Although this is my attempt to celebrate good news during these very challenging times, I want to bring to your attention a very important book that my sister Judy, who was always ahead of her time, bought for me a number of years ago when it first came out in 2017: On Tyranny by Tim Snyder. Judy and I spent many a phone conversation ranting and raving about politics, the state of our nation and wondered why people were not more outraged at what was going on. Daughters of a mother who grew up in Nazi Germany, we had the anxiety and fear of tyranny in our bones. This little book says it all and is an absolute must read for every American these days...
And thanks to everyone for your encouragement and very positive feedback about my new blog. I am getting a great amount of pleasure out of writing and researching it every week. Keep the comments coming, share it if you like and I love when people share some of their good news finds with me too.
three things we love
You won’t believe this new Danish Children’s TV Series
I have a special place in my heart for the Danes. Not only because I was married to one or because of the fact that they were able to save every one of their Jews during WWII. Having spent quite a bit of time there, I know that they have a very high level of education, are often nonconformist and think in very outside of the box, creative ways. They also have, in my opionion, a very refreshing and unihibited way of looking at the human body. Where else in the world could you find a sizeable amount of the elderly population taking a leisurely early morning dip in the sea on a summer morning, stark naked at the age of 80? And so why am I not surprised at all about the latest Danish children’s TV show featuring John Dillermand (Weinerman) and his Magic Penis. Read on here before you get outraged…
A Delicious Recipe
When I was a kid, one of my favorite lunches was a can of Campbell's tomato soup. I can just see myself at the kitchen table crushing saltines into it. Although I would never go near canned soup of any type nowadays, I did find the gourmet version of this ultimate comfort food at a mainstay and well loved establishment in New York City: Sarabeth's Kitchen. Thanks to Pinterest and Epicurious, I have now come across Sarabeth's recipe for this beloved and coveted Velvet Tomato Soup. Enjoy this ultimate comfort food during this exhausting and scary time in American history. Trust me, go right into the kitchen and make this. My mouth is watering as I type these words...
Hero Eugene Goodman
If you had any doubt that one person could make a difference and change history, think no more. Enough cannot be said about Capitol Policeman Eugene Goodman. He was the officer who single-handedly more than likely prevented a massacre at the U.S. Capitol building last week by leading the rabid mob of insurrectionists away from the Senate Chambers where our lawmakers were holed up and hiding. Here are the details about how this unsung hero saved the day.
painting of the week
Pam Smilow, Yellow Spruce Series: Gray mixed media on canvas 50” x 80” $8500.
This painting has all my signature elements: trees, birds, polka dots, stripes, collage, mixed media elements. My vocabulary is rooted in nature and things that I observe that attract me. I paint intuitively, often in series, and usually stick to an "in the family of color" palette. In this case, grays with pops of blue and green gold...
photo by Johanna Resnick Rosen
About The Author
New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow created “things we love” in an effort to foster a sense of community during times of isolation and reflection.