Met Member

This week I checked off one of my heart's desires.  Don't get too excited - this is a small one:  I joined the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.  It is thrilling to be a member of one of the premier museums in America.  I've always wanted to join, but what was the point unless you could 'attend' the special exhibitions.

I've been to the Met so often over the past eight years I know all the 'regular' stuff.  For me, the real treats are the exhibitions.  Not only is the 'stuff' great, but I always learn something.  The visit this past week was no different - well, other than I'm a MEMBER!!!!  Did I mention that?

OK, so first, there was 'Play It Loud!'.  This exhibition contained instruments of famous rock and roll artists from about 1955 to the present.  Here was my favorite part of the exhibit

(I'm not crazy  -  I'm looking for a spotlight, so my face will be lighted, and, of course, that's when Drake snapped the picture) 
The instruments are self-explanatory.

If you're looking for something more modern, well how about this piano:

Lady Gaga's piano - she played "ArtPop" on it when she guested on the Tonight Show

There are tons of famous instruments belonging to a myriad of famous names.  If this is your thing, well check out the pix.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/LGc1P7xiBxLKfFP56

Next, here's a quirky one.  It was billed as "What did Art Cost during the Renaissance in Northern Europe".  The 'unit of currency' is one cow.  One milk cow during this era was worth one month's salary of a skilled worker,  or two month's salary of an unskilled worker, and that price remained very stable. The exhibition consisted of pieces made in Northern Europe during the Renaissance era.  There were sculptures, paintings, jewelry, pottery, tapestries, etc., and each piece was valued according to how many cows each piece was worth. Here's the premise:  

Tankard, gilded silver with rock crystal and precious gems - worth
158 cows

The one thing that really came across to me was even in the 16th century it was damn hard to make a living if you were an artist.  This exhibit was fascinating in that it made me look at objects from a whole different P.O.V.  As always, there are pictures.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/vBvDkwUJr7Ug2Azr7

Here's the exhibit which taught me something I didn't know.  It's called "The Tale of Genji".  This is a 52 chapter book written in Japan in the 11th century by an aristocratic Japanese woman.  The equivalency in importance to Japanese culture and literary heritage is as Shakespeare is to Western culture.  I'd never even heard of it!  People have been talking about it, thinking about it, writing about it, and representing it in art for one thousand years.   The government of Japan sent things to this exhibition which are considered national treasures and have never before left the Japanese mainland.  It blew my sox off, I can tell you.  Here's the 'title page' of the exhibition:

That's a representation of the woman who wrote the book
and me - looking happy

https://photos.app.goo.gl/qW39LEVsxP4SxMLn9

Finally, the last new exhibition is called "Camp".  This was the theme this year of the most famous party in New York City:  The Met Gala.  The exhibition paralleled the 'gala'.  Mostly, it's about a definition of what is 'camp', when it originated, and how it's been taken over by the fashion world.  There were lots of examples of the extremes of runway haute couture fashion.  It started with Oscar Wilde and displayed pictures, and caricatures of him as well as some original manuscripts - like his only novel The Picture of Dorian Gray.  "Camp" was definitely his thing.  The over the top fashions are the true stars though.  And, there's a Caravaggio exhibited which, in Drake's opinion, was the only thing worth seeing in the exhibition.  Well, he was totally wrong.  This was outrageous fun.  And, just for my new mom daughter, here's what all new moms wear during routine baby care..... at least the 'camp' ones.

More fun pix:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/AECwQgnnFX8WMYhw9

That's the 'new stuff' at the Met.  Did I mention I'm a MEMBER?

   

Starting the Big Adventure

View from our Brooklyn apartment

I have heard our current endeavor referred to as 'a big adventure' more than once as if moving to Brooklyn, New York, is venturing into the heart of a deep, dark, slightly scary, exotic place.  I was actually getting a bit spooked myself about the move.  However, as is usually the case, all the fears of cramped, dirty, unsafe, and noisy have not come to pass.  The move itself went like rollerskating downhill thanks to Drake's expert planning and doggedly determined follow ups.

The move in was not without its moments.  Only in New York would the movers show up on the bus with their crated dog in tow.  They managed to borrow a dolly from the auto detailers across the street, and the rolling luggage cart from the concierge in exchange for leaving the dog in the building lobby.  They cheerfully got all the furniture and goods out of the U-Box crates and up to our apartment quickly.  The U-Boxes were gone the same day they were dropped off in front of the apartment. 

Our apartment turns out to be light, airy, quiet, (minimal street noise), with views of lush green trees.  No one lives above us, and the back of our apartment faces an elementary school.  The 'noise' is of children playing at recess during the day.  And, I've spotted four different kinds of birds including a cardinal pair flitting through the trees.   We catch the bus 200 feet from our door, and it takes us to within a block of our new workplace.  It seems weird to be talking about work after being retired for twelve years. 

So, the real adventure is not the place we've moved, but the fact we've got a JOB.  We are the nannies for our new grandson.  Thank heavens this is a job share.  All the grandparents in our family are committed to getting the new kid off to a good start.  Finding quality childcare, especially for very young children, is a constant worry for parents no matter where they live.  There's the cost which is actually secondary to the reliability, and finally the flexibility of child care.  We decided to offer our services.  We're not cheap, but we are certainly reliable, and we don't charge by the minute after 5:30 pm.

