Friday, July 29, 2016
Art - The Brothers Le Nain
Antoine, Louis, and Mathieu - the Brothers Le Nain painted in Paris 1630s and 1640s. Fifty paintings presented at the Kimbell represent a full range of production - altarpieces, devotional paintings, portraits, and paintings of local peasant life.
The art is rich and stunning. The brothers seemed to work together seamlessly and art conservationists dig deep to compare, contrast, and attribute aspects of the works to each brother. One seemed to work better on copper, another got the details of hair and faces, another was detailed in clothing and background.
This is a fascinating exhibit and brings to life seventeenth century France.
Thursday, July 28, 2016
Book Review - Dear Daughter by Elizabeth Little
Dear Daughter by Elizabeth Little is an
excellent debut mystery filled with interesting characters, twists and turns,
and a fast pace. Janie Jenkins is fresh out of prison. Ten years ago, this “It
Girl” was incarcerated for the murder of her high society mother. Released on a
technicality, Jane is determined to figure out who really killed her mother.
And is the killer looking for her?
Small town Dakota is the starting point. As Janie delves
deeper into her mother’s former life, finds photographs, reads an old diary,
she begins to admire her mother’s climb from oblivion to a new name to a life
of money. And the mother she herself dismissed, turns out to have
had quite a life. Dirt poor but resourceful, Tessa wasn’t meant to be held
back. Janie, in her journey, learns to admire her intelligent mother.
From the cover blurb – As she digs tantalizingly deeper,
and as suspicious locals begin to see through her increasingly fragile façade,
Janie discovers that even the sleepiest towns hide sinister secrets – and will
stop at nothing to guard them. On the run from the press, the police, and maybe
even a murderer, Janie must choose between the anonymity she craves and
the truth she so desperately needs.
Janie is not initially likeable, but her story is compelling
and you will want to turn the pages. The author knows how to push our buttons
and Janie’s in the search for the truth. Who is the killer? Dear Daughter
will satisfy your thirst to know.
Labels:
book review,
Dear Daughter,
Elizabeth Little,
murder,
mystery
Tuesday, July 26, 2016
Summer Movie Madness - Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters is just flat out silly, zany fun.
Yes I saw the original and it was silly zany fun too. I am not going to
compare. As far as I’m concerned this movie stands on its own. Melissa
McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones, and Kate McKinnon are a strong group of
comedic women. Some nut case hotel janitor has designed equipment in the
basement to unleash the haunts of New York. Paranormal measurements are through
the roof, and McCarthy’s seeing the fruits of her labors. She and McKinnon have
been working on a shoe string budget out of a no-name school studying
polarities, vortexes, and other mumbo-jumbo that adds up to ghosts.
Wiig’s tried to climb the noble path of academia, but gets derailed by social
media and her former partner. Now she’s drawn back in for the sake of science.
And Leslie Jones works for the MTA. She encountered the
nutter AND a ghost creature in the subway. She’s a believer AND she has her
uncle’s vehicle to use – is it a hearse? Oh you bet. Yes, the women arrive with
equipment to capture ghosts. They stream a force field, etc. Yes, Wiig keeps
getting slimed. And cameos abound from the original – keep your eyes peeled for
Bill Murray, Annie Potts, Dan Ackroyd, Ernie Hudson, a bust of the late Harold
Ramis (comedy genius), and Sigourney Weaver. As I said, this movie is glorious
summer fun. Zingy lines, good effects, the New York skyline. What’s not to
like?
Kudos to Kate McKinnon – she absolutely cracked me up. As we
know from her Hillary sketches on SNL, she can do wide-eyed crazy very well. In
this movie, she steals scenes as you wait to see what she’s gonna do next. I
actually went into this movie with so-so expectations. I planned on being
amused, but frankly it had many laugh out loud moments. Ray cracked up too and
we gave it a thumbs up for our five dollar each matinee investment.
Who you gonna call for two hours of cool theater fun?
Ghostbusters…….I ain’t afraid of no ghosts.
