I Know What You're Thinking

My daughters used to think I could read their minds. Seriously. They had a strategy for preventing me from getting in – they’d picture a cloud of white light around their heads and try really hard not to have any thoughts at all.  They especially did this on the way to school each morning. Apparently this was the one time during the day they felt most vulnerable.

While I can’t claim to have actually read their minds, it was uncanny how the transfer of information would occur. Suddenly an idea would literally pop into my head. Giving voice to what I saw was always met with outraged cries of “Mom! Not again! Stop doing that! “ Eyes wide with terror and arms crossed protectively across their chests, my daughters would look at me accusingly. I could never explain how I’d come to know these things.

So much has been written about mother’s intuition, that mysterious tapping in to your child’s world with a perception that is way beyond normal. How many times have I felt that unexplained urge to check in? Or, seeing my child entering a room, known exactly what she is thinking? Is it possible that sharing one body during pregnancy has enabled a direct line of communication between us all?

You really have to wonder.  The whole phenomenon is not unlike the childhood “phones” my sister and I used to construct; the ones with Dixie cup handsets and a rope cable stretched taut in between.  Whether or not we actually heard anything is debatable, but what is certain is that we were able to conduct entire conversations on the device.

I like to think that mother’s intuition is like that. The child converts her unspoken thoughts into signals and they’re transmitted via the family wire to her mom’s mind.

With age, my daughters have come to deploy the cloud less often as, sadly, carpool days have come to a close. However, my mind-reading ability (call it mother’s intuition) continues to flourish, linking me to my children in ever growing ways. Sometimes it manifests in a strong urge to call, other times an image will suddenly materialize in my mind. I don’t hesitate to pick up the line. I know my daughters are calling. And these days, they’re glad to know I’ve heard what they’re thinking.

Posted by Carole Funger

#mother's intuition

Looking In or Looking Out? Andrew Wyeth Retrospective Has A Point of View

Wind By The Sea by Andrew Wyeth

Sunday afternoon on the Mall--  The story goes that when Andrew Wyeth was painting the view from a dormer in the attic room of the Olson House (subject of many of his works), he opened the window. Suddenly the ocean air came wafting through, gently lifting the frayed lace curtains and disturbing a century’s worth of dust. The image left him speechless with emotion. This experience later became the theme for one of his most important paintings, Wind By The Sea (1947.) 

Now Wind By The Sea and other works by the realist painter are currently on display at the National Gallery of Art. They’re part of an unusual exhibit called “Looking Out, Looking In.” The show centers on Wyeth’s 60-year fascination with windows and his exploration of the subject as a vehicle for conveying complex human emotions.

The exhibit is easy to navigate and consists of 60 watercolors, tempera paintings and drawings rendered in the subdued grey and brown palette that typifies much of Wyeth’s work. Equally divided between works depicting “looking in” and those “looking out,” the images are spare and elegant and raise immediate questions about the nature of transparency and symbolism within the geometric structure of windows.

Many of the images “looking in” include contemplative views of weathered grey farmhouses and old stone homes (one light on) perched high on grass hillsides or buried in snow.  
Other images “looking out” show perspectives from sparse attic rooms, barn haylofts and old worn sheds, even from the artist’s own studio. One particularly arresting work portrays a tiny staircase spiraling downwards out of sight past a rustic stone window. You can faintly glimpse rocks and sea beyond.

Wyeth grew to believe that windows were the eyes and pieces of the soul. He explored the subject using different vantage points, landscapes and reflections to create his imagery, painting in a realist style to convey abstract principles of human emotion and feeling. His paintings show us the dual nature of the window: how views outside can convey feelings of expansion and connection with nature beyond, while views into a home’s interior convey feelings of closeness and intimacy. In these paintings, you can see sadness and nostalgia represented, but also hope and appreciation. The simple geometry of the windows, at once reflective and transparent, beckons you outwards while it raises questions about what lies within.

Over the years, Wyeth continued to experiment with the image of the window, returning to the subject more than three hundred times. “Looking Out, Looking In” is worth the view.

Posted by Carole Funger
#andrewwyeth, #andrewwyethretrospective, #nationalgalleryofartandrewwyeth
The show will only be seen in Washington, DC and is on view at the National Gallery of Art until November 30, 2014.

Meditation

"If we are the trees, words are our roots; and we grow as we write."

Munia Khan

Meditation

Fall sky at Kent Island

Vague and nebulous is the beginning of all things - Kahlil Gibran

There Are No Dead Ends in the Corn Maze

I’ve always been fascinated by mazes and the corn maze, a popular fall activity, is my number one favorite. Far less predictable than the average maze, the corn maze varies each year, adapting its complex network of passages to the whims of its creator. The corn maze challenges us to draw upon the very best of our navigational skills to face the unexpected. Just like in daily life.

