I have a chance to see European art, of which I am also a great admirer. Then I have to spend time soaking up those paintings, too.

I finally left after spending many hours at the deYoung. My feet and legs were protesting. I would have to wait for another time to visit my paintings again.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

2006-01-26T10:26:00.000-08:00

I decided to come out of hibernation long enough to attend dress rehearsal of a play at Contra Costa Civic Theatre again.

“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” showed the talents of the variety of actors who perform at the Civic Theatre. It was witty and well done. I was kept entertained through the whole performance.

It seemed to me that the actors chosen for the various parts were well suited to the people they were to play. Some of them were rather outstanding, and I will remember them for a long time.

The Civic Theatre is a “cozy” venue, and you become totally involved with the characters. Sometimes they jump offstage practically into your lap. That makes for “in your face” acting. That only happened once last night, while chasing an errant basketball, but in previous plays, the audience area was an integral part of the setting. During “Annie” a couple of years ago, the dog decided to take a walk.

I always love going to the dress rehearsals. Upon arrival, I settle into my seat, waiting for the gift of the presentation – waiting to see what surprises are in store. It is like “here, we present you with this performance, to have and to hold, for your contemplation, for your joy for the evening”. It is such a wonderful feeling to soak in a live performance, whether it be a play, a concert, ballet, or the opera, and I wish I could partake more often.

I am unable to do so. The price of tickets these days is prohibitive. Once upon a time, in Buffalo, I was able to attend anything I wanted to for zero money or a mere pittance. Of course, the main reason was that I worked for the various “companies”, as a volunteer in most cases. I only had a paid job with the Buffalo Philharmonic. More on that at a later date.

Anyway, it seemed strange getting away from ebay for a bit. I have been working so hard trying to sell all of my signed jewelry, from the 30’s to the 60’s. I am doing quite well right now, and want to continue until the bubble bursts again, as it has in the past for me. That is why I have not been writing on here. I spend all of my creative energy writing descriptions for the many wonderful and great items I am listing. By the end of the day, I am brain dead.

I Give Up

2006-01-07T17:34:00.000-08:00

I can not work while listening to this recording. I can't concentrate on anything else, like ebay & amazon listings. I have to stop what I am doing all of the time and listen to all of the parts of the music. I find myself holding my breath during the especially magnificent parts.

More on Verdi

2006-01-07T11:52:00.000-08:00

I actually listened to the Requiem for a third time yesterday. I took my CD player to bed with me and laid there with the headphones on, mesmerized by the music. It is basically impossible to tell you how magnificent this performance was - how it makes you feel when listening. Rodney is right - I have never heard a better performance of this piece. (And the huge audience was so quiet!)

Incroyable

2006-01-06T18:42:00.000-08:00

So we had our last Wednesday rehearsal of the semester for Chapel Choir today, and since we only had two songs to rehearse in two hours, Rodney (our director) let us spend the beginning talking about the Requiem. Patty, one of our star sopranos, said she's had nothing but Verdi stuck in her head for months (this made me feel better, because I thought I was the only one...I've been singing in Latin down the hallways for a full 10 days). Rodney said - get this - it was the BEST VERDI REQUIEM HE'D EVER HEARD (in person).

The only way for you to understand the way this made me feel is to also understand how I feel about Rodney. I am in awe of Rodney. I can't decide whether to love him or be terrified of him. The image that springs immediately to mind is the apes and the monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey, though I know that's not right for many many reasons. If Rodney told me I had a good voice, I'd go audition for American Idol. If he told me I had a bad voice, I'd go pretend to be a lemming and drown myself. That's just the way it is. (As it is, he tells me I can't read music, but that's a skill failing. So I've just stopped auditioning for stuff because of it.) I'm afraid to talk to him, because I might annoy him (which in turn makes me annoy him even more, I think, because it means I sleep through a lot of Sundays and never apologize for it, but, uh, that's just part of what makes me...crazy?).

Anyway. BEST VERDI REQUIEM. And that we were so good the orchestra and the soloists drew emotion off us. That you could hear every consonant in every part of the Chapel (you try enunciating in a building with a 7-story-high vaulted ceiling and then MAYBE you'll understand how big a deal that is). That it was the most emotional and best-felt oratorio Chapel Choir'd done.

But now, after that, I don't know how I can buy recordings. There won't - you can't - you don't feel a recording. You'll only hear the bad and superficial parts. The part in the last Libera Me, where I was singing so hard my chest was vibrating and I still wanted to put out more sound because I wanted to make it better, greater, more glorious - you can't hear that. The whole Chapel full of people leaning in and holding their breaths at the first sob of the cello - that'll just register as so much less ambient noise. The part in the Agnus Dei where at least one of us was so moved she burst into tears - can't hear that either. The fact that I, normally the town fuckup, was so carried along by the flow that not only did I not make a single mistake or wrong entrance (!) but didn't even need to look at my score for a good 75% of the oratorio (!!) - well, nobody knew that but me. And you, now.

But I -- oh god, you guys, you don't know how depressed I was that no one came, because I was so tired and so sick and had sung two services that day and we still managed to do the most beautiful, beautiful thing I've ever been a part of, and no one was there to see it.

I went out to the bus stop, hung my head, and tried not to cry. posted by Allison @ 8:27 PM 18

I am listening to the Verdi Requiem on headphones. I have to stop at points and just listen, shivering with the magnificence of it all. This is the most fantastic recording and I have awaited it with anticipation for a long time. This is a 2 CD set from a live performance at the Duke University (North Carolina) Chapel, April 2005. It is with the Duke Chapel Choir, the Duke Chorale, the Chamber Choir of the Choral Society of Durham, and Duke Orchestra with Rodney Wynkoop, Conductor. This consists of a few hundred voices, and they fill the chapel with an incredibly resounding, almost overwhelming performance.

Allie is in the Chapel Choir, and she took this CD set home to NYS for me at Christmas time. I just received it in the mail today from her mother. I had wished at the time of the performance that I could go to Duke, and now I finally have a chance to at least hear the results. Usually I watch and listen to the Chapel Choir on the Chapel website, when they record the Sunday morning services. I have also seen the Messiah, before this past Christmas season. One time I happened to catch it live, and that was a great feeling, watching something that Allie was singing in and seeing them all in “person”. The Messiah is not available from December 2005. But, Allie was sick and could not perform anyway. She didn’t want to spread her germs to the other singers, and she also did not want to damage her throat.

This is the second time that I have listened to the Requiem today. The first time I had it on the small stereo with no headphones. I had to check it out now and see how it sounds. It is absolutely splendid, and it has made the tears flow so far. I get goosebumps. I am still on the first disk. I wish many people could find out about this recording.

Maybe I’ll contact my local classical music station. I listen to that station every day. If any of my very tiny audience out there could find a copy of this recording, I highly recommend it.

Geisha

2005-12-23T17:50:00.000-08:00

Two and one-half hours spent in a world of gorgeous cinematography, sometimes lush settings, and beautiful girls – that was my visit to “Memoirs of a Geisha”.

Before the movie started, I sat in the theater checking out the demographics of the viewing public. Most likely one is not supposed to do that, but I am used to going to movies at noon or so and being practically alone in the theater. Of course, this is the holiday season, so more people go to the movies, but at 1:00 P.M. today, the theater was rapidly filling up with other people just like me who were there to see this movie at its first screening in our cinemaplex. The place was crowded.

Asian girls and young women with many countries as part of their heritage, flocked in as groups. African Americans made up a decent share of the audience, along with Mexican young couples. Older women were also a part of the audience. Of course, there was a large percentage of women in the theater, but there were also lots of men along to see this new movie.

As I stated earlier, I am used to going to the theater basically alone, so I was in fear of being bothered by the noise of such a large crowd, but there was none. This movie is so mesmerizing, that I do not remember hearing anything from the audience, except for the occasional intake of a collective breath when there was a particularly poignant moment.

I loved the movie, but I am not writing this as a review. That has already been done. I am writing about an experience, that of sharing this lovely movie with a large and very appreciative crowd, one with an all-encompassing cultural make-up. A lot of us sat there with tears running down our faces or in our eyes – the two Black ladies on one side of me, and the two Asian older women on the other side. We all loved it, and the audience applauded at the end of the movie.

The theater I usually patronize is a Century 16, but they don’t always get the very good art movies. I was not totally expecting Memoirs to be screened there, and one of the clerks in the post office told me today she didn’t think it would be there either. I have had to go to Berkeley this year a few times to view the excellent movies that Century feels will not draw a crowd.

Go see it!

Christmas Train

2005-12-17T19:09:00.000-08:00

Thursday morning, the Seniors went by San Pablo Rec Dept bus to Woodland, to take a ride on the “Christmas Train” - Sacramento River Train. The day started out very cold, but it was sunny and beautiful by the time we got to Woodland. I thought this would be an ideal activity to get some Christmas spirit in my life.

The train has several old cars, with Christmas lights strung along the outside and waves painted on the sides. Our car, the first one entered on the way into the train, was quite nice. It had been gutted, and was furnished with large round tables and plastic outdoor chairs. There were interesting fans suspended from the red, curved ceiling; a Christmas tree in the corner, and decorations scattered around.

We headed to the Sacramento River, very slowly. It took quite a bit of time to reach the river from Woodland, at that speed. We then rolled slowly along the river, with a nice scenic view out the windows. A strolling fiddler – banjo player went from car to car entertaining us. He was quite amazing. He could play many types of music, but Bluegrass or Appalachian style fiddlin’ is his favorite. He won First Place in the biggest competition for that type of music. He can also play classical music, and played a few pieces for me. He CAN NOT read music. I was totally impressed. He is very friendly, and sat at tables where there were empty chairs, just visiting with people, and strumming his banjo. He also had a great singing voice, and was wearing overalls with a sunflower printed long sleeve shirt, just like a blouse I have that I love.

A very cute woman dressed as an elf entertained us kids with “The Night Before Christmas”, and helped with serving desserts and drinks. She was always prancing around with her bells on her toes and outfit jingling merrily. The other crew members on the train, the Conductor plus another young guy, and waitresses, were all very cheerful and friendly.

Christmas Dinner was served – turkey, ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, salad, roll, cranberry sauce – a very nice large plate full of food. It was delicious, and was topped off with hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies.

When we were just on the outskirts of Sacramento, with the skyline in the distance, the engine was switched to the other end of the train, and we headed back to Woodland. What a delightful way to spend three hours on a sunny day the week before Christmas.

Dreary

2005-12-01T10:18:00.000-08:00

It is cold, windy, rainy, and dreary here in sunny California. The condition has lingered all week. It isn't inspiring at all. In fact, it has been warmer in good old New York State than it has been here. Of course, I know that, because it is where a good share of my relatives reside.

Perchance I'll write sometime - don't know when. I have been too busy doing photos and writing for ebay to stay involved with the blog. I am hoping to sell a lot of stuff, so that I have fewer items to move when it is time to do so.

The computer monitor is still driving my eyes nuts. They are all red and burn like crazy. The eye doctor will not be happy with me.

Olive Oil

2005-11-17T16:34:00.000-08:00

It was the perfect excuse for getting up into the Napa Valley in autumn. A trip to the Napa Valley Olive Oil Manufactory on Charter Oak Avenue in St. Helena was a wonderful idea. We went on a San Pablo City Recreation Department Bus, an inexpensive way to go out as a group and have fun.

The day was absolutely gorgeous. I love the Napa Valley in the fall, with the wonderful yellow green of the vineyards, the multi-colored trees against the dark evergreens, and all of this between two ranges of mauve and blue hills or mountains. Add a large sprinkling of impressive wineries, old and new, accent with flowers, and you spend all of your time looking from one side of the road to the other, trying to take it all in.

The Olive Oil Factory is located in a barn, with the sales area in a couple of very cozy (small) rooms. The rooms may be small, but the selection of delicacies is large and quite impressive. We didn’t spend long there, but if we had, I would have spent a lot of money.

I did purchase a half-gallon jug of olive oil, which I used as soon as I returned home, a large bottle of blackberry syrup for my tea, and a jar of Napa Valley Mustard Co. orange and ginger honey mustard. The blackberry syrup is great, but I haven’t tried the mustard yet.

My idea of a good time doesn’t quite match that of the rest of the seniors. They like to shop in a Ben Franklin, plus the obligatory WalMart on the way home, but they don’t seem to show much interest in walking around a wonderful historic downtown area, checking out the shops and cafes and admiring the buildings. I would have much preferred that. At least we drove through town on our way to Freemark Abbey, a winery which is pretty but not all that exciting. There are others that have genuinely interesting products in their stores, and are situated on hills with fabulous views. I have visited some of them in the past, although I am unable to drink the wine. Chris and Becky have taken me to such places.

The day was very warm, the sun dappled autumn leaves above and underfoot reminding me of wonderful fall days in my past. All of your senses feel alive at a time like this. I wish all of my relatives could visit the Napa Valley. It reminds me of “home”, minus the lakes, and I have particular family members in mind that I know would absolutely love to tour this area.

Clam Chowder

2005-11-11T17:07:00.000-08:00

“Where do you get your clam chowder?” I asked Jim, the proprietor (owner?) of Home Town Buffet.

“We make it! We make it six or seven times a day.”

“It is so good that I thought maybe you might make it yourselves instead of getting it in a great big can or something,” I indicated with my arms wide as if to go around that can.

He went on “I have been in every restaurant in San Francisco, and no one makes clam chowder as good as ours.”

I reiterated that it is wonderful chowder, and he replied “It is the number one soup in here”.

Now I know – my question has been answered. I had been wondering for a long time if they make the soup themselves.

Feral Cat

2005-11-11T16:59:00.000-08:00

Mama cat is feral, even though she has lived in here for several years now. She swats everyone; all cats, and humans. Her claws are lethal. She is not a friendly person, even though she sometimes follows me around to see what I am doing.

For the past few days, she has decided that my spot on the couch is her sleeping place. As all cats do, she picks a place for snuggling up, and that is where she goes until she feels as though she needs a change, then she moves on to a different location. She has been sleeping all curled up on the two pillows that I use for TV watching, to rest my back against the arm of the couch.

Last night I decided that I was ready to view a couple of my favorites, but she was still there. I figured that when I started up the vacuum cleaner to get the cat hair off the couch and pillows, she would leave. Wrong! I vacuumed all around her, right up to the pillows, along the back of the couch, and the arm, plus the love seat, which is at right angles to the couch. I also cleaned off the table that is used for a cup of tea, remote, etc. She didn’t budge – she just watched me. I thought perhaps she would lash out at my hand, but she didn’t. The other cats would have taken off with the cleaner that close, but not good ole Mama.

So, that ploy didn’t work. I couldn’t get her off the couch, and I didn’t really want to chase her off. It is hard enough to get her so she isn’t afraid of people. When the first program came on, I decided to try to sit beside her and see what happened. She remained there, right beside me. Then four cats piled on top of me or on the other side, and she still held her position. She doesn’t like those guys, and usually hisses and growls at them, but not a sound, and eventually she curled up and started snoring. Of course, I am usually protecting her from them, so I guess she figured she was safe with me in the middle.

Craig Practicing

2005-11-11T11:14:00.000-08:00

Hot Off the Press

2005-11-09T12:18:00.000-08:00

I just took this photo of my pink jasmine. It has grown a lot this year, and this is only one very small part of the plant. It wraps around the roof support and goes to the top, with many branches sticking out all over the place. It has been in bloom a lot of the year and has many buds and blossoms right now.

I love it, and it sure smells up the place.

The Boys

2005-11-08T17:22:00.000-08:00

Clockwise from top left : SILVER , LAPIS , ONYX , SAPPHIRE , CHIP

Silver, Lapis, Sapphire and Chip are Siamese Mix - Onyx is Black & White Tuxedo. All are brothers, from three litters.

Some of My Poppies

2005-11-07T20:35:00.000-08:00

Another Hummer Favorite

2005-11-07T17:59:00.000-08:00

The hummingbirds absolutely love this plant. The many sections of Passion Flower Vine climb in the tree, and also on a trellis plus other nearby plants. The birds can sit on the tree branches and drink to their hearts' content. They spend a long time at a single blossom before going on to another.

The passion flower has been prolific this year, producing more blossoms than in any previous year. I have truly enjoyed going to my "garden" to check on it everyday. It is another plant in a pot, as are all of my garden gems. I live on asphalt.

TROPAEOLUM TUBEROSUM

2005-11-04T19:18:00.000-08:00

Peruvian Nasturtium – plant of Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador – long cultivated on Peruvian Andes for tuberous roots (ysano) yellow and red – cooked and frozen before eaten. Women of LaPaz are very fond of this frozen dish.

