Friday Photo
Thunderstorms, Wild Turkeys and Broken Glass: A History of Glass Preservation at the Philip Johnson Glass House
This a fascinating history of a fascinating structure. I wish I could take my own photos of it…
Mom’s New Toy Means I Can’t Resist Posting
Life is strange. First I felt violated. Then I felt relieved. Now I’m just over it and ready to move on. Welcome back to Got My Reservations: The Retirement Sequel.
I have spent a lot of time in the last couple of months with friends who have much more knowledge than I do about cameras. I bought the Canon EOS Rebel T3i, and I’m thrilled with the results so far. Ten minutes out of the box and I had 24 photos that were better than anything I’ve taken recently — although I’ve done some pretty good work with my iPhone in Instagram. 🙂
Here’s today’s teaser.
The next step is to figure out which totally cute camera bag I’m going to buy from Judy at Snugglens.
InstaFriday
Last week I stumbled on a blogger with a fun way to link up photos on Fridays that fits right in with one of my RENEW goals for 2012 — using my cameras more thoughtfully and intentionally. The challenge is to photograph the week using only the camera on my phone. And yes, I know it’s Saturday.
Normally I’m not a late starter, but with spring break and all, it took me a while to get into the groove, so I didn’t actually take my first photo until Monday. The re-entry back into my real life as a teacher and the inevitable early morning wake up was hard, very hard.
On my arrival at school, I discovered that my promised laptop had not been delivered over spring break. I have mixed feelings about it anyway, so I wasn’t heartbroken.
On Tuesday, one of my students was playing with this mirrored Rubik’s Cube. He said he needed a greater challenge… and then showed us that he marked up one side with dots to help him solve it. 🙂
Since it was grades week and I was feverishly trying to get everything done before the Friday holiday from school, I didn’t do much photography. On Friday, we met out-of-town family members for museum-ing. I took this photo from the window of the Chicago Cultural Center because I have never seen the Bean (Cloud Gate) from this vantage point. The yellow tint comes from the protective film in the windows.
I also took this photo of the stained glass dome in the Chicago Cultural Center. I know it’s not perfect — I took it with my iPhone, for goodness sake — but it gives an idea of the beauty of this often overlooked building among Chicago’s museums. The web site says it’s the tenth most popular museum, but in a city of museums, how many people actually get to the tenth one?
I didn’t take this photo, but I thought you might want to see a well-photographed picture of the Tiffany glass dome that is also in the Cultural Center.
Lest you think I’m trying to cheat on the InstaFriday challenge, here’s my photo of the Tiffany Dome.
I couldn’t resist taking a photo of this quote in the new modern wing of the Art Institute of Chicago. Â When I looked up the attribution, I found that it was actually supposed to be a work of art. Silly me, I thought it was just an interesting quote on the wall.
It turned out to be one of those beautiful Chicago spring days — crisp and sunny. On such a day, it’s impossible to take a bad picture of the skyline, even on a smart phone.
If it’s Friday, it’s pizza day. We also had the double whammy of entertaining out-of-town guests, so it had to be a Chicago pizza day. We found a pizza place by the Art Institute that we’ve never been to and were happily surprised by both the food and the service.
A week that started pretty slowly ended up with a warm gush of family togetherness and yummy wine and pizza. It was another hot time in Chi-town after all!
Please stop by Life Rearranged and meet some new blogging friends. Everyone appreciates a little comment love.
Writer’s Workshop: Book Reviews
Like all readers, I always have stacks of books laying on surfaces in my home and I’ve enjoyed writing about them on my blog. I keep a yearly tally on one of my blog pages (on the 2012 Book List tab) and link up my book reviews, so I hope you’ll take a look at what I’ve read and reviewed over the last few years.
Recently, I’ve been putting photos of the book covers on my sidebar when I start a new book. Let’s just say I have eclectic taste in what I read. There have been a few books that I’ve hidden from sight — I wasn’t prepared to tell the world everything I was reading. 🙂
So I’m going bare — here’s the full list of what I’m currently reading and may review, depending on how much I like (or hate) the book. It’s not embarrassing, thank goodness.
I always try to read the nominees for the Rebecca Caudill Award every year, which is an Illinois award conferred by student vote in grades four though eight. This year, the winner was Powerless. It’s a super-powers preteen-boys-book, but I’ve decided to read it anyway. Â I doubt I’ll review it…
My eighth graders read Warriors Don’t Cry as the centerpiece of their study of Civil Rights. It’s the story of the integration of Little Rock’s Central High School. I don’t think I actually read it again last year as my kids read it; it’s on my to-do list for the weekend. It’s a compelling story even as a reread.
I’m still working through An Old-Fashioned Girl on my Kindle — the Louisa Challenge seems to have stalled — and I’m looking forward to moving on to Little Men.
I just started The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks on audiobook during my commute. It’s our May book club choice and I already know it’s going to be thought-provoking.
It appears that the only thing that’s slightly embarrassing is the Sophie Kinsella entry, but I’m not uncomfortable with my choice on that one. I enjoy her books and so do a lot of other people!
I’ve been lucky to connect with great readers through blogging, so let me introduce you to places you can read fabulous book reviews.
Jenners at Life With Books reads and reads and reads — and writes book reviews about intriguing books. I have three books on reserve at the library based on her recommendations!
A blogger with a different take on books is Jillian at A Room of One’s Own. She’s on a mission to catch up! Her reviews are thoughtful and full of insight about the “classics.”
