Intelligent Art

Jeff Aycock
Intelligent Art

At the University of Alabama in Woods hall there is a fabulous art museum I visited just the other day. The art museum is filled with all kinds of art like pictures, paintings, and art that people have but together. There are two particular pieces in the art museum that I particularly like because the artist makes you think about the piece and make your own observation. The two pieces are the ray gun and the other one I cannot really remember the name of it but at the end of the paper you will have a good idea what it is when you go to the museum.
When you step in to the art room there is one piece of art work that really just grabs your eyes and just pulls your retinas to its attention. The art piece is a tremendous bail of newspaper and magazine clippings. The arties does not really just come out and just tell you what he is trying to tell you with his or her art. We really do not know what he or she is trying to tell us at first you really have to study the piece for a while and develop your own thoughts. At first glance you might see a high pointless cylinder shaped covered with old useless newspaper and magazine clipping. You might think that it is a replica of a hay bail made out of paper clippings. Some might think that it might not be just a hugh pile of rubies and think that it could possibly be something meaningful and useful, but might just need a little explanation. Others might not think it is garbage from the very first impression. They might think it is the best and most beautiful piece of art work that they have ever seen in their life, it just depends on how you look at it and what your mind set is.
The impression that this is a piece of art work is a piece of trash is definitely not an extremely bad take on the piece. When you look at the piece from the perspective then it definitely makes since to think that. When I walked into the museum for the first time and I saw that is what I thought. I did not think much of it because it did not look like it took that much effort, thought or time to make it. I thought that the arties took a round object and put a bunch of clue on it and then rolled it in a big pill of paper clippings until it was completely cover. Some people might have just stopped looking at that piece right then and go look at another piece.
Once I sat there and study the piece my thoughts changed from what is this artist think with this piece of garbage to how creative can a person get. I tried to think to myself if I were to make this piece what I would be trying to convey to the people that were looking at it. When I did this I could easily see this piece of art work on the side of the street next to a trash can or something with a sign on it that said something like what are you doing with your old paper, Don’t through it away recycle it and do something interesting. When I thought about this idea I did not think that the artiest was out of his might crazy any more.
There is a wall in the middle on the room; when u walk around the wall there is another piece or art work that is pretty emasculate. This piece is kind of like the first one in the since that is made out of recycle or scrape material. This piece is called the ray gun. I think that it is the most interesting piece of art in the museum. The way that it is made and the name that the artist has given it makes form two options about this piece.
The first thought I had is that he was trying to show us a weapon that they, the military or the government, made and used in the past. I think this because of house the artist has assembled the piece of art. The material he used was old rusted metal and strings. I think he use old rusted metal and strings because if he used new metal then the gun would not have the old vintage look that it had.
The second idea that I can up with is kind of the same idea that the first piece had. He could have been trying to tell people how he feels about throwing things away and recycling. From this perception you can kind of see that he could have gone to a junk yard or just collect scrap metal from a job site or something and make something with it. He is trying to tell us that it does not matter if you have the right materials to make something you can find something from somewhere to make something interesting.
In both pieces of the art I think that both artiest were extremely intelligent and spent a long time thinking of what they could create so that they would create something original and something that had multiple meanings to it. There are many other piece of art there in the museum that I have not talked about, but they did not catch my attention like the two pieces that I have talked about. You should not take my word for it though. You should come down to the University of Alabama and go visit woods hall art gallery and check it out for yourself, and go see some of the other art work by the deferent artiest that have put their work up. I think it will be worth your time and I do not think you will be disappointed.

Art

If one, before I went to the art gallery at Woods Hall, would have asked me the question, “What is art?” I would have probably answered, “Art is the Mona Lisa.” Or “art is a sheep carved into a block of ice or just another picture of a sunset.” Those are a few examples of what I thought were art. Other people might say that art is observing and drawing a full body portrait of a naked man posing for a class in college or sculpting an elephant out of clay. All of these examples and definitions of art are from people with a misunderstanding or a lack of appreciation for art. Therefore, this brings up the question again, “What really is art?”

