The Qwirky Musee Mecanique

I visited the Musee Mecanique on a sunny Sunday afternoon, together with my husband and my daughter. It reminded me of the sounds at a County Fair, or of a Hollywood movie depicting the 1940s or 1950s.

The first sound that welcomed us was that of Laffin Sal. Just hearing that sound and watching the large automaton made me laugh. This place is amazing. There are so many different machines to explore. I began putting coins into the different machines, such as the Carnival. Suddenly, there was music, a little brass band playing, the carousel turning, the man trying his luck at the shooting gallery, so cute!

Then, more coins into the piano player, and that's when the music exploded. Ragtime! It was so much fun to watch little children studying the wheels and pedals and then mimicking piano playing.


The Royal Court, a mechanical diorama, played a Chopin Waltz, while the dancers moved round and round. According to the display, this mechanical diorama was originally displayed at the 1915 Panama Pacific Exposition in San Francisco.

I also enjoyed reading the large displays with history of penny arcades in the United States. Wow! these machines used to work on just a penny? Now you need to pay one, two or three quarters to get them working. I put money into a music box, but it did not work!

I even found Regina music box, in beautiful condition. It was a darker color than the one pictured here, but still has a beautiful sound. I had recently seen an episode of "How it's Made" where music boxes were made. It is an intricate process and calibration is essential to get the most beautiful sound possible.

Another fun area had video machines. There was a ping pong video game and I also found a video game similar to one my father played once. You are a driver, and you control your car by turning the steering wheel. The better you drive, and the faster you go, the more points you make. If you are fast enough and don't "crash", you win! This brought back memories.

So, it was a fun visit and I recommend the Musee Mecanique for anyone who wants a bit of old fashioned entertainment. Entrance is free, but fill your pockets with quarters so you can feed the machines. Oh, and save two quarters and a penny to get your very own San Francisco souvenir.

Visit to the Asian Art Museum

Synchronicities. They happen all the time. Sometimes we are aware of them, sometimes we are too busy to notice. But, they happen just the same.
Today, I visited the Asian Art Museum. I looked around once again, this is my fourth visit to the AAM, and I was searching for images and for things that perhaps I had missed before.
Having taken Hannah Sigur's Art of Japan last year and this semester, Art of East Asia, there certainly were pieces that caught my eye and I see now that I have become a more discerning viewer, able to understand a bit more the origins, the themes, and patterns in the sweep of time.
But, that is not why I write this time. This just puts everything in perspective, and lets you see why I talk about synchronicity.
When I arrived on the second floor, there was a group of docents listening to a visiting lecturer in the Japanese Wing. There is a new exhibit on display relating to Japan's Ambassadors (in art and culture) to the United States. I walked around the group and continued my search through the Japan, Korea and China wings. A couple of hours later, I returned to the spot where the group had stood earlier.
There, in the vitrine were pictures of The Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park and of Mr. Hagiwara taken in the early 1900's.



Only last week, Chi had told us about this family and about the Intervention that she and Tanae had done. I found her talk very interesting and was pleasantly surprised by the exhibit. Photos, a sketch, drawings and tea implements with the Hagiwara name were on display. So, here I share some of what I found with you.


Synchronicity. It happens everywhere.

Improbable Monument Ideas

The first idea I had was to make a monument made out of sail-like structures. It would be placed near a body of water and the sails would be made of a material that would fray relatively easily. The purpose of this monument would be a reminder of peace. I thought I could name it "Worldwide Peace Now". That, in itself is an improbable reality, but one that I would love to see. The material of the sails would be fragile, to remind us of the fragility of peace and how we must continue to work towards maintaining peace.


My second idea has to do with fountains and this fountain would be called "The Fountain of Everlasting Love" This fountain would be small - perhaps about 4 feet tall, made out of wood, with a small motor to keep the water circulating. This fountain would be given to anyone who gave a donation of a certain amount, say $100, to the "Foundation of Everlasting Love", which helps people heal from traumatic events. In this way, every person who takes a fountain home will be reminded that their donation has provided loving healing to someone else. This small monument would be multiplied all over the world. Again, the wood would make it a fountain that would eventually disintegrate, unless it is well-cared for.

My third idea has to do with sand. I would build a very large and long frame - about 8 ft x 24ft. The frame would have a bottom, and I'd fill it with sand. This sand frame could be moved from place to place, and kids of all ages could play in it- a kind of giant sandbox. It would be a "Monument to the Fluidity of the Sands of Time". The idea is that every time someone interacts with the sand, it changes. Every day is different, every action brings about a reaction, nothing stays the same.

