...near the end of my morning walk today Maureen and I saw a Pittsburgh glass truck heading west on Fifth Avenue as it crossed Bellefield. It held large sheets of plate glass on the side of the truck.
What happens the morning after...
Labels: adventure, American history, glass, international culture, walking
posted by Grace @ 9/25/2009 06:16:00 PM
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Today before physical therapy I picked up a wireless mouse. After physical therapy I found parking (!) and picked up my new eyeglasses from the optical shop. I checked my email, then met Fannie and Don for smoothies and tea at a pan-Asian restaurant.
This evening I'll go to Joan Lippincott's organ recital at St. Paul Cathedral.
Labels: computer, email, exercise, glass, ice cream, music, organ, St. Paul Cathedral, tea, water exercise
posted by Grace @ 8/27/2009 06:23:00 PM
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I spent the morning searching for travel information for Mom and Dad on the Internet.
I walked to an afternoon appointment, and saw some friends before the appointment. I walked to the optical shop to order glasses, and walked past the Newman Center to home. I took a long nap this afternoon, and am catching up on correspondence. I am so glad that I can walk (albeit slowly) this far again!
Labels: email, glass, health, sleep, walking
posted by Grace @ 8/24/2009 07:40:00 PM
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It was great to meet up with William, Marissa, Beatrice, and Solomon for an afternoon trip to Phipps Conservatory. We even explored 
the Discovery Gardens. We saw banana palms, 
a maze and 
mists in the garden,
the Longfellow glass figurines, Chihuly glass, and the Desert Room (don't touch anything---it's prickly!), and the Victorian Room (where there is a programmable fountain). Solomon treated every encounter with a plant as an interactive adventure. Beatrice insisted on pushing the umbrella stroller to the car by herself.
~~~~~
Went to the last summer Bible Study. We read James, Chapter 5. We also referred to James 5:16-18 when reading I Kings 17:17-24, which I pointed out and read to our group. Christina, Rachel, and I chatted with Beth, whom Christina knew from secondary school.
Went to physical therapy earlier in the day and also ran errands.
Labels: Beatrice, Chihuly, Faith, garden, glass, niece and nephew, Phipps, read, school
posted by Grace @ 8/03/2009 11:27:00 PM
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Just less than a quarter hour ago Mom, Dad, and I watched the QVC special on Fenton Art Glass. It turns out Debby C., a former classmate of Joyce, and a ballet classmate, is a handpainter of glass for Fenton now.
~~~
Now, they are watching the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating contest (eeww).
posted by Grace @ 7/04/2009 01:48:00 PM
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This morning I ran errands at the Waterfront and in Squirrel Hill.
After lunch/smoothies at Craig Street, Christina P. and I went to the Frick Museum to see The Road to Impressionism: Barbizon Landscapes from the Walters Art Museum exhibit. We were just in time for the 14:00 tour. We passed by the French tables, replete with French natives conversing whilst in costume, to enter the exhibit.
Many of the tableaux in the exhibit were from the Frick and Walters collections. Most were landscapes, or landscapes with figures in it. Having read Hans Jenny's paper on Soil in Landscape Art this past week, I was taken by the erosive soil elements on the hillcuts in certain pieces. Namely two pieces: "Le Puy du Dome" (circa 1866-1868, Jean-Francois Millet) and "Landscape with Wild Buffalo" (circa 1865, Jean-Achille Benouville), of a Roman campagna.
We applied gold leaf to a picture frame. We met Benedicte, her former Spanish teacher, who is now director of Alliance Francaise. Then she dropped me off, and I took a nap.
Helped out with dinner preparations at Mom & Dad's place. Tina, Leila, Dr. Pat, Tessie and Ernie, and Dr. Larry arrived to have dinner of ground beef torta, kare-kare, rice, baked calamari, lo mein noodles, watermelon, (corn on the cob), and homemade pineapple upside-down cake. Dad popped the cork on the champagne. They are now watching Manny Pacquiao via pay-per-view. Tina brought my birthday gift of eyebrow pencil, eyeliner, and Hippy Fizz fragrance. MMmmm.
