Author Archives: Sans Souci

410. A bleary-eyed update: angels among us

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I have been home for less than a week and have some nice things to report; things are falling into place. I was able to set things in motion while in Florida with mom and from here at home. My phone has been glued to my head since Tuesday. Mom and me in front of our building in NYC photo by dad Mom was transferred to the assisted living facility on Friday. I truly believe that if she had to stay in the lousy rehab much longer she might have died; it was that depressing. The food was that awful … Continue reading →

409. My mother, my child; a Grundig radio and a Singer sewing machine

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I’m back…too tired to talk…got a lot done but it was endless running and I didn’t even have that much time to spend with my mother as so much had to be done and resolved. First as you know, before I even went down, mother’s money was stolen. The next day her clothes were missing (they were found after I screamed). The last straw was Sunday morning before 8 a.m. when the phone rang (I was just getting up after not having slept for 3 days and a nurse told me of a mishap: my mother’s partial dentures were tossed … Continue reading →

241. Home. Pooped. Mercury in Retrograde.

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Back home. Pooped! . We arrived home Monday night and all’s well. Almost. Graduation, which I’ll elaborate on another time, was an overwhelming 2 day experience. I’m just too tired to move…could it be that Mercury is in retrograde? Here’s a bit more on this phenomenon: “All of the planets move in the same direction around the Sun, each with a different rate of speed. Mercury’s orbit is 88 days long; therefore approximately 4 orbits of Mercury around the Sun equals 1 Earth year. — Periodically, Mercury appears to slow down, then stop, (stationary retrograde) and then move slowly backwards … Continue reading →

245. More Mercury Backlash; as the planets turn, communication fizzles

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When we last spoke, (click link to the left for the previous blog) I had returned to some strange events, many of which were communication related, and I asked, could it be the phenomenon of “Mercury in retrograde”? This is what has been going on. Three of us were taking turns plugging our computers directly into the Verizon (Internet Service Provider) Fiber-optic box. And then, one computer couldn’t get on line. All of a sudden. As my laptop continued to be able to do so, I called Verizon, spoke to a “technician” (notice the quotes) and he surmised that because … Continue reading →

397. “I don’t love you anymore. I’m not sure I ever did.” The end of suffering

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On Relationships New York Times article Though this piece was written about a spouse, I can relate to it in a more universal way …my take is below. Modern Love Those Aren’t Fighting Words, Dear By LAURA A. MUNSON Published: July 31, 2009     LET’S say you have what you believe to be a healthy marriage. You’re still friends and lovers after spending more than half of your lives together. The dreams you set out to achieve in your 20s — gazing into each other’s eyes in candlelit city bistros when you were single and skinny — have for … Continue reading →

372. Something to share: the editor’s critique of submitted manuscript

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I wanted to tell my friends who have been following me: My manuscript submission was reviewed by an editor, just a once over, and I was sent a critique. Suggestions were made that I can use or not. I will probably take heed. Most are about organization, and a few mechanical tweaks. But the main thing is the manuscript was favorably reviewed. Here are a few comments:       Comments: The author establishes a strong voice in these poems, so much so that it’s clear when a poem is in the voice of a character, like “Love: Lost and … Continue reading →

258. CreARTive Sunday: Dichroic Glass Jewelry Part 4

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This is the 4th post in the dichroic glass jewelery series. click to enlarge. The previous posts are here: Part 3 Part 2 Part 1 One of my first pendants. The pieces on this page are not made by Kroma.   In person the top piece presents as more of a lime green. The pendant has the typical smoothness.           The necklace works well with a pair of earrings a friend gave me as a gift. I believe the artist is in Alaska.     This is a special set; the Sunday before my mastectomy in … Continue reading →

255. CreARTive Sunday: 6/15/08: Dichroic Glass Jewelry Part 3

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This is part 3 of the dichroic glass series. Part 1 Part 2   Kroma “by-pass” ring       A modern take on an old idea: dichroic glass charm bracelet I took a vintage charm bracelet and attached a grouping of dichroic glass pendants from Kroma. Each pendant is bezel set and backed, encased in silver.                             14 CommentsChronological Reverse Threaded reply lunarechoes wrote on Jun 14, ’08 Lovely! I just sent you a note about having bought my first pair of dichroic glass earrings today, … Continue reading →

252. CreArtive Sunday: Dichroic Glass Jewelry Part 2

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Part 1 of this series can be found here. Kroma heart I received from my colleagues for my retirement. They asked what I wanted and I told them exactly. Why not get something that is a known winner? This beautiful modern piece is 1 3/4″ in length including bale, and 9/16″ wide.      This is another Kroma piece; the fine detail in the glass and the silver work are trademarks . This large ring was not produced by Kroma. I found it in a boutique and grabbed it. It is 10/16″ wide and 3/4″ in length. This is not … Continue reading →

236. CreaARTive Sunday: 5/17/08: Collection: Dichroic Glass Jewelry Part 1

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I have been collecting dichroic glass jewelry for at least 12 years. It is a real attention getter; whenever I wear it, strangers walk up to me and ask what it is. It has a smooth glass surface and embedded in it are many layers of metallics that diffuse light differently creating a shimmering effect and color change when viewed from different angles. You can read more about it at Laurita’s post here. My first purchases were from the KROMA studio, located in New Mexico, but their beautiful pieces can be found in art shops all over the country. A … Continue reading →

