For the Birds!

I noted in yesterday's posting that we had visited Ithaca, New York, over the weekend.

One reason for the trip was so that my wife, an avid birdwatcher, could take a birdwatching hike with a Cornell Ornithology nature hike leader.  Those adventures are offered on weekend mornings, and we had the weekend morning to do it!

She was hoping to learn more about birds and hopefully see birds that are not common to our area.

I agreed to go along, as there were promises of sidewalk time before and after that adventure and winery visitations (she knows how to handle me).

I must point out, however, something that struck me when she said we were going to a small city for birdwatching...we live in the country...we have lots of birds.  I'm thinking perhaps more birds, and more different types of birds, out in the hinterlands than one would find nestled amongst foot and car traffic.  But, the lure of walking from store to store, on concrete slabs, randomly and happily, overrode that concern.  Off we went.

I tried to practice for the hike by pointing out some things on our way there.

I saw a Thunderbird, as it passed us on Route 17, and when the radio was playing "Hotel California," I nimbly noted it was performed by the Eagles!





I think my wife was slightly amused, but when the oldies station starting playing the hits of the Byrds, she drew the line at my summarizing that we'd seen them all and didn't have to get up at 5:00 a.m. the next day to see the animal types!



Okay, it wasn't 5:00 a.m., but it was pretty close to that, 9:00 a.m. and it turned out that it was cold!  Freezing!
 
When we arrived at the Cornell Ornithology building, on Sapsucker Road (coincidence? I think not), there was nary a person in sight.  Actually, there was just one gentleman in a car parked next to ours.  I asked him if he was there for the birdwatching hike, he was, and the three of us waited for the nature leader to arrive.

We were about 15 minutes early and I learned something right off the bat.  When you go on a 9:00 a.m. morning hike, especially in the winter, you show up at 9:00.  Or, you stay in your car with heat running until you see the crowd.

The crowd was just the three of us with two nature leaders.  The look on their faces as they rounded the building to spy us on the deck awaiting their arrival was one of, "Darn it, people showed up.  Now we have to do the blankety-blank hike!"

They recovered quickly and started to ask my wife where she got her warm boots, her warm coat, her warm mittens...it was clear to me that they were instantly cold and might have bought any of her garments off her if they had remembered to bring cash.  I was hoping they'd cut to the chase, and start chasing birds, as my toes were feeling the freeze.

But, we stood on the stone deck for another fifteen minutes and talked a bit about what we might see (Great Blue Heron, we didn't), what they were hoping to see again (a red-shouldered Hawk, we didn't), and how cold it was.

I think they were trying to get us to back out, but we were intrepid, and I knew at that point the only way I was going to get heat moving to my toes was to get moving.

Our first sighting was a Mallard Duck.  I didn't point out that my wife drives by a flock of them every day on her way to work.  Closely following, a flock of chickadees.  Now those birds looked very much like the flock that hangs in our back yard and I was wondering if they had just followed us on our trip!  Hard to tell the difference.


All of a sudden, as I had dropped back a few feet (or dropped a few toes), I heard one of the group say, "Stop.  Listen.  Did you hear that?"  No one heard it.  Everyone listened harder, but the only sound was the creaking of my toes as the air cracked through them.

So we went on.

We rounded the bend and, lo and behold, there were dozens of different types of birds grouping together off in a short distance.  Blue Jays, Brown Creepers, Chickadees, House Finches, Downy Woodpeckers...so many of them and how unusual to see them all foraging together on one area in the wild!

Then, I realized that they were all flying around a large feeder that had been placed in a clearing and eating to their heart's content.  That's cheating, isn't it?  I want to see wild birds in the wild, desperately trying to find a mere morsel to sustain them to the next!  Where's the natural nature stuff?  Geez!

In another moment, another shout, "Look, flashing red.  What's that?"

It was my toes that I was trying to warm up.  I had pulled my foot out of my boot and, as I pulled off one sock to put on a warmer one that I had brought along, my foot was suddenly the subject of four pair of binoculars that were hoping for a male cardinal.  The group turned suddenly and expressed no interest in my condition.  I was left to tend to my toes myself.

Another half hour and we were treated to a view of the lake, frozen of course, with large trees.

The nature leader pointed to the top of two trees and noted, "Great Blue Heron."  We were thrilled.  Great Blue Herons!  No, just their nests.  They are large and impressive nests, but the birds were no where to be seen.  I'm thinking they were smarter than us and had headed south long before we even thought of visiting them.  "Come back in the Spring and you'll see them.  They come back to the same nests and use them again!"  We'll come back in the Spring and hope that I still have toes on my feet so I can walk that far again to see, "No birds in the nests!"

About half way around the lake, the leaders noted that the birdwatching time had expired and we could follow them back to the parking lot or continue around the lake to perhaps see other sights, or maybe even birds.  My feet weren't going to get any colder, and I thought that moving them would help, so I told my wife we should do the rest of the walk.

I was also thinking that if frostbite set in this might be the last time I could walk around the lake, so off we went.  We saw beaver teeth marks on trees, a beaver dam, some footprints from animals that were large enough to perhaps be a cougar, lion or elephant, squirrels (we only have a hundred of those in our back yard), and lots of signs that said, "Stay On Trail."

We stayed on the trail, those large footprints made us do just that and stay there faster, and made it back before the others.  We thanked them for their time and information and jumped into the car.

Our next sightings were those of chameleon like creatures.  My toes turning from blue, to red, to pink!

I was rewarded with a trip to the center of town and some sidewalk time.  We'll do the trip again, and the birdwatcher's hike again, I'm sure, but we'll be sure to follow the lead of the birds...after it's time that they've gone south, we won't spend any time traveling to look for them!

Butterflies Are Free, Wine Tastings Two Bucks!

