Freezing rain

Posted on January 18, 2011 by ruthek

I left the house in time for a slow walk to the bus, got to my neighbor's driveway and turned around and came back home. Freezing rain is much more frequent here than in Chicago where it was always too cold in winter for rain. I bought new boots at L. L. Bean, which were supposed to be good on ice; they weren't any different than my usual shoes. Can't blame L. L.; it was the sales person who made up the story.

I'll miss the Chinese landscape painting class but hope to arrive in time for a lunch date and the Japanese scroll painting class. Last week the professor said something that contradicted what I had written in my paper: that is, scroll paintings usually didn't have backgrounds. I plan to spend time in the library looking for my reference. Unfortunately, I did not footnote it.

I've started planning my Japan trip, at least to the extent of making a two-week reservation at the Palace Side Hotel in Kyoto. To my amazement I found out one of my Israeli friends will be in Kyoto at the same time. I'm really delighted. Without the blog and the internet we would have been ships passing in the night.

Staying warm and saying goodbye

Posted on January 10, 2011 by ruthek

Monday morning and I have nothing on the calendar except exercise, so I'm still in bed. It seems like the best place when the radio tells you it's 13 degrees out and your apartment has warm spots and cold spots. This is an old building; the windows should be replaced and the space around the window air conditioners should be caulked. But there is no insulation in the walls so I suppose none of it would help.

My upstairs neighbors are moving out; he got a job in Dayton. They were good neighbors and I will miss them. Earl seems to have a good record on picking new tenants, so I hope the next people will be as good. Otherwise I'll be tempted to move.

Last week I also said goodbye to one of my ESL students, who is returning to China.I have grown fond of him and he said I was the only American friend he will stay in touch with. I hope he will. The worst part of this tutoring is when a student leaves you. Admittedly, sometimes I'm happy to see them go, but more often I am sorry.

My Osher classes haven't begun yet. I'm taking two audit classes that started on Thursday: Chinese landscape painting and Japanese scroll painting, both with plenty of reading. I won't be writing any term papers this time. In fact, I won't be finishing either class since I'll be in Japan before they conclude.

One dream, big plans

Posted on January 7, 2011 by ruthek

The sun rose at 7:44 this morning. The radio began talking to me at 6:59. I hate getting up in the dark, so I didn't. The radio told me it was 22 degrees out and wasn't likely to get warmer. I burrowed deeper into the covers and went back to sleep. The radio stopped talking to me at 7:59. I had a vivid dream about Marcia, a long-time friend who finally pushed the boundaries of friendship too far, and whom I haven't seen for seven or eight years. In that time, I moved to Pittsburgh and her studio in Chicago was emptied and sold. I don't know what happened to her; sometimes it makes me very sad. It's hard to lose a friend, even when the friendship had become onerous.

On a happier note: I am planning my next trip to Japan. I will leave Pittsburgh on March 22 and return on May 7. Six weeks ought to be long enough to satisfy my Japanese garden obsession, I hope.

Dear Alice and Mage

Posted on November 30, 2010 by ruthek

I'm OK. I've been working on the paper, and of course, this is the time life catches up with you. Nothing terrible–Just my first tooth extraction since I was a kid. It will happen next week. In the meantime, I'm on antibiotics and they're not kind to me. Don't ask what happens.

We had Thanksgiving at Robin and Steve's. Charna, Eli and Eli's friend Adele, came from Chicago, Steve's mother, Renee, came from New York, and my two Chinese students (and one's wife) joined us. I have pictures and stories but that will wait until after the paper is finished, I hope before the tooth goes. Thanks for your concern and hugs to you both.

Working on my term paper

Posted on October 22, 2010 by ruthek

I struggled for two weeks to restate the goal of my project, following the professor's comments. I sort of knew what I wanted, but I didn't know where I was going with it. Finally turned in this statement:

Japanese Gardens are the subject of poetry; poems are created and read in gardens. They appear as backgrounds in scroll paintings, and emaki painters designed many of the earliest gardens. Japanese gardens grew out of reverence for nature, but trees and plantings are shaped to conform to a Japanese ideal of nature, making gardens a true art form. In some, the viewer can appreciate the scene from a special place, a frame, in others the viewer can be more interactive, he or she can enter and stroll along, each few steps presenting a different view, much like walking through a museum and stopping to examine and appreciate each picture.

