Daily Drag and Daily Delight?????

Facebook! I'm thinking that all this 'communication', i.e., Facebook, Twitter, My Space is really not. It's all so fascinating and I'm just as guilty, but over the weekend, our entire family gathered, for my mother's 80th birthday, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. All the cousins were there (sans Max who is in Thailand). But I know that most are on Facebook and they are constantly texting one another. But sitting next to one another, at a dinner table, there barely spoke two words to each other. I'm just wondering if all this 'virtual' communication is somehow stunting their ability to interface with one another? Don't know. It might be an interesting socialogical study. Went to a meeting yesterday with other cultural educators of Miami. One of the invitees was a dean, at the University of Miami, who must be in her late 60's. She was saying that for all our attempts to bring folks into cultural institutions, vis-a-vie electronics, it may not, in fact be working. That 'kids' who are inculcated into the world of technology can "just go online to see a museum or hear a concert". What are we losing in the process of gaining more technological advancements?

Daily Constitutionals

I've started walking, in the mornings, again.  I walk with my neighbor, Rita, every morning at 5:00 AM. Surprisingly I'm less tired at night, have more energy.  Not to sound fanatical or anything but I'm a fanatic about exercise.  If I miss it for a couple of days I really 'feel' it.  At the same time if I'm feeling blue or just lack energy, going out, and running for 40 minutes completely changes the way I feel.  Those endorphins....they should bottle 'em, sell 'em, make a fortune.  One of my kids needs to go into research!

St. Jordi's Day!!!!

Today is St. Jordi's Day.  It's the day, celebrated in Barcelona, of the book and the rose.  All the streets in Barcelona are lined with book sellers and flower vendors.  It's really lovely, my favorite 'holiday' in Spain.  And it also happens to be my husband, Jordi's Day.  Happy St. Jordi's day honey!

Art Gallery of Ontario

This is the back of the Art Gallery of Ontario, designed by Frank Gehry (check out the front).  I'm dying to go and see it.  The Director of Ed. was the keynote at the museum ed division of NAEA and the entire space sounds so cool, not to mention the way the collection has been set up, by THEMES, what a concept!  Why can't all museums be so forward thinking?!

"Emotional Signage"

I do enjoy Daniel Pink's website and I'm 'stealing' one of his entries, for Emotional Signage.  Someone saw this sign at a diner, in Dallas.  

Minneapolis

I went to Minneapolis for five days and attended the NAEA (National Institute of Art).  It was really interesting (always is) but noticeably smaller in numbers (ah the economy).  We went to the Minneapolis Institute of Art and saw their contemporary collection:  Francis Bacon, Picasso, Dali, Monet, Larry Rivers, etc....  It was a compendium of ALL the greats and the works of art were gorgeous.  We also went to the Walker and saw Elizabeth Peyton's work.  It was beautiful but also a bit strange, lots of pre-adolescent boys, who looked like they could go either way; very feminine features and elongation of torsos with hair that tossled.  Every day we ate breakfast at Hell's Kitchen, apparently an institution in Minneapolis.  Bar none had the best breakfasts I've ever had.  

TED talks

Stefan Sagameister at www.ted.com/index.php/talks talks about his designs.  

Colors

What would our world look like without colors?! Can you imagine this photo in black and white?

People of the Book

Love 'page turners' and People of the Book was just that.  It was fun, having a book, like this, to read over the spring break.  I like not being able to put a book down!

Holiday Photo-1973

Aaagh, don't we look happy?!!  The only happy looking guy is Antonio, our Italian AFS student. He's probably thinking, 'what the hell is wrong with this family, they make me get dressed up in tennis clothes and I don't even play and look at their poor 80 year old grandmother, she's the one holding the trophy!'

Sally request

This photo was taken when my mom was about 17, with starting on the left:  Walter Slazak, Jill Sherry, Cary Grant, Betty Sherry and Avery Sherry

Design Observer

Daniel Pink, one of my favorite Gurus, recommends an online publication (it might be out in hard copy as well) called Design Observer.  Here's a cool photo taken from one of the issues. 

Dailure

Peanut Butter Cookies!  To me, there is nothing better, than a peanut butter cookie, warm and cold milk.  I like mine sort of soft, but not too soft and golden brown.  I like tasting them with just the right hint of peanut crunch. And I like them to be more peanut buttery than buttery. 

Jewels For Jill

I finished the book, for my mother's 80th birthday, after four months!  The title is Jewels For Jill and it's a compilation of photos and written tributes to her.  I did the entire thing on Blurb.com.  It's a pretty cool site, where you can self-publish just about anything, and it's not that expensive.