Monday, July 25, 2016
Browse has Another Meaning
photo from Morguefile
From Sunday 7/17/16 Dallas Morning News – Getting Their Greens by
Claire Z. Cardona
This was an exceptionally interesting article. Here's my synopsis:
Dallas
zookeepers are able to keep elephants happy with truckloads of greenery from
city parks. In a key partnership, the keepers have access to branches and
vegetation, called “browse”. Elephants and other zoo animals crave their fresh
veggies. Basically every other Wednesday, keepers follow city workers around
golf courses and gather the “browse”. This keeps a lot of stuff out of the
landfill, and it’s cheap food for the zoo. All parties are happy.
The city is expanding the plan to almost 400 parks. Wow.
Daily enrichment means healthier elephants. Apparently elm is a favorite. It’s
also exercise for the elephants as they strip limbs. They are occupied and it
keeps their teeth healthy too Per the article, an adult female elephant
weighs between 6,000 and 10,000 pounds and eats 200 to 300 pounds of food a
day. Elephants eat hay, grains, fruits and vegetables. This volume of “browse”
helps immensely. Seventy other species of animals enjoy different varieties
too.
Spread the word to any animal habitats, and coordinate
resources. Make an elephant happy!
Saturday, July 23, 2016
Art - Norman Lewis
Norman Lewis said, "I don't believe there is such a thing as black art. There are artists who are black making art."
Procession is a current exhibit at the Amon Carter Museum of Art in Fort Worth. I was pleased to learn about Norman Lewis and to enjoy his work. The colors, the view of life through his art - all impressive.
Seachange 1975 struck me. In 1968, Mr. Lewis wrote, "just seeing the sea, color of water, of blues and grays and murky and muddy water in various ports. I was discovering a whole new life."
Discover Norman Lewis and appreciate a man's work. An artist who was black who made art.
Procession is a current exhibit at the Amon Carter Museum of Art in Fort Worth. I was pleased to learn about Norman Lewis and to enjoy his work. The colors, the view of life through his art - all impressive.
Seachange 1975 struck me. In 1968, Mr. Lewis wrote, "just seeing the sea, color of water, of blues and grays and murky and muddy water in various ports. I was discovering a whole new life."
Discover Norman Lewis and appreciate a man's work. An artist who was black who made art.
Friday, July 22, 2016
Art - Frank Stella
More art on my Saturday a few weeks ago. The Modern Museum of Fort Worth featured Frank Stella - A Retrospective. Wow - The man is prolific and still creating. Over 120 works featured painting, reliefs, maquettes, sculptures, and drawings. Some of the pieces are massive. The colors pop and seem to move on the wall.
The huge sculptures were my favorites. They flowed and seemed to reach out and draw you in. The man experimented with geometry and space. Here's a quote from Mr. Stella:
Virtual space has no ground. That's the beauty of it. It's about destroying ground so you can explore all the dimensions and viewpoints.
Frank Stella is an artist with no boundaries.
Labels:
art,
Frank Stella,
Modern Museum of Fort Worth,
sculpture
Wednesday, July 20, 2016
Tuesday, July 19, 2016
Travel Via Books
Here’s a virtual getaway with literary sleuths. You don’t
have to stand in airport lines or lose luggage. Just lose your mind in these
books and try to figure out whodunit. Suggestions are from Entertainment Weekly
Canadian Arctic - White Heat by
M.J.McGrath. Meet Kiglatuk, an Inuit hunter and guide and visit the ice between
Greenland and the North Pole
Chile – The Neruda Case by Roberto
Ampuero. Drink wine and spout poetry while solving a mystery
Brazil – Blood of the Wicked by Leighton
Gage. Forget the Olympics. Check out the gritty affairs in the back
alleys ( warning -graphic violence)
Iceland – Jar City by Erlendur
Sveinsson. Wander around Reykjavik
Spain – Death Rites by Alicia Gimenez
Bartlett. Strong quirky cops in Barcelona. Run with the bulls or fight crime
Botswana – The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency by
Alexander McCall Smith. Vivid sense of place and Precious Ramotswe leads the
way
Sweden – The Ice Princess by Camilla Lackberg.
Seaside town and murder afoot
United Kingdom – The Blackhouse by Peter May.
There’s more to England than just Sherlock Holmes. Follow Fin Macleod in
the Outer Hebrides. Bodies swept up on the beach and more
Australia - Bad Debts by Peter Temple.
