"Gnudi appetizer, smoked salmon sandwich, a dessert that was so far off the chart I know not where to begin! Butterscotch, fudge, coconut ice cream, little chocolate bally things, tapioca Bally things, sesame seeds and some kind of powder made of sesame and some other spices. It transported is to another time and place! Oh and pickled blackberries! Do I have your attention?!"
This was a text from Pam describing her dessert at Supper at the Emma Hotel.
I'm having to erase that text so I won't salivate every time I read it!
Monday, August 8, 2016
Sunday, August 7, 2016
A Whole Mosaic House
Alison shared this short video with me--Enjoy!
https://vimeo.com/173579944
I've always wanted to do one wall in mosaic. How about an entire house?
https://vimeo.com/173579944
I've always wanted to do one wall in mosaic. How about an entire house?
Pokemon Go!
This new game craze sounds like science fiction to me.
Yesterday, I drove to Boerne for our Topo Chicas annual retreat. Suddenly, these cute little guys started landing on my dash and hands!
Victoria, my passenger and friend, spied them and captured them on her iPhone camera--but I couldn't see them with my naked eye!
If you don't know Pokeman Go, you will soon. Victoria is a delighted player and she told me all about this game that blends fantasy and reality as the player battles and captures adorable little creatures. Her college students are going to think she's super cool to be in on the game!
There are Poke-stops all over town, all over everywhere, even at the Nature Center a block away from here. My grandkids are going to be so impressed next week that their Yenna has Pokies in the Mini!
Senior Moments by Linda Kaufman
What is it like to start dating again in your seventies, after a 47-year-marriage?
Do you ever feel invisible to your adult children?
How does one navigate the move to assisted living and relinquishing of freedom?
How do you live with regrets and losses? How does one survive saying good-bye to a husband on his death bed?
These are among the themes portrayed in a series of interwoven vignettes in the musical, "Senior Moments," by Linda Kaufman.
Last night was opening night in San Antonio, and I was (as we said in the Sixties) "blown away" by the talented cast, Linda's music, and the humorous and poignant handling of the things most of us dread coming down the pike in old age.
Linda is almost eighty herself, but she has the energy of a forty-year-old--a successful realtor, a piano teacher, and writer. She's a powerhouse of enthusiasm!
A few years ago, three of us in the audience were in Montreal together with Linda and remember her singing "The Power of A Dream" to us. When we heard it performed by the cast last night, we were teary together. A beautiful song, maybe the best of the whole show, it resonated with us on so many levels, one of which was that Linda herself had realized her dream, had made it happen!
The program quoted Linda as saying, "I don't want to leave this world until Barbra Streisand sings one of my songs." While Streisand herself didn't sing the songs, it must have been overwhelming to hear so many great voices singing them on stage.
Today there are two more sold-out performances, and I imagine there will be another standing ovation at the end as there was last night.
At one point, after a song about "getting fit," the emcee asked Linda's healthy 94-year-old husband and his twin sister to stand to show "what it looks like" to be fit at 94!
Back when I first retired from UTSA, I was a writing coach and Linda was my first client. Actually, it was her idea and she often referred me to other friends of hers and some forever friendships grew out of it. Linda and I worked together for several years off and on, then Linda suggested I start leading writing groups. Not only does Linda reach for her own dreams, she encourages her friends to do the same!
Those of us a little younger look to Linda as a role model of positive, energetic, optimistic living--all of which were embodied in the themes of her musical. Linda's a rock star in our book!
Do you ever feel invisible to your adult children?
How does one navigate the move to assisted living and relinquishing of freedom?
How do you live with regrets and losses? How does one survive saying good-bye to a husband on his death bed?
These are among the themes portrayed in a series of interwoven vignettes in the musical, "Senior Moments," by Linda Kaufman.
Last night was opening night in San Antonio, and I was (as we said in the Sixties) "blown away" by the talented cast, Linda's music, and the humorous and poignant handling of the things most of us dread coming down the pike in old age.
