Red Hat Day!

Today is the official Red Hat Society day. I have come to love this day since I am already two years into membership. The Red Hat Society is a social organization for women over 50. The Society takes its name from the opening lines of the poem Warning by Jenny Joseph, which starts:

“When I am an old woman I shall wear purple

With a red hat that doesn’t go and doesn’t suit me.”

I first heard this poem at the funeral of a woman I knew from the UU church in Buffalo and was immediately enchanted by it! The Red Hat Society’s aim is social interaction, to encourage fun, silliness, creativity, and friendship in middle age. There is no work to be done, there are no initiations or fundraising projects. Great idea, huh? Members are called "Red Hatters". Members over fifty years old wear red hats and purple attire to all functions. A woman under age fifty may also become a member, but she wears a pink hat and lavender attire to the Society's events until reaching her fiftieth birthday. Today is Bunco at Peggy’s I will be wearing a purple shirt and red baseball cap. Look for me – I will be the one laughing!

And In The End.....

"In the end the love you take is equal to the love you make" the Beatles closing statement on their last album is swimming around in my head and somehow seems appropriate right now. Our week in Venice has sadly come to an end. Two days have passed since we left Venice and returned to London. I think I am still taking in the whole experience and Yes, I am still feeling very verklempt about the whole thing. It was apparent to me very early in the week that something unique and special was happening. We worked hard, learned new techniques, stayed up too late, drank some vino, sang, danced, celebrated a birthday, laughed a great deal and gained new self- confidence (not to mention a few pounds!) as we navigated our way around Venice.

Le raggazze had dinner together at Lemonia in Primrose Hill on Monday night. It seemed a moral imperative to be all together with Lynn before she headed home to the US. I will miss her! Also on hand at dinner were Kent, Jeff, Loretta & Dick. I hope they weren’t bored stiff by the rest of us rattling on and on about our adventures in Venice! Loretta was so sorely missed by us in Venice we made her promise to come with us next year (she did!). Yes, we have started to make plans to return already! Watch out Orsoni! Poor Mirta and Antonella! So maybe not the end but the beginning of something new .............

Last Class

Today is our last day of mosaic class. I am feeling very verklempt at the moment! This week has flown by much too fast! I finished my project two hours ago. It would not have been possible without the help of Antonella. She is my mosaic goddess. I am going to put her picture in a frame and keep it on my work table whenever I am doing a mosaic project! Antonella deserves a place in the pantheon of great artists. Much more about her in another post!

Today is also Lynn's birthday! Happy Birthday Lynne! She is almost 50! I suppose 42g! or 39J! We started the day with a birthday dance (Beatles!) and then went to work - the pressure to finish our pieces was on!

At lunchtime, le ragazze paraded in to the graduation ceremony wearing our Venetian masks to great laughter. After pictures and presents, we had a wonderful birthday cake and Prosecco to celebrate the end of a wonderful week!

To end this post, I have to say a word about the wonderful staff at Orsoni's! Everyone and I mean everyone was molto buoni! The staff are the most hospitable people I have ever had the pleasure and honour of meeting. With the patience of saints, questions were graciously answered, help readily offered and no request went unfilled! I will think of them warmly for a long long time! I am taking away great memories and alot of new found mosaic knowledge and technique! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! Grazie from the bottom of my heart!

School girls - Polli, guest author this evening!

schoolgirls!! we are working hard, and enjoying the beautiful selection of smalti and gold tiles available, as well as the excellent advice\instruction from these experienced and talented mosaicists. I guess we are "young at heart" and into "lifelong learning", so maybe the description of "schoolgirls" is appropriate. Actually I like the "girls" part of the word...maybe we should try to dress the part by the end of the week? Put our hair in bunches and wear a plaid-tartan skirt with white blouse and a tie? (smile) Or maybe just a stunning Venetian mask?

