Fairy Tale Friday--Old French Fairy Tales

This week I'd like to tout this whole book, because all the illustrations are gorgeous!  I'm including some of the color plates here, but don't miss the black-and-white ones in the book.

Old French Fairy Tales

by Sophie Segur

Illustrations by Virginia Frances Sterrett

Butterfly on my Shoulder

Laureen and I visited the Butterfly Room at the Museum of Science on Sunday.

See the rest of the pictures here.

A General Update

 Now that it is warm again, everything is blooming like crazy.  We've had such wild temperature swings: I hope these hopeful buds don't get zapped by another drop.

 JB brought in a bunch of treats, including gluten-free and gluten-rich muffins.  This is just what we need to get us over that Wednesday hump!

 A robin built a nest in the Pusey pit tree.  The best views are from Map Collection offices.  The mapsters will be making videos when the chicks hatch.

 JB also added to his rotted fruit sculpture, which he now claims is a totem pole.  Anthropologists of the future will be puzzled!

More Gifts!

 From Rosemary, a kitty-cat mug with a tail handle and different sunken pictures on both sides.

 From Dad, a foot-spa to soothe my aching feet.

 Also from Dad, a new bag to soothe my soul!

The Office Beautiful

Here are some more office decorations.

A Piet Mondrian left here by John Collins.

A Map showing Stalin's plans for cutting up Russia into rectangles.

A Map mixing geography and genealogy.

MAPS: We'd be Lost Without Them

When the Map Room mounts a display, they make reproductions of the maps they want to display.  So when they take the display down, I can take the discarded reproductions for interior decorating purposes.  I've manage to brighten up many of our boring office walls.

Here's one that takes the world's highest mountains and longest rivers out of their geological context and puts them side by side for comparison.

This map is an American product made during WWII.  It had propaganda value and was beautifully designed.

This map isn't so pretty, but it interests me.  Another American product from WWII, it is a paranoid's dream document.

You may have to click on the image to read the key.

Look how innocent New Mexico was!

But now look at Massachusetts.  Wow!

NOTE:  I fixed the links so they work now.  And I also browsed some of the other works of Joseph P. Kamp, compiler of the last map.  He was quite productive: The fifth column in Washington! By Joseph P. Kamp, It isn't safe to be an American, We must abolish the United States : the hidden facts behind the crusade for world government / Joseph P. Kamp, Behind the plot to sovietize the South, and
 many more.

Proof Positive!

My rose bush hasn't produced any flowers for a few years.  So why is it producing this year?  Maybe it liked all the rain.  Anyway, here's the proof.  (I confess to pumping up the color saturation, since the blooms are a very light pink.)

Romeo is enjoying the opportunity to go outside.

Morning Glory Takes a Stroll Along the WIndow Sill

Office Windowsill Gardening

Your office windsill needn't be limited to a row of pots.















Consider extending your plants' reach with drinking straws from the staff room, as illustrated on the right. Also note that a folder-holder can be used to create a lovely arbor.

I'd Like to Live Here

Yesterday I took my camera to Franklin St., which is parallel to Mass Ave. on the way to Central Square. That area is a jungle of shade trees and climbing ivy. I want to live there.

Many of the houses have interesting features.

This house has a wonderful fence. You get tantalizing glimpes of the house and yard.

Same fence. They give us people on the outside plenty to look at.
A closeup. Can you see that the stone relief depicts scenes from the Bible?

A small window gives another peek inside.

I like color--loud color, even. I would definitely feel comfortable in this neighborhood.

Down-Memory-Lane Monday: Hair Continued

When I was a little girl, I wanted long hair swinging wildly down my back. My mother said that if I was going to have long hair, it would have to be styled. She thought long hair just hanging around was sloppy. So I spent many nights sleeping on spoolies, a 60s innovation. Finally, I gave up and consented to a pixie cut, which appears in almost all my young photos.
I can now sympathize with her. Long hair catches on things, gets easily tangled, and is generally a lot of work for a mother trying to keep her daughter neat. Can I find some low-upkeep substitute for long hair? I haven't so far.I wanted hair like that sported by Vinnie Ream, sculptor of the Lincoln statue in the Capitol Rotunda.

My mother insisted on some arrangement like this lady's.

I ended up going the short, practical route.

The Beautiful Future

This lovely picture is courtesy of Retrofuture, a guy who posts on Flickr. Was he involved in retrofuture.com? I don't know. But I do know I want to follow his example in dredging up old, ridiculous visions of the future, scan them, and post them for the benefit of all humankind.