tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57442400414431985322024-03-14T02:27:35.184-07:00pebbles in the waterthrowing small thoughts out and watching the ripplesbecky nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16275457418436757436noreply@blogger.comBlogger143125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5744240041443198532.post-56383572292497566642016-12-22T14:11:00.000-08:002016-12-22T14:11:52.795-08:00Reclaiming Advent, part 3<div style="border-image: none;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSQnXvcxnG8Q8_J7sa5bxQ4BDRh9RGhGpXP_acG0-czev7A1Jw3fG3VtqlXhGuounym9Y2GKtuVPHBqwuFV4l5S0TBjLHlzcvk_FHiwBrOL1q5SqvMV1tMYgEz7tgHCMiJpDGm1kz49is/s1600/DSC01139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSQnXvcxnG8Q8_J7sa5bxQ4BDRh9RGhGpXP_acG0-czev7A1Jw3fG3VtqlXhGuounym9Y2GKtuVPHBqwuFV4l5S0TBjLHlzcvk_FHiwBrOL1q5SqvMV1tMYgEz7tgHCMiJpDGm1kz49is/s320/DSC01139.JPG" width="240" /></a>Most years we've had an Advent calendar in the house for the kids. Over Thanksgiving weekend I went rummaging in my closet for the one we've used most recently and pulled it out. I know many people do all kinds of things with their calendars. Some families put small treats in pockets for the kids, or they move a little figure along, but ours is just the old fashioned kind with tiny paper doors that have small pictures pasted behind them. Landen enjoys the "where's Waldo" hunting that is required; we've discovered that he has the best eyes in the house for looking.</div>
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Then I saw a suggestion on Facebook that really appealed to us: a reverse Advent Calendar. The idea is to collect food or toiletry items and add them to a box, one each day. By Christmas the whole box can be donated to a local food pantry. I shopped for items, found others on my shelves, and put them in a place where Landen can choose the item for the day. After he opens the window on the paper calendar, he picks something to add to the box. He really likes doing this; we rarely have to remind him. But one day, as he added a package of cookies, he asked, "Did you get me one, too?" This whole project gives us a chance to talk about food insecurity in our community, and about how easy it is for any one of us to come up with small ways to help our neighbors. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNeAQmkliEfPMwEtcHH1hqmEJTj_ozWR9BpFz0PhEcHlbDfhXP7wtmzVj6sFJNzsrvrhbpuKdRgEj-CXTtzbsXMGSEbX7-NQNmHdwEhQSJQ6Hta_FpNFoeXaeQF71P1nL2Su2J-jg6jvo/s1600/DSC01140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNeAQmkliEfPMwEtcHH1hqmEJTj_ozWR9BpFz0PhEcHlbDfhXP7wtmzVj6sFJNzsrvrhbpuKdRgEj-CXTtzbsXMGSEbX7-NQNmHdwEhQSJQ6Hta_FpNFoeXaeQF71P1nL2Su2J-jg6jvo/s320/DSC01140.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
becky nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16275457418436757436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5744240041443198532.post-48629541047972469142016-12-20T06:22:00.000-08:002016-12-20T06:22:20.281-08:00Reclaiming Advent, Part 2<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrSevt61yPGdMdVcWpVwT0dgjumUAiKqaWW2jAmgQ1gZ5K9v9QXjwsA3LxFXaUrd61smt9kxA04OpY5Kl19aWqx4dpeuHAb3f8PBmYkhl7AqV2u3yIYuls-h7q9dd5n8MYfE6GabPcbF4/s1600/creche+5+2016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrSevt61yPGdMdVcWpVwT0dgjumUAiKqaWW2jAmgQ1gZ5K9v9QXjwsA3LxFXaUrd61smt9kxA04OpY5Kl19aWqx4dpeuHAb3f8PBmYkhl7AqV2u3yIYuls-h7q9dd5n8MYfE6GabPcbF4/s320/creche+5+2016.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mongolia</td></tr>
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One of our grandsons has been spending a lot of time with us. At 8 years old, his focus this time of year is Christmas, anticipating the presents that he might get. I remember clearly, and with fondness, my own excitement at that age. But in an effort to help him develop an appreciation for other joys of Advent we've been looking for opportunities to engage him in those experiences - music, light, stories, scents.</div>
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A local event that friends introduced to us is the fabulous collection of creches at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mariapolis-Luminosa/445836642103476">Mariopolis Luminosa</a> in Hyde Park. The campus is a center for the Focolare movement, an organization with Catholic roots that works toward unity and peace throughout the world. Every December they display over 200 creches from over 60 countries. Last week we took Landen there after school.</div>
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The creches are arranged by areas of origin - Europe, Middle East, Asia, North America, etc. Someone, a team, I imagine, spent a lot of time setting them up.The displays were artistically and thoughtfully done, using many natural elements - bark, driftwood, rocks, sand, grasses, pine cones, etc.as well as lights and glittery papers and fabrics. </div>
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We spent time looking at them, then enjoyed hot chocolate and cookies that were offered in a seating area. If you have young children, there is a table that has sturdy stuffed and wooden versions of the figures so that they can play with them.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwr6TtAUNyGDPcNNiHZCCvP2r6H5sEoiu-3WjzAqqXomaCSXFLbfQUVZCwlwKp9ZLhLNme8ZTeLYJKkx87rzgeEizes-jhGxuaon9NhTNS6Zl_Ck06UQyZu6RLBE-n2BYh-SJkFwqvWdA/s1600/creche+1+2016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwr6TtAUNyGDPcNNiHZCCvP2r6H5sEoiu-3WjzAqqXomaCSXFLbfQUVZCwlwKp9ZLhLNme8ZTeLYJKkx87rzgeEizes-jhGxuaon9NhTNS6Zl_Ck06UQyZu6RLBE-n2BYh-SJkFwqvWdA/s320/creche+1+2016.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Syria</td></tr>
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We took each other to the ones that most impressed us. Landen particularly liked one from South America, made of bread dough. I was drawn most to a creche from Syria - a small peaceful scene, so poignant this year. And there was one from Long Island made of three little stones - quite abstract, but the shapes of the rocks captured the postures so well. The creches gave us a chance to talk about how Christmas is celebrated in other countries. And, of course, there is the story celebrated over and over in such a variety of ways. Some creches had only a few figures, others were very elaborate. Some were made with humble materials - bread, rocks, bits of hardware, straw. Others were more precious - Murano glass, porcelain.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju2OR7s_kHha0ZYuR3lnUeoPrbk4h5x27gqAe0x94rruF-arorWz3Y049K0JAxvNiXDabQWrNOd6_EgfU5SdU8f0l0I1vz1KtfdKHi3YtksPMFbSp9LahzPW7AQhmr5e69zciyP8qBZxs/s1600/creche+3+2016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju2OR7s_kHha0ZYuR3lnUeoPrbk4h5x27gqAe0x94rruF-arorWz3Y049K0JAxvNiXDabQWrNOd6_EgfU5SdU8f0l0I1vz1KtfdKHi3YtksPMFbSp9LahzPW7AQhmr5e69zciyP8qBZxs/s320/creche+3+2016.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Long Island</td></tr>
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The community members we met were warm, welcoming, interested in speaking with us. We felt like special guests. I think it will be a good memory for Landen to tuck away.</div>
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The exhibit is open every day through December 30, usually in the afternoons. Check the website for hours and directions.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD3VV3kWjJTApNJCYoGKWFcqI7ozG6aPqMLdw5k3XCIkivr2-6NLpNFrQ_2e-7yptOskyiZLNMReN6bGcILyL3J-7tgxb1GNXKHPqHI-iXjupmCLm2W7l59NkhKSz5TH8LCa1N3tXdQ0M/s1600/creche+2+2016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD3VV3kWjJTApNJCYoGKWFcqI7ozG6aPqMLdw5k3XCIkivr2-6NLpNFrQ_2e-7yptOskyiZLNMReN6bGcILyL3J-7tgxb1GNXKHPqHI-iXjupmCLm2W7l59NkhKSz5TH8LCa1N3tXdQ0M/s320/creche+2+2016.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Native American</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7rZFp2mfqobmA1PrvOmwn6lxRzOguPoL4JgmVgpxfhkVfHh__xynLgxQsIa6xCT8_JrPzZKbaKJujz8QEfz2LZu9tCrnZurlha08SRez3caChzcYzD6w2PqefBwiv8AvUONzHJU4PML0/s1600/creche+4+2016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7rZFp2mfqobmA1PrvOmwn6lxRzOguPoL4JgmVgpxfhkVfHh__xynLgxQsIa6xCT8_JrPzZKbaKJujz8QEfz2LZu9tCrnZurlha08SRez3caChzcYzD6w2PqefBwiv8AvUONzHJU4PML0/s320/creche+4+2016.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Origami from Japan</td></tr>
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becky nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16275457418436757436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5744240041443198532.post-74222442434981003912016-12-19T07:58:00.000-08:002016-12-19T07:58:35.009-08:00Reclaiming Advent<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIjQ-4-sAZSvPmAFgkcAuvI23-CRZFsuCmeomKWBGSEw2Uv7paPK0jJjlJLqaASC6GNNdY81xhrygz3I9uYyi7vQcDUesPRwcb68ukEsPPG4X04omAr_N3ISkM3dmf5rmrNtHu-zFha_A/s1600/1-PA100004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIjQ-4-sAZSvPmAFgkcAuvI23-CRZFsuCmeomKWBGSEw2Uv7paPK0jJjlJLqaASC6GNNdY81xhrygz3I9uYyi7vQcDUesPRwcb68ukEsPPG4X04omAr_N3ISkM3dmf5rmrNtHu-zFha_A/s320/1-PA100004.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hudson River from Holy Cross Monastery</td></tr>
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Advent is one of my favorite seasons of the year. But without careful attention it can get lost in the drive to Christmas.</div>
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Over the years my practice has been to let go more and more of what I thought was necessary to prepare for Christmas as I experienced it growing up.</div>
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My mother was a hard act to follow. Even when we didn't have much money, she still made the holiday special. There was at least one toy each year that I can still remember opening that absolutely thrilled me. Four years old, my doll house. Five years old, my little record player ( I still have a couple of those 45 rpm records). Six years old, my Mary Martin doll that had real pierced ears. Seven years old, it was another doll with braids that looked a little like me. and at eight years, my mother had spent any spare moments she had when I was at school or after I'd gone to bed making clothes for two of my dolls, complete with a blue metal steamer trunk. I still have it.</div>
