May 24th, 2025 - Kimbell
Arno and I went to the Kimbell to check out the exhibition on German Art between 1910 and 1945, which was obviously a period of wares and upheaval in Europe. The show is well curated and several artists that my Mom had known personally such as Emile Node and Georg Muche were represented. In fact Muche, who taught at the Bauhaus for several years, was one of her most influential teachers at the School for Textile Engineering in the early 1950s.
May 20th, 2025 - Vacation
Arno and Margo are home from college and enjoying the free time after a really successful first year for both of them. Now there is a bit of time to relax, Margo will head to London for a poetry workshop soon while Arno is chasing jobs around the neighborhood. They still have almost two months of toil and fun before the second year starts.
April 26th, 2025 - Fredericksburg
We had our annual Johanniter Convocation in Fredericksburg, TX this weekend. The town is a tourist destination because of the many wineries around and there are lots of great food options. It is always amazing how many interesting and genuinely nice people I meet at these events.
April 12th, 2025 - An Art Fair and a Gun Range
The weekend was excitingly busy. I started with a visit to the Dallas Art Fair, although there wasn't much to report on. Later, we went for BBQ, downtown and the gun range. It was great fun and we had a couple of great shooters in the mix.
April 5th, 2025 - Visiting Dallas
You never really experience the place where you live until you have to show it to someone else. Henk and Susanne are in town for two weeks and we're making the rounds through the usual spots. It's a lot of fun to see them here and we've gotten quite drunk on Saturday albeit without photos.
March 6th, 2025 - In the City
Today I am meeting John and Nancy for lunch at the Oyster Bar in Grand Central. It's always an opportunity to walks the streets for a few hours.
March 5th, 2025 - Brooklyn
I spent a few days with John and Nancy to pick up the astonishing photographs of Alfred Schwartz, who was Nancy's Dad. We shipping everything to Texas and I will post scans of the 1950s though 90s imgaes here over time. Stay tuned. First, a couple of shots on the street.
If the images of Alfred have taught me one thing already, it is to be far more selective in what I post here. Up to now, my images are often documents of something we have done or seen. However, now that the kids are out of the house, I can be a lot more selective. Hopefully the quality of images goes up by quite a bit.
If the images of Alfred have taught me one thing already, it is to be far more selective in what I post here. Up to now, my images are often documents of something we have done or seen. However, now that the kids are out of the house, I can be a lot more selective. Hopefully the quality of images goes up by quite a bit.
February 15th, 2025 - Austin's Christmas
We didn't have an opportunity to celebrate Christas together this year given that we were out of the country for six weeks. Today was the first opportunity to get together and exchange belated gifts with Austin.
February 1st, 2025 - Downtown
Margo gave me a lunch and nice afternoon for Christmas and we finally got an opportunity to go out. The weather was a balmy 22C and ot seemed like everyone else had the same idea. It took a whuile to even find parking, but once we had that covered it was absolutely brilliant.
January 9th, 2025 - Closing the Shop
We're spending our last night in the house and it's unlikely that we will ever set foot in it again. Given that it's been my homebase for close to 50 years, it all feels a bit surreal. A stark reminder that we don't actually own the things we have. We're just looking after them for a while. These last few days have also given us more opportunities to roam and explore.
January 3rd, 2025 - The Move
We're goping to fill an entire 40ft container although close to half of it will be taken up by the old BMW. The movers were incredibly fast and efficient. Now it's just a few weeks before all of this has to find a place in our house.
