Beginning to Sew and Quilt

Posted on April 17, 2014 by Norma

I’ve been spending a lot of time teaching myself to machine sew and quilt — did I tell ya? I’m still searching for and making new paleo recipes but I’m doing those twice a week or so instead of trying a new recipe a day. So, hang on! More recipes are on the way.

Sewing is enjoyable to me — I’m surprised that I like it so much. And I’m learning the importance of making sure that when I follow a pattern and cut the fabric precision is very important — an 1/8 of an inch here or there makes a huge difference!

The first quilt I made was a lap quilt. The blocks were already cut (so easy!) and all I had to do was sew the blocks together, add the batting and backing and then sew the three together.

I did what is called “sewing in the ditch.” You simply sew in the same places where you pieced the fabric together. It takes practice to this so that only the thread on the back of the quilt shows. I later found out that I could have used “transparent” or “clear” thread — then it would have shown even less but as it was, my sewing was not as straight as it could have been.

Some other things I’ve learned as a beginner:

Get the fabric ready to sew by washing it if it’s not synthetic as it gets out the smell and/or chemicals that are on it and will also shrink if it’s susceptible to that (you want to know about shrinkage ahead of time).
Press your fabric to get the wrinkles out but don’t iron it. What I mean by this is use a steam iron and put the iron on the fabric without moving it around. Just “press.”
There are a couple of ways to press the seams — open or closed (aka off to the side). Everyone has their own opinion on this so you’ll have to practice on your own to figure out what works best for you.
Click here for a great site on getting your fabric ready to cut.
You can “pin” or baste a quilt. I have yet to baste but that what I will use on the next quilt I’m making.
I’ve been taking classes through a website called Craftsy. Some classes are free and some you pay for but if you sign up for their emails they occasionally have 50% off days and you can take advantage of those classes. I really enjoy them as you can view the videos at your own pace, ask questions of the instructor (they normally take a day to respond) and make notes. (One note: make sure you read the description and FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) before you sign up to make sure the class is not too advanced for you. I had to back out of one class as it was too advanced for me.)

Here is a picture of the lap quilt that I made when I was putting it together, i.e. the top, batting and back were not stitched together yet.

Piecing a Quilt Together

Once I laid it out, I put all three layers on a table and pinned them together to get it ready for sewing. (This is where you can baste instead of pinning — you don’t want your fabric wiggling around while you’re sewing.)

Pinning a Quilt

Here’s what the quilt — in final form — looked like

Lap Quilt

I made the other side of the quilt beige-ish.

Lap Quilt

My next quilt project was going to be a king size quilt as I took a class on how to make a quilt in three pieces and then sew it together but I decided against it because 1) I simply haven’t practiced enough and 2) I couldn’t find a good pattern that I really liked.

Instead, I am making a large “throw.” Want a peek at what that will look like? I’ve already cut the fabric pieces and am in the process of sewing the top now.

Throw Quilt

Doesn’t look like much yet, eh? Well, you just wait! (laughing) It’s starting to look pretty although I really am learning the importance of making sure the fabric is cut precisely (I just can’t emphasize that enough.) And no, I don’t use scissors for cutting the fabric — I find it’s essential to use a rotary cutter along with a cutting mat and a long ruler.

I must warn you — sewing and quilting can become a very expensive hobby. I’m fortunate that my neighbor is moving and has given me lots of fabric and batting that he was going to throw or give away to a second hand store.

Well — onward!

Once, The Broadway Musical

Posted on April 16, 2014 by Norma

Earlier this year I had asked my husband what he wanted for his birthday and he told me he wanted to go see the Broadway musical called Once which was playing at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis.

“Once” features actors who are also musicians and play their own instruments.

So, we waited until the “day” and headed to downtown Minneapolis to get a bite to eat before we went to see the musical. There are a lot of parking lots around the Orpheum Theatre although you have to pay for parking. Once parked, we walked around to find a place to eat.

We were surprised when we tried to get into a restaurant about 1 block from the Orpheum only to be asked “Do you have reservations?” We, unfortunately, did not have reservations so we walked across the hallway from that restaurant and headed into the American Burger Bar. No reservations were needed here (although about a half hour after we arrived it got quite busy).

The food was pretty good. I had the Philly Cheesesteak with skinny fries and my husband had the Meatloaf which he said was really good.

Meatloaf at the American Burger Bar, Minneapolis

Philly Cheesesteak at the American Burger Bar, Minneapolis

After dinner we walked around the downtown area and found that they had a lot of skywalks that connected all the buildings so we went sightseeing to get out of the cold until it was time to head to the theatre.

