The Maroon Vol. 2… No. 45 Tuesday, June 14, 2022
“Bringing us all to a place we don't want to lose."
Observer: Dreaming Our Lives Away
Macky’s New York: High Tail
William Peay: Tales From The Wood…
RHS Athletic Hall Of Fame: Save The Date: Nov. 5th 2022
RHS Tired Teens: Later School Start Times
M + A NYC: Mighty Are We As One
Jim Schoneman: Rock Hound
Joe & Lynn Farrell: Travels In Scotland
Observer
Dreaming Our Lives Away
Summer is for dreaming, no matter whether you are young, old, or somewhere in between. As a kid when school let out in June we faced the exciting prospect of an entire Summer in front of us. As we got older and our lives become more complicated, it became simply the beginning of another summer. If like some people I know, you can still conjure up that feeling of excitement then you are lucky and quite well adapted to our tumultous world.
There were moments during my youthful summers when my friends and I would turn to each other and say we were bored. This would last a moment and we would either decide on something new to do together or go our separate ways for a time. The night might draw us back together outside for games like flashlight tag or catching fire flies. The coolness of a summer evening was always welcome and slowed down the pace of our games so as to make us forget the moments of ennui from earlier in the day.
Hard to imagine a kid today saying they are bored. They might say they were depressed or anxious before admitting they were bored. I suspect boredom has been struck from the venacular by the myriad of choices our digital world provides us via streaming games, TV, and music. In a few more years the Virtual Reality experiences will be added to our commonplace mix of activities and will even further disparage the idea that one could ever be bored with life.
I think we often as children mistook boredom for impatience. We wanted to get on with Life’s imagined possibilities, to do all those things which grownups told us we were too young for like staying up late. I can recall times when my parents would be talking with friends into the night around a picnic table after a BBQ. The dishes had long since been cleared away and the parents were laughing at sometimes bawdy jokes, and simply wanting to see us off to bed. They might add, when we quizically asked them what they were doing, that you’ll understand it when you are older. I am older now and grasp their meaning these many years hence.
Even if they had tried to explain the sacred idle they were enjoying with friends they saw on rare occassions, we kids would have been too wrapped up in our dreaming to pay attention or even remember the next day what they had said. Like all kids in those days, in those safe places in Ridgewood, we were too busy dreaming our lives away. Now we recall these days as the happiness that used to be. We apply the memories as if they were a balm to placate our weariness. We obviously can’t go back for a do-over but the soothing, restorative calm of recalling those dreamy days does help us go to sleep, just like our parents always wanted.
Macky’s New York
Matthew Cortellesi Photography
May 31, 2022 - Upper Westside
High Tail
I had a shirt like that growing up - we called em baseball shirts - I'm not really sure why but I think it had to do with the wool baseball tops we wore in little league and these cotton shirts were worn underneath to keep us from scratching in the spring heat - when the season was over...we had to return the wool top but got to keep the "baseball shirt" underneath so lots of kids wore em all summer.
When I took this photo I was reminded of playing wiffle ball in my neighbors back yard and the sprinklers come on and we just kept playing and my mom smiling through the kitchen window.
This js a pure reflection shot in the wet stone at Waterline Square looking east down 60th street.
Time 245pm.
#ny1pic
William Peay
Tales From The Wood…
RHS Athletic Hall Of Fame
Save The Date: November 5, 2022
Visit The RHS Athletic Hall Of Fame
Digital Printing for the RHS Hall of Fame provided by Tim Boucher, RHS 1988
RHS Tired Teens
Later School Start Times
M + A NYC
Mighty Are We As One
Inspired by art, designed in New York, and made by hand with love by artisans all over the world. Shop home décor and wearable accessories at www.mplusanyc.com
Jim Schoneman
Rock Hound
This was a table I did a few years back. Hard curly maple liveedge top and flame birch for the base. I built custom furniture for many years. I used the same woods I sell now. Gives me the ability to tell folks how to work them and finish them. I still love building and hope to get back to it in a few years when I slow down . But I never want to retire. Just not for me.
Joe and Lynn Farrell
Travels In Scotland 2022
Today’s adventure exploring the Lewis part of the isle of Lewis and Harris involves standing stones, wind, a really old village, a butt, wind, and a lew (no, not a “loo”).
The callanish stone circles never cease to amaze. The one in the picture is estimated to have been started sometime around 2500 BC. I’ve added some excerpts from the sign in case you’re interested. It was really windy.
From there we headed to a cool old village with thatched roofs and a fire that smelled like whisky. Seriously! You see, they still burn peat here, and if you like that smell, you’ll love Lagavulin.
After that, we headed towards the Butt of Lewis, which is the northernmost part of the outer Hebrides. Huge waves were crashing as we looked out over the ocean and squinted to see if we could see Iceland. I’m sure we could have if it wasn’t cloudy and REALLY WINDY. Seriously - almost blew my phone out of my hand! Joe estimates sustained 25 knots. Despite that, it was absolutely beautiful.
Following the butt adventure, we did a quick stop at what is said to be the tallest standing stone in Scotland. It doesn’t really look that tall in the picture because a) it is uphill from where I took the picture, and b) neither one of us wanted to get out in the wind to walk up to it so you could compare it to the size of a person.
Finally, we headed over to Stornaway and saw Lews Castle. To be honest, it was a little disappointing, but they had a cool wooden lion on the staircase banister. We walked around Stornaway a bit, but these Tucsonians have thin blood, unlike the crazy Scots who wear shorts (yes shorts!) and the tourists on bicyclists who somehow think it would be fun to ride in the 55 degree, windy, rainy weather.
We’re now back at our AirBnB where our host makes sure we are well fed. Time for a nappy!