With seven out of ten women with children in the work place, what we are doing is not as unusual as you would think.  We met someone in the building's gym whose parents have been doing this same thing for not only his children but also his brother's children.  Families who live in the same town have always pitched in to help with the children.  The new twist is grandparents are moving to a new location to help out.  It's an old tradition.  The cliche, 'it takes a village' is actually still the truth even in the 21st century and especially in the United States.  It's been an uphill battle to get parental leave in the USA which is standard in the rest of the developed world.  Our son-in-law had seven months leave to be with his new baby.  What company does he work for?  A Swedish one.  We are being handed off a seven month old instead of a two month old newborn. 

If we have any energy left, we are looking forward to new restaurants, Broadway shows, the American Ballet Theater, and my favorite pastime:  New York museums - especially the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  It's taken us a week to get settled in.  As of today, everything is unpacked and there are curtains at every window.  I bought all my curtains in Arizona.  I just had to hem them, and Drake had to figure out how to get them hung.  We have nine foot ceilings and no ladder.  I'm just about ready to have some fun before we start work.  June 16th is our start date. 

I've already found something in I absolutely LOVE in Brooklyn.  I'm having all my groceries delivered, and it's FREE.  In fact, I'm pretty much having everything delivered.  This building has an elevator, and it also has a concierge.  He accepts deliveries all day long.  There's also a recreation room with pool table, ping pong table, and foos ball.  There's a movie room and a large gym with sauna, and a laundry room.  We have a designated 'place' with a drain inside the apartment for a stack washer/dryer, but if you buy one, you have to pay an additional $100 each month for the increased water usage.  We turned that w/d space into a pantry, so we'll be using the building's laundry facilities. 

The kitchen has nice appliances, but the storage in the kitchen can charitably be called minuscule.  I have no idea how you'd be able to store food as well as dishes and pots and pans.  However, there's granite, a nice big stainless sink, and a good work area.

Other than the kitchen, the storage in the apartment is good.  The water pressure is good, and we like the shower.  All the furniture I brought with me 'fits', so we are both pleased with our sight unseen apartment choice.  Oh, and it's air conditioned.  I learned my lesson several years ago after spending the summer in an apartment in New Haven, Connecticut which didn't have air conditioning.

Tomorrow, we are harking back to our Texas roots and having a family taco day to kick off summer.  I wonder if Cedric wants onions on his......       

   

Big Women

A few days ago I ran across a magazine article in "O", the Oprah Winfrey magazine, which fascinated me from beginning to end.  The topic was the evolution of clothing for big women.  So, if you're one of my guy readers who find clothing/shopping discussions right up there with bamboo slivers under the fingernails, well, stop right here and click off.  However, if you have a 'big woman' in your life, you might scroll down to the websites which sell clothing and accessories which will fit your lady.

In my youth I was one of those pencil shaped people, and I just walked into any level of store and bought whatever the budget could sustain.  I never gave clothes shopping much attention.  As my friend pool expanded, and I made close, close friends with women who were so NOT pencil shaped, I began to understand not everyone could just walk into a department store and start trying on as many things as they could stand to put on and take off.  And, even worse, my big friends were body shamed by the clerks who were supposedly helping them find clothing.

It wasn't until my 50's that my body significantly changed from pencil shaped to plus sized.  The combination of menopause, stopping smoking, and my foot problems caused me to gain weight.  Now, I had to face first hand not being able to shop on the 'regular' racks.  It took me about five years to recover enough physically to realize I would never accept dieting, and I would have to learn to exercise much more faithfully than I have ever wanted.  It also took me years to accept my new body type.  And, I was an adult!

When I was teaching fifteen year olds, I was constantly amazed by the body pride of big black girls.  It didn't matter that they weighed 200 pounds.  They accentuated their curves with tight tops, low cut jeans, and always had their hair, makeup and nails flawlessly done.  Was it teenage over the top fashion?  Absolutely.  However, they acted like they thought they were beautiful, and the boys whose attention they wanted acted so too.  In the same hallways were big white girls in over sized t-shirts, slouching along with their head down acting like they were the ugliest things in the world.  Guess which ones I admired?  I even tried to pair these two types of girls together in class projects hoping for some kind of friendship to arise.  Occasionally, it did.  And, man oh man, could you see the difference in how those white girls started to dress and carry themselves.

Since I'd seen first hand how clothes can change a big girl's perception of herself, this article I read further opened my eyes.  Here are some of the quotes from the article which stood out to me:

"Fashion industry gospel:  Women of a certain size didn't spend money on clothes.  They don't want clingy, or to show their arms, legs or cleavage."

"I've never been small.  As a teenager I wanted to be wearing polo shirts, and crop tops, but they didn't sell them in 'plus size' stores."

"Naysayers argue that plus-size style promotes obesity, as if poly-blend muumuus is a hair shirt a woman must wear until  she drops some pounds."

If you aren't outraged by that last statement, you should be.  Think of your friends.  Don't you have at least one who is built on the Eastern European, Russian, Germanic, or certain African tribal body type?  The term 'big boned' isn't just a euphemistic phrase for fat.  These women literally have large bones, and large muscles covering them.  Not too long ago, these were considered the 'beautiful women' because they could work tirelessly and drop babies effortlessly.  Nowadays, they are ostracized and shamed.  Women with this body type can starve themselves and they will never, ever reach the fashion ideal of size 2,4,6 or 8.  The fashion industry punishes them by not producing desirable clothing. 

