Art & Life for July 2005

Photo of the Month

Summertime and the living is easy, the dogs are jumpin' and the water is nice…

Oh the humanity of it all…

This month's featured humanity is Language:

My friend Jay sent a call out to share our favourite words. Here's the list I sent back.

Top Five Favourite Words

Snacks - What an incredibly fun word to say! The "sn" simply slips off the tongue, there's a little bit of an exciting glottal stop with the "ck", and then it comes full circle back to that lovely "ssssss" sound that started the whole thing!  Perfection! Also, the word "snacks" holds infinite promise and possibility. What kind of snacks? Hot? Cold? Salty? Sweet? 

Verve - Enthusiasm and spirit with style - that's what this means to me. To boot, it's just so thrilling to say. I must admit, I've got a soft spot for double V words, which is a wonderful segue to…

Convivial - I must admit that I tend to overuse this one. It's got the double V thing goin' on, and it so aptly describes an atmosphere and certain festivity.

Horrid - Stronger than its cousin "horrible", it expresses deep revulsion. The exhaust of the "ho" has an element of onomatopoeia, similar to an exhale of disgust, and then the word gets the speaker to grimace slightly with the "rrid" sound near the end. How many words can do that, I ask?!

Home - One syllable perfection. So simple. So easy to say. Imbued with a wealth of meaning unique to each person who says it. 

Wine of the Month

Domaine de Chatenoy Menetou-Salon 2002
There were so many great wines this month it was very difficult to narrow it down to one. While the Domaine des Huards 2002 Cheverny gets honourable mention simply for some interesting tasting notes -"It's like an explosion in my mouth - but in a good way." And "It tastes nothing like it smells, and I think that is important for people to know."-  it was agreed that the Menetou-Salon was a perfect bone-dry Sauvignon Blanc with a lovely citrus flavour. As one astute guest said, "It has the sophistication of a French wine, but the innovation of the New Zealand wines."
$24.00 4.5/5 stars.

For red drinkers - try Villa Cafaggio's Chianti Classico Vendemmia 2002. It also got 4.5/5 stars and is priced at around $25.00. There were ooohs and ahhhhs for its sumptuous ruby red colour and "plumy goodness with a hint of coffee" It's a refreshingly light red for the summer. As an aperatif, pair it with some homemade bruschetta and with dinner it goes well with veal piccata.

Cool Sites for Wasting Time

Free Katie
I can't quite explain why I am so fascinated by this increasingly strange Tom Cruise behaviour, but I am. Perhaps it has something to do with jumping on sofas, or shaking his finger a poor, ol' Matt Lauer and proclaiming, "You don't know the history of psychiatry. I do." As my Mum would say, "Very Oh-Dee-Dee!"
Pedals and Paint
Abandoned bikes are the bane of cities everywhere, but a group of Torontonians have started an innovative way to "visually liberate neglected vehicles."
Jesus the Monster Truck
I'm speechless.

Stuff That Disturbs Me

After several conversations, I realized that I have lists of things that bother me that seem a little longer than your average bear. So, here are a few, however, I want to hear from YOU, yes YOU! What are your pet peeves? Send them to me and next month I will feature "Stuff that Disturbs People"! So, without further ado...

Red shoes. White pants after Labour Day. People who are rude to waiters. People who drive Hummers and BMWs. People who take a perfectly good noun and turn it into a verb. (I know it is generally accepted, but I can't stand "strategizing" - a popular corporate buzz word) People who have lame handshakes. I could go on…but it is probably best to stop here.

Stuff I Love

This month? This month I am grooving on:

• Benjamin Biolay's Négatif
• Santropol's organic Montréalaise coffee
• Homemade bruschetta - Borysa you are a goddess!!
• I don't know if "grooving" is the right word, but if these summer months have you feeling too darned happy, just pick up Primo Levi's The Drowned and the Saved, a series of essays based on the author's own experience in Auschwitz.
  

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