Trouble down under for Jack Irish.
Escape and enjoy
Sunday, July 17, 2016
Let's Kill Time
hot summer day
let's not talk
just revel in the heat
absorb the sounds
wind
cicadas
children splashing in a pool
chug of a lawnmower
clink of ice in a glass
gulp lemonade
wipe the brow
sizzle
let's not talk
just revel in the heat
absorb the sounds
wind
cicadas
children splashing in a pool
chug of a lawnmower
clink of ice in a glass
gulp lemonade
wipe the brow
sizzle
Friday, July 15, 2016
Discarded........art by Anthony Hernandez
I enjoyed a Saturday wandering the various art museums in the Fort Worth Cultural District. The Amon Carter has a huge photography collection and also features special exhibits
Anthony Hernandez took some bleak photos from the 2008 housing collapse. California had huge swaths of land set for development - they turned into a vast wasteland.
His photos are disturbing and bleak. They ask questions about the environment, about the economy, and about art. Is their hope for the future, or is the Discarded exhibit a statement without an answer.......
This exhibit is sad and provokes an emotion.......and sometimes art ain't pretty.
Anthony Hernandez took some bleak photos from the 2008 housing collapse. California had huge swaths of land set for development - they turned into a vast wasteland.
His photos are disturbing and bleak. They ask questions about the environment, about the economy, and about art. Is their hope for the future, or is the Discarded exhibit a statement without an answer.......
This exhibit is sad and provokes an emotion.......and sometimes art ain't pretty.
Wednesday, July 13, 2016
Almost Wordless Wednesday
Thanks to my sister's pics - let's just hang at the beach
I'm living vicariously. This could be the solution to any and all problems in the world - just go to the beach. Watch the waves. Wiggle your toes in the sand. Tough to be sad or worried or stressed.
I did find an answer.........now I just have to get to a beach
Tuesday, July 12, 2016
No Answers
A brief comment on Dallas. I live between Dallas and Fort Worth.
I am ashamed to say that Thursday night, I turned on the news and then took off my glasses and went to sleep. My brain dismissed the enormity of the situation.
I've still been rather numb. I have not read all the articles or even watched much news. I have not shed a tear. I feel weary.
The news conference and statements by Mayor Mike Rawlings and Chief David Brown have been tremendous.
Are there any answers at all? Can "IT" be fixed? And what is "IT"?
I don't know and that makes me sad
I am ashamed to say that Thursday night, I turned on the news and then took off my glasses and went to sleep. My brain dismissed the enormity of the situation.
I've still been rather numb. I have not read all the articles or even watched much news. I have not shed a tear. I feel weary.
The news conference and statements by Mayor Mike Rawlings and Chief David Brown have been tremendous.
Are there any answers at all? Can "IT" be fixed? And what is "IT"?
I don't know and that makes me sad
Sunday, July 10, 2016
Sing Along with Beautiful
It Might As Well Rain Until September
Some Kind of Wonderful
Will You Love Me Tomorrow
Up on the Roof
The Locomotion
You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling
One Fine Day
It's Too Late
You've got a Friend
Natural Woman
Beautiful
What a songbook and that's only a few from Carole King. Wow - if the touring production of this show comes to your town, go see it. We meet Carole at age 16 - in college (early admissions). She meets Gerry Goffin and the rest is music history. They write songs for the Drifters, Shirelles, Righteous Brothers and more. Their marriage has many ups and downs - will you still love me tomorrow.
then Carole on her own.......Tapestry......and history.
The musical Beautiful is a gem and you will leave with a song in your heart, soaring tunes and lyrics re-embedded in your brain.
Friday, July 8, 2016
Movie Review Madness - Finding Dory
Oh Pixar – you are wonderful. The magic of film truly lives
with this company. An opening short film called Piper is magical
– not many words. Just cute images of a baby sandpiper learning to dig up
shells, learning about the power of the ocean, and truly finding his sea legs.
Extraordinarily cute.
