This is what happens when you spend a whole weekend with Cynthia listening to BLONDIE day and night. Watching videos of Blondie singing live in Europe...Atomic, Denis, One way or Another...Sunday Girl. It might also have something to do with discovering my VHS copy of FOXES with Cheri Currie as well. Hmmm. So far I am discovering that Blondes DO have more fun. I was dubious but I do feel more rebellious. Normally when I do things at the hair salon NO ONE even notices, but not this time. This one has stirred up some responses, my mother for instance said "hmmm, I don't think I like it" haha. A few friends have said they LOVE it and a few have said..."missing L.A. that much?" Ouch. Oh well...I'd rather be sporting crazy hair that provokes such dialogue then my old faithful hair.
might have to invest in some more black eye liner?
First of all, you have to just throw away all of the thoughts in your head that are saying..."it can't be done in two days". And then relax and just go for it. Here's how it all went down for us, first we drove downtown to find a wedding band for him. We walked around the jewelry district and ate cafeteria style at Cliftons. Then I went to Golyester where my friend Laura works and tried on lots and lots of dresses. I found a pretty 1930's lace dress with potential and bought it. I found Justin a spring grey jacket (he wanted to wear his shorts). We drove to East L.A. to get the marriage license. That was probably the hardest part of the process, and took 2 hours.
Lucky for me, I have amazing friends & family who are super talented in sewing/designing, floral arranging, catering, BBQing, decorating, and planning a party within 24 hours! The cake above was from local bakery Delilah's, RED VELVET with exotic wild flowers that Fran stuck on top
here I am the night before getting the dress fitted!
here's the PRE- wedding pictures- (the early re-designing the dress stages) My friend Danielle and I went down to my friend Niki's studio, where the original dress was cut up and some FLAIR was added. Niki and I originally started the Show Pony together out of our messy apartments...and 10 years ago we used to sew clothes on ourselves and wear them for funny photo shoots.
this picture above was captured right before niki and I shared a teary eyed- John Hughes wedding moment. There was this exciting moment where we both felt like we knew someday we would be doing this, working on a dress together again.
my pal Laura Kranitz made me an awesome headpiece to wear to the wedding
I ran off to the Eagle Rock Macys to snag a pair of sparkly silver shoes (don't ask me why...just had one hour before the ceremony to find something for my feet!)
With hardly any time to spare we told our friends who live nearby to swing by if they wanted to witness our vows at 5! Our friend Jeaneen's mother drove in to officiate the ceremony.
the VOWS: click on image to watch them (only took 10 minutes )
signing the important papers to become the new MRS. H! Sweet
Tossing the bouquet! My friend Kathryn caught it (after the second try, cause my first throw landed in the rose bushes)
the groom made a batch of his special BBQ ribs, which were a huge HIT! They vanished in no time at all
Cutting the CAKE!
click on image to watch the cake cutting LIVE
I couldn't have asked for a magical amazing wedding day. The entire thing was completely stress free. My friends helped make food, arrange flowers, and even apply some makeup on me. Almost every aspect was natural and effortlessly easy. My only regret would be that I didn't have some of my favorite people in attendance...like family and my best guy friend Kutmah (who has been dealing with an awful deportation drama) It took all my strength to not break down into tears at the alter when the minister mentioned taking a moment of silence for all the people who have passed or are unable to be with us on our special day. Justin (Kutmah) McNulty is my oldest pal here in L.A. and he's like a brother to me. We all gave him a toast.
So it's official, I am a married woman! It's been so nice becoming part of a team.I promise to share some of the pics from our adventure out to Joshua Tree next.
Ohio is so amazing! That's right, those are real live turkeys in the trees! Pretty polka dotted creatures roaming the Ohio landscape. Mr. H (fiance) and I flew into Cleveland May 3 for the formal family introductions. We were super excited for the warm windy weather and my sister's Alpaca farm.
These furry creatures are so darn cute! It's surreal standing next to them. They remind me of lambchop the puppet.
Did I mention that when we arrived in the driveway we were greeted by my sister's GIANT great dane dog!? He is the size of a small Shetland pony and has a funny leaning fetish. Which translates to slowly pushing you back until you almost tip over. His name is Brutus and he also loves bucking like a bronco in the yard tearing up stuffed animals. Which explains the snow like cotton remnants strewn all over the front yard.
We decided to explore the backyard (6 acres of lovely terrain including a pond, a bridge over a creek and lots of spooky trails) Of course no one warned us about the "TICKS" until it was too late and everyone had a few new friends clinging to their flesh.
my niece Sedona took us to the horse farm where she rides. She adores horses in that amazing 14 year old girl way.
