Snow!

What a weekend of fresh snow and blowing drifts!  My home neighborhood in western Massachusetts was transformed from bare ground to white wonderland. Two feet of fluffy snow landed here, and soon drifted into odd shapes. Children on our street dug tunnels and caves, reminding me of when my sister and I had done the same in Danvers back in the 1950's.  It was fun to crawl in and out of the snow "houses" we created.

Classmate Ken Beck wrote, "I remember that, as kids, the world did stop for big snow storms, but it did so of its own, because that was what made sense, not because you were ordered to shut your life down."  He commented Friday that the T service was cancelled as of 3:30 pm and no automobile travel allowed on highways, with fines threatened for non-conformance. "Continuous, everlasting coverage and updates on TV.  ... Where is the wonder of it all?" he continued. "I love snow. The transformative quiet, beauty and wonder it brings to our lives; the realization that it is not all about us, that there are other forces in the world that take us up and toss us about and leave us with that experience of simply being human."

I agree, and try to enjoy snowy days as they come. I do not turn on the TV or fret about weather reports. Instead, I talk with the neighbor's children, and admire what they build or dig in the snow.

Yesterday I even managed to crawl through one of their tunnels!   See the one at right, in center of sidewalk! It was a tight fit, but I squirmed through, much to the delight of the kids watching me.

This month's column is also on a wintery topic: Snow, saucers, sleds, and "sissies"   -- a less happy experience in which I learned an important lesson. I originally wrote this story when our Senior Center writing group was invited to visit a 7th grade writing class in a local public school.  The students had been doing "memoir writing" on this topic: a mistake you've made and the lesson learned.  So we wrote on the same topic and then all read our writings to each other. It was a wonderful session of inter-generational sharing. And those 7th graders remembered my piece!  Sometimes they see me in the neighborhood and comment again about my sledding adventure.

Teddy Bear

After viewing Ken Beck's large paintings of teddy bears (see my previous post), I wanted to see my own teddy bear again. I went to the attic, found the right box, and there she was, dressed in one of the outfits I had made years ago!

This is Cindy Bear, a favorite companion in my childhood.

I brought her down to my office and sat her on top of my desk.

Her joints still move, and she looks just the way I remember her.

A very nice bear.

I think I'll let her stay for a while on a shelf in my office.

She has many different dresses. I had to sew these outfits for her because she was a bit too chunky to fit into regular doll clothing. I didn't often play with dolls, but I did play with Cindy Bear.

I learned much about sewing as I fashioned outfits for Cindy to wear.  Fortunately Cindy Bear was patient as outfits were tried on over and over as I figured out how to shape the fabric and design ways to make the clothes stay on her body.

Mrs. Hoberg, mother of my friend Janet, encouraged sewing projects in her basement sewing room and provided us with a supply of fabric scraps. We felt free to experiment, so we had fun.

I especially liked this green cotton dress with the yellow ribbon -- one of my better creations. I was pleased with the way the wooden bead worked to control the tightness of the shoulder straps.  

Cindy Bear says Hi!

Walk with Ken Beck

My Danvers High School classmate Ken Beck (center) invites us to walk with him through a retrospective show of his art work. Seventy-eight of his paintings are on display. He titled the exhibition “Acts of Painting: One at a Time.”

Ken writes, "Each Walk-Through will take place on a Sunday afternoon at 4pm and will last about an hour. The event is meant to provide an opportunity for me to answer your questions and to talk personally and informally about my work as whole.  Light refreshments will be served."

Dates: Sundays January 20, February 10, March 10, and April 14, 2013.

Location: 15 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA (in the South End of Boston, on the ground floor of Atelier 505, in the offices of Hammond Residential - South End).

See my previous posting about Ken Beck, Artist and the June 2012 column
Remembering Danvers - The Education of a young artist in which Ken describes the art teachers in Danvers who influenced and inspired him.

I recommend this exhibition. I attended the November opening and enjoyed seeing the wide range of styles in which Ken has painted over the years.  Impressive!

Ken writes, "Most artists in their own life time never get the opportunity to have a large retrospective of their work (78 pieces in this case) available for public viewing for 6 months. Thus I intend to share and enjoy this experience to the fullest."  The first Walk-Through in December "was so well-received, I have decided to continue this practice once a month for the duration of my exhibition."