Timeless - A Few Quotes
Arno on aging: Chris: "Does it feel any different to be twelve?" Arno: "Yeah, I felt the twelves creeping up around 9:30 this morning." (2020)
Arno on his identity: "Mommy, don't judge my gender. I'm identifying as an attack helicopter!" (2020)
Arno Knows the Answer: Chris: "How do you prepare for a drug test?" Arno: "You take as many drugs as you can?" Chris: "Yup, right."(2018)
Arno and Margo on Home Cooking: "It's not that your food is bad, we just don't trust you with ice cream or milk shakes, Daddy." (2018)
Margo's Professional Aspirations: "I'm going to be a smack-talking attorney when I grow up, just like Mommy." (2018)
Arno on Margo's new braces: "If boys are interested in you now, they just need to hold up a magnet to get really close to you." (2018)
Arno & Margo on Leadership: "You're not going to decide that, Daddy! Mommy is the dictator in our family. We voted on it." (2018)
Question on Royalty: Arno: "Why aren't we kings?" Chris: "Because our ancestors weren't murderous enough." (2018)
Arno on Greek Gods: "There were three! I know one of them is called Hepatitis" (2017)
Arno on bending the rules in his favor: "Daddy, no! You can't kick me when I am kicking you!" (2017)
Arno on mortality: I showed Arno a golden pocket watch that belonged to my father. His first reaction? "I can't wait to inherit all of this." (2017)
Arno on (my) retirement: Chris: "You'll be rich. I'm going to come live with you when I'm 72" Arno: "Daddy, I don't know you THAT well." (2017)
Margo on mistakes: Chris: "You and I have the exact same genes." Margo: "So, do I have to make as many mistakes in my life as you have?" (2017)
Arno on getting ideas after I put an ice cream in his soft drink: "Daddy! That is totally gross. I wish I had come up with that idea!" (2017)
Arno at the bookstore after picking up a backgammon set: Chris "I thought you urgently needed more books?" Arno: "Let's not dwell on that." (2017)
Arno on activity: "I'm really hyper, Dad! Let's go to the park so that I can run it off. Then we go to Burger House so that I get it back!" (2017)
Arno on violence: Chris: "I'm gonna hit you on the head!" (holding up a fist) and Arno: "That is a lot of child-abusing, Daddy!" (2016)
Arno on being photographed a lot: "You are like a personal paparazzi for me!" (2016)
Arno on inheritance: Chris: "You are very creative!" Arno: "Yeah, you got that from Oma and I got it when you KISSED Mommy!" (2016)
Meredith on foul manners: "Who's the burp-meister here?" Arno: "Daddy, but you burp a lot more than him!" (2016)
Margo on Neurological Issues: "When your brain breaks all of your memories fall out. Then you have to make them all over again!" (2016)
Arno on Spelling: "Daddy, are you going to use the W-word on me now? Chris: "Which one is that?" Arno: "Wrrr-esponsibility!" (2015)
Arno on Dairy Farming: "Margo, you don't have to kill the cow to get the milk out! You just have to squeeze his butt!" (2015)
Update on superpowers: Arno: "I can see the future backwards!", Chris: "So, you can actually see the past?", Arno: "Yup, I can!" (2015)
Arno's Freudian: "Will I get a dinner, if I eat all of my candy?" (2015)
Arno on the future: "Daddy, what are you going to be when you grow up? Chris: "I have absolutely no idea, son!" (2015)
Arno on experience: "Where does sin come from? Chris: "Interesting! You tell me." Arno: "Daddy, you should know this BY NOW!" (2015)
Arno has mastered the art of omission: "[silence, followed by] ... on the positive side, your hair looks beautiful Mommy!"(2015)
Arno on justice: "Daddy, it's UNLEGAL to steal Christmas."(2014)
Arno on gender: "I want a dog. It has to be a female boy." (2014)
Arno on birth: "When Margo was 1 years old, God was still making me." (2014)
Margo on deserts: "Mommy, can I please have a cake with Chocolate MOUSE?" (2014)
Arno on sharing responsibilities while driving to Düsseldorf with me: "Daddy, my job is to watch for cops and your job is to speed!" (2013)
