Joyeaux Noel at April Cornell

 Please join us as we celebrate a French Christmas at April Cornell on December 9th from noon-3pm.  We will have Kathryn Gordon bring her sweet treats and Ellen Karchar from Pleasant Valley Lavender selling hand picked lavender gifts. Please like our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/oceangrovestore/https://www.facebook.com/oceangrovestore/ to see all of our events.

Making a list and checking it twice

  Did you know about April Cornell 's simple  and free downloads?  Just go here: https://www.aprilcornell.com/prod_detail_list/notepads and click on the pdf file and print!!!  

Open 8-Late visit and life on Bleeker Street

What I think is great about Art, is how it represents what is going on in our lives, but it makes light of it.  Everyday there is something in the news closing or some business being bought for billions of dollars. The news is a true juxtaposition of our economics today.  What is sad is seeing the shape of Main Street shopping or the best example is Bleeker Street in New York City.  This is a great article:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/31/fashion/bleecker-street-shopping-empty-storefronts.html.  At the same time I visited an Art Installation by Lucy Sparrow that was also featured in the New York Times.  I have been following her since her first Installation in London three years ago called "Corner Store".  I have written a lot about my dream of owning my own store one day, and how long it took me to finally make a leap of faith.  I was so excited to meet Lucy Sparrow and she was right under the  vinyl record covers she made out of felt.  Which I "felt" was really ironic, since our store turned into all of our inventory made out of recycled vinyl records.  So, I was lucky when I visited 8 'til Late located in the Meat Packing District of New York city in the Highline building.  She is only there one more week until June 30. Just read this article today June 22nd and she is CLOSED!!!!  There was a line when I left, and a friend went later in the day and waited twenty minutes to get in.  There is the installation in back and then the store is in front with everything in a Convenience Store  made out of felt.

 If there was line....it would go in front of the window and everyone would be taking pictures.

 Unless you see it for yourself it is hard to imagine these are all felt.

 I think this sign you get the feel of the felt and stitching.

 There were people buying boxes full.....you can see the mustard was almost sold out this morning

 I think this is brilliant.....

 When it is all together like this, it is very reminiscent of Andy Warhol

 Yes, and here is Lucy Sparrows with an Andy Warhol album cover........again brilliant!!!

 Lucy Sparrows is sweet and fun to meet.  Happy and eager to take pictures.  She actually wrapped everything I bought and I don't even want to unwrap it to take a picture.

 Her famous stuffed banana on the register.....should read up to find more to this story.  Wishing I had asked about the felt lottery....Is it a contest????

And the cutest of all is a felt mouse drowning in the bucket of felt mop water.

Bruce Springsteen: A Photographic Journey

 A panel discussion with Danny Clinch, Ed Gallucci, Eric Meola, Barry Schneider,  and Frank Stefanko and moderated by Robert Santelli.  I had already met Danny Clinch and Frank Stefanko and  both were kind enough to take a picture with me and sign my album covers.  But, I really wanted to meet Bob Santelli and get Eric Meola to sign my Born to Run the unseen photos book.  This seemed like the perfect opportunity.  The seminar was held in the McCosh Lecture Hall which was an extra treat to sit in the beautiful architecture on Princeton Campus.  The meet and greet was held in the Morvin Museum, and was lovely with refreshments and wine and beer were served. We sold Bob Santelli's book in our store at Greetings from Geralyn, so I really wanted to talk, and get my picture taken with him.  He was really nice.  I am so impressed with his career.  He used to write for the Asbury Park Press and is now the Executive Director of the Grammy Museum.  His book "Greetings from E Street" is also set up like a scrapbook which I love with great reproductions of early posters, set lists and even a Stone Pony napkin.  His input of the influence of Asbury Park on Springsteen is extensive. I also wanted to get Eric Meola to sign a book called "Born to Run the unseen photos".  I had him sign right above the Elvis Presley button.  Because that is my favorite part of the book.  You can't really see the button on the album cover, but you can see it clearly in these pictures

Another nice conversation I had was with Ed Gallucci.  I was thinking how my favorite part of watching a Springsteen concert is the joy he exudes on stage with his smile.  But the photographs on the album covers don't reflect that.  But, when you walk into Ed Gallucci's room full of photos at the exhibition he captured Bruce's smile in most of his photos, like the one below.

