I have loved the paintings of Georgia O’Keeffe for a long time. While we lived in Chicago I was a member of the Art Institute and I dropped in several times a week to sit in front of my favorite, The Black Place.

Another one of her paintings exhibited at the Art Institute was more of a puzzle to me. Truth be told, I never liked any of the paintings in her ‘Sky Above Clouds’ series. Until I happened to look out my window while flying from Newark to Geneva a few weeks ago. I was looking straight into an amazing mass of whipped marshmallow cream topped with clear, intensely blue vastness. The parallel was undeniable and it made me smile.

Since a number of my loved ones are going to fly great distances soon, I want to wish them safe travels and exciting experiences in all those new places they are going to visit.

My son Ethan and daughter Lei-Lei are going to fly to Taiwan to visit with her family there while my friend Mary is set to explore further west into Europe than I ever have. To all of you God speed! With my love I’m sending you a ‘geht mit Gott’, as my grandmother used to say.