First night in town we decided to go bowling. Everyone was doing pretty well, strikes all around
I love my sister and niece so much! It was so fun going out with them
Sedona and I used the signature Grannystyle bowl between the legs. I got a strike doing it! She got yelled at by the bowling alley attendant for crossing the line. So serious about bowling there
The next day was pretty epic, the weather was super duper hot in downtown Cleveland where we met up with my dad a.k.a. Padre Ron to see an Indians Baseball game. We had rad seats super close to the first base. I realized that people in Cleveland really like to drink in the daytime. Hard for me to keep up
my dad bought us both a Cleveland sports shirt ( I was gonna get the Cleveland is major one...but opted for a metallic gold LeBron James MVP one)
while in downtown Cleveland, I decided to call 411 and see if my old high school pal Tommy was listed. An hour later he showed up and it was as if no time at all has passed. He once took me to the Prom as a friend (he wore Converse and I wore big heavy metal hair). He was also the guy that helped me steal my mother's car out of her work parking lot . We drove all the way to Chicago so that I could see my boyfriend. Which resulted in a major grounding from my father.
notice how my fiance and my father have opposite skin tones-- my father is sort of the George Hamilton of Ohio
Notice the sweet looking faces that my nephews have, and don't be fooled. These lil demons are all about putting gum in my hair, breaking things and killing butterflies. (in his defense, he said that butterfly "was a bad one") They also like to hide out in the center of bushes. If I was ever considering children, this trip may have been the dealbreaker
Mr. H and I were super excited to road trip to Columbus to see my art school pal Danielle and her family. It was nice having someone to share the ride with and to point out things on the road that are cool. Considering I have driven this route a zillion times when I was a student.
We went on a quick tour of all the amazing streets I used to live on in Victorian Village and then explored German village
DANIELLE! We must have seemed obnoxious to my fiance, because we were up to our old art school chatty prankster selves, and HAD to visit all of our old haunts and hallways from college days. to put it mildly we are sort of like a Laurel and HArdy/ Laverne and Shirley duo.
Our art school advisor and teacher happened to be roaming the art wing as well!
This crazy hair sculpture reminded me of my old art work. The teacher above once said to me..."I think someday you will be famous, either for your art or for being a serial killer" nice?
here's me in the old elevator from the art building. Back when we were in school, it was coated in gravity, dripping in paint and seedy lighting. My how things have cleaned up over here
Danielle's son Lucas wanted to have a Beatles JAM session with Uncle Justin. They rocked out some Nirvana too. this rad 4 year old actually requested for his mom to put "Joy Division" in and play song #9 (love will tear us apart...)
this whole trip we got to "try out" what being a family with kids feels like. It has some perks. Like getting to order the kid size homemade icecream at Jeni's. This place in the short north arts district has the most unique and incredible flavors & DELIVERS! Check out the website H E R E
We went into this cool Vintage shop on High Street called Mad 4 Mod Vintage
They had rooms and rooms of vintage things to wear and for decorating
they have an ebay store with the same name.
we went up to the new USED KIDS RECORDS to spy some cool local music and flyers
Our pal Joel from the music scene- who has an online music zine called CRINGE
the entire two days in Columbus went by fast, probably because the high 80 temp and swirling tornado winds made it exciting.
(notice the above photo has a photo effect called "magazine" setting--or as I like to call it...we somehow made your face look amazing )
Here's me and the Mr. in front of the Blue Danube Greek Restaurant mural. Back in the day I spent most of my time playing songs on the juke box and eating greek salad (occasionally playing pinball)
I totally forgot that O.S.U. is really a town of 20 year olds! We did our best to fit in The next day (fighting some tough hangovers) we went over to my Uncle's house to meet up with the "Buzz" side of the family. It was so nice seeing my cousin and her family and watching all of the blonde boys (there were like five of them under the age of 9) race around the house tearing the place apart. The adults were so busy chatting that on occasion we would remember to check up on them, and find them playing games such as: Try to hold onto the stairs while the rest of us push you down them, and lay a rubber raft across two twin beds and try to cross it without falling (or breaking an arm on the dresser) My favorite moment was when the house had gotten quiet and we noticed all 5 boys racing around the freezing wet grass without shoes. If this is parenting, sign me up! Just like the old days when our parents let us explore without them. If you wiped out in my childhood days my mom would say, Well why on Earth would you do that anyways? or "That's what you get..."
Are little boys destined to break some limbs before adulthood? What funny games they play at that age
notice how the adults avoid the kid activity?
This was no ordinary Saturday, this also marked the first weekend following my mother's breast cancer surgery...& my father and mother being in the same place voluntarily as friends. It used to be War of the Roses back then, so progress is always appreciated. there was a lot of snacking going on (especially in Dylan's world) Every time we turned around he had somehow managed to score another tasty treat from the fridge or cupboard. But he was so adorable with his innocent big eyes, that we never refused him.
kids love Uncle J
Plastic lids are way more fun when you are this age.
my father remarried and has two boys, so now I am the way more older sister. My kid brother says he prefers to be called "bug boy" and carries around his encyclopedia of insects. My sister (the tomboy) was the exact same way.
