Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Thoughtful Gifts


Three very close friends got together online, even though they haven't all met, to get me the perfect present...and it is PERFECT! I was completely surprised and thrilled. Lucky, lucky and spoiled me.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Dailure-Cloudy Days in Florida

Cloudy days are a welcome 'relief' in Florida, and especially at this time of year, when all around the country there's snow. And these days, which are on the chilly side, put me in the mood to bake and when I bake it puts me in the mood to play holiday carols on the radio (Give a Mouse a Cookie). It's all so cozy! It also makes me a bit melancholy; gives me pause, to think, about what really is important: Family, friends and good bread! Happy Holidays to all.

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Dailure-Everglades National Park

5 hours, on a motor-cyle, today, going through Everglades National Park. It was lovely! Although I think I'm a bit 'old' for being on a motor-cycle for that many hours I loved being with my husband on a beautiful day (when everyone else was in the mall).

Monday, December 14, 2009

Sailing Sailing Dailure

We were invited out, yesterday, on a friend's sailboat. A perfect day in many ways; the weather was beautiful, there was enough of a breeze to sail but not too much to feel threatened and the company, fun and interesting. We made brunch and grilled on the little Weber in the rear of the boat. I even went swimming and the sea was a lovely 76 degrees. Aaaagh lucky us.

Friday, December 11, 2009

Dailrag-Sore Throat

Gross!!!! My throat hurts and so does my back. Maybe I need another pain, somewhere, so I'm completely distracted from the other two??!! Getting old sucks sometimes.

Dailure-Baking Bread

Baking bread used to be something I would do on an almost daily basis (I actually did a lot of bread baking in college, to help pay rent). And there is nothing like the smell and taste of freshly baked bread. So I started, yesterday and all those memories came rushing back: cold Wisconsin days, bread in the oven, hot chocolate on the stove, and maybe a good stew or lentil soup, in the making. I am going to try and bake bread more often. The kids ate it last night, warm with butter. Yum.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Dailrag - Santas


People who force their scared children to sit on Santa's lap for the annual Christmas picture! I'm proud to say I never submitted my children to that.

Dailure-Art Basel People Watching

People watching at the Art Basel fair is almost as fun (sometimes more fun) than looking at the art. This couple, from Germany, always dress alike. This year they looked pretty in pink.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Dailure-Holidays

I am a sucker for holiday lights; gives me that warm, 'Hallmarky', kind of feeling. I've gotten used to the Palm trees, in Miami, being all decked out and lit up, and enjoy seeing the extent, to which people go, here, in S. Florida, to make themselves feel festive (we overcompensate for the lack of snow). I must say, this is the time of year, when I miss a nice fire, in the fireplace and some hot-chocolate.

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Art Miami

Day #3, art miami fair. I went with the medical student to the art miami fair. He had never really been to a contemporary art fair, didn't know a lot about contemp. art and really liked it. Art Miami was really good and I know I enjoy the smaller, satellite fairs, more than Art Basel. It's hard to wrap my head around some of the "cutting edge" work out there. One booth had only shards of glass on the ground and another had paper bags and cigarette (sp?) butts???? If I had to choose I would 'take home' the Iranian booth; symbols, made out of some sort of steel, which were attached to the walls. The reflection, on the walls was pretty and I liked the shapes (didn't know what the symbols stood for). But most of what I saw was very odd.

Friday, December 4, 2009

Greg Mortenson


Greg Mortenson, candidate for Nobel Peace Prize, author of Three Cups of Tea, will speak, at the local book store, on Sunday. He has a new book called, Stones Into Schools. I heard him speak a couple of years ago and think this guy is a hero! The talk is for 'free' and I consider this a true Dailure. He's so inspiring and humble. And I believe, as does anyone who has heard or read him, that he can change the world.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Kehinde Wiley

Kehinde Wiley, won the 2008 Art Basel artist award. I did not see this painting but saw something very similiar with Michael Jackson on the top of the horse. His work is beautiful, I think.

