Moulin Rouge

In early 1962 I lived in Dreux, France. I was very young and all of my memories are pleasant, some associated with smells like the bread baking in the morning when the housekeeper would take me with her to market. The taste of  a Palmier which the baker would treat me to each time I went. Mustard on a ham sandwich and my beloved ballet. 

My parents would go on dates to Paris and one night they came home with a doll dressed in purple satin with rows of white ruffles, feathers, black boots and she was beautiful. They had gone to Moulin Rouge and the doll was a Can-Can dancer. I was smitten with her.

This doll is very similar to mine except mine has blonde hair.

A few years later I saw the 1952 John Huston film Moulin Rouge 


and my doll became more special to me. Saturday night I was hunting for a movie to watch when that same movie popped up. I watched it again and I still love it. 

My inspiration...Moulin Rouge.
Enjoy!

Cheeky William

While I was on adventure in Denver I had a day at the Denver Art Museum and was inspired by a few paintings. One of them was "Still Life With Telegraph" by William Harnett. 

  William Michael Harnett ca 1880

William was born in County Cork, Ireland and shortly after that his family immigrated to America and settled in Philadelphia. His first known painting is dated 1874.

What fascinated me with this painting was that the pipe was still hot. As though William had been smoking it just before he set it down. The ash still has red hot coals and there is smoke twirling upwards. Capturing movement in a still life is cheeky and I adore this painting.  He painted it in 1880 but it was not the first painting of a still smoking pipe.

This week enjoy Cheeky William. 

Women of This Land

I just returned from an adventure in Denver.

One of my escapades led me to the Denver Museum of Art for all things art.  Another to the American Museum of Western Art to search for one of my favorite painters of Native People. I was not disappointed. 

I am a fan of artist George Catlin. I know he is surrounded by controversy. Some believing he exploited and others saying he captured in his portraits a people and way of life that would soon be destroyed. 

George visited 48 tribes in 6 years leaving us with a look back.  While some of his portraits are detailed and show great care, 
                
                      Little Wolf by George Catlin

others appear clumsy and rough. 

                                   
                          Du-cór-re-a, Chief of the Tribe, and His Family by George Catlin

Perhaps some people sat with pride and patience and others were shy and elusive causing him to have to draw fast.

In honor of my solo adventure into the once Wild West I have chosen his portraits of women. 
Oó-je-en-á-he-a, Woman Who Lives in a Bear's Den  -  George Catlin,

This week enjoy Women of This Land. 

Tennis Smashed

I am not a tennis person. My parents did not play. I knew nobody in their circle who played. It was off my radar until my sophomore year of high school. It was part of the Athletic program and I had friends who played. Still it did not interest me. Since then I have had associates, acquaintances, and clients who have played.

One in particular Val. I dropped by her place the other day and she opened the door while glued to the Television. Strange for her as I rarely find her with it on. She was engrossed in Wimbledon. She loves it.

So, when I came across the heckler video from Wimbledon I was inspired.

It is believed that the game of tennis originated in France in the 12^th century and was first played without rackets being called jeu de paume. It was very popular with the nobility of France and in the 16^th became widespread throughout Europe.

The Tennis Party  -  - Sir John Lavery

This week enjoy Tennis Smashed. 

Man Holds Man

I was browsing through some art sites for inspiration for this week’s show when I came across an odd sight. A portrait of a man holding a statuette with his family. It seemed strange to me right now in the moment but I am sure it held great meaning for the man as well as his family. 

We have photographs we tote through life with us that will mean nothing to our great grandchildren’s great grandchildren. So I am curious about this sculpture. Who is the family, the sculpture, the subject of the sculpture?

It is a portrait of Arrigo Licinio and His Family painted by Bernardino Licinio.  Arrigo is Barnardino's brother and also a painter. The man holding the statue may be Giulio Licinio Arrigo's son. 

Bernardo also created a self-portrait in a workshop surrounded by his pupils holding sculptures. It is believed one of the young sculptors is Giulio Licinio his nephew. 

Mystery solved... maybe.

This week enjoy Man Holds Man. 

Oystermen and Women

My 3rd Great Grandfather John lists his occupation as an 
Oysterman in 1860. 

An Oysterman can be a person who sells, gathers and/or cultivates oysters. It can also be a type of boat specifically equipped to harvest oysters. His occupation in prior years says sailor. 

Oysters have been around since the dinosaurs and fortunately for Oystermen (and me) they did not go extinct like those huge beasts. 

One of my favorite photos is of my father shucking oysters with me. 

For your enjoyment here is a link to poem by Oliver Wendell Holmes titled Ballad of the Oysterman
  

Oliver Wendell Holmes (1809-1894) by E. T. Billings

Or as Hector Hugh Munro said 
"Oysters are more beautiful than any religion...There's nothing in Christianity or Buddhism that quite matches the sympathetic unselfishness of an oyster."


Hector Hugh Munro


This week enjoy Oystermen and Women

She is Quinceanera

This past weekend I worked a Quinceanera. 