After all the festivities, Mr. H and went back to our luxurious hotel room. He decided to swim in the pool for a little bit. When I joined him there was a guy in the hot tub nearby. As we left to go back to our room, we noticed he had run up to the glass to check us out. Down the hall we noticed he was briskly following us. I have seen enough Unsolved Mysteries and Law and Order to sniff out a weirdo. We entered the room and I figured that was the end of him. But while I was in the bathroom, he knocked on the door (dripping wet in his boxer shorts and shaking) He asked J "hey do you guys wanna hang out for a minute?" To which J replied, "no thanks" and shut the door. He then heard a door slam nearby. I was sort of freaked out by the encounter and told him to warn the front desk lady that this guest seemed "on something". When he mentioned that a guest staying in our wing knocked on the door, she replied "Um Sir you guys are the only guests down that wing". We decided we wanted to switch rooms. The police were notified and we had to meet them in the lobby. To be honest I was terrified to carry all my stuff down that long hallway (think The Shining). The cops said they knew exactly who it was based on our description and said he was a mentally ill man who often knocks on hotel doors and disturbs guests. Later that night we heard he came back and the cops set up a sting and arrested him. The whole strange incident added a weird Hollywood element to the Ohio trip
aside from the hotel weirdo, this was a totally fun getway! I forgot how fun it can be running around a yard, driving on a highway lined with tall trees and hugging your family and friends. Mr. H seemed to fall in love with all the same things I adore in this underdog city. I miss this place and the people that I grew up with. It was so nice being able to introduce my future mate to old friends. It's like no time has passed when we start talking and reminiscing.
Sometimes it takes a trip to someplace where it's raining, windy and grey to appreciate the things sparkling outside of your window every single day.
Despite the wicked wind storm in Seattle, I had an amazing vacation from L.A.! I went to meet the rest of my fiance's family and see his favorite haunts. While packing I innocently asked, "should I bring a jacket?" He laughed and said it was as cold as it can be without actually snowing. I ended up getting a crazy stomach flu on day 2, and could barely stand...let alone drink, eat or walk about. But ever the trooper, I managed to make it through the weekend and even politely ate a slab of lasagna. Being someplace new and seeing tons of pics of your future husband when he was a little kid was definitely worth it!
Seeing my future father-in-law's Rubik's Cube collection was pretty RAD.He plays a ton of instruments and watches 90210 (in support ) His wife took me around Olympia's antique malls and Shipwreck Beads (a bead store about 4 football fields long!) Playing Scrabble, eating Rhubarb pie and playing with his sister's baby was exactly what I needed to take my mind off all the things I have to do back in L.A.
On day 3, when I was really feeling bulldozed by my stomach flu cramps, my fiance decided to stay up with his old bandmate and drink wine + vodka + whiskey + scotch and level the playing field. We both woke up Easter Sunday with the same pain. When I asked him if there was anything that I could get him he simply mumbled "how about a time machine?"
I also forgot to mention that on our drive from the airport into Seattle, we heard Nirvana's Smells like Teen Spirit (right as we rounded the bend and first caught site of the space needle. I was blown away til later when I found out that its actually played every 11 minutes on that station
I almost forgot my rad Seattle Storm souvenir mug that he and his sis gave me upon landing in the airport! This thing can hold about 2.5 cups of super strong Seattle Coffee. I can't wait to take him home to OHIO and introduce him to my family!
Just booked my flight to Seattle to visit the Fiance's family! Can't wait to check out all the places that my man has talked about for ages. It's going to be nice to finally get out of L.A. and be officially UNABLE to be reached by work and stress
For some reason I have been thinking a lot about wearing a fun short wedding dress. Even though I am probably running off and getting hitched to an audience of one...it's still nice to have some formality to the whole operation. My main wishes for the big day are
1. be someplace that makes me feel inspired and calm
2. Be comfortable with whatever the scene is
3. Be in the moment, and able to take it all in
4. Be wearing something that I can add my own flair too
Overall, I am just elated to have found such a great guy who I can imagine spending all my days and nights with. Sometimes when he does something silly or obnoxious, he looks over and says, better get used to this, you have 40 years of it ahead. Um, I plan on living to like 99, so actually it's a whole lot longer than that.
I have no idea how people plan these things down to the last detail. I really just don't want to make it a nightmare fiasco. I just want to wander off to the desert like a gypsy and run around having fun wearing a dress dragged through dust. Giant ridiculous colorful real flowers in my hair and something sparkly somewhere on my torso. Open to lots of non traditional or traditional wedding suggestions.
Mr. H has not only popped the question, but delivered the best everlasting ring! WOW, can't believe this gypsy ring is on my hand. Even though we have no idea when we will get hitched, it's pretty mesmerizing to glance down at this sparkling thing (knowing it's from the early 1800's and survived many many years) All of my fab friends have been sending me awesome links to cool wedding sites and blogs. The t.v. show I am working on will wrap this week and go on hiatus and then I will finally have a chance to breathe, take it all in, relax, blog more often and unpack. Then hopefully take long walks (praying for more sunshine) and plan for fun springtime adventures.
this style of ring is from the Georgian period- a little back story on that influence: Unlike jewelry of the Victorian and later periods, Georgian jewelry always involves some hand-craftsmanship on the part of the lapidaries of the era. These jewels were made before the Industrial Revolution of the 1840s, and the crafting of pieces were very labor-intensive.
