Thursday April 14 2016  I LOVE SURPRISES!

P.S. AT THE TOP:  OOPS!  I FORGOT TO ADD THE PICTURES BELOW (WHICH MUST BE DONE BEFORE I PUBLISH) AND NOW THEY WILL SHOW UP BEFORE THE BLOG.  DISREGARD ALL COMMENTS REFERRING TO “BELOW”.  KEEP CLICKING THROUGH THE OLDER POST TO REACH BLOG.

What a delightful surprise to be told yesterday that today we would be visiting a traveling display at the Taubman Museum of Art, Roanoke.  Carole and Dave, who have lived here for 30 years have never visited the Roanoke Museum, so this was a first for them also.  What excited me so much was the fact that we were going for the purpose to see the traveling display of original art pieces by Norman Rockwell.  Norman Rockwell is one of my favorite artists.  I have never read much about his life so it was an eye opener to learn about his procedure when preparing to paint a scene.  When he started out he actually used real life models who had to hold their poses for long periods of time.  Later he actually photographed what he wanted to paint and used the photos for recall. Norman worked 7 days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and only took Christmas and Thanksgiving off.  Now that is what I call dedicated. 

Rockwell was extremely sensitive to the fact that his scenes depict what he was trying to convey as well as using authentic props for the period.  He was tedious in making certain every detail was accurate.  Dave and I downloaded commentary about the portraits and listened to the details of what he did to prepare for each portrait.  Such an example might be that when he used a waiter in the drawing, he looked for just the right waiter.  The waiter he hired for the train portrait was a veteran waiter of 30 years.  The stories about each piece of art were just amazing.  I am going to include some of my the snapshots I shot today at the end of this blog.  I asked permission to take the photos before I did so and was informed that it was okay to take as many as I would like as long as no flash was used.

Of course I was rushed through the gallery because it takes me so long to absorb all I would like to absorb.  I missed being able to see the original art that covered each of the Saturday Evening Post Magazines.  I was able to see them on the wall, hung in rows, but would have loved more time to do so.  Dave and I came to the conclusion that the magazine covers were not original paintings but the original covers from the magazines.   All I can say is that it was so worth seeing this traveling exhibit.  We were informed that this was its last stop.

I will also post some sights that I took of downtown Roanoke.  It is so beautiful here.  Temps today were in the high 60’s with a bit of a bite in the gentle breeze. 

We are thoroughly enjoying David and Carole and her family.  It is amazing to realize that her family is also our daughter’s biological family.  Rebecca is sister to our son, Courtland as well as sister to Carole’s children, one son and two daughters.  Rebecca has lots of nieces and nephews as I mentioned in a previous blog.  It is awesome to feel like they too are a part of our family.  And oh, I must not forget their awesome dog too!  Sammy is a mix between a Pomeranian and a Pekinese.  Sammy is old and sleeps a lot.  See what Dave and I have to look forward to in a few years (when we are old). 

Early spring abounds in all I see.  Though there is still a frigidness in the air, it has been so refreshing to participate in so many southern springs. 

REFLECTIONS

By Kathleen Martens

April 14, 2016

Thanks to all who have come along

Once again as I journeyed far.

I have found my choice of travel

And that is exploring by car!

So many sights and sounds

To fill me with such delight.

And it is nice to have a tag a long,

So I need never fear the night.

And there are a lot of reasons

That my time with him I lend.

There is no one I’d rather be with

Than my closes friend.

And our numbered days are almost gone

As our journey leads us home.

Where we once again will settle down

To reflect on where we’ve roamed.

Lord today I give You thanks for your continued protection.

Thank You God for the experience of going to the museum.

Thank You for my eyes.

Thank You for such a good sleep last night.

Thank You for birds.

Thank You for tomatoes.

Thank You for bunion remover.

GOOD AFTERNOON.  I PRAY THE REST OF YOUR DAY IS WONDERFUL.

Wednesday April 13 2016  I WISH I KNEW…

Update to those of my readers who have inquired about how I am doing: today I am doing quite a bit better.  I was actually hungry this morning for the first time since Sunday’s dinner.  I ate a small breakfast and soon felt a little energy returning.  I looked a lot better too!  I still have moments when I must recollect myself because I am a lot weaker than I was before the food poisoning occurred.  Perhaps it is good to have an occasional reminder that I am not invincible.

We left Sandra and Scott’s house a few minutes past 2:00 p.m. with plans to be at Carole and David’s home by 6:00 p. m. for dinner.  We are currently traveling North on Highway 77 and will cross the Virginia state line on this leg of our journey.  After we left our last location we drove quite a few miles through the back country roads of North Carolina passing through little towns.  Along the way there were so many interesting views hiding around the next corner.  There were old houses, former business structures, farms, and falling down barns.  Dave was driving due to my weakened state so I had opportunity to do a lot of gawking.  As I passed the changing scenery my curious mind wanted to know more about the people and the history of the buildings.  I WISH I KNEW the story behind each one.

