The Summer Art of Robert Duncan

Fortunate Beyond Words...& then Palmyra/Niagara Falls

As I type I'm watching a program that chronicles the lives of a couple that have, over the years and as a result of watching/responding to a CBS News broadcast in 1975 regarding the fall of Saigon, adopted 21 children. Part of the program also deals with a man that has developed technology that helps severely physically/mentally challenged people. And so my planned post to discuss feelings and show photographs of a recent trip to the Finger Lakes region of western New York state, seems seemingly mundane. Suffice it to say, I'm most appreciative for the many things I take for granted.

Spring Break 2011. Empty nesters. We flew to Buffalo, New York. Had a great experience attending LDS sunday services, meet a wonderful stake president that had his priorities together. Pres. Dayton lost his wife Kathy to cancer 7 years ago. But he's rooted and grounded and spoke of trials and agency as a way to help us "...develop the attributes of God." Good man. An older man there also shared the opposite of agency: his memories as a child in Siberia under the regime of Stalin. "I was a little boy and my mother and I were told to shop on Tuesdays. We were told how much we could buy, beans, wheat, milk, and how much we could not buy." Whew.

In 5th grade I learned about the Erie Canal, I've been so interested. So seeing it, running along it actually on an afternoon run, stopping and looking at the old locks, the new locks, etc., was of interest. This in "The Queen of Canal Towns: Palmyra" But there was a dark feeling there, one of "canal rats", profanity and meanness, that I didn't expect. And while the town of Palmyra itself did nothing for me, I did love the Grandin Building, a 3 story remodeled and restored printing shop and bookstore. I gained great respect for the young owner and printer E.B. Grandin and is business savvy wife. Here the Book of Mormon was printed. Great place in it's bright yellow interior paint and red brick exterior. Yeah, a very good place.

South of little Palmyra lies the farm of father Joseph Smith Sr. and his spirited little wife, Lucy Mack Smith. Here, the Sacred Grove is found. Here the little log cabin where Moroni appeared if found. Here, the larger Smith Home, orchard, coppers shed, and thrashing barn are located, as well as an original Black Elm (or black locust) tree planted at the time of the death of 24 year old son/brother Alvin Smith. We later found in Palmyra his grave. I certainly feel a feeling of love and respect for Alvin now. And I admire the work ethic of this family. On the floors of the Smith home are what appear to be rugs, but in fact are replicas of "painted oil cloths" Lucy Mack hand painted. These table coverings were painted by her and sold for supplemental income. I've seen countless kitchens from this era in homes in Nauvoo, Kirtland, etc., but I was warmed by the replicated dried herb "spice rack" in that home.

I took a daily run for an hour up and down and around and around The Hill Cumorah 2+ miles south of the Smith Farm and the Sacred Grove. A new appreciation for Joseph was gained. It's a HUGE distance in forested hills, where he ran from evil men. We drove to Fayette, New York and saw the Peter Whitmer Sr. farm, toured the replica cabin where The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Church was restored/founded. It was an unseasonably cold, windy day. But inside, the chapel and visitors center were warm (exterior and interior completely white) and in the little cabin...an amazing feeling of peace.

I've gained a new respect for not only the Whitmers, including Mary,the mother, sometimes referred to as "the 4th Witness", but also of Martin Harris. We found his farm site, and understood for the 1st time why when everyone back in the day held a 100 acre farm, but Harris has a 200 acre farm: 100 acres were mortgaged to pay Grandin's cost for $3,000 for the publication of the Book of Mormon.

And so when after we attended a night session at the Palmyra Temple and then drove back to Buffalo for our flight the next day, we were surprised that we felt saddened to leave the area. Our "home" was a wonderful place: The Palmyra Inn. I brought back flat glacieral split flat rocks and green growth material from The Sacred Grove. But mostly I brought back a memory of a place hollow and sacred.

Niagara Falls and the Buffalo Botanical Gardens (designed by one of my favorite landscape designers Fredrick Omstead, designer of Central Park in NYC) were fun to see, yes, but the highlight was the area south of Palmyra. Nauvoo, Illinois and Winter Quarters (Omaha area) remain my favorite Church historical sites. I've seen tons of them: Vermont's birthplaces of both Joseph and Brigham, Independence (Kansas City) and other Missouri sites (Hauns Mill, Adam-Ondi-Ahman, Gallatin, Liberty Jail, RLDS - Community of Christ temple and tabernacle replica, Temple Lot); Nauvoo, Illinois, Kirtland & Hiram, Ohio, etc. But I'm really glad we went on this trip, it was great being with my wife. We gained a huge understanding for geographic distances. We understand now things like distances from Palmyra to/from Harmony, Penn. And so the story of Martin Harris and the lost 116 transcript pages takes on new meaning for us.
Be well. Do good.