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She baked for weeks (and when we got a freezer, for months), putting cookies and goodies aside. We didn't always get a lot of new clothes for school - usually we still fit in the things we'd had when school let out in the summer. But by midwinter, we'd need underwear, pajamas, a new sweater - so those would be bought and wrapped. That way there were always plenty of presents under the tree. Our stockings would have a tangerine in the toe, a few nuts and chocolates, maybe a little bottle of bubble bath, or something fun but practical.</div>
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We accumulated more and more decorations. The tree would be fresh. The ornaments carefully stored from year to year would be hauled out. Daddy would test the lights and painstakingly search for the burned out bulb so the string would light up again. And Mom would put the tinsel on one strand at a time till the tree looked like it was covered in sheets of ice.</div>
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My dad's birthday is Christmas eve so we would have friends over for a party before we went to church late in the evening.</div>
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Mom would knock herself out cleaning, cooking, getting us to look presentable. Christmas morning we opened gifts, had a wonderful breakfast with homemade cinnamon rolls or other treats - and then we crashed.</div>
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We arrived at Christmas in an excited, frantically joyful, sometimes tearful state from fatigue and too many expectations. And, of course, when I got married and had my own children, I tried to follow what I knew. And I failed. I worked full time outside the home. I'm not as organized and disciplined as my mother. I got grumpy. I snapped at people when things weren't working out well. And then I began to let go.</div>
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And I discovered Advent. It is a whole season to enter into, instead of one day to aim toward. And there's nothing in it that demands all the craziness. It has taken 30 plus years to reach a place where it is a joy in itself. I no longer do all the baking, the decorating, the buying. Some of this luxury is a result of getting to a stage in life where I don't have to balance kids, job, house, and Christmas. Over the next few posts, I'll share some of what we're doing this year to be nourished by these days. And I'd love to hear what you might be doing. What have you learned over the years? How do you protect yourself so that you don't find your self exclaiming, "I can't wait till it's over!"</div>
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becky nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16275457418436757436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5744240041443198532.post-84300738381207318962016-07-07T05:45:00.000-07:002016-07-07T05:47:58.731-07:00grandparents and the boys of summer, part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7u4fyfi9fHiKEH4rbrgDbHMDI3ru_mmxUM2x1HdS-W4U-sI7xOHXPYF9tXmPszG3XC75MSrurQWxBB9ok7UMBQKOhp-En4sD1MSfcIgsJkZ0U-v_xkQxGlatMZvvbkcWDisUQQzjt990/s1600/1-DSC00973.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7u4fyfi9fHiKEH4rbrgDbHMDI3ru_mmxUM2x1HdS-W4U-sI7xOHXPYF9tXmPszG3XC75MSrurQWxBB9ok7UMBQKOhp-En4sD1MSfcIgsJkZ0U-v_xkQxGlatMZvvbkcWDisUQQzjt990/s320/1-DSC00973.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
I suspect that we are not alone in trying to find ways to engage kids these days, besides letting them spend hours on electronic devices, playing Minecraft or other games. That is the first question they wake up with - can we go on iPads? <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR2E5WcYhzHsoD1LP1WC4iyyqVcYbMfjdZfqBTQIbsfYGGxl1_Uvpo_7vA-ftwCbcTffbCgAOTvgGEJMesTmMwp1ydz8-QJ1XztsuZXw8uzu9ZHMYOGL_0p7MYhcycD1Fwy8FXYpzjwdw/s1600/1-DSC00975.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR2E5WcYhzHsoD1LP1WC4iyyqVcYbMfjdZfqBTQIbsfYGGxl1_Uvpo_7vA-ftwCbcTffbCgAOTvgGEJMesTmMwp1ydz8-QJ1XztsuZXw8uzu9ZHMYOGL_0p7MYhcycD1Fwy8FXYpzjwdw/s320/1-DSC00975.JPG" width="305" /></a></div>
We go to the library to borrow books, asking the boys to take turns reading out loud for a while. Landen chose a book about the San Francisco Earthquake and Fire. Marcus started reading <em>Lassie Comes Home</em> to us, but got so engrossed that he finished the whole thing on his own. Ethan loves books on dinosaurs and sharks, but has been practicing his reading with Dr. Seuss stories. <br />
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We've taken advantage of children's movies offered by the library and the local movie theatres. Trevor Zoo is a fun visit. Yesterday the boys went to Minnewaska with Al to swim. I have made lists of all the different short and long outings we might take with them and the schedules of local things offered on any given day. And then there is fort building in the backyard and art and science projects to try.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3yitVMdCjcKRBdjHEW8RLfmA46V88HwS_iJtFTj_IEK2La8yPH2UdlILXWJnd68g4VO-kB7BhUURNnYU31FvQ8icl5b_OOKPof4Qt6XDItNMItzYPxoEQ-aEkaVUS_gWC00VS33tQGSc/s1600/1-DSC00974.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3yitVMdCjcKRBdjHEW8RLfmA46V88HwS_iJtFTj_IEK2La8yPH2UdlILXWJnd68g4VO-kB7BhUURNnYU31FvQ8icl5b_OOKPof4Qt6XDItNMItzYPxoEQ-aEkaVUS_gWC00VS33tQGSc/s320/1-DSC00974.JPG" width="320" /></a>One of my favorite craft materials is cardboard tubes - mostly toilet paper rolls, some from paper towels or gift wrap. You can see how Ethan and I used them a couple of years ago for some <a href="http://geminiriver.blogspot.com/2014/03/birdwatching.html">indoor exploration</a>. <br />
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This week I decided to take advantage of their love of Minecraft and invited them to make their own versions of monsters, endermen, etc. They spent a couple of hours creating them, using tubes, straws, popsicle sticks, yarn, and tape. I also found some small carpet and flooring squares at Home Depot that they've added to some of their scenarios. And since them they have spent hours playing with them, along with their Lego armies. It is so much fun to watch how they take simple recycled materials and turn them into hours of entertainment!<br />
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becky nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16275457418436757436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5744240041443198532.post-27880472642013723092016-07-04T14:17:00.000-07:002016-07-04T14:17:18.888-07:00grandparents and the boys of summer, part 1I haven't written a post for a long time. It seems one thing after another has occupied my time - many pleasant or wonderful or necessary things, but nothing that I've felt compelled to share. My summer occupation is something that might be of interest, however. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtQZR4-UfNeaDQnjXEaCl2iMccEMu8OJJ0ny-2nAnHYu97K8GZjysQd_Uzv7oglC2MyUosyWqU0vAIWFH0TW3AcGwI7KwJYgymNIMC79XBBn0ynz09rKRC3fg0a3phRMXqU_hlIEU3kQg/s1600/1-DSC00723.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtQZR4-UfNeaDQnjXEaCl2iMccEMu8OJJ0ny-2nAnHYu97K8GZjysQd_Uzv7oglC2MyUosyWqU0vAIWFH0TW3AcGwI7KwJYgymNIMC79XBBn0ynz09rKRC3fg0a3phRMXqU_hlIEU3kQg/s320/1-DSC00723.JPG" width="264" /></a>Owing to various circumstances, we end up having two of my younger grandsons here for a good portion of the summer. These are the boys, Marcus and Ethan, who moved away in January. I have missed them terribly. We thought they'd come to visit us for a few weeks, but that has been extended. And that comes with challenges.<br />
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I feel my age. When you're young, you have energy for the non stop activity that is common to a 5 year old. At 71, not so much. I've tried to establish some built in rest periods in the afternoons - an hour when everyone needs to be quiet. They can read, play with legos, take a nap - but no electronics, no movies. Once I've had this time to myself, I'm better able to handle the uptick of evening energy expenditures that seems to go on from 5 to 9:30 pm.<br />
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I am lonely. My friends do not have young children. Our socialization does not take place around kid activities. I feel cut off from many of the friends and events that nourish me. I try to involve the kids in some of the things that are important to me - going to art exhibits that they might also like, exploring the natural world, visiting with friends who do enjoy kids. I do my meditations in short intervals - 5 minutes here, a 20 minute walking time there. Sometimes Al takes the boys out to a park for a few hours and then I get cleaning and a quiet meditation in. I am experimenting. I am remembering how it was to try to exercise and meditate and satisfy some of my needs when I was a young mother. And I try to use these memories to increase my compassion for parents everywhere.<br />
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I find myself being envious - I think of people who have money to send their grandchildren to wonderful camps, who take fabulous vacations around the world, who might have things "easier". But, of course, the minute you go there, if you are at all aware of anything, you have to get yourself off the damn pity pot to remember that you are very privileged.<br />
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These boys, and all of our grandchildren, are the loves of our lives. We are very lucky. Some live close by. These two who are living away are here for a couple of months. How can we enjoy this gift? <br />
