Wedding Weekend

L and C are in town this weekend because L's dear friend from Claremont got married yesterday. The reception for the wedding was at the Garner House in Memorial Park - a lovely venue which was especially good for those of us who could walk there. 

Some Crust Cakes

Lovely tables

Father-Daughter Dance in lovely lighting

G@@Gle Glass

I had the chance to try out these at HMC earlier this week. It only took me about 5 minutes to realize that as someone who wears glasses because of a high level of myopia, these don't work particularly well. I think that if I really, really wanted a pair of these, I could make it work, but I also think that trying to focus so closely for any length of time might give me a headache. 

No chance of me being an early adopter of these.

Miscellaneous Day

L and C are visiting, so we've been out and about. Here are a few shots from yesterdays doings.

Coffee at Coffee Klatch in Rancho

Bumper sticker seen while returning old modem to Time Warner

Looking at the photo from CHS class of 2003 at Patty's

The Circle

Someone at Fiddle Camp, I don't remember who, recommended Dave Eggers' The Circle to me. Maybe it was because the main character went to Carleton. This thick book is a quick read (especially since the reader can skim pages here and there), and it is certainly a plot-driven novel. After I finished it, I read the NY Times review and have to say that I agree with Ullman on the flaws of the book. 

"This potential dystopia should sound familiar. Books and tweets and blogs are already debating the issues Eggers raises: the tyranny of transparency, personhood defined as perpetual presence in social networks, our strange drive to display ourselves, the voracious information appetites of Google and Facebook, our lives under the constant surveillance of our own government.

“The Circle” adds little of substance to the debate. Eggers reframes the discussion as a fable, a tale meant to be instructive. His instructors include a Gang of 40, a Transparent Man, a shadowy figure who may be a hero or a villain, a Wise Man with a secret chamber and a smiling legion of true-believing company employees. The novel has the flavor of a comic book: light, entertaining, undemanding."

So, yes, with all its flaws, it was a fun (and scary) read, although the Carleton connection did not stand up very well for me.

Big Save

So. If you are ever in Garden Grove, enjoying a sea salt coffee at 85C, you must allow yourself some time to peruse the merchandise of Big Save. Of course, a web search brought up the "correct" spelling of Big Sav. 

You might think this is very much like a 99 Cent Store, and it sort of is. But it also has aquarium supplies and exotic fish. Who would know?  Other reasons to peruse the store for your entertainment:

First of all, how can you not be interested in a way to Save Big (or Sav Big)?

Second of all, you can get a very special parking spot.

Thirdly, you can get playing cards, kitchen supplies, hairnets, fishing supplies and sewing aids all right next to each other.

Karol Rinehart

In all the years that I have taught strings in the CUSD, I think I've had 4 or 5 different administrators, and two different acronyms - ASMP (After School Music Program) and the current EIMP (Elementary Instrumental Music Program). We are about to have a new administrator because Karol Rinehart has just retired after 30 years in the school district. She has been a great boss who helped us get things done and supporting us and our students in any way she could.

We celebrated Karol at Casa de Salsa last week with a little party which included teachers from our program providing background music (first a string duo and then a jazz combo). A bagpiper also made an appearance. We will miss Karol, but know that she will enjoy her new retired life in Colorado.

4th of July Parade

This year the 4th of July was 

1) hot (as usual)

2) on a Friday

These blankets were laid out in front of the Garner House in Memorial Park on MONDAY. You'd think there was a new iPhone coming out.....

The parade did not start with "Kids on Bikes" as usual (and which I would rename as People with Wheels and Some on Foot). Instead, the city wanted to show off some BIG machinery. It seemed to take forever as these various vehicles made it past the viewing stand.

A Home at the End of the World

No summer trip is complete without a trip to a bookstore. I had brought along Tell the Wolves I'm Home, but finished it the first day in Iowa, so I just HAD to find another book. I heard that there was a Half-Price Books nearby, and I had no problem talking G and H into going with me. I picked up Michael Cunningham's A Home at the End of the World based on having enjoyed The Hours. 

I think Cunningham writes smartly. I didn't particularly like any of the characters - none of them seemed to develop very much, but they way the author portrays them, I felt some empathy for them. The ending was not very satisfactory for me, but I was compelled to keep reading. I will try other works by this guy.

I loved this section of classic Little Golden Books at Half Price Books. Not meant for children.

Midwest Nature

Coming from the land of severe drought, it was refreshing to spend a few days in the humidity and rain in Iowa. While there we probably had around 2 inches of rain with thunderstorms that came and went.

At the Art Festival, we managed to eat our lunch during one of the downpours. H and I had a pretty good spot under the tent, but G was at the end of the tent and had a steady stream down her back. Yuck. She needed this guy with his two umbrellas protecting his wife while she ate.

I love looking at the thistles by the road.

Dramatic skies

Here is a little video of a cicada that got caught in the water at the Art Center. Listen to the sounds of the other 17-year cicadas in the background. I love that sound.

Des Moines Art Center

It was an art theme during our time in Iowa. The Des Moines Art Center proved to be a hidden gem. First of all, it's free. Second, it has a lovely collection of modern art. It felt to me as though the museum thought they should have one (possibly two) pieces from all my favorite artists. We saw a Picasso, Monet, O'Keefe, Rothko, Hopper, Matisse, Jasper Johns, two Calders, two Henri Moore sculptures, and many that I don't recall at the moment.

The website says that you are allowed to photograph the permanent collection, but the sign by the front door said otherwise, so I was limited to other kinds of photos.

I am assuming that all the museum guards were volunteers since there was no admission fee. These guards were extra vigilant in making sure that we did not touch the art. I didn't even make a move to get my camera out in the galleries. It makes me a little nervous to look at art when someone does not trust me not to touch it. I don't touch art!

This led me think that the International Art Museum Association (I made that up) should have a program like the TSA where they can prescreen museum guests and then give us a button to wear so that guards can relax when we enter a gallery.

One of the best things is an entire first edition of Matisse's Jazz collection. 

A photo of the Matisse Jazz brochure.