Air Travel
“Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.” Leonardo da Vinci As the dreary days of winter stretch ahead, nothing could be more enticing than thoughts of escaping to a tropical paradise. Spirits take flight as brochures are gathered and websites pursued. The grind of travel seems a blip on the radar as we tell ourselves we’ll endure any drudgery to achieve our escape. Travel used to mean a delightful adventure from departure to destination. Polite porters transported your...
Read MoreTV – November Sweeps
Westinghouse, Motorola, Philco, Zenith, General Electric, RCA, Sylvania, Magnavox, Admiral… all were household names during the golden age of television. No invention has ever been more quickly embraced by the American public. Before 1947, only a few thousand homes had TV; by 1955, over half of all U.S. homes had television. (Faster than the growth of telephones, computers or the internet!) By the late 1990’s, 98% of homes had at least one TV, and those sets were turned on an average of more than seven hours a day. No wonder advertisers viewed TV as the most efficient, wide reaching and...
Read MoreVeteran’s Day – WWI WWII
“The soldier is the Army. No army is better than its soldiers. The Soldier is also a citizen. In fact, the highest obligation and privilege of citizenship is that of bearing arms for one’s country.” General George S. Patton Jr. This month we pay tribute to those who serve in the armed forces. Originally called Armistice Day to commemorate the end of WWI, the holiday was renamed Veteran’s Day in 1954 to honor veterans of all U. S. wars. The ubiquitous handkerchief also played a role in wartime. Not so surprising, when you think about it. Soldiers constantly on the move were limited to...
Read MoreDaylight Savings – Sleep
“She once again thought about how badly she wanted to crawl back beneath the mound of already cooling blankets that covered her bed like an inviting nest.” Kimberly Derting, The Body Finder As Daylight Savings bids adieu, we lament the loss of long twilights, and bristle at the jolting arrival of dark wintry daybreaks. For many, the struggle to recapture lost sleep takes weeks, as the Sand Man ignores our plea for blissful slumber. If you’re lucky, the condition is temporary, but for many, insomnia is a 24/7 unwelcome houseguest. From warm milk to warm baths, counting sheep to white noise...
Read MoreButterflies
“Butterflies are self propelled flowers.” R. H. Heinlein Fall is here and it’s migration time for the magical Monarch butterfly to California’s Monterey Peninsula. They swarm in drove to frolic and flutter in the eucalyptus groves. This year’s count – 13,400. Yikes! It’s Match.com for Lepidopteras! They sojourn from October through February. You’re welcome to visit the grove and photograph all you like, but touching a butterfly carries a hefty $1,000 fine. Locals take their guardianship duties seriously, and children proudly parade in praise of these pumpkin colored wonders....
Read MoreAutumn Leaves
“Fall has always been my favorite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale.” Lauren DeStefano, Wither Unlike the languorous sun drenched days of summer which seem to roll on forever, the brief daylight hours of autumn remind us to pay attention, as time indeed, is all too short. We shuffle in swirls of crimson leaves, while showers of their counterparts slowly descend to their inevitable finale. Glowing shades of burnished copper and sharp citrus sing “snap to” “step lively” “time is fleeting.” It’s a...
Read MoreHarvest Moon
“The moon is a loyal companion. It never leaves. It’s always there, watching, steadfast, knowing us in our light and dark moments, changing forever just as we do. Every day it’s a different version of itself. Sometimes weak and wan, sometimes strong and full of light. The moon understands what it means to be human. Uncertain. Alone. Cratered by imperfections.” Tahereh Mafi, Shatter Me To enhance your viewing, Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. httpa://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Tr0otuiQuU This is the season of the Harvest Moon which marks the official start of autumn. With many crops...
Read MoreLabor Day
“Every job from the heart is, ultimately, of equal value. The nurse injects the syringe; the writer slides the pen; the farmer plows the dirt; the comedian draws the laughter. Monetary income is the perfect deceiver of a man’s true worth.” Criss Jami We saw one interpretation of a woman’s work week in the blog 7th Day Chauvinist, and indeed, for decades Monday was reserved for washing laundry, Tuesday was spent ironing, Saturday was often baking day, and depending on the season, a week or more might be spent boiling, peeling, chopping and canning fruits and vegetables. Children had...
