My Sweet Sister

SYRACUSE -- My adorable little sister, Jamie, who lives in Arizona, was on the news last night! She’s collecting Halloween candy for the troops. Her husband, Derek, is a solider in Iraq. They were married in Hawaii this summer, right before he was deployed.
Here’s the link.
Be sure to watch the podcast! They really make this candy drive sound dramatic! (JM)

Dear Grandpa

SYRACUSE -- He was full of odd surprises. I remember the morning in March when I walked into the kitchen and spotted Grandpa quietly trying to get a raw egg to stand on its own. “What are you doing?” I asked. He proudly explained – he loved it when I didn’t know – that you could balance an egg on a flat surface on the first day of spring. Moments later, he proved it to be true.
Whenever I am miserably stressed, I think of Grandpa and his patient spirit. I think of him slowly shuffling down the hallway, into the kitchen, where he would sip coffee at dawn and read the paper. I think of him scanning coins on E-bay for hours and hours, perpetually fascinated, and of him snoring while taking naps in his recliner. I think of his magnificent garden and 40-year-old compost bin, his 61-year-long marriage to Grandma, his cat that lived to be 19 (he cooked chicken livers for her on the stove every morning). I remember him telling me, over and over again, “Haste makes waste,” as I buzzed around the house, regularly bumping into furniture and spilling my drink.
And I think of him balancing that silly egg, on that lovely March morning – and it gives me a feeling of peace.
My grandfather, a lifelong Indiana resident, passed away two years ago. Today, Sept. 26, he would have turned 88.
Happy birthday, Grandpa. I miss you. (JM)

See Jane Run...

OAKLAND/BERKELEY, CA--Athena is her name! What a vivacious and knowledgeable women. See Jane Run is a women owned runner's utopia predominately focused on getting fitness as a part of life for all females regardless of size, shape, age, likes or dislikes. It is situated on College Ave, one of the main drags leading all to the University of California-Berkeley campus (aka, Cal). Within this environment that attracks the likes of hippies and educators, artists and convicts, musicians and execs, See Jane Run represents it all (okay, not the convict). What's so great is that all the employees have knowledge about their inventory and they practice what they preach!

After a mini session on what a stability shoe will do for my slight pronation, having tried on three different shoes, and test-ran them out on the sidewalk I fell in love with a solid pair of Asics and the comfy blister proof socks I wore during the fitting! Great job Athena for your enthusiasm and blatant honesty. She didn't hesitate to tell me her opinion on the store's inventory, a good thing really. You want to know what you are getting and being a real amateur runner in-training, it was very educational! Stop in if you are in the neighborhood! (SH)

Roadside Eye Candy

EMERYVILLE, CA--No doubt, it was an early morning. I had to get up close and see just how this was done. As part of the underpass serving a major freeway interchange on the border of Oakland and Emeryville, all drivers are subjected to this vibrant iron art. The dilemma? Driving doesn't allow you to truly enjoy the 'live' art. I decided to start the day with the 6am hour and set out to this high traffic public art spot on foot.

As the day changes and the sun takes its natural course from East to West the shadows created from the many iron forms in this underpass make their impressions known. When the sun is in slumber there are large spotlights to feature the work so drivers at all hours can enjoy the off beat comical depictions of an Emeryville resident!

Surrounding this well kept city area were an additional three other large scale pieces all painted rich in color. 'Keep your eyes on the road' echoed in the back of my mind as I drove away fighting the urge to look longer from the view out my window. I'm just happy I carved time out to actually see it. Driving is a multi-sensory experience, art of this magnitude is like eye candy on the road and an easy distraction to get you on the wrong freeway. (SH)

Reality Check

SYRACUSE -- Al Gore spoke here on Thursday night. Tickets went on sale Sept. 2 and sold out in 30 minutes; unfortunately, I didn’t get a ticket. The local newspaper’s coverage of the event was awful. Here’s a letter I just shot off to the editor of that paper, The Post-Standard:

I was very disappointed with your downplayed coverage of Al Gore’s visit. As one of the many who were unable to get tickets for Thursday night’s sold-out event, I looked forward to reading about Gore’s presentation in Friday’s paper.
But your story ran below the fold in the local section, with no photo, and included no comments from the roughly 3,000 event attendees. Instead, on A-1, you had story about a school district failing to inspect its elevators and a dominant photo featuring solar panels and willow shrubs. How thrilling.
Does The Post-Standard need a reality check? Big names like Gore don’t stop in Syracuse very often. Giving this story better coverage would not have demonstrated any political bias; it simply would have made your front page more compelling. (JM)

Liberated Hair

SYRACUSE – I lost about a pound of hair today.
What you see here, beyond the remarkable afro, are the remnants of 124 skinny braids that have graced my head for the past seven weeks. Most of this pile is synthetic hair, although I did lose quite a few of my own strands.
I started the unbraiding last night and finished the job this morning (sniff sniff). All in all, it took 5 ½ hours. My only tools were scissors and a ballpoint pen.
As for those kinks, they disappeared when I washed and conditioned my hair this afternoon. I was a bit disappointed; I wanted to sport this crazy 'do for a few days.
I'll miss my dear braids and all the attention they attracted. They made me feel like an Egyptian princess -- and a badass.
What will I do with myself now? Dye my eyebrows? Pierce my chin? Tattoo my sternum?
Suggestions are welcome. (JM)

Reflections on 9/11

SYRACUSE -- I recently visited ground zero to view the photography exhibit, "here: remembering 9/11." Seeing enlarged photos at the site of devastation is intense – an experience akin to seeing images of The Holocaust while standing inside Dachau. The above image of the WTC towers, by Christopher Boyle, captured my attention.

