Searching for ROY G BIV: Brown

We have come to the end of the rainbow. (Hmmmm.... where's that pot of gold?) Luckily, our blog hop hostesses, Julie B Booth and Jennifer Coyne Qudeen, have not let that end our search; this month's color is brown.

The Big South Fork of the Cumberland River was the color of cafe-au-lait after torrential rains...

... as was the Cumberland River right below the Falls.

I love the character of this old building in Richmond, Virginia.

 Our cabin out on the Kinniconick Creek as we put on the cedar clapboard....

Beautiful hand-made chairs at the Kentucky Guild of Artists and Craftsmen Gallery in Berea, Kentucky.

Gorgeous inlaid/carved wood piece at the National Gallery in Washington, D.C.  Unfortunately, I didn't take note of the artist's name.


I hope you enjoyed my browns. To see what other bloggers have in store, go to Jennifer Coyne Qudeen's or Julie B Booth's blogs for a list of links!

Doors and Windows of Richmond, VA

This is a subject I'm drawn to again and again.  (Hmmmm... a subject for a future series, perhaps?)  

So, come with me on a little tour of Richmond, Virginia's doors and windows...

Doors and windows have had, throughout history, much symbolic meaning attached to them, and I don't think it's hard to see why.  Think of a classic book or movie (Wuthering Heights, The Lord of the Rings, Peter Pan, Jane Eyre, Rear Window, The Secret Garden... ) - and there's probably a door or window playing an important role.  Their part in horror movies is obvious.   (Why do the characters always open the door, after  you've pleaded so emphatically with them not to?)

Of course, the symbolism of doors and windows lies in their function:  Opening. Closing.  Who /what is allowed to enter, and who's kept out.  Who's forced to leave (or pushed out!), and who is set free; 

  who's protected and safe within, and who is imprisoned.

  A window may reveal, or conceal.  Symbolically, someone looking out a window is an observer, but not a part of what they see.  Is that a face behind the window, or just a shadow?

 A door may be a passageway, or a barrier.  Is that a spirit moving through a portal, or just a trick of the light?

A window may reveal what's inside,

or only reflect its surroundings.

 

 A window into the past...

 

  ...a moment in time, frozen and framed.

In dreams, two doors side by side often symbolize a choice to be made.  Would you like door number 1, door number 2, or what's behind the curtain?  (What was that show called, anyway?)

A window may function as a stage, where a bizarre story plays out in our imaginations- a view into another world.

A door within a door carefully protects the secrets that lie within...

The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live.  ~ Flora Whittemore

There are things known and there are things unknown, and in between are the doors of perception.  ~ Aldous Huxley

Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls.  ~ Joseph Campbell

I Did It! (thanks to Eleanor)

This short quote has become my mantra:
You must do the thing you think you cannot do.  –Eleanor Roosevelt

You see, I've been a big chicken for a long, long time.  I made some unfortunate decisions, and the consequences left me nearly unable to make any decision whatsoever.  You could say that self confidence has not been my strong suit.  I've been working on it, though.  Whenever I begin thinking, "That's just too hard", or "I don't have the time or energy to do that", or, "I'm not good/strong/smart/whatever enough to...", I make myself repeat, over and over:

"You must do the thing you think you cannot do."

"You must do the thing you think you cannot do."

"You must do the thing you think you cannot do." ...etc. ....

I applied for an exhibit at the Artspace Gallery in Richmond, Virginia, and to my surprise, I was notified that the jury had decided to offer me a show!  I was in shock; what had happened to the usual rejection letter?  Now what do I do?
The usual doubts flooded in.  How could I do this by myself?  Would I be able to drive so far alone?  Could I afford the trip?  How would I get everything done while working full time?  Would I be able to hang it by myself?  Could I take off work that long?  There were a thousand reasons it might not work out.  Maybe I should turn it down, I thought.  It seemed like, well- the safest thing to do.

"You must do the thing you think you cannot do."  I don't remember where I first read them (probably on someone's blog), but I do remember the feeling of recognition, of knowing deep in my bones that those words were true.  How many times had I told my students the same thing- that self esteem comes only from accomplishing something difficult, that no growth comes from taking the easy way out?  So, I signed the contract, and did what I had to do.  Whenever I felt like chickening out, I repeated those words.

And here's what happened as a result.

 My husband was able to go with me, and we got the show hung on time, with no major problems.

The gallery was in an old warehouse, which also housed several other galleries that had openings the same night.  It was a nice space.

You can't tell from the pictures, but the opening was well attended.

Everything went pretty smoothly, and we had a great time!

In other words,

I did it!

That Eleanor, she really knew what she was talking about.

What I Did on My Summer Vacation

I'm back from my trip, and I did have fun in spite of the record-breaking heat in DC.  I thought I'd share a bit about it, while trying not to bore you with too many "tourist photos".  The best thing about my vacation, of course, was getting to spend time with my son, Colin, and his girlfriend, Lindsey.

Here we are at the Potomac River in Old Alexandria.

Old Alexandria is touristy, but very cute, with lots of cool shops and restaurants.  If you're into old buildings that are beautifully restored (which I am), this is a great place to see them.

The Vietnam War Memorial.  I wanted to get the reflection of the wreath in the foreground, with the Washington Monument in the back.  With a little help from Photoshop, it's not too bad.

Part of the World War II Memorial, which was huge and beautiful.

The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History was so cool, I couldn't resist including a couple of photos from inside.

The obligatory bones of extinct animals: this one's a giant sloth.  It was REALLY giant, so if it was coming after you, you'd be REALLY glad that sloths are so slow.

A beautiful old totem pole guards the stairwell.

The Smithsonian Museum of American Art and Portraiture had an exhibit of presidents' portraits...

as well as the winners of the National Portrait Contest.  Here, two girls talk to a sculpture of an old naked guy called, "The sad thing is that I'm so darn happy."  (Well, maybe they weren't actually talking to him, but it looks pretty funny.)

One of my favorite things was the Eastern Market.  There were vendors selling everything from produce to antiques to handmade jewelry.

 We ate two whole pints of these blueberries before we got back on the Metro- yum!

But my favorite booth at the market was the one that sold - incredibly- VINTAGE MAPS!  Can you believe it?  An entire booth that sold vintage maps, prints, stereoscope pictures and lantern slides!  Needless to say, I was a bit excited.  I was determined, however, to show some self-restraint.  I did buy some very nice prints from a 1904 Encyclopedia Britannica, including this:

 Obviously, rock hound that I am, I could not pass this one up!

This one, along with the minerals, will no doubt find places in frames and on my wall.  I don't think I'd dream of cutting them up.

I like the bright colors and designs on this one.

I think this might be my favorite.  It's from an 1889 encyclopedia.

When I got home, I was shocked to realize that I had only bought 3 maps.  What?!!  What was I thinking?  This self-restraint thing has gone entirely too far!  Now I'll have to go back... just to get more maps, of course!

If you haven't entered yet, it's not too late to get in the drawing for my give away.  Just leave a comment on the post previous to this one; entries are open until 4:00 pm Sunday, August 1.