The Age of Washington, Summer Seminar: Part 1

As much as I have enjoyed the recent week, by far, I enjoyed getting back to the Southwest. No, we have more brown soil and dry air here than back east. I had a bloody nose the 1st night back, as is usually the case. Why the photo then of a hot dog stand in Albuquerque? It reminds me of happy times: my son, when he was young, even a teen, and I loved to go to this place to eat. My wife and daughters opted for a place nearby, but this was the place we two liked. I miss that little boy. All 3 of my kids grew up way too fast.

For a second time I applied for, and was awarded, a type of mini-fellowship, this time at a fine Eastern university, Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Noted historian Gordon S. Wood from Brown, and M.I.T. professor Pauline Maier as guest professor, were very, very good. 2 years ago in Philadelphia (see past posts in this blog history) Carol Berkin taught. I sat in these lecture halls, noted libraries of ancient texts and documents, getting to handle some of them, reading actual letters written by Revolutionary War, Declaration of Independence, and Constitutional leaders, on the campuses of eastern U.S. Ivy League schools, and I find myself very fortunate. For the past decade I've seen these historians on PBS "American Experience" episodes, History Channel documentaries, etc., and so getting to sit less than 10 feet from these aging historians of reknown, as one of 30 participants, mostly college professors and high school teachers, is a thrill for me. To better understand the extreme disharmony between Jefferson and Hamilton, and then to wonder how President Washington managed to get done all that he did in those first two Presidential terms.....it's all very interesting to me. If you've not done so already, the documentary to see is the very recent PBS American Experience presentation: "Alexander Hamilton". It was a time of dirty, nasty politics. Most libraries have a copy. Irish actor Brian O'Bryan portrays Hamilton. I saw him in New York City in the recent past in the lead of the Broadway play "Doubt" prior to his filming this. He was nominated for a Tony Award for that. He does equally well in his portrayal of Alexander Hamilton in this piece of historical work.

As far as Providence itself goes, there are some wonderful things I love about this city. Like all eastern cities, Au Bon Pain bakeries can be found, so too, lots of Ben and Jerry Ice Cream Shoppes. I can't eat there like I once could, but it's fun to be back and have at least a taste. If I had known about it as a youth, I think I would very much like to have attended the Rhode Island School of Design. Illustrator Chris Van Allsburg did his undergraduate work there. I simply did not know anyone with a degree in design, much less that such a degree even existed. The same can be said of Landscape Architecture and Design. I think I might have been very good at it, but I never knew it existed. But I do love fine, landscaped spaces. As such, I'm fond of Providence's River Walkways and boardwalks where I ran daily, often on cobblestone, up to their State Capital where I ran up and down those 60 granite steps time and time again. "Waterfire" is a unique architectural revitalization aspect of downtown, where for over a mile, within the Providence River, are large wire baskets wherein wood is burned on selected nights, creating reflection of light in the night water. Google "Providence Waterfire" and then click "image" to see some of these night views. Some of these wire baskets have been altered to grow amazing floral displays in the summer. This Riverwalk area is a wonderful place to run. It's hot and humid there, but I feel good while running within their city, up and down steep hills.
Be well, do good...

18th Century Architecture: Rhode Island, part 2

In the last 7 years I've been to Rhode Island 4 times. I really like the place. Perhaps it reverts to a research project I did as a 5th grader. I leaned much then about Roger Williams, Nathaniel Greene, and how "Hope" was/is central to these people.
Near Brown University, high on that hill that looks below on Providence, are amazing old homes, restored. Built between the 1750's and 1820's, these Pre and Post Federalist Era homes are amazing. I'm always intrigued, when I'm in New England, how Revolutionary War era American flags are flown at the entry doors of these homes. Whether it be Annapolis, Maryland; anywhere in Massachusetts, but especially the Beacon's Hill area of Boston; Vermont and New Hampshire; or even little Rhode Island, one walks back in time at these places. The time of Washington, Jefferson, Hamiliton, Adams, and aging Franklin. Slave trader John Brown's home in Providence, was noted by visiting John Adams: "...The finest home in all of America." I toured it twice on this trip. I found the woodwork to be it's most amazing feature.
Be well, do good...

Refurbished & Functional, Brown University part 3

At about age 22 I kicked around the idea of becoming an architect. My lack of confidence in mathematics, coupled with my local college not offering any architecture classes, combined to deter me from that. I became a teacher instead. And, I'm okay with that. A friend my age from California actually got his architectural degree, didn't like the field, so went into teaching as well.