Art Basel-Day #1


I went to Art Basel, at the Convention Center, on Miami Beach last night. It was 'VIP night'. I didn't much feel like a VIP. It's all about image! I never know what to look at; the people, all decked out, some of the men wearing skirts and wigs, the art, which can be overwhelming, because there's so much of it or my husband's face, looking at all of the above? Barbara Kruger (see image) is a featured artist this year. I did love seeing Kehinde Wiley's painting of Michael Jackson on top of a great white steed. But I always come away from Basel (at the convention center) feeling confused and somewhat miffed. Conceptual art, by its' nature, is confusing. But the price tags on some of the works (the lowest figure for a work, that I saw ran around $45,000) is baffling. I guess I should just stick to the smaller venues, where I seem to find works that 'speak' to me and I can somehow grasp the meaning.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Dailrag-Teenage Nightmare

I'm just wondering if anyone else has a 'teenage nightmare'? It seems as though my teen likes to be combative. This doesn't happen just every once-in-awhile, but it seems to occur on an almost daily basis. Every little occurrence turns into a battle and it can be exhausting. Both my husband and I try and maintain a calm demeanor but it becomes a challenge to our teen and a test of wills. We KNOW that we should just walk away, and we do, but he comes back (sort of like that re-ocurring nightmare). Help!

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Dailure-Thanksgiving leftovers

Thanksgiving leftovers taste so good! I don't think there's anything better, for me, than a cold turkey sandwich, on whole grain bread or a baguette, a little mayo and a little mustard, maybe with a few tomato slices and lettuce.

Dailrag

This is not our house and I admit it is a bit exaggerated but it might as well have been our house because on Thanksgiving eve., 15 minutes before the guests arrived, the toilets, sinks, showers ALL backed up. Turkeys, stuffing, brussel sprouts, mashed potatoes, two pies were all warmed, the table was set and the Cava had been uncorked. All those around me remained calm whilst I dissolved in the middle of the kitchen. They picked me up (along with all the fixings) and moved 'us' to our friends house, Augustine and Irene, where we had a lovely meal with 17 other people. Timing!

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Thanksgiving

What am I thankful for; a lot, starting with my eldest child, who came home, then comes #2; Sophie, she just got home from Haiti, where she found the experience to be, "life altering". And then there's Daniel, who, when 'pushed', can be one of the most charming men I know, after my husband, Jordi, of course, who will rub my sore back, for hours, and knows just where to 'get' the hurting spots. Schmaltzy? Probably, but in these tough times (and in good times) I don't forget what truly makes me happy.

Monday, November 23, 2009

Focaccia Recipe!

from: The Italian Baker by Carol Field

Focaccia alla Genovese
(makes enough dough for three 9 or 10 inch round focacce or two 10 1/2 x 15 1/2 inch rectangular focacce.)

2 1/2 t. (1 pkg) active dry yeast or 1 small cake of fresh yeast
1/4 c warm water
2 1/4 c water, room temp
2 T olive oil
7 1/2 (approx) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 T fine sea salt or table salt

You can make this by hand, by processor or standing mixer. I use my Kitchen Aid mixer, so here are directions for that method:

Stir yeast into warm water; let stand about 10 minutes, til creamy.
Stir in 2 1/4 c water and the oil, using the mixer's paddle. Add flour and salt and mix until the dough comes together. Change to dough hook and knead at low speed for about 2 minutes, then at medium speed for another 3 minutes. Dough should be velvety and elastic.

(I like to finish kneading by hand, just so I am sure that the dough feels right)

Shape dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise til doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.

After the first rise, punch dough and cut into 3 equal pieces (if you are making round foccace), place on lightly floured surface. Shape each piece into a thick disc and roll out to 9-10 inch circle. Place in an oiled 9-10 inch pie plate (I use a cake pan). For rectangular foccace, cut dough into 2 pieces, roll out to fit 2 oiled 10 1/2 x 15 1/2 inch pans. Cover dough with damp towels and let rise for 30 minutes. (I use plastic wrap. If dough rises and touches the towels, it's hard to get off of the towel)

After rising for 30 minutes, vigorously dimple the dough with your fingertips, leaving indentations that are as deep as 1/2 inch. Cover again and let rise about 2 hours.

Brush 2-3 T olive oil on top of the dough, allowing oil to fill the dimples. Sprinkle with 1-2 t kosher salt (heavily, if you like salt!). You can also sprinkle the tops with rosemary, sage, olives, gorgonzola... whatever you like.

Heat over to 400 degrees. Use a baking stone and be sure it is preheated (for about 1/2 hour). Place pans on preheated stones. Bake for about 20 – 25 minutes. For the first 10 minutes of baking, spray the pans with water 3x (about every 3 minutes or so). This replicates the way Italian bakers keep the dough moist.

When baked, immediately invert the focacce onto cooling racks so that the crusts don't get soggy.

