406Poplar

Was that Roberto?

2011-02-13T13:38:00.003-06:00

The newest DVD featuring Jim Jarmusch's Mystery Train is worth watching not only for the clever film but also for the special features. One of the special features in the Criterion edition of this movie offers an audio-only Q&A with Jarmusch. One of the questions asks if Roberto Benigni is supposed to be in the coffin in one of the film's story lines that features Benigni's real-life wife, Nicoletta Braschi. The story line has Braschi accompanying her dead husband, who's sealed away in a casket, back to Rome. Instead, Braschi is stuck in Memphis (twist on a Bob Dylan lyric??) for a night due to an airline mix up.
"No," replies Jarmusch, but the idea of Roberto Benigni in the casket seemed to amuse the writer/director. Fans of the movie and of Jarmusch will relish the 20-plus Q&As and the other special features. Another is a short taken from the 2001 documentary Screamin’ Jay Hawkins: I Put a Spell on Me. The DVD is worth a few hours of your time, especially if you enjoy rock and roll music, and if you are a Joe Strummer fan, like me.

Craft room closet getting decked out for organization

2011-01-23T20:29:00.001-06:00

Getting started on the craft room organization

Craft room

2011-01-23T11:48:00.005-06:00

There comes a time when culture vulture crafters like myself have to set up a creative space all their own. What with all the funky old ephemera, and scraps and bits of embellishments that I have accumulated over the past few years, I must put order to the madness. Not to mention the manual paper cutter, the Cricut, the sewing machine, the rubber stamps... The time had arrived!
My supportive husband agreed that the time had come. My hobby was taking over too many corners of our house. He even went with me to the Container Store yesterday to select a few storage items and then helped me drill holes to set them up.
So, today, I am completing this process, except for this very moment. I am blogging, and therefore taking a break from the process of turning my guest room into a craft room that will comfortably accommodate our occasional guests.
I'll try post a picture later today. Wish me luck!

Perfect song

2010-01-02T16:36:00.004-06:00

So, I guess I'm getting old, feeling mortal and all. So, occasionally I hear a song or a passage and think, "ah, that's what I want played (read, sung) at my funeral." Perfect Day by Lou Reed is now that the top of the list. Beauty and melancholy. Life as only one day. Gorgeous.

EDIE

2009-11-11T21:43:00.007-06:00

Last night I finished reading Edie: An American Biography, by Jean Stein and George Plimpton. This is a book that I purchased two years ago at an estate sale. I'll readily admit I judged by the cover. And under the well-designed, but, OK, rather South Beach-style cover was a beautifully bound book, with a linen-covered spine and the title EDIE embossed across the front cover and highlighted in pastel colors. The back cover was embossed with the Borzoi Books stamp. It looked and felt a treasure more so than intrigued as a story. It was published in 1982 and tells the story of Edie Sedgwick through anecdotes told by people who knew her: family, friends, other Factory denizens. It took a while to get used to the story telling style, and the first few chapters go into great and often boring detail about Edie's family background (rich, blue-blood, socialites, preppies, blah, blah, blah). But, the story took hold, most likely because I've been doing a lot of culture mining in the early 60s, what with all the Mad Men watching, Bob Dylan listening, Andy Warhol documentary viewing. And, tonight, I finally saw the movie Adventureland, probably most famous for being a Kristen Stewart (you, know Twilight) film. The movie has many virtues, and is set in the late 80s not the 60s, but its soundtrack includes songs by The Velvet Underground and Lou Reed, and part of a sub plot revolves around talk of Lou Reed. The soundtrack features Pale Blue Eyes, twice. Hearing Lou softly sing "linger on your pale blue eyes" made me cry. Yes, I wept. I cried a little because it reminded me of a sweet friend who once put that song on a compilation tape for me back in college. But, mostly it made me think of Edie, who was virtually thrown away by her fine family and by Andy Warhol. She was a wreck, according to the book. She must have become a bore and a drag, with her drug use and her profligate spending. But, she was smart, generous and, often, fabulous, so say many of the book's quoted contributors. And, she was young and most likely very, very naive as well as mentally ill. The book documents very intimately how wealth and beauty and education and fame mean little when grief and emotional fragility mix with narcotics. You know, the cliche, about judging a book by its cover.

