During the course of the year I write down qoutes which are inspirational, right on or educational.  Here is my latest list:    

We were in Miami last weekend for Art Miami and got to visit the new Perez Art Museum which opened last Wednesday. If you're in Miami, don't miss the Museum.   And try to get there while the "Ai Weiwei- According to What?" exhibit is on. At a time when we contemplate the life of Nelson Mandela, the art of this Chinese dissident/artist is especially compelling.  

I have to be honest, when I first heard about it, I just assumed he needed the money...so he got a job (let's be honest, between bad management and bad marriages, this wouldn't exactly require a Sherlock Holmes deduction).  In fact, I thought he got one over on the scalpers which to me was even better.  

Have you seen this in the news? A new stunt among teenagers appears to be growing in popularity. The “knockout game” entails attacking people without warning and “winning” is achieved by a quick and violent conclusion.

Anyone who knows me would be shocked to find out the following about me: I do not go to any mall between Thanksgiving and New Years. Even when my children were much younger, and holiday shopping was more complex, I would finish all of my holiday shopping before Thanksgiving. My dislike of crowds is stronger than my love of shopping.

The title of the article is "What Lies Beneath."  The subheading reads "after years of razors, wax and lasers reducing pubic hair to the bare minimum - or nothing at all - there's a return to a more natural state."  I read on.  

Mandela's life and impact is an incredible story. The son of a tribal chief and imprisoned for 27 years, he was elected President of the country that put him in jail only three years after he was released.   He become a symbol of racial reconciliation around the world and an inspiration to millions of oppressed people.   What amazed me about this man is that when he was freed, he stated he bore no ill will toward his white Afrikaner jailers. If it were me, I think I would've have been a bit angry and probably wouldn't have elected President either.

Tuesday night we bestowed our treasured "Red Bandana" Award upon Paul Napolitano, Co Chair of our East End Group. The Award is in memory of Welles Remy Crowther, son of Jefferson Crowther, Co Chair of our Open House Group. Welles was an annonymous hero on 9/11 who perished after saving 18 souls while wearing a red bandana to protect his breathing against the smoke. It was only later that he was identified by his signature red bandana.