parental summons... not too tramatic
So we returned tonight from Toledo, and the Poodles' parental summons for his birthday.
I love his parents, but his mom drives me insane, and I'll leave it at that, since I could go on and on...
Saturday we all went to the Toledo Zoo- they have SEALS there! I was very content to just watch the seals. They kept going down and lying on the bottom of the tank- like they were snoozin', and then coming up and doing it again after some swimming around. One decided to lie on the big rock thing in the tank right in front of us and turn on his ( her?) back. I took pictures but don't know if any will turn out- water, glass and flash do not necessarily add up to a good shot.
I KNOW I got some awesome pictures of the sloth bear- he decided to play with his ball and I was all alone watching him and could lean on the railing to steady my hands.
Then home for yet another casserole ( don't ask) and cake, then helped Dad plot a course to drive to ME in the fall. Ma doesn't seem to think there is anything to do in Vermont, and has her heart set on seeing some moose. They saw some elk at a place in PA last year, and I think she thinks that the moose will be the same sort of greedy bastards the elk were. Moose are REALLY shy, and I just don't have the heart to tell her. Jeesh!
Today we went to the Toledo Museum of Art, including the Libbey Glass Paviliion. One word- WOW!
In the glass pavilion they have a display of glassware from Roman and Egyption stuff all the way to current. The early stuff was incredible!
They have part of a Chihuly hanging piece that is clear glass that he partnered with the cutters from the Waterford factory on- the typical Chihuly pointy bulbs are all waterford-style cut glass- all different designs. Stunning! There is also a jewelry exhibit and they do glass blowing demos, too.
In the actual museum we didn't even get through the first floor- mostly because of me. I kept looking closely at all the paintings, especially the period ones, looking for neat little details that could possibly become A&S projects!
The best part of the museum is the Cloisters. They have an actual replica of a cloister walk, with honest to God medieval archways saved from French abbeys, and some absolutely STUNNING medieval art, including, wait for it, a piece of mid 14th c. opus anglicanum and or nue that is mounted so that you can get right up close ( if you are 5'10', like me), nose against the glass type of thing! WOW, WOW, and more WOW! I bought a book in the gift shop about the medieval collection, and it says that another piece of the same embroidery is at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Guess we have to go there, too. Oh, damn...
Aside from the typical exasperation with the Ma-beast, not a bad weekend.
MY mom is pressuring me to/threatening to herself if I don't submit a picture of Mal's birthday cake to Mailbox News- a cake decorating publication that prints pictures of regular people's cakes. I am not happy with it- wasn't that day.but SHE loves it. I suppose I could give her the picture, and the MAGAZINE can decide if they want tp print the sloppy -ass thing.
I love his parents, but his mom drives me insane, and I'll leave it at that, since I could go on and on...
Saturday we all went to the Toledo Zoo- they have SEALS there! I was very content to just watch the seals. They kept going down and lying on the bottom of the tank- like they were snoozin', and then coming up and doing it again after some swimming around. One decided to lie on the big rock thing in the tank right in front of us and turn on his ( her?) back. I took pictures but don't know if any will turn out- water, glass and flash do not necessarily add up to a good shot.
I KNOW I got some awesome pictures of the sloth bear- he decided to play with his ball and I was all alone watching him and could lean on the railing to steady my hands.
Then home for yet another casserole ( don't ask) and cake, then helped Dad plot a course to drive to ME in the fall. Ma doesn't seem to think there is anything to do in Vermont, and has her heart set on seeing some moose. They saw some elk at a place in PA last year, and I think she thinks that the moose will be the same sort of greedy bastards the elk were. Moose are REALLY shy, and I just don't have the heart to tell her. Jeesh!
Today we went to the Toledo Museum of Art, including the Libbey Glass Paviliion. One word- WOW!
In the glass pavilion they have a display of glassware from Roman and Egyption stuff all the way to current. The early stuff was incredible!
They have part of a Chihuly hanging piece that is clear glass that he partnered with the cutters from the Waterford factory on- the typical Chihuly pointy bulbs are all waterford-style cut glass- all different designs. Stunning! There is also a jewelry exhibit and they do glass blowing demos, too.
In the actual museum we didn't even get through the first floor- mostly because of me. I kept looking closely at all the paintings, especially the period ones, looking for neat little details that could possibly become A&S projects!
The best part of the museum is the Cloisters. They have an actual replica of a cloister walk, with honest to God medieval archways saved from French abbeys, and some absolutely STUNNING medieval art, including, wait for it, a piece of mid 14th c. opus anglicanum and or nue that is mounted so that you can get right up close ( if you are 5'10', like me), nose against the glass type of thing! WOW, WOW, and more WOW! I bought a book in the gift shop about the medieval collection, and it says that another piece of the same embroidery is at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Guess we have to go there, too. Oh, damn...
Aside from the typical exasperation with the Ma-beast, not a bad weekend.
MY mom is pressuring me to/threatening to herself if I don't submit a picture of Mal's birthday cake to Mailbox News- a cake decorating publication that prints pictures of regular people's cakes. I am not happy with it- wasn't that day.but SHE loves it. I suppose I could give her the picture, and the MAGAZINE can decide if they want tp print the sloppy -ass thing.