Guess what they have in Ithaca, New York? 

Sidewalks...lots of them. 

I tried to Google the question as to how many miles of sidewalks they might have, but no luck.  But they are everywhere in town.

Sidewalks are in front of all sorts of stores and businesses.  We walked on some of them.  They lead to music and yarn shops, to arts and craft businesses, to restaurants and pubs, and more.

And, there's a lot to do in Ithaca...here's a link below to "Downtown Ithaca."  They even talk about their sidewalks!

http://www.downtownithaca.com/

We had decided to do a one night trip out of town this past weekend and chose Ithaca for several reasons.  My wife wanted to do some birdwatching with the Cornell Ornithology nature tour leaders (they do weekend morning hikes) and she wanted to take me to Taughannock Falls State Park.  We also needed to revisit some of the Finger Lake wineries!

I was looking forward to some walking on sidewalks, so I agreed to some off-concrete action! 

So, one trip was to the State Park.  Here's a You Tube shot...not ours...of Taughannock Falls in the winter...the water was pretty much frozen in time this past weekend, but similar in looks to this one, and still a spectacular sight.



As I mentioned, we've visited several of the wineries on Cayuga Lake, in the past, but you can never be quite sure if you've tasted everything.  

Now, I know what you're saying.  "There aren't any sidewalks that lead to the wineries!"  What I do understand is that there are things we have to accept for the sake of grape art.  If I have to get in a car and drive to a winery, so be it.

I'll continue to promote "sidewalks for all," with the hopes that someday they'll link the entire lake's wine region with sidewalks, but in the meantime, to keep the industry afloat, I'll make the sacrifice and find my way there any way I can.   Any day, any time!

We're fans of many of their spirited offerings.  For a couple of bucks, you can taste six or eight, or more, of their products.  If you haven't been, here's a link to their "Wine Trail" site and I recommend that you try them all, several times:

http://www.cayugawinetrail.com/

There doesn't seem to be enough time in a day to fit in all of the wineries.  And then we got a little off plan, which can happen when you're driving from spot-to-spot.

My wife will, all of a sudden, spy a shop or see a sign and become immediately attracted to its driveway.  That happened as we passed the Cayuga Nature Center on Route 89.  Check it out:

http://www.cayuganaturecenter.org/

The Nature Center has many exhibits, live animals, some hiking paths, and they offer a number of educational programs.  They don't seem to grow grapes or make wine, but they did have complimentary hot chocolate the day we were there.

Just FYI, as I think it's important for you to know, there are producers out there who do make chocolate wine and chocolate beer.  I don't know why they don't offer it at the Nature Center.  I would check out nature more often.  Wouldn't you?

Chocolate is natural, wine is natural, beer is natural, and from the size of the big butterfly sculptures out front of the Nature Center on the main road, you'd think someone there had a few too many.

We spotted the two huge winged insects from a distance and wanted to check out the place.  Of course, now that we're halfway through the wine tour, we're really interested in seeing just how big the real ones are, need to check out this "Butterfly House," and want to see what else is going on in there!

We went through each room in the interior of the center, after paying a small fee, and then headed outdoors, up the hill, towards the Butterfly House.

By the way, that same amount of small fee would cover eight wine tastings, at one winery, just up the road.

I took some pictures of the "Butterfly House" at the Nature Center and want to point out several things.


From a distance, you see the sign on what appears to be a transparent building.

As we got closer, we could could plainly see that there were no butterflies in the building at all.  In fact, apart from dead plants and weeds and snow, it was pretty much empty.

I whipped out my camera and started shooting.  My wife asked what I was doing.

I told her that, as we seemed to be the only people at the place, I was sure that they were going to blame us for the fact that the butterflies got out.

I will also point out at this moment, as you might be asking the question, I was not driving, she was.

I took a picture of the door, to prove to the staff in the center that I saw the sign and was sure to close the door behind us!

When we got back in the building, we let one of the curators there know that we had made the trip up the hill, saw the exhibit and were sure to follow the instructions on their sign, but had to report that the butterflies were no where to be seen!

At that point, much to our relief, she explained that they let them go at the end of the warm weather season (they must be akin to circus performers, there for the warm month's shows and then off to other parts of the country when the summer season ends!)

However, the curator was most appreciative of the fact that we saw the sign and that we had made sure the door was closed!  That ensured, she said, that other insects and animals wouldn't get in to make more work for them in the Spring!   I wonder how many wineries she had been to that day?

We'll be sure to visit there again, maybe before we hit the wine trail next time.  I'll be sharing some of our other adventures from this recent trip with you, and a few winery and other area activities, over the next few days.  We did make use of the sidewalks!

Resolution Revolution

My friend Wendy, from the left coast, sent me the link to a blog that covers happenings in San Diego.  The portion she linked me to, "Behind the Scene," highlights art and the art community. 

Check it out:

http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/arts/

If you review the whole blog, you'll see that covers other topics, including politics, community, education and more.  It's put together very well, easy to read, and laid out nicely.

Wendy specifically noted a January 5th posting for me, "Local Artists' New Year's Resolutions."  She's always trying to inspire me to paint and draw and I very much appreciate her efforts in that matter.  In fact, and I'm telling her this here, after reading this I was "pushed" to get back to that seascape I started over the summer and I'll have some pictures of that to share with you soon.  Meanwhile, one of her works is in the upper right here and I have her web link on my blog, under "Friends."

The posting she sent me piqued my interest for another reason.  The writer asked others to send in their resolutions and they did!  Eight persons responded...that's great...and they added their heartfelt wishes for their artistic processes for the year. 

So, then I thought I should ask you what your resolutions are for the New Year!  Maybe that would inspire you to write.

