THE LOST MUSEUM OF STOLEN ART

When I was in Athens, a tour guide asked a powerful question: What is the largest illegal business in the world?  Of course, no one knew and the obvious went by the way side.  Art & Antiquities take first place.

There is a museum that art insurance agents, thieves, mobsters, detectives, etc, talk about all the time.  They say that it contains more paintings than the Louvre and is 10 times larger.  They say that the Louvre is a drop in the bucket compared to this place.

Well, the Lost Museum of Stolen Art or The Museum of the Missing just does not exist even though it is referred to frequently by experts. It is the Museum that never was and has better holdings than any art institution.  

The recovery rate of nabbed art is about 15% which, in the art world, is quite high.  It takes diligent detectives and insurance agents to recover any of the pieces. It takes ingenious people to make their way in the underworld of serious criminals who don't think twice about committing murder.

The Art Loss Register based in London has registered over 20,000 pieces in the late 1990's including Van Gogh's, Chinese Ming vases, antiquities, antiques and more.  Today it says that the stolen works are in the two digit billions.  The goal of the Register is to raise awareness of stolen art. 

No one is immune from stealing.  When druggies steal, they fence a piece for whatever they can get like $100, when a priceless piece is worth millions.

An attorney stole a major work and threatened the burglars when he couldn't sell it because it was such a high profile masterpiece. Then there are the inside jobs at museums, students,drunk kids, art dealers, elderly and the list goes on with no boundaries for age, race, creed or gender. People all over the world steal and English is not the common language. Nor is art theft the realm of the Mafia.  It is not an industry for the faint of heart. There is no mercy for those making transactions if they screw up.

We need the art to know who we are, about our civilization, ourselves. A theft affects all of us.  Not all thefts make headlines. I think they should. Looted items that are "lifted" from the public never to be seen again.

What would happen if the Statue of Liberty were suddenly gone? Think about it.

LOOTED MASTERPIECES AS CURRENCY

Did you know that theft of art works from museums, not to mention private collections,  frequently occurs?  Most museums don't normally report the loss for a variety of reasons: 

1. Questions about security will be asked -- How come there was no background check on this or that guard? How old are the cameras? Can they be easily accessed by a thief? 
2. The museum may not be able to attract other high profile exhibits if a theft is reported. 
3. Rumours will fly about the heist being an inside job. 
4. Museum may not be able to get much needed funding.
5. High ranking museum personnel's job may be on the line
... and the list goes on.

Most thieves steal for the money.  After all, isn't that what makes the world go 'round?  According to my sources, yes, my very special and very private sources, tell me that many art thieves are just plain inexperienced rogues.  Or they are ex-cons looking for ways to pay for cars and houses, drug dealers, pick pockets.  They typically don't know or care about art.  They wouldn't know where to really fence the stuff anyway unless they were schooled properly.  Takes more than watching the Antiques Road Show to do so.  

Art thieving has been around since before the Egyptians peaked. The art boom though really took off in the 1960s skyrocketing prices by over 1,000%. 

People buy art as an investment and very savvy buyers and dealers can make lots more dough from art than a financial investment on the stock market.

I have two tours that I am working on -- "I've Been Framed"1/18 and "Gold, Diamonds and Pawn Shops" 3/21 that address art snatching as well as other art tours where thieving is mentioned.  Researching for the tours has been an eye opening experience.  You know, I hate to run a tour unless I can speak about the subject confidentially.  My goal is to educate in an entertaining manner.

So was I ever surprised when I learned that Investment Banks are in the art biz. The London Fine Art Fund shows an average of 47% on sales back in 2008 and it has escalated even more.  Here's what's important, the Bank has to sit on the art for about 10 years or longer, have a lot of cash and experts to boot. Yet, the profit can be enormous. 

Keep your day job though.

FAKES, FORGERIES AND BEING FRAMED

Art is everywhere.

"I've Been Framed," is a tour based on a book called The Lost Painting: The Quest for a Caravaggio, a riveting tale about the painting: The Taking of Christ. 