Arno being philosophical: "Daddy, how old was I before I was born?" (2013)
Margo on Superpowers: "Mommy's superpower is "Super-Saving" and Daddy's is "Super-Love" (2013)
Arno on hierarchy: Chris: "Your cupcake is the filet mignon of cupcakes." and Arno: "So, he's the boss of the other cupcakes?" (2013)
Arno spelled his name on my computer and asked towards the end: "Daddy, do you have any "Os" on here?" (2013)
Margo explains why there is always room for deserts: "I can't eat any more noodles, but the ice cream part of my stomach is still empty." (2013)
Margo on getting water in her nose while jumping in the pool: "Daddy, that was not the BESTEST moment in my life!" (2013)
Margo on husbands: "Arno and I are married!" Chris: "Really?" Margo:" Daddy! Not really! We're TWINS, we're not allowed to!" (2013)
Arno prepared me for the harsh realities of Easter: "Daddy, we're gonna have to make a few eggs dead!" (2013)
Margo on repercussions, after being told that she will not get more new books while we're in the store: "You're fired, both of you!" (2013)
On slight misunderstandings: Arno told us today that he can only eat chocolate from here on out because he is highly allergic to chocolate! (2013)
You realize that you have utterly failed as a parent when your four-year-old tells you that he "likes the French Onion Soup in Oldenburg." (2012)
Margo on manipulation: Arno: "Where did you get the chocolate?" Margo: "Talk to Mommy, but don't forget the magic words: I love you!" (2012)
Question in the car: "Who is the biggest boss in the world?" Margo: "Jesus is everyone's boss." ... Arno: "No, Mommy is ...!" (2012)
Margo on my occupation: "Daddy travels too much. He needs a different job. I want him to WORK!" (2012)
Margo explains nail polish: "It's lipstick for your feet" (2012)
Margo will definitely be the intellectual in our family. Why? She's already begun to sprinkle her conversation with quotes from Big Bird ... (2012)
Margo in front of the sushi counter: Margo: "I want one with rice!" ... Chris: : "Can you more specific?" ... Margo: "With FISH, Daddy!!!" (2012)
Margo on vital skills: "Daddy, can you write curse?" Chris: "Yes I can, ... and even in cursive." (2012)
Margo being direct: Chris: "I spy, with my little eye, something that is yellow." (a small table, in fact) ... Margo: "Your teeth?" (2012)
Arno surprised us with an extremely short story: "Once upon a time, there was a Spiderman. And then he passed away." (2012)
Margo upon being reprimanded for cursing: "I can say whatever I want, I'm an artist!" (2011)
Arno on another professional aspiration: "I want to become an airplane driver!" (2011)
Arno on revenge: "When I grow up, I'll become a doctor and then I give Margo a LOT of shots." (2011)
Margo on finer culinary points: "Daddy! This is not milk, it is cheese water!" (2011)
Margo on professional aspirations: "I want to be a doctor, singer, flower, dentist and princess when I grow up. I want all five!" (2011)
Chris on table manners: "It has taken us 7 million years to evolve from animals - you make the return trip in less than 20 seconds." (2011)
Arno's logic: Chris: "I'm hungry." ... Margo: "Me, too." ... Arno: "Me, three." (2011)
Arno after playing the air guitar: "Are you Keith Richards?" - "NO! I am a BAD boy!" (2011)
Arno discovers linguistic redundancy: "You are Daddy, Daddy!" (2011)
Margo on lessons learned from Rapunzel: "There won't be any bad guys in MY castle!!!" (2010)
Arno on priorities: "I don't want to pick up Mommy, I want to eat doughnuts." (2010)
Margo on blue blood: "Mommy, why didn't you make me a princess?" (2010)
Margo on driving in thick Dallas traffic: "Go faster Daddy!" ... "FASTER!" ... "WHAT?" ... "Don't say NO to me!!!" (2009)
Margo on her brother: "You're Chris Hanebeck and Mommy is Meredith Ladd and I am Margo Ladd ... and this is Arno Kowalsky" (2009).
