Our organizational strategies over here in Alameda are pretty basic, very low tech. I make handwritten lists on a steno pad and my husband largely relies on his memory. I have explained to him many times that the true purpose of memory is primarily for song lyrics and also the name of that one guy….who played the waiter…in that movie? Over many years he has adapted to actually taking the shopping list with him when he goes food shopping and that has saved us both many hours of frustration.
Our main high-tech aide is a wall calendar in the kitchen. I get to pick it out and thus we have more Impressionists than we might have. This year it’s the calendar from the Manet/Morrisot exhibition at the Legion of Honnor which I could not let go of.
Sometimes, when my grandson is peevish, I lift him up to look at what I call ‘the Lady”. This month she is by Manet, she is wearing a big beautiful hat and holds a pink silk parasol and if anyone in this world could look more absolutely delightful, I’d like to see it. We both look for a while, he all at once calmed, gobsmacked by wonder. We love the beautiful lady and I know he will love other beautiful images because beauty is for everyone, all the time.
I don’t think we need to be taught that. I think we just need to be exposed, and allowed. Company helps, no doubt, and my grandson is the best company ever. But so is Manet and Morisot and everyone else who brings us this incredible feast of Art. Yum, yum.