And then there's us. A group of interested and curiosity seekers who are all fired up about seeking the little known facts about being framed.  So we're going to hear about frauds and fakes that museums purchase. That is a story unto itself.

In fact, the Toledo Museum of Art in Ohio, had a marvelous show about the fakes and forgeries that they had purchased. It's not that they are the only museum that has done so, but they used that as a promotional piece to lure people to the place in a cold February when attendance is usually low. Docents took us around and explained the tomfoolery.  Some excellent con men swindled museums about of hundreds of thousands of dollars.  We then get to hear about the deception and how the thief was apprehended. 

Actually anyone involved in painting is faced with authenticity as paintings have risen to dizzying heights.

One of the major problems we face is art on the black market.  Please be aware that aspect of my tours blend together. I say this not to sell continual tours, but the Pawnbroker tour combines certain aspects of how thieves work, whether it is stealing jewelry or artworks.  The goal is always the same, MONEY.

It's more and more difficult to pass off fakes and forgeries, but to hear how museums have been duped is truly fascinating.

MARIAN SITES AND SHRINES BRING RELIEF

People in procession on the Feast of the Assumption

Mary, the Mother of Jesus, figures prominently in the Christmas story.  In fact, there are many Marian feast days in December -- Immaculate Conception and Guadalupe not to mention the Orthodox feasts.

I am Catholic and deeply devoted to Mary, Queen of the Universe and also known by many other treasured names.  Visiting Marian sites and shrines is still very important to me.

When I was in Ephesus, Turkey I visited the Mary house, where almost all in attendance were so respectful of the place.  Mainly because of the history, and that this is evidently Mary's final resting spot.  It was also the first Church of Mary.

Many religions treasure Mary. She is regard highly in the Koran and is much loved by the Turkish people. In Buddhism and Hinduism she is perceived as the Mother of Love and Tenderness. By the Jews, she is known as the Daughter of Zion.

Mary has appeared to people in many places, mostly out of the way. For instance, Lourdes was a grazing place for sheep and out of the way.  Juan Diego was blessed by her and conveyed her message to others. Even in America there are Vatican sanctioned places where Mary appeared. 

I went to one. Contrite. Invoking her for assistance in a financial matter. Bursting into tears. Praying for a miracle. A solution to an extreme difficulty.  I feel that Mary listens to her children when hearts are pure and requests are sincere. In my visit, I was so overcome by the divinity of her presence and that she would care enough to watch over us all. 

The trip was so out of the way for me, and so worth it. The prayer so dear.

The miracle and aid was granted to me. Grateful? Yes, of course. There is so much more to this little story of a mighty miracle that positively changed my life.  I am planning a 2 night/3 day trip to this particular site of this Marian apparition which will be on my website in the next few days. 

In the meantime, let's remember to honor our Holy Mother of Jesus during this Christmas season.

A SPECIAL CONTAINER

People of all races and creeds came to America for religious freedom.  And, in our day and age, it is so amazing that so many are so unclear about what we celebrate in December.  There is so much rushing around in stores, on roads and on sidewalks.

What we need to do is to go back in time in our heads and get still like folks did many hundreds of years ago before our cell phone dictated our every move.  When it pings, rings, buzzes or lights up, there is an immdiate knee jerk reaction to immediately look at it and handle the call or message.

Put it down and get centered.  

Folks in Medieval Europe would concentrate on the relics of a Saint by praying. We've come so far but remain so spiritually thirsty.

Fantastic reliquaries were created to house precious and revered objects such as a piece of a holy person's cloth, a particle from the Crown of Thorns, a small fragment of a holy bone.  The purpose was to make the presence of God or the holy person felt.

Reliquaries are not a Catholic "thing", but are also revered by Buddishits, Chinese, African tribes, Japanese and more. These are such special containers that the structure is as important as its contents.

Maybe we should make a special box to house something so important to us, that it causes us to slow down greatly and get centered. Easier said than done, but sometimes we need it in order to concentrate. So the question that we need to ask this week is "How can I bring the Christmas from my soul into the heart of another."

SO IS THIS KIND OF LIGHT USED TODAY?

Amish lighting at night. Time for family conversation.