Christian Siriano, a designer on the Time 100 list, has dressed A-listers for all types of red carpet events.  (This guy got his start on Project Runway.)  The red carpet is like the Superbowl for fashion designers since these outfits are shown nationally and critiqued endlessly.  When Leslie Jones ("Ghostbusters" actor) couldn't find anything to wear for the red carpet premiere, Siriano stepped in.  Now, he's producing a ready to wear line in sizes 0 - 28.  Sirano is mirroring the new trend in the industry.  He says, "Beauty comes in all different forms.  We need to celebrate it."  Every other aspect of the garment industry is flat EXCEPT for garments that are size 14 and up.

I also learned one reason the garment industry has been so slow to adapt to production of ready to wear clothing in plus sizes.  You have to cut an entirely different pattern for clothing larger than  size 14.  You need bigger bustlines, longer crotchlines and bigger hips since larger women are "wider and deeper, but their arms and legs are the same size".  Skills like this aren't routinely taught in design schools.  Re-patterning  costs money. 

Another fascinating nugget was how Lane Bryant, the queen of plus sizes, got started.  First, she was a real woman.  (Lena Himmelstein Bryant).   She was a Lithuanian immigrant who was a seamstress in New York City.  In the early 1900's, a pregnant customer asked her for a dress she could wear outside her home.  Bryant wasn't a designer, but she could instantly sniff out a market.  Initially, department stores refused to buy her designs:  These clothes were indecent.  She turned to catalog sales and the rest is history.  She was also the first entrepreneur to make clothes in the 1950's for 'chubby' teen girls.  It wasn't until the 1920's that there was mass produced 'stout wear' from the rest of the garment industry.  It was relegated to 'special sections', just like it still is today.  The 'special section' creates a stigma of its own. 

Even with proven sales, and data on this growing market, "lots of companies are waiting for critical mass.  They are looking at their competitors and thinking, 'You guys go first'."  Even with the hesitancy of the core of the industry, big women are getting more choices than ever before.  From teens, new to fashion, to professional women, to post age 50 women, thanks to the internet, there are more clothes available than ever before. 

A huge plus to this article was naming the designers producing ready to wear clothing which you can peruse on-line showing it modeled by big women instead of pencil sized women.  Here is a small smattering of the websites you might want to check out.

Candice Huffine:  Day/Won  https://day-won.com/

https://www.all67.com/

This link shows the clothes on different sized models:  https://www.goodamerican.com/

Megababe beauty concentrates on beauty products for big women. 
https://megababebeauty.com/collections/all-products

Some of the other brands/websites you can look for are:  CoEdition, Reformation, Roucha, Tadeshi Sjoji, NYDJ, JCPenney's, Franne Golde, Lafayette 148 New York, Talbots, Loft, Gwynnie Bee, Stitch Fix, Dia& Co, Violeta by Mango, ASOS Curve and Plus Size, Simply Be. 

Work out clothes:  Fabletics, Sela Fit, Beyond Yoga.

Big shoes:  Long Tall Sally, Amazon Fashion, Lonia.

Shapewear:  Ruby Ribbon, ThirdLove.

I've just given you a skim of this article.  It was published in "O" in 2018.  You can probably find it in its entirety online.   

       
   

Accumulation Redux

Ten years ago I handled everything Drake and I owned - well, except for some garage tools.  We created three piles:  store, take, or discard.  It took about two years to downsize our Hurst household.  I really thought I'd never have to do that again.  Well.....  Hold on there.  This spring I've found myself doing exactly that AGAIN as we take off for a Brooklyn adventure.  Take is what goes into the steel boxes to be freighted.  Store is what is staying in the Sun City house, and discard is actually giveaway to various charitable organizations rather than in the garbage.   

I think the most disheartening revelation about this whole redux process is, despite my best efforts, I seem to have re-accumulated.  The only thing holding down the acquisitions is I have fewer square feet to work with.  And, don't misunderstand, my 'best efforts' are pretty ruthless.  I don't buy books anymore, and I still have less than roughly half the number of clothes I used to have.

So, what do we buy?  I guess the number one acquisition since we left Texas has been art.  I have lithographs of the Pacific Northwest.  I have added paintings of New England, Nova Scotia, Colorado, Pacific Northwest, Arizona, and a woodblock print.  I've bought pottery, sculpture, a Japanese quilt square and painted plates.  This has been added to what I kept from my Texas house.  I've had to 'salon style' hang lots of the pieces since our wall space is severely limited.

The other category which is creeping up in accumulation  is all my sewing and embroidery supplies.  I'm a sucker for thrift store/discount store material.  I love to sew, and still make a certain percentage of my own clothes.  Now, I'm doing limited sewing for the new grandson.  (Good thing he's not a girl!  There's definitely a home sewing bias between girl babies and boy babies.) 

The price of fabric has skyrocketed as individually owned fabric stores are now almost non-existent.  Hancock's (national fabric store) went bankrupt and closed down.  JoAnn's national chain is driving everyone else out of the business.  This store has a defacto monopoly - especially on fabric.  They can pretty much charge whatever they want for fabric, notions, and embroidery supplies.  With ordinary fabric running $6 to $10 a yard, it's hard to pass up $1 a yard material at thrift stores even if I don't have an immediate use for it.  The same goes for 'tools' and 'notions'.  For example, I bought a snap fastener tool for $1 at a thrift store not too long ago, and I saw the exact same tool for sale at the above mentioned fabric store for $25.  Same goes for a rotary cutter, all kinds of scissors, embroidery thread, patterns, - oh, the list goes on and on.  The fact remains I still have to find places and drawer space for these acquisitions.

