TARDIS - Art and Science

To Hear an Ocean in A Whisper
Artist: Nathalie Miebech
Scientist: Jonathan Finke

The fourth and final day of my Artist Retreat. Check out at the hotel was at noon, but the Young One wouldn't be done at the Con until 7pm. So the plan was Himself would pick me up along with my bag, and assorted bags and laptops of The Young One and one of her teammates. I thought I'd take Andy Fish's advice and visit the ICA, Institute for Contemporary Art. I had never heard of the ICA, and not sure how I feel about modern or contemporary art. Part of this retreat was to do things outside of my comfort zone (like eat at a restaurant all by my lone). The ICA was in the same area as PAX. As an added benefit, World of Wheels was at a convention center across the street from the ICA, and the Batmobile from the 1960s television series, Batman, was on display along with a couple of other Batmobiles from recent movies. I thought Himself would like to see the Batmobile and that would take the sting out of being dragged around art museums. Himself is a most excellent good sport.

At the last minute, as it turned out, The Eldest decided to tag along on the trip in to Boston. She's not much for visiting art museums and would definitely be bored by the Batmobile. What would keep two scientists happy for the day? A trip to the Museum of Science. Besides all the fun of the science museum, Himself found an exhibit called Ocean Stories: A Synergy of Art and Science. This was a collaboration between artists from Cape Cod and scientists from MIT and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. The scientists explained their work to the artists, and the artists visually interpreted the work in unusual and creative ways from large paintings, sculptures, and using light to create a painting. Art and science, hand in glove.

The last time we visited the science museum, we weren't able to see the lightning show, but we did get to see it this time around. I love this show. No matter how many times I see it, the show never gets old.

After the lightning show was over, the demonstrator turned on the singing Tesla coils. This is electrical energy used to make sound and produce music. I was hoping the musical selection was the theme from Doctor Who, but the coil was programmed to play The William Tell Overture.







If you've never heard a Tesla coil used as a musical instrument, watch this Youtube video of the group Arc Attack as they use the coil to play the theme song from Doctor Who

TARDIS - Adventures of Magellan

Day Three of my Artist Retreat. I had to leave Boston Friday night to return home as I had a class to teach at WAM on Saturday morning. After class and a visit at the nursing home, Himself dropped me off at the subway station and I took the trolley into Boston. The hotel was across the street from Arlington Station. It was getting close to dinner time so I played with an app called Around Me to find some places to have dinner. When The Young One came in around 7pm, she said she was tired, didn't really want to go out.

Great! According to Around Me there was a sub shop right by the hotel. I'd run out to get sandwiches and bring them back to the room.

I have left-right issues, and a poor sense of direction. Left-right was so bad when I studied karate and was learning Three Combination. Three Combination requires one to step with the left foot first to avoid a strike. I tend to lead with my chin. Sensei got so tired of seeing me make a fatal error, he tied a cloth rope to my ankle. When I stepped in with the wrong foot, Sensei yanked the rope (Bless), and I still led with my chin. I learned Three Combination a lot faster after that.

No worries on the sub run. Around Me showed a little red pin, near a Ben and Jerry's. I had passed the Ben and Jerry's on an earlier excursion. Both pins were right by the hotel, around the block from the main entrance. Off I went around the block. The fancy shop, Au Bon Pain (pastry shop), a few more steps, Ben and Jerry's and I'm back at the hotel entrance. What? I must have walked past it. Once more. Off I went around the block. The fancy shop, Au Bon Pain (pastry shop), a few more steps, Ben and Jerry's and I'm back at the hotel entrance. Panic set in. My baby was tired and hungry, and I was in an episode of Twilight Zone.

I stopped at the Concierge desk to ask directions. Go out the door there, walk til you see the PF Chang sign, there's a big food court. The sub shop is right there. Off I go. The fancy shop, Au Bon Pain (pastry shop), a few more steps, I'd pass Ben and Jerry's and be back at the hotel entrance. Where was the PF Chang sign?

