January Newsletter: A Review of the Month’s Culture, Arts + Trends

FOR THE LOVE OF JANUARY
LET LOVE GROW

“Let this coming year be better than all the others. Vow to do some of the things you have always wanted to do but could not find the time. Call up a forgotten friend. Drop an old grudge, and replace it with some pleasant memories. Vow not to make a promise you do not think you can keep. Walk tall, and smile more. You will look 10 years younger. Do not be afraid to say, I love you. Say it again. They are the sweetest words in the world.”

(Ann Landers)

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR, YEAR’S, YEARS!

What’s the deal with the apostrophe? Here’s how to get it right … It’s New Year’s when you’re talking about December 31 or January 1 resolutions you’re making, or other things that show possession. So New Year’s Eve is the eve of the New Year, New Year’s Day is the first day of the New Year, and a New Year’s resolution is something you want to do for the New Year. So New Year’s is the modifier for each noun. And New Year’s is capitalized because it’s referring to a holiday … We say Happy New Year (no apostrophe, s) at midnight and pretty much all of January, too, and when we’re talking generally about the year. Example: “I can’t believe it’s January already, let’s get together in the new year.” Used as a timeframe, no capitalizing … There’s no Happy New Years (no apostrophe) because only one year happens at a time. For many new years (plural), it is: “New years always give opportunities for celebrating and reflecting.” As the holiday, it is: “New Year’s always gives opportunities for celebrating and reflecting.” … Lastly, mostly New Year’s is a shortcut for New Year’s Eve, so the name of the holiday is the adjective. Example: “Every New Year’s I go to a party.” … Got it? Happy New Year!

 

I’M JUST MAD ABOUT YELLOW

“Sky of blue, sea of green.”

While Paul McCartney was writing Yellow Submarine, it was Donovan who came up with this iconic line. He explains how Paul “already had those words to the song, but he seemed to have a hole in the song. So I took his words and turned them around for him.” Although it was simply adding a line, this is Donovan’s best-known contribution to a Beatles song. In February 1968, he went with the Beatles on their retreat to India, where he helped John Lennon with another song written there, Julia, which John wrote about his mother. After the Beatles recorded Yellow Submarine, Donovan recorded his own yellow track, Mellow Yellow, giving Paul the opportunity to return the favor. Paul hollered and cheered in the song’s finale. These yellow songs were successful in the U.S. in the same year. Yellow Submarine hit #2 in September 1966, and in December, Mellow Yellow reached that same chart position.

 

FOR THE LOVE OF UNICORNS

So many people love unicorns. I do. I even have a few. He’s mysterious. He’s elusive. What is his enduring appeal anyway? The true “golden age” of the unicorn in Western European art was in the late Middle Ages, 14th and 15th Centuries. It was during that time that The Lady and the Unicorn tapestries were created. An elegant white unicorn appears in every one of the six tapestries, along with a richly dressed noblewoman and a lion who are all floating against a rich, red background full of flowering plants and other animals, including monkeys and rabbits. The set can be seen at the Cluny Museum in Paris … The tapestries were woven around 1500 when the unicorn was a popular element in heraldry. Did you know it is the national animal of Scotland?! There is also a set of seven Unicorn Tapestries at The Cloisters in New York, probably designed in Paris at the turn of the 16th Century … It appears that today we are in another “golden age” of the unicorn. They are everywhere, especially sparkly ones that are on everything! “While the existence of the animal has been debated by scientists since the 16th Century, the risk of extinction is not an immediate concern.”

 

MLK’S LEGACY OF LOVE

St. Augustine, FL, the nation’s oldest city, had a long history of racial inequality. In 1964 it became an important civil rights battleground as white supremacist mobs were attacking civil rights activists. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr went there to encourage and support the demonstrators, and create awareness so the country would see what was happening there … On June 11, Dr. King was arrested for trespassing as he entered one of the city’s segregated restaurants. He was placed in the back seat of the police car next to a police dog who was put there in an apparent attempt to intimidate him. Instead, as you can see, the two became friends! … Dr. King in fact did make the country take notice. And one month later, his extraordinary efforts in St. Augustine led to President Lyndon Johnson signing the Civil Rights Act into law.

 

DOG NEWS

While we’re making our New Year’s Resolutions, why not make some for our best pals:

Leave the cell phone, take the dog … Try new activities like an agility class or going on a hike … Add fresh vegetables to his diet … Teach a new game you can play together: fetch, chase, or hide and seek … Give him more exercise … Set up play dates with a dog buddy … Take better care of his teeth … Put aside a little in savings each month for a medical emergency … Check out pet insurance … Go to new places together … Make plans in the event you die first: provide for your dog and name a guardian.

 

ENDNOTE: ROBERT INDIANA (1928–2018)

“Some people like to paint trees. I like to paint love.
I find it more meaningful than painting trees.”

One of the most recognizable works of art from the 20th century, did you know LOVE was originally designed as a Christmas card commissioned by NYC’s Museum of Modern Art? Born Robert Clark in Indiana, he adopted the last name Indiana to honor the American heartland that he loved. LOVE was created at the end of 1964, and in the late 1960’s he created a 12-foot-tall steel version (like the one on Avenue of the Americas in NYC). In 1976 he changed LOVE to VOTE for the Democratic National Committee and in 2008 he changed it to HOPE for the Democratic National Convention. LOVE became an emblem of 1960’s idealism and it has since only grown larger in stature and meaning. Robert Indiana took a plain word and turned it into art.

 

WE CAN HELP

Big smiles. Cozy naps. A wagging tail every time we walk in the door. (Unless you have a Westie who stays on the couch and clearly conveys, “So you’re home, what’s for dinner?”) When we adopt a pet, so many things change for the better, for everyone. We can help change an animal’s life! Consider welcoming the love of a pet into your life. Putting our love into action is what adopting is about. Let’s spread the word that adoption is a cool thing to do. Each of us can play a role in creating a better world for animals. Adopting a pet who needs a loving home will make a difference in their lives, and ours.

 

Soundtrack to this Issue

Edison Lighthouse
Love Grows Where My Rosemary Goes

Start the new year with a big smile! This is one of those songs that just makes you feel happy. Take a listen. You’ll be tapping your feet and swaying from side to side in no time. You feel better already, right?

C’mon, sing along, you know the words:

She ain’t got no money
Her clothes are kinda funny
Her hair is kinda wild and free
Oh, but Love grows where my Rosemary goes
And nobody knows like me

She talks kinda lazy
And people say she she’s crazy
And her life’s a mystery
Oh, but Love grows where my Rosemary goes
And nobody knows like me 

There’s something about her hand holding mine
It’s a feeling that’s fine
And I just gotta say
She’s really got a magical spell
And it’s working so well
That I can’t get away 

I’m a lucky fella
And I’ve just got to tell her
That I love her endlessly
Because Love grows where my Rosemary goes
And nobody knows like me

Who rescued whom?

So grateful for Barkley coming into my life.
Thanks to Westie Rescue of New England.

Buddha, stay. Good dog. z”l

“…live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”
(Buddha)

 

Sources:
Donovan quote: Songfacts
Unicorn quote: wall text at the end of the Cluny Museum’s exhibition
Dog News pic: Agnes Harangoza
EndNote LOVE pic: Garden of Love (set of 6 works), 1982 Prestige Art, pub.; Domberger, prntr, pub.
Soundtrack Love Grows lyrics: Tony Macaulay, Barry Mason ©Warner/Chappell Music, Inc, Copyright Admin Services Ltd

 January 29, 2019
All Rights Reserved

 

December Newsletter: A Review of the Month’s Culture, Arts + Trends

DECEMBER’S POSSIBILITIES

 

PAISLEY PARK

For love is the color this place imparts
Admission is easy, just say you believe
And come to this place in your heart
Paisley Park is in your heart

I love paisley. It’s always held a funky, cool meaning for me. It has been a popular motif in fashion for centuries. To think how far it has travelled and how it developed in a small town in the Scottish Lowlands is truly amazing. Here’s how paisley went from Persia to the Beatles! … In early Persia, its distinctive tear drop shape called boteh, was a symbol of everlasting life. Then with a more floral appearance, it was used on royal crowns and court garments. It spread to other Asian and Indian countries over the centuries and became most popular in the 1600’s when it appeared on men’s shawls that were produced in Kashmir. In the 1800’s they were imported into the UK where they were made more cheaply by mass production in Edinburgh, Scotland. And then to the skilled silk workers of Paisley where the industry thrived. Which explains how the boteh pattern got renamed paisley throughout the Western world … Once the French were counterfeiting and copying them, the British government patented the pattern. By the late Victorian era, technological developments meant the pattern could be weaved into other garments, causing the spread of its popularity. But as anything that becomes too cool, it fell out of favor … And then came the peace and love psychedelic 1960’s! And paisley was the thing. With the bursting colors of flora and fauna, it was everywhere. Which meant the Beatles had a lot to do with that. John Lennon even painted his Rolls-Royce paisley after the Beatles’ visit to India. In fact, the band’s embrace of everything Eastern boosted paisley’s coolness factor considerably. To me, it will be cool forever.