Arno on his identity: "Mommy, don't judge my gender. I'm identifying as an attack helicopter!" (2020)
Arno Knows the Answer: Chris: "How do you prepare for a drug test?" Arno: "You take as many drugs as you can?" Chris: "Yup, right."(2018)
Arno and Margo on Home Cooking: "It's not that your food is bad, we just don't trust you with ice cream or milk shakes, Daddy." (2018)
Margo's Professional Aspirations: "I'm going to be a smack-talking attorney when I grow up, just like Mommy." (2018)
Arno on Margo's new braces: "If boys are interested in you now, they just need to hold up a magnet to get really close to you." (2018)
Arno & Margo on Leadership: "You're not going to decide that, Daddy! Mommy is the dictator in our family. We voted on it." (2018)
Question on Royalty: Arno: "Why aren't we kings?" Chris: "Because our ancestors weren't murderous enough." (2018)
Arno on Greek Gods: "There were three! I know one of them is called Hepatitis" (2017)
Arno on bending the rules in his favor: "Daddy, no! You can't kick me when I am kicking you!" (2017)
Arno on mortality: I showed Arno a golden pocket watch that belonged to my father. His first reaction? "I can't wait to inherit all of this." (2017)
Arno on (my) retirement: Chris: "You'll be rich. I'm going to come live with you when I'm 72" Arno: "Daddy, I don't know you THAT well." (2017)
Margo on mistakes: Chris: "You and I have the exact same genes." Margo: "So, do I have to make as many mistakes in my life as you have?" (2017)
Arno on getting ideas after I put an ice cream in his soft drink: "Daddy! That is totally gross. I wish I had come up with that idea!" (2017)
Arno at the bookstore after picking up a backgammon set: Chris "I thought you urgently needed more books?" Arno: "Let's not dwell on that." (2017)
Arno on activity: "I'm really hyper, Dad! Let's go to the park so that I can run it off. Then we go to Burger House so that I get it back!" (2017)
Arno on violence: Chris: "I'm gonna hit you on the head!" (holding up a fist) and Arno: "That is a lot of child-abusing, Daddy!" (2016)
Arno on being photographed a lot: "You are like a personal paparazzi for me!" (2016)
Arno on inheritance: Chris: "You are very creative!" Arno: "Yeah, you got that from Oma and I got it when you KISSED Mommy!" (2016)
Meredith on foul manners: "Who's the burp-meister here?" Arno: "Daddy, but you burp a lot more than him!" (2016)
Margo on Neurological Issues: "When your brain breaks all of your memories fall out. Then you have to make them all over again!" (2016)
Arno on Spelling: "Daddy, are you going to use the W-word on me now? Chris: "Which one is that?" Arno: "Wrrr-esponsibility!" (2015)
Arno on Dairy Farming: "Margo, you don't have to kill the cow to get the milk out! You just have to squeeze his butt!" (2015)
Update on superpowers: Arno: "I can see the future backwards!", Chris: "So, you can actually see the past?", Arno: "Yup, I can!" (2015)
Arno's Freudian: "Will I get a dinner, if I eat all of my candy?" (2015)
Arno on the future: "Daddy, what are you going to be when you grow up? Chris: "I have absolutely no idea, son!" (2015)
Arno on experience: "Where does sin come from? Chris: "Interesting! You tell me." Arno: "Daddy, you should know this BY NOW!" (2015)
Arno has mastered the art of omission: "[silence, followed by] ... on the positive side, your hair looks beautiful Mommy!"(2015)
Arno on justice: "Daddy, it's UNLEGAL to steal Christmas."(2014)
Arno on gender: "I want a dog. It has to be a female boy." (2014)
Arno on birth: "When Margo was 1 years old, God was still making me." (2014)
Margo on deserts: "Mommy, can I please have a cake with Chocolate MOUSE?" (2014)
Arno on sharing responsibilities while driving to Düsseldorf with me: "Daddy, my job is to watch for cops and your job is to speed!" (2013)