It is not unusual to see tool marks on the backs and findings of Georgian jewels, and all of the stones, were set by hand.
The Georgian Era was from 1714 until 1836. This era of time was named after England’s kings, George I, II, & III. During this time period, the aristocratic and wealthy people wore all kinds of jewels and this practice was not reserved for the ladies only.
open to good ideas for how to plan an easy way to elope!
New Year's Eve started with a spicy Szechuan Chinese Dinner. So many plates of hot and molten peppercorn dishes! Our faces were red, mouths on fire...and loopy from the spice.
We spent New Year's Eve the same way we want to spend the rest of the year, laughing and eating and joking around. Somehow after these photos were taken we managed to drink wine (on top of all that spicy food) and I gave him a new haircut with rusty old dull scissors. I didn't think it turned out half bad considering I have zero skills in the styling dept. He seemed to think that I was trying to make him look more like Jim from "The Office". Hey that's never a terrible thing. For old times sake I made him watch the ball drop with Dick Clark. Spending an evening at home instead of going out might make us old timey, but we don't mind. I am ready to ease into a new year without a hangover.
Our photo pal Taylor Brittenham came by last week to take our Xmas card picture! We were both straight from work and exhausted (as you can tell from our weary faces!) We had planned on having the cats in our laps for the family photo but alas they were "not" having it. We finally moved everything from the old apartment into our new home and it feels amazing.
the new camera arrived and wow it delivers the best pics. All you have to do is aim at something, press it halfway and it magically recognizes what you are taking a pic of. for example this rose in the backyard: above is the "Boy's Club room" Notice the Man couch that Mr. H bought for his T.V. room? What is it with men and leather? I have to admit it's a comfy couch. Georgie spends most of his time down there in the den of slack.
the new yard is so amazing to me, I can't believe the view from our window
Christmas dinner was sort of a Flintstones Cave meal. We had slow cooked ribs, hot pot crab, cabbage salad, potatoes and organic carrots, and homemade bread pudding! It was a small cozy affair. Mr. H made us all spike egg nog drinks that practically knocked me out. Georgie Boy has been exceptionally cuddle lately. Totally a lap cat. He follows us everywhere and then curls up and naps.
Today Mr. H and I went on a nice hike around the park to try and work off the damage we did last night. To be honest it might take 6 more long hikes to accomplish that.
these are the last pictures I took from my old apartment in the Delmore (home since 2000) I happened to notice that you can almost spy my new house from way up there. I have always admired the row of palm trees on the hill and the way the sunsets highlight their beauty. Now I am fortunate to call that same street home. I regret to say that my Leica Camera #2 was in a tragic car door slamming accident. Alas another one bites the dust. So if I plan on blogging during the holidays...I best surrender to purchasing yet another digital camera. When will I learn that cameras are a fragile friend. Never to be shoved in pockets unprotected. Anyway...cherish these last rounds of pics from my faithful friend-mr. Leica 2.
that is some regal kitty huh? MR. Georgie Boy pre- Friday super shave. He now has a serious lions cut (complete with dumb pom pom poodle tail) Largent keeps biting and taunting him for his ridiculous style. I wish I could show you how funny he looks at the moment. He is sitting along side me (like a person) as I watch t.v....with his poof face and furry boots.
I had a magical Thanksgiving celebration with my friends at their new fairy tale story book house. I wish that my camera wasn't broken...because I have so many things I would love to photograph and blog about!! Alas- must figure out a new plan asap
funny,just the other day I watched the news and they were telling people during the holidays to keep their GPS systems out of view while Xmas shopping. They also recommended not keeping home addresses programed into them...so the crooks also won't rob your home. I thought about it, and kept mine down under my seat. They also reported that shopping bags should be kept out of view at all times- locked away in the trunk. So I started shoving work bags under the seat and folding over the top
But ALAS...they still got me good. The city came and asked me to move my car from my safe little drive the other day. They were tearing down a neighbor's dead tree. I of course obliged and moved it 250 feet around the corner (near the park) The rest of that scenario is grim. Add a little early sunset and then POW--crime. They took everything, the GPS my boyfriend bought me, phone charger, EVERY single c.d. that anyone ever made me (including Valley Girl Soundtrack-and misc. pals mixed tracks. I mean who wants home made discs super scratched of Bat for Lashes where only the first 5 songs play? They scored big, took off with 2 bags of rental returns from the show- (including an Urban Outfitters giant bag filled with new clothes with tags), my favorite vintage white hat with huge feather, random art work, sketch pads- and who knows what else? I feel so bummed and violated and can't stop replaying how I could've prevented this. I did all the right things and yet they still decided to break in. It's always been those "shoulda woulda coulda" thing that have driven my ocd nuts. I replay the details like...if I just would've left for the bank a little sooner... or if I just would have left that thing at work... WHY didn't I take my favorite jewelry out of the glove box?
