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All Sorts of Moms

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 27, 2012| 2 Comments »

We are gearing up for Mother’s Day around here. It’s an important time of the year for Luna & Stella. For one thing, it gives us a chance to share our enthusiasm for all those who take on the role of mother — whether or not they are actual mothers.

The nurturing person, the rock in someone’s life could be an aunt or a big sister. I have heard of a neighbor playing a mother role for a lonely kid. What about a loving grandpa?

Luna & Stella, as you know, has many birthstone-jewelry offerings, and not just for women. Check out L&S cufflinks if your grandpa was like a mother to you. Why not? Suzanne and Erik may think I’m crazy to suggest cufflinks for May 13, but hey, I’m just the blogger!

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Learning Basic Baby

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on April 26, 2012| 7 Comments »

It says here, at Pacific Standard, that learning a second language translates into clearer thinking. No surprises there, but good to have evidence.

In Providence this week, a certain baby I know is showing an affinity for more than one language. His mother thinks he finds his father’s Swedish soothing, especially when sung in a low voice.

While the baby is tuning in to Swedish and English, his parents are studying a language called Basic Baby. It’s the world’s oldest language. In its simplest form, it involves crying: “You’re doing this wrong — try a different tack.” Or silence: “You’re doing this right.” At higher levels, it gets more complex. For example, you may be doing something right, but there is still crying: “This digestive business feels totally weird.”

Basic Baby is not too hard to learn if you (a) pay attention, (b) realize that you will figure it out eventually. It was your own first language. If you are  rusty, maybe you just need to bone up a bit.

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Singing Rodent

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , on April 25, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Something fun from the NY Times science section: a creature that looks like a rodent and sings like a bird.

James Gorman writes that the hyrax is reminiscent of a Dr. Seuss character: “It looks something like a rabbit, something like a woodchuck. Its closest living relatives are elephants, manatees and dugongs. And male rock hyraxes have complex songs like those of birds, in the sense that males will go on for 5 or 10 minutes at a stretch, apparently advertising themselves …

“Arik Kershenbaum and colleagues at the University of Haifa and Tel Aviv University have found something more surprising. Hyraxes’ songs have something rarely found in mammals: syntax that varies according to where the hyraxes live, geographical dialects in how they put their songs together.” More here.

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Cartoonist Feuti Creates Gil Comic

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , on April 24, 2012| Leave a Comment »

I read about this Plainville, Mass., cartoonist a while ago, but didn’t get my hands on a Providence Journal to see his new comic strip, Gil, until today. It’s sweet. I think regular readers of the funny pages are going to like following little Gil.

Taryn Plumb wrote about the glass-is-half-full antihero in the Boston Globe: “Gil is chubby, gap-toothed, not too bright, and his working-class parents are divorced.

“The central character of a new syndicated comic strip penned by Plainville cartoonist Norm Feuti, the 8-year-old bucks the idealized tradition of the comic pages, representing the norm of many 21st-century American families.

“ ‘I always wanted to do a family strip that was more down-to-earth,’ said 41-year-old Feuti, a full-time cartoonist.’’

Plumb notes that Feuti and “his older sister were raised in rural Rhode Island by his mother, who, much like [Gil’s mother], worked in a factory.”

“ ‘Immediately you love this kid,’ said Tom Racine, the San Diego-based host of the entertainment podcast Tall Tale Radio, for which he’s interviewed more than 250 syndicated and Web cartoonists and animators.”

He tells Plumb, “ ‘It’s one of those things where its time has come,’ … calling ‘Gil’ ‘truly one of the best things I’ve seen come along in years.’ ’’

Feuit’s blog is here. The Globe article is here.

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The Hare and the Pineapple

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , on April 23, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Amusing validation for folks who think standardized testing has gone too far.

“A reading passage included [last] week in one of New York’s standardized English tests,” writes Anemona Hartocollis in the NY Times, “has become the talk of the eighth grade, with students walking around saying, ‘Pineapples don’t have sleeves,’ as if it were the code for admission to a secret society.

“The passage is a parody of the tortoise and the hare story, the Aesop’s fable that almost every child learns in elementary school. Only instead of a tortoise, the hare races a talking pineapple.”