So are my hummingbirds, only they receive sustenance from the blossoms, not the tubers. These little guys just love the vine growing on the fence at the back of my mobile home, and this year it has grown like crazy, considering how little space it has to do so. It is on both sides of the fence, and is even sending very long shoots under the trailer behind me. Also, it is growing in a pot, so I find it quite amazing that it puts on the show that it does.

I am always a bit sad when the vine has finished blossoming and it dies back for the winter. I have had this plant for several years. It was purchased when I went with Chris and Becky to a tour and plant sale at the Occidental Art and Garden Center, a wonderfully interesting and beautiful location quite a distance north of here. The flowers that were blooming the day we were there were amazing. The hillsides were a mass of flowers, from huge poppies, to multi-colored iris (my favorites). I can’t begin to remember all of the great plants that I saw. I had never seen some of them before, and I learned a lot that day.

Eye Problems

2005-11-04T17:07:00.000-08:00

I have been too busy doing ebay stuff to write much on here. I shouldn’t even be on the computer that much, as I have had a very serious eye problem since last week. I woke up Saturday A.M. with my eye full of blood, and I couldn’t see very well. Of course, I had read until 2:30 A.M., and had been seriously involved on the computer for several days.

My eye bothered me all day Saturday, then Sunday, at the flea market, it was rather driving me crazy. I wore my very dark prescription sunglasses all day, to keep the sun out of my eyes.

Monday, when I woke up, it was a lot worse, and my eye hurt a LOT. I had a horrible headache, so I decided to check into it. I tried to get an appointment with my eye doctor, who is a surgeon. He has been taking care of me for several years, as I have erosion of the corneas. I had just seen him October 11th. I couldn’t get an appointment until December, therefore I went to the ER at Martinez Hospital, as they have access to all of my medical records. That makes the process much less complicated.

The emergency room doctor told me the bleeding was not a problem, but I should see my eye doctor, so he got me an appointment with that doctor on Wednesday, but in Martinez, not Richmond, where I usually see him. The eye doctor is affiliated with the hospital. When I returned on Wednesday, Dr. McDonald agreed that the bleeding was not the real problem, but he didn’t realize that I had been having pain intermittently several times a week.

I have been using eye ointment, as per his advice, but apparently it is not enough to fully take care of the problem. He stated that he may have to scrape the eye again to get the cornea to heal itself. It is not a fun process – not painful at the time, but very painful when he puts in the contact that covers the whole eye and has to leave it there for days while the cornea is sealing itself. Plus, I have to have the drapes closed – I can’t deal with the light. I was totally sick the last time he did this.

Fun and games. I was wondering what it would be like not to be able to use the computer, read, or do all of the other things I do that require me to use my eyes, such as jewelry repair, photography, studying art, etc. and on and on.

Halloween a Bust

2005-11-01T14:37:00.000-08:00

At first I bought what I thought was enough candy for the kids who would come to the house, based on the last couple of years. Then, I ate most of it. So --- I bought more candy, and started eating that. No willpower, that's me.

In the meantime, I had decided that what I REALLY wanted to give my kids (yes, they are my kids because I see them all of the time when they come to the door to get change for the laundromat for their mamas, since basically their mamas don't speak English), was a non-edible toy. I walked to Walgreen's and purchased a bag full of novelty plastic Halloween stuff, and even had fun picking it out.

So, you guessed it, no one came. At least, only five kids came, and I was trying to figure out what to do with the rest of the toys. Today, I started giving them to the kids when they came to the door for change, and they were quite excited about that. A bit later, a girl came to the door to tell me that a machine in the laundromat wasn't working and their mama wanted me to call the manager. Then she asked, "Do you have any candy?"

More on Carol

2005-11-01T10:10:00.000-08:00

I have received more details about Carol's illness. She spent her first hospital visit in Cuzco, for a month, and doctors have decided that she had a heart attack while she was there. She was sent home, and spent some time lying on the couch, unable to do anything. She was tired all of the time, and had a hard time breathing.

When her condition deteriorated, her father took her to the hospital in Lima. He left to get a hotel room, and when he got back to the hospital, he was informed that she had died. Apparently the doctors have now decided that she always had a heart condition, causing her death. She did have thyroid disease, also.

And, I mistakenly stated that Barbara had said the doctors in Peru are good, but she had in fact told me before that they are not great, at least not like they are here in the US.

Carol had a good job with the Department of Education.

Loss of a Beautiful Girl

2005-10-29T16:21:00.000-07:00

My friend Jose is in Peru at present, at the side of his mother, who is dying with cancer. His was an emergency flight, as her condition worsened after being moved from Lima to Puerto Maldonado in the jungle, so that she could die at home with her children surrounding her. He had planned to fly there but about three weeks later than when he actually went.

Barbara speaks with Jose a couple of times a week, to check on things. Last night she called to inform me that there has been a tragedy in Jose’s family, and as the story began to unfold, I could not believe what had happened.

Jose’s brother, Mario, had two daughters, his pride and joy. Carol, the 26 year old, has just died of complications from thyroid disease. Apparently she had been in the hospital for a month, then was sent home, but just kept getting worse, so her father took her back to the hospital. This involves leaving the jungle town, and traveling to a city. Cuzco is the nearest place, I guess, at 12,000 feet elevation. Carol had a heart attack as a result of the thyroid disease. I would think that the elevation would be a problem, after she had been living at 250 feet on the Amazon. I do not remember all of the details as to where her father took her the second time she was in the hospital, but I think it was back to Cuzco.

This is all so hard for me to comprehend. My family is riddled with people suffering from thyroid disease and its effects, and even though I actually have a niece who has had thyroid cancer, so far no one has died with this. I guess that is the difference between living in the US and living in Peru. But, Barbara has said that they are supposed to have good doctors down there.

Carol had received her Master’s Degree a year ago, and was a very accomplished young woman, just starting out on a great life. Her family is completely devastated. The University where she studied has provided her with a beautiful casket and is helping with expenses. I feel so bad for the family. I have been in touch with them somewhat in the past, through emails, helping with financial details and other things, as Barbara has no computer. One of the sons-in-law down there has a computer business and sends emails for the others. The latest thing that I was involved in was getting a reduction in Jose’s airfare to go see his mother. The family sent me cancer diagnosis reports, complete with photos of the tumor.

When Jose returns, I’ll have to give him an extra big hug. He did inform Barbara, however, that he was planning on returning to the jungle to live. He can’t handle the heat anymore, so I don’t know how he would make out.

On Make-Up

2005-10-24T17:44:00.000-07:00

While standing in the shower this morning, I was involved in my usual creative thinking. It is where I get my best ideas, with all kinds of thoughts swirling around in my head. I can't truly remember how the subject came up, but I started thinking about make-up, as in that which women put on their faces.

As a girl in my late teens, I darkened my eyebrows, although I never removed them as so many other girls and women did in the 50’s. There are photos floating around of my blonde self with very dark, thick eyebrows.

I went to New York City to work in 1958, and a few months after I arrived there, I started sharing an apartment with Skira, a model from Lithuania. She was not a model in the sense of today’s oh-so-thin young girls, with malnourished looks, and dark shadows under the eyes. Skira was a big girl, tall and robust. I can still picture her hands and wrists. They were anything but delicate. She plucked her eyebrows totally, then painted on new ones way above the brow line. Of course, she wore lots of pancake, as was done in the 40’s and 50’s. Skira was not even very pretty, as I remember her. I am not totally sure what the attraction was, and I can not remember the jobs she had.

She worked for an agency, and talked me into moonlighting there after my own work, as a telemarketer. We were to use the phone book and call homes looking for girls to sign up for charm school. We were given a script, and admonished regarding the geographical areas in which we were to concentrate our calls. Certain areas of New York City were not called, as we did not recruit girls with darker skin. “We do not have the make-up for those girls, yet.”

I lasted for one week in that night-time job, as I contracted laryngitis and my day job would be affected. I decided right then and there that I hated telemarketing. It is a thankless job.

I wore make-up while I was working in New York City, but after I married and became pregnant, we left the city and I became a stay-at-home Mom. There was no longer any point in gussying up, and I stopped bleaching my hair. I was much too busy raising four little kids to worry about my appearance for quite a few years.

We had moved back home, to the Finger Lakes Area, and then to the Buffalo area, in the suburbs. While in the Alden area, I became best friends with my backyard neighbor, Betty Campbell. We started doing everything together, besides standing over our vegetable gardens talking while the kids played. I didn’t drive at the time, so she took me with her to places where we wanted to do things. We even took art classes together, and joined an art club. I had always wanted to do something like that, and other than a few classes which I had taken in New York at the Metropolitan, I just had not taken the time to work on this.

Eventually, we moved to the City of Buffalo, so Chris could attend Calasanctius, the school for gifted children. The other kids soon joined him there, except for Craig. By the time Craig was old enough, I had become disenchanted with the school, and enrolled the kids in the city schools, as a major program of magnet schools was being developed, with my involvement.

I changed, as a direct result of meeting new people, working at Calasanctius in the Finance Office, and helping run the Gourmet Dinners and Wine Tastings. I was also working with other parents and faculty from the school, on enrichment programs and seminars for the profession, in the U.S. and Canada. When I became involved with all of this, I started dressing up, and, yes, wearing make-up.

I still remember a time when my friend Betty, from Alden, came to see me in the city. She was shocked that I was wearing eye make-up. That was a big deal to her. I do believe her opinion of me changed at that point. I did not wear foundation, but the eye make-up became an important part of my dressing for work, meetings and social occasions. I did not leave the house without “my eyes on”. I did not use eye liner, just eye shadow and mascara. It was all that I wanted to do, and it was easy. I had been using blue eye shadow, plus other colors, but eventually changed to green, as I felt it brought out the color in my eyes.

I used eye make-up until a few years ago. I have had to give up the practice, as I now have a problem with my corneas, and the last thing I need is to pollute my eyes with a foreign substance. I was never good at removing the make-up at night, without getting a lot of garbage in my eyes, and when my eyes started hurting a whole lot, even before I went to the surgeon to get them checked, I stopped applying the make-up. Sometimes, I wish I could use it, as old ladies twenty years older than I am still put on all of their make-up, and I feel as though I have no lashes without the mascara. At least, with my glasses on, I think it is not as noticeable.

I think about make-up sometimes when I am cleaning old jewelry for resale, and have to work hard to remove fifty-year-old make-up from necklaces and earrings. The earrings are especially hard to deal with, as the makeup is all glopped into the intricate parts of the clips and screw backs. Back in those days, girls and women really plastered on the pancake, even on their necks and ears. I remember them doing it, and the jewelry certainly does. I have talked to the young girls who stop by my booth to check out the jewelry, and I tell them about the make-up in the 40’s and 50’s. They seem to enjoy hearing my little “lectures” and learning about things that happened long before they were born. Even though girls wear a lot of make-up today, they don’t come close to what was done back then.

I was involved in theatrical make-up off and on when the kids were young and performing in their musicals. It was great fun to work with a professional make-up husband and wife team, and learn the ropes, so to speak. They taught the rest of us to work with the performers, who were all ages from young kids to adults, and the results were tremendous. It was great fun to work with them every evening doing faces and hair, and achieving results that were spectacular from the audience. Also, the make-up thing had come full circle, as I was applying make-up to boys and girls with dark skin and making them incredibly beautiful when viewed from the audience. The musical George M, about George M. Cohan, contained a lot of tap dancing, and with a whole stage full of dancers in their fine costumes and make-up, performing, it was a sight to behold. This, coupled with my involvement in making costumes and providing props, was a very rewarding part of my life as a parent. Some of the productions ran for a couple of weeks, to sold-out houses. I do believe the kids still think about this at times, my kids who are now all in their 40’s.

More of the Same

2005-10-19T20:26:00.000-07:00

I made two trips to the Salvation Army with boxes of books and other things yesterday, and sent another stack of book boxes there today. I might be making some headway. It is starting to feel good. I should give them everything and be unencumbered. This has given me a whole new way of looking at junk, Coral and Craig.

Letting Go

2005-10-17T17:23:00.000-07:00

At long last…I am learning to get rid of, I mean REALLY get rid of stuff. Today, it was a trip to the Salvation Army next door with many books, six or eight large boxes. Tomorrow it will be more of the same. I finally gave up yesterday, after sitting for hours, from 5:00 A.M., trying to sell more dollar books, after paying $45 for the privilege, and selling a mere four of them. Other sales did not amount to much, either, therefore I returned home in a very bad mood. I am too old for this, and the health is not too great, either, so it is starting to get to be time to enjoy myself. When I first learned of my heart problem, and was adjusting to medications, I temporarily put the flea market, antique show thing on hold, but now I have been right back out there every week, killing myself, probably literally.

I want all of this crap to be over with, and to be able to get on with my life in a decent house. I have been taking bags and boxes of stuff next door to the S.A., and the amount of items I take there will increase dramatically, as I let go. It might not even hurt a bit.

The New de Young

2005-10-14T10:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a most interesting day. Even though physically I did not feel up to snuff, I decided to go preview the new de Young Museum in San Francisco. As a Member of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, I was able to view the new museum before opening weekend.

I was not certain that I would care for the edifice, as I am not fond of modern things, and I loved the old de Young. The de Young was closed for five years, as the old was torn down and the new was built. I must say, this is a striking building, very modernistic, but in my eyes a touch of pre-Columbian. It reminds me of a structure in the jungles of Central America, and it presents this feeling in its setting of huge palm trees and giant ferns.

The building is copper-clad, and will change color as the copper turns gray-green in the next ten years. The Hamon Education Tower is rather amazing and impressive. I was prepared not to be impressed, but, darn, I was. The top floor, nine stories in the air, is an observation area, all glass and wood. The huge windows allow one to view the city from all directions, with the top of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Marin Headlands in one direction, the Bay, the Financial District, and buildings running up and down the hills in other directions. The other floors in this tower house various offices and classrooms.

I was able to visit my favorite 19th Century American paintings. I have been unable to gaze at them for the longest time, and now they are hung on walls again for everyone’s enjoyment. Number one for me is Church’s Tropic masterpiece with the huge rainbow over mountains, falls, and palm trees – very surrealistic and a great study in luminescence. This huge painting has been installed as a centerpiece in the Art in America section on the second floor. I spent most of my time enjoying the paintings I love, but I also checked out 20th Century work on the first floor – at least most of it.

I think I am having a difficult time dealing with the fact that there is so much modern art in the new de Young. I realize that a large percentage of the population appreciates this art, but there is SFMOMA (Museum of Modern Art) where it can be shown. SFMOMA is a fairly new, large building, and I would think that it would be enough. I must be wrong. Also, I suppose, with the modernity of the new de Young itself, contemporary art fits the building. I would just hate for the art of today to take over the building. I should be happy with what they have for me, though, as I was not able to see everything I wanted to see, anyway.

I did not spend any time in sections New Guinea, Oceania, Africa, Textiles, as I was beginning to tire after having spent hours in line for the café and the tower elevators. I can always return for those sections. I had walked a long way to reach the museum. Parking was at a premium, and we had to park quite a distance from the building. I did enjoy the weather in Golden Gate Park, anyway. It was a beautiful day, and I felt if I took it slowly, I would be able to handle the walk.

I did manage to walk through the Rose Garden on the return trip to the parking space. I thoroughly enjoyed the wonderful blooms. Some were perfect, no blemishes at all, and they smelled heavenly. All in all, it was a great day, and I hope to enjoy many more. I just have to force myself to go do those things. Sometimes I just do not have the willpower to head on out to places. I am tired a lot of the time, and prefer staying home and puttering around the house. Then I kick myself because I wish I had done something. For the rest of the day, I thought about the building, and how wonderful it felt to experience something new while revisiting "old friends". This building is definitely a looming presence in Golden Gate Park.

Lunch Fun

2005-10-10T16:43:00.000-07:00

Monday is a sometimes lunch at Home Town Buffet. After working hard during the weekend and subsisting on peanut butter and jelly, real food comes to mind, at least a plate loaded with fruit and veggies.

Today was particularly interesting.

When I walked into the restaurant to stand in line and wait for my friend Sandy, the cashier, to take my money, the noise level hit me immediately. It was somewhere up at ceiling height. I was thinking, oh yeah, Columbus Day weekend, until I was corrected by the African-American couple directly behind me.

“Wow, everyone must have come here for lunch on the day off from work,” I stated.

“No,” the female half of the couple said. “They are here for second Monday, and they are all retired. I call them the OG’s, the Old Guys.”

The three of us joked until I had paid for lunch, then we went our separate ways.