It's not like any of it matters now. I'm just in need of a good therapist perhaps to cope with the losses. I can only hope that the criminals are looking fierce walking around the streets of Echo PArk and somehow clutching their sides from the karma cramps.
But REALLY... what do I care? I just had the nicest Thanksgiving holiday regardless and I'am not gonna let this silly crime get me down. Because I have a magical news flash coming your way- and a spring in my step that is unstoppable! This is going to be the best SPRING break of all time. And for now some good hints for my darling blog readers...
there is nothing better than spending a day off from work lounging on sand reading a funny book. The beach was hopping this Labor day! The water was as warm as bath water, and the waves were HUGE and salty hair is the best. I was sort of terrified to get into a bathing suit, it's been ages. But after reading the intro to Simon Doonan's book Eccentric Glamour I was liberated and wished I had brought along a giant hat or turban and massive star sunglasses. He states: "eccentric glamour! Create it, grab it, feel it...be it and do so knowing that even if you walk down the street wearing a gold leotard with your lesbian aunt Sylvia's mauve fanny pack cinching your midriff, nobody is judging you. Some people may not even notice you. MOST people will be enjoying you!"
and this goes with my own theory tis better to be dressed insane and kooky than dull or ordinary. Damn why didn't I wear that 70's bikini with the zany animals all over it? This is how I want my beach set up to be next time...sorry for the sideways image- too lazy and weary to use photoshop xoxo
After drinking a really strong salty margarita I then saw a sideways elvis outside the bar. I hope I didn't imagine him- and took this pic as proof
Mr H. said hello 4th floor heatwave...goodbye pretty boy fancy hair last night.
There was a long deliberation where he weighed the pros and cons of having long locks. Then we discussed the cool relief of a close shaved head, (the mention of the new Terminator flick influence) and the awesome toughness a short cut can instantly provide. I mean a shaved head is seriously commanding more respect on the basketball court.
I have to say his blue eyes seem to POP ever since he lost the locks.
I told him that with his new cut he could pass himself off as a psychic detective, a ska boy (note hat prop above), an English rapper, or one of those guys at the gym.
I made him watch VALLEY GIRL last night,to make sure he passed the litmus test. Scored extra points today for saying..."we have to watch the rest of Valley Girl tonight and eat pizza"
Tues night we ventured to Eagle Rock to bowl a few games! They play old time 50's rock and roll at this bowling alley, which makes it sort of like being in a Quentin Tarantino movie. I'm a really bad bowler, but surprisingly good at heaving it down the alley between my legs. Vinca was excited to drink 2 or 3 shirley temples and buy everything in the candy and toy machines.
The family organized by size
whoa! click for live video footage
This is the look of a man who just made a spare
live action click on the next image
I actually bowled 3 strikes granny style between my legs! Problem with that method is that you either score big or get gutter balls. Not really good at the in between. At the end of the games, Vinca (age 6) and I were mere points away in the scoring. Not so good at the sporty side.
But I love the way bowling balls look in a row. pretty pretty
Easter mostly reminds me of my mother and her sweet tooth. She placed countless "I.O.U." notes in our Easter baskets as kids. Pretty much ate everything in them and then would apologize and say she needed to replace them. I think that the sight of cadbury carmel eggs still triggers those moments and makes me slightly nauseous.
This year I spent my morning at the Farmers market, then in Venice Beach for a bit and later playing board games with friends and families. It was a gorgeous day here in Los Angeles today- super sunny and warm. The type of ideal weather for an easter egg hunt.
For some reason the following things also reminded me of easter. ( You know that feeling you get when you see lots of wild flowers around, getting to wear a hat, knit bunnies , old cards)
I feel bionic. I survived a pretty rough year. A major surgery, a major breakup and WOW- I've feel like I've been rebuilt. I am so grateful for my friends, my blog readers, and all of the beautiful things that have happened the rest of this year to put me back in survival mode.
from this to this-
to this
I'm gonna spend my birthday late night at some karaoke spot downtown. They have the best song list I've ever seen. From Killing Moon by Echo and the Bunnymen to Sister's of Mercy and Stone Roses "I wanna be Adored". If you wanna party- you know how to find me
Just 3 days ago while walking /running around Echo Park Lake, I thought about Uncle Lou. I wondered how a 99 year old man still managed to walk 2 miles and hit golf balls. It's taken me weeks of activity to manage running 2 miles around the lake. I passed two men (probably in their 80's and very much like the Odd Couple) who were walking and arguing. And I realized that "living" is what keeps you living. It just takes moments of action and movement forward that propels you to keep moving forward.
I then thought about his obsession with dining at Norm's. All of the Sunday's we spent meeting him for meals and later trips to Ralphs for his orange drinks. He wasn't even my 99 year uncle, but he had become part of my strange L.A. family of friends. I spent two or three of my L.A. Thanksgiving dinners with him, once at an Italian Restaurant where he conned us into ordering a house wine and finishing it all off.