Labels: art, dining, excited, friends, gift, glass, international culture, museum, Pacquiao, painting, surprise, water
posted by Grace @ 5/02/2009 06:11:00 PM
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Spent the morning going through old slides, catching up on correspondence, eating breakfast, and going to physical therapy. Stopped by on campus to get a little work done, and added my photo to my professional blog. Had a croque monsieur on half of a sun-dried tomato bagel, and green salad for lunch with mom and dad. What fun! Just watched a WQED special, Masters of Glass, about the Pittsburgh Glass Center.
~~~
After tuna noodle casserole and greens salad for dinner, I completed the necklace Dad and I started from the glass rosette/floral piece (which I bought with Karina). Dad helped me to get the jump rings onto the chain to attach the magnetic clasps, and I worked on the pendant.
We're watching Dancing with the Stars tonight.
~~~~
Tuesday 10 March 2009
I sent my City Tax Form (2008) out today. After lunch, Marissa, William, Beatrice, Solomon, and I went to the Pittsburgh Toy Lending Library. Neither William nor I had been there before, and upon entering, Beatrice headed directly for the far end of the room and the castle. We played in the room with the balls and with various items there, including a car and gas pump. We also watched Beatrice paint in the art room, and she and I cleaned up together afterwards. Solomon and Marissa moved toys from the top floor of the doll house throughout the house, whilst William, Beatrice, and I had fun with the various hats (astronaut helmet, construction worker, etc.) We were certain to use the hand sanitizer on the way out. I thanked Beatrice for inviting me to join them today.
I found the talented picture of me "and a balloon" Beatrice drew for me. She is very observant and talented when it comes to faces. Maybe she will be like Lolo, whose high school classmates dubbed "the next Michelangelo."
I stopped by Lolo and Lola's place to share the picture with them, and have made earrings for the floating glass mirror necklace I made first. I will work on designing another necklace this afternoon.
~~~~~
Wednesday 12 March 2009
Yesterday evening I went to the PNR meeting---it was a small group that night. We spoke mainly about questions Maxine Bruhns had about design issues, and how we would address them. The meeting lasted about 2-3 hours.
Today, Karina and I dined with Maureen at Victor's restaurant. The buffet was great, then we walked to the public library for Karina to drop off some books. A stop in the bead shop was in order, and Karina repaired the clasp part of a bracelet I had purchased.
A nap followed, until choir practice.
Labels: art, blogs, Choir, citizenship, cleaning, dance, dining, email, exercise, family, games, glass, jewelry, library, painting, photography, photos, PNR, TV, water exercise
posted by Grace @ 3/09/2009 04:11:00 PM
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After work and a short nap, I stopped by Karina's place to fashion a necklace from multi-colored, multi-shaped iridescent mirror-like glass beads. I had designed a double-stranded floating-beads necklace, and had done some pre-assembly work. With Karina's help, I had crimped the beads into place, as well as tying and crimping the findings. I tried it on, and it looked quite fancy.
With a piece of bead chain, and a look at my black crystal bead set I had purchased during our last trip to the movies together, we at first ruminated on a bracelet, then settled on fashioning a y-shaped necklace with floating dodecahedral black beads.
Two and a half hours after arriving at her home, I walked out with two homemade necklaces and a nice evening spent with Karina, discussing our friends and family.
Labels: art, family, friends, glass, jewelry
posted by Grace @ 1/26/2009 09:11:00 PM
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Friday, I attended morning Mass, and went to physical therapy (with pool work) in the afternoon.
Kelly arrived from NYC after several hiccups in taking off on Saturday. I had lunch with Jen McG. at Camille's. She gave me a ride to Phipps, where I met up with Regina and John. Her friend, Susan, with her friend Robert and her brother Ken joined up with us later. John and I had fun collecting stamps around the conservatory. Susan especially liked the train and the banana blossoms in the room farthest west. Ken particularly liked the prickly and hairy extensions on the succulents in the Desert Room. We all liked Santa's seat (darn! we just missed him!) and the Dale Chihuly glass artwork. Regina gave me a nice Christmas gift before we departed.
That afternoon, while Kelly napped, Mom and I wrapped lumpia.
Dinner was shared with Mom and Dad, William, Kelly, Beatrice, Solomon, and I. We all missed Marissa.
~~~~
Sunday the 21st called for me to rehearse before Mass for choir. This is the last Sunday we are singing at the BVM altar in front of the congregation. I spotted Jim B., my former boss, and his wife, Sandy. I stopped by and spoke with him---he updated me on his family's doings. After Mass, the soprani and alti practiced the Fugue...with Ken directing at the piano.
