mojosmom

No, don't go rushing off looking for tickets. Here's what happened.

I went to hear the Chicago Symphony Orchestra last night. The first piece of the second half was Webern's Five Pieces for Orchestra. Before it was played, the conductor, Mark Elder, addressed the audience, beginning, "I know most of you came for the Brahms . . .", and then discussed the Webern a bit. A then he said that, after the concert, they would play the Webern again (it's incredibly short - about five minutes), and said that he would invite us (or as many as could be accommodated) to join them on the stage (it's a small orchestra - 19 - for this piece), to, as he put it, "enter our space". So I stayed! It's an intriguing piece, and it was most interesting to listen to the musicians sitting behind them, seeing the hall they way they see it. And Elder talked about the piece for several minutes before hand, having different musicians demonstrate with a note or chord or two what Webern was doing with the instruments. I had such a good time!

This shows the importance of having subscriptions*. I rarely go to the Symphony (not a lack of desire, but a lack of time, money and organization!), but I got talked into a four-concert series. I'd have missed this! CSO is getting a bit more, well, "informal" comes to mind, but that's not quite right. It's more a "demystification" of classical music, via this sort of educational component, early evening "after work" concerts, etc.

Before the concert, I stopped off at a home décor boutique across the street from where I live, as they were having a holiday open house. I had a pomegranate martini (excellent, by the way) and scoped out some cute things. I didn't want to buy as I didn't want to carry packages downtown, but I'm going to go back tomorrow and take advantage of their 20% discount on holiday decorations. Saw some very pretty artist-made Christmas tree balls that will make nice stocking-stuffers.

Last weekend, I went out in the nasty weather for a concert of German Renaissance Christmas music by the Newberry Consort. It was at Saint Clement Catholic Church, which is a gorgeous, Byzantine-inspired church on Chicago's north side. Wish I'd brought my camera! It's not, though, the greatest place for a concert, despite excellent acoustics, at least not for the Consort, because it lacks the intimacy that I associate with this group. (Not to mention that the altar is between the audience and the musicians!) The music was glorious, lots of Praetorius, plus some other folks, including Martin Luther himself (who was, by the way, a very accomplished musician, composer and singer).

*Speaking of which, Danny Newman, who practically single-handedly invented the subscription series, died recently. ( Danny Newman obit behind the cut )

Oh, yes, she has.

Yesterday, I did one of those things I loathe and detest - I went shopping for bras. I haven't decided which is the worse shopping experience - this or shopping for jeans. Anyway, as I was leaving the fitting room, I saw a pile of clothes ready to go back on the rack, and peeping out from the middle was a tantalizing bit of fabric - a sort of sheer silvery-grey with a black design. It turned out to be a lovely little sundress, and I did not resist. I then passed the shoe racks - and saw a pair of high-heeled red patent leather shoes. Oh, my! But I hate trying on shoes without stockings, and went on my way.

Today I went back. Bought the red patent leather shoes. Also bought a pair of cream linen shoes with black soutache, a red jacket with bright embroidery and red/gold glass bead buttons (I might well have resisted temptation were it not for those buttons), and a silky, rust-colored sleeveless top.

Oh, my aching credit card!

After work, I had a cocktail party to attend, a benefit for the Illnois Coalition Against the Death Penalty. It was at the Black Walnut Gallery, and turned into a celebration as well, since a major capital case here in Chicago ended this afternoon with the jury returning a life sentence. I fell in love with the work of Elizabeth Savage, especially one huge piece (about 4'x3') with words on each piece of glass. It was also $5,000 - way out of my price range. Why am I always drawn to very large, very expensive pieces of art? Ah, well, I can always visit galleries and museums.

Anyway, what I did that was bad was this: I had some time to kill on the way to the event, so I stopped at Famous Footware (you probably guessed this from the icon!). Browsed a bit, then headed to the clearance rack. I ended up with three pair of shoes. One is a particularly favorite style, Victorian, above-the-ankle, lace-up leather boots (this pair is brown, with a rounded toe), another is a useful pair of brown leather sandals with a wedge heel. And then there's this pair:

Not my usual style, but I loved the fabric, they felt really comfortable, and the price was right ($10!! - how could I pass them up?).

Long as in four days, as I took Monday and Tuesday off from work. Much of the time was spent vegging, reading, watching last season's Project Runway on video, and doing odds and ends around the house.