I’ve enjoyed the creativity of Michele at The Great Read. If you’re looking for books for yourself or for your kids, she’s got you covered — at your library.
I can’t do this post without linking up to my niece Jessie at Vanderbilt Wife. She got me started writing again and I owe her my sanity. As both a writer and a reader, she’s got interesting reviews and commentary on books for adults and kids.
So we’re done for today. As my favorite flawed literary heroine says, “Tomorrow is another day.” Scarlett didn’t read, but her fame lives on through the genius of Margaret Mitchell. I can’t wait to read this…
I’m linking up to Mama Kat again this week. Give my friends some comment love!
Book Club: In the Garden of Beasts
Yesterday I finished Erik Larson’s In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin. After two previous slow starts, I read three-quarters of the book and it became a compelling read that I could barely put down.
How did we let Hitler get away with it? That particular piece of history absolutely should not repeat itself, yet it has in other ways and in other societies across the world. Should the United States be held responsible? Larsen creates a very personal story that reminds us that at least in regard to Hitler’s rise to power, we knew about it and didn’t do anything until it was too late for many European citizens.
Tom Hanks has signed on to star as University of Chicago professor-turned-ambassador William E. Dodd in a movie based on the book, scheduled for release in 2014. Given his ability to play low-key, gentle characters with sensitivity and historical accuracy, Hanks should be wonderful. I look forward to seeing the movie — it’s a long time until it comes out, though. In the meantime, I recommend that you read this riveting non-fiction and very personal account of a family’s relationship with Hitler’s Germany.
Hydrangea Battlefield
I had to share this hilarious yet stunningly photographed post. Enjoy your day!
In Honor of My Mother
American Idol 2012: First Thoughts
I think we are in for a treat this year. The competition among the remaining contestants is going to be fierce. I still love the dynamics of the judging team and we’ve already seen the star power that Idol is pulling in this year.
The contestant that intrigues me the most is Jessica Sanchez. We see her in the candids and she’s a little girl. Her smile has teenager teeth that don’t quite fit her mouth and she shows her insecurity in the grateful response to praise that comes with being sixteen.
Then Jessica steps in front of a microphone and she turns into another person. She’s bold, sensual, and mature. She’s amazing.
SPOILER ALERT. Stop here if you don’t know who went home on Thursday, 3/29.
Watching the kids move into the Idol Mansion was kind of heart-wrenching, knowing that one of them would have to move out right away.
And now that Heejun has finally gone back to oblivion (or the comedy clubs) where he belongs, I can stop gritting my teeth over his awkward arrogance and Asian humility. It was an interesting combo, but I’m tired of it already. I’m ready to hear some more Colton, Phillip, Elise, Hollie, Joshua, and Jessica.
I can probably do without much more of DeAndre and Skylar; I feel that they both need some more seasoning and paying their dues in their local clubs. Skylar needs to take Jimmy’s advice and sing songs that show off her voice rather than choosing songs she likes. DeAndre needs to sing in his big boy voice; I’m done with his all-falsetto all-the-time thing.That being said, they are both very talented and could easily win it all. It all depends on how the votes fall.
It’s going to be an interesting season.
Writing Workshop: My Drink(s) of Choice
Mama Kat asked me today, “How did your love affair with Coffee begin?” That’s a really good question, but ironically, a funny thing happened on the way to being sixty. I forget when I drank my first coffee, but I still remember that I pretty much can’t live without it now.
My husband is partly to blame for my addiction to coffee. We’ve become connoisseurs of the different Starbucks blends — venti, dark, and black is my order. He prefers decaf and I live for the kick of caffeine. We shop carefully for whole beans, always on the lookout for a sale. When we travel, he scouts out the Starbucks locations on his smart phone or maps them out on his computer before we leave. We plan our driving breaks around the visits to Starbucks, knowing they will have good coffee, won’t sneer because we bring in our own reusable mugs, and we can depend on clean bathrooms.
At the Sissinghurst Castle Farmhouse bed and breakfast in England where we stayed during the summer of 2011, we were always served coffee in a sprightly little press pot, so I decided to buy one for Christmas. I searched and searched for a coffee press large enough to satisfy our coffee habit. I wanted to make two fresh mugs for each of us, with one being decaf and the other caf. I hoped the freshly pressed coffee would satisfy our coffee hunger and that we wouldn’t just continue to drink the dregs of the big coffeemaker pot out of habit. That hasn’t worked out so well, as we are still using our big Gevalia coffeemaker and are each still sacrificing for the other — to caf or not to caf is an important question in our thirty-year marriage.
The second part of Mama Kat’s prompt is easier to remember. She continued the question by providing an alternative — “Or Diet Coke or Tea or whatever your beverage of choice might be.” My true beverage of choice is the nectar of the gods, a good wine. I blame it all on moving to California in 1974 and discovering wineries, and my love for wine has progressed from the Boone’s Farm Apple Wine, Mateus, and Lancers of our college days to the fine wines from around the world to which we have access (and can better afford) today.
One of our most recent trips to a winery was in southeast England, where some amazing wine is made. Our host at Sissinghurst Castle Farmhouse is also the CEO of Chapel Downs Winery, and I blogged about our visit here.
The bookends of my day are a strong jolt of joe in the morning and slow sips of liquid terroir in the evening. What’s not to love?
I’m linked up to Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop today. Please stop by and spread some comment love around to my friends.