My appreciation for art changed after my visit to the Woods Hall Art Gallery. I walked into the gallery expecting to look at a lot of meaningless paintings or funny looking sculptures. As soon as I walked into the gallery my attention was directed and my eyes were fixed on two pictures by Jonathon Purvis. The piece that touched me the most was entitled “Rufus Davis.” It is a black and white photograph of an older black guy dressed in a pure white suit and wearing a black World War II veteran hat. The feature of the photograph that stood caught my attention the most was the black guy’s eyes. It was like he was looking directly into my soul and if I stared to long I felt like I would cry. Not only could I see the pain and all the hurt that was built up inside that old man but I could almost feel it too. He had deep pain-filled wrinkles and each side of his mouth. His facial expression was almost a proud look with extreme disappointment in his eyes. It was like he was crying without shedding any tears. He had a thick mustache and a little patch of hair below his bottom lip. All of his facial hair was salt and pepper colored.

This man had been through so much pain and sadness, yet he still displays his World War II hat as a proud statement. Just from looking at the picture I gained a lot of respect and admiration for this anonymous person. The picture was made in black and white to show that segregation was a huge part of this man’s life. He was a World War II so he would be anywhere in the area from 85 to 95 years old. The more that this man aged the less this man’s dark black skin could hide the pain and heartache. This photograph made me very angry at the older white generation for the way that this man was probably treated. I was overwhelmed with patriotism for my country. Despite all of the race issues that he dealt with, he still sacrificed his life so that we Americans could live in freedom. I was saddened by the thought of all the hate towards this man because of the color of his skin.

The other picture was entitled “Rachel Higgins’ Going Away Party.” This is a picture that brings all different styles of people together into one photograph. It is a picture divided into sixteen blocks (4x4) each with a photograph of a person in it. Each person in the different blocks has a different lifestyle and different background.

The first block represents the guy that only wants to get drunk. He has no other care in the world besides drinking a lot of beer and getting wasted. The second picture represents the guy that is not sure if he should drink or not. He is probably the guy that has grown up with good morals and values. The third one represents the woman that wants to get drunk fast and forget about her worries. Hints the Vodka bottle she is drinking out of. Next is the crazy guy that just wants attention. He doesn’t really drink but will do anything to become the center of attention. The next row is started by the crazy woman that just wants some action. She is the freaky woman that tries to get with every guy at the party. Beside her is the slow drinking guy being made fun of by the non-drinker. The next guy is getting drunk but represents the people who do not want anybody to find out. He is hiding behind a mask. He might by the guy that is really involved in his youth group at church but lives the double lifestyle. Last on row two is the non-drinking mother figure. Row three begins with the non-drinking guy that is just at the party for the ladies. Next is the non-drinking girl that is happy and content with life. Beside the good girl is the girl that gets drunk, has sex with some random guy and regrets the decisions she makes when she sobers up. The last picture on the third row is of the tough girl who doesn’t take any crap from anyone. The last row is started by the crazy freak lady consoling possibly trying to take advantage of a hurting woman. Next is the girl at the party just having a good time. The second to last picture represents the drunken guy that is the life of the party that does dumb crazy things. The last picture is of the popular guy that everybody likes even though he doesn’t drink. This collection of pictures is one that almost everyone can relate to.

Both of these pieces of art by Jonathan Purvis are pieces that everyone can relate to in some way. One can look at both of these pieces and see what kind of background these people have. In “Rufus Davis” we see the feelings and background of one man. In “Rachel Higgins’ Going Away Party” we see the feelings and lifestyles of many different people. Looking at these pictures stirs up some sort of emotion in the observer. If one were to ask, “What is art?” I would answer, “Art is anything that makes people think, feel, or relate to.”