The place was totally crowded. The huge group took up over half of the restaurant, and everyone was having a great time, laughing, walking around to various tables, hugging each other, sharing photo albums, passing out copies of printouts, taking pictures. The flash from cameras was predominant, as people posed in their seats or stood with their arms around each other in small groups.

It has been some time since I have witnessed such a boisterous, happy group. When I am with the seniors, it is not quite the same, and supposedly the group was composed of retirees.

I must say, I was probably staring at various members of the group a bit, as there were several extremely attractive women, dressed professionally in office wear, along with equally handsome men. I just kept thinking that I wished I were involved with such a group.

I finally had a chance to find out more about the group from a man that I met at the drink dispenser. I had noticed him near my table as he made the rounds, talking to his friends. He was very tall, with a backward baseball cap, and an Olympic T-shirt. I had been curious about the significance of the T-shirt, but forgot to ask him.

“You are having ENTIRELY too much fun,” I told him.

“Yes, we are having fun,” he replied.

“I am totally envious. I wish I belonged to a group like this.”

“We all went to school together,” he explained.

“Where did you go to school?”

“In the City. But we didn’t all go to the same school. We went to Tech, Galileo, and (a third school I don’t remember). We get together every month.”

“Yes, the people behind me in line told me you meet on the second Monday. So, you all live in this area now?”

“No, we are from all over. There are some people here from the city, other areas around here and even from Sacramento today. We go to different places so that it is closer to where some of the others live sometimes. Next month we are going to Cache Creek (Casino), then after that we are going to San Leandro, then South San Francisco.

“I thought you came here every month.”

“No, we are here every four or five months.”

We would have talked longer, I think, but they started singing Happy Birthday, so he went back to the group and joined in. I must say, this wonderfully happy group of beautiful Black people certainly made my day. I suppose a lot of it has to do with the age of the individuals, the mellowing that comes after a certain amount of time of being on this earth. It also seemed amazing to me that they do get together every month, and keep tabs on each other, right down to sharing albums with large portraits of grandchildren. This seems to be something that very few people would do.

The mellowing after a certain age is attained was a significant part of a very lengthy conversation I had with a 72-year-old Black man at the market yesterday. He had stopped at my booth, and we started a conversation that centered on his being retired Air Force. He was wearing his jacket with all of his patches that he had earned.

He told me about the many places all over the world where he had served, including Sampson Air Force Base in the Finger Lakes part of New York State, a couple of miles from where I grew up; about being in the Korean war; about being stationed in Japan, where he met his lovely Japanese wife of 49 years. He speaks Japanese fluently, as well as Portuguese, “I’m a Black Portugee”, and other languages. He has a beautiful, friendly face and voice. He told me about growing up in the South as a Black, about Racism, and going into the service to “learn something” as so many of his fellowmen did. He stated that they also joined the service to see the world and go somewhere other than the place in which they were living.

He was telling me stories about being in Japan, as a Black man, in areas where he was the first Black that the locals had ever seen, and women telling their children to stay away from him. He was on his way to see his wife, on a train, when this happened, and he started speaking rapid and perfect Japanese to a woman who was treating him this way, thus winning the respect of everyone around him because he spoke the language so well. He ended up with many invitations for dinner, but turned them down because he wanted to see his wife.

He regaled me with several other stories, as he has many at his age, and told me that he was in the Air Force after the Navy, retiring from the Air Force after 26 years. He then went to work for Wells Fargo in data processing, and retired from there after 23 years, I believe he said. Quite a gentleman, and I consider him to be refined and mellow, the same as so many of the people that I met today. He goes to the market every week, to get out and keep active.

A Memory

2005-10-06T19:06:00.000-07:00

Saturday, June 14, 1980

I got up a little earlier than usual, for a Saturday. I had decided to go to an auction outside East Aurora – Center St. the ad said. Hurrying – trying to get there as soon after 10:00 as possible. What a beautiful summer day it would be.

Going through town – Main Street – saw all kinds of activity, then remembered reading something about a festival – the Roycrofters – decided to stop for a minute and check it out.

Discovered an antique auction going on, along with a craft show, art show, etc. I ended up staying and staying and staying – didn’t want to leave. Treated myself to a hot dog and sauerkraut and drink, eventually. The antique prices were high – I thought - but overheard others later saying they were bargains. Beautiful things – I only bid on two items the whole day – but I didn’t care much – I was too busy enjoying the weather, the atmosphere, the people, being alive – after so many, many weeks of not caring.

It seemed like I had walked into another state – couldn’t believe I was so close to home and making the discovery of a quaint craftsman’s and artist’s paradise.

Basically, I was interested in the whole concept of the Roycrofters – feeling especially involved in the kin of the Larkins. After the auction was over, I did manage to drive the few miles outside of town to the auction I had intended to make, but came right back to spend more time in town -–to absorb as much of the atmosphere as possible. Went through the museum to see more of Elbert Hubbard’s things – visited the other buildings on campus – now craft shops, antiques shops, studios.

The Roycroft Inn itself gave me the greatest feeling of nostalgia – straight out of Victorian days – I could feel it, smell it, hear it.

Watched some young girls doing French dances – went to a poetry reading. Sitting on the grass, under the trees, with a handful of people – really tuned in. I enjoyed Joe Meegan’s poetry. He thinks as I do – especially about trees. I loved that one – I’ll have to buy the book he is having published. Met Kitty Turgeon there – I’ll have to call her and tell her I’ll donate Mrs. Hubbard’s bedroom curtain to the museum. I think I would like that.

Kitty Turgeon – not at all the type of person I had imagined after reading about her endeavors as a decorator of all their restaurants. She sat beside me on the grass for the poetry reading. She is President of the Roycrofters At-Large – I didn’t know that until today.

This is a close-knit group – I feel like I could belong and learn to enjoy life again with these artists – learn to enjoy the simple things. I guess I don’t have to learn – I already know how – had just pushed it aside for a while.

Enjoying the weather – the beautiful sunshine on my skin – the soft breeze – the sounds – people watching – sharing – even with strangers.

Decided to visit Millard Fillmore’s house before leaving town – just around the corner. Very pleasant – and fun visiting when you are the only one on the tour and can chat with the guides. Was told I probably know a lot more about antiques and restored houses than they do. These ladies haven’t been guides for long – but I can tell they love it – volunteers. The biggest rhododendrons there I have ever seen in the North – absolutely gorgeous – in full bloom. Planning on a luncheon in the garden tomorrow – fashion show and mock wedding. Hope the weather holds out and wish I could attend.

Checked out a couple of garage sales and picked up something to sell later.

Such a lovely, lovely day. I hope to have many more like that. Even enjoyed walking around eating my chocolate chip cookies I made and drinking the pop I took along. I’ll never forget this day and when I went to sleep I was still thinking about everything that I had felt during the day.
-----------
(This memoir is precisely as I wrote it twenty-five years ago. I found it last night as I was going through a box of keepsakes sorting things to be moved when I find out where I am going.)

Years later --- since that wonderful day, East Aurora has been embedded in the lives of my children. Craig worked there for several years, at Fisher-Price. Coral, Arthur and kids have a home there, Carrie has lived there. Allie graduated from High School there as Valedictorian of her class, and also received a perfect score of 1600 on her SAT’s.

There have been many festivals in the ensuing years, always attended by one or another of us. The Roycroft Inn has been lovingly restored as a hotel and restaurant, and it is a must as a place for lunch or dinner on my yearly visits to see Coral.

Also, as a note, our Buffalo House was across the street from the Larkin complex of homes and our whole family became very involved in the history of John D. Larkin and his company. Elbert Hubbard, the founder of the Roycrofters, married into the family.

It's For The Birds

2005-10-06T18:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, after I watered the flowers and gave them a good shower, I decided to do some trimming of dead branches and blossoms. I was working in the tree, trying to cut a very tall dead part of the orange abutilon, when the two hummingbirds decided to join me.

They had a great time, drinking from the passionflower blossoms, which climb all through the tree. Taking time out to sit on branches, they were no more than a foot away from me. I merely stood very still and watched them, totally enjoying my little slice of nature. They have made dealing with flower pots on a six-foot wide strip of asphalt well worth while. Of course, you can't even see the asphalt, because the plants are so close and they are actually sittng on a piece of cheap astro-turf.

Surprise!

2005-10-04T14:40:00.000-07:00

My hummingbird is NOT a hummingbird. It is TWO hummingbirds. They were both in my "garden" a bit ago, together. I always wondered why sometimes Hummer seemed to have less ruby on his throat. I was also surprised the other day when he seemed to return to the flowers immediately after taking off over the roof. I even saw him sitting on an antenna in the next row of mobile homes.

Spotted Kitty has been sleeping in a flower bowl on a low table, right beside some of the passionflower vine. I discovered him yesterday, when I heard him sneeze and saw movement in the plants. You have to remember that my garden is so overgrown with huge plants, some of them trailing all over the place, that it is hard to spot a Spotted Kitty. After he and Siamese Kitty walked away, I placed a pot upside down in the flower bowl, where he had flattened the plants. I have to keep him from eating the birds. Now I will truly have to figure out where to put two cat beds. Rainy season will be upon us soon. I don't know if they would share an area under the porch.

I can't have any more cats in the house. I have seven now, and I also can't take on any more financial burdens - vet bills, horribly expensive food, and tests for cat diseases.

Give Till It Hurts

2005-09-30T20:31:00.000-07:00

Well, it really DOES hurt when no one utilizes our generous gifts to best advantage (hurricane relief).

Summer at last...

2005-09-28T19:49:00.000-07:00

It is almost October, and FINALLY it is summer in the San Francisco Bay Area. In my particular micro-climate, the temps have been in the 50’s and 60’s most of July, August and September, except for a couple of days here and there. I don’t like that kind of weather. I was beginning to feel that I was lucky to have spent June and part of July in Florida and New York State.

Now I can have my windows and sliding glass doors open until almost bedtime, and I hear my hummingbird a good share of the day as he flits into the garden from where-ever. He likes a lot of the flowers that are in bloom now, so he has a banquet when he is here during the day. Quite often when I hear him, I quietly slide the screen door open and stick my head out so I can see him. I was standing on the porch at one point today, and he was sharing a blossom with a butterfly. A bee was buzzing overhead. I am thrilled. I can have nature right here in my six-foot wide “garden”.

Yesterday, when I was watering the plants with the hose, there was a roar like a bomber or helicopter, or a huge bumblebee, over my head, and that little guy was almost in my hair. He loves the purple passionflower because he can drink for a long time at one blossom. The vine has been prolific this summer. Every day there have been ten or twelve blossoms on it. Hummer also loves the lavender, the purple and rose colored salvia, pink jasmine, and other vines I have growing up the porch posts.

I have been worried about him, because there are two cats who have decided to sleep in my yard. They belong down the street at another trailer, but somehow they like it here now. I don’t feed them, because Sarah, my neighbor does that. They are from the same litter and are teenager cats. One is a tabby type, all spots. The other is a Siamese mix, very light colored – white in areas.

The Siamese is sleeping, even now, in a baby bath type plastic container that was supposed to be a litter box. I got tired of it in the house, because the sides and ends are rounded and the litter was always being shoved out of it. In the spring, I liberated it from that occupation, bleached it, put plant dirt in it, and grew the poppy seeds I had harvested last year. It is quite large. The tabby had decided to sleep in it when it was on the table outside, after the plants had died. He liked lying in the dirt. I decided that was far too close to the humming bird, as some of the blossoms of the passionflower drape across the table on a section of their vine.

I took the “bed” off of the table, emptied it, then put rags in it (such as worn out flannel pajama top), and put it under my huge ferns, on a styrofoam slab for insulation from the cold pavement. Well, it has become the Siamese cat’s bed, instead. He (I guess it’s a he) sleeps there all day. Spotted Kitty, definitely a boy, now sleeps on a barstool beside my neighbor’s trailer, where I can see him out my kitchen window. He watches me when I work at the sink.

I don’t think Siamese Kitty pays any attention to the hummingbird. Spotted Kitty had been starting to take notice of him when he was still sleeping on the table, and I had visions of losing Hummer, so I actually got out of bed one night and took the “bed” off the table. I had a premonition of losing my bird the next day, before I could get out there.

Dear Allie

2005-09-26T19:20:00.000-07:00

I really do miss you. I have been thinking about you most of the time. I constantly wonder what you are doing, and what it is like to be there at Duke.

Is there anything I can do to help you with your research for your thesis? Maybe there is something that I can look for out here. Also, I’ll be seeing my Greek friend from Sacramento this weekend. She’ll be doing the show that I am doing at Marin Civic Center. She was a university student in the past, I believe, before she came to this country, and she speaks many languages. Maybe you would like to correspond with her. She is the one who has been following your high school and college progress. I also have another Greek acquaintance that I see on occasion at the flea markets. If there is anything I can ask them, let me know.

I hope you start to find the information you need for your work.

Take care of yourself. Winter will be upon you before you know it. Don’t catch cold.

Grandma

Need to get back to work...

2005-09-20T09:51:00.000-07:00

I really must start doing more writing on here. I was going to do a lot about Hurricane Katrina, and my anger regarding the way the rescue was (wasn't) handled, but it has been done so many places, that I was just busy reading other people's thoughts, and have finally decided that there is really nothing I can add that is any better than what others have written.

I have many ideas of things that I want to write about, and soon I'll get back to writing.

Up to this point, I have been so busy going through junk in my place, and getting rid of stuff so I can move, that I have not had a lot of time to write. My brain has been in overdrive about the boxes full of stuff around here, and I can't sleep at night. I must really get it done so I can relax a bit before the really hard part comes - the actual moving.

I have also been doing quite a few antique shows, so the time goes by that way. I have to get up at 2:00 - 3:00 A.M. to do those. The rest of the week I am a wreck after I do that for a couple of days in a row.

Help for the Kitties

2005-09-13T15:09:00.000-07:00

I shook the box and it rattled. It was small, like a candy box that you buy at the movies. Then I opened it and tiny creatures with four legs poured out. They were barely more than one quarter of an inch long.

“These look like little mice,” I remarked. “I thought they were something else, something that you are supposed to put in your litter box to clean it.”

My friend replied, “They will clean your litter box, and they will also clean the fleas and dirt out of your cats’ fur.”

Well now, I thought, let’s see if this works. The little creatures were indeed extremely tiny mice, not much bigger than fleas themselves, but they were real workhorses. They got busy in the litter boxes, raking through the litter and leaving it sparkling clean. It did seem, though, that maybe they were eating some of the litter, because there was not as much in the boxes after they raked it. It looked rather thin.

Then they worked on the cats, gleaning all of the fleas and flea by-products out of their hair so that they were also squeaky clean.

But look, in the blink of an eye, these little guys had grown into huge, for them, animals. They were now the size of the cats themselves, and my cats are very large. I began to worry that there would be fights, but everyone seemed to get along.

Now, remember, this had been a whole box full of tiny mice-like beings, and now they were large and running all over the place. Everywhere I looked, they were working, or eating, or playing, in the grass and under the trees, and I don’t even have a yard. Sometimes they looked like cats, and sometimes they were more like squirrels, big squirrels. I wondered if I was going to have a problem, but then I decided to just live with it for a while and see what happened.

Then I woke up.

The Path of Katrina

2005-08-31T16:55:00.000-07:00

Last year, when I was traveling by train from California to Florida and back, the route took me through New Orleans, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Mobile. The tracks run all along the Gulf Coast, and the Sunset Limited has stops in all of the cities severely affected by Hurricane Katrina.

I can see the areas now, only this time they have been ravaged by wind and water. The highways have been obliterated in sections, as, I am certain, are the train tracks. The devastation is actually almost unimaginable.

I met several very personable young men of other ethnic backgrounds on the train. They were sitting in some of the seats across from me. We spent days conversing, and at least a couple of them were originally from New Orleans. They were returning home for the holiday season. One of them is a filmmaker in Los Angeles, attending school and also working in the industry. It was a very enjoyable time, and the hours passed sort of quickly, although things are not that fast on that particular train, it seems.

All of these great guys warned me that I should never visit New Orleans during Mardi Gras. They explained that it is a very dangerous place to be at that time, and that seemed amazing to me, based on the fact that they are all young and seem to be able to handle any situation.

In years past, I visited the city with my daughter, Coral, and we had fun walking around in the “tourist area”, then driving through streets with wonderful old homes. I also have been there with an ex-husband who is a truck driver. We were delivering frozen food to locations in the heart of the city, and I had a chance to walk around checking out the wonderful old cemeteries. That is rather vivid in my mind, as I had never seen above ground graves such as the ones in New Orleans. The walls around the cemeteries were interesting.

