People Who Live Near Glass Houses...

Having just returned from a wonderful and soul-renewing canoe trip in Algonquin Park, I wanted to give myself as little time as possible to relish the experience, and so I booked us in for a mini-break in in Brooklyn at a friend's apartment.  Richard and the children protested loudly, but I told them that I didn't care and away we went.

Since I was already being exceedingly selfish, I thought that we should definitely stop in Corning, NY to visit the marvelous Corning Museum of Glass.  I have wanted to visit this museum for many years.  My parents used to reside in New Jersey and whenever we sped along the I-86, the billboards for the museum would catch my eye, and I would wonder about the treasures inside.

I also recalled having read somewhere that Rand McNally had billed Corning as "the most fun small town in America"; it was a no-brainer, we had to go.

And so with tired children and cranky husband in tow, I exited the highway after a 4hr and 30min drive (made more pleasant by fresh cherries from a country roadside stand, and delicious coconut-chocolate-almond ice cream).  

Are we there yet?

*****

For many years, Corning has meant one thing and one thing only to me - Pyrex glassware.  

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixsC5oA95-zVaP4JIBmvdefzYmI7W191ackQ-NxvKIrhLCORlfV_WWpExpXwEoMaqjEt-14d-7hXZjytFgx9vhuXqHmL6zdq4_Rt967iLMnPXSUzbyKVfd-7d16OMrrwZCRwLren-BibYL/s1600/Pyrex%5B1%5D.jpg

My mother is quite into her Pyrex, and my sister-in-law Jeannette also collects it.  It must run in the family.  

As an adult, I have such an appreciation for this useful product.  It's colourful, cheerful, and invaluable to any cook.  How can you not adore this?

And this?

https://www.etsy.com/listing/193865673/cute-pyrex-jaj-fiesta-casserole-bowl

And this?

Because who doesn't want a bunny in a bowl?

2 1/2 times as strong as ordinary bowls!  Makes a great gift!

People, if you don't own a piece of Pyrex, march yourself down to the nearest Goodwill and pick up a mixing bowl, covered glass dish or casserole for a few bucks.  Or if you don't appreciate vintage glassware (gasp!), you can purchase a new piece in any good kitchen shop.  

While I expected to see oodles of Pyrex when we visited the museum, which obviously would have killed Richard and the children, we did not.  The funny thing is that the museum has much less to do with Pyrex than I originally thought; I didn't realize the size and scope of the Museum's collection until I visited.  Don't get me wrong, there is Pyrex there, but it pales next to the bulk of the Museum's vast collection of all manner of glass:  

The Corning Museum of Glass (located in Corning, NY and founded in 1951) displays the world’s best collection of art and historical glass. Corning is home to the headquarters for Corning Incorporated, formerly known as Corning Glass Works.  At the museum, you’ll see 35 centuries of glass artistry, live glass-making and flame-working demonstrations, and learn all about the science of glass...

The exterior of the building is quite handsome, a work of art in itself, so if you are into architecture, you will enjoy this aspect of the visit in addition to the glass.

http://www.cmog.org/visit/plan-your-visit

The children are so gangsta.  I did not tell them to adopt this stance.  

Here are a couple of shots of the magnificent lobby.  I was enthralled by this glass sculpture - Dale Chihuly's Fern Green Tower (15.5 feet high).  

A glass confection!

The first item on our agenda, after checking out the day's events, was to attend a glassmaking demo in the recently renovated glassmaking studio.  The studio / large theatre offers much to look at and experience:  blisteringly hot ovens and kilns (you can literally feel the heat), glassmaking equipment, and four gigantic television screens to provide live close-ups of the glassmaker's delicate and painstaking work.  At the forefront of the photo below are examples of the glass that the glassmaker produces during a 25-minute show.

The theatre has the feel of a television studio.  

We were very excited as we waited for the 6pm show to begin.  As the lights dimmed, the crowd quieted, eager to see the magic of the "Hot Shop".  Watching the glassmaker manipulate the glass was completely mesmerizing.  We were astonished as he twisted, turned, stretched and coerced the glass into various shapes.  Glassmaking demands bravery, strength, finesse and attention to fine detail:

from The Constant Rambler

http://www.transartists.org/air/corning-museum-glass

sticky, molten glass being removed from the oven so that it can be manipulated

My favourite line from the show?