272: CreARTive Sunday: Travel Treats: dichroic glass to add to the collection

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When on a vacation I enjoy poking around in stores. While in North Adams. MA, I visited the store where I have made several purchases. I thought you might like to see what I picked up to add to my collection.           New Acquisitions Photos by Sans   9 CommentsChronological Reverse Threaded reply millimusings wrote on Jul 19, ’08 I do adore what you picked up and I truly do love your style and the choices that you make. Ten year olds again LOL. Honestly though Sue these are the type of jewelry I also would … Continue reading →

450. NYC Photo Journal: In search of culinary perfection: From arepas to donuts

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The other day I treated myself to a manicure in a place where there is a small high def television at every nail drying station. In addition, the salon has a huge screen; all televisions are tuned to The Food Network. There are a dozen or so lovely ladies with wet nails drooling over Paula Dean’s presentations, or Bobby Flay’s. I happened to hit Bobby on a good day: he was challenging the owner of Caracas Arepa Bar to a “Throwdown” challenge. Who can make the better arepas? Caracas won. Sorry, Mr. Bobby the Foodie Ego. You can’t beat this … Continue reading →

444. New York City Photo Journal: Grand Central Terminal: more food!

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The grandest of terminals has been renovated and its majesty is overwhelming. Beyond its two levels of trains that come down from New York State and Connecticut, there are links to the New York City subway. It is located on 42nd Street and Park Avenue. Beyond trains it is a shopper’s haven. In fact, it is so huge, one has to consult a map to fine one’s way around. The New York City Transit Museum Gift Shop has a branch there with a special train exhibit. All photos except the top right are property of the author; taken with 3.0 … Continue reading →

293. NYC: From Brooklyn to Lower Manhattan: A visual essay and a prelude…

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Red Hook, Brooklyn. Labor Day, 2008. This area had been neglected, was run down, seedy, and not very visitable. It’s main landmark was a city housing project. And then something wonderful happened. The Swedish home furnishings company know as IKEA, stepped in and did wonders. In return for its waterfront property it created Erie Basin Park, a free water taxi service to lower Manhattan (to lure over Manhattan-ites). The great thing is, anyone can use the taxi service, and they do, to go to work or to get to Manhattan. Many people forget, including the city government, that New York … Continue reading →

285. Photos:Thursday in the park with Al

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This is Al, the sweetest man on earth; secretly, I think of him as the father I never had. Kind, brilliant, loving, and still around in his late 80’s as spunky and adventurous as ever. Al was a friend of my late father-in-law and family. In the 70’s when Mr.Souci and I were traveling through Ireland, we met Al and his wife in Dublin, by coincidence, and had a few meals together. Al’s lovely wife passed away of cancer a number of years ago. My father-in-law died suddenly some years after. My step-mother-in-law and Al, the surviving spouses, became an … Continue reading →

299. Part 2: NYC: Brooklyn: Saturday photo album, 9/20/08 Pizza as art

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After purchasing a bag full of sweet treasures at The Orchard, hubby had Di Fara’s pizza on the brain. Di Fara’s is one of New York City’s allegedly best pizza. You have to understand that the city has thousands of pizzerias, but Di Fara’s is one of the inner circle of 3. Far from fancy, it sits on the corner of Avenue J and 15th Street in the Midwood section of Brooklyn. It is here that Domenico De Marco has been making pizza, by hand, for 40 years. All ingredients are imported from Italy; San Marzano tomatoes, spices, cheeses, olive … Continue reading →

310. Week end Photo Journal: Part 2: Long Island City: on the waterfront

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Long Island City is an area of Queens that is in the process of gentrification. Once fairly run-down, this area on the East River is now a goldmine. It is a transit hub; the subway and the Long Island Railroad stop there, just built luxury condos and rentals are sprouting up all over. I thought this was a recession; apparently not here in NYC. And then there is the view. Nothing like it. The Pepsi-Cola sign is a landmark. (I am behind it.) Look for the 59th Street Bridge beyond. Feelin’ Groovy, yet?

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309. Weekend Photo Journal: Part 1. Brooklyn and Queens, NY

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New York City hosted hundreds of “open houses” over the weekend. The event was called, “Open House, New York.” One could take advantage of free tours buildings, landmarks, universities, gardens, some of which are normally closed to the public. We decided to visit Pratt Institute, Mr. Souci’s alma mater, (school of architecture) in Brooklyn, NY. There we found new buildings, toured several, and learned about the history of the school which was founded in the 1800’s, visited the incredible library (designed by Tiffany) and the sculpture gardens. Photos: a doggy waits for his masters to come out of the tour; … Continue reading →

394. NYC Photo Journal: From the Caribbean to India: Tribal Legacy to Dosa Hutt/Flushing, NY

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Sunday Concert series at Flushing Town Hall, Flushing New York. This is the second in a concert series that we enjoyed. Impending storms kept us inside with the house rocking. Last concert (Doo-Wop), was held outside in the garden and gourmet catered food was available. Great music, great sound: Tribal Legacy. A high energy group that went on and on for 2 hours, sans break. Fabulous time. Dancing, dancing, dancing, hot, hot, hot… We had an after concert (south) Indian dinner in Flushing near one of the Hindu temples at Dosa Hutt. Join me for medhu vada, onion rava masala … Continue reading →