 

THE CHER SHOW

“I have done so much more than I thought I would do,
and yet I am not finished.”

Just like paisley, Cher will be cool forever. Why else would there be a Broadway show all about her? What about a movie, too? And a memoir? The answers are yes and yes. In a recent tweet, she confirms it:

Writing Life Story🕶
Book Due Out First Part Of 2020🎉
Bio Pic To Follow.

 

IT’S THAT TIME OF THE SEASON

December is a singular month, when the Festival of Lights and Christmas are co-residents. Both are full of wonder, meaning, and tradition. Both bring light, joy, and warmth to our homes. Both offer the possibility that we may see each other anew. With generosity, kindness, and love? Well, anything is possible in this month of possibilities. Wishing you love, peace, and joy.

 

LET’S DRINK TO THAT!

Hot cocoa is just fine but it’s the season to celebrate! How about a Melted Snowman Martini? … You’ll need 2 oz Vanilla Vodka, 1 oz Fireball Cinnamon Whisky, 1 oz Rumchata, and 1 oz Half & Half … Shake well and pour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. And then garnish with Wilton Snowman Candy (available on Amazon) … Looks cute. Tastes yummy.

 

DOG NEWS

“Mission complete.”

Sully, the yellow Labrador service dog who worked with President George H.W. Bush, traveled with his casket on his flight to Washington, DC. This pic of Sully was posted by Jim McGrath, Bush’s spokesman with the above caption. Trained by America’s VetDogs, Sully can perform a two-page list of commands, including answering the phone and fetching items. America’s VetDogs provides service dogs to veterans, active-duty service members, and first responders with disabilities. Sully is now at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center’s Facility Dog Program working alongside other VetDogs to help the wounded warriors there.

 

ENDNOTE: MERLIN

“The best thing for being sad,” replied Merlin, beginning to puff and blow, “is to learn something. That’s the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies … you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics … There is only one thing for it then. To learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting. Learning is the only thing for you. Look what a lot of things there are to learn.”

(T.H. White, The Once and Future King)

 

WE CAN HELP

On December 6 a little female Asian elephant calf was born at the Columbus Zoo in Ohio. But the joy was short-lived. Three weeks later she died suddenly from an infection. “At only a few weeks of age, this little calf had already won our hearts. She was a cherished member of our Zoo family, and we are mourning her passing,” said the Zoo’s president in a press release. The Zoo supports many programs to save these animals. We can make a donation  so they can continue their great work in elephant conservation. Did you know they are an endangered species? Yeah, due mostly to habitat loss and poaching. How sad to think that we might lose these majestic creatures. The loss of this new baby is all the more reason to get involved.

 

Soundtrack to this Issue

The Zombies
Time of the Season

“INVENTIVE, LUSH, AND TIMELESS. PSYCHEDELIC POP AT ITS BEST.” … That’s how the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame described The Zombies, the newest inductees into the Hall. How cool is this? … Time of the Season was on their 1968 album, Odessey and Oracle (CBS) … Rod Argent wrote the lyrics, “What’s your name, who’s your daddy, is he rich like me?” as a nod to the George Gershwin standard, Summertime, which contains the lyrics, “Your daddy’s rich and your mama’s good looking.” … R.I.P. my old friend and colleague, Paul Atkinson (guitar and vocals), who died in 2004.

C’mon, sing along, you know the words:

It’s the time of the season
When love runs high
And this time, give it to me easy
And let me try with pleasured hands 

To take you in the sun to (promised lands)
To show you every one
It’s the time of the season for loving 

What’s your name?
Who’s your daddy?
(He rich) Is he rich like me?
Has he taken, any time (any time)
(To show) to show you what you need to live 

Tell it to me slowly (tell me what)
I really want to know
It’s the time of the season for loving

 

Who rescued whom?So grateful for Barkley coming into my life.
Thanks to Westie Rescue of New England.

Buddha, stay. Good dog. z”l

“…live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”
(Buddha)

 

Sources:
Paisley Park lyrics: Prince Rogers Nelson ©Universal Music Publishing Group
Martini recipe: Drinks & Decor
Dog News pic and quote: Jim McGrath/@jgm41
EndNote pic of Merlin: Dennis Nolan for the cover of Sword In The Stone
We Can Help elephant pic: Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
Soundtrack Time of the Season lyrics: Rod Argent ©Marquis Songs USA

December 27, 2018
All Rights Reserved

November Newsletter: A Review of the Month’s Culture, Arts + Trends

NOVEMBER’S STRAIGHT TALK

Let’s talk turkey. Because it is a native bird with a proud demeanor and protective instincts, the wild turkey was Benjamin Franklin’s preference for the national bird. He considered the bald eagle less honorable because it can be a scavenger and robs other birds and animals for prey … Adult male turkeys are called toms and females are called hens. Baby ones are poults and teenagers are jakes and jennies. Only the males gobble, which they do in the spring to announce their presence to females. A group of turkeys is called a rafter or a flock. The wild turkey’s bald head and fleshy facial wattles change color in seconds with excitement or emotion. Their heads can be red, pink, white, or blue. The flap of skin that hangs down over a turkey’s bill is called a snood, and can also change color, size, and shape based on their moods.

 

IT WAS FIFTY YEARS AGO TODAY

Fifty years ago, November 1968, The Beatles released their White Album. And what a trip it was! It starts with the rush of a screaming jet in Paul McCartney’s exuberant vocals on Back In The U.S.S.R. Then Dear Prudence from John Lennon beckoning us to “look around.” And most beautiful of all is the timeless spiritual wisdom of George Harrison’s While My Guitar Gently Weeps, “…with every mistake we must surely be learning.” And then there’s Ringo Starr’s Don’t Pass Me By, which was his first solo songwriting credit on a Beatles album. Most of the songs were written during a Transcendental Meditation course in India.

 

LOOK FOR THE SILVER LINING

The silver lining is a sign of hope. It’s the optimistic and consoling part of what might otherwise be a gloomy or difficult situation. It’s finding the good in rough times. The expression can be traced back to 1634 in a line from John Milton about a dark cloud that reveals a silver lining or halo of bright sun behind the gloom. The idea became part of the culture, giving us the proverb every cloud has a silver lining. The often quoted lines from Milton’s Comus, are where the silver lining is the light of the moon shining from behind the cloud.

Was I deceived? Or did a sable cloud
Turn forth her silver lining on the night?
I did not err, there does a sable cloud,
Turn out her silver lining on the night
And casts a gleam over this tufted grove.

So our takeaway? Let’s remind ourselves to be optimistic. Keep the faith and think positive! Even difficult times will lead to better days.

 

PECANS DRIVE US NUTS!

My favorite Thanksgiving dessert is pecan pie. As I write this, I am pronouncing it pee-CAN. But many say puh-KAHN. What determines our pronunciation of pecan? Is it geography or race or gender or education? Kathleen Purvis, author of the Pecans cookbook, says that regional (separated by the Mason-Dixon Line) is just flat out wrong. “I’ve listened to people from all over. And in my experience, it isn’t North versus South.” … Actually, linguists say it is city vs. rural. Josh Katz, who wrote Speaking American: How Y’all, Youse, and You Guys Talk, and studies dialects, says that urban-rural is a big part of a lot of dialect variation, especially in pronunciation …  The word pecan originates from the Algonquin Indian word “pakan,” which meant a nut so hard that it had to be cracked with a stone … Wait! There’s more. Then there are folks who say PEE-cans but pronounce pecan pie the other way. That means for some it takes PEE-cans to make puh-KAHN pie. Oy.

Since mouths may be watering by now, here’s a classic pecan pie recipe. Ingredients: 1 cup light or dark corn syrup, 3 eggs, 1 cup sugar, 2 tbsp melted butter, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 6 ounces coarsely chopped pecans. And 1 (9-inch) unbaked deep-dish pie crust. Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pie shell in a 9 inch pie pan. In a bowl, gently beat eggs. Stir in sugar, then the syrup, butter, and vanilla. Fold in pecans. Pour mixture into pie shell. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes; knife inserted in center of pie should come out clean. Enjoy!