Apparently, the test questions were so nonsensical, the kids are still scratching their heads. “And by Friday afternoon, the state education commissioner had decided that the questions would not count in students’ official scores.”

Have a chuckle here.

[We interrupt this broadcast for the baby to chew on my knuckle while his mother tries to get some stuff done,]

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Where Will He Play?

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , on April 22, 2012| 2 Comments »

We took a walk and canvassed places where the new baby will play. It will be a while before that, of course. In the meantime, his cousin may be willing to test out the equipment. My husband, who knows this from experience, thinks our two-year-old grandson will be especially keen to try chin-ups on the dangling wheels.

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Flowering

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , on April 21, 2012| 12 Comments »

Today in Providence: spring, new growth. A nap with the scent of lilacs through the window is in order for us all.

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Cheerful Waiting Room

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , on April 20, 2012| 4 Comments »

In the hospital waiting room, the Family Liaison is handing out a toy packet (feather included) to a two-year-old with sparkles on her shoes.

The toddler’s father is saying, “Why is my pocket all wet? Oh, it’s the water bottle. I thought my water broke.”

There’s a tank for tropical fish provided for our entertainment by Something Fishy Inc. The Family Liaison shows a little boy where Nemo the Clownfish is hiding and points out his cousin, the Tomato Clownfish.

I wish I had video because the tank is full of waving creatures that look like plants but aren’t. Coral? Anemone? If you know what they might be, please leave a comment.

A children’s playroom is in the works. Not sure if Wolf Blitzer on the television is educator-approved, but the nautical theme works nicely with the fish tank.

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Tiny Houses

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , on April 19, 2012| Leave a Comment »

I have been hearing off and on about something called the tiny-house movement.

Here is one of its proponents, Jay Shafer, writing on his site: “Since 1997 I have been living in a house smaller than some people’s closets. I call the first of my little hand built houses Tumbleweed. My decision to inhabit just 89 square feet arose from some concerns I had about the impact a larger house would have on the environment, and because I do not want to maintain a lot of unused or unusable space.

“My houses have met all of my domestic needs without demanding much in return. The simple, slower lifestyle my homes have afforded is a luxury for which I am continually grateful.” Read more.

Blogger Andrew Odom also is a fan of tiny houses. He lists several links to tiny-house enthusiasts.

“One of the things I am often talking about in regards to the tiny house community is….well, community. Through such wonderful sites such as minimotives, Tiny Tack House, The Tiny House, rowdykittens, Clothesline Tiny Homes, TINY, relaxshacks, and a host of others, I have made friends, cohorts, confidants, and supporters. This doesn’t even count the collective sites and their authors including Tiny House Blog, Tiny House Talk, and Tiny House Swoon. But I am always up for meeting more. So imagine my excitement when I was able to reconnect with Kevin of Cozy Home Plans. …” Read more.

A tiny house has a lot of appeal, but I know a pack rat like me would never manage. Would be nice to have a tiny house in the backyard, though — with nothing in it. Like living in your dollhouse.

Photograph: Tumbleweed Tiny House Company

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Providence-Based Artist

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , on April 18, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Nancy L. urged me to take a look at the work of Providence-based artist Anne Spalter. I found fascinating, kaleidoscopic videos and stills at various online locations.

From her artist statement: “Anne Morgan Spalter creates art works that explore her concept of the ‘modern landscape.’ The works depict modern landscape elements or ways of viewing our surroundings and use traditional materials as well as digital imaging, printing, and video.

“Spalter takes hundreds of digital photos and videos each year, often from the windows of moving cars and planes, that capture both technologically advanced ways of moving through the landscape and the modern structures that are in it …”

She is the author of The Computer in the Visual Arts, which former RI School of Design president Roger Mandle described as, “a seductively articulate and illuminating introduction to the rapidly expanding world of the computer and art, design, and animation.”

She and her husband are collectors of early computer art. “In early 2011, the DeCordova Museum in Lincoln, MA,  exhibited works curated from the collection,” notes Spalter’s c.v. MoMA has shown pieces from the collection, too.

This video, called I95, will amaze anyone who has driven that daunting thoroughfare.

Find some stills from videos by Anne Spalter here.

