Monthly Archives: December 2011
FieldCandy
When I was 11, I went to tent camp at a muddy lake in eastern Colorado. I had a bright orange two man tent that began leaking as soon as it started to drizzle. I ended up sleeping in several different tents as the rain grew from a sprinkle to a downpour. By the time … Continue reading
Ghosts of Memories
“We travel, we see a monument, and we take a picture. But, we are millions who travel, millions who see this monument, and millions who take the same picture.” Corinne Vionnet is the Swiss/French artist responsible for these painterly photos of famous landmarks. She calls the collection “Photo Opportunities.” When we travel we all take … Continue reading
Outline of a Christmas Tree, Shadow of a Snowflake
The Victoria and Albert Museum is perhaps the most underrated museum in London, at least from an American tourist point of view. There is so much good stuff to see and do in London that it often gets pushed to the bottom of the list, and then falls off the list as museum fatigue sets … Continue reading
The First Betty
One of my favorite parts of my job is the research. I get to learn about all kinds of subjects, wherever the story takes us. For example, I know way too much about ice fishing gear, I can tell you all about the correct graphics for a police helicopter and I have done extensive research … Continue reading
Pages of Organized Chaos
One of the most fascinating Christmas decorations that my mother had in the late 70s, was a Mr and Mrs Claus set made from folded newspaper and painted red. I remember prying apart their layers to try to read what was written on the paper. We probably still have them, I might see them in … Continue reading
Underground in Sweden
Underground trains have always seemed exotic to me, small town midwestern girl that I am. I was 17 the first time I rode on one (the metro in Washington DC). Since then, I have traveled quite a bit and have taken public transportation all over Europe. However, I have never been to Stockholm. It has … Continue reading
Iced Over
40 times since 1142 the Thames river in has frozen solid. Starting with the freeze in 1608 Londoners began throwing an impromptu fair on the river – The Frost Fair. The river was much wider and slower before the modern embankments, and the old London Bridge acted as a partial dam because the piers were … Continue reading
The Dream of Italy
Italy is a dream that keeps returning for the rest of your life. – Anna Akhmatova I was 21 the autumn I studied in Florence, Italy. Through a serendipitous series of events I ended up living in an apartment with four other people and a view of the Ponte Vecchio. The room they used for … Continue reading
Taffeta and Crinolines
When I was a kid I had a fabulous collection of “vintage” (read: used) prom and bridesmaid dresses from the 50s and 60s. They were never for wearing out of the house, they were for playing dress-up (that is a direct quote from my mom). Some dresses my grandmother bought at yard sales. Some were … Continue reading
Wonders of the Future
From Popular Mechanics in February 1950… Isn’t the “shopping by picture-phone” pretty much shopping on the internet? We just didn’t have the right vocabulary yet. See How to be a Retronaut for the full article, I think the “picture-phone” might be the only thing they got close on…