If someone like me who has the mindset of, "If I haven't used it in a year or more, I probably don't need it." struggles to keep accumulations down, it's no surprise the Japanese woman who is selling the purging idea has not only a book but also a TV show on how to get rid of your stuff.  I must say, though, thanking every piece you unload is a little over the top for me.

However, I do approve of her basic idea that we all have too much stuff cluttering up our lives, weighing us down, and sometimes clouding our priorities.  People often ask me if I don't 'miss' all the items I've jettisoned over the years.  Sometimes they don't really even believe me when I say, not only 'no', but that having fewer things is freeing. 

Still it's a struggle.  I like a comfortable life.  Many of my purchases are all about aesthetics but many are about convenience.  Another area of purchase is I love to give gifts, and I struggle to not foist off on others stuff they ultimately don't want just because I like to give.  Inside our family, we try to avoid giving lots of things.  Instead, we try to keep our gift purchases to consumables, especially at holidays, but even so gift items creep up on me.

One problem which fuels re-accumulation is I never met a clearance rack I didn't want to stop and chat with.  Over the years, I've learned two things about 'clearance'.  (1)  If no one else wanted it, you probably don't either, and (2) If you don't have an immediate use for it, don't buy it even if it's 80% off.  Still, even a savvy shopper like me can sometimes hear and be seduced by the siren call of 'clearance'.

On the other hand, I don't need immediate gratification.  I can see something appealing, put it down and walk away from it until I can check out reviews about it and find the most attractive price.  Then, if it passes the, "Yes, I absolutely need this test."  I'll buy it.  People who can't 'wait' to make purchases baffle me.

The other type of shopper I don't understand are those who MUST shop in the most expensive places.  Value is not often found in price or brand.  Usually, only status is found in price or brand, and I don't really want or need validation of self worth from my possessions or where I buy them.

However, my point is just because I can get it for peanuts doesn't mean I should buy it.  Filling my house 'up' is not a game I want to play, but obviously, invariably, in this land of too many and too much, I find myself playing.       



 

Milano

While we loved our Italian trip, if I had to rank the cities, Milan was my least favorite.  It was because it seemed so international and cosmopolitan while Florence and Venice seemed to exist in Renaissance and Medieval times.  This was also the wealthiest of the four cities we visited.  

If I had to express the essence of Milan in one word, it would be "CLOTHES".  We stayed in the downtown area and street after street were filled with upscale shops with windows full of the most beautiful clothes I've ever seen en mass in person.  These were not 'runway' clothes, most of which are practically unwearable, but rather with well tailored, well designed clothes which would be a pleasure to wear everyday.  How glad I was to be 68 instead of 28.  My age saved me lots of $$$$.  The clothes were all obviously made to be worn by the young professional woman either at work or at play.  They were still a joy to see in the windows and then equally striking 'shown' in real life on the streets.

While we did the obligatory (on my vacations, anyway) museums, and there were a couple of wonderful ones, the iconic activity was attending the Nutcracker Ballet at LaScala Opera House, one of the most famous 

performance venues in the world.  It was opened in 1778.  The exterior is quite unimposing, and my first thought on finding it was, "Can this really be it?".  The interior was also pedestrian, but the quality of the sound was magnificent.  

Now, we've seen the Nutcracker a zillion times.  Two things made this performance unique.  We were touring a famous Milan art museum, and two other Americans asked Drake if he knew the location of something in the museum.  They struck up a conversation, and it turns out they were from the New York City Ballet.  They were in Milan supervising the production of The Nutcracker which was using the George Balanchine choreography - owned by the NYC ballet.  (For ballet neophytes - Balanchine was the artistic director of the NYC Ballet for decades, and he's famed for his intricate and difficult to dance choreography.)  They told Drake the dancing was so/so, but the music would be fabulous.  Boy, were they right.  I don't know how in 1778 they got the acoustics exactly perfect, but I've never heard Tchaikovsky any better.

We also saw the Medieval heart of Milan, a walled fort which has been restored.  Even though Milan was the coldest of our destinations, it was refreshing to be outdoors walking around this huge walled fort.  As to approach, there's a large fountain.

Half the fountain is to the left

  

One of four towers on each corner

   

Fortified gate into the fort

  I actually had to miss a museum inside the fort - it was closed, but I suspect the building itself was the major attraction.  During the restoration, the restorers uncovered 'ancient Milan' from the Roman times, and piled all the bits and pieces from that time period in one corner of the courtyard.

Naturally, Milan has a cathedral.  It's not just any cathedral - it's the largest in Italy, larger than St. Peters.  The Milan Duomo began construction in 1387 and continued for 600 years!  Napoleon coerced and bribed the 'builders' to finish the facade since this is the site of his coronation as the King of Italy.  This cathedral is basically in the Gothic style with flying buttresses, and it looks like a giant confection.

Gargolyes inside the museum

Outdoor gargoyle on Duomo Cathedral - with pigeon deterrent

As with other major sites, most of the original outdoor decorative work has been replicated and the originals moved to an adjoining museum.  This cathedral was as gigantic inside as it was outside.

