Chimneys that Blow Smoke Rings--How Funny

You all know that I love TED. This topic caught my attention because it mentioned humor and living spaces and creative solutions. Do yourself a favor and listen to it in its entirety. Don't be turned off by it's length. It's better than playing Angry Birds or your other favorite computer game today. Just do it.

Bjarke Ingels' architecture is luxurious, sustainable and community-driven. At TEDxEast he shows us his playful designs, from a factory chimney that blows smoke rings to a ski slope built atop a waste processing plant.

The Passage of Time

My niece will marry this August. She wants to have photos of her grandparents on their wedding day at her wedding and asked me because I am the keeper of most of the photo books. She was blown away when I told her I also had my mother's wedding dress and some bits of lace left from the making of it. Perhaps this will be something old.

When preparing the items for the mail, it gave me pause. It was as though I held something sacred in my hands. My parents married in 1938 which makes both the photo and the lace 72 years old. That's old by today's disposable mentality. I share pictures of both with you here.  The lace is in amazing condition having survived the passage of time quite well.

While it might be odd to share this old but personal photo here, the passage of time makes that possible. The original image was a tiny 2 x 3 inches. I scanned it at a high resolution to grab the details. Obviously this concept was not possible back in the day. 

The passage of time has served my family well.  Quality and technology, you are not such distant cousins!

Use the Good Stuff

I saw this advice recently and it reminded me of a story.

My mother's good china was given to me. I seriously believe she purchased it for a celebration when I made my First Communion in the fifties. We didn't have a lot of money and so it was grocery store stuff but I always loved the happiness of the pattern.

My dad brought it to my house on a visit. I was thrilled but my children were small and I was afraid to use it. So it remained stored in my basement for just the right occasion.

When my family moved to Portland, there was no basement storage. I came to realize that my children had never know their grandmother. She died when I was just 14. These dishes were my memory and would never be theirs.

For these past 14 years, we have used these dishes nearly everyday. For me, it's as if my mama is hanging around the kitchen with me. I am so glad I used "the good stuff.." Really, it's probably always the best choice.

Changing Perspectives

I love this flower that defies the cold and blooms in winter. I am reminded of the Christmas song of German origin:

Lo, how a rose e'er blooming,
From tender stem hath sprung.
Of Jesse's lineage coming,
As men of old have sung;
It came, a flow'ret bright,
Amid the cold of winter,
When half spent was the night.

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I always wonder if this is what sparked the composer's imagination. I have photographed the Christmas Camellia many times but this time from behind. I love the reflection through the leaves.

Changing perspective can be a good thing.