And, just as I was finishing writing down these ideas, I realized that together, they have the elements found on or near a beach. Maybe I'm just feeling nostalgic.

On Sol Lewitt

Solomon was the wisest of kings. Sol means sun - that's where our word solar comes from. And, since we're on the subject of words and their meanings, I found out that Lewitt means levite in Russian. So, putting these all together, since I believe one's name is of supreme importance in who we become, this led me to the following interpretation - A radiant, wise priest. And, isn't this was what Sol LeWitt was in the world of art?
... more later

Ok, so it is now later, and I have been thinking about this genius, or madman, and what is the difference? Just the fact that LeWitt made us think about art is such a different way, that the concept was just as important as the piece itself was groundbreaking. Or that perhaps how people received the art was totally irrelevant, or even how he had thought of his art was irrelevant. So, it is all topsy-turvy in my mind, but what he produced was ever changing and evolving- as he was.

He showed us that the idea behind the art - the concept- could be the driving force, the seed, if you will, of a process that had a life of its own. He reminds me of those writers who say "Oh, no, I didn't plan it this way, but she showed me that she wanted to tame the tiger she found in the wild." As if the character was the one in charge of the writer's pen and the writer's will was subservient to her whims. So, Lewitt tells us that the concept leads, and he follows, adding, adding, adding until the piece is done.

Oh, and one more thing - art for the masses. I love the fact that we find his art in public spaces or even spaces that no one had decorated before, like roof buildings. Maybe that has to do with his sense of humour. Perhaps he thought that people in airplanes should have something pretty to look at when they were approaching a city.
Who knows?

Intervention at Alamo Square Park

I never thought that doing something totally absurd could be so much fun! Ashley and I went to Alamo Square on a beautiful, sunshiny Thursday afternoon and staked five signs in the grass. These were notices prohibiting photography. Then, we sat down to see what people's reactions would be to the signs.
As I mentioned in my previous blog, we wondered whether people would get angry, think it was a joke, ignore the signs, or maybe even throw the signs away. We found out today.

One woman said "This is cr@p! This is a bunch of cr@p! What if tourists come by and see these signs? An ordinance prohibiting photography would be impossible to enforce! I hope you take these signs away with you." Well, there you have it - an angry person.

Some people read the signs and began talking to each other. They looked around to see if others were noticing the signs, and then just walked away.

Others took pictures of the signs - thinking this was a funny joke. One man picked up a sign, read it, and then stuck it carefully back in the ground! I thought that was precious!

Another man asked me "Do you know what this is all about?" "Yes," I answered, "it is an Intervention". I explained that we wanted to see what would happen if we posted an absurd notice in a public space. What would people's reaction be to being prohibited from photographing a quintessential San Francisco scene. He laughed and said it was brilliant, just brilliant, and proceeded to twitter about it. (Read Ashley's blog to find out what he twittered). While I was talking with him, a second guy walked up to us and asked if the signs were "real". That kept the conversation going and another question was whether the Committee for the Preservation of San Francisco Scenery was trying to keep the scenery as it is, unchanging. I said that we don't want photography to wear away the scenery - that's the reason for the prohibition (tongue in cheek, of course). We all laughed.

One group of young women had their picture taken behind one of the signs. The guy taking their photograph said that San Francisco is the place where laws are made to be broken. Ha! And, right before they left, they pulled up the sign and dropped it on the ground. That was our only casualty.

One guy looked at a sign and just shook his head in disbelief and walked away. Actually, many people looked at the signs and got closer to take a better look. What followed was the shaking of the head, or even scratching of the head.

There was a professional photographer set up with a couple of reflectors, strobes and hefty equipment taking glamour shots of a model, down near the bottom of the hill. Even he walked over to read one of the signs when a passerby alerted him to the "Photography Prohibited" notice. I couldn't hear him, but he just shrugged his shoulders and went back to his picture taking,

And so, we had angry people, disbelieving people, surprised people, delighted people, rebellious people and recording people. All in all, it was interesting to watch the people's responses. What surprised me the most though, was that more of the signs were not pulled up or taken away. Go figure.

