Month: February 2019

I used to draw. I remember an art class in junior high where I learned the secret of drawing perspective and found the key to a magical room where I could create something incredible out of nothing but paper and graphite. In high school I took a bunch of art classes. Photography where I fell in love with the darkroom, ceramics where I learned how hard it is to successfully throw a pot, and a number of classes where I realized that I may be able to draw, but I couldn’t paint to save my life.

In the years since high school I’ve taken a crack at a collection of other arts – crochet, knitting, jewelry making, sewing, scrapbooking, purse making, woodworking, acting, improv – anything I could find to express my creativity. But somewhere along the way, I gave up drawing and never again attempted painting. Time to change that. Time to see if I still had any actual fine art skills left in me. So I put my intimidation and fear of failure behind me, bought myself some new art supplies and enrolled in a watercolor class at The Art League of Long Island. It didn’t take long before I learned two valuable lessons: I totally need to sharpen my drawing ability and I still can’t paint to save my life. Of course I was fully expecting to have a gallery showing by the third week, so I may need to slightly adjust my expectations.

But I’m not giving up! I mean I have all those new art supplies. So I’ll continue to try my hand at watercolor in the comfort of my kitchen and I promise to let you know the minute my one-woman show opens.

Suggested by me
Completed 2/19/19

 

This one was tough. I think we can all agree that the 9/11 memorial is poignant, important and necessary. I wasn’t sure, however, if I could experience it. I didn’t lose anyone close to me in the 9/11 attack, but like everyone else, I was deeply affected by the events of that day. We all can pinpoint where we were when we learned of the assault on our country and can immediately recall the collective pits in our stomach and pain in our hearts.

When I initially heard about the opening of the museum I wondered if we needed this. What purpose does it serve to see artifacts from the crumbling towers in which thousands of people lost their lives? Do we need to recall those horrific events in excruciating detail? The simple answer is “yes, yes we do.”

The memorial is beautiful and moving. We hear the names of the victims every year, but seeing the magnitude of names carved into the bronze surrounding the twin memorial pools is especially impactful. So many names. So much loss.

I tentatively walked into the museum. For me, museums are supposed to be a positive experience. I love spending time leisurely meandering through gallery after gallery pondering and appreciating art installations. I’ve been to the Holocaust Museum in DC and that was inarguably difficult, but this is different. This is modern day history. Our history. The exhibits are beautifully done, tremendously thought provoking and completely heart wrenching. Yes, it’s very difficult and yes, it’s extremely important.

Suggested by me
Completed 2/2/19

 

So a couple Kentucky Derbys (or is it Derbies?) ago I thought it would be clever to make Mint Juleps for June and I and our Derby guests Rick and Trish. I had no idea what was in a Julep and was quite surprised to learn it was made with bourbon – a liquor I had never tasted and was certain I would hate. The first sip was rough, but bourbon seems to be one of those things that gets better with practice. By the third (a process which took way longer than the horse race) both Rick and I were bourbon converts. June and Trish – not so much.

Fast forward a couple of years and I have sampled a number of bourbons – from the pedestrian Maker’s Mark to the exquisite Blanton’s. One of my go-tos has been Widow Jane and it was a pleasant surprise to learn from Trish that their distillery is located in Red Hook, Brooklyn. After a delightful visit with Allison, Josh and the kids to the Escher exhibit in Industry City, we took the quick ride ro Red Hook. It was a long day so we didn’t take the tour, but my fellow bourbon aficionado Allison and I did do a tasting of their Heirloom flight, consisting of their younger, less aged bourbons. Not bad, although I did leave with a bottle of their traditional, small batch bourbon, it was lovely to see where the magic happens.

Suggested by Trish Carpenter
Completed 1/19/19