I’ve been thinking a lot about artists lately, after my trip to Paris and visit to the Musee d’Orsay. It was quite a sight to be able to get close enough to the paintings to actually see the brush strokes. Van Gogh tended to paint with oils using small lines of varying thickness. Pissarro painted using dots in a couple of his noteworthy pieces. But you don’t recognize these nuances until you get close to the work. These details cannot be found when you see the painting in a book or on a postcard.
I also got to thinking about other artists, many that go unknown. They don’t use watercolors, oils, clay, or mixed media. They use other materials. Take, for example, a chef. A chef is an artist as well; The plate is their canvas and food is their medium. A chef’s work is a feast for the senses. Another example of artistry are the creations of hair stylists and barbers. And what about teachers? Their classrooms must have visual appeal and the very act of teaching is artistry. These are just a few. Think about it for a moment. In many ways, we are all artists.
What careers would you add to my list? Share it in the comments…
So, our trip to Paris was nothing short of amazing! Although we missed the Louvre because our plane was very late, we were able to go to Musee d’Orsay which is the home of the impressionist artists. We viewed the works of my favorite artists including Van Gogh and Degas. We saw the most famous paintings and sculptures along with lesser-known pieces. I know Degas mainly from his sculpture, and it was wonderful to see so many paintings that he created.
We also got to spend time at the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Elysees. Wandering around, we stumbled upon the famous La Fouquet’s restaurant. Our server, Renaud, was a delight and the cheeseboard he brought us was out of this world. We also visited the world-famous Shakespeare and Company bookstore. We happened by a movie set that was filming which was exciting to watch. The Eiffel Tower was beautiful, particularly at night when it would light and sparkle every hour. Versailles was just a train ride away, and it was exciting to see the architecture, parlors, and bedrooms in the palace. The hall of mirrors was eye catching. The gardens were breathtaking.
It’s incredible what a walkable city Paris is. We walked everywhere. Our hotel, Le Jardins d’ Eiffel, was so quaint – what you might call a boutique hotel. Every morning, we would walk across the street to the Notre Patisserie to get pain au chocolat (chocolate croissants). We were a short walking distance to a grocery store and pharmacy. We were also surrounded by cafes everywhere. And the food was unbelievable. Everything tastes better in Paris. One of our many memorable meals took place at La Campanella. Stef had the lamb, and I had the roast duck with pear sauce. We will definitely be going back there on our next trip to Paris.
I was surprised just how many French people speak English. All i had to say was,”Parles-tu anglais?”They would often say, “Just a little.” It turns out their “little” bit of English was a lot! They were also all super nice. Many people say that the French don’t like Americans, but that was not my experience. Every person we encountered was delightful.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the Seine river. Artists, and merchants all have bouquinistes or booths to sell their wares. We found two small oil on canvas paintings of the Eiffel Tower and a street in Paris. We had them framed, and they now adorn the wall next to the front door.
We had such a wonderful time in Paris, that we plan to return…Maybe even this year!
I’m back…Or am I back? Last post was mid-April…Can I commit to being back…I don’t know…
You see, I got very busy with applying for a new job. The background check was akin to applying for a secret service position! Then training…don’t get me started. Can you say busy? Yes…good. That was me!
So now I am working for JetBlue, and I’m enjoying it. What I am particularly enjoying is planning my travels, as this position offers travel benefits!! Get ready for some cool, “here I am” posts in the future.
But for now, let me start with butter. Butter, you wonder. What is she talking about? Well, here goes…
I was making a delectable dessert the other day, and I discovered I was out of the cooking spray known as “Pam”. I was paralyzed. How can I create this masterpiece without the essential ingredient that keeps my creation from sticking to the pan? Then I thought back to my childhood…
You see my mom, and later my sister, Tammy, were quite the bakers. (Tammy still is!) But this was long before Pam existed. So, what did they do? They greased the cooking sheet with good old-fashioned butter before putting the concoction into the oven. So that’s what I did. I greased the cooking sheet with butter, and my recipe came out perfect.
Why on earth am I writing about this? Because we often forget about the old ways in which we did things. We forget that those “old ways” worked quite well for years and years before the modern methods took over. I’m not saying throw out your bottles of Pam, but next time you run out, think back… Think back on your mom and the way she did things…
So my Mom did a really cool thing. She wrote a book…And this book is important. In fact, I believe it is the most important book I’ve ever read. It’s a history book…Mom’s history. In reading it, I am learning all about my family and how we came to be.
Mom published it about four years ago. When I originally read it, I made the error of going out of sequence. I flipped through the book, to parts that looked interesting. I don’t know why, but about a week ago, I picked it up again and began reading…from the beginning.
In reading from the beginning, I gained an amazing perspective about what makes Mom Mom. I learned about family members I’ve never met, and stories that had been told by mouth had even more detail and explanation in the book. I learned about life before modern technology took over and the simple pleasures enjoyed by those who came before us.
This history book got me to thinking: If Mom had not put down the words, the descriptions, the stories then at some point down the line, they might have been lost forever. She’s now working on another book with stories moving forward from her time growing up, and I can’t wait to get my hands on it and read it…from the beginning…
I recommend to everyone that they talk to family more. Hear the old stories. Commit them to memory or better yet record the stories in print or on video. Keep the memories alive…
First of all, I’m going to cross my fingers that I have not already blogged about this. You see, one of my catch phrases is, “You can learn a lot from a turtle.” Here’s how:
On my first teaching assignment in Gainesville, Florida, one of my friends had turtles in her classroom. There were four of them sharing a “baby pool” with rocks to climb on and a lamp to represent the sun. She had beach chairs next to this area, and kids loved to watch the turtles. They were so mellow that it could calm even the most stressed out child.
It was also a great place for this occasionally stressed out teacher. I’d stop into her class when I was on break to observe these cooperative creatures. Of course, all of the turtles wanted to bask in the sun, yet they seemed to have a system in place to ensure sharing. Two turtles would occupy the top spots for a period of time. Then at some random moment, they would gently retreat to make room for the other turtles to get their turn enjoying the warmth of the “sun”.
Every time I saw the turtles, they enjoyed life…swimming, eating, “sunning”…And they did it all in such a communal way making sure each member of their group equally enjoyed all their habitat had to offer.
So as I said before, “You can learn a lot from a turtle.” The next time you feel a little greedy or not collaborative, ask yourself,” What would a turtle do?”
Harmonious Groove 