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That is the question that needs an answer now. I want to live into these days in a way that doesn't wish any of them away, but wants to be absolutely grateful for this precious time.<br />
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If you have any similar experiences and thoughts and insights - I would welcome them!<br />
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becky nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16275457418436757436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5744240041443198532.post-84134693468074344452016-02-16T06:38:00.000-08:002016-02-16T06:38:13.380-08:00Exploring What We See with Seven Year Old<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2agAbxnaadVeJLgAGRsCbODppIeNqrwHxBZ1TWYDGaUuMWd9R1No4TuLFMK586E9Y-lJSsfL7ZQBdxY5Jqf54WXE3cBuLFxFYwAjteuKypmT24tnJfIECZXVZcmw3wI309vL6Sqt5C8Y/s1600/1-DSC00872.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2agAbxnaadVeJLgAGRsCbODppIeNqrwHxBZ1TWYDGaUuMWd9R1No4TuLFMK586E9Y-lJSsfL7ZQBdxY5Jqf54WXE3cBuLFxFYwAjteuKypmT24tnJfIECZXVZcmw3wI309vL6Sqt5C8Y/s320/1-DSC00872.JPG" width="224" /></a>Landen was over the other day when school was closed and came up to the studio to chat. He was looking around at some of the art on the walls and wanted to see what I was working on. I showed him how I was playing with portrait sketches and paintings, trying to get closer to what I actually saw. <br />
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He saw the self portrait I'd made by looking at myself in the mirror. I asked if he'd like to give it a try and he agreed. We set him up with a stool so he could reach the bathroom mirror and then he set to work. I could see him initially drawing what he thought a face should look like and then making the transition to what he saw in terms of proportion and relationships.<br />
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When he finished, he'd drawn a self portrait that reminded me of Modigliani's work. We went to the ipad and looked up those images; he could see the style resemblance, too. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/The_Blue-eyed_Boy_by_Amedeo_Modigliani,_1916_-_San_Diego_Museum_of_Art_-_DSC06721.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/The_Blue-eyed_Boy_by_Amedeo_Modigliani,_1916_-_San_Diego_Museum_of_Art_-_DSC06721.JPG" width="166" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Modigliani"s Boy with Blue Eyes</td></tr>
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He was clearly enjoying his success and wanted to draw some other things. He spied a small carved rhinoceros I have and asked to use that. We set it up on a box and he labored over that, finally getting discouraged and deciding he'd had enough - but he'd spent about 45 minutes on all the drawings. The one rhinoceros he'd done had been a pretty good replica - he'd gotten some critical line in it, but decided it wasn't right and did his own version, without looking as intently. We talked about how a lot of drawing and painting require you to train your eye to see what is in front of you. And then you can change things around to show some other quality, to bring out your own style.<br />
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Being around kids as they explore art is just the most fun! It deepens your own understanding when you try to explain something; and you relearn how to see through eyes that are less critical. You enter into a more playful state - which is a wonderful thing!<br />
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becky nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16275457418436757436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5744240041443198532.post-1284507916401626162016-02-06T06:05:00.000-08:002016-02-06T06:05:08.743-08:00Birthday Book for Mom<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In the second week of Sketchbook Skool we played around with making small books. I posted the first one that was made from an 8 1/2 by 11" sheet of paper, neatly folded and cut to make 8 pages. It was perfect for my little caterpillar story. I showed that in an earlier post.<br />
The second kind of book <a href="http://frajilfarms.com/">Jill Weber</a> suggested was to use an accordion style folding; it offers a different way of telling a story. I decided to make a little celebration for my mom's upcoming birthday in April.<br />
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Our birthdays were always special - never over the top in extravagant gifts or outings; when I was young, finances didn't allow that kind of expenditure. But the generosity was clear in the attention to details. From being sung awake in the morning, to a favorite meal, followed by a sumptuous cake, you knew it was YOUR day.<br />
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I won't be able to visit mom for her birthday this year so I thought I'd send the party to her!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtlLEWH96bVcPHBzCqE16bVuwNwPrgiLFtkwune3dW-HVmzbLY2meO1prWMza0CpzX_w_9s04N33oqstCF13dHU6eL5PKdrWkJyf74d76UN7rNIPp34EQACOSrtE6XNH5oLFz4DmLeL8g/s1600/1-DSC00844.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtlLEWH96bVcPHBzCqE16bVuwNwPrgiLFtkwune3dW-HVmzbLY2meO1prWMza0CpzX_w_9s04N33oqstCF13dHU6eL5PKdrWkJyf74d76UN7rNIPp34EQACOSrtE6XNH5oLFz4DmLeL8g/s320/1-DSC00844.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Drink, The Balloons, The Fanfare, The Dance</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Cake, The Jive</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Bow, and the Salutation!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Altogether Now</td></tr>
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becky nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16275457418436757436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5744240041443198532.post-48524590681785143872016-02-04T06:51:00.000-08:002016-02-04T06:51:46.508-08:00Miracles Every DayFebruary 4 is a particular day for me to recognize miracles all around me.<br />
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It is the birthday of my dear Marcus, who turns 11 today. And it is the birthday of my good friend, Maggie who is 61. Both of these cherished people have had close calls - they might not have been here to celebrate this day. That they are, feels miraculous.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marcus with Ethan and Landen</td></tr>
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Seven years ago, Marcus was in a near drowning accident. Medical personnel estimated that he'd been underwater for about 5 minutes. It was the most terrifying thing I have ever experienced, with vivid memories of that day - of the fear, and also of the great kindnesses of people I've never seen again. Marcus not only survived; he is a very special child - he has a deep sense of compassion, a sensitivity that sometimes startles me. Where did he get that wisdom? And then he flips back into being a normal, funny, silly, moody, energetic kid.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maggie in Rome</td></tr>
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On the 16th of November, a Monday morning, Maggie and I had been planning our Thanksgiving dinner. She had a big project at school so I didn't expect to hear from her for the rest of the week. On Friday I received a call from a friend that Maggie had been taken to the hospital late the night before. She had suffered a stroke, probably on that Monday, with three aneurysms that were leaking into her left brain. Since she hadn't been found for several days, there were complications and the doctors weren't sure she'd survive. She underwent several surgeries over the next week and friends and family kept vigil. Once the doctors were able to remove the sedation, she gradually began to demonstrate signs of recovery. At this point she is undergoing rehabilitation, but each week brings return of function, progress that we can only marvel at.<br />
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Over a long period of time I have come to appreciate that we are constantly surrounded by miracles if we only choose to see them. Albert Einstein said "There are two ways to live your life: one is as though nothing is a miracle; the other is as though everything is a miracle." I go for a walk, I look out the window, I spend time in silence - and I feel overwhelmed with gratitude.<br />
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Lately, I've been listening to a lot of Peter Mayer's music. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiypaURysz4&list=RDEMxRn-WF37EvtbCxmFUM_law">This one</a> feels just right for today.<br />
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How about you? What quietly or outrageously wondrous things are you experiencing? <br />
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becky nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16275457418436757436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5744240041443198532.post-80059361650952746102016-01-26T14:43:00.000-08:002016-01-26T14:43:10.188-08:00Tiny BooksThis week in Sketchbook Skool we are making tiny books. The teacher, Jill Weber, is an illustrator with a well established career in book illustration and makes the most intriguing little books for fun. She showed us two different small books to try: an accordion book, using a long strip of paper and just folding it into many sections; and this other little book that I tried first, where I used an 8 1/2" by 11" sheet of paper and by folding and cutting, ended up with 8 pages to tell my story.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhetuIKGHOTWQ-NxccnL4XdSnV2sr6T651QqDgQ5ydBCWKKWtn9yGqpVf70OsNqLpiNWJtMdYEXjXRlYEZhmBFkxoUHB6wNfMaiiSSNl4tecHGHrKaSCotIbmFsIXy5YYi-I0gW3_mcvUw/s1600/1-DSC00810.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhetuIKGHOTWQ-NxccnL4XdSnV2sr6T651QqDgQ5ydBCWKKWtn9yGqpVf70OsNqLpiNWJtMdYEXjXRlYEZhmBFkxoUHB6wNfMaiiSSNl4tecHGHrKaSCotIbmFsIXy5YYi-I0gW3_mcvUw/s200/1-DSC00810.JPG" width="157" /></a>I chose this second one to start with. The tricky part is finding the right papers for these. You want it sturdy enough to handle the medium you will use, to be durable - and still to be able to take the folding. I will have to play with this more.<br />
