MORE FROM MIDDLEBURG, VIRGINIA

I will have to do another post on Middleburg sometime.  We will be going there again as it's a lovely little town, one that we have been to many, many times in the 29 years that we have lived in our present home.

Above shows Scruffy's Ice Cream Parlor.  I borrowed these photos from on line.  In the top photo the parlor is on the left hand side, and below the building is in the middle.  It also gives you a good idea of what the street looks like.  Dorothy, Pat, Gregg and I were passing by and it was suggested we get an ice-cream.  Great idea!

There is a thrift shop attached to the side, but unfortunately it was closed.  

The dog I showed you yesterday is still on duty, offering a drink with a sweet message for anyone who has adopted/rescued a four-legged friend. 

As we enter the store you are greeted with the faces of animal photos which cover all the walls.

There is also animal adoption information on display.  I enjoyed looking at all the wooden animals hanging from the ceiling.

I enjoyed our visit very much.  The shop sells Hershey Ice-Cream in 16 flavors.  I enjoyed my delicious scoop of Butter Pecan.  I read online and it is important to note that I didn't test this out myself so I really don't know, but it said that this is a cash only place, no credit cards unless it comes from a local bank, no out-of-town checks are accepted.  There is an ATM next door at the Sona Bank, and at Safeway down the road.  All that aside it is a great place to visit and I look forward to going back.  

On one of the walls is an artist's illustration of the front of the shop. 

I cropped the ceiling fixture as I liked the look of it.  It fits in nicely with its surroundings...

and it definitely fits in with my whimsical side...

and best of all?  

It not only serves delicious ice-cream, but they share the love of animals with their customers.  I will gladly make sure I have cash in pocket the next time we visit.  Hopefully the thrift shop will be open as I would like to take a look around.

RANDOM PHOTOS

I haven't done a random photo post in a while, and I thought why not do a collection in this one.  The first photo shows a pretty color combination of Gerbara Daisies.  They were being sold in the front of one of our local supermarkets 

We decided to have a bite to eat before shopping, and after picking up a tray of vegetable sushi and a drink, we headed to the dining area.  After lunch we started in the vegetable section and bought bananas, mushrooms, a sweet red pepper, a cauliflower, a big bag of birdseed, and a few other sundries.  This was not a big shopping trip. We got into a conversation with our young cashier as she rang our groceries up.  We are always impressed with the friendliness of the staff here. 

A wasp landed on the patio door and it didn't budge for a long time.  I think they are building a nest inside the outside light fixture.  I don't really want to look inside.  They seem to build one every year. 

This was a print in our bedroom at the Airbnb the weekend before last. Thought it was pretty enough to take a photo of.  I have said that a few times.

I like the quote.  I can't remember where I found it.

These two photos were taken when we were driving through Culpeper, Virginia, on the Friday of the Memorial Day Weekend.  I would have liked to have gotten a better photo of the mural, but my reaction time is slowing down.  Maybe we will take a trip back sometime.  I think the figure is supposed to be George Washington who, among his many accomplishments, was also a land surveyor.  You can read all about that here if interested.  

Added note: If you go to this link you will see photos and more information on the mural.

Next are the Asiatic Lilies we found for sale outside another supermarket.  Thought they were lovely.

More lovely flowers. 

I found a postcard in my collection for the State of Virginia.  Not only pretty but informative.

This past weekend we took a ride up to Skyline Drive.  It was a sunny day but on the chilly side.  Should have been more prepared as we were both in short sleeves, the weather having been warm for the previous few days.  The only thing I knew about the weather was that it was going to be sunny, that it would be a great day for a drive, and it was. I will do a post of our trip later.  So what is the ice-cream picture all about?  We know a place on our way home, and the car knows how to get here.  It is nothing fancy.  Nowhere to sit down inside, in fact no inside at all for the general public, a building with a large menu of various ice-cream flavors and drinks, and a sliding glass window where you order.  The seating is outside to the right of the building, where you sit under a large canopy.  I got a hot fudge sundae and Gregg got his root beer float.  Forty-five minutes later we were home.

Thanks for looking at my random photos, and have a great day.

LAST POST FROM THE FRALIN MUSEUM 0F ART

I found this last exhibit very interesting.  We entered the first room of a two room exhibit where we could see several heads on the walls.  The lighting was dark but each head had spotlights on them.  It is called "sometimes.we.cannot.be.with.our.bodies", and went on display February 22nd, 2019 and will end on July 7th, 2019.

The information on the website reads: "The artist, Vanessa German, is a visual and performance artist based in the Pittsburg neighborhood of Homewood.  

Homewood is the community that is the driving force behind Ms. German's powerful performance work, and whose cast-off relics form the language of her copiously embellished sculptures.  As a citizen artist, Ms. German explores the power of art and loves as a transformative force in the dyanamic cultural ecosystem of communities and neighborhoods.  She is the founder of Love Front Porch and the ARThouse, a community arts initiative for the children of Homewood.  

sometimes.we.cannot.be.with.our.bodies, is an immersive installation of sculpture and sound that originated at the Mattress Factory, Pittsburgh, in 2017, and is being reimagined in the Fralin.  In the artist's words, "this is a dimensional living reckoning, the living reckoning is bold, eruptive, disruptive work against systems and pathologies that oppress and subvert overt and covert violence onto and into the lives and humanity of marginalized people on this land."  Ms. German will be in residence in March, working with students and community members, creating art, poetry and understanding.  The work will travel to The Union for Contemporary Art, as part of the annual Wanda D. Ewing Commission in September, 2019."

There is an interesting biography of Ms. German here.  I'm sorry for all the adverts on this page, but her story is so interesting and I couldn't find another website that told it in such detail, plus the fact that the photos are great.  The website is at Artnet News.

 To continue, the bodies who could not be with their heads, were seen as soon as you stepped through a doorway out of this darkened room, and into a much brighter one.  It is quite a visual effect and at first I couldn't take in what was before me.  But then I started looking at the detail and was amazed at the ingenuity of this lady's work.  It is extraordinary and like a lot of works of art, photos do not do it justice.  

You would really have to see this with your own eyes, but I hope I have captured some of the genius that captivated me.  Frankly I could have stayed in there much longer than I did...

and I could not stop taking photos.  I am grateful that the museum allows us to do that.  I always ask.

In closer and you get to see the details of what has been used.

Everything imaginable.

I recognize the pattern on these stockings.  An old neighbor and friend made us a blanket in the same design.

This is my first experience of performance art and it was definitely a good one.  

There is no admission to the museum and you can stay there as long as it takes.  The staff are friendly and helpful too.

Thanks for joining me on this tour of the Fralin Museum of Art.  I hope you enjoyed it.

  

EXHIBITS AT THE FRALIN MUSEUM

The Fralin Museum of Art at the University of Virginia is much smaller than ones I have been to, but their exhibits are as interesting as any I have seen in larger museums.

If you need to see anything up close, don't forget you can enlarge each photo by clicking on them for a better view, and an easier read of the explanations.

My tastes in art tend to be more traditional... 

but I can still appreciate an artist's work and their reasons for creating such a piece.

And I really liked the flooring, as I did the colors they used for painting this large room.

There were others on display but I think I have shared enough for today.  I will have one more post on an exhibit tomorrow, one that I found so interesting I am going to make it the main subject of my next post.

Enjoy your week everyone, and thank you for taking a look at my shares from the Fralin Museum of Art in Charlottesville, Virginia.