Sheron Long's Blog, page 13
September 3, 2018
Shaking Up Cultural Traditions By Seeking Silence
The view from the New Camaldoli Hermitage on the Pacific Coast of California
© Meredith Mullins
A Memorable Labor Day Celebration
Happy Labor Day —the unofficial end of summer and, for many folks, a transition to the action-packed days of autumn.
School. New friends. New adventures. A farewell to lazy beach days. TV season premieres. Fall fashion trends. Back to work. NFL kickoffs in the U.S. The rentrée (return) in France. A change in weather. A change in light.
A time of new beginnings.
Before the action starts, it is sometimes good to pause and take a deep breath. As for me, I decided to shake up the cultural traditions of the Labor Day holiday and travel in search of silence.
Senses awake to some of the most beautiful meeting of land and sea on the planet.
© Meredith Mullins
In Search of Silence
I chose to treat this summer transition as a mini New Year’s...
August 27, 2018
Rendezvous à la Turk
Derya, age 10, welcomes you to the Turkish Arts and Culture Festival in Monterey, California.
© Joyce McGreevy
A Cultural Festival Calls Forth Memories
You won’t need sugar in your fincan kahve (cup of coffee) this morning. Şekerpare, a delicate cookie made with semolina, almonds, and love, delivers the sweetness. So, inhale the rich aroma and galvanize your senses with robust brew. If you closed your eyes, you could be in Istanbul.
But you’re at a Turkish cultural festival in Monterey, California.
Is baklava Turkish or Greek? Depends on whom you ask. Şekerpare (center) and irmik helvasa (right)
reflect culinary traditions of Turkey’s Ottoman Empire.
© Joyce McGreevy (L)/ Ceren Abi (R)
Re(sound)
Oh, I see: At cultural festivals, details evoke worlds. At Monterey’s Custom House Plaza, the percussive rhythm of the davul and the string-song...
August 20, 2018
Memorable Moments: Let’s Have a Word
Let the wordplay begin!
© ThinkStock
It’s no secret that here at OIC Moments, we love language! And with a name like “OIC,” our passion for language includes the love of using letters and words in amusing ways. While we give our bloggers a well-deserved break from putting words together (as they so adeptly do), we hope you’ll have f-u-n with our favorite wordplay posts from the past.
Wordplay: The Power of One Little Letter
Word lovers—find an “Oh, I see” moment when a change of just one little letter turns a word into a surprising new word. This post also includes a free download word game! Go to the post.
A Game of French Wordplay: Les Bons Mots
French language wordplay inspired five new French phrases that will test your language skills and your knowledge of French culture. Go to the post.
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August 13, 2018
Nature Watch: California Sea Otter Savvy
Too cute to be a threatened species
© Meredith Mullins
Protecting the Southern Sea Otter
Who wins the coveted “Most Adorable” award in the marine mammal yearbook year after year?
The California Sea Otter—hands down (or paws up, depending on your perspective).
If you travel to the California Central Coast and look to the Pacific Ocean or its estuaries (or visit the famous Monterey Bay Aquarium), chances are good that you will see some playful Southern Sea Otters. And you’ll fall in love.
Paws up
© Meredith Mullins
This threatened species is an ocean treasure of form and function . . . with a large dose of cute.
As you learn more about these intelligent creatures, the “Oh, I see” moments about their life and challenges will make them favorites for a long time.
A raft of sea otters, resting together
© Meredith Mullins
The Charismatic Sea...
August 6, 2018
Take a Fresh Look at Farmers Markets
Every summer over 10,000 people visit Old Monterey Marketplace on Alvarado Street.
© Joyce McGreevy
How an American Custom Keeps Evolving
It’s time for a field trip! Today marks the start of National Farmers Market Week, so grab your reusable cloth bags and let’s go see what’s in season. We’ve got energy to spare, thanks to all the organic fruit and vegetables we’ve been enjoying this summer.
Free samples? Yes, please.
© Joyce McGreevy
Farmers markets in the United States are a time-honored American custom. If you’ve ever visited Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the site that started it all, you probably admired its Romanesque Revival market house. But that’s just the “new” building—added in 1889. The original opened in 1730.
Lancaster Central Market is America’s oldest farmers market.