Black and White Emotions

When I walked into the SynArts Cotillion exhibit in Woods Hall, the first thing I saw was the “barrel of hay” sitting in the middle of the floor. I thought to myself that this was going to be a weird, but interesting art exhibit. After coming in late and sitting my sopping wet self down on the cold floor, I started to look around at the other art hanging on the walls. The one that caught my eye was a photograph of an old black man. At first glance I actually thought it was an incredibly realistic drawing. I could see he had a very solemn look on his face and he was wearing a World War II Veterans hat. At a distance, he looked like he could have just been an overworked elderly person, but looking around at the rest of the paintings, I could guess that was not the case. Even though most of the paintings were abstract, I could tell there might be a common theme related to war.

When we were asked to walk around the exhibit and chose two of the pieces of art to write about, I knew I wanted to write about the old man. Next to the student’s other piece, there was a plaque with the names of his pieces. The first line read “Johnathan Purvis” and the second line read “Rufus Davis”. I am making the assumption that Johnathan Purvis is the artist and Rufus Davis is the old man’s name and the name of the piece. It is a black and white photograph with a white background, so the man really pops off the page. He is probably around 65 or 70 with a gray and white beard. Once I got closer I could see the expressions he had on his face. He looks really tired, wrinkly, sad, and almost confused. It is an expression like he is in pain, but really trying to tell the camera something. I didn’t realize it till later when I was looking very closely, but his eyes look like they are watering. It is almost like his eyes are in pain and trying to say something. I think this artist was maybe trying to depict the man’s pain and suffering maybe in respect to the war.

I looked around the gallery after getting all my notes on the photograph. There were some really interesting abstract and colorful pieces, but nothing that particularly jumped out at me to write about. I finally went back to the old man and decided to write about to other piece done by the same artist. It is a piece that has a collage look to it. Under the title of the first photograph, the same plaque read “Rachel Higgin’s Going Away Party” on the first line. Under that line is said “Between 12:30am and 1:15am” and “silver gelatin prints”. This one was also done in black and white. It has a bunch of candid shots with a person or two in each one of them. They look like older college students having fun with their friends. Some of them are drinking, some of them are posing, and some of them are just laughing. You can really see all the different emotions and feelings of all the friends. This collage makes me wonder why he made it. Was it going to be a present for his friend who is leaving town? Was it specifically for this project? Were they just random photos taken and he decided it would be a cool art piece? Since most of the exhibit appeared to have a war theme, I tried to think of an explanation to how this piece fits that category. I couldn’t think of one, except for it might just serve as a contrasting piece to Rufus Davis.

I am guessing that these two photographs are not supposed to be a pair. I couldn’t figure out any way they are similar at first, except the fact they are both in black and white. Then I started thinking about it and I thought they both show emotions. The old man is tearing up and obviously in some pain. All the people in the collage are showing different emotions, but they are mostly happy. I can also contrast it because of the reasons because even though they are both showing emotions, they are different emotions.

I liked the two art pieces I chose. They really made me think and kept me interested. I wanted to know Rufus Davis was thinking. Was he really thinking about the war? Was he upset about something different, and just happened to have his World War II Veterans hat on? Was he even a war veteran? I also wanted to know where the artist found this man. The party picture kept me interested because I wanted to know who all the people were, what they were thinking, why he took those pictures, and even where Rachel Higgins was leaving to go. I guess I liked these two photographs because I had never taken the time to really look at and analyze art before. I have never been a big fan of going to art exhibits, so I found it interesting to look at the “barrel of hay” and the two pieces I chose because I really tried to understand the art. It was also interesting to hear all the different points of view, and to still not know the answer. You really want to get inside the artists’ minds and see what they were thinking!

Sisters on a Divergent Path Sisters: Alike and Different and Alike Again

“A picture is worth a thousand words” but in this assignment, I am not sure about how true that cliché is. In studying the two works by Jenny Fine that I have chosen to review, the realization of what others think about their work is hard to communicate without knowing the background of the creator. Therefore, I shall analyze these works from what I view as the message being portrayed by the artist.