I met a family from NJ outside church, and Mom, Dad, and I ate lunch together. Dad and I went to the public library (I had mentioned the printer capabilities to my friend Maureen earlier in the weekend; and we have been without Internet accessibility at home for over a week and a half), and I helped Maureen troubleshoot her flight problems (we made a run to her apartment for documents). Kelly, Mom, Dad, and I went to Eat 'N' Park near Jo-Anne S.'s apartment for dinner.
~~~~~
Monday the 22nd brought an appointment to my primary care physician and a visit to Tokyo Buffet by the whole family---Mom, Dad, Kelly, me (William and Marissa and children arrived much later due to a flat tire). I had a nice long nap afterwards.
~~~~~
Tuesday the 23rd (today) brought a visit to physical therapy, lunch at Taco Bell, and yet another annual visit to the specialist.
~~~
I've been writing/answering Christmas cards this week, and look forward to singing at Christmas Eve Mass. I've also been answering my students' emails from various computers on campus, at UPMC, and in the public library.
Labels: anniversary, Choir, dining, email, family, friends, gift, glass, list, Mass, Phipps, singing, St. Paul Cathedral, water exercise
posted by Grace @ 12/23/2008 09:37:00 PM
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Volunteered for the Chihuly exhibit at Phipps again tonight. I saw Rachel, a former student who took my class in the Fall of 2005. She's now a double science major, and we talked about that. I'm still entranced by the colors and shapes of Chihuly. Evy, another volunteer, saw a detail from one of my paintings on my cell phone and commented that I like "Chihuly colors."
Labels: art, Chihuly, glass, painting, Phipps, teaching, work
posted by Grace @ 8/31/2007 10:28:00 PM
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This noon I went with Amy's stroke survivors group to the Senator Heinz History Center. We saw the glass exhibit, special collections, pencil mural, and the Pulitzer-Prize winning photographs from the beginning of the award. I helped transport Judy and Richard around. There were also Lois and Greg in the group. Amy's boys joined us, too. She and I split a turkey + pastrami double decker sandwich with chips, dill spear, and chocolate chip cookie.
~~~
This evening, Babs and I went to ceili dancing. At the outset of the evening we were treated to dancing by the youngest members of the Burke school of dance. I saw some of my friends and dance partners: Richard and his friends, Dan, Al, Kenneth, Rusty; and I ran into some new friends, including Mary Margaret. Richard and I danced a multiple-figure set---the Clare Lancers Set. Babs partook of some chicken wings after she enjoyed my photos from Ireland. We had a great time and agreed after watching some older students from the Burke school that we saw and partook of some good dancing here in Pittsburgh!
Labels: dance, dining, friends, glass, Ireland, museum, photos, Pittsburgh
posted by Grace @ 7/31/2007 10:45:00 PM
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each time you visit the Dale Chihuly glass installation at the Phipps Conservatory. Five museum-quality glass pieces were purchased by patrons within a three-hour time span today. I am impressed with the installation, how Pittsburgh's Phipps conservatory has custom-designed plantings, and it gets better every time I visit or work there. What a magical, transporting landscape/interior architectural feat I am treated to each time.
Labels: art, Chihuly, glass, Phipps, Pittsburgh
posted by Grace @ 7/27/2007 10:25:00 PM
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In the South Conservatory, during our tour, it reminded me of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory---with large, multicolored, swirled glass balls afloat in the darkened waters and also placed in a small boat, all surrounded by foliage and lit from the glass conservatory ceiling.
Oh, dear reader, I forgot to inform you that I have chosen to volunteer for the Chihuly glass exhibit at the Phipps Conservatory this summer. This evening, I attended the volunteer training session, which included guest services training, watching four slide presentations, filling out paperwork, and a tour at dusk and twilight of the Chihuly exhibit. Absolutely stunning use of color, shape, texture, and echoes of organic forms. The Phipps Conservatory is one of the 8 conservatories that have hosted Chihuly's work. Phipps also has the resources to tailor the plantings and waterways in the exhibit around the glass installations. What a wonderful treat for the eyes and the senses!
Labels: art, Chihuly, glass, Phipps, Pittsburgh
posted by Grace @ 6/19/2007 10:00:00 PM
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Days in the life of me.