Alison Balsom 12/8 Letterman (TheAudioPerv.com)

I played trumpet when I was young, mostly so I could go on trips. But our oldest child and daughter, really took to the trumpet with all her heart. Trumpeter Alison Balsom reminds me of this daughter. So when Leterman featured/highlighted the USA premiere of Alison, I knew those of you that read my blog and know me, would also enjoy...
Be Well. Do good.

Ring out the Old, Ring in the New...

Lord Alfred Tennyson's poetry, combined with Crawford Gate's music, make for a fine combination. "Ring Out Wild Bells" is a favorite personal hymn. I knew Gates when I was 20 and resided in Beloit, Wisconsin for a few months. He taught music at Beloit College. I like the way he's taken Tennyson's words, set them to his bitter-sweet melody, but then, in the very last part,...
"...Ring in the Christ, that is to be" he ends by resolving the discontenance with a harmonious sweet chord. It's very effective, and very nice.

There have been some years that I was just glad to see gone. As I get older, however, that happens less and less. I certainly feel a sense of peace living where I do on this quiet cul de sac. My back yard and home are places of refuge. I'm coming to understand that in the final analysis, yes, the kids leave home, make lives for themselves, leaving a man and a wife once again, alone. I'm blessed with a fine wife, whom I love. Note her beauty in this recent photo. She gets prettier & more lovely, inside and out, as time goes on. As much as I love my children and granddaughter (who is an absolute joy), and as much as I love being with them, it is Genia, in her company, that I feel most comfortable. She is the heart of our home and family.

I recently saw an interview, (PBS, Charlie Rose episode) with the dean of Harvard's Business School, Clayton Christensen (a fine Danish name). Although only 6 years older than me, he's recently had a stroke as well as undergone treatment for cancer. Given time to think about things, he has recently written an article in the Wall Street Journal about measuring sticks. Said Clay Christensen, "...when I die and have my interview with God, I rather suspect he'll not be concerned with titles, CEO positions, etc., but rather, He will want to know what I did with the talents He gave me to serve and help individuals." Succinct. I like that. When society measures people by standards germane to position, title, economic status, and even within religious circles, people are sometimes ranked and valued by the erroneous measuring stick of what callings or positions they have held, I resonate towards the measuring stick Clay Christensen speaks of: "How have I used my various talents to serve and help individuals at the various points and times in my life?"

Recently, in Denver with our son and one of our daughters, we came across this amazing Courtyard by Marriott lobby with amazing Mardi-gra decor. I've included some of those photos, including their uniquely bright Christmas tree.

At home, our own white Danish Christmas tree with red and gold decor, has aged, it's now yellowed into a dull wheat color. So we retire it now. We'll go back to a tree with multicolored lights and the ornaments used when we had small kids at home. Bring back the old..

Although 8 hours ahead of us, I just watched our Danish Queen Margarethe give her annual New Years Eve address to fellow Danes, live online. I appreciate her optimism as well as the fact that everyone outside Amalaborg Castle, the Danes gathered there, look like me. Ha ha

And so, another year passes, Ring in the New....
Be well, do good.

Airships Ahoy

In the spirit of Jules Vern and Robert Louis Stevenson comes the fine novel for young adults titled AIRBORN. I've always liked learning about airships. The Nazi propaganda ship HINDENBURG became a movie with George C. Scott and Anne Bancroft. It's a favorite of mine. So too is the kid's picture book by the same title. After decades of absence, yet another airship sails now: over the San Francisco Bay and Golden Gate Bridge is the newest of these amazing floating airships & for $500 a person can take a one hour tour ride. www.airshipventures.com is the web address. (I'm too tight to pay that kind of money for a 1 hour ride, but I do enjoy looking at the website and photos from the Zeppelin.) I listened to AIRBORNE on CD while I traveled so much this month. "Full Cast Audio" presents it in full cast drama style, complete with sound effects, and well, literally, a full cast. It was a great 10.5 hours!
Be well, do good.

Land of Cool Sunshine

When artist Georgia O'Keefe left New York City and traveled west to paint because of the amazing light here, and when photographer Ansel Adams declared the light of the Southwest to be superior for photography, the area became a mecca for the artistic minded. These photographs of northern New Mexico illustrate the influence art has on the area. Temperatures are cold in the winter, and cool in the summer. Vegetation is typical of arid regions. And while I love the green forests of the Atlantic seaboard, the lush vegetation of the Pacific Northwest, the rolling green hills of the Midwest, and the landscaped gardens of Southern California, I find the vast openness and sunlight of the Southwest holds my appeal.
Be well, do good.....

San Fran Expo 1915

Every holiday season I make sure to take in interesting history workshops, conferences, or trips. The best ever? Colonial Williamsburg. Google that, then once on their site, in the search box type Christmas or Decorations. On the right hand side you'll see "Media". Treat yourself to slideshows and videos that are amazing.

