May this Christmas be filled with harmony (and harmonies too!) and may this year keep you hands and your hearts warm.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
12/23/2010
9/29/2010
Not Too Old Yet
Jérôme has invited me to see Eels at the Théâtre National tonight. Glad he did!
Good show guys. The lead singer has the strangest look... let's say that I would probably be very uncomfortable sitting next to him on an airplane... I think he got arrested in London recently because they thought he was a terrorist!
They play good rock: garage, -abilly and sixties. A few strange songs like I Need Fresh Blood. And in between all this, ballads that can melt your heart, accompanied by steel guitar (for which I have a week spot, I admit). I was expecting bubles when they started to play She's a Spectacular Girl, which plays on their site :
http://www.eelstheband.com/
The crowd was as varigated as the music. All the young Montreal granolas were there (mostly guys - oh, I didn't realize that's probalby because we were in the Village! I'am a bit slow sometimes), and a number of grey hair, mostly couples.
Ahhhh but a warm bath awaits my aching toes. Well... music keeps one young, but bars without stools....
Good show guys. The lead singer has the strangest look... let's say that I would probably be very uncomfortable sitting next to him on an airplane... I think he got arrested in London recently because they thought he was a terrorist!
They play good rock: garage, -abilly and sixties. A few strange songs like I Need Fresh Blood. And in between all this, ballads that can melt your heart, accompanied by steel guitar (for which I have a week spot, I admit). I was expecting bubles when they started to play She's a Spectacular Girl, which plays on their site :
http://www.eelstheband.com/
The crowd was as varigated as the music. All the young Montreal granolas were there (mostly guys - oh, I didn't realize that's probalby because we were in the Village! I'am a bit slow sometimes), and a number of grey hair, mostly couples.
Ahhhh but a warm bath awaits my aching toes. Well... music keeps one young, but bars without stools....
3/10/2010
Go Green or Glam Green
I hate waisting anything!
I recycle whatever I can (you should see my workshop...) But I don't really consider myself an environmentalist. As a matter of fact, I am more scrooge than green. I recycle and reuse mostly because it saves me money. Don't get me wrong. I am consciencious of the environment and I haven't let the water run while I brush my teeth since 1990. It's in part by solidarity with all the people who have to walk kilometers to fetch their daily needs for water. But it is also to prepare myself for the day when they will install water meters in our homes!
I often question myself on the relevance of Go green: we must do absolutely everything to protect the environment. But I feel that the Go green often turns into Glam green: recycling and reusing that's more for the show.
Let's take the exemple of the University where I do contract work. New efficiency flush toilets and water regulator sensor sinks have been installed in the seven-floor building. My first clue was with the sinks. For two weeks, I thought I was confused when trying to turn on the faucets. My second clue was the flushing system that changed location on the toilet. (We are creatures of habits after all.) But the last clue was the fresh seal around the toilets and sinks.
So, as I was saying, they've installed efficiency flushes which means that everytime you flush, only a small amount of water is used to push down... well you get the picture. This is a very nice gesture for the environment and I am sure we will soon see a glam green press release about it. But what bugs me about this, is that the old toilets were still in good working condition. Well, maybe a few of them were leaking, and a few of them may have needed to be changed. But all the toilets at the same time? And where did the old toilets go?
When we weight the pros and cons, don't we find ourselves in a Glam green situation? I would really like to know how much money has been spent and which landfill has been filled and how many liters of water will be saved?
My enviromentalist question: Is this where the soon to be raised tuition fees will be flushed?
Oh, I know what you are thinking... These old toilets and sinks can be reused. I can even envision that this summer will see our houses decorated with toilet bowls containing begonias and geraniums. And wouldn't an alley of white enamel flower containers look good in front of the house?
I wonder if my neighbours will appreciate my recycling creativity.
I recycle whatever I can (you should see my workshop...) But I don't really consider myself an environmentalist. As a matter of fact, I am more scrooge than green. I recycle and reuse mostly because it saves me money. Don't get me wrong. I am consciencious of the environment and I haven't let the water run while I brush my teeth since 1990. It's in part by solidarity with all the people who have to walk kilometers to fetch their daily needs for water. But it is also to prepare myself for the day when they will install water meters in our homes!
I often question myself on the relevance of Go green: we must do absolutely everything to protect the environment. But I feel that the Go green often turns into Glam green: recycling and reusing that's more for the show.
