I know I should be working on my work work, but I had more important things to do yesterday and today. Namely, to get this poster out the door. For anyone in the neighborhood, PLEASE come to the fundraiser. And if you can’t come, just send $$$$. Catskill Citizens for Safe Energy is fighting our fight (and they need bucks in order to do so) against the forces of Big Energy and the unsafe practice of Hydrofracking.

This photograph is of my brother Doug’s to-do list. Please keep in mind that this is just “this” week’s list…so, one of hundreds, if not thousands. I first saw one of his lists a couple of years ago when he and his partner John were staying with us, probably en-route to some country no one had ever heard of. You see, he and John own a high-end travel company and are, understandably, quite busy. However, my first thought was that he might need some counseling, as this takes list-making to an entirely new level. Either way, I pounced on it, and practically pleaded with him to hand it over on the spot. Yes, it betrays a kind of obsession, but on its own is a unique and unintentional work of beauty.

I have a love-hate relationship with the car. I am grateful for the autonomy that it offers me. And, as a functional object, I marvel at those vehicles that are well-designed and efficient. But I loathe the beastly, gas-guzzling monstrosities that lately seem to rule the road. These miniature vehicles are commonly referred to as Microcars or Bubble Cars, and (as I have just discovered) they have cult status. They came about as an outgrowth of post WWII ingenuity paired with the need to give mobility to the populations of Europe. The scarcity of materials and resources at that time created the perfect conditions and limitations for the birth of these teeny cars. Some of them are so small that they don’t even have a reverse gear. Instead, they have a handle on the rear end so that you can get out of the car, lift it up and actually turn it around. Sometime in the near future I hope to find myself in Atlanta (I’ve never heard anyone say that!) on my way to the Microcar Museum so that I can get a full dose of these diminutive machines.

This image is from a 1997 book about Kindergarten written by Norman Brosterman, with shimmering photography by Kiyoshi Togashi. Kindergarten was a 19th century invention whose original purpose was to teach children about art, design, mathematics and natural history — among other things. This is news to me. I thought those early school days were all about getting me out of the house so that I wouldn’t drive my mother mad. I haven’t yet seen this book, but it is on the list. If there are other images similar to this one, I will indeed be happy.

Found these over-sized flash cards today at John Derian’s shop in NYC. I get a little weak in the knees when I see single words (cows and sheep notwithstanding) on oak tag. With radius corners no less.  Molly, eat your heart out!