As I carefully studied the two photographs that Jenny Fine gave the world to view, it became apparent, in my mind, that she captured two slices of time in the lives of two sisters. It was easy to ascertain that the two sisters captured on film were very close to the same age. In “The Sisters,” both of these young girls appear to be in the age range of nine to twelve years old. The sister on the viewer’s right appears to be the older of the two. Interestingly, the photograph did not reveal these girls’ faces—only their bodies from the shoulders down. In this photograph, both were standing side by side in a dance studio. It was a safe, simple, serene environment. The setting revealed their artistic upbringing. It was obvious that these girls had been refined—their dresses indicated class and money. They were standing erect with their hands artfully clasped in front of them. Their mannerisms indicated inherited tendencies. From their correct posture, one could surmise that the ways of their upbringing had encouraged them to be elegant and graceful. From their many hours of exercise, their shapely, bare legs depicted they were part of a family that knew that fitness and class were married to each other. As these two Caucasian girls showed off their custom-made dance shoes, one could see that they were dressed to dance. Age allowed the older sister to be more daring and independent as her dress was shorter and more colorful than her sister’s. These two young sisters were innocent, pure and happy to take their roles in a family filled with relatives that knew the value of art in their children’s lives.

Ms. Fine then carried these two young girls through their lives until the next artistic communication, “Morning Old Sister,” shows them reaching their twilight years. Again, they were faceless in the photograph. This time legs were covered by clothing, but, just as before, their hands were a focal point. The sisters appeared to be in their early seventies at the time of this photograph. Their hands were clasped in two different directions, and their lives had traveled down two different paths. The sister on the viewer’s left showed a right hand clasp. It was easy to assume that she had made choices that had lead her down a path that was correct for her approval from society. The sister on the viewer’s right could easily be stereotyped as straying from the accepted norms of society. Even though she might have been slightly older, her left hand clasp and discolored arms allows the viewer to assume that she had not been socially acceptable. Her days had been filled with hidden moments that led to her outward appearance—an appearance showing the hard reality of a life that had turned down the road less traveled. Into their old age, the sisters continued to show their elegance and grace with their correct posture, dress, and mannerisms. The family values that were instilled in them at a younger age were still evident.

As these two sisters faced the world, each was able to cope with her surroundings in a different manner. The environment had been kinder to the sister on the left based on her lily-white skin. Facing her obstacles using the solid, moral foundation that she learned as a child allowed her to live a peaceful existence in the face of storms.

As the other sister faced her environment, hard knocks had been everywhere. She abandoned her childhood teaching to become a product of her worldly environment.

This photograph had dark clouds looming in the distance. The dark setting, indicating a storm brewing, seemed to suggest that the sisters had experienced their share of life’s storms even though they handled them differently. They survived and continued to love one another with a strong bond. Wisdom had come from years of heredity versus environment. Long departed from the sturdy walls of the dance studio of their youth, the old sisters were exposed; yet they were not afraid to stand alone or together in an open field as clouds threatened. One greeted the other as though it were a routine day with “morning old sister.”

The innocence of their early years and the aristocratic upbringing led both of these sisters to come back to their roots even though their adult environments were totally different. In the end, it is easy to observe that heredity and sisterly love brought the sisters back to the same path. In their twilight years, a strong physical, emotional, and mental bond gave these sisters comfort and security. Sheltered and pure, one makes her storm clouds turn into fluffy white clouds of angelic magnitude. The other takes what a harsh world gave her and tamed the devils that came knocking on her door. Both were winners in the end. Only the creator of these two sisters will know their fate when death calls upon them.

As the youngest of three sisters, Jenny Fine’s art theme spoke to me in a direct way. Because her subjects were faceless, they could have even been my sisters. My interpretation of her work may not be what she had in mind when she took those pictures. As I develop a greater appreciation of art as a communication tool, I realize that the artist’s message will be interpreted in the eyes of the viewer. I highly recommend that others view this exhibit. Art speaks to people in different ways. Perhaps, Ms. Fine was strongly emphasizing this point in her exhibit. She intentionally left her photographs incomplete to allow the viewer’s mind to wonder and wander.

