June 16, 2014 Photo (167/365): "Holy Hill"
"I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help." (Psalm 121:1)
Hill
Contentment
June 15, 2014 Photo (166/365): "Sunday Night"
We all know that anxious feeling that often sets in late Sunday afternoon. The weekend is winding down and we begin anticipating the pressures of the imminent work week. But do you remember that delightful feeling on the first Sunday night of summer vacation when you stayed up late, usually outside, and reveled in the idea that tomorrow you wouldn't have to get up for school? It was pure bliss! Although "summer vacation" isn't what it used to be, tonight I am enjoying a bit of that nostalgic contentment :)
Flag
June 14, 2014 Photo (165/365): "Happy Flag Day"
Here are some fun facts about the Stars and Stripes:
The colors of the American flag represent valor and bravery (red), liberty and purity (white) justice, perseverance, and loyalty (blue). The thirteen horizontal red and white stripes represent the original colonies of the U.S. On June 14, 1777, a thirteen Star Flag became the first official United States flag. There is an American Flag on the moon, planted by Neil Armstrong on July 20, 1969. The last star (state) to be added to the current design (the 27th version) of the American Flag was added in 1960, it represents the state of Hawaii. The United States Code states that if the American Flag should fly from sunrise to sunset. If it is left up for 24 hours a day it must be illuminated -- I'm a stickler about this one!
Twenty
June 13, 2014 Photo (164/365): "Twenty Years"
Today, the sun set on my twentieth year in the Pewaukee School District: twenty years of challenges and successes; twenty years of change and growth; twenty years of innovation and collaboration. The school year may be over, but the learning continues tomorrow.
French Friday: Too Much Love
Le Pont des Arts, a footbridge linking the Grand Louvre on the Right Bank to the posh St. Germain district on the Left, used to be one of Paris' loveliest bridges. Originally constructed in 1804, Le Pont des Arts has long been a favorite venue for artists and lovers who linger on the bridge to appreciate its sweeping vistas. I spotted a few padlocks neatly fasted to the Pont des Art in early 2009, and learned that this tradition originated in Florence on the Ponte Vecchio where lovers began imitating a romantic rite mentioned in two contemporary Italian novels. In 2007, the Italian authorities outlaws the locks in both Florence and Rome, but by that time, the tradition had spread to Paris and as far as London, Germany, Stockholm, Hungary, Russia, China, Guam, and even Brooklyn (BBC News).
In the spring of 2011, while strolling on the Pont des Arts, I spotted this large, old-fashioned padlock with Eric's and my initials. I snapped a photo to send to him from Paris with love! Later this picture was featured on England's Travel Supermarket
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When Eric and I traveled to Paris together in November of 2011, there were many more locks on the bridge. Since this was Eric's first time in The City of Love, we reveled in all of the clichéd, romantic traditions: strolling hand-in-hand, snuggling on a bateau mouche, kissing under Le Pont Marie, watching the Packers on Thanksgiving in the Latin Quarter -- OK, maybe that is only a romantic tradition for Wisconsinites ;-)
Eric engraved a lock previously used on our boat, and attached it to our chosen spot on Le Pont des Arts. We kissed and threw the key into the Seine, forever locking our love in Paris! At the time, it was very romantic! I memorized our spot, hoping of finding the lock the next time I returned to Paris.
In January of 2013, during one of Paris' biggest snowfalls, finding our own seemed impossible amid the plethora of snow-covered locks.
The last time I crossed Le Pont des Arts in April of 2013, I was no longer enamored of these symbols of love. The locks no longer seemed special. The bridge no longer seemed beautiful. Graffiti covered the railings, and the panels heaved under the weight of so many locks.
(Well, this one caught my eye since it was Easter Sunday.)
How much love is too much love? On Sunday, we found out! One lock-laden panel of Le Pont des Arts collapsed, threatening the safety of pedestrians as well as cruise boats passing under the bridge. Bloomberg's estimates that each lock weighs about 54 to 90 grams. With close to 700,000 locks, the added weight approaches 10 tons. The grate that collapsed Sunday, one of 110, weighed about 1500 pounds.
Despite Sunday's incident, tourists continue to lock their love throughout Paris. Locks fill the railings of the Pont de l'Archeveché further down the Seine as well as the bridges of the Canal Saint Martin. And bridges aren't the only romantic receptacles in the City of Love. Tourists and Parisians alike have taken to locking their love to the grates on top floor of the Eiffel Tower as well as in Père Lachaise and Montmartre cemeteries.
How do you feel about this symbol of love? At first the locks seemed so lovely and romantic to me, but now they have become an eyesore, spoiling Paris' iconic beauty and endangering the safety of tourists and citizens.
Cupcake
June 12, 2014 Photo (163/365): "Cupcake"
Classes are over and final exams are graded. Summer vacation is just around the corner...SWEET!