VSG Maintenance Group
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Well ****
Just lost my post which contained an absolutely brilliant summary of my opinions on art. I was a studio art major in college and took a lot of art history as well. When I went to law school I was advised by faculty not to put my undergrad major on my resume. It worked out. I have expansive views about what is art and it is indeed in the eye of the beholder. I like all types and see value in all kinds of things. I agree on the Gertrude Stein type of arrangement. Each piece should stand on its own and not just be a component in a decorator arrangement. The more the better.
Being in a gallery and studio there are lots of discussions. I get impatient with the art snob types who have distain for ceramics or fabric art and such. It's all good. I think art history IS history and political history should be taught blended with art and social history. So there.
DD hope you can take more art history. It's so fun. And Ann love the idea of you living in attic with microwave. Pretend it's a garret in Paris.
Not much here. Did my waddling at the gym listening to my favorite music - Motown. Almost masked the sound of grunts and weight drops.
Deli sandwich tonight. One sandwich is plenty for both of us. DH got the dogs walked.
Liz we are Key West dreaming.
Cheers all. Better post this before it disintegrates. Diane S
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That is the plan for January 2026. I lived there as an exchange student when I was 18, and have kept in contact with my host family and friends, and visited a few times. I love them and Brazil so much, and now DH does too. I am ecstatic that this is a very, very real possibility. I just applied for a Delta Credit card to get the 70,000 points. That won't quite cover the ticket, but it will get me a good part of the way.
Yes, apply for your passports NOW. You never know when a good deal will show up. When AerLingus started flying out of Minneapolis they had incredible deals to Dublin, but wawa, work. :( Delta opened a direct route to Mexico City a few years ago, and we jumped on that: $250 round trip!!! Typically $500-700. Or cruises, if you can be flexible like retired people often can, you can get great fire sale deals, but you're going to need a passport :)
Thanks, DD and Paula, for taking the art conversation a little further. I appreciate learning more about your approaches to finding and enjoying beautiful expressions of this thing we call life. It's a universal human instinct, I think, to value beauty so highly, however we define it.
ANN 5'5", AGE 74, HW 235.6 (BMI 39.2), SW 216, GW 150, CW 132, BMI 22
POUNDS LOST: Pre-op -20, M1 -10, M2 -11, M3 -10, M4 -10, M5 -7, M6 -5, M7 -6, M8 -4, M9 -4,
NEXT 10 MOS. -12, TOTAL -100 LBS.
I definitely have an appreciation for art but have very little "real" art in our home. I remember going to a local art fair in my 20's and falling in love with a tree sculpted out of brass. It was a bit over $200 which was A Lot of money for me at the time. I found a way to scrounge up the money and purchased it. It found a place in every apartment and home I ever lived in and now has a home in DS2's apartment. He has great sense of design and has a very eclectic art display! A patient once made me a very cool vase and DS2 will take ownership of that too. I bought a very nice piece of pottery at an art fair in Sarasota last year with the plan to decorate our new FL residence with it. I've decided to make a beach/tropical nook in our bedroom since we are staying in WI. Just ordered shells and starfish to fill the pottery bowl and ordered coral and bigger shells to sit on shelves.
5' 4" tall, HW: 242, SW:215.4 Weight Loss - pre-op: - 26.6, M1: -15.4, M2: -16, M3: -11.4, M4: -11.2, M5: -12.2, M6: -7.4, M7: -7.8, M8: -2.0 Goal of 130 lbs. reached at 8 months, 2 days post-op!
Have fun in Key West Liz! That?s an area of FL I want to get to!
138.5. Same. I think I will go back to injections twice a week starting next week but will stay at the total weekly dose of 5 mg until I hit goal.
I think my character development class at church will be very good. It is a small group by design (6 students and two leaders). I think we will be digging deep and there will be lots of sharing of our lives.
I?m not quite back on WI time. A 6:30 wake up was too early today. I tried to nap today but Emma dog was up and down and all around being needy.
Our favorite Costco rotisserie chicken with homemade mashed potatoes and gravy for dinner. It?s becoming Sunday regular!
