The Art of Writing Letters

After watching the movie "Becoming Jane" about Jane Austen, I started thinking about letters. A lot of letter writing went on back in those days. The internet was nowhere to be found. But paper, pen and ink were in abundance. 

 My thoughts went back to my younger years, to the times when I used to write letters. I had pen pals from overseas, letters came from family members that lived far away, and I used to write to a man in prison for at least 20 years or more before we gradually stopped writing to each other. Those gems are now in a plastic tote in the back of a closet that haven't been looked at for a long time until today.  

I pulled out the totes, wiped off the dust and poured out the contents onto the floor. I sorted through the cards and letters, then bundled according to the sender. I read many, plus cried lots of tears. There is something special about handwritten letters. It is said that there is an art to it. I don't know about that. Letters were written when people actually took the time to sit down and think about the recipient. Then pick up a pen and write out their thoughts on paper.

What brought up this nostalgic feeling for letter writing? I miss it. I miss going to the mailbox and discovering a letter. Now, I only find a bill or an advertisement. But letters are singular in the respect that they come from one heart to another saying you mean something to me and I must write it down for you to see. How often have you pulled out a letter and read it over and over again?  Tracing your finger over the words that were written and trying to imagine the person as they wrote it. I am willing to write letters to someone who is of the same mind. Would you find it thrilling or burdensome to re-discover this lost art of communication?   

The street where Halloween is an all out occasion

A cousin of ours told us about Third Street here in Fort Wayne that went all out for Halloween. I have lived here for a long time and never knew about it. 

For several weeks I have tried to come out on a weekend and look at all of the yards that the neighborhood decorated.  I think that they secretly have a contest going on.  

There were totems of ghouls and goblins that I wouldn't want to bump into in the daylight much less at night.

There was an evil joker hanging in a tree. 

And car crash victims. 

The rain finally eased enough for me to grab my camera and photograph in between the raindrops. There were others photographing the neighborhood along with me.   

Here is the cowboy I asked Santa for a few years ago for Christmas.  But I think he made it here too late.

If you have time before Halloween, drive over to Third Street in Fort Wayne and enjoy the lawns of the residents who took so much trouble to decorate.  I really enjoyed walking up and down the street admiring what I saw. 

Making memories at the Literati Bookstore in Ann Arbor, Michigan

Yesterday morning I went to breakfast with some friends. We talked of my travels, especially to Morocco.  Afterwards it was my plan to pick up my little niece and have a fun day together. The sunshine charged my positive mood meter to the full and I thought that it was a good day to go somewhere. I had been wanting to visit a particular city since I heard about it in the spring. 

I listen to NPR (National Public Radio) as often as I can. On April 16th this year I tuned in to listen to All Things Considered with Ari Shiparo. The story of the day was about a bookstore in Ann Arbor, Michigan called Literati.  

Hillary and Michael Gustafson (husband and wife) opened the bookstore in April 2013 basing their name on a Literati typewriter. Ann Arbor is a college town, the University of Michigan met us as we rolled in to town. The bookstore is located in the heart of downtown. The top floor is a coffee shop with room to sit down and chat or read with children's books located in the middle or the room. The street level is where all of the fiction is located and in the lower level is books on travel, history, gardening and cooking. But most of all the typewriter is there.  It is old and sits on a small table with a chair for the patron to sit comfortably and leave a message.  Thousands of messages have been left over the few years that the store has opened.  

Michael Gustafson and Oliver Uberti put together a book called, Notes from a Public Typewriter, taken from the many notes that patrons wrote on the antiquated typing machine in the basement. They call these notes, "Diary of a town happening in a bookstore."   

I searched for the book locally and ended up ordering it on line. The day I received the book, I read it from cover to cover.  It's funny how some books butt in line demanding to be read right then and there like rude people do cutting in front of you hoping that they will not be noticed. But you do.  

Below are a few of my favorite quotes: 

                             Maybe were were brought here
            to explore other worlds. 
            Reading allows us to do so. 

                    I just want to push your buttons.

                    I spent 22 years telling her
            to do great things. Now that she has 
            gone to do them I am sad. 

