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Apparently there are some people who actually want to know what I have been reading and have complained because I have not posted lately.  A good dose of frozen shoulder has limited my activities, even typing at the computer.  If you don't know what that is that's OK.  I hope you never have to find out!

One son had me reading Jeans:a Cultural History of an American Icon, which was rather dull and not the full story, seeing as it covers, as history, a goodly amount of time that has occurred on the front page and in ads in my life time.  A whole lot was left unsaid so it became rather trite to me. The early years were most informative.  Maybe you will read the front half of the book and learn something about denim you didn't know.  I knew most of it already.  Guess I am getting old....

 If anyone is interested in the cult of celebrity, this book makes a good case for Madame Tussaud being part of its origins.  While you might not agree with that, the book really does give one an insider's view of the French Revolution.  I think every American student should read it. I don't celebrate July 14th and I knew American education had gone to pot when I saw how the texts continually compare the French and American Revolutions, never contrasting them.  On purpose they were not the same thing, by the grace of God they were not the same thing. There are more differences than similarities.  For those who have a hard time with dry history texts, this would give one a good bit of history  re: the French Revolution, surrounding the story of Madame Tussaud's waxworks.

I have always been a fan of wax museums.  There used to be a wax figure at Santa Santa Claus Land(Indiana) that sat looking as if she were going to take your ticket.  It always tricked me.  Little did I know that its origins can be traced back to Tussaud.  There used to be a wax museum along A1A, somewhere at the north end of Miami, or Golden Isles, I am not sure.  Maybe even North of Lauderdale.  I do know I visited it several times.  I was always intrigued with how lifelike the figures were.  They had great life size dioramas of Florida history, from Seminole settings through the astronauts.  When I finally got to visit THE wax museum, Madame Tussaud's in London, I was disappointed at how old, musty and dusty those figures were.  It was a real let down.  That was quite awhile ago.  I am sure the figures have been improved.  We visited the branch they placed in Orlando about 30 years ago.  We were the only ones there at the time.  I think it went under.  Perhaps the digital age has made such amusements passe.

I don't think the book was a letdown.  Maybe I was predisposed to be interested in the topic.  If I still had a student around I would have him read A Tale of Two Cities and this book and come up with a writing assignment.  Maybe someone else out there will do that.

I looked at a People magazine while waiting to get my hair cut yesterday.  That was enough celebrity viewing to last me a year.  Yuck.  No self respect, that's for sure. My sister who majored in drama and worked in the costuming department would be interested in the costuming history covered in the Tussaud book.  Since today's celebrities barely wear clothes....no wonder the idea of visiting a waxworks is not high on anyone's list.

We've had a lot discussions about viral marketing lately.  The internet has changed the way we communicate, do business, and get the news.  As Americans we seem to take innovation for granted.  I think the rest of the world takes to it even more readily than we do.   And yet human nature is the same.  The mobs of the French Revolution were one thing, now text messaging brings the mobs into action in all parts of the world these days. Putting the two together, the knowledge of the mob rule of French Revolution and the mobs that technology has manipulated makes for a rather dark future.  I am glad I am a pilgrim, how about you?

James saw an Ansel Adams exhibit on one of his recent trips to Vegas.  He mentioned he was most intrigued by the letters that were quoted as part of the exhibit.  That is what led to David picking this book up at the library, as well as a volume of Adams' letters.  I haven't seen the letters but this book is certainly well worth the time.  Adams grew up across from San Francisco.  He remembers watching the city burn, following the earthquake of  1906.  He recalls he was the only one of his family that did enjoy the whole quake experience.  Four year olds can find adventure in anything.  You have to get your hands on the book to see the photo of the house his father built, out on a point, facing the bay.  What an outdoor wonderland Adams had to explore as a child!

I think anyone considering medicating a student, especially a son, should read the chapter about Adams' childhood and consider that perhaps changes are in order, but medication isn't necessarily the answer.  Adams admits he would have been called hyperactive had the word been around when he was in school.  Since it wasn't, his parents looked for a new school about every other year, rather the way my husband's parents were always trying to find a school that could hold him. Then his father finally took him out of school to teach him himself.  You have to read about that part.  Most fascinating.

  It is not idle chatter to wonder how many creative or inventive discoveries are going to be delayed a few generations, because we so easily want a Rx fix for challenging people.  This has got to stop. 

OK, that book report was for the one who said she missed hearing about what I was reading.  She also thinks it is worth reporting my big garage sale find of seven green glasses for two dollars.  I am sure anyone reading this has had something more exciting than that to report on for the past week.  But I have been rather wanting green glasses for a few years.  And now I have broken or lost enough to have room for new glasses.  My mother-in-law used to find me wonderful glasses at closeouts and bring them to me, saying  "Here are  few more you can break."  She loved crystal and had gorgeous glasses I was never allowed to touch.  I don't think I am that much of a klutz but if you do wash dishes by hand, it is a hazard of the job.....Yes, plastic would do the job.  I don't like plastic drinking cups.  I do have one that I like.  It looks like a clear class.  It was the only one Burdines had when I saw it on their sale table.  Now Burdines doesn't even exist anymore.  And at full retail there is no way I would pay for a plastic cup that looks like glass, just because I don't like plastic.  It makes more economic sense to find and break some more from garage sales.  Garage Sales are the kind of recycling that makes sense!

We have two dear friends who left today with their two children, to move to Israel.  Now they should have more interesting things to discuss than I did when I was raising little boys!  I hope they put up a blog and soon.

Well, the above named James did make it to 25 after all.  There were many times during his childhood that we weren't sure he would make it.  We weren't sure we would either!  I would share his blog with you describing me teaching him to read but since it is a birthday blog he wrote to thank me, on HIS birthday, I won't.  But if he would let me share it with the mothers who are tearing their hair out trying to get someone to read, it might give them hope!

 James loves photography.  One of his photo profs docked him every time he made a comment to go along with his photo.  Prof says the photo should stand alone.  Well, for Ansel Adams, perhaps they can.  But James' commentary is what make the photo so interesting!  And I will say that I enjoy Ansel Adams photos in his autobiography because I love reading the stories that go along with them.  You probably would too.