More on Modes of Transport...

Nature intended for man to walk, than perhaps to run and take flight.

Trees blossoms

petals flourishes

as the bush 

becomes fuller

descriptive of the colors that best

befits summer

and its multifaceted prism!

floral bush!

Corvette, an older model.

Brief history of the Corvette:

The history of Corvette spans almost 60 years from it's humble beginning as an under-powered,

plastic bodied curiosity to today's hard-won status as a world-class supercar.

Every generation of Corvette, from C1 through today's C6

has embodied the best of American technology and performance know-how.

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In continuing with my daily jaunts in Methuen, MA I find more things to take notice of.
I suffer from envy; people who seems to have ample of liquid assets and some of them
are independent of state in that they work for themselves.

So perhaps owner of this truck in an independent contractor of sort.
I imagine/supposed as much!

Trucking and then some

This could be name from a distance, a glance
at a matador of a truck and the two shovels could
be the cape worn by the matador as the bull
approaches him...

Somewhat caged trucking

Up-close, but not too close. It is so lovely with the framing structure up front

kind of like braces...how odd to think such an image?

Bright and colorful truck

 

Trees, to remind us of boundedness; to staying rooted!

Nature is soil, composite redeposited to returning with new ferns and trees.

An Evening of Chocolate and Wine tasting at The College Club of Boston.

The College Club of Boston

Whose motto:

“Just a place to loaf and invite our souls and the souls of others we wanted to know.”

A little history:

One chilly day in December 1890, nineteen women met in Boston’s Back Bay.  Their mission was to form a club where they could “enjoy sociability and companionship” with college women “among their kind.”

From its earliest days, the College Club paraded a host of celebrities from literature and the arts. Mark Twain was a guest; so were actress Julia Marlowe, feminist Lucy Stone, poet Oliver Wendell Holmes (who recited “The Chambered Nautilus”), and novelist Marian Crawford, who drew such a crowd in the 1890s that for years the club entertainments were dubbed the “Crawford Crush.”

The College Club of Boston, today is seen as the oldest club in America, remains a diverse and dynamic women’s membership organization that more than fulfills the mission of its founders. With afternoon tea, fashion shows, concerts and more, our members enjoy the sociability for which the Club was founded.  We learn at lectures, engage in discussion at book clubs, stage art exhibits and entertain friends in our Victorian brownstone.  We network to further our career goals.  We connect with neighbors and make new friends.

Finally, the members of The College Club of Boston are dedicated to educational philanthropy, with a campaign that each year raises scholarship funds for Boston public school seniors.

Noted facts:

• The Club’s beautiful Victorian clubhouse at 44 Commonwealth Avenue was built in 1864 and purchased for $50,000 in 1924.
• The cost of tea for members and their guests has actually gone down!  Five cents a cup in 1896, afternoon tea is free for members and their guests today.
• Our members range in age from 28 years to 90+ years old. They include lawyers, doctors, homemakers, realtors, scientists and entrepreneurs.
• Many of our lovely antiques and artwork were willed to the Club by loyal members.
• Each year we raise money in college scholarship funds to benefit high school seniors living in Boston neighborhoods. We have also raised money for other charities or causes in the past.

I attended a Boston Regional Alumni Event- An evening of Chocolate and Wine for Worcester State University at The College Club of Boston. This is how I came to be acquainted with the club.

Photos of the club and alumnae attendees. Unfortunately, I made not one friend. Well not that it mattered...

It is a lovely building and the room we were in for the event was lovely; filled with old photos and a fire place. Antiquities and a refinement in taste.I was fortunate to be able to attend.

What I learned in the pairing of chocolate and wine: White Chocolate is best served with a wine like 2010 La Spinetta Moscato D'Asti; Milk Chocolate renders well with a 2010 Marenco "Pineto" Brachetto d'Acqui;  When it is pure cacao or more so in the content of 58.5% cacao, serve with a 2012 Pico Maccario "Barro" Barbera d'Asti; if cacao is 61% serve with a 2010 Brigaldara Valpolicella; if 70% cacao serve with a 2009 Sean Minor Napa Valley Red; if 72% cacao serve with a 2007 Toro Albala Don Pedro Jimenez.

