Fun with Expiration Dates

Happy Wednesday! Looks to be a glorious day out there. Were it not for a headache which has carried over for a few days, t'would be that much more glorious, but. Javier came over last night and helped me set work to the side for a few hours before a night conference call; and now he can be heard stomping around, from this room, to that room, and back again. He is quite happily mobile with his electric razor, so one hears a zzzzzzzzz from the bathroom, to the the kitchen, to the living room.  Zzzzzz, stomp stomp stomp, zzzzzzzz, stomp stomp stomp.

An appearance at the study doorway: "We should drink coffee on your deck, enjoy the sunshine -- well maybe not this morning" and then he is gone, offering a plan and then nixing it, without any fussy need for more input. Luckily his plans often agree with my yet-to-be-formed wishes, so we wind up doing a lot and seeing a lot and sometimes slowing down. Within a few minutes the coffee matter is reconsidered and I am invited to join him on the deck; and then he is off to his morning meeting and I wonder if I can do a wee blog post in ten minutes before showering*...Hmmm. The sun is so treacherous, it feels so healthy and health-giving and yet...

{*No. not even close. why do I always think I can cheat time?}

And yet! Only a couple more days until this next May weekend. Selected for your consideration, a few fine activities that you should catch before they're gone!

1."Hastings Street" -- a play with music, put on by the Mosaic acting troupe, in the Detroit Film Theatre (nestled up against the DIA). I saw the opening last Friday and it was fantastic -- they're polished enough and talented enough to be put head-to-head with adult acting companies. Set in the 40s, in the Black Bottom area of Detroit, which absolutely thrived during the 1940s -- did you realize Duke Ellington played in dance halls here?Check out the photo at The Detroit News and tell me you don't want to go. Second weekend, closes after *this* Sunday! Highly recommended.

2.Circle of Art! -- people have bidding online on artwork for the past month or so -- to simultaneously become art owners AND virtuously donate to Food Gatherers -- But THIS SUNDAY marks the final day -- silent auction for possibly hundreds of pieces, wine,drinks and all manner of delectables outside,bustling, jostling, tons of cool, friendly people who only get cooler as the day draws on. And raffles, usually! Along the lines of Zingerman's, some fabulous cherry things, who-knows-what all tied up in wicker baskets and sealed from troublesome fingers by crackly clear plastic. Possibly you could win a llama, or miniature giraffe or a manatee. WHO KNOWS. You certainly won't, if you don't go. People in the know play their little holding-off games, hovering around pieces to place the final bids on coveted items, moments before the final call (which falls shortly before 5 PM).

Here's where I'd share the link to my first-ever printmaking mobile, but alas, the link doesn't work, so I'll just reshare a recent photo.  Here's the general Circle background-- and here's a tiny sampling -- John Copley, Jan Ruvido Stebbins, Mike Hahn, and OMG check out this lovely pen and ink fox drawing by local highschool junior Vivyan Zheng! See also: Valerie Mann, Mariette Van Buhler, Lynne Yates (Ephemeral Books).  Starting at noon, you can pop in, stay awhile, stay as long as you want! Well, not really. At the end, they're all "You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here." Which, fine, they have been working long, long hours for the past 6 weeks at least, to bring the grand event to pass. So: this Sunday, noon to 5. Bring a can or two of food for Food Gatherers. Saline.

7641 N. Ann Arbor Street
Saline, MI 48176
(734)429-3352 phone

 3. Van Gogh's Bedroom in Arles has been a distinguished guest at the DIA since February, but you haven't seen it yet, have you? Next weekend, next weekend, next weekend. Silliness. It leaves May 28th: the time draws nigh, people. It's usually in Paris, so not like you'll be crossing paths with it. Unless you have a much cooler life than I do.

4.5. Bonus links: I grow more and more fond of Jimmy Fallon. Here he is, doing a smattering of impressions of other comedians. And this one, ohhh, I love this one! Rufus + Ben Folds, doing a perfect cover. Best to watch a few times.

6. And you thought this was going to be about food poisoning, or old, old Rx's, didn't you? Playing with fire. Salmonella hides in the dents, online friends. Unused commas: so misleading.