Pet Delights, Not Peeves

Steve Blow, from the Dallas Morning News, had an excellent Sunday column about what he called pet delights. Instead of pet peeves, which are easy to list, he has a list of the small joys in life. Things you take for granted, but are truly special. Just little moments or things.

 

It got me off the couch to take a picture of these flowers in our back garden. Admittedly August in Texas gets dry and crusty. However, these flowers appear in the morning. By the time we get home from work most days they are shut down. But on the weekends, when we are likely to be on the patio in the morning, Ray and I marvel at the colors and delicate loveliness.

 

Now that's a pet delight.

 

I'm also going to list the comic strip "Pearls Before Swine", brownies, Ray's sour cream enchiladas, the earnest expression of kids telling you something and you have no clue what they are saying, the opening notes of Boston's More Than a Feeling, the first view of Tara in Gone With the Wind, sitting on my dad's front porch (the home where I grew up), reading any book by Anne Tyler, getting mail that's not a bill or junk.

Oh  there's so much more.

 

What are your pet delights?

Book Review: Dead Wake by Erik Larson

It’s funny how you think you know something about history, but you find you really don’t. Erik Larson’s book Dead Wake brings to life the harrowing tale of the Lusitania, and its effect on America and World War I. This author is the master of narrative nonfiction, and his writing will keep you turning pages.  May 1, 1915, the Lusitania, the crown jewel of the Cunard Line, set sail from New York to Liverpool with close to 2000 people aboard, including a record number of women and children. Passengers were at ease despite the increased German U-boat attacks in the North Atlantic. America had stayed out of the World War after ten months with no inclination to join.  

Cover blurb – As U-20 and the Lusitania made their way toward Liverpool, an array of forces both grand and achingly small- hubris, a chance fog, a closely guarded secret, and more – all converged to produce one of the great disasters of history. 

We meet the real life passengers aboard ship and care about their lives. We meet the captain, William Thomas Turner, a knowledgeable seamen. And the U-boat captain Walther Schwieger, an aggressive fighter with no qualms about changing the game of war. Who would aim and shoot a torpedo at a boat carrying civilians? Why was the Lusitania not traveling at its highest rate of speed through dangerous war zone waters? What information was sent and how was the data interpreted? 

Dead Wake is a thriller, only it’s a true story. We see President Woodrow Wilson, a man in mourning, at the helm of a nation. And we see the convergence of disaster as U-20 glides underwater to blast the Lusitania. You will hold your breath and gasp at the frigid Atlantic temperature as you fight for your life reliving the anguish and fascinating story in Dead Wake.

 

Ice Cream Break

Texas kids went back to school Monday. That signals end of summer around here. Oh it's plenty hot enough to keep swimming, grilling, and dodging mosquitoes. However, it's more psychological.

Traffic has an urgency. My morning radio talk show (KISS FM 106.1) is less racy, geared more for their "mad moms in mini-vans" segment. Kohl's ads feature sweaters and jeans, not tank tops and flip flops. It's rather sad.

In a fight against end of summer doldrums, Ray and I enjoyed a treat at a new ice cream spot - Sub Zero. Workers fill your bowl with the cream mixture. You pick flavors and add-ins - I chose the mint chocolate chip extravaganza - and then it is  blasted  with liquid nitrogen. The cool mist adds pizzazz to the production and freezes your ice cream instantly. Several stirs later, you are ready to eat your confectionary delight.

Tasty on the tongue, it has a dense texture. If Sub Zero comes to your town, join the lines. Ice cream tastes like summer.

Kimbell Art Museum presents Botticelli to Braque

The Kimbell Art Museum is a gem. Their current big exhibit is Botticelli to Braque - Masterpieces from the National Galleries of Scotland. Fifty-five paintings span over five hundred years. You will enjoy the variety and the presentation.

Botticelli's Virgin Adoring the Sleeping Child (1490) gleams. Some of my favorites are a John Singer Sargent portrait, along with landscapes from Monet, Pissarro, and Cezanne. Other portraits from Rembrandt and Vermeer are breathtaking.

Take an hour and stroll around an art museum. Enrich your eyes.

Weekend Reflections

I don't write a lot of personal stuff. I give opinions on art and movies, but not much of real life. However, since I've whined a lot on the typical Texas summer heat, I shall report on an excellent Texas weekend.

First, last Wed eve the temp was high 90s. Then the "cool" front blew through and we awoke to 66 on Thursday morning. Say what??? That's insane. Folks at work were giddy. There was a pep in every step. The high Thursday was a refreshing 78..................!!!!!

Now Friday, things got back to normal with a high in the 90s, but the air was different. The breeze was not a hair dryer. It boded well for a Saturday family swim party. Oh we were prepared for heat stroke, but instead it was delightful.

The coolers were filled with refreshing beverages. I had snacks -watermelon and strawberries (healthy), and Chex mix, chips, dips, and cookies (tasty treats!). My cabana boy (Ray) had the pool in perfection state, the cabana was up, yard looked fine. We were ready for the gang.

Such a nice day. Not too hot, not cold. Pool was comfortable and the kids swam from 1 to 6 - only sunscreen breaks under protest.

I personally think it was one of the nicest family gatherings we've had. It's always pleasant but this one was very stress free and just flowed.

So, that's my share. I hope you folks had excellent weekends as well, as the summer starts to wane. Kids in TX start school Monday and then Labor Day looms. It all goes much too quickly.

cheers!

Amon Carter Museum presents Indigenous Beauty

The Amon Carter Museum of American Art (www.cartermuseum.org) is undergoing a huge reconstruction project. But don't let that stop you from entering the new side door and enjoying the exhibit - Indigenous Beauty - Masterworks of American Indian Art from the Diker Collection.

Fierce masks or small tools carved from whalebone - the variety and ingenuity of native people in using nature to make a life is on display. Colorful beadwork and detailed woven baskets are astounding.

I also wandered in to the photo gallery and perused the skills of Edward and Brett Weston. Both father and son expanded the world of black and white photography with gorgeous still lifes and views of nature.

It's easy to keep coming back to the Amon Carter, and I look forward to their "new look".

Modern Museum of Fort Worth - Framing Desire

I don't always go to The Modern (www.themodern.org) due to my art preferences. However, this exhibit Framing Desire - Photography and Video interested me and proved thought provoking.

The artists explore the premise of desire with three themes - Ages, Rooms, and Scapes. From the brochure "these updated takes on the traditional subjects of portraiture, architecture, and landscape make the well traversed themes seem more magnificent and provocative, especially when they are couched within the framework of desire."

Indeed, I enjoyed the viewpoints and contrasts. One cool video was a compilation called "The Crying Game" - clip after clip of crying in movies, from quiet sobs to an outpouring of sorrow.

It's good to step out of the comfort zone and explore new worlds - my time at The Modern confirmed it.