I am truly saddened that I won’t be able to visit New Orleans at all for some very long time, although the hardest part is to know of the huge amount of suffering which is transpiring in that city at this time.

It makes one wonder why “we” build cities and communities in places fraught with such dangers, although some people will always want to be located near large bodies of water, places with a view, places to swim or go boating. And why build a city that is below sea level, although it has been done in other countries as well.

Even I desire a home with a water view, and have plans to perhaps relocate to a hurricane-prone area. I do not know whether or not I am having second thoughts about that.

I may be able to reap some first-hand information from my niece about conditions in New Orleans. She is in the Navy, and is on her ship traveling from Virginia to Louisiana. I do hope that they are able to alleviate some of the suffering.

Press Release

2005-08-29T19:03:00.000-07:00

For Immediate Release
August 29, 2005

RITA XAVIER, SPECIALIST IN VINTAGE JEWELRY, OFFERS FREE ASSESSMENT SERVICES FOR VINTAGE RHINESTONE JEWELRY AT THE WALNUT CREEK HISTORICAL SOCIETY’S 46th ANTIQUES & COLLECTIBLES SALE & SHOW,
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2005

This fall’s 46th Shadelands Antique & Collectibles Show, held at the Shadelands Ranch Historical Museum by the Walnut Creek Historical Society, brings RITA XAVIER to Walnut Creek with a dual purpose. Working from a base of lifelong interest in period jewelry, Rita will assess the value of your rhinestones as a service to the community. Also, as Rita is looking forward to retirement, she will be selling some of the pieces she has collected over the years at reduced prices.

Approximately 100 pieces of Rita’s jewelry are featured in the Fourth Edition of Collecting Rhinestone & Colored Jewelry by Maryanne Dolan, well known author of Vintage Clothing 1880-1980: Identification and Value Guide, The World of Dolls (1998), Old Lace and Linens including Crochet and American Medallion Silver. Rita became friends with Maryanne over the years, when Maryanne would sit in Rita’s booth, talking to the customers and having “a grand time discussing jewelry.” Maryanne Dolan recently passed away, and Xavier is offering her services in a kind of “homage” to Dolan’s memory.

Rita became involved with jewelry as a dealer over fifteen years ago, as a natural progression from buying and selling larger items. Beaded bags, compacts, perfumes, dresser sets, hats, and, eventually, vintage clothing, were all to become a part of the concept of displaying wonderful designer jewelry. “As the years flew by, my knowledge of the jewelry expanded, through discussions and comparisons with many other dealers, with customers, and through the large library of jewelry books I acquired,” says Xavier. She advises new collectors to acquire books to further their knowledge of items, to find out what is “out there,” perhaps to be found at the next show they attend.

At Shadelands, Rita Xavier will be offering free identification of your vintage jewelry as well as suggestions on needed care and restoration. Here is your opportunity to find out about that necklace, bracelet or hair ornament you inherited from your mom or grandmother.

With over 100 vendors, the grounds at Shadelands are filled with a wide variety of quality antiques and collectibles. Admission is free, and for a $1 donation, you may tour the historic Shadelands house. At the back of the house, the Historical Society’s volunteers will serve hot dogs and beverages, sandwiches, nachos, and homemade cookies and lemonade, all to benefit the Walnut Creek Historical Society and the Shadelands Ranch Historical Museum.

Shadelands is an authentically furnished, historic 1902 ranch house on the National Register of Historic Places, operated by the Walnut Creek Historical Society. During the Antique Sale and Show, tours of the house will be available from 10:00 to 4:00 p.m. The Museum is located at 2660 Ygnacio Valley Road, Walnut Creek, CA 94598. There is no admission charge and parking is free.

For further information, please call Museum Director ... Three photographs of Rita Xavier’s spectacular jewelry are attached for your use.

Problems...

2005-08-27T10:30:00.000-07:00

Taking a break from writing about my return trip to California last month.

This week this computer has been to see the doctor - a basically three day confinement. All kinds of problems had cropped up, not the least of which, I couldn't do anything on the internet other than receive email. Needless to say, there was no writing done on here, or anywhere else. It was getting a bit hairy, as ebay and amazon needed some attention, and I wanted to catch up on everyone's blog.

Now, I have more memory (and I can get online), a new optic mouse (freebie) because they managed to lose the software for my scroll mouse and couldn't figure out how to reinstall it, and new virus management. Plus, they physically cleaned all the dust and dirt from the guts of this thing. It was quite a build-up. This is an almost ancient computer. Now, it is almost like new, except that a few things are missing. Probably no great loss, however.

It was a bit scary yesterday when it wouldn't recognize my new keyboard that I purchased a few months ago. The old one with the broken spacer bar worked, and I had horrible images of having to revert to that one, but finally something clicked, upon shutting down, and the new one is now in use (whew!).

This mouse is noisy. It's funny, you get used to something, and don't want to change.

Our Most Favorite Place

2005-08-16T18:51:00.000-07:00

We spent Sunday (the day I left Buffalo to return to California) at Chautauqua Institution, a wonderful cultural experience on the shores of Chautauqua Lake, on New York’s Southern Tier.

The weather was great and it seemed good to get back to one of my favorite places. I had a couple of hours to wander around and go to a concert, while Coral and family went swimming.

I decided to partake of the strawberry festival when I heard a trio playing under the tent. The trio consisted of flute, clarinet, and bassoon, and the selections were very fitting for a recreated summer Sunday afternoon from the past. I found a place at the end of a table beside the trio, and shortly thereafter a very pleasant and interesting man joined me at the seat across the table.

Not long into the conversation, he revealed that he is a violinist with the Toronto Symphony and was at Chautauqua to play with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra for a couple of weeks. We discussed the music world at length, including my time as an employee of the Buffalo Philharmonic.

In the past, Jim has played violin for shows, including Phantom of the Opera, Showboat, and Ragtime. It was comical, listening to him explain that the regulars in the pit orchestra for Phantom sometimes needed a break and he would play. He stated, with accompanying motions, “ I would wake up in the night with the music going round and round in my head. When I would get up in the morning, the music was still going round and round in my head. It was driving me crazy.”

Various orchestras around the country were included in our discussion, and my time with him brought back memories of hanging out with members of the Buffalo Philharmonic during a very wonderful period in my life.

We managed to discuss other topics also, including the residential facilities available on the grounds for times when he has to play. The Toronto Symphony no longer has a summer season, therefore Jim is available for other engagements. I suggested that he check out Alumni Hall.

I rented a room at Alumni Hall two years ago, and enjoyed my stay thoroughly. Getting up in the morning, having breakfast in my room, then heading out for morning lectures, afternoon, and evening concerts, interspersed with meandering along brick paths in this fabulous lakeside Victorian village, is my idea of a delightful way to spend summer days.

At some point we touched on the subject of injuries to musician’s hands, and Jim described several accidents he has had involving his fingers and wrist, causing extended “vacations” from playing violin.

By the time I left the table to attend a concert, I felt as though I had known Jim for a while. Perhaps I’ll see him again someday, at Chautauqua.

After our visit, I went to the Amphitheater to see the Washington High School Steel Band, from Pennsylvania. These kids are great, and I thoroughly enjoyed the music. Eventually my family joined me, and Coral’s kids had a chance to see older kids make music on “garbage cans”.

East Aurora

2005-08-08T20:54:00.000-07:00

The day after the anniversary luncheon, I headed to East Aurora, on a Greyhound bus. Coral and James picked me up in Buffalo, and we headed back to E A so we could pick up Lissa at day camp. That was on a Thursday afternoon, and on Friday I spent the better part of the day with Arthur and James. We went to Warsaw - New York, that is - so that Arthur could deliver papers to the courthouse there, with the plan that he, James and I could then look around town for something to do. Warsaw is a neat old town in the beautiful rolling hillsides of Western New York.

Unfortunately, just as we arrived in town, there was a downpour, and James and I didn’t even get out of the car. We drove around the “Historical Section” and viewed the great old Victorians, then headed back to East Aurora for lunch. It wasn’t even raining there.

I was so happy to see oldest granddaughter Allie during my few days in town. She was very busy working at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, as a summer intern, and also as a paid employee. Allie put in long days, six days a week, preparing for a totally special exhibit, Extreme Abstraction.

On Saturday, Coral, Lissa, James and I went to Buffalo, to the Marina. I had made reservations on the Miss Buffalo, for a Niagara River tour. We had time to eat hot dogs at the Marina, before embarking on our “cruise”. The day was gorgeous, and the tour was interesting. It even included a trip into the lock at the end of the Erie Canal, and a ride through the Black Rock Channel.

After the cruise, we had ice cream at the Marina, then walked a short distance to the Naval Park. The decision to tour the two ships and submarine there was a great one. The kids loved it, and Coral and I did, also. The ships and sub are all from World War II – “The Sullivans”, the “USS Little Rock”, and the “Croaker” (submarine). I must say, I got quite a workout, going up and down the stairs on the ships, and stepping through the hatches without tripping and breaking my neck. It was almost unbearably hot down in the holds. The submarine is so small, it makes one feel extremely claustrophobic. What an experience!

James is five years old. After we had walked to the Naval Park, he sat down on the sidewalk and said he didn’t want to tour the ships because he was too tired, but once he got started following the yellow line, he was ahead of us all the way. We had to keep telling him to slow down and wait for us.

50th Anniversary Party

2005-08-03T10:04:00.000-07:00

My cousin, Pat, recently celebrated her 50th wedding anniversary, and decided to have a luncheon at Sheldrake Point Vineyards, in the Finger Lakes Region of New York State. The beautiful winery is on Cayuga Lake, and was once a dairy farm. Pat and her husband George lived there when they were first married, and their sons were born while they operated the farm.

Pat’s mother and step-father owned a farm up Sheldrake Creek from the present day winery, at the point of the wonderful Sheldrake Falls. George’s cows had run away, across the creek above the falls, and my uncle and cousin Pat worked at getting the cows home, thus Pat met George. I spent a lengthy amount of time at Pat and George’s farm as a teenager, and also helped Pat when she had her babies.

The luncheon was a beautiful affair – quite elegant, even though most people were dressed fairly casually. The winery consists of several buildings, plus the farmhouse and large old barns. Most of the buildings have been painted a creamy yellow, and the gardens are very attractive, with many lavender colored blossoms, mixed in with other colors.

The party was held in a large white tent that is attached to the tasting room. A buffet and free wine flowing, before, during, and after the meal, made for a very festive occasion. I was seated at the table with the “bride and groom”, as I was a member of the wedding party. All but two of the wedding group attended – one is deceased and the other couldn’t make it.

George is a retired Cornell University professor, and there were Cornell colleagues in attendance. One group of people was from a People to People tour Pat and George led to Russia 40 years ago.

There were tables made up of their three sons, spouses and children. Pat’s sister and two brothers attended (including one from Miami), and several of George’s brothers and their wives. My sister was in attendance, and provided my transportation.

Pat was so pretty in a long purple dress. I enjoyed seeing people I hadn’t seen in years, and the memories flowed as we talked.

It seemed so strange to be in such a perfect setting on the shores of Cayuga, between the house and the cow barns, with the vineyards on the hillside and the other parts of the winery spilling over with tourists from many areas of the country, and remember that this was once Pat and George’s home.

More Bus

2005-07-25T16:19:00.000-07:00

Delaware Water Gap – it’s really been a long time since I’ve been in this area. Quite beautiful! Nice old brick train station falling down – roof is caving in – actually consists of two buildings – 1 track.

The Poconos – honeymoon destination – still rustic- of course I can only see what is near the highway.

Binghamton – food finally – Wendy’s sour cream and chives potato – 4:30 breakfast was a stale machine sandwich in Baltimore. The rest of the day has been M&M peanuts. Good thing I bought them last week.

Kilmer’s Building Restoration in Binghamton (ask Jim about it). Is BIG commercial realtor sign on another building stating it is AVALIABLE indicative of general education level of Binghamton, birthplace of IBM?

I don’t like Binghamton. I didn’t 16 years ago, and it appears to be uglier now. Kind of a wasteland – abandoned and dilapidated houses and storefronts – dismal – would be worse in winter. There was a possibility of moving to the area back then, and I’m glad I didn’t. A lot of my stuff was stored there when I was spending winters in Florida then California, and eventually I sold a lot of it and moved the rest to the Buffalo area, then California.

There is an interesting large abandoned church – nice architecture – many windows boarded up – some stained glass remaining – weeds and vines growing up over it.

Riding from Binghamton to Ithaca, then along Cayuga Lake – didn’t see that area last year – too busy with dying mother. Last year was not a time for fun and sightseeing. Went past the end of the street of my mother’s house. Most likely I’ll never be in the house again, even though my brother managed to figure out a way to receive the house for free.

I left the bus in Geneva, NY. The station is across the road from Seneca Lake – a “new” station since last year – an old, remodeled gas station with a tile roof. Cute! My sister Dottie picked me up at 7:00 P.M. Thus started a week of busy days attending parties, traveling, sightseeing, eating out, visiting people.

The day after my arrival, we went to Penn Yan, where my four kids were born. Dottie and her husband Joe have had a big disagreement as to the location of the apartment I lived in when my first two kids were born. I pointed out the house, which is a couple of doors from the beautiful new Court House on the street. Then we went around the corner and along North Main Street, enjoying all of the Victorians, many of which are now Painted Ladies. I barely remember the wonderful old houses. Most likely I was too busy being a young mother to enjoy them as much as I could have, although it seems that people today are more involved in restoration projects than they were in the early 60’s.

The next day, Saturday, was spent preparing for the Sunday surprise 25th anniversary picnic for my youngest sister, Marty and her husband Jim. The picnic was at Sampson State Park on Seneca Lake. The day dawned bright and beautiful – a wonderful time to sit in chairs overlooking the lake, under the trees in the breeze. Dottie, Joe and I went to the park early to reserve tables and grills in a good spot, set up our chairs, and then just sat there enjoying the view and the day, while waiting for the others to show up.

Daughter Coral, Arthur, kids, and Jim C were the first to arrive, and they drove the farthest. They live near Buffalo. Brother Bruce, wife, two daughters, son-in-law, and two grandsons came. Dottie’s two offspring, one spouse, and two kids attended. Sister Jamie, her daughter Robin, son-in-law, two babies from Cincinnati, Robin’s in-laws , and Jamie’s daughter Tess, then, of course, Marty, Jim, and their three girls came at last.

It was a totally beautiful day. Everyone had a good time. The kids went swimming, and Bruce’s son-in-law brought his boat from Northern New York, so some people went for rides. The food was great, and everyone ate tons of it. Jolene, Dottie’s daughter made a gorgeous 25th Anniversary cake. She bakes professionally as a side job, and her cakes are absolute works of art.

Bus Trip Day 2

2005-07-22T21:43:00.000-07:00

It’s the Washington Monument again – in the foggy distance. We just went right by the Pentagon. Impressive! Crossing the Potomac now – Jefferson Memorial up close – Lincoln Memorial in the distance. Tunneling under a lot of buildings now.

We’re beside the National Arboretum. I went there once. Now, Goddard Space Center Employees Only sign. Baltimore – Washington Parkway – all woods on sides, with deer crossing signs.

9:00 A.M. – if I was on the train, I would have long since been eating breakfast. Good thing I had an apple leftover. OK – Baltimore Travel Plaza – time to eat. Actually, that was dismal, nothing good there, a very poor excuse for a terminal.

New Jersey – vine (kudzu?) growing up electric pole with two arms growing out along wires – looks like a giant green man.

New York, New York - in the haze, the Empire State Building. Just went past the Newark airport sprawl. When was I last in NYC? It’s been quite a while, I think. Many swans on a large pond area. Saw the Chrysler Building. I can remember when it was part of my view out the windows when I worked at Abercrombie & Fitch in the late 50’s (on the upper floors, offices) at 45th and Madison. A & F is not there anymore. When I went to NY in the 80’s, the building had been replaced with a Japanese bank building.

I almost missed the bus to Geneva at the Port Authority Bus Terminal. After retrieving my baggage, I stood in line in the ladies’ room, wondering if I dared brush my teeth, with a sign stating no bathing, shaving, laundering, and the attendant standing right there. Good thing I didn’t try. I wouldn’t have been sitting on this bus.

A guy who didn’t speak a lot of English directed me to the man to ask for directions to the gate I needed for Geneva (Port Authority has 100 or 200 gates according to the driver from Fayetteville). The guy who didn’t speak much English said he’d take me to the gate, up an escalator, along a corridor, down another escalator, and he carried two pieces of luggage. I was loaded down – I don’t have to do that on the train – you check it and don’t see it until you get where you are going.

