We Can Do It poster

Let’s not forget the Rosie’s

We can do it! The image of the woman in a blue worker outfit, flexing her biceps, was for me always a symbol for equal rights in the workforce.

Little did I know that this was a propaganda poster in World War II to get the women in to substitute for the men and outproduce war materials. About six million women would prove that they could do what was considered men’s work, like welding and riveting.

 

A Rosie lunchboxThe Rosie the Riveter Museum in Richmond does a great job remembering the Rosies, their accomplishments in welding and other jobs, it also mentions new achievements like day care. But they also talk about some lesser popular subjects like race inequality and the housing crisis.

 

Richmond got chosen to be the National Park Memorial for Rosie the Riveter because of the large Kaiser shipyards building warships, where a lot of Rosie’s worked.

 

Roger, a contemporary witnessOn Fridays you can see some Rosies (and a Roger) gladly explaining what it was like for them.

Do you know any Rosie’s?

Piano at Vasona Lake

Play piano in the park

I’m always on the lookout for some unexpected. A grand piano at the park, now that’s what I call unexpected!

For the third year the Santa Clara County Parks together with Sunset Piano and DC Pianos have released five pianos into five parks. They will reside in the parks until October 5th.

Piano at Vasona Lake

What a beautiful idea to combine the outdoors with music.

Here are the locations:

  • Vasona Lake by the boat rental area
  • Historic Casa Grande/New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum on the patio deck
  • Uvas Canyon near the waterfalls at the outdoor amphitheater
  • Coyote Lake-Harvey Bear Ranch’s Anglers picnic area
  • Joseph D. Grant near the historic Grant house and rose garden

 

Unfortunately I don’t play. And when I visited some of the pianos no one was playing, in fact they were covePiano at the Quicksilver Mining Museumred up.

If you are like me but you still want to experience the music head out to Vasona Lake on October 2, from 4 to 6 Sunset Piano will perform Classical, Jazz, and pop selections.

Or encourage your piano playing friends to come out.

Anyone up for picnic, park and piano?

Hiller

Learn how to fly

Another inventor, who started in a garage in Berkeley, was Wunderkind Stanley Hiller Jr. He was only 15, but already accepted at Berkeley University when he build his Hiller-copter. Hiller-copter

 

Hiller, at age 8, the inventor, build a motorized buggy with the engine of his mother’s washing machine, at age 10, the aviator, he learned to fly, and by 12, the businessman,  he had a $100.000 a year business.

 

Photo wall of pioneer women in aviationThe Hiller Museum of Aviation in San Carlos shows a lot of his prototypes. The volunteers who know so many great stories of all the helicopters and planes that are surround you, bring it alive. Some of the stories are about people that made aviation history, like General Valérie André, the first woman to have piloted a helicopter in a combat zone.

 

They do a tribute to women aviators with short descriptions about them. Did you know that there were two Amelia Earhart’s  (not related) that made flight history?

 

This is a great museum for kids of all ages. Lots of exhibits that allow you to climb in. On the weekends they teach you how to fly a drone or you can try to operate a plane in a flight simulator.

 

Are you a flight buff?

Beethoven

Be a love detective for Beethoven

Well I guess Beethoven knew who he was writing to in his letter to the immortal beloved.  

vote for the immortal belovedFor researchers and everyone else this is still a mystery. In the exhibit: Beethoven in Love,  from the Beethoven Center at San Jose University, you can educate yourself about all the people that played a significant role in Beethoven’s life. If you come to a conclusion about who was the immortal beloved you can also vote – voting booth and exhibit is open until December 17th, 2016.

 

But the Center for Beethoven also has the largest collection on Beethoven memorabilia and books outside of Germany. I admit I came for the hair, a lock that has been tested, and is currently undergoing DNA testing, to uncover more mysteries about Beethoven’s life.

Eric Herz 1977Our docent, Adriana was very knowledgeable about Beethoven and everything concerning him. We had a great time and as a special treat she also played on various instruments explaining the particularities about the instruments.

Do you have a favorite composer?

Dahlias

Pick some flower power

Last weekend we went to Pescadero, a quaint little town near the ocean.

While we were having lunch a band was playing outside. All in all it was a very relaxing Sunday.

After lunch we strolled down one of their art rows, little showrooms for local artists, and at the end there is a place to pick dahlias.

 

U-pick your own flower field in PescaderoThe Pescadero Flowery’s U-Pick is open from June till October. Their dahlias come in two different price categories, $2 for small, $4 for the large. You’ll get a bucket, a pair of scissors and some quick instructions and off you go!

These flowers are truly natural art! You wander in the field and pick the most beautiful creations to take home. My 11 year old enjoyed choosing and picking the flowers and I believe we got a ravishing flower arrangement.

 

What do you think of our bouquet?Dahlia bouquet
Do you have a  favorite place to pick flowers?