Saturday, April 14, 2007
Writes & Wrongs: Space Case
Lately I've been noticing a lot of double spaces between sentences. While this may be okay as your preference for personal correspondence (she said with an open mind), it is incorrect for published text. It might be a holdover from the typewriter days, but it's no longer necessary. So, please, make it a single, not a double!
Perl's Paintings at Packer
Last night Carrie and I went to the opening of Karen Perl's latest show at the Aron Packer Gallery. Karen used to live in my building, and I always love to check out her work. Her paintings, whether of Chicago, Michigan, houses, or pets, have an appealing serenity. I also love her color scheme and her viewpoint. I hadn't been to the new Packer Gallery before--it's a nice open space. After checking out the art, Carrie and I headed to The Globe for a couple drinks. (My aunt Candy has noticed a recurring theme here....)As If You Need Another Reason to Go to Milwaukee
If you'll be in Milwaukee in the next few weeks, I'd like to recommend my friend Kurt Harwig's show, "Who I Was Yesterday." I know it'll be very cool.
Here's an excerpt from www.vitalsourcemag.com/index.php/events/:
“Who I Was Yesterday” @ Moct Bar Fri, Apr 20 – Sat, May 12, 2007
Who I Was Yesterday is a modern urban fairytale told through puppetry, artistic collaboration, and site-specific performance. The coming-of-age fable follows Twins who must embark on a journey to escape death at the hands of their own mother, a ferocious, misery-causing creature known as a Manticore—a chimerical beast that is usually mythic but here very real. Characters are performed by puppets created by a team of Milwaukee-area artisan-designers. This visually-arresting and highly theatrical tale will be staged at the Moct (pronounced "most") Bar, a modern lounge in a renovated warehouse in Milwaukee's vibrant Fifth Ward area. Moct Bar's striking, urban/loft atmosphere will complement Kurt Hartwig's vision for this bold and unique performance experience. The designed elements of the production will remain in the Moct Bar during the run of the production as an art installation.
Here's an excerpt from www.vitalsourcemag.com/index.php/events/:
“Who I Was Yesterday” @ Moct Bar Fri, Apr 20 – Sat, May 12, 2007
Who I Was Yesterday is a modern urban fairytale told through puppetry, artistic collaboration, and site-specific performance. The coming-of-age fable follows Twins who must embark on a journey to escape death at the hands of their own mother, a ferocious, misery-causing creature known as a Manticore—a chimerical beast that is usually mythic but here very real. Characters are performed by puppets created by a team of Milwaukee-area artisan-designers. This visually-arresting and highly theatrical tale will be staged at the Moct (pronounced "most") Bar, a modern lounge in a renovated warehouse in Milwaukee's vibrant Fifth Ward area. Moct Bar's striking, urban/loft atmosphere will complement Kurt Hartwig's vision for this bold and unique performance experience. The designed elements of the production will remain in the Moct Bar during the run of the production as an art installation.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
This Blows!
Product of the week to stop buying: Kleenex. According to Greenpeace, manufacturer Kimberly-Clark uses less than 19% recycled pulp in its products; the main material used is virgin tree pulp from forests. A better option? Seventh Generation.
Christ Has Risen, Indeed! Hallelujah!
Easter Sunday services at Holy Covenant were joyful--and packed! Almost 250 people attended to hear Pastor Trey's message of faith and hope, about a place that has to be "believed to be seen." Afterward, we indulged in a fabulous hospitality feast (hooray for the end of Lent! bring on the chocolate!). Then a group of us headed to a nearby pub to continue the celebration.
Ole!
Saturday night, Lisa, Carrie, and I went to Jill's place in the south loop for margaritas, then walked to Zapatistas for some fabulous Mexican food. It was a fun and filling girls' night out!
Downward Dog
On Saturday I took Chloe to a Doggie Yoga class. Poor Scout had to stay home with the cats and focus his energy on a rawhide. Chloe did pretty well with the various strokes and stretches, and she enjoyed socializing with the other yoga dogs. It was a pretty good workout for me, too!
Were You There?
I went to Good Friday services at Holy Covenant, and it was probably the most moving service I've ever been to. People in various stations around the church spoke in character as those who were at the crucifixion (a soldier, a criminal, Mary, etc.). In between stations, the congregation sang verses of "Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?" It was very poignant and relevant, leading us to reflect about how we treat the people around us and how we act toward God.Tuesday, April 10, 2007
A Night at the Opera
Last Thursday, Lesley and I went to "The Return of Ulysses" at the Chicago Opera Theater. I'm sorry the show has closed, or I would recommend it. As always, the COT did an amazing job of modernizing a work and making it fresh without compromising it. No Bravo Club event this time around, but I'm sure we'll do some cool stuff for the shows in May.