Eat these while warm or at room temp, on the same day that you bake them. Don't refrigerate. Focacce don't keep well.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Dailrag

Ouch! The medical term is Piriformis Syndrome. I know it as Sciatica and it hurts, like crazy and I can't sleep. Now I know why people go crazy when they can't sleep and complain when they have back pain. It radiates down my leg, into my knee. It's no fun. I hope it goes away, fast!

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Funny Cat

So I decided that instead of downloading an image of a cat (that I don't know) I'd just talk about this ridiculous cat we have that chases it's tail, climbs the wall (literally) and sleeps upside down. She also lies right on the keyboard when I'm typing on my laptop and climbs onto the dining room table and makes herself at home in the middle of the table, while we're eating dinner! (cheeky thing). She's so fat because she's lazy. She makes me laugh.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Dailure

Now I know why I live in Miami! The last few days (and nights) have been perfect; 72 degrees during the day, in the 60's at night, sleep with the windows open. It's understandable why people, who live in climates where the sun never shines get more depressed. When the sun shines it really is a mood elevator and when the sun shines and there's no humidity it's even better.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

FOOD is a GOOD thing


Not exactly a daily pleasure... but on this rainy, cloudy, lousy day up here in New England, I baked focaccia. I also carmelized red/yellow/orange bell peppers, and am about to assemble the afore mentioned items with mascarpone in the form of sandwiches. It's called focaccia alla peperonata... or something to that effect. Oh mama mia... SO GOOD!!! (P.S.: I cannot claim the lovely focaccia in the photo above as my own. I found the image online.)

Friday, November 13, 2009

Dailure

Again, I have no clue who these medical students are but we had 17 medical students in the Lowe Art Museum and it was an amaaaaaazing day. They were so smart, 'into' looking at the art and 'into' VTS. It was a real high for all those involved. They gave enthusiastic evaluations and so hopefully they'll want to incorporate it into their curriculum.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Daily Drag-Fighting children

I Googled images for 'fighting children' and this strange image came up. What is going on here? Looks like an angel saving a child from the devil? Hmmm, wish I could say the same about myself! I've got two she-devil for children right now, who won't stop fighting. And I'm so tempted to let them duke it out. The problem is they are a lot bigger than I am so if I do have to intervene, I may just be the one who ends up with a black eye. I think this is a phase (I hope I hope) but if it's not I may have several more years of the back and forth. I'm supposed to know how to 'facilitate' conflict resolution??? I'm not doing such a fantastic job of it in my own house. Help.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Dailure

For our anniversary I received an espresso machine (okay it doesn't look exactly like that photo). It makes the best coffee and when I drag myself into the kitchen in the wee hours of the morning I love the sound of it grinding beans and then the smell of the coffee. It even 'foams' my milk for me. It practically runs itself. And the best part, it tastes fantastic. Again, I've said it before, and I'll say it again, it's that first sip!

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Dailure-Hope's Blog

I love reading your blog in the early mornings, Hope. I'm glad you're back and that you had such a great time in Boston.

Dailure

Seeing 'old' friends who I immediately connected with: Betsy, Cynda, Nanzo and Kate (vis-a-vie Skype).

Dailure

I feel so lucky to have been able to spend some time in New England this last week. The leaves, the air, the houses, aaaah what a breath of beautiful country! I saw old friends, new friends and made some new friends. The medicine and art conference, held at Harvard University was very interesting and the hospitality of those with whom I stayed, was impeccable. Thank you much to all who made my trip wonderful!

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Dailure-Jasmine

'Tis the season for Jasmine. This morning, on our walk, my neighbor and I smelled Jasmine for most of the 45 minute walk through the neighborhood. It's starting to cool off (finally) and so it was particularly nice.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Dailure Cheese

My downfall isn't chocolate, nor is it chips, it's cheese. To me there's nothing quite as tasty as a good cheese, with 'good' bread (home baked preferably) and an excellent red wine (doesn't have to be pricey). Once I get started tho' it's virtually impossible for me to put it down. And it does go down, oh so nicely.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Dailure - Golf

I never, in a million years, thought I'd enjoy golf. Yesterday, we went out, to the public golf course (very inexpensive) and played 9 holes with a friend. It was fun. Not only that it was a beautiful day, the sun was shining, the birds were singing and it was quiet. Jordi is a really good golfer, always fun to watch him and I actually could hit the ball. Nice way to spend a Saturday morning. If you want to see an hysterical account of golf watch Robin William's You Tube version,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_OmnP527Dw

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Dailure, 'Art and Medicine'




Yesterday, October 27, 2009.

