2009 October

A Case of the Human Condition: Help Us Choose Our Christmas Card Photo

October 30, 2009 By Barbara 3 Comments

Barbara, Peter, Christina and Jon on the deck of Le Diamant

PHOTO ONE. Barbara, Peter, Christina and Jon Newhall on the deck of M.S. Le Diamant.

By Barbara Falconer Newhall

For the first time in our family history, we have a slew of family photos we could put on our Christmas card this year.

Jon, Peter, Christina and I took a University of Michigan alumni association tour of the Greek islands earlier this month. (If you were wondering why there were so few blog posts a few weeks ago, that’s why. Internet access was tres cher aboard our French ship, M.S. Le Diamant, so I took a little vacation from blogging.)

Happily, the folks who accompanied us on the trip, some of them totally French, were only too pleased to snap photos of the four of us in various settings — atop the caldera of Santorini, on the deck of Le Diamant, and strolling the subdued halls of the National Archeological Museum in Athens.

To vote for your favorite family photo — simply click on “leave a comment” highlighted below and state your preference. Compliments are accepted, wisecracks encouraged.

PHOTO TWO. The four of us a few minutes later in the glow of an Agean sunset.

PHOTO TWO. The four of us a few minutes later in the glow of an Aegean sunset.

PHOTO THREE. All dressed up for the captain's dinner. An elegant French lady took our picture.

PHOTO FOUR. A tender took us to the island of Santorini.

PHOTO FOUR. A tender took us from our ship to some of our island destinations.

PHOTO FIVE. On the island of Santorini. The four of us and tons of tourists. And shops.

PHOTO FIVE. On the island of Santorini. There were tons of tourists.

PHOTO SIX. Still on Santorini, but vertical.

PHOTO SEVEN. At the National Archeological Museum, Athens. Photos c 2009 B.F. Newhall

Filed Under: A Case of the Human Condition Tagged With: family christmas photo, greek islands, m.s. le diamant, santorini, University of Michigan

A Case of the Human Condition: You Can’t Go Home Again . . . Oh, But You Can

October 23, 2009 By Barbara Leave a Comment

The entrance to Birmingham High School, now Seaholm, looks pretty much as it always has. A nice example of mid-century modern architecture? c 2009 B.F. Newhall

The entrance to Birmingham High School, now Seaholm, looks pretty much as it always has. A nice example of mid-century modern architecture? Photos c 2009 B.F. Newhall

By Barbara Falconer Newhall

It turns out that, yes, you can go home again. If you’re me, that is. All I had to do was show up for my high school class reunion and there I was, back in Birmingham, Michigan, circa 1959.

Last weekend (after two weeks in Greece with Jon and the kids – more about that later) I flew to Birmingham and was transported through time – fifty years – to a place and an era and bunch of people that I thought had vanished.

Except they hadn’t. The community that has existed in my mind these past fifty years turned out to be a fact, not just a memory. Last weekend, 125 out of a class of 500 or so got together for two days. It had been five decades, but we still knew who we were and that we had shared some vital – if sometimes painful – years together.

Jan Heideman was still pretty. Jewel Ofenstein still smiled the same sweet, wry smile. Jim Griffin still had freckles. Bob Lovell was as affectionate and confident as ever. Linda Burkman still cared about everybody. Penny Ball still played the piano. Karel McCurry was still my friend.

My friend Karel McCurry Howse in front of her old house on Yarmouth in Birmingham

My friend Karel McCurry Howse lived in this elegant house on Yarmouth in Birmingham

On Saturday morning, our old school opened its doors to us for a tour. This gave dozens of the class of ’59 a chance to walk the halls — the same ones we used to walk a half century ago, saying “hi” to each other as we passed from algebra to chemistry to the cafeteria, hoping against hope that our classmates would say “hi” back.

Mary Lester, Bill Montgomery, Margo Mensing - names as familiar to me as those of my next door neighbors. No. More familiar. (To tell the truth, I have to pause a moment to remember the names of the people who inhabit my life these days. But the class of ’59? Their names are imprinted deep in my gray matter.)

I can still remember the the faces, the voices, the personalities of most of my old Birmingham High School (since renamed Seaholm High School) classmates. Sue Little, who sang with me in the First Presbyterian Church girls choir. Pat Hovey, who beat me out for “Best Smile” in our senior year elections. Jan Cadwell, who talked me into skipping school with her one spring day – and made sure we got away with it. Ann Graham and Gordy Fox, who reconnected with each other at our tenth reunion, got married, and all these years later, went to a lot of trouble to organize our fiftieth reunion.

This was our house on Jackson Park Drive on the outskirts of Birmingham

This was my family's house on Jackson Park Drive on the outskirts of Birmingham

Thanks Ann and Gordy and everyone else who put this weekend together. With any luck at all, we’ll see each other again in 2019.

Filed Under: A Case of the Human Condition Tagged With: birmingham, high school reunion, margo mensing, Michigan, old friends, penny crawford, seaholm high school

A Case of the Human Condition: Hanging Out in the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden

October 16, 2009 By Barbara Leave a Comment

Oldenburg's "Spoonbridge and Cherry"

By Barbara Falconer Newhall

After our visit to the the Walker Art Center in downtown Minneapolis, my son Peter and I walked across the street to the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden.

Claes Oldenburg’s ”Spoonbridge and Cherry” (1985-1988) was a kick, but I gravitated toward Jenny Holzer’s “Selections From the Living Series” (1989). Holzer’s twenty-eight white granite benches look innocuous enough — until you get closer. Each bench bears a pithy — tongue in cheek? — aphorism.

I took pictures of my favorites.

A walk in the garden.

A Jenny Holzer bench. This one's all about getting out of college and facing the possibility of downward mobility "at the end of an era of plenty." For the sake of my twenty-something kids, I'm hoping she's wrong.

This one caught my attention: "There is a period when it is clear that you have gone wrong, but you continue. Sometimes there is a luxurious amount of time before anything bad happens."

Photos c 2009 B.F. Newhall

Filed Under: A Case of the Human Condition Tagged With: Claes Oldenburg, jenny holzer, minneapolis sculpture garden

A Case of the Human Condition: Walking the Walker in Minneapolis

October 9, 2009 By Barbara Leave a Comment

The view from the car.

By Barbara Falconer Newhall

After the Religion Newswriters Conference in Minneapolis in September, I took time out to visit our son Peter. Together we took a walk around the Walker Art Center. Here’s what we saw.

The view from the sidewalk.

Looking for the entrance

We find it: We're inside the Walker Art Center, looking for the modern art. We saw some -- but no photos allowed. Actually, the building was the most impressive work of art we saw that day.

We're not kidding. This wallpaper was on a wall next to the Art Center elevators.

A stop in the museum cafe to rest our feet.

A stop in the cafe to rest our feet.

Looking for the garage. We think it's under this massive lawn. Photos c 2009 B.F. Newhall

Filed Under: A Case of the Human Condition Tagged With: Minneapolis, minnesota, walker art center

A Case of the Human Condition: Living the Good Life — In Minneapolis

October 2, 2009 By Barbara Leave a Comment

This was my view from the Marriott Hotel in Minneapolis at the Religion Newswriters Conference. I'm not usually a skyscraper fan, but I thought the way these buildings tossed the light back and forth between them was lovely.

This was my view from the Marriott Hotel in Minneapolis at the Religion Newswriters Conference in September. I'm not usually a skyscraper fan, but I thought the way these buildings tossed the light back and forth between them was lovely.