Mosaic Class

Prego. It is 1 in the morning and Kathy and I are still in the class room working on our projects. I am taking a break but Kathy is cutting away! Yes, we are having a fabulous time! We have been working since about 9 this morning with a few breaks here and there! We had a falafel lunch beside the canal, had a boring lecture on the history of mosaics then a lovely dinner under the stars (con bugs!) on a different canal! We have found the grocery store (Billa!) but no peanut butter for Kathy. Mr. Orsoni does not like my Canary wharf project, he thinks it looks like Chicago! That is not good. Lynn is not working in smalti but her gold (which is a very deep purple!) is coming along great! Kathy & Polli are both working in blue to great effect and Holly is struggling to cut some difficult yellow & oranges! We have one male member of our class. His name is Patrick and he is an artiect hailing from Savannah. He is a delightful addition to our group, easygoing and tolerant of our antics.

Buongiorno Orsoni!

The long awaited trip to Venice is about to start tomorrow. On Sunday morning Lynn, Holly and I depart for our master mosaic class at Orsoni’s in the Cannaregio district of Venice. We will be joined later in the day by Kathy and Polli. We will have a whole week of working (and playing) with smalti tiles. Smalti tile, sometimes referred to as Byzantine glass mosaic tile, are very special opaque glass tiles. According to Wikipedia: Smalti is made by mixing molten glass with metal oxides for color; the result is a cloudy mixture that is poured into flat slabs that are cooled and cut into individual pieces. The smalti mixture can also be topped with gold leaf, which makes beautiful and precious gold tiles! One of the best parts about this class, Orsoni’s is giving us access to what I call their candy store. The candy store has just about every colour imaginable and is a delight to visit!

Smalti is a very expensive tile to buy here in England and I found very hard to use. I hope to learn how to cut smalti efficiently with the hammer and hardy but I am still packing my hand cutters! I did one smalti mirror for our Florida house and Lynn made a fantastic aquarium project in smalti last year. For weeks now in preparation for this master class we have all been thinking about, planning and drawing our intended projects. What stress! Loretta was here yesterday afternoon to help Lynn finalize her project. I wish she was going with us! Thank god for art teachers! Last week, thanks to Holly I got my project of a London landscape onto paper. I hope it turns molte bene!

The Ides of April.

I learned something new this morning (see it is possible, Jeff!). Today is the Ides of April. I thought it only applied to March. Apparently in the Roman calendar it meant the approximate middle of the month. It is the 15th day in March, May, July and October but the 13th day in the remaining eight months. In case you haven’t caught up yet, the Roman calendar was replaced by the Julian Calendar in 46 BC. The last day of the Julian calendar was Thursday 4 October 1582 and this was followed by the first day of the Gregorian calendar, Friday 15 October 1582 . Not wanting to appear Roman Catholic or taking orders from them, the British Empire (including the eastern part of what is now the US) did not adopt the Gregorian calendar until 1752.What does ides mean? It comes from the latin word for half division. I always think of the term as a metaphor for impending doom thanks to Shakespeare. According to Will, the Ides of March is the date that Julius Caesar was assassinated on in 44 BC.

Today, no sense of impending doom! Lynn is arriving in London and some of the Woo Hoo’s are about to begin a mosaic adventure in Venice!

Yuri's Night

This evening is Yuri’s Night. Yuri Gagarin, a Russian, was the first human to go into space on April 12th, 1961. I wish I had known earlier and would have made plans to party! Yuri’s Night is a celebration of man’s (& women’s) exploration of space. Why not have a party? What an awesome achievement. Think of what we have done in the last 50 years! The contributions science has made to our daily life! I think we should raise a shot of Vodka (or two)and eat freeze dried food! I wonder what the official drink of space nerds is? Please don’t say Tang! Do you have the same mental image of nerds trying to party? Scary, huh? The Yuri Night website has an I tune Mix for such a party. I have never heard of half the songs. True Mathematics by Ladytron?

Surprisingly, I couldn’t find a London party but the Dumfries Astronomy Society seems to be hosting the only party in England. Too far too go for a drink! I think next year we will have to host our own party! The Yuri’s night website quoted the night “… is like the St Patrick’s Day or Cinco de Mayo for space”. I don’t know about that but Yuri's Night should send a strong message to the world that we need to get back out there to infinity and beyond!