Arno being philosophical: "Daddy, how old was I before I was born?" (2013)
Margo on Superpowers: "Mommy's superpower is "Super-Saving" and Daddy's is "Super-Love" (2013)
Arno on hierarchy: Chris: "Your cupcake is the filet mignon of cupcakes." and Arno: "So, he's the boss of the other cupcakes?" (2013)
Arno spelled his name on my computer and asked towards the end: "Daddy, do you have any "Os" on here?" (2013)
Margo explains why there is always room for deserts: "I can't eat any more noodles, but the ice cream part of my stomach is still empty." (2013)
Margo on getting water in her nose while jumping in the pool: "Daddy, that was not the BESTEST moment in my life!" (2013)
Margo on husbands: "Arno and I are married!" Chris: "Really?" Margo:" Daddy! Not really! We're TWINS, we're not allowed to!" (2013)
Arno prepared me for the harsh realities of Easter: "Daddy, we're gonna have to make a few eggs dead!" (2013)
Margo on repercussions, after being told that she will not get more new books while we're in the store: "You're fired, both of you!" (2013)
On slight misunderstandings: Arno told us today that he can only eat chocolate from here on out because he is highly allergic to chocolate! (2013)
You realize that you have utterly failed as a parent when your four-year-old tells you that he "likes the French Onion Soup in Oldenburg." (2012)
Margo on manipulation: Arno: "Where did you get the chocolate?" Margo: "Talk to Mommy, but don't forget the magic words: I love you!" (2012)
Question in the car: "Who is the biggest boss in the world?" Margo: "Jesus is everyone's boss." ... Arno: "No, Mommy is ...!" (2012)
Margo on my occupation: "Daddy travels too much. He needs a different job. I want him to WORK!" (2012)
Margo explains nail polish: "It's lipstick for your feet" (2012)
Margo will definitely be the intellectual in our family. Why? She's already begun to sprinkle her conversation with quotes from Big Bird ... (2012)
Margo in front of the sushi counter: Margo: "I want one with rice!" ... Chris: : "Can you more specific?" ... Margo: "With FISH, Daddy!!!" (2012)
Margo on vital skills: "Daddy, can you write curse?" Chris: "Yes I can, ... and even in cursive." (2012)
Margo being direct: Chris: "I spy, with my little eye, something that is yellow." (a small table, in fact) ... Margo: "Your teeth?" (2012)
Arno surprised us with an extremely short story: "Once upon a time, there was a Spiderman. And then he passed away." (2012)
Margo upon being reprimanded for cursing: "I can say whatever I want, I'm an artist!" (2011)
Arno on another professional aspiration: "I want to become an airplane driver!" (2011)
Arno on revenge: "When I grow up, I'll become a doctor and then I give Margo a LOT of shots." (2011)
Margo on finer culinary points: "Daddy! This is not milk, it is cheese water!" (2011)
Margo on professional aspirations: "I want to be a doctor, singer, flower, dentist and princess when I grow up. I want all five!" (2011)
Chris on table manners: "It has taken us 7 million years to evolve from animals - you make the return trip in less than 20 seconds." (2011)
Arno's logic: Chris: "I'm hungry." ... Margo: "Me, too." ... Arno: "Me, three." (2011)
Arno after playing the air guitar: "Are you Keith Richards?" - "NO! I am a BAD boy!" (2011)
Arno discovers linguistic redundancy: "You are Daddy, Daddy!" (2011)
Margo on lessons learned from Rapunzel: "There won't be any bad guys in MY castle!!!" (2010)
Arno on priorities: "I don't want to pick up Mommy, I want to eat doughnuts." (2010)
Margo on blue blood: "Mommy, why didn't you make me a princess?" (2010)
Margo on driving in thick Dallas traffic: "Go faster Daddy!" ... "FASTER!" ... "WHAT?" ... "Don't say NO to me!!!" (2009)
Margo on her brother: "You're Chris Hanebeck and Mommy is Meredith Ladd and I am Margo Ladd ... and this is Arno Kowalsky" (2009).