I met with Ian Bishop, second year med student, at the Miller School of Medicine. The 'kid' is 25 and incredibly accomplished. He grew up in East Africa, father work for the State Department, mother is an art historian. He lived in Europe and came to the States in his teens. He went to Yale, undergrad, and came to Miami, "for a different environment". He travels, to Africa and Haiti, with Partners In Health, because he wants to "make a difference in medicine". He and I are working together, to create a program, for medical students, which incorporates art; observation and listening, to help doctors become more skilled with their patients. It's exciting working with this brilliant man. In one week I will attend the 'Art and Medicine' symposium, in Boston and come back 'armed'.

Dailrag

I do like to eat out, every now and then, but I don't like paying way too much for mediocre food. That's what I did, last night, when I took a friend out for dinner. I do like a good glass of wine, with good food and good conversation. But to have to pay so much for something I can cook at home, uh-uh, I feel 'cheated'. Next time I'll cook for my friend.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Drag

Friends who are no longer 'friends'. It's difficult to lose a friend and worse when you know that it's because of something you may have done (or not done).

Dinner with friends-Dailure

I haven't a clue who these people are?! But last night, spur of the moment, some friends dropped by and stayed for dinner. Jordi had made an enormous pot of Lentejas (Lentils) and we had soup, bread, cheese, broccoli. It all tasted great but the best was just having tons of people over. I love it. However, I don't love it enough to open a restaurant.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Laughing

Laughing with good friends, especially at ourselves, as in being turned away from a trendy disco for being too old and ugly!

Tuesday, September 29, 2009


Dailure: Brand New Books

I just received a package from Amazon with two brand new books: The Elegance of the Hedgehog and Olive Kitteridge. I love the way they look and feel. Now I can't wait to get started, especially after Hope's recommendation!

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Dailure

I've started playing tennis again. Today, played with my husband and we had a wonderful time. There's a court across the street from our house. Then we came home, and swam, naked, in our pool. What a life!

Thursday, September 17, 2009

'Feedjit Live Traffic Map'

Check it out! Look at how many different parts of the world have looked at the Daily Delights and Daily Drags blog! It's amaaaaaaaaazing. It'd be even cooler if some of those folks from the far East and Africa actually posted something. Wonder how I can entice them to do that?

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Daily Drag

Listening to some of the venom that the GOPs are spewing is really depressing.  Not only are there those who are trying to block Obama's attempt at health care reform (just because he's a Democrat and maybe even because he's black) but they are preaching to their kids that Obama's trying to "instill socialism".  Obama spoke to a group of high school students in Virginia, yesterday, and there was a broohaha over it.  There were parents across the country who were planning pulling their kids out of the class during his speech.  Some even took their kids out of school.  What is wrong with people!?  Isn't what these parents are doing just as bad as if he actually WERE preaching socialism.  Aren't they indoctrinating their children with their own warped thinking.  What's the message when you pull your child out of school bc you don't want him/her to "hear the President of the United States because you disagree"?  Shouldn't all children be exposed to different viewpoints so they can have the skills to make the CHOICE themselves as to whether or not they agree or disagree?  Or, are we creating a climate of hate and racism and the only way we can disagree is to shoot someone?  I mean really, carrying guns to a town hall meeting!  What the hell is that.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Dailrag

Okay, first of all, this is not our swimming pool (I wish). Second of all I realized, the other day, how affected I am by color. We do have a swimming pool, built in the 60's. It's old but it 'works'. And we got a salt filter, which means we can swim in it with our eyes burning, hair falling out and skin peeling off. It never uses chlorine. That's the good news. The bad news is it requires a lot more pumping time. The pump has to stay on longer, in the summer months, when it's hot and rainy, in order for the salt to 'produce' chlorine. To make a really, long, boring story short, the pump has to work harder to keep the pool from getting green. It was green for weeks and truthfully it really got me depressed. It wasn't a pretty
forrest green, hunter green, lime green. It was an ugly, slimy, swampy green and every time I looked out at it I was sad. Now I know it sounds crazy but I kept imagining the pool to your left; a crystal clear, blue, blue pool. And I kept thinking, 'I feel so much better when the pool is blue'. And so I called a pool expert because try as I did I could not get the pool to turn blue. And the pool expert came and he dumped in all sorts of awful chemicals and today my pool is blue and I'm not.

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Dailure

The only way I think you can tell if a peach is really a peach (not a 'fake' one) is if you smell it. But I'm wondering if that's strange to do in a grocery store, pick it up and smell it? What if someone sees you putting it back? Oh well, it's the way I do it. Nothing like the smell of a ripe (not too ripe) peach. It's just, well peachy, Yum.

