Seeking the Sublime in the Everyday

How could I have written about Christmas presents without mentioning this gentleman?  Santa! I can't tell here how I'm feeling about sitting on a stranger's lap.  This is my granddaughter Molly on her first visit to Santa. She was not ambivalent. Two years later she hadn't changed her mind. Her brother, the boy formerly known as Teddy, now Theo, says, "Should I be worried? I'm new to all this." A year later he got the message--this is definitely a scary guy. I could have told him that this Santa is our dear departed friend, Steven Davis, who was not at all scary but that would be giving away the secret. But Theo grew up and figured out that even scary guys have some good points such as bringing presents so he decided that he wanted to meet Santa, no matter what his big sister said.  Molly couldn't let her little brother be braver than she was so she mustered her courage, grabbed a stuffed animal for comfort and agreed to a visit. Molly reported that sh

Celebrating in the Village  Tonight is Christmas Eve Eve and the sixth night of Hannukah!   Are you ready?  Have you done all your shopping and wrapping? I LOVE wrapping presents. This is our coffee table, all ready for our big day.  I've added an innovation--gift tags!  I used to say, oh, I don't need to label this--I'll remember who this is for and then on Christmas I'd have to open it just a bit to check.  The tags are very helpful. Don't be too impressed--it's not all it appears.  Here's the real story. Yes, I wrap up practical gifts like  socks b ut really, what's wrong with a little ceremony and celebration, like clinking glasses and saying Cheers before dinner, even if it's just leftovers on Tuesday?  And I must say, I give really  great  socks*.       There's nothing like the perfect present;  like this. My brother, Alan and his bride, Donna, bought it for me on their honeymoon. It was a mobile with about seven of these charming little sh

 I think I've finally finished the Yellow House.  Now I'll put it away for a while and when I take it out again I'll see everything that still needs to be done.  But for now I'd like a break.   That's what I did with Blue House and sure enough, it still needs work. It's almost there but the golden border between the first and second floors needs to be toned down; not quite sure how I'll do that but I will.  Maybe I'll make the pillars a darker tone.  I could keep going for a long time.  As a teacher of young children I learned that the way to get good art out of them is knowing when to take it away from them.  Maybe I need to apply this rule to myself. I said that to playwright John Guare at lunch a long time ago and later heard my words in his movie, Six Degrees of Separation. It was a moment that told me I should start writing. This morning on the radio I heard a report on Morrocco's wonderful performance at the World Cup that has come to an end. &

This week I went to see The Tudors; Art and Majesty in Renaissance England. It was great. A few highlights;                                                                                       Baby Prince Edward         I love his baby hands.                                                                                                                                   A Young Queen Elizabeth I Here she is, much older and standing on the map of the world. They didn't have the portrait I really want to see-- The Pelican Portrait, because you know how I love the Pelican.  I may do a Pelican Portrait of my own. You can barely see the pelican here--if I do this, it'll be with a much bigger bird. They also left out my  favorite  Holbein, Lady Cecily Heron. Oh, well.  I've always loved the Tudors. Here they are helping the Yankees celebrate in Chartres Cathedral. I stayed late at the Met and didn't have time to visit the Christmas tree, so I may have to go back. I hope I h

 Well, I had a lovely Thanksgiving celebration and went to bed happy.  Friday I woke up feeling awful and tested positive for Covid.  It's exactly what happened after our Easter/Passover celebration back in April, which turned out to be a superspreader event. My dear son-in-law suggested I give up spending holidays with family and friends.   That reminds me of a conversation I heard between my parents.  My mother suffered from psoriasis, and it really is a heartbreak. She tried everything.  One suggestion was that she give up smoking and drinking.   "Gin!" said Dad, "You can't give up life itself!" He was kidding, of course, but that's how I look at Lee's suggestion.  But let's move on.  I tested negative this morning. Christmas is coming and also Saint Barbara Day! December 4.  Here's a review of what I've done so far in my  Saint Barbara Series. I've incorporated photographs of lightning by Photographers Gary Hershorn and my brother