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DancingElephant
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Interests: Family, friends, community, art, peace, tolerance, leaving the world a bit better than I found it...My favorite way to do this is through education. Someday, I'm thinking I'll be a teacher. But of what?
Expertise: I'm not an expert at anything, just good--some times really good--at a broad spectrum of stuff. Details, planning, stick-to-it, get-it-done--that's me.
Message: message meEmail: email me
Member Since:
3/22/2005
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| Good memories of Dad, today. And re-read Cassie's wonderful poem to Grandpa. Forgive me, Cass, for editing my favorite lines..."...It seems like it was yesterday, That I last heard you laugh... You looked like you were preparing for war when you rolled up your pants for croquet, And you'd do the same for bike rides, So they wouldn't get caught in the chain...The simple things bring smiles....Things like "Comere Fritzy!" Bible verse cards, Funny hats and Ovaltine, Michigan games, sweat bands, oatmeal, and the board on your computer seat...I loved you as a person because you always were the same. No matter how tall I got, Grandpa never changed...."
We laughed, we loved. We remember and smile....and love again, and again, and again...
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| Finally a new post. This morning friends and I ran for the seals, a fun-run to benefit the Marin Marine Mammal Society--a good enough excuse to get up at the crack of dawn (on a Sunday, no less) and run four miles in the early morning sunshine. It was spectacular. Loved it. Our little group, other than our "staff" photographer, Jimmy, all run together at least twice a week, in training with our fearless leader, Nancy Burns. Here are our photos. We had a great time...Now I'm ready for a nap!
More photos on this website...
http://homepage.mac.com/dewittstudio/OtherStuff/PhotoAlbum34.html
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| I've never gotten very excited about Halloween. Some people LOVE Halloween--they get all excited and love to dress up, etc. But it's always been a bit of a chore for me. For one thing I don't particularily like scary movies. Why someone would want to sit and watch a movie that scares the living bejesus out of them is just weird in my world. And the other thing is, I've always found it enough of a challenge to be just me, let alone dress up like someone or something else. What is up with that??? But each to their own....
This year new friends, a couple that recently moved to our neighborhood, we met through mutual friends, invited us to their Halloween party. Costumes strongly encouraged. Oh egads, I thought. Here we go. We wanted to go to the party, but what in the world to wear???
Finally, Friday--the day before the party--I took myself to a costume store in the neighborhood. I'd actually gotten a bit of inspiration with the bizarre thought that I could be a fairy princess. A fairy princess? Why?? I have no idea why, it just seemed to appeal, so I was going with it. I wasn't inspired enough to think of anything in my closet that would aid in the transformation--I'm not in the habit of shopping for long frilly skirts with fluffy bodices and glass slippers (ouch!)--so I was at the costume store hoping for some miracle. Turns out there are plenty of fairy princess wanna-bees out there, so there are lots of fairy princess do-dads one can rent or purchase at costume stores. I could walk out of there a new person, literally, for probably $100. Twice that, and I could probably have had my own Prince Charming on my arm. But, alas, all of that seemed way beyond reasonable for one party, one time. Good grief...
I'm getting discouraged, aware of other people excitedly sorting through masks and costumes, choosing gory accoutrements or pulling long blond wigs over their own dark hair--eagerly going for the complete change. I'm just about ready to leave and dream up any old excuse not to go to the party when something catches my eye--a whole rack full of boas. They're gorgeous, all kinds of colors--purple, gold, blue, red. And then I see a picture of a flapper girl with a boa, and I think, hey--maybe I could do that. I even ask a person behind the counter for help, and before you know it I'm leaving the store with a smile on my face and my little sack full of flapper-girl do-dads, including what I think is quite an attractive purple and gold boa. Yippee! Back at home, my friends help out by offering to loan me red-red lipstick, eye liner, etc. The works.
So here is my before picture...
And then, a little make-over magic, an aging (gracefully) flapper-girl...
Close up...
Meanwhile, Jimmy was having his own costume adventure. Here is his before picture....
Kind of a handsome dude, don't you think? Well, after much work, the famous artist became... what? Your guess is as good as any....
Anyway, we had a great time at the party. Danced and cavorted... I'm still not wild about Halloween. I'll take Thanksgiving any day of the week over Halloween. But I think I'm past my costume phobia...
Have a Happy Halloween...and I say that with a smile on my face ... 
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| A few photos of my trip to Amsterdam and Paris. I loved Amsterdam and Paris is truly awesome. My camera battery died early in my visit to Paris--and I had no way to fire it up again (for one thing, the outlets are not the same as ours, and I had no adapter; plus I didn't bring the charger, since I had no adapter.. ) so most of my pictures are of Amsterdam. So here goes, a bit of a photo log...
The canal houses are adorable, built in the 1600s, all distinct. My hotel was located in several of these. My room was at the top of one of them, in the attic, in effect.
A woman and her child doing errands. Everyone bicycles! And hardly anyone wears helmets. I saw one or two helmets--all on very small children--and I saw many, maybe hundreds, or bicyclists. It is the way to get around...
And now we know why...
This car is not squished. It really is this shape. Adorable, don't you think??
My favorite signs walking the streets of Amsterdam...
Bewaking?? Forbidden? Waking up? Welcome?
I took a canal boat ride...so beautiful...centuries old....
Going shopping in Amsterdam, bring an umbrella. And nobody pays it much attention, just keep on keepin' on...
More biking along the canals...
OK...my only pictures of Paris. On Friday night, after a full day of work at the office (amazing--I was actually working in Paris!!--I had to pinch myself), I took the metro (me, pretending to actually be a native...) to a boat on the Seine--the river that goes through Paris--and took a trip down the Seine after dark. It was completely wonderful, gorgeous, with the buildings and monuments all lit up. Here are two of them, the Eiffel Tower, and one from the back of the cab I took after the boat ride, past the Arc de Triomphe...
Paris is unlike any city I've ever visited, including San Francisco, London, New York, and, now, Amsterdam. Paris is vibrant, pulsating with energy, beautiful in so many ways. What makes it different, for me, is that it has such a depth of culture and history, it's impossible for me to describe in pictures or words. I imagine Rome would be quite similar, and I look forward to going there too one day.
The French are reputed to be stand-offish and even unfriendly. Since I was working in a local office, I have collegues that are not that way at all. I already knew that, working with them when they come to the US. My good friend, Robert, manager of the Paris office, took me to lunch in Paris on Friday--a privilege for me to be treated to a delicious mid-day meal at a favorite local cafe, close to the office. The French people I met in the office were all just like you and me--busy, but quite approachable and friendly. Off on my own, when I rode the metro or interacted with people in the cafes, shops and stores, I finally was brave enough to dust off my high-school French to select from the menue or ask for directions or other assistance. To a one, I found the people one-on-one friendly and helpful.
Back to Friday night, after my boat trip down the Seine, I had dinner with a woman from Chicago that I met on the boat, then was off on my own again--actually I preferred my independence by then. I walked along the Champs Elyssey--a very wide boulevard marked by the Arc de Triomphe and broad--very very broad--promenades. Can't call them sidewalks, since they were as wide as many streets, with outdoor eating areas set up in the middle of them. Everything lit up, people--many many many people--strolling along, or relaxing in the cafes along the way--at about 11 PM. I'm told Paris stays up all night, but I grabbed a taxi and was finally back at my hotel and in bed before midnight.
So that's a bit more about my trip...Gotta go, now... I have an appointment...
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| Somehow the picture didn't show up... 
OK...I think I got it this time...
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