Greetings from the beautiful rocky coast of Maine. I drove six hours from the heart of New York City and have transported myself to the most gorgeous of settings--a little artist cottage on the edge of the vast Atlantic Ocean. I write this from a large picture window where all I see is water and sky. It is just me and the ducks so far. I am sure I am going to get to know the sky like I never knew it before.
I had a good laugh this morning--me, the eternal Jewish mother whose philosophy is sadly "when in doubt, worry..." Gazing out on the vast ocean before me, I spotted a lone duck swimming all alone by the shore and a much larger group of ducks quite a bit away. I immediately started worrying that this little guy was lost and the rest of the flock hadn’t noticed… Well, good news and a sigh of relief--he/she/they is on the way back to the others.
And on a more somber note, in light of this week's horrible events which appear to be hate crimes around Atlanta, Georgia, I'd like all of us to be reminded of this quote that originated in Nazi Germany by a Lutheran Pastor named Martin Niemöller.
"First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me."
three things we love
Willie Nelson, Roslyn Carter and Jimmy Carter
Bob Dylan and Jimmy Carter
If you have any doubt that Jimmy Carter was one of the coolest presidents the United States has ever had, think no more. The recent CNN documentary Jimmy Carter Rock and Roll President confirms it. Aside from his political accomplishments in the field of conservation, the Salt II Agreement, and the Camp David Accords (establishing peace between Israel and Egypt), Carter's other deep love and passion was for music. He was friends with a myriad of rock and roll and jazz musicians and they were frequent visitors to the White House. (Willie Nelson was even purported to have smoked pot with Carter's son inside those walls...). Bob Dylan spoke of Carter as "A man you don’t meet every day and you are lucky if you do…." and the Allman Brothers helped propel him into the presidency with their fundraising concerts...I always thought Jimmy Carter got a bad rap as being a weak president, mostly because of the Iran Hostage crisis. But in my mind, he was a gentle man, a true humanitarian and to this day at 96, still at it, building homes for his beloved Habitat for Humanity and speaking out on issues that matter...I absolutely loved this documentary and if you want to read a good review and synopsis of it, go to Mary Lucia's (aka Looch) Minnesota Public Radio podcast The Current.
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Aren’t these rolls beautiful!
Californians in general are always a few steps ahead of the game in recognizing climate change and what we can do about it in terms of conservation, recycling and sustainability. My friend Barb at wholechampion.org has turned me onto something I wanted to share with you and you are probably going to laugh at this one (or roll your eyes--no pun intended) and say, why is this on her list?. Because I am going to talk to you about toilet paper and tell you about a company where I intend to buy it from now on. The company is called Who Gives A Crap and they donate 50 percent of their profits to building toilets for people in need around the globe. (Did you know that diarrheal diseases caused by poor water, sanitation and lack of toilets account for 1 in 9 child deaths worldwide, making diarrhea the second leading cause of death among children under the age of 5.) And I know you are now thinking, must be like sandpaper. Well, I have tried it and it is very soft, affordable ($1.00 a roll), wrapped in pretty wrapping for us designerly types, and includes free shipping. What could be better?
If you are wanting to do more, check out this other company, the Wild Minimalist. They are trying to make it easier for people to begin their journey towards a zero waste lifestyle by vetting and offering the best quality products, partnering with sustainable businesses and shipping purchases in recyclable or compostable packaging. Many of their suggestions might be items our grandparents would have used--full circle back to the natural. We can all do our part...
I fell upon this podcast this morning as I was researching other things and decided to dedicate my post this week to former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara’s podcast Stay Tuned interview with Atlantic Magazine's Anne Applebaum instead of something else. I found it so important and compelling and it also left me slightly hopeful too. The occasion was Applebaum’s new book Twilight of Democracy, which seems like a must read for anyone interested in politics these days as she explores the subject of authoritarianism. She puts it into context by comparing it in her native Poland, England and the United States: how it comes about, its historical roots, reasons for its attraction and most interesting of all to me, her ideas on how we might go about preventing its rise. These are two very smart people discussing this very important issue of the day--how to protect and save our democracy. Couldn’t ask for a better interview/conversation between two learned individuals.
painting of the week
Seagull (Yellow Spruce Series) mixed media on canvas 54” x 80” approx.
Self Portrait going grey in the time of Covid…
About The Author
New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow created the creative lifestyle blog “things we love” in an effort to foster a sense of community during times of isolation and reflection. To read more about her, check out the essay written by the Hammond Museum's Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.