A Salute to Art and Artists!

Art for Art’s Sake

Who would think of taking the toy poodle, symbol of everything too cute and chi chi and making it an icon for oneself? Three artists, calling themselves General Idea and working as a non-ego driven collective over several decades are the basis of a two floor exhibit at the AGO and their efforts amused and astounded me. And yes, they mocked themselves as poodles. The entire exhibit, from the paint dipped blue poodle ears to the heraldry, is definitely smile inducing, even when coupled with skulls and X’s to invoke the killer potency of AIDS, the scourge that killed two of these genius young men. But as I watched and read about their concepts such as the Miss General Idea Beauty Pageant, unorthodox in the extreme, what struck me about General Idea was the fact that they were able to work together, creating everything from wallpaper to pasta art, and never once take individual credit for a piece or an inspiration. They worked side by side for years and the volume of their output appears prodigious and massive.

As I wandered from display to display, I was knocked out by the courage that they, and all artists, have, putting themselves in the world’s face, not becoming bankers or insurance salesmen/women, but fearlessly taking brush to paper (or spaghetti to canvas) to amuse, annoy, stimulate, instruct and inspire.
The whole AGO and all galleries everywhere are filled with the stunning or even mundane creations of artists who delivered up their souls for the rest of the world. Bravo!

And I want to give a shout out to my fellow blogger Annie English, who is tirelessly exploring TO in her Day in the Life of A Torontonian, http://torontohappenings.blogspot.com/ letting us see inside her head at what she likes, feels, tastes, smells and hears. Hey Annie – tell me more! I will wait to see what you thought of the AGO’s General Idea Exhibit. I don’t know if we agree, but let’s get it out there, as a form of art too!

Perfection!

Fleeting Beauty

My family is gorgeous! Jenn is a luscious redhead with a killer figure and legs to here. Gerry, or Le Marquis de Mason, as we like to call him, has a smile that can light up a room and it’s genuine. Me, I am the quintessential mousy brown haired standard femme, a tad on the dumpy side. In my exercise gear I look like five pounds of sugar in a two pound bag, and I smile a lot too.

This week, however, I’ve been renovated! I have a new front tooth, courtesy of the same dentist who works on tennis player Francesca Schiavone when she’s in town. My hair, of which there is lots, has been highlighted to give it some pow factor and brighten it up. I have applied the latest non-medical skin cream, something that promises to have results, ‘instantly’. There have been two ‘instants’ so I’m glowing confidently like Madonna on a date.

My clothes are pressed, having been carefully selected for the occasion, a family photo shoot, and I am READY. In fact we’re all about as photogenic and truly lovely as we ever get. Jenn and Gerry are immaculate and I am pretty much sparkling too. My biggest fear, as I await my closeup? Please, please, don’t let me peak too soon!

Fanilow Flaxperson

Moonlight, Stage Lights, Anonymity and Bliss

I was hoarse and happy on Saturday morning– I’d sung my heart out, cheered and yelled as I danced, swayed and blissed out at the Barry Manilow concert at the Rexall Centre the night before. Open air stadium concerts are the best! You can let it rip, and no one else can see you, hear you or cares as you immerse yourself into the moment. Stand, sit, lean, move, dance, sit-dance, sing, chant and feel the goose bumps in complete abandon.

I have always been a bit shy to say I like Barry Manilow. But I love him. As the concert started, I wondered if it would be a caricature of his best moments, decades old, as he sprang around the stage blazing at us from the jumbotrons. Maybe I would have been as well off watching a tribute band. But no, it was magic. He talks and all his stories seem genuine and heartfelt and fascinating. When he sang from his new album, 15 Minutes, it was golden too! Of course the highlights were the oldies and those blew me away. Along with thousands of swaying screaming like-minded Fanilows!

Someone told me that I should buy the album and skip the concert. Was that your thought? Why drive to hell and back again to see this live? Because it was LIVE! I am proud that I love music and all types of singing, dancing and celebration. They were piping in Lady Gaga at the start and the fans were loving that too! It was a joyous night and man, or Manilow, I am so glad I was part of it!

