If you would like to see some personal web pages and links, simply click on the bold text that interests you. Active links turn red and underlined. The pages will open in a separate window. When you are finished, simply close the windows, and, if you like, click >>HERE to return to the home page for Wordspecs, the ad agency of Deborah S. Barry.

Alex and Jamie’s Wedding

PLEASE ALLOW YOUR BROWSER TO FINISH LOADING THE UPCOMING PAGES. Click >>HERE FOR FRIDAY at the Governor Hotel. Click >>HERE FOR SATURDAY at Hoyt Arboretum. Sure we have some names wrong and yes, we have some red eye. But what a fabulous weekend! Meanwhile, you'll also want to visit >>Jamie's web site and >>Alex's web site, at each of which you can see more of their professional and personal work.

Al and I in Oregon

After spending our first night with Alex, Jamie, Buster and Red, Al and took off to >>Crater Lake on Tuesday, a "life list" event for Al. The photos do reflect the actual color of that amazing 7,000-year-old lake. Then we started west, finishing our scenic drive between the mountains and the beach to reach Newport in time for Wednesday dinner at Tables of Content at the Sylvia Beach hotel. The sun really does set in the West. I don't think I've ever seen a sunset over the Pacific before. Thursday morning, we stopped at the >>Oregon Coast Aquarium, where the fish are displayed in glass tubes, so that one feels surrounded above and below by ocean creatures. Then we headed up the coast via >>Highway 101. Eventually we turned inland to the >>Willamette Valley and McMinnville--Wine Country. Thursday afternoon, on Jamie's recommendation, we visited Torii Mor winery, which is a beautiful Japanese style home and garden. Mr. Olsen, the owner, could not have been more gracious, and we strolled his gardens while tasting a flight of his wines. He suggested that we make an appointment to see Domaine Serene, which we did in an almost private tour Friday AM. Among the wedding festivities, we found time for a family excursion to the >>Japanese Garden at Hoyt Arboretum and a visit to the >>International Rose Test Gardens for Al and me.

Our trip to the UK

    Al and I had an all too brief but great trip to the UK (or England and Scotland, or Great Britain, or whatever the politically correct terms are). Now, these photos are not obligatory, and feel free to skip any that do not interest you. Also the captions are more for our own mementos than for your information, and there's a lot of detail that we forget! Still, if you are interested, do it by the day, or do it all.

  • Chicago to London, my first day alone in the UK--trying to stay awake, I go to Harrod's, Harvey Nichols, and other places along Cromwell Road. Until I almost passed out at 7 pm, had dinner in the fabulous hotel restaurant, and fell asleep to the noise of traffic on Gloucester Rd.
  • Thursday, I spend the day alone in Kensington Gardens, Notting Hill, and Al and I go to St. James when he arrives that evening, to have dinner at the veddy veddy exclusive Shepherds, where the MPs meet and greet.
  • Friday, we're up and out, dropped by the Globe, the Tate Modern, took a tour of St. Paul's Cathedral with a Blue Badge guide (no inside photos), and walked through the Embankment Park on the way to see Fame at the theatre that night, which we did. Also took a Thames cruise in the rain. Dinner at a lovely Italian place called Orso.
  • Saturday, the plan included Portobello Road for the market, where we bought a bit of sterling, and a stop at Kensington Palace to see the Queen's hats (got a brochure for all the girls, I hope!), and the play "The Mousetrap," in it's 50th year of continuous performances (not the same actors!) Dinner that night at the Slug and Lettuce, a very hip wine bar. Wishing we'd had the strength to
  • Sunday morning we hit Baker Street and then Regent Park, one of our favorite places.
  • Sunday afternoon, a walking tour of Westminster in the afternoon and we found the strength to take the Jack the Ripper tour at night. Then we had a late supper at a fabulous inn, Maggie Jones.
  • Monday morning, drop the bags at Euston station, slip into the British Museum, taxi over to the Design Museum, and get back in time for our train. No pictures from the train, as it was raining, but boy, was it gorgeous!
  • The arrival in Glasgow is truly like coming to another part of the world…you cannot understand one word. But they are lovely people and they love Americans. We took a bus tour of Central Glasgow, even in the rain it is beautiful. Then spent the rest of the day at the House for an Art Lover, (coming soon) built only recently from Charles Rennie Macintosh's design dating to the first decade of the 20th Century. And the walled garden there was fabulous. And so, home!

