Wordless Wednesday - Golden Rule Days!

The countdown is over.

The big day is here.

Smiles on the faces of

grandparents everywhere!

Wordless Wednesday - A Star Wars Kind of Family

Not so secret: I'm a big (as in HUGE) fan of Star Wars. I've not so subtly brainwashed my family. They have no choice but to join me in my guilty pleasure.

Which led to shamelessly using my grandkids in my final project in a Photoshop course....enjoy!

My Backyard - Quonset Air Museum; North Kingstown, RI

If you're a Rhode Islander you've probably heard of the National Guard Open House and Air Show. It's held every summer at the Quonset State Airport in North Kingstown; widely advertised and very well attended. Quite a lot of fun! Aircraft from all eras put on a dazzling display. There are vintage to modern warfare planes. There are skydivers. Demonstrations. Visitors can even get up close and personal to planes parked on the tarmac. There's always plenty of refreshments and interesting items for sale. It makes for a great family day!

At one of those shows, my husband ran into a former coworker who was talking with visitors about an old plane. He gave our then 2-year old grandson a thrill of a lifetime when he allowed him to go up into the cockpit with hubby. While we chatted, he mentioned he volunteered at the Quonset Air Museum. I think that might have been the first time I heard of it. We told him that we would make it a point to visit someday.

Flash forward 5 years. Someday finally came last month. I made it to the Museum. Let me back up a bit here and give you some history on how it finally came to pass.

Plop..Plop..Fizz..Fizz....Oh What A Relief It is......

For my older readers, do you recall that jingle? Good old Alka Seltzer for the relief for heartburn....

This tune played round my brain tonight. It's been a while since I've felt such a sense of relief. And no, I didn't need to resort to those fizzy tablets.

So you probably may have noticed I haven't posted on the blog lately. Been a bit distracted. Enrolled in a very intense 6-week course in a really good, but demanding college. As the first day of school approached, I got really nervous and apprehensive. Then it happened....I received a summons for jury duty.

School After 50 - What Am I Doing Here?

Head is spinning. Hands are clammy. Heart speeding a mile a minute. Oh please don't let me start hyperventilating. Please!!

Breathe....breathe....you can do this. Don't let them see you sweat. How embarassing will that be?

I'm sitting in a chair. In a computer lab. Of a noted university. Surrounded by students young enough to be my children. Students who seem to be very confident. And most importantly, know what they're doing. Me? Not so much.

First clue I will not do so well: the computers are Apples. I'm a PC.

The course is only 6 weeks long. How the heck am I going to concentrate on learning the curriculum when I don't even know how to use the darn computer?

Why am I doing this to myself? Why did I think I could take college courses at my age? What was I thinking?

Not sure how this will end up. Will I have all my hair at the end of all this? Will my family be visiting me in the local mental health facility? Or god willing, will I be glad that I took the plunge and took a chance at being a middle-aged college student?

Stay tuned....I'll let you know how it all works out in 6 weeks.........

My Backyard - Louisa May Alcott; Orchard House, Concord, MA

Bookworm. That was me. And still is me. Growing up, books were my friends - my escape. I loved to read. Authors were like demi-gods to me. They wove their magic in and out of the pages of my favorite books. And none were more magical than Louisa May Alcott. Like many young girls, my introduction to Louisa was via "Little Women". After that, I grabbed hold of anything written by her. I couldn't get enough. In time, I began to have delusions of becoming a great writer just like her.

After recently becoming unemployed, I leaned on the comfort of books. I ran to my local library to be among their soothing presence. As I slowly strolled the aisles, lovingly caressing book binders with  my fingertips, a familiar book suddenly caught my eye - "Little Women". All the old feelings, my love of this novel came flooding back. I felt compelled to search out Louisa's biography. To learn more. I wanted to read about her using my now old and tired eyes. What made her tick. How did she come to pen her interesting and riveting writings.

An idea slowly formed. Maybe I should go visit Orchard House. The home depicted in "Little Women". Where she had written many articles. Where her family lived. I couldn't understand why I had never been there, especially when I learned her home was only 45 minutes from my own.

Teacher! Teacher!!!

When I was a little girl, I dreamed of being a teacher. I used to play school with my sisters. And my dolls. They were the students. I was always the teacher.

Photo Credit - Cogdogblog Alan Levine (Flicker)

My dad must have gotten an odd job cleaning a school because one day a few old wooden desks appeared in the back yard You know the ones where the chairs are attached? With an inkwell hole in the upper corner? I lined them up, sat my sisters and dolls in the chairs and started their daily lesson.

My husband says I still act the same way (except I don't try to teach my dolls anything these days). And that I missed my calling. I should have been either an English or history teacher. I just can't help it. I have this compulsion to always impart my wisdom and knowledge on him and anyone else who unknowingly and mistakenly gives me their undivided attention. Sorry! Can't help myself!

And don't think my need to teach is limited to academia. Oh no. It doesn't stop there. I'm also a driver's ed teacher extraordinaire! I've taught many people how to drive: my kids, one of my sisters, a niece and nephew. And they all passed their road test with flying colors, thank you very much!

I just love teaching. Showing others what I've learned. I almost feel like its my duty to share what I know because I want everyone to be "in the know".

Oh dear. Maybe I should re-think my career reinvention. Perhaps I should look into teaching. But what field? What level? Argh!!!

Why do I make things so much harder on myself? Teacher! Teacher! I need help!

My Backyard: RI School of Design - Museum of Art

"Summer" by Frank W. Benson. 1909.

Photo Credit: Christopher Gosselin (Flickr)

 

I enjoy visiting museums. Unfortunately, my little state doesn’t have many. The one I wanted to see but had never been to is at the RI School of Design in Providence. The RISD Museum of Art began in the late 19th century and is housed in 6 buildings. It has thousands of pieces of art dating from ancient times to present: Asian, ancient artifacts, textiles/costumes, photography, contemporary art, sculpture, prints, and paintings. There's artwork by household names like Cezanne, Renoir, Picasso, Matisse, Stuart, Homer and O’Keeffe, and even a replica of a Federal-style home. The Museum definitely rivals art museums found in larger metropolitan cities. 

 

First off, let’s be clear. I’m not artistic in any way. I can't draw, paint or sculpt. (I gladly leave that to my 3 very artistic sons.) However, I appreciate the exceptional artistry, creativity and talent behind the art. So I had to finally find the time, and go!