When we finally arrived at the theatre, I was immediately disappointed for a couple of reasons — 1) there is no picture taking, not even before the show or in the lobby and 2) the seats are crammed together. The Orpheum is an older theatre so perhaps that’s the reason while the seats are so crammed but they should have looked at that when it was renovated in 1993.

The theatre seats 1500 on the main floor and 1100 on the three level balcony.

Prior to the show and during intermission, audience members were able to go onstage and talk with the actors/actresses. Now, that was a nice touch!

The musical “Once” is about a Dublin street musician who is just about ready to give up on his dream of being a musician when a beautiful young woman takes an interest in him. There is a musical romantic connection between them although she is married and he has a girlfriend in States. Eventually they realize it will not work between them and they go their separate ways.

The singing is very nice along with the playing that the musicians do. I was a little disappointed towards the end when a couple of curse words were thrown out as it was not needed and didn’t add to the storyline in a good way.

Overall, the musical was very nice.

Once, The Musical, Playbill

Zucchini Saute with Sun Dried Tomatoes

Posted on April 13, 2014 by Norma

Zucchini is such an easy vegetable to work with. You can bake it in a small amount of olive oil with herbs or saute it like in this Zucchini Saute with Sun Dried Tomatoes recipe which is both paleo and vegan. It tasted delicious for what one might think would be a ho-hum vegetable.

Here are the ingredients (less the olive oil).

Zucchini Saute with Sun Dried Tomatoes – Ingredients (less the olive oil)

After cleaning the zucchini, you’ll be slicing it and putting it in a skillet that has a tad bit of olive oil on the bottom.

Slice the Zucchini

Then you’ll be getting the rest of your ingredients ready — including the sun dried tomatoes. They come in a jar and look like this.

Sun Dried Tomatoes

Next you’ll be thinly slicing the tomatoes …

Thinly slice the sun dried tomatoes

Next you’ll be putting them, along with the rest of the ingredients in the skillet with the zucchini and cooking them until the zucchini is soft but not soggy.

Add all ingredients to skillet

I especially enjoyed the flavor and texture of the kalamata olives in this recipe that went so well with the zucchini.

Ready to try it?

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 small zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch slices
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup oil-packed sun dried tomatoes cut into 1/4 inch strips
1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved
2 tablespoons parsley (fresh or dried)
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Directions

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
Add the zucchini, cover and cook until softened, turning once, about 7 minutes.
Add the garlic and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cook 1 minute longer.
Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes, olives, parsley and lemon juice and cook until hot, about 2 minutes longer.
Serve immediately.

And that’s pretty much it. I served this with Baked Cod — another simple recipe.

Baked Cod with Zucchini Saute with Sundried Tomatoes

I found this recipe in the book 1000 Vegan Recipes and I’m hoping to post more recipes from this book as they look delicious.

Baked Cod with Zucchini Saute and Sun Dried Tomatoes

Posted on April 13, 2014 by Norma

This Baked Cod paleo recipe is too simple — too too simple. But it was delicious nonetheless. Here are the ingredients — (I was a little leery of using Cayenne Pepper on fish as I thought it would make it too spicy but it turned out okay). I used frozen cod and thawed it. The instructions for thawing were really simple and took only 20 minutes. All I did was put the unpackaged cod in cold water for 5 minutes, then change the water and add the cod back in. I changed the water out approximately 4 times every five minutes. Then — it was thawed.

Baked Cod Ingredients

I used a glass baking dish and added the olive oil and lemon juice to the bottom of it.

Add oil and ghee to the bottom of the pan

Add oil and lemon juice to the bottom of the pan

Next I prepared the cod by first drying them on paper towels then seasoning them.

Dry the cod fillets and season them

Next you’ll be adding the cod fillets to the baking dish along with the lemon peel, garlic and a dab of ghee on each fillet.

Add the cod fillets, lemon and garlic to the baking dish

Next you’ll be baking it. Ready to try it? Ingredients (you’ll be adding the amounts you wish)

Olive Oil
Garlic Cloves
Ghee
2 Lemons
Salt
Garlic Pepper
Cayenne

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400° Fahrenheit.
Drizzle enough olive oil and the juice of half a lemon on the bottom of a baking dish.
Season both sides of the cod with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and a hint of cayenne. (The cayenne gives the fillets a nice flavor — I only used 1/8 of a teaspoon. Use more cayenne if you want it more spicy.)
Squeeze the other half of lemon all over the cod, and put both halves of lemon — now juices squeezed — in the baking dish. Add about 6 whole cloves of garlic, skin off, into the pan as well.
Put about 1/2 tablespoon of ghee on each piece of fish then cover the dish tightly with tin foil and place it in the oven.
Bake until the cod fillets are cooked which is about 20-25 minutes — the inside temperature should be around 145° Fahrenheit (I use a meat thermometer to test it).

