Friday Drive

Dad and I took the MGB out for a drive with his driving buddies from the dog park.  We had a good drive.

These are tailings from the copper mines.
This is actual nature stuff, not created by extractive processes.

I love looking at all the different kinds of cacti.

Great sign!

Car interior.  We had the top on, due to the chilly day.

We drove through Saguaro National Park.

Saguaro cacti are the classic form of cacti that everyone can draw, due to the cartoons.  They are plentiful in the hills, which looks very cool.

We drove to a small airport and had breakfast.  Then I took pictures of all the drivers and their cars.

I’m very interested in this agriculture thing happening in the desert.  It seems like not the best idea, but I know little about the subject.

The view from Sentinel Peak

Having grown up with a very large white B* hovering in the foothills above my hometown, I’m always a fan of discovering letters in the landscape.  There’s a big “A” visible from the freeway in Tuscon.  Dad drove me up to take a look.

Here’s the story.  My favorite part is that the Parks & Rec department now maintains it.  Those college kids aren’t so reliable.

Desert and town

More desert and town

Even more desert and town. 

There were some shading structures with informational signage.  One of them also came with a couple making out, while sitting on top of the informational sign.  Between that couple and the other teenagers getting high back in the parking lot, I think I can say that Tuscon’s Sentinel Peak is not unlike Boise’s Table Rock.

Anyway, rock on top of the shading structure.  I can see how that would be a thing.

The view from the freeway.

*For residents of Boise, that link up there is worth a read.  It’s funny!  I also learned that you can no longer drive all the way to the top of Table Rock.  Fie on that!

Mission San Xavier

Look at the sky!  Blue!  Arizona in March is wonderful!

This is the church that Frank Lloyd Wright dubbed the White Dove of the Desert.  We toured!

Here’s the rocky thing next to the church with the cross on top.  I know it has a name, I just can’t get the internet to cough it up right now.

Details of the sculptures on the front.  

The mission was founded by Jesuit missionary Father Kino (who you might remember being mentioned in this post).  It was the northern-most mission he established.   Father Kino gets good press, so I thought I would include this link as an alternate perspective.

In 1767 the Jesuits were expelled from “New Spain” and the mission was abandoned.  The Franciscans came to fill the void and began construction of the church that we see today.

The four flags that have flown over the mission.  Spain, Mexico, the United States and the Tohono O’odham Nation.  The mission is a working parish for the Tohono O’odham people.

I loved this detail.

I also loved this photo, of tourists standing by the explanation of the Man in the Maze.

The Man in the Maze is part of Tohono O’odham culture.  The man is born, which is where he is at the top of the maze. He travels through the maze (life) encountering many turns and changes.  On the way he acquires knowledge, strength and understanding. Near the end he retreats to a small corner and then reaches the dark center of death and eternal life.

Work was happening on the tower.  The Patronato San Xavier is a group that has been working since 1978 to preserve the church.  They are also the group that gives the tours.

And here’s my own self with the Man in the Maze.

Detail of ceiling.

Detail on wall.

More front-of-church

Here’s a little mouse.  There is a cat located on the other side.  Legend says that if the cat catches the mouse, the tower will fall.

Not a detail of the church, but I was flummoxed by this “est. 1959” business.  Hawaii was around long before that.

Interior!  Nearly everything was painted, rather than tiled, due to lack of funds.

For symmetrical purposes this door was painted.  Also the repeating box motif would  have been tile in a more prosperous church.
The mission is a pilgrimage site.  People can pray to Saint Francis for intersession.

Painted mural.  Note the painted frame.

The last supper scene had a creepy little devil’s head in the corner

History of the mission that takes into account the differing cultures. 

A nice illustration of the Piman groups annual cycle.

A map of the Father Kino missions.

Milagros left with Saint Francis, as well as other items.

What’s left of the termite-eaten Jesus who used to be on the wooden cross in the church.

An illustration of the Man in the Maze creeping into standard Catholic items.

Courtyard.  It was a parking lot at one time.

This sign cracks me up.  I’m the person who would read it and ask, “Which way is East?”

Candles stacked and ready for selling.

Across the way was an area of shops.  I loved this advertisement.Overall, a really great tour.  I was surprised to learn it was our tour guide’s first tour.

A visit to the White Elephant Thrift Store

Barb volunteers at the White Elephant Shop in Green Valley.  Being a fan of thrift shops, I was excited to check it out.

