pics from previous post

sorry to make you click back and forth, but this is how life is right now. for more info about these pics, check the previous post.

shocking

... to me how much time has passed since my last post. and how much has not only happened but faded even from memory -- jarred by the photos i've just downloaded. like the first friday night in december fireworks that larry and i bundled up to see in poughkeepsie before heading off to synagogue for my dad's 75th birthday oneg shabbat. at the synagogue i grew up at. i'll add in links later, for now i'm just typing and trying to catch up.
working backwards: the transit strike in nyc was an amazing experience for us. larry and i are so on the side of the union politically. this strike pushes buttons for us about fairness, management vs. workers, and okay, just the state of affairs right now in the u.s. between the haves and the have nots. but like all things in life there are the idiosyncracies. we can hate bloomberg out of one side of our mouths, but a freelance gig larry has at bloomberg leaves him wanting to work there. from a corporate standpoint, it looks like people are well cared for. and that's the obvious corporate trap - i see it myself working for lauder as a freelancer even. these companies in some ways treat their employees so well, maybe it keeps them quiet.
if i'm rambling, i have to admit it's because we are celebrating larry's 55th birthday. our tradition is to make it a week. so this week is the week of larry. which means a week of dinners out, which takes the pressure off the actual birthday itself, which we spent driving home from the city, unloading the car, and getting readjusted to being home again. a nice thing. because we'd already had a few lovely evenings out in the city, we're able to nest here at home in front of the fire with home made martinis for me and a very special beer for larry.
so for photo recap -- earlier this week i was honored to be a part of la superette at exit art. it's a funky gift giving venue that tali hinkis has been putting on for a number of years, more recently with her beautiful children in tow. it is absolutely amazing to me how some women can handle it all. it's not about being superwoman, it's about being human, and a multi-armed goddess gathering everyone to your breast at once. it's beautiful and touching to see in action. and i don't mean zena action at all.
other pics shown here: a chandelier at grand central and snow scenes from the train i've ridden since i was a child, between grand central station and poughkeepsie. when i was a kid the seat were oversized and covered in velvety red. despite the commuter sized seats, the trip is still magical, whether i am headphoned and chanting, knitting or staring out the window.
here's to travel, real and imagined.

still here

A wild few weeks are coming to a close, but as usual no real respite in sight. I finish one thing only to move on to another. Although I am hopeful that the week between Xmas and New Year's may slow down to a crawl.
While searching for some old documents for a project I am working on for a client, I came across some poetry I wrote when I first started working again in New York. There's nothing quite like coming across work you haven't seen in a while. Fresh eyes come with time. And I am excited to actually upload them to my poetry blog which you can visit here.
Despite the flurry of activity - I did manage to squeeze in two beautiful outdoor excursions just after the first major snowfall of the season here in New York. Last Saturday I went snow shoeing, followed by cross country skiing on Sunday. Back to karate on Monday, I had to forgo fight class, which I was really looking forward to, due to a pulled quadracep. I keep forgetting that I'm not a kid anymore and the body needs a little downtime between excesses.
One of the odd little projects keeping me so busy was a family website, designed to celebrate each of my parents' 75th birthdays. take a look at virtualweinstein.com for a peak into my family history. and perhaps a little inspiration for your own gift giving conundrums.
Another project if you're in New York on Saturday and Sunday, December 16th and 17th, is La Superette at Exit Art. An alternative gift venue with hand made items by artists.
Also of interest because it was a muscle stretching exercise for me - another Exit Art project, called Studio Visit. 150 artists were invited to submit a 5 minute video responding to this call:
The Studio Visit will offer an intimate look into the artist’s studio - how artists work in and structure their individual, creative workspace - by presenting short videos that artists make of their own studios. The exhibition will present the public with the unique opportunity which typically only curators, critics, collectors and friends experience – going to a studio and seeing the details of how an artist creates their work.
It was completely new ground for me. I first set about writing a 60 second commercial like piece, which I then ignored in favor of taping myself working and chanting, going through my house as though showing a visitor around and just riffing on different aspects of being an artist. Frustrated with the video editing process, and a general dislike of my body and voice on tape, I returned to my original idea, which although not a literal interpretation of the call, feels truer to my vision.
With any luck, I'll be able to upload it to my website ultimately. As Larry said to me while we were trying to work out the kinks: You know what this means don't you? Now you'll be able to put video on your website.
To be honest, I'm not sure if I'm thrilled or mortified. But here's the inspiration in all this. Breaking out of our own boxes is mandatory. Scary, exciting, distasteful as it might be. I always return to my basic feeling about making art, and living life. If we do it the way children do, without any preconceived notions, and nothing but belief in ourselves -- well, that's just the whole point of being here, in these bodies, in these lives, in whatever incarnation we find ourselves. Sometimes finding our own true selves, means going outside our usual selves so we can look back in from an unusual vantage point.
At the moment all my vantage points seem particularly askew. But perhaps I can blame it all on the coming full moon. And take a certain kind of pleasure in the shake up.