 

DOG NEWS

On November 14, the National Book Award for fiction was awarded to The Friend. A novel by Sigrid Nunez about a woman whose lifelong best friend dies and finds herself with the unwanted dog he left behind. They are both suffering. She lost her friend, and Apollo, the Great Dane, is traumatized by the inexplicable disappearance of his master. On top of that they face being evicted because dogs are prohibited in her apartment building. A moving story of love, friendship, grief, healing, and the magical bond between a woman and her dog, The Friend is a life-affirming story about finding solace in each other.

 

ENDNOTE: J. R. ACKERLEY

“A dog has one aim in life… to bestow his heart.”

 

WE CAN HELP

As wildfires raged in different parts of California, residents were forced to evacuate, some without getting the chance to go home and take their animals. Displaced pets, stray animals, and wildlife caught in fire zones are in danger. Thousands, including dogs, cats, horses, donkeys, ducks, and a tortoise, have been saved. The North Valley Animal Disaster Group, a nonprofit, is caring for about 1,400 animals across its shelters. They are providing temporary sheltering, evacuation, medical care, reuniting animals with their owners, and adopting into permanent homes. We can make a donation to help them help these animals.

 

Soundtrack to this Issue

Arlo Guthrie’s Alice’s Restaurant

This 18-minute ballad is the unofficial but really official Thanksgiving Day anthem. And I feel it’s our duty to listen to it every year on Thanksgiving … “Now it all started two Thanksgivings ago, two years ago, on Thanksgiving, when my friend and I went up to visit Alice at the restaurant.”

C’mon, sing along, you know the words:

You can get anything you want at Alice’s restaurant
You can get anything you want at Alice’s restaurant
Walk right in, it’s around the back
Just a half a mile from the railroad track
You can get anything you want at Alice’s restaurant

 

Who rescued whom?So grateful for Barkley coming into my life.
Thanks to Westie Rescue of New England.

 

Buddha, stay. Good dog. z”l
“…live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”
(Buddha)

 

Sources:
Silver lining: Online Etymology Dictionary ©2010 Douglas Harper
Dog News Great Dane pic: The Bark
We Can Help pic: Gene Blevins for the Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG
EndNote pic: Book cover The Life of J.R. Ackerley by Peter Parker (Farrar Straus Giroux 1989)

November 28, 2018
All Rights Reserved

October Newsletter: A Review of the Month’s Culture, Arts + Trends

OCTOBER’S COLORS

Fall colors!
Celebrate nature’s spectacular show!

FIND AUTUMN’S LEAVES

Brilliant reds, oranges, and yellows in an audacious display of color. Fall Foliage by Charles Smith and Frank Kaczmarek is a guide to the best fall colors in North America. We learn about the fall foliage trees and the best locations to see them. The beautiful colors we witness every fall never fail to bring us joy. Jump in big piles of fallen leaves! Take a walk on a brisk autumn day when colorful leaves rustle with each step we take! Drive through the countryside! It is so easy to feel inspired at this time of year as we take in the beauty and majesty of the season. Oh! And take a cue from our dogs. They’re happiest romping on crunchy leaves!

DUKE AND DUCHESS!

Prince Harry and Meghan aren’t just husband and wife. They also became the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. And those titles are due to Edward III … Duke (duk in Middle English) comes from the French duc and the Latin dux, meaning “leader” or “army general.” In 1337, King Edward III no longer wanted to use the English earl (“warrior, nobleman,” of German origin) and changed it for the French duke when he used the hereditary title of nobility, the Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall. He created the Duke of Lancaster in 1351 and then the Duke of Clarence, which the Queen could also have given Prince Harry and Meghan. Duchess is the feminine counterpart to duke, used in English by the late 1300s and from the French duchesse ... Latin’s dux is related to its verb ducere, “to lead, direct, draw,” where we also got the English words conduct, deduce, doge, education, induce, produce, and seduction … Sussex comes from Saxon which comes from the Old English Súþseaxe, meaning “South Saxons” (appropriately two words wedded together!).

LET US EAT CAKE!

“All over the world, all the time, people are eating cake. They always have and they always will.” (Maira Kalman) … There’s a new cookbook with fantastic drawings that only Maira Kalman can do! Cake, by Maira Kalman and Barbara Scott-Goodman, is all about…you guessed it…cakes! Birthday cakes. Wedding cakes. Afternoon Tea cakes. Who doesn’t love cake? Along with stories of Maira’s memorable cakes throughout her life, check out the mouthwatering recipes about everyone’s favorite celebration dessert.

DOG NEWS

Spending hours on our phones can make our dogs sad. There’s a new study from the UK that shows dogs can get depressed when we ignore them and talk on our smartphones instead. Additionally a veterinarian from Philadelphia has seen the effects of smart phone usage on pets. Being attached to our phones causes the important bond between us and our dogs to break down. Dogs read our body language and eye contact. “They read our facial expressions, so if we are on our phone and acting disinterested, and they’re looking for attention, it basically is ignoring your dog.” So, what to do? Get off the phone. Play with the dog!

ENDNOTE: TIKKUN OLAM IS THE ANSWER

Tikkun olam is the divine imperative to perform acts of kindness that are intended to “repair the world.” … “The shock and pain we feel now for and with our brothers and sisters in Congregation Tree of Life in Pittsburgh will be replaced with creativity, building, renewal, doing, and promoting wellness and improving quality of life for all human beings on earth.” (York JCC CEO, Dani Fessler Dani Fessler, October 28, 2018)

WE CAN HELP

HIAS provides assistance to refugees around the world and partners with the US government to resettle refugees as part of the US refugee admissions program. Founded in 1881 as the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, HIAS was established to protect refugees who have been forced to flee their homelands because of who they are. Donate to HIAS to help them continue to help refugees find welcome, safety, and freedom.

Soundtrack to this Issue

John Lennon
Stand By Me

October 8. Happy Birthday, John. Here he is singing Ben E King’s 1961 classic, Stand By Me, that made it to #1 in 1961. John Lennon’s version was released in March of 1975.

 C’mon, sing along, you know the words:

When the night has come
And the land is dark
And the moon is the only light we see
No I won’t be afraid
No I won’t be afraid
Just as long as you stand, stand by me

 And darling, darling stand by me
Oh, now, now, stand by me
Stand by me, stand by me

 If the sky that we look upon
Should tumble and fall
And the mountain should crumble to the sea
I won’t cry, I won’t cry
No I won’t shed a tear
Just as long as you stand, stand by me

 And darling, darling stand by me
Oh, stand by me
Stand by me, stand by me, stand by me
Whenever you’re in trouble won’t you stand by me
Oh, now, now, stand by me
Oh, stand by me, stand by me, stand by me
Darling, darling stand by me
Stand by me
Oh stand by me, stand by me, stand by me

 

 

Who rescued whom?

So grateful for Barkley coming into my life.
Thanks to Westie Rescue of New England.

Buddha, stay. Good dog. z”l

“…live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”
(Buddha)

 

Sources:
Duke: John Kelly, Mashed Radish
Cake: Penguin Press (April 10, 2018)
Dog News quote: BMC Psychiatry journal, UK
Soundtrack lyrics: Ben King, Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller ©Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

October 30, 2018
All Rights Reserved

September Newsletter: A Review of the Month’s Culture, Arts + Trends

SEPTEMBER’S FRESH START

“The world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful.”
e.e. cummings

Such fun splashing in the rain, especially when it’s in the best season to relish it! Celebrate fall’s arrival with these Mini Mud Puddle Pies: Take frozen whole wheat pie crust, roll it out, and cut 3″ diameter circles with a tartlet cutter and place pie shells in a mini-muffin pan. Prick them with a fork and bake at 325 degrees for about 14 minutes. Make the Fudgy Filling: In a double boiler, melt 1 bag (12 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips, 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla until smooth. When the pie shells have cooled, fill each mini crust with 2 spoonfuls of the chocolatey mud mixture!

 

“NO MUD, NO LOTUS”

“I have a love for the Lotus, while growing in mud it still remains unstained” (Confucius) … The lotus flower takes root in muddy, murky river beds, yet is untouched by the mud’s impurity. And the deeper and thicker the mud the more beautiful the lotus blooms. This sacred Buddhist symbol embodies the purity of heart and mind; and represents long life, health, honor, and good luck. It is said that Siddhartha Gautama, whose teaching Buddhism is founded upon, left a trail of lotus flowers in his wake with every step that he took. How incredible to think that something so beautiful begins life in such a dirty and dark place. Maybe the lotus is there to remind us that we can create happiness in our lives, no matter our roots.

 

JOHN LENNON STAMP

The brand new Forever® John Lennon Stamp is here. The photo by the great Bob Gruen was taken in August 1974 on the roof of the Dakota while recording his Walls and Bridges album. In 1976 his long sought application was approved for permanent residency in the US. There’s a sense of satisfaction at his being thusly honored by this venerable American institution. It’s the latest addition to the USPS Music Icons stamp series … I thought this was a very cool and timely comment made by his son, Sean, at the first-day-of-issue ceremony in Central Park: “My father and mother came to New York as immigrants. My father fought very hard to get his green card, famously. He wanted to live in America and loved this beautiful country and beautiful city.”

