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February 25, 2021

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Around Cleveland, there are several stores that handle used sporting equipment. When we skied, 35 years ago, I set us up at garage sales, but places like Play It Again would have been easier. The investment wasn’t too big. But yes, most years I had to jump at an opportunity. Eventually the shoes fell apart and we gave away the skis.


Lest anyone think I'm feeling depressed with these thoughts about old age, (any more than any of us are), I'm not. I was just pondering why country dwellers who feed the birds and the squirrels are doing something expected and normal, while city dwellers who do that in the parks are thought to be sad, pathetic, lonely and even unhinged. Why isn't it OK to have animal friends?

Wow! The exquisite light and color in these paintings. I don't ever remember being so moved and delighted by a painted winter scene.

Your paintings are superb - as are the descriptions. I always have a big happy smile on my face after reading your diary. Please publish - I will be your first customer!

This, and the skaters painting, are treasures. Winter walking hs saved my mental health too! I also notice a courtly recognition from other regular walkers, we've become an almost-community like the dog people. I've also noticed a new social ev ent, the "walking brunch" in which three or four persons, each clutching a big cup of coffee and a pastry, walk and, keeping distance, talk.
And yes, it has been an absolutely beautiful winter, and the city seems determined to step up and provide residents with those paths, traiis and impeccably-maintained bike lanes.

Those paintings are wonderful! So full of life. I love your still life paintings but these are the best!
We lived in Stockholm one winter and the city provides ice skating and lit ski trails. It gets dark around 2 PM but Swedes are out. No more ice skating for us these days either.

Well Beth I haven’t looked at your blog in a while but today’s my lucky day to be rewarded with those marvelous park paintings. I would love a cold winter walk in the park also, but alas, it is not to be.

I suppose skating allows people to outrun the fatally infectious droplets hanging in the air.

I'm also fascinated by the technical challenges of depicting the more distant skaters. Two or three strokes of the brush and that's it! The gap between right and wrong seems so tiny.

Lovely, lively images! I spent quite a while today staring at the woven shadows of trees on snow--and when the wind kicked up, the firs made beautiful blue swarming shadows. This year has been more like my first decade in Cooperstown--big snows, lots of snow on the ground, grand icicles, wonderful frost pictures.

As for that business of growing older, I'm so pleased to find that the desire to make doesn't ebb, and that I have so many friends still being wonderfully creative in their later years.

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Who was Cassandra?


  • In the Iliad, she is described as the loveliest of the daughters of Priam (King of Troy), and gifted with prophecy. The god Apollo loved her, but she spurned him. As a punishment, he decreed that no one would ever believe her. So when she told her fellow Trojans that the Greeks were hiding inside the wooden horse...well, you know what happened.

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