That’s it! Easy enough, no? I served this with Zucchini Saute with Sun Dried Tomatoes.

Baked Cod with Zucchini Saute with Sun Dried Tomatoes

Special thanks to Foodloverrocknroll for this recipe.

Simmered Cabbage with Beef, Shan Style

Posted on April 9, 2014 by Norma

A couple of years ago I was given a cookbook called The New Way to Cook Light. I hadn’t looked at it for awhile since I’m able to find a lot of my recipes online. But, sometimes you just want to “feel” something in your hands, don’t you?

So, I was able to find a really good recipe in this cookbook called Simmered Cabbage With Beef, Shan Style. I changed it up just a tad to paleo-ize it. It’s a pretty good recipe and I served it with a side of steamed broccoli and sliced tomatoes in keeping with the “light” theme.

Here are the ingredients you’ll be looking at getting.

Ingredients (olive oil and salt not shown)

The hardest “labor” in this recipe will be chopping up the cabbage. Pretty easy, eh?

Chop Cabbage

Okay so, now that you know it’s an easy and goodly recipe, are you ready to try it? (You can even prepare the cabbage ahead of time the day before and then it’s even oh so simple.)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup thinly vertically sliced shallots
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/4 pound ground sirloin
4 cups finely shredded cabbage (about 1 small head)
1 cup thin plum tomato wedges (about 2 medium)
1/3 cup slivered almonds

Directions

Heat a wok or Dutch oven over medium heat.
Add the olive oil to the pan and swirl it around to coat the bottom.
Add the shallots, salt, turmeric, and red pepper then cook for 3 minutes or until the shallots are tender, stirring frequently.
Add the beef then cook for 2 minutes or until the beef begins to brown.
Add the cabbage and tomatoes then toss well to combine.
Reduce the heat to medium-low then cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the cabbage wilts and the beef is cooked through.
Stir in the almonds then cover and cook another 10 minutes or until the cabbage is tender.

There are approximately 238 calories per serving in this dish (not including any side dish you may include). That’s a pretty “light” dinner, no?

Hope you enjoy it!

Simmered Cabbage with Beef, Shan Style

Balsamic and Rosemary Chicken Breasts

Posted on April 7, 2014 by Norma

I thought I’d better post some of the recent recipes I’ve made before I get too far behind — especially since the weather is warming up, the snow is melting and I might be able to do some yard work soon.

This Balsamic and Rosemary Chicken Breasts recipe by Primal Palate is a recipe that’s a keeper because of it’s simplicity. Who wants to spend a lot of time in the kitchen when they get home from work, right?

The ingredients are so ho-hum simple.

Ingredients

You’ll be preparing the chicken breasts and putting them in an oven proof dish.

Prepare Chicken Breasts

Before you plop this dish in the oven, you’ll want to make sure you cover it with aluminum foil (that keeps the chicken breasts from drying out).

Cover the baking dish

Then you’ll be baking them, preparing a side dish and in no time at all you’ll be eating.

Ready to try it?

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
2 cloves Garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
2 boneless and skinless Chicken Breasts
1/2 tsp Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions

Rinse the chicken breasts under cold water, pat them dry with a paper towel, and place them in a baking dish.
Drizzle olive oil over the chicken breasts and lightly rub to evenly distribute the oil.
Sprinkle salt and pepper over the chicken.
Press fresh garlic and rosemary onto the chicken breasts.
Bake at 400°F for about 20 minutes (convection oven) or until the internal temperature is approximately 170°F.
Remove the chicken from the oven and pour the balsamic vinegar over the chicken breasts.
Serve with a side of vegetables.

That’s pretty much it!

Balsamic and Rosemary Chicken Breasts

I’ve also stuffed the chicken with minced garlic, aged parmesan cheese and crushed rosemary then put salt and pepper on the top. It came out pretty good.

Hope you enjoy it!