But, that's being a copy-cat and, while imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and I admire the ability of the blogger to get people to respond to his idea (remember how I keep asking for comments?), I thought I should come up with another way to poke you to respond.

Here's my thought!  This should get a few of you going to the comment button (and knowing my audience I can't believe I'm actually suggesting this).  Why don't you send me your thoughts about what my resolutions for the New Year should be?

Seeing as I've all ready broken my course twice this year, and it's only the 7th, and there's a lot of similarities within my resolutions (Dewars), I thought I'd give you the chance to tell me what do to.  Be nice.

As always, if you  have trouble posting comments, let me know if you need help and be sure to sign up as a follower (hit "Follow" in the right column)...more is better!

I look forward to being told what to do!

Resolution Review

I thought it might be a good exercise for me to review the resolutions I made for 2011, seeing as I've all ready fallen behind!

While I believe that there are some who start out the year listing things they intend to do and never start, I was committed to writing something for my blog every day.  I did it for a whole three days straight!

I didn't get around to it yesterday and I don't seem to have a good reason for not doing it.

I didn't include anything about exercising more for the New Year.  My wife and I were very busy yesterday, shopping, visiting stores for gift exchanges and picking up a few groceries.  We do try to fit in some sort of hike or walk when she's off work and we did start a walk down the road, but it was so cold out we turned around barely 1000 feet from the house.  But, not a prob.  We didn't promise anyone that we were going to do that regularly.  So, I can't say that stopped me.

No commitments for eating less or dieting, either.  We had breakfast at home.  Grabbed a quick lunch at the mall (slice of pizza and a Diet Pepsi), and came home for a not-so-late dinner of leftover soup.

Managed to sneak in a few cookies, chocolates, potato chips, sodas, hot chocolates, snack crackers and cheese...hey, I said I wasn't dieting.

Dinner didn't take long to make, done well before prime-time TV set in.  Can't blame attention to dietary process.  Wasn't busy calorie counting or sneaking to the fridge when no one was looking!

I didn't vow to spend less time on the computer...that would have been at cross purposes to this endeavor.  Can't tell you how much time I spent near the machine, but I know I received and sent email messages and caught up on the news, via my browser.  It appears that I had the opportunity, so I'll need to reflect on this further.

Perhaps, I was upset by a card I received.  A long time friend sent me a holiday card that came in the mail yesterday.  Her message included a P.S., "We live on a corner with a sidewalk in front AND on one side!"  That hurt.  But, would it have stopped me?  Nah.  That's food for blogging and, besides, it means she's reading my stuff...that should have spurred me on!

There were no weather factors involved.  We're more than 100 miles north of New York City and, while they're still digging out more than a week after the last snowstorm,  no one's waiting for me to show up down there and help them out.

And, there were no people distractions.  Our youngest was distracting himself pulling on an in-grown toe nail for hours and the others weren't home last night.  My wife busied herself with helping the toenail patient a bit, some crossword work and some TV, but she did those things on her own, so I wasn't otherwise busied.

I went back and re-read all of my resolutions and there it was!

Or wasn't!

I forgot to list the most important resolution of all.  Resolve to follow through on all resolutions!

Furthermore, I checked around the web and talked to a few friends and guess what?  They didn't have that one listed either.

Unfortunately, I guess I'll just have to do the best I can with the ones that are left.  Without the direction of a directive, I'm not sure how the rest will play out.

I'll do my best and hope that next year I remember to add that resolution resolution.

And, if you forget that one, too, it can't be helped...heat's off for another year!

A Break In The Code

I've been watching the news about Da Vinci's "Mona Lisa," where some are speculating that there are codes embedded in the painting and that, due to these hidden clues, there is a secret waiting to be divulged!

In her eyes, they see letters and numbers; elsewhere in the painting, other letters and numbers.  Given the never-ending questions about the famous "non-smile" in this painting, questions about "who this really is," and the recent works of Dan Brown, including "The Da Vinci Code," "The Lost Symbol," and others, it's no surprise that people are still trying to figure out what important secret Da Vinci was hiding or what message he intended to leave us.

If you're not familiar with Dan Brown and what he puts forth about the hidden secrets, check out his website:

http://www.danbrown.com/

I should get right to the point of the matter here and let you know that I have solved the mystery of the letters and numbers, that seemingly appear within the painting, and what Da Vinci was up to with the "Mona Lisa."

However, I'll give you another glimpse of Mr. Brown's deduction processes before I proceed.  Check out this video...




Now, the answers to the eternal questions!

I did not come to this glibly...I am an artist, so I have some experience in putting forth meaning and messages on canvas, and I have listened to and heard some of the "evidence" put forth by others.

1.  It has been touted that Da Vinci toted this treasure to Tuscany and back, from the moment he started it until he finished it just before he died. 

2.  The picture has many elements of painting types...portrait, landscape, seascape, and still life.

3.  There's the "enigmatic" smile.  No fun, no emotion, straightforward.

4.  Numbers and letters, such as "D," and "L," and "7", to name a few, appear in various spots within the painting.

5.  According to records, it was never finished while Da Vinci was moving around...he didn't put the last brush stroke on it until after he couldn't travel anymore.

What does this all mean?

Simple!

Da Vinci was a traveling salesman.  "Mona Lisa" was his "sales kit."  He took it everywhere.

In order to be able to sell canvas, paints and brushes, he had to be able to show that you could use his stuff to paint any kind of picture!  Portrait?  No prob.  Seascape, landscape, still life?  Go ahead, knock yourself out...do them all at once!

He couldn't paint someone smiling or laughing.  This was business.  People like to know they're spending their money on serious objects that they, in turn, can use to make money.

The numbers and letters? His "cheat sheet!"  While he's showing what the  stuff can do, people ask questions...what color did you use, what size brush, what kind of canvas?