The endangered newspaper, part I

2009-10-11T14:11:00.003-05:00

Today's The Dallas Morning News reports that the paper is trying a new strategy to improve its news product while continuing to attract and retain new readers. I wish them luck. I am a subscriber, and I have written my master's degree thesis on the paper's attempt to stay in business.
This is important to you too. Newspapers remain an important source for original reporting, which, among other contributions to society, helps to keep the Web full of credible, topical information. Let's face it, our democracy depends on this. Whether reliable journalism comes from radio, television, bloggers or newspapers, we need this information in order to make informed choices such as who represents us in the school board, the state senate or the White House. Newspapers, for now, continue to be the most active source of this necessary information. But most of us know by now, The News, like most daily newspapers, is struggling to stay in business.
Under these circumstances, what are newspapers to do? Essentially, what The News is attempting to do, which is to fix their business model. The Internet is not killing newspapers, really. Their business model, which has relied heavily on classified advertising, created a weak spot easily infiltrated by free or low-cost Internet advertising such as craigslist and Monster. In 1950, classified advertising was 18 percent of most papers' revenues. In 2000, that number was 40 percent, according to newspaper scholar Philip Meyer. In his book The Vanishing Newspaper, Meyer also points out that advertising in general has taken on a larger part of most newspapers' revenue. In 1950, it made up 71 percent, while in 2000 that number grew to 82 percent.
So, if a newspaper like The News plans to hire reporters, as opposed to continue laying them off like The News has regularly done in the past 10 years, then I'm inclined to pay more for my subscription. But, for just how much longer our culture will continue to pay for daily information media like the newspaper, remains to be seen.

On hold

2009-09-22T07:53:00.000-05:00

This blog is on hiatus until the blogger who blogs here finished and successfully defends her thesis. Please, wish her well.

The joys of estate sales

2009-08-02T19:20:00.008-05:00

Today, my daughter and I came across an estate sale in our neighborhood. With time on our hands and cash in our wallets, it was hard to resist the lure of the sale. It always is. And the serendipity of time, money and an estate sale usually means that treasures will soon be found and bought. Today was no exception.
Lately, I have been wanting an old, manual typewriter. (That's redundant, no?). Something small for the secretary desk in our guest room. Something not too old -- maybe from the 60s or 70s. I still regret giving away my 1980s Brother typewriter, on which I wrote many achingly bad term papers and themes. And, for many years, I've so wanted one of those hooded hair dryers that ladies used for their own at-home wash-and-sets. Now, after today's estate sale find, I'm proud to say that for $10, I own clean, working models of both. (Thank you eagle-eyed daughter for first spotting and desiring the mint-green model we bought today!) And we found so much more: I bought my in-laws some big band records; I bought myself three shirts (one, hand-embroidered, another is a vintage Cub Scout den mother's shirt); I bought an Italian fruit print; I bought two pairs of groovy old man's glasses that I may have converted to my prescription.
So what is it about other people's old junk that I absolutely love? First, just walking into many homes in which an actual estate sale is taking place (unfortunately not all estate sales are created equally) is like walking into a time warp. Most of the homes in my neighborhood are between 50 to 80 years old. Often, the houses are filled with a jumble of clothes, jewelry, silverware, dishes, paintings, and -- I love this term -- bric-a-brac. I can paw through this old stuff for hours, if given the chance. Old buttons, tiny perfume bottles, heavy silk ties and scarves, shelves of books: these are the things that make my heart sing. Once, I sat and read letters and post cards from a World War I soldier at an estate sale. The whole lot was for sale, and I didn't buy it. I will always regret not purchasing them and sending them in to Washington D.C. for the Legacy Project. I sure hope someone else did.
Another reason for my prodigious estate sale shopping is for furniture. Furniture found at these sales -- and more than two rooms of our house are furnished entirely from estate sales -- actually fits in our home. Few of today's furniture fit in a house that is less than 2,000 square feet with three bedrooms, a den, a dining room and a living room. Estate sale items and family heirlooms simply fit best in these older homes. Plus, if you shop smart, you're likely to find well-made items that are very, very inexpensive. Only the very best furniture made today stands up as well as even the mid-range furniture made 30 or more years ago.
Finally, I am a collector of vintage tourists painting. Usually I buy oils or watercolors. They are hard to find in good condition but they abound in the Dallas homes I frequent. If I find one that sports a significant view in Italy or classical or neoclassical Italian architecture, I'm sunk. I must buy it. Today's find of hand-tinted print drew me in by its shape. It's about 8" by 2.5', and I think it's some kind of copy of a print by Raphael (or Raffaello).
Some day, either when we are downsizing or I'm dead, I guess folks will come traipsing through our home and buying up all this junk as well as any worthwhile items bought new. Will someone fawn over our Keurig coffee maker or will a heart palpitate when its owner's eyes spot our Levinger side tables? Will anything from Ikea bought today be desirable in 40 years? All I can say to answer this is: if my buddy Peggy once bought an 8-track cassette for a friend at an estate sale, then that Aneboda bed may yet be desirable to someone, even as kitsch.

