A Walk Into the Past

Then & Now - Valentine's Day

2012-02-03T05:03:00.013-05:00

Sweet.

FEBRUARY 14: Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is a holiday observed that honors one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine. It is traditionally a day on which lovers express their affection for each other by presenting flowers, offering candy, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines"). The day first became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.

Modern Valentine's Day symbols include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have given way to mass-produced greeting cards.

Sour.

Now, did you know? An Anti-Valentine is also called a Vinegar Valentine? According to the definition, this kind of paper sheet was sent to someone either expressing distaste for the traditional holiday--or as a mask or cover for the real emotion of love. I am sure these parodies and masks still exist because human behavior hasn't changed that much...

On to Ellicott City Historic District February 2012.

Beautiful, flowing dress at RETROPOLITAN.

On the 1st of February--armed with a camera--I walked up, then down Main Street looking for the traditionally-shaped form: The heart. I was not disappointed. Almost every store featured at least one of them! The day was bright, but with sharp contrasts in the weather. Bright sunny skies in one direction, and brooding gray clouds in the other. Over Ellicott City's Main Street, the brightness held sway.

Symbolic? The sky and earth exhibited the same kind of split--a bitter pre-election time coupled with an economy that has spawned "Gold for Cash" signs juxtaposed with the cheery red, gold and upbeat Valentine's Day with its traditional love theme.

'We' chose to feature the blue skies.

A 1944 song written by Harold Arlen-Johnny Mercer, "ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE," which was delivered as a kind of sermon (a year before World War II ended), immediately came to mind as many paste a kind of smiley-face veneer over the gravity of 2012, and move forward with hope, however diminished by national and world news. So...Attitude CHANGE now! Denee Barr, artist and jazz vocalist, will sing Accentuate the Positive! while I share with you the charming storefronts that comprise the hilly historic district that drops to the Patspsco River.

The storefronts are not in geographical order, but randomly disposed. In order to experience the wonderful historic masonry, siting, and spirit of this district, you will want to park in one of the ample parking lots off Main Street, and take the walk...look, enjoy, and perhaps shop! Yes, shop!

Sweet Elizabeth Jane. Half Apron.

Taylor's. Candy and cards.

Love & Glitter signboard.

Classic Collectibles. Small Valentines.

Carpe Vinum. Wine sale.

Best storefont color. Discoveries!

Charming Country Crafters.

Mumbles & Squeaks.

Weddings & Events store front.

Forget-me-not Factory window.

Taylors again.

Original Souls.

Discoveries, dresses on high!

OBLADI B & B banner

Sweet Cascades chocolates

Cash 4 Gold

Table in Sweet Elizabeth Jane shop.

Country Crafters...mannekin.

Maxine's Collectables.

Those red dresses again!

RETROPOLITAN elegance.

Flower shop with heart: Wessel's.

Betty Boop in Forget-me-not Factory.

More...

Still Life Gallery window
Old Apple II computer with old Apple diskette drive box.
The doll has been identified as a "Furby."

Still Life Gallery On view, inside.

Rare French Poster

"Betsy", an operetta in 3 acts.

artist: Pascal Bestia

Size: 31" x 47"

Thanks to all the shop owners and staff who decorate "to the holiday" and, in turn,
lift the spirits of people who visit or pass through the district for any reason--to view
built history, go to church, view and cross the river on foot, or appreciate the wonderful
preserved historic masonry buildings that range in age from the 18th to 20th century.

And, of course, SHOP!

Kay Weeks writer
Denee Barr singer
A collaboration

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2.4.12

"Blow ill wind...Let me rest today..."

2012-01-21T08:39:00.021-05:00

At piano. Photo: ASCAP web site.

Ill Wind...a song composed by Harold Arlen with lyrics by Ted Koehler, was written for their last show at the Cotton Club Parade, in 1934. The melody came to Arlen whilst he was visiting Anya Taranda, a model who was to become Arlen's wife.

Photo: From Wikipedia.

Background. Harold Arlen was born Hyman Arluck, in Buffalo, New York, the child of a Jewish cantor. His twin brother died the next day. He learned the piano as a youth and formed a band as a young man. He achieved some local success as a pianist and singer and moved to New York City in his early 20s. He worked as an accompanist in vaudeville. At this point, he changed his name to Harold Arlen.

In 1929, Arlen composed his first well-known song: "Get Happy" (with lyrics by Ted Koehler). Throughout the early and mid-1930s, Arlen and Koehler wrote shows for the Cotton Club, a popular Harlem night club, as well as for Broadway musicals and Hollywood films. Arlen and Koehler's partnership resulted in a number of hit songs, including the familiar standards "Let's Fall in Love" and "Stormy Weather."

Until the lovely snow of this morning, this Arlen song seemed perfectly suited for our century's planetary ills, including a divisive national election here.

I think the song is still appropriate. The snow will soon melt and all you have to do is look at the headlines and articles that frame our lives this January, 2012.

_____________

Denee Barr, amazing song stylist, sings the haunting Arlen song for us...the Ted Koehler lyrics comprise the refrain of my "blog feature," a vocal appeal to let the ill wind pass, and to let love return.

Blow ill wind, 

blow away                 

Let me rest today

Blow ill wind, blow away          
Let me rest today  

You're blowin' me no good (no good) 

Go ill wind,
go away

Skies so gray

Around my neighborhood,

and that's no good

You're only misleadin' the sunshine I'm needin'

Ain't that a shame?

It's so hard to keep up with troubles that  creep up   

From out of nowhere, when  love's to blame... 

So ill wind,  blow away

Let me rest today

You're blowin' me no good (no good) 

You're only misleadin' the sunshine 

I'm needin'

Ain't that a shame?

It's so hard to keep up with troubles that creep up
From out of nowhere, when love's to blame...

So ill wind, blow  away   Let me rest today

You're blowin' me no good (no good)  

Blow, ill wind, blow.

All of Arlen's songs, by year: http://www.haroldarlen.com/year.html

______________________

Special thanks to Caroline Gill--origins and use of the phrase:

An ill wind

Meaning

A negative effect. <**But see, below.>

Origin

The use of ill wind is most commonly in the phrase 'it's an ill wind that blows nobody any good'. This is first recorded in John Heywood's A dialogue conteinyng the nomber in effect of all the prouerbes in the Englishe tongue, 1546:

"An yll wynde that blowth no man to good, men say."

Its listing there as proverbial demonstrates an earlier derivation.

That meaning, which is still understood today, was subverted somewhat later to provide a second meaning. In Rob Roy, Sir Walter Scott included:

"Nane were keener against it than the Glasgow folk, wi' their rabblings and their risings, and their mobs, as they ca' them now-a-days. But it's an ill wind blaws naebody gude."

**The meaning there is clearly the opposite of the old proverb, i.e. a wind that didn't provide benefit to someone would be a bad and unusual one indeed.

Into the 20th century we find a punning joke on the phrase that has been attributed to many people, notably Sir Thomas Beecham, although I'm unable to authenticate the true source. This calls the notoriously difficult to play French horn - "the wind that nobody blows good".

Kay Weeks and Denee Barr
1.21.12
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Shadow Play

2012-01-15T06:13:00.027-05:00

"I have a little shadow..." (childhood poem)

Is there a shadow
always with me? Yes.

Can you guess?
More than I know, we know...

When you walk alone, you'll know, won't you?
Following you?

Feeling who you are,
I am, and always was...

...Before I went inside

to hide from you.

See? It's me now,

into the light, then gone.

SHADOW PLAY

into the light,

then gone.

Blogger Shadow

Epilogue:
Let me ask you now?
Do you like the word
Ranunculus?
If it's Yes...then Shadow,
we are one. If Not,
Then let it be...us...

Kay Weeks
Poem and photographs
on January 15, 2102

Embraced by Light - One January Sunrise

2012-01-07T04:23:00.006-05:00

New Pillows

Why do we think

The new pillows

Or new pants

Or new anything

Will change our lives?

Not the new house

Not the new car

Not the new clothes

It is you

It is only you

Who can move 

Into this new day

With hope, with joy--

It is you,

And only you

And you are not new

Are you?

Kay Weeks

9/25/08 and re-posted here with these sunrise photos all taken within a 10 minute

period on 1/6/12. And not straightened or otherwise manipulated by color saturation.
So incredible this beauty that it shapes the day, my day anyway. Sharing with you...

hocoblogs@@@

...Never in my wordland...

2011-12-28T04:54:00.063-05:00

Duotone crow profile, Ellicott City Historic District.

From time to time, I veer off the local historic district path...Ellicott City shops, galleries, our historical museum, artists...to take flight, so to speak. This commercially crazy, but spiritually quiet, interlude before the New Year (2012) strikes, I am doing just that.

BIRDS: This blog feature contains birds, both literal and figurative. Since I am in love with words--and birds--as you know, the title "Never in my wordland" is one line from a jazz piece I grew up with, and played on the piano: LULLABY OF BIRDLAND.

Connecting the Dots. The photos of birds from Ellicott City, Maryland; Rehoboth Beach, Delaware; Olympia, Washington; and Chacala Beach, Mexico, don't need explanation.

Crows in a tree, Olympia, Washington.