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I used a high quality office paper - but it buckled with my water colors. <br />
And while these are meant to be done fairly quickly, I admit it took me most of my day! But it was fun.<br />
I am happy to know how to make these because they would make sweet little gifts for friends and family.<br />
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Here's my little story.<br />
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becky nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16275457418436757436noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5744240041443198532.post-50816050157441376582016-01-25T10:27:00.000-08:002016-01-25T10:27:59.136-08:00Sketching is ContagiousHere's another thing I learned when I started carrying around a sketchbook with me. People like to see what you're finding so interesting that you want to draw it. I've been journaling for a long time - there would be curiousity about that, too, but then folks would be disappointed when they saw there were no pictures on my pages. Once I started adding little drawings, I'd find that others would be inspired - "Oh, I should do something like that, too." The fact that my drawings are less than professional might actually give them more license to give it a go.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8IsYyt8gizRLbmMcYBzUF-HsKO3STGc0CPf8VQdV9yue7qrB2lzORapEW4DUHm2denzc4L778SuKELSdrn-7Wvg4ClYSbZPqdzircF21io_cienLCoDURTsQgF1VHwllN9Q-zDrm5P4g/s1600/1-DSC00803.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8IsYyt8gizRLbmMcYBzUF-HsKO3STGc0CPf8VQdV9yue7qrB2lzORapEW4DUHm2denzc4L778SuKELSdrn-7Wvg4ClYSbZPqdzircF21io_cienLCoDURTsQgF1VHwllN9Q-zDrm5P4g/s320/1-DSC00803.JPG" width="320" /></a>One of the sweetest instances of this happened when one of our grandsons was staying with us for a while. He was six. One evening he was eating before he left to go to a t-ball practice. I sat at the table with him to keep him company and he also set up his stuffed animal friends around him. I decided to sketch him. He loved the picture and the attention. <br />
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The next evening as I was preparing dinner, he said "Don't look!" and I stayed in the kitchen until he told me I could come out. When he did call me, he proudly showed me his drawing. I was blown away by it. He had captured so many elements around him - the cabinet behind him with the stemmed glasses and little figurines, the vase of spring flowers, the lamp, the spiral bound sketchbook on the table. He'd spent over half an hour laboring with the details. I had the feeling that he was claiming the space as his own - a place where he felt at home. He continues to love to draw, to illustrate the stories that come from his imagination.<br />
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What is your experience with sketching or journaling? Have you done any illustrated journaling? - I know a number of people who love to keep this kind of record of their trips, in particular.<br />
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becky nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16275457418436757436noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5744240041443198532.post-29248592418145513252016-01-24T05:58:00.000-08:002016-01-24T05:58:17.974-08:00Sketching Your DaysI first signed up for <a href="http://dannygregorysblog.com/category/workshops-and-classes/sketchbook-skool/">Sketchbook Skool</a> in the spring of 2014. I wanted to get better at drawing. I struggle with proportion, with getting my eye to see relationships as easily as my mind does and then getting my hand to follow! The course was one still offered, entitled Beginnings. Each week for six weeks, there was a new teacher with new lessons and styles to check out. It turned out to be a great deal for under $100! In addition to the instruction and demos from the teachers, there is a huge community of class members who write in and show their own progress, struggles, and output. Some are really experienced and do beautiful work. Some are absolute beginners and are admirable for jumping in to something new and putting it out there.<br />
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I learned a quite a bit. What was even more important than learning techniques was coming to understand what a practice like sketching can do for you.<br />
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Here is one lesson from Danny Gregory: sketching something as simple as your breakfast can be meditative, can settle you in to your day. And the funny thing - when I look at this sketch, I remember that morning clearly almost two years later! I remember being in my daughter's apartment, waiting for grandsons to wake up. I can see the light coming through the windows, almost hear and smell the soft spring rain. Now my drawing wouldn't conjure that for you - you'd only see that I had a well balanced breakfast - some toast and cheese and clementine slices and coffee in my favorite Laura Keller mug. But I am there in that morning, waiting for my sweet ducks to join me.becky nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16275457418436757436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5744240041443198532.post-46294867646489070882016-01-23T11:38:00.000-08:002016-01-23T11:38:34.872-08:00Hand lettering FunOnce again I'm participating in Sketchbook Skool. It's the perfect time of year to jump into these classes that offer so much inspiration and technique, taught by a wonderful variety of artists. The classes go for six weeks online, each week a new set of lessons taught by a different teacher.<br />
This past week taught by Koosje Koene, one of the founders of the school.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb681evw57g98-TwtovRFhcSN1HHD01ImatlmoHe63nLt_N3VD1zZL_bQtPl9y4VnL_zogKzwSNNNryCFBh3JfLF9wRMZFwmLJhmG2kaC_dUQcGoFjKENGIuorTLoS6ceL7xQ8rQBIXOk/s1600/1-DSC00801.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb681evw57g98-TwtovRFhcSN1HHD01ImatlmoHe63nLt_N3VD1zZL_bQtPl9y4VnL_zogKzwSNNNryCFBh3JfLF9wRMZFwmLJhmG2kaC_dUQcGoFjKENGIuorTLoS6ceL7xQ8rQBIXOk/s320/1-DSC00801.JPG" width="320" /></a>The lessons were on hand lettering. We were encouraged to play with different fonts, think about lettering with composition in mind. The final lesson was to choose a word or quote and to use hand lettering to give it meaning or impact - or just design.<br />
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I decided to use a quote from Annie Dillard's novel, The Maytrees. I love her characters and there are several quotes from this book that have become part of my view of the world. Here is the one I chose:<br />
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And the next line is "She rolled down the dunes."<br />
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And what about you? What are you doing for yourself this winter? What quotes do you find inspiring, challenging, fun?<br />
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<br />becky nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16275457418436757436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5744240041443198532.post-66357345475103924472015-11-17T13:36:00.000-08:002015-11-17T13:36:16.130-08:00Oh, Paris!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This past summer, as part of my birthday trip, I visited Paris for the first time. I wasn't sure what to expect. I've read a lot about the city, heard friends' stories, seen many movies. Some people love it - they say it is their favorite city in the world. Others have been less enchanted, complaining about the rudeness and lack of friendliness. My goal was to keep an open mind and see what I would experience for myself.<br />
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Maggie and I had each been sick on our trip so our energies were low. We knew we would have to skip some of the common attractions, that we would have to choose carefully how to spend our time there. That may have given us a taste of the city that we would otherwise have missed. We spent a lot of time walking, with a few bus and subway rides to supplement our travels. We found ourselves ambling through neighborhoods, stopping in little shops for fruit or medicine, watching people doing ordinary things. We found most people to be very friendly and helpful - patient with our poor attempts to ask for things in French.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ2J4_dyCkr2InCrH90Daxe3whOXwDpQVngYeyizs9o0VUdu6mDWIJIEwuYzMjg9PB0T3jIQsK5D7whgZ_O5DU5px1f5LDx16RXktvQJdVne99e7XodpEjei1y-frMITgvHX0b8qyHWMA/s1600/1-2015-07-12+11.01.46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ2J4_dyCkr2InCrH90Daxe3whOXwDpQVngYeyizs9o0VUdu6mDWIJIEwuYzMjg9PB0T3jIQsK5D7whgZ_O5DU5px1f5LDx16RXktvQJdVne99e7XodpEjei1y-frMITgvHX0b8qyHWMA/s320/1-2015-07-12+11.01.46.jpg" width="320" /></a>On a Sunday morning we went to the Luxembourg Gardens which were within an easy walk of our apartment. We pulled up chairs close to the pond, and settled to watch older men sailing elaborate remote controlled boats. Then a vendor arrived pushing a cart piled high with brightly painted wooden boats - and suddenly children began running up, handing over money to rent one, and heading eagerly to the water. The men pulled their boats out to make room for the kids - and probably to save their own more fragile vessels from damage.<br />
