MakingHappy

Parkdale: Dirty Window

I liked the chaos happening in this window ...and all the dead plants ...and the multitude of what appear to be Korean Shrek sippy cups.

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One more day until Take Your Box Camera to Work Day (TYBCWD)

This is something I can do since I am rarely not at work these days. Mind you the resulting photos will be DULL as tomorrow involves a full day in front of The Machine.

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Portland!

Milkweed | Pacific Northwest

Milkweed are wonderful plants. They support monarchs and other wildlife and young pods are tasty pickled -- they taste like pickled okra.

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Wed. Feb 1st is: Take Your Box Camera to Work Day (TYBCWD)

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Lots of stuff on the horizon. For the first time ever spring is coming faster than I would like. I am in the midst of a too-many-deadlines-and-things-that-must-be-done-all-at-one-time panic. Oh the list! I can't even bring myself to draft a full list for fear that the sight of it all together like that on one page will bury me. Sometimes a certain level of denial is one's only defence.

We're travelling to Portland in less than two weeks (see how I went for the cup half full approach there? I could have said, just over a week which sounds like less time) where I will be presenting at the Vegetable Gardening Symposium followed by a small book-signing and Seed Starting Workshop at a cute little garden store called PISTILS. They have chickens! A small yard with chickens is a dream of mine so I have to admit a certain manic excitment about it. CHICKENS! If they are the kind with the fuzzy slipper feet I will DIE.

We are both super excited about visiting the Pacific Northwest for the first time. Trees, ocean, air, friends, chickens!

On the way home from Portland I will be stopping in Vancouver for a few days for work. This leg of the trip was organized on Friday afternoon so there is no time to organize an Official Book Event but I am planning to get together with a bunch of my peeps from the gardening site for food and fun. I am also planning to live out my childhood Danger Bay dreams by visiting the Vancouver Aquarium. Squeals!

Parkdale: Ali Baba's

Passing Ship

"You must live life with the full knowledge that your actions will remain. We are creatures of consequence... Our children will be born of our actions. Our accidents will become their destinies.

....On cold days a man can see his breath, on a hot day he can't. On both occasions, the man breathes."
- from "White Teeth" by Zadie Smith

Today's Song: "It Takes Two" Rob Base & D.J. E-Z Rock. Our stereo has been on the fritz lately plus I'm generally lazy -- getting up and walking a few feet to flip an album over is hard work. Consequently, most of my music listening for the last several months has been happening via the computer. I'm so lazy I'll put it on Party Shuffle and suffer through utter crap without bothering to click on I-Tunes to change the song. Well the stereo is back in action and as a result I've been pulling the albums out again. I decided to try and start alphabetically at the beginning but seriously, that's never going to happen. I went straight for "It Takes Two." But then "Joy and Pain" came on and I had to get up after only one song to replace the album. I have been spoiled by the MP3.

Blue Door and Chair (all weather)

Today's Song: "Wozani Mahipi (Hippies Come to Soweto)" The Mahotella Queens. Tonight marks my first time listening to this album (formerly loved and cherished dearly) after the shitty cab incident 1-2 years ago. Check out the full album "Soweto Never Sleeps" (Classic Female Zulu Jive. Shanachie Records 1986). See also "The Indestructable Beat of Soweto." This music is so beautiful because it encapsulates both hope and pain simultaneously. I think all great music accomplishes that.

Emerald City

I don't know if the name is really fitting. It's just that little city way in the distance thing.

We drove to Atlantic City many years ago with some friends and as we approached the city from along the coast it was all lit up and glowing green in the distance. This was definitely one trip where the getting there was the good part. It felt like we were driving straight into Oz with Neil Diamond and Dionne Warwick performing for our enjoyment. Atlantic City is quite literally all smoke and mirrors. Our first impression once off the highway was, Hmmm, this looks like a rough neighbourhood. Oh wait, it's all like this except for that one part that glows.... and that is basically just fiberglass and lightbulbs.

Today's Song: "Anyone Who Had a Heart" Dionne Warwick. No disrespect to either Neil Diamond or Dionne Warwick [see above] -- I love them both! I have a tiny flexi-disk (Free with one purchase of Head & Shoulders or Gleem!) of "Cherry, Cherry" that I used to play everyday to get me pepped for work.

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Incidently I started prepping this image hours ago and forgot that I made it huge. Even I was a little taken aback. Ack!

Election

We're getting near the end of the day and the polls will be closing soon in my riding. Go Peggy!

Walk Tall

Please vote Canada. Better yet, please don't vote Conservative. Seriously. This is a pretty swell place to live and it ain't because of the climate. A Conservative government would make things significantly less swell.

If Harper's scary Reform Party/Conservative politics aren't enough to convince you then for god's sake look at his dead eyes! The man has dead eyes!