42

Over recent months, there has been a lot of talk about "42" in our household. It has become the catchphrase for a project that Jeff is currently working on at the bank. The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and all the ensuing books, tv shows and audio books were great family favourites while the kids were growing up. I don't remember how we first stumbled onto Douglas Adams but I will never forget traveling cross country (USA) listening to the audio books with the girls.

And in case you are unfamilar with this bit of dialogue, I quote:

After seven and a half million years of pondering the question, Deep Thought provides the answer: “forty-two” The reaction: "Forty-two!" yelled Loonquawl. "Is that all you've got to show for seven and a half million years' work?" "I checked it very thoroughly," said the computer, "and that quite definitely is the answer. I think the problem, to be quite honest with you, is that you've never actually known what the question is." - Douglas Adams

Wouldn't it be really nice if life was so simple and we could really wrap it up into a single word and then understand it?

Winston Churchill Day

Today is Winston Churchill Day. In 1963, Winston Churchill, posthumously, became the very first person to become an honorary US citizen. Today we celebrate the day! (I guess we will drink and smoke cigars!) To become an honorary US citizen a law must be drafted and voted upon by the U.S. Senate. There have only been 6 people (two are a married couple who received it jointly) to be accorded this stature.

Raoul Wallenberg (1981)

William and Hannah Callowhill Penn (1984)

Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu (Mother Teresa) (1996)

Marquis de Lafayette (2002)

Carrie & the cheesecake!

Hi. In the archive section on my blog today I posted a picture of my late paternal grandparents. They are in my thoughts today because it is a Easter Sunday. Keep the chocolate - Easter dinner brings cheesecake to mind! I can't tell you how many times I have heard from people that their grandmother's cheesecake was the best, but my grandmother's was truly the greatest! It was no cream cheese version, it was the real thing - Italian- made with a crust and ricotta cheese. Yes, growing up we were one of those typical Italian-American families that had Sunday dinners that lasted for hours. We argued, avoided certain subjects (religion was a particular no-no!), laughed and ate entirely too much!

Today, the cheesecake moves on. Today will be the first time Carrie will make the cheesecake. I am anxious to see how it turns out. My grandparents are sadly gone but there is something satisfying in knowing that my daughter Carrie is making the cheesecake for this Easter dinner. She is a wonderful cook. I think she inherited some of those cooking genes from my grandmother. She is lucky that the women on her fathers side of the family are also legendery cooks! Even if the cheesecake doesn't turn out perfect (which I doubt!) I hope she will continue to make it until she perfects the recipe so that it is her own.

Teapot Dome

Teapot Dome scandal? Sound vaguely familiar? Do you remember from history class? While doing Today in History I had to search my memory banks for the details. Easily enough, I knew it was a scandal (duh! I can interpret titles!) and that Teapot Dome was a big rock and the scandal involved oil leases in the Western US. Oh yes, now I remember why it strikes a cord - Teapot Dome has come to represent the corruption of American politics. Isn’t it always about the oil? Finally I resorted to Wikipedia. I won’t bore you with the details but if you are interested I would suggest you visit the Wikipedia website. The Teapot Dome scandal was big news in the first part of the 20^th century for good reason. Teapot Dome was the first time political corruption had been exposed nationally. As a result of this scandal, President Harding’s administration has been remembered in history as one of the most corrupt up until the time of Richard Nixon. The fallout from the Teapot Dome Scandal? Albert Fall, a Republican from New Mexico, Harding’s Secretary of the Interior who caused the scandal was the first Cabinet official ever sent to prison. The Bureau of Investigation (later the FBI) who did a little wiretapping and breaking in and of their own (to the members of congress who were investigating the scandal) were undone. When the bureau's deeds were uncovered, reform ensued and J. Edgar Hoover became the new leader of the agency (a post he held for almost 50 years!)

