Letters for George: Random Beauty

Monday, October 11, 2010

Random Beauty

Jackson Pollock, No. 8 (1949)

Dear George,

Lately I’ve been spending more time taking pictures in the woods. Partly this is due to perfect weather and dogs who need exercise. Beyond that, though, the forest is a rich and challenging source of visual imagery. While there’s certainly plenty of patterning, there’s just as frequently a dose of chaos that engages the viewer. When photographed, a lot of it reminds me of abstract art, sort of like Jackson Pollock creating wild configurations by flinging and spattering paint on a canvas. And it’s everywhere you look. Walking along a trail in Mt. Airy Forest yesterday I had a whimsical idea of letting random chance dictate my photo choices. So I took a quarter from my pocket and tossed it through the air about ten feet off the trail. Then I walked over to where the coin had landed and took about a dozen photos of the forest floor, all within twelve inches of where the quarter was lying. The images are below. The conclusion I reach is that the natural world is overflowing with beauty no matter where you look. It’s a little bit overwhelming. See what you think.

Love,

Dave

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DECEMBER 2024 HOLIDAYS

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-Sat., Dec. 7. Pearl Harbor Remembrance. Japan attacked the American Naval Station at 8 a.m. on 12-7-41. // -Sat., Dec. 21. Winter Solstice. The shortest day of the year in the Northern hemisphere. // -Wed., Dec. 25. Christmas. The beginning of a 12-day Xmas season that ends on Jan. 5. // -Thurs., Dec. 26. Chanukah begins. The 8-day Festival of Lights, celebrating victory from Greek religious persecution. // -Thurs., Dec. 26. Kwanzaa (Start). Created in 1965 by Black Power leader Dr. Maulana Karenga, Kwanzaa is a weeklong celebration of African-American and Pan-African family, community, and culture. // -Tues., Dec. 31. New Years Eve. See out the old year and ring in the new. // (Source: holidayinsights.com)

PROMINENT CINCINNATIANS

PROMINENT CINCINNATIANS

George Rieveschl was born in 1916 in Lockland, Ohio, the son of a paper mill worker and his wife. In 1933 he graduated from the Ohio Mechanics Institute and began looking for work in commercial art. With no success, he returned to study chemistry at the University of Cincinnati, earning his B.S. in 1937, an M.S. in 1939, and a doctorate in 1940. Joining the UC chemistry faculty, his research resulted in the discovery of Benadryl, an antihistamine used for allergy sufferers. Rieveschl left UC in 1943 and worked for Parke, Davis and Co. Returning to UC in 1970, he took a position as vice president of research. (NY Times; Ohio History Central)

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Ron Carter (b. May 4, 1937, Ferndale, MI; jazz; double bass, cello, Piccolo bass, electric bass; active 1960-present; associates: Chico Hamilton, Cannonball Adderly, Randy Weston, Bobby Timmons, Thelonious Monk, Eric Dolphy, Mal Waldron, Miles Davis, Hank Jones, Houston Person, Art Farmer, Herbie Hancock; labels: Blue Note, CTI, Embryo, Milestone, Prestige, Sunnyside; 2,221 recording sessions, most-recorded bassist in jazz history; 3 Grammys; Downbeat Jazz Hall of Fame (2012). (wikipedia)

EVERYDAY FOIBLES

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Our Sunday morning tradition of brunch at Frisch’s came to an end with the pandemic, and we finally returned a while back. The restaurant was nearly empty, and every other table had a big sign that said “Closed”. The hostess was masked, and so were we. She gave us paper disposable menus and said we should pick our own table or booth. There was a bar code on the wall which allowed one to order and pay for their meal with their cell phone, but the waitress (formerly the hostess) did come and take our order. We had plastic silverware and two jelly containers each. The food didn’t taste as good as we remembered, and the prices were much higher. It took a long time for somebody to come to the cash register at the end of our meal. We’d ventured out thinking the pandemic was over, but I’m afraid we were wrong.

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Henri Cochet (b. 12-14-01, Villeurbanne, France; d. 4-1-87, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France; 5-6, right-handed (one-handed backhand); amateur, 1920-1933; pro 1933-58); 684-186 W-L (78.6%), 90 career titles; ranked No. 1 (1928); Winner US Open (1928), Wimbledon (1927, 29), French (1926, 28, 30, 32); winner of 22 majors; a member of the famous “Four Musketeers” from France (Cochet, Rene Lacoste, Jean Borotra, Jacques Brugnon) who won 10 titles in 11 years at the French Championships (1922-32). (wikipedia)

MENOMINEE FOUNDERS

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Augusta Jane Chandler was born at Freedom, Maine, on Nov. 6, 1837, and moved with her family to Flat Rock, Mich., in the early 1850’s where her father and uncle engaged in lumbering. She married William Holmes, later the mayor of Menominee, in Flat Rock in 1859 and moved to Menominee shortly afterward. According to the Evening Leader, “She is honored and beloved by all who know her, and presides over her lovely home with becoming grace.” Mr. and Mrs. Holmes were among the founding members of the First Presbyterian Church in Menominee, and they raised six children. (Menominee Evening Leader, Industrial Number, 1899, p. 21.)

FAVORITE VACATION PLACES

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We lived in Ann Arbor for six years in the 1960’s so return visits these days are filled with lots of nostalgia. Our number one stop is Zingerman’s Delicatessen where Katja always buys some bread and other goodies to bring home. Zingerman’s is quite near to the Kerrytown markets which offer a great thrift shop. Tne University of Michigan campus is a pleasant place for walking, and its adjacent business districts to the east and the west offer high-end shops, bookstores, and good restaurants. A great place to visit.

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The first white residents of what is now Yellow Springs, Ohio, arrived in the first decade of the eighteenth century, but the community did not begin to grow until the arrival of followers of Robert Owen in 1825. A hundred families came to Yellow Springs, hoping to create a utopian community based on socialism, although the utopian vision never clearly developed. Yellow Springs received its name from a nearby spring with high iron content, and people from across the U.S. visited the community hoping the spring water would cure their ailments. Antioch College was founded by the Christian Church in 1852, with nationally prominent education expert Horace Mann as its first president. (ohiohistorycentral.org)

MY WEEK (Mon., 12/9 - Sun., 12/15/24)

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Katja's birthday was on Monday, J sent flowers, and we celebrated with "Gladiator 2 at the Esquire and dinner at the Gaslight Bar and Grill. Katja got a Dexscan and a steroid injection at the UC Med Center, the latter doing wonders for her back pain. We used our $25 coupon at Bronte's for dinner. Katja saw the opthalmologist. We enjoyed movies on Netflix: Maria, The Last Vermeer, A Most Wanted Man., and an Elizabeth Taylor documentary. We went to a music recital at a friend's house, only so-so. An electric bike purchase arrived on our front porch, but, much to my relief, Katja agreed to send it back. The Bengals beat the Titans, and the Packers beat the Seahawks.

JAZZ ALL-STARS

JAZZ ALL-STARS

Ron Carter (b. May 4, 1937, Ferndale, MI; jazz; double bass, cello, Piccolo bass, electric bass; active 1960-present; associates: Chico Hamilton, Cannonball Adderly, Randy Weston, Bobby Timmons, Thelonious Monk, Eric Dolphy, Mal Waldron, Miles Davis, Hank Jones, Houston Person, Art Farmer, Herbie Hancock; labels: Blue Note, CTI, Embryo, Milestone, Prestige, Sunnyside; 2,221 recording sessions, most-recorded bassist in jazz history; 3 Grammys; Downbeat Jazz Hall of Fame (2012). (wikipedia)