I texted The Young One. I can't find the sub shop. Cmon back. We'll go together said the child becoming the parent.

With The Young One leading, I gave her the Concierge's directions. Go out the door there, walk til you see the PF Chang sign, there's a big food court. The sub shop is right there. We passed the fancy shop, Au Bon Pain (pastry shop) and reached the end of the block.

"But there's no PF Chang sign", I wailed.

"You mean the big, red PF Chang sign, right there?"

"Where?"

"Look up."

And there it was, big as life in red neon. Beside left-right, apparently I don't look up.

We crossed the street, found the entrance to the food court, and went to the sub shop. Workers were milling around. One was sweeping. He looked up as we approached the counter.

"We're closed."

What? It was around 7:30 or 7:45 pm. We were in Boston! A major U.S. city. The state capital and a sub shop was closed at 7:30 pm, on a Saturday night?

On the other hand, after reading Andy Fish's experience with fast food, maybe skipping the sub shop was a good idea.

The Young One and I went back to the hotel. There was a nice restaurant there. We had a really nice dinner (and I tried not to think about food preparation in the kitchen). The Young One told me about the convention and how well the booth was doing. Her professor had stopped by and told the team they did a good job. And we had a good laugh about my skills as a navigator.

Do you have a good sense of direction?

A TARDIS Friday Five

Day Two of my Artist Retreat last week was spent at The Boston Public Library. This was an old haunt of mine when I was a student at Boston University when Adam was still in short leaves. Five things I did while at the BPL

1. I greeted the lions that are in the foyer of the old library (McKim building).The two lions that stand guard over the foyer were carved to honor Massachusetts Civil War dead. The lion to the right of the staircase, is called the Harvard lion as the Massachusetts regiment was mostly made up of young men who attended Harvard. The lion to the left of the staircase with one of his paws curved in, was dedicated to a Massachusetts regiment made up mostly of working class men from Irish descent. My family lore states that my great-uncle Manny, a stonecutter, worked on the lions. The lions look like they are carved from concrete, but they are carved from unfinished Sienna marble. Charles McKim, the architect, was heavy into symbolism. Since the young men who died left unfinished lives, the lions were not polished. Over the years, people have rubbed the tails of the lions for good luck and the oils from human hands has polished the marble.

2. At 11 am, I went on the free Art and Architecture tour of the old library (the new library was built during the 1970s). This was my third or fourth time on the tour, but by far the best. The docent, Miles, had a million back stories which I had never heard. Before the tour, I asked him if he knew where I could find info about Uncle Manny and he suggested the Louis Saint-Gaudens (sculptor of the lions) Museum in NH. He said they might have records of the sub-contractors Saint-Gaudens used. A good lead.

Don't Blink!

Enlightenment stands over the doorway to the main reading room.

Besides the lions, my favorite room on the tour contains the mural paintings of The Quest of the Holy Grail by Edwin Austin Abbey.

The masterpiece of this tour is the Triumph of Religion murals on the third floor painted by John Singer Sargent. I was so busy looking at the stunning murals I forgot to photograph them. (What a maroon!) You'll just have to be content with seeing  them at the link above.




3. The third floor also houses the Rare Books and Manuscripts room. Any library patron with a valid BPL card can visit the room and request to view the rare books and manuscripts during library hours. You don't need special academic credentials in order to see the books. The receptionist had me fill out a card, and then directed me to a coat room where I could hang my coat and put my bag in a locker. No bags, books, or pens are allowed. I was allowed to bring a pencil, a loose sheet of paper, and I was told I could photograph (without flash) the books to my heart's content. I was then directed to the Rare Books room. The librarian asked what book I wanted to look at, but since I had no clue what was in the collection, I asked him to pick something for me. Truthfully, I was going to be happy with anything he chose. It's not often that one gets a chance to view a manuscript up close and personal. He got me a wedge to support the book and a pair of white, cotton gloves.