 I ended the reception talking to Frank Stefanko who took the pictures of Bruce for Darkness on the Edge of Town, The River and the cover of Bruce's new book "Born to Run".  It was a great event and exhibit.   The exhibit runs until May 21, 2017 and for more info visit morven.org.  You can catch Frank Stefanko again on April 6 at 7pm  with the seminar:  Springsteen on the Radio 1973-21st Century.

Music to Live by

 Every now and then I try to find a playlist of songs to get me going in the morning.  I have been also doing mediation.  I have been searching for about a year for something to get me moving, words to live by that make me happy, and it dawned on me today.  Just make your own and get moving and stop searching for somebody's else's list.  We'll see how long this one lasts before I get sick of it.  But, hopefully it will get me moving.

How Great the Goal

 I bought this watercolor journal when Glen and I went on our cruise in the Mediterranean.  I never used it.  Our days were so full and I really soaked in every minute, so it was ok.  So, when I packed it in my bag again, I thought maybe this trip would be different.  Well, thanks to my daughter, it happened.  She packed her paper and paints, too!  The best was when we were going to the first stop, she suggested we bring cups.  I was shocked at what a great idea that was.  Then she said we could use sea water to paint with.  Well, that was brilliant!!!!

I painted three pages at three different ports.  I will continue to use the book and continue painting when I am waterside and using that water in the painting.  I love setting goals and intentions.  But, to follow through is the BEST feeling.  Thankful to have the company of my daughter on this vacation, and creating such great memories, that are now documented for memory keeping!

Welcome 2017

Each year I try to pick a picture that represents the best of the year before, and pick a word going into the new year.  This year it was so simple to pick a picture.  This was the end of our trip to Europe.  We are tan and relaxed.  I am wearing a dress that seems to have been made for the background.  I bought the dress with a goal I had earlier in the year.  I knew I was going on this trip.  I saw a picture of the dress and wanted it very badly.  It wasn't really in the budget.  So, I decided to try to lose some weight on my own.  For every five pounds I lost I would buy a dress.  I only bought this one and bought it a few days before my interview at April Cornell.  

The word I chose for last year was flow, so it made sense how everything for me personally seemed to go with the flow.  The more I just went with everything and not fought against it, the better it was for me.  The loss of my brother on the other hand, was a whole other story.   That was one of the most challenging, saddest and emotional things I have ever have gone through.  I did have to take it all off myself and leave it into the hands of God, though.  I am most of all amazed at how he hung on to life so strongly at the end.  I am grateful he hung on like that, but it became so hard to see because he was suffering and couldn't really talk very well at the end.  

The year of 2016 was very good to my children, Glen and I.  We traveled, we went to as many shows Ian played in as we could, watched Kaylyn paint and sell many paintings.  They both would work full time jobs and pursue their dreams in the Arts.  Glen continued to drive a school bus and carried on Greetings from Geralyn by doing many Street Fairs and the Bazaar in Convention Hall.   I started a new job with a company I have always loved.  April Cornell says "Live like an artist.  Enjoy the beauty of the everyday".

So, this year of 2017 I chose the word Rise.  It is partly because of the staircase I climbed to get this picture.  Because as I climbed these steps; feelings stirred, surprises happened, health challenges arose and beauty unfolded.   It felt like life itself.  And it felt extremely good to climb those stairs and rise to the top.  That is what I would like 2017 to be.  I know it will be challenging and I am grateful to climb with the help of my friends, co-workers and family.  Looking forward to all that 2017 brings.  Happy New Year!