Luigi asks, "Leo, che spazzolla (brush)?  Che colori (color)?"

Leonardo sees "V" and "7" that he wrote into the painting..."Verde" (green), he responds..."Spazzolla numero 7."  It's like  PowerPoint!

And it was something he painted on as he showed his wares.  As he traveled the cities and towns, carrying it about, he would paint on it showing people how his supplies would be the best for them.

When did he finish it?  When he didn't need to use it for sales promotions anymore.  In fact, one day after he retired, while having a cappuccino, he looked at it and said, "Not bad.  I could probably just paint over the numbers and letters and sell this thing...could use a few lire!"  And then he thought, "Probably some day someone will see those numbers and letters and think that I have a great secret or it's some mystic code!  That would be funny!"

And, as for the mystical triangles and squares...they sell protractors, don't they?

It's not that there aren't "things" in paintings.  A good friend of mine gave me a painting years ago.  A very nice watercolor, he handed it to me with the comments, "I hope you appreciate the fact that I broke the tip off my favorite palette knife doing this for you!"   I did.

After framing it, I looked closely one day as there appeared to be something 3D in the picture.  Right there in the painting?  The tip of his palette knife.

The painting is here, above, on the left.

The knife tip is on the right side of the painting, above the top rock on the right...the dark spot in the base of the tree/weed.  Of course, generations in the future will, no doubt, be sure that we were smuggling precious metals via artwork or setting up magnetic codes that, once all paintings with metal tips in them are lined up with magnets, would lead the world to Atlantis.  Whatever!

And, the secret in the painting that I did, below here on the right?

I was trying to paint something that I could put in the hotel gift shop that I thought someone would buy!

The other secret?  It worked...the painting was only in the shop three days. 

There are many things in paintings.  Dust, dirt, sand (see Monet), oil, water, bad chemicals, and many other things, including things we don't want to think about.

Remind me to tell you about the time I sneezed during a watercolor demonstration.

Oh, before I forget.  The biggest idea an artist puts into a piece of art?  A keen desire to sell!

Sidewalk Resolutions, The Sequel

I can't believe I forgot a New Year's resolution topic!

It took a note from my friend Wendy, all the way over on the West coast, to remind me that I forgot to include intentions regarding my artwork.  Must have been the Dewars!

So...

Resolution #11  Paint and draw more.

Resolution #12  Take art classes at Woodstock School of Art.  Here's there link if you want to join me or look at what they offer:

http://woodstockschoolofart.org/

Resolution #13  Get together with former art mates, for some plein air painting somewhere in New England.

Resolution #14  Sell all new art works for a fortune and retire to a cottage on the beaches of Majorca!  (Or, should I say,  a cottage on Majorca that has a sidewalk that leads to a beach!).

No sooner than I read the note from the left coast (it's okay, I'm left handed), guess what's on TV?  A whole afternoon devoted to art.  The first four half hour programs were about nudes through history, starting with the Egyptians.

I want to tell you right here and now that I didn't watch the shows for the pictures!  I didn't look at any of them.  I was interested in the content and discussions about the subject, as related to how the pictorial and sculptural art, and how people's reaction to it, have changed over the years.

As I consider this a "family" blog that anyone can read, I won't post any photos of nudes that I've drawn.  I did take a figure drawing class a few years ago, at the Woodstock School of Art, and produced several nice pieces.  Once again, I didn't look while I was drawing.  I just sketched away while averting my eyes from the subjects.  Somehow, it worked.

I framed two drawings, one of a male and another of a female.  They are quite "safe" to look at, most of the important parts were hidden from view by their poses, and I thought my family would enjoy seeing my productions.

I hung the drawing of the male across from the front door.  The drawing of the female I hung on the wall opposite.  The male would be seen right away as you entered the house.  As my youngest son came into the room and spied the male figure drawing he said, "That's not right!"  He spun around quickly, to avoid looking at it any further, and saw the female.  "Ooo, that's nice," was his next comment. 

The narrator of the shows on television this afternoon talked about people's reactions to nudes in art.  Back in the days noted as BC, nudes in art were representing daily life.  People saw naked people working, fighting, and bathing in many places.  These days, we see nude art in a different light.  Some people think that nude art is produced to express the erotic.

Meanwhile, we are still carrying around some of our Victorian ancestor's taboo ideas about nudity...the only good nude is one that is dressed!

As a result, nude art can be very perplexing.  The same son who reacted to my recent drawings, at age four asked a fellow artist of mine who specialized in nudes, "Are you ever going to paint anyone with their clothes on?"

He knew you had to get dressed!  It didn't make sense to him then.  He gets it now!

Anyway, so you don't think I haven't done anything with my artwork recently, I include here a photo of my sculptural holiday tribute to acorns, using real acorns.  I think it expresses the potential each nut holds for the holiday and every day thereafter.

I call it, "Holiday Acorn Tree." It can be used all year long.

My wife calls it, "Strangely bothersome.  Not sure why, but I get the feeling that it's just not right!"

Oh well, Happy New Year...I hope all of your projects for the coming year have productively fertile results!

Sidewalk Resolutions

I have two choices with this title.

I can either share my list of stuff to be sure to do for the coming year, which you may be expecting, or provide various photographic shots of sidewalks...you know, focusing (pun intended) on aperture, zoom, other settings, locations, and all of the graphic stuff that goes along with the highs and lows of photo resolution. 

As it's my brother, and not I, who is the professional photographer, I'll stick to the pseudo-personal-prophecy stuff and let you in on what I have planned for 2011.

Grab a Dewars and water and enjoy!

1.  Buy more Dewars.  I've given tribute to this grain-nectar in my blog postings several times and want to be sure to keep up with the image I'm portraying...truth in advertising, you know.