Still, I have an interest in architecture. To wit, the building where our lectures were held at Brown University this past week, was at one time, a gymnasium. Rather than demolish it, wealthy donors paid for it's being remodeled into a functional lecture hall with smaller classrooms supported by steel stilts in the upper parts of the old gym. The architects utilized the same design for any wooden parts, as seen in the rafters, as well as replicating the wooden floors of a basketball court in the commons foyer. I really like how respect for the past was incorporated into the modernized functional use of a fine old Ivy League brick building. This more that speaks to the old adage: "fix it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without." It honors the past. That resonates with me.
Be well, do good...

July 4th on the Riverwalk

I've long enjoyed good symphonic music and fireworks on the 4th of July. This year my wife and I went to nearby Pueblo, and there enjoyed pre-concert western/bluegrass music of Overton Road (including a supportive fan, albeit somewhat drunk, that danced to their music much to the enjoyment of the crowd). The Pueblo Symphony then took the stage. Taking the stage via a smooth floating gondola, appeared guest Broadway stars Jan Horvath and Sal Viviano. They stepped out of the boat, up to the symphony, and began singing, they were really good. Viviano, a versatile baritone, sings songs of Sinatra in much the same velvet-like voice. If you like music of Sinatra and that era, google Sal Viviano to listen on his web site.

We enjoyed the fireworks. Nothing compared to New Years Eve at Disney, nor Delaware's Longwood Gardens with massive light-colored water fountains dancing with music by the Philadelphia Philharmonic and fireworks above, nor Macy's Fireworks Show on the Hudson or East Rivers backdropped by the Empire State Building lit in red, white, and blue,... still, being so close, it's an amazing fireworks show in it's own right because of proximity: colors rain down on the crowd while fading. The Riverwalk, of course, is one of our favorite places. We found a new self-serve yogurt place nearby that we'll return to again and again. Good Times....Good memories.
Be well, do good...

Yo Yo Ma, up close

While I don't much care for the affluence of all-white Vail,(I never see people of color there, but rather, wine drinking, men with slicked-back hair, in their polo shirts, with their wives that expose far too much sunburned, wrinkled cleavage below gaudy gold necklaces), I appreciate being able to attend concerts there. For a hundred bucks I could maybe get a ticket at Carnegie Hall to see Yo Yo Ma, they sale out fast, but it would be far, far from the stage. For the same $100, I was seated 45 feet from him, could see and hear perfectly. He began with "Gabriel's Oboe" from the DeNiro movie "The Mission", one of my favorite pieces, and continued with other fine music. He is a consummate performer. For example, the wind came up, blowing his music off his stand. He had his stuff memorized so well that he merely played until he had a break, then leaned over and picked up his music and replaced it. Also, his cello's end pin slipped 2 or 3 times on the stage. When that happens to me I panic. But he merely re-adjusted his cello, while playing, as if nothing had happened. He plays so vigorously that the horse-hair on his bows often was seen floating in space, back and forth as he bowed. Again, when he had a break, the pianist only playing, he quickly grabbed the loose hair(s), wrapped his fist around it, jerked/broke it off.
He's a couple of years older than me, and so I'm encouraged by the pace he keeps. I like his fun sense of humor. His two encores were graciously done after an already difficult concert repertoire, the very one he'll be doing at Carnegie this fall with Kathleen Stotter, his British pianist/collaborator, who is equally gifted.
I'm glad I had a chance to see him perform live in concert. I like New York City, have been there several times, and would have returned to see him at Carnegie, on the same stage where my son performed a couple of years ago, but I preferred this outdoor venue. He has a great web site, merely google Yo Yo Ma to learn more.
Be well, do good...

Danish Hygge

I remember this time of year in Denmark, evening walks by homes in St.(pronounced "store") Magleby near Dragor, both on the island of Amager, on the Baltic coast. (Dragor is an amazingly wonderful little fishing village, a story in itself for another time!) Sweden was in sight. The sun didn't begin to set until 10 p.m. Inside homes, or in the small summer glass enclosed patios, one could see people having pleasant conversation, eating and drinking beer, Carlsberg most likely. I was invited into one such home while walking. No television blaring. Plenty of good cheese out. Bustling Copenhagen is just a bike ride away, Amager being an Island only because of a small river/canal that separates it from mainland Copenhagen, but actually, it's a suburb of this old world city. The Danes have a term for these relaxed evenings with good food and good conversation: Hygge (pronounced Who ga lee) The best English translation is, "So Much More Than Mere Cozy". My wife and kids have come to tease me as I've replicated this here in our home. Evening candles, soft music, conversation. But American's are too uptight, too on the go. I've gotten away from Danish Hygge because our lifestyle is too hectic. Until recently......

