Travelogue: San Diego day 5

Tuesday July 22, 2008.
An absolutely SPECTACULAR day!!!!!
Bernie called me the night before, feeling quite down with an awful cold and loneliness.

Being out of work, with your wife out of town, alone on the eve of your daughter's 30th birthday...well, it was hard. We are both believing God has a job for Bernie. He had already interviewed twice with a company in SLC, and they had said they would be in touch with him on Friday.

That Friday had come and passed four days ago. Hard to keep hoping and waiting.

The very next morning on July 22nd I get another call: Bernie has gotten the long awaited call, and received a job offer!

WHOO HOO!!!

Salt Lake City, here we come!

(I had already found a job a few weeks back, and had received my job offer before I left for San Diego. But that is another story for another post....)

So Mom and Dad and I all did the Praise the Lord Happy Dance!

Of course I will be blogging about the details of our future, but for now, I just want to report the details of that day as it happened.

Like I said before, it was spectacular!

Mom had noticed that there was a showing of Georgia O'Keeffe art at the San Diego Museum of Art down in Balboa Park. Would I be interested in going to see it?
Of course.

I am always up for art, and definitely always up for a day in the lovely park.

The park was mostly built in 1915 for a Pan American Exposition, later 1935 there was more added to the park for the California Pacific Exposition.

My dad's dad raised most of the money for that event; my dad and his twin sisters attended the Exposition frequent. Lots of interesting stories and pictures from then, so the park has a special place in my family history.

I do admire the Moorish style architecture!

Mom invited her friend June to join us. The two Junes came out to visit me a awhile back; they are great long time friends (over thirty years now.) I always enjoy getting together with June.

I dropped them off at a restaurant in the park and found parking, no easy task but once again I lucked out and found something nearby. I dawdled a bit shooting flower pictures as I walked to rejoin them, getting handsy with the flowers and enjoying examining the stamen.

As we eat lunch, we watch cranes putting together a new sculpture in the park.
We are not happy about this.
The two buildings behind the red "thing" are the signature buildings of the park; I do not think red bits and pieces add anything to the view.
In fact, I think it is distracting.
Oh well.
(Nobody asked me what I thought about it anyway.)

In one of the gardens in the park there are lovely tiled fountains. Sara posted about these same fountains awhile ago, I thought of her as I enjoyed seeing them again in real life.

Back lit flowers: Now there's a new photography trick. These sunflowers look so amazing with the sun lighting them from behind.

The canna lily leaves take on a stained glass with back lighting. I totally dig this picture!

Now technically the art show we were at the park to see was not just about O'Keeffe.

She was just one of several women artists "discovered" and mentored by a male photographer named Stieglitz.

I was about to learn a few things, and to finally figure out something else.

The exhibit not only had the art of all the women and the photography of Stieglitz, it also had the photographic portraits of each of the women by Stieglitz. I loved this photo. What a sweet face and graceful costume.

Most of the women began showing their works between 1900 and 1920. (The Twenties theme continued...maybe I should of worn my costume.)

As it turned out, I liked the art work of Katharine Rhoades better than Georgia O'Keeffe

I learned that Stieglitz not only promoted the art of each of the women, he also seduced each of them as well.

Each of them save Katharine.

Atta girl Kate

Just say no to the old leach.

One of Rhoades paintings that I liked very much.

Now Stieglitz was quite taken by O'Keeffe work, and when a friend showed some of her paintings to him, he immediately put them in a gallery on display in 1916.

This horrified O'Keeffe, she had not been informed that this was to happen.

Within a year however she was quite comfortable being an acclaimed artist.

Stieglitz was enthralled by her, and considered her to be his artistic muse. There were several photographic portraits of O'Keeffe by Stieglitz, most of which focused on her hands. Generally she had an almost hurt/angry/uncomfortable expression upon her face.

One photo caught every one's attention: O'Keeffe was wearing a white kimono robe, and had exposed one breast, which she held with both hands, using her finger tips like she was not happy about having to touch herself.

Almost everyone viewing the picture had the same comment:

"Don't forget your mammogram!"

Stieglitz, (23 years older than O'Keeffe,) married O'Keeffe in 1924; they continued in their marriage until his death in 1946, she lived until 1986, at age 99.

A few months back I had come across a photography book of Stieglitz's photo, and had been astonished to find multiple nude photos of O'Keeffe amongst his works.

Now I (sort of) understand how they came to be.

What I still don't get is why she always looked so sad/tired/unhappy in all her photos, like this one just before she bared her breast.

Here's one of her paintings that was on display.

I rather liked this one of seaweed by O'Keeffe.

In the next gallery I found this painting, also by a woman artist.

I think the lady in the painting, (Mildred is her name...) must have been a very interesting person.
Just get a load of her fabulous hat!

Librarian me: must have picture of this picture.

Back outside the I am still admiring the architecture. I wish I could take tour with a historian who could tell me about all the details on the buildings.



A horticulturist to tell me the names of the flowers would be nice too.

The trees in the park are just HUGE!



I smiled to see Columbine, a very untypical San Diego flower.
They grow well in SLC, don't they?

This floral oddity...have you every imagined a flower like this?

The feeling in the park is so vast. Navy helicopters often dot the sky, reminding one that indeed, San Diego is a Navy town.



I don't know why I didn't get better pictures of Mom and June.
Wished I had had them pose! They are both so lovely and they deserve a better picture than this one!

We left the park and headed to Laura's work to drop me off. I was to go with Laura out to La Mesa, to Bernie's childhood home for her OFFICIAL birthday celebration.
Traffic was bad, as usual, as we headed towards Mt. Helix, which overshadows the little town.



There was a surprise waiting at my in-laws home: A bouquet of thirty white roses for the newly minted 30 year old from her daddy!

And TWO cards from her brother, along with a gift.
(Everyone was really into cards this year...)



We headed out for a Birthday dinner at Mario's.

Everyone had their usual favorite Mexican dish.



Then back to the old homestead for more cards and gifts.

My BGF Gail knows Laura a bit too well...three boxes of HOT TAMALES!
Not so much because Laura likes HOT TAMALES!! but that she ACTS like a HOT TAMALE!!!!!
all the time.
So Gail actually sent her THREE boxes, one for each decade.
HOT TAMALES!!!!!

Laura is always on the move...no wonder I got a blurry shot!

Grampa S. and Laura bantered while she opened gifts.

And when the subject of fish came up....

Best fish impersonation in town!

That's my girl!

(And she swears she is going to start acting her age starting tomorrow...)

Grandma got Laura a cake with a Little Mermaid candle, because Laura is actually a mermaid you know.

Would you believe 30 cards?
And three boxes of HOT TAMALES!!!!



Thirty white roses....





Every one of them was a beauty....

Just like my girl.

And yes, Laura, you really, really are thirty now!

And we really really are going to SLC!!!!