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Another morning we were on our way to Notre Dame Cathedral and passed the Pantheon. I would not have thought to visit this landmark, but it turned out to be very impressive. I liked the spacious beauty of the architecture, the lack of fussiness. It had been built originally as a church to honor St. Genevieve. There are murals on the walls that depict the story of her interventions on behalf of the poor. One of the scenes showed people kneeling in petition. It was touching to see that the soles of their feet were dirty. Eventually the church was turned over to become a secular institution where important intellectuals were honored and many of them buried in the crypt - Victor Hugo, Rousseau, Emile Zola, Madame Curie, Voltaire, Alexander Dumas. In keeping with the tradition of honoring those who have dedicated their lives to upholding the values of the republic, there was an exhibit of four French citizens - two men and two women who had played important parts in the resistance during WWII.<br />
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The day before we left, July 13th, we decided to go to the Eiffel Tower. Preparations were under way for the Bastille Day celebrations so the area was crowded. I had not had a great appreciation for the tower in the past - it looked like a giant erector set to me. But it is really very beautiful, with intricate iron work - and so huge. I had read Edward Rutherford's <u>Paris</u>, a novel that describes the building of it, and that enhanced my appreciation. It was thrilling to be there!<br />
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As I think about my brief visit this summer, it is the experience of the neighborhoods and people that makes my heart ache for this city. It is the recollection of the Pantheon, being flooded by memories of those who gave so selflessly for liberty and justice that stirs my admiration for the spirit of this city. May we be faithful to those values and that spirit as we move into the troubled days ahead.becky nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16275457418436757436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5744240041443198532.post-21455812207477775142015-10-09T08:38:00.000-07:002015-10-09T08:38:45.153-07:00Moving on to SienaMy friend Anne came today to look at pictures from the Italy/France trip. As I shared some of those experiences with her, I was motivated to continue my reflections on this blog. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View on Road from Rome to Siena</td></tr>
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We'd been in Rome for five days. On June 28, Maggie and I took a 3 hour bus ride from Rome to Siena, a great way to see the country we were passing through. There were fields of sunflowers, mountains in the distance; vineyards, gardens, olive trees - all the things you expect and find in such abundance. As we travelled north we caught our first glimpses of some of the hill towns which just feel magical. I was so excited that we'd actually be staying in such a place for a few days. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Basilica of San Domenico</td></tr>
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We arrived mid afternoon and were able to walk from the bus stop to our hotel, the Alma Domus, a sweet retreat, somewhat reminiscent of being in a convent, though with more amenities. One wall adjoined the building that used to be the home where Catherine of Siena lived, and her church, the Basilica of San Domenico, towered over us. In the late afternoon we could hear visitors singing vespers in the little chapel that was built on the grounds of her home.<br />
Siena is small enough that you can easily orient yourself to find the main sites: the Campo, which is the town square, the Duomo - which is a huge, gloriously ornate church, the Pinacoteca - a wonderful gallery of paintings, as well as the main shopping areas.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Alma Domus to the Duomo</td></tr>
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The guide book said that you could pretty much see what is to see in half a day. Perhaps that is true if you're just wanting to glance at each attraction. But if medieval art and architecture are of any interest, then you need at least two full days. And if you want to spend any time browsing through the weekly open air market, people watching as you enjoy a gelato, sketching, photographing, writing - you could easily fill a few more days and still want more.<br />
We happened to be there during Palio week. This is a horse race held in the town square once in July, once in August. It attracts people from all over - the town is packed with tourists. We hadn't planned this, would not have chosen to be there then - and yet, I wouldn't have missed it. I'll write another post about it.<br />
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At the end of the afternoon of our initial explorations, we bought a bottle of wine, some good crackers and cheese, and found a bench out of the way to sit and relax, to soak up the late sunshine, and to pinch ourselves - we felt so lucky to be there.<br />
<br />becky nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16275457418436757436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5744240041443198532.post-82649796207706516492015-09-10T04:28:00.000-07:002015-09-10T04:28:31.413-07:00Rome - And Then There's Saint Peter's<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">evening in Saint Peter's Square</td></tr>
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On our first night in Rome as Maggie and I walked around after supper, catching a glimpse of Saint Peter's Dome under a gibbous moon was magical. Busses, cars, motorcycles zipped past us as we stopped to take photos under the streetlight. We weren't close enough to see more than just this small portion of it, but it was enough to give me goosebumps.<br />
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The next evening we walked over to see the square - it was fairly quiet at dusk. The plaza was huge. There were people walking around - some in clerical collars or habits, some tourists with cameras strapped across their chests, some young travellers. We wondered who the various statues represented, silhouetted against the darkening sky.<br />
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I thought I might come back another day and pop in to see Michaelangelo's Pieta. Maggie had been inside before and wasn't particularly invested in going back. The next day as we walked to Trastevere and passed through the square around 10 am, there was probably almost a half mile long line snaking around to the entrance to the basilica. People stood with umbrellas in the hot sun. I decided that it wasn't THAT important to get inside.<br />
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On Sunday morning while Maggie was sleeping, I decided to run out for an espresso. But something made me veer off instead toward the square. As I got there, I noticed a very small line to get into the basilica - and decided to go on in. What a special visit! I loved being in this place that had seen so many pilgrims over the years - noble, sacred, humble, plotting, lusting for power; every stripe has walked through those doors, bowed before those altars, stepped over those floors.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early Morning, No Lines</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunday Morning Uniform of Swiss Guard</td></tr>
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The Pieta is kept roped off at such a distance that I wished I had my binoculars to see it. That was a disappointment. But just being in that space, seeing the mosaics and frescoes, having a sense of the spirits that inhabit these rooms was enough. So much humanity is represented here.<br />
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There was a woman who was camped out on the steps along the porticoes outside that I had noticed the first evening we went there. She had a brown plaid blanket, bags with clothes? food? - At first I thought she was someone who was homeless. Then I saw a nun speaking with her that evening. I had the sense that the nun might have been from Africa. I saw her there for the next couple of days and decided that she might be there as a pilgrim or petitioner. She seemed to have a purpose. I wanted to speak with her but thought that I probably couldn't because of language differences. On the morning of my visit I had made up my mind to approach her and see if we could communicate. But she was gone. May she go in peace, wherever she is.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poster on Wall at Saint Peter's</td></tr>
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I think the most wonderful part for me was recognizing that Pope Francis is setting a most needed tone and challenge for the world - and that I might be walking on the same stones and steps he has used. I have great respect for him as a spiritual leader. There was something hanging over some iron gates that I thought was a sagging swag, looking a little sad. Then I realized that it was the world, fashioned from laurel leaves - I imagine a remnant from his Laudate Si speech - a most welcome declaration!<br />
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I was very moved to have been there, to experience this atmosphere, to see these remnants. That kind of inspiration carries you to different levels in your life.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of two fountains in square</td></tr>
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becky nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16275457418436757436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5744240041443198532.post-83640370919158050532015-08-16T08:05:00.000-07:002015-08-16T08:05:00.377-07:00Mosaics and Trastevere<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apse of Santa Maria di Trastevere</td></tr>
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When we were planning our trip we realized there were places that we'd have to skip - popular places, cities that held treasures that we'd love to see. Limited to three weeks we had to make some choices. One of the towns I was sorry to miss was Ravenna because of the reputation of their mosaics.<br />