The store is open Monday-Saturday from 9:00am to Noon.  We got there before 9:00, because they run out of parking spaces, and stood in line.

“Some old lady could have died in that sweater.”  So said one of my classmates to another classmate wearing a sweater bought at a thrift shop.  This was in the late 80s, when not so many people were thrifting, at least not in my social strata.  We’d really start hitting the thrift stores once I got to high school.  They had tons of stuff, and I was pretty sure that the odds of someone dying in a particular item of clothing was pretty slim.

Visiting a thrift store in a town that is mostly comprised of retirement communities is a slightly more depressing trip.  I felt like all of the stuff present had been dragged from different points all over the US, and then been donated to the thrift store when people died.  And I also have a lot of stuff that will have to go somewhere when I die. This feeling probably contributed to me buying clothing, and not stuff.  But here are a few things I found.

Look at this great 45 record!

Which someone originally got for free with a carton of Fresca!  So cool!

There were a lot of various hobby supplies and results on display.  Which tapped into the feeling that all the time I spend creating thing results in items with little inherent value and only serves to pass the time until my inevitable end.  Here, for example, is David’s effort at wood sculpture.  Someone priced it very high at $5.00, and I would be surprised if it sold for its reduced price.  Good effort, David.  Hopefully you got better at your craft.  But I suspect you died.

Clothing, however, worked really well for me.  I got four shirts and a dress for at total of $11.00  For that, I love the White Elephant Shop!

(And yes, some lady might have died wearing them.  But I washed them, so we’re good.)

Less coverage of the Rose Festival Princesses

Whereas in previous years we’ve gotten a picture of the Rose Festival Princess contenders for each school, now we only get a picture of the winning princess.  

I can’t say I’m a fan.  I liked to see the finalists from each school. Now they are a list of names.

And yes, complicated feminist feelings re: Princesses, but I’m someone who enjoys the Miss America Pageant, so there’s that.  At least with this, it’s not a beauty contest, but is based on accomplishments.  Plus they get scholarships, a mentorship and free clothes.

Stave Puzzles are rad

While in Arizona, I get to put together a Stave Puzzle.  Dad and Barb know someone who knows someone in the Stave Puzzle world.  Those people lend Barb their Stave Puzzles.

Stave Puzzles are wooden puzzles that are cut by hand and have great artwork.  They are also very difficult to assemble, as they don’t come with a picture and some of the pieces are tricky.  And it just gets harder as there are fewer and fewer pieces.  Near the end of this one, there were times when I just tried every available piece to find the one that fit. And that boarder almost killed me.

Here’s a detail.  The puzzles are customizable–this one had the names of the grandchildren–and have silhouette pieces in different shapes like birds, and the traditional Stave Jester.

This one was a tiny bit easier due to the words  If you look at the bottom of this photo, you can see the name Brad spelled out as a puzzle piece.

Once we got to the castle area things got hard. Upside down and in the right corner of this puzzle, you can see the piece that says Hannah.  And the name Rod is visible on the right side of the moat.

After I came home, I suggested to my  boss that we buy a Stave Puzzle for a celebration at work, given that we usually have a jigsaw puzzle going.  Then I looked at the prices.  Crikey!  I was told they were expensive, but I had no idea. I couldn’t find this puzzle on their site, but, for example, this Peony Bouqet starts at $837.00 for a 6×9-inch version.  Based on those prices, I’m guessing I was putting together a puzzle that cost $2,500

Rich people have cool things.

Gallery in the Sun

Hey look!  I’m in Arizona!  Yesterday we went to the dog park and then out to dinner.  Then, Barb and I started on a puzzle.

Today, Dad and I are going to visit the Gallery in the Sun.  We’re taking the MGB, which is turning 50 years old this year.  You’ll see more pictures from the MGB in a later post.

Ettore “Ted” DeGrazia built the Gallery in the Sun so his paintings “would feel good inside.”  He built it out of adobe bricks, which were crafted on-site and used natural materials in the construction.  I really loved walking through this gallery, so I would categorize his efforts as a huge success.

The entrance, which he made like a cave, or a mine opening.

And decorated with metal flowers.

The Doors!  So amazing.

 

 

Close-up of the marbles in the doors.

Inside, he sometimes whitewashed the walls, and sometimes left them plain.