Saturday, though, I went to the Harold Washington Library Center (our main public library) for a tour of the Special Collections conservation lab. On the way out, I naturally stopped in at the Popular Library and checked out a few books (all light reading - Margaret Maron, Rita Mae Brown, Donna Leon).

Sunday was the Newberry Consort benefit, Playford's Delight Redux, at which we learned some English country dances to the music of the Consort, as well as having good food and drink. It was in the afternoon, so I got home at a reasonable hour and put my feet up.

I was meeting friends for dinner and the theatre on Monday, but I went downtown early to do a bit of Christmas shopping at the Christkindlmarket. I found some lovely bird ornaments that I'm going to give to the folks in my dinner group. The play we saw was Frank's Home, about Frank Lloyd Wright. It is set in California, at a low point in his career and his family relationships (something he wasn't very good at!), just as word of the Tokyo earthquake arrives along with the news (erroneous) that his Imperial Hotel was destroyed. It was an interesting play, and very well acted.

Yesterday, I went through closets and drawers and took a bunch of clothes and tchotchkes to the Brown Elephant for donation. When I spindled my receipt, I noticed that the last person to donate was my Italian instructor!! I must have just missed her. As usual, I could not simply leave my donation and go. Oh, no, one must always check the racks. Neither of the brown suede skirts I tried on fit (one too big, one too small!), but I found a great blazer in a brown tweed, and a gorgeous jacket, perfect for holiday parties. Red silky material with a black design embroidered in it, sort of a Chinese-style, long (over the hips), with sparkly beads on the black frog closures. $10. Yay, me!

I wore it to the Chicago Hand Bookbinders party last night. Eileen had found an excellent caterer; I especially liked these little sweet cheese tarts with shaved dark and white chocolate on top. Bill D. gave me the name and contact info for his friend in Venice who does paper marbling. Also the link to his website: AlbertoValese-Ebru. Is this not beautiful stuff?

Yesterday, despite the heat, I went up to Waukegan at my friend Margaret's behest, and we went to the antique fair. Fortunately, it was at the lakefront, so there was an occasional breeze. We had a good time, but somehow, although it was M's idea to go, I was the one who spent money! I missed out on a lovely pair of cream satin mules with sort of loopy flowers on them, but since they were too narrow for me, they weren't the bargain they'd have been if they had fit! However, I did buy a trio of satin lingerie bags in different sizes (mustard color, with a quilted oval design on the flap, piped in gray with a gray button). And then I saw the glasses we used when I was growing up - square bottom with a sort of half-ellipse indentations on the sides. Thirteen (ten large, three smaller) and three dessert bowls for $20. How could I pass it up? Besides, I want to see the looks on my sisters' faces when I set the table with them!

After the fair, we went to lunch, and then drove back to M's. Despite the heat, she put the top down on her convertible. (See, one reason I love her is that she's the sort of woman who, at age 76, went out and bought herself a Sebring convertible!)

Spent the rest of the day at home in the air-conditioning.

The weather was absolutely perfect today. Warm and sunny, with a soft lake breeze. Just gorgeous.

I took Marissa to the vet as she's been having the occasional wheezing sort of cough. The vet says she's probably allergic to something, and advises using a non-dusty litter. But she's otherwise quite healthy and the vet says it's nothing to worry about. Then I came home and did a bit of ironing and got some books ready to release.

Shortly before noon, I hopped a bus downtown. First stop: the Chicago Architecture Foundation. I was just going to browse their shop, but I got distracted by an amazing exhibit in the Atrium, the ( The Newhouse Architecture Competiton )

There was some amazing work from some truly talented kids.

Then I wandered over to the Palmer House Hilton, scoped out the hot men and released some books: Blood, Snow and Classic Cars, Flesh and the Word, and Love, Sal.

The old Shubert Theatre has been bought and renovated and is now the LaSalle Bank Theatre. They had an open house today, which was one of my purposes in going downtown. So after leaving the Palmer House, I went down Monroe, dodged through the Memorial Day parade on State Street, and checked it out. They've done a great job of restoration on the theatre. It's really beautiful, and the seats are 3" wider now! I took a bunch of photos, released a book, nibbled on cookies, ran into a friend, and won a CD of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee in the raffle.

