Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Thanks to Mierle

Today had a root canal and had to file taxes. 2 of my least favorite things. Yet after experiencing and thinking about Mierle Ukules "Maintainance Art" show we saw Sunday, I had a much better attitude about it than usual. The show (at the Queens Museum) has the cumulative effect of somehow getting you excited about taking care of business as a way of living art.

It's as if you were a sanitation worker, and she were saying to you, "Thank you for keeping this city alive."

Sunday, September 18, 2016

48 a new peak

My 48th birthday weekend was as if I had imagined it myself, but better.



A hard lost tennis game to Kevin in the morning.

And then spend the day preparing for party. Around 4:30pm friends come to the park.

And other friends and family. Dexter brings a bottle of Hudson Valley Bourbon. Best bourbon I've ever tasted, with a burnt caramel flavor, wood smoke. Pass it around. Get a magic 8 Ball from one of them, KC Trommer, Lilla brings a peach tort from patisserie, Amy brings a peach pie, Cristina brings fancy snacks and socks, Therese a painting of a hummingbird, Catherine a handle of rum, Nonna and Papa some delicious boursin cheese, Marco oak aged beer, Quinn guitar strings, picks and a pear, Tyler and Karen, wine and a watermelon: and more I'm forgetting suffice to say superabundance.

Strikes me that 3 of the neighborhood friends, Justin, Tyler and KC I also happen to know through poetry circles, Venn Diagram bonanza, friends, parents with kids the same age as ours

Big jazz band plays for an hour. For awhile I throw the giant frisbee into the air so that it comes back to myself, as if I was playing catch with the sky, while dozens of kids swirl around me trying to catch it too.

Then after jazz the Brooklyn Raga Collective plays raga versions of Beatles and Led Zeppelin, with the great Pyeng Threadgill singing. (She's the daughter of jazz great Henry Threadgill who just won a pulitzer!) I danced with Lucia in front of the crowd and she was great. It was the highlight of a night filled with highlights.

Then my favorite new band The Flushing Remonstrance played soundtracks to old experimental films, including George Meliers' Trip To The Moon.

Followed by old Felix The Cat Cartoons. 10pm and the girls are lying on me while we watch cartoons outside with neighbors, friends and family. Perfect warm night with a cool breeze. Full harvest moon! No bugs!

Better than I could've imagined, like when Whitman says, " O public road! I say back, I am not afraid to leave you-yet I love you; You express me better than I can express myselr; You shall be more to me than my poem."

Or when Seamus Heaney says "ANd hat happens next is amusic that you never would have known to listen for."

End the evening drinking port that brother-in-law Matthew brought me from Portugal, Dow special reserve. Best port I've ever had, with distinct flavor of strawberry, raspberry, plum and chocolate. And eating peach tort from patisserie from Lila.

That's the life!

Not to mention lots of love from Genevieve. My favorite.

EDIT:

Friday night watched Popstar: Never stop never stopping" in bed with Gen, loved it.

Sunday, Dobogiallo style doubles tennis tournament in the park (can you believe this park?) as a relief for earthquake in Italy.

Then off to see the opening of Mierle Laderman Ukules at the Queens Museum, thanks to a tip from Noel Black. Gen and I were so tired after epic night at park and doubles tournament that neither of us really wanted to go. But we rallied and so glad we did. So great. So inspiring. And doubly great to meet her! Lucia got an autograph.




My 48th birthday was better than what I could've imagined.

When I blew out my birthday candles it seemed a sacrilege to wish

for anything, for anything beyond the moment itself. I just blew. No wishes...

Friday night watched "Popstar: Never stop never stopping" in bed with Gen. Laughed.

Then a hard lost tennis game to Kevin in the morning. Would rather lose than win.

And then spend the day preparing for party.

Around 4:30pm friends and family come to the Sunnyside Gardens.

Dexter brings a bottle of Hudson Valley Bourbon.

Best bourbon I've ever tasted, with a burnt caramel flavor, wood smoke.

Pass it around. Get a magic 8 Ball from KC Trommer,

Lilla brings a peach tort from patisserie, Amy brings a peach pie,

Cristina brings fancy snacks and socks, Therese a painting of a hummingbird,

Catherine a handle of rum, Nonna and Papa some delicious boursin cheese,

Marco oak aged beer, Quinn guitar strings, picks and a pear,

Tyler and Karen, wine and a watermelon: and more I'm forgetting

suffice to say it was superabundance.

Strikes me that 3 of the neighborhood friends, Justin, Tyler and KC

I also happen to know through poetry circles, Venn Diagram bonanza:

friends, parents with kids the same age as ours and poets. 3!

Just so happens that Flicks and Jazz in the Garden is scheduled on my birthday.

Hard not to take things like this personally. Because it feels personal. 

Big band jazz plays for an hour. Meanwhile I throw a giant frisbee

into the air so it comes back to myself, as if I was playing catch with the sky,

while dozens of kids swirl around me trying to catch it too.

After the big band jazz the Brooklyn Raga Collective plays versions

of Beatles and Led Zeppelin, with the great Pyeng Threadgill singing. 

(She's the daughter of jazz great Henry Threadgill who just won a pulitzer.)

I danced with Lucia in front of the crowd and she was so fantastic!

It was the highlight of a night filled with highlights.

Then my favorite new band The Flushing Remonstrance

played soundtracks to old experimental films,

including George Melies' Trip To The Moon.

Followed by old Felix The Cat Cartoons.

10pm and the girls are both lying on me comfortably

while we watch cartoons outside in the park. Perfect.

A wild Austrian neighborhood kid named Hans is hanging around my neck too.

I hardly know him, but it seems natural, and no one, least me, objects.

It was warm night too, with a cool breeze. Full harvest moon! No bugs!

Yes, better than I could've imagined, like when Whitman says, " O public road!

I say back, I am not afraid to leave you-yet I love you; You express me better

than I can express myself; You shall be more to me than my poem."

The night expressed me better than I could've expressed myself.

Or when Seamus Heaney says "And what happens next is a music

that you never would have known to listen for."
\
We end Saturday evening drinking port that brother-in-law Matthew

brought me by hand from Portugal, Dow special reserve. Best port I've ever had,

with distinct flavor of strawberry, raspberry, plum and chocolate.

Pairing it with Lilla's peach tort. Now that's the life!

Sunday, the weekend extends still further with a Doppio Giallo style doubles

tennis tournament in the park (can you believe this park?)

as a relief for earthquake in Italy. I'm curious what Doppio Giallo means

and Carlo says it means Double Mystery. But isn't Giallo mean yellow

I ask? Carlo says yes, but yellow in Italian also means mystery.

Do you know why I ask? But he doesn't. So now we have a giallo

giallo, why is mystery the color yellow? Afterward off to see the opening

of Mierle Laderman Ukules at the Queens Museum, thanks to a tip

from our friend Noel Black. Gen and I were so tired after epic night at park

and the doubles tournament that neither of us really wanted to go,

but we rallied! And so glad we did. Such a great show. So inspiring.

And doubly great  that we got to meet her! Lucia even got an autograph.

Now thoroughly tired, and pinching myself to see if this a dream I go to sleep.