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Temple Grandin's Brain

I have long been fascinated by minds that are not neurotypical and have read a lot about autism, savants, and adhd to name a few. For me, it is the "quirky" people I am most interested in because they stretch the imagination of what the human mind can do and is capable of.

I have written about Temple Grandin before—she is helped us so much to understand how the autistic mind works. Her mother accepted her where she was and nurtured her from early childhood on. Grandin is able to communicate from the inside out what it is like to be her and has written and lectured extensively about it. Here is an article she wrote for the National Library of Medicine that I found particularly useful in understanding her neurodivergent brain and that of other people on the autism spectrum, and the minds of animals as well.

Edna St. Vincent Millay Poem

SPRING
by Edna St. Vincent Millay

To what purpose, April, do you return again?
Beauty is not enough.
You can no longer quiet me with the redness
Of little leaves opening stickily.
I know what I know.
The sun is hot on my neck as I observe
The spikes of the crocus.
The smell of the earth is good.
It is apparent that there is no death.
But what does that signify?
Not only under ground are the brains of men
Eaten by maggots.
Life in itself
Is nothing,
An empty cup, a flight of uncarpeted stairs.
It is not enough that yearly, down this hill,
April
Comes like an idiot, babbling and strewing flowers.

Apples Never Fall Peacock Series

This is the trashiest thing I ever put on my blog but I figure trashy is okay once and a while, especcially on a very stormy day on the coast of Maine when the waves are spraying up and the ocean is furious and the skies are grey. I binge watched this series Apples Don't Fall and I have to say it is a good mystery, kept me entertained and had me guessing until the end. You might enjoy binge watching it too on a rainy gray cold day...

Painting of the Week

This large painting hangs in an inn in Round Top, Texas.

Charity of the Week:

About The Author

New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow, began writing 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 and her art, visit her website and check out the essay written by the Hammond Museum's Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.