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So I was thrilled when my friend Christina told us that her favorite church in Rome was the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Maria_in_Trastevere">Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere</a>. She said they had gorgeous mosaics. We set out for a nice walk from our apartment, ambling along the Tiber River for much of the time.<br />
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The church is one of the oldest in Rome, some of it dating back to the third century. The spectacular thirteenth century mosaics in the apse were done by Pietro Cavallini - they are really breathtaking. Maggie and I spent over an hour there sketching, taking pictures, walking around and looking at all the beautiful details. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mosaic Studio </td></tr>
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Afterward we looked for and found a small mosaic studio where classes are taught. I have a friend who did some mosaic work for her church and saw how difficult it was to cut the small tiles into the right sized pieces. I liked the logs on end with a wedge of metal to cut them - don't know if that is easier than a pair of cutters, but they look impressive!<br />
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During our walk to Santa Maria we had passed the <a href="http://www.electrummagazine.com/2012/06/the-villa-farnesina-jewel-of-renaissance-rome/">Villa Farnesina</a> and promised ourselves to stop in on our way back. The villa was built for Agostino Chigi, a Sienese banker, who was said to be the richest man in Europe at the time, which was the early 1500's. He chose the best painters he could find to decorate this home. There are magnificent paintings and frescoes by Raphael and his pupils and Il Sodoma.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ceiling Frescoes by Raphael and Students, especially Giulio Romano<br />
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And that was what we did before lunch! Around four we headed over to the old Jewish Quarter to see an interesting exhibit that one of Maggie's professors had of the work he'd been doing during his summer residency. That area is now filled with fascinating little galleries and artist's studios. That evening was when we revisited the Vatican Museum to look at the contemporary art. Such a full day. We collapsed at the end of it! Maggie's step calculator said we'd walked about 9 miles. Enough to easily earn a gelato!<br />
becky nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16275457418436757436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5744240041443198532.post-6978657206513618852015-08-05T08:33:00.000-07:002015-08-05T08:33:07.190-07:00Rome Treasures - Borghese Gallery<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_LR58VWWhT8g3YUeix92mm2NpK60ywBEyJfjFXLa6IPJAdn2JW1cHeNghnlkTOYmOjLGvx3wtB9YQiZb_7PdYzvT2TrqOqlYu_SIZDfr7_ELHz95fr0aC4TMz2yFGkqcPPzfjB1Ap0tM/s1600/1-FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_LR58VWWhT8g3YUeix92mm2NpK60ywBEyJfjFXLa6IPJAdn2JW1cHeNghnlkTOYmOjLGvx3wtB9YQiZb_7PdYzvT2TrqOqlYu_SIZDfr7_ELHz95fr0aC4TMz2yFGkqcPPzfjB1Ap0tM/s320/1-FullSizeRender.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Borghese Gallery</td></tr>
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As I post these short pieces, my intention is to recollect for you your own delights , if you've already been there; to highlight a few of the things that stood out for me (editing down from such rich collections is nearly impossible to do fairly); or to introduce readers to some of these venues. Maybe you will look up something in more detail and become intrigued enough to consider your own trip!<br />
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Places like the Vatican Museums have so much to see that it would be like going to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and trying to cover it in a day. You'd be dizzy and exhausted. The Borghese Gallery, by contrast, is much more manageable.<br />
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To begin with, the grounds are lovely - the house is accessed via broad tree lined walkways or carriage roads. There are plenty of benches where you can sit and have a cool drink, watch people, listen to musicians, and soak up the atmosphere.<br />
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You have to have advance tickets, at least this time of year, and you are given a time to enter; there is a two hour limit and then you have to exit and another group comes in. It means that the rooms are not crowded. You can see things, walk up to them easily and look closely. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David by Bernini</td></tr>
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The art was collected by Scipione Borghese, nephew of Pope Paul V. Apparently the collections were larger at one time, but Napoleon induced Borghese to 'sell' some of the works and they are now in the Louvre. Look up more information on the history <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galleria_Borghese">here</a> or google the gallery and look at the professional images of the rooms and art!<br />
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I've always been more interested in paintings than sculptures or mosaics, but that was before experiencing some of the things I saw on this trip. The Bernini sculptures are particularly wonderful. I loved the set of David's jaw, the dynamic posture as he prepared to deliver the fatal blow with his sling. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apollo and Daphne</td></tr>
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Even more, I loved this one of Apollo and Daphne. Do look for other images of this so you can see some of the details. Apollo has fallen in love with her and gives chase; she tries to escape and when she can't, she transforms herself into a laurel tree. You see her hair and hands sprouting leaves, bark covers much of her body, her feet begin to root into the ground. It is the most beautiful sculpture! And you wonder how anyone can get such fine detail out of marble.<br />
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There are other outstanding sculptures, many fine paintings, including artists like Raphael and Caravaggio; and then there were these mosaics by Marcello Provenzale that caught my attention. The pieces were not that big - maybe something like 18" by 24". I've seen gorgeous mosaic that are very detailed so that from a distance you see the shadings as though they were paintings. But these were so much smaller - the individual pieces didn't seem to be much bigger than plump pieces of rice.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Orfeo by Marcello Provenzale</td></tr>
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Two hours goes by quickly in this magnificent gallery and that's certainly not enough time to focus on much. The ceilings and floors deserve close attention as well. But you do come away with a sense of having had a very full meal; sitting on a bench in the shade afterward to compose yourself and digest is recommended.<br />
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becky nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16275457418436757436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5744240041443198532.post-41446961817934695292015-08-03T04:37:00.000-07:002015-08-03T04:37:19.685-07:00Rome Treasures - Vatican Museums, Contemporary Art<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP-UrSj7vRNVMkgkih3c7vWv8p-hF3Rr0hkhx2x6gsuFC4DXElJRsZLJ77DWcUfY1hZg13kVTv7INl7hUdWViIyyGgrtCMZTnU3xOodSMtD1FqWntbxNWA44-Cjv1yjdH2P1p4O5j44gc/s1600/1-IMG_0586.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP-UrSj7vRNVMkgkih3c7vWv8p-hF3Rr0hkhx2x6gsuFC4DXElJRsZLJ77DWcUfY1hZg13kVTv7INl7hUdWViIyyGgrtCMZTnU3xOodSMtD1FqWntbxNWA44-Cjv1yjdH2P1p4O5j44gc/s320/1-IMG_0586.JPG" width="254" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">George Rououalt - Miserere, 1939</td></tr>
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As we ended our first visit to the Vatican Museums we passed the area that displayed contemporary art and knew that we were too fried to enjoy viewing it. We decided to make this area a priority when we returned on Friday evening. Again, there was so much to see! These pieces were arranged chronologically from the late 1800's to a 2011 piece by El Anatsui.<br />
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Some of my favorite artists had pieces in the collection - George Rouault, Vincent VanGogh, Odilon Redon, Gaugin, Chagall, Matisse, Diego Rivera; there were not many women represented, which surprised me, especially as the dates moved into the 20th century. I saw nothing by Kathe Kollwitz. And, of course, I saw many works by painters and sculptors who were totally new to me.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carlo Carra - The Daughters of Lot, 1940</td></tr>
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This one by Carlo Carra was very moving. The listless expression on the young women's faces, the sadness, seemed to reflect the devastating changes in their lives, the loss of their mother, the way they have been used by their father. It is a painting that could generate a lot of discussion, anger, and empathy. <br />
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I was intrigued by Fernando Botero's Trip to Ecumenical Council. I suspect there is critical commentary going on, but am not sure what it is. Pope Paul VI was leading the church at that time and made it a priority to consider the conditions of those who live in poverty - perhaps the look on this plump cardinal's face is one of worried anticipation.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fernando Botero - Trip to Ecumenical Council, 1972<br />
