Just Passed Go 
My plans for Day 4 in Madrid included visiting the hermitage of San Antonio de la Florida in Madrid, where Goya’s tomb is located and his murals fill the church. The art inside is quite stunning, but they don’t allow photography – the nuns are in their office but keep an eye on things via … Read more
Something prompted me last night to pull a manila envelope out of a plastic bin which holds a collection of stamps started when I was in elementary school. I can’t remember the last time I looked in this envelope – at least a couple years – and I had forgotten how many stamps I have, … Read more
I got a letter in the mail from the New York Times, informing me that the cost of home delivery is going up – again. I thought, didn’t I just have an increase recently? I get the Sunday Times delivered to my home, and with that includes digital access every day. I love the Sunday … Read more
One of the things I like visually about Pittsburgh is the yellow bridges; there’s a variety of suggested reasons for them all being the same color. One, for safety and visibility, as they stand out in fog and rain. Two, for maintenance ease, as it’s easier to spot flaws on a light surface. Three, for … Read more
One of the things I liked about visiting Bonaire was that one could drive around the perimeter of the island and find multiple access points to the water – some were official beaches, others were just simple paths to the water. In this case, as I’m following the path to the ocean, I realized that … Read more
I was exploring a beach in Bonaire when I noticed a bird atop a cactus, eating something. It was unexpected, since one would think the prickles on a cactus would discourage any animal from resting on it, let alone eat it. What is this bird? The colors and markings indicate that it’s a brown-throated parakeet, … Read more
I was looking through some old photos that my mom had saved, and came across this: The Tama County Freedom Rock. I haven’t seen it in person myself, but she was there with other members of our family to check it out ten years ago and took these photos. This specific painted rock is part … Read more
I was in Lambertville, NJ, looking at antiques, when I spotted this bullfighter painting by José González de la Peña. I love the drama of the image, the way the red cape swirls around the torso of the matador. While I saw the exterior of two different bullfighting arenas on my trip to Spain, I … Read more
I received a book as a Christmas gift titled “Spanish Art in New York,” which acts as a guide book to the museums, libraries, and other public spaces in New York City that have art works by significant Spanish artists. As I was flipping through the book, I happened upon El Greco’s well-known painting “View … Read more
I was in an antiques store in Hastings-on-Hudson, NY, when I saw this mysterious platter (serving plate?) with a quote from “Ellwood Kieser C.S.P.” from Christmas of 1988. It reads, “I Am Called not To be Successful But to be faithful.” I wonder what the significance of this is? And who is Ellwood Kieser? Ellwood … Read more