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HARRY

An epic fantasy with a sense of magic. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was published on Sept. 1, 1998, which means celebrating his 20th anniversary. To commemorate the occasion, illustrator Brian Selznick designed new covers for the series’ birthday. He reimagined all the book covers in the spirit of J.K. Rowling’s original creation. In black and white, all seven covers line up to form a single image that tells Harry Potter’s entire story. His first sketches looked like the snake Nagini, so he utilized that image to convey the battle between good and evil.

 

IT’S FANTASTICAL!

Fan·tas·ti·cal adj., late 15c., from fantastic + -al

Definitions: 1) Conceived or appearing as if conceived by an unrestrained imagination; odd and remarkable; bizarre. 2) Fanciful or capricious, as persons or their ideas or actions: We never know what that fantastic creature will say next. 3) imaginary or groundless in not being based on reality; foolish or irrational: fantastic fears. A trivial sense of “wonderful, marvelous” recorded by 1938.

Origin and history: Fantastic adj., late 14c. (1350-1400), “existing only in imagination,” from Middle French fantastique (14c.), from Medieval Latin fantasticus, from Late Latin phantasticus “imaginary,” from Greek phantastikos “able to imagine,” from phantazein “make visible”; see phantasm.

 

DOG NEWS

“I’ll hang the pictures, you hang the stars, You pick the paint, I’ll pick a guitar, Sing you a song out there with the crickets and the frogs, You name the babies and I’ll name the dogs. Yeah, I’ll name the dogs.”

Blake Shelton’s I’ll Name the Dogs gives dogs equal billing with kids in the lyrics of this love song. But it’s the dogs who beat out the kids for the song’s title! To keep peace in a marriage, the lyrics suggest a practical approach. A division of labor in everything including naming the couple’s dogs and their babies. A metaphor for thriving as a team. A sweet sentiment that each has their own talents and together they are stronger.

 

ENDNOTE: TONI MORRISON

In 1993, Morrison was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, becoming the first black woman of any nationality to win the prize. Those are the words she wrote in her acceptance speech. Given to honor her 1987 novel Beloved, inspired by the true story of a woman’s escape from slavery and what she paid for that freedom. Also in that speech:

“Language alone protects us from the scariness of things with no names. Language alone is meditation.” … “Its force, its felicity is in its reach toward the ineffable.”

 

WE CAN HELP

Did you know that one of the ways to help animals in need is by donating your old car, van, boat, or truck? The ASPCA’s Vehicle Donation Program can take it off your hands at no cost to you and in any condition. They’ll pick it up anywhere in the US. Summer’s over, your car may have seen its last road trip but it can still help animals across the country! Donate your vehicle today. It will go towards rescuing, protecting, and finding loving homes for animals in need nationwide.

 

Soundtrack to this Issue

Linda Ronstadt
If I Should Fall Behind

Linda’s version of Bruce Springsteen’s love song. His pure lyrics. Her pure voice. A perfect pairing. Take a listen, it’ll catch you in its warm sublime glow. It’s on Linda’s album, We Ran (Elektra Records 1998). But wait a minute. Bruce sings it with Dion DiMucci, you know, the King of New York. And it’s beautiful.

C’mon, sing along, you know the words:

We said we’d walk together baby come what may
That come the twilight should we lose our way
If as we’re walking a hand should slip free
I’ll wait for you
Should I fall behind
Wait for me

We swore we’d travel darlin’ side by side
And we’d help each other stay in stride
But each lover’s steps fall so differently
So I’ll wait for you
Should I fall behind
Wait for me 

Now everyone dreams of love lasting and true
But you and I know what this world can do
Let’s make our steps clear that the other may see
And I’ll wait for you
Should I fall behind
Wait for me

Now there’s a beautiful river in the valley ahead
There ‘neath the oak’s bough soon we’ll be wed
Should we lose each other in the shadow of the evening trees
I’ll wait for you
Should I fall behind
Wait for me
Darlin’ I’ll wait for you
Should I fall behind
Wait for me

Who rescued whom?

So grateful for Barkley coming into my life.
Thanks to Westie Rescue of New England.

Buddha, stay. Good dog. z”l

“…live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”
(Buddha)

 

Sources:
Mud-Luscious pic and recipe: ©2015 Jama Rattigan of Jama’s Alphabet Soup
No Mud, No Lotus quote: Thich Nhat Hanh
Harry Potter pic: Brian Selznick ©2018 Scholastic
Fantastical pic: Fantastical: The Art of Matt Gaser, Cameron Books (January 27, 2015)
Fantastical definition/origin: Online Etymology Dictionary ©2010 Douglas Harper
Dog News pic: Blake and Betty, Twitter @blakeshelton, September 5, 2017
I’ll Name the Dogs lyrics: Ben Hayslip/Josh Thompson/Matthew Peters Dragstrem ©Warner/Chappell Music, Inc, Round Hill Music Big Loud Songs
Soundtrack If I Should Fall Behind lyrics: Bruce Springsteen ©Downtown Music Publishing

September 28, 2018
All Rights Reserved

 

August Newsletter: A Review of the Month’s Culture, Arts + Trends

AUGUST’S SORROW

Aretha Franklin
(March 25, 1942-August 16, 2018)

WITH RESPECT

It started out as a soul song and ended up a national anthem of empowerment. Aretha Franklin turned Otis Redding’s soulful Respect into a statement, a mountain of meaning, a powerful mandate for all of humanity. Some say that it is the best cover of any song of all time. It was Aretha’s first No. 1 hit. The time was 1967. In that song, she was singing about the civil rights movement, women’s liberation, and any and every abuse put upon the downtrodden. She brought dignity into the equation. Otis Redding’s song, from the man’s point of view, was about domestic discord. Aretha made it a hymn of sexual liberation and political engagement. She made it a powerful enduring statement for freedom and equality, a statement that underscored the need for respect and dignity for all.

 

TAKE A SEAT

Eating pizza on the patio? What could be nicer? You know those little plastic pizza tables that keep your fresh steaming hot pie from sticking to the lid of the delivery box? It does look like a patio table, doesn’t it? So a Canadian pizza company, Boston Pizza, and their ad agency, John St., made tiny patio seats to go with them as a funny summertime surprise! And a very cool marketing campaign was born.

 

A POTENT PARTNERSHIP

Dave Lory is a good friend and colleague, an artist manager, and all-around music industry maven. His book, Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah to the Last Goodbye, is about Dave, Jeff, the music business, and life. It belongs right alongside the other essential music books on your shelf. Told in first person, we learn about the “day-to-day reality of managing a genius.” Here’s all you need to know, starting with the Introduction … Dave’s own introduction to this new artist (it is 1993) was getting off to a bad start. It was a Sunday, Jeff was late, and the lawyer acting as his manager wasn’t exactly obliging. This first meeting was going south until Dave speaks directly to Jeff: “I have a pet peeve.” Jeff says, “Oh yeah?” Dave’s answer, “Lateness.” Then he adds, “If you want to work with me, I’ll put together a plan for you … and then we’ll follow that plan together. Piss-poor planning equals piss-poor results … Anyway, I’ve got somewhere else I’d rather be right now. The football ain’t gonna watch itself.” Dave starts to walk out when Jeff catches up with him, “You’re the first person that hasn’t kissed my ass.” … Dave Lory was Buckley’s manager from the beginning of his career until his tragic death in 1996. Dave’s no-nonsense management approach serves him well in his writing. You’ll be hooked. I sure was. Get it on Amazon.

 

OOEY GOOEY PERFECTION

What is most everybody’s favorite summertime campfire treat? Did you just say, S’Mores? Of course! Who could resist that mound of warm gooey deliciousness? … The oldest ingredient is the marshmallow, from the plant marsh mallow, used for thousands of years to cure sore throats and also a treat. Today’s marshmallows contain no marsh mallow sap at all. The Industrial Revolution made possible the production of chocolate less costly, making it available to the masses. And graham crackers were invented by a Presbyterian minister, Sylvester Graham, who felt that a vegetarian diet would curb carnal desires and was a healthier diet … S’Mores may have started as a homemade version of Mallomars or moon pies, two snacks introduced in the 1910s. Some more S’Mores, anyone?