Woody Guthrie's American Song

2009-07-19T17:46:00.000-05:00

We're bound for glory and declaring that the land was made for you and me, after seeing Theater 3's production of Woody Guthrie's American Song this afternoon. The husband, of course, had read about this show and gotten us three tickets. Yes, we took the teenager. She mumbled later that she liked it, though I suspect deep down she loved it. I can hope, can't I? In three weeks, we're dragging her to Lubbock to see Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, and others at Jones Stadium. We'll be obliged to point out that Woody was their inspiration.
The Web site woodyguthrie.org calls the show, "An exuberant musical celebration of America." A group of actors-singers-musicians tells a two-part tale loosely based on Woody's life story and is woven together by his songs. The narrative focuses less on Woody and more on what inspired his music: dust storms, poverty, rambling, hard-living, war, loss. And yes, it really is exuberant. The message is that music, specifically folk music, can build up the listener's sense of worth that those hard times can knock down. The show features more than 20 songs, including So Long It's Been Good to Know Yuh, Bound for Glory and The Grand Coulee Dam.
Huntington's disease did eventually knock down Woody's mind and body. His soul lingers in the songs he left, in his family who perpetuate his legacy and in the musicians whom he inspired.

Milagros: A Coffee House

2009-07-01T15:21:00.000-05:00

In Spanish, milagros means miracles. In Alamosa, Colo., it means that and more. The coffee shop in downtown Alamosa is named Milagros, and it is a fund-raising enterprise for La Puente, a nonprofit organization that offers several community outreach programs for five counties in the San Luis Valley. The name and the coffee shop itself sprang from a series of events that make an endearing story, and I'm so glad to know more about this favorite family stop in a favorite family town.
Alamosa is a familar place to us and my husband's family. The family has been a part of the San Luis Valley and the Conejos Canyon for more than 50 years. Alamosa is the largest town in the area, and when we are visiting the cabin on the Conejos River, a trip to Alamosa is usually part of the itenerary. Our most recent trip to town was to celebrate my mother-in-law's 80th birthday. We always make a stop for coffee at Milagros (as well as to the grocery story, the local bookstore and another La Puente enterprise, the Rainbow's End thriftstore).
Sitting among the coffee shop's free publications was the recent issue of the organization's newsletter booklet The Voice of La Puente. The story behind Milagros was contained in the Spring 2009 issue, and I have cut and pasted it:
"In the early 1990s, the unemployment rate of the San Luis Valley was three times the average of Colorado, the minimum wage was severely inadequate to live on, and it was an employer’s market. (In fact, the local newspaper went two months without advertising any local employment opportunities.) This made it extremely difficult for unskilled workers to gain employment, especially those individuals with a history of homelessness or lack of previous work experience. In response to the difficulties that our clients and guests were facing, the La Puente board members sought out a business venue for a job training or employment program. ... The idea for a coffeehouse came from customers of Rainbow’s End Thrift Store, where the manager had set up a corner for “Tea and Sympathy”—a place for a free cup of tea or coffee and friendly conversation. The coffeehouse idea was welcomed by the board because of the various training provided, such