If you know me, you know I love to watch and photograph clouds and birds...So over and over again, I seek them out--on wires, on lamp posts, soaring, sitting, talking to each other...they delight me. Connect that to my love of jazz and musical background growing up near Hollywood with frequent trips to Hermosa Beach to hear Shorty Rogers, I remembered the LULLABY and, in turn, that led me to the jazz club called Birdland in New York City.

Vulture "ornaments" on Church Road, EC.

History. Birdland was a jazz club started in New York City on December 15, 1949. It was located at 1678 Broadway, just north of West 52nd Street in Manhattan. Closed in 1965 due to increased rents, it re-opened for one night in 1979. A revival began in 1986. The original Birdland was named by its owners after alto saxophonist Charlie Parker, nicknamed "Bird", who served as the headliner for the club…A neon sign at the front of the club said "Birdland. The Jazz Corner of the World". The club seated 400 people and had space for a full orchestra. The name was carried through into the feature of caged finches inside the club. (Surprise to me).

George Shearing's classic jazz song "Lullaby of Birdland" (1952) was named in the club's honor. Lyrics follow:

"Oh, lullaby of birdland
That's what I always hear,
When you sigh,
Never in my wordland could there be ways to reveal
in a phrase how I feel

Have you ever heard two turtle doves
Bill and coo, when they love?
That's the kind of magic music we make with our lips...when we kiss

And there's a weepy old willow
He really knows how to cry,
That's how I'd cry in my pillow
If you should tell me farewell and goodbye...

Huddled birds at Mar de Jade, Chacala Beach, Mexico.

LYRICS (continued)

Lullaby of birdland whisper low
Kiss me sweet, and we'll go
Flying high in birdland, high in the sky up above
All because were in love

Ooo Ooo Ooo

Have you ever heard two turtle doves
Bill and coo, when they love?
That's the kind of magic music we make with our lips
When we kiss

And there's a weepy old willow
He really knows how to cry
That's how I'd cry in my pillow
If you should tell me farewell and goodbye

Lullaby of birdland whisper low
Kiss me sweet, and we'll go
Flying high in birdland, high in the sky up above
All because were in love"

NOW: Denee Barr's wonderful rendition of the jazz classic of the same name, Lullaby of Birdland, is featured here. She was not familiar with it, so quckly learned the tune, the lyrics, and recorded it for all of us. Denee is, in a word, "amazing."

_____________________________________________

Birdland's Notable performers over time included: CHARLIE PARKER (BIRD), George Shearing, Chet Baker, Count Basie, Art Blakey, Dave Brubeck, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, John Coltrane, Blossom Dearie, Maynard Ferguson, Stan Getz, Dizzy Gillespie, Billie Holiday, Thelonious Monk, Quincy Jones, Ramsey Lewis, Diana Krall, Oscar Peterson, Bud Powell, Horace Silver, Clark Terry, McCoy Tyner, Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington...and many many more.

Bird plate in blogger control.

Blog feature, photos: Kay Weeks

Jazz stylist: Denee Barr.

12.28.11 On the cusp of change.

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

2011-12-11T07:51:00.024-05:00

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" was a song introduced by Judy Garland in the 1944 MGM musical Meet Me in St. Louis. Frank Sinatra later recorded a version with modified lyrics (see below), which has become more common than the original. I had not known the history of Hugh Martin's somewhat "troubled" lyrics until doing a little research (credit: Wikipedia).

History of SONG: When presented with the original draft lyric, Garland, her co-star Tom Drake and director Vincente Minnelli criticized the song as depressing. Do you agree?

I had to remind myself: The context was World War II, so that explains the poignant, even somber, mood--also apparent in the film. But then, see how the lyrics were changed to fit a new time, a new mood.

Have yourself a merry little Christmas, it may be your last,
Next year we may all be living in the past
Have yourself a merry little Christmas, pop that champagne cork,
Next year we will all be living in New York.


No good times like the olden days, happy golden days of yore,
Faithful friends who were dear to us, will be near to us no more.


But at least we all will be together, if the Fates allow,
From now on we'll have to muddle through somehow.
So have yourself a merry little Christmas now.

Though he initially resisted, songwriter Hugh Martin made several changes to make the song more upbeat. For example, the lines "It may be your last / Next year we may all be living in the past" became "Let your heart be light / Next year all our troubles will be out of sight". Garland's version of the song, which was also released as a single by Decca Records, became popular among United States troops serving in World War II.

Jackie Gleason recorded the song for his 1956 album Merry Christmas. In 1957, Frank Sinatra asked Martin to revise the line "Until then we'll have to muddle through somehow". He told Martin, "The name of my album is
A Jolly Christmas. Do you think you could jolly up that line for me?"Martin's new line, "Hang a shining star upon the highest bough," has since become more widely recognized and sung than the original phrase.
______________________________

Still Life Gallery owner Rebecca Weber.

Cut to Present, Ellicott City Historic District. So, this is the 2011 decorative landscape of historic and commercial Main Street, with one entry into a shop, Still Life Gallery, (see photo) then back to the walk.

What Happened? I parked in the lot near Ellicott Mills Road, then walked down, past the Wine Bin, to the Church Road intersection, and down to the National Historic Landmark Ellicott City Railroad Station.

The early winter daylight, although intense, was quickly diminishing and long shadows began to take over..I hurried, taking photo after photo on the digital camera. Note: The photos of shops on Main Street have not been straightened or adjusted, so you can see the pace of the walk and the fidgety camera work. Reality!

Oh, and although I tried, they are out of order--and a couple I loved, such as the train.whirl.a.gig are repeated--so this means you HAVE to visit Main Street yourself to participate in the joy and fun of the holiday. Take the walk! Have fun!

Now, Denee Barr, artist, and our own Columbia--and beyond--song stylist, jazz vocalist sings Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas to accompany the brief walking tour of Ellicott City Historic District with its colorful December storefronts...Sing it, Denee!

Ellicott City Railroad Station, an NHL.


Love & Glitter, with historic stonework.

$5 palm reading.

Oriental Art Collection.


Country Crafters.

HO HO HO banner!


Train: Forget-Me-Not Factory.

Original Souls.

Detail, train. Forget-Me-Not-Factory.

Tersiguels. Great Country French restaurant!

The Wine Bin.

Friday Traffic!

Precious Gifts.

Historic Fire Station Museum. Church Road intersection.

Oriental Rugs. Most unusual display.

Cash-4-Gold.

Still Life Gallery window.

Johnny's Bistro on Main.

Neon sign at Precious Gifts, formerly a theater.

Sweet Elizabeth Jane. Cool SNOWMAN!

Fabulous (as always) RETROPOLITAN window.

Customer entering Sweet Elizabeth Jane.

OBLADI sign! Great lyric; beautiful B & B.

Last one on Main Street

Get into car; drive up Church Road...but I always return to Main Street!

Back home again. Whew! Cats await me.

Blog content, photos: Kay Weeks

Song stylist: Denee Barr

With gratitude to all the businesses on Main Street (and there are many others just off the Street) for their individual and cumulative spirit, all year 'round!

Be sure to visit
http://www.ellicottcity.net
for comprehensive information on Ellicott City and beyond!

hocoblogs@@@

Airports, Landings & Home

2011-12-02T06:44:00.028-05:00

Drawings: Margaret Scott.

After Halloween and a few days before Thanksgiving, I carried out a plan to travel to the Pacific Northwest...a kind of journey of the heart, to visit two octogenarian friends, staying four nights with one, then driving to Whidbey Island together to visit another--just for lunch. Both women have been large in my past, one, an iconic figure in fine art photography; and both important to my own history of growth and change over time.

What I hadn't foreseen was how I would feel walking into my past, especially on Whidbey Island. I have been there before, but when juxtaposed to having lunch with a former role-model (when I was young, had never worked, was a Navy wife) and seeing my years in life, as if stretched out on a long operating table--it was very powerful. Also...witnessing their physical changes, and a mirroring of self in other. I saw my journey into the future, even as I was experiencing "their moment" and our brief time together.

When re-reading my poetry (Senryu) later at home, I realized I carried a kind of sadness with me (paralleled by the Pacific Northwest weather), and that, in turn, resulted in a kind of flat, disconnected language and mood--almost totally without the sense of humor that generally characterizes Senryu. My friend, Doreen Starling, also read the series and pointed that out to me with her comment.

Flying, driving, car ferry...familiar...

Weather in the Pacific NW: The atmospheric condition was gentle, but decidedly somber almost the entire trip that began in Portland, OR, then to Olympia, WA, then Whidbey Island, WA--and back to Portland, then MD. The clouds, mist, and fog that might have soothed my emotions simply intensified them. As reality sank in...and "togetherness" questions and errors multiplied, I stiffened and became calloused at times (Saying inside: Let's get this over with!) even as my surface had to remain as calm as possible--for me. Only my traveling companion could put all of this together. I think I was impatient.

Margaret Scott read all the poems and selected nine to illustrate, creating a haunting theme of repetition that makes our collaborative piece even more meaningful to me...I believe you will see how she knows me, sees through my "cover," and reveals the core of things. As always, I am grateful to Margaret: Her art, her professionalism, her friendship. A few of my photos are included in this feature.

A Senryu Travel Series

Foreword
Airports, Landings & Home

What more can I say?

You get what is meant for you—

over and over again.

November 10

Leaving – what’s the point?