Gate 62 was what I was told. Just as we were arriving there, I heard an announcement “Last call bus to Geneva Gate 66”. I informed the guy, tipped him and he took my luggage to the other gate and put it beside the bus. I’m sure he was there hoping for tips, but he was worth it. I had a brief thought about not allowing someone to take your bags, but I was with him and I had basically sized him up as being someone who was hoping for a couple of bucks.

---I can’t stand the thought of unclean teeth. So I brushed them while sitting here on the bus; a bit of toothpaste on the brush, really brushed a lot, wiped my mouth and brush with a napkin, drank water out of a bottle – all refreshed now. A shower and change of clothes would be good, but it’s not as bad as a cross-country bus trip (which I hope never to do again).

I only slept off and on last night. I was very uncomfortable and I guess the baby was, too. She was crying a lot, and her Mom and Dad had a hard time quieting her. The mother stood in line with the baby and other girls, at the station in Fayetteville, NC until after 2:00 A.M. (over 2 hours), talking to me and the two ladies who were traveling in front of me. She told us they had only been in this country for 4 months, from Albania. She spoke English fairly well, and the girls seemed to have no problem with the language. They were traveling from Florida to New Haven to stay with her cousin for a lengthy period. Her brother and several other family members live in Greece.

Travel Time --- again

2005-07-19T22:21:00.000-07:00

Notes on the Greyhound bus trip from Florida to New York State – late June

On the bus – just left Orlando – a deluge – guess it rains “a lot” (bus driver’s words) in Orlando. Orlando is rather attractive, with nice, older homes.

The day started out not too great. Bob and the little girls took me to the Tampa bus station, where I was told the bus was overbooked – “first come, first served” (the agent was a not particularly friendly woman).

I was getting prepared to be really angry. “You’re kidding!” I had purchased my ticket a couple of weeks earlier and never assumed there would be a problem.

Then the ticket agent said, “Oh, wait a minute. They’re putting on a second bus.”

It has been confusion so far. We were supposed to reboard that bus in Orlando after a break, but just as we got off, they said they were taking it out of service. Finding out what bus to get on, and when, was rather a production.

Well, we are finally on, and luckily we have a great driver – tells us jokes, etc. His poor wife, if he has one, is the butt of a lot of them.

---Oh, yeah, Mount Dora, I remember that place from when we used to do shows and markets down here. We’re on I4.

Anyway, the driver told us we are going to hotshot to Fayetteville – no stop in Jacksonville and Savannah. That should cut off some time, but I’ll probably have to kill more time in NYC. Glad I grabbed a hot dog.

I hate taking the bus. I have already handled ALL of my luggage more than I care to. I don’t have to do that on the train. When traveling by bus, you are totally responsible for all of your luggage, so if you transfer or have to change buses for any reason, you have to manhandle (or womanhandle) everything while in the stations. At my age, with my health problems, it is a real pain. I love the train.

---Daytona Beach – Hi, cousin Barbara. She lives in Port Orange. I usually see her in NYS at family reunions, although I have seen her in Florida a lot, in 1990. When I was spending the winter selling at antique shows, I had my mail forwarded to her home, and then picked it up every few days.

This hasn’t been much of a hotshot ride. An accident in which an 18 wheeler dumped its load of boxes caused traffic to be backed up for what seemed like hours. We spent a long time just sitting or crawling along in pouring rain - a good reason to take a nap.

We have been moving along now, though, even in the rain. At times it has been so dark it seemed to be twilight. We are finally in Georgia – even the kids on the bus have felt as though we’d never get out of Florida. Not much traffic out there now, at least not Northbound.

There is a month old Armenian baby across from me, and two little girls, her sisters. In another seat across from me – a young girl and her older brother – NY bound. A couple of seats in front of me there is a 7 year old girl – a rather precocious child; she sounds like Lissa. Her daddy is a driver for Greyhound, and she has a Greyhound cap. She and her Mom are headed to Connecticut, as are the ladies right in front of me.

The natives are getting restless – the kids that is. The boy across from me, early teens, apparently is annoying his dippy mother, who is sitting behind him. He’s not particularly doing anything serious, but she keeps saying in a loud voice, “Knock it off, Joseph!”

His reply this time was “You need to lower your voice; you are disturbing all the customers who are sleeping.”

He’s right. She is louder than he is, and reminds me of Adam Sandler’s neurotic, dippy wife in “Spanglish”.

Addicted

2005-06-24T06:39:00.000-07:00

I haven't been doing much writing. "Bookworm" is taking up my time. I see letters and words in my sleep. My Dartmouth email buddy became addicted some long time ago, but I have just got into the game because of my kids. Craig has been playing it a lot, with a ridiculously high score, Carrie plays, and her kids are trying.

I went with Bob and the little girls to check out a lake front development yesterday - modular homes. It is very pleasant, and affordable. Supposedly they don't blow away in a hurricane. I could be tempted, but I need to check a few other places to make sure that is what I want to do. Of course, no one says I would have to stay there forever. I can imagine sitting on the screened porch overlooking the lake and watching the wonderful water birds. There are a lot of mockingbirds there, also.

Florida

2005-06-21T16:13:00.000-07:00

Florida has been great. The weather is bearable, and the scenery is wonderful, when we go out sightseeing. Craig is trying to buy a condo, so we have been to Clearwater twice, the location of the condo. It is very nice in that area, and the beach area is interesting. We checked out the beach Saturday.

Sunday, we went to Bradenton, Anna Maria Island, Longboat Key, Lido Key and Sarasota. That area is a tropical paradise. When we were on the beach on Anna Maria Island, I felt as though I was back in Jamaica, where I had been in the early 80's. The sea grapes are trees on the beach that provide shade, and a place to locate picnic tables. There was a cafe there, and I enjoyed sitting at the table with the Gulf breezes blowing, keeping things fairly cool in the shade.

There was one negative thing, but it is not a problem very often. There was a red tide, and the moment we got out of the van at the beach, my throat started hurting, causing me to cough for the whole time that we were there. Of course, there were dead fish, but I never realized before that red tide can cause a respiratory problem akin to asthma.

Eventually we left that area and drove to Longboat Key, just to check things out. Wow! The houses are really something. We stopped at a restaurant for brunch, and getting from the van to the restaurant caused another bout of choking and coughing. It was quite unpleasant. While in the restaurant (there were people eating outside overlooking the beach, but I think they were nuts or had strong constitutions), I noticed that many people were coughing.

We enjoyed our meal, then continued on to Lido Key and St. Armand's Circle. It is a very upscale shopping area, and signs in the stores remind you that it is comparable to shopping in the Hamptons, Martha's Vineyard and other high class places. I have been in the Hamptons several times, and I must agree that it does have a touch of the same atmosphere.

After walking around the Circle window shopping and stopping for ice cream, we headed back to Riverview. We did see lots of dead fish in the bay areas, especially when we crossed bridges. These were in full view of the multi-million dollar houses.

I would really like to live in that general area, but it won't happen. Maybe Clearwater is a possibility, but if not there, then I might find something here in or around Riverview.

It has been pleasant keeping track of the birdlife around the very large pond outside Carrie's sliding glass doors. There are four white ducks waddling around quack quacking all day long, and they are really cute. They come up to the patio, but have been trained to stay off it. They walk along the edges begging for food.

Sometimes a Sand Hill Crane shows up, and a cormorant is in the pond a lot of the time. There has been a Roseate Spoonbill in the past, and I think I saw him out of the corner of my eye the other day skimming along above the pond. Ibis and egrets hang out along the pond edges, and the mockingbirds have shown up in large numbers. This is a new development, and it is great when more birds start hanging out here.

Soon I'll be leaving, but I am trying to soak it all up as much as I can.

Day 6 Sat. A.M.

2005-06-20T11:34:00.000-07:00

Well, I've survived so far. I am tired, but having some breakfast has perked me up a bit. I must say, I certainly don't like these "low class" trains. The Superliners are so much better. All facilities on these trains are kind of abysmal, especially the bathroom facilities; cafe and lounge is horribly crowded and not laid out right - people have to line up for food where traffic has to go through. The dining car is inadequate, with very few tables. Maybe they figure no one will pay the money to eat there, but I couldn't have dinner in there last night after getting on in DC - no more reservations - dining car steward was sold out - so I had a sandwich and orange juice in the lounge.

Strange thing - never happened before, but the dining car steward noticed my Medic Alert bracelet and said she HAD to offer me food even though she had no seats and she would pack me a meal to take back to my seat. I said no thanks. I wanted to be able to sit and relax to have the food, and figured a sandwich would be enough otherwise.

We just left Savannah. The station seemed to be out in the boonies. I had hoped to see town. No such luck.

Much later --- I am now on the Amtrak bus leaving the Orlando station. There is a nice cool breeze, even though it's June. Spanish moss - I guess I am here. One and a half hour late, not too bad. We'll see how late I am when I get to Tampa. I sure could use some water - had no time for that - couldn't find a fountain to fill my bottle or even get a drink. It got very hot in the train car at the tail end of the ride - something happened and it smelled like something was burning, then got very hot.

I have been napping. I am in Lakeland now. The train station is across the street from a pretty lake. I just saw a turtle HURRYING along in the grass near the water. When I was here in December 2003, it was evening, and the lights all around the lake created a beautiful sight. Everything was decorated for Christmas.

There is an alligator sculpture made of scrap metal on the station lawn. I wasn't allowed to find a water fountain - the bus driver and station personnel had time to chat and smoke, though. When I got off the bus and asked "Could I find a water fountain?" the driver gave me an impatient (or worse) look.

He said "No, we gotta go!" as the station agent shook his head no. I think East Coast people are not as friendly as West Coast people and I'm STILL thirsty. I've been on the bus one and one half hours.

Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink, even on the floor in here by my seat. It's a veritable cloud burst, and has been raining all day today - rain then sun, back and forth.

Well, I'm finally in Tampa, at the lovely restored train station, where there is a water fountain. My Carrie, Craig, four granddaughters and son-in-law Bob are all at the station to pick me up. Yes, they have a very large van, with enough seats for everyone.

Washington DC

2005-06-19T19:57:00.000-07:00

Too bad - I had over five hours to kill and all tours from Union Station were sold out; the kind where you are driven around to view the historic sights (sites). One seemed particularly interesting, DC Ducks, in an amphibian duck on land and sea (river). A guy told me it was great, as he was disembarking. I'd like to take that one.

Sitting in the train station right now. I have been wandering in here for over two hours, and I am tired. This place is humongous - larger than Chicago (Union Station). Pretty amazing. The Main Hall, where I am sitting, has a fabulous vaulted barrel ceiling with a stepped hexagon design, off white with gold centers, and other gold trim.

There are huge arched windows with crossed lattice between panes, over the entrances from the street and to other parts of the terminal. Large statues of Roman soldiers stand on the pediments high above the pillars, gazing out over the Concourse below.

I have to check out the East Hall, near where I am sitting - seems very ornate from here.

The floor has large white travertine marble squares with deep blood-red small marble squares set on the diagonal between them here in the Main Hall. There is a "Center Cafe" in the middle of the floor, a circular restaurant on posts, up a curving flight of stairs. The bar is under the cafe, and there is also seating on the floor all around it. The cafe is an open affair, with a railing all around. The metal spindles of the railing have a ball near the top of them, creating a very interesting design.

The other huge section of this station is of the same architecture - same barrel vaulted ceiling, with wonderful curving stairs to various levels. The stairs to these levels have the same ball design railings, creating a tremendously pleasing effect.

There are interesting stores throughout; a very classy place, and the atmosphere is a mix of the bustle of people trying to catch trains, tourists deciding what to do, and a couple of hours ago there was a concert right where I am sitting. I heard part of it.

There are restaurants everywhere; on balconies, on the lower level (food court), all price ranges - some classy - some not. A movie theatre on the lower level near the food court is there for those who really want to kick back and do nothing. You don't have to leave the station to be entertained.

The newer section at the gates is an extension of the design of the old section. The triangular pattern of cross bars of the windows in the barrel ceiling and arched windows is repeated in the new section, where tubular steel supports in a triangular pattern hold up the roof, including the vaulted glass roof section. The glass roof contributes to an open, airy feeling.

I finally checked out the East Hall at one point. It is decorated with an Egyptian theme, very ornate and interesting. There are shops in that area, also.

It is time to board my train. Even though I have found plenty of things to keep me occupied, including eating, I still have been disturbed by the fact that I did not go see the National Gallery of Art, or some other place, or ride around. Just not enough time for most things, however, especially the Art Gallery. Another time---

Day 5

2005-06-19T19:26:00.000-07:00

No intelligent conversation on this train - smokers are too busy complaining about Amtrak trains being non-smoking trains and there are not frequent enough smoke stops. Women who got on in Pittsburgh this morning are making the most noise about it, and about the fact that this train is two hours late so far. The coach attendant has been explaining to them that the tracks are owned by the freight lines and they have the right of way - we got behind slow freights, so we have to wait for them to move on.

Smokers certainly do make a lot of noise (literally) about the non-smoking issue and get caught in the bathroom area lighting up - not hard to tell when the whole car fills up with cigarette smoke. There have been problems on both trains with smokers opening the upper half of the coach door, sticking their heads out and smoking.

I have listened to two different groups of very indignant women complaining about the treatment they receive when caught doing this. It is all they can talk about and the smokers are threatening suing Amtrak.

One attendant made an announcement that if you stick your head out the window, you are in danger of losing it when another train comes by - pleasant thought.

West Virginia - rhododendrons, mountain laurel, ferns - I'd like to stick my head out the window and breathe in the scent of all the honeysuckle. I awoke this morning to the sight of early morning mist in the hills of the Cumberland Narrows. It was wonderful following the river in this wild area - so pretty!

Martinsburg - great old buildings, brick streets, Craig - interesting town. A few minutes later : not so scenic here - junk yards and yards with junk. Then, Harpers Ferry is pretty.

It is starting to look like the DC area - nice houses and yards in woodsy spots. The previous stop was Rockville, Maryland. The last stop on this train will be Washington DC, two hours late, then I'll leave at 7:30 for Florida.

I have to decide how to kill five hours in the train station. I was there on the bus once, and I don't remember being near anything to "sightsee".

Office buildings now - will soon arrive - can see Washington Monument - that must mean something.

The Art Institute of Chicago

2005-06-17T17:14:00.000-07:00

I love this place!

Notes on specific things I saw :

c.1750 huge blue/white tin glazed earthenware from Puebla, Mexico, Allie (Allie spent a summer semester studying at a university in Puebla) - several pieces

The Trading Room from the Chicago Stock Exchange, designed by Adler and Sullivan in 1893 - restored in the late 70's. It is a fabulous room - nice woodwork - huge octagonal pillars of faux multi-color marble with ornate gold filigree at the tops - wonderful design all around the top of the room, and also on the middle section of the vaulted and beamed ceiling, in shades of green and melon - to me it is a mix of Art Nouveau and Arts and Crafts with a Moorish flavor. This was painted on canvas and mounted on the walls and ceiling. Part of the ceiling is stained glass - in green and melon hexagons. I just had to go visit this room after meeting the fellow on the train who told me he did the refinishing of the woodwork and set the place on fire.

Charles Rohlfs 1853 - 1936 - Hall chair c.1900, Buffalo, NY, great, interesting design - oak with original black stain

Tiffany silver pitcher c.1878 silver, gold, copper, iris, dragonflies, fish. A wonderful piece - true art in silver.

Tiffany 1880/90 tiny coffeepot silver/pearls/chalcedony/ivory - beautiful, intricate flower design (Turkish cofee).

Sanford Robinson Gifford 1823-1880 - "Morning in the Hudson", Haverstraw Bay 1866 , and "Hunter Mountain, Twilight" 1866

Thomas Cole - his dark paintings reminiscent of mine.

Everytime I go to the Art Institute, I realize I need to go again. It makes you crazy. I pick out things I want to see, in certain areas, and on the way to that area, I get sidetracked looking at other things I like.

This time I concentrated on American Art - 1800's to early 1900's, including paintings, silver, furniture, glass, pottery. I wanted to see what they have from the Hudson River School. I am still trying to decide who the artists might have been of three paintings I own. I love the Hudson River School and I have for over thirty years. My paintings have the right "feel", and I have researched for a long time, but I am not an expert.

Orrefors "Celestial Sphere" 1929 Designer Edward Hald (1883 - 1980) - glass with wheel engraved decoration, pewter and brass, celestial figures, constellations in the glass, zodiac signs on base.