Over the years we have become so accustomed to political scandal, we are no longer as shocked and morally outraged as we once were in the past. We have come to expect it? Now every new scandal gets the word “gate” attached to it thanks to Nixon. Who can forget the silly title of “Travelgate” under Bill Clinton? Was that a scandal or a controversy? Still, the larger question remains, will we ever have good government- free of scandal? Is it possible? Uninspired by this years crop of Presidential contenders and in the lead up to the 2008 presidential election I am pessimistic. Too bad!

Good Friday Baseball

Alright, I know it is Good Friday (commemorating the crucifixion and death of Jesus at Calvary). I will be taking the ham out of the freezer today for dinner on Sunday and am excited that Carrie & Dan will be here for dinner (and missing Beth!). But today my thoughts turn to Baseball. The weather is warm and sunny here in London. It is indeed spring and a perfect day to be at a baseball game. My baseball musings today are inspired by a legend. Today is Roberto Clemente Day. The Pittsburg Pirates retired his number (number 21!) on this date in 1973 and there is also currently a campaign underway to have all major league teams retire Clemente's number. Supporters cite an influence on baseball at least as strong as that of Jackie Robinson, whose number is also retired throughout MLB. Maybe it is a good idea. A reminder to professional ballplayers and the rest of humanity to be good citizens of the world! I most certainly remember him as a great player but more importantly I remember him as the best of men.

Roberto Clemente was born on 18 August 1934 in Puerto Rico. He was a right fielder and right-handed batter who played 18 seasons with the Pittsburg Pirates. Clemente made his debut in 1955 against the Brooklyn Dodges. He won the MLB Most Valuable Player Award in 1966 and won Golden Glove Award 12 times! 12 Times!

Elected to the Baseball Hall on Fame posthumously in 1973 as the first Hispanic American to be selected, he was the only exception to the mandatory five-year post-retirement waiting period since it was instituted in 1954. I think he is still the only player to have ever scored a walk off inside the park grand slam. What an amazing feat! In case you are unfamiliar with the term it means a home run that immediately ends a game! After the run is scored, the players can "walk off" the field. The game is finished! In order for this to happen, a member of the home team must hit a home run in the bottom of the last inning to either come from behind or break a tie. Clemente had one of the most powerful throwing arms in baseball history. Vince Scully a baseball commentator once claimed, "Clemente could field the ball in New York and throw out a guy in Pennsylvania."

The real reason I mention Roberto today, is to recall his humanitarianism. It somehow seems appropriate on Good Friday. He helped many people in Puerto Rico and other Latin American countries, often delivering supplies and food to them. I loved that he brought baseball supplies to children! He died in a plane crash on 31 December 1972 while taking aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.

"Since 1971, Major League Baseball has annually presented an award that recognizes the player who best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individuals contribution to his team. In 1972 the award, formerly know as the Commissioner's Award, was renamed to honor Roberto Clemente who tragically died in a plane crash while delivering much needed supplies to earthquake victims of Nicaragua. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the award." - MLB Commissioner Allan H. Selig (2002).

I thought I would also mention to the non NY Mets fans in my family, the 2006 winner of this award was Carlos Delgado of the NY Mets! Won more time by Mets than Yankees! But on such a nice day, let’s all go out and be great human beings!

Maundy Thursday

Today is Maundy Thursday, a christian holy day before Easter that commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles. On this day four events are commemorated: the washing of the Disciples' feet by Jesus Christ, the institution of the Mystery of the Holy Eucharist at the Last Supper, the agony of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, and the betrayal of Christ by Judas.

The word English word Maundy is derived from the Latin mandatum, the first word of the phrase "Mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos" (A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another as I have loved you), the statement by Jesus in the Gospel of John (13:34) by which Jesus explained to the Apostles the significance of his action of washing their feet.

The Maundy Thursday celebrations here England involve the queen offering "alms" to deserving senior citizens (one man and one woman for each year of the sovereign's age). These coins, known as Maundy money, are distributed in red and white purses. This dates back to King Edward I. The red purse contains regular currency and is given in place of food and clothing. The white purse contains currency in the amount of one penny for each year of the Sovereign's age.