Octogenarian friends.

But I will die first.

Goodbye to myself

when I say goodbye to home.

I'll find it elsewhere.

BWI to SLC First Leg of the Journey

Salt Lake City now.

Jeans and boots prevail, I note.

I fit right in here.

How to choose your place?

When they look like you in “dress,”

you know you’ve found home.

Microphone blaring –

Announce Delta flights from here.

I long for silence.

__________________________________________

Intermediary Destination, Portland, November 10

Cab to Riverpoint –

My girl is waiting in boots.

I am “home” again.

River view again!

Willamette, and so peaceful.

It puts me to sleep.

Aramis older –

Many white spots on his back.

He sleeps on the bed.

A kind of quiet

I am trying to discern.

It makes me sleepy.

November 11 On to Olympia, WA

Cab to train station?

No, she is taking me.

We are together.

Train arrives in Olympia 2 hours late in a torrential downpour. Mary runs to meet me with an umbrella; drives to her home. She is 87.

I am settling in.

We eat at the Oyster House.

The gulls make me smile.

November 12 Mary's house, Olympia, WA

Awake, alone now,

Looking at each wall of art

her friends gave to her.

Every space is filled

with books, paper, amazing

how peaceful it is!

Pottery Shop. Mary's art.

She went back to bed

while I crazily scribble.

She liked my sonnet.

We drive to Ashford

on the way to Mt. Ranier,

her art in a shop.

November 13

On the road soon…

Did she like it, hmmm?

Not sure she is listening –

or remembering.

Driving to Whidbey,

about 4 hours away,

then right back again.

Having doubts again –

Both the drive and the driver.

I want to cancel.

Most joyful moment!

Feeding the crows, then watching –

Listen to them squawk!

Over the rail. View from the Mukilteo Ferry.

November 13

Destination Whidbey Island

How to describe it?

The ferry was easiest –

Then, the memories.

Cold, with rain and mist.

Nothing can relieve the pain

Of not being “me.”

Waiting ‘til Noon (Time we were to arrive at Trudy's)

Yes, prodded by fear,

left Olympia early

arrived here early.

Scenic Heights entrance.

House overlooking the Sound.

“Never go back there.”

House built late 60's. So much change.

But we had the time

And did end up back again.

I said, “Go in there.”

Adam’s A-Frame here;

our house dark blue with decking.

It made my heart sink.

Lunch with Other

Wherever I go –

Levels of sincerity,

I feel ‘show and tell.’

What do I expect?

You can’t give more than you are.

We are each “inside.”

A beautiful house

looking out on Puget Sound.

Connective tissue.

Monica cooked it –

Single cheese enchilada

glistening with fat!

Mary could not eat –

Her lower plate is missing:

They both liked to talk.

Friends in 80’s

How they connected

was not surprising to me.

But I won’t go back.

Long trip back to Olympia (November 13, continued)

Mary wanted more

in the way of “Trudy Time.”

I thought it was enough.

Dinner, Oyster House, Olympia

Another gin, then,

at a local restaurant.

Halibut was dry.

Eat it anyway –

With these small tastes of the past.

I need to go home.

I miss the web friends,

And even more, my two cats.

Train and plane, between.

On the couch, remembering Whidbey Island lunch

Major memory!

They compared Moms’ death ages:

Ninety; One-0-two.

Lucille was gone

At a mere 80 years old.

That will be my time.

How many ways, now,

do we spin “green jealousy”

again and again?

November 14

Missing Them

I can’t believe it!

I yearn for my Facebook Friends,

those outbursts and all.

Beloved cat friends:

Fur, expressions, and litter.

I love you so much.

Tell me how you feel

Before it’s too late for me.

I am ‘numbed out.’

Whatever

What you return to

again and again and again

should be who you are.

So, is it coffee?

Is it other who tells you

who and what you are?

Where are you going?

Do you leave a trail of self

or just cleanly go?

Crows!

For me, it’s her crows.

They talk in the trees for food.

I photograph them.

It all ends this way!

Glad to come and glad to go –

Seems a good balance.

But those crows fly on.

They hover like a good death,

calling for our food.

Dinner with her friends

Before, no feelings.

One, “Geo-thermal Kathy.”

“Amazing Carla!”

Did not disappoint!

They were both incredible.

Dancer and lawyer.

A long room – wood floors –

We ate healthy food, drank wine,

talking until 8:00.

November 15, Back to Portland by train

Over and over,

She says the same thing to me:

“I have to get gas.”

Yet her memory

of events when she was eight

is clear as sunlight.

Packing & Train Station.

Finally, I feel

a semblance of myself here:

It’s time to go home.

She can’t eat my food,

so I’ll take it back with me –

apples, almonds, all.

Terrible thought now,

that you become where you are:

A paper mountain.

When we die, then who

makes sense of it all again?

“My storage” looming.

We are here early

and again, goaded by fear.

Then, we wave goodbye.

Train back to Portland, OR

Rain, blurry lights. Somewhere...freeway.

Moods are up and down

when it’s time to leave—somewhere

into your unknown.

Then, what do we know

between this and the next one?

Probably, nothing.

The schedule, yes,

and a tight plan, yes, we know.

Those variables!

Midnight, wake up

How many mistakes

Do we get before we learn

to see the real things?

Love—floating out there—

Let me hang on to you now,

then gently…let go.

November 16 Another airport, more rain...all looks the same...

Fidgety again –

Can’t read; can’t think; can’t feel.

I’m numbed up for flight.

The rain stopped briefly,

seemingly, to let us fly.

Those gulls are watching.

Airport Rhythms...Portland, OR

Hear “Chattanooga!”

I wish I were going there.

Choo choo choo choo choo!

But no – Baltimore,

Atlanta; “Balto.”

The cats await me.

Where do I go next?

Thanksgiving time upon us,

then Rehoboth Beach.

Airport Mantra End of Travel

Over and over,

hear “Final Destination.”

I know what that means.

Epilogue

Mary wrote to me.
Said she would frame my sonnet.
Enjoyed my stay there.

Went to Rehoboth!

Solo trip without my cats!

Came home with the flu.

Blog content: Kay Weeks

Drawings: Margaret Scott

Posted on December 2, 2011

Gratitude...Thanking you and You...

2011-11-21T14:57:00.012-05:00

Filtered light and real light above my table. Will you join me?

Each year about Thanksgiving time, I pause for more than a moment to express my feelings about treasured friends--both close and far away--and, of course, families, past and present. Julian and Lucille Davidson, my parents, and Scott Davidson, my brother--nephews and nieces in various places with their own wonderful children.

One year it was a series of cups collected over time that reminded me of friendships. Now, the theme is sharper, with more feeling and less tangible reminders of it, as I buy my cups from Atwater's Coffee Shop in Catonsville, MD. Perhaps the trend over time is to simplify and thus focus on the real, the genuine...spirit...stripping away things that are extraneous to joy and
self.

Ariella, throwing leaves and skipping in the Fall air.

Of course, I am indebted to my cats, Camilla and Jacuzzi. They keep me grounded. Ariella, who brings me joy with her smile and confident pace, and her father, David Weeks, whose constant devotion has shaped this adorable little girl. Wonderfully bright and beautiful daughter, Alison, in Portland, Oregon, whose focused energy continues to shape my life. David Curtis, her partner, for his intelligent, patient ways (he is a sculptor) gets a big smile...and another one goes to his Aunt "Helen," Elaine Bane.

Nancy and Charlie Suter, whose community dinners here in Ellicott City are now legend...weekly and with peace, great conversation, and always, love.

Kite flying at Chacala Beach, Mexico

The Dancers! Danielle, Monica, Norie, Wendy--all the bright and beautiful women who go back to Mar de Jade, Mexico, when it seems so bleak around here and, in that almost sacred spot, experience together, the full force of flowers, sea and sky--and those wonderful birds. To you, Doreen Starling, of course...dancer, artist, friend, now in Roanoke, Virginia. Peggy Handler in San Francisco. Kaycheri in Portland, Oregon!

Sharon Crain, my wonderful many-facteted friend who lives in Catonsville--we "talk" online and in person as well as dance.

Lauren...far away in Annapolis, but gratitude sent your way with a big hug. Stacey...thanks...You bring rockin' spirit into every class.

Costa del Sol, Marbella, Spain. By Margaret Scott.

I feel continuous gratitude to artist and friend, Margaret Scott, whose work is so compelling that it is the main reason I tune in to Facebook in the morning. What's Margaret going to post? To Roxie Munro, who shines every day! Her many Inside-Outside books and current offerings...

Kay and Yunji at Library, 2010

Denee Barr, whose singing is always electric or soothing, or both. To Liz Henzey and Trudy Babchak at the Columbia Art Center--high five! To Emma Ostendorp and Yunji Zhu (I tutor her) from Project Literacy in Columbia, and ARC's Rhonda Braswell and the folks in our art workshops. We have such a great time. Rachel Coleman, fellow tutor--elsewhere!

RETROPOLITAN bathing suit display, Summer, 2011.

Sweet downtown with its stone and historic buildings in an intimate scale. I go in and out of shops. Thanking now Cindi Ryland, Rebecca Weber, Kate St. John, Evan Brown & Alan Biars, Lee, Kimberly K, Leslie Lewart (for THE WELL and earlier shops), Tammy Beidemann, Jane Phillips, Sheila Morrison, on and on...all featured at one time in a blog, but more important are the powerful forces that keep our fragile historic district a vital place to visit.

