life-long learning, tested...

Having failed to learn Spanish, I am taking on photography. Out or respect for my daughter and son-in-law (!). Not the science of it, but the story of it. The Portland Museum of Art has an exhibit on the f/64 group, and in conjunction with that a short series of talks on the aesthetics of the movement. I went. And the one-hour talk was ever so much more interesting than I had expected. The first talk focused on the Pictorialists, which reigned from about 1890 to 1910 and beyond. They made me think of the stereopticans (?) that Daddy Doc had in his house and that we were given to pore over whenever we were ill, along with Mimi's buttons. Those 3-D slides of angels floating over sleeping babes and waterfalls all misty. Those were very much like the work of the pictorialists, except they (the pictorialists) liked to print their work on textured paper.

Today was the opening of the season for the Portland Symphony Orchestra. We have tickets with the Smiths and the Cohens for Sunday afternoons. Our new conductor--now starting his third year with us--is fantastic. For one thing the PSO has run in the black for the past two years--his two years! I have almost no ear for music, but this guy is sooo good he brings me to my feet. And he keeps Wayne and Richard fully awake. We all look forward to these events, not as a duty to fulfill but a treat to enjoy. I wish I could understand the difference between him and his predecessor. What exactly does a conductor do?

Meanwhile, Sarah rode a borrowed horse to a second place (Red Ribbon!) in a combined training event in New Hampshire. We are so pleased for her. Next year, when she will be riding Otter, we will be there--symphony tickets or not!

Tell me this: why am I no longer receiving posts in my email account as well as on the blog? I am not complaining--I actually prefer not getting them twice--just curious...