The National Eagle Center

Posted on April 4, 2014 by Norma

On a beautiful sunny Minnesota spring day, we decided to head over to the National Eagle Center in Wabasha, Minnesota after we had breakfast. Where to have breakfast though … that was the question. We decided to drive towards Wabasha in search of a place and my husband located a restaurant in Prescott, Wisconsin that he thought might be good so we drove there only to find out it was closed. So, we drove onward to Red Wing, Minnesota where we ran into a restaurant called Bev’s Cafe.

Bev’s is like a greasy spoon cafe — small, quaint yet vibrant. There were many locals here — an older crowd mostly. The conversations were lively and we listened in on a large table of retired men as they talked of trucks speeding down the highway. Jocularity, jocularity — that was the mood (so unlike yesterday’s quiet breakfast at The Bad Waitress in Minneapolis).

We were greeted and served immediately. There aren’t too many interesting things on the menu — just the “regular” breakfast items — but it has just enough to make it worthwhile to eat here.

While eating breakfast, I noticed a man walk in and sit down. Peeking around the booth where we were sitting, I did a double take. The man was wearing an old fashioned hat with glasses. His face looked familiar and for a moment, and then another moment, I thought it was my uncle — Padrino. I knew it couldn’t be him because he passed away over a year ago. Still — it was kind’ve spooky. Has that ever happened to you?

Padrino

But, I digress, — onward to the National Eagle Center on Route US 61 heading south. The drive took about 35 minutes or so from Red Wing.

The National Eagle Center looks small on the outside — and it is small on the inside also.

The National Eagle Center

As you enter the front doors, there is a gift shop along with a place to pay your entrance fee. The place was bustling with many people and it appeared a group of children were here from a school (a small school, thankfully).

We arrived just as they were going to have an eagle presentation which is done in a large classroom with seats facing forward. The eagle presentation was done by a young woman and later she would bring an eagle into the classroom. How exciting!

I did not realize that eagles can see very clearly up to 2.5 miles. Nor did I realize that their wingspan is 7 feet wide. I was definitely learning something here.

The presenter was very vivacious and geared her talk towards children with lots of jokes and questions. Laughs rang out when she told us that eagles can poop up to 7 feet away — so sorry for those who sat in the first few rows she said. Oh, and please keep your mouth closed, she cautioned. hahahaha

She showed us a piece of meat that she would be feeding to the eagle that she brought in. Care to guess what kind of meat this is?

National Eagle Center Presenter

If you guessed rabbit, you’d be right! The Center gets their meat, i.e. fish, rabbit, etc. from local area farms.

After some questions and answers, she left and came back with an eagle. This particular eagle had been hit by a car and would not be able to fly again nor will any of the ones who they have held in captivity here.

The presenter offered the rabbit meat to the eagle and he was not interested. Some of the eagles are very picky about what they will or will not eat.

Eagle rejecting rabbit meat

The National Eagle Center

One word of caution — although the eagle can’t fly, he does spread his wings and his feathers fly in the air. One lady’s asthma started bothering her because of this.

After the 45 minute or so presentation, we headed back to look at the other eagles that were there because of injury. One eagle is 32 years old and has lost most of her sight — her name is Harriet. Most eagles can only survive 20-25 years in the wild but eagles in captivity can live up to 40 years.

Harriet

The eagle below is Columbia who was feeding on dead deer back in 2001 in the state of Wisconsin when a car struck her and broke her wing near the shoulder. She had surgery and physical therapy but was still not able to fly.

Columbia

Columbia, the eagle

Below is a picture of Donald, a golden eagle who was hit by a car in California. His right wing broke in two places and the California Raptor Center was not able to repair it so now he’s a member at this Center.

Donald, the golden eagle

You can get quite close to these eagles although you’re not allowed to touch them. They have quite a firm grip and can squeeze up to 400 pounds.

The center has an observation deck and also sells binoculars (in case you forget to bring your own).

The National Eagle Center

Here’s the view from the observation deck.

View from the observation deck

There are viewing binoculars on the observation deck and across the river you can see an eagle perched. Can you see him?

View of Eagle across the river

Here’s a closer look at the perched eagle. See him now?

View of Eagle across the river

Another eagle tidbit I learned is that they are territorial and consequently nest about 1 mile apart from each other. If another eagle goes in their space they make quite a ruckus.

After we finished the eagle tour, we headed into town to get some hot chocolate and coffee and happened to go into the Eagles Nest Coffee House. The place is quite spacious and the woman who took our order had a very strong accent which at first I couldn’t understand because I have difficulty hearing.