Palms and Runes, Tarot and Tea
April 17th is a big day for Michael Penn fans. "Palms and Runes, Tarot and Tea"--a collection of alternate versions of his songs--will be released, and "Mr. Hollywood, Jr., 1947" will be rereleased. AND he's going on tour again! I'll get to see him play live (for the second time) at Schuba's in Chicago on May 9th. Can't wait!
The Day the Crazy Began
On March 31, I got a new cat. (Henry, from the Red Door Shelter.) My friend Jessica says we will look back at that day 20 years from now--when I'm living within a swarming plague of animals, wearing my hair in Willie Nelson-style braids, sporting overalls, and sing-songedly mumbling about the next chore I need to complete--and remember how, at the time, I had still seemed relatively sane. Regardless, I thought Sisu needed a companion, and the dogs just weren't cutting it.
Springtime in Paris
My mom was turning 60 this year and had never been to Paris. Because I am a loving and generous daughter, I volunteered to travel there with her. We spent four amazing, exhausting, rainy, sunny, lovely, chocolate-enhanced days there the end of March.
On Day 1 (Friday) we arrived to cold and rain. After making our way to the Hotel Beaubourg (near the Pompidou), we ate salads and mousse at Au Petit Fer a Cheval. Mom took a nap while I explored the neighborhood, and then we headed to the Louvre. We battled the crowds to see the requisite Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and (really quite stunning) Winged Victory, and I delighted in the neoclassic structure and beauty of the Davids (some of my favorite works) and the elegant mannerist portraits. The big surprise for me was Napoleon's apartments, which I hadn't seen before. All I kept thinking was that the salon would be an amazing place to throw a party! Mom and I were starving and tired, so we opted for pizza at the Louvre food court. Yes, they have a food court. And a mall. And right then I didn't care.
After sleeping for 12 hours, we started Day 2 (Saturday) by taking the Metro to the Arc d'Triomphe. We made our way down the Champs Elysees in the rain, stopping for some pain au chocolat bigger than your head. We passed the Place de la Concorde and went shopping at the fabulous Hediard. (Thanks for the recommendation, Kelly!) As was the case throughout our trip, the French people were friendly and helpful. Mom and I returned the kindness by buying lots of gourmet treats. Next we walked to the Musee d'Orsay. Even if you didn't see any art there, it's worth a trip for the gorgeous building (formerly a train station). But I was excited to see "Olympia" and the other Manets, Degas's dancers (included the one Brenda and I always saw hanging on our ballet teacher's wall), and works by Courbet, Caillebotte, and other Impressionist-era "masters." Mom, whose feet were covered in blisters, made the walk with me to Le Souffle, where we had--can you guess it?--a variety of souffles for dinner. Magnifique! And we took a cab home.
On Day 3 (Sunday), we had a continental breakfast in our hotel, then went to Mass at Notre Dame, which was pretty cool. I kept thinking how strange it would be to have that as your home church. We saw the breathtaking stained-glass windows of Saint Chappelle, then took the Metro back to the Marais neighborhood. We started at the Place de la Bastille, then went to an internet cafe. Then we made our way through the grounds of the Hotel de Sully to the lovely Place des Vosges before stopping for a late lunch. We walked through the Jewish Quarter, shopped for chocolates, then took a break for some decadent chocolate chaud. Mom decided to call it a night and headed back to the hotel. I went to the Pompidou and was unexpectedly impressed. Of course I went straight for the Mondrians and was delighted to see the museum's collection of original De Stijl magazines. Wow! There were other fascinating Modernist paintings, sculptures, and pieces of furniture, too.