Linda is almost eighty herself, but she has the energy of a forty-year-old--a successful realtor, a piano teacher, and writer. She's a powerhouse of enthusiasm!
A few years ago, three of us in the audience were in Montreal together with Linda and remember her singing "The Power of A Dream" to us. When we heard it performed by the cast last night, we were teary together. A beautiful song, maybe the best of the whole show, it resonated with us on so many levels, one of which was that Linda herself had realized her dream, had made it happen!
The program quoted Linda as saying, "I don't want to leave this world until Barbra Streisand sings one of my songs." While Streisand herself didn't sing the songs, it must have been overwhelming to hear so many great voices singing them on stage.
Today there are two more sold-out performances, and I imagine there will be another standing ovation at the end as there was last night.
At one point, after a song about "getting fit," the emcee asked Linda's healthy 94-year-old husband and his twin sister to stand to show "what it looks like" to be fit at 94!
Back when I first retired from UTSA, I was a writing coach and Linda was my first client. Actually, it was her idea and she often referred me to other friends of hers and some forever friendships grew out of it. Linda and I worked together for several years off and on, then Linda suggested I start leading writing groups. Not only does Linda reach for her own dreams, she encourages her friends to do the same!
Those of us a little younger look to Linda as a role model of positive, energetic, optimistic living--all of which were embodied in the themes of her musical. Linda's a rock star in our book!
Saturday, August 6, 2016
A good line from a mediocre movie....
The therapist was talking to a couple.
"Here's what therapy can do. It can shine a light on what's wrong.....But sometimes, the glare is so strong, it just feels easier to go back to the way things were."
"Here's what therapy can do. It can shine a light on what's wrong.....But sometimes, the glare is so strong, it just feels easier to go back to the way things were."
Logic
In college, I studied, then later taught, logical fallacies--and how to avoid them in rational discourse and argument.
Overgeneralization, red herrings, ad hominem attacks, black and white thinking, etc.
Teachers teaching logic during this election season are going to have some great material to use to teach students what not to do.
Overgeneralization, red herrings, ad hominem attacks, black and white thinking, etc.
Teachers teaching logic during this election season are going to have some great material to use to teach students what not to do.
Crazy
Charlotte sent me and Kate this picture via text.....
In part, because Kate's porch is the place we can be crazy together at the same time or separately, we three, while we drink to crazy with kombucha! Crazy happy, crazy sad, crazy almost always leads to something good.
Friday, August 5, 2016
My Bulletin Board for Friday
Sometimes I put notes, recipes, and links on my blog so I will know where to find them when I need them. Like these suggestions for podcasts from Carlene:
1.
"I didn't have to water grass this morning when I got back from walking and wanted to avoid TV
So I reckoned I could use this time to go to school and learn snippets of what I missed with a truncated college experience and following .....
I chose Radio Hour - Shifting Time - for a start - since that was what I was doing with this hour - and learned some interesting stuff - even a line I failed to capture, but will have to go back to
- but I thought in line with your blog about changing home settings and moving furniture, etc.
There was a Ted Talk featured and I did go to that - Laura Carstensen, a psychologist, 61 - her talk - Older People Are Happier...."
I'm going to check these out!
2.
I went to a physical therapist this morning whose work is unique (for me) and really effective--Myofascial Release. I'll study the paperwork she gave me and write more about what that is when I find out. Her name is Dianne Hargroder, and she was highly recommended to me by Alison--and now I'm passing it on to you. She talks about the "glue" that forms in our bodies with trauma and how her particular form of physical therapy clears out that stagnant glue.
3.
Pam treated me to a delicious pizza and glass of wine tonight. TriBeCa is a great little place for happy hour on McCullough at the round-about. After my PT and with my usual low-tolerance for alcohol, one glass made me tipsy. Tipsy is fun once in a while!
4.
Freda brought me a library book today that is, so far, excellent: My Name is Lucy Barton, by Elizabeth Strout, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Olive Kitteridge.
5.
Tomorrow, my Saturday writing group is having its annual retreat, this year at Jen's house in Boerne. Today I've been buying little tiny presents for my special Topo Chicas. After the retreat, several of us are going to see Linda Kaufman's sold-out play, "Senior Moments."
