Fun with Colin

We decided to celebrate Colin's birthday by spending time alone with him. The best part was hanging out at home, talking and playing games like chess, Jewels, Old Maid, and Fish.

 Chillin' with Mima

A birthday present: A bug vacuum

 Another birthday present: The Ultimate Bug-Opedia

 Enjoying Norwegian waffles for breakfast and reading the bug book.

We did go out once as well. First, we met Katie at Tyson's Corner for lunch.

Then we went to the Children's Museum at National Harbor. We were not impressed!

Wash Post Book Club

My friend Gertraud and I attended the first session of the Washington Post's revived Book Club and the author was none other than the marvelous Isabel Allende! What a thrill to hear her speak in person! She is one of my very favorite authors and I have read most of her books.

For the first part of the program Allende was interviewed by a Post reporter. Then members of the audience (perhaps 500 people?) were invited to ask questions. Allende was charming, funny, dynamic, exuberant, and informative. It was a very entertaining evening.

Representatives from Politics and Prose were there to sell copies of  her latest book, The Ripper. (She is on tour in the US to publicize this book.) I bought a copy, of course, and had her sign it. This book is a mystery, a new genre for her. I can't wait to read it!

Isabel Allende at the table signing books

Larissa's Birthday Party - Finally!

After a three-month postponement, we finally gathered at the Aroma restaurant near GW to celebrate Larissa's birthday. Unfortunately, Oksana, Jodi, and Ginny were unable to join us.

We had a delicious Indian lunch and enjoyable conversation. I forgot to take photos inside but Larissa and I took some outside where the mercury had dipped way below zero. Here we are all bundled up but happy.

 Sue, George, Larissa

 George, Christine, Sue

Silent Shakespeare

When I read the announcement about a silent production of Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night," I was intrigued and wanted to attend a performance. My sister readily agreed.



The venue was the Synetic Theater in Crystal City. This theater was founded by Paata and Irina Tsikurishvili from the Republic of Georgia and "dedicated to the fusion of dynamic art forms from text and drama to movement, acrobatics, dance, film and music." 

Katie thought the performance was "fantastic," but I thought it was too far out and rather boring. The reviews, however, were uniformly positive and enthusiastic. In any case, I am glad I attended. It was definitely an interesting experience. No dialogue but lots of noise. What is Shakespeare, however, without the spoken language?



Before going to the theater, we had lunch at the Crystal City Jaleo. I was pleased with my two yummy tapas and flan but Katie was unfortunately not very satisfied with her meal.

Quilts

George and I went to the National Museum for Women in the Arts to hear a gallery talk for the exhibit "Workt by Hand." The talk was excellent and the quilts were lovely.

Afterwards, we had lunch in the museum cafe - a very elegant setting for a delicious lunch.

Intersections

My friend Barbara wanted to see the Van Gogh exhibit at the Phillips Collection so we went together. I had seen this wonderful exhibit twice already so I went through it again quickly and spent the rest of my time exploring other areas of the museum.



I first visited John F. Simon's "Intersections: Points, Lines, and Colors in Succession"


Simon chose "Succession," a 1935 painting by Wassily Kandinsky, and then created four new paintings to intersect with the "old" tradition. I have posted below two of the four paintings.

 "Moment of Release"

 "Flowerhead"

Then I went to visit the Laib Wax Room, created by the German artist Wolfgang Laib (b. 1950). Laib says that to enter a wax room is to be "in another world, maybe on another planet, and in another body." 

"The Laib Wax Room"

For this room at the Phillips, Laib melted approximately 440 pounds of fragrant beeswax. He then hung a single bare light bulb to illuminate it. Visitors react in different ways. Some step inside, breathe in the fragrance and then exit. Others, however, go in, sit down, and stay for a while to meditate. I stayed only a few minutes but I was intrigued!

After visiting the museum, Barbara and I had lunch in the Cafe. It was like being in the midst of a Mondrian painting!

New Year Celebration with C & C

The boys were having a lot of trouble keeping their eyes open on New Year's Eve. Did they make it to midnight? No, they didn't!

They greeted 2014 the next morning!

First Snowfall on Apache Street

 

Snow-covered Bushes

                           Two Summer Chairs

                                                                                Gazebo

                                                                    Picnic Table