2.  Follow up on a bacterial test for our well water.  I had one done in mid-2010 and was told that doing the same each six months would ensure that we were aware that the water we are drinking is safe.  Seems that there are unacceptable levels of bacteria that can inhabit well water.  They can come from a variety of sources that I'd rather not think about (and my wife talks to the chipmunks in the front yard, encouraging them to stay).  I told the water testing place that I had an additive for the water I drink that purified it...Dewars!

3.  Buy more stock in Dewars.

4.  Keep blogging daily and send out more reminders to readers and potential readers to increase my number of followers.  Also, encourage more comments and solicit ideas for posts.  Maybe have a contest and award a prize to the person who gets the most people in their circle of friends to sign up and for the most comments!  First prize perhaps, what do you think, Dewars?

5.  Continue the search for a sidewalk, to which we might move closer.  Places sidewalk will provide connection to include a house, coffee shop/cafe, grocery store, gift/toy shop, antique shop, art/craft shop and museums, florist, post office, barbers shop (do they still make them?), something else I'm forgetting?  Oh yeah, liquor store...Dewars!

6.  Follow through on signing up for education and art classes.  Some of them may be on-line, others offered at spots in surrounding towns to which I'll have to drive.  As I never drink before driving, I should get my class schedule set, find out just how much I'll be driving (as in time on the road, at class and back) and reassess portfolio distribution as regards stock in Dewars.

7.  Paint the deck this Spring or Summer, cut and chop wood on our property for use during cold months, do something about about dying hemlocks in front yard, contact town about water running off the road through our property, and find something to do with the gazillion acorns that fall in our yard each year.  Set goals for each, by writing out a plan, follow through and have a rewards for the completion of each.  Are you thinking what I'm thinking?  Dewars and water.

8.  Enjoy family and friends more.  Stress less about the time spent driving too and from places to meet with them.  Come up with relaxation techniques while driving safely.

9.  Visualize walking on sidewalks, perhaps, as I'm driving the complete length of the thruway to visit with family for half an hour.  "Think" sidewalks as I'm driving an hour to get a gallon of milk.  "See" sidewalks as I return to town because I forgot to get eggs, too.  Repeat, over and over, "there's no place like a sidewalk, there's no place like a sidewalk," as I prepare for trips to the mall.

10.  Many gurus will tell you, think it and it's yours.  I'll work on that.  And when I return home from my automobile adventures that would not take place if I were connected to those places we need with a sidewalk, I'll take solace in the fact that I will have a sidewalk of my own someday soon.   Until then, it's me and my wife, the two boys still at home, and our four cars to get us to our daily needs, and my Dewars.

No Sidewalks, Still Celebrating

We're ending the year with a push..trying to get as much family and friends together as we can...Christmas one more time with family who couldn't make it down earlier; they're driving in from all over the state.

Then a nice dinner tonight with friends who live nearby...no,  not close enough for us to walk to their houses, but we'll manage anyway!  We'll drive...I think there's a sidewalk outside the restaurant.

Finished the rest of the Christmas wrapping this a.m., I think we're done!  Now, just getting the house ready for company...cleaning a bit...Aunt Bea used to say, as she walked by the dust on her furniture and the dishes in the sink, "Are they coming to see me or see the house?  If they're coming to see me, I'm here.  If they're coming to see the house they needn't bother!"

Our family and friends come to see us!  Besides, dust is important, it's a fine protective covering for our furniture!

Not much more today.  I'm sure I'll have a bit to post after today's festivities. 

In the meantime, just Happy New Year.

Got the count down on the side here, in case you lose track of the day!

Hope 2010 was kind to you; hope 2011 is better!

Holiday Review

Some folks wrote and told me that they missed getting my Christmas newsletter this year; I sent them out to those who wrote, but am guessing that the mid-west snowstorms slowed down the planes that would carry my greetings to out of state areas so, before the year ends, I include the highlights here!  Hope everyone had a great holiday....here it is:

We're waiting for our bailout!  Should the government debt program float some funds our way, I can assure you they'd have it back faster than you can say, “What do you want for Christmas?”  All monies would be spent back into circulation in no time flat.  Nothing would change, we’d still be broke!!!  But, what a Christmas it would be!

My wife only wants all expense paid trips to Hawaii, Italy and Ireland, and would be happy to spend about three months getting it all in.  I told her that a trip like that would be very expensive and most likely we couldn't afford for both of us to go.  She said, without a blink of her eye, “Okay.  I can send you postcards!”   She came up with that too fast!

She'd also like a home in the country.  You see, she doesn't think that we live far enough from civilization.  For those of you who know where we live, I'll wait a minute until you stop laughing.  For those of you who don’t, all you have to know is that I need a GPS to find my way back from the store.  Any time I mention my desire to live near a sidewalk, to get to places, like walking to the store for a quart of milk, instead of driving an hour for it, she takes me on “know your county” drives, that lead further into the woods each time.  I'm waiting for the day when, in the midst of uncharted territory, she makes up an excuse for me to get out of the car and drives off leaving me there until I come to “her senses.”  She loves the wildlife that frequents our front and back yards...I've pointed out similar things in the city, like the guy in New York City who was riding his roller board down the escalator at Barnes and Noble, “Look at that turkey!”  See, nature!  Or, that cute woman I spied in the Metropolitan Museum, “That's some fox, huh?”  (Should have kept that bit of nature to myself).  In the city, we've seen people who are bears and loons.  Near the Playboy Club (no, we didn't go in), we saw bunnies.  South Street Seaport…someone with a rod and reel...a fisher!  Lots of nature.  She also expounds that she wants “tranquility.”  I told her that she could buy it in any fragrance store in the city and that it comes in a yellow bottle, her favorite color.  No comment.