Though these days I hear corn mazes are actually designed on the computer, I like to envision the lone mower, seated high atop a tractor, cutting neat paths through the ribbons of rustling corn. In my mind’s eye I see the slender stems falling in advance of the blade, a matted path of dried husks and brown kernels pointing backwards in its wake. Standing stiffly upright, the surviving stalks draw together to form the maze walls, imposing black-and-tan sentries standing guard, their dried silks shimmering in the clear autumn sun.

No stranger to getting lost (even in average circumstances on an average day), I always arrive at the corn maze with some trepidation. Entering in, I brace myself for a series of ever increasing challenges. One pathway ends abruptly at a vegetal dead end, while another beckons me onwards if only to illustrate I have already covered this ground. Frustration mounting, I battle against my cornstalk opponents.  Their dried hulks cast shadows before me, while overhead the limitless sky, co-conspirator in the game, gives no clue. Will I make it through?  Am I up to the challenge? Is it possible I may never get out?

Mazes call upon that part of the brain that helps us make sense of our surroundings, to create a mental picture of where we have been. This function is critical to all problem solving. Strategies used to solve mazes include taking note of environmental cues, improvising when necessary, and most importantly, remaining flexible. (Some say the simple strategy of holding your hand to the wall on the left or the right side will eventually bring you back out. but I’ve yet to try.)  The corn maze is life’s problems in vegetable form. It’s up to you to map your way through.

As I travel through life, it’s hard not to feel frustrated by the many dead ends, the carefully laid plans that fall through and the paths that take me in circles and then back out again. Yet, personal growth hinges on learning to surmount these obstacles, to replace old strategies with new, sometimes to shift the course in a whole new direction. The corn maze embodies this journey. With this mindset, I return to the threshold each year to march bravely through the twists and turns, and, with some luck, finally arrive at the center.

Posted by Carole Funger 
#corn maze, #maze, #frustration

Interesting fun fact: Largest corn maze in the world is located in Dixon, California and is 45 acres

Exotic Fruits 101

What to do with all those odd-looking fruits in the grocery store

Photo: sweetadditions.net

On a recent trip to the grocery, I couldn’t help but notice a large number of odd-looking fruits boldly displayed in colorful array in the produce aisle. While some looked relatively familiar, others seemed brand new to me. I decided to investigate.

It turns out that while odd-looking, many of the store newcomers are not only delicious, but versatile as well. Some taste like blends of familiar fruits, while others have flavors that are almost unrecognizable to our American palates. The fruits can, of course, be consumed as snacks and desserts but they also taste great sprinkled over meats, pureed into sauces and soups and even blended into salsas and cocktails.

Here’s a list of six of the more popular varieties, their characteristics and some ideas (follow links for recipes) on how to enjoy them:

Dragon Fruit, or Pitaya, is perhaps the most well known. It’s a sweetly flavored fruit with bright white or shocking pink flesh and tiny black edible seeds. Ripe fruit can be eaten right out of the skin. Dragon fruit tastes great when added to smoothies, pastries and preserves, even pizzas! Or, thread it onto skewers, grill over medium-high heat and serve with sugar for a delicious dessert.

Cherimoya is a green, grapefruit-sized fruit

with a reptilian-looking exterior and sweet flesh with a creamy texture. Bake, broil or sauté it for a delicious snack or side dish, puree it with lemon juice, olive oil and cilantro for a salad dressing or add slices on top of granola, vanilla yogurt or oatmeal.

Rambutan is otherwise known as “Messy Hair” in Vietnam due to its red hairy outgrowth on the shell.  Don’t let it dissuade you from enjoying this sweet and juicy fruit in curry or as a jam over ribs. I also found a great recipe for dragonfruit/rambutan mojitos.

African Horned Cucumber, also known as Horned Melon or Kiwano, is a cross between a melon and a cucumber. Its bright green flesh with soft edible seeds tastes like a blend of banana, kiwi and not surprisingly, cucumber. Try it as a sauce over grilled beef , slice it into squares or rounds for salads or use it as a substitute for vinegar in salad dressing, whisking the flesh into a little olive oil.

 

Mangosteen, also known as the “Queen of all tropical fruits,” is a mandarine-sized, purple skinned fruit that tastes like a blend of citrus and peach. It has a delicious floral taste and is usually best served simply. Try it in a fresh fruit salad or drizzle it with lemongrass syrup, chamomile or lemon juice for an added punch of flavor.

Starfruit, known for its 5-sided star-like shape has a paper-thin, glossy skin and a crisp and juicy flesh ranging in taste from tart to slightly sweet. In the United States the variety “Kary” is sweet and the varieties “Star King” and “Golden Star” are tart. Use it as a garnish for cheese platters, bake it into candied star-shaped chips  or try it as a steak marinade.

Happy shopping!

Posted by Carole Funger

#exotic fruits, #odd-looking fruits, #fruit recipes