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Watch Out for Whales

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 17, 2012| Leave a Comment »

I have been on a few whale watches over the years. It is unbelievably thrilling to see those magnificent creatures rise up out of the ocean — and scary to think of threats to their continued existence. (I have heard that too many whale watches, though well-intentioned, are becoming a threat, too.)

Among the efforts being made to protect whales, there’s one that ordinary boaters can do: Go slow.

Colin A. Young writes in the Boston Globe about two sightings of North Atlantic right whales over the weekend. “Authorities are warning boaters to keep an eye out for the endangered marine mammals.

“On Friday, three whales were spotted off Scituate. On Sunday, three of the whales were observed off Nantasket Beach in Hull. Officials were not sure if it was the same set of animals.

“The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration fisheries service established a ‘voluntary vessel speed restriction zone’ in waters off the Boston area. Mariners are urged to either avoid the area or keep their speed lower than 10 knots while traveling through the zone. The restricted zone is in effect until April 27.” More here.

Defenders of Wildlife offers information on North Atlantic right whales here.

Photograph: Brian Skerry, National Geographic

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Owl Poet Sends Reminder

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , on April 16, 2012| Leave a Comment »

In case you don’t usually read blog comments and missed the ones on yesterday’s post, the owl poet sent word about two great poetry events coming up soon.

“Just a reminder to your readers that The Massachusetts Poetry Festival begins in Salem this Friday, April 20, and runs through Sunday, April 22. Go online to discover details and to register for a wide variety of sessions.

“Also, the Block Island Poetry Project is sponsoring a weekend on Getting Published, running Friday, April 27, through Sunday, April 29. For details, go to Block Island Poetry Project 2012.”

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Free Man in Concord

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on April 16, 2012| 2 Comments »

When I first wrote about the Concord home of former slave Caesar Robbins, a group of concerned citizens had just raised enough money to save it from demolition and move it near the North Bridge (in the Minute Man National Historical Park). See that post here.

Quite a lot has happened since then, and it looks like the refurbished house should be open to the public soon, if not in time for Patriots Day 2012, celebrated today.

Concord was once a stop on the Underground Railway, so saving the first Concord home owned by a freed slave is in keeping with that history.

By the way, if you are my reader in Australia or South Korea, you may not know about Patriots Day, which is a big deal in most of New England. People here consider April 19, 1775, the start of the American Revolution, although there are other worthy claimants for that honor. Paul Revere and Samuel Prescott rode to warn colonists that the British were coming, and shots were fired in Concord and Lexington.

Nowadays the day is commemorated on the closest Monday. Schools and libraries close. The Boston Marathon is run. Parades and reenactments sprout all over the region. One of my colleagues gets up at crack of dawn to march between towns in costume, playing the fife. In spite of all the hoopla, there is something about it that touches people.

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Brunch in the Jewelry District

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , on April 15, 2012| 4 Comments »

Brunch in Providence’s former jewelry district (now called the Knowledge District) can feature some intriguing overheard conversations among Brown University students. Wish I had caught the rest of this one: “Well, but if there were an alien invasion …”

Today was lovely for sitting outside with two of our favorite Rhode Islanders. Do note the chain-and-charms motherhood present (I don’t call it a “push” present) modeled by the mother-to-be. Sorry I didn’t get a close-up. Better pictures at Luna & Stella.

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Floyd Collins

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , on April 14, 2012| 2 Comments »

Moonbox Productions presented the musical Floyd Collins tonight in Boston. It’s a true story, and a sad one, but Adam Guettel‘s music made it uplifting. Guettel is the grandson of composer Richard Rodgers, and quite a genius in his own right.

Wikipedia tells the story of Floyd Collins:

“William Floyd Collins (July 20, 1887 – c. February 13, 1925) was a celebrated pioneer cave explorerin central Kentucky,an area that is the location of hundreds of miles of interconnected caves, including the Mammoth Cave National Park. On January 30, 1925, while trying to discover a new entrance to the system of underground caves that were a popular tourist attractionin Kentucky, Collins became trapped in a narrow crawlway 55 feet (17 m) below the surface. The reports about efforts to save Collins became a nationwide newspaper sensation and among the first news stories to become a major sensation on the new technology of home radio.”

Read more.

Moonbox gave a portion of ticket sales to Boston-based Crittenton Women’s Union, which helps poor women move out of poverty.

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