Art With a Futuristic Theme

The drawing of Muhammad Ali is very similar to an image of one of the most famous boxing matches of all time, Ali vs. Sonny Liston. Ali stands tall, towering over and looking down at his opponent after delivering a punishing knockout punch. The main difference in this drawing is that instead of Muhammad Ali fighting Sonny Liston, he is fighting a gorilla, a robot gorilla. This robot gorilla symbolizes two things that the artist is trying to communicate. One the gorilla is an obvious racial slur; racism is everywhere in the time period of this fight. It took place in 1965, during the Civil Rights Movement, when more and more people began to listen and follow the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., and the ones that didn’t grew more and more loathsome towards the black race. The image depicts the gorilla literally with its head knocked off. This suggests that Ali has beaten racism, or more killed racism, the goal of the Civil Rights Movement. The image is also a black and white for obvious reason: to enhance the idea of the black and white feud. Two the gorilla is not an ordinary gorilla, it is a robot. Robots are a generic symbol of the future. Now that the robot, or future, is destroyed, what or who can be called the future? This suggests that Muhammad Ali is the future of boxing (which can be backed up by his record at the time) and that he is the greatest but at the same time viewed as the worst.

The ray gun is innovative and futuristic, yet at the same time old fashioned and cumbersome. It is crafted of hand forged metal, brass, and glass, giving a crude appearance. It is similar in size to that of a rifle, suggesting that they will someday be used in wars. Although a ray gun doesn’t actually exist, who’s to say that won’t in the near future? It is similar to a musket in that it is the first design for such a weapon. Once invented the musket paved the way for the fire arms we have today. The artist is trying to communicate that the world is at the beginning of a new day and age. We are so close to technological advancement but are still far behind. When we do catch up though, it will pave the way for newer things that are now unimaginable.
These two works of art communicate similar ideas and also different ideas; they both share a central futuristic theme. Although the drawing of Muhammad Ali is based on the fight that took place in the sixties, the robot that he is fighting ties in the central theme. The robot simply stands for the advancements in culture such as defeating “racism” and becoming the most “now” in the boxing world. The ray gun is more literal in its futuristic theme because, well, it’s a ray gun. Ray guns are associated with aliens and Star Wars, therefore being an epitome of futuristic symbols. It also stands for advancements in culture but in a technological way. The artists of these two works obviously share similar ideas in that their works both compare past to present by showing something new.

The drawing of Muhammad Ali and the ray gun both demonstrate the futuristic theme but in different ways, and they also have other themes attached to them. For instance the drawing of Ali presents a future that is now the past for you and me. It is also different because of the actual story behind the Ali vs. Liston fight. Ali knocked out Liston with a powerful combination in the first round, and stood above his opponent, looking down and yelling “Get up! Get up!” This image presents a theme of pride and victory, nothing to do with a ray gun whatsoever. The ray gun on the other hand symbolizes a future that is still yet to come. Just by looking at the ray gun one can tell that it obviously doesn’t work, but that is not the point to this work of art. It suggests that society is rapidly making technological advancements and that we could be well on our way to inventing such a ray gun or even something more advanced. Think back to the first car; it was crude and cumbersome but it was still the first car. It just takes time to develop technology.

Having never been to an art exhibit, overall I think it was a good experience in that instead of reading books or essays, I could analyze art and learn about the ideas that the artists are trying to communicate. The two works of art that I chose to analyze definitely provoked my thoughts and made me think deeply about their meanings. The Muhammad Ali photo has always been one of my favorite sports photos because it makes me feel proud, victorious, and fulfilled, and is a reminder to never give up. When I first saw the ray gun I had no idea what to think, but as I walked slowly around the exhibit its meaning began to form in my mind. It made me think about what will happen in the next fifty years. It also made me feel as if I and the rest of my generation are to bring new things to the world. For the rest of the works of art at the exhibit, not all of their meanings jumped out instantly and were somewhat vague, but others were clearly presented. I’m not a huge fan of going out to art exhibits and examining works, but it is something different and it’s a great way to communicate ideas.

