life goes on...

Last night GA and I went to the closing film of the Sarasota Film Festival - "I'll See You in My Dreams" - a wonderful film (written by a 30 year old) about aging and love and risk and losing.  It was excellent and a perfect way to end the festival- just the right note.  Surprising things happen in the film that were very true to life... shit happens - good and bad - just like in life. And life goes on. Both for Blythe in the film and for us after being immersed for a week in alternative perspectives and visions brought to us in the vast variety of films in the festival.

so a very clear thumbs up for Blythe and the film - watch for it... funny, touching, a sensitive view of the aging process and widowhood....

After the film we grabbed a bite to eat and then crashed because we were up early this morning for breakfast before the museum opened to finally see RE-PURPOSED and FAN-tastic two exhibitions I had been meaning to see at the Ringling for months!

my personal favorites were this "mirror" which mirrored the movements of the viewers in front of it-
the set of three "dolls" (one shown below) and the incredibly evocative "tent/gathering place" shown in the third photo below-

we had to walk through the museum to see the exhibits and so a few things caught my eye along the way-

here are just a couple of photos from the FAN exhibit- which we both loved!

then in between RE-PURPOSED and the FAN exhibit was this totally weird exhibit that neither GA nor I could begin to understand about an alternative world with two kinds of creatures- and these guys were one kind...LOL I think these were the good ones- LOL

so then we headed quickly back to the parking lot so GA could head south for lunch with her friend and a couple more films at the SFF and I could head home for an hour or so before leaving for my play - at the (new to me) Forida Studio Theater. Today's performance is Chapatti-

so I will report back on that later- but the SFF is over and done for 2015 and life goes on... now a week of work around the house and then the journey north for the summer months!

the ladies of the ring

when I was a little girl, my grandfather took us (my sister and I) to the circus every year. I don't remember much about it except that there was a lot of stuff happening while we were there and that I got a double balloon with a clear outside and a blue "mickey-style" head inside the clear exterior balloon.  I was easily amused in those days I guess- LOL...

however, despite not having been to the circus for many decades (with one single exception when a friend's daughter was young enough to enjoy it without irony or cynicism) I still am fascinated by the reality of the circus - the logistics, the hype, the personalities, etc...

my beloved grandfather (beloved by all, not just by my sister and me) was in marketing and PR... he was artistic and had a great love for art in all its forms and all its levels.  he was the one who would spend hours with us in the art museum and discuss various artists with us- seeking our opinions and thoughts as if every child of single digit age should be consulted on these matters.  in short- my grandfather did not take himself too seriously but took us very seriously. I think this might be the perfect formula for being a grandparent.

when I read recently that the Circus Museum was featuring an exhibit called "The Ladies of the Ring" I thought it might be a good time to revisit some part of my youth...

From the materials promoting the exhibit:
From flying through the air to being suspended high above the ring by nothing but the strength of their jaws and from catapulting from a teeter board to shooting out of a cannon, women have participated in every circus act imaginable. The lovely ladies of the ring were prime material for advertising with posters illustrating their incredible performances, their classic beauty, and the evolving social construction of femininity in American society.

so off I went yesterday - on a glorious sunny, blue sky, Sunday afternoon to see the exhibit.  And ladies I did see-

(detail from above)

look closely- at this daring feat! described as a "fearless frolic with fate"

the detailed description- LOL

in one of the kid-centric areas I found this sign which was so well illustrated by the verbiage on the posters above- LOL

this was the magnetic board where you could put your own Headlines of Hyperbole!-

a section of the touted mural in the entrance to the Circus Museum- called the "greatest show on earth"-

the original meaning of the phrase bandwagon - illustrated -

notice the kitty on this performer's dress-

but the main attraction in this building was definitely the model circus- the 3,800 square foot Howard Bros. Circus Model, a 44,000-piece re-creation of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus combined shows from 1919-1938

here are just a few photos of this amazing model- which really gives the sense of the incredible size and importance of the circus in the era between the wars-

a worthy foray into the circus museum- for the exhibit - and for me a nice way to bring back fond memories of my "Pop Pop" -