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And there were several pieces by Matisse - drawings, cut outs, sculpture; we looked forward to visiting his museum in Nice and the chapel in Vence that he'd designed.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matisse</td></tr>
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becky nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16275457418436757436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5744240041443198532.post-32669857175883832272015-08-02T11:47:00.000-07:002015-08-02T11:47:28.044-07:00Rome Treasures - Vatican MuseumWe were travelling in the busiest tourist season so advanced reservations for some key sites were necessary. While that locks you into a schedule, it saves you from LONG lines in the hot sun. We'd gotten tickets for the Vatican Museums for Wednesday afternoon and again Friday evening and for the Borghese Museum on Thursday.<br />
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I had no idea what to expect at the Vatican, other than the Sistine Chapel. The museums are huge, opulent, with hall after hall of magnificent paintings and frescoes, sculptures, tapestries, manuscripts, vestments, architecture. It's really a series of museums, collections of various popes. It's crowded but there is so much to see on every surface, that it would be hard to go away feeling cheated! Even the floors are filled with art!<br />
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We'd met my friend Christina Carlson, who suggested that the map gallery was of special interest to her - and I was glad she'd pointed that out. It is easy to be glazed over by the time you get there, but it was fascinating - a long hall filled on both sides with maps of Italy as they were known in the late 1500's. Look it up online for more photos and the ceiling - extraordinary! The details in these panels were so interesting - you could spend much time deciphering them.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">detail from map in gallery of maps</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laocoon and Sons</td></tr>
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There are rooms and courtyards filled with ancient sculptures, including the Laocoon and Sons which had such an impact on later artists. <br />
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I really loved the animal room in the Pio Clementino Museum; the sculptures were so lifelike, so lively. And this was an area where the floors were particularly beautiful.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Floor Mosaic in Pio Clementine Museum</td></tr>
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The Borgia apartments were filled with frescoes, including gorgeous ceilings by Raphael. I couldn't get photos that would do them justice so I encourage you to look them up. There are a number of sites, including Wikipedia. <a href="http://www.daramccarthy.com/tourguide/vatican/vatican-raphael-rooms.php">Here's one:</a> <br />
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Just before we got to the Sistine Chapel, which they put at the end of the tour, we noticed the contemporary galleries - and decided that we'd focus on that when we returned on Friday evening. <br />
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The Sistine Chapel was impressive, of course. But it is hard to appreciate it when you are packed in like sardines looking up. Guards were frequently asking people to be quiet, and there were strict admonitions to not take photos. I was glad to see it, and enjoyed it more on Friday evening when there were fewer people. You could find a seat along the wall and look up more easily. If you have a chance to go there, I would recommend going off season or toward the end of the day so that you can really look more closely.<br />
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becky nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16275457418436757436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5744240041443198532.post-56560367785745460092015-07-22T17:50:00.000-07:002015-07-22T17:50:41.206-07:00Saint Anthony and Legos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When I was in the beautiful church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, there was a statue of Saint Anthony that struck me because it looked so much like my grandson Marcus. I took a picture of it and also bought a small magnet with the image from the gift shop. Once home, it went on my refrigerator.<br />
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Ethan was over the other day and saw the magnet. He wanted to know why I had a picture of Marcus dressed up like that. I told him it was a statue that I'd seen that looked a lot like Marcus. And I told him a little about where I'd seen it and why the statue had so many little pieces of papers tucked in around it. I told him that Saint Anthony was someone that many people asked for help when they'd lost something. "You know when you lost your Lego people that Nana had bought you? Well, that's a situation where someone might say, 'Ask Saint Anthony to help you find them.' " And we went on about our day. <br />
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I had forgotten about that conversation. But the next day, Teah told me that the boys had received a package in the mail that afternoon from their grandfather's wife. It included several Lego sets! I LOVE that kind of serendipity!becky nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16275457418436757436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5744240041443198532.post-33742938040098093942015-07-19T09:51:00.000-07:002015-07-19T09:53:32.095-07:00Rome in the OrdinarySeeing the "major" sites is wonderful when travelling, but I also love spending time doing ordinary things: shopping for food, walking through neighborhoods, listening to conversation - even when I can't understand much of it. Those times help me make bonds with places and people. For a little while, I am not just a visitor, but someone who is sharing a moment of our lives.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_SzN6CqBtIQTjQ70RHpMGmv8IGpnbOS348fd0s8jxe0hczowzGJU8tOAs25IlSbJcjaQqiKnw5EqvKW0v38fYa9EVqRbdi8iK1Cb_092OCXIMuIt92MZA6nlNU3s45zCK6Ol3S-wy_xI/s1600/DSC00532.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_SzN6CqBtIQTjQ70RHpMGmv8IGpnbOS348fd0s8jxe0hczowzGJU8tOAs25IlSbJcjaQqiKnw5EqvKW0v38fYa9EVqRbdi8iK1Cb_092OCXIMuIt92MZA6nlNU3s45zCK6Ol3S-wy_xI/s320/DSC00532.JPG" width="320" /></a>Even doing laundry in another city can be interesting. Maggie and I had a washing machine in our apartment in Rome. A nearby store sold detergent in large boxes. We only wanted enough for a load or two so we stopped in a Laundromat down the street and asked the owner if we might buy a small amount of detergent. He was very accommodating and we came away with more than we needed.<br />
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Maggie put the clothes in and got it started. A little bit later I saw her parked on a chair in front of it, watching it closely. She was quite taken by how it worked - different from our machines, even front loaders. We laughed - "So what did you do in Rome?" "Oh, we had the most marvelous time watching our washing machine!"<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibXcDJXFH5y8_Mn6kdq-OcMI4q_Rq_Edy4rC_kqq4OTfK3Z7AJFqACeCa9A7YjcUoTKXMoLBNMumluZm1MAS35rr2hGNcF4AXS-FV0wHOCQvJj5M0ESSCe1AXdlNr96IU4EVe9scJDShw/s1600/IMG_0376.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibXcDJXFH5y8_Mn6kdq-OcMI4q_Rq_Edy4rC_kqq4OTfK3Z7AJFqACeCa9A7YjcUoTKXMoLBNMumluZm1MAS35rr2hGNcF4AXS-FV0wHOCQvJj5M0ESSCe1AXdlNr96IU4EVe9scJDShw/s320/IMG_0376.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
We spent a morning in a market, looking at all the gorgeous produce, the fresh fish, the meats and cheeses and eggs so attractively displayed. You could get wine our of barrels; the man would pull a spigot and pour it into a clean plastic water bottle. The breads and pastries! Flowers and plants!<br />
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Art is everywhere. A lovely mosaic icon was displayed on the side of a building. Doorways, windows, balconies, fountains, offer opportunities to display creativity and beauty. There is graffiti, too - some whimsical, some darker.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAhjBFfg4G-s9ZZxn5iM_MuzgUmGuA-10l_nlC7hGyZJYdBk-rG1leuqM_lR0R6kWsU3YtP6L1UWjC_bv3J616LEURRVOHHDizzxsRzQC11BAajdTwaTX_FAguRjSn4lWey_q_8WB2MKA/s1600/DSC00489.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAhjBFfg4G-s9ZZxn5iM_MuzgUmGuA-10l_nlC7hGyZJYdBk-rG1leuqM_lR0R6kWsU3YtP6L1UWjC_bv3J616LEURRVOHHDizzxsRzQC11BAajdTwaTX_FAguRjSn4lWey_q_8WB2MKA/s320/DSC00489.JPG" width="320" /></a>And there are always signs of poverty, difficult situations - beggars, homelessness, hunger.<br />
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One of the things I really loved in Rome was the abundance of fountains - the water is almost always safe to drink and delicious and cold. It is available to everyone. Some people even set out little dishes next to the fountains for animals to drink.<br />
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People ask me what I found to be highlights of my trip. It is hard to answer. How do I compare my awe in the Sistine Chapel with the delight of good clean water on a hot day?becky nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16275457418436757436noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5744240041443198532.post-21072357886794797232015-07-17T08:15:00.000-07:002015-07-17T08:15:43.718-07:00Other Mornings, Other PlacesI have just returned from a most marvelous trip. For the past three weeks I've been in Italy and France, moving around from city to country, seeing art, architecture, eating wonderful food, soaking up memories that will become a part of who I am.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrDVtLFQxfpREwfz9ubKu1IZHVVy3ah_IFANOYadoZqpkPSPM3t1W3oMHruy96jMaixXS0XxHzUhB1xzcdcrGpDjFf9DMGy0jxqApFfpJd22wX3_-tOQc_bnmfGwym1ZGZgaN46kOlGxQ/s1600/1-DSC00472.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrDVtLFQxfpREwfz9ubKu1IZHVVy3ah_IFANOYadoZqpkPSPM3t1W3oMHruy96jMaixXS0XxHzUhB1xzcdcrGpDjFf9DMGy0jxqApFfpJd22wX3_-tOQc_bnmfGwym1ZGZgaN46kOlGxQ/s320/1-DSC00472.JPG" width="263" /></a>My friend Maggie and I discovered a couple of years ago that we would both celebrate decade birthdays this year. When we found this out, we said, "Oh, we should do something to celebrate!" At first, our vision was small - maybe go out to dinner. Then it expanded: "Maybe we would go to the city for a weekend." And then one day, Maggie asked, "Have you ever thought of going to Europe?" When I replied, "Oh, I've always wanted to go to Italy!" she asked, "How long could you be away?" I said that I couldn't stay longer than three weeks. And the planning began.<br />