I just picked up a piece of Orrefors Sunday from the people selling beside me. It is a very heavy opalescent glass shallow bowl - pale green cast - signed and with the design number. The bottom is scratched from being moved around on a table top over many years, but it can be polished. It's the first piece I have ever had.

Thorne Miniature Rooms - a real treat, for those of all ages. Totally amazing!

The last time I was at the Institute, I concentrated on the Impressionists, the European Galleries, Architecture (very large Frank Lloyd Wright window collection), the Super famous Chagall Windows. On the way from here to there during both visits, I saw many other items of note, ancient art, Asian antiquities, armor, glass, jewelry. What an incredible place!

I enjoyed a peaceful lunch in the garden. There are tables around a large fountain area with four sculptures of mythological sea beings carrying fish and shells. It is a beautiful setting, very pleasant under the trees- a great European feel in a courtyard with huge arched windows of the galleries all around. The second floor has a balcony type area with sculptured posts, on all sides.

I took the free trolley to get to the Institute and also to get back to Union Station. The trolley stops right outside the station, so it is definitely convenient. I had checked my luggage first in the Metropolitan Lounge. I could do that because I was a sleeper passenger, and I saved myself the big expense of a locker. It really adds up over a period of several hours.

I sure wish we hadn't been at a hotel so far out of the city, because I would have been out sightseeing first thing this morning. I lost a lot of hours, although I got very tired walking around in the Museum. I guess I am really getting old. I would have loved to spend more time sitting in the garden court during lunch, just enjoying and soaking it all up, but I needed to see as much art as possible.

Traveling along beside Lake Michigan now - was pretty until we reached the steel plants and refineries. Now the stench is horrific and the black cloud hanging over the water isn't very scenic.

You would like this, Craig - grain elevators.

Day 4 - Chicago

2005-06-16T13:35:00.000-07:00

We sat on the bus for well over an hour last night, waiting until it filled up, then the traffic was horrendous on the way to the hotel, due to construction. This was at 11:00 P.M., and we were finally in line to check in at midnight. Talk about a long ordeal.

My room was on the top (5th floor), with the atrium and pool, garden court outside my door and over the railing. The air was like a sauna, as the ceiling in the hall was low enough for me to touch. It may have been scenic overlooking the pool five floors below, but it certainly wasn't comfortable. It was pretty, but I definitely got vertigo when I looked over the railing.

The room was hot, and even after turning the air conditioning all the way up, it hardly cooled off all night. I felt rather sick to my stomach in the morning when I got up, but I managed to eat the breakfast that was provided to Amtrak customers for $3.00

It was rather interesting staying in a hotel with so many people that I had become acquainted with on the train. You begin to feel as though you have known them for quite a while. The woman whose mother is in the nursing home on the corner from my home was one of the people who had to stay, along with her granddaughter. In fact, I watched her granddaughter for her in the train station while she went to find food. The little girl had become rather chummy with me over the period of a couple of days.

The bus arrived at 10:30 A.M., we loaded up and headed for the city. I think there was a second bus also, which would arrive at the hotel shortly after ours.

We arrived in the city, I checked my baggage in the VIP lounge, and prepared to spend a few hours sightseeing. I am getting to the point where I know my way around town fairly well, and I had already decided last September that this trip would be spent at the Art Institute again, trying to see more of what is offered. I was there a couple of years ago, and there is so much to see that I'll probably never see all of it.

Still Day 3

2005-06-16T13:17:00.000-07:00

Now we're just sitting - conductor just made an announcement - by Federal law conductors can only work 12 hours - he got on at 5:00 A.M. in Omaha - it is now 5:30 p.m. We have to wait half an hour for another conductor to come to the train to take us into Chicago. I am definitely ging to miss the connection to DC, which is due to leave Chicago NOW! Fun!

Much later...

Sitting on a bus in Chicago waiting to be transported to a hotel. We were very late and trains to DC and other places had already left. Amtrak loses lots of money on this one. Some people were put on various buses to their destinations and the rest of us are going to Homewood Hotel in Homewood, IL. We were given a hotel voucher and $23 cash for food. They do take care of us.

We'll be picked up at the hotel at 11:00 A.M. and my train to DC leaves at 5:35 P.M. Supposedly my checked baggage will be on it. Maybe I'll get in a bit of sightseeing. My wish to stay in a Chicago hotel is being fulfilled sooner than I would have imagined.

There is a guy in front of me, on the bus, who says he is a retired railroad worker. He heard that the train that left Emeryville yesterday, the train I had originally planned to be on, is already twelve hours late due to a landslide somewhere - I presume in the mountains.

We are waiting for people from another train. The women in the offices were very upset that so many of us had "messed up" travel plans and were so good at trying to help all of us.

Day 3

2005-06-15T18:48:00.000-07:00

Oh, how dreary. Nebraska and Iowa, dark, gloomy, rain, rain, rain. Woke up in Omaha, got my shower and dressed for breakfast.

Not as many people in the dining car this A.M. I joined the young man from Africa at his table. His parents were sitting across the aisle. He sat with me until my order came, as he had finished when I was seated. We had a chance to catch up from our conversation we started on the platform in Denver.

He does not live in South Africa with his parents, but lives in neighboring Botswana. His brother in Milwaukee works in the pharmaceutical industry, and may possibly transfer to New Zealand. In 1994, this very interesting and pleasant young man was in the U.S. traveling around with friends, therefore he has had a chance to see more of the great sights. He mentioned the Grand Canyon, stating he doesn't like heights and could not hike down there.

After he left the table, I ate my breakfast, and was then joined when having coffee by a woman from Palo Alto I had met the first day. She works in the aerospace industry in Mountainview - has done so for twenty-some years. We discussed California real estate prices. She and her husband purchased their three bedroom ranch type house in 1974 for $43,000 and it is now worth around one million dollars.

The attendant from the coach I was in before acquiring my room in the crew car is a young African American girl with pretty long braids. She is a sweetheart. Her room in the crew car is basically across from mine and we run into each other on a semi-regular basis. She is so cheerful and always seems happy to see me.

"You're really enjoying your sleeper, aren't you," she just now remarked.

"Yes, and I am doing the housekeeping in your bathroom so you won't have to worry about it."

All day yesterday, various of the dining car attendants made a big deal about the fact that I was in "their car."

"Yeah, she's in our car!" one would state to another.

It feels like I am getting special treatment when in reality I am probably not. The attendant for this car just stopped by my room and asked how I am doing. We discussed this dismal weather. There are storms and severe weather predicted, which will affect our schedule. I could miss my connection to D.C.

"Can I get you anything to drink - juice, bottled water?"

"No, I'm fine."

Super care around here. Late last night, at midnight, the dining car steward came through to her room and I mentioned the toilet wouldn't flush - asked her to tell some of the men if she saw anyone. In this particular car, the toilets don't work at high elevations and the conductor or whoever is downstairs in the crew lounge, has to flip some switches inside a panel down there to activate the vacuum system. The conductor explained to me yesterday that it is a design malfunction from the specific time period in which this car was produced.

She returned to my room and told me that I could try to flush - it should be OK.

Just crossed the Mississippi, at Burlington, Iowa. Nasty storms - we are trying to stay behind the really big winds, making us late for Chicago. Train personnel are in constant contact with the Fort Worth radar tracking system.

Johann, the young man from Bostwana, spent a long time before lunch talking to me about his job in Africa. He is a guide for photographic safaris in Botswana, Namibia & Zambia.

He and his parents are traveling in this car, a couple of rooms from mine. I had asked him what he does for a living and he said, "Here, I'll show you," taking a large portfolio out of his bag.

We sat in an empty room, to enable us to stretch out and use the light from the windows as we talked. Johann went into great detail about the various choices of safaris, and told me quite a bit about each region, especially the Okavango Delta area.

He explained many of the photos in the brochure, including the various peoples, their languages and cultures. When we weren't discussing the safaris and life in Africa, we became very involved in a lengthy discussion of languages and accents. He and his parents speak several languages - Dutch, Flemish, German, and African tribal languages - Zulu, etc.

My love of languages and interest in trying to decide exactly where a person is from, by accent, prompted probably the most involved discussion I have ever had on the subject. I had detected Dutch, along with a touch of German, in his father's accent last night, and I was correct.

Johann said that his family history goes back to the 1700's and is a mix of Dutch, Flemish, and Indonesian, although they are very much Caucasian in appearance, and they learned British English in their early years in school.

We talked about many accents in the States, but we discussed European and African languages more. I loved it when he demonstrated the African language with the click click sound. I have always found that fascinating. He is such an intelligent person, and so willing to entertain an "old lady" - acted as though he was very interested in telling me about his life.

In fact, he gave me the brochure, and his card. It is the only copy he has on the train, but insisted he has four copies in Milwaukee - one for each of his two brothers and two for his cousins. He also wanted to show them what he does. He has been working for Penduka Safaris for a while; it is a family owned operation which has been in existence since 1963.

One interesting incident Johann was relating to me was a campfire evening near a hippo pond. Two lions, about six miles from each other, were calling out, when one of the German women in the group fell to the ground in fear, as a lion decided to take a shortcut right through the campsite, about 15 feet from them. He said that was rather exciting. The lion didn't bother them because of the fire and lanterns, and the smell of fuel, but was just going from here to there.

What a conversation we had. I could have listened for hours, but we had to break for lunch, as Susan, the dining car steward, stopped by to tell us about lunch, and told me, specifically, that they were out of dessert so lunch would be short.

Tornado warning ahead - train is delayed because of weather - checking tracks - want to keep us safe.

Day 2

2005-06-13T12:42:00.000-07:00

Awoke at 7:00 Mountain Time after very restful sleep, to fabulous view of snowed covered peaks in Utah. Gorgeous morning!

Took a shower, dressed and made breakfast reservation, then sat in the lounge car waiting to be called.

I happened to sit with a very interesting 75 year old woman, who worked for the National Park Service for 27 years. Yosemite was her assignment for a lengthy period of time, but she also worked at several other parks in the West. Kate still goes hiking and skiing, traveling all over the country to do so. We did not run out of things to talk about, especially since I am quite familiar with most areas of the country we were discussing. Everything from elevations, to wildflowers, birds (she's a bird watcher - especially raptors), past experiences in all kinds of weather. Fascinating woman! We continued our conversation for a lengthy period after lunch, also.

"Do you know what those yellow flowers are?" she asked. She admitted she is not a real expert in wildflowers.

"No, but my son could tell us. I always liked hiking with him. He would tell me the scientific name of everything."

At breakfast, I sat with an African American woman and her granddaughter from Mississippi. She had just visited her mother, a stroke patient at the nursing home on the corner from where I live. Before she moved to Mississippi 2 years ago, she lived in Sacramento for 20 years, and before that in Richmond, where her other family members still live.

In Mississippi, she was fortunate enough to buy a restored house that is on the National Register, for just a fraction of the cost in the worst areas in Richmond.

She is a lovely, sensitive person, and was telling me how distressed she is about her whole family situation. Her family is much more dysfunctional than my family.

The Colorado is high this year, a result of the heavy snow pack. Up until now, the area has suffered through several years of drought. The white water areas are quite spectacular, giving rafters a real run for their money. It is quite wonderful, sitting in the lounge car with a "picture window" on the river and its wildlife, and the towering cliffs which dwarf the train in the constricted canyon areas. Everything is green and there are many wild flowers sprinkled around. I should try this trip in the winter for a complete change of atmosphere.

Lunch was shared with a Lakota Sioux young woman, (and another couple). She is studying for her Master's in Regional and Urban Planning in Honolulu. I had seen her in the lounge with her mother yesterday, waiting for lunch. Her mother is not well, and didn't make it to lunch today. She is recovering from pleurisy at the moment.

They are going to a sister's home and then traveling to Montana and South Dakota to a Pow Wow. They left the train in Denver and I spoke with them on the platform before they were whisked away by shuttle cart to the station.

After saying goodbye to them, I turned to be close to the crew car for boarding, and a gentleman and I started speaking. He is from South Africa and is traveling with his wife and son. They came to the States to visit a son and grandchildren in Milwaukee - are doing a bit of traveling around the country. He was describing the area where he lives in South Africa, near Johannesburg, how much he loves it. He also told me they speak Afrikaans and I would not be able to understand them. (I love all the interesting people.)

There are quite a few people on the train from England, but then there usually are.

I ate dinner with a family of three from Chicago. They are older people and of course, all of us old folks have tales to tell. The guy said he had moved to California at one point but decided to move back to Chicago, he loves it so much.

I was telling him about my sight-seeing ventures between trains whenever I am westbound and there are several hours to kill. I mentioned the Art Institute and he said he started a fire there. He was refinishing woodwork in an exhibit from the old Chicago Stock Exchange and left his supplies sitting over night. They caught on fire. The damage was $20,000, which was not a real big deal. The big deal could have been that there was a big Rembrandt exhibit right outside the door and if the fire wasn't extinguished when it was, it would have been a total disaster.

Day 1 June 6

2005-06-13T12:26:00.000-07:00

As it turned out, I had plenty of time for the blood test to check my Coumadin level, because the train didn't leave the station until an hour later than scheduled.

An Amtrak commuter train, which runs between Sacramento and San Jose, was broken down on the track outside the Emeryville station. The passengers were eventually transferred to another train, then our train was able to come in on the alternate track, but not on the track it would normally use. This caused quite a delay in departure time.

On top of all that, I was awake a lot of the night with a nice, new cold. I have felt like crap all day, and I hate getting close to people. I have been popping acetaminophen, which I am not supposed to do. When I first got on the train this morning, I fell asleep almost immediately, at the Moth Ball Fleet in Suisun Bay.

I have been lucky enough to obtain a room in a sleeper. I am actually in the crew (dorm) car. I had a room in the crew car on one of my trips last year. It is always so nice and comfy and peaceful. I think I need that right now.

I have been going crazy so I can get things done so I can go on this trip now. There is alway so much to do. Selling at Alameda yesterday meant getting up at 2:30 A.M., and that is very hard to do.

After a couple of naps, I felt almost ready to conquer the world again, so I ventured out to get a dinner reservation, and in the process I met several pleasant people in the lounge car. I shared the dinner table with an engaging couple from England. We had jolly great fun discussing a myriad of topics. It is always good hanging out with travelers from other parts of the world - gives one perspective. You kind of get a handle on life elsewhere that way.

Google #1 Again

2005-05-30T22:44:00.000-07:00

...for "Little Allie"

The Lovely Galatea

2005-05-24T21:50:00.000-07:00

Today, the Martinez Opera held a rehearsal of “The Lovely Galatea” at the Senior Center all afternoon. I felt extremely lucky to be able to attend, as I can walk around the corner to reach the center, and had a very fulfilling day.

I felt bad for the vocalists and director, as the Seniors were not interested in this event, and the few that attended were very rude, talking and making plenty of noise while the rehearsal was going on. I moved away from everyone and sat alone up close and personal, giving the performers my undivided attention. Can you tell I love opera?

They rehearsed on the floor, not on the stage. Just the accompanist was on stage, playing the grand piano. The director was near me, sitting at a table, and throughout the rehearsal, he made remarks to me, including me in the rehearsal, basically. He asked what I thought about certain parts, told me about items that would be used as part of the set, and gave me the feeling of being a part of the company. The singers performed to me a lot of the time, because it was obvious no one else was interested, and eventually everyone else left the building.

At the end of the rehearsal, the director came to me and said, “You stayed until the very end.”

“I love opera!”

He also stated that “they are all professionals”, meaning the soloists. I had told some of them on the way out that they have beautiful voices, and they thanked me. The director translated the opera from German to English, and it is delightful.

The opera features Rebecca Garcia as Galatea , Ben Bongers as Pygmalian , Roberto Gomez as Ganymede , and Brian Frutiger as Midas . The production will be great, I am sure.

Martinez Opera is the oldest opera company west of the Rockies, I learned today. The Opera House burned during the 1906 earthquake. The opera will be performed at the Alhambra Performing Arts Center.

Google #1

2005-05-21T10:03:00.000-07:00

I am #1 (out of 8,140,000) under Failure as a Mother. What does that say?

Sacramento

2005-05-20T21:02:00.000-07:00

The weather was nasty – cold, rainy and windy. We sat under a huge tent with no sides, the wind whipping around and making everyone want to cuddle. This was supposed to be California, in mid-May, no less.