One view of the carriage house living room.

Kathleen, Jessica and Paul for making this wonderful carriage house available and enchanting for me, with its sunrise and sunset views. Neighbors and dear friends, Maureen and Neil...April and Dave (Cooper and Nate), now across town, and Sally and Rich in Cambridge, but formerly pioneer settlers and major players in the designation and preservation of of Historic Ellicott City. Big cheer! Kathy and Rich Taylor, of course! Note: Maureen, Kathy and I used to bike long distance together and I can still feel the hills!

Sheila Wilhelm at 1st Mariner Bank; Brandt Rider at The Columbia Bank; Mark at Safeway; Naomi at Wash, Dry & Fold...first-name basis, with hugs. Kate St. John taking care of "my kitties" over and over again, and, of course, Dan Kwolek! Robin Abello and his family!

Ellicott City! Yes, I leave, but always come back to "my" Patapsco River, relishing all seasons (Summer less so), even the turkey buzzards wintering here and creating circles in the sky, and especially the sweet deer families on upper Church Road and in this yard. Trees, sunrise, sunset, all a constant joy.

Travelers: Cheers to Keisha, Mary Jo, and Pat from the most recent AHI trip to Spain and Morocco!

Before I get dizzy on gratitude, let's go Online: Gratitude flows outward from my center to Caroline Gill, Wendy Webb and fellow poets in Facebook and in my life! We have a good time and speak in "form" doing it. Anne Hilary Sanderson, and David Norris-Kay. And, of course, Wendy Mary Lister!

Pink ball rising - sunrise in St. Petersburg, FL, May 2011.

Are you out of breath? Not bored, I hope. I will try to wind up with a big affirmative nod to faraway friends, Mary Berglund, Jean Dreesen, Harold Midtvedt, Kaye Keeble, Lora Robertson, Dodie Browning, Bob Fitzpatrick, Harve Newlin, Dwight Lawton, Kaye Boren, Ruth Rossin, Mary Randlett and her son Peter, Trudy Sundberg...See, it goes on and on, as it should. Love never stops, or shouldn't...as it is the energy that fuels our days.

My dear poetry teacher, Melody Gough...my thoughts are with you and Paula Pug. But I must stop somewhere. The gratitude will not, however. And no doubt, I will be right back in here adding names and adding gratitude!

Green horizontality with geese. 2011.

Down to earth and on the water: The geese at Lake Centennial...love your honks. Don't leave me...if if you fly away, please come back!

Kay Weeks
11.21.11 and revised 11.22.11

Sweet Elizabeth Jane: What's in a name?

2011-10-26T07:49:00.022-04:00

Storefront window with reflection.

"For me, family is everything. I thought and thought about the perfect name. I had list upon list and then suddenly I thought about my Grandmothers and I put it together and that was it. I never looked back. I needed the store to connect to them..." (Tammy Beideman, Creator)

"Elizabeth"

"Jane."

More than an aside: Beideman had been a school teacher for 10 years, working with kids and families. When her oldest daughter was born, she stopped teaching to stay home with her. It was then that she started to paint furniture that she "found" and decorating her house with it...the beginning of an interest that resulted in two stores..."

I had wondered, even before going in to this fascinating shop in Ellicott City's Historic District (Main Street) about the origin of the shop's name: Sweet Elizabeth Jane. So I wrote to her asking the question...Tammy's thoughtful, understandably emotional, answers to me comprise the majority of this feature article. I have added photos of the exterior and interior. But, it's Tammy's story in her own words...

NOW, The Interview...

KW: Tammy, please tell me a bit about the transition from CAPLAN's Department Store to your shop. The overlay of occupancies in a historic district is always of interest.   

Caplans's Sign 
  
Tammy: John  and Shelly Harris moved out on January 31, 2011 -- and I became the tenant as of  February 1st. I was approached by a realtor about leasing the Caplan  Building when I decided to leave my former partnership - Vintage  Girls. I had no idea that the building was available when I made the  decision to open my own store. 

 "Sweet Elizabeth Jane"  storefront.

If I hadn’t rented  the Caplan Building, it surely would have gone to someone else. They had definite ideas  about how they wanted the space used and were looking for a specific type of  tenant. Today, I feel very grateful to be settled in to this lovely space in a historic district that so many people visit and enjoy. 

"Sweet Elizabeth Jane" storefront.

  KW: Now, please tell me about how your Grandmothers fit in to the store name and its "retro" contents. Is that all part of it? First, tell me about the Jane-half of your shop's name.


So much to look at!
  Tammy: To be honest, I had never really connected the store to the 50s and to the lives of my Grandmothers, but named it after them because they were amazing women whom I loved very much and because my store is about women... 
  
  Each of them was the matriarch of her family. Jane was my maternal grandmother. She was a beautiful Greek woman who endured a lot of tough things in her life. She had 5 children who were her whole world. My Grandfather was also Greek and came to America from Greece on a boat when he was a boy. Jane was full of love and very generous. When her name is mentioned to anyone who knew her, it becomes obvious she was an exceptional woman. She died when I was 10, but I was very close to her. I was the first grandchild on my mom’s side and my mom was only 19 when I was born. 

Customer looking at jewelry.
  About Jane, continued...I spent a lot of time with her and I have the best memories of sleepovers, big Greek dinners and loud laughter. She loved to be surrounded by her family, but many would say I was like her because we weren’t the ones in the front, but in the background. In our family, everyone kisses hugs and yells--a boisterous bunch, but she and I were more reserved than the rest. I feel so lucky to have grown up this way. We lost her at 53 to cancer. At the end of her life, everyone wanted to be with her. She was an amazing woman. I am so proud she is a part of me.

    KW: Now, please tell me about YOUR Grandmother. 

  Tammy: It’s hard for me to begin with “Elizabeth”--my Granny--she went by the name Virginia and she spent her entire life in College Park. She was truly one-of-a-kind. She had a shirt with the old iron on letters that said “I LOVE EVERYBODY!” and she did and everybody loved her. Yes, I was a Galvin until I married. Irish Catholics. She had 5 strong willed children. Their boisterous gatherings made the Greeks look shy. 

Every area is beautifully designed and displayed.
  
  My memories are of lots of family gatherings filled with many cousins and my grandmother as the life of the party. She lived her life to the fullest. She was funny, generous, out-spoken, politically incorrect,  fiercely independent, extremely patriotic and 100% honest whether the situation called for it or not. I adored her. Everyone did. 

One view, when entering the store.

  Elizabeth believed in decorating everything. One of those people you see driving down the highway with artificial flowers taped to the antenna and jingle bells on the bumper. My parents divorced when I was 3 and my dad lived with her after that so I spent a lot of weekends with her. I feel so lucky to have had her for so long. My children were also very close to her. Because we still live close and many have moved away, we spent a lot of time with her. She was always a pleasure to be with-even when she was dying. 

  She had 91 healthy years and then got cancer and died at 92. Watching her go through that was very painful for all of us. A couple weeks before she died I was able to tell her that I was opening my own store and naming it after her and Jane. She immediately went into how hard Jane’s life was and how wonderful she was.  I really wanted her to make it to the opening, but on December 4, she passed away and I got the news in the middle of Midnight Madness and it seemed appropriate to me that she would go during this big night.

For me, family is everything. I thought and thought about the perfect name. I had list upon list and then suddenly I thought about my grandmothers and I put it together and that was it. I never looked back. I needed the store to connect to them. They were each such an integral part of who I am and I wanted them to be a part of the store. 

Curtains with flounces in bright colors.
Tammy continues: Both of them were strong women who pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable for women in that time. Each dealt with a lot of hardship, one coming from a foreign country when being foreign was not popular, the other facing multiple challenges in her personal life, but that isn’t what stands out to me. While very different, each was a great role model and strong woman choosing to look at the positive side of life instead of dwelling on the hard things.

Products for the kitchen.
  KW: The refrigerator has a little DECO styling, I think. Can you tell me something about it? The date, perhaps?
   
  Tammy: I am not sure about the date of the refrigerator. It came from my grandmother’s house. 

The aprons are a major feature!
  
  Tammy: Aprons have always been a big seller for me. I love all things vintage and retro. I love aprons especially and now it seems I have “apronologists” who work at the shop. 

  Caitlin Mullett made up this title. She loves aprons also and has a huge collection. She was definitely a rare “find” and the perfect match for managing the store with me. 
   
Be sure to visit this charming store!

  End of interview. This graphic provides an address and was part of the opening of Sweet Elizabeth Jane on Friday, April 1, 2011.

Lisa, Tam, and Cait
  Cut to Present: Says Tammy Beideman - Tam 

  "I find that the variety of people come in looking for different things.  We sell  a lot of home décor items, furniture (vintage and new),  gifts, jewelry, hats  and scarves.  It really depends on the customer.  I try to create a positive  experience and environment in the shop so people will feel like there is a lot  to see and walk away feeling like it was time well spent even if they didn’t buy  that day.  We have a lot of regular customers and many tourists as well.  Most  seem to have received the shop well and are happy we are here. 

