Or, actually, in a peanut butter filled chocolate shell. I recently read about a grandson of the founder of Reese’s Cups who is suing Hershey Corporation. He claims the current owners of his grandfather’s brand have changed things and that now the treats are neither actual chocolate nor real peanut butter. As Reese’s Cups […]
I know, I know – could it be more trite? And yet… There’s so much research demonstrating the importance of community, friendships, and loose social networks to health and happiness. Anybody who claims to have pulled themselves up by their bootstraps is forgetting all the kind words, second chances, mentoring and plain old good luck […]
Turns out one of my favorite sayings actually has a name – Hanlon’s Razor. It says “never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.” An article in The Economist recently recommended using it to squelch the urge for revenge against annoying or deceitful colleagues. Having found that advice to be useful over […]
Travel always inspires me to paint, and I’m very grateful for the opportunity. The combination of new experiences and unusual sights (and, ultimately, the urge to be home) usually sends me into my studio. I get all pumped up, with hundreds of reference photos for inspiration. We just returned from a trip to Belgium and […]
A friend’s email signature contained this quote from Eleanor Roosevelt, which I loved: “Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.” Good advice, and there are certainly things I’ve watched others do that made me vow to never do the same; I call them negative role models. […]
My exhibit at the local library includes limited edition prints and a group of my travel photos, works I hadn’t exhibited in quite a while. I enjoyed seeing Mexico, Bali and Miami’s Art Deco district again – vicarious traveling during a pandemic. The show was well-received and I was asked to extend it, which I […]
The latest pandemic-related trend among professionals is to consider going YOLO (you only live once.) Apparently many folks are apparently neither depressed, nor really happy, but are merely “languishing” after months of relative solitude. I’m fascinated by the terminology, though not sure I belong in either camp, having lived much of my life YOLO. In […]
All of us have been caught up lately in the fog of politics, made worse by COVID. After the trauma of a contested election, then the threat of armed mobs disrupting democracy’s peaceful transition of power, it’s been wonderful to go back to quiet, competent government. It seems like there is finally light at the […]
The subjects I feel the urge to paint most often, besides cityscapes from my travels – sadly, not this year – are seascapes, particularly sunsets over the water. Not enjoying plein air (painting on-site) due to sunburn, bugs and intrusive passers-by, I often work from photos taken near my studio on the Connecticut shore. One […]
Some of you may remember a popular book from several years back entitled Bowling Alone. It described the negative impact on society created by suburbs, automobiles and shopping malls, to the detriment of happy, random encounters with neighbors, or relationships with shop owners. The book also cited fewer people joining service clubs, leading to less […]