as: punctuality, food service, computer skills, and customer service. So they decided to acquire the building attached to Rainbow’s End and open a Coffeehouse (the current location of Hunt Avenue Boutique). Using donated couches, ovens, refrigerator, tables, chairs and assorted mugs, the coffeehouse was on track to open in March of 1998. Only one month before the scheduled opening, a new health inspector declared the coffeehouse unfit for business. Commercial appliances, which the new inspector required, would cost La Puente about $10,000. The board called an emergency meeting and decided that since they had already asked for so many donations to open the Coffeehouse, they simply had no one else to which to turn. They agreed to abandon the project and began the arduous process of returning the donated items. The Coffeehouse, they declared, would need a miracle.
Three days later, on Valentine’s Day, 1998, some guests were washing dishes after dinner, and someone turned on the television. The Colorado Lottery was conducting their annual drawing for a nonprofit. To nominate a nonprofit one simply wrote the name of the organization on the back of their non‐winning ticket and mailed it in to the lottery. Due to its large support base, the Salvation Army of Denver had won the prize for several years in a row. The announcer drew a ticket out of thousands, and narrowed his eyes as he read, “La Pea‐yunta Home? Alamosa… Where’s that?” he asked someone off camera. The noise of the television was overwhelmed by the cheers of guests and workers at the shelter. “We won!?” they all shouted. A volunteer ran to the phone to call the director to give him the good news. It turns out that a former guest at La Puente had moved to Denver for a job a while back. He had been collecting his “losing” lottery tickets to send in with La Puente’s name for this drawing. With the drawing of his ticket, he won $1000, and La Puente was awarded exactly $10,000! The much‐needed miracle had occurred, and shortly thereafter, “Milagros” opened its doors."
Milagros is located at the corner of State and Main in downtown Alamosa. If you are ever in the area (or on your way to Pagosa Springs, or just driving north from Santa Fe or Taos in to Colorado), make a point to stop and have a cup of coffee. For more information, visit www.lapuente.net.

York Street

2009-06-17T22:10:00.000-05:00

This will not be negative. I have nothing but good things to say about York Street. Carlton and I went tonight, a Wednesday night. Nothing in particular to celebrate, just the start of a trial for Carlton and, well, a little celebration on my part -- the hospital where I work was named among the top 10 in the nation by a reputable publication... Basically, our daughter is out of town this week. We are not celebrating that fact, just enjoying a grown-ups-only time. And York Street is our destination of choice, second only to Nana Grill. So...
I arrived early (7:50 p.m.), after a manicure following a long, but joyful day at the office. I ordered prosecco and nibbled on the complimentary salted almonds, and the lemon and rosemary (and other unknown herbs) infused olives. When Carlton arrived, he insisted on his own glass of prosecco. We toasted our good fortunes -- and, yes, we have many, regardless of the economy and other constant worries. Carlton started with a potato soup, and I had a fennel, asparagus and poached salmon salad. Our main courses were fish dishes, and we opted for an "old world" chardonnay. The restaurant employs a sommelier, which is always helpful. So, this much accoladed restaurant is always a winner. If you are ever in Dallas, it's a must-find. Here is the Web site: www.yorkstreetdallas.com.

