7 out of 8 people think this is ugly*

the fence was gone the day after i posted my entry. it's been replaced with a standard issue rental fence. no cool factor about it - it's blue and metal and cagey looking. the one they took down, this one, is probably piled up in some lonely corner on the site....awaiting it's transport to the dump. i'm really glad i got the pix that i did. now i wish i took more!

so it's nearing the end of september (seriously?) and i'm in the third week of my master's program. it's all still a little vague. so far i've been doing a ton of reading. last week i was neck deep in a language i don't understand...(oh, maybe you're thinking...latin...spanish...japanese!)

oh no. statistics! yes. after thirty years of getting by without an iota of knowledge on the topic, i was introduced to the concept of statistical analysis in one very poorly written chapter in my textbook on educational research. i emerged feeling defeated and a little weary. upon requesting the assistance of my scientifically gifted other half (who i assumed would "get" what they were illustrating) i felt better. he had never seen a "stem-and-leaf display" either (this is when you plot your numbers (which they called 'leaves') on a graph, (which i think was the stem). what?!
i think the most it had going for itself was aesthetic interest!

your friend always,
*mo

*numbers may have been completely invented to suit the nature of this entry.

the barns (but no chickens)

i'm loving the colours and textures of this fence. it's long & surrounds a progressing development in my neighbourhood called the green arts barns - which is going to be a pretty fantastic environment when it's all finished. the whole thing is a conversion of old, unused ttc "barns" (ttc, for those not in the loop, stands for toronto transit commission) - this is where the ttc housed streetcars & buses - those that needed repair and those that were being tested for safety, or some such reasons.

i guess the space sat unused for a long time once it was no longer needed. so, artscape bought the land and the buildings, and are now turning everything into a magnificent cultural space! they've retained the old structures (catherdral like heights!) and are transforming them into spaces for independent artist studios and for non-profit organizations. i think the very popular "toronto school of art" is going to have a satellite space for classes. to top it off, there's going to be a massive greenhouse, and who knows what else!

i've been living in this neighbourhood for eight years, and the worst thing is that while the barns are coming in, i'm itching to leave, to live and be inspired in a new place. who knows, we might be on our way out just as this fence is coming down.

i'm already feeling a pang of regret.

your friend always,
*mo

nb. just noticed that the old name of the project, green arts barns, has been changed to artscape wychwood barns... which reflects the name of the neighbourhood they are in, and of course, the company that put up the bill$ to renovate!

not on any other day

this pic was taken a few weeks ago in my neighbourhood. i just took my camera with me up and down some streets, trying to find what i could find. i found myself looking at things i tend not to really notice on any other day. it was nice to not to have a destination, and just go wherever i felt compelled to wander. we're always running here and there, trying to catch up with time. i think that sometimes it's necessary to pause, reflect, and allow time to catch up with us.

your friend always,
*mo

what kinda tea do you want?

it's days like today that i'm walking around & i catch my reflection and wonder where it is i'm going.
it's days like today that don't tell me much about tomorrow.
it's days like today that go by and i will likely never be able to recollect what i did, where i went, what i was wearing, the words i said and to whom i said them.

unless i write today down.

funny, isn't it? if i do that, if i write it down, even in a few words, i will likely be able to conjure up this day in some form. maybe always.

here it goes:
navy slim pants and bulky joe fresh top, morning french vanilla coffee, GA meeting, noticing his art, class, ate my grapes, choked back tears (in class), spoke in class, left class and caught the bus home. parked my bike and asked my neighbour about the case of the mysterious kitty disappearance. creamy avocado and emmantel cheese sandwich, escaped to the mall only to catch many reflections of a woman and not much else, and came home disappointed because of the time i wasted. lovely dutch inspired cookery for dinner, insane credit card payment and now this.

do i really need to remember? i guess i thought i'd try.

your friend always,
*mo

dear doctor

i've had this painting on file for quite a while now. it's by ben vandyk, a long time friend of gsus' from way back in the day. ben helped me out a few years back (maybe more like four) when i needed some work to 'curate' for a class assignment. i've used the word curate because it sounds important. in fact, i'd peg the whole thing as a more adult version of show and tell since the audience was made up my peers from class and the two profs who dreamed up the whole idea.

however, i did make some cube shaped fliers advertising my "show" which seemed to blow away the profs. because they were three - D! haha. seriously!

anyway. i love this painting (especially how now it means something new to me), and i have other examples of his amazing work which i will put up slowly. unfortunately, we haven't been in touch with ben for a while, and i'm not even sure whether he has a website. but if and when i do find one, i will make sure to link to it here.

this was my first serious post on my blog.
dear doctor...thanks for going to school for so long and knowing what to do. but next time, please don't make me sign waivers while i'm doped up on morphine. it just doesn't seem ethical.

your friend always,
*mo