"What's the difference between a vaze and a vozz?"
"About a thousand dollars!" (nyuk, nyuk).

http://www.cmog.org

During the show, we watched the glassmaker and his assistants create a small vase (about 5 inches tall), then craft a larger one (18 inches tall), and then...?  He inserted the small vase INTO the larger one.  All in 25 minutes time!  He started out with a gob of glass, and produced a stunning work of art.  The pictures that I took suck, so you'll have to use your imagination (and go to the show yourself :-)

Earlier in the show, the emcee revealed that the glassmaker loved to hear the audience's appreciation, and that enthusiastic individuals "might be rewarded for their efforts".  Nathaniel and I exchanged a knowing glance.  We don't have to be told to yell twice.  

We whooped, cheered and stamped our feet every time the glassmaker did something amazing, which was basically the entire time.  

At the end of the show, the emcee said, "Who wants to win something?"  The crowd roared.  

A large spotlight appeared, and we followed it with our eyes as it whizzed crazily around the studio, illuminating the audience.  Nathaniel and I were hollering and stomping and clapping and laughing our heads off, enjoying the electric atmosphere immensely.  

Perhaps to improve his chances of winning, my child moved into the empty bench behind us, where in addition to his caterwauling, he fist-pumped and jumped up and down wildly as if he were on a pogo stick.  The spotlight continued to careen merrily, and suddenly, in the midst of the hysteria, the tv screens sprang into life and there was Nathaniel's giant face on the Corning Museum version of the Jumbotron.  I have never laughed so hard in my life.  We watched as Nathaniel realized that it was indeed his big face on all of the tv screens, and he screamed, "I won, I WON!"

Such genuine joy.  I loved it.  

I took this picture after the fact, as I was so flabbergasted when Nathaniel won the vase that I couldn't think straight, never mind snap a pic 

Yes, Nathaniel won the vase that the glassmaker had made that day, or rather, he won an identical one that the glassmaker had made another day (the glass needs to cure for twenty four hours before it's ready to be handled).  The vase is quite heavy; I wasn't prepared for that.  

To add insult to injury (Gwen was not impressed with her brother's win), Nathaniel was also asked to help out during another demo - the glass-breaking show - and he was presented with a beautiful glass fish for his efforts there.  Does this kid have a lucky horseshoe up his can or what?

I will leave you with some more pictures of the museum and its fantastic sights.  We enjoyed it so much, that we returned for a second day of sight-seeing, which is included in the price of your ticket. 

Here are those pics:

flameworking demo

Modern glass objets; I was particularly fascinated by the lamps and chairs

All of the galleries are painted white / pale grey to show off the beautiful colours.   Here, textured glass waves "float" in space

hard to see, but there is an ethereal collection of glass knives suspended above the tiny glass houses

a trio of glass trees comprised entirely of drinking vessels, the forest visible only from a distance

because who doesn't love a glass tire?

gorgeous ruby glass chandelier adorned with ravens.  a truly stunning piece, not so much in this picture

glass zodiac

glass, beautiful glass in the innovation centre

Roman glass. iridescent beauty.  Hard to believe its age and that it is still intact.  

The Blaschka collection.  Superb and unbelievable - 1887

a Blaschka squid - 1887.  Part of the Harvard collection.  So many Blaschka pieces.  You must see it!

a jack in the pulpit vase 

Stunning art glass, reminiscent of a sea creature.  It's very large, but I didn't include anything to show its scale, unfortunately

more objets in the contemporary wing

glass lynx.  a wonder to behold

Ostensibly, the pictures that I have shared here really do not give you any idea of the vast scope and size of the collection.  

I implore you to go; you will be awed.

Head there now!

http://www.cmog.org - The Corning Museum of Glass

Ticket information.  All tickets are good for a two-day visit.  We purchased ours online for $18 per adult, which let us enter after 4pm.  The regular price is $22.  Children are free.  We loved the museum so much, and found so much to do, that we visited again the following day.  Even the rotten children loved it.  

*****

Optional Musical Pairing.  Billy Joel's Don't Ask Me Why from his album Glass Houses, natch

As a brief and hilarious aside, I feel compelled to say something about why I chose the Billy Joel song. Reason 1 is obvious, but Reason 2 has to do with our stay in the "most fun small town in America", or rather, how we tented it in a redneck campground the day after the 4th of July, and experienced an unruly mob (fomenting directly across from our campsite) between 11pm - 4am. We heard language that made even yours truly blush, and gasped in horror and disbelief as the fisticuffs, screaming, crying, begging and insanity ramped up and the police arrived.  We were glad to make it out alive.

But that is a story for another day.  

Bear with Me

Do you know what this is?

image from http://db.tigsource.com/games/minecraft/screenshots/1478

It's a screenshot from a video game called Minecraft, or as I like to refer to it - Mindcrap.  