As long as we’re in a spending mood, the boys each want a brand new car, clothes and musical instruments (the youngest-guitar, the eldest-guitar, the middle child,-guitar, keyboard, drums, whistles, bells, pieces of iron that you can bang together to make noise...yikes).  They would also take a private apartment each and a weekly cash allowance to support their efforts on their own and, on some days I think, “new parents.”  We know it's hard on them having to eat our food, use our laundry equipment, and turn up our heat.  While we're still not empty nesters, I do know some day when they are all moved out and on their own they will look back at these days and fondly state, “What were we thinking...we should have stayed!” 

I should also take a moment to review some of the highlights of the past year, that would be of great interest to you.  We had the septic tank pumped.  It's a good thing, as we've found out in not such a good way in the past, so I try to keep ahead of it.  My wife reached her first anniversary in the dialysis unit and continues to provide great health care…there.  At home, should I cut off a finger or fall on the floor writhing in pain, she‘ll barely throw a glance and say, “You might want to have that looked at!”  I took a break from work to become a student.  Nothing like reliving your youth and basking in the glow of many long-forgotten educational processes (skipping classes, dropping courses before the four week cutoff so you can get 50% back, paying someone else to write your paper, and attending the freshman beer bash...and, with everyone in my class older than 50, we can actually buy kegs with our own IDs).

I still get up every morning and wave to the school bus as it goes by.  I truly love not making those lunches.  And we took a few trips this year.  We were in Maine, New Hampshire (over a mile higher than sea level at Mt. Washington), Massachusetts (below sea level if you count my falling out of the boat and going underwater), Vermont, and Virginia.  Spent a full week at the lake in Richfield Springs, and we've been through New Jersey on several trips to New York City.  Going through a state counts, right...but, then, the fact that it's New Jersey, well....

Last year for Christmas, we got clothes and goodies, games, fragrant things of all sorts, and I actually got a crate full of coal... not because I was bad (I think), but it's useful.  My wife got it for me as, she explained, it burns cleaner and longer than oil and it helps the stove fire burn hotter.  I like to burn things.  That bothers her, but she supports that habit when it’s contained to the woodstove; it was a nice gift; kept us warm!

Then my wife asked me what I wanted for Christmas this year and I told her, lightly, “Peace on Earth, Size Large, Color Blue.”  She immediately wrote it down on the “What I Want For Christmas” list that appears on the refrigerator each year around Thanksgiving, that we’re supposed to fill out so we buy gifts that people actually want.  I thought the idea would touch her soul.  I was a little bothered by the fact that I saw her pull out her “other” list and cross off Scotch, Vodka, Xbox Kinect, and Chocolate Covered Cherries!  Not sure if she all-of-a-sudden remembered that she had bought those things for me or if my idea sparked another thought.  You see, these days she 'forgets' things...which works for me as I'm wrapping up all of last year's gifts that I gave her to put under the tree for her again this year...the ultimate re-gifting!  Then, when I looked again, I realized she wrote, “Piece of Earth!”

Knowing how her mind works (or doesn't), I started to put it together...she probably forgot the coal gift last year, but an ember of that memory relit in her brain and the bill we had recently received, for “Large, Blue Anthracite,” is now for me the ghost of Christmas future. 

Did she forget what she bought me last year, or is she thinking that she won't have to think about a gift for me as she knows I think she forgets, but she didn't, and now she can get away without thinking about a gift for me by getting me the gift for which she can state, “I forgot I got you that,” when she didn't forget...do you think? 

Okay, I won’t think about that for very long.  Coal or scotch, I hope your holiday is warm, too!

Sidewalks are Christmas!

Christmas was very nice this year!

We spent less on gifts and more time and effort on the time and meals we were going to share.  We enjoyed it all.

As we get older, I find that the emphasis is more on family time and less on material things.  And face it, at this point in my life if you're not getting me a Maserati GranTurismo or an all expense paid cruise to several European ports, there's only so many socks I can wear at one time and, since I left the job this summer, I really don't need any more ties!

I always have a need for chocolate covered cherries (scored those) and I like a new flannel shirt each year...they're warmer when they're fresh!

What I have come to understand is that I find Christmas in the little things that surround the holiday; the ones that make it easy.

There's the fact that the tree hasn't fallen over (yet).  Less cursing, no water damage to the floor, and we look forward to having most of the same ornaments on our tree next year.  It costs less if they don't break and, while we'll still find pine needles in strange places in June, there's no picking of colored pieces of glass out of feet.  (I didn't get new slippers).

The outdoor lights stayed lit, without a single bulb replacement, and the electrical burning smell we experienced last year has not returned.  Maybe those new light strings did the trick.

We have experienced a minor masking tape issue.  We stick cards that we receive to various spots on our walls, as decoration, but the masking tape I got this year is less sticky than usual.  At times, we'll hear a sharp crack.  I'm thinking it's a mouse trap securing a victim, but so far it's been about a dozen cards falling off the wall, making that noise as they strike the hardwood floor.

Not too much to complain about.  I did get new tape, I'm still indoors when I'm rehanging them, and I can do it in my pjs.  Not like last year, when the wreaths kept flying off the porch posts and shed doors and I had to track them out in the cold like a truancy officer.  I was ready to superglue them to their spots, after about a dozen trips outdoors to rescue them, but knew that would come back to haunt me (as in, my wife would find out).

Even without sidewalks, a few family members made it to the house.  Due to the fact that it's been more like Spring than Winter, the driveway hasn't turned into a skating rink and cars and people can come and go safely.  

I had amazingly low cookie breakage this year (that's a big thing for a cookie maker...if you remember I made ninety dozen sugar cookies and they can be fragile and break during frosting) and we've had five nights worth of meals out of a ham we bought for Christmas!