  
  As with anything  new, there is a lot for me to learn, change and grow.  I have a great group of  girls (who have named themselves “apronologists” because they love aprons as  much as I do!)  who work at the store and I couldn’t do this without them.  I enjoy  collaborating together and having people to share in the excitement of the new  finds that come in."    

8125 Main Street, Ellicott City, 21043
410-465-6400
Store hours: 11-5 mon-wed; thurs-sat 11-9; and sun 12-6.
Blog feature content: Kay Weeks and Tammy Beideman
Photos: Kay Weeks  10/26/11 

Be sure to visit www.ellicottcity.net for much more information about
 Ellicott City Historic District and beyond.

hocoblogs@@@

Time Zones: Andalucia, Spain, & Morocco

2011-10-18T14:10:00.007-04:00

Last Day: Sunrise at Costa del Sol, Marbella, SPAIN.

Travel journal
This feature is a significant geographical departure from my home here in Ellicott City's Historic District. When AHI Tour & Travel offered a week-long tour to Southern Spain (Andalulcia) with a short side trip to Africa (Morocco), I signed up for it. That was in April, 2011. In September, I set out alone from BWI Airport to meet the group at Málaga Airport in Spain. Many times, the best travel plans go awry through no fault of the traveler. I concluded when things go wrong is exactly the time I learn, survive, grow, change, get tough (maybe)...not when things work out, especially when someone else does it for me. SO, this is a day-by-day journal of the tour week--obviously interpretive--written in a traditional Japanese form, Senryu. (5/7/5). Reading the entries as a whole following the trip, I noticed the recurring themes of angels, prayer, death, and gratitude. That was a surprise, at least to me. Although the surface of travel was often frenetic and a bit stressful, it was always humorous--and joyful.

This documentary features the amazing art work of MARGARET SCOTT. Although she was not with us on the trip, many of these episodes resonated with her, as they did with me when I wrote about them. Please join us now as we re-board the first plane and set out on a wonderful adventure, or, in some cases, a misadventure!

Where are we going? Ellicott City, Baltimore, Halifax, Frankfurt, Brussels, Málaga, Marbella, Málaga, Morocco, Mijas, Granada, Ronda, Málaga, Newark, Baltimore, Ellicott City. What time is it in Spain now? I don't think I care.

Angels...Protect me on this journey.

Departure from BWI Airport 9.26.11

I’m bored already!

Visit duty-free two times—

Fossil watch, Angel.

Angels I don’t see:

Protect me on this journey.

Can you make me see?

Toronto, Canada, Airport

No customs, walked through

to a salad bar, drank wine—

Sleeping to Frankfurt.

Diverted to Halifax...

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Airport 9.27

Passenger gets sick;

Diverted to Halifax;

Missed my connection.

Going to Brussels,

then flying to Málaga.

The group has gone on.

Málaga

Arrive Málaga,

but luggage is in Frankfurt.

What more can happen?

But luggage is in Frankfurt...

Should not have asked that!

Deficit of Euros now

And I need a cab.

Credit card saves me.

Taxi ride to Marbella!

Fuerte Miramar!

Marbella, Costa del Sol, Fuerte Miramar Hotel –

To My Room, Meet Guide, Emiliano Rio Evening, 9.27

Emiliano –

Our soccer-playing leader,

There to answer ALL!

Hotel Reception,

Many alums, mostly old.

We grow young with wine.

Sea View/Sound from the 7^th Floor, Hotel Fuerte Miramar 9.28

Same View by Margaret Scott.

I spent as much time as possible, given our jam-packed itinerary, looking out at the view and listening!

Costa del Sol sound –

Waves rolling into the shore:

Such gentle music.

No Luggage or Money

Recalling Wendy,

“You have everything you need.”

Ocean, flowers, friends.

Go get some money,

US coins in Fossil Box

Will get me enough. (They didn't. Still no Euros)

Balcony of the Virgin

Breakfast Buffet,

Hotel Fuerte Miramar

One of the dishes,

Potato and onion pie –

Spanish tradition.

Marbella - Old Town

Chapel to Restaurant

Flowers; stone streets. What?

“Balcony of the Virgin,”

Now a pizza place?

Above: Mopping; Below: Walking

Tile and Stone Mopping

Spotless entryways

to small shops with trendy clothes!

Women mop and mop.

Dog Walkers

In the city streets,

Spanish women walk their dogs -

Much artful design.

Walk to Glitzy Puerto Banús Marina, Marbella New Town

Built in May 1970 by José Banús, a local property developer, as a luxury marina and shopping complex for the rich and famous.

Huge yachts in a row,

not what I came to see!

Eating an apple.

Euro NO! Third Try...

Cash, another try.

Machine rejects me again.

Listen to the waves.

How to solve this now?

I e-mail my bank, asking,

Did THEY block my card?

Not my Style!

“Wary of fraud Yes,

THEY tried to protect you there.”

Angels! Not my style! (Bank card unblocked; get the Euros.)

Missing Cats & Friends

The days come at me

like a series of rolling waves.

No time to miss you.

Alone in my room,

thinking about that smile:

Your face in a wave.

Hotel Soap Green/White

About one-inch square

Oh, that transporting fragrance!

The glycerin soap.

Breakfast 9.29

Sunny-side up eggs,

Bacon--and potato pie!

See me smiling now?

Sitting at a “deuce”

Hoping no one will join me—

Time to think and write.

Going to Málaga, Old Town - Picasso Museum

Picasso Museum

I can’t recall now –

Someone was to pray for me.

Now, I feel grateful.

Lost my dark glasses

so have to borrow a pair –

I will buy my own!

Expensive, but cool!

Just maybe I won’t lose them.

Satin drawstring “case.”

Evening Talk by Retired Bullfighter

Topic: EL TORO!

Killing him explicitly.

Laughter in the room.

Far too many words

and all with macho gestures!

See plastic swords - leave.

Wine, Stress and Resolution

Did not sleep at all –

Woke up with swollen eyes, too!

Now, all seems better.

Afternoon Thrill!

Luggage came today!

Clothes choices so much harder –

Better without them?

Anticipating Morocco on 9.30

Trip to Morocco

With a long bus and boat ride –

Em says, “the real thing.”

Ferry Crossing to Morocco, AFRICA 9.30.11

We see Gibraltar

shrouded in mist and dark clouds.

Suddenly, the sun!

Morocco Tetouan Medina

Maze of winding streets,

Everywhere with food vendors –

Women with hats or scarves.

My camera is out!

Their beautiful fruit

Beside that dark poverty –

Sorrowful contrast.

My camera is out!

After taking many shots,

I feel deeply sad.

Pray five times a day,

Hearing that call to prayer now –

I want to go in.

What Was Joyful in Morocco?

These two men, I think:

Water man; fire dancer.

My jaw dropped open.

Water Man in Street


Fire Dancer in Restaurant.

Cats

The Medina cats

Are plentiful, accepted:

They sleep in doorways.

Hard Sell!

Moroccan Rug Seller

A strange end, indeed!

We sat on wooden benches –

Heard that shrill “hard sell.”

Marbella Again: Hotel Solitude Free Day! 10.1.11

Up and to myself.

Coffee, writing, nothing else.

“Old Town” attracts me.

Picasso post cards –

I will write a few, then stop.

Alone, seek, go home.

Lecture/Books by David Searle from Mijas

His book on Mijas

makes me want to go there now!

See art galleries.

Solo Taxi Ride to Mijas

...Doubt your driver?

Why would you go there,

Then start to doubt your driver?

It makes no sense.

No galleries, but

Some colorful pottery

wrapped in bright paper.

Wine, wind – and that view!

Suddenly, it’s time to leave.

Just enough for now.

From Mijas, Fast Taxi Ride Back to Costa del Sol, Marbella

When it’s time to die,

The universe will tell me –

Not today, it seems.

The universe will tell me -

Evening, Marbella Ocean Front

Bar with “Glendale Girl,”

then Tapas and wine galore!

Marbella DT’s?

GRANADA 10.2

No time for e-mail –

“But this is a vacation,”

as Barbara says.

Bus

Sitting together –

Whose need is that, I wonder?

Is it yours, or mine?

Granada calls us!

ALHAMBRA paradise soon,

I can hardly wait!

Jasmine!

Gardens and Alhambra

Our guide said, “Jasmine,”

How we remember those scents

from our childhood on.

I look out, then in

to find some meaning of place –

Elusive water.

Intricate designs.

Overpowering.

Gardens, Muslims, Christians – wars!

Intricate designs.

More than I came for,

but how to receive it now?

Do you hear that voice?

Lunch in Granada

How could we ignore the pork,

melon soup, fig mousse?

It was wonderful!

Ronda Mountain/Valley October 3

History/Vistas:

Safety of setting:

High up, with those sheer rock cliffs.

For us, it rings true.

Walking Tour with Ignacio

Followed the guide,

But then three of us turned left,

went out on our own.

Getting Lost & Found

Bridge into Old Town.

I’m not sure how we missed it –

We trusted Keisha!

Plaza de Toros de Ronda

Historic bull ring –

peaceful now with no fighting.

The air is cool, sweet.

Incredible day

Framed by shopping and red wine

How shallow am I?

You get out of it

just what you put into it –

breath by breath by breath.