Then he brought out a 15th. century (circa 1420, 30 years before Gutenberg invented the printing press) missal, a book that is used during the Catholic service and ritual.  According to some notes, the book was thought to have been made for a lady. The book had 150 pages done on vellum (calf skin) with 13 miniatures and heavily illuminated borders. Whoever commissioned the book had beaucoup de bucks as each page was lavishly decorated with real gold leaf.

The book was so beautiful, I almost cried. Each page was ornately painted in brilliant colors. Red and blue acanthus leaves, fruits like strawberries and pears, small blue flowers which I thought might be forget-me-nots, holly

As I was looking through the book, it occurred to me that I was looking at a medieval graphic novel. I was amused with the miniature of someone being laid to rest in a grave. I love the little Alas, poor Yorrick skull in the lower right corner at the feet of the mourners. Sometimes the artists painted the patron in the book as an homage. I thought perhaps the lady owner of the book might have been a widow. This miniature dedicated to the memory of a loved one. I only speculate this because the decorations in the illuminated "D" are heraldic in design.

Before I left the Rare Books room, the librarian emailed me a draft copy of the library's Medieval and Renaissance Manuscript collection. He said on my next visit, I can just ask for whatever call number I would like to see.

4. I traded in my electronic library card for an old-fashioned library card. I can still access the library from the comfort of my home, and will be able to use it on my next trip to the library.

5. After feasting my eyes, it was time to feast my stomach and rest my hurting feet. Though I had test driven my new girlie shoes before the trip, they caused problems with walking city blocks. Tea is served Wednesday through Friday from 2pm to 4pm at the Courtyard Restaurant in the library. So I treated myself.

All I had to do was order the kind of tea I wanted (Earl Grey, hot) and then the waitress brought an entire selection of tea sandwiches, assorted desserts, and a currant scone with fruit marmalade and Devonshire Double Cream.  The tea fare was absolutely delicious especially the Devonshire Cream, but I wish the waitress had let the tea steep a bit longer before pouring my first cup.  The first cup was tea colored, hot water and not Early Grey tea.

Tea would have been a lot more fun if there was someone to share it with. The ritual of tea isn't so much about the beverage or goodies, but is also about the company. Who wants to come to tea with me next time?

TARDIS - The MFA

Early last Thursday morning, after dropping off The Young One and one of her teammates at the exhibitors' door of the PAX-East convention, I was able to begin my Artist Retreat. Himself was my chauffeur with me and since check-in at the hotel wasn't until 3PM, we had pretty much the whole day. Himself asked what I wanted to do. I decided I wanted to visit the MFA (Museum of Fine Arts). It had been a long time since I was there (a class in manuscript study while attending Odyssey 2001, the international calligraphy conference).

I had my Worcester Art Museum credentials with me, and we were given a free pass as a professional courtesy which is a nice perk. The museum is huge and with so much to see, it's impossible to see the collection all in one day. On the suggestion of guest reception, we went to visit the new Art of the Americas wing which we were told opened a couple two or three years ago. We started on the top floor and worked our way down. We saw works by Jackson Pollack, Georgia O'Keefe, John Singer Sargent, John Singleton Copley, just to name a few.

By the time we made it back to the first floor, it was time for lunch. There are several dining options in the museum, but lunch was right in front of us at the American Café. Himself and I are sometimes on opposite schedules so it was nice to be able to have a real date. We had a leisurely lunch in the beautiful glass enclosed courtyard. Even with the snow flurries outside, the space made me long for my sun room. Is it July, yet?

After lunch, we did a quick look and go tour of the Medieval Gallery, the Luxury on Paper: The Art of Surimono, and Blue and White. We made a quick stop at the gift shop where I purchased a couple of Illuminated Initial magnets and a Magic Pencil.

We plan to return to the museum when Samurai opens. The exhibit will be a nice reward for Himself as he will be testing for his fourth degree black belt in karate this June.

After the museum, Himself dropped me off at The Little Princess hotel, better known as the Boston Park Plaza Hotel. The hotel used to be the Statler Hotel built in 1927. The grand dame is showing her age in places, but the Young One and I had a comfortable and quiet room. (Got a great room rate through Kayak). PAX offered a free shuttle to the hotels so the Young One was able to easily get to and from the convention center. The Park Plaza is pretty much in the heart of the Back Bay and Boston is an easy city to get around by walking or taking the T.

