Event Date -- April 7, 2016
Cap 'n Baldy here!
In the Beginning was the PLAN...
And the PLAN WAS ...that...
...while Goldilocks was taking her dance class at Liberty Station, I would be bopping around Point Loma, frenetically taking cool pictures of the Cabrillo Lighthouse and other San Diego points of interest. However, the Designer of All Processes had a conflicting idea! In short ... HE made it rain! We need rain and we are grateful for rain but it did screw up our carefully conceived plan! Instead, I lay back in my car in a steady downpour on Shelter Island, looking over the downtown skyline through a misty haze. The raisins and raw almonds in my snack pack tasted wonderful. All in all, it was a beautiful, restful experience.
I'll show all y'all what I was SUPPOSED to be doing, had this day been bright and sunny. I was supposed to take a current wow-shot or two of the San Diego skyline from the Cabrillo National Monument at the end of Point Loma! Oh well ... as a consolation prize, all y'all will receive the shot Barbara took in January while our Atlanta friends were visiting...
Corita Kent was an artist, social activist, and Catholic nun who was very active during the turmoil and creative ferment of the 1960's. She taught art for 30 years at Immaculate Heart College in Los Angeles. Strongly influenced by the art of Andy Warhol and poetry of e.e. cummings, she saw the artistic potential in everyday things and she shared a strong message of love. She died of cancer in 1986.
Painted in 1967 ... Text is by e.e. cummings ...
Love Postage Stamp -- 1985 ... About 700 million of these stamps have been sold, making it one of the most popular stamps in U.S. Postal Service history!
We had an interesting adventure today with Corita Kent's art work. An affectionate celebration of her art work is now being held in Founder's Hall on the campus of the Catholic-run University of San Diego (USD). I had not visited this gorgeous campus since the time I played here with an orchestra performing Tschaikovsky's 1812 Overture! That would have been well over 40 years ago!
We joined old friends Larry and Rose Barlock on-campus to see Corita's art work, enhanced by an excellent, informative lecture by Jeffrey Burns, Director of the Harpst Center for Catholic Thought and Culture. Rose is our art guru and a passionate fan of Corita's work ...
"Read the Fine Print" on the Template for her 1985 Postage Stamp ... it says "Love ... is hard work"!
Two Messages in One ...
Power Up ... an altar display in the 1960's ...
Sister Corita objected to solemn portrayals of the Virgin Mary in traditional church art. She saw Mary as a passionate, alive woman who "sings, runs, wears orange and does her shopping at the local supermarket". Her art REALLY pissed off Cardinal James McIntyre, the ultra-conservative Archbishop of Los Angeles. He declared the work a blasphemy and continued to wage an ongoing war against the art work of Corita and her progressive order of nuns.
All in all, this has been one full day of activity for Barbara and me! Prior to the Corita Kent art show, I joined Barbara for lunch, along with Diana Griggs and Margaret McKerrow, two members of Barbara's modern dance group and friends of long standing. We ate at the very cool San Diego Yacht Club, a place of history for us. Barbara and I have been most fortunate in having friends who are members of this club...friends who took us on numerous sailing adventures around San Diego Bay! Diana and Margaret are both published poets and engaging, literate women with a wide range of interests. The rain continued to steadily fall during our lunch ...
A Rainbow at the Yacht Club!
After lunch, we drove to the nearby Westminster Hall, our past center for our theatrical activities. Barbara has been choreographing a modern dance to honor the 50th wedding anniversary of Dr. Mikel Taxer, her former teacher, and his wife, Carolyn. This dance is choreographed to "There is Love" by Noel Paul Stookey of the vocal group Peter, Paul and Mary. Eight members of her dance group, including Diana and Margaret, will be on hand to participate in order to honor Mikel. My job was to video the dance for the group's critique and for posterity. I was - and am - in awe of the work of love these women have created together! Of course, my eyes are continually on Barbara as she dances! That's my joy and my job! I'm good at this job!
On the USD campus, Barbara and I were impressed that many students were extraordinarily helpful in assisting us in finding our way to our destinations. After the art show, Barbara had arranged for us to have dinner with Larry and Rose at La Gran Terrazza, a very fine, upscale restaurant on campus. We had a window-side table where diners would enjoy sunsets on a clear day. A lingering dinner, well served, in the presence of good friends ... what a way to end a memorable day! Barbara and I each recommend the Seared Flat Iron Steak dinner ...
It's the Little Things that Count!
Thanks for sticking with us on this journey, beloveds! Until next time, stay connected and stay well!
Affectionately,
Baldy
Himself at USD Founders Hall ... Now I ask ye ...isn't this a fine-looking mature gentleman?
POST SCRIPT -- APRIL 10, 2016 ... Our next blog entry will be from Coronado, where we will spend April 16th, the actual day of our anniversary ... please stay connected!
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