The first documented S’Mores Recipe is from the 1927 publication, Tramping and Trailing with the Girl Scouts. “Toast two marshmallows over the coals to a crisp gooey state and then put them inside a graham cracker and chocolate bar sandwich. The heat of the marshmallow between the halves of chocolate bar will melt the chocolate a bit.” So get yourself 1 graham cracker broken in half, 3 rectangles of milk chocolate, and 2 large marshmallows. You know what to do. And since practice makes perfect, you may need to try and try again!

 

DOG NEWS

E.B. White wrote many of the books and poems we have enjoyed reading as children and as adults, including Charlotte’s Web and Stuart Little. But did you know he loved, really, really, really loved, dogs? He’s written about them and he also wrote about his black Scottie dog, Daisy. On December 22, 1931, she was hit by a New York City taxi while smelling the flowers at the florist shop on University Place. E.B. White wrote Daisy’s obituary that was published in The New Yorker (March 12, 1932). He described her life, from her birth to her untimely death at 3 years old: “Her life was full of incident but not of accomplishment … Once she slipped her leash and chased a horse for three blocks through heavy traffic, in the carking belief that she was an effective agent against horses … She died sniffing life, and enjoying it.” The entire obituary is in the book, E.B. White On Dogs … In the pic above, that is E.B. White with Susy, a West Highland White Terrier, in his study in North Brooklin, Maine. Yes! Oh yes! He had a Westie!

 

ENDNOTE: ARETHA FRANKLIN

In 1973, The New York Times wrote, “she knows more than we do about so many, many sectors of human experience.”

“Being the Queen is not all about singing, and being a diva is not all about singing. It has much to do with your service to people, and your social contributions to your community and your civic contributions as well.” (Aretha Franklin)

 

WE CAN HELP

The Queen of Soul supported the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes, which specializes in diabetes research. She lived with diabetes throughout her life and wanted to make sure other people would have the health care access that they needed. The Center provides care to children and adults with Type 1 diabetes and teaches patients how to prevent or delay complications. The Center is part of the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Aurora, CO. Donations can be made to the Children’s Diabetes Foundation in memory of Aretha Franklin by filling out the form or by calling 303.863.1200.

 

Soundtrack to this Issue

Aretha’s A Song for You

Hearing of Aretha’s passing, this is the song that came immediately to mind, my favorite Aretha song. I have always loved it. I have listened to Leon Russell’s deeply heartfelt rendition so, so, so many times. Those words and the way the music informs those feelings. And then along comes Aretha who makes it her own, without diminishing or taking away from the writer’s own intent. What she does with it is tell us who she is, her story, and what’s in her heart. Herself a songwriter, she bestows appreciation, honor, and respect on every one of her covers.

C’mon, sing along, you know the words:

I’ve been so many places in my life and time
I’ve sung a lot of songs
I’ve made some bad rhymes
I’ve acted out my life in stages

With ten thousand people watching
But we’re alone now
And I’m singing this song to you 

I know your image of me is what I hoped to be
I treated you unkindly
But darling can’t you see
There’s no one more important to me
Baby can’t you see through me?
‘Cause we’re alone now and I’m singing this song to you 

… And if my words don’t come together
Listen to the melody
‘Cause my love is in there hiding 

I love you in a place
Where there’s no space or time
I love you for my life
You’re a friend of mine
And when my life is over
Remember when we were together
We were alone
And I was singing this song to you

Who rescued whom?So grateful for Barkley coming into my life.
Thanks to Westie Rescue of New England.

Buddha, stay. Good dog. z”l“…live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”
(Buddha)

 

Sources:
Respect pic: Pic of the marquee on the Fox Theater in Detroit, Aretha’s hometown
Pizza pic: John St.
Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah to the Last Goodbye quotes: Post Hill Press (May 29, 2018)
E.B. White and Westie pic: photo by Jill Krementz, from New York Social Diary (February 9, 2009), Jill Krementz Photo Journal-Top Dogs (more awesome photos of writers with their dogs!)
We Can Help pic of Aretha: International Women’s Day March 18, 2018/One Drop.Today highlighting Women With Diabetes
Soundtrack A Song for You lyrics: Leon Russell ©Universal Music Publishing Group

August 27, 2018
All Rights Reserved

 

July Newsletter: A Review of the Month’s Culture, Arts + Trends

JULY’S HOT AND COLD

Yum! July is National Ice Cream Month!

CHER NEWS

“Think album will be out in sept. ”

According to this tweet, Cher recorded an album of ABBA covers. Yes, ABBA songs. This follows her role in the new film, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, where she plays…wait for it…the grandmother part! “After I did ‘Fernando’ [in the movie] I thought it would really be fun to do an album of ABBA songs, so I did. I was a huge fan, I saw the musical on Broadway three times and was dancing in the aisles with everybody,” which is why she took the role. She loves the film because “it shows women being in control of their life.” She says that her renditions are not exactly how ABBA did them. “It’s not what you would think of when you think of ABBA, ’cause I did it in a different way.” Really? Cher doing something different? No! Well, I guess ABBA is sorta cool, after all. Did I just write that? … Breaking news! This just in, more Cher news! … Cher (and others) will be honored for lifetime achievements in the arts at this year’s Kennedy Center Honors. Cher’s legacy speaks for itself. She can and she has done everything … Upon hearing this news, she stated (oh yeah, this is what she said): “When I was very young I saw Dumbo and Cinderella and knew then what I wanted to be and the path my life would take and here I am!”

 

MARGARET MITCHELL’S LEGACY

In 1936, Margaret Mitchell’s beloved Gone with the Wind was published and won the Pulitzer Prize … Who could ever forget the last line? “Tomorrow is another day.” It was almost the book’s title. Mitchell also considered calling it Bugles Sang True or Not in Our Stars. The final title comes from the poem, Non Sum Qualis Eram Bonae sub Regno Cynarae by Ernest Dowson.

“I have forgot much, Cynara! gone with the wind,
Flung roses, roses riotously with the throng,
Dancing, to put thy pale, lost lilies out of mind”

She spent 10 years writing her masterpiece. But Mitchell only enjoyed the subsequent fame for a little more than the next 10 years, not that she really enjoyed the fame. In 1949, she was hit by a speeding car while crossing Atlanta’s Peachtree Street with her husband on their way to see a movie. She died from her injuries a few days later.

 

SPREAD A LITTLE CHEER!

An outdoor advertising company is donating more than 700 billboards in 21 states to promote positive messages by designers from the U.S. and eight other countries, too, through September 23. These graphic artists’ inspiring messages of hope and conviction sure are a balm in these unsettling times. In fact, the company’s creative director said, “The messages are positive, encouraging, and heart-warming. The world needs more positivity right now, and we think this campaign can help.”

 

THIEBAUD

This is Wayne Thiebaud’s Confections (1962). Is there a better time to celebrate Thiebaud’s art than in National Ice Cream Month? He was a graphic designer and cartoonist before his painting career in the mid-1950s. He combined thick, expressive brushwork, everyday subject matter, and commercial imagery. You’ve probably seen his paintings of cakes, pies, and candies. Arranged in a diner or cafeteria style, they are depicted as commodities with an emphasis on their appearance and taste. He achieved this effect through repetition, synthetic colors, and by painting with a knife, as if he were spreading the “frosting” onto his cakes. By focusing on sugary foods, Thiebaud modernized the traditional still-life genre for the age of mass production and consumption. His ice cream sundaes sure do look delish! (His watercolors, sketches, pastels, and charcoal drawings are on view in Wayne Thiebaud, Draftsman at the Morgan Library & Museum through September 23.)

 

GO BANANAS

Where does this expression come from? Go bananas is slang. In the 1920s people said “banana oil!” to mean “nonsense!” To go bananas became popular in the 1950s, around the same time as go ape, leaving many to think there may have been some association between apes, bananas, and crazy behavior. When we say it now, we mean to go crazy. And anyway, isn’t banana just a really zany-sounding word?

 

DOG NEWS

The dog days of summer are here. Keep ‘em cool! How about some ice cream? Well, ice cream isn’t healthy for dogs because they can’t properly digest lactose. But it’s easy to make homemade ice cream that’s dog safe, lactose-free, and doesn’t contain xylitol. A good frozen treat is 100% fruit sorbet using frozen fruit and a blender. Here’s how to make Banana Peanut Butter Ice Cream using only two ingredients: frozen bananas and peanut butter. Take three ripe or brown spotted bananas, peel and cut into small pieces. Freeze the bananas for two hours. Blend the bananas in a powerful blender or food processor. When it’s creamy, add one tablespoon of peanut butter and blend again. Then you can serve it to your pup as a soft creamy ice cream or put it in a sealed container and freeze it to make firmer ice cream. The best part of making homemade dog ice cream is sharing it with your dog.