We were here on the Saturday before Christmas.  This was a performance hall for concerts (thus the extra chairs), as well as the extra religious services.  The Duomo Plaza has the Cathedral on one side and the Vittorio Emanuele on the other side.  The Vittorio Emanuele is the Rodeo Drive of Milan.

The 'Sworovski' Christmas tree - decorated with crystals

Even the swank shopping area had marble, columns and decorative murals.

Of course, I went to art museums in Milan.  In the top fine arts museum is hung one of the most revered painting in Italy - nope, it's not religious, but rather, patriotic.  It's by Francesco Hayez, an Italian Romantic painter.  It's the essence of a romantic kiss, but it symbolizes the beginning of the union of Italy into one nation.  It is in the Pinoteca de Brera (lots of other great pictures too).  

"The Kiss" by Hayez

Our other adventure in Milan was the result of a travel article I read before we went.  We tracked down a shop inside a courtyard which creates decorative hand painted plates.  This is a family business run by two generations of women.  Below is the daughter standing outside the shop window.  My 'big' Italian souvenir was a pair of hand painted plates. 

This is the daughter holding one of the plates I bought

Finally, while I took fewer pictures in Milan than anywhere else in Italy, there are still lots and lots.  I would suggest you look at the first set entitled 'Milan', and then move onto the art if you are interested.

Milan 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/j8yepSkyEBZLbTeSA

Pinoteca de Brera (fine art museum)

https://photos.app.goo.gl/pbND6u9MzNK89grP9

Ambrosiana Museum (art/decorative arts)

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ky4NqgbCK1fAgSQf7

Poldi Museum (decorative arts)

https://photos.app.goo.gl/zYRaBXB4WAfHvgPg9

Spring Training - Texas Rangers - 2019

Readers, I have a hardcore group of baseball fans, specifically Texas Ranger fans, who wait annually for my first hand, eye witness report from Spring Training.  The title warns you, but if you didn't read the title before clicking, well, this is going to be about the Texas Rangers.

There's one word which describes all of the Spring Training season this year:  WHACK.  First, it started a week early, and because we've had the coldest, wettest winter in Arizona in ten year, I wore my long underwear to the games at least three times.  For the first time I can remember, there were two games called off because of rain.  Normally, in 15 games, there's usually one chilly game (long underwear under the jeans), two long sleeve shirt games, and the rest short sleeve games.  This year there were three long underwear games, and only one short sleeve game.

We usually see a preponderance of American League West teams with a couple of National League teams thrown in.  Not this year.  Why?  Ichiro, the first native born Japanese player in the majors who played most of his career with Seattle, brokered some type of deal which sent the Oakland A's and the Seattle Mariners to Japan beginning March 14th for a series of exhibition games with Japanese teams.  So, we saw neither the Mariners nor the A's in Spring Training.  Instead, we saw the Milwaukee Brewers three times and a slew of National League West teams.

Now, you probably think the major league season starts in Cinncinati.  Nope.  This year it started March 20th in Japan with a series between the Seattle Mariners and the Oakland A's.  There will also be two separate series between major league teams in Mexico City as well as one series in London England between the Red Sox and Yankees.   These 'international' series will be scattered throughout the year and the games 'count'.

Cinncinati is special this year.  It's the 150th anniversary of major league baseball.  Most historians count major league ball from the 1869 Cinncinati Red Stockings.  The Reds have announced they will showcase 15 'throwback' uniforms throughout the year.  Other notable dates:  50th year of the Brewers.  It's the last year to play at the Ballpark in Arlington.  It's the 50th anniversary of the 'Amazin' Mets' who won the 1969 World Series against all predictions.  

Now, to the Rangers.  Don't get your hopes up.  Sigh.  Jon Daniels bought three re-tread pitchers, signed a 4th man in the rotation as a starter for one year, and resigned Mike Minor.  We saw Lynn today, and he couldn't get his curve ball over - at least he couldn't today.  Of the three re-treads - they are all proven major league pitchers who have had Tommy John surgery.  The name you'll recognize is Edinson Volquez.  The other two restreads are Shelby Miller and Drew Smyly.  These three have shown their 'speed' is back, and they have performed well in Spring Training.  Stamina is another matter.  Realistically, if only one can manage to pitch the entire year with anything in the positive win column, well, that's probably the best to be hoped for.

Otherwise, we're going to have a hot young team:  Guzman (1st - age 24), Odor (2nd - age 25), Andrus (SS - age 30 - fyi his 10th year to start, and he's a new Dad - little girl born in November) Cabrera (3rd - age 33 - he's a place holder,  Gallo (LF - age 25), DeShields (Center - age 26), Mazara (RF - age 23)  

Elvis hit the snot off the ball in Spring Training.  I expect he will have his finest year ever.  He's in the prime of his career.  We have him locked in through the 2022 season.  Odor is showing an increasing tendency to hit to left and beat the extreme 'shift' of all the fielders to the right side of the field.  Gallo is striking out less.  Mazara has had a slow start at the plate, but I'm not worried about him.  Ranger power (number of expected homeruns):  Gallo (40+), Odor (25+), Mazara (25+), Andrus (20+), Guzman (15+).  

