More on the Moors

I love this detail from the Moorish palace. The white and black smooth pebbles were all inlaid to make this design with a drain in the middle and the hedgework all very precisely cut around it. Every detail is beautiful. And then they use water so well and interestingly. A fountain on one level, goes down into another fountain and sort of a trough and then it reappears as a little channel of water going through the center of the walkway.

Moorish Architecture

One of the reasons I really wanted to go to Spain was to see the Moorish architecture. Unfortunately, the way it worked out, we were not able to go to Grenada where the Alhambra is. Malaga had an old Moorish palace which we got rushed through. Edith and I aren't very good at being rushed and so I didn't get to enjoy it as much as I wanted to. Still...what little time we were there, I enjoyed the details. Here are some examples of the Moorish arches and intricate stone and tile work. It is interesting to see how the Moorish, Jewish, Christian and Spanish styles have worked and merged together over the years.

Back from Vacation!

Hello all, I've been back from Europe for a little while, but seems like I had so much to do, I had gotten to the blog. And I only just recently got my new computer up and running. It really makes me happy!

I have over 900 photos I took. I love being able to do it digitally, and who knows if I'll ever be back to some of these places, so I snap, snap snp!

This is the castle at Neuenschwanstein. While very picturesque, it isn't my favorite. My favorite that I saw was Burg Eltz. Neuenschwanstein was King Ludwig of Bavaria's fantasy castle and never a family home. Burg Eltz has been in existence in the same family since the 1100's. Quite amazing. And even more amazing for the area it was never destroyed. The guide said it was because they were quite diplomatic and always knew which side to be on. I'm thinking maybe they didn't have very strong alleigences or prinicples that they were willing to stand up for. Who knows? Anyway since the family has owned it for centuries, it looks pretty cool. I'm still organizing photos and hopefully I will have one of Burg Eltz to post. Walgreens seems to have messed up my CD's so we will see!

One of the things I found really cool in Germany was all the iron and metal work. They had lots of really cool signs like this one. In the older parts of the towns and villages. And the hinges were amazing. They had these fabulous decorative hinges on the front doors of Churches and other important places. Although one of the neatest hinges I saw was on the stable doors at Hohenschwangau castle. It just isn't something you ever see here. I kept pointing them out and my friend Robin said she would never look at hinges in the same way again!

Here are the hinges on the front door of the church in Dinkelsbuhl (don't you just love that name?). This church was built in 1469. That in itself is amazing. And inside they have the dressed bones of St. Aurelius who was beheaded in Rome in AD 69 for being a Christian. Someone said, but he has a head! Well yeah, but they are just bones and they can put the head with the rest of the body!

Anyway this is him. He has a lace covering over his face and jewel encrusted clothes. Apparently he was in Italy until the 1770's and then someone brought him to Dinklesbuhl. I never get the venerating the bones of dead people thing. But there he is.

These are some other amazing hinges inside the Church. I'm not sure what these doors were about. We didn't have a tour guide to ask. They had these special doors on either side of the building in the back of the church. at first I thought they were vault doors on crypts, but you could see cracks of daylight through them. So then I decided they must be for special holy days they open them and use them.

These are other views from Dinklesbuhl. It is an old medieval walled town that has gotten as touristy as Rothenburg. I liked Rothenburg too though, but we spent the night in Dinklesbuhl and so had a chance to stroll around and enjoy it in the peace of the locals and evening.

I'll have more entries as I go!

Transitional Me

This photo was taken of me at work last Friday. I was really surprized when I saw it by how thin I looked! I think part of the reason is that it is only upper body, but it is encouraging to see a visual of my progress!



I am now on the off part of my diet until I get back from Europe and I need to be careful not to gain weight. I think it's going to be hard.

I'll be out of the loop for a little while, able to get email and respond,but I don't think I can blog, we'll see if I can figure it out while I am gone! Be back mid May!

Desert View 72!

My grade school reunion was this past weekend and it was a blast! I think we missed a few in the group photo. We also had 8 former faculty show up and quite a few spouses, friends, etc. Everyone had worked hard and yet it was still not that hard to pull off, really.

Finding people was one of the more difficult things and getting an accurate count of how many to expect. It was a warm, friendly and memorable weekend.

I heard requests to do it again all the tway from every year, every two years, etc. I know we'll do it again, I'm just not sure of the frequency yet. I think one of the things that made it so fun, was that a lot of us had been talking on line for quite a while before the reunion and that made it feel more comfortable when we finally met up. And we had also had a chance to look up photos of who was coming so we would remember them.

This is me with Ron Stephens and his wife. Ron was a very popular guy in grade school and I don't know that we had ever really talked before. He claimed we were friends in 4th grade. Maybe.....but I really don't remember.

We had a total of 8 of the former teachers show up. Pretty funny when you think we are all going to be 50 this year. It was great fun to see them and when one of the girls said, You paddled me!, the teacher said, yes and I regret it. Pretty funny.

This is the some of the former 8th grade pom line posing with an impossibly small outfit from then. Too funny! Some of these same girls were dancing on the tables by the end of the evening. Once a Pom girl always a Pom girl I guess!

Looks like a good time was had by all, huh?

Progress Report

I just wanted to let you all know how the diet is progressing. I'm not losing as fast as at first, but am still losing steadily. I've lost 53lbs so far! I'm pleased. I have to go off the strict part of the diet mid month until I come back from Europe. I'm hoping to just maintain while I'm gone. The doctor thinks I might still be able to loose because I'll be active while on vacation. I hope so. But I've been active here lately too, riding my bike! It's been fun. I'm trying to get a ride in with everyone who wanted to go for a ride before I leave, because I know it will be darn hot by the time I get back from Europe!

Portraits

We have started doing portraits in my drawing class now. It is hard to try and make it really look like the person, but I am making progress. Here is my first one:

Here hair looks like her, but I made her nose and face a little long and her face to angular. It's amazing what a few centimeters can do. I'm drawing her again in class this week and am doing a better job.

Last Wednesday we drew again and I did a lot better job. I was surprized at how well I did. Partly it's because my teacher comes around behind me regularly and tells me things I can do to correct it and make it look more like the guy. But still, I was very pleased! I don't think I'll do as well without her help, but I'll work on it. This REALLY looks like him!

Pretty soon I'm going to have to do a homework assignment without her to help and we'll see what I can do!