The Concert

Somewhat surprisingly, I found myself at a harpsichord concert on Sunday afternoon, having been invited by my blog-friend  Tiff. I am SO glad I took her up on the offer!! Just look at that fabulous instrument! It was absolutely beautiful  ~  hand painted by North Carolina artist  Lisa Creed, built by Richard Kingston and played so proficiently by Elaine Funaro Love.

This Baroque-style harpsichord was also onstage and played wonderfully by Beverly Biggs, of Chapel Hill, who specializes in period music of the late Baroque, Classical and Early Romantic eras.  

Seen here are Lisa Creed, the artist and Andrea Love, an animator, who made an eight minute video animation about the genesis, design, building and painting of Opus #333, called "Birth of a Harpsichord." Andrea is the daughter of Elaine Funaro Love. She is standing beside her set for the video animation, which was informative and funny.

Baroque music has never been a favorite of mine; I call it "constipated" music, since it seems as if they are so very reserved and proper and you know all they really wanted to do is cut loose and boogie (as I imagine Marie Antoinette did...lol)

 Elaine Funaro Love is  Artistic Director of a group called Alienor, which provides commissions, competitions and concerts concerning harpsichords. They sponsor composer competitions every four years for new harpsichord music. In this concert, they alternated Baroque music with some of the newer compositions and I was so impressed! They were beautiful, exciting, quite rhythmic and I loved all of them!

The tone of the new instrument is so rich, particularly in the lower range. It reminded me of the response I have to alto saxophone and oboe; for me, the sound is very sexy! Do follow this link -

Alienor -  and read about the instrument and the people who made it. And if you ever have the opportunity to see and hear this remarkable harpsichord, you will be lucky!

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A funny thing happened, proving that it is (as we all know) a small world. I met a woman whose distinctive name I have only heard one other time in my life. I asked her if she was related to the someone I once knew with that name - and she is his third cousin. She was born in my home town, too. Her cousin is rather well known; having been the governor of West Virginia a while back. I went to middle school with him, and I have not spoken to him since I was a senior in high school, although I saw him at Tamarack a few years ago.



In Southern Pines, NC last weekend, we read the local newspaper, The Pilot, and found two things that may be of interest.

I am hoping that you will be able to click and enlarge the articles about "The Fonz" and the new Andy Griffith/Mayberry Museum in Mt. Airy, NC.

Floral Portraits from the Past

In 2000, I was asked by a local rental company owner to send flowers to a caterer in town who was throwing a holiday party. Since the caterer was a good friend (I had done both her weddings and that of her brother), I decided to add to the arrangement and give it as a gift from both of us, with the consent of the rental owner. I bought a garden container; a "stone" statue, holding a bowl. I placed him in a large tray and did flowers out of his bowl and also around the base. Purple was her favorite color, so it had to be a focal point, of course, along with the holiday reds. It remains one of my favorite arrangements, and a good part was that she could keep the statue and place it in her garden, holding birdseed.

I was hired by an event planner to do this buffet centerpiece for a business function at The Cardinal Club in Raleigh. At the time, patterned table linen was very popular, but in hindsight, I see that it would have been better had she chosen a solid color fabric.

This was for a holiday event at our NC Museum of Art, where I provided flowers for many parties and events for 12 years. It's much bigger than it looks here, since the obelisk is four feet tall by itself, and that urn was 2 1/2 feet tall from its base.

Another event at our Art Museum, with a tropical theme. I love working with tropical flowers, and you don't get many brides that want those. That black vase is almost 5 feet tall, which is good at the museum, since the ceilings soar and height is badly needed in centerpieces.

This is one of a pair used above the altar in an old Catholic Church in Wilmington, NC. The wedding was held at The Graystone Inn in Wilmington, and the old church - which now functions as an event site - was where they had the reception. The groom was the brother of the caterer I mentioned above.

This last one was made for a real estate company holding an event in a local country club to thank their clients. I had to take the photo from an angle, which isn't the best for seeing the arrangement- but since it was in front of a window and the sun was shining brightly, it couldn't be helped. Every now and then I like to indulge my quirky, artsy-fartsy side, and this one let me do it in spades! What you couldn't know from this photo is that during delivery, I had to brake hard while turning a corner, and the whole arrangement (about 7 feet tall) fell over. I was scared to death to take it out of the van; just sure that it would be unusable. Wonder of wonders, it remained intact and only a few blossoms broke or were bruised and I replaced them. Somebody up there likes me! (or He did that day, at least.)

Air and Space

During our recent trip to Washington, DC, my daughter and I had about 15 minutes to kill (after visiting the National Gallery) before we had to pick up the guys from the Verizon Center, where they had been watching a disappointing Georgetown basketball game. Since we were parked right in front of the Air and Space Museum, we walked through as rapidly as the crowds allowed and I shot random photos. I have NO idea what I was shooting, so I leave it to your imagination. Of course, if you have been there, you will have some idea what the various planes are. If not, then you will at least have a tiny flavor of what's in store when you do visit.

Above: a shot of the various foreign bills found in the donation box. I always wonder how much is put there by the museum employees every morning.....LOL

Some high-tech spying going on there, huh?




This last one landed on the moon, but I don't remember the exact name. (Lunar module?)

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BOOK NOTES: "The Most Wanted" by Jacquelyn Mitchard is the last book I finished. It was published in 1998, but I just got around to it. I buy books from Goodwill (hardbacks are $1) and keep them until I have the time and inclination to read. This one was pretty interesting, but definitely a woman's book. You guys can move along now.

Crocus and Calliope

My crocuses, amid the moss, leaves and weeds I refer to as a garden. Once in a while, some beauty pops up from underground (quite unaided by anything I've done.) I wish I felt like lying on the ground to get a good close-up of these beauties, since the veining is quite remarkable. I didn't change the coloration of this photo at all. The inside of the crocus really is an almost neon purple.

Calliope, who resides at The National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. I have begun to take more interest in sculpture than I did in college, when my focus was painting. Perhaps the reason is that I now recognize the degree of difficulty in sculpting. I deem it much harder than painting. I didn't have materials with me to write down the name of the sculptor for this one. I shot the photo because a friend of mine here in Raleigh has a business named Calliope and it reminded me of her. Whomever the sculptor was, he was certainly adept at making the diaphanous fabric of her draped wrap look as real as possible.

ooooooo

Need a smile, a chuckle, a laugh? Go here!

By Her Request...Part II

We also went to the NC History Museum, which is just across a plaza from the Nature Museum. The top photo is a Model T Ford.

This is a Phaeton Carriage.

This "juke box" allowed anyone to call up and play (by touching the keyboard on the computer screen) any number of songs, from popular hits to classical pieces such as "Ode to Joy". That is my just turned 11 year-old grandaughter; her twin brother is attending the Star Wars Convention in Los Angeles this weekend. He was taken there by his aunt, my other daughter, who is probably the best aunt any kids ever had! I hope to have photos from that to show you soon.

This is a room set-up to look like an early kitchen. I am sure many of you will see things you remember!

This is an exhibit of patent medicines from around and shortly after the turn of the century.

Here is my favorite exhibit: an old soda fountain. It was in a room set up to look like an early drug store. It reminded me of one in my home town when I was a child, and brings back so many memories. every time I had to go to the dentist when I was little, my mom would treat me to a visit to Scott's Drug Store for a milkshake. It isn't any wonder that I have good memories of it!

Below is a showcase from the drug store, showing hair and personal products of the time.

The three of us had been to both museums many times, but there is always something new to see. It is a perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon (especially since admission is free then)!