Crystal Bridges, Museum of American Art

Sculpture at Entry...
...yes, it is metal!

No matter who you are or where you are...if you ever get the chance to visit Crystal Bridges, Take It!  How lucky we are in Arkansas, USA, to have received such a wonderful gift through the auspices of Alice Walton, daughter of Sam Walton or Walmart!

Us, with one of the bridges in the background,
which houses Early Twentieth-Century Art
It is on the Lower Level (LL)

Our daughter and son-in-law traveled from San Francisco not only to visit us, but to go to Northwest Arkansas and Crystal Bridges.  And, they did with us along for the ride!  

This Bridge houses the Restaurant, Eleven!
Good Food and Great Art!

Crystal Bridges opened on 11/11/11, Veteran's Day.  Its opening made National Headlines in a number of publications and broadcasts.  CBS Sunday Morning had a segment with an overview of the museum and an interview with Ms. Walton.  


It is a museum for everyone.  It tells the American story from the early 1700's through today through art.  Some of my favorites were in the Temporary Exhibitions...a lot of collage and fabric art.  One piece by Debovah Sperber consisted of over 20,000 spools of thread that formed 'The Last Supper' upside down.  You could see it right side up through a crystal ball positioned a view feet from the piece.




There are several lot of walking trails where you will encounter 'Art' at every turn. Not all of the collection is in place.  We plan to go back when leaves are on the trees.  Hopefully, more of the outdoor pieces will be in place.  












Places where sculptures/structures 
are to be installed in the future are marked with large boulders and a simple label...ART.  
Wouldn't you know it?  It is a small world!  

Arthur and Dolly on hiking trail...
where we ran into them!

We happened to run into our friends, Arthur and Dolly, as we made our way along one of the walking trails.  It is amazing how often we run into friends or friends of friends or relatives or people who knew/know our friends or relatives in places where we least expect them. 


And Crystal Bridges, an unexpected treasure hidden in the woods not far from the downtown Bentonville, Arkansas, USA!  Challenge: Go!  You will not be disappointed!

Hello Dolley!

Dolley Madison, that is!


I became an admirer of Dolley Madison after reading Dolley by Rita Mae Brown.  It is a fictional story about wife of our fourth President, James Madison.

Eve Best as
Dolley on PBS 

As I was shelving DVD's at the library where I work, I found a PBS documentary, Dolley Madison.  I couldn't resist taking it home.  It revived my interest in Dolley's contribution to American history.  







Dolley has been credited with saving 

Gilbert Stuart's famous Lansdowne portrait of George Washington, an original draft of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution during the War of 1812.  She also began to define the role of the President's wife.  She was called The First Lady and was the first to a speak for a cause.  After the War of 1812 she worked to help the plight of the children that were orphaned as a result of the war.  She also invited members of both parties to White House entertainments.  She wanted to provide a place where they could meet each other outside their official capacity.  It is even said that she introduced "ice cream" to America. 


You can read more about Dolley on Wikipedia..by clicking of this text...and there is more.

Getting Cozy Reading Mysteries

I just read two "cozy mysteries (aka cozies)" in a row...oops!...make that three.  1st and 2nd: Murder is Binding  and Bookmarked for Death by Lorna Barrett and 3rd:  Crafty is Killing by Lorraine Bartlett.  Please note the similarity in the names.  While I was reading A Crafty  Killing, I kept thinking that the formula 
and the writing were very similar.  


Sure enough, I just looked her up on the Internet. They are indeed one in the same person.  In fact, she had a third incarnation, 
L. L. Bartlett, author of the Jeff Resnick psychological/suspense series. 


This is my top ten list of "cozy" series.  If you like a "comfort" read, don't miss these:

# 1 Lilian Jackson Braun

The Cat Who....by Lilian Jackson Braun.  I have read them all twice and listened to them once.  I usually do not read a book twice, but these really caught me!  Ms. Braun died in June of this year.  Some of her later books were disjointed.  I would stop at The Cat Who Brought Down the House.

# 2 Anne George
The Southern Sisters Mysteries...by Anne George.  Ms. George died after the 8th book.  They are set in Birmingham, Alabama.  The main characters are two sisters, Patricia Anne, aka Mouse and her sister, Mary Alice.  They are wonderful! Unfortunately Ms. George died after the 8th book so we will have to make do with these eight books!

Miss Zukas by Jo Dereske 
Miss Zukas Mysteries...Helma Zukas is a librarian...Ah, I love librarians.  I always wanted to be one, but alas it was not to be...that is...until I retired and started working part time at my branch library.  Librarianship is in my genes.  My mother worked at a library during the depression, my aunt was a school librarian as was my cousin. Now I am a librarian or an LAI...Librarian Assistant...translate that to read a library wannabe.

Miss Julia Series
#4 Ann B. Ross

# 5 Jill Churchill

Jane Jeffrey Mysteries

Grace & Favor Mysteries

Bed & Breakfast Series


#6 Mary Daheim

Alpine Series

#7 M. C. Beaton

Hamish MacBeth-Be sure and checkout the BBC Series DVD from your library.  They took liberties with the scripts.  They are a compilation from several of her books.  She also writes "Agatha Raisin" mysteries, but they are not my favorite read.

#8 Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Brown
Mrs. Murphy mysteries-If you like animals that talk to each other, this is the one for you.  I enjoyed a few of them and then decided that it wasn't for me.

#9 Nancy Atherton

Aunt Dimity Mysteries

#10 Christine Bennett Mysteries

by Lee Harris

Happy 2012!

We wish you only the best in 2012...
.....even if, we are a couple of days late!