Many of you have heard of this game - if you have a kid, chances are he or she is an addict, or on the way to becoming one.  Sorry for those of you who are in denial, but it's true.  My son, who is 10, would rather play Mindcrap than do anything else.  Except maybe watch Mindcrap videos from THE BIGGEST MINDCRAP GEEK EVER, the Bajan Canadian:

This kid clearly spends WAY TOO MUCH time in his basement, eating Da-reets and drinking Sunny D like it's water.  

The amount of time that my kid spends (or would like to spend) on Mindcrap depresses me; however, I am hopeful that he will get over his addiction.  My brother and I played Atari incessantly as kids and I'm no longer jonesing for it.  Confession:  I once permitted N to play Mindcrap for 4 hours in a row.   Contender for bad mother of the year, obviously.  

N would rather play MC than watch TV, hang with friends, chase a soccer ball, go skiing, go to Disney (well maybe not that) et cetera.  I have caught him hunched and squirming at the computer chair, legs crossed tightly, because he has to go PEE so badly, yet still he slays on.  I told him that he should start wearing diapers like they do in the casinos, then he wouldn't even have to get up, making his life THAT MUCH easier.  I am nothing if not efficient.  

Thank god he likes to read.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  Actually, I have myself to thank for that:  Brown Bear, Brown Bear

We were at the library recently getting some new books and this one caught my eye -  Let Them Be Eaten By Bears:  A Fearless Guide to Taking Our Kids into the Great Outdoors by Peter Brown Hoffmeister:

Yes, people, I am aware that mid-January is not a traditional time to think about going camping with kiddies; however, the book looked interesting and after it passed my "read the first page test" (I was hooked), I grabbed it.

I LOVE THIS BOOK.  It is full of life lessons, funny stories, kooky lore and ideas to get your family outside.  More on that in a few paragraphs.  And I will make the connection between Mindcrap and the great outdoors too.

But first, a story.  Nathaniel camped for the first time when he was 9 months old.

We had a pack and play (portable playpen) to throw him in during nap time or when he became annoying.  It was mid-June, the nights were cool and I was still nursing, so he slept under a goosedown duvet with me (we're glampers).  I have an awesome 4-6 man dome tent that I bought for around $150 and that's what we slept in.

Until I had a "better" idea.

I thought the pack and play and the double air mattress took up too much real estate in the tent.  It was cramped and stuffy.  I thought it made perfect sense to set up shop in my friend's "food tent":

you can see the playpen in the tent

My husband (voice of reason) said that we would be eaten by animals if we slept in that.  Well, he didn't actually say "eaten" but he did suggest that we would have nocturnal visitors.  I couldn't disagree more.  Never mind that our campsite in Elora was overrun by raccoons, who were an omnipresent threat during all hours of the day.

image from owned.com  - only funny because my kids are obsessed with Carly Rae Jepsen

"We are not going to get eaten by raccoons!  I tree planted for five years... yada yada yada..."

Because my husband is not a smart man, he listened to me.  We put the pack and play in the food tent, and also dragged the air mattress over, turning our "real" tent into a large, walk-in closet.  At bedtime, the three of us fell asleep, the husband on one side, Nathaniel in the middle and me on the other.  I recall being very happy with myself as I nodded off...  this is so lovely and fresh and roomy, and I am going to sleep like the dead... maybe N will even sleep through the night... zzzzzzzzzzzzz

Who was I kidding?  It was not to be.

I woke up in the middle of the night - it was PITCH black - and I was instantly aware that there was something wrong.

FUCKING WRONG because there was something crawling across my torso.  NOT KIDDING.  It must have crawled under the flimsy walls of the tent.  Because the tent has NO FLOOR, animals can crawl in and out willy-nilly.

Keeping in mind that there was a leaden beast crawling across my prone body, I did exactly what anyone would do - I whipped that duvet off my body like a woman possessed, exposing myself and my 9-month old to the elements, and screamed murderously.  Well not that murderously, because who wants to wake a sleeping baby?  Even if they are in danger of being eaten by a killer raccoon / rakunk!

My husband didn't wake up.  Neither did Nathaniel.

