It's Time!

I was inspired today reading an op-ed piece by Congress woman Gabrielle Giffords and her husband Mark Kelly. As they point out so clearly, 

“In response to a horrific series of shootings that has sown terror in our communities, victimized tens of thousands of Americans, and left one of its own bleeding and near death in a Tucson parking lot, Congress has done something quite extraordinary — nothing at all.”

I have been thinking a lot about the mass shootings that have taken place in the country and been reading up on the subject. It is a complex problem fraught on all sides with emotion, history, old grudges and new found idealism. But I think its time we stop shaking our heads and not getting involved because the problem is too complicated.

As Giffords and Kelly so aptly say in their article,

“This country is known for using its determination and ingenuity to solve problems, big and small. Wise policy has conquered disease, protected us from dangerous products and substances, and made transportation safer. But when it comes to protecting our communities from gun violence, we're not even trying...”

I think it is time we started looking for solutions. Put away the standard lines and arguments. Look at the results of our current situation and say, “how can we make it better.” We won’t tolerate our kids being killed by bad peanut butter or spinach, cars without safety restraints, cribs or car seats or toys that are dangerous. We take action, we do something. We must look for sensible solutions. We must share ideas and find something that attacks this problem on all levels. It’s Time!

Here is a way you can participate in the process. 

http://americansforresponsiblesolutions.org

Change...

Change...

Of all the things we face in life change is the most difficult. Often our lives are changed for us. Natural disasters, accidents, business failures, health crisis, the list goes on, but all these make us change without choice. One minute our life was one thing and the next we must find new footing. Will we begin again? Will we start over? Will we move on? 

We watch wrenching stories on the news of natural disasters and see the people standing in front of ruined or destroyed homes or business and they all smile for the TV cameras and say, "We will rebuild, we are here to stay". Despite these bright smiles, as time passes, things intrude on this desire to be comfortable again, to stay in the same place and do the same thing. Sometimes, that just isn't possible.  Sometimes change takes us to uncharted territory. 

I am currently watching the Hurricane Sandy coverage. Lots of homes destroyed and property ruined and business lost. What these people will face to rebuild is enormous. First will come the insurance reality. If they didn't have Federal Flood Insurance nothing is covered. That's right, nothing. I know because I have been there. I was one of 16 lucky people who had Flood insurance when my business was destroyed by a flash flood. If you have Flood insurance it triggers other good things, low interest loans from FEMA, Business loans from the Small Business administration and gives people the ability to recover some of your loss. The paperwork is staggering but the help is there. For others life will change.

I just finished a road trip through Mississippi and Louisiana. You might think that all has been rebuilt after Katrina but I was astounded by the amount of vacant land where homes and business once stood. Outside of New Orleans, very little has been rebuilt. I think people in New York and New Jersey will face this same reality. If there is money to rebuild they will face new and tougher building standards near the ocean. Costly rebuilding becomes monumentally expensive when the new building regulations are enforced so, again, there may not be sufficient funds available to stay, to rebuild, to make it home again. 

So many of these people will face the cruel prospect of change. Yes, they will continue their lives but they will be markedly different in so many ways. You can again find a home, a business and a life where you can be comfortable again but it will take time.  Change is survivable.

Something for everyone?

Art has always been in the eye of the beholder. The person who loves his art is always my favorite. It doesn't matter what it is, the joy of owning something beautiful, fun, unique or wonderful is a very personal experience.

Take this last weekend. We are in Naples Florida. This is the capital of old money, but with large "middle class" tracts of new homes or as we called them in Arizona, McMansions. Stately mansions set on beautiful grounds with ocean views, with large docks and major yachts,etc. Bentley's, Rolls Royce, Ferrari and Lamborghini are common parked right next to the Lexus, Prius and Cadillacs. So it is no surprise that there are wonderful galleries and great art shows here.

We first visited the Naples Art, Antique and Jewelry Show. It was a stunning and fanciful experience. The paintings were by VanGogh, Monet, Matisse, and other wonderful old masters. There were displays of stunning antique furniture, chests of silver flat ware, candelabra, Tiffany lamps and diamonds in all colors and designs by the carload. It was a show stunning in its quality and opulence. The only parking was valet at $8.00 a car plus tip. The entry fee was $15.00 per person per day. The exhibitors paid $15,000 per space per day!

Next day was the Ferrari club auto show on 5th Ave. Again, so many beautiful cars, old and new from GTO Muscle cars to sleek race cars of all vintages. WOW!

The following day we drove up the coast to a "street art show" at one of the shopping centers. The quality was mixed but the item with the biggest crowd was the welded metal dog that peed into a bucket. Yep, something for everyone!

Crystal Bridges = Great Museum

This metal tree sculpture, "Yield" by Roxy Paine, is the first work of art you see after a drive through the woods and down into the valley. You can't drive by it. You have to drive to it. You might think that a museum built of cement and copper would be cold but it is as magnificent as the Getty, only surrounded by nature not a city.

To enter you don't just open a door, you stroll through the woods, down a short trail and into a courtyard before you get to the main doors. The gift shop is separate from the rest of the museum. This is a view looking down into the courtyard and across the tops of the buildings. 

Like the Getty the mass plantings will be fabulous. They have used all native materials and with winter coming on they aren't as spectacular as they will be in Spring. 