Smile and Breathe

A person may have some issues with reason. Dealing with the occasional lapse is easy if you remember one important axiom. Men are always dumb and he has probably done a ton of other dumb stuff over the years. It’s no biggie.

Say for example, he were to dump a bag of garbage on the dining room floor (not what happened but close). Time to explode right? Or even more likely, if this is your significant other, you will sink into despair! Oh woe! Life sucks I can’t cope, ad infinitum, right? Wrong! Wrong wrong wrong and wrong again!

This is probably the same person who attempted to insure his work vehicle by pretending it was your car and using your name? Am I getting warm? Or got so blasted on the day before your wedding he had to be wheeled into the chapel on a gurney. Yes?

So clean up the mess, give him a hug and get on with the day. It might be a woman, so tell her she looks pretty and stop fretting. Smile, breathe and above all stay sane yourself. Happy Friday!

Ahhhhhhhhhh delicious!

Save Save Save Save Your Money

Major revelation in a financial tweet: skipping your morning coffee could save you $750 a year. Why didn’t I think of that? What will I do with my windfall?

These types of scrimpy suggestions always annoy me. I love to go for coffee and I love to treat others too. It’s a major pleasure! You are out, in a buzzing atmosphere enjoying a buzzing caffeine dose, laced with milk, sugar or both. You’re interacting with the world, seeing the sun and the news of the day courtesy daily freebees or regular publications. Moi? I usually buy for my daughter or my husband or one of my buds. Or they might treat me. Money is changing hands, a bunch of people have jobs, and we all smile, A lot! It’s the start of a fresh day, and I have a very welcome treat to enjoy and someone to enjoy it with me.

Or I could stay home and watch those pennies mount up. Maybe I could actually store the funds as pennies and run my fingers through them, daily. With enough savings I could do something truly worthwhile. Or else I could have one massive penny pile for fun in the am.

No! That tweeter is a twit! I am loving my morning coffee and NOT going to stop any time soon! Care to join me?

Keep On Keepin On

Optimism – Gotta Have It!

Optimism is defined as belief that the world is the best of all possible worlds. My own take is that any circumstance is good. Whatever. If we stay optimistic, life can’t crush us, even if we get pushed under the wheels of the bus!

Like a big old condition my soul mate is dealing with. Well, sure, he can’t really keep his mind/memory together totally. But he does know who he loves (me) and a sort of muscle memory means something like having a nice dinner every night is still fun, an occasion, even if stuffed down with fingers. Or going to a concert. He never could sing but now he no longer cares and would happily grab the mic if he could.

Give him a quiz to see how his cognitive powers are doing? He will fire back attcha with some testing for YOU. Can you pass? Not always!

So he’s reading a Tim’s bag, upside down. Well, the tabloids are just as meaningless and they didn’t even come with a bagel inside!

Everyone’s got stuff to deal with. Me, I’ve got dreams and goals and hopes and plans. The whole world told me I would never be a writer. But every day I write somthin, so pluck the world. It’ll all work out!

Ten out of Ten!

Today was amazing! Learned the value of someone with positive energy paying a visit, plus the power of hope. OMG! Can joining the Jehovah’s Witnesses be far away??

First for those I sent to the Fox and Fiddle. Well? Did I TELL you they did all day breakfast EVERY day? No! So eat your chips and zip it.

Meanwhile It’s spring, my baby husband is singing along to cd’s, we had steak and red wine with Greek salad and danced! Ok, I danced and Gerry swayed while holding onto me. Who makes the rules? It was dancing.

Person who came to help Gerry today told us that those who enter our home should bring positive energy and she did!

All in all, I am proud to present the score for today:

April Fool’s Jokes; 4 out of 4!

Enjoying what’s out there – 10!

Misery moments –0.

A great day for the start of a new month!