The Seniors of the state, along with some persons on disability, had gathered for a Rally on the lawn directly in front of the Capitol. There were many speakers, from various organizations, and from the political scene. We had traveled to Sacramento on buses, and luckily, our group from San Pablo was provided with wonderful sandwiches at no cost to us, along with chips and drinks. A woman from Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia’s office was with us, although she had been on a bus with another group, and handed out the sandwiches. She sat right in front of me and kept track of my needs (my sandwich was a bit sloppy and she kept handing me napkins). I must say, she was a very personable woman. Later, she and I had a nice conversation.

I took time out in the morning to go into the building to sneak a peak at the Rotunda area. I absolutely love old buildings. I was very impressed with the Capitol. There are many offices that have been restored to their appearance in the early 1900’s, and they are wonderful to behold. Of course, the Rotunda is magnificent.

After lunch under the tent, Joan, from the County Supervisor’s office, asked if we would like to see the Chambers, and of course, we all said yes. We followed her into the building, so I had a chance to see the areas that I had missed earlier. When we first entered the Capitol, we went to the fourth floor to a meeting room to listen to our representatives in the legislature speak. Then we toured parts of the building; the Senate and Assembly Chambers; various offices – meeting people that worked there. It was all very interesting and exciting to me, as I had once been very involved in the political scene and it brought back fond memories, making me feel young again.

I was very pleased that the building was so beautiful to see, definitely worth spending a day or three checking everything out. I wish I had more time to read everything in the areas that were designated as museums, and peruse all the old photos.

A good friend was my companion on the bus, and for the whole day listening to speeches and touring the building, so that was also a plus. We have like interests, and both appreciate the finer things of life (the artistic things).

Maybe one day, I’ll have a chance to finish my tour of the California State Capitol. As of right now, I would certainly love to do that.

From Craig

2005-05-20T20:58:00.000-07:00

I got all choked up and teary-eyed today. My youngest son sent me two CD’s that he felt I would love. They are beautiful. It is extremely touching when my kids do things like that. Thank you, Craig.

Grace

2005-05-11T18:56:00.000-07:00

Grace became a teenager Saturday. It is hard to believe. I think of her often as “Baby Gracie”, Carrie’s and Bob’s firstborn. She was such a cutie, toddling around. Now she is heading toward being a grown-up; all involved in school projects, music, and her friends.

Carrie, Bob, and the girls live in Florida, and now Craig has moved there, as well. He went to visit a few weeks ago, liked it, and decided to move there from Buffalo. I’ll visit them sometime soon.

Feeding Frenzy

2005-05-11T18:48:00.000-07:00

One evening, several years ago, Jim and my son Craig and I witnessed quite a spectacle while hanging out on the pier in Santa Cruz. It was a gorgeous evening, with skies and water cast in mauves and pinks.

We had been watching the sea lions and pelicans, and just in general enjoying ourselves. It was part of our almost weekly routine, after selling at the flea market, to go to the pier, have something to eat, and enjoy the sea around us. All of a sudden, there was a tremendous influx of seabirds and sea lions; pelicans diving into the water, other birds joining the melee – hundreds of air and water beings swirling around. It was quite incredible.

There must have been a huge concentration of fish that had attracted all of the birds and water occupants, and it was totally amazing watching them feed. I don’t believe I have ever seen so many pelicans in one place. Apparently there must have been enough food to go around, as this display lasted for a long time, as the sun was setting. The colors in the atmosphere, the wildlife, the beautiful water, would have been nearly impossible to capture in a photo, but I still wish I had been able to take one anyway, for posterity.

Fireflies

2005-05-11T18:45:00.000-07:00

Remember when you used to chase “lightening bugs” on a balmy summer evening, perhaps even capturing a few in a canning jar? That was a favorite East Coast pastime when growing up – I don’t know about other parts of the country.

In the summer of 1990, we had our motorhome parked in my sister Jamie’s driveway in the Finger Lakes area of New York State, after wintering in Florida. Jamie lives in the country, a mile outside Ovid, my hometown. We experienced the most fantastic evening as thousands of fireflies lit up the night; in the yard, over the fields, down the road, every where we looked. It was better than any computer generated scene; an absolute phenomenon.

They were high in the sky, down on the ground and in between. I do not remember ever witnessing such a spectacle, and I have been on this earth quite some time. It was a completely magical evening, straight out of a fairytale. The fireflies were there for hours, as far as I can remember. Something jogged my memory of it the other day, although I have thought about it from time to time. I doubt that I will ever see that many “lightening bugs” again in my lifetime, but if I do, I will let you know.

Friends

2005-05-04T17:13:00.000-07:00

Last night I attended a vigil for a friend, Joe. He was the handyman here at the mobile home park, as well as having a “real job”. Sunday, upon returning to the park from the Alameda Antique Show, the former park manager informed us that Joe had died a couple of hours earlier. He had cancer, starting with tumors on his lungs, and spreading throughout his body.

Joe was always such a cheerful person, and would stop and visit whenever he saw me as he was driving through the park. Everyone liked him. When I arrived at the vigil, across the street from here at the funeral home, there were several park residents, as well as some women that I know from the Senior trips. They are Portuguese, as was Joe (Jose). He was born in Portugal, on the Azores Island Flores, in 1954. The Portuguese are a very close-knit family here in San Pablo. The women sat behind me in the chapel, and we talked about Joe for a bit before the service started.

A printed folder with Joe’s life story in brief was available at the chapel; a great photo of him on the front with his boat and a big fish. In Portugal he was known as a fisherman who enjoyed playing soccer. He played goalie on a team.

The chapel is fairly large, and very nice, with stained wood cathedral ceiling, attractive lighting, very peaceful. The place was packed with friends, and most likely former co-workers at the steel casting place. Joe was only 50 years old, and it is sad to think that he is gone in the prime of life.

The same day that I was informed of Joe’s death, a friend stopped by my booth in Alameda to inform me that his partner, Fred, has cancer. Fred is a great guy, and I have known him since I arrived in California. He used to bring his mother to the markets and shows in a wheelchair, and always checked out the jewelry in my cases. Eventually, he started buying pieces, as he was trying to make up complete sets of high designer jewelry; pins, earrings, necklaces and bracelets. A few years ago, he started selling his jewelry at the Cow Palace shows, and established quite a clientele for the gorgeous high-end sets that he had in his cases. For the last couple of years at the shows, before they were discontinued as the show promoter from Oregon was losing money on them, we had booths across from each other, and could spend the three days of each show chatting and comparing notes.

I was totally distressed to hear about Fred’s illness. He has had several surgeries of the abdominal area, and now the cancer has spread into his bones. He has been too weak for chemo, so his prognosis doesn’t sound too great. He was planning on retiring from his job with the county where he lives, this month, but has been sick for a year. His co-workers have donated sick days and vacation days to help him, a surprising thing to me. I will be thinking of him, and hoping for the best.

Meghan

2005-05-02T14:19:00.000-07:00

I just spoke with my granddaughter Meghan in Florida. She is 11 today. She has an adult vocabulary in a pre-teen’s voice. I was particularly conscious of it. She is a great student, and I am very proud of her. She is a very loving granddaughter, as are all of the girls.

Southern Pacific

2005-04-29T13:28:00.000-07:00

Very interesting! I just received a phone call.

“Hi, This is Steve ---. I am standing in front of the Reflecting Pool in Washington, and I am calling to tell you that I have not been able to get back to you about the Southern Pacific tablecloths. I left you a message, and you left me a message, but it didn’t work out. I won’t be at Alameda this weekend, but I’ll try to get together with you Thursday evening.”

“You are where?”

“In Washington, D.C.”

“I thought that’s what you said! I’ll save them for you.”

Steve collects railroad items, and I had told him that I have two Southern Pacific tablecloths, plus a Pullman linen that fastens on the seat headrest.

Ivory-billed Woodpecker

2005-04-29T13:12:00.000-07:00

That’s exciting! I wish I had been the first person to spot the ivory-billed woodpecker. I can just imagine what it would have been like to be there, and see this huge bird for the first time in my life. Incredible! I’ll only ever see it in photos.

The woodpecker was spotted last year in a swamp of the Cache River National Wildlife Refuge in Arkansas, after having been long-thought extinct. This information was just revealed, having been kept a secret while agencies made every effort to confirm the discovery.

I am definitely not an ornithologist, although I knew someone who worked at the Cornell Ornithology Lab. I am not even a bird-watcher, although I like to watch birds. I have always loved watching the numerous species of birds in my parents’ backyard, and my two daughters’ yards, on the East Coast. I have been to many public gardens where hummingbirds abound, and I was enthralled. Some of my fondest camping memories were of the birds in the woods in the Southern states, especially Kentucky. Waking up in the morning, with the forest filled with birdsong, was an experience I can still feel. The woodpeckers, cardinals, blue jays, and all of the other species filled the days with wonder.

I have the Audubon Baby Elephant Folio, and the woodpecker is in there in all his glory, with a couple of lady friends. A twenty-inch wingspan makes for one big woodpecker.

A Missing Person ...

2005-04-28T20:52:00.000-07:00

My father’s youngest brother, Chris, disappeared when I was quite young. It was probably in the 40’s. I remember times when he came to our house to visit us. I always liked him; he was an attractive young man.

At some point, he just seemed to disappear into the sunset. My father and his family tried for years to find Chris, but they were never successful in doing so. They did not know if he was still alive after so many years of searching.

It is hard for me to remember the full details of this, as I was so young when it happened, but the subject did come up from time to time. I have no idea, of course, as to what precipitated the occurrence.

My father’s family was a bit dysfunctional. His father and mother did not speak to each other for fourteen years, communicating through their children. I don’t think my father was very close to his father for a time, but eventually, before his father died, they did establish a closer relationship.

I was so surprised, upon the death of my mother last June, to acquire a card my grandfather had sent to my father, upon my birth as my father’s first child, giving him instructions on my care. I don’t remember ever seeing my grandfather’s handwriting before that.

My father’s sister had emotional problems causing her to be institutionalized for many years; and his other brother was an alcoholic. He died years ago in a rented room, estranged from his wife and daughters. My father was the one stable member of the family, keeping house and home together for a wife and eight children, plus countless grandchildren. He enjoyed life.

It always bothered him that he never found his little brother. I named my first child Chris, although he is not totally named for my father’s brother. He was due on Christmas. I also have a niece named Kris. Chris is a great name.

Downtown Petaluma Antique Faire

2005-04-26T11:38:00.000-07:00

Petaluma is a great destination for the lovers of antiques and collectibles. Antique shops and collectives abound, in a setting of beautifully restored 1880’s buildings. The residential streets are lined with Victorian houses, and the whole city has an upscale atmosphere blended with a touch of the rural from local farmfolk.

Sunday I set up my usual booth at the semi-annual Antique Street Faire. The day was unpredictable, weather-wise. As the day progressed, everything was the exact opposite of what I had read on the Weather Channel on the internet. It predicted no rain, we got rain. Cold was predicted, it was warm. Cloudy all day; the sun ruled.

I got out of bed at 2:00 A.M., and left the house at 3:00, arriving in Petaluma before 4:00. This makes for a very long day. Shortly after getting the canopies set up, luckily covered with plastic, the tables, cloths, and cases containing jewelry and sterling flatware, plus crates of old books, dishes, some art, beaded bags, sterling and celluloid dresser accessories, it rained. Luckily, I came prepared with plastic sheeting to cover the tables, allowing people to see what was for sale. Crates of books were shoved under the tables, and I continued trying to sell. Now, I can’t even remember whether or not I sold anything at that time.

I had a good day, business-wise. Sales were not as great as last year’s at the two shows, but good enough. Many items sold were in the $100 and over range, so that adds up. The $85 items also help. I started right off with an “as is” very large beautiful beaded bag with an iris motif for $125. When I told the woman I would come down to $125 from the $175 price tag, her response was “I’ll take it! Let’s see what else you have.” She loved the wonderful celluloid frame and chain. The purse would have been marked $275 by other dealers. Actually, my first sale of the day was an old “as is” umbrella with holes, but with a red bakelite handle, for $10. I had forgotten that I still had a couple of umbrellas from my days of doing the Vintage Shows, and I found them in my closet when I was cleaning my bedroom. One more thing is out of the house, never to be seen again.

Several of the pieces that I had at the show were items that I had not had displayed before. Some were new purchases and some had been languishing in my cupboards for a few years. One lovely little thing that had been languishing was a beautiful salt cellar, from England. It was sterling silver, with a cobalt blue glass liner, and a sterling salt spoon. The cutout design was great, and the shape was pleasing. It was sort of rectangular with rounded ends that curved up, and the cobalt insert totally followed the shape of the silver. The salt cellar had cute feet. I sold this item fairly early in the day, and I know that the price should have been higher. It was a very good piece; that is why I had been saving it.

I also sold an ornate sterling napkin ring, with “George” on it. I had just acquired four napkin rings and I usually never find them. A woman bought a spoon with a gold bowl engraved “George”, along with other sterling flatware, and the napkin ring.

The day was strange. Very few of my regular customers were there. It was a whole new group of people. One antique dealer came by and purchased a very good Hattie Carnegie fur clip from the late 30’s – early 40’s, gold color with a huge “topaz” in a Retro design. The clip was very large and beautiful. The very early Carnegie pieces were marked with just “HC”. He is my usual customer for Hattie Carnegie, Nettie Rosenstein, and McClelland Barclay jewelry. I believe those are the only designers he has ever purchased from me.

It was a day for rhinestones. I have one large case that is all clear rhinestones, with my colored stone pieces in other cases. The jewelry is on an emerald green velvet cloth, and is very striking. There was a time when no one wanted the clear stones, but now they are very “hot” again. The first piece I sold was a lovely 20’s bracelet, with tiny round clear stones, and pale green baguettes. The woman who found it practically grabbed it. She was very happy with her purchase. After that young women were buying three pins at a time out of case. It is approaching empty, so I have to shake the dust out of the cloth and refill it with pieces I have been working on. This jewelry needs a small stone or two to make it ready to sell. That is my project for the week.

I usually sell quite a few books in Petaluma, but I only sold a few cookbooks. That was depressing, as I had hoped to further eliminate some of my book inventory. If I said $3, they wouldn’t take a book unless I came down to $1, which is much less than I paid for it in the first place. Oh, well. They have to move out.

I always love being at the show in Petaluma. The air is festive, with the displays of all the antique dealers on the street and in the parking lot nearby, plus the food vendors sending great aromas into the air. I am set up in front of the Petaluma Catering Service, and they usually sell coffee and food while they are busy preparing other food for the inevitable Sunday party. The Downtown Association provides coffee and great pastries for the dealers. It is fun admiring the wonderful old buildings across the street in my spare moments, and soaking up the atmosphere of the place and the day. The crowd is usually very large, and Sunday was no exception. The Lions Club served breakfast, with young girls traveling around with a wagon taking orders and delivering them to the dealers in their booths.

The sales for the day would have been mediocre, save for the help of three women. These sales occurred after I had packed boxes and was getting ready to load the van. One woman and her daughter found some jewelry they just had to own. Then, after the cloths were in the cases covering the jewelry so it could be loaded, a young woman and her fiancee came along asking for rhinestones. I took the cover out of the rhinestone case, and she spent a considerable amount of time choosing three pins for the attendants for her wedding in July. I really gave her a deal, just to make a final sale. Two of the pieces were Coro duettes, very early, desirable jewelry. The designs were great, and the stones were fine. Duettes are pins that are made up of two dress clips or fur clips fastened onto a frame that contains the pin part. They can be worn as a pin or separately as clips to be worn apart from each other.

She and her boyfriend were both happy with the decisions, and she wants me to see if I have anything at home for her eight-year-old flower girl. I mailed white gift boxes to her yesterday for the pins. As she stated, it was worth my while to allow her to see the rhinestones, because she spent quite a bit, although she received the items for about half what I would normally charge.

I arrived home after the show at 8:00 P.M. and I was exhausted. As I said, it was a very long day, but I was happy. I am not certain that my health allows for the exhaustion, as I felt completely worn out yesterday, but I managed to do many things around here, not the least of which was moving a good share of my “garden” so men could replace my neighbor’s water heater. That has become a two-day job because they are here again today.

The Four Seasons

2005-04-21T09:58:00.000-07:00

The Four Seasons can conjure up visions of Vivaldi’s masterpiece, music that is beyond famous, or the names of places, among them the restaurant in New York City. When rummaging around in a flea market a couple of years ago, I found a copy of the cookbook from The Four Seasons Restaurant, and I just had to buy it, even though I am not a cook. This is a very large, attractive book, which one would probably call a coffee table book.

Many years ago, in the seventies, I worked at Calasanctius Preparatory School in Buffalo, a school for gifted children run by the Piarist Fathers. My children were students at the school, and I worked as Secretary to the Board of Trustees member in charge of finances, in exchange for my children’s tuition. Many of the priests affiliated with the school were Hungarians, and the Headmaster, Father Gerencser, was a very close friend of Paul Kovi, the Director of The Four Seasons Restaurant.