6.
ALL my children and grandchildren will be here next week. It's been way too long since I've had them all together at my house--I'm so excited! Day and Tom and the boys are with her dad this week and I can hardly wait to see them.
1.
"I didn't have to water grass this morning when I got back from walking and wanted to avoid TV
So I reckoned I could use this time to go to school and learn snippets of what I missed with a truncated college experience and following .....
I chose Radio Hour - Shifting Time - for a start - since that was what I was doing with this hour - and learned some interesting stuff - even a line I failed to capture, but will have to go back to
- but I thought in line with your blog about changing home settings and moving furniture, etc.
There was a Ted Talk featured and I did go to that - Laura Carstensen, a psychologist, 61 - her talk - Older People Are Happier...."
I'm going to check these out!
2.
I went to a physical therapist this morning whose work is unique (for me) and really effective--Myofascial Release. I'll study the paperwork she gave me and write more about what that is when I find out. Her name is Dianne Hargroder, and she was highly recommended to me by Alison--and now I'm passing it on to you. She talks about the "glue" that forms in our bodies with trauma and how her particular form of physical therapy clears out that stagnant glue.
3.
Pam treated me to a delicious pizza and glass of wine tonight. TriBeCa is a great little place for happy hour on McCullough at the round-about. After my PT and with my usual low-tolerance for alcohol, one glass made me tipsy. Tipsy is fun once in a while!
4.
Freda brought me a library book today that is, so far, excellent: My Name is Lucy Barton, by Elizabeth Strout, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Olive Kitteridge.
5.
Tomorrow, my Saturday writing group is having its annual retreat, this year at Jen's house in Boerne. Today I've been buying little tiny presents for my special Topo Chicas. After the retreat, several of us are going to see Linda Kaufman's sold-out play, "Senior Moments."
6.
ALL my children and grandchildren will be here next week. It's been way too long since I've had them all together at my house--I'm so excited! Day and Tom and the boys are with her dad this week and I can hardly wait to see them.
Tuesday, August 2, 2016
Houses of a few Grandmothers
I stopped by Kate's yesterday morning for the arrival of the presents. When the postman walked up to Kate's porch with two packages, she said, "Here comes Santa Clause!"
We were like two little kids on Christmas morning opening the boxes and pulling out shower curtains for her beautiful claw-foot antique tub, a party-pink chandelier for her newly remodeled bathroom, and a multicolored one that will hang over the large dining table.
Here she is modeling one of the components of her sparkling gypsy-colored chandelier--as if they are giant earrings.
We've reached an age, we said, where anything goes!
We were like two little kids on Christmas morning opening the boxes and pulling out shower curtains for her beautiful claw-foot antique tub, a party-pink chandelier for her newly remodeled bathroom, and a multicolored one that will hang over the large dining table.
Here she is modeling one of the components of her sparkling gypsy-colored chandelier--as if they are giant earrings.
We've reached an age, we said, where anything goes!
Then I went to Cindy's house to talk about her writing and the upcoming Saturday retreat in Boerne.
Cindy's house, like Kate's, is cozy and colorful--a house of textures, photographs, and antiques collected over the years. "Nothing matches," she says, "So everything does."
Cindy's house, like Kate's, is cozy and colorful--a house of textures, photographs, and antiques collected over the years. "Nothing matches," she says, "So everything does."
I remember when Mimi was about my age and she changed all her furniture. I wondered how she could change the things she had had "all my entire life" of ten years. Now I understand. As Mike said, as we are changing we like to change our spaces. It gives us a lift to create a new canvas that matches who we are now--like shiny gypsy-styled chandeliers, quilts for our beds and throws for old chairs, and whatever reflects the whimsy we want to live inside.
Gone are the old rules about what goes together, what matches what, or what works according to anyone else's plan. We're playing house now for our own pleasure.
Gone are the old rules about what goes together, what matches what, or what works according to anyone else's plan. We're playing house now for our own pleasure.
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