This Week’s Various

The Commercial Appeal is doing a great series on ‘Abandoned Memphis’ right now.


(I am not a fan, at all, of either of the people in the midst of this, but…)

Thank you, Frank Bruni, for pointing out the ‘unsavory culinary elitism‘ that reared its ugly head last week.  Wondering: when will the duck confit disappear from the menu at Les Halles?  Bavette de Boeuf, who will order you without the blue cheese sauce?  Paleron, Bernaise…minus the bernaise?  And Hamburger Rossini, what will you be called without your house-made foie gras terrine melting on top?

…glass houses…


Vodka may be produced in New Orleans soon.


Oh, BP, BP, BP.  Sigh.


On a very happy note, I can’t wait to buy Amy Smyth’s cards at Target when they arrive in mid-September.


Frank Lloyd Wright designed six hotels, and one of them is restored and once again accepting reservations.  In Iowa.


The ‘recession special’ at Robert’s Western World in Nashville is a PBR, fried bologna sandwich, chips, and a Moon Pie or Goo-Goo Cluster for $5.  Meanwhile in New Orleans, the COOLinary menu at restaurants ends soon, but I’m thinking about the lunch at Commander’s.


One of Gehry’s projects in Utah (which would have included the tallest building in the state) isn’t going anywhere right now…but his 76-story ‘New York by Gehry‘ is now open.  And beautiful.

The Ohr-O’Keefe Museum in Biloxi that Gehry designed is going to be giving free admission to Mississippi residents on Labor Day.


Glorious summertime!  Shug has decided he loves cicadas (I always have too!), and the praying mantis.  Here, both boys find something so interesting in a mason jar:
Shug and Shugie Look at the Mantis

…because…how could you not fall in love with this little alien face, right!?
Praying Mantis in Mason Jar


My friend Greg let me pick muscadines at his home last week; u-pick muscadines at the big farms will probably open up everywhere the first part of September.  We’ve gone to Wenker’s Vineyard in Marshall County the last two or three years.


Greg went with me on my latest visit to Wade Whartons’s home/art environment last week — new tulips from shovels:
Wade Wharton's Art Environment

a bull from a bicycle seat and handlebars (and Wade is working on another new piece…something like a superhero mosquito):

Wade Wharton's Art Environment

Wade Wharton's Art Environment

Wade Wharton Bottle Tree, Huntsville AL

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