Dailure

There's NOTHING like a fresh tomato! It's a completely different 'beast' than one that's been genetically modified. I love to eat them, with a bit of salt, and sometimes some olive oil. I put them on everything. Sophie eats them like apples.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Dailure-Weeklure-Monthlure?

My oldest just left for college.  What a strange but kind of exciting feeling.  She's gone to Madison, where I went, and I think she's off for a wonderful adventure.  She spent the last year living in Barcelona so it'll be a huge change.  But I would speculate and say she's going to really like it.  My mother and sister took her up and apparently "everyone was so nice".  There were ten frat boys all waiting, to help her take her luggage out of the car, and transport it to her 'new' room.  She is living in The Towers, centrally located, residential hall.  Mom says the rooms are the size of "postage stamps".  I really wish I could have gone up with her but I like hearing the stories, second hand.

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Dailure

Working with teachers, helping them learn how to facilitate a VTS discussion is really a 'high'.  "I get no kick from Champagne, mere alcohol doesn't thrill me at all" but I get a kick out of VTS and working with teachers.  I love it when they 'get' it and really are excited about it's application in the classroom.  It's so simple yet some people have a hard time understanding that it's all about the kids; all about what they know; their background info. and experiences, bringing 'em all together and having them 'share' their knowledge, is a real kick in the head!

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

iphone

It's happened, I've caved, I am now my children's mother and am 'excited' because I have an iphone!  A friend, who upgraded from a 2.0 iphone to an 3.? iphone gave me her 'old' phone.  It's pretty and has all of the buttons and whistles to impress any 15 year old.  My son, aged 13, is fighting me for it.  He wants me to "trade" phones because he says I "don't know how to use it properly".  It's a phone not an emergency room life saving device for god's sake!  But the truth is, he's right, I only know how to:  Make a call, receive a call, set the alarm, text (I think) and I think that may be it.  It's sad because when I look at all those other buttons I think, 'gee why do they even have all those other buttons?'.   I'm sure my 13 year old knows and I know my 15 and 18 year olds know.  As someone pointed out to me the other day, "They are natives and we are immigrants to all this new technology".  The strange thing is they too have to learn.  Why is our learning curve so much greater?  

signage

Daniel Pink's website has a category, 'Emotionally Intelligent Signage'.  I thought this one was particularly emotional and intelligent.  

Friday, August 14, 2009

Running to Mozart

I went running, this AM, before dawn and listened to Mozart. It was so beautiful and I really listened to the music. Knowing practically nothing about music but thinking there's a story here, no words, but a story. And I 'created' one to the music, in my head. It was fun and so great to be able to just listen to the different 'chapters'.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Mad Men

In three days I've watched the entire second season of Mad Men.  I can't decide if it's pure, unadulturated garbage or just a really good soap opera.  I suppose the acting is good, because I was totally transfixed, and the set designs are great.  I'm 'hooked', can't wait for the third season!

Monday, August 10, 2009

The Elegance of the Hedgehog

It's strange, I just saw a movie, yesterday, called Seraphine, about a woman, a cleaning woman, living outside of Paris, who looked remarkably 'common'; but possessed this "genius" for painting beautiful, colorful canvases.  Everyone assumed her to be simple because of her appearance.  And now, I've just finished the book, The Elegance of the Hedgehog, uncannily, it has the same message; appearances are deceptive, and just bc somebody looks unrefined doesn't mean they are.  It's about a woman, who is a concierge, in a Paris hotel; plump and unkempt, with bunions on her feet, she is what everyone expects from a concierge at a bourgeoise building in a posh Parisian neighborhood.  But she is an autodidact who furtively devours art, philosophy, music and Japanese culture.  She's critical of the people who live in the hotel, who are her inferiors in every way except that of material wealth.    The book celebrates every person's "invisible parts".

Friday, August 7, 2009

Dailure


I don't know if this constitutes a 'dailure' but day before yesterday I had a meeting with the Chairs of the undergraduate psychology and neuroscience departments.  They both "agreed" that somehow working in visits to the art museum and possibly "working it into their curriculum" in the future would be a "great idea".  It's all very exciting for the museum and VTS!  

Also really looking forward to going to Art museum at Harvard, in November, for a symposia on 'Art museums and medicine'. There will be speakers there from medicine and art museum, from different parts of the country.  Harvard medical school already has a program, which combines art and medicine.  I'm hoping the University of Miami will have the same. 

The image, The Reward of Cruelty, is one that the physical therapy students and faculty looked at and discussed, at length. 