I apologized to the woman because I had to ask her several times to repeat herself. She was quite gracious and told me that she and her husband had moved here from Australia because this is where her husband wanted to retire.

This coffee shop has a cozy feel and everyone is friendly. Off in the corner I saw a few women meeting under a sign that said “quilting.” We’ll have to stop here again if we ever drive back this way.

It was a perfect day for this trip and we decided to head back home along the Mississippi River but on the Wisconsin side along Wisconsin 25/State Road 35.

Mississippi River, Spring 2014

Mississippi River near Wabasha, MN

Happy thoughts to you!

The Museum of Russian Art

Posted on April 2, 2014 by Norma

So far, for our anniversary venture, we had breakfast at the Bad Waitress Restaurant, went to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts then to the Minnehaha Falls and next we went to the Museum of Russian Art with dinner later at the Chiang Mai restaurant in Minneapolis.

First, I need to let you know that I don’t have very many pictures of the Museum of Russian Art as they don’t allow pictures (with or without a flash). I was disappointed in that “rule” but, it is what it is.

Having said that, this museum is amazing! It has a collection of Russian art from the 20th century, especially Soviet Art.

And – the art is beautiful! I could not believe how much I enjoyed the paintings — even more than I enjoyed the ones at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. They currently have an exhibit by Eva Levina who was exiled to Sibera during Stalin’s regime. Now — those pictures are “dark” in nature but that is to be expected because of the intensity of her feelings.

My favorite paintings were by an artist called Geli Korzhez. He had two paintings that depicted Adam and Eve — one as Adam carried Eve out of the garden of Eden after they were asked to leave and a second one of Adam and Eve in their elder years. Both scenes brought up strong feelings as if I could sense what they were going through. Quite powerful!

The gallery is not large but spacious enough to house quite a few pieces.

From the outside, the museum doesn’t look inviting but I must learn not to judge a museum by its building.

The Museum of Russian Art

The museum is located at 5500 Stevens Ave S in Minneapolis. The staff is friendly and quite helpful. This is a must-see if you’re in the area.

After our museum tour, we headed over to a restaurant called Chiang Mai Thai in Minneapolis.

We arrived shortly after 4:30 p.m. so there was hardly anyone in the restaurant. Lighting is very low throughout the restaurant.

Chiang Mai Thai, Minneapolis

We were seated quickly enough and our orders were also taken quickly. Then our vegetarian egg rolls were brought to the table and the waitress walked away. Uh, okay — how about some plates? We could not locate a waitperson and finally when a gentleman headed our way I started to ask him something but he said he didn’t work there. He did offer to get someone for us and they came quickly and apologized for not bringing us the plates.

My husband ordered a salmon entree and I ordered a cashew chicken entree. They were both served on large platters so my husband and I were able to share them. Problem is, there were no cashews in the cashew chicken entree. I didn’t realize this until I had eaten my first serving (I didn’t think to check the platter to make sure there were cashews). So again, I had to flag down our waitress and she took the plate away and brought it back to the table. By then though the food was cold — but it had fresh cashews. Sigh …

Service should have been better as we were practically the only ones there having arrived before 5:00 p.m. Oh well …

And that was the end of our first day of touring Minneapolis as an anniversary gift to ourselves.

Minnehaha Falls

Posted on April 1, 2014 by Norma

My husband and I continue to “discover” the Minneapolis area and decided to take a friend’s advice and head over to the Minnehaha Falls in Minnehaha Park. It’s hard to believe these falls exist in Minneapolis.

It was a cold, wet spring day — the end of March. We drove through the park a couple of times before finally stopping at a parking lot where there were 5 other cars parked. The signage for the falls is simply not there and the only sign we saw said “Minnehaha Park.” But — we eventually found it.

Stepping out of the car into the drizzling rain, we headed towards the path where we saw other people returning from “something.” I made the assumption (correctly) that that was the way to go.

The snow was melting as the rain hit the pavement and made large round drops. It was quite pretty.

Minnehaha Park, March 2014

Then my husband said “there it is.” I was a tad too short to see “it” but I did stop and listen and heard the sound of water crashing on rocks.

The beauty of the falls was not diminished by the dreary day. No, definitely not. Beauty held out over the gloom.

Minnehaha Falls, March 2014

Ice formations still exist as it is too early in the spring for full melting to have occurred.

Minnehaha Falls, March 2014

There are stairs that allow you to get a tad closer to the falls but they were closed due to the ice on them that made it a dangerous venture.

Minnehaha Falls, March 2014

I’m glad we stopped here as it’s sometimes hard to find beauty in the cold early spring of Minnesota.

