I still have tons of work to do, but I've imported all the posts. Sorry for the inconvenience but I cannot face another day like today. Too much work lost for no good reason other than that Blogger doesn't care because it's free. Everybody I have ever met from wordpress say they love it. I'm missing my fun stuff since it won't accept java script, but I know it won't fail to save my work again.The NEW URL: http://afeatheradrift.wordpress.comThe only thing different is... Read Full Story

This is a Cheyenne woman photographed by Edward S. Curtis. I believe it was taken in 1911. You can find other photos that depict Native Peoples from the Great Plains westward at: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html By the way, there are tons of other subject matter photos here. It's a large chunk of Americana. Hope you enjoy them.On the home front a couple of things. First the office cleaning is done. I owe a great thanks to the Contrarian who hates cleaning but pitched in like a troop... Read Full Story

~~**~~**~~**~~Soon, if you haven't already, lettuce will be going into our gardens. Of course, no matter how carefully you plan, some will get away from you and will bolt. Here's what you can do: Read Veggie Gardening Tips and she will help you and me both out.~~**~~**~~**~~You can find a thoroughly intriguing and thought provoking post at Urantian Sojourn today. It discusses what has happened to our sense of community in American? Did we ever have one? Where did it go? How do we get... Read Full Story

This mural was done by Bartolommeo di Giovanni between 1490-95 in Italy. It is called "Scenes from the Life of Saint John the Baptist." It can be found at the Art Institute of Chicago. I guess I am constrained to recall any of these "scenes" about John.The office is just about done. It will be finished tomorrow since there is but a small area that still needs some sorting. We've moved a lot of things around and it's shaping up as a more usable room now, easier to ... Read Full Story

This beautiful stained glass is undoubtedly more beautiful than any photo can do it justice. It is "The Virgin Mary and Five Standing Saints" and was done between 1440-1446 in Germany in the Rhine Valley. It can be seen at MMA.We had some brief showers this morning and then the sun can out. It is back and forth but more cloudy that anything. The water is just standing still, and it's so frustrating. Both the Contarian and I are just getting so tired of waiting to get out of her... Read Full Story

Maya Deren is the actress and this is a still from a movie called "Meshes of the Afternoon." Done in 1943, it is a 16mm black and white silent film of 14 minutes. The cinematographer was her husband, Alexander Hammid. It is known as a trance film, an experimental cinema. The balance of the provenance can be found at the MoMA site.Nice to finally see some warm weather. Yesterday was quite lovely and I spent some time outside sitting and listening to the birds. The enormous amount of... Read Full Story

Thought that terrorism grew up in some Islamic fundamentalist training camp somewhere in Asia or the Middle East? Wrong you are. Go west young man, go west. America's first confrontation with this evil occurred there, and Urantian Sojourn has all the facts for you. White dudes were the culprits. And can you tell me why Zorro had no sidekick?~~**~~**~~**~~If you like to grow greens, then stop by Veggie Gardening Tips and learn how to get the most from your planting. Many don't like all... Read Full Story

Thus begins the central theme of the movie, The Good Shepard, starring Matt Damon and a cast of prominent actors, and directed by Robert DeNiro. The movie opens and quickly moves to the fiasco that became the Bay of Pigs. Soon thereafter, a CIA spy bemoans that in fact someone on the inside tipped off the Cubans. True to the spy business, terms like "stranger in the house" are used to denote the fact that a mole existed within the CIA.Well, this is not a blog on the relative merits ... Read Full Story

Graduation loomed and I had little idea of what to do next. I was reasonably accomplished at typing, bookkeeping and shorthand. I envisioned working at General Motors in the office, rising to the level of some body's "private" secretary. Why you ask would I set my sights so low? After all, I was graduating third in my class, albeit the total class was 103 students. In order to understand, you have to take a short excursion back in time to 1968.We were stretching our wings as gir... Read Full Story

This beautiful example of African art is a Mask made of wood, fiber, beads, and pigment. It is from Angola or the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is from the late 19th-early 20th century. The word Chokwe leads the discription. I am not sure if that is the tribe or what. I believe it to be absolutely gorgeous though.Well, soggy it is. It has rained almost non stop since about 5 yesterday afternoon. It's getting boring to say the least. We probably will wait to shop until at least Sunday,... Read Full Story