Leaving Hotel Fuerte, Miramar, Marbella, Costa del Sol

Málaga Airport 10.4

Going home today,

Málaga, Frankfurt, Newark –

How unpoetic.

'Bye Facebook Friends!

Checking Out of Fuerte Miramar Hotel

Where to leave a tip?

I connect Euros with a name.

Thank you, “Ana. P.”

Getting Off the Hotel Computer

Facebook mostly. ‘Bye!

Faces I know by heart now.

They never left me.

Our bus to Málaga Airport leaves at 10:30 a.m.

Hurrying, I get off on the wrong floor!

Does each of us hold

the seeds of our destruction?

I just watered mine.

Yes! Made the Connection to Newark!

Catch plane in Frankfurt

by running, and loaded down –

leg muscles still hurt.

How I miss my cat.

Flying, an unknown:

Space and time combined with fear.

How I miss my cat.

Can’t think in the air!

This trip included so much!

Time will sort it out.

Ellicott City, Jet Lag, Clean House October 5

Crazy intense self,

“zombified”, but must work, clean.

See? I broke a glass.

What brings us back to earth

when we swirl out of our heads?

Sweeping broken glass.

Home with Cats October 6

The cats are good art –

Spain and Africa a week,

wonder who I am.

Asleep, yet furtive.

Will she go somewhere today?

Gray intelligence.

Reaction

Oh! What have we here?

An intestinal surprise

of some magnitude.

Explosion of sorts!

Would have preferred some romance;

Glad to be alive!

Paying Bills.

Paying bills, still sick -

It will end soon I believe,

but my journal’s done.

Not Quite Done October 17, 18.

My stomach gave in

to all those Time Zones traveled.

It is in ONE now.

Ellicott City Historic District, Maryland.

Kay Weeks & Margaret Scott: A Collaboration

October 18, 2011

Never can say goodbye...

2011-09-21T09:47:00.017-04:00

Never can say goodbye
No no no no, i
Never can say goodbye

...but then I do. Traveling is a passion for me, so this short feature is a sort of repeat performance. Ironically, summer would have been a better time to leave (with the temperatures up to 105 degrees). Or during the rains and flooding!

In a few days, I will join a tour and see parts of southern Spain, Andalucia--and Morocco.

But back to Historic Ellicott City and a few spots outside the historic district that I frequent and thus feel sad about leaving. I took most of these photos out the car window, so won't bother to glamorize them by straightening or filtering, e.g. enhancing. Always, I miss the lake, clouds, trees, changing light, but that will be another feature. Looking up, looking across, looking down...always always looking. OK...

First, on my sentimental tour this morning, gray and foggy, a stop at our Long Gate Safeway to buy some colorful mums and leave them on a friend's porch along with a small pumpkin. It's a bit early for pumpkins, witches, and the like, but all the catalogs are featuring them; advertising jumps us at least a month ahead.

PUMPKINS! Not one of these big ones...the small pumpkin for my friend is enough for now--I already have mine, a mid-size fellow. He will stay whole and outside unless I carve him up for Halloween night. Most likely a smile!

The old and new fire station. When the new one was built, it didn't seem right. Now it does...Routinely, in my view, residents complain about change, then digest and integrate it into their lives, saying, "Not so bad after all." An intruder 'Subway' on our vulnerable Main Street made me shrug this morning when passing it. Kind of bright inside, but it will survive, unlike many trial.and.error offerings here. And survival brings dollars.

This is a "new" fire station, not in the historic district.


Old Ellicott City Fire Station...now a museum.

What I think of as town center with this great mural.


Cornering..one shot of historic Tongue Row--also on blog masthead.

Mon Amie gift shop...great little place to visit!

Above--this yellow historic church on Church Road is always pleasant to pass driving up toward home...it is now used as a residence, graciously rehabilitated.

Left: Another another view of the historic firehouse at the junction of Church Road and Main Street in the historic district. It is interpreted on the weekends, and contains old fire equipment and other displays.


Across the Patapsco River Bridge into Oella. This huge historic mill building has been rehabilitated into rental residential housing, Oella Mills. Earlier, it was used as artists' studios.


A great place to eat and talk, The Trolley Stop...

Main Street, near the Church Road turn-off.

Main Street, Ellicott City Historic District, early Sunday morning.

Close to home now...leaving...then coming back.

Blog content and photos: Kay Weeks

9.21.11 (my brother's birthday)

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さようなら IRENE: Sayōnara

2011-09-10T08:50:00.021-04:00

Gray for days: Peeking out from safety during IRENE.

A close friend recently gave me a blank poetry/journal book with a cat-ear cover that was inspirational. But not so “spiritual” and unapproachable that I couldn’t spill coffee on it, which I did. Then, during Hurricane IRENE—and the associated power outage that lasted nearly four days--I wrote a series of Senryū. Moods fluctuated, as the survival instinct kicked in. (This meant living out of a cooler with no power--hardly a real crisis, but...) More important to the translation of hand-written poems in the notebook is the artisty of Margaret Scott, featured here.

Senryū. A Senryū is a three line Japanese poem structurally similar to haiku, that is, 5/7/5. It is is not rhymed, and is generally satirical or ironic.

· line 1 is 5 syllables · line 2 is 7 syllables · line 3 is 5 syllables

Here's one from the creator of the form, Senryū Karai, 1718-1790, whose collection launched the genre into the public consciousness. This poetic form focuses on human foibles, while haiku are usually about nature. Finally, Senryū are often ironic, cynical or even darkly humorous: “Catching him /You see the robber/is your own son.” When translated into English, however, you can see that the 5.7.5 format rule has changed.

August 26^th…Irene arrives. Power on, but rain, high winds.

Cats

My cat just spit up.

Oh, how I love her gray fur!
So I clean it up.

August 27…Hurricane Irene’s high winds, rain continue.

They were both with me:

Jacuzzi at my feet,
Camilla, my head.

British Short Hair, one.

The other called a “Torti.”
Part of my life now.

August 27…11:30 p.m. Scary wind-driven rain.
Lose electricity (power), but I didn't know until morning.

Sleeping cats. By Margaret Scott.
All drawings: Margaret Scott.

Irene rages on

but my two cats are sleeping.
How I want their ease!

Dream? What?

Did you just kiss me?

I thought I felt something:
Wet, warm and quick.

August 28…Morning…No power!

Talking to myself, cats, birds.

Buy ice, try to save food.
Wet towels scattered around.

Birds

Cardinal out there

waiting to eat the new seed.
Red, his mate light brown.

Comparing Hands

How many brown spots

Do you see on your hands now?

I have twenty-one.

Stress

Can we stop aging?

Maybe without stress and rage?
I throw my cell phone.

Past-tense intense now.

How did I achieve that state?
Put myself to sleep.

August 29…morning

Refrigerator off, discarding more food;
hoping for return of power;

eating out of cooler, stress level rising,
but DINNER OUT!


Margaret's writing...

Dumb Fly

Fly, I tried with you—

to let you out my screen door.
You made me swat you.

Meat thrown in trash can!

I also threw my keys in—
Stupid! New Vegan!

Out with that mayo!

I tried to hang on to it,
calories and all.

Men

“Testosteroni” –

New kind of pasta salad.
Bluff and bravado.

Limited Arsenal

Is that what you do
when I just say NO to you?
Toss me a word bomb?

Cats Again

Little pointed ears

with the sweet soft voice I love—
My joy, Camilla.

Don't ask...why me?

Romance of candles...But Envy Rising

No Power—no change.

Only a few houses now
with candles at night.

Generator

Nice offer, but “No”—

Hooked to a generator
like hospital tubes!

August 30…morning

Irene has moved on…

Still no power, but hope rising

Variety of Moods

Restaurant last night,

sharing a lamb shank and wine.
Too many words though.

Peaceful with cats now—

pointed ears in silhouette.
What are they sensing?

Want/Need

Well, isn’t it true?

We want what we don’t have, yes?
Hot shower right now!

Still No Power

I want power back.

This is starting to bore me—
But oh, the sunrise!

Stink Bugs

I’m killing stink bugs

on a case-by-case basis.
Careful where you land!

Boundaries

Play it by the rules!

I told you what I thought once.
Don’t ask me again.

Twice for emphasis, see below:

Emptying All

Clear out the old stuff

to make way for nothingness.
I need to have peace!

August 30...3 p.m.

Surprise: Power back! Two days early. Gratitude.

Sigh. Back to norm

Numb, with lots of shrugs,

and boring food in my house.
Cooler, melted ice.

August 31…

Breakfast Alone at Forest Diner


Decaf

Seeing Betty Boop

with that white skirt sailing up.
her eyes looking left.

I choose Decaf now--

shoring up my boundaries
one cup at a time.

Breakfast at Forest Diner,

continued...

Too noisy in here!

Feeling Irene in our lives!
But you cut a swath.

I am out of sorts.

That conversation we had.
Did we say too much?

In “Carl’s Dining Car,”

Nathan’s hot dog sign in green,
the mustard, yellow.

September 1…Cleaned, Shopped, Almost no Poetry.

Day so soft and sad--

old conversations haunt me.
Focus on your cats!

Hair Cut and Other Fix-ups

Look in the mirror?
A new version of myself—
I liked the old one better.

Wednesday

Monday, speak my mind.

Tuesday, launch damage control.
Thursday, I don’t care.