Growing up with rockets

While looking at the history events for April 4, I sadly recalled the assassination of Rev. Martin Luther King. Today, what I was surprised to learn about April 4, 1968 was the launch of Apollo 6, an event overshadowed by the murder of Dr. King. In case you don't remember; Apollo 6 was NASA's second and last unmanned test flight of its Saturn V launch vehicle (Jeff's favourite rocket!). I guess in terms of the overall space program it was probably not a very glamorous or exciting mission in the public's eye. With the events of the day focused on the tragedy in Memphis, I suspect no one was really paying attention anyway. I don't remember the launch at all but I remember being glued to the TV for news about the assassination. I wonder if anyone reported the launch? As a child (and into my teens) i never missed a NASA event. TV's in my classrooms were turned on when anything connected to the space race was occurring. Jules Bergman was our man! Deeply involved in the space program, Grumman Aerospace was located near my home on Long Island and was a source of local pride. Many of my classmates had parents who worked there and the space program was huge part of the local economy. I wish history had been different that day. It would have been nicer if Dr. King was still with us and Apollo 6 was the main story of the day!

John Hanson

OK, few people have ever heard of John Hanson. Certain historians proclaim him to be the first President of the US. Technically, he was not. In fact, he wasn't even the first President under the Articles of Confederation. The US Presidency really did come into being until the constitution was formally adopted in 1787 and besides there were other presidents of the Continental Congress so what’s the big deal? Poor Hanson, he is one of the long forgotten players on the American political stage during the American Revolution (or rebellion as it is sometimes known here in England!). He receives no recognition these days as anything not even an unsung hero.

His story is thus: John Hanson was born near Port Tobacco in Charles County, MD. and was the third generation of his family in Maryland. Hanson was first elected to represent Charles County in the Colonial Assembly in 1757. He was as an outspoken supporter of revolution. In December of 1779, the Maryland House of Delegates named John Hanson as one of its delegates to the Continental Congress. While Hanson was in Congress, the Articles of Confederation were at last ratified by all the states on March 1, 1781. Even after the adoption of the Articles of Confederation, there was no executive branch. Therefore the President of the Continental Congress was a position similar to a Prime Minister,the highest authority. Under the Articles, the position adopted the title President of the United States in Congress Assembled. Hanson was the first presiding officer of the Congress to use that title when dealing with foreign governments, diplomats, or treaties. Among the accomplishments of Hanson's presidency of Congress: delivered the official thanks of Congress to George Washington for his victory at Yorktown, Commended General Lafayette and thanked France for his services, passed legislation for the Bank of North America (the first central bank), established the United States Mint, established the predecessor agency of the State Department, created the position of Chairman of Congress (a predecessor of the Vice-Presidency), called for the first national census and proclaimed the first national Thanksgiving holiday! Not bad for a day’s work! Hanson died on 22 November 1783 in Maryland.

Today here's to John Hanson! I hope that there is a statue of him somewhere in Maryland to commemorate his life and contribution to formation of the USA!

Passover 2007

Tonight I am invited to David & Holly’s to celebrate Passover. I feel very honoured to share this night with them. Passover is one of those events that brings my family to mind. Many members of my protestant and catholic family shared Jewish holidays with my mother’s brother Austin and his wife Rhona. As I look back on it, my grandparents, aunts and uncles did us all a favour by sharing nights like tonight. Their actions brought an awareness that there was world beyond our home and it was made up of all sorts of people. I learned that there was a lot out there in world to learn and experience (could explain why everyone in my family has the travel bug!). Growing up in NYC, was an education in itself, we experienced not only Catholic and Jewish Holidays but many other ethnic celebrations. I will never forget how we were always Irish on St. Patricks Day too.

The New Inn

We had a fun Saturday night with friends at the New Inn. George and Friends were once again making us forget our troubles at my favourite pub in SJW. After a thought provoking and somewhat depressing afternoon at the theatre it was great to be with good people listening to music, sharing drinks, stories and thanks to Cheryl other things ! One of these nights John is going to get up and sing for us - we know he can do it! I was sorry to leave the place at closing time!