Rocks, water, stone lanterns and decorative bridges, sometimes a tea house, and plants are the elements of a Japanese garden. In addition, the two concepts: illusion/shakkei or captured scenery, and replication of famous places, are often used to organize the garden space. I will explore the use of those elements and ideas to create aesthetically pleasing spaces. Then, using maps and photographs I propose to examine Kenroku-en in Kanazawa, Koraku-en in Okayama, and Shirotori in Nagoya and two gardens meant to be viewed from within a building, Chishakuin and Nanzen-in, to determine what constitutes an aesthetically pleasing space for me.

Now I have to begin writing the paper. I have several free hours after my Osher music class this morning, then lunch, then just missed the bus so walked a mile or so instead of just waiting for the next one. Of course, a cup of tea was necessary as soon as I got home. Listened to phone messages. The Republicans have the wrong number for someone. Opened Word. Did you know National Geographic has jigsaw puzzles you can play with on line? Last night was a reception for a Gigapan exhibit David arranged in the US Steel lobby. If you zoom in on the right side you can see Ivetta's head, my back and Qing, one of my ESL students. Because the camera keeps moving, if the person moves, only part of her will show up.

Only an hour before I have to leave. Guess I better start writing.

Wrap up of the week’s good classes and events

Posted on September 30, 2010 by ruthek

It's a dark, rainy, somewhat chilly morning and I don't have to be anywhere until 4 pm. I went back to bed for awhile, then read blogs and finally took a long, hot shower. Amazing what that does for all my aches. It doesn't seem to matter where the water hits me, usually on my back and the back of my neck, and all of the pains in my hip and legs go away. It's better than Tylenol, the only thing I'm supposed to take.

I've really had a busy week. On Saturday, Ivetta and I went to the SPF Expo–Small Press Festival. It was very nice to see all those publishers, but the best thing for me was the venue: AIR: Artist Image Resource. They have open studio time; I could go and make silk screen prints if I can work up enough ambition. Something to keep in mind, anyway.

We went to another festival: Little Italy Days in Bloomfield. As with most large city ethnic neighborhoods, identity is anchored more in nostalgia than in reality. It was fun, a little like a New York street fair.

Sunday night Robin served dinner in the sukkah–a Jewish holiday tradition. We had dinner in Dina's sukkah on Friday night. Miraculously it didn't rain either night–the usual sukkot event.

Monday I went to my World War I class. That one is good. We are not fighting each battle, but rather, examining possible causes. Excellent presentation. Tuesday was Japanese art history, then an open house at the Intel lab at Carnegie Mellon. I find I can understand about half of what they try to tell me.

Tuesday evening there was a lecture by Rev. Tom Johnson, Jr., who runs a school, the Neighborhood Academy, for children living in poverty. His goal, which he mostly has met, is to have 100% of his children graduate and go on to college. He explained his philosophy and his methods. I wish I had his talk written out. He's an amazing man.

Yesterday was infectuous diseases, another great class. I can't say I have any special interest in diseases, or in World War 1, but a good teacher can really capture me. That's the best part of these OLLI (Osher LIfelong Learning Institute) classes. Yesterday was also my next to last cardio rehab session. Friday is the end, but there are ways to continue and I may do it. First, I'll see if I can get religious about going to the health club.

In the evening I went on a walking tour of some of the art in East Liberty and in Mellon Park. I enjoyed the teacher and will be taking a class with her next month.

Kentucky 3

Posted on September 22, 2010 by ruthek

I did more in two days in sleepy, old Kentucky than I do in a week in Pittsburgh. Raja's a great guide, and of course, it's mostly new to me. Thursday afternoon, after walking around downtown Georgetown and being introduced to one person after another, we went to a couple of art shows, then went up on her roof, had a wonderful gazpacho and strawberry rhubarb bread for dinner, then drank beer, and listened to music from the town square. Raja's roof is the only place in this dry county, you can sit outside, drink and listen to the music. Perfect after my long drive.

Dark area in the foreground is the deck with lots of flowers and bird feeders. We sat on the adjoining roof, which was in the shade while we listened to the music and talked.

Friday we went to an interesting photography show, then drove around Frankfort, the capital of Kentucky and a charming town, and finished with a veggie sandwich at Wallace Station. (3 cheeses, lettuce, tomato, toasted almonds, sprouts, bourbon mustard on whole grain bread.)

