Cherry Blossom Madness

It is probably one of the busiest weekends of the year. And also the worst time to go anywhere near the Tidal Basin. The cherry blossoms aren't even out yet, but that does not stop the hoards of visitors from seeing something that isn't even there yet. So we joined the madness this afternoon. But because it was still quite windy, we decided to drive our out of town guests rather than walk. I'm so glad we did. The view was much more enjoyable from the warm car, my husband got to see as much as we did because we were essentially in a parking lot, and we observed that most people were freezing their faces off because they came totally unprepared. That, by the way, doesn't seem to be all that unusual around here, but a source of humor nonetheless. We have out of town guests coming again this weekend. I think I'll just show them the pictures we took today. Or, as a friend of mine suggested, it's really a good idea to view the blossoms at dawn. You can understand why.

Hirshhorn and Sackler Rooms With A View

We have some out of town visitors this weekend and it is always challenging to plan what to see and do. Invariably it generally turns out well for whatever reason. Obviously the only thing anyone is talking about is the cherry blossoms. Before we venture out along the Tidal Basin tomorrow, we thought a walk to the Hirshhorn and Sackler Gallery would be fun. The peculiar thing about it is that I found the view from the windows more interesting than the art and Cyrus Cylinder inside either place. The architectural elements, perfectly clear crisp blue sky and brilliant sunshine casting shadows in just the right places made for exquisite scenes through mesh curtains and window frames. Yes, the magnolias in full bloom in front of the Smithsonian Castle were simply magnificent. But the impact of Mother Nature against the buildings and man made elements were just more appealing.

Good Luck Getting Out of This

I haven't seen the parking ticketers around lately. I'm not sure if this warrants a ticket, but I'm sure the guy in the middle would like to hear an explanation. We were scratching our heads all evening trying to figure out who parked first. This is why we are hanging on to our 8 year old Subaru. In all likelihood, a new car getting dinged would be too hard to take. Parking on the street is a definite hazard, but this is ridiculous! I miss my two car garage.

Happy Third Birthday IPad

What has the IPad done for me? It has literally changed my life! Three years ago I got my first IPad. I just knew it was a gadget that made sense for people like me. One of the first apps I got was Sketchbook Pro. It reignited my interest on art - without the mess. Since then, I have written two children's books that were published by StoryChimes and are in the ITunes Store; with the help of a colleague created my own personal website; displayed art in The Library of Congress and the Clara Barton National Historic Site; have a "gallery" of dog and cat portraits at the Wagtime Too Shop on Capitol Hill across from the Old Navy Yard on M Street; opened an Etsy Shop and have had portraits commissioned from as far away as Australia; opened Zazzle and Fine Art America Shops; created 4 You Tube Videos; set up eight Pinterest Boards; created a Facebook "business" page; was a winner in The New Yorker 2012 Eustace Tilley contest; and use Twitter to communicate all the above. Aside from that, my 90 year old mom uses her IPad to read and send email messages, and my sister finally broke down and got one this year. I can't tell you how many friends have been influenced by my enthusiasm, and we take the devices along on every trip! My husband now religiously uses my first generation IPad, and I'm anxiously waiting for whatever the next evolution brings. I've ways loved gadgets, but this one takes the cake. Happy Birthday!

One Down, One To Go

No one I know likes going to the doctor. It is dizzying to hear the number of times my 90 year old mother and 93 year old father go for their assorted appointments. And they are relatively healthy. They depend on their neighbors and friends to take them, because we all live here and they live in Florida. At least the lab person comes to their house, saving those additional trips. Today we went for an eye appointment for my husband who needs the pressure checked regularly for glaucoma. He had a procedure a few months back to release the pressure, and once again it was slightly up, which necessitates another visit in a month. The worst part about any of it is getting there. To go about two or three miles to Washington Hospital Center, it takes forever. I've suggested that he make appointments later in the morning or my preferred "first appointment after lunch" so as to avoid rush hour traffic. This afternoon, he has another appointment for his annual check up. That office is in the neighborhood, but still unpleasant. Too many appointments for one day! I suppose we shouldn't complain, and have no right to. We both worked in health care for over sixty years if you combine both of our careers. It just reminds us how different it is to be on the other side of the fence. And neither one of us likes it. So what's the morale to all of this? One really needs to appreciate their health and never take it for granted, because you can't do much without it - even when you need to go to the doctor.

Out With the Wall Clocks

I don't know about you, but I have not worn a wrist watch for many years. We use our mobile devices to check the time. I always dreaded daylight savings in Milwaukee because we had so many clocks and electronic devices that required manual resetting. Since we moved to DC, we only need to change the appliances. The Library of Congress has - dare I say - hundreds of wall clocks scattered all over the three main buildings. So it made sense to finally rid ourselves of all the wall clocks  that are not considered public spaces. They were rarely adjusted for daylight savings anyway. So it was good to see the electricians make their way around the building to remove all the useless devices to be replaced by a simple cover. Wonder what else we can get rid of? What happens to all that junk?

Casey Stengel, Opening Day and the Dominican Republic

Not that opening day has anything to do with Casey Stengel, it just felt ironic that I received a message from a young photographer in England about an autographed baseball photograph. I have a gallery of six baseballs on my Fine Art America website that are signed by some of the most well known players around. All of the autographs are on just two baseballs. The names include Casey Stengel, Ken Boyer, Duke Snider, Lew Burdette, Ron Sievers, Stan Musial, Mickey Mantle, and Warren Spahn. Maybe the names just sound familiar to me because the baseballs belong to my brother. He and my Dad would go to the Spring Training events at Al Lang Field in St. Petersburg, Florida in the 1960's. Every Saturday afternoon a baseball game was on television in our house. My brother eventually was drafted by the Orioles out of high school. That was back in the of Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale. Opening Day reminds me of what baseball was and is to our family. I don't pay much attention to it anymore, but I did check the Nationals score this afternoon. I know my grandson would be thrilled to know they won. He missed the game this year because he is at a baseball camp in the Dominican Republic. Some things never change.