This is cactus, cut crosswise, laid down and varnished over.  He noted it was pleasing on the feet.  I was wearing slip-on shoes and so took an opportunity to test his theory.  It was quite pleasing to my feet.

The skylights were covered with that wavy plastic stuff used to cover porches.

Inset frieze.

I quite liked this one. Note the addition of wiring and a security camera.

Here’s a great appliquéd wall hanging of DeGrazia’s art.  It’s by Delia Figueroa.

A corner depicting his workshop space.

More great room transitions.
I loved this photo.

Here’s a favorite.  “One Slice” 

After visiting the gallery, we checked out the Mission in the Sun. Here’s a fountain we saw along the way.
The mission was built first, following a regional tradition of building a chapel or shrine before the building. It is built in honor of Father Keno.

Art around a side room.

Dedication

The mission has an open-air roof

I loved this cross

A well-used alter

Colored glass

We then visited the artist studio next to the Mission in the Sun.  This is where DeGrazia did his work.  Visiting artists use the space today.  

Also, the gift shop had these very cool Sand Painting Kits.

I was very intrigued by this kit, but not enough to buy one.

Books read in February 2017

February.  Also known as the month where one must catch up with all the award winners from the ALA conference.  I prioritized YA, so there’s a lot of that.  This February is also known as the month where I realize Carrie Mesrobian has published three books since writing Sex and Violence in 2013 There was a flurry of catching up.

Picture Books: Esquivel! Space-Age Sound Artist
Middle Grade: The Only Road
Young Adult: Cut Both Ways.  Also Scythe

 

Esquivel! Space-Age Sound Artist
Wood/Tonatiuh
Read for Librarian Book Group

Never has the use of an exclamation point in a book title been more appropriate.

Flying Lessons
Ellen Oh
Read for librarian book group
A collection of middle-grade short stories.  There were a lot of good stories to choose from. My favorite was the children of the painter.

I’m enjoying this trend of short stories for YA/MG audiences.

Ghost
Jason Reynolds
Read for Family Book Group
Also enjoyable the second time around.  This received a score of 7.580 by the children in family book group, with the adults giving it an 8.625.  Overall rating:  8.044.  People are looking forward to the sequels.

The Only Road
Alexandra Diaz
Read for Librarian Book Group

A harrowing journey undertaken by two teenagers from Guatemala to the US.  This book was unsparing in the details of traveling through Mexico and across the border.  I appreciated it for that perspective and also for giving me a better of understanding of what it means to need to escape gangs that have taken over villages.  Recommended.

Scythe
Neil Shustermann
Read for librarian book group
Ah, how refreshing!  A book set in the future where computers have taken over everything and: life is good!  People can reset back to younger ages–when you hit 90, there’s no reason not to become 25 again and start over.  It’s very hard to die.  Some people jump off of tall buildings just for the rush.  Once they splat, they are put back together again.

There’s just one small problem: the threat of overpopulation.  Enter the scythes.  Their job is to end life.  In Shusterman’s book, two teenagers reluctantly become apprentices to a scythe.  As they undergo their year of study, problems crop up.

This was a fascinating book, filled with many interesting concepts and discussable details.  Shusterman has created sympathetic characters, so much so that after one plot turn, I had to take a break for a few days, because I was too worried about what would happen.  There’s also a low-key humor that pops up throughout.

I’m quite happy this was chosen as a Printz Honor book.

Just a Girl
Carrie Mesrobian
I was a huge fan of Mesrobian’s Sex and Violence and so eagerly grabbed this ARC.  As with S&V, I was fascinated by the exploration of the early sexual experience and its ramifications.  This book follows a similar path.  It’s the kind of book that is very discussable, especially around what it means for a female to have sex.    It’s also interesting to see a relationship that the girl is only partway invested in.

Sex is graphically described in a way that would have been too much for my 14-year-old self, and exactly what my 16-17-18-year-old self would have needed to read.

I seem to have missed two of Mesrobian’s books.  I look forward to catching up.

Asking for It
Louise O’Neill
Read for Librarian Book Group
This was a hate read for me, for a variety of reasons.