I also learned that there are Northern wines from France that are of a smoky tendency. And earlier in the evening there was the mentioning of the Nebbiolo wine from Piedmont, Italy containing a feisty vignettes. Wines made from nebbiolo are typically dark, tart, tannic and alcoholic and since they are long-lived, they are highly prized by collectors. (http://www.winepros.org/wine101/grape_profiles/nebbiolo.htm)

And somehow, knowing of this nebbiolo (small grapes) and their toughness makes me think of Pu-erh Tea. Since Pu-erh can be drunk immediately or aged for many years; pu-erh teas are often classified by year and region of production much like wine vintages. As the nebbiolo has counterfeits so to does pu-erh have many counterfeits on the market and the real aged pu-erh is difficult to find and identify; but assured is that there are 10 to 50 years old pu-erh, and tea connoisseurs are willing to pay higher prices for older pu-erh, upwards of thousands of dollars per cake.

As summertime (warmer climate) is approaching wine as well as tea can dispel the heat bringing about an instant cooling together with relaxation. So drink up pleasantly; be it a glass of wine or a cup of your favorite tea. 

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I am thankful for having attended this event and a noted thanks to the coordinators of this event: Ms. Tara Hancock and Ms. Nicole Losavio. Seemingly kudos to you both!
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Advertisements and more information on Wine Tasting visit:
http://www.wineenthusiast.com
http://blog.wineenthusiast.com/
http://blog.winemag.com/editors/

Arts, artists, poets, libraries and museum…invite us all to learn and share in their historical value.

Russian Festival

Newton Cultural Center

From Russia with Arts and Culture

Mural of the artists at Newton Cultural Center

The maestro Jerry Koenig

From Russia with Art Gallery

http://www.fromrussiawithart.org

With owners: Olesya and Jerry Koenig

Email: fromrussiawithart@gmail.com

at the Newton Cultural Center

A little history:

Once a two-level Gallery in Cambridge, MA with beautiful spacing displaying exclusive collection of etchings, sculptures, oil and mixed media paintings. The then gallery had over 350 artworks, with a range of prices. With the economy not being kind to artists and their art; the owners had to readjust and transform itself into a “pop up” and Internet gallery.

Olesya and Jerry Koenig continue to represent the same artists that they had supported while in operation in Cambridge. Currently they offer short-term exhibitions in various locations for 2012.

This current exhibition is at the Newton Cultural Center: Fine Arts, Russian Crafts, and Music took place last month.

Some featured artist:

Anatoly Dverin, Ekaterina Khromin, Georgy Lapchinsky, Misha Lenn, Irina Makoveeva

Stanislav Nikireyev, Tatiana Yanovskaya-Sink

Stass Shpanin

from his Age of Empires Art Exhibit!

 

 

Alexander Vetrov (photos of colored etchings)

 

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Vladimir Volosov (see photos of oil paintings)

 

 

  Rimma-Zaika-Veksler

 

Hand made one of kind jewelry

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Jan Zaremba (demonstration of Sumi-e paintings)

 

 

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 Russian Icons with Polina Marshakova

 & Peggy Coleman

Iimage below depicts a backward glance in history before one is able to move forward and to giving back.

 

I was able to attend (late on Sunday) and visit with the Koenigs. The fashion show had finished by the time we arrived but we got to sit in on the Sumi-e Painting Demonstration with Jan Zaremba. I have met some of the other artists during past events at the Cambridge Gallery.

***Future events with From Russia with Art Gallery: participating in the “Cambridge Open Studios” East on Saturday & Sunday, May 12 &13 respectively at the Byzantine Store, 355 Cambridge Street (between Inman Square and Lechmere). For more information refer to: http://www2.cambridgema.gov/cac/community/cos2012-participants-east.cfm

Admittance is free and refreshments are served.