With some time to kill before my next destination, I wandered into a few stores on State Street. I found a lovely blouse (on sale) at Urban Outfitters and a decorative pillow (on sale) at Nordstrom Rack. Wandered into Dick Blick's and got handed a free sample of colored pencils (and picked up their list of upcoming demos - Lineco is doing a bookbinding one in late June - must try to get to it.) Browsed a bit at Border's.

On to the Gene Siskel Film Center for a showing of a selection of shorts in their "Treasures from the Library of Congress" series. My favorite was Jammin' the Blues, with folks like Lester Young and Illinois Jacquet just, well, jammin'. The photography was stunning, especially the shots of Young on tenor sax, cigarette between his fingers, smoke drifting up. And an equally smoky vocal of "On the Sunny Side of the Street" by Marie Bryant. Sublime. And on to ridiculous - one of the great cartoons of all time, What's Opera, Doc?. There were brief pre-showing talks by a couple of folks from the LOC, as well as a Q&A afterwards. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that there was a reception afterwards, with food! So I had an unexpected late-afternoon snack of veggies, fruit, and sweets. Very nicely done, Film Center! While I was there, I picked up next month's schedule - a Janet Gaynor fest! I may have to stop in.

Then I came home, fed the cats, checked the mail, ate dinner, put the summer linens on the bed, and now I'm here telling you all about my day.

Last night, I went to the Center for Book and Paper Arts for the opening of their Residency exhibition. Lots of good stuff, but I was especially taken by a piece by Mary Hood, "Earth, Air, Water, Fire", consisting of four scented books. What was unusual was that looking at them, they appeared, depending on how they were presented, to be slipcased or in drop-spine boxes. But what seemed to be the case or the box were, in fact, the covers of the books. Beautifully executed. Lots of chat with Bill Drendel and Anita, and I met a couple of people who are new to the Center. Very nice noshes, too.

Thursday was a reception at the Newberry for the Newberry Consort. They have started doing these "end of season" receptions for subscribers, which I think is very nice. A preview of next season, the opportunity to chat with the musicians, and food (the invitation said "wine and cheese"; this was true, but there were also little bagels, smoked salmon and the usual accoutrements, veggies, fruit, and chocolate-covered strawberries). The news is that next season will be Mary Springfels' last as director. She's 60, her partner's now in New Mexico, and, after twenty-one years leading the Consort, she wants to move on to other things. She'll still sit in occasionally, which is good.

The rest of the holiday weekend promises to have just as lovely weather as today. I think I'll try to get to the Art Institute Monday, as I haven't been there in a while. Tomorrow I may just veg on the back porch with the Sunday papers.

Oh! The swans that live in the retention pond at my office have cygnets! I tried to get photos, but they were lurking in the reeds, so I got a shot of dad instead. Story on myself: cameras are not allowed in the building, but I had slipped mine in my bag and forgotten I had it until I said to someone, "since I have my camera, I think I'll try to get pictures of the swans". What's really silly is that, just the night before, I'd been telling someone that I could never have a camera phone because I couldn't bring it into the office. Don't know where my head was!

Changed the kitty litter. Emptied the dishwasher. Went by the bank and made a deposit (always a good thing). Returned a couple of books to the library (yes, you're right, I checked a couple out as well). Picked up the dry cleaning I should have picked up a week ago. Got stamps at the post office. Bought my tree (5' spruce). Brought the stand and decorations up from the basement. And it's not even 11 A.M.!!

Now I have to decide where to put the tree. I usually have it in the living room, but for some reason this year I am feeling the urge to put it in the sunroom. We'll see.

Party tonight at Jim & Kevin's. Being me, I stopped on the way home from work yesterday to see if I could find something new to wear. I was planning to go to T.J. Maxx, but remembered that someone told me Casual Corner was going out of business. I stopped there first, and found a really lovely white silk overblouse: long floaty sheer sleeves, crossover V-neck, seam under the boobs. There were several hanging on the rack, the smallest was a 10 and I very nearly didn't try it on. But I did and though it was a bit big, I figured I could live with it. And then the saleswoman found me an 8. Yay! I'll wear it with my black silk slacks (one of my best purchases ever - I don't remember what I paid for them, but I've had them for years, have had the elastic in the waist replaced once or twice, and I wear them everywhere). I did stop at T.J. Maxx and tried on an incredible bargain of a dress, a $350 Gianfranco Ferré dress reduced to $25, a long, brick-red spaghetti-strap slinky of a dress. Unfortunately, it slunk in the wrong places. Clung where I didn't want it to, and was loose where I'd have liked it to cling. Ah, well.