Yes it is and it is used in the Amish home where we dined.  There were no electric lights anywhere.

So many "English" including myself, complain about high utility bills. The Amish are totally off the grid and I applaud them.

First, I personally believe that we are over-charged for our utilities and that is because we are not allowed to have competition. Do you know how much utility lobbyists get paid? Start with $500,000 and go up. 

Second we need to have a choice of our providers. Currently, we do not have more than two providers who are in league with each other. Do we really need to run our televisions as we watch the umpteenth CSI or NCIS episode?  No.

So what do Amish do at night. Talk to each other. How novel. Read. Relax with their families. They believe that a reliance on electricity will be too tempting and will let evils into the home, television, radios, electronic devices -- things that detract from a God-centered life.  In other words, it would be too worldly.

And what do we do? Social Media. Watch television. Check our phones. Text and ping.  What do you think would happen if we lit our homes with gas/oil/candles.  Maybe we would be bored at first. Maybe we would learn how to do something. Maybe we would talk to each other.

When the power goes out, what do we do? Think about when it will come back on to power our Internet, lights, TV, games, fridge, stove.  We leave a huge carbon footprint.

Just for one day a week, try to not watch TV, the Internet, radio, talk on the phone .... how difficult is it to just BE. For us, impossible.

I'VE BEEN FRAMED IN TOLEDO!

We're currently working on "I've Been Framed" -- January 18, 2013

Two high-spirited, fast-paced tours in one at the famed Toledo Museum of Art. Plus, a bonus visit to the Glass City's Historic Old West End Neighborhood. This will not be your typical drive by!  Expect the unexpected.

Think of it! A tour of "Framed", dozens of historic, bizarre, kooky and rare eyeglass frames, plus "Made in Hollywood," over 90 lush photographs from the glory days of the film capital, from Garbo to Gable to Cary Grant and so many more!

Both are collections of master artists and craftsmen whose work is rarely seen up close, and now led by trained, knowledgeable docents to tell you the stories behind them, and answer all of your questions.

These are rare viewing treats that await you...another exclusive destination. But that's not all. We'll break for lunch at the Spaghetti Warehouse, a Toledo favorite, then move on to visit the Historic Old West End Neighborhood, with its elegant Victorian homes and thriving Antiques Market.

There'll be appetizer stops at the waterfront eating spots on the Toledo Docks, plus impromptu raffles and fun games:

It's all so much to see, so much to enjoy -- and we'll even have time for a quick stop at Toledo's new Hollywood Casino.

PIPING HOT FOOD SERVED AMISH STYLE

Stacked pots and pans turned out deliciously hot food.

How the Amish serve piping hot food is a mystery. It dawned on me that the food I eat is warm but not hot.  Look at the stove and how the pots and pans are stacked. 

Here we "English" have the latest and greatest stoves and ovens that we truly do not use as often as the Plain People.  Yet, our food never comes out as hot and tasty.

Not only is it a creative use of space, but easy to handle.  Not one entree or side dish was burnt or dried out. We all commented on the temperature and none of us believes that we ever had food served to us so hot.  Plus, it was delicious.

And in the style of the Amish meal, it just kept on coming.

The bread was homemade and filled with spices and seeds, just the right amount.

My favorite was the coffee.  Deliciously hot. And, topped with the milk from the cow.

CLOTHING REFLECTS THE COMMON GOOD

Amish clothing is meant to keep one's mind on God daily.

Can one be Amish and dress in the 2012 fashion -- mini skirts and tights? Levis? Ball caps?

Probably not. The Amish believe that their clothing must reflect their lifestyle of non-conformity, simplicity and be designed for utilitarian purposes and not to be attract attention to the body.  Thus the purpose of simple clothing.

Amish were the Anabaptists back in the 1500's and most were considered peasants, which today would mean a lower class on the rung of social status.  The goal is to blend and become the community for the good of all, for the purity of all and humility of spirit.

Catholic Sisters used to dress in habits for the very same reason. Orthodox Jewish people have a similar thought process and follow rules of dress. Muslim women cover their head.

The bottom line is to praise God at all times and not to deviate with their clothing. 