Cats Again –Always

Constant source of joy--

And there is no disputing:

You spray your markers!

____________________________________________

Week of September 5, 2011, Tropical Storm Katia hit the area hard, much harder than Irene, with prolonged torrential downpours that quickly caused major flooding of our vulnerable Ellicott City Historic District, closing Main Street to traffic and soaking old masonry and wood structures. The Patsapsco River, boundary between Howard County and Baltimore County, overflowed its banks—up and over the top of the bridge.

Now, waters have retreated. Today, September 10^th, we may not have rain at all. Last night, the humidity dropped, and the sky opened up to those wonderful little “street” clouds that march along in a horizontal row—they made me smile. I’m fairly sure others looked up and smiled too.

Tropical Storm Katia could be another blog, but I think not; know not…moving forward now, with renewed “power.”

Power on. Please stay on now.

END

Blog content: Kay Weeks

Art: Margaret Scott

with gratitude to my friend, artist Margaret Scott and special thanks
to neighbor and friend, Neil Bobroff, for helping me recall the chronology
of Irene and the power outage.

Margaret Scott lives and works in Washington, DC.

Her art may be seen in http://www.newsart.com

She is also on Facebook. If you are a friend, you can

savor her work every day. Lucky you. And lucky me.

For comprehensive information on Ellicott City Historic District
and beyond, be sure to vist http://www.ellicottcity.net

9.10.11
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RETRO bathing suits at RETROPOLITAN

2011-07-24T12:30:00.615-04:00

Proprietor Cindi Ryland's wonderful window displays always change with the seasons--and then some! Right now, in the hottest summer we have known in Ellicott City, Maryland, for many years, she is featuring one and two piece women's bathing suits from the 1950s...and she has a wool suit from the 20s as well. This unique store is a "must-see," for tourists and locals alike.

Where: Located at 8227 Main Street, you can easily find it just two doors north of Old Columbia Pike next to what was once the town movie theater (Now Precious Gifts) and across the street from the Historic Fire House Museum. ~~~~

Three Floors of Joy: But this dynamic store with three floors of wonderful items is far from a museum, although when I go in, I think perhaps I am in a gallery of some kind as I view products and objects from the past, but in an updated, funky way. Yet Cindi's shop is also very elegant and each display (I love the hats in particular) is crafted with an artist's eye. She is a recently retired French teacher, which may contribute to her expansive point of view.

Shall we go inside now?

And, of course, everything in RETROPOLITAN is for sale. It's always fun taking pictures both outside and inside the shop. This view shows a little of the historic context, with Ellicott City's pervasive telephone poles and wires that I, for one, have come to love.
The same designer's mannequin is shown here with the two-piece 1950s suit in a stretchy nylon material.

Going up or down Main Street in Ellicott City Historic District, this is the sign you want to look for!

Now, what I plan to do here is combine some bathing suit history with photos and descriptions of the "real thing" from the current inventory at RETROPOLITAN. Note: The information on bathing suit fashion and history was excerpted from Wikipedia and Fashion-Era.com--with minor editing to simplify and clarify, where deemed necessary.

______________________________________

1920 fashion photo, courtesy Wikipedia

History of Bathing Suits in the USA

In the United States, beauty contests of women in bathing costumes became popular from the 1880s. However, such contests were not regarded as respectable. They became more respectable with the first modern Miss America contest held in 1921...Norman Rockwell judged the Miss America 1922 Bathing Beauty Contest along with Howard Chandler Christy and James Montgomery Flagg...

...In 1907, Australian swimmer Annette Kellerman visited the United States as an "underwater ballerina," a version of synchronized swimming...She was arrested for indecent exposure because her swimsuit showed arms, legs and the neck. After that, Kellerman modified the suit to have long arms and legs and a collar, still keeping the close fit that revealed the shapes underneath...She later marketed a line of bathing suits and her style of one-piece suits came to be known as "the Annette Kellerman."   (Wikipedia is thanked)

Swimsuit Fashion History 1920
  By Pauline Weston Thomas for Fashion-Era.com, including illustrations

Fashion history was shocked into the 20th century with some of the newer figure hugging swimsuits that revealed the body limbs more clearly than ever before. Liberated from long skirts, young women of the twenties wore wool jersey sleeveless tank suits.

Bathing beauties in the 1920s (above, left)
and (right) in 1928.

The swimming suit was ideal for the androgynous athletic figure that fashion suited styles of the 20s. It looked very similar to male swimming costumes of an earlier era. The swimsuit legs stopped at an unflattering point mid thigh and beneath the swimsuit legs were built-in modesty shorts.  Men wore wool, one-piece suits as well. Note: The man on the left in this drawing, above, who is depicted in plaid shorts and a white tank top would seem to be out of place in the 1920s fashion scene, says Cindi Ryland, creator/owner of RETROPOLITAN. She added, "Looks more like the 30s!"

The photo, above, taken at RETROPOLITAN when I interviewed Cindi Ryland, shows a typical 1920 bathing attire look--a women's wool tank style in black, a one-piece suit, worn by men and women. Detail, left: Same suit (photo: Cyndi Ryland.)

A little more general history from Wikipedia: After the 1920s, bathing wear started to shrink, first uncovering the arms and then the legs up to mid-thigh. Collars receded from around the neck down to around the top of the bosom. The development of new fabrics allowed for new varieties of more comfortable and practical swim wear.

1939 fashion suits

1930's Women's Bathing Suits

Pauline Weston Thomas, Fashion-Era.com

Feminine cotton printed bathing suits often with little over skirts to hide the thighs gradually replaced the ugly 20's fashion. The 20's suit, which sometimes sported cutout sections in the midriff panel, disappeared as it evolved into a two piece garment. By this era most of us would recognise the late 1930's swimsuit as one that bears some relationship to swimwear of today.

In the 1940s, corset manufacturers saw a gap in the market. Corsetry was losing ground, but the new more revealing swim suits really needed experts to design garments that hid those small imperfections in a woman's shape. They achieved this by adding stretch tummy control panels to hold in the stomach. Manufacturers also used bra cups and boning to give bust support. Costumes could then be worn either strapless or with small straps that buttoned onto the inside.

1940s suit with modesty panel.

Back to Ellicott City's Main Street! This 1940's bathing suit, shown above, is available for purchase at RETROPOLITAN. (Photo: Cyndi Ryland.) Note from the blogger: My mother, a dedicated heliophobe, wore one of these 50s stretchy corset-like suits when our family went to the beach in California...I can see it all in my mind.

Women still continued to wear all-in-one swimsuits in the 1950s, but there were two-piece suits as well. Women also took great care to cover up their hairstyles, such as the lacquered "Beehive," when swimming--and simply holding their heads out of the water. The bathing caps shown to the right were decorated with plastic petals or leaves to make them prettier than a simple fitted bathing cap.

Apron-Style Swim Suits and Play Suits of the 1950s

Each one of these late 1950's swimsuits, pictured below, had detachable straps and almost very woman appears to be wearing what we would view as the equivalent of a beach corset! This is particularly noticeable in the mustard version which seems to almost be a colored corselette.

The swim suits of the 50s and early 60s were cut straight across the top of the leg in the form of a modesty apron that hid the separate matching fabric crotch...

The woman shown in a rendering on the right, below, is wearing a two-piece flared short (like a mini-skirt of of later years) with a halter top...probably in cotton. This style more closely parallels the 50s bathing suits carried in RETROPOLITAN, cleverly adorning the walls going down to the lower floor. Note: The blogger is aware that all the women have identifiable waists at this point in our cultural history.

Above: Three 1950s Romper (Play Suits).
Photos: Cindi Ryland.

At RETROPOLITAN, Ryland showed me a number of cotton Play Suits from the 1950s, featuring short-boy legs and zippers up the back. More accurately is Cindi's term "romper suits." Shown above, three different suits, this style seems to have stood the test of time and is now popular with modern beach goers.  Blogger note: I thought they were adorable...and can see why a woman would come in, try one on, and walk away with a smile!

Postscript to the 1950s: The Bikini and how it was named

The first bikinis were introduced just after World War II. Early examples were not very different from the women's two pieces common since the 1920s, except that they had a gap below the breast line allowing for a section of bare midriff. They were named after Bikini Atoll, the site of several nuclear weapons tests, for their supposed explosive effect on the viewer.  Through the 1950s, it was thought proper for the lower part of the bikini to come up high enough to cover the navel.

Into the 60's, briefly

Finally, Cindi Ryland showed me two examples of bathing attire from the 1960s at RETROPOLITAN.  First, there is a women's green, white and gray block print bathing suit with modesty panel. I thought this style looked a little like "Princess style" dresses, e.g., closely fitted with a graceful bottom flair--at least more so than the 50s Rompers. The yellow men's suit, below, Cindi labeled "Chick Magnet." It is decidedly shorter than the styles worn today, but lots of fun to show off and be a bit different at Ocean City!

Both photos showing 1960 bathing suits were provided by Cindi Ryland.

Ending the Tour. Be sure to visit RETROPOLITAN the next time you're in Historic Ellicott City, Maryland. It is also near YATES Market and across from the steep hill of Church Road.

Blog feature: Kay Weeks
Photos:KW, except where noted.

Go to Jeremy Kipp Clark's www.ellicottcity.net
for comprehensive information on Ellicott City and beyond.