But this year....
I've been intrigued with how after the 1906 earthquake and fires, San Fran was able to rebuild and then host this amazing World's Fair just 9 years later. The Palace of Fine Arts and it's Golden Gate Park area are what remain. Nearby Golden Gate Bridge and The Presidio Compound were interesting. But what I found most interesting was the role San Francisco took in the formation of various treaties being signed and the formation of the United Nations. Obviously the area is rich in Asian culture, so this too was of interest. While there, I took in cultural events: The Nutcracker at the War Memorial Building, and two night concerts at Davies Hall. The San Francisco Symphony is an equal favorite alongside New York's Philharmonic and Chicago's Symphonies. Not only did I attend the Nutcracker Ballet, but one of the concerts I attended in Davies hall was selections from the Nutcracker. It was interesting to learn that the strange keyboard instrument used in the Sugar Plum Fairy dance/music was new to Tch. But when he heard it in Paris, he knew he wanted to be the first to use it. So he did. He had it sent to Russia in a box labels "machinery" so that no one would discover it and use it before him. The "celeste", pronounced, "cellesta" is that instrument. Tch. died before his Nutcracker became popular. In his last years he believed it was a failed ballet. Ten years after his death it began to become extremely well-loved, world wide. Ironic.

I have read some fine books this fall. "Miniature Rooms" is a photography-accompanied-with-text book about the 68 miniature rooms at the Art Institute of Chicago. Two close up shots of each room and then a detailed summary give the reader an understanding of historical eras. Great book. Next, an interactive book about Dr. Watson, the sidekick of Sherlock Holmes, being accused of murder, titled: "The Crimes of Dr. Watson" was a fun book. Every other page contains a large envelope with clues (tickets to an event, unsigned post cards, small mail-order catalog, folded full-spread newspaper page, etc.) wherein the reader is to solve the crime. I wasn't able to do so. Yet. I'll try reading it again before I open the sealed "solution" envelope at the back of the book.

Dr. Pauline Maier of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston was a guest lecturer I enjoyed this summer, she spoke about her decade-long writing of her latest book, which in July had not yet gone to press, "Ratification". So, seeing her on Book TV on CSPAN 2 this fall, was a lot fun. She gave her t.v. address at the National Archives in DC, a place I often enjoy going when I'm in Washington. Like these other historians I've learned from, she is unassuming, has a quick wit, and is very well schooled in the specifics of this era. Getting the Constitution ratified was no small matter, and I look forward to reading this fine book.

Of the many places I've been during the Holiday Season, each is unique. LA (with it's Disney decorations and fireworks & the Rose Parade) and San Francisco offer warmer weather. NYC offers wonderful window scenes at Macy's, Barneys, Lord-n-Taylors, Saks 5th Avenue, etc. & Broadway shows. Salt Lake City has the most amazing lights and fabulous, free music as well as the best food anywhere. Philadelphia has great concerts. Milwaukee, Wisconsin has an amazing German influence. It's German food and culture are celebrated, as are all it's many ethic cultures annually at this time at a Cultural Fest held downtown. Great music, food, and ethnic dancing in costumes. But it is "The Domes" of Milwaukee's south side, 3 amazing glass domes, that is unique. One dome is "Arid/Desert" themed, another is "Tropical". But the 3rd one changes according to seasons: a mass of landscaping design and floral color unrivaled anywhere. What they do with summer flowers in the winter, especially the holidays, complete with a train that travels thru the various floral displays, is really very, very cool. Portland, Oregon has their amazing pine scent, year round really, and laid back people, it's just a fun place to be during the holidays. Albuquerque and Santa Fe have their amazing luminaries: candles in sand-bottom-filled paper bags.... on roof tops, on sidewalks, everywhere. Chicago has wonderful German foods & festivals and the Joffrey's presentation of The Nutcracker, 2nd to none, anywhere. Denver has great lights: City and County building downtown. But....

... back to Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia. It outdoes them all. What a great place any time of the year, but during the holidays.........amazing place. Everything and everywhere is decorated with greenery and colorful fruits, herbs & spices. Ornate wreaths and window boxes from common foods. The music is Colonial Era. Everything is candle lights. There's simply no place like it. Re-enactors in historical costume. It's stepping back into time. A time of refined graces, old world social etiquette, Virginia ham and hot spiced cider. A dust of snow may settle, but otherwise, the weather is temperate, day and most nights.

Home, however, near a warm stove and family, with our Danish Christmas decorations and tree ornaments from when the kids were small, remain my favorite. Instead of fighting crowds and traffic, which sometimes has to be done in order to experience and see much of what I mentioned above, I can relax with PBS, the Home & Garden Channel, the BYU Channel, old Christmas movies. I listen to The Carpenters on CD while drawing at my art table. Aromas waft of family and Danish recipes being baked. Sometimes we ski or go tubeing in the fresh snow of nearby mountains. We hear from family and friends.
And by the end of the holiday, seed catalogs begin arriving in the mail.
Be well, do good...