Why Bob?

2009-06-15T19:16:00.000-05:00

On a flight home from a recent business trip, I was reading the latest Rolling Stone interview with Bob Dylan, and a colleague asked me: What is it about Bob Dylan that you like so much? My reply reminds me of the line in Almost Famous when William (Patrick Fugit) asks Russell (Billy Crudup) what he loves about music, and Russell answers, "To begin with, everything."
Bob is talented, driven, insanely intelligent, honest, weird, evasive... But, basically, his music is just damn good. That's all. Just damn good. Doesn't hurt that he's a Buddy Holly fan either, or that he's a bit obessed, it seems, with Neil Young. Curious? Just read the recent Rolling Stone interview. http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/bobdylan Or, go see him and Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp on the ballpark tour this summer.

Mirabelle, circa 1979

2009-05-21T21:14:00.000-05:00

I rarely cook anymore, other than to throw pre-cooked meat and frozen veggies in the microwave for dinner. Occasionally I whip up a pie from scratch, or I sous chef for my husband, who is a far better cook. But, I love a good cookbook, and I have a particular favorite. It's called "Cuisine Mirabelle" by Sheila Black and Anthony Hern. It was published in 1979 to feature stories, chef profiles and recipes from the venerable London restaurant. I have never made a dish from the book. Instead, I can spend an hour poring over the recipes and the photos. It features a kind of cuisine that is from another era – truly cuisine classique. It's pure old-school, with Moules Tartare and Croustade de Saumon. A quote from the introduction on Les Poissons: “Start with fish before serving fowl or other meat. Or begin with a good strong pate, an excellent but filling soup, or an egg dish before serving a main fish course: salmon and turbot are very substantial.”
The photos frequently feature open bottles of wine such as Louis Latour and Chateauneuf-du-Pape alongside the all-too-fresh ingredients like the just-killed body of a rabbit or a fresh-caught fish. Lots of copper pots and fresh flower arrangements. I smell cigarette smoke and scotch, and half expect to hear ABBA faintly playing somewhere from the kitchen. The book inspired us to visit the restaurant, which had been bought and remodeled by the White Star Line under the leadership of chef/bad-boy Marco Pierre White. The restaurant closed recently, and I'm not surprised. The food and service were good, but not great. Someday I'll brave to attempt Rognons de Veau a l'Estragon and an Ananas Orientale, with spun sugar on top, for dessert. Until then, I'm more likely to turn to Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything," which is a workhorse in any kitchen that both my husband and I wholeheartedly recommend.
I found this picture and reference to another copy of the book for sale on the Web http://www.vintagecookbook.com/0rcb300.html Bon appetit

Art, Italian style

2009-05-15T19:45:00.000-05:00

The Kimbell Art Museum, among the top museums in the country and an architectural jewel, has acquired the earliest known Michelangelo painting. The strange little piece is called The Torment of Saint Anthony. While the painting remains in New York for a bit longer, the Kimbell continues to host an exibit of other Italian renaissance fare. So, for Mother's Day, the hub indugled and took me to see Art and Love in Renaissance Italy at the Kimbell Art Museum (www.kimbellart.org).

2009-05-15T19:18:00.000-05:00

Morrissey came for a concert in April. Many thanks to colleague J.P. for getting the tickets. The Palladium in Dallas is a decent venue for a concert a.k.a Gilleys. Here is the You-Tube of This Charming Man http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amSMoTU6lSE&feature=PlayList&p=62D7EF7EC3404E4E&index=0
and here is a link to the Palladium. As good as he was, and, really, he was good if not truly great, perhaps the most interesting part of the show was the warm-up music and videos played after the opening band and before Moz hit the stage. This included montages of Shocking Blue like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2DBcbZc3ck.

Obama and the media

2009-03-24T20:07:00.000-05:00

On the whole, I think Obama did better tonight than his last news conference. And, so much better than the last guy who seemed to never hold a news conference.