He loved hanging with me and my lady friends. I can't say he was taken away too soon. He was nearly a CENTURY- in fact only 6 months from it! He didn't leave any children behind, and I'm sure is going to meet up with his lovely Vaudeville wife who passed decades before him. It seems lucky to me that he parted this place on the same day as Paul Newman. Great company for golf outings and perhaps an upgrade on the salad. He will be in the best cemetery in the city. Over in Westwood with Marilyn Monroe, Natalie Wood, John Cassavetes, Don Knotts, walter matheau, Dorothy Stratten, Dean Martin, Rodney Dangerfield...the list goes on.
Here's to living the longest life you can. To staying in the game til way past overtime. He never looked a day over 79 and I will never tire of waiting with breathless anticipation to hear:
"I'll have the herb-roasted chicken, lentil soup- make sure it's HOT, and the caesar salad hold the croutons."
I thought I'd share this picture of my mother at age 17 (pictured with her younger sister and brother) She just found this and emailed it to me. This was taken in 1965, and she loved the BEATLES and was taking Beauty School Classes. She would tease her hair and roll it up into a bee-hive.
She and my father were neighbors.
About 6 days ago I wrote the following passage but never posted it...
Well, I leave today. The past few months have sort of been a blur of activity. I am anxious to leave and yet in desperate need of time away. Poor Boo is not pleased with the situation and upon seeing suitcases chose to pout for the day in a nearby box.
At the moment he is asleep on my suitcase, in some effort to not be left behind.
Mr. Georgie Boy doesn't mind if Kutmah takes care of him, they are old pals.
Here's where I will update my trip back home- to Ohio:
Let's begin with my greeting at the Cleveland airport by my sister and niece. Awesome welcome, we ended up watching 16 Candles til we all fell asleep on my Mom's bed. 2 things I realized while watching 1.) that I could recite that movie word for word 2.) Jake Ryan is universally transcending all sense of time on the hotness scale.
The next day we shopped in my old hometown. This is the point where I realized that having children under 4 is not only demanding but exhausting (and may I add expensive). My sister has a small army over at her place. A one and half year old, a 3 year old and a 12 year old in addition to her Alpaca animal farm (6+ alpaca, 2 bulldogs, 1 weiner dog, too many cats to count).
Lucky for her there are 6 acres to get lost in.
this is what having a lot of kids looks like:
I am nervous whenever I go home. It has something to do with the overwhelming sense of nostalgia that hits in waves and causes me to lose my appetite. I think everything is stirring my thoughts in the direction of the past. I notice lovely green yards with 4th of July banners and white picket fences. My mother points to a small house with rows of little flags and lets me know that a young soldier has recently died there. Something about hearing this information and the long drive home makes me want to cry.
I remember myself at age 11 eating pork and beans and deviled eggs in the backyard of our neighbors place, near my old house. The year that my dad ran directly into a pipe (that had positioned a bottle rocket) and ended up in an ambulance bleeding from a gashed kneecap. On fourth of July in Ohio it always seemed to rain and always seemed to be sort of a blur.
There are funny little places in Ohio, where crafty ladies create Martha Stewart like home-wares. Were talking lots of felt flowers, paint markers and glitter. My niece was way into them. Too bad they cost a small fortune.
We often end up in these generic diners where every man is dressed in baggy pleated Dockers and older ladies with grey hair faintly tinted pink huddle over soggy eggs. That doesn't freak me out as much as the haunting soundtrack to my youth pouring out of the speakers at these eateries. First there is Psychedelic Furs "Love my way" and then "Blue Monday" by new order. And no one notices it, these sounds that drag me back to high school glory days. Everyone continues to talk slow, or not at all all the while my heart sinking. I want to drive around at night looking for action and parties. I imagine all of the stolen kisses in closets and dance sequences in the basement. None of this will occur on my trip down memory lane.
I meet later for dinner with my father...the staunch McCain supporter, who talks politics til his face is red. He rambles about the problems with left-coast ideals and as his words blur I notice that Echo and the Bunnymen is playing on the radio. "killing moon" is the soundtrack to his rant, and mysteriously on the sound system of a conservative upper class cafe. As if a reminder that at one time there was something slightly cool here. My father tells me the elaborate (perhaps exaggerated) story about my great great grandma who was a true matriarch and owner of much of the land in that town. Her Italian roots spread deep throughout much of this little Ohio township. She was Sopranos before the Sopranos. According to old family lore, she heard her 2nd husband married her for money and shot him in the leg.
The next day my mom takes me to my High School where she has to pick up a paycheck. We enter in the art wing where I spent much of my teen angst years. I peered into the empty classroom and remembered mostly the stale stench of my teachers breath. She had this amazing stare, her eyes mostly dilated and pale pale blue. I heard she passed away some years back. She was pretty awesome and did much to encourage my art. On the wall in that school wing they still had my art awards framed. I couldn't believe it.
The lockers seemed bigger to me now. The smell of dusty maps or something inside of old books present in the vacant rooms.
there are strange things sometime in Ohio, like these crafts. We discovered them in a creepy swap meet flea market
Things I did while in Ohio?