Catch Me if You Can

"Welcome to CATCHMEIFYOUCANAIRWAYS. Today, we are stranded in London. Mother Nature seems to be angry and decided to keep our carbon emissions low during this beautiful week in April. Considering all the earthquakes, taifuns, floods, mudslides, sinkholes and whatnot happening around the world, we at CATCHMEIFYOUCANAIRWAYS think our passengers are lucky to be stuck at modern Heathrow Airport. Scientist are telling us that we should be able to take to the skies in a day or two.
Since so many of you have been waiting so long for your flights, we decided that when we get permission to resume our flights, we will park our planes 100 meters from the terminal and let all of our waiting passengers run to the aircraft. The first 150 to arrive will be able to leave on the first flight. The rest of you will wait for the second flight and run to catch that one. This will give you an opportunity to get in some much needed exercise also. We know you have a choice in airlines, and are very happy that you have chosen CATCHMEIFYOUCANAIRWAYS today.
We hope you enjoy your flights!"

Society for the Preservation of San Francisco Scenery

I'm sure that you have seen the iconic San Francisco view of the beautiful painted ladies across the grassy park, with the San Francisco skyline in the background. And, by painted ladies, I don't mean ladies of the night, but those beautiful Victorian era houses that are colorfully painted.
You know which sight I'm talking about because it shows up in movies set in San Francisco and was the opening scene for that family sitcom, Full House. This is one of the most photographed sights in the city.
Ashley and I have been brainstorming about our Intervention Project. She told me that that iconic view is seen from Alamo Square Park, the highest point in the neighborhood known as Alamo Square.
So, she wondered, what would happen if we told people that photography was prohibited in that space? What would their reaction be? How could we do this without getting in trouble? Of course, we would have to let people know that our action is only an intervention. We wouldn't want to ruin someone's visit and let them know that if they wanted to take photographs it is legal to do so.
We would make signs that say "Photography Prohibited by order of the Committee for the Preservation of San Francisco Scenery". We'd mount these signs on pickets and place them around the park. Then, we would record people' reactions to the signs. Would people be upset? Would they ignore the signs? Would they remove the signs? Would they laugh at our signs?
We'll just to have to go, do and see!

Hybrids and Bionics

I went home to rest for a week - it is Spring Break, after all. I found myself taking care of little projects here and there, and wishing I had a robot to do my work for me. Ah, that would be nice. So, as I picked up things here and there, I came across a National Geographic Magazine. The main article is titled "Merging Man and Machine The Bionic Age". It is fascinating and talks about how bionics help people see, hear and walk again and a bit about hybrids.

Here is the link in case you want to read it.

On Monuments, Memorials and Memories

Perhaps it is because Passover approaches and I have been thinking about the need for remembering and cleansing, but as I read Prof. Paula Levine's article "Seeing the Past in Present Tense", I thought about the importance of rituals and remembrances. When the children of Israel left Egypt after four centuries, much of it in slavery, they were commanded to keep a yearly remembrance of the Passover. To this day, the youngest child at the table is asked what this day means - its significance. And even in the 21st century, in many households the old leaven is cast out. And, in many others, spring cleaning has begun. Only by rituals, by commemorations, by celebrations, by anniversaries is the past remembered and perpetuated from one generation to the next.

Which one of us was present when the Declaration of Independence was signed? Were any or our parents or grandparents or great-great-great grandparents there? And yet, here we are, two hundred thirty-odd years later, still celebrating the birth of a nation that promised a new form of government. We visit our nation's capital and see the monuments that point to our past. These are visible structures that serve to remind us about those that came before us. Yet, despite these visible landmarks, we forget.

Is it any wonder then, that a hidden monument would be forgotten so quickly? Without ritual and remembrance even the most poignant monument will cease to be remembered.
Its purpose will be erased by time when those who built it no longer live. I thought it sad that this great, tall Monument Against Fascism, War and Violence and for Peace and Human Rights has been forgotten. But, if it remains hidden, if it is not commemorated in one way or another, it will remain unremembered. So, too, shall die the stories about the Old Mill Road, when the mill is no longer at the end of the road.

Roland Barthes et La Tour Eiffel

Although I should be used to this by now, I am still amazed at the differing vision that others have about the same things that I have thought about or perhaps haven't given much thought to. Not that I haven't thought much about the Eiffel Tower. For a few years now, I have been planning a summer trip to Europe, to France, to Paris and to the Eiffel Tower, in particular. I have visited vicariously that city of light and that towering presence through novels, readings, photos, my friend's travels and now through Barthes' essay "Eiffel Tower". But, I have never thought of the Eiffel Tower or La Tour Eiffel in quite the same way Barthes presents it. I guess that my view has been changed forever. And, I haven't even visited it yet.