Here are some of the horses in this community that is normally (and always) horse crazy.

'Nuff yet?

All of the galleries had food and wine; I probably ate too much, and I got very tired of looking at horses.

Bet you thought this was another horse.

Haven't figured out what he was doing there. He looks permanent.

Saturday, we went to breakfast at the famous Fava's, wolfing down omelets, biscuits, home fries and frickles.

Let my mouth not forget you, Fava's famous deep fried dill pickles.

No lunch that day. In the afternoon we went to the Horse Park to the Gift from the Desert show, about the Arabian Horse. After dinner out, five of us went back to Raja's for more art conversation. (See Kentucky 1 and see Raja's blog for one more development in the flag business.)

A little more of Fava's.

And a little bit of Raja's place.

Kentucky 1

Posted on September 20, 2010 by ruthek

It was a great, busy weekend; hard to believe there was so much activity in one small southern town. It's really all because of Raja. She seems to know everyone in town and a great many people in surrounding areas, including the larger city of Lexington. The best part of the trip was all of the artists I met and spent time with. I miss that kind of interaction here in Pittsburgh. I know a lot of people/friends, but very few I share work and ideas with. Beginning on Friday afternoon, when we bumped into Anna across the street from Raja's place, it was all art.

Anna and Raja in front of a great work in Lexington

First, tea at Raja's, then the art hop in Lexington and an opening at the Georgetown art league. It was also food and wine, the best in Georgetown thanks to Carole Ann–a superb cook. More than anything, though, it was horses.

That's a horse. They were all over and came in all sizes.

That's horse country and the entire area is preparing for one of the biggest events in horse culture: the World Equestrian Games, held for the first time in the US. With the exception of two galleries in Lexington, one with the tree in front, all the galleries mostly had pictures of horses (with occasional dogs). I certainly had my fill of them that night, but there is more to come, some of it good fun.

There was good art conversation Saturday evening, also. We went out for dinner with Judy, Anne and Carole Ann, then returned to Raja's to look at my books and some beautiful books and papers made by Carole Ann (and brownies with strawberries and grapes, brought by Carole Ann, and Prosecco, brought by me).

Be sure to see Raja's blog for stories about the flag display. It was the subject of controversy all weekend.

The first person I met in Georgetown on Thursday afternoon was despairing over protests about the relative positions of the flags and the controversy continued all weekend. Raja is talking to some firemen, above, who are changing the position of the flags. This story, which appeared in the local paper, doesn't tell the half of it. Amazing what you can spend time worrying about when the sun shines and you don't want to know about anything of substance.

I’m going to visit Raja

Posted on September 15, 2010 by ruthek

We've been friends for more than thirty years. I was amazed when she moved to Kentucky; couldn't understand how she could do that. Do I have to tell you I'm not too fond of rural situations. But she's made good friends, has a great life and is having a wonderful time. This is my second visit to her. I'll visit with some of her artist friends, go to see the exhibit about the horse, and I'm particularly looking forward to the frickles.

As I was saying…

Posted on August 7, 2010 by ruthek

The party was a great success: good friends, loving family, good food. What more could anyone want. Actually, I should have wanted less food. I'm afraid of what the scale will say at the rehab on Monday.

On Friday I went out with Robin and Steve and Dana and John, to the Museum of Finance on Wall Street, after which we walked down Broadway to Soho. It was a good walk, but not enough to make up for all the calories. Dana and John left us to go to a play with Renee; Robin, Steve and I met up with Charna and her Chicago roommate at a vegetarian restaurant, called Franchia. Good place.

Today, I was on my own. Charna is out with friends. R and S are in Jersey. Renee is still suffering, although not nearly as much. I went down to the village to another street fair. The vendors were much the same as last week, but I always enjoy people watching.

As I walking toward the fair I spotted these amazing towers looming overhead. I took lots of photos, trying to get something satisfactory, but didn't check out the building until I had walked through the entire fair, taking lots more pictures. To my amazement, the building is a branch of the New York Public Library. It's gorgeous, although you can't see much of it, aside from the towers, because of scaffolding. I visited three floors on the inside and looked through two scrapbooks about the building. Amazing place.

Back to Pittsburgh tomorrow. I've spent lots of time here reading about book making and looking at exhibits of artists' books. Now I want to get back to work.

100 Books Before I Die

Ruthe Karlin

Category Archives: Friends