 

ENDNOTE: HARLAN ELLISON

Harlan Ellison (May 27, 1934-June 28, 2018)

He brought a literary sensibility to science fiction writing. The Hugo-winning short story, I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream, depicts an apocalyptic world where machines wage war, killing off humanity. And he wrote classic episodes of Star Trek, Twilight Zone, and The Outer Limits.

“I go to bed angry every night, I wake up angry every morning. There are certain injustices in this life you’ve got to do something about. You can’t just say that you can’t fight it, or it’s too much trouble, or that you don’t have the time or the effort, or that you can’t win. Forget all that. Fight them all! I fight them all because you never know which one is the big one. You never know which you give up and then it will come back and bite you in the ass. You never look away from a mountain lion, you lock eyes and you don’t let him get behind you.”

 

WE CAN HELP

The lives of dogs and other pets are most at-risk during the summer months – the peak time for owner-surrenders, new births, and abandonments. Our donations to the ASPCA this summer helps them continue their work on behalf of homeless, abused, and neglected animals. It’s summer, but the ASPCA never takes a vacation because every animal deserves a loving home.

 

Soundtrack to this Issue

Seals and Crofts
Summer Breeze

 C’mon, sing along, you know the words:

See the curtains hangin’ in the window,
in the evenin’ on a Friday night
A little light a-shinin’ through the window,
lets me know everything is alright 

Summer breeze, makes me feel fine,
blowing through the jasmine in my mind… 

See the paper layin’ in the sidewalk,
a little music from the house next door
So I walked on up to the doorstep,
through the screen and across the floor 

Summer breeze, makes me feel fine,
blowing through the jasmine in my mind… 

Sweet days of summer, the jasmine’s in bloom
July is dressed up and playing her tune
And I come home from a hard day’s work
And you’re waiting there, not a care in the world

See the smile a-waitin’ in the kitchen,
food cookin’ and the plates for two
Feel the arms that reach out to hold me,
in the evening when the day is through 

Summer breeze, makes me feel fine,
blowing through the jasmine in my mind…

 

Who rescued whom?

So grateful for Barkley coming into my life.
Thanks to Westie Rescue of New England.

Buddha, stay. Good dog. z”l

“…live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”
(Buddha)

 

Sources:
Cher pic: @Cher/Twitter
Billboard pic: instagram.com/goodtype
Billboard quote: Todd Turner, Adams+Fairway’s national creative director/The Drum, July 9, 2018
Dog News pic and Dog Ice Cream Recipe: Golden Woofs/Sugar The Golden Retriever
Harlan Ellison pic: Leonard Nimoy, Harlan Ellison, and William Shatner on the Star Trek set in 1966. @TrekCore/Twitter
Harlan Ellison quote: from a 2009 interview with Autograph magazine
We Can Help dog and cat pic: aspca.org
Soundtrack lyrics: Darrell Crofts and Jimmy Seals ©Universal Music Publishing Group 

July 27, 2018
All Rights Reserved

June Newsletter: A Review of the Month’s Culture, Arts + Trends

JUNE AND SUMMER’S IN THE AIR

 

RADIO, ROBOTS, AND REMOTE CONTROL

“Invention is the most important product of man’s creative brain.
The ultimate purpose is … the harnessing of human nature to human needs.”

Elon Musk named his company for Nikola Tesla, Elon’s forerunner genius super nerd. In Richard Munson’s illustrated biography, Tesla: Inventor of the Modern, we learn that engineer and physicist Tesla was born in Croatia in 1856, stood at 6’2″, weighed 140 pounds, was a germaphobe, dressed to the nines, spoke eight languages, slept three hours a day, memorized and wrote poetry, filed 300 patents, was a superstitious numerologist, and wowed Wall Street investors with Jedi light tubes arcing between eight-foot electrically charged plates. The Tesla coil laid the foundation for wireless technologies! … Tesla’s inventions transformed our world and they continue to inspire great science and technological inventions today. Oh, and if that wasn’t enough, David Bowie played him in the movie The Prestige (20016). Pretty cool, Mr. Tesla.

 

BEAUTIFUL MUSIC

A flirtation, a courtship, a complex marriage, a productive working relationship, parenthood. Hmm, sounds like a modern day romance … In Robert and Clara (Master Performers), Robin Freund Epstein reveals the Schumanns’s remarkable music-making, despite a life together filled with secrets, sacrifice, loss, love, and illness. In Robin’s dynamic piano playing and enthusiasm for her subject, we are caught up in a world of romance and joy. Get the CD or stream it at Amazon and iTunes.

 

CAN YOU SAY CARAMEL?

“Mr. Willy Wonka can make marshmallows that taste of violets, and rich caramels that change colour every ten seconds as you suck them, and little feathery sweets that melt away deliciously the moment you put them between your lips.” (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl)

Did you know that June is National Candy Month? A caramel is that delicious, sweet, soft, sticky, chewy, light-brown candy made from butter, sugar, and milk or cream. Bite into a Milky Way, it’s the gooey stuff at the center. So how do you pronounce caramel? Some people pronounce it car-mel, others say care-a-mel, and some claim it is pronounced car-muhl ... The word caramel is derived from the Latin word cannamellis. Canna means cane and mellis means honey. In the 18th century, the Spanish changed that to caramelo. Then in 1725, the French changed that to caramel, pronounced care-a-mel, as in English … The different pronunciations of caramel are based on your accent, putting different emphasis on different vowels. So there is no correct or incorrect way to pronounce the word caramel.

CARAMEL CANDY RECIPE

Ingredients: 2 cups white sugar, 1 cup packed brown sugar, 1 cup corn syrup, 1 cup evaporated milk, 1 pint heavy whipping cream, 1 cup butter, 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract … Directions: 1) Grease a 12×15 inch pan. 2) In a medium pot combine sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, evaporated milk, whipping cream, and butter and stir. Using a candy thermometer, at 250 degrees, remove the pot from the heat. 3) Stir in vanilla. 4) After 30 minutes, dust the candy with salt flakes. (You don’t want the salt to melt completely into the candy.) Transfer mixture to the pan and let it cool completely. Then cut the caramel into small squares and wrap them in wax paper for storage.

 

O’KEEFFE’S MUSICAL ART

Early in her career, Georgia O’Keeffe (1887-1986) painted a series of abstract paintings using, as she put it, “the idea that music could be translated into something for the eye.” The title alone of her 1918 painting, Music, Pink and Blue No. 2 (1918), hanging in NYC’s Whitney Museum of Art, references her belief that visual art, like music, could convey powerful emotions. The rounded, rolling forms suggest lyrical textures and the lush colors and shaded contours create a harmonic effect. Precisely the rhythms and harmonies that O’Keeffe perceived in nature … One teacher had played music in his class, directing the students to “draw what they hear.” Perhaps it was the abstract quality of music that seemed pure, and freed from the superficiality of representational art. Whether we are realizing it or not, as we listen to music we are making our own pictures in our heads. O’Keeffe’s flowing shapes and rich colors, both smooth and austere, express passionate emotions, exactly like the sumptuous and expressive classical sonatas, symphonies, and operas that she listened to.

 

SAY WHA!??!?!?!

You are looking at a $16.50 bagel. Really. The restaurant Eleven Madison Park’s chef Daniel Humm made it. A celery seed bagel with black truffle cream cheese, smoked sturgeon, pickled celery root, pickled shallots, and sliced celery. So fancy schmancy! At $16.50, where’s the novie?

 

DOG NEWS

June is World Avocado Month and the World Avocado Association is promoting avocados in venues and menus around the world. And there is a link to dogs … “Agri-dogs” are saving Florida avocado groves. A dog has a highly sensitive olfactory system, capable of detecting extremely minute odors. A beetle transplanted from Asia is spreading laurel wilt, a disease that is destroying avocado groves in Florida. Florida International University researchers studied three dogs, a Belgian Malinois and two Dutch Shepherds, which were trained to detect the onset of this disease and to alert by sitting in front of the infected tree. Their findings suggest that with proper training, these dogs could use their natural talents to help the ailing avocado industry. In fact, it’s noted that this “technology” is the best way so far to detect a diseased tree before external symptoms are visible. Good news for guacamole lovers!

 

ENDNOTE: MAYA ANGELOU’S TRUTH

Maya Angelou (April 4, 1928–May 28, 2014) composed A Brave and Startling Truth for the 50th anniversary of the United Nations in 1995. President Clinton chose her to speak at his first inauguration. And she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Obama.

We, this people …
We must confess that we are the possible
We are the miraculous, the true wonder of this world
That is when, and only when
We come to it.