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We decided to divide our time between Italy and France. She particularly loves Paris. Since I'd never been to either of these countries, I was up for seeing whatever we could see.<br />
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We met many times and talked about how to arrange our time, how to focus. We knew that we primarily wanted to see art and eat local food. We knew that we didn't want to cram our days full of running from one site to another. We wanted to have time to sit and draw, to watch people, to walk neighborhoods, to experience flavors. Gradually, we realized we had to whittle down some of our ambitions - we skipped Venice; we added time to Sienna. We asked friends for suggestions of their favorite surprises in the areas where we would stay. We made reservations for our lodging and transportation ahead of time, and did get some tickets for big things like the Borghese, Vatican, and Uffizi Galleries. And then we drifted.<br />
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What a fabulous time we had! I'll write posts about some of our adventures over the next couple of weeks. <br />
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The morning after I returned home, I lay in bed, listening to my neighborhood birds, watching the day come. It occurred to me that after this trip, I now know what morning looks like in eight different places. I've heard the birds, the garbage trucks, the Vatican bells, the neighbors chattering. I've seen the light changing, smelled the pastries, felt the warm humid summer air becoming sticky.<br />
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What I hope to share is the excitement of discovery, that my experience might encourage you to plan such a trip for yourself. Where have you been longing to go? What mornings await you?becky nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16275457418436757436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5744240041443198532.post-16794916991794266122015-06-01T14:32:00.001-07:002015-06-01T14:32:27.655-07:00 Sufism /Cooking<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyRbzBveA3_UK7IN3tivRF42X04pqlfpbA6B_cKacEGHWKk0hPKFr1v4Ok86DPsu3sWA63Eg2g5nDFCNM_-zp7b9FvXWcSS-ofUhrrmfQnWLcmvw_wePhkS7MNRh0PDsP-f9a_FzBvq1w/s1600/1-P1020498.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyRbzBveA3_UK7IN3tivRF42X04pqlfpbA6B_cKacEGHWKk0hPKFr1v4Ok86DPsu3sWA63Eg2g5nDFCNM_-zp7b9FvXWcSS-ofUhrrmfQnWLcmvw_wePhkS7MNRh0PDsP-f9a_FzBvq1w/s400/1-P1020498.JPG" width="392" /></a>I was recently privileged to spend some time with a most remarkable woman, a Sufi teacher, Thea Elijah. You know how there are events in your life when you can look back and say "This was a very special opportunity. This is something that will change me for the better." This is what being in the presence of wisdom can do for you - but only when you have an open heart. And Thea has a way about her that helps you open to receive wisdom.<br />
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The past two years have been a period of considerable upheaval for me. There have been many joys, many teachings, but challenges that have been really hard, too. Thea describes these life events that we all go through as "cooking". She has a wonderful video clip entitled "Chick Pea" on her website that you can watch: <a href="http://perennialmedicine.com/sufi-teachings/">http://perennialmedicine.com/sufi-teachings/</a>. As I go through my days and difficult things come up, I think, "Oh, I am cooking." I will be different. I don't mean this in a myopic way. I find the perspective comforting. I don't fight as much. I feel softer. I feel more ready to get out of my own way and wonder. "What is coming? What is the work I am to do."<br />
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Perhaps you will find this metaphor helpful, too. <br />
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becky nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16275457418436757436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5744240041443198532.post-86965075933257360712015-04-17T05:16:00.000-07:002015-04-17T05:16:52.406-07:00FourEthan wasn't feeling well the other day, he had a little cough. He was sitting at the table eating his yogurt and he suddenly says, "I don't like being four." <br />
"Why not"<br />
"It's not the best."<br />
"What do you want to be, what's the best?"<br />
"Three."<br />
It turned out he wanted to be three again, to be little, to be cuddled and pampered. We talked about how there are times when we all want that, and that's ok. And we talked about how it can be good to get older, too - there are things he can do this year that he couldn't do last year - like play soccer. He's been eager to play like Marcus does. But then he says, "But I want to be Argentina" (Marcus' favorite world cup team). "Well, you'll have to be a lot older to be Argentina."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE5AHjgzHDR7j6fdKXSrflaI57R2vkxnhLRyW84tqA214xTNJbhX-TLozMotu9c_hyXe4FG5LIfp1SspKTKF1xRN4XFFopMKqxWrNbVu_ZCsrIGQeXsmIPv-PeCRHGpknuG1ad4LIK4_U/s1600/DSC00362.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE5AHjgzHDR7j6fdKXSrflaI57R2vkxnhLRyW84tqA214xTNJbhX-TLozMotu9c_hyXe4FG5LIfp1SspKTKF1xRN4XFFopMKqxWrNbVu_ZCsrIGQeXsmIPv-PeCRHGpknuG1ad4LIK4_U/s1600/DSC00362.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a>A couple days later when we were together we practiced soccer outside. Before his mom left for work she said "Don't tell Nana that you want to write on your soccer ball, because you can't." He pointed out that he'd tried to write his initials. He got the E, but he said "I tried to make a B but I made a cupcake. It did look like a cupcake.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi06wxoCp779Ol7UyR-VQcivyAD4-coE_bTtpPr9dOT_2UrukFw0ZO__LlTArGWx-QkSmiSJNyH6KWhKU_QyaiLj7I5W2k-TLzSwfNhHnBKm6eqJG6EoJqwpIey9r1aizpu7UMCCfJDWbo/s1600/DSC00366.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi06wxoCp779Ol7UyR-VQcivyAD4-coE_bTtpPr9dOT_2UrukFw0ZO__LlTArGWx-QkSmiSJNyH6KWhKU_QyaiLj7I5W2k-TLzSwfNhHnBKm6eqJG6EoJqwpIey9r1aizpu7UMCCfJDWbo/s1600/DSC00366.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a>Later he asked if we could practice letters on paper. We did. Then he wanted to tape them to the ball. His mom didn't say we couldn't tape letters on a ball. So we did.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcKn72sE_ReaUCAji31RuTjzAfyUhgkt_cFbE3NQWPK5Uu7NyqLZTeuJTI351ZbiqM44v41qCBrRLKZTAWoCbQnHS_Oho0JhCADdLz6SXaJ2wbMg0xQo-L1Uk9SOCHNusMNhHsZWRhcUw/s1600/DSC00370.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcKn72sE_ReaUCAji31RuTjzAfyUhgkt_cFbE3NQWPK5Uu7NyqLZTeuJTI351ZbiqM44v41qCBrRLKZTAWoCbQnHS_Oho0JhCADdLz6SXaJ2wbMg0xQo-L1Uk9SOCHNusMNhHsZWRhcUw/s1600/DSC00370.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a>We went for a walk at Vassar pond, looking for signs of spring. We found beautiful skunk cabbage coming up and I told him that insects like to live in there to get out of the cold and rain. He imagined them having little beds and tvs in there so they could be cosy.<br />
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We saw pollywogs (which he called hollywogs), and crayfish and minnows, and geese - and garbage people had thrown around. We'll have to go next time prepared to carry some of that out. He was rightly offended that people throw their trash in such places.<br />
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Spending time with a four year old, experiencing how they see the world, is one of my favorite things to do. Sorry, Ethan, but I have to disagree with you. Four is the best!<br />
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becky nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16275457418436757436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5744240041443198532.post-87535904430851935232015-02-14T08:00:00.000-08:002015-02-14T08:00:06.442-08:00Crow with Valentine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Thing a Day is an online creativity group that happens in February. One year I chose crows and pomegranates as my themes for the work I'd do and came up with little paintings each day. On Valentine's Day I'd been busy and shortly before I went to bed, I remembered that I hadn't made anything. I grabbed some paint and paper and made a quick crow, flying home to her sweetie with a little pretty to line the nest.<br />
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I like this crow. I like that it feels like my life sometimes - that I am flying through turbulence and trying to keep up with the small honoring that each day deserves. No perfection here. But a gift.<br />
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I hope you find a way to celebrate all the loves of your life, including yourself; you can make it little thing. Happy Valentine's Day!<br />
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For a different Valentine <a href="http://www.geminiriver.blogspot.com/2013_02_01_archive.html">treat</a>, you can see this older post.becky nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16275457418436757436noreply@blogger.com0