There are days that change you in one powerful swoop, days that reveal both the beauty and brutality of life.

September 11 changed me – twice. First, in 2001, when I watched hijacked planes crash into buildings, killing thousands of innocent people. And then, three years later, on Sept. 11, 2004, when I sat in a hospital room and watched my grandfather die.

For me, as for many, September 11 is a sacred day. It’s a day when I feel particularly grateful for the things I have and the people who love me. A day when I set aside my anxiety about money and deadlines and other humdrum matters and refocus my lens on life. It’s a day when I walk slower and speak softer and cry. It’s a day when I quietly celebrate the gift of life while remembering, truly remembering, that this precious gift is not eternal.

I hope this day is sacred for you, too. I wish everyone the best. (JM)

Tweet Tweet

SYRACUSE -- I just discovered Alena Hennessy, an artist in Asheville, North Carolina, who produces paintings, prints, sculptures and apparel. Her work is darling! And her prices are wallet-friendly.
My favorites are her “bird in flight” sculptures and her charming prints featuring baby deer and chubby little birds. If you're keen on earthy fashion, the supersoft, extralong forest green scarf also is is a gem.
Visit www.alenahennessy.com/boutique.php (JM)

Jammin', Guerilla Style

SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY-- David Berkeley arrived on campus shortly after 1 p.m. Tuesday, unloaded his guitar and 100,000-watt speaker system and started to jam.
He got through only three songs before two police officers rolled up to the scene and told him to scram.
Berkeley, who didn’t have a permit to play, wasn’t deflated -- or surprised.
“All the time,” he replied cheerfully, when I asked him if this had happened before. “On our first day, we were shutdown in Atlantic City. We didn’t even last through the first strum.”
Berkeley, a 29-year-old from Brooklyn whose folksy-rock tunes resemble ballads by Nick Drake or Gary Jules, is one of eight artists on a musical road trip sponsored by Jeep. Each musician tours a region of the country in a new Jeep Compass.
The “Uncharted Tour” kicked off Aug. 24 in Central Park. In the upcoming month, Berkeley will appear in Boston, New York City and other Northeast locations. On Sunday and Monday, you might have caught his shows – these ones legal – at the New York State Fair.
Berkeley said some performances are scheduled, while others are spontaneous.
“Do you know of a good place to play?” he asked me while packing up his gear on Thursday. He wanted to perform again on campus later that day. On Wednesday, he planned to hit up Le Moyne College.
“With these guerilla shows, we pull up to a place and play something quickly,” he said.
“We got it rigged up so we can close up and go.”
To hear Berkeley, visit www.davidberkeley.com. (JM)

Bakery Convert

LOS ANGELES-Have you ever tasted the dessert without actually eating it? This is what happens when you stand in line at Porto's Bakery. This local hot-spot is so busy you have to take a number in order to be served. While in line strangers become friends. Conversations begin when the anticipation of deciding what to get becomes too much to bare. You turn to anyone out of desperation to voice your opinion about which mousse is richer, or inquire about the density of the carrot cake. Perhaps even question how the billowy white chocolate shavings ontop the triple chocolate mousse were made to look like clouds.

This past Saturday I spontaneously took a detour in my shopping plans to accomodate the wild desire and experience this legendary bakery. Surprised by the size, this bakery was a full-service restaurant, and surely the total people present exceeded the fire code regulation. No matter, everyone crammed close to the counter, pushing for the best view of the display cases. After a twenty minute wait and having established a friendship over mousse intellect with the gal in line ahead of me, I found myself in a state of panic. My number was next and I did not know what to buy. Anxiety took over along with my saliva. Too much saliva had been generated while standing in a trance for twenty minutes looking at the options! Is this a sign that qualifies a bakery as 'Oustanding'? I was slurring my words!

Within moments I had paid and found myself sitting at the table with three decadent choices (of course, this is only after indulging in a few bites of the Pastel de carne, the Pastel de pollo and one full Papa rellena). Were these made just for me? A Chocolate Raspberry Mousse individually wrapped in a decorative sleeve. Only after trying to peel it back did I discover the sleeve was white chocolate. Does this place get any better? Yes. One bite into the carrot cake and I found myself converted. Officially I can be affiliated with the Porto's Bakery Fan Club. (SH)