 

WE CAN HELP

June is also a good time to remind ourselves about the beauty of the arts, the privilege of creativity and freedom, and the power of our voices to stand up for those things we cherish. The American Civil Liberties Union has worked for almost 100 years to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and its laws. That includes freedom of speech and religion, a woman’s right to choose, the right to due process, and citizens’ rights to privacy. A champion for people of color, women, LGBTQ people, prisoners, immigrants, and those with disabilities, the ACLU operates within the court system to enact change and protect our basic human rights as American citizens. By making a donation, we help them to continue fighting for our freedom and the protection of our constitutional rights now and for the next generations.

 

Soundtrack to this IssueThe Four Tops’
I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch) 

Yep, that’s me. I was their music-marketing agent. They were the greatest guys, joyous and funny. These four original members were together for 41 years (1956-1997). Berry Gordy of Motown Records called them, “the epitome of loyalty, integrity, class.” They sure were. And this song? You’re smiling already, right? 

C’mon, sing along, you know the words:

Sugar pie, honey bunch
You know that I love you
I can’t help myself
I love you and nobody else 

In and out my life
You come and you go
Leaving just your picture behind
And I kissed it a thousand times 

When you snap your finger or wink your eye
I come a-running to you
I’m tied to your apron strings
And there’s nothing that I can do
I can’t help myself
No, I can’t help myself 

Sugar pie, honey bunch …
Sugar pie, honey bunch
You know that I love you
I can’t help myself
I love you and nobody else

Who rescued whom?

So grateful for Barkley coming into my life.
Thanks to Westie Rescue of New England.

Buddha, stay. Good dog. z”l

“…live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”
(Buddha)

 

Sources:
By a stream pic: From Open House for Butterflies by Ruth Krauss with illustration by Maurice Sendak
Black Seed bagel pic: Alex Ostroff via Black Seed
Dog News pic: A dog pinpoints an avocado tree infected with laurel wilt disease in a Miami-Dade County grove. (Courtesy Florida International University)
Soundtrack lyrics: Brian Holland, Edward Holland, Lamont Dozier ©Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group

June 27, 2018
All Rights Reserved

 

May Newsletter: A Review of the Month’s Culture, Arts + Trends

FOR THE LOVE OF MAY

The beloved artist of LOVE, Robert Indiana (who changed his name from Robert Clark in honor of his home state), died this month on May 19. Originally a Christmas card that was commissioned by The Museum of Modern Art in 1965, his LOVE painting became the embodiment of peace and love of the ‘60s. He turned it into the famous sculpture that is erected in cities all over the world. It even became a U.S. postage stamp issued for Valentine’s Day 1973 … The design was his interpretation of the phrase “God is love” that he heard as a young boy raised as a Christian Scientist. The red and green of his first LOVE version were the colors from the Philips 66 gas sign, in memory of the company where his father worked. In the early 1960s, as a reminder of his mother, he created works with HUG, her word for affection.

 

THE FIFTH OF MAY

Line ’em up! Here’s to the merry month of May, a personal favorite. And of course the perfect toast is a Margarita to celebrate Cinco de Mayo! The holiday recognizes the victory of the Mexican army over the French army on May 5, 1862, at the Battle of Puebla.

 

STYLE AND SUBSTANCE

Jacqueline Bouvier always got right back on her horse after she fell. Figuratively and literally, as a child she toppled from her horse on her first day at riding camp. She was bookish and aimed for a career after college. In fact, she ranked being a journalist over landing a man. Until, of course, she met John F. Kennedy. When he became president, Jackie brought progressive ideas about art and culture to the White House. Intelligent and charming, she won over foreign dignitaries … After JFK’s assassination, she displayed unforgettable dignity and the “steel under all that beauty and style,” the steel that was always there. And oh yes, Jackie got right back on that horse, moved her children to NYC, helped save Grand Central Terminal from demolition, and became a revered book editor … Just Being Jackie, a Young Adult book by Margaret Cardillo with illustrations by Julia Denos, is great for anyone at any age as a reminder of this icon’s cool strength and backbone.

 

TRUTH

“If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him. We must never forget that art is not a form of propaganda; it is a form of truth…[in a] democratic society, the highest duty of the writer, the composer, the artist is to remain true to himself…In serving his vision of the truth, the artist best serves his nation.” (President John F. Kennedy)

It was at JFK’s inauguration in 1961 that Robert Frost became the first inaugural poet, delivering an ode to the dream of including the arts in government which touched JFK deeply. Frost died two years later in January 1963. That fall, JFK spoke at an event honoring the poet at Amherst College. His speech mirrored Frost’s about the arts and celebrating the role of the artist in society.

 

THE DARCY DEFENSE

Would you be surprised to learn that many judges cite Jane Austen quotes in court? It is as an authority on relationships that her influence prevails in the courtroom. Although Harper Lee and Mary Shelley also show up in legal decisions, each is quoted from one work (Mockingbird and Frankenstein). On the other hand, quotes and references are taken from all of Austen’s many books such as Emma, Mansfield Park, Northanger Abbey, and, of course, Pride and Prejudice. As well as from Jane Austen herself … In a fraud case involving friends who formed a partnership that went really bad, the judge cited Emma: “business…may bring money, but friendship hardly ever does,” and concluded that had the litigant “been mindful of the words of Jane Austen,” he would not have gotten himself involved in the lawsuit … In a gender discrimination case where a female plaintiff alleged her managers “did not tolerate intelligent and articulate female subordinates,” the judge quoted Northanger Abbey: “A woman especially, if she has the misfortune of knowing anything, should conceal it as well as she can.” Doing so, the judge used Austen’s satire to shine a spotlight on what the civil rights law at stake aimed to end … And to emphasize that “looks can be deceiving,” the judge wrote in a legal malpractice case: “…one must get the whole story in order to have an accurate picture of events. The seemingly haughty and prideful Fitzwilliam Darcy turned out to be a pretty nice guy by the end of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.”

 

AND THEY’RE OFF!

In May there’s also the Kentucky Derby. So here are some common phrases you might not know come from horse racing! … Hands down: To win something hands down means to win it easily. It comes from the practice of horse racing jockeys loosening the reins when it seemed certain that they would win … Give-and-take: The art of compromise or a lively exchange of ideas originally referred to horse races in which bigger horses were given more weight to carry, lighter ones less … Dark horse: In addition to meaning lacking light, dark also means concealed, secret, or mysterious. So a dark horse is a horse about whose racing powers little is known. And in politics, a dark horse candidate is one who unexpectedly comes up from behind … Front runner: The leading candidate in a contest or election and comes from the horse racing term referring to a horse that runs best while in the lead … Running mate: Another political term that we get from horse racing refers to a candidate for the lesser of two associated political offices such as a vice-presidential candidate is the running mate of a potential president. In horse racing, a running mate is a horse that sets the pace for another.

 

MEMORIAL DAY

“On Memorial Day, I don’t want to only remember the combatants. There were also those who came out of the trenches as writers and poets, who started preaching peace, men and women who have made this world a kinder place to live.” (Eric Burdon, musician)

 

DOG NEWS

Alexandra Horowitz, the author of Being a Dog: Following the Dog Into a World of Smell, explains how dogs perceive the world through their extraordinary organ. What every dog knows about the world comes mostly through his nose. Every breath of air a dog takes is loaded with information.

How can we tap into our dogs’ world of smell and enrich their lives? “Let them smell. If you live with a dog, start thinking about what the world is like from an olfactory point of view. Let them smell you (you are your scent, to your dog), let them smell each other (that’s how they find out who it is), and let them smell the world. Take walks for smelling (not just for peeing, or for exercise). The pleasure that comes from watching a dog snuffling down a path, nose to the ground and nose in the air, guided by nothing more than the filaments of odors that come his way, is to me unmatched.”

 

ENDNOTE: PHILIP ROTH
(March 19, 1933-May 22, 2018)

“The only obsession everyone wants: ‘love.’ People think that in falling in love they make themselves whole? The Platonic union of souls? I think otherwise. I think you’re whole before you begin. And the love fractures you. You’re whole, and then you’re cracked open.” (The Dying Animal by Philip Roth)

 

WE CAN HELP

Muhammad Ali, The Greatest, used his greatness as a catalyst to do great things for the world and, in turn, inspire us to do the same. The Muhammad Ali Center promotes respect, hope, understanding, and love, encouraging everyone everywhere to be as great as they can be. Your donation will help them continue to preserve and share Ali’s legacy and values.

 

Soundtrack to this Issue

The Beatles
All You Need Is Love 

Love fills May’s fair spring air. At Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s royal wedding, people all over the world saw the blossoming of love. Robert Indiana’s sculptures and paintings remind us of the endurance of love … John Lennon’s All You Need is Love was written for Our World, the world’s first ever worldwide televised satellite link-up broadcast to 25 countries. Its optimistic message captured the mood of the Summer of Love (1967), and its simple lyrics and disarming chorus perfect for a global audience. 

