rajafacesbothways

Munchin' and Mudslides

Have spent the last couple of days doing a lot of eating, listening and talking. The First Friday group plus two came Wednesday; the next day the Chamber Maids from the CofC  brought food and drink here to celebrate my birthday. Did some gallery hopping in Lexington with artist friends yesterday and ate at a good Mediterranean restaurant.

In the meantime, have been listening to taped interviews made several years ago documenting US Highway 20--mostly of people now dead. Many were old-timers who knew the history of the road. And the older they got, the more they rambled--let that be a lesson to us all.

Food plus Mudslide drinks were a great combination, supplied courtesy of the Chamber Maids.

Fun time but didn't top my 50th birthday celebration, kidnapped and carried off to a cheap motel room by 8 men. But that's another story.

 

Birthday Mindless Musings

My birthday philosophy:

Life is an adventure or it is nothing.

When you think you've arrived, you haven't.

Live agreeably in a world that will offer disagreeable surprises. Wait. They evolve and work out, sometimes with crummy results. Consider those as mere side dishes.

"I tried to grow old gracefully but it was too damn boring." Not original but it works for me.

 

Southern Living

The March issue of Southern Living has a profile on Georgetown, including a few restaurants and the arts. There is a photo of Main Street at night--look for the the building with the green awning--my loft is above it on the far end.

It may be worth taking a peek but not worth buying the magazine. Neither Frickles nor I are mentioned.

Old Dog--New Tricks

Stopped by Steve's Fine Art Editions photo gallery across the street just as a photographer was finishing digitally correcting a photo at a customer's request. The original 11x14 print was a portrait of her and her late husband with his granddaughter seated between them. (from a former marriage)

The husband had died. The woman now requested deleting the granddaughter out of the photo and replacing her with a favorite dog. She never did like that granddaughter of his!

The photographer did a great technical transformation--the renewed photo looks original. The child is gone--the dog sets pleased between the older couple.The camera may not lie but PhotoShop now creates a new reality.

Morehead, KY

A short road trip with friends driving through changing landscapes--from the local rolling bluegrass into the area edging the mountains of eastern KY --brought us to Morehead, KY for a visit to Morehead College art center and to the Folk Art Center.

Landscape changes in KY are awesome. The road cut through cliffs of shale and the colors of the land included tones of blue, gray and a shade closest defined as mango. After an excellent bountiful Italian lunch we spent a chunk of time at the distinctive Folk Art Center filled with amazing folk art and a display of unique quilts.

i purchased a rag rug from the gift shop. Attached to the rug was a tag:  "I used to be a very plush expensive sofa slipcover until a dog ate a hole in me."

Digging Deep

Now that a commitment has been made for a six weeks exhibit at the New Albany, IN Carnegie Center, the pressure is on to produce a quality exhibiton.  Friend Kathryn is developing a website for Highway 20, a statement and publicity photos are required soon, and since it is a documentary, information on photos and history has to be accurate. The road's beginnings trace back to part of the Boston Post Road.

With an approximate total of 3000 photos and stacks of research, there is plenty of material to work with for Karen and me. She brings great skills as both a writer and photographer-- while I'm wondering if there will be good treats and wine served at the reception.

And pondering where in the hell I'm going stash all the photos in my loft when the Capital Cellars and US Highway 20 exhibits end.

A One an a Two--

Finally. The sun came out, the snow melted, the temp pushed 50 degrees and I returned to dance class in Lexington.  Steppin' out with Hello Dolly, a bit of rock and roll, country, and tango is an upbeat way to get exercise. A new dance, Burlesque, was introduced, with some extra twirls and turns.

This is a workshop of women and a few men age fifty and over, a class for exercise--not for training for a career on Broadway. It was more of a celebration of shedding scarves, mittens and winter coats. Anything else would not have been a pretty sight.

Let's Get This Road On the Show

The gallery director from the Carnegie Center in New Albany, IN--across the Ohio River from Louisville-- offered the opportunity for Karen and me to have a photography exhibit of U.S. Highway Route 20, from June 4 to July 16. Whew! This is a wonderful gallery space with lots of traffic; they send out invites, advertise and hang the exhibit, and provide a reception. Short notice, lots of effort from us, but a wonderful opportunity to bring awareness of the longest highway in the U.S.

We spent many miles documenting the entire highway with photos and interviews in the early 90's.

Of course we said "yes".

U.S Highway 20--from Boston to Newport, OR

Highway 20 in Albany, NY

Highway 20 in Wind River, WY

Outside of my "Box"

A  call from friends for an afternoon dinner yesterday was a welcome surprise.They have a lovely house out in the country and the drive there was beautiful, (thanks to cleared roads)--black cows and deteriorating tobacco barns contrasted against the snow-covered hills. And an actual treat to be in a house.

He is an architect and artist, she has raised goats and authored a book about her battle with cancer, Bleating Heart, How A Little Goat Saved My Life, Lillian Kinsey.

Despite Kentucky leading the country in several worst health issues, idiotic politicians, and meth labs, it has offered me a banquet of unique bright people--yin to the yang.

Books, Books, Books

Book group met last night, after former cancellations due to weather. The book--The Poet of Tolstoy Park; the leader loved the book and said the protagonist reminded her of her husband. I still didn't like the book and actually never cared for her husband. 'Nuff said.

Just read:

Humorists, From Hogarth to Noel Coward, Paul Johnson (2010). Twenty short bios of some ot the sharpest, wittiest minds.  Although I admire the genius of Charlie Chaplin, still Benjamin Franklin and James Thurber remain my favorites. An entertaining read.

My Reading Life, Pat Conroy (2010) Loved this book. Conroy's life was shaped by his mother's love of literature. This is the autobiographical history of how the influence books and reading have shaped his life and writing. He owns thousands of books, reads about 300 pages a day and his favorite: War and Peace, by Tolstoy, which he has read 3 times. The Kindle is not in his plans. Excellent book.

Books piled next to me:

Public Enemies, Dueling Writers Take On Each Other and the World. philosophers Bernard-Henri-Levy and Michel Houellebecq

The Grand Design, Steven Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow.
The Warmth of Other Suns, Isabel Wilkerson

They may get read--more snow is predicted.