Most improved player?  DeShields.  He was hitting and running with abandon this spring, and his fielding is noticeably improved.  We watched him 'manufacture' several runs by getting on base, stealing second, getting to third, and coming home on the passed ball.  You can just see how nervous the fielders are when they handle the ball when he's on base.  

The other interesting wrinkle to this team in the signing of Hunter Pence, (age 35) an all-star quality outfielder in his prime, to a one year deal.  He adds the much needed right handed bat, and I expect platooning with Choo at the DH.  Choo and Pence both looked like consummate professionals this spring.  Pence is wildly popular, so expect to hear cheers when he bats.  (The Giant fans and the Dodger fans gave him ovations when he came to the plate in Spring Training.)  Logan Forsythe, a journeyman utility infielder was also signed.  If we could possibly unload Choo, it would free up a spot for one of the talented outfielders languishing in the minors.  

Cabrera, a solid player, is definitely at the end of his career.  There may be a bit of fielding weakness at third base this year.  The Rangers have two strong candidates which will compete for the 3rd base position next year.  Patrick Wisdom was acquired in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals.  He has an insanely strong arm on the throw from third to first.  Of course, it's all about, can he hit at the major league level.  His competition, Matt Davidson, was acquired from the White Sox.  He's a combination third baseman and PITCHER.  Yes, there's a possibility he will be converted to a relief pitcher.  This coming year, though, the Rangers want him to focus on his hitting.  These two players are both 27.

The real problem for the Rangers is pitching.  There isn't a genuine #1 or #2 starter in the lot.  At best, our opening day guy, Minor, is a solid fourth position starter.  Relief pitching looks marginally better.  Jose LeClerc, who Daniels signed to a long term contract, looked lights out this spring.  Two young pitchers Brett and Chris Martin both pitched well, but we'll have to see how they do facing major leaguers.  Jesse Chavez is back with us for a second stint.  Jeffrey Springs, a home grown 26 year old leftie made the club.  He's on cloud nine.  Relief pitching looked solid in Spring Training; however, they can't come in routinely in the 4th inning.  Starting pitching is going to doom us this year.

The most disappointed player to leave Spring Training is Willie Calhoun.  He's a sparkling young player who sprays hits.  He came to camp 25 pounds lighter and he looked faster on the bases and in the outfield as a result of his weight loss.  He's worked hard this past year on his fielding, but Pence beat him out for the 4th outfielder spot.  Calhoun is very young (age 24), so another year of constant play and seasoning in AAA will help him.  He's the first call up if a fielder falters.  

That leaves catcher:  We signed a veteran catcher, Jeff Mathis, who has the best 'framing' action in the majors - luring umpires to call more strikes.  He's going to mentor our young (age 24) talented catcher Isiah Kiner-Falefa in the finer points of the catching game since Isiah has been converted to catching from the infield.  Kiner Falefa will compete next year with Alex Trevino to become the Ranger's first string catcher.  Trevino has been sent down to AAA and Kiner-Falefa will probably catch at least one-third of this season's games at the big league level.

The best case scenario, and I mean pie in the sky best case, is all three pitching re-treads perform way, way above expectation keeping us late into games.  Our young hitters take a 'step up' spraying homers and getting the timely hit.  We have minimal injuries, and we get off to a rocket start.  Otherwise, expect the Rangers to be bottom lurkers.  A solid season would be playing 500 ball perhaps as late as August 1st.

That said, the young fielders honing their craft at the plate and in the field will be fun to watch.  Watching 'The Condor' (Guzman) at first base is worth watching this season.  It could be a break out season for him at the plate.  His play at first base is already a treat.  Elvis is always a joy - he loves playing so much.  Odor is also a great teammate, and his fielding is still improving.  

We open on Thursday at home with the Cubs, then the Astros.  We travel to the Angels and then two games with the Diamondbacks.  Not an easy opening stretch, so a 'hot start' is going to be difficult.  The ray of sunshine is Drake and I have tickets to see the Diamondbacks - a 48th anniversary gift to ourselves.  As a sidebar, we will get to see the new artificial turf planned for the new Ranger stadium since it's on the Diamondback field.  Supposedly, this is not "Astroturf", but rather a synthetic surface which reacts and plays like real turf.  I'm skeptical.    

Take heart Ranger fans.  We're rebuilding a solid team, and I'm anticipating Jon Daniels will buy two front line starting pitchers for the 2020 season.  My feeling is he's been positioning the Rangers to be a play-off team as they open their the new stadium.  Then, the sky is really the limit.

Venice - a Feast of the Senses

One month after my last post, I've finally managed to work my way through the thousands (yes, I said thousands) of pictures I took of MY favorite place in Italy.  How ironic is it out of our four Italian cities the one city I was the least excited about turns out to be my favorite:  Venice.  If you had asked me prior to the trip to name my favorite, I would have said, Florence, the city of art, of course.  

My introduction to Venice was shaky.  I had to walk, hobbling with my new 'cane', the length of a long, long, long train.  Then, I had to stand on the Venetian vaporetto (water bus) for an interminable time in a pretty significant amount of sciatic pain as the boat bumped and lurched from stop to stop.  Limping into the hotel, the manager took one look at me and said, "I think you need a place closer to the elevator, and I'm upgrading you to a suite."  The suite turned out to have a second bathroom and a sitting room which became our favorite place to drink a few glasses of Chianti between touring and dinner.  (No one in Venice eats dinner prior to 7pm - which is the Venetian equivalent of a senior citizen 5pm  Early Bird.)  Then, miraculously, I woke up the first morning in Venice with my back and leg pain significantly reduced.