Other markets soon followed. In Alexandria, Virginia, some of...
July 30, 2018
Savoring Summer
When’s the last time you took a breather?
© Joyce McGreevy (Featured: Margie McGreevy)
The Life-Changing Experience
of Celebrating the Season
Having a good summer? Or did it register merely as high temperatures while you went about your daily business? Considering the seriousness of world issues and the stress of busy lives, does it even make sense to celebrate this season?
Yes! Savoring summer can be a life-changing experience.
Summer sun appears in countless ways.
© Joyce McGreevy
Our brains respond to summer, even if the rest of us ignores it.
Studies have identified two neural responses to summer that seem contradictory. When summer’s heat is on, our brain responses really do slow down. Yet the brain’s ability to respond to tasks that require sustained attention actually peaks in summer.
Does that mean we should turn up the office A/C and focus...
July 23, 2018
Everything is Pawssible at the Arles Photo Festival
Candy stars in Casual (2002)
© William Wegman (Courtesy of the artist)
William Wegman Makes Us Smile
What’s the best way to experience William Wegman’s “Being Human” exhibit at the 2018 Rencontres d’Arles (Arles Photo Festival)?
Spend time with Wegman’s original 20 x 24 Polaroid prints—but also take note of the faces of the visitors.
Everyone is smiling.
We’re smiling at dogs sporting festive wigs, or arching majestically on shapes of color, or agilely balancing things on their nose or head, or morphing into other animals like a giraffelant, or going about the daily tasks of living (with a surreptitious set of human hands).
We’re smiling at each of the 100 photographs displayed in this show, but we’re really smiling at ourselves as we make a connection to the fascinating world of being human.
We’re also amazed at just how creative Wegman has been in the...
July 17, 2018
Memorable Moments: A Wave of Ocean Wonders
Oh, I sea!
© iStock
One constant in our travels is the ocean, whose mysteries make it a prime location for “Oh, I see!” moments. As our bloggers navigate their way to their next set of inspiring adventures, take a dip back into some posts that highlight the majesty and artistry of what lies beneath the sea. Whether you’re diving in for the first time, or revisiting these posts as we are, fascinating discoveries await. Enjoy!
The ocean is an extraordinary exhibition space, altering art with life.
© Jason deClaires Taylor
The Underwater Museums of Jason deCaires Taylor
Jason deCaires Taylor creates the world’s first underwater museums where sculptures grow into artificial reefs, showing innovations by both artist and ocean. Go to the post.
© Jerry Takigawa
Artistic Expression Speaks Out for World Oceans
Jerry...
July 9, 2018
Finding the Spirit of Monet’s Giverny Gardens
Monet’s Giverny Gardens
© Meredith Mullins
Travel Inspiration for the Senses
Finding a moment of solitude in Monet’s Giverny gardens may not be easy, with the constant parade of visitors. But the colors, smells, sounds, and spirit offer travel inspiration of the best kind.
A visit is worth the investment of time, and the search for quiet and connection is rewarding in a world that inspired Monet’s painting for more than 40 years.
Once the selfies are done and most of the visitors have left in the late afternoon (or when you’re visiting in the early mist of morning), there is a magic moment when the subtleties and power of nature emerge.
Becoming part of the natural rhythms
© Meredith Mullins
Fish jump in the waterlily pond, as if they are finally free to leap skyward. Frogs croak in lively amphibious conversation. Birds dance across the...
July 2, 2018
Traveling the World of Birds
New Zealand birds need vast areas of pest-free forest to survive.
© Joyce McGreevy
Winging It in New Zealand
Some of the best reasons for traveling the world are birdbrained. Consider New Zealand, home to some of the planet’s most amazing birds. But what makes New Zealand native birds remarkable has also made them vulnerable.
New Zealand’s black-billed gulls are the world’s most threatened gull.
© Joyce McGreevy
Avian Nation
New Zealand is unique. Until about 800 years ago, its only land mammals were species of bat. With virtually no predators, many bird species evolved beyond fight-or-flight. Why fly when you can safely nest on solid ground?
Over time, the land became home to more species of flightless birds than anywhere else on Earth.
With 80% forest and 0% mammals, New Zealand pulsed with the life of birds.
© Joyce McGreevy