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Dailrag-cockroaches!

So I get up this morning, go into the bathroom, and without turning on the light, take a shirt, off of the hook, on the back of the bathroom door.  When I put the shirt on, I felt something fall onto my shoulder, and when I turned on the light I looked on the floor and there it was, running around, looking disgusting, a cockroach.

Dailrag Emptying Diswasher

I HATE emptying the dishwasher; don't mind filling it, don't mind cooking, don't mind cleaning up after cooking but I hate hate emptying it.  It's probably because I have to do it every other day (nobody else gets up at the ungodly hour I do) and as I'm making my coffee, smelling my coffee and so want to taste my coffee, I wait, patiently (or not) until the last fork is placed in the cutlery drawer.  This morning, I was very tempted, to just throw all of the cutlery, into the drawer, and let it all land, in a random pattern.  What if?  Would my husband and children have freaked out?! Might they have assumed that their wife/mother had gone completely round the bend?  Hmm?  Now there's a thought.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Dailure-Whipped cream!

Whipped cream on my coffee in the morning is no small indulgence but and it sure is a rich one! First thing, before even tasting the coffee, is the texture; luxurious, sweet, but not too sweet and then, then, there's that combination of flavors; good strong java, mixed with cream. It's better, way better, than Starbucks! It sweetens my day.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Invent this!

Again, I'm driving to work, listening to NPR (okay so I'm a NPR addict!) and I hear a story about a woman, in France, who was able to quit her job as a clerk, in a small market (actually she was a cashier) and become a full time writer. She started a blog, after she graduated from college and couldn't find another job, so she became a cashier. The book, which I've forgotten the title to, has just come out in something like six languages. It's freaky how these 'unknowns' are plucked up and become instant celebrities. I KNOW there are millions out there, just like her, who are wanna bes. How is it, other than the correct alignment of the stars, do some just 'luck' out?! Sir Ken Robinson (author of The Element: How Your Passsion Changes Everything) would disspute this. His premise is that there is no such thing as "luck"; that one makes their own luck, by availing themselves of opportunities, and making oneself "ready" for those opportunities, arming, oneself, with the necessary skills to become whatever it is you want to become. But I digress. That is not the point of this entry. Invention is the mother of necessity! I want a device to RECORD those stories and be able to listen to them WHEN I want and WHERE I want.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Dailure-Lexulous

I really like playing Lexulous (Scrabble) on Facebook.  It's fun and kind of great for learning new words.  Although I'm not sure about some of the dubious ones that the 'Robot' comes up with!

Dailrag-Sleeplessness or 'tossing and turning'

so what is it that makes one toss and turn all night?  I exercise, don't drink alcohol (at least not on 'school nights'), eat smaller meals and try and stay away from screens before I go to bed.  Yet, I seem to go through spurts of waking up, almost every hour on the hour, during the course of a night.  I wake up feeling pretty groggy and then around 2 PM, it hits me; blood sugar level plummets, my head starts to feel heavy and I just wanna go home and take a nap. Anyway, advice on what to do (or what not to do) would be taken. 

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Dailrags-Unfinished Stories

I'm taking an informal poll, for all those who even look at this blog.  I want to know how many people would buy an inexpensive device that would let them record a story on the radio??  How many times have you been in  your car, listening to a story (say on NPR) and have reached your destination?  You either have to sit in your car, in order to finish listening, or you have to get out, which means you aren't able to listen to the end of your favorite NPR program!  That sucks!  And who wants to take the time to download it from a website?  You may not even be able to find it.  So my suggestion is to create a device, very very 'user friendly', which enables you to record a program, even after the car has been turned off.  The only hitch is how are you gonna be able to do that (without the car running).  So I'm challenging readers of this blog to come up with a way to do this.  I've already got a name for the device, Ra-Vo (like Ti-Vo).  And the caption would be, "What's the Story with Ra-Vo".  Wouldn't that make a great t-shirt????

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Dailure chocolate


This is a daily pleaure (dailure). Yum. It makes me feel loved and it tastes good too.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Daniel Pink's website

Daniel Pink's website is pretty cool.  I 'stole' this image from his "Emotionally Intelligent Signage" section.  It's a clever website but I think he's gotten too carried away with his Twittering.  In my opinion the site isn't as cohesive as it was in months past.  But I do get a 'dailure' out of looking at it.  

Speaking of Dailures I was at the grocery store the other day, and while standing in line, I noticed that Oprah's magazine, O, had a cover story called "Simple Pleasures".  Hmmmm, wonder if I can get her on copyright infringement?  Seriously doubtable (is that a word, even????)