Our bottom line is much different. To be stylish. To be attractive to others.  Does our clothing reflect our love of God?

BEESWAX CANDLES: PURE & SIMPLE

Beeswax candles are the purest of them all.

Beeswax candles date back from before 3,000 BC and were used for all lighting needs. 

Because they are so pure, there was a distinct degree by the Catholic Church in the sixth century about who could buy and produce candles (which is somewhat similar to the utility companies today). Unless a company was a bona fide producer, one faced imprisonment. People did do everything to make candles to light their homes. They used vegetables, animal fat and any other substance that would burn. And, the rest is history.


Candles never really left the scene and have a much different meaning.   
Today, there are so many kinds of candles made with a multitude of substances -- including toxins.  There are candles for romance, mosquitoes, prayers, rituals, etc.

Pure candles are made with 100% beeswax, from real bees and have a slightly sweet odor. These candles burn slower, about 10 hours for one inch.

Today, it's much different for candle makers, known as chandlers. 

Take Perry, an Amish beeswax candle maker, who produces the finest and purest candles, which are not made in mass quantities nor sold in stores. Can you imagine what kind of living he makes? I can't. I didn't know, until I brought a couple of tour buses to his home-based business. 

And then I learned about Perry and his wife who have a small retail store in a non-descript alum-sided building in Middlebury, IN.  He looked me directly in the eye and explained that he had major purchases and had no clue how they were going to be paid -- until my bus rolled into his driveway and folks realized the specialness of his candles -- all reasonably priced.  He thanked me profusely.  When I selected his business as a place to visit, I didn't know his predicament. All I knew was that his candles were the best.

He showed us how they are made from his hives. How bees pollinate. Then he showed us how he made a mold and slowly poured the wax. 

These are the purest. They do not sputter, smoke or drip.

I give these candles as gifts so loved ones burn them to get centered or for atmosphere.

I burn the candles to rid the house of pet odors, which really don't bother me. I burn the candles to calm me. I burn the candles to help Perry and his family. To welcome the Christmas season.

 

DON'T CROSS THE GORE LINES

The gore line is the long, unbroken lines:a no drive zone.

Since I am usually driving about 1,000 miles a week, I see things on the thoroughfares that I feel are beneficial in my alerting other drivers and help avoid a costly ticket. 

I was pulled over by a State Trooper about two months ago as I was merging from one expressway onto another who told me that I crossed the gore line. Bewildered I had no clue what he meant and he explained it to me 3 times. It's the long unbroken lines that you see pictured above.

The fee for crossing the line is about $350.  I was given a warning and gratefully thanked God that I avoided this steep fine.

As you are driving, you'll see that gore lines help drivers match speeds when they are entering an expressway.  They also help departing traffic slow done in order to exist.

December is a very busy month for all of us. Though it is easier said than done when you have a lot on your mind, try to remember this suggestion and avoid a ticket.

Cheese being mixed at Guggisberg Cheese Factory.

Cheese of all sorts is my Achilles heel. Strong, flavorful Horseradish cheese is my favorite and I usually have a couple of bricks of it in the freezer.

I usually get it from the Guggisberg Deutsch Kase Haus Cheese Factory in Middlebury, Ind, about a half-an-hour from Michigan's state line. In the mornings you can usually see the cheese being mixed in vats. From there it is mixed with other ingredients -- spices, herbs and so forth. Then, it is cut and wrapped. 

Typically, there are always a multitude of varieties available for tasting.  Again, these are tasting portions only and not meant to be slices. 

The Deutsch Kase Haus -- the German Cheese House -- features award winning Colby Cheese; rich and delicious. 

Other products are also available. My focus is solely on the cheese. As I write this my toast has a thin spread of hummus with a slice of baby Swiss.

The store is located in the heart of Indiana's Amish country, so when you go, be very careful when driving.  You'll see a lot of horse and buggies on the road so remember to share the road politely. 

My personal P.S. I am only a snapshot taker and not a photographer.

THE BISHOP SPOKE

Tis a gift to be simple.