Roland Barthes was a renowned French literary critic and philosopher, who delved into many arenas. He is particularly known for his writings on semiotics, which is the study of signs and symbols and how these are used for communication and in language. Pretty heady stuff. As I read this essay, I found myself at times nodding and at others scratching my head. It was almost as if I were trying to figure out the definition of "blue"; not the feeling, but the color. And yet, upon reflection and further examination, I can say that I enjoyed the way he deconstructs stuff and builds it back again.

But, back to La tour Eiffel. How this steel structure becomes imbued in our minds as the symbol of Paris is rather a mysterious process. And, yet, Barthes shows us just how we tend take an image and turn it into a symbol. It seems to be a universal "happening", for lack of a better word. We see an image and our minds add meaning, history, depth to it. It is almost as if we need to fill in the blanks, and those blanks are what is not said in the image. We want to understand the whole story and so, we add all those layers of knowledge, all those other ideas, all those other stories, add a few connections to other similar images and produce a new and different whole from the one presented. And, so we begin to build myths surrounding images. Those myths that, to paraphrase Barthes, are the ideas that are held as truth or unquestioned by a group, a people, or a culture.

Barthes takes us through the Eiffel Tower's different levels of meaning, pointing out its uselessness, its emptiness, its "mimicry" of other tall, slender shapes that have been built through the ages. It is a paradox, for that very structural uselessness has served as the platform for millions to attain a bird's eye view of the city. It's emptiness served to point the way to the skyscrapers that followed, and its "mimicry", transformed the obelisk into a more graceful shape.

Barthes points out that the tower is both seen and seer, for its presence is ubiquitous in Paris. Since one can see it, it follows that it must see us. When one climbs it, and views the city, the landscape is transformed, and for a moment one can feel at the top of the world. This reminded me of the feeling I felt from the top of the World Trade Center, looking out over the Hudson River, towards the Jersey shore, or even the exhilaration I felt the first time I stood on the observations deck very nearly at the top of the Empire State building. I could see so very far, and yet near too - so many buildings, so many windows, so many cars, so many people. Just as I was seeing, who was seeing me?

Just as the Empire State building or the Statue of Liberty are symbols of New York the Parthenon of Athens, and the Pyramids of Egypt, the Eiffel Tower is a symbol of Paris. Barthes reminds us that the symbols of other places must be entered, for they are solid. In contrast, this tower is open. Barthes asks "How can you be enclosed within emptiness, how can you visit a line?" This is the one question I will ask myself as I ascend the tower in its oblique elevator.

Chance Art Recipe

Recipe for a Colorful Pie

So, this is the recipe for the Chance Art project that I blogged about a few days ago

Ingredients:

1 sheet of paper (8½ x 11 or bigger)

1 die

1 fine point pen (sharpie works)

8-12 different colored pencils

utensils necessary for drawing circles (dinner plate. Salad plate etc)

a list of friends to call (or email list, or facebook list)

telephone or computer

Recipe:

1. Toss a die. Add 1 to the result. This is the amount of circles that will be drawn on the page, after you have all your results.

2. Make a list of the colors your have available, i.e. red, yellow, purple, green, white, etc. (I chose mine from a set and picked out every third pencil – color names were those on the pencils themselves).

3. Call the first name on your list and ask the following questions:

a. Please choose a number 1 thru x (depending on the number of circles you’ve drawn)

b. Please choose a color (from your list of colors)

c. Please choose another number 1, 2 or 3)

4. Write down each of these answers. A chart is useful to keep track of answers.

5. Call the second person on your list and repeat steps 5 through 10.

6. Repeat until you have exhausted your list.

7. Draw your circles using a fine point pen. Size will depend on the number of spaces chosen by respondents. Depending on the number of circles, they may overlap in order to fit on the page.

8. Using fine point pen, divide each circle into the total amount of sections selected by respondents, like you would a large pizza (8 lines)

9. Now, take the colored pencil that matches the color chosen, and color 1,2,or 3 sections in circle 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6. In other words, the first number chosen tells you which circle to color, and the second number chosen tell you how many sections to color.

10. Fill in the sections starting from the top and clockwise sequentially. Do not skip sections

11. Number each circle 1, 2, 3, etc (place numbers outside, but next to each circle, or just remember the number of each one)

Note: you can also, or instead, send a mass email to your contacts with these questions and simply fill in your circles as you open the emails returned. Or, you could send a request to all your facebook friends and get answers that way.