It was exciting and the Quinceanera beautiful. 

Her Damas were lively and very pretty. 

I also worked her older sister's several years ago. There is one more daughter. I hope to see this one to her special day also. 

My daughter was a Dama in her friends Quinceanera. Which when I learned all about this loving, meaningful, beautiful tradition. 

This week enjoy She is Quinceanera. 

Maids in Repose

I arrived at Mother’s for our Monday night dinner. She started talking to me about how her regular maid was on vacation and she had a new maid for the day.

Mother lives in a retirement community and she has a maid. She has had a maid pretty much always except for when I was a teenager and she thought the training in household chores would be a good idea so her maid became me. I did not like nor approve of this training plan.

As mother was going through her mail and reading her paper and the Bible Study for her weekly study class she became very sleepy and so curled up on the couch and fell sound asleep. She awoke about an hour later as her new maid was just finishing the last touches on the kitchen. She started to apologize for waking her. Mother was taken aback at why she would apologize she had not heard her at all.  Mother was actually embarrassed she had been asleep.  What an awkward moment.

                                   The Sleeping Princess  - Sir Edward Burne-Jones

It inspired me to search for paintings of sleeping maids to counterbalance Mother’s embarrassment.

This week enjoy Maids in Repose. 

William Woodward

I was doing some Ghost Hunting Saturday afternoon when I came across Lodia Elmer Dutton my 2^nd Great Uncle, brother to my Great Great Grandmother.

                  

While Lodia is an odd name for a man, which is not what this is about. However the word Lodia loosely translates over to Ship in Russian and that is where we are headed.  

On the 21^st of February 1922 Lodia arrived at the Port of New Orleans on a ship called Atenas 

an American Steam Merchant ship built in Belfast in 1909. She was owned by the United Fruit SS Company in New York part of “The Great White Fleet”. Her normal route was New Orleans to Cristobal, Panama Canal.

In 1921 William Woodward was commissioned to paint a mural of one of the ships at the company headquarters in New Orleans. Woodward and his wife Louisa had been aboard the Atenas for a wonderful trip to Havana Cuba and he incorporated her into the mural for the building and into a painting as well.

                 

                      Old Havana Harbor Scene by William Woodward 

This week enjoy the works of WilliamWoodward. 

Lost Love

Several years ago on a warm May afternoon I was to be married. I was so very happy I had found love. Only he hadn't and he did not tell me this until two weeks before.
                              
                                       Frederick William Elwell - The wedding dress

At this same time my daddy became very ill. He had been ill for many weeks but it had become worse. He knew he was dying as did I. We had talked about it and made plans about it. He even wrote his obituary which my nephew was to insert into an email and send out to daddy's hundreds of contacts the day after he passed. He had an odd sense of humor few understood. He also realized that I had died at my breakup. I had wanted him to know I was taken care of so he could leave us without fear for me. That was not to happen and it killed me. 

                                            My daddy and me.

Dad being daddy asked me who was going on the honeymoon with me now. We laughed and he insisted I go. Alone. What dad?... So I could call it a Howl at the Moon instead? He thought that was brilliant and yes I should go and relax, heal, have fun, be brave. So I did. 

He passed 5 minutes after I told him good-bye over the phone and that I would see him again. It was a quiet flight home for me. 

In the space of three weeks I lost love. 
This week please enjoy Lost Love. 

Pesky Avocado

Driving down the road I heard the strangest news story about how Avocados are dangerous and people should be aware and be safe.

 What??!

                             

                                          Still Life with Avocados - Francisco Oller

I have been eating these creamy delicious things since about … Well since I came to Texas a long time ago (yes.. Texas was a state by then) and my Mother never injured herself, none of our guests who were fascinated and wanted to help make Guacamole were injured. I have not been attacked by one either.

As I listened what was happening was people were stabbing themselves, cutting themselves, and slicing tendons, muscles and chipping bones with knives while attempting to remove the pits.

 It has been suggested that warning labels should be applied to the skin of each and every avocado sold throughout the world. There are videos on how to remove the pit.

There are reports from a London Hospital that claim they have at least 4 patients a week come into emergency for what the staff now call “Avocado Hand”.

I have one word. Spoon.

This week I invite you to enjoy Pesky Avocado.

Balloon Dream

I have had Soar above Earth in a Hot Air Balloon on my "Bucket List" for many years and have just not ever had the chance to make it happen until my Sister-in-law suggested an event taking place locally called Balloona Palooza. 

The evening was magical.

We were allowed to get up close

and personal

with the balloons,

pilots and even volunteer as staff on a

balloon team. 

I would dream about escaping from school in a balloon, escaping from home and soaring to my Granny's house to live. Romantic adventures, daring escapes, floating for just joy have all danced in my head. 

Francois Laurent d'Arlandes and  Jean-Francois Pilatre de Rozier  had the first untethered, manned hot air balloon flight in Paris France on 21 November 1783. 