7.25.11

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Working at the Car Wash!

2011-07-06T16:28:00.025-04:00

DOLLY'S
CAR WASH

On a hot summer day, there is perhaps nothing as cooling to the spirits as running your car through a car wash--I take my 1997 Toyota to Dolly's on Rte. 40--and enjoy the flapping and suds, lights and energy of it every time! Sure, you can wash it yourself and save the $9 or so, but the sound and light show is over-the-top FUN!

9430 Baltimore National Pike
Ellicott City, MD 21042 410-461-5188

Then, vacuuming the car and trunk using a few quarters, it's all over. The car always seems to run better after a Dolly's experience! You may even want to treat your car to an AIR FRESHENER. I like the Royal Pine!

Long-time Ellicott City resident, Sally Bright--now residing in Cambridge, Maryland--notes: "Dolly's has been around for more than 40 years. It was once part of an ice cream parlor and carryout! We used to go there a lot on a summer evening. A tradition like the Enchanted Forest."

Enjoy Jazz Vocalist
Denee Barr's rockin' rendition of Car Wash...

...hey, get your car washed today

The cloth beaters. Rhythm!

be in our band, you don't have to pay
come on and give us a play.
get it washed right away

At the carwash
talking about the carwash yeah
come on y'all and sing it for me
car wash woh
car wash yeah

...those cars never seem to stop coming
keeps those rags and machines coming
let me tell you it's always cool

Just a blur now!

Soon, you can't see out the window...that's really the best part, with the soap and water!

At the carwash
talking about the carwash yeah
come on y'all and sing it for me
car wash woh
car wash yeah

Nearing the end...

View over the steering wheel after car wash

Then, on to the vacuuming area!

Brief HISTORY of the Car Wash
Courtesy, International Car Wash Association.

The Detroit News reports that the first automatic car wash in the U.S. opened in 1946, appropriately enough, the painted sign on that building in the motor city read "First Automatic Auto Wash in the World, Established 1946."

Prior to the development of the automatic car wash...back in the days of the sponge and bucket, two enterprising Detroit businessmen opened a car wash, where the car was brought into a line and pushed by hand through circular type of operation described as a "Merry-Go-Round." This was around 1914, and human power was required in pushing cars around the circle for the various phases of the car wash.

....Growth of the industry before World War I was slow...considering the fact that before the war there were fewer than one million cars in the United States. After World War I, the number of automobiles leaped to five million, and by 1925, there were 20 million cars in the nation.

One of the industry's historians reports that around 1928 the idea of a mechanical, chain-pulled car wash evolved, resulting in the first true "conveyer" car wash. Our involvement in World War II slowed certain kinds of technological development--the car wash industry proceeded at a slow pace. However, after World War II, the industry grew quickly, and the need for a trade association was obvious.

In 1955, a group of 40 or 75 car wash professionals (depending on which historical documents you read) met at the Hotel Del Prado in Mexico City to officially form the Automatic Car Wash Association (ACWA). It became recognized throughout the world for its activities on behalf of the industry. ACWA was later renamed the International Carwash Association (ICA).
____________________________

DOLLY's Car Wash may certainly be considered another local "icon," affirming the sense of continuity over time for so many area residents. When you take your car in to wash it--or be washed--you will feel that sense of the past and community spirit.
hocoblogs@@@

Blog content/photos: Kay Weeks
Song by Denee Barr

For more information, go to:
http://www.dollyscarwash.com/

Open every day
Featuring: Polishing, Self Service, Vacuuming
In business since 1975

The Visual Poetry of Mono no aware (物の哀れ)

2011-06-24T05:46:00.034-04:00

A Conversation with Artist, Rebecca Weber

Delicate rodent bones, scissors, a sand dune, bittersweet, pomegranates, a fire pit, a stick of incense with smoke rising in a thin column--what do these objects have in common, especially when Rebecca Weber focuses on them as content for her art? Beauty for sure.

Bittersweet.

Beyond that, Rebecca Weber captures an object at a precise moment in time, while the progression of time simultaneously begins to affect form, cause natural decay, and extinguish the incense or campfire. But, for now anyway, her painting of the object as well as the artist and viewer remain. They and we, too--at different moments--will become small points on the timeline and vanish into memory.

Beautiful sadness, the ephemeral, fleeting. In the Japanese language and culture, this is Mono no aware (物の哀れ mono no aware, literally "the pathos of things"), The term is used to describe the awareness of impermanence (Jap. 無常 mujō), or the transience of things, and a gentle sadness (or wistfulness) at their passing.

Portrait of a distinctive carrot.

So, in Rebecca Weber's paintings, beneath the glow , the patina of time, oxidation, there is this hard reality--the understanding that the object is in the process of disintegration. In the case of her fruit--or this gnarled carrot--it has likely disappeared by now, but the record of it--in poetic terms--remains. In our conversation about her art, she used Japanese terms: Shibui, Wabi-Sabi...then, I found Mono no aware and think it applies even more closely to what she is doing in her art. Weber's paintings are visual poetry--in a way, the romance of "passing."

At what point does this knowledge that all will disappear in time push us toward a nihilistic philosophy. Why bother, then? I put that one to rest immediately. Rebecca told me that she hears the phase "Inshallah!" frequently in New York City..."God willing." I think we all have a phrase that holds similar meaning, but has heavier implications. For example, when we say "See you!" or "Have a good day!" we know underneath the cheer that there is actually no assurance it will happen. Someone I know says that tomorrow is only a concept.

Great Dune.

As opposed to the fatalistic and perhaps ironic Que Sera Sera or Inshallah, the objects or scenes Weber paints can't talk or rely on Other (e.g. religious or philosophical constructs) for hope or continued existence. They simply and poetically...disappear. But the paintings themselves are held in time--for now and future years---gracefully and that is what we see, as viewers. It is a thoughtful contradiction.
_____________________________________

I remember the book title, Only Earth & Sky Last Forever. Recent upheavals, tsunami, violent winds, potential meteorites...we are whistling in the dark to accept that notion of some planetary "forever continuity."

In my 30 professional years working in historic preservation, I was writing the same thing, so the conversation with Rebecca Weber resonated deeply with me, The notion that we can’t recover the physical past in any authentic way (restoration introduces new elements and reconstruction means all new material).

Persimmons in a bowl.

In brief, the small natural or man-made objects that Weber chooses to paint are gentle reminders of our time here, our love, hopes, dreams and despair. Although they can be recorded through painting or scientific endeavors, ultimately, the records will disappear--as we will. We can't stop the effects of time; and time is always change. But while we are here, the art glows with life, is brilliant, small and authentic.

Art & Poetry - Thematic similarities. In his startling poem, Limited, Carl Sandburg describes in a matter-of-fact way the passage into nothingness of all things. I shared the poem with Rebecca and we agreed to include it in this essay.

Limited

I AM riding on a limited express, one of the crack trains of the nation

Hurtling across the prairie into blue haze and dark air go fifteen all-steel coaches holding a thousand people.

(All the coaches shall be scrap and rust and all the men and women laughing in the diners and sleepers shall pass to ashes.) I ask a man in the smoker where he is going and he answers: “Omaha.”

Carl Sandburg (1878–1967). Chicago Poems. 1916.

Granted, Carl Sandburg is very tough when he writes about what I call the "mortality container," our lives--with the amazing machinery we employ to make it go even faster in reference to the larger expanse of time. But there are touch points and Weber recognized them immediately.

Here are more of Rebecca's exquisite paintings:

Anna's Bones. This is in my collection.

Fire Pit.

Butterfly.

Scissors.

Rebecca Weber at work in The Still Life Gallery.

Still Life

8713 Main Street

Ellicott City, MD 21043

Open Wed-Sun 11-5

Tel: 410-461-1616

contact@stilllifegallery.net

6.24.11

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Now, ON the Lake...in a paddleboat

2011-06-20T11:54:00.004-04:00

As we paddled away from the dock, this was the view.

Lake Centennial. I've been on the walkways so many times, around and around the lake, thinking it was 3.3 miles and feeling, you know, a bit sanctimonious. Now, I read it is 2.7 m. I note many people walk or jog it twice! Something to work on, for sure!

Yesterday, Father's Day, my son, grand.toddler and I rented a small paddleboat for 30 minutes at $9.00. It was perfect. You are given life jackets, release the boat from its mooring on the dock (a chain) and climb in. In this case, Ariella sat in the middle.

It was a cloudy, cool morning and, in fact, so early there were only a few other boaters. Or joggers and walkers! We saw kayaks with fishermen, ducks, Canadian Geese and the best of all, water lillies in bloom...beautiful white flowers! Just a taste, but enough at that. Dark and light greens punctuated with colorful boats made the day--or, in our case, the 30 minutes! It was perfect!

From the boat, these water lillies are spectacular!

A new boat ramp can be seen here together with a bicyclist.

Canoes, kayaks...are available

Boat Rental

Cost:

2- or 4-Seat Paddle Boat - $9 per half hour

Canoe - $9 per hour

Kayak (single or double) - $9 per hour

Row Boat - $9 per hour

Check out the Department of Recreation & Parks web site:
http://www.co.ho.md.us/rap/rap_hocoparkscentennial.htm

Kay Weeks on June 20, 2011
content/photos
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