Passion

Night Terrors by Kevin Wilson and Untitled by Daisy Winfrey convey both fear and confusion in their works while also displaying a side of amusement and curiosity in their each respective piece. Night Terrors is a dark and frightening, yet very intriguing piece. Bats with scared but hungry eyes circle around a bed occupied by a startled girl restless and not sleeping. The room is bare, only filled by the girl in bed, bats flying around the room, and a lone window with a terrified boy peering inside. The orientation and tilt to this piece adds intrigue because of the downward slope that the girl and her bed are on. This work of art drew me in at first sight due to the slant of the bed and floor while everything else in the piece seems to be aligned straight. The way that Wilson chose to align this work of art as well as the actual images in the piece suggests unrest with him and the way that he conducts himself. The bats to me illustrate the constant surveillance that you are under as a person to be the best that you can be. Untitled is an energetic piece full of mystery and abstract art. The many different body styles, antlers on the heads of some, some bodies crossed out, what looks like blood gushing from others, suggests a discomfort with the person that the artist is depicting. This piece shows dark images, dark clouds and bodies with TV's as heads, as well as humorous images, bodies with antlers on their heads and bodies missing limbs. Untitled speaks to me with the same basic idea as Night Terrors, I feel that this piece shows unrest with the person the artist is referring to as a person mainly because of the differing body styles displayed across the work of art. These two pieces are full of both color and imagery and both do good to convey their respective messages through the art that they include in the piece.
While both of these pieces are mesmerizing at first sight, they share common goals and themes, but also differ in many ways. Both pieces speak of hardships that everyone faces but the messages in these two works speak mainly to people of younger age. Night Terrors speaks of the idea of being trapped inside a world that you may never escape from. The bats that are flying in a circle around the bed with the girl in it suggest a prison that this girl is in that she cannot get out of. The ruffled sheets on the bed suggest this girl has had a restless night and cannot reach a place of peace within her to continue through the night. Untitled suggests some of the same ideas in that the bodies that are strewn across the canvas show the want that the artist either has or has had to be that person. While there are no bats flying around keeping him locked in this world of unrest, this man in the painting is obviously in a place with himself that he does not feel comfortable. The painting depicts almost a machine that runs from storm clouds, through his brain, and finishes by draining through two wells in his chest. This "machine" in this man suggests his thoughts of all possible options as to who this man can become next. Whether it is a fat man or a bleeding man, the man in this painting refuses to conform to society and become just like every other person. This unrest in this man is similar to the unrest of the little girl in Night Terrors. The message in Night Terrors is not brought forth as effectively as in Untitled mainly due to the array of supportive evidence shown in Winfrey's piece. Wilson and Winfrey speak to differing audiences and well as the same audience in that most people in the world at some time or another feel that they are binded either to the person that they are or to society and the way that society is supposed to be.
Night Terrors and Untitled both intrigued me the first time that I laid my eyes on them. Night Terrors, because of the style that Wilson used, was very entertaining and made me want to examine the piece to find the true meaning of it. The slanted room was one of the main reasons for my overall content with the piece and this style he chose to put the room in made me want to find the true reason for the slant. Untitled absolutely amazed me because of the intricate artwork covering the canvas. This piece was by far the most impressive piece and most enjoyable. Because I myself have a passion for art and artwork, I truly could stare into Untitled for hours on end. The endless designs and images strewn across the canvas truly captivated my imagination. Because of my interest and love for art I would recommend anyone with an open mind to view this exhibit. I believe that if you look at art with an open mind and express your opinion, you like me can stare at these true works of art for hours.