As we drove on the back roads the speed was slow enough that I could take in more details of what we passed.  I want to share a few of the sights we experienced.  The first situation that intrigued me was when I spied a boy who was approximately 15 to 17 years of age.  An older model car had been parked off the left side of the two lane road, facing oncoming traffic.  It was a big old dirty car from the late 80’s or early 90’s.  The young man’s backside was leaning against the grillwork, feet crossed at the ankles, arms crossed in front of his chest, dressed in silky tectured athletic shorts which came to just below the knees.  Big sneakers were on his big feet.  His face was set in a Jimmy Dean, tough dude look, his hair shaved close on the sidewalls and left long on top.  His black hair, contrasting against his pale face, spilled toward the left side of his face.  He had sunglasses on and his face was turned as if he were peering into my eyes as Dave drove past.  He was quite a gigantic guy and appeared to be at least 75 to 100 pounds overweight.  He looked quite angry and sullen from what I glimpsed in my 5 to 10 second impression.  My first thought was that he really wanted to be seen, and needed to be noticed.  He wanted to BE SOMEBODY.  My opinion was that he is searching for his identity as to where he fits in.  My second assumption (all total speculation on my part), was that he may have been angry about something that had just occurred inside the run down, shack-like house, that was the backdrop for the old automobile.  I WISH I KNEW.

Just a mile or two down the road we came to a left curve in the road and on the right was a very small, what looked like a former house dwelling, sitting very close to the highway.  It reminds me of the little shack where my mother once took me to when I was about 10 years old so she could show me where I was born.  Perhaps my sister can feed me back a comment regarding this comparison and make comment as to whether or not I if I have the correct recollection.  She was almost 9 years old when I was born so she may remember what it looked like.

My mind again wonders back to the history of this little dwelling and who built it and lived there.  What was its main purpose?  What were the people like?  What were their circumstances?  And I wondered how in the world was it still standing?  I also wondered, how long it has been vacated.  I WISH I KNEW.

As the highway’s winding roads led us higher up the mountain I could look down below me and see a small valley between the road and the opposing hills.  Very close to the road there was an old barn in total disrepair and demise.  About two thirds of the cross boards of the roof were exposed and two thirds of the roof had fallen in.  From my high advantage point I could look down into the barn’s interior and see the floor littered with the fallen, decaying roof.  It was like looking at the skeleton of what must have one day been someone’s pride and joy.  The end structures were still in place but a bit of the long wall had also lost enough boards to see the skeleton emerging.  The exterior of the old building was all dark and weatherworn and looked so sad.  I wondered when it was built and who might have built it.  It looked as if it did not want to give up its hold on existence, but was losing the battle one day at a time.  Its story will never be known to me but..I WISH I KNEW.

As the road became steeper and more winding, all passing lanes disappeared.  In front of us was a car with an antsy driver who tailgated the truck it was following.  The driver continued to look for a place to pass.  Finally it did make it around the truck, IN A NO PASSING ZONE, and we all survived his stupidity.  Then I wanted Dave to get closer to the truck so I could get a better look at its cargo.  It was carrying hundreds of live, white chickens, packed tightly into wire cages stacked ten cages high and five wide.  It was a long 18 wheeler.  I could see the chickens trying to move as they vied for space.  It was difficult for me to view such a spectacle knowing that the animals were alive and probably suffering.   Now don’t misinterpret and think that I don’t each chicken meat, because I actually do.  I remember my extended family ringing the necks of chickens, plucking their feathers, and eating them for dinner.  It was probably very frightening for the chicken, but it was quick.  It just saddened me to see the conditions these chickens had to go through to be transported.  I wondered where those chickens were headed.  I expect they were going to market to be readied for the pot.  THIS IS SOMETHING I DON’T WISH TO KNOW.

As we traveled north it’s as if we were going backward with spring.  Everything was so lush in Florida and South Carolina and even in parts of North Carolina.  Today as and as we traveled north the mountains became scare of greenery.  However, there were trees with purple blooms lining the sides of the mountains enticing spring to come forth.  Everything state has been so gorgeous.

As we were driving along, I read something on the back, side window, of a van.  I was able to get a picture of it as we passed the vehicle.  Here is what was printed in decal lettering:

“In Loving Memory of

My Daddy and Pappa

David “Crockett” Moore

3/17/48 to 12/4/01”

That is something I have never seen done before.  I WISH I KNEW MORE OF THE STORY.

We are almost at our location and we will arrived ON TIME!

WEEKS OF SPRINGS

By Kathleen Martens

April 13, 2016

Spring comes but once a year

But it seems to take it’s time

When you travel northward

Crossing into different climes.

Start in the South where sun is warm,

Meandering northward through the states,

And you will find weeks of spring

Is what will be your fate.

Thank You God for protecting us from two possible accidents today.

Thank You for the beautiful spring we enjoyed while on our travels.

Thank You that we still have spring to look forward to when we arrive home.

Thank You Lord for a beautiful place to sleep tonight.

Thank you for socks that have toes.

GOOD NIGHT AND GOD BLESS YOU