  • I thought rape culture was explored more thoroughly and from a nuanced perspective in Female of the Species.
  • This takes place in 2015, in Ireland. I don’t buy that all of the main character’s friends (save two) and seemingly every single member of the community blamed the victim. It may be that Ireland is far behind the US’s baby-steps conversations about gang rape and it’s aftermath,  but I hope not.
  • This is one of those books where many character’s names are thrown at one all at once, few characters are fleshed out so when the characters are mentioned later, it’s confusing as to who the person is.
  • By the end, I was on board with the character’s feeling that she would be better off killing herself.  Pushing the story further down the line to the slightest glimmer of hope would have made this book bearable.

The Serpent King
Jeff Zentner
Read for Librarian Book Group

Solid story of three outcasts living in a small town.  I appreciated the depiction of the two working-class characters’ lives, especially in comparison to their wealthier friend.  The writing was vivid, and the story moved right along, though I found the dialog stilted at times.  I also appreciated that one of the characters was a songwriter and yet there weren’t any song lyrics to read.  (Reading song lyrics in books has always been an uncomfortable experience for me.)

This is the second book I’ve read this year where someone is internet famous and not at all famous/popular at her school.  That’s not how fame in our country works.  At the very least, people should be sucking up.

See No Color
Shannon Gibney

Interesting insight into how racial identity forms when a bi-racial child, Alex, is adopted into a white family.  There were a lot of details, some of which were uncomfortable to read about.  Overall, this was a good book.

Though I did wonder why there was no discussion of when the Alex’s baseball playing days would end.  The family seemed to operate under the belief that she would just keep playing through high school, into college and then to the majors.  2016 was the first year a woman played college baseball.  Yet there was no talk of Alex being the first, or among the first to do this.  It seemed strange, and I couldn’t figure out if it was intentional–like her family’s lack of understanding about her curiosity about her background–or if there was just some alternative space where a girl would get to play baseball as long as she wanted.

March Book Three
Lewis/Aydin/Powell
Read for Librarian Book Group

John Lewis’ story continues.  I found the framing device to be awkward.  It’s been a few years since I read Book 1, and the first jump back to President Obama’s inauguration was jarring, as it came mid-book.

While I appreciate all that John Lewis has done and I feel that this is a solid graphic novel, I don’t think this book meets the Printz criteria of standing alone.  I also don’t think it’s a YA book.

Cut Both Ways
Carrie Mesrobian

I don’t think I’ve read a YA novel that depicts a teenager stuck in a common reality:  one week at dad’s house and one week at mom’s house.  Just as Will splits his time between two houses, he finds himself split between two people: his friend at his mom’s house, Angus and his classmate, Brandy.

Will attempts to untangle his involvement with a girl (and also a boy) as he navigates his senior year, his father’s downward slide, his first new job and also his future.

There’s a lot to unpack in this book, and I enjoyed thinking about various aspects of Will’s life.

As with Mesrobian’s other books, sex is explicit in a way that would have been too much for my younger teenage self and just right for my high-school teenage self.

ps.  I would love a book about Carlos, Will’s co-worker.

Perfectly Good White Boy
Carrie Mesrobian

Two things I like about this amble through Sean Norwhalt’s senior year:  he’s a guy who for-sure isn’t going to college; it’s a depiction of a friendship between a boy and a girl that might have gone full-on romance if the stars had shifted the slightest bit.

I appreciate that Mesrobian’s characters often live in families on the lower end of the economic spectrum.  Their problems seem very true-to-life. This is true with Sean who is managing living in a crappy rental since they lost their home, also his father’s absence due to drug rehab, and the planning of his older brother’s wedding, which is a continual background happening through the year we spend with him.

There’s not a lot of plot arc going on.  Maybe the biggest thrust has to do with Sean’s decision to join the Marines.  But mostly you spend a year wandering through life with Sean.  He’s an enjoyable fellow though, so I didn’t mind just hanging out.

Sachiko
Caren Stelson
Read for Librarian Book Group

The story of a survivor of the Nagasaki Bombing.  This would be a great companion to any study of WWII, especially a study of the war in the Pacific. The story was top-notch.  The maps were terrible and would have been better being left out.

Three sentence movie reviews: Grantham & Rose

While not a terrible movie, this wasn’t much of a good one either.  If you like feisty old ladies, troubled hoodlums or wandering young women you might be into this.  It might also be a good movie for a day in bed because of illness, or perhaps good feature to watch during  plane ride.

Cost: free from library
Where watched: at home

poster from: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2311948/?ref_=nv_sr_1