I would recommend you see Venice in the depths of winter.  It's chilly, and I wouldn't recommend a gondola ride, but what is not present are 20 million tourists overwhelming not only every attraction, but every street, restaurant, and shop.  Currently, there are only 55,000 people living in Venice all working in  serving the tourists.  They are losing population at the rate of over 1000 people every year.  Normal services are almost impossible to find, and for more than half the year it's the worst possible congestion you can imagine.  This place is slowly becoming the Disneyland of Italy with turnstiles (installed in April of 2018) to reduce the number of visitors allowed during the peak season.  The problems of too many visitors are interlocking:  Too many gigantic cruise ships, too many tour groups from the 'mainland',  and too many 'day trippers' from Italy.

The most famous attraction in Venice, the St. Mark's Basilica and Piazza is wall to wall bodies in June, but here's what it looks like in December.  Even so, we were 'herded' through the Basilica - well, except in the parts you had to pay extra Euros for - like touring the creepy Reliquary Room.

Amazing St Mark's Basilica in the background

There is a funny story about the Basilica which took generations to build.  The legend says, the night before the Basilica was to be officially consecrated and St. Mark's bones re-interred under the altar, (they dug him up while construction was going on); the Doge (ruler) of Venice was told St. Mark's bones had been lost.  I would have hated to have been that messenger!  Anyway, that night, the Doge had a dream in which he was led to the forgotten resting place of St. Mark, and lo and behold, when he checked there on the consecration day - there were St. Mark's bones!  Nothing like a little manufactured divine intervention.  The "discovered" bones are the ones interred under the altar.
This Basilica is totally unique.  The interior of the domes are covered in gold mosaic tiles.  We saw nothing else like this in any of the other three major Basilicas we toured. 

This is a 'bootleg' pictures since there was a sign that said 'NO PHOTOS'.

You could stand and study the exterior of the basilica for hours and still not see everything.  The intricate detail in the stone is one of a kind.  Above each entrance to the Basilica is a half dome done in lavish mosaic, each different. 

The seagull was a total accident

The painting is the story of Adam and Eve

The Lion of St. Mark is the symbol of Venice & is everywhere including atop two flagpoles directly in front of the Basilica

The other main element to the Basilica complex is the Bell Tower even though the actual bell which is rung is outside and atop a building parallel to the Basilica.  A weather vane which just happens to be the  Arch Angel Gabriel stands on top of the Bell Tower holding a lily with three flowers:  God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit - a very common Medieval and Renaissance symbol of the trinity.  (The odd silver thing is a lightening rod.)  This bell tower is a reconstruction since the originally reconstructed tower collapsed in 1902 and was rebuilt in 1912. 

Archangel Gabriel weather vane

We stayed in the center of the other three cities we visited in Italy knowing we were staying in the ancient center of one city (Rome), and the Medieval center of another (Florence), and the commercial center of the third (Milan).  We knew there was a modern city surrounding us which, as tourists, we chose to ignore.  

However, Venice has been the same since Medieval times.  ALL the buildings are hundreds of years old.  The last building boom was in the mid 1600's.  We saw a map from the 17th century of Venice, and all the buildings are still standing - at least their facades are. 

The winding snakelike waterway is the Grand Canal

The close up map below shows  the'tip' of Venice.  I am standing on that tip of land in the center of the map.

This map is pre-steam since all the ships still have sails.  Venice maintained a robust Navy to defend itself.

 

Behind me is the reconstructed St. Mark's Bell Tower (tiny Archangel Gabriel weather vane on top) and the domes of the St. Mark's Basilica

St. Mark's Piazza is anchored on one end by the Basilica and Bell Tower and on the other end by the historical museum of Venice.  The Basilica as well as many Venetian buildings show the influence of the Orient since this town was the trade crossroads between the East and the West for hundreds of years.  Venice was rich, influential, and a strong city state in Italy.  Their location happened because of the fall of the Roman Empire over a period of 300 years (from 200 A.D. to 500 A.D.).  

As Rome became more chaotic and as that chaos extended over most of Italy, a group of people retreated to this swampy land and founded a community.  Water has always been a deterrent to invasion and conquest, and the Venetians used this to their advantage.  As early as 600 A.D., they were minting coins, and beginning to take advantage of their strategic location for trade.  The landscape didn't lend itself to roads, so a canal system formed off the snakelike navigable Grand Canal.  All of Venice is crisscrossed with tiny waterways most a little wider than two powerboats side by side.

The Rialto Bridge is directly behind us

Our hotel, the pink building below, was located at the San Angelo Vaporetto stop which made it convenient to get around.  By sheer luck, we managed to obtain two seven day unlimited vaporetto tickets for the price of two singles.  If you only look at one set of pictures, choose the folder of the views of Venice from the vaparetto boats.  You can hire a vaparetto taxi for a one time ride for about 10 times the price of a single vaparreto ticket.  You can also hire a ride in a historic gondola dodging the motorized traffic.  (In December, this seemed extremely unattractive since they are open air.  It was frigidly cold on the water, and we were seeing the same views via the 'water bus'.)

We are on a Vaparetto waiting to dock at our stop.  Pictured is another Vaparetto boat going the opposite direction docked at our stop.    

