Little Bambino in Blue!!

 On March 16 (at about 5:38 am) our very own Deidre (Dee Dee) DeAscanis gave birth to a super cute little boy named G. Cristiano DeAscanis!
Cristiano weighed in at 7lbs, 14oz...

Mother and son are both at home and doing well.. No doubt resting up for all of the wonderful experiences that lie ahead of them in the future...

Dee Dee - Here are a couple of thoughts from your JKRP family -

1. We knew that your inherent organization, punctuality and project managerial skills would not allow your child to be born late.

2. Again - Cristiano is not allowed to learn AutoCAD until he is at least 12. That would be child abuse. (Although AutoCAD may probably be obsolete by then...)

3. We feel as though Isabelle and  Cristiano should not start dating until they are in high school.

We would like to send our Love and Congratulations to Dee Dee and her husband Guido on their wonderful little boy!!

Extra! Extra! Jose is officially an Architect!

After years of being recognized by his peers at the office, Jose has finally been recognized by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards as being a bonafide registered architect! The Hoser, passed his final elusive structures exam and can now claim one of those expensive stamps stating Jose Juan Hernandez, Registered Architect.  Congrats to Hose. I'll buy the first round of drinks. Cheap drinks. I just hope this is a sign of good things to come considering I just took my first test.

Dr. Barnes

I used to go to Main Line estate sales and, after parting with a total of maybe twenty bucks, would return home with treasures like a broken vintage floor lamp, bizarre glass objects, and a first edition copy of The Art of Cezanne by Dr. Albert Barnes & Violette De Mazia (1939).  Just as its previous owner had hardly cracked the book open, either have I since my purchase (for under $2) about thirty years ago.    But it is intriguing to discover what about his artwork enthused Dr. Barnes - realizing that he was, first off, a man of science.   Needless to say, he amassed an incredible artwork collection, and for me the Barnes Foundation has been in the top five favorite places around Philly. I’ve held on to the book in homage to my great fascination.

I’m also fascinated by the efforts of Tod Williams Billie Tsien in creating the new surroundings for Dr. Barnes’ collection.  Having recently heard them talk about their painstaking design process, I was greatly impressed by the level of care and attention given to each aspect of the design, the daylighting for one example.  Letting alone the discussion about taking away a man’s personal belongings, the task of moving such a major art collection, which I’ve read to be valued at $ 6-8 billion, is a big deal.  I look forward to the new gallery’s becoming one of my new Philly favorites.

Glenn W,  Feb. 2012