CAKE AT THE JEWEL BOX AT FOREST PARK

FRIDAY "LEONARDO DA VINCI" SKY

Last Saturday, January 28th, after breakfast and before the Welcome Home Parade scheduled at noon, we went to see The Da Vinci Machines Exhibition. The exhibit has limited engagement and luckly for us it was extended thru February 28, 2012. The building is across from the City Garden in downtown St. Louis. The advertisement reads "Explore the mind of the greatest genius of all time at The Da Vinci Machines Exhibition. Over 60 machines on display, many of which are interactive, the collection features replicas of the major and most striking inventions of the original Renaissance Man."

For someone who is very mechanical challenge and has very limited knowledge when it comes to engineering or how things work, I really enjoyed the exhibit. I am not saying that I had better understanding of these machines. I was simply fascinated by the incredible mind of the man whom I thought became famous just for his paintings of Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. I never knew that he had so many inventions and how he was interested in so many complex subjects. "Approximately 1/3 of his original output has survived. Today, these manuscripts, known as 'Codices of Leonardo da Vinci' are amongst the most valuable books in the world" .

I was never interested in the movie Da Vinci Code but now I might have to watch to movie just to learn more the artist and the man.

Many of the inventions proved that Da Vinci was ahead of the time, many centuries in advance when it came to flying, exploring and building machines to improve working and living conditions.

I thought "de Qaptain" being an engineer would have enjoyed this exhibit. Too bad it was not here last April (2011) and only on display until the end of February this year. Who do you think could be compared to Leonardo de Vinci or modern Leonardo of the 21st century?

TUESDAY TWO - EAGLE WATCHING

The 2012 Eagle Days took place last weekend (January 14-15). This annual event started in 1996 by a group of environmentally oriented organizations. We only began going to the viewing the last three years (even though we have been living in St. Louis over 17 years). On Sunday (January 15th), we bundled up and walked the entire length of the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge, 5,353 feet long, x 2 since we walked from Missouri to Illinois side and back to Missouri. (Hey Qap, that would count as my exercise of the month/year - haa haa).

There were spotting telescopes already set up by volunteers to assist guests with viewing of the eagles in the area. Individuals could also bring their own telescopes and binoculars. (The handsome young man, in black pants and black coat, on the left in the top and above photo would be my husband setting up his camera, testing a new zoom lense he just purchased. But we did not spot any eagles!)

There were also educational information and exhibits set up in warm tents located in the center of the bridge. It was disappointed that we did not see any eagles diving for fish in the river, not even roosting in the trees along the shoreline. It was sunny but freezing, in the upper 30s. However, it felt like 30 below zero when the wind blew across the bridge as the chill cut right thru the layers of clothes we were wearing. Eagle or no eagle, it was a good day to be outside.

THE TAMING OF THE SHREW

These photos were taken a few weeks ago when we drove around Forest Park after a visit to the Missouri History Museum. I noticed that the annual outdoor Shakespeare Festival was being set up, ready for its 4-week run of "The Taming of the Shrew" production. The free festival began in 1997. According to the website, www.shakespearefestivalstlouis.org, the festival employed renowned regional and national directors, stage designers and professional actors. I have never been to a performance because I thought it would be only community theatre actors. I guess I was wrong!

As I was taking the photos, a man who dressed like the fortune-seeker character Pertruchio yelled out, "Stop taking photos of the stage!" I responded, "It is an empty stage." He did not look happy at my comment. Pertruchio insisted that I stop taking photos because "it is all copyrighted." (You could hardly see the details in the photo since I was far away from the stage.) I smiled and walked away after saying, "Have a nice day" to Pertruchio. Perhaps someone would explain to me about this copyrighted when it is outdoor, free admission and the festival should be glad that I am promoting it by writing about the play in my blog.

I thought of Qaptain Qwerty and wonder if he would enjoy going to the festival. The Shrew will run from May 27th thru June 19th. You could either bring a picnic basket, coolers with your favorite drinks, (or purchase food/drinks/snacks from concession stands) a lawn chair (rental available) or a blanket. If we attended the festival and brought a blanket, my husband' snoring probably would drown out the actors on stage and we would get kick out of the festival!

The temperature has been in the upper 80s with lot of promise of a typical hot and humid St. Louis summer. I decided to get a pedicure so I could wear these shoes I just bought last week. With new shoes and a pedicure, I feel I am ready for summer!