Gondolier headed back to his 'parking place'. 
Building covered with white screen is being rehabbed. 

There are two famous bridges in Venice.  One is the Bridge of Sighs.  It's the bridge medieval and renaissance prisoners crossed into prison after their sentences were declared by the Doge of Venice

The Bridge of Sighs - looks out over the Grand Canal, but doesn't cross it.

The most famous bridge is the Rialto Bridge built in only three years with construction starting in 1588.  It was designed to replace various pontoon bridges and other temporary structures and to ease congestion in the most crowded part of Venice.  I never tired of seeing this bridge as we rode the Vaporetto up and down the Grand Canal.  We crossed under it from both sides several times.

I took this picture leaning out over the side of the Vaparetto (with Drake valiantly hanging onto me) as we approached it to cross under.

 The third bridge, not nearly as picturesque, was completed in 1932.  It's wood reinforced with steel.  Our hotel was midway between these two bridges.  The view from the Accademia Bridge is iconic.

View from the Accademia Bridge - named because the Accademia Museum is at the foot of one end of the bridge

Naturally, I saw tons of art here since we toured several musuems.  There is actually a 'Guggenheim' museum here since this was the post WWII home of Peggy Guggenheim, daughter of the famous guy who hired Frank Lloyd Wright to build the Manhattan Guggenheim Modern Art Museum.  We also toured the most beautiful collection of oriental art I've ever seen.  There's an entire gymnasium sized room of gold dusted lacquer which they only open for 20 minutes at a time.

This is a black lacquer box dusted with real gold dust while the lacquer is wet in some process which is long and tedious.  Well worth it, though

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the beautiful Kandinsky painting in the Ca De Pessaro Museum.

I'm wearing a piece of Murano glass jewelry I bought in Venice

Venice is filled with Murano glass.  Murano Island, an hour boat ride off the main part of Venice, and it is the manufacturing center for Murano glass. (duh)  Believe me, you didn't have to carve out the half day to go to the factory, there were many, many examples everywhere of Murano glass from jewelry to chandeliers.

This one hangs in the Correr Museum

Undoubtedly, one of the most unusual things we saw in Venice was at the Palazzo Zaguri.  There was an exhibition there of tapestry.  This wasn't your 17th century stuff; this was the revitalization of an entire industry post WWII.  These people used a place which had produced tapestries for hundreds of years, and started the weavers weaving new designs which they sold initially to cruise ships.  Here's an example

This is actually a tapestry

As fascinating at the tapestries were, I was enthralled by a 1960's 'ship's news' bulletin.  We've 'cruised' since the mid 1970's when they actually printed a newsletter of the events of the day.  Here's a bulletin from one of the first ships to buy the new tapestries being produced in Italy.

Yeah, I know, part of me wants to be on this ship

So, why was Venice my favorite?  Hard to explain.  The experience of the vaparetto.  The beautiful art.  The amazing architecture.  It was an impactful experience which you can't have anywhere else in the world.  I was also hyper aware that the Venice of hundreds of years is vanishing due to the rising oceans.  Repeated flooding is becoming a routine occurrence.  I was very grateful we could see this place before it vanishes.

Lastly, we saw an amazing Renaissance artist:  Tintoretto was the most influential painter of the late Renaissance and early Baroque period.  He painted massive canvases, largely of religious scenes, in which the people could have stepped down and started talking to you.  His use of light and color was and still is unprecedented.  We are lucky to see so many of his famous works collected together to celebrate his 500th birthday.  Venetian churches and museums hold a multitude of his work.  Here's a map which locates who in Venice has a Tintoretto.  (Ironically, you can also locate our hotel - we are the white box right next to Palazzo Fortuny)  If you are interested in seeing some Tintoretto, look at the pictures under the Galleria Accademia (the major Venetian painting collection).

OK - pictures:  There are way, way too many.  I apologize, but there were so many photographic opportunities.  Pick and choose - whiz through, but if you only pick one or two - look at the vaparetto pictures and the St. Mark's pictures.

Venice via the Vaparetto

https://photos.app.goo.gl/7Vsoaqx7eQ7zrhcU9

St. Mark's Piazza & LaSalute

https://photos.app.goo.gl/WPoAXa1XmJeBdv5r6

Ca di Pesarro (Oriental Art & Modern Art) - golden lacquer

https://photos.app.goo.gl/VEnFa1SYFkaA5yLx8

Ca di Oro (Renaissance Art - lots of sculpture)

https://photos.app.goo.gl/k5QCfXWBC9RVioFbA

Galleria Accademia (Tintoretto painting exhibition)

https://photos.app.goo.gl/LGC9tXzXi88YDuhK7

Palazzo Zaguri (Modern tapestries)

https://photos.app.goo.gl/B21Yv6NyXXLPundq7

Palazzo Ducale & Santa Maria Dei Gloriosa dei Frari Church (Decorative arts & the most beautiful 500 year old church)

https://photos.app.goo.gl/PkAEoJ3h4xpVHzwq7

Ca' Rozonica - Decorative Arts

https://photos.app.goo.gl/27Nd6Qr5NQDnqNHZ6

Museum Correr - Venetian history (great exhibition on the impact of printing)

https://photos.app.goo.gl/v86XEDy8NeajFMZC8

Peggy Guggenheim - Modern Art

https://photos.app.goo.gl/wTUdRkiUmJNivqbd7