5' 4" tall, HW: 242, SW:215.4 Weight Loss - pre-op: - 26.6, M1: -15.4, M2: -16, M3: -11.4, M4: -11.2, M5: -12.2, M6: -7.4, M7: -7.8, M8: -2.0 Goal of 130 lbs. reached at 8 months, 2 days post-op!
How did I miss that you were spending a month in Brazil? When are you going? Note to self, get that damn passport!
5' 4" tall, HW: 242, SW:215.4 Weight Loss - pre-op: - 26.6, M1: -15.4, M2: -16, M3: -11.4, M4: -11.2, M5: -12.2, M6: -7.4, M7: -7.8, M8: -2.0 Goal of 130 lbs. reached at 8 months, 2 days post-op!
Troll in Chief! 
Love it.
5' 4" tall, HW: 242, SW:215.4 Weight Loss - pre-op: - 26.6, M1: -15.4, M2: -16, M3: -11.4, M4: -11.2, M5: -12.2, M6: -7.4, M7: -7.8, M8: -2.0 Goal of 130 lbs. reached at 8 months, 2 days post-op!
My parents and in laws grew up poor also, but did well! I celebrate anyone's hard work and perseverance to change their economic situation. I had a front row sea****ching the hard work as my parents prospered. I did not prosper in the same way financially for my own reasons, but I am rich in many, many ways and am very satisfied with my life. Probably too much explanation, but I don't want anyone to think that I begrudge them their hard earned success. But it is also true, I do love encouraging people to "buy it". :)
My benefactor Aunt is the one who has has given me many pieces, and she is a true collector. She bought me my first piece of real art when I was 18, and she was visiting me in Brazil. It was a watercolor of a historic building where we had dinner one night. When she really got into the art world, she was working with an art dealer who brought a piece to her attention. My Aunt liked if but wondered if it would go with her decor. The dealer said, you need to decide, are you going to be decorator or a collector? Either is fine, but I need to know. My Aunt ultimately decided to be a collector, and I love her collection so much. Each eclectic piece has some of her energy. She also made decisions to support diverse groups of artists. And I don't know how she does it, but she has these diverse pieces that speak to her displayed throughout her home (also not gallery style), some sculptures and textiles thrown in the mix, and it all works. I love to walk through her home and visit my favorite pieces when I am visiting her.
I must say from the sampling of art I've seen amongst our tribe, there is an abundance of good taste!
I took one class in Art History in college. I'm hoping to take it again when I am retired. The U of M allows senior citizens to audit classes for $10. :)
DD, I'm happy you have art you love however you came by it. Unfortunately, art wasn't part of my family tradition. Truth is, for a kid who grew up eating squirrel for dinner (Daddy and his .22 rifle made sure we had animal protein every night, no matter how he got it), I've been luckier financially than I dreamed and gradually able to indulge my love for art.
I do wish I had received a stronger art appreciation education earlier. At this late phase of life I especially wish I'd learned to appreciate not only representational pieces, but more abstract imaginings. Nonetheless, I do not care for homes or galleries filled with what I think of as monster-sized "designer art" of monochromatic abstracts that dictate or conform with the colors of the furnishings and draperies. Rooms that really speak to me are those in which the art surprises and even conflicts with a nearby piece.
This is a great subject. And speaking of art, I look forward to seeing pix of CC's latest acquisition when it's installed.
ANN 5'5", AGE 74, HW 235.6 (BMI 39.2), SW 216, GW 150, CW 132, BMI 22
POUNDS LOST: Pre-op -20, M1 -10, M2 -11, M3 -10, M4 -10, M5 -7, M6 -5, M7 -6, M8 -4, M9 -4,
NEXT 10 MOS. -12, TOTAL -100 LBS.
I love to spend other people's money. I think you should buy even more art, and rotate your collection!
Buying real art has not been a financial possibility for us, BUT, we have some beautiful pieces that have been passed down from family who could. They bring so much pleasure. So you should buy some more and feed the artists and your soul. :)
