I'm feeling very proud of myself this morning. I actually made this bag over the weekend, and I will give it away tomorrow. That's two pieces of fabric gone from my stash. I'm sure I could make at least twenty more bags and still have fabric left.
This is the new dog that lives upstairs. Max, held by my across the street neighbor, Mary, has charmed us all. He's just a puppy but won't be much bigger.
I spent most of last week worrying about making a dinner party on Sunday. When I lived in Chicago I made frequent, large parties. I had a wonderful kitchen, large dining room table and all the other necessary paraphernalia. Most of it went bye-bye in the big house sale before I left. I made one party, not a sit-down dinner, in New Jersey, celebrating my birthday, getting a master's degree and being laid off and retired from a job I wanted to quit. Since then, very little cooking and no parties.
My neighbors have been wonderful to me and I wanted to reciprocate in some way–thus the dinner party. I have a terrible kitchen, but a nice size dining room with a table and six chairs I acquired after I moved. My first problem was a table cloth or some other table covering. Since I was going from a comfortable six to an intimate ten, placemats weren't going to do it. I looked at table covers and runners in IKEA; nothing pleased me. Finally decided to go through my stash of fabrics and found three yards of something I had originally used at least thirty years ago to cover my dining room chairs in Chicago. The selvages were fringed so I finished the two ends by fringing them and used it wrong side up, which made it look more like a table cloth. I only had seven dinner plates, having split those with my EX. IKEA had glass plates for a dollar each–I used five of my old white plates and five of the slightly smaller glass plates. Fortunately, I still had enough glassware and silver. Then there was the menu.
Robin and Steve were invited and they would not eat meat at my house; I don't keep kosher. I thought about making an all vegetarian dinner, but wasn't sure about the rest of the guests. I also considered small appetizer kinds of things; decided it was too much work. My energy will only go so far. After a week of deep thought I decided on salmon with yogurt sauce, squash and pear crumble, bulgur wheat pilaf with dried apricots and a green salad. I made three shopping trips, but did all the work on Sunday and even had time for a nap. My recipe ideas came from the internet. I don't know where I'd be without my computer. And it makes me feel great to know I can still do it.
Another beautiful day in the 'burgh. When I left the house before 11 am I thought it would be cold and wore a heavy coat. We walked the dog, and it got warmer. Then we took a walk in Schenley Park and I was sweating by the time we finished. It stayed warm for an hour or so, then cooled off just as quickly. I think I need two coats for this kind of weather.
Renee and I went to lunch at Hokkaido, a seafood buffet, recently opened that I've been wanting to try. I still need an eating companion to go to restaurants with me, so I'm taking advantage of Renee's visit. The restaurant was good; I enjoyed the Chinese dim sum kinds of things and the sushi. I'd like to go back again soon. I try not to overeat at buffets; I just like the chance to taste lots of different things.
Alice, you owe me a gold star. but, I'm just barely making it. It's 11:25 pm, I just got in and my eyes are closing. Went over to Robin's about 12 hours ago, had lunch (mostly not the left overs), then Renee and I went to a movie–An Education. We had trouble understanding the dialog–British accents, bad sound system–but the acting was good enough to hold our attention regardless. Came back for Shabat dinner (mostly the leftovers) then dessert (really great cakes) at a friend's. All in all another good day.
Mage, I was taking the picture; I'm not in it. My hair is still not entirely white.
I'll explain about Hanukah bushes next week.
Here it is 10:46 pm and I don't know what to write. I left the house before nine this morning, drove my car over to Robin's then walked to the bus, where it seemed like I waited forever.
This was my last memoir writing class. I've invited the class to send stories to me and I'll post them on Silver Streakers. Check in tomorrow for the first one. I met Linda for lunch. Haven't seen her in a long time, so that was good. After a quick visit to the library I went to my audit class where I learned a little more about women in Asian art. I thought I was going to love this class, but it hasn't worked out that way. I went back to Robin's and walked Darcy for her. Finally home and dinner.
I now have five books on my night stand, probably four too many. I've been working on Ted Kennedy's memoir, which I'm not enthralled with. Some of it is interesting but I really don't enjoy books that begin with birth and work their way slowly and steadily through the subject's life. I prefer messier efforts. I have two books about Robert Flaherty, which I will just skim. At the library I picked up two more books: Jill Bolte Taylor's memoir, My Stroke of Insight, recommended by my memoir professor, and the best, The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. His previous book, The Shadow of the Wind is one of my all-time favorites.
This is the story I'm writing for my memoir class. I'm having fun with this after all.
I am embarrassed to confess the influence Ayn Rand has had
on my life, so I haven’t told this story often. I prefer to think it was all
because of Gary Cooper as Howard Roark.
Saturday afternoon was always movie time. There were five
theaters in walking distance, but we usually went to the Terminal, a Balaban
& Katz 1920’s picture palace, named after the elevated train terminus just
down the block. It was the best theater with almost first run features. That
day we were seeing The Fountainhead,
taken from Ayn Rand’s book of the same name, about an individualistic Frank
Lloyd Wright type architect who refuses to compromise his work or his ideals,
regardless of the money involved.
Sitting in the dark, totally enchanted by awesome Gary
Cooper and beautiful Patricia Neal, my unhappy, depressed 15 year old self, certain high school was a terrible compromise, totally bought into the idea
of taking action to be true to herself. By the time the movie finished I was so
excited and so convinced I had found a solution to my misery I couldn’t sit
through the second feature. I did not want to think about anything else as I
waited for my friends in the lobby.
Wanting desperately to be an artist, maybe even an
architect, the movie affected me deeply. I was convinced my life until then had
been a terrible compromise; I had to change things. I thought about all my
alternatives and realized there was only one that was acceptable: I could go on
to college after one more year of high school.