Okay, that wasn't planned.  We thought we were having company on the day after Christmas, but the famed nor'easter of that day put the kibosh on those plans.  I kept cutting ham, and cutting ham, and cutting ham, and it turned out to be the proverbial cornucopia of meat...tomorrow I'm turning the rest of it into soup.  From the looks of it, maybe ten gallons.

I know that's a lot of soup, but nowhere near as much snow as some places around us saw.  We got a dusting...maybe three inches...here's our deck after the snowstorm.

I did take out the snowblower to deal with the driveway, but more as, "Why not, it'll only take ten minutes," as opposed to having to do it by hand...I could have shoveled what was there.


If I had a sidewalk, I'd shovel that for sure.  Did I mention that I didn't get a sidewalk for Christmas?  Wanted one.

A city friend of mine who knows of my desire to be living adjacent to a sidewalk sent me a Christmas card, below, with the note that she hoped she hadn't invoked city sidewalk envy.  She did.  

To poke me in the face, on the front of that one card, there are representations of just a few of the people she sees in just a day, yet more than I see in a year in my neighborhood.

True, I could drive all over the place to find most, but she can walk out the front of her place, greet the doorman, get almost run over by a bicycle, jump out of the way of a guy walking thirteen dogs, as she passes the neighbor (mumbling to himself) who works on Wall Street, check out all of the shoppers in the stores lining her sidewalk, wave to cabbies if she wants a ride (or just to confuse them), order food to be walked to her place, catch a bagel on almost any corner, shake her head at the kid skateboarding in the middle of the street, point out any number of famous people hiding behind sun glasses, have a Broadway star or starlet wait on her at her favorite restaurant (that she can walk to because her sidewalks connects to the one by that place), and bask in the glory of nature as she views the pigeons in Central Park (or on any building anywhere).  Okay, pigeons aren't high on the list of nature's "must sees," I admit, but they beat running into a bear or cougar.

You see, I did have a bear run towards me in my driveway one day, and I can state they are much more intimidating than a pigeon.  Although, now that I say that I have to tell you that I've never had a pigeon come after me, so I should hold back on further thoughts about that.

Anyway, I don't know what all of this means.  Except, I think that people connections are really important, and the holidays prove that as people make the time and put out the effort to get together.  Sidewalks connect people to people, and make it easier for them to get together, so sidewalks help to make Christmas!

Wouldn't it be nice to have Christmas all year long (I'll find that sidewalk, yet!)

Christmas Redux

It's hard enough shopping for Christmas, but as soon as the holiday is over we are bombarded with lists of things we should have waited to buy.

Evidently, there are items that are traditionally cheaper after that special day!

Then, there's a sea of sales flyers and discount promotions that come our way!

Here's one list that showed up today...nine things that are touted as a better deal after the 25th:

http://www.walletpop.com/2010/12/14/nine-things-to-buy-after-christmas/

I'm not sure how to handle this information.  We all like to save money, but the idea of giving is tied to the day of the holiday, I think.  I was brought up believing that you delivered gifts before the holiday or on the holiday, so the recipient would have them for their holiday.

But with all of this "deals" information, why would we want to buy anything before Christmas when we know that, each year, the better deals come after the celebration?

In this new recessive economy, should I have given "certificates" to my gift recipients stating that I'd be buying them something after Christmas or should I have stalled seeing them until I bought it?

These questions add another dimension to the holiday...one of shopping before and after the holiday, for the holiday!  I feel you have to buy Christmas presents in time for Christmas.  However, now that I can save some money, I may have to think about next year and put some people off.  I could schedule several "after-holiday" holiday get-togethers.

It's tough enough to get to, or plan and host, before-holiday parties and meals, then there's Christmas Eve, and then Christmas Day.  Now, post-Christmas gatherings for scheduled cost-reduced gift giving?

And what's the chance of getting those several persons you've delayed giving give gifts to together on the same day?  Some people have time off between Christmas and New Years, others don't.  Some have plans, some have to travel, and some are just plain hard to schedule.

Add the weather to all of that and we could be having Christmas every day for a month!  The extra added burden is to try to get this all done before New Years.  Did I mention trying to figure out what to do on New Years while still shopping and wrapping for Christmas, after Christmas?

This is getting too complicated!

Friends of our family, many years ago, held their large family and friends holiday on the weekend after the Feast of the Epiphany.

They celebrated what we knew as "Russian Christmas," and it was their annual holiday celebration for family and friends...a one-time, all-at-once, tradition.

Now, I think I know why this would be a good thing for me!

This celebration comes twelve days after Christmas, next on January 6, 2011.

By waiting until after the first of the year, I would have time to take in the after-Christmas sales and the beginning of the January white sales!  I could discount my holiday purchases by 70%!!!  If I could hold off decorating, I could probably even get a break on that $45.00 tree!

And, by then, no one I know has anywhere they have to be.  It's January, it's cold and dull and people are almost ready for another party!

The greatest thing?  If my guests don't come to this party, they have to wait until the next Christmas before thinking about the present thing again.  No pressure to shop for the holiday after that!  It's January...what do you expect?  Christmas presents on Valentine's Day...no way!  It's over!

I'd have another month to get to Christmas cards, I could actually relax at any and all December parties, and when asked that perennial question my answer would be, "Oh no, I don't start any shopping for Christmas until after Christmas...could I have another Hot Rum and Brandy, a double please?"

That would be swell.  Imagine, a stress reduced, one-shot holiday.

Nice thought, but I shouldn't be rambling...we're having Christmas again this week and I have some shopping, wrapping and baking to get to!