Today's Song: "Walk Tall" Cannonball Adderley

Sandy Path (with Birch Trees)

Sweet baby jesus thank you for the return of Scanner, if only temporary. Davin and I put our heads together and McGuivered it with a piece of cardstock. Geekery has its benefits.

Today's Song: "Who Stole the Soul?" Public Enemy. Apparently it is hilarious when I shout "booty."

Cat Bites

The cat was off duty on that day.

Today's Song: "The Next Movement" The Roots. It's really yesterday's song before "Sister Christian" trumped it. I rocked out to this on the subway. It was all I could do to constrain myself from breaking out into a full-on Fame moment. And really... that whole album... My heart flutters a little whenever I hear this part:

"The whole state of things in the world bout to change
Black rain fallin from the sky look strange
The ghetto is red hot, we steppin on flames"

Church of the Epiphany

I still haven't had a chance to look into the scanner situation so I feel like I'm getting near scraping the bottom of the barrel photo-wise. I'm probably wrong. Maybe you will think everything I post from here on out is the best stuff I have ever posted. That's the funny thing about The Art.

I took this picture last winter in my neighborhood. I thought the dead flower offerings were kind of sad and bleak.... and the way the Madonna is kind of gesturing to them doing that tilty-head thing. And there's all the brown and grey and an inadequate carpet of snow. It's also kind of fitting because I had a dream last night about being in a church and telling off the pastor for preaching hate and then telling off the congregation for being apathetic to it. The dream wasn't really about religion but still...

Today's Song: "Sister Christian" Night Ranger - Tonight we left the INtransit opening and made our way to an east-end pub for greasy food. It was a really strange place. They were playing a radio station featuring completely memorable but unremarkable hits of the 80's. I kept expecting that Peter Cetera "Karate Kid" love ballad to come on (the one about the "knight in shining armor"). I was sadly disappointed until "Sister Christian" came on. I told my dinner companions that whenever I hear that song I have a sudden memory of sitting in the back seat of the car driving home late at night down the hill from Lock2 having just dropped off or picked up my father from or for the night shift. I have no idea why such a small inconsequential childhood moment stands out so vividly but it does.

In Flight

(Hometown IX v. 2)

I could swear I already cleaned and posted this photo yet when I looked I couldn't find it. My mind is slipping...

I didn't get much sleep last night. I had some insomnia thinking about up and coming stuff and there was outside noise that startled me into befuddled consciouness just as I was falling asleep at 4am. That and the grey/cold/rain had me in a meloncholy mood today despite some excitment planning for future events and projects. I just couldn't maintain it once the tireds took hold.

I'm exhausted but I have this thing about commiting to the process of posting here as regularly as possible. Sometimes interesting insights come out when we are too vulnerable to keep our guard up. I noticed I went straight for this photo of pigeons in flight. The other day I stood in the cold (but lovely light) with Davin waiting for the streetcar to come. A flock of pigeons took flight together above the buildings -- it was a beautiful sight. I said to him that pigeons are such a wonderful part of living in the city. I love their resilience and determination. They are so terribly misunderstood and mistreated.

I took this photo in St. Catharines on my terrible Hometown Tour version II in Oct. I stood at this corner watching the birds and waiting to get the shot with my camera readied. Eyes of passing drivers were fixed on me wondering what the hell I was doing. I saw a few people look up to see what was so important in the sky. I was having such a rough day. Watching the birds was just another reminder of how much it sucked growing up there... and everything beautiful and wonderful that is overlooked and abused.

Today's Song: "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child" sung by Kathleen Emery - Thanks to J who long ago (it seems like long ago) introduced me to what is the best version of this song by far.

To be a total downer here's another song: "Blackbird" by Nina Simone

LUCKY NEWSSTAND

IN Transit: A gallery exhibit that captures Toronto on the move

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Today's Song: "What About You" by Co Real Artists

The King of Love

No photo today, just a song.

ed. Here's an excerpt. "Why? (The King of Love is Dead)" by Nina Simone.

"Will the murders never cease?
Are they men or are they beasts.
What do they ever hope, ever hope to gain?
Will my country fall or stand up tall?
Is it too late for us all?
And did Martin Luther King just die in vain?

He was for equality, for all people, you and me
Full of love and good will, hate was not his way
He was not a violent man
Tell me folks if you can
Just why, why was he shot down the other day?"

This song always brings tears to my eyes.

Lone Tree

Him: Oh look at you meticulously cloning out tiny specs that no one will ever see.
Me: [extends middle finger without looking away from monitor.]
Him: No, we discussed this... you have to use the new inverted middle finger for the ultimate fuck off.

Me: I refuse to disappoint gallery patrons with a dusty photo.
Him: For the people who do this... [imitates person sticking their face right up into print.]
Me: For that one person, who is me. I may not have the best photo in the show, but damn it it will be the cleanest!

