Art in Anaheim: Sculpture Finally Gets Some Love

A splashy comeback for artist John Edward Svenson's sculpture.

Last summer I wrote about the "Child on a Dolphin" sculpture in front of Anaheim's Chase Bank. Back then, the bronze sculpture, which had originally decorated the bank's fountain since 1970, was sadly in need of some love. Dead plants and litter filled the basin, and generally things weren't looking too great at the corner of Harbor Blvd and Lincoln Ave.

Well, as you can see in the photo above, things have changed. Chase Bank cleaned out the basin, installed a watering system, and planted fresh flowers all around. Not only do the boy and his trio of dolphins look happier, the entire intersection feels classier. I applaud Chase Bank for finally taking pride in their property and the neighborhood, and giving a piece of public art the respect it deserves. Three cheers for Chase!

The sad situation back in August 2011.

Keeping our neighborhoods nice and beautiful begins with all of us. Pick up litter whenever you see it and throw it away. You've got two hands and it only takes a second, so get yourself into the habit. It doesn't matter if you weren't the person who dropped the litter in the first place - be the wonderful person who makes it go away. I'll admit that before I took the photo at the top of this post, I had to pick a Starbucks cup and a Fritos bag out of the flowers. Yes, I grumbled about it for a second, but then the trash was gone and I felt great. Remember, ugliness breeds more ugliness, and by making an effort you can make a big difference in your neighborhood.

Smile A-While To-Day!

I'm the kind of guy who wants to believe that everything in life happens for a reason. To acknowledge that life's little ups and downs are largely beyond our control is a concept that doesn't sit too comfortably with me. Furthermore, when life's "downs" occasionally happen, I think it would be nice if there were always some straightforward lesson to be learned to help us avoid them happening again.

A month ago I had a mishap on my bicycle (my beloved bicycle!) that resulted in ten broken bones and a punctured lung.

My lung is practically healed now, but the bones, including a broken shoulder and collarbone, still have a way to go. Truthfully, it sounds a whole lot worse than it actually is, and I'm relieved that things have been improving so quickly since that first week. And although I haven't really learned anything important from this episode (other than the fact that Hydrocodon will make you insanely thirsty), I've become aware of something that was already present in my life but just needed this opportunity to become more vivid --- and that is the love I feel for my friends, neighbors and family. Thank you for your overwhelming support, happy thoughts, cards, emails, and, for some of you, cooking! I am filled with gratitude, not just for LIFE in general, but for the amazing people around me who make it worth living.

Here's to healing, to time passing, and to you!

Player Piano Sing-A-long!

"Save Your Sorrow For Tomorrow" 1925