Once inside the galleries hold great treasures of American Art. The easy thing would have been to buy an example of noted American artists and call it good but no, Ms Walton has chosen well. Nearly all the paintings in the collection are major examples of the artist work. You can travel through time from Peale through Moran and Cassatt, Homer,Sargent, Bellows, Benton, Rockwell, Nevelson, Rauschenberg and tons more in between. 

Worn out after half the galleries we stopped for lunch. Not only is the cafe area spectacular with the glass walls, wood beams with skylights and views of the pond and other galleries, but the food is great, creative and not over priced.  

The cost numbers are spectacular as well. It is said that the building alone cost 1.3Billion. The Walmart Foundation has created an endowment of over 800 million for art purchases. They do have some gaps. Nothing from Taos School and light on the impressionists. They also have a series of trails dotted with sculpture that aren't yet complete with sculpture by Paul Manship and Dan Ostermiller among others. There is lots of room for more great sculpture. 


If you can't get there visit the web site at www.crystalbridges.org
Plan to visit, it is worth the drive. Besides there are several other interesting museums in the Bentonville AR area including the original 5&10 where Walmart began. 

Buy American

I think we are all wondering at the moment what we as individuals can do to help pull our wonderful country out of this economic mess. As individuals we are not powerless. We are the most powerful force imaginable. Here is what I am doing in my own small way to help.

I am reading labels. Everything from toothpaste to clothes and trying to purchase as many things made in this country as possible. You might assume that that means paying more but don't assume, check it out because often that isn't the case or perhaps a few cents more. I got started on the quest watching the ABC News special series called Made in America. http://abcnews.go.com/WN/MadeInAmerica/

We need to encourage and support things made in this country if we hope to help create jobs, employ more people and boost our economy out of the crapper. It's up to us as individuals, not the government to help solve this mess. You can do your part. You can be part of the solution. 

Technology Love it/Hate it

Today I have been on the Merry Go Round of Technology. Yes, I am among the many who have a love/hate relationship with technology and all it's numerous devices. I have a Toshiba lap top, an i phone, a Blue-tooth printer, a HP office jet wireless printer and my husband has or shares all of the above and a new Android tablet he just got. We even have dongles. When it all works it is amazing and wonderful. When it fails, stalls, hiccups,sends error messages or crashes I want to throw things. You would think that all these genus computer geeks could make things that just work. That are easy to use and have clear and complete directions, but NO.

My theory is the companies are too big with too many people doing things and not talking to each other. So the Geek that creates the thing doesn't write the directions and the guy who writes the directions can't have ever used it or the directions would be better because with his directions you sure can't make it work. The sales people at the store are energetic and enthusiastic and, for a small fortune, will help you get started with actually using the stuff you just bought in addition to the extra warranties. No problem they say!

Tech support is in India, the Philippines, Mexico, or some other foreign country where the folks on the phone have never used or seen the device and are trying to use the same directions written for you to fix your problem. Please, can someone just make it all work?

We are stuck with it. No going back now the genie is out of the bottle.

I once had dinner with astronaut Alan Bean and he was telling the story of how they figured out how to write in space. After numerous pens, technical devices etc. they finally settled on the old fashioned pencil. It never ran out of batteries, didn't need gravity and yes, it just worked. We are creating lots of new stuff that has lots of whiz bang features but just doesn't do what they say it will do when the average consumer, unlike my 12 year old neighbor, gets their hands on it.

Of all the devices I use the best, easiest and most reliable is my I phone. It works, I can figure it out and the directions are written by someone who actually uses the device. It is even Cool, according to my grandchildren. So, for future purchases I my stick with Apple.

The Circus Museum

Today I remembered that at age 10 I wanted to be a "flyer". That was the beautiful girl in the skimpy costume that got flung between hunky guys who were "catchers" on the death defying trapeze. Yep, it was a trip to the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus that prompted this short lived idea. I also was reminded today as we wandered through the Circus Museum that is was the first place I saw an Elelphant, Lion and a Tiger. Zoos weren't prevalent then and this was my first African animal sighting. I vividly recall the elephants raising on their hind legs and then leaning their front legs on the elephants ahead of them while beautiful women in feathers headdresses and sequins perched on their backs. I was awe struck!

In it's hey day the circus traveled by train and stopped at all the small and large towns along the way. Staying only one day and moving on. It was a spectacular event in every town. The massive event makes today's road shows look puny with a couple of semi trucks. We are talking rail cars filled with circus wagons. 5 wagons per rail car. Filled with exotic animals, costumes, people, tents, horses, blacksmith shops, kitchens in other words an entire city plus hundreds of horses to pull all the wagons and hundreds of people to put up the tents and keep the whole show moving along. The circus was so good and so efficient at logistics that the military studied how they did it!

Where is the art you might ask. The circus wagons were pieces of art filled with hand carved figures and painted with exciting scenes. The circus posters were used to advertise the circus was coming to your town and were papered like wall paper on walls of buildings in each town. Those that survive are worth a in fortune. It was a time when the circus owners lived in luxury, traveled the world and, like the Ringling's, collected everything from Greek artifacts to Peter Paul Rubens paintings. In addition to the Circus Museums there is an art museum housing their collection and their palatial estate all available for your enjoyment here in Sarasota Florida. Don't miss the experience if you are down this way.