Monday, July 13, 2009

Birthday!

July 11th was my birthday.  As I get older it's almost as tho I have a visceral reaction to the 'thought' of birthdays; I get a kinda sick feeling in my stomach, my knees get weak, and my idea of  a birthday is no birthday, rather stay in bed with the sheet covering my head.  I suppose because I have such a low expectation (or no expectation) they always turn out okay.  This year was better than okay.  I played two hours of tennis with a friend, the kids made me breakfast, Jordi gave me a spa day, the girls and I went to Key Biscayne and talked and read and we went to Le Buchon du Grove for a delicious meal.  I also received a plethora of birthday wishes on Facebook.  That was fun! What more could a goil ask for???!!!

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Daily Drag!!!!

Mosquitos aaghh.  These insects are the bane of my existence!  I swear I was born with the wrong blood type (or something) bc wherever I go, whomever I am with, they seek me out.   I was at the grocery store, Publix, the other day and by god, I spotted one of them.  That thing doggedly hounded me....there were 100's of people in the store, but it sought me out and bit me several times.  Amazing it even had fresh meat, literally, in the butcher's section but it chose me.  Not flattered, not at all.  I Detest the buggers and they're out in droves.  I don't think I can recall a year when they've been worse than this one.

Staycation

So when you're on an "austerity budget" and need to take a vacation I highly recommend staycations.  Go to the public library and take out two or three (depending on how long your vacation lasts) and go to it.  There's nothing like sitting down, on a comfortable couch, with a good book and just whiling away the hours, reading.  Every now and then I will get up for a bit of sustenance, maybe a nap or even a run (swim).  It's really nice not having to be anywhere, don't even have to pick up the kids from camps.  So the days are long and sweet.  Too bad it all ends on Monday.

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

The Art of Observation-E-Veritas, 6/29/09

A group of Miller School physical therapy doctoral students spends a day at UM’s Lowe Art Museum, contemplating and interpreting artwork to sharpen their observational skills and become better diagnosticians
Patrick Manrique and 11 of his classmates stood in front of the sculpture of a squatting Miami Dolphins football player and stared at its lifelike features.

Art discussion: Department of Physical Therapy students, including Christen Tucker, right, listen to Lowe Art Museum docent Sara DeTchon during a recent workshop designed to sharpen their observation skills.
After looking straight into the figure’s eyes, Manrique formed an opinion and shared it with the group, explaining that the football player was an exhausted athlete “catching a quick break in the heat of battle.”
Some of his classmates, however, had a different opinion. To them, the player’s posture and appearance suggested a dejected athlete whose team had been defeated.
Manrique and his classmates aren’t art history majors but future healers—third-year doctoral students in the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine’s nationally ranked physical therapy program.
Their recent one-day field trip to UM’s Lowe Art Museum—where they pondered paintings, photographs, and sculptures and then described what they were seeing and how they arrived at their impressions—was intended to improve the observational skills they will need to make accurate diagnoses.
“They weren’t there to learn about art,” says Hope Torrents, school programs coordinator at the Lowe who helped arrange the visit. “The premise is that looking and talking about artwork makes them better diagnosticians, better listeners. They have to mine artwork for details. Art is open to multiple interpretations. It’s about listening to other people’s ideas.”
FLEXIBLE THINKING
Physical therapists, like physicians, have to open their minds to several possibilities just to arrive at the correct diagnosis. But sometimes they concentrate too heavily on finding the one right answer without being flexible and considering different options.
Observing and discussing art “gets them to realize there’s a lot of different things going on, and that’s the same thing with patients,” says Sherrill Hayes, professor and chair of the Department of Physical Therapy. “Are they limping? Is there a muscular or skeletal problem? We have to be very observant and have to pick up on nuances that the patient is showing us, either in their facial expressions or in something about their body. Then, it’s not only a matter of being more skilled at visual observation, but being able to state what they’re seeing.”
While the Miller School currently has no elective or required class in which students study art to improve their observational skills, Hayes has been using the technique as a module in some of her classes since 2003, showing her students PowerPoint images of paintings and sculptures and having them analyze and interpret them.
She got the idea after reading an article in her daughter’s Yale University alumni magazine about a faculty member, Irwin Braverman, who developed a class that uses art with the goal of making better physicians.
“I was intrigued,” Hayes says. “My daughter was an art history major at Yale, and she helped me identify some paintings that were very detailed as far as the story that was being told. So I started doing this with our first doctor of physical therapy class, and I’ve been doing it ever since.”
The recent field trip to the Lowe was the first time Hayes had ever brought a group of her students to a museum. But she hopes the field trips will occur more often.
THE VTS TECHNIQUE
During their visit, the students looked at such varied art as Italian artist Leonardo Coccorante’s Port of Ostia During a Tempest, an oil-on-canvas painting that shows architectural ruins with a seascape during a storm. They also looked at some of the Lowe’s Renaissance and Baroque works, contemporary photographs, and sculptures like Duane Hanson’s Football Player, 1981, forming impressions of the works by using a technique called Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS), a K-5 and middle school curriculum and teaching method that develops critical thinking, communication, and visual literacy skills.
Torrents has been teaching VTS to Miami-Dade School teachers for the past seven years as part of the Lowe’s magnet schools program, and she and the museum docents also use the technique with visitors.
“It’s not about people coming in and getting lectured to,” she explains. “It’s about them finding meaning for themselves through artwork.”
But research on whether observing and interpreting art can help improve the observational skills of physicians is limited. “There are a few small studies showing improvement in diagnostic inspection skills,” says Alex Mechaber, associate dean for undergraduate medical education at the Miller School, adding, “We are exploring the creation of a master clinician elective that might incorporate instruction in these observation skills.”
Physical therapy student Manrique, though, is a believer, and hopes his experience at the Lowe will make him a better clinician. “So much of communication is nonverbal,” says the former Army officer and paratrooper from the 82nd Airborne Division who spent a year in Iraq. “The art of observing patients can give clinicians clues where to steer the flow of a physical examination. I believe that my patients will be appreciative of my ability to pick up on subtle clues.”
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Wednesday, June 24, 2009

