Scenes from the World Series Parade

 So much happiness all through the streets of Boston today as the Red Sox nation—players and fans— celebrated their recent victory. Even I, an ignorant sports fan, had watched the final game! I don't know the names of all the players, which beard belongs to whom. Here are some shots from this morning's parade that conveniently passed right by my front door on Boylston Street. I think I got some shots of actual players or maybe people who looked like them. In any case, the joy and gratitude and admiration were palpable. Boston Strong!

Play me, I'm yours . . .

Just outside the Berklee Book Store

If you can't perform inside Symphony, you can do it today, just outside it . . .

Thanks to the program streetpianos.com you can sit yourself down and plunk away.
The red piano below is just outside Symphony hall and free for your enjoyment. On my walk in Boston's Fenway area yesterday I passed by three of these uprights, each one uniquely hand decorated.

If you visit the official website: streetpianos.com/boston2013 you'll see a map of the city with the location of the rest of the 75 pianos that go live this Friday and await your touch.

An excerpt from the site: "Touring internationally since 2008, Play Me, I’m Yours is an arts project by artist Luke JerramLuke Jerram.*  When the project goes live in Boston on September 27, over 1000 street pianos will have been installed in 37 cities across the globe, bearing the simple invitation to Play Me, I’m Yours! The project has already reached more than four million people worldwide.
As a thank you to millions of loyal patrons and to celebrate its 75^th anniversary season, Celebrity Series of Boston is presenting Play Me, I’m Yours ‘the Street Pianos Boston Festival’ from September 27 – October 14, 2013. Located in public spaces in Boston, Cambridge, Somerville and Brookline, 75 pianos are available for anyone to play and enjoy."

Check out the link to Luke Jerram, the British artist who birthed the project and you can read stories of the effect these pianos have had around the world. And there's a video of Luke telling the story of his moment of inspiration.

Deep in the heart of Fenway's Victory Gardens

Just outside of Symphony Hall on Huntington Avenue. Just play it and you can say you've performed at Symphony.

Misogyny in the name of Fashion

Just read these words on a recent email introducing a new fashion statement (above), "The Giger collection is inspired by the Swiss artist H. R. Giger, particularly his visual effects work on the Alien movies. While Solo’s first line, Specimen, was extremely floral-driven, Giger is “a little more of me,” he says. “It’s darker and edgier.” Solo also looks to Alexander McQueen and other designers during his creative process, and says his exact inspirations are often hard to pin down."

Hard to pin down, alright, because these crippling new skyscraper heels are an invitation to abuse women! Maybe if the designers returned to the origins of these style cramping torture devices, they might be inspired to create something gorgeous and comfortable. Everyone should realize that the first "heels" were worn by men— butchers, centuries ago, as they sloshed through the blood and gore of slaughterhouses—the high heeled klogs keeping the blood off of their trousers!

I have been enraged for years at the limited supply of comfortable, yet stylish alternatives to these "inventions" by men that make women look "sexy," while guaranteeing that they stay the weaker sex. How can you outrun an attacker wearing something from the Giger collection?

On many of my summer jaunts of late, I've observed couples walking: the guy is casually and comfortably dressed, while the woman is bare-legged and hobbling in towering devices—I can't even call them shoes—with skirts so short—well I won't go there. As a yoga teacher, I watch the damage these weapons of female destruction inflict on a whacked-out pelvis.

Stilts might be easier to navigate, but please don't support these Giger torture devices.  It's time for a revolt! Let's see more walking shoes that look good, feel good, and keep men and women on an equal footing.

If you start at the finish line does it count?

As I left town for a weekend in the suburbs, I walked past many ambitious marathoners who sported yellow Addidas sponsored plastic bags from their shoulders—the sign that they had picked up their badges and other gear at the Hynes. Since I let some Marathon friends from Atlanta use my Boston digs, I headed West on the Framingham commuter line along with many more runners who were on their way to lodgings closer to Hopkington and the true starting point.

Gloucester Treasure: Born to Dance . . . Movement in Slate at Tessera Tile and Stone

Made entirely of slate gathered from around the world by ceramic and stone artist Eric Rattan and reminiscent of the movement, scale, and passion of Picasso's Guernica, this 12' w x 8' h triptych (Guernica is 25'w x 11'h) Born to Dance was not something I was expecting to see when I walked into Tessera Tile and Stone on Bass Avenue in Gloucester this afternoon. 

Molly Andrew of Tessera
Tile with her hands on the
warm countertop that
demonstrates to the touch
the comfort of radiant
heat under tile.

My Cape Ann painter friend Anna Comolli had told me that I would see materials at Tessera Tile that I wouldn't see anywhere else and she was right. Not only do Molly Andrews and Dennis Bryant have a full range of exquisite tiles in glass, porcelain, and ceramic, they attract and represent the work of accomplished artists like Eric.

To extract a piece from Eric's website santafedesignstudio.com, "The Indian, Chinese, Brazilian and Pennsylvania slate mosaic Born To Dance was created from slate, garnets, and micaceous slates. The mosaic loosely portrays the teachings of Paracelsus, a sixteenth century alchemist, philosopher, mystic, astronomer and physician. The mosaic also reflects the commonality and potentiality of the components of our universe. In this case, the slates coming out of the ground closely relate to our above ground earthly environs and to what we see in the sky . . . Depending on the size of the commission, 300 to 2000 stones are washed and sealed, then scattered at random about the room. It is a challenging process to explain that the picture is already there on the rocks: creative selection will allow the picture to develop and reveal itself, piece by piece. It involves watching and listening so that the stones can guide the picture along using the artists hand and eye to audition each stone and execute an image that is preconceived but not completely finished or assembled. No preliminary sketches are made or offered."

It was very clear to me after spending just a few moments in Tessera Tile and Stone that Molly and Dennis are artists themselves, dedicated to creating beauty not only in every display in their showroom but also as catalysts for creativity in the community. They offer workshops, family craft days, and design support so that customers can Dream • Design • Create their way to tile and stone solutions that express the individual style and aesthetic of each customer. Vision to creation. So the next time you've got a flooring, wall, or back splash to tackle, you should drive up to Gloucester and get inspired!

Tessera Tile and Stone is located at 90 Bass Avenue, Gloucester MA 01930, Telephone: 978-515-7223