My doctor put me on the South Beach Diet. Not because I need to drop pounds, although that has happened, but rather, to gain control of my increased Triclycerides and blood sugar. I'm a runner, and so this low carb, (very low carb) diet is messing up my training. But it's forcing me to look at the food I eat, how I prepare it, and consequently, how I now enjoy it. My summer strings instruments quartet group gets together once a month at someone's home for a meal and to practice. Joy Plesner, retired first chair viola Houston Symphony, hosted: boiled red cabbage (yum, a Danish thing), green salad with strawberries and raw almonds, baked ham (with a small bit of sweet raisin sauce), and because I don't eat desserts anymore, a real treat was a small slice of chocolate roll. Prior to the Low Carb news I would have snarfed it down, taking this for granted. Not now. This was a great evening of "hygge"

I find I cook more than in the past. And while I tried and tired of cauliflower (smashed to substitute mashed potatoes, yuck), I'm getting use to a diet of mostly protein now. I cut meat & veggies into smaller pieces, eating slower and enjoying the taste. Smaller portions forces me to slow down and actually taste my food. Anew. My son and I were in the city getting him an apartment for the upcoming college year, we had lunch for my birthday at "The Cheesecake Factory", where to my surprise, they offered a nice low-carb meal or two on the menu, (including a fabulous low-carb cheesecake, complete with singing waiters, thanks bud, it was fun!)

Rice vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon pepper......replace salt. Lots of eggs and cheeses. (The Dane in me loves this.) Cooking and doing dishes replace fast food. Grilling replaces frying. Not that I've eaten a lot of fast food hamburgers and Sees Candy in the past few years, I've actually been pretty good about giving up sugars. But not good enough apparently. And well, I could go thru a pint of Rocky Road or Black Walnut Ice Cream in nothing flat. 4 or 5 cookies with a glass of 2% milk at night, no big deal, I'll run it off tomorrow. I thought.

I noticed while in Denmark that they use a variety of color to add "Hygge" to their meals: fine napkins, candles, kind of a "finer things club" going on. And so I've begun doing this again. Because of family schedule is so busy and hectic, I often eat alone, especially lunch. Rather than gulp down an iced Slim Fast, I now prepare and enjoy a balance meal of protein and veggies. I eat out on the patio. I taste what I've taken time to cook and prepare. It's a hygge thing. And I like it. I highly recommend it, minus the Carlsberg.

p.s. Have ya followed the Danish Soccer Team at the 2010 World Cup? Go Danes!
Be well, do good...

At last......Summer

Springtime is always windy here, that's a given. To the east, the Sangre de Christo mountains show, in snow, what the old timers called "The Pigeon". "We'll have wind as long as you can make out the pigeon", they said. Actually, snow in a canyon gives the illusion of a pigeon's profile. Whether it's a cause & effect thing, or merely a coincidence, I don't know. But they're right: we still have wind, and will continue to do so until July, by the looks of "the pigeon".

I'm completing an interesting book about Captain James Cook. I've gotten use to having notes and primary source information; this current book has none. So I don't know whether the information is factual, or if the author is just a really great storyteller. But I've come to admire Cook. Like John Adams, Frank Lloyd Wright, and several other famous men, he was ambitious, making a name for himself. But as far as being a success as father and husband, -- not so much. Not that I have any room to judge, I've made my share of mistakes, and then some, in the father/husband area. But I'm merely interested in how their/his ambition, ego, and fame seem to take priority over relationships. They missed the boat, or so it seems to me.

Having said that, I have 2 required reads for an upcoming Summer Research Fellowship I'll be doing on the Era of George Washington at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. These books illustrate anew the unique character of Washington. Of all the founders, I still maintain he was the greatest. I look forward to this research and learning opportunity next month. Soon after, I'll be sailing on The Mary Day Schooner, a wonderful two-mast sailing ship harbored in Camden, Maine. I've wanted to sail for some time, so am taking advantage of a week long "Wooden Boat Sailing School" tour where I'll be an abled seaman. We're to have 4 different responsibilities on a rotation basis: 4 hours watch on/ 8 hour off. Obviously there is no engine, so the winds will determine our exact location, but the Atlantic Coast of northern Maine will be "home" for a while, which is fine: I love New England. For the last 20 years I've had some sort of feeling that I have a link to the sea: past life as a sailor? Ha. I don't know, but I'm really looking forward to this.

We have had wonderful Memorial Day Weekend ushering in this warmer summer. It's good to work in the yard, build a new fence, take advanced level classes, do some traveling, read and write, train for upcoming races, be a part of a small string quartet until the regular symphony season starts next fall, draw and make frames for my drawings (I'm planning a small art show this fall), before the regular school year resumes in about 10 short weeks from now. But unquestionably, having our granddaughter in our home for her first time, has by far, been the best part of the spring and/or summer. She's a light in our lives.
Be well, do good...