Let's take the exemple of the University where I do contract work. New efficiency flush toilets and water regulator sensor sinks have been installed in the seven-floor building. My first clue was with the sinks. For two weeks, I thought I was confused when trying to turn on the faucets. My second clue was the flushing system that changed location on the toilet. (We are creatures of habits after all.) But the last clue was the fresh seal around the toilets and sinks.
So, as I was saying, they've installed efficiency flushes which means that everytime you flush, only a small amount of water is used to push down... well you get the picture. This is a very nice gesture for the environment and I am sure we will soon see a glam green press release about it. But what bugs me about this, is that the old toilets were still in good working condition. Well, maybe a few of them were leaking, and a few of them may have needed to be changed. But all the toilets at the same time? And where did the old toilets go?
When we weight the pros and cons, don't we find ourselves in a Glam green situation? I would really like to know how much money has been spent and which landfill has been filled and how many liters of water will be saved?
My enviromentalist question: Is this where the soon to be raised tuition fees will be flushed?
Oh, I know what you are thinking... These old toilets and sinks can be reused. I can even envision that this summer will see our houses decorated with toilet bowls containing begonias and geraniums. And wouldn't an alley of white enamel flower containers look good in front of the house?
I wonder if my neighbours will appreciate my recycling creativity.
1/16/2010
Improv on Cannelle
Let me introduce you to Cannelle, my 12 years old Shelty that I drew for the first time last December. My friend Johanne showed me a new drawing technique using a light box, a picture (taken by my friend Jerôme when I first got Cannelle from the SPCA 6 years ago), and my most precious Crayola crayons.
For a long time, I thought I couldn't draw until I took drawing classes with Josée Duclos, an artist that I really appreciate and who helped me find my own style. It wasn't easy, but since then, I do more improvisation instead of trying to draw exact replicas, which I am never able to do anyway.
Only recently have I been more forgiving to myself and have been using my own drawings in my arts and crafts. And, with forgiveness comes the liberty to express myself. I now take more risks in exploring new techniques and I am often surprized at the results.
1/10/2010
Here I Am!
January 1st is the date when most people take resolutions for the coming year. I have stopped taking resolutions many years ago. As with diets always starting on Mondays, I had enough of setting myself up for failure each year around January 15th after realizing that I would not be able to keep my resolutions.
However, during the summer of 2009, the idea to start writing a blog surfaced in my mind (after all, shouldn't I get a good return on my literature studies!). But because I am a bit cautious before I dive into a project that may take me to unknown paths, I waited 6 months before I took the dive.
So, why then start a blog on January 1st? Because on the 31st of December, I was with friends and family, some of whom I hadn't seen in a long time. We had a great time meeting again and remembering our teenage years. We even watched some home movies of our childhood and realized that our parents in the movies were at the age we are now!
When you're 20, you're young and hip. At 30, you move forward without looking behind. At 40, you understand better who you are and what you want. At 50, the inevitable countdown has begun and it is now time to start the projects that are really dear to your heart. And because I will be 50 in 2010, it is now time to set the blog project in motion.
I would like to share my thoughts and open a dialog on subjects such as ecology, art and culture. I will also take the opportunity of this platform to present the arts and crafts that come out of my studio.
After all, January 1st is the appropriate date to start new projects!
Happy New Year, health, happiness and creativity.
However, during the summer of 2009, the idea to start writing a blog surfaced in my mind (after all, shouldn't I get a good return on my literature studies!). But because I am a bit cautious before I dive into a project that may take me to unknown paths, I waited 6 months before I took the dive.
So, why then start a blog on January 1st? Because on the 31st of December, I was with friends and family, some of whom I hadn't seen in a long time. We had a great time meeting again and remembering our teenage years. We even watched some home movies of our childhood and realized that our parents in the movies were at the age we are now!
When you're 20, you're young and hip. At 30, you move forward without looking behind. At 40, you understand better who you are and what you want. At 50, the inevitable countdown has begun and it is now time to start the projects that are really dear to your heart. And because I will be 50 in 2010, it is now time to set the blog project in motion.
I would like to share my thoughts and open a dialog on subjects such as ecology, art and culture. I will also take the opportunity of this platform to present the arts and crafts that come out of my studio.
After all, January 1st is the appropriate date to start new projects!
Happy New Year, health, happiness and creativity.
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