Read MoreBack to School
Before I started college, my dad told me to pick classes based on the teacher whenever you can, not the subject….his point was that good teachers are priceless. They inspire you, they entertain you, and you end up learning a ton even when you don’t know it. Nicholas Sparks, Dear John It seems every retail outlet is running specials on back to school supplies and clothing, as moms gratefully and children grudgingly prepare for the fall semester. One wardrobe staple in days past was a supply of fresh handkerchiefs. As far back as the late 1800’s children were required to bring a fresh...
Read MoreTom Lamb
When a child carried a Tom Lamb hankie, little did he know the “hand” behind the handkerchief was that of an artist and award winning industrial designer. Who would guess from these naïve and charming images that Lamb: Was a Fellow of the Industrial Designers Society of America Designed handles for kitchen utensils, cutlery & surgical instruments, luggage and more, winning numerous awards Had a one man show at the Museum of Modern Art in 1948 devoted to the Lamb Handle Designed a pulsing relaxation chair, studied the effects of fatigue, & designed a new handle for crutches Lamb’s...
Read MoreSailing
I must go down to the sea again, to the lonely sea and the sky, And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by, And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking, And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking Sea Fever by John Masefield There’s something about the water that restores man’s soul. Perhaps it’s because, as scientists claim, the human body is comprised of 65% water, (78% for infants) so when we stand by the water’s edge we have a feeling of coming home. Poets for centuries have tried to capture the sense of awe...
Read MoreWho’s Your Caddy?
“Golf is deceptively simple and endlessly complicated; it satisfies the soul and frustrates the intellect. It is at the same time rewarding and maddening – and it is without a doubt the greatest game mankind has ever invented.” Arnold Palmer Whether your fantasies include donning the green blazer at Augusta, letting the sea breeze tousle your hair on the fairways at St. Andrews, or wishing Bagger Vance would appear to whisper words of wisdom, golfers swear The Game is an itch that must be scratched, an addiction that can’t be satisfied. It’s a gentleman’s sport that can make you...
Read MoreCowboys & Indians
“A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is brave five minutes longer.” Ralph Waldo Emerson What would childhood be without heroes? From the 1930’s-50’s our heroes were larger than life, often because they were celluloid, blazing across a giant movie screen, riding a thundering steed. Yep. The all American Cowboy. We started this journey in Saddle Up Cowboy, with the likes of Tom Mix, Hopalong Cassidy, Gene Autrey, Roy Rogers, and Kit Carson. Even the titles of TV shows had the searing crack of a bullwhip – Rawhide, Maverick, Gunsmoke, The Wild Wild West, The Lone...
Read MoreSaddle Up Cowboy
“A good old rodeo never hurt anyone.” Taylor Kitsch Summertime spells Rodeo and this week we celebrate the National Day of the American Cowboy on July 27th. So all you bronc riders and buckaroos saddle up and swing by the O.K. Corral for some hankie viewin’. The crisp red and green sets off our buckin ’broncs with graphics that giddy up. . The border on the hankie above leaves little doubt as to what’s going on here. Yeeeooouuch! Those little doggies are getting a ‘cowboy tattoo.’ At least we’ll know what ranch they call home if they ever wander too far away. “Trust your neighbor, but...
Read MoreUnder the Big Top
“The circus had been unlike anything I could ever imagine and I could not walk away. I wanted to be a part of the magic, create it and wield it with such skill that it looked effortless. I wanted to fly.” Laura Lam, Pantomime From P. T. Barnum in the 1800’s right up to today’s spectacular Cirque de Soleil, the circus has always stood for spectacle, awe, and magic. The costumes, calliopes, and clowns, the trainers, technicians and tightrope walkers, the animals, acrobats and atmosphere transport us to a realm of wonder and escape. As one young father taking his son to the circus for the...
Read MoreJoin the Conversation