Then our main event, Finding Dory, is beyond
excellent. Superb animation – the film glows with color. Excellent story line –
it picks up where Finding Nemo left off and has Dory finding her
parents. But it also highlights learning challenges, memory, family, and
friends. So many messages in a short film. However, it does not beat you over
the head with stuff – the message is subtle but strong. Enjoyable humor –
nice warm chuckles with so many lines. Engaging characters – Dory, Marlin, Nemo,
and Hank the octopus. Fabulous voice acting and well thought out rich
characters.
Yes, I gush. This film is just entertaining and worthy of
your money – see it on the big screen. Ellen DeGeneres is so sincere and rather
poignant as Dory. With her short term memory loss she’s challenged. Yet the
glow of her spirit shines and perseverance wins out. Her mother (Diane Keaton)
and Dad (Eugene Levy) left her with good life lessons and slowly she works her
way back to find them (spoiler alert – will there be a reunion??)
And Hank the octopus deserves his own film. Such a hoot. We
know, from real life, how clever octopus are in escape, etc. Hank sets the
example for intrepid escapes, schemes, and true friendship. He does not let
Dory down.
I won’t give more away. Just go now and see Finding Dory– hear Albert Brooks
(Marlin) fret for Dory, Nemo, and life. Root for Dory, the blue tang with a
huge heart and big eyes to navigate the seas, the Marine Wild Life Institute
(shout out to Sigourney Weaver), and find her roots – her path of
seashells. Glorious film making………this is why I love the movies!!!
Thursday, July 7, 2016
Book Review - Kill the Boy Band
From the cover blurb of Kill the Boy Band:
Just know from the start that it wasn’t supposed to go like this. All we wanted
was to get near them. That’s why we got a room at the hotel where they were
staying.
We were not planning to kidnap one of them. Especially
not the most useless one. But we had him – his room key, his cell phone, and
his secrets.
We were not planning on what happened next.
We swear.
Goldy Moldavsky captures fandom, cynical teen girls, snarky
texts, and the crazy world that is celebrity. This is a quick hilarious book
about girls and power – whether used for good or evil or confusion. The power
of the internet, tweets, and plain face to face glares. Who knew you could have
a boy band created solely because the boys’ names were Rupert? And what length
will girls go to meet their fave? And how long does loyalty last –
whether to a boy band idol or to teen friendship?
Kill the Boy Band is a rush to read with spot
on dialogue and many twists and turns in just one day. Turn off your phone and
turn the pages
Wednesday, July 6, 2016
Almost Wordless Wednesday
Father/daughter bonding in today's world.
I made them stop looking at the phones and smile and talk to each other for a second. Worthy of a grin from both
I made them stop looking at the phones and smile and talk to each other for a second. Worthy of a grin from both
Tuesday, July 5, 2016
Torrid Tuesday
It was a very hot Saturday - July 2nd - and I zoomed over to Fort Worth for an art fix. Let's just say this shall be art week. Here are a few pics from outside of the Kimbell, Amon Carter, and the Modern in the Fort Worth Cultural District. Feasts for the eyes as I moseyed between them.
I love these museums and shall bring you more this week. Meanwhile, let's sit in the shade of the crape myrtles and feast our eyes on artsy nature. No need to think too much.
Sunday, July 3, 2016
Sundae Social
Let's treat ourselves on this July 4th weekend. Chocolate, strawberry, and caramel topping?
Or just strawberry with lots of Reddi-Whip?
Yum! Enjoy. Let's sit in the shade..........
Or just strawberry with lots of Reddi-Whip?
Yum! Enjoy. Let's sit in the shade..........
Friday, July 1, 2016
Favorite
It's Friday and here's a pic of one of my favorite people in the world - my sister Lori. She's ten years younger than me, lives back east, and just had a weekend in NYC. Somehow she caught a quiet moment on the Brooklyn Bridge. Amazing to not get run over by bikes and pedestrians. Her smile says it all
She nabbed a pic of Times Square for me. What a place. What energy. You have to be there to believe it.
And that's some favorite things on a Friday as we lead up to the Fourth.
What's going on in your world this weekend? Doing any favorite things with favorite people?
Enjoy
She nabbed a pic of Times Square for me. What a place. What energy. You have to be there to believe it.
And that's some favorite things on a Friday as we lead up to the Fourth.
What's going on in your world this weekend? Doing any favorite things with favorite people?
Enjoy
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