LET THERE BE PEACE

I was very pleased to find the statue of St. Francis of Assisi right outside the Jewel Box. With so much turmoil in this world (and at times in my personal life), I thought the prayer below is so fitting. Let There Be Peace On Earth - The prayer of St. Francis of Assisi Let there be peace on Earth, and let it begin with me; Let there be peace on Earth, the peace that was meant to be; With God as creator, family all are we; Let us walk with each other in perfect harmony. Let peace begin with me -- let this be the moment now; With every breath I take, let this be my joyous vow: To take each moment and live each moment in peace eternally; Let there be peace on Earth and let it begin with me.

Peace in the world, peace in the our homes and peace in our hearts!

TREE OF LIFE - THE JEWEL BOX IN FOREST PARK

This sculpture is named "Tree of Life" by artist Victoria Whiting. It is located inside the Jewel Box at Forest Park. If we were not looking for this sculpture, we would probably still not seeing the inside of the Jewel Box.

From www.wingsinthecity.org, "Victoria enjoys working in a variety of media to create pieces that combine strong drawing bases with global influences infused with both ancient and modern symbols and designs."

"Trees have always been some of my favorite things in life and in artwork. I have always enjoyed seeing light filtered through the leaves of a tree during the day and especially at sunsets. I remember the feeling as a child of running home as the sun went down while the trees turned to silhouettes. The transformation of the trees at twilight and the colors of the sky made the experience almost mystical. That feeling inspired the colors of my butterfly. As an adult studying art, I learned the symbolic meaning of the Tree of Life, an important symbol in many cultures. These trees often have images of fruit, flowers and winged creatures and symbolize protection, growth and strength. It seemed natural to fill the butterfly with this Tree of Life, full of offerings, hope and strength."

THE LITTLE CHURCH MOUSE IN THE JEWEL BOX

One of the 56 butterfly sculptures, part of the Wings in the City exhibit www.wingsinthecity.org, is on display at the Jewel Box in Forest Park. We have been living in St. Louis since 1995. We visited Forest Park on many occasions such as going to the annual hot air balloons race, to the museums or just driving around the park. Yet, last weekend was the first time we went inside the Jewel Box at Forest Park. From the outside, it has an appearance of a neglected greenhouse. Once inside, it is so beautiful and inviting. The place was set up ready for a wedding. We did not know that the Jewel Box was available for rental for special events.Ok, TOTA, what about the title "The little church mouse in the Jewel Box"? During the week of March 21 – 25, I went to Mass in the morning, then to work and then back to church with my husband for the Parish Mission. I just thought the title, “The little church mouse in the Jewel Box” was sort-of perfect for this post!My husband started calling me “a little church mouse” when I began going to 8:00 Mass on Wednesday and Friday mornings. Last week two Vincentian priests, twin brothers, visited our parish and presented a week long Parish Mission entitled “I Could Have Done More”. Starting Monday, March 21st thru Thursday, March 24th, at 7:00 p.m. each evening, the priests celebrated Mass with a homily focused on different theme for each night.The theme on Monday was our trust in God when we pray. The priest told a story about the people in a small town gathered to pray for rain during a drought. Almost all the town people came to the church, including a 10 years old boy named Billy. After an hour of praying, the Lord answered their prayers and the heavy rain began pouring. Little 10-year old Billy was the one person carried an umbrella. No one trusted in God like little Billy. They prayed but in their heart and mind, they were not true believers!On Tuesday, the theme was learning to rely on God’s wisdom and power. We are a “quick fix” people, always expecting instant relief. We need to remember that God acted in His own time, not according to our schedule. Forgiveness was the theme on Wednesday. Forgive those who offended us was sort-of easy, the hardest part was forgiving our own mistakes. We often are too harsh on ourselves to the point where we could not move on. The sacrament of reconciliation was offered after the Wednesday Mass. (On Wednesday evening, when the priest started reading the Gospel, I began to question whether he was reading the same Gospel from yesterday. Then I realized that I heard the same reading from the morning Mass. And I thought the priest was confused because of his old age. It was I that was confused!) Thursday was the last day of the Parish Mission. The theme was to have a peaceful mind and heart. To achieve a peaceful mind and heart, we must not only forgive those offended us but also pray for them. We also must not be vengeful (like saying, “I forgive you but I hope God will get you!”) This is the hardest part and I don’t know if I could ever achieve a peaceful mind and heart!