Museum Exhibit: The Cave Paintings of Lascaux at the Field Museum, Chicago

I'm a big fan of art and history that's 2,000 years or older, so when I heard about the Lascaux cave paintings exhibit at the Field Museum, I was thrilled. I've been begging R to take me to Lascaux for years, as it's only a 4 hour drive from his hometown. Hopefully that trip will happen the next time we are in France...

Lascaux is a city in western France that became famous in the 1940s upon the discovery of Paleolithic cave paintings. The paintings and engravings are vastly important for art history because they're considered to be some of the earliest artworks created by mankind. Around 15,000 years ago when the paintings were made, humans were beginning to view and understand the surrounding world in a different manner than before; the paintings are a testament to the development of intellect and complex thought, and mastery of artistic practices such as representation and abstraction.  Animals like bison, mammoths, bears, wolves, and lions, among others, are depicted in the cave in twisted perspective, with their heads rendered in profile but other body parts, such as antlers or horns, appearing full-on. Because of the absence of natural light, the paintings could have only been viewed (and created) via fire--a pretty astounding way to view this art. Fire's movement would mean the paintings would look as if they were moving, dynamic components of the cave. Pretty cool. 

Today, a replica cave in Lascaux is the nearest you'll get to the paintings. The fragility and age of the paintings mean that any exposure to humidity, breathing, and humans could severely and irrevocably damage this priceless site. Fortunately, for those who cannot travel to France, the Field Museum has created a replica of the Lascaux cave, art and all. The exhibit has gotten decent reviews, and I fully intend on seeing it the next time I'm in Chicago. It's an art historian's dream, after all.


Here is a link to the Field Museum's Lascaux exhibit. 

Here is a link to a photo gallery of the Lascaux paintings, compliments of the UNESCO World Heritage site.

New Addition

We've been talking about adopting a dog since winter, and we finally did it last weekend. I've always been pro-pet adoption and fully support nonprofit organizations that exist to help animals, such as the Humane Society, ASPCA, and APA. We got Daisy from the APA after scouring their website and looking at the list of available pets multiple times a day for weeks. She's an excellent dog and a great addition to our family! She's a very laid back 8-month-old black lab who's gentle and calm, even when Z takes her treats or the cats hiss at her. It's been a week since we adopted her and everyone has adjusted well. I think Daisy and Tucker will be good friends. Lily is still a little hesitant to get close, merely because of Daisy's size. The amount of fur on the floors and furniture has increased exponentially, but that's alright. It's a great feeling to give an adopted animal a great, loving home. 

They Ate What?!

I wrote a post a month or so ago about the British Museum's app for its Pompeii exhibit. Many museums are beginning to incorporate technology into their exhibits, which is great! While using an app certainly isn't the same as seeing artifacts in person--or in their original location (don't get me started on this subject!)--you can download an app and see the objects in the exhibit without having to travel to the museum. This is really nice when the museum you're interested in visiting is halfway across the world and travel just isn't feasible. 

I was looking at my Pompeii app this morning and came across this cool artifact. Dormice, small European rodents, were delicacies in ancient Rome and are actually still considered as such in Slovenia and Croatia. Delicacies vary by culture. What's delicious to the French, like frog legs and escargot, may not appeal to you (but having tried both, I can assure you that they're delicious). Scottish people eat haggis, which is a type of pudding made from sheep organs. The Japanese eat raw fish in their sushi. In South American countries like Ecuador and Peru, guinea pigs are common fare. As the proud owner of several guinea pigs throughout my life, I can't say they're high on my list of things to try. I can cross haggis off too. 

I didn't realize that an ancient jar would cause me to think so much about delicacies and cultural food norms. What would be a delicacy in the U.S.? I've thought about this all day and can't come up with anything. I suppose it would vary by location within the country. In thousands of years, will archaeologists unearth bags of Cheetos, or even boxes of Twinkies, and think twenty-first century Americans ate these regularly? I suppose some do.

 This little artifact from Pompeii, which probably is nothing spectacular and was a common household item, has really caused this modern girl to think about what people eat and how willing we are to try new things. 