IN Transit: A gallery exhibit that captures Toronto on the move

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Last night I had a cinematic dream in which vampires and zombies were attacking me in an office environment. I didn't have Buffy-style wooden stakes available so I stabbed them with tiny Ikea pencils. I dare someone to figure that one out.

Crazy On You - Heart: Again, last night as I was just falling asleep I thought, "Must listen to Heart tomorrow." So I did. I practically cried when I heard this in The Virgin Suicides. It was that perfect.

This also reminds me that I recently reclaimed my VCR/TV combo from my brother who had been borrowing it for exactly 1 year. This has prompted me to watch old video tapes while working on art and craft stuff in my work room. Recent excellent viewings have included Talk 16 ("I know it's not really a religion, but I'm a satanist." -Astra), Beverly Hills 90210, and My So-Called Life. Okay it's sounding more and more like I've regressed 15 years... okay 10.... okay 6. I watched two episodes of My So-Called Life last night while making myself a skirt. It made me wish I still smoked.

Alien Landscape

This afternoon I stood in shock as the cab I had just hailed was hit by a streetcar. No one was hurt but it was pretty horrifying none-the-less. The rest of my day both before and after was really great though.

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I am excited to announce that one of my photos will be in a group show at the Toronto Free Gallery. IN Transit: Toronto on the Move opens Thurs. Jan 19 at 7pm. Runs until Feb 28.

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Sock It to 'Em Soul Brother - Bill Moss

Sandy Path (Leads to Water)

My posting schedule has switched to evenings. My days have been packed to capacity. I used to use the day-time posting as a way to jumpstart my brain but it kept getting pushed further into the day. Often times I found I had more to say by mid-afternoon and wished I had waited. But of course now I forget what it was that I thought to say by the time my evening opportunity to sit with this arrives.

I'm busily working on a bunch of projects that are keeping my brain flying in a million directions, literally. There is no languishing slowly through winter this year. Spring will be here before I can blink my eyes.

Winter Berries

A long, exhausting day. I no longer recall what I intended to write here. Maybe tomorrow.

Sideways Lawn Chair (on a sea of green turf)

Taking a break from the nature photos. Still no progress with the scanner situation.

About this photo: I took this photo in the middle of a torrential downpour. It was our second to last day in New York and damn it nothing was going to keep us indoors. We were soaked through our clothes, the wind was whipping and Davin struggled to hold an umbrella over my camera while I stood on a rise, made my adjustments, and perfectly aligned the lens between the bars of a fence.

This is the best photo for the day since I did an interview this afternoon on the topic of LAWNS.

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Music: Rediscovering and enjoying the New Order album "Power, Corruption and Lies." Time to break out "The New Order Story" and have a little love fest and a cry. It always makes me teary-eyed. [Sadly I own the old VHS copy of this film. No DVD extras and fanciness.]

Grass (Lives Under Snow)

- Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels) by The Arcade Fire - Sounds a lot like Angelo Badalamenti. Still, I really like the part about bedrooms, probably because I have an uncanny knack for recalling strange details of just about every home I've ever been inside.

It makes me think of orange curtains.

The song also makes me think about the idea of building a life or envisioning a future without the benefit of the wisdom and example of those who come before us -- something that has been on my mind a lot lately as I struggle to take more turns and twists in my own life without real-life role-models as guiding examples.

Tiny Nest

Found in a bush. Just above my head.

And with the scanner, a piece of me dies

Dark days lay ahead people. Last night at the end of a marathon scanning session (it was my last scan!): creeee. ptttttt. conk. red light blinks. a single tear.

The elastic belt thingy dislodged from the track thingy. I have no idea how that happened since it doesn't appear to have snapped and I never move the scanner from it's position on my desk. Regardless, I am crying inside.

Pretty

I couldn't come up with a better name for this one. See what a week off work does to me? Davin and I have been together so long that we barely need to utter a few words to communicate... which can be a problem when I go out into a world of people who do not understand, [some kind of sound] "Hey. Thingy." [hand gesture].

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Changed my links page. Sweetney is my current World Wide Web crush. She keeps me up to date on the popular culture going-ons. Plus she listed "Showgirls" as a movie she could watch over and over again. Plus she's from Baltimore.

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Train to Skaville - Ethiopians

Tree (with cloth)

Davin took a really moody colour photo of this tree. You can see in his why colour would have been my first choice. Unfortunately I only had film in one back and it was black and white.

Birch Trees

One of my favourite places. I love birch trees. From a different perspective.

I was laying in bed last night when I had the sudden epiphany that today I must listen to "Love's in Need of Love Today" by Stevie Wonder. And now I am.

Water Birds

The look like specks of dust on the film, but they're hundreds of arctic birds and ducks hanging out in Lake Ontario on a chilly day.

Happy New Year!