It has been really cold here in the Bay Area. I really felt it for the first time while walking the dogs, wishing I had worn my gloves and a pair of fuzzy ear muffs. And look! There was frost on our lawn this morning, which is pretty remarkable considering our usually balmy weather. I realize this isn't a big deal to those of you who are buried under snowdrifts every winter. But for one who has never even touched snow, it was exciting, almost exhilarating. I was actually hoping it would snow, even for an hour or just a few minutes. But by the time I finished walking the dogs, I was tired of feeling cold and I found myself dreaming of walking on warm sandy beaches instead. Oh why, oh why is the grass always greener on the other side of the fence?
Though I have yet to peruse them all, I did comb through one set: 1930's-40's in color, with vivid color photos from The Great Depression and World War II. There were plenty of photos of women at work in the factories, and though there are famous posters of Rosie the Riveter wearing a head scarf whilst flexing her biceps, these are the first actual photographs I've seen of women at work. I think it's amazing how they generally managed to look meticulous while working in factories, under especially stressful and difficult war-time conditions.
I grew up listening to The Jackson 5 and was a big Michael Jackson fan throughout the 80's. Thriller and Bad were my favorite albums. I played those tapes over and over again with my Walkman. Though I haven't given him much thought, I felt sad to hear he died yesterday.