My friend Eva, whom I met in classes at the Art Institute,
went to U high, the laboratory school of the University of Chicago. From her I
learned U High was only two years and then students could go on to college at the university. Also, the university would accept students from any high school
after two years. Robert Maynard Hutchins, Chancellor of the university,
believed students didn’t learn anything in the last two years of high school. I felt I was a living
embodiment of his belief.
I knew this wasn’t going to be easy. First, I had to
convince my parents, who thought I was too young to go to college. Then, of
course I had to be accepted at the university. My high school teachers and
principal hated the university; I had trouble getting recommendations; Hutchins
arrows had hit their mark. Adding another layer of angst, Hutchins went before
one of the communist witch-hunting committees and defended his faculty,
assuring the committee that being a communist would not be grounds for the dismissal
of his professors. It was a very difficult year, but I prevailed. Three months
after my sixteenth birthday I went to college. I learned how to read critically and how to think. I did not become a communist. I met my husband there, our
daughter met her husband there and now both of my grandchildren are going
there. You can see that Ayn Rand and Gary Cooper certainly influenced my life.
Last night was the Seder: family, good food, the usual. Renee got a new Haggadah for us: The 30 minute Seder. I like to think of myself as open to change, and I often hated the books we used in the past, but I didn't like this one either. I appreciated the brevity, but found it a strange mix of instruction and poor story-telling. After all, we are telling a story during the Seder. Earlier on this wonderful spring day I walked from First Ave. & 93rd St. to Lexington and 56th to have lunch with friends. We sat, talking, almost two hours, then walked in Central Park. Lovely afternoon.
I ate too much last night and didn't want to get out of bed this morning. I didn't drink enough wine to call it a hangover, but that's sort of what it felt like. I had two dates today: big motivation. Met Jacqueline for coffee and a look at her proof sheets–lovely photographs of temples and gardens. Makes me want to return to Japan. I'd like to go from October to May so I could look at the gardens in all seasons. It won't happen, but I can dream.
Met Jean for coffee in the afternoon. We met when I was active with Empire Quilters, years ago. She and Mary are people I've maintained as friends. I come to New York now as much as to see my good friends as to do things in the city.
I haven't done very well about finishing my visit to Door County, and it may never get done. I'm just too busy packing and getting ready to leave. The pictures are posted in a new album in the left column; scroll down below the links to other blogs. Raja wrote a post about. But the best is a new blog by Sandy, called Color me Blanc. She tells about many of the techniques we used and the experiments we did. If you are interested in collage and altered books, this will be a great resource.
I began writing on my new toy computer even though I couldn't connect it to the internet. Here is some of what I wrote:
September 17
I am a mass of thoughts and impressions
as I wake this morning and don't know how to put them all down. This
is so strange to me. This house reminds me of Kentuck Knob, one of
the Frank Lloyd Wright houses near Pittsburgh. It has that kind of
show house/museum quality. There is even a table and lamp in my room
that look like FLW. I think my apartment could fit in here 10 times
with space left over. The custom made dining room table comfortably
seats 16 and you could probably squeeze in 20. We had an elegant steak dinner last night. I don't
remember when I last had filet mignon. And there's more beef on the
way. My mostly vegetarian family would be appalled. Here is the sun rising over Lake Michigan.
Not much art today. Lots of ideas; we took a trip
to an antique store for books to alter; had lunch at Door County Coffee
and Tea for Pilgrim sandwiches, hashbrown bake, triple layer brownie
and tea; wound up at Kathy's studio, a wonderful log cabin and
separate studio and garage in the woods. Back at Anita's we looked at
some of the idea books we brought and decided we were too tired to
work tonight. Tomorrow we'll begin.
After dinner, reminiscing,
and trying to remember names, (raja says we have problems with nouns
that won't remain in our heads), I brought up someone I had worked
with who left the area and went to Arizona with her husband and
kids, they ultimately returned and she remained with another woman.
Sandy was remarkably compassionate saying how awful it must be to
hide your own needs for so long then finally come out of the closet.
I hadn't thought about it quite that way, preferring to believe one
could be first one thing then another. Now that doesn't make sense to
me. Sandy was right and I was impressed with her compassion. Here is Lake Michigan from the porch.
And Lake Michigan while walking on the beach.
I've begun posting on my other blog. If you want to know what I did today, go to Japan and China on My Mind.
Five hundred and three miles from Carol's house to Robin's house. It took me about nine hours this time; there was a big delay in Chicago where they hadn't finished nightly work on the highway, and I made more stops than usual. The trip was otherwise uneventful with another audio book: Out of Mao's Shadow: The Struggle for the Soul of a New China, by Phillip P. Pan, which I didn't finish. It's much longer than the first one and I listened to NPR for the first two hours I was on the road.
My visit to Door County was wonderful, easily the most satisfying four days I've had in years. Anita was the perfect hostess; the environment was beautiful–a great house near the waves on Lake Michigan singing to us; old friends making good conversation and a spacious studio where we could work and talk and listen to music; no cell phones and only occasional internet access. We came together to make artist's books, or it's a good excuse, anyway.
We arrived in the middle of the afternoon, Tuesday, after a pleasant drive. Some of the little towns up here are just lovely. I jokingly said I'd like to live up here and was almost laughed out of the car. The thing about being with old friends is that you can't kid them. They all know how much I need the big city.
Kathy and Frank joined us for the great dinner Anita made. Afterward, we had a lively political discussion. I think we outnumbered the Republicans, but they seemed to make more noise. Fortunately, we did not discuss politics very often.
I have lots of photos and much more to tell. Tomorrow is another day.
100 Books Before I Die 