Sidewalk-less Walks

We don't live near sidewalks, yet my wife likes to go for long walks.  So, we walk on the sides of our rural roads or we end up driving out to the hinterlands and we trek the sides of mountains.

It doesn't matter the season, when she gets the urge to "go for a walk," she'll most times want some scenery (other than houses on the side of our road) so we try to dress appropriately, pack up some snacks, jump in the car and head to a nearby park or preserve.

A favorite place is the Mohonk Preserve.  We're only fifteen minutes from several of their entry ways and there are plenty hiking trails.  Some are very easy, others necessitate legs and lungs of steel.  You can check them out here:

http://www.mohonkpreserve.org/

Another spot we frequent is Minnewaska State Park.  Formerly a private resort area, it became a State Park a number of years ago and my wife is the very proud owner of an Empire State Park Pass.  Paying an annual fee for that pass, she gets entry into state parks, and we've been to a few.  Here's some information about Minnewaksa:

http://nysparks.state.ny.us/parks/127/details.aspx

There are other parks we've visited, and hiked, and the important thing to remember is that you have to get out of the car and walk once you get there.  And, you're pretty much walking into the park so that you can walk out of the park.  There aren't any shops or cafes in the plan.

Today, we arrived at Minnewaska and decided we would visit the falls.

To get there, one parks in the lower lot.  Then, you walk back to the entry way, across the road, to get to the trail head.

I thought, as it was cold and it's a hike in and of itself from the parking lot to the trail head, that we should ask if there were valet service.
 
My wife enjoyed asking the question for me, as much as the gatehouse attendant enjoyed hearing it.  They both had a good laugh and then made me walk from and to the parking lot anyway, on top of the hike!

Here's another issue.  There are no sidewalks, just paths.  To boot, what's left of the path after winter starts is worn and packed areas...snow if you're lucky, ice if it's cold without snow.

I expressed the idea that the addition of heat tapes to the paths would be a great thing.

It would keep the paths from narrowing during the winter and reduce the issue of walking on icy spots.

Now, I don't want you to think that it's just me.  I think the wildlife would benefit from this, as well.  I didn't see a single animal on the trails today and I'm sure it's because they are aware of the conditions and don't want to fall.  A porcupine with its quills might be able to catch onto something to slow their slide, but furry and feathery fauna are in for a ride.

We did about an hour and a half out there and headed back to the car in pretty good shape.

I did have one other thought, when we were out there in the woods today,that I didn't share with my wife.  Right out there, by the water falls, in the middle of nature, how about a hot chocolate shop?  If we lived in a town with sidewalks, and went for a walk, we'd most likely end up at a cafe and be able to sit for a few and savor a hot cocoa with marshmallows. I think it's a natural. 

And, until we find our sidewalk paradise, I think I could be persuaded to go for more sidewalk-less walks, and put in the trek to and from the parking lot without complaint, and hazard the trails, if I knew that I could take a break at the hot chocolate cafe in the woods.

Christmas is Coming!

Thought I'd let you know that there are only 364 days until Christmas!  We could keep this recession in check, if we write more checks!

And, I'm sure there are some who didn't get what they wanted for Christmas.  Now is the time to start letting people know.  They could probably get a real good buy on it, in the coming days, and can store it away until next year.

However, if they're anything like me, they'll forget they bought it or put it somewhere where they'll "remember where it is," and then forget that, too!

Just yesterday, I was lugging stuff out of the closet to put under the tree.   I came across a shirt I bought for one of the boys last year and had forgotten that I'd hidden it there.  One on hand, it's not good that I put things away that show up a year later; on the other hand, one of the boys scored another gift!

I have put things away several times to deliver as future gifts, in a place "where I know I will find them" and then can't.  I'm thinking I could put the words "forget" and "gift" together and come up with a new word for this repetitive activity of mine, and what I believe many others do, "Forgifted."  As in, I'm buying this and putting it away "forgifted."  When you run the words together, it means that you will put it away to give to someone as a gift, forget about it, and then it will show up at the wrong future date for the same reason, a gift to give later than intended!  And, pressure's off...no late deliveries, just "forgifted."

Maybe that's what Santa did with my sidewalk!  He didn't bring me one this year, but I did get some Scotch to hold me over until I find it.

Got a few other things I needed and wanted, so it's all good.

I'll put the sidewalk back on my list for next year.  Better yet, with the New Year coming up, maybe I need to put an action word with it, make it a resolution, and "find a sidewalk!"

There's a thought!

But then, if I work on it and Santa all ready has it, but  he "forgifted" it, then I may end with two sidewalks at some point!  I can't think about that right now.

Christmas is coming and I have to start getting ready!

In the meantime, until next Christmas and the possibility of a bailout for each and every one of from this economy, my song from our Christmas newsletter this year:

We Need A Little Bailout Now!*
*Sung to the tune of We Need a Little Christmas Now

Spend all the money, put up the tree before my stocks fall again.
Fill up the gas tank.  We may be rushing things but
Gonna get our bailout dough.
For we can have a little Christmas, each and every minute,
Brand new thermal windows, expensive restaurant dinners.
Yes, we’ll have a little Christmas, each and every minute.
The Feds say cash is coming, don’t worry,
But Santa, dear, we‘re in a hurry.

So, we’ll reline the chimney, pick up the brightest string
Of pearls we’ve every seen.
Spread out the windfall, it’s time we bought some land
On the other side of the state.
For we’ve grown a little smarter, seen our credit smolder,
Ready now to barter, and find that as we’re older.
And  have a bailout angel, we’ll heft cash on our shoulder
And have a little Christmas now,

And we’ll take our bailout money, and buy a little laughter,
And we’ll be shouting and singing, up and through the rafter,
And we’ll get a little crazy
Happy for a soon to come
No-payback-bailout Christmas now!