Friday Freebie - end of summer

Labor Day marks the traditional end of summer for families accross the country. Our kids went back to school two weeks ago. But, for many, this is the last day of the pool being open, the last day at the beach, the last big weekend for those big barbeques.

My friday freebie, vintage postcard offering, is a tribute to those sensational swimming pools of years gone by and the family weekend at the beach. Enjoy your long weekend. Happy Labor Day!

Every now and then go away and have a little relaxation. To remain constantly at work will diminish your judgment. Go some distance away, because work will be in perspective and a lack of harmony is more readily seen. -Leonardo daVinci

looking for reasons...

Sometimes I ask myself why...

Why don't I carry my camera in the car with me? This question came up today when I saw an elderly man, in shorts, white socks pulled up high, smoking a pipe, riding a pink vespa. Why, oh why didn't I have my camera with me? Hopefully the description creates a nice visual for you.

Why should I look for that long lost friend? This summer Kerry and I joined the facebook craze. And craze it is! It is a time-sucking, I mean networking tool that allows you to find long lost acquaintances and current friends and keep in touch in yet another social-electronic way. I think I may be addicted. So, the question is, if you find that long lost friend, do you send the message? What if they don't reply? Do you take it personally? For me the answer came when I found a friend from college. We had lost touch and she had since moved to Europe. When I found her, her reply was, "I have tried to find an email address for you every now and then, but with no success. I'm really glad to hear from you." So, I am glad I did. Thank you facebook.

Kerry and I frequently ask ourselves: why should we continue writing our blog, when so few (if any) people comment? The answer came in the form of an email last week. After my first post about the public art committee, I received an email from the Mayor of Lafayette who, in her words, is a "regular reader" of our blog. Hello Mrs. Mayor!

Questions asked, and answered. I guess I shouldn't go to far to look for those reasons why, I should just give it a try.

Join us..

Over second and third cups flow matters of high finance, high state, common gossip and low comedy. [Coffee] is a social binder, a warmer of tongues, a soberer of minds, a stimulant of wit, a foiler of sleep if you want it so. From roadside mugs to the classic demi-tasse, it is the perfect democrat. ~Author Unknown

Art Around Town

Since I am a new member to the Lafayette Public Art Committee, I thought I should familiarize myself (and you by default) with the art around my town.

We have two public art installations at our library. The first is a tile mosaic mural that I showed you before. I love this one. It is my first personal experience with public art. To fund the project (many years ago) they (the powers that be) "sold" tiles to members of the community. My mom bought tiles for me and Jeremy as a gift. Somewhere on that mural, on the backs of the tiles are my and Jeremy's names. My mom never knew what she started with me, with that gift of tile. I appreciate this piece for its historical depiction as well as its complex medium. Imagine putting together a mural that big, using only 1 inch black and white and gray tiles.

The second library piece is a metal sculpture that sits at the driveway to the building. It is called Within your Reach. I enjoy this piece for its whimsical nature. It is a depiction of joy and childhood, as well as reading and learning.Stay tuned for more Art Around Town. There is lots to share in our little town. We love art, we embrace art, we make art public. Enjoy!

Friday Freebie

A few more vintage black and white photo postcards. These ones are curious. Is she a nurse or a nun?

What happened between photo one and photo two that changed her mood so drastically?

(right click the image to save it to your computer for your own use)

Have a great weekend!

Americans for the Arts

We just found out that October is National Arts & Humanities Month. It is sponsored by Americans for the Arts, the nation's leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts in America. Their website says:

National Arts and Humanities Month (NAHM) is a coast-to-coast collective celebration of culture in America. Held every October and coordinated by Americans for the Arts, it has become the largest annual celebration of the arts and humanities in the nation. From arts center open houses to mayoral proclamations to banners and media coverage, communities across the United States join together to recognize the importance of arts and culture to citizen's daily lives.

I know October seems far off, but it's not. Now is the time to plan. Buy your theater tickets, plan or attend a performance, go to a museum, go to a gallery, visit an art studio (wink, wink), buy some local art, go to a local concert or play, attend an art festival or street fair, read poetry, write poetry, the possibilities are open to your imagination. What will you do for National Arts and Humanities Month? Why wait? Why not start now?

Pencils

Ah, the children are off to school today. I have one child in 4th and another in 5th grade. Before school starts, we have an extensive back to school list of supplies that we are to provide for our children. Can we afford the supplies? yes. Do I feel they are necessary to my children's education? some yes, most no. I won't even get into the need for ziploc bags (of which I completed 9 years of primary, 4 years of high school and 4 years of college without ever using one in the classroom.) Okay fine, so I did get into the ziploc bag issue.

I have a larger issue - 108 pencils. Between my 2 children we were asked to provide 72 pencils for 4th grade and 36 for 5th grade. Does this not seem like a waste? Each year my mom would buy me a 12 pack of pencils of which I was solely responsible for sharpening and taking care of them, for the year. I cherished my pencils and they were always best when they were sharpened as far as they could go and still be usable. So what is the goal of having so many pencils per child? It can't be taking responsibility for your property. It can't be environmental responsibility. What could we possibly teach our children by requiring that they provide a wasteful amount of consumable goods in the classroom? I would love to know.

I say teach your children to use goods wisely and take responsibility for your supplies. A pencil is a wonderful tool for learning, art and conversation and should be valued not wasted.