C’mon, sing along, you know the words:

Love, love, love
Love, love, love
Love, love, love
There’s nothing you can do that can’t be done
Nothing you can sing that can’t be sung
Nothing you can say, but you can learn how to play the game
It’s easy
Nothing you can make that can’t be made
No one you can save that can’t be saved
Nothing you can do, but you can learn how to be you in time
It’s easy
All you need is love, all you need is love
All you need is love, love, love is all you need

 

 

Who rescued whom?
So grateful for Barkley coming into my life.
Thanks to Westie Rescue of New England.

Buddha, stay. Good dog. z”l“…live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”
(Buddha)

 

Sources:
Jane Austen pic quote: Emma: A Novel, Jane Austen (1867)
Jane Austen references: Matthew H. Birkhold, Electric Literature
Dog News quote: Being a Dog: Following the Dog Into a World of Smell by Alexandra Horowitz (Scribner October 2016)
Philip Roth pic: Philip Roth
Soundtrack lyrics: John Lennon/Paul McCartney ©Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC 

May 28, 2018
All Rights Reserved

April Newsletter: A Review of the Month’s Culture, Arts + Trends

BONNIE APRIL

“My heart’s in the Highlands, my heart is not here,
My heart’s in the Highlands, a-chasing the deer;
A-chasing the wild deer, and following the roe,
My heart’s in the Highlands, wherever I go.”
Robert Burns
(My Heart’s in the Highlands)

Tartan Day is a U.S. observance celebrating Scotland on April 6 each year. It commemorates the Declaration of Arbroath signed on April 6 in 1320, the Scottish Declaration of Independence, from which the U.S. Declaration of Independence was modelled on … “It is in truth not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom, for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself” (from the Declaration of Arbroath).

 

CECI N’EST PAS UN DRAPEAU

Is Flag a painting or a flag, or both? Interested in the relationship between an artwork and its subject matter, prior to painting Flag Johns visited an exhibition of René Magritte’s work and saw a painting that directly addressed this question. It was the 1950s when Johns painted Flag, inspired by a dream in which he saw himself painting an American flag. In a time that cherished abstraction, Johns chose recognizable, commonplace subject matter. Flag is made up of dense drips and fleshy tactile brushstrokes, with pigment mixed with hot wax and strips of newspaper and fabric. In fact, Flag was a turning point for Johns. For in the paintings that followed his dramatic debut, he challenged every aspect of mid-century painting and established his reputation as an artist … From an interview in 1990: “In Savannah, Georgia, in a park, there is a statue of Sergeant William Jasper. Once I was walking through this park with my father, and he said that we were named for him. Whether or not that is in fact true or not, I don’t know. Sergeant Jasper lost his life raising the American flag over a fort.” … Jasper Johns created figurative works out of instantly recognizable symbols, and then rejected the idea that they had any defined meaning.

 

MY PET

Pet (noun) \ ˈpet \
a) a pampered and usually spoiled child
b) someone treated with unusual kindness or consideration

April 11 was National Pet Day to celebrate pets and encourage adoption. A pet is an animal kept primarily for a person’s company, protection, or entertainment. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, pet is found in 16th-century Scottish, northern English, and northern Irish dialects as a word for a “lamb.” By 1710 it was used for a “tame or domestic animal kept for pleasure or companionship” and in 1720 it applied to “a spoiled or favored person.”  … The origin of pet might be a connection to petty, as in “little” and petty lamb becomes shortened to a pet lamb. Back to the 1300s, petty might have come from the French petit or from Celtic roots related to piece … The OED traces pet to the Scottish Gaelic peata, “a tame animal” and suggests that peata is related to Latin’s suescere, “to become used to” … So our takeaway is: A pet is an animal that’s gotten used to us.

 

SPRING RECIPE: AVOCADO EGG SALAD

Finally it’s officially spring! Try this light Avocado Egg Salad that uses mashed avocado in place of mayo … Ingredients: 8 hard-boiled eggs, 1 avocado, ¼ cup chopped green onion (optional), 1 teaspoon mustard (yellow or Dijon), ¼ teaspoon paprika, salt and pepper … Chop the eggs and put them in a salad bowl, mash the avocado with a fork, then mix mashed avocado, mustard, onion, and paprika into eggs until thoroughly combined. Season with salt and black pepper and enjoy on crackers or in a sandwich.

 

DOG NEWS

A West Highland White Terrier lives in my house. A very stubborn proud Scot he is. So let’s not tell him that there are other Scottish dog breeds. Of the 13 breeds that originate in Scotland, six of them are terriers: Skye, Cairn, Dandie Dinmont, Border Terrier, the aforementioned West Highland White Terrier, and the Scottish Terrier. The others are Golden Retriever, Border Collie, Rough Collie, Shetland Sheepdog, Bearded Collie, Scottish Deerhound, and Gordon Setter …. Sidebar: Westies are described as intelligent independent thinkers who have plenty of attitude for a dog their size. Tell me about it.

Mozart helps dogs handle stress and calm down. The Madrid Police Force has 22 detection dogs who find explosives and narcotics and participate in rescue missions. These dogs have demanding jobs that require intense focus and a high level of alertness, so they experience a lot of stress on the job. To lower their anxiety and stress levels, a specialized sound system to provide music therapy to the dogs was installed in their quarters. Research on dogs in shelters found that classical music caused dogs to sleep more and to vocalize less. Mozart is a particular favorite, found to play a comforting role on task performance and mood. Do you play classical music for your dog? (I admit that Barkley listens to Meat Loaf and Tom Petty. Maybe I ought to add a dash of calming Mozart.)

 

ENDNOTE: MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS

“To be kind to all, to like many and love a few,
to be needed and wanted by those we love,
is certainly the nearest we can come to happiness.”
Mary, Queen of Scots (1542–1587) 

Mary Stuart reigned over Scotland from 1542 to 1567. She was six days old when her father, King James V, died and she acceded to the throne.

 

WE CAN HELP

This is Ray, one of the 51 dogs rescued out of Michael Vick’s dogfighting operation in 2007. How timely that April is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals month. Thanks to Senator Harris (D-CA) and Senator Collins (R-ME), the Help Extract Animals from Red Tape (HEART) Act was just introduced in the U.S. Senate, shining a light on the illegal world of dogfighting. Too many dogs rescued from fighting are held by the federal government for months, even years, while court cases drag on, stressing them out even more. The HEART Act will help these dogs get rehabilitated and rehomed faster and will make their owners responsible for the cost of their care, taking the burden off the local shelters who take these animals in and show them love for the first time. Contact your U.S. representative and senators in Washington, DC to urge them to support and cosponsor the HEART Act.

 

Soundtrack to this Issue

The Beatles
Martha, My Dear

“When you find yourself in the thick of it, Help yourself to a bit of what is all around you, Silly girl” … Martha, My Dear, by the Beatles, might seem to be about a woman but was actually written for Paul McCartney’s dog. He wrote Martha, My Dear as a piano exercise, but then later included it on the White Album. The song was inspired by McCartney’s love for his Old English Sheepdog which he adopted in 1966. Although there was speculation that the song was about girlfriend Jane Asher, in 1977 he revealed that his dog Martha was the song’s true inspiration. “Whereas it would appear to anybody else to be a song to a girl called Martha, it’s actually a dog, and our relationship was platonic, believe me,” he said. Martha died in 1981 at the age of 15 at McCartney’s farm house in Mull of Kintyre, Scotland. 

C’mon, sing along, you know the words:

Martha, my dear
Though I spend my days in conversation, please
Remember me
Martha, my love
Don’t forget me
Martha, my dear 

Hold your head up, you silly girl
Look what you’ve done
When you find yourself in the thick of it
Help yourself to a bit of what is all around you
Silly girl 

Take a good look around you
Take a good look you’re bound to see
That you and me were meant to be
With each other
Silly girl 

Hold your hand out, you silly girl
See what you’ve done
When you find yourself in the thick of it
Help yourself to a bit of what is all around you
Silly girl 

Martha, my dear
You have always been my inspiration
Please, be good to me
Martha, my love
Don’t forget me
Martha, my dear.

 

Who rescued whom?

So grateful for Barkley coming into my life.
Thanks to Westie Rescue of New England.

Buddha, stay. Good dog. z”l

“…live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”
(Buddha)

 

Sources:
Declaration of Arbroath extract: National Records of Scotland
Flag pic: Flag (1955) by Jasper Johns
Dog on Piano pic: photo by Peter Bu/Flickr
We Can Help dog pic of Ray: Jacqueline Johnson
Martha, My Dear lyrics: John Lennon/John Winston Lennon/Paul McCartney/Paul James McCartney ©Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

April 29, 2018
All Rights Reserved