On our tour yesterday, we were privileged to have the Bishop of the Amish community talk to us at our "thresher" lunch.  We did not know he was a bishop until we were leaving -- that is how unassuming these people are to titles and roles.

He dressed like everyone else in the family. Yet, when he spoke it was clear that he was an orator with his moving way of speaking. 

The Bishop talked to us about how we take things for granted until they are gone.  He illustrated his point with a poignant story about how Christianity was eradicated from Soviet Russia in the 1930s as Stalin was taking power. 

As he told it, Christmas was basically outlawed. A teacher, probably Amish, was explaining to his class that their holiday church service may not be held because of the recent takeover of the government. The community got together and Peter, a farmer, held a Christmas service in his barn, was arrested for doing so and disappeared.  The story was so moving. I had the distinct feeling that "Peter" was a relative of the Bishop.

The Bishop was very much saddened by this loss. He said that Peter had to walk in front of the soldiers as he was forced from his home and was never heard from again.  He told it in a Garrison Keeler fashion -- NPR's storyteller.

Let us thank God for all that we have. Let us hold each other dearly in the palms of our hands especially as we celebrate the reason for the season, the birth of Christ.

IF THE SHOE FITS

Farrier removing the old shoe and cleaning the pad of the hoof.

This filly is being shod.  Most Amish families has one or two men who can shoe a horse.  This is a young person's job for the most part as it requires a lot of strength and backbreaking work. 

Buggy horses, or trotters need to be fitted for new shoes just about every month.  The pedicure requires cleaning out the pad, cutting away the nail and filing the hoof.  Dogs usually are around for this job because they enjoy chewing on the hoof  (It's not gross. You can find cow hooves at pet supply stores.)

The nails are driven into the hoof with just a bit of the head exposed for future removal. 

SIMPLE GIFTS SAY IT ALL

Scraps and thought make a great gift.

Though Christmas is celebrated among the Amish, it is not done with a lot of hoopla and spending. It is thought-out and gifts are usually handmade.  Take this wall hanging. What a celebration of festivity for the receiver.

Simple threads, simple fabric and yet what an amazing image. Handmade. Hand cut.

Please do not think for one minute, that the Plain People have oodles of time because they don't. Chores. Family. Obligations.

Taking care of the gardens and animals takes time.  Somehow, there is time for handwork.  Just enough time to show you care.

HORSE APPLES ON THE ROAD

Slow down and stop texting when you see a sign like this.  If you have never been in Amish country, you will see things you have never seen before: women dressed in garments from 150 years ago, men with roundish hats and beards, children driving horse and buggies.

Don't gawk. Don't take front on photos of them. Be respectful.



Stop cell phone use when you see this sign. Drive cautiously



Usually, an accident has to happen before a sign like this is stuck in the road along with many months of applying for authorization from the City Council.  Ease up on the pedal.

Like your family back in the day, Amish came to America because they were tortured for their beliefs. It took courage to stand up to their accusers. It took faith to leave the familiar. It was God who delivered them,according to their teachings, which is the fabric of their lives!

So, the next time you see a sign like this, you may just want to sing softly: "Oh, say can you see...."

AMISH SUNDAY MORNINGS



Horses will be hitched when the family is ready to leave.

 Sunday mornings are usually pretty lazy for most of us. Some of us go to Church, others watch TV and a lot go out to breakfast.

By mid morning, Amish have completed their Sunday chores, which are much lighter than weekday duties. Still, children and animals need to be feed, light housework is attended, and preparation for church is a must. 

Church is a huge event for Amish. It's about 5 hours, sitting on backless benches, families are segregated by age and gender. Every dresses up in their Sunday-go-to-meetin' attire.  Generally you'll see horse-and-buggies galore at an Amish house as they do not have their own churches. 

When our groups go on tours, they are astounded at the well behaved children.  In an Amish community, everyone is well behaved. The sense of responsibility is part of the culture.  While our "English" children are thinking of the latest and greatest electronic gadget, sneakers or clothes, an Amish child is more concerned about their siblings, playing together and helping to serve meals.

The afternoon and evening is spent as a family. That means as a family together. Talking. Reading. Eating.  A smiler life to be sure.