    THINGS I LEARNED IN THE UK:

    • What's in the Queen's handbag? Spectacles, and a spare pair of clean gloves. That's it!
    • If you need a phone number in the UK, try www.bt.com. If you need to make a phone call in the UK, forget it.
    • No one seems to know why a loo is called a loo. My research project is now seeking grant money.
    • Everyone in the UK hates George Bush even more than they hate Tony Blair, but they still love Americans; the Scots hate the Londoners, and vice versa, but they all love Americans.
    • Even an MP will stop on the street and offer to help you with your map . . .without being asked.
    • No matter what the exchange rate is, once you've done the math, you still don't know. It all looks like funny money, and if their equivalent if $2 is a coin, how inflated is that? Or is that "deflated" ?
    • If you don't eat well in London, you're just not trying.

Click HERE to see Ann Zartler's Garden Tour

Family

    FYI--This listing is in reverse chronological order, that is the newest is first. But we're keeping as much as possible!

    June 13, 2003, we met Sue and Bob Gottlieb for a great day trip to a hosta nursery, lunch, and Starved Rock. You'll love these photos.

    Al and I bought a new home, and will move both our home and both our business at the end of April. Take a look. For garden enthusiasts, click >> THE GARDENS IN JUNE 2003. Pay attention, it's all going to change, and SOON!

    Meanwhile, the family continues to grow. Aurora and Sam have a niece, Adina, shown here with Debbie and Michael and here with her grandpa Rod. And Aurora and Sam adopted a soft-coated Wheaton, named Wrigley. More of her: 1 2 3. Of course, she is the sweetest little princess since, well, Honey! And just because it's been a while, here's Heinzie having breakfast with Al.

    Aurora and Sam had the Jewish New Year celebration at their new home. Bram and Juliet checked out the eating bar, while Sam cooked. The table, as always, looked beautiful.

    See the wedding pages! We are delighted to announce that our son Bram Spector has become engaged to Juliet Negin. The happy couple are going to pick a date and a place, meanwhile Juliet's ring is as straightforward and beautiful as she is.

    ARF as ART! See the new and improved Trusty, "the best dog ever," beloved of the Klaus and all who know him. 1 2 3 4 Here he is as a baby.

    July 5, 2002. Sometimes, a good idea gets better in the doing. How about a wood fire to roast hot dogs and make s'mores? Well, first you have to chop the wood (ask Bram!). You might need help from Al, while Sam builds the fire, shields the fire, and fans the flames. Invite a friend, and relax!

    Midsummer 2002, Amber, Keric, Kaitlin and Caulin came to say good-bye to Cher. Amber does a great job with the kids! Aunt Megan oversaw the kids' nap, with help from Cher. And Uncle Al hung out.

    Same day, Baby Ben met one branch of the Shapiro Clan, including Uncle Dan and Aunt Joy. Janet got a cuddle, too, as did Wendy. Ben loves his special chair, given to Great-Gramma Ethel by Great-Great-Grandfather Jack Shapiro. Since Ann is the first of us to be a grandmother, the chair is at her home!

    Ben got to visit with Gramma and Pop-Pop in Hilton Head! But then he loves family, as in "Unka Jamie."

    My sister Ann met Yo-Yo Ma! And here she is with Chris O'Riley.

    BRAM GRADUATES from Northwestern University, June 2001

    Pictures from the wedding of the millennium
    Aurora Spector and Sam Sweet, November 26, 2000, Illinois

    Photos of friends and family

    Amber and Keric's Wedding Our niece was married at our home--see it all

Gardening

This summer did not quite go as planned in the gardens, with so much time out of town, but the results this fall are still quite lovely. We purchased arches for our North garden at a flea market, and that garden continues to be very lovely and dense. Finally, after its second season, the vine is starting to cover the old shed. And while this picture does not do it justice, when you look at the Roses of Sharon, remember that they began as 1" sticks pulled from Ann's garden. All in all, the backyard is a paradise, even if we do have West Nile mosquitoes.

CLICK HERE TO SEE HOW THINGS LOOKED IN JUNE 2002. June is the beginning of our Daylily Garden--each day brings a different bloom. No, I don't know their names, but here are: 1 2 3 and 4. Before that, who says "April is the cruelest month"? Well, we have gorgeous mini irises, which bloomed in March. In fact, I like it so much, I turned it into a watercolor. And we are pleased to see our "miniature garden," featuring a miniature Juniper, held up very well.

Travel

Weekends

IN MEMORIAM
Ethel F. Shapiro, 1919-2002 • David J. Shapiro, 1916-2002