Searching for Sugar Man

Musician Sixto Rodriguez (click on many of the images in this blog for further links).

Sometimes things just strike me as so important that I am inclined to repeat myself on this blog in an effort to spread the wealth and make sure it isn't missed. This is the case with Searching for Sugar Man--a 2012 documentary (available on youtube and amazon) about a musician named Sixto Rodriguez. I was reminded of it recently and actually sat down to watch it all over again this week. The story is so full of miracles and wonder that I just want you to do the same--watch it from start to finish and laugh and cry and be touched by this unbelievable and true story... And for those who have seen it already like me, you might just want to fill yourself with awe all over again... Here are the two records Rodriguez released during his career: Cold Fact (1970) and Coming From Reality (1971).

Anderson Cooper's New Podcast

A few people have shared Anderson Cooper's new podcast All There Is with me and I just had the chance to listen to the first two episodes last night (as I lay wide awake trying to sleep...). No one likes insomnia but I did like the podcast, which is all about grief.

Anderson Cooper is no stranger to loss: his father died of a heart attack when Anderson was ten, his older brother Carter committed suicide at the age of 23, and his mom, Gloria Vanderbilt, just died in 2019. In Cooper's words, "I was surprised by the lonelinesss I felt afterward and still feel...she was the last person from the little family I grew up in. The last person who knew the same stories as me, had the same memories. Now I am the only one. I feel like a lighthouse keeper on an empty island and i feel like I need to preserve all that happened because if I don't, my mom and my dad and my brother and all those moments and all their friends will just disappear..."

Named after the Peggy Lee song Is That All There Is, the first episode of the podcast takes us back to Anderson Cooper's mom's home in New York City as he attempts to go through and part with much of its contents in anticipation of it's sale. We are right there with him as he holds objects and articles of clothing that have been left behind and that have such sentimental value to him: the pajamas of his dad, hidden notes his mom left him to find after her death, his brother's belt...

The second episode is a follow up to a conversation Anderson had with Stephen Colbert on his show in 2019. Colbert experienced a terrible tragedy at the age of 10, when his father and two siblings died in a plane crash and in my opinion, has a lot of very enlightened thoughts and feelings about grief. From someone who has experienced my share of loss and grief, I found this podcast really to the point and illuminating...Looking forward to future episodes...

Roger Federer's Retirement

Roger Federer retired from tennis this past week after nineteen years on the tennis circuit. His last tournament of his career was played as a doubles match partnered with his friend and tennis rival Rafael Nadal. Some might say these are first world emotional problems but in any case, here is Federer's farewell--and a four minute display of love, friendship and sportsmanship by two of the classiest competitors tennis has ever seen. I couldn't help but be moved...

Paintings of the Week

Charity of the Week:

World Central Kitchen

About The Author

New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow, began writing the creative lifestyle blog “things we love” in an effort to foster a sense of community during times of isolation and reflection. To read more about her and her art, visit her website and check out the essay written by the Hammond Museum's Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.