Family and Meatballs

My mother and I just left the grocery store, both of us laden down with heavy bags bulging with food. It’s Sunday after church, the day of cooking, not of rest in my family. As my mother and I walk through the parking lot, she is chattering about this week’s menu, latest recipes she saw in magazines, and wondering how we are going to get everything cooked before dinner. My mom comes from a huge Italian family, Sicilian if one wants to get technical. The one thing Sicilian’s are serious about is their seafood and pasta. Tonight, we are making pasta. The sauce has been simmering in a crock-pot since five this morning. My mother’s pasta production is a day- long event always. The smell of sage and oregano hits me as I enter the house from the front door. I pull out the periwinkle blue mixing bowl from our white washed cupboards, while mom has already begun to mix the base for the actual pasta. I have a different job however. Since I was about six I have always been the one in my family to mix the meatballs. My Grams taught me the art of meatballs one fall in Bristol, Pennsylvania. That day was a long day of museums and shopping. My family came home and we made clam linguini and manicotti with spicy sausage and meatballs. My Granma Jenco and I went to the corner butcher store to buy the meat and freshly made sausage. In the South, we southerners have Winn Dixie. In the North people shop at corner stores. At corners stores, the sausages are made fresh every morning, one knows the butchers name, and he knows your families order according to the day of the week it is. Our butcher, at Mike’s Corner-store, is named Anthony. Anthony wrapped up our meat and we walked home and made our food. After that visit I convinced my mom, or Maj is what I call her, to let me make meatballs. Following Grams recipe, I put the ground beef into the bowl. I crack to eggs in bowl and with a flare add breadcrumbs. I begin to hurriedly mush the eggs and crumbs into the frigid meat. At this point I stick my hands into hot water because they are numb and on the verge of frostbite. After the stinging pain calmed by the warm water, I add the spices. I tear up bay leaves. Grams said to never chop because it bruises the flavor. From the cupboard I pull down oregano, sage, and rosemary. I add those as well. Mom has begun to roll out the dough already on table. Pretty soon Maj will begin to cut an pinch the pasta together, and boil them with a big gush of steam as they hit the boiling water. I begin to brown a little onions and garlic in some olive oil. The when everything is nice and brow I throw those into and mix everything up again, my hands freezing in the process.Once everything is mixed it is time to roll that perfectly seasoned meat up. These meatballs are no cafeteria ones either, these bad boys are the real deal, huge, balls of meat. I can’t cook them all the way through in a pan either, because I will burn the outside and the inside will still be bleeding. So what do I do? I brown them bad boys up and throw them in the crock pot I have going. Then, we wait. Wait. Wait. Wait while playing some good old-fashioned rummy at the kitchen table. My family, I am convinced, are descended from elite- super rummy players. Rummy is a serious game, not to be taking lightly in my family. We will play and joke around, but when it comes down to two cards in your hand, WATCH OUT!! We are brutal. I’m the sneakiest of course, I learned how to be from Gramps before I knew how to play war or go fish. Gramps taught me how to cheat and peak, and of course he is the only person I have never beat him. One day I will though. My most memorable game was when my family and I were at Myrtle Beach. Then sun was setting, we had been crabbing all day, I was very sick of seafood and luckily we all decided on Chinese that night. I do not remember this night particularly because of the game but most because of the events that took place during this game. My Grams, Gramps, two uncles, four cousins, my Maj, and I are sitting around playing and eating Mongolian beef. Grams starts coughing, cards fly everywhere and her face turns red! She had swallowed a red pepper and choked on it. Best rummy memory ever. Not because my Grams almost died, but watching my family react to what was going on. My cousin Renee’ went to go it water, she was shouting all kinds of obscenities. My granddad just stood back because he didn’t know what to do. My uncles fought over who would relieve her with the Heimlich maneuver. My Grams amidst the choking was laughing and I was right there with her. Of course Maj did not think it was funny. It almost gave my mother a heart-attack. Nothing is ever funny to Maj though. Food and cards sums up most of what my family does twenty three hours out of the day when we are all together. We eat when we are happy or sad or even when writing English papers. Pasta is a pastime that my whole family shares. And who knows, maybe one day I will be the one teaching my granddaughter the right and only way to make meatballs.