Last night was opera night. We saw Sir Michael Tippett's The Midsummer Marriage. All I can say is, I'm glad I read the study guide beforehand! The plot, if one can call it that, is a Jungian interpretation of The Magic Flute, with dollops of Wagner and The Golden Bough thrown in. Despite the confusion (you should have heard Jamie and me trying to describe the plot to our dinner companions!), it was quite interesting, and the music was excellent. The male leads were particularly good. As were the dancers and the choreography -- the second act is almost entirely ballet, so they have to be.

We got a bit silly at intermission. At one point in the first act, the Tamino-Pamina couple go, she to the heavens, he to the depths, and rather than a staircase, the set designer had created an open, tubular elevator sort of thing. This reminded one of our party of a production of Die Walkure at Bayreuth, in which the Valkyries didn't have horses, but rode inside similar tubular items, which reminded him of the pneumatic tubes used in bank drive-ups. That in turn reminded someone else of a friend of hers who had three kittens she needed to find homes for. So she and two friends drove to a bank and put the kittens in the tubes and sent them to the tellers (don't know if the tellers took them home or what). In any case, this all resulted in a few of us spontaneously bursting into song, meowing, rather than singing, The Ride of The Valkyries. Well, it was funny at the time. Guess you had to be there. ;-)

I did go to the Gerber-Hart sale today, and bought several books. Then I did some holiday shopping at the Japanese American Service Club bazaar. I found some origami ornaments for my dinner group, a shawl for one sister, and a hair clip made from kimono cloth for my other sister. I still have a few things to get, but it's nice to have a lot of it out of the way.

A Confession

A couple of days ago, I wrote: "And don't forget to return those books to the library (but try not to take anymore out)." I returned the books. But I took three more out, and bought two off the book sale rack. What was that about the best-laid plans of mice and men?

Why is it that, no matter how much gorgeous paper I have in the house, I never have anything that is exactly right for a project? I decided, despite their "no presents, please!" request, to make Peggy & George a photo album as a wedding gift. After all, they can't just put the wedding photos in a shoe box, can they? The wedding colors are pale blue and silver, so naturally I have paper that is pale blue and gold, dark blue and silver, etc. So off to the Paper Source I went, and found a lovely Indian paper, a pale blue background with small silver flowers, as well as silver book cloth. So I'm pleased.

However! Epoch had their moving sale yesterday, and I bought a wooden vase that needs a glass insert if I'm going to use if for real flowers, which of course I am. The plan was to check out World Market and a couple of other places after I went to Paper Source. But I managed to forget the vase, which I'd need to check the insert size. Another day, I guess. I also picked up a great black and white ceramic vase for a Christmas present for someone, as well as a few other goodies that will be gifts. A couple of people in the office were thrilled when I told them that a nail salon is taking over the space.

Fine haul at the Oak Park Library book sale. (It turns out they are on again tomorrow, at $5.00 a bag; I'm not going back, I swear.) Best finds: Essays on Japanese Art presented to Jack Hillier, and a French-English edition of LaFontaine, LaFontaine's Bawdy: Of Libertines, Louts, and Lechers, with illustrations by David Schorr, who went to high school with my sister! I found a lesser-known Wilkie Collins that I haven't read, Who Killed Zebedee? and a hardback reprint of The Romance of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table with the Arthur Rackham illustrations. And several other books as well. Now I must register them.

When I left, I noticed people coming into the parking garage with bags of produce, and flowers. It turns out there was a farmers' market going on across the street. So I stashed my books in the car and went over there. It was late-ish, so most of the food was picked over, but I got some flowers and some honey. It's quite a good-sized market, and is there every Saturday morning. Good to know about.


#84
Thieves in High Places, by Jim Hightower

Hightower takes on what he has dubbed the "Kleptocrats", who are stealing our country. Full of anger and details, but it could have used specific source references. The jacket flap says, "Fortunately for readers . . . he has no shortage of material and targets these days." I take issue with the word "fortunately".

The difficulty with books like this is that by throwing in everything, including the kitchen sink, they weary the reader, which is the opposite of the intention.

Nevertheless, one ought to read this book. There is much to learn. In my view, the most serious problem is the rise of media conglomerates and the related disappearance of in-depth, dispassionate reportage. Because of that, the rest is hidden from view.