            Avoid identity theft. Use a typewriter.
            They are much harder to hack. 

I picked up my niece and we headed to Michigan.  The weather was cool and windy with lots of sunshine when we left.  The trip took two and a half hours.  The further north we traveled the colder it became and rain settled in like an unwanted friend.  My camera was safely tucked into the trunk, hoping that the rain lets up so that I can take some pictures. 

When we arrived it was 38 degrees and the rain was pouring down.  I was not about to let this get me down. After the fiasco with the parking meter (not wanting to read my credit card) we went inside to wander around.  After picking out a book for my niece we headed downstairs. The typewriter was located directly at the bottom of the stairs. By the time we arrived the page was nearly full with notes. 

My niece sat down and contributed to the nearly full page of writing. I, too, tried to leave my message but the keys kept sticking and eventually I gave up.  The thought of just being there was satisfying to me.  It is like seeing a place in pictures but when you experience the place for yourself it takes you to another level. Maybe I am too philosophical and try to make things what they are not supposed to be.  After all it was just a bookstore. Or was it?  

There were quotes taped to the door just past the typewriter.  

Eventually the rain eased enough to be able to allow us to venture outside. One of the walls have a few of the quotes painted on and my niece decided to pose in front of a couple of them. 

On the way home, we laughed, sang songs, and most of all a memory was created on not such a beautiful blue sky kind of day in a not so ordinary bookstore. When my niece asked to live with me. I knew that I had accomplished what I set out to do. 

Garden Whimsy

I've spent most of my summer in my backyard making it look beautiful. And I have discovered how to make glass art for the garden.  It seems to be the thing now to go to a thrift shop and buy discarded vases, plates, cups, fancy wine glasses, etc and make one of a kind creations to put in the garden.  I guess that I have joined the masses in trying to come up with unique ideas.   

The piece above was my first project, I say was because it broke shortly after I took this picture. Using the right glue is the key to glass projects. I am glad that I can use the base and the topper on a future project, everything in between shattered. 

I found a tall dome at the Goodwill and a large resin ball.  I thought that it would look good in the garden with things filling the dome to the top and then gluing a small plate underneath for protection from the weather. There are bowl fillers that can be used for this. I was lucky and got a bag on clearance at Menard's. Then I found a large base to attach it to.  (notice the colorful glass bottom from the shattered project) 

My next project that I worked on all day yesterday and was very easy to do. I found a couple of vases similar in height and secured them together with a plate in between for added stability and strength with the heaviest piece on the bottom.  I like those glass pieces from the Dollar Store and used them for embellishing the project.  Then I glued on the topper (also from the shattered project) and waited for the glue to cure. 

The little garden ornament above I put together with a vase and an odd piece that I found but loved the colors in it.  All it took to put together is glue and you are done. I would suggest that you let your mind wander when it comes to a project like this and not be afraid of experimenting. 

Let's talk glue. A friend told me to use Silicone for outdoor use. I bought GE Silicone waterproof. It was a complete disaster.  Because it takes so long to set up the project was unstable for a long period of time. That is why my first project was ruined. It shouldn't take weeks to put together.  Next I used Lexel, this product takes 2-4 days to cure.  I had read about E6000 adhesive.  Now this is glue that I love! The piece was sticking together in about 10 minutes or less. Once I had the project glued together, I used Lexel around the seams for waterproofing and extra strength.  You shouldn't have to wait days or weeks in order to put a project together. But I would allow 3-7 days for the glue to cure and then set it outside. Read the directions on the glue label. 

Enjoy!

Murals of North Webster and Ligonier

My cousin, aunt, and I went to North Webster to ride the Dixie Sternwheel Paddle Boat. It had been raining and was overcast when we went. On the way home I spotted the Mural below on Main Street and East Washington.  I had to go back and see it in better light.  And I am so glad that I did.  I think that this mural is awesome and would love to see more with this kind of creativity. The artist is @creativ_ty #art of harmony. 

The next mural is also in North Webster on Main Street as well. 

I couldn't find any more murals to photograph, so, I headed to Ligonier.  They call it The City of Murals. 