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Cambridge, Longfellow Bridge

Talent amidst us all; I am mere art appreciator allowed to viewing amazement. Thank you for allowance.

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Massachusetts Poetry Festival Salem 2012

 

 

Fourth Massachusetts Poetry Festival:

            I got to volunteer at this festival on Saturday and Sunday as greeter and sold a few buttons to those wishing to attend the event. Since I arrived early on Saturday (as I was scheduled) I had an hour or so to pass the time. I stumbled in The Museum Place Mall on Essex Street and found some of the festival activities. I took some photos and purchased two small books of poems.

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 I had to return to the main office where the volunteers were to be taken to their volunteer post. Once at the dugout I took some photos of folks mingling and eating. I did not really know what was going on or what to expect. I never fit in really. But I was there, just the same...

 It was a bustle of activities for volunteers and the likes. Doing all they can to make sure all goes accordingly; at times not quite knowing what is going but doing it just the same I imagine. Or perhaps just I not knowing or not properly orientated. I arrived early and was not dressed for the handling of things...

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My volunteering post as greeter was at the Capt's Waterfront Grill & Club; so another volunteer walked me there (since I am bad at direction) where the Hedgerow poets and the Jamaica Pond poets were to read and I took these photos during their session.

Capt's Waterfront Grill & Club

Introducing Hedgerow

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 Next group of poets: Tap the Cypher with the Jamaica Pond Poets

Circled Jamaica Pond Poets reading...

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Day 2: I arrived early and not much help at all. I took photos (now seemingly empty) of The Museum Place Mall (now that I knew the name of it) and waited for when to begin greeting or what have you.

Another office for volunteers/set-up crew.

Old photos in the Museum Mall Place

Herding elephants at Museum Mall Place

I wish I had noticed this shop, I could have purchased some teapots.

My volunteer post was at the Peabody Essex Museum; I was to stand and greet folks who were to attend two workshops found in (Studio A & Studio B) and direct folks to the restrooms since they were across from me. The museum had a H2O exhibit (water) how very necessary it is to us all. Mothers birthing their young nearby kept me company. I took no photos from that point on.

Anyhow, the workshop: Fun with Formal Poetry by author and poet Leslea Newman was held in Art Studio A. The author was kind to ask me to keep time and to notify her of when only five minutes was left and provided me with a sign for this. Also, another volunteer came along and helped me with arranging the chairs so attendees could sit in circle. Author is renown since having written more than sixty books for children and adults, including the ground breaking children's classic Heather Has Two Mommies. Her next book is due out on September 25, 2012 and is titled: October Mourning.

 

Leslea Newman gave me this postcard for latest book.

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There is pain in us all, at times the arrangements of words helps to soften the hurled blow by blow of daily woes.

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The WinthropPublic Library & Museum

 http://www.noblenet.org/winthrop

 

Celebrating libraries:

            National Library Week began in 1958. The Winthrop public Library and Museum was dedicated on June 27, 1899. The library now boasts a collection of almost one hundred thousand books as well as DVD’s, Books on Tape, Music CD’s, and public computers. It is a homey library, I seem to recall the many weekend’s visits I had there; retrieving books and magazine and movies. It was the smallness and homey of the library that appealed to this soul.

            As long as I had frequented the library in the past; I was not aware of a museum on the upper floors. And yet sure enough presented upstairs on the floor above is the Reid’s Boat Yard: A photographic exhibit.

Some photos of the exhibit to share:

Winthrop's first group of Selectmen

Reid's Sails

Reid Builder is located on Pleasant Street in Winthrop since 1918 until the end of World War II, Willis J. Reid's boat yard built civilian and military vessels.  Invited are all to see their collections of images and documents, celebrating a part of Winthrop's maritime history from days gone by.