Since Ivy
League athletics generally don't get no respect, I'd just like to point out
that in Sports Illustrated's list of
href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2003/sioncampus/09/24/100_things0930/index.
html">100 Things to Do Before You Graduate">, the list of sports shrines includes
not one but two
href="http://www.johnnyroadtrip.com/cities/philadelphia/pennstadiums.htm">Penn
stadiums, the Palestra and Franklin Field. They also mention the
href="http://www.upenn.edu/pennnews/current/2002/041102/feature10.html">Penn
Relays, as well as Boathouse Row a
Philadelphia landmark that is home to Penn's boathouse. Pen-and-ink drawings of
several boathouses are
href="http://www.maxwellhouseportraits.com/Boat%20House%20Art.htm">here, and
there are some other pictures
href="http://www.boathouserow.org/pictures.html">here
Disclaimer:
Uh, guess where I went to school?
Incidentally, as I found while
surfing for the above links, one of Philadelphia's biggest fall regattas, the
href="http://www.hosr.org">Head of the Schuylkill (that's pronounced SKOO-
kill, for you non-Philadelphians) maybe the only regatta named after an artists.
It's officially the Thomas Eakins Hard of the Schuylkill Regatta. That being so,
it makes sense that this year the regatta is showcasing the work of another local
artist, William Thomas Ternay. Nice
stuff.
I really, really want to race on the Schuylikll one of these
days, though given my preference for short races it's more likely to be a sprint
race in spring or summer. Then again, it might be worth doing the longer distance
just to row down the Schuylkill in its fall glory. Like the CHarles in Boston,
parts of it are unexpectedly beautiful for a river through a major
city.
In cooking news, I'm planning to do the brisket tonight,
leaving the oven free for everything else tomorrow.
One more note: I know of a lot of non-Jews who like to celebrate Rosh Hashanah in
some small way, maybe because after years of starting school in September that
seems like a logical time for a year to start. If you happen to be looking to a
way to mark a new year for yourself, even if you're not Jewish I'd suggest reading
this sermon. He discusses
a God-in-and-with-everything concept that feels right to me and somewhere toward
the end there's a wonderful bit where he points out exactly why that belief makes
hatred and labeling of others unacceptable. I'm good about not hating groups,
myself, but there are certianly some individuals I have enormous trouble
visualizing as an image of God and thus worthy of respect. I still need to work on
that part. It's easier for me to believe that everyone starts out that way but
some people choose to throw away the good material they were given.
Although very much belated by almost a year; I want to thank you for your "nice stuff" comment re my paintings of rowers on the Schuykill River.
I LOVE painting along the river, and in particular, trying to capture the silent beauty and grace ...and power, of the men and women who propel those sculls. I was honored to have been chosen to be the artist for last year's regatta.
Thanks again,
Bill Ternay