Minnehaha Falls, March 2014

Next stop? The Museum of Russian Art and dinner (of course).

The Minneapolis Institute of Arts

Posted on March 31, 2014 by Norma

After having breakfast at The Bad Waitress restaurant, my husband and I headed over to The Minneapolis Institute of Arts. We had no idea if any special exhibits would be on display but weren’t really worried — we simply wanted to see art (and get out of the rain).

We arrived just as the Institute was opening — 10 a.m. — as did several school buses filled with children. It was Thursday and many schools had field trips. Most of the children’s groups were going to the children’s part of the museum so it wasn’t overly crowded.

Although it’s free to visit the Institute, we paid to see the special Matisse art exhibit.

To start, we headed into an India art exhibit. The first one we saw was the Krishna Fluting.

Krishna Fluting, 1775

The next few images were painted for Lady Mary Impey (1732-1809), an Englishwoman who lived in Calcutta. They are known to be among the world’s finest natural history paintings and have helped ornithologists in identifying the local Indian birds and habitats.

Lady Impey’s Menagerie

Pretty, no? I especially like the detail in these pictures. Now, onward to the Matisse exhibit.

Henri Matisse was a French painter who lived from 1869-1954. He was not only a painter though but a sculptor. Around 1906, Matisse met Pablo Picasso and they became lifelong friends. Some of his paintings are quite beautiful in how he uses color “themes.”

The Pierced Rock, Matisse, 1920

Henri Matisse, Self Portrait, 1923

I loved, loved, loved the colors in this next painting and it’s giving me inspiration on what to use for a quilt I’d like to make.

Interior, Flowers and Parakeets, Matisse, 1924

The Yellow Dress, Matisse, 1929-1931

Two Girls, Red and Green Background, Matisse, 1947

Around 1941, Matisse had a colostomy and afterwards started using a wheelchair. It was shortly after that that he (with the aid of assistants) set about creating cut paper collages, often on a large scale, called gouaches découpés.

Destiny, Matisse

The Knife Thrower, Matisse

Moving along from the Matisse exhibit, I came across a Native American Indian shirt from The Gros Ventre who were also known as A’aninin, an Algonquian speaking people. The sign below the shirt stated that “decorated shirts were worn on the Plains by men who were highly regarded in their community. Created by women, this honor garment was a prestige item that represented the accomplishments of the owner.”

Shirt, Circa 1890, A’aninin

Next, we walked into an exhibit that housed Jewish items. The instrument shown below is a Yad (Torah pointer) and was used to keep track of where you stopped reading as touching the parchment with fingers is considered disrespectful and causes the ink to deteriorate. I thought it quite funny that the end of this pointer looks like a finger.

Yad (Torah pointer)

Here are pictures of a stained glass window in the same exhibit. I also took some close-ups so you can see more of the details. Very pretty!

Stained Glass Window

We then walked through the Contemporary Art exhibit which had a few quirky and very interesting items. I like the colors in the painting below but I’m not sure how I feel about the abstractness of it.

Urban Couch by Savannah

Continuing on in the Contemporary Art exhibit, we saw this “suit.” Do you remember playing with these Whirly Tin toys as a child? I believe they are from the 1950′s. I would never have thought to make “art” from the Whirly Toys.

Soundsuit by Nick Cave, 2010

See the detail of the Soundsuit?

Soundsuit by Nick Cave

The painting below called “Frank” was probably the most interesting to me as it looks like a photograph but is actually a painting. The details are exquisite and you really need to stand close to it to realize it’s a painting. I wonder how long it took Chuck Close (the artist) to make this.

Chuck Close was born in Monroe, Washington in 1940. He had a catastrophic spinal artery collapse in 1988 that left him severely paralyzed but he still continued to paint. Now, that’s determination!

Frank by Chuck Close, 1940

Frank by Chuck Close, 1940 (close up)

Frank by Chuck Close, 1940, close up

This next painting took me by surprise because, quite frankly, I wouldn’t consider it “art.” But then again — what’s art to one person is junk to another. (I’m not saying it’s junk as I find it quite whimsical — just not the kind of art I like.)

Heading into another exhibit room, I didn’t expect to see a Hans Ledwinka Tetra T87 sedan on display, but, well, there it was. It’s a beautiful car with beautiful curves and it looks like it has great functionality, i.e. a large back seating area and no blind spots. It was designed in 1936 and manufactured in 1948. I wonder if there are any still on the road?