My Paisley World

January 17, 2014

Martin Luther King, Jr. Rubik’s Cube Mosaic

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. "had a dream."

His birth name was Michael, but he had it changed to Martin.

He skipped 9th grade. He did so well on his college entrance exams in his Junior year,

he was able to skip 12th grade, and entered college at age 15.

He earned a B.A. in Sociology from Morehouse College,

a B.D. (Bachelor of Divinity) from Crozer Theological Seminary,

and a Ph.D. in Systematic Theology from Boston University.

He was also awarded several honorary doctorates through the years.

He married Coretta Scott and had 4 children:

Yolanda Denise, Martin Luther III, Dexter Scott and Bernice Albertine.

He pastored a Baptist church in Montgomery, AL

and later co-pastored one in Atlanta, GA with his father.

He led the American Civil Rights Movement based on

the doctrines of Christianity and the non-violent methods of Ghandi.

From 1957 to 1968, he traveled over 6 million miles to attend
marches and movements, and to present over 2,500 speeches.

At age 35, he was the youngest man to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.

He was assassinated on the balcony of a hotel in Memphis, TN,

where he had come to lead a march in protest of the intolerable
working conditions and low wages of sanitation workers in the city.

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In recognition and honor of this great man, this great American,

I bring you the amazing mind and talent of Pete Fecteau.

Pete designed a 19' x 8'6" mosaic mural called "Dream Big"

and used 4,242 Rubik's Cubes to build it.

Look for more online at

The Artworks of Pete Fecteau.

Another post of interest on My Paisley World:
Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" Speech

Images used with direct permission from Pete Fecteau.

January 15, 2014

The Mercer Museum - Bucks Co., PA

This past New Year's Eve, I spent a memorable day with my family

visiting The Mercer Museum in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.

It was a trip back in time, amid the dust and the rust,

which left us with an appreciation for the past and how far we've come.

Completed in 1916, this 6-story "castle" is constructed entirely of concrete.

It was designed by Henry Mercer to store his extensive collection

of tools and trappings from American life in the 18th & 19th centuries.

Who was Henry Mercer?

Called a true Renaissance man, he was

an Artist,

an Architect,

an Antiquarian,

an Archaeologist

and an Anthropologist.

How's that for an "A" list of titles?

The museum's exhibits represent over 60 occupations, trades and crafts of the time.

A Conestoga wagon, a stage coach, and an antique fire engine.

Blacksmithing and tinsmithing.

A printing press and a cider press.

Even a hangman's gallows!

Sharing my photos with you today - enjoy!

Making the most of the grand space, items like these
horse-drawn carriages are suspended in the Central Court.

A whaling boat with harpoons. A yellow sleigh to the left.

Even the high ceiling serves as a display area

for chairs, trunks, cradles and such.

Redware Pottery.

Hat Making.

The Horn & Tortoise Working display features

these decorative tortoise shell combs.

The penny-farthing. Read my post about them HERE.

We found the building's architecture, with its

dramatic windows, winding staircases, and tucked-away alcoves,

just as intriguing as the artifacts housed within!

Wallpaper Tools.

On this hotel sign, notice the number 10282.

Each item in the museum had been assigned a

hand-painted number for cataloging purposes.
About 40,000 items are exhibited in 55 rooms.

Items from a schoolroom.

Healing arts.

Baking Utensils.

Gunsmithing & Weapons.

Henry Mercer with Rollo, his favorite dog.

The Mercer Museum is located at

84 South Pine Street

Doylestown, PA 18901,

Bucks County.

To learn more, visit their website.

January 13, 2014

Catrin Welz-Stein Surrealism

Portrait 09

Catrin Welz-Stein is a German graphic designer who discovered her knack for
creating digital images by combining old illustrations and photographs into collages.
Her favorite artists include Picasso, Gustav Klimt, and Frida Kahlo.
Her genre? The fantastical world of surrealism.
Inspired by illustrations from children's books, she enjoys
the intangible, dream-like qualities that her work conveys.

Bizarre? Indeed. But something attracts me.
Maybe it's art that isn't taking itself too seriously.
Or creativity stretched toward the infinite limit of imagination.
Whatever it is... I like it.

Free Your Mind!

Cinderella

Harmony

The World

Homeward Bound

Paradise Train

Sky Fishing

Morning Walk

Queen B.

Moonlight Garden

Here's where you can find more of Catrin's work:
Blog
Facebook
RedBubble

Images used with direct permission from Catrin Welz-Stein.

January 10, 2014

Maple Walnut Baked Oatmeal

Did you know that January is National Oatmeal Month?

The first time I ate baked oatmeal was several years back while attending a

family reunion at Camp Hebron in Halifax, Pennsylvania.

At the breakfast buffet, I helped myself to a square of what I thought to be oatmeal cake.

As I began to eat it as I would a chunk of cornbread, I was promptly reprimanded

by my little sister, who is ever-wise in such matters (and then some.)

"No, no," she said, "You pour milk over it like this."

I humbly obeyed, and so began my love affair with baked oatmeal.

Since then, when visiting her in Harrisburg, we've gone to the local

Bagel Lover's Cafe and enjoyed some there.

Baked oatmeal is an Amish dish, so it's well-known in central Pennsylvania,

but alas, I have yet to find it on a menu in my Philadelphia area.

I knew I had no choice but to take matters into my own hands.

This maple walnut version adds 2 of my favorite things,

resulting in a go-to dish for a warm, cozy breakfast!

Maple Walnut Baked Oatmeal

2 1/4 C old fashioned oats
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 1/2 C milk
4 T melted butter
1/2 C brown sugar, packed
1/4 C pure maple syrup
1/2 C roughly chopped walnuts
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13x9 pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, walnuts and brown sugar.

In another bowl, beat together the milk, eggs and maple syrup.

Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix well.

Pour oatmeal into prepared pan and drizzle melted butter over top.

Stir gently and place in over for 45 to 55 minutes until golden brown.