Eva Sutton and Hybrids

Genetic Engineering is really a fascinating topic, and much can be said about the possibilities that are opened for helping humans, and perhaps animals, in attaining a higher degree of health.

It is interesting to see a phosphorescent leaf, or frog or butterfly, or
_________. You fill in the blank. But, how does that leaf, or frog, or butterfly feel about being a freak in nature? Do they have their own sense of self? And do we cause great violence to these other organisms when we impose our own will upon them, and change their existence? How can they tell us? How do we know?

Will changing their life story result in karmanic retribution? Am I willing, as an artist, to possibly cause pain and suffering to other life forms, not because of my need for nourishment and survival, but because I want to experiment in a different type of art?

I don't think so.

Google Earth Revisited

I love the possibilities of Google Earth. I learned more about how putting together a movie works. I enjoy traveling virtually around from place to place, putting the markers in, adding the photos, and then recording. I like watching the final product.

I am perplexed when I play my recording and my movie plays differently. I wonder what step I missed and how to go back to the place where everything was working.

I will figure this out, and end up with the movie I want. It will just take a bit more work.

Conceptual Artist Rebecca Goldfarb exhibiting in SF

REBECCA GOLDFARB: IMPLIED April 3rd - May 1st, 2010 Opening Reception: Saturday, April 3rd, 4-7 PM

Baer Ridgway Exhibitions is pleased to announce our first solo exhibition with San Francisco-based conceptual artist Rebecca Goldfarb. Goldfarb's show, titled Implied, will host new works based in sculpture, installation and photography that hint at a myriad of concerns relating to human consumption, the environment and the meaning of everyday objects. In viewing Goldfarb's exhibition, one is presented with a perceptual experience, creating an opportunity to give further consideration to, in the artist's own words: "the infinite and in-between space where language, thought, memory, and sense interact as ways to investigate the act of thinking and seeing." Goldfarb's continues her interest in minimally composed color photographs with a new series in red, yellow and blue, titled "Who Is Afraid of Fuel, Food or Water?" With this piece, the artist extends the conversation between Robert Irwin's 2006 installation, "Who's Afraid of Red Yellow and Blue3" and Barnett Newman's 1966 painting, "Who's Afraid of Red, Yellow and Blue?" As Irwin attempted to carry the two-dimensional exploration of primary color into a third dimension, Goldfarb reintroduces materials, concepts and titles that bring a new language to the equation. "Goldfarb's approach to words and titles allows for the possibility of thinking through the difference in terms of language, as opposed to simply its referent. But it seems that Goldfarb is not simply suggesting a retreat into a realm of word play. Rather, her formal strategies and titles frequently suggest that "materiality" is not to be understood as simply a self-evident category, but rather a marker of what kind of perceptions we bring to the table." - James Thomas Rebecca Goldfarb received her BA in Art and Environmental Studies from Pitzer College in 1996 and her MFA in New Genres from the San Francisco Art Institute in 2004. Goldfarb has recently been granted a residency at Kala Art Institute and recognized as a finalist for awards by Artadia and James D. Phelan. Her work has been exhibited at various galleries and venues, including Todd Hosfelt Gallery, Steven Wolf Fine Arts, Lincart and Queens Nails Annex, among others. More information and images can be viewed on our website: www.baerridgway.com BRX is located at 172 Minna (between 3rd and New Montgomery) in downtown San Francisco, next to the SFMOMA. The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday, 11:00am to 6:00pm. Very best, Kent Baer & Eli Ridgway Baer Ridgway Exhibitions 172 Minna Street, San Francisco, CA 94105 www.baerridgway.com, info@baerridgway.com 415.777.1366

Chance Art

Flip a die, or a coin, generate random numbers, zig, but don't zag. Do anything you can, but don't you be the decider, and there you have it - chance. And what are the chances that your decision to not decide will turn out random?

The choice is yours - do not choose and see what happens when others do the choosing for you. That is my Chance Art project. I began with an idea: circles, numbers and colors. Next, I wrote my recipe. I found that thinking about what I wanted to do and writing about it were quite different. Amazing how ideas, concepts and images that are a flash of inspiration require many words for adequate translation.

I asked the die for a number and added one to it. That determined the number of circles. I chose colors by choosing every third pencil from a row of pencils until I came to the last one. I ended up with eight colors. How much of each color was determined by numbers 1, 2, 3, relating to the number of spaces in each circle. The size of the circles was determined by how many spaces were chosen by respondents. The more spaces needed to include in a circle, the larger the circle.

