Friday, June 19, 2009

Challenging Fields, Barns and Al Held...

It's true. As an almost architect I'm a huge barn fan. Huge I tell you. My dad's and even bigger barn fan. A few years ago I was looking for a gift to send him and found an artist in, I think, North Carolina with gorgeous note cards of barns...and this one!!! Of course I bought the package and kept this one. I found it yesterday while cleaning a pile of...you know...stuff. It still cracks me up! If you grew up in the country and have ever taken a shortcut through a field you aren't supposed to trespass, you're familiar with honest to God fear! Oh, and then you have to out run the animals!
I'm giving credit to the artist. That's her. Hope she's still around. She's a photographer with lots of gorgeous photos.
~
Yes it's true, the Hellman's estate looked down on us and famous artist, Al Held was just below us. We were surrounded by wealth, but we lived in a humble abode. But as a kid I love looking at the barn Al lived in. He'd converted a big old thing into a home and it was so beautiful. My sisters and I would walk by and I'd ask them to stop so I could think. We'd talk about life and what we wanted to do with it. I'd always reply "I want to live in a barn." You know me and my sisters by now...yes, the laughter was deafening. How rude. And yes, hilarious!!! But I loved that barn and still do to this day. If I could move home this minute and into a house, I'd buy that barn. But I don't have a couple million to spend!
Al was very famous. Painted HUGE canvases. You know like 20'x 50'. Just enormous. He lived half the year in our town and half the year in Italy. I was at UCLA when I saw both homes featured in Architectual Digest. I smiled. Al died in 2005 or 06 and wasn't the nicest guy in the whole world, but he was my guy because he lived in a converted barn, just down the hill and employed lots of my family members. He always seemed to require lots of heavy equipment! Google him. I'm sure you'll come up with something! In fact, I'm going to Google him!
Megan, RC's bouquet was still beautiful last night. She's moved on, but I'll keep you posted. I think we should have some ice cream to celebrate. In fact I think we should celebrate every day as you suggested until the last pedal drops. Ice cream is on sale at SaveMart. I'll get some.
XO

6 comments:

Leah said...

Hi Suzy! when you get a chance, will you email me Em's address? I'd like to send a package and letters asap.

i'm theweatherinthestreets@gmail.com

thanks doll!

Joyful Jo said...

what happened to your comment/post you had about getting wet in the sprinkler?
I was going to say how that brought back memories of running through the sprinker when we were kids. For the past five years we have not been allowed to have sprinkers used due to our drought which means kids born in the last five years or so don't know anything about such joys.
Helen can just still remember playing in the sprinker on those hot days and says she misses that.
Anyway I KNOW you had said something somewhere and I would comment later but it had already gone when I went to look for it.

Suzanne said...

Leah,

I already sent it to you a few nights ago. You didn't get it? And I didn't get it back. Damn! Em's address is floating out there, somewhere! That's funny. Hope some kind soul gets it and sends her something!!! That's too funny!

Like you, I'm getting a package together. I think I told you about calling the postal service. The woman who answered was British, believe it or not, and WAS SO RUDE!!. I was calling to ask about a discount for military mail and trying to find out about the specifics of military mail! She needed the address. I had to get on the computer to find it. She said, and I quote "I only have 2 minutes to answer this question so hurry up." Yup, your reaction is my reaction. I paused, thought for a moment and then said "Are you kidding?" Reply, "No." With that I lost my composure. She'd been rude from the get-go and with that I was done. I said "You know, my tax dollar goes to pay your salary so you might want to be a bit more generous." She said, "No, it doesn't." I replied, "Yes it does, and you're going to stay on this line until I get the information I need even if it takes more than two minutes." Em's zip code didn't fall under the discount for military mail she informed me. I said "Have a nice life you SFB." Yes, that's exactly what I said. I have never talked to someone that rude on the phone. Never.

I told you this the other night. You didn't get it?!!! That's too funny.

And hey lady, you didn't even comment about my post. *Suze rolls eyes in head...friends.*

Love you,
XO

Suzanne said...

Jo,

Wacky, wacky Jo. It's still there. I swear to God I didn't delete anything!!! God you're so funny.

Navigating sprinklers as an adult isn't as funny as when you're a kid. It's just cold and wet. Especially when you're hit like 15-20 times!!! I'm laughing just thinking about it. And the jets are really powerful here at Rose Cottage!!! Like knock me on my ass powerful! Try that a few times honey.

Might I add, how sad for kids in Aussie land. Not to run through a sprinkler in childhood. Okay, so I'll take my hits and run through mine for all of them. But I'm not going to wear sweatpants, cuz they get to heavy!!!

Love you Jo. And just go looking. Trust me, the stuff is out there. Wear your glasses!

Love you darling.

Joyful Jo said...

Too funny suze, I found it really quickly. Typical male I said to Mark that i found it he replied you should tell Suzanne you found it but don't forget to check on our dinner.Typical!!

Suzanne said...

Jo,

Tell Mark to check on his own dinner. Thank God Rob was never like that. Fortunately he did most of the cooking, always did the dishes and half the cleaning. I was very, very lucky in that respect. But look, Rob and I are divorced and you still have Mark. What's wrong with this picture?!!!

I knew you'd find it. You're so cute. I'm running so late today because my former neighbor was in town and I had to visit her this morning before leaving for the park. She's like a sister and I miss her terribly. So I arrived home from the park late, forgot to go to Home Depot to buy a new sprinkler head. One broke the other day. All the sprinkler head are really, really expensive and I decided to by a really, really cheap one about 6 months ago. Lesson: Don't buy cheap sprinkler heads!!! I unpacked the groceries, put them away, got back in the car and drove to HD for a sprinkler head. They no longer carrying my sprinkler heads. Who made that executive decision?! It's ridiculous because I really do think those were money makes! I don't have time to go to Lowe's. So I'm going out in a few minutes to turn the system on without a fully functioning spinkler head on the south side of the back 40. But first I have to pick up a T-Bone poop. I really do hate that job, so that's why I'm sitting here pretending life is glorious and I'm eating Bon-Bons. I probably won't get wet until later. I have to rotate the heads to water the roses after the first phase. Wish me luck because I have a new plan!!! I'll let you know if it was a good plan.

Love you darling. Oh and tell the "Old Man" I love him too. Hugs to Helen and the kitties. Thanks for always dropping by darling. Take care of yourself.

XO Suze