I had to poke my husband in the ribs to rouse him (a raccoon just crawled across me!, I hissed).  He was totally annoyed with me: I told you so. Now be quiet!

~~~

While reading Mr. Hoffmeister's book, I was reminded of this and my many other animal adventures.  I will save those for another post.  Today, I want to talk about kids and the great outdoors and what is keeping them from going there.  Hint: it's not bears.

Some quotes from Mr. Hoffmeister:

• "it is not uncommon for a child to play more than a thousand video game hours per year" 

• it took one of Mr. Hoffmeister's computer-addicted high school students a full twelve hours before he realized he was in the actual outside world, before he started to reference non computer material in his conversations.  While he looked across a valley at a snow-covered peak in Oregon, he said:  "oh yeah, I looked at this mountain online, and it looked way prettier on my computer." 

I find this to be alarming.    

I do not think that my children will end up like one of my former library colleagues, who had never camped, hiked or swum in a natural body of water (and had only gone in a pool once or twice!).   I am fortunate because I had a Dad who loved the great outdoors.  He took us skiing, skating, sledding and ice-fishing in the winter, and camping, hiking, and fishing in the warmer months.  I have slept under the stars in the Niagara Escarpment, and caught and cooked my lunch over an open fire.  I guess there isn't really a chance of my kids being outdoorsaphobes, even if Nathaniel is a vidhead and Gwen loves the telly.  

What I do worry about is the subtle and gradual transition to becoming an "indoors" person", described by Mr. Hoffmeister as such:

You like temperatures between 68 and 72 degrees F.  Much colder or warmer, and you might start to complain.  You like a dry environment but not an environment that's arid or dusty.  You are used to urban noise, comfortable with the sounds of computers, music, phones, cars, electronic bells, TVs, YouTube, alarms and large groups of people.  This may sound strange, but you might even like the toxic smells of bleach or other harsh cleaners or, near the street, exhaust, tar, oil, and burned gasoline.  These smells are, at the very least, familiar to you and therefore comfortable even if you don't like them.  

People, we need to wake up!  Our kids are getting fatter and the insidious, pervasive nature of video-gaming is the problem, especially with boys.  I urge you to kick your kids off the screens and into the outdoors.  They won't like it this time of year, as it's coldy-woldy.  Things like skating, skiing, and sledding help, as do snowmen and snow-forting.  If I told my son that he could whap me in the face with a snowball, that might be enough to get him off Mindcrap.  And that, my friends, is a step in the right direction.

I did not intend to write this entry as a review of Mr. Hoffmeister's well written and engaging book but it seems to be turning into that so I'll just go with it.  Bears is full of great information.  You will learn all you need to know to take your kids on a weekend or if you're up to it, a two-week camping adventure.  The how-to guide is full of anecdotes, humour, pop psychology and life lessons, all of which will teach you something about embracing the great outdoors.

I hear a lot of parents talking about how when I was a kid, I spent all day outside.  I walked or rode my bike everywhere.  Parents - it can still be like that!  Times are NOT that different.  Kids are still kids and like to do kid stuff like riding around on their bikes, terrorizing the neighbours and playing nicky-nicky-nine-door.  By letting them explore, your kids will build character and learn to trust their instincts.  This cannot be taught by reading or by playing video games.

I am not a perfect Mum; I'm far from it.  I do not always have the energy to go outside and chase the kids and dog around but I'd like to leave you with some great ideas (and some self-indulgent family photos).  They're good reminders for me too.

1)  Camp in your backyard if you haven't camped before or you're out of practice.  Sleep outdoors on your deck on a warm night.  We did this at my Mom's house when Gwen was one.  I should probably not tell you that in the morning, I went inside for a cup of joe and left Gwen and her father "sleeping" in the tent outside.  I looked out the kitchen window and saw Gwenny toddling alone toward the house (husband was still asleep and didn't even hear Gwen exit).  My parents' backyard is ginormous, unfenced, bordered by farmer's fields, and a highway in front.  It could have gone horribly wrong.  It did not.
Kids love to camp in the backyard and if someone has a freakout, you can always return to the creature comforts of your home.  Here's my son "camping" on the deck outside my bedroom in mid-November of last year (his idea; I did not join him).

2)  If you want your family to spend more time outdoors, consider getting a dog.  The dog needs to be walked at least twice a day.  You will experience more sunrises and sunsets, and family time.

3)  Let your kids climb trees, help with gardening and get filthy.

Some of you reading this may have never had children, or you may be grandparents.  You may wonder how a book about taking your kids outdoors can impact you.  It can.  I would argue that you too can benefit from getting "eaten by bears".  Of particular interest is Work Less, Make Less Money, Play More; Different is Good and There is Never a Better Time.

Now get out there!


Musical pairing:  FURR by Blitzen Trapper (such a foot-tapping, thumping song! I love it!)