Day 4 (Monday) was sunny and relatively warm. We ate crepes for breakfast at an outdoor cafe, then made our way to the Eiffel Tower. We waited in line for an hour and a half, but spent most of it chatting with a lovely Irish couple, so that made the time pass quickly. We went all the way up to the top and took dozens of pictures of the city. It was fun to look out and see Sacre Cour and the Louvre and Notre Dame. We took our time on the various levels of the Tower, then sat beneath it and ate lunch. We walked to the Seine, and I headed to the Pont d'Alma, hoping I could find the spot where Princess Diana died. But I couldn't figure out how to get to the tunnel. Anyway, we hopped on a Batobus and had a leisurely ride down the river. People were strewn on pretty much every surface near the water, obviously as happy to see the sun as we were. We disembarked at the Hotel de Ville stop and walked back to our hotel, stopping along the way to buy jewelry and luggage. For our final dinner in Paris (to celebrate Mom's birthday), we went to Ambassade d'Auvergne, where we dined on sausage, cheesy mashed potatoes, bread and pate, and cake, which the waiters brought out when I told them it was Mom's birthday. One of them also brought her a sock. It had the restaurant's logo on it, and he had written the date, in honor of her birthday. Strange, but sweet. We also had amazing desserts. It was a lovely way to end our trip.
On Day 1 (Friday) we arrived to cold and rain. After making our way to the Hotel Beaubourg (near the Pompidou), we ate salads and mousse at Au Petit Fer a Cheval. Mom took a nap while I explored the neighborhood, and then we headed to the Louvre. We battled the crowds to see the requisite Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and (really quite stunning) Winged Victory, and I delighted in the neoclassic structure and beauty of the Davids (some of my favorite works) and the elegant mannerist portraits. The big surprise for me was Napoleon's apartments, which I hadn't seen before. All I kept thinking was that the salon would be an amazing place to throw a party! Mom and I were starving and tired, so we opted for pizza at the Louvre food court. Yes, they have a food court. And a mall. And right then I didn't care.
After sleeping for 12 hours, we started Day 2 (Saturday) by taking the Metro to the Arc d'Triomphe. We made our way down the Champs Elysees in the rain, stopping for some pain au chocolat bigger than your head. We passed the Place de la Concorde and went shopping at the fabulous Hediard. (Thanks for the recommendation, Kelly!) As was the case throughout our trip, the French people were friendly and helpful. Mom and I returned the kindness by buying lots of gourmet treats. Next we walked to the Musee d'Orsay. Even if you didn't see any art there, it's worth a trip for the gorgeous building (formerly a train station). But I was excited to see "Olympia" and the other Manets, Degas's dancers (included the one Brenda and I always saw hanging on our ballet teacher's wall), and works by Courbet, Caillebotte, and other Impressionist-era "masters." Mom, whose feet were covered in blisters, made the walk with me to Le Souffle, where we had--can you guess it?--a variety of souffles for dinner. Magnifique! And we took a cab home.
On Day 3 (Sunday), we had a continental breakfast in our hotel, then went to Mass at Notre Dame, which was pretty cool. I kept thinking how strange it would be to have that as your home church. We saw the breathtaking stained-glass windows of Saint Chappelle, then took the Metro back to the Marais neighborhood. We started at the Place de la Bastille, then went to an internet cafe. Then we made our way through the grounds of the Hotel de Sully to the lovely Place des Vosges before stopping for a late lunch. We walked through the Jewish Quarter, shopped for chocolates, then took a break for some decadent chocolate chaud. Mom decided to call it a night and headed back to the hotel. I went to the Pompidou and was unexpectedly impressed. Of course I went straight for the Mondrians and was delighted to see the museum's collection of original De Stijl magazines. Wow! There were other fascinating Modernist paintings, sculptures, and pieces of furniture, too.
Day 4 (Monday) was sunny and relatively warm. We ate crepes for breakfast at an outdoor cafe, then made our way to the Eiffel Tower. We waited in line for an hour and a half, but spent most of it chatting with a lovely Irish couple, so that made the time pass quickly. We went all the way up to the top and took dozens of pictures of the city. It was fun to look out and see Sacre Cour and the Louvre and Notre Dame. We took our time on the various levels of the Tower, then sat beneath it and ate lunch. We walked to the Seine, and I headed to the Pont d'Alma, hoping I could find the spot where Princess Diana died. But I couldn't figure out how to get to the tunnel. Anyway, we hopped on a Batobus and had a leisurely ride down the river. People were strewn on pretty much every surface near the water, obviously as happy to see the sun as we were. We disembarked at the Hotel de Ville stop and walked back to our hotel, stopping along the way to buy jewelry and luggage. For our final dinner in Paris (to celebrate Mom's birthday), we went to Ambassade d'Auvergne, where we dined on sausage, cheesy mashed potatoes, bread and pate, and cake, which the waiters brought out when I told them it was Mom's birthday. One of them also brought her a sock. It had the restaurant's logo on it, and he had written the date, in honor of her birthday. Strange, but sweet. We also had amazing desserts. It was a lovely way to end our trip.
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