All of the murals are located in the downtown area and are viewed best on foot. Don't forget to walk to the back of buildings because I found some very impressive ones out of plain sight. 

What I noticed is that there is a history theme. I did some research and discovered that there are at least three dozen murals throughout the city. The one below is in a doorway entitled Amish Trail. 

The artists are Beth A. Ivanov and Robert A.Hudson who contributed their talent for the majority of the murals.  

I admire those who have the ability to make the city where one lives more beautiful with art.  A plain building can become a reminder of the history that made the town become what it is today. 

The Ligonier Ladies, Ruth Elijah and Betty Peterson traveled all over the country researching murals so that they could revitalize their small town. 

Each mural was carefully planned. They looked at photographs, visited libraries, and historical societies to gather information. 

 The mural below is part of a series on the same building. You will need to visit to see the rest. 

I really like the colors and depth that the artist uses in their depictions of various places. 

This one is called Saturday night in Ligonier.  Looks like a scene from the 1950's. 

The mural below is of the Ligonier School 1876-1911

The mural below is called "The Wars 1775-1974" painted by Robert A. Hudson is very impressive with the caption ...and our flag was still there at the bottom.  The flag is facing the alley and this one is my favorite. 

The fire station has a mural on the side of the building. 

Across from the Wars mural are these two murals painted by Beth A.Ivanov.  

The mural below is a series of four and you will need to visit to see the rest. 

This mural is also a series. 

Not all art is located in a museum, nor is the mural considered graffiti, but is art nonetheless. Wandering streets and alleys is the way to visit a "New Museum of Art." Give it a try and you benefit in two ways, exercise and visually. 

Murals of Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne has caught on to the mural trend that has been spreading across the country.  Did you know that Philadelphia has at least 3600 murals?  Richmond, Virginia has over 100.  Fort Wayne is the home to about 264,000 residents with a growing artist community that are making their presence known. 

Yesterday a photography friend and I decided to go on a photo shoot downtown. It was one of my goals to photograph the murals that are scattered throughout the city. This is located at 128 W. Wayne Street and the artist is Tim Parsley. 

As I backed into a small alcove to get the above picture I saw this bit of artwork that I am sure not many people see because of its location. 

This mural is located on Harrison Street in the alley.  I caught a glimpse of it as I was driving past and was anxious to get a better look. The artist is Bryan Ballinger or Breadwig. 

This is Midtowne Crossings Association Mural located at 112 W. Wayne Street by Matthew Plett, who is, also, my neighbor. 

The Wunderkammer Company at 3402 Fairfield Avenue has another one of Matthew Plett's work. This facility is in a constant state of evolution.  

The mural below is located at the back of Wunderkammer.  

Hyde Bookstore at 1428 Wells Street commissioned Julia Meek to paint a depiction of Fort Wayne.  Julia is a local artist and radio host on NPR and she works at Hyde Bookstore on the weekends. A very talented lady. 

Morings flowers located 2135 Wells Street has two murals by artist Andre Talamantes. 

Nosego or Yis Goodwin is the artist for this mythical like creatures located at 816 S. Calhoun on the Pint n Slice building. 

Jerrod Tobias is the artist of the Native American and Wild Boar at The Brass Rail located at 1121 Broadway. 

Tobias also was the artist for the Mural across from the Three Rivers Apartments (below) and

the cardinals on the wall at Studio Seva at 3155 N. Anthony Blvd. 

Mad Anthony Brewing Company at the corner of Broadway and Taylor has this lovely new mural located at the back of their building.  Makes you wish that you were taking a relaxing ride in a boat doesn't it? The artist is Shea Rutherford. 

A couple doors down from Mad Anthony's is 20 Past 4. Their mural is fantastical in nature and I love it. Beam me up Scotty! 

My last mural is also at the Corner of Broadway and Taylor. The artist is Laura Hancock and the entire fence is filled with her artwork.

I felt like a tourist as I wandered my city looking for the bizarre, imaginative, and lovely creations that we call art. We should have tours here and call it Art Around Fort Wayne.