New York Times-Sunday magazine story on Raffa Nada


The New York Times Magazine, Sunday, June 21st. There was a wonderful story on this Spanish tennis star, Rafael Nadal. I thought it was so well written. It gave a peek into the life of this young man and also extolled the game of tennis. It's a fantastic game!

ECO-FRIENDLY PIZZA BOX


Daniel Pink's website shows a short video of this eco-friendly pizza box. I just love this country! In a time of economic downturn the wheels of invention continue to turn!

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Mixed Doubles Tennis

I realize that my entries have been the only entries in this blog of Daily Delights and Daily Drags in a very long time. It's lonely. But I'm happy to make contributions because...well it makes me happy. But I do welcome any and all daily delights and daily drags.

With that off my chest I have to say that playing mixed doubles tennis with my husband these last couple of weeks has been really fun. Jordi is not a tennis player but there's a 'will' there that can't be matched. He goes for every ball and has such determination even when we're losing, by a lot, he continues to fight to the bitter end. He makes me laugh! And the other couple we've been playing with are a lot of fun. I'm so happy that we have found something, which costs no money, to do together that's so much fun. Now hopefully our knees won't give out.

Saturday, June 6, 2009

New T-Shirt

I know this blog, Daily Delights and Daily Drags is supposed to be about things which give us pleasure, rather, simple things, i.e., non-material things, but I can't help myself sometimes I just have to buy a new t-shirt.  It's purple and I do love it.  I got it at Target and it cost a wopping $10.00.  But there's something about putting on a brand new article of clothing which gives me a small thrill.  Maybe it's the smell or the 'newness' of it; never been worn, feel like a new person, crisp, clean, and all of that.  So here I am wearing my brand new t-shirt, feeling kind of....brand new.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Visual Thinking Strategies

50 physical therapy students came to the Lowe Art Museum yesterday.  What a great day!  We had them for three hours, doing an overview of VTS, demonstrating and discussing the elements and had them try and connect the importance of what we do with VTS and how it relates to their own field.  They totally got it!  What a high to have 50 people enthusiastic about VTS.  Each one practiced facilitating image discussions, with their groups.  They were great.  And the professor/chair, Dr. Hayes thought it was "fantastic".  I am hoping it catches on and more schools use it.  

Friday, May 29, 2009

Daily Drag


This isn't a daily drag, it can be a monthly or monthsly drag, a cloud, which accompany's me wherever I go, at all times of day, the 'dark cloud' that I wake up and go to bed with. It almost 'hurts' sometimes; and the least provocation, a sad story, seeing someone else in pain, feeling the sting of mean words, can send me reeling. It can be a pit, in the bottom of my stomach or a lack of appetite. It's weight is stifling at times, my chest constricts and I have to remind myself to 'breathe'. Depression is no fun!