1.) gazed at the alpaca family grazing in the yard:
2.) attend an antique doll show
3.) jumped on various Hotel beds like I can't do at home. This photo is from the worst of my hotel rooms. They declined daily. (did I mention that the biggest letdown is spending cash on a nice room only to barely use the posh features ie: hot tub, pool, game room, minibar or BIG T.V.)
4.) watching your young nephews get locked out, and freak out. Then see them entertained for hours and hours simply by leaping off furniture into a pile of pillows:
I especially love this picture of my nephew Ryder in my big hat. He has a nice fashion fetish and the perfect accessory- Skittles.
5.) saw old pals from the days way back.
Most happy to see my best friend from High School Liisa. We were pretty much inseparable in those days. And always getting into trouble together, so it's funny that she ended up marrying a cop. That should keep her in line.
Now you know why I slather on the 70 sunblock? The days of Boleros and savage tans is over.
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The best night ever was in my last hotel room. My niece and sister came over for a good old fashioned slumber party. We watched a dvd, ran to the border at midnight (Taco Bell) Did I mention we did it Britney S. style--barefoot in p.j.s? Then we laughed and laughed about the police officers everywhere, and how we could be taken in if they're fashion police. We stumbled upon a jeep covered front to back with thick mud. Super scary and lawless like a serial killer (or hunter?). I think I've seen a Law and Order episode start out this way.
Guess who is 99 years old today? That's right- UNCLE LOU. He has reached the edge of a century. Almost 100 years old, think of all that his eyes have witnessed. When I called him this morning to wish him a good one, he picked up on the first ring. He's still as spunky as ever. He asked me how I've been, told me that he is waiting for his walk and said he is still hitting golf balls over at the range. WOW. Keep moving must be the answer. When he asked what else I've been doing and I mentioned the store remodel, he said "that's never easy, cause those workers take forever!" Didn't have the heart to tell him we were the workers. As the conversation neared an end, I found myself slowly forming tears. I think that I was so amazed that he answered with such gusto, and just being able to know someone who is almost 100 tugs on my emotional side. Eat some cake in honor of the man
I went back to Solon,Ohio and sadly my city was gone. Farms and train stations replaced with factories and parking lots. I could barely recognize the lovely landscape dotted with new buildings and shopping malls. Where would all those deer go? My mother picked me up on Sunday and drove me two hours back to my hometown.
I have to admit that every time I venture back home things look different. All of my favorite spots are moved are torn down. And yet walking into my sister's place is like wandering into a blast from my past. All of the rooms are decorated with lovely paintings and knick knacks from my parents old home, before the big divorce. It's a strange sensation passing the shelves of photos and things that once adorned my childhood home. It makes me feel young again, like my sister is still thirteen and me- sixteen.
It was sweet to see my sister's kids and their new alpaca farm! The one place where the landscape hasn't been ruined with ugly megastores. Those little furry guys are adorable. I really think Georgie Boy has some cuddly competition
I got back to Columbus in time to run into my dad who was there on business. His fierce tan rivals George Hamilton. He checked out the new artwork and probably wished I was a landscape painter
this is the gate to the gallery where I used to work, it's no longer the same art space and I had a sad feeling passing by it. It was one of my all time favorite jobs, and my boss back then was the coolest lady. She drank wine, listened to Joni Mitchell and told me what it's like to be a woman in her late 30's.
They have guitar hero fever, over there, Joanna was a real pro.
my sad attempt at Barracuda. Some people have no rhythm, no musical skills-- guess who is among that crew?
Mike and Danielle really wanted me to get the hang of it. It never happened. But Mike rocked out stronger than Jimi Hendrix on the guitar. We decided to be good groupies
I had the best time driving around town in a big fur fur coat with Danielle and her sweet son. (Compared to my sister's kids he is a saint)
this trip allowed me to see the wonderful side of having children, and in the case of my sister's lil demons, the pitfalls of too many under age 3!
when in Ohio, do as the Ohioans do, Dunkin Donuts and Cheese Shells!
I got my feline frenzy on with their cat Boston. He was my Georgie replacement for the week
It's hard to believe anyone would venture out in the rain on a cozy Sunday night, but Mr. P has some loyal pals. It was in fact his birthday- and as he creeps closer up that hill, he needs his cohorts in crime to numb the pain. We ended up at TAIX surrounding a moist Chocolate layered dream cake from DELILAHS Bakery.
He wanted to skip the big party fanfare, and so the tiny affair was quaint. He received some good gifts, including a checklist pad that you can mark off offensive cell phone stuff- ie: tacky ringtones, banal conversation--talking way too loud, etc... and then you can hand the ticket to the offender. That gift was compliments of Mr. Scheid.
I gave him a gag gift pair of dice that you can roll and it gives you options of what to do-
like NAP TODAY
Gripe Often, you get the picture. It was really for an old man, but you know Mr. P- he's pretty close to 85 years old now.
p.s. Did I mention that Nina cut my hair yesterday and gave me bangs- -my hair will never be this straight again however.