The hotel is also across from the Boston Public Gardens. I had hoped to spend some time walking through the gardens and sketching, but it was too cold and there was still snow on the park benches from the February and March blizzards and storms.  Another time.

Wordless Wednesday

Tuesdays with Elders - Section 12

Another fall, a wound on her shin that wouldn't heal (Ma is diabetic), and then turned gangrenous (because Ma wouldn't let me take her to the emergency room, and she thought the necrotic tissue was a scab) landed Ma in the hospital to have the wound debrided. After the three day stay, the hospitaler, the doctor in charge of discharging patients and signing forms, was reluctant to send Ma home. A trip to rehab to transition to long term nursing care wasn't going to fly. Ma was sent home with complicated instructions on how to care for her wound. The visiting nurses would stop by to see how she was doing.

Of course, Ma wasn't doing. She wasn't taking her medication. She wasn't able to care for the wound by herself. She wasn't cooking so she and Dad weren't eating properly. I received daily complaints from the visiting nurse manager and then a follow up call from Julia, the state social worker because of the Elder at Risk report filed by the visiting nurses.

After several of these calls and at my wits end to get Ma the long term care she needed, I asked, "You have enough Elder at Risk reports to wallpaper a small office. At what point does the State step in to help the family? If my parents were children, the State would have removed them from the home a long time ago. I'm sick at heart every time I leave my parents to go home because I am leaving children home alone." She agreed, and because there was no healthcare proxy in place and more importantly power of attorney, she started the ball rolling for the legal procedure known in Massachusetts as Section 12: An emergency restraint and hospitalization of a person posing risk of serious harm by reason of mental illness.

Once the visiting nurses heard the okay was given for the Section 12, they immediately sent the police and fire department rescue to forcibly remove Ma from her home and to take her to the geriatric psych unit of the hospital. As you can imagine, the procedure turned into a horror show. For Ma, the stories she had heard of people being removed from their homes in Nazi Germany during World War II became a very real nightmare for her.

The visiting nurses in their zeal to get Ma the proper medical care she needed, never informed me or Julia how quickly they were going to move. I was never told the police and rescue squad would be sent on such and such a day. I was never told so I could have been with Ma to perhaps remove some of her fear and soften the blow. In hind sight, the outcome wouldn't have changed.

I did get a call Wednesday, 9. March 2011 at 7 pm from the ER doctor to tell me Ma had arrived, what had happened (Ma fought tooth and nail), and I had better get to the ER faster than right away. Himself and I made the hour trip. Ma was madder than a wet hen, and beyond being able to be calmed down by me.

The ER doc also informed me that the hospital's geriatric psych unit couldn't accept Ma as a patient because patients admitted to that floor had to give their consent or a power of attorney had to be in place. So Ma would be put on another ambulance that would take her to a state hospital about an hour away from her home.

Next Week: Becoming My Own Grandmother

Netflix Vs. Amazon Prime, Which One?

I've reached the end of the Netflix trial period. I'm not sure if I want to sign up. Netflix has been great, don't get me wrong. Himself has enjoyed Deep Space Nine, I've loved watching my favorite  Doctor Who episodes and the girlies have enjoyed their favorite anime. But...

I'm disappointed with the lack of old movies. I did a search for Spencer Tracy. I love Spence. He made acting look effortless. The only movie that came up on the search was The Mountain. It's an ok flick, but not nearly one of Spence's best. Out of all Spence's movies I couldn't figure out why this one was the only one listed. Why not some of his best? Inherit the Wind, Judgement at Nuremberg (a two-fer for me as my beloved Richard Widmark is also in the film), Broken Lance (a three-fer with Richard Widmark and Robert Wagner), Father of the Bride (so much better than the remake).

So, I don't know what to do. Does Amazon Prime have a better selection of old movies? Are any of the other services like Hulu any better?