I went to my facebook and sent a request to my friends. They were asked to make three choices.
1. Choose a number between 1 and 5
2. Choose one color from the following: apple green, mulberry, canary yellow, crimson red, metallic silver, violet or tuscan red.
3. Choose a number 1, 2, or 3

I sent this message to approximately 180 people, and received 76 responses. I made a chart to keep track of each response. I numbered each response, and included the first name of each person that responded, circle number chosen, color chosen and number of spaces chosen. Once the chart was finished, I added the number of spaces for each circle and drew out the circles on a sheet of paper. Then, I divided each circle into the number of spaces needed to include all the choices.
I will be posting a photo of the finished product soon.

Hybridicity

Hybrids - what are they?

According to the Free Online Dictionary, a hybrid refers to several things:
1. the offspring of genetically dissimilar parents, think mule which comes from a donkey and a horse ...
2. it can also refer to something of mixed origin or composition, such as a word combined from two different languages. I think of the Puertorican term for trash can, "zafacon", which is derived from "safety can", or the word "gringo", derived from "green go" - which of course was a chant used to let the military know it was not welcome in town....
3. or, like my little hybrid car, something having two kinds of components, in this case, a car powered by both an electric motor and a combustion engine.

Let me tell you a little about the beautiful hybrid goth/butterfly/lemur pictured. She is a hybrid because of her genetics and because her power of locomotion comes from both her limbs and her wings. So she fits definitions number 1 and number 3 above. Black and white, she is, and which parent is responsible for what in her background has now become confused, since both of her parents had wings. Her father's wings were all the colors of the rainbow, and as large as hers, while her mother's wings were smaller, like a fairy's and only black and white.

Neither parent had a tail, but two of her grandfathers had tails, and they are, of course, both of her parents's fathers. No one remembers what her paternal grandfather's tail, because it was surgically removed only hours after he was born. In those days, having a tail was a very unusual thing, and still considered ugly. Things do change, don't they. Goth buttterfly lemurs are much more common these days.

If you are interested in meeting hybrid Zelda, let me know, and I'll pass on your message to her.

Computer Confusions

I just wonder why it takes me so many tries to get this google world thingamagig working. So, I finally get it started and emailed to myself. And, so I open it at home on my computer, and suddenly my computer does not respond. "Are you tired?" I ask my little notebook. "Is this too much for you?" Still, no answer. Ok- I'm stumped.

So, I turn off my little friend Eee. I stroke it. I clean the outside. I clean the screen. I figure that maybe I just have to show it I care, and perhaps it will work again. I turn it on, and it is sooooo slow. So, I decide to defrag it. (At least that is something I know how to do). I get that started and head to the kitchen to heat up some water.

I fix myself some tea and come back to my little friend Eee. It has been a while, twenty minutes perhaps, and I touch a key to light up the screen. I look at the progress bar. "12%" it says. Ok, I'll go do something else. And, something else. And, something else. Well, maybe I'll take a nap.

So, finally it is done. "Restart your computer blah, blah, blah". I do. When I restart my computer, there is a box with a warning. Oh, no! I turn off my computer and wait for the weekend to arrive, when my computer savvy husband will be able take a look and heal my little computer.

No Google Earth for you, little one!

Travels from home to home

Travels from home to home will map out the places I have lived, in chronological order. I would like to include photographs of each place, past and present. Perhaps I might even include photos of myself when I lived at each place.

I would also like to also include some background music to accompany the story.

Since these places include two continents and two Caribbean islands, and five decades, I think that it should be an interesting trek for anyone who takes a look.

My first home was in New York City, next home was Levittown in Long Island. From there, we fly to Puerto Rico and visit two homes. Another stop takes us to Panama in Central America and then, Colombia in South America. Return to Puerto Rico for a few years and then a relocation to Argentina and Suriname. Another stop in Puerto Rico and two new homes. Then, off to St. Croix, Texas and finally, California.

Learning Lessons

Time and again I have cast myself into the waters of learning. I know how to swim, so, it should be easy to navigate new waters. And, just as I jump in, in a graceful arch, with nary a splash, I realize I should have worn a bodysuit and carried lifesaver. Why? Because just as I dive under the water's surface, I realize I am in for quite the ride: colder, wilder and more exciting than I ever anticipated.
So, here I am again. I've jumped right in and I'm hoping that I can keep on swimming. Sometimes it will be a strange ride. Sometimes it will be smooth sailing. Sometimes I will be shivering, but at all times, I expect it will be another fascinating learning adventure.