Pineapple Curry Chicken Recipe

My mother-in-law makes this often and I got the recipe from her a few months ago. It's delicious and fast with little cleanup because you cook everything in one skillet. It's great for leftovers and tastes better the next day because the spices have time to settle and blend. Oh, and it's not spicy, for those of you who don't like spicy foods. If you do like a little spice, get a different type of curry powder than the mild one I use here.

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 can crushed pineapple
1 can coconut milk
1 can bamboo
1 small onion, diced
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ginger powder
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
Brown rice (I use the quick cook kind to save time)

Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and cook in a skillet with the butter and onion until the chicken is cooked completely through.  Add the powdered sugar, ginger, and curry, and stir well. Add the pineapple (don't drain!) and drained bamboo. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 5 minutes, then add the coconut milk. Stir well to mix everything. Serve with brown rice. Enjoy!

Yield: 4 large servings

(I also sometimes cook this ahead of time and then freeze it into individual servings if we have a really busy week. It reheats great.)

A Day of Travel Photos: Australia

When compiling the photos for this post, I realized how much camera technology has changed in the last six years. I always snap photos on my iPhone, and those are of better quality than my high-priced digital camera that I used on my trip to Australia. Such is life. Enjoy the photos!

Sydney skyline

Sydney Opera House

Outdoor cafe

Beach in Sydney

Sydney

Sydney Harbor Bridge

Whales in an outdoor mall

Whitsunday Islands

Island resort

Pretty view

Sign Language

One of the great benefits of Z's daycare is that they teach the babies infant sign language. Lately Z has been signing (and saying, too) "all done" when she's finished eating; she also makes other signs but we aren't quite sure what they mean. Signing is a great way for infants to communicate before they're able to speak. 

I just realized a little while ago that R and I have our own form of sign language. We have signs for: "Z is asleep," "be quiet," "turn up/down the TV volume," "look at that," "this diaper is dirty," "where is xyz?" and "can you get me a drink?" There are probably a couple more, too. I don't exactly know when we developed these signs, but I'm thinking they started to emerge at times when Z was asleep and we needed to be really quiet. I just got out of the shower and poked my head out of the bathroom door because I wanted to know what time Z had fallen asleep. I looked at R and he signed "be quiet" because Z was still settling down a bit. He then mouthed "10 minutes." You know you're good at communicating when you don't have to say anything to know what the other person is thinking. 

Thoughts: The Happiness Project

I’m currently reading The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. Rubin wrote the book after a year of self-reflection, improvement, and dedication to appreciating life more fully. Although she is an NYC inhabitant and lawyer-turned-writer, Rubin is easy to relate to and is humorous about her struggles to remove clutter from the house, not snap at her husband and children, and go to bed earlier. Her creation of her personal Twelve Commandments and list of adult truths made me realize some things I’ve noticed about life and adulthood, which I’ve compiled into the following list (and yes, I realize many of these have been said before, but I think they’re important to remember):

1. Wearing sunscreen on a daily basis may be a pain but it’ll pay off in the long run.
2. It’s never too early for a good anti-wrinkle cream. This is even more applicable if you have children.
3. There’s nothing soap and water can’t clean, so don’t stress if the kids/pets/spouse make a mess.
4. Drinking a glass or two of water when you have a headache can really work wonders.
5. If you’re not enjoying what you do for a living, it’s time to look for something else. Life’s too short to be miserable at work.
6. Go ahead and eat that dessert.
7. If you clean your closets (or bathroom, kitchen, bedroom, basement, etc.) on a regular basis, you’ll be happier than just thinking about cleaning.
8. Adopt a pet. Studies show that we need animals just as much as they need us. If you can give an animal a loving home, why shouldn’t you?
9. Volunteer. Do something good for someone/animals/the planet.
10. Recycle. Turn off the lights when you leave a room. Don’t leave the water running when you brush your teeth. Little habits can have a profound effect and make our planet a little nicer for future generations.
11. Read a book. You never know what you’ll learn.
12. Travel. Explore different countries, cultures, and do things that make you uncomfortable. You’ve got to get out and take advantage of everything there is to see.
13. You can learn a lot from your children if you pay attention. Kids are resilient and learn so much from the world around them. Take time to enjoy your food, revel in your favorite movie or television show, try new things, and if you fall down, get up again.
14. Smiling, even if it’s fake, can make your whole attitude change. 
15. Always buy lemonade from a kid’s lemonade stand.