From time to time, the school held gourmet dinners and wine tastings as fund raisers. I was in charge of arrangements for these festive occasions, with duties including everything from maintaining the mailing list and sending notices to those who were most likely to attend, to being hostess at the door and gently reminding those who had not yet paid for their tickets. I made several long gowns for the hostess part of the job.

When Paul Kovi presented one of his gourmet dinners, I was involved in every tiny detail. Father Gerencser had a copy of the cookbook from the restaurant, and one of my jobs was to make copies of the menu and recipes for the cooks at the school, after the dinner was planned. The cooks would start preparations long before Paul arrived in Buffalo. I can not remember each item on the menu, but early in the dinner there was a small bird under glass, and the entrée was Rack of Lamb. I had remembered the large photo of Rack of Lamb in the cookbook for all these years.

Dessert was fabulous torte, prepared by Lenke, an older Hungarian woman who had an office of her own in the house that was used by the staff as an office building. Lenke had a pet squirrel that would come through her office window and sit on her desk eating nuts. He had a tail, ratty in appearance, which had been damaged when he was hit by a car.

The dining room at Calasanctius was in a new building behind the mansions that had been converted into a school, on the edge of Delaware Park in a very exclusive section of the City of Buffalo. It was a beautiful area, and the new building was tucked into the property so as not to be obtrusive, although it was rather large. There was a library near the dining room, and these sections of the building were rather imposing. The dining room was just that, not a cafeteria in appearance, but a carpeted area with proper furnishings, chandeliers, and batiks on the walls done by Father Gerencser’s sister in Hungary.

Betsy, the head cook for the school, was from Indonesia, and spoke Dutch. She was an exceptional cook, and had birthday parties for herself at her home, preparing all the food. I was a close enough friend to be invited to her parties for several years. She worked long hours preparing for the gourmet dinners, instructing her staff, and was in constant communication with Father Gerencser and Paul Kovi regarding the menu for this very special occasion.

Table settings for the gourmet dinners were very formal, of course. I think there were about ten wineglasses at each place setting, many pieces of flatware, and several pieces of dinnerware were used for each setting, also.

Ladies wore gowns, and the whole occasion was one of great festivity, a highlight of participating members’ social life. Luckily, I was able to attend these dinners and partake of the meal after greeting everyone at the door. Owning The Four Seasons Cookbook will help me to remember an interesting part of my life.

Jekyll & Hyde

2005-04-16T10:01:00.000-07:00

The Musical. The San Pablo Social Club is just a fancy name for the group of seniors that takes trips and attends events such as the aforementioned musical at the Contra Costa Civic Theatre. Wednesday evening we all got together for dinner before going to the theatre on the two small City of San Pablo Recreation Department buses. Dinner was at a near-by Mexican restaurant.

The musical was a wonderful production, with great acting, exceptional voices, and a talented group taking care of the accompaniment. The set was very interesting, rather minimalist, but in the small theatre it was perfect. I was pleasantly surprised at the voluminous voices performing the solos and duets. I always enjoy going to the productions at the CCCT.

Lament for a Lost Voice

2005-04-14T17:48:00.000-07:00

When Chris, my son, was a baby, I sang to him. I had always loved singing, and my two sisters and I, when very young, regularly performed for the grandparents, plus others willing to listen. Later, as a member of the church choir and high school chorus, I had the opportunity to sing to my heart’s content.

Then, when my daughter Carrie was only a few months old, my thyroid was removed and my vocal chords were damaged. I actually lost my voice for several months, and choked every time I tried to drink. My singing voice was gone forever, and I had once been a soprano.

I enjoyed listening to my own children as they performed in school productions. I was astonished several times by each of the four kids when they auditioned for parts or sang solos. Carrie and Coral were members of choral groups, performing wonderful music. The girls and Craig, my youngest, were seriously involved in musicals during their school years. I loved those times, and I worked in makeup, props, and box office. Carrie was even in an opera at Shea’s Buffalo Center for the Performing Arts, when she was older. Chris plays guitar and sings music he has written.

Now my granddaughters are carrying the torch. Allie, in her work with the Duke Chapel Choir, continues to amaze. The choir is a 150-member organization that performs in the fabulous Duke Chapel, a Gothic cathedral-like edifice. They also travel to other locations on occasion, nationally and internationally, such as Carnegie Hall.

I am able to watch the Sunday services and concerts on the Chapel website, and it is an important part of my week. I have been able to see Allie, in the front section of the choir, close up and personal. As the group files down the very long nave in the chapel, to the fabulous accompaniment of the massive organ, and perhaps a chamber orchestra, my breath is taken away by the pomp and circumstance. I want to be there.

“I have not forgotten you, my other grandchildren. I am not able to hear you in your endeavors because we are so far apart. Perhaps one day I will be able to hear some of your performances.” Grace, a twelve-year-old, already has a good start, as a member of the Florida All State Chorus, and the groups in her school. She has done a bit of traveling for concerts, and is in Orlando at this moment for that purpose.

Unable to sing now, I have to be satisfied with listening to others. At least I can do that. At least I am able to hear. I would be totally depressed if I could not enjoy music. I think the human voice is one of the most beautiful instruments.

Can You Believe It?

2005-04-11T16:50:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, I ordered new glasses, after an exam by my own doctor. The optometrist who was fitting me for the glasses told me “I’ll just put the new lenses in these frames.”

The receptionist informed him, “She can’t see without glasses.”

Upon asking him how long it would take, and being told that it would be three to four weeks, I insisted that I needed new frames. The present glasses were rather severely damaged when I fell on my face on the edge of a sidewalk while helping Chris and Becky move three years ago.

After I picked out what I wanted, he was measuring for the bifocal line, adjusting it upward so I wouldn’t have to tip my head back so far when looking at the computer monitor. It kills my neck and upper spine. His next remark was, “These are too big” and he dug around in a cupboard for a different pair. I didn’t really get a chance to look at them, and I have no idea what they look like on me. I am only hoping that he is an expert in his field, otherwise I am stuck with something I will hate. He did seem to know what he was doing in some ways, but his “bedside manner” left something to be desired, and I can’t imagine that he thought I could go without glasses for almost a month.

I Feel Like a New Woman

2005-04-11T16:13:00.000-07:00

I bought a new keyboard today.

My Failure as a Mother

2005-04-09T11:02:00.000-07:00

When I started out as a young mother, I was fairly well focused on doing the best I could for my children, even though this was interrupted at times by my own ongoing health problems. I was very wrapped up in them when they were babies, and my love of babies continues to this day.

Then, as they advanced just beyond toddler stage, I started teaching them to read, do math, investigate the sciences. They were all good students, long before kindergarten, and we had our daily “school” sessions around the kitchen table.

I made all of their clothes, stockpiled frozen food supplies from our garden, baked every day, and tried to interest the kids in the world around them. This continued for some years, until eventually I began to search for something more in life.

Today’s mother juggles a career, a family, a house, and even a social life. In my generation, it was much more acceptable to just stay home and be a “mom”. Unfortunately, I was not born to be just a mom, showing this as early as my high school years. I was not your average student, and I was in math classes as the only girl, getting better grades than any of the boys. I guess you would consider 100% on a trigonometry regents a good grade. I think it was trig, maybe solid geometry. I should have known that I would not be satisfied as a stay-at-home housewife, and would eventually rebel.

The direction I took during this rebellion was the wrong one. I started out in the world of working in an office, along with being involved in various educational groups and projects related to gifted children, as a direct result of the four brilliant children of my own. The cultural organizations that I became involved with shortly after this point, were an extension of the yearning for something more interesting and exciting than the life I was living at home. They were opening up something that had been stifled many years earlier.

Then, by being in the “outside world”, I started to meet new people, and I have always loved getting to know someone, learning about his/her life. This eventually led to involvement with men, as I always related to men much easier than I did to women. From the time I was in school, I realized that I was living in a man’s world, and I was much more interested in men things.

I was conned by a couple of these guys, but there were some that were very sincere. One in particular was a sweet guy, unfortunately an alcoholic, although I did not discover that for quite some time. He didn’t drink for long periods, then fell off the wagon at times, going on binges and hiding out at his home. He had been a concert pianist and had also been a vocal soloist in the Messiah with the Buffalo Philharmonic. I wasn’t convinced of the pianist part until he sat down at my piano and started playing.

I would hang out with these people, sometimes in very platonic friendships, and we would have fun, doing interesting things, going places in groups, and I felt as though I was doing what I wanted to do. My children were paying the price for my good times. I was away from the house quite a bit, although at some point along the way I must have been home long enough to totally redecorate a twenty-room house, refinish and reupholster furniture, deal in antiques. A couple of my men friends apparently noticed that my kids needed to be fed, insisting that I cook dinner for them, and involving themselves in the meal preparation. I had acquired an aversion to cooking, for some reason, and I retain that aversion today, except for special occasions. The kids suffered as a result of this, although I still loved them very much and wanted to be involved in their daily lives. I just had a very hard time combining my desire for the life I thought I wanted, with my wishes that my children develop into happy, healthy, well-educated individuals. I didn’t have the tools for this, or, at least, I was unable to shut off my own desires once Pandora’s Box had been opened. I was searching for the perfect relationship, at that point, and it didn’t exist with the men that were my friends.

This all seems so very long ago, yet I am still paying the price, as are my children. The past can not be undone; none of us can recover our youth and do the things we should have done – attended college, had a fulfilling career, a good, responsible life. I use these terms in generalities, applying them to those who wish they could do what they should have done, or undo what they did.

Visiting Eden

2005-04-06T17:11:00.000-07:00

…the public gardens of northern california. I sold this book today on Amazon.com. It was my own personal copy that I have had since shortly after it was published, by Chronicle Books, San Francisco. It is a delightful book, the photos reminding me of the gardens that I have visited, as well as begging me to check out those I haven’t yet seen.

I was able to sell my copy without too many tears shed, as I now have the copy that I sent my mother before I purchased my own, along with the letter that I enclosed with the book. When my sisters went through my mother’s house, after her death last June, they found the book and put it with the items that they were saving for me. Now I will think of Mom every time I see the book.

Another book that I retrieved from my mother’s house was the copy of Collecting Rhinestone & Colored Jewelry by Maryanne Dolan that I mailed to her. I worked with Maryanne on the book, and we took many pieces of the early signed costume jewelry that I had in my show inventory to a photographer to do the beautiful photos necessary for publication. Maryanne did not live to see this Fourth Edition published, but she had listed me as number two under Acknowledgements. I thought that the book would not be published, but one day a mutual friend of ours came to tell me that the beautiful book had indeed been published, and “Guess who’s name is second on the list.”

I went to Barnes and Noble and asked for a copy. When it was handed to me, the tears started flowing. Maryanne had indeed been a good friend, spending time sitting in my booth at shows, checking out the jewelry, chatting with customers, and also purchasing items for some of the other books she was working on, such as American Medallion Silver. Needless to say, the book created considerable interest in the jewelry that I was selling at the antique shows, and many customers wanted to buy the jewelry, as well as a copy of the book showing the piece. I sold many copies, reordering several times from the publisher, and was also asked to autograph some of the copies.

Garbage

2005-04-06T10:52:00.000-07:00

Do any of you have cats that love garbage trucks? My Siamese run to the windows when the truck comes, twice a week on recycling week, and watch as the guys roll the garbage bins to the truck. They love it when the truck automatically lifts and dumps THEIR garbage.

The truck for the regular garbage picks the bin up from the side of the truck, and dumps, whereas a different type of truck is used for recycling. Two bins can be dumped simultaneously at the back of the truck. Anyway, these guys are lucky in that they can watch several neighbors’ garbage being picked up. It is the high point of their week.

Hordes

2005-04-05T17:02:00.000-07:00

It’s pretty amazing! What do butterflies travel in? Hordes? Anyway, that’s what it seems like. They are flitting through this trailer park in large numbers today, large ones and small, of different types. Must be because it is spring. They seem as though they have a destination. They are generally flying from the west to the east, from the coast to the hills.

It has been quite a sight, for hours. I noticed them when I was chatting on the phone with a friend and happened to realize what I was seeing passing my windows. Some of them are very large. I guess you do not have to be out in the boonies to enjoy nature.

Open House

2005-04-02T11:56:00.000-08:00

On the way down San Pablo Avenue yesterday, from San Pablo to Oakland, I discovered that there has been a significant change in the scenery, especially in Emeryville. Where once there were decrepit houses and commercial edifices, there are now extremely attractive condo and apartment complexes. Wow! I was impressed.

The new construction even extends into Oakland, in an area that still shows vestiges of blight. I have no idea whether or not people with low incomes also have an opportunity to live in these complexes. Perhaps in Oakland they are able to do so, but I am fairly sure that the Emeryville facilities are upscale enough to be unaffordable. I guess I’ll have to check into that further, so that I’ll know what I am talking about.

I was on the way to a friend’s open house in a warehouse he owns. He is in the antique business, and, at least once a month, holds an open house, hoping to sell a lot of merchandise. The warehouse is rather incredible, consisting of many rooms that are loaded with fantastic furniture in room settings. There is artwork on the walls, and wonderful decorative pieces on the furniture. Show cases chock full of smalls – silver, porcelain, statuettes, all manner of items, titillate, begging to be purchased.

There is a room that has storage bins full of art, other rooms with items from an exclusive period, such as the 50’s, vintage clothing, more than anyone would have imagined. The shelves in other parts of the warehouse stretch from floor to ceiling, piled high with collectibles of all types. The whole place could be considered the best museum you have ever had the luck to peruse. Many items, on the highest shelves, are not for sale, but are in the owner’s personal collection. He collects things in many categories; art, signage, tribal art, religious artifacts, figures made with metal kitchen items by a local artist, so many categories that I can’t remember them.

The furniture that is for sale is amazing, some pieces so huge that they would not fit in most Bay Area houses. There are pieces that I would have loved to own when I was living in the Buffalo house, and they would have fit there. I can’t imagine where he must have found them. Also, I loved a lot of the art available, the etchings and engravings, and the botanicals. I had not been to an open house here in some time, so hundreds of items were new to me.

Part of the open house “thing” is the serving of a buffet type dinner. Of course, this is a dinner eaten while walking around or perching on a lovely chair or sofa. There are always main dishes, salads, finger foods, and a staple is barbecued chicken, done by the guys on site. One main room is used for the buffet, set out on many tables. The girls who help run the open house are expert at displaying the food in a very attractive setting. The artichoke hearts last night were particularly tasty. There was quite a bit of food, as usual. A very large amount of fruit was displayed on top of two huge copper kettles, placed on a sideboard. The fruit itself was beautiful. There was a huge birthday cake, for one of the women, on another sideboard at the other end of the room –yummy. In many of the rooms, there were dishes of candy, nuts, trailmix, chips & dip, and one area always contains the drinks of all types. The people invited, friends and customers, always walk around with food and drink in their hands. I had forgotten how much I enjoy going to these open houses. I’ll have to go again soon.

catsandflowers

I'm Back

FUSCHIA

Graduation Day

Food

A Dream Come True

Duke at Last

On the Road Again

Why I Can't Sing

LOST

Flowers of Another Color

Thank You for the Music

Fred's Iris

The More I Am Here the Better I Like It

Today was a Fabulous Day

Surprise!

Photos

Magnolia

Never Prejudge

Catching Up

Chip

Singing the Blues

Hatshepsut

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

I Give Up

More on Verdi

Incroyable

Geisha

Christmas Train

Dreary

Olive Oil

Clam Chowder

Feral Cat

Craig Practicing

Hot Off the Press

The Boys

Some of My Poppies

Another Hummer Favorite

TROPAEOLUM TUBEROSUM

Eye Problems

Halloween a Bust

More on Carol

Loss of a Beautiful Girl

On Make-Up

More of the Same

Letting Go

The New de Young

Lunch Fun

A Memory

It's For The Birds

Surprise!

Give Till It Hurts

Summer at last...

Dear Allie

Need to get back to work...

Help for the Kitties

The Path of Katrina

Press Release

Problems...

Our Most Favorite Place

East Aurora

50th Anniversary Party

More Bus

Bus Trip Day 2

Travel Time --- again

Addicted

Florida

Day 6 Sat. A.M.

Washington DC

Day 5

The Art Institute of Chicago

Day 4 - Chicago

Still Day 3

Day 3

Day 2

Day 1 June 6

More Posting Maybe

Google #1 Again

The Lovely Galatea

Google #1