This week enjoy Balloon Dreams. 

Lady Hawking

This week I will give the Ladies fair treatment and we will see some Lady Hawking. 
                             

Long ago in a distant land where the upper class were seen very often with hawks on their hands and often even in church are the Ladies. 



14th Cent. Lady hunting with hawk

These birds were tethered to the hands of their Mistresses by a silk or leather cord. A favorite recreation of the Ladies was hawking and being seen with their hawks whether walking or riding. Sometimes they hunted in parties of mixed company but it was not uncommon for them to hunt with their hawks alone. 

Hawking season started in August with September and October being the best months to hunt. If a hawk has caused a bird to take to a bush or tree and it refuses to rouse from its perch a Lady may use her bow to take the prey. 


                   Albrecht Durer.lady holding a hawk

This week enjoy Lady Hawking. 

Birds and Their Men

                          

A friend posted up on Facebook about their wonderful evening at Medieval Times. I have been several times enjoying the show and wishing I could get back stage and meet the horses, knights, and the birds. You could say it was a "Bucket List" thing for me. My dad had taken me to see the Lipizzan Stallions
once upon a time and he somehow managed to arrange an introduction to one of the Paso Finos.

It was like touching magic. 

One day as I was out on an escapade I bumped into a man. He was intrigued by me and asked if I had ever been to Medieval Times. I confessed my bucket list. He asked me to attend as his guest the following Friday. Surprised, I said yes. He left my name at the door and as I watched the show there he was. In the arena, in Garb with a huge bird perched on his arm, staring up at me. I waved, he smiled and both him and the bird entertained the crowd. After the show he asked if I would like to go meet some of the knights and horses. YES!!!!

The horses were beautiful. The knights were.... have you ever seen the locker room interviews after a football game? It was like that only sexier. Last he introduced me to his bird. As we were chatting he told me he had more at his home and invited me to dinner the following week to see them all. 
                           
                               Falconer - Spanish (unknown)

This gorgeous man with long flowing hair and looked like he had stepped off the cover of a Romance novel had all kinds of birds of prey in his home. They were trained and used not only for the show but also actively hunted with. 

Thanks to my friends trip to Medieval Times I was inspired by my own experience. 
This week enjoy Birds and Their Men.

Crown of Blackberries

I had a few blackberries sitting in my fridge that were demanding my attention. I pondered about  what to do with them when I came across an ad from IHOP and I was suddenly craving pancakes. I put them in a pot and muddled them up with sugar, butter, vanilla and a touch of bourbon. Reduced them down and poured them on some homemade buttermilk pancakes. Not only were they delicious to eat but my house smelled incredible for hours. 

           

I love Blackberries. They are comfort food and take me back to long warm summers at my Granny Ina's  house in the back of nowhere West Virginia. Her house was off of a dirt road by a creek and she had chickens. 

                               
                    Country road in Preston County, West Virginia by Grayspace Imigery

She traded eggs for cream and milk with a lady who had a dairy cow who lived a a mile down the road and she was known to make homemade wine from Grapes she grew. 

Legend tells that Blackberries were not so dark in color before the death of Christ. They became that way because of how they were used on Him. You see, the Crown of Thorns that was shoved on to His head were blackberry brambles and the dozens of pricks to His head and face were the result of the tiny sharp thorns of the plant.     
                                                        William C.D. Glaser

When this happened the berries started weeping a deep royal purple/red in honor of the His blood that they had shed. That is how they came to be the color they are. 

This week enjoy Crown of Blackberries. 

Asenath

One April morning in 1732 a little girl was born and her parents named her Asenath. I have never seen this name and found it very unique. I was gifted with an unusual name as well so I took an interest in this distant cousin of mine. Where did the name come from? 

Asenath makes an appearance in the Bible in the book of Genesis. She is Egyptian, the daughter of a pagan priest and  is gifted to Joseph to become his wife by the Pharaoh.  

Whispers surround her story.... tales of Joseph rejecting her because she was Pagan.  Her locking herself in a tower and begging Joseph's GOD to accept her. An Angel coming to her bearing bees which are placed on her lips and she she is stung to remove the false prayers that have spoiled her mouth. Joseph accepts her and they marry ruling Egypt for 48 years. 

Her story is very small but she plays a very important role in the story of Israel. 

This week meet Asenath.

Bonnets of Blue

Springtime in Texas brings Bluebonnets. Millions of them all across the state. On I 35, FM 3009, RM 2627 and in fields, pastures, and gardens everywhere. It is the state flower and any one of the 5 species found in Texas count as the state flower.

People will stop on the side of the road grab their kids,

wives, pets 


and cameras and take family photos, wedding photos, 

engagement photos, baby photos all kinds of photos in clumps and clusters of these beautiful blue flowers.

They were called Bluebonnets because the shape of the blossom 
  resembles the huge bonnets

worn by pioneer women to keep the sun out of their faces.

So this week I am going to show you Bonnets of Blue.
Enjoy!