Ever since I was a kid, I've sort of put off the Holiday shopping til the bitter end. Mostly for two reasons:
1.) I normally feel compelled to rush home and hinty hint till you guess or discover what I got for you
2. Well, the obvious, I'm a procrastinator. But the truth is if I start shopping too soon, I continue to rack up gifts for the same people...like "oh, that would also be good for so and so, I'll get that too"
IT's back down to the final five days before Xmas and I'm proud to say I've neglected everyone. Truth is we don't need anything. I know I don't. Save your money and buy yourself a meal. I've got enough stuff here at home to re-gift for a family of 126.
It's bittersweet really.
Raised by a mother with an extreme case of the Christmas Crazies, I loathe the sight of SANTA. This was a real condition, with serious side effects. My mother would start right after Thanksgiving and then leave it up til around early April. You're thinking "No big deal" ? Try bringing friends home from college in the Spring only to walk into Christmas Chaos...hundreds and hundreds of santa statues and santa folk art and elves and bells and plastic window candles and eyes staring at you in every direction.
We had a 24 foot high tree in high school once, and there were still about 22 boxes of ornaments sadly unboxed. I'll bet that if I had a dollar for every SANTA and roll of unused Xmas wrapping paper combined I'd be about $26,000 dollars richer.
My mother can wrap a gift, I'll give you that. It's like the DREAM Dept Store gift wrapping center in that basement. Martha Stewart eat your heart out.
She doesn't hold a candle to that bow collection.
So if you see me wandering around a MACY's cringing to Christmas music and looking listless, blame my dad and his eggnog brigade and my mother's affliction.
here's someone who shares my fear, and last year we went to the Galleria to confront it head on.
My kid sister will always be a kid. She still seems like a fifteen year old to me. I remember all of her birthday parties back then. She hated dolls and preferred to use them as dart boards. On her 7th birthday she was given a "BABY Alive " doll. The most popular doll on the market at the time that boasted "She can really eat food and she really goes to the bathroom too- just like a real baby."
Her new Birthday gift wasn't eating quite fast enough so she solved that with a nice hammer slam to the jaw. When our mother saw her in the yard wacking the new doll in the face, she asked what she was doing...and Missy replied " She works fine, she just eats faster this way."
She was a tomboy trouble maker back then and used to charge the boys in the neighborhood to sneak a peak at our father's PLAYBOY stash in the basement. When she wasn't throwing rocks at COP cars, kidnapping other kids from their cribs or lighting things on fire...she was an angel.
She's always good for a laugh
here she is at one of her summer birthday parties (on right)
Missy and I at Disneyworld, who cut her bangs in this formation? Poor kid always had either a Dorothy Hamill haircut or a bowl bang
we used to like to hang out in the backyard in our hammock
This is us on vacation in Hawaii. Our parents were attending business and we were left to explore on our own. Keep in mind she could always eat whatever she wanted and still weigh 75 lbs- (what's with my hair?)
Well the day has finally arrived! My sister and her awesome family have built an adorable barn on their 6 acres and filled it with muppet alpaca pets. I can't wait to go home and see them wobbling around the land. Last summer, when Mr. P and I went to visit- we found ourselves driving around the hidden lakes and discovering secret spaces with willow trees. So it is only fitting that one of the alpacas be named "willow".
Here are some quick pics of the new creatures and Sedona in the new barn...
she must be so excited.
Here we are with our new "matching" glitter bow dangle earrings
Sedona adores Mr. Depp- ever since her obsession for Cry Baby
That Spring Break went super fast. Mr. P and I were recalling how much slower time seems to pass when your young. Remember how long the summer vacations seemed when you were a kid? I was convinced they were equal to the school year length. This week shot right past us...and all the things we had planned were barely accomplished. We missed out on the Hollywood studio tours, the swimming pools, Rodeo Drive (thank god for that). Yesterday Mr. P and Sedona took a paddle boat trip around Echo PArk lake. She steered them right under the water fall on purpose. Later we all squeezed onto the neighbor's couch to watch HAUNTING ghost stories on the Discovery channel. I knew this would be a problem later in the night. After dinner at the Indian spot- we packed the lady up and watched Flushed Away. About an hour into slumber land- the knock at the door was followed by "Can I sleep with you guys, cause I can't sleep out there...?"
Of course- three people in Mr. P's bed is comical.
Too bad we don't have any pictures to illustrate that point.
Watching her walk alone up the ramp and wave goodbye- and then getting the cell phone call from her 10 minutes later saying she had a lot of fun- and that she loves us-
Priceless.
I cried as we drove off. Mr. P just kept saying how great it all was.
The second movie night- Charlottes Web ended up like this...
Sedona asleep in her fancy PJs and sequin Zsa Zsa eye mask and the rest of us adults in tears.
the next morning bright and early Sedona chose to wear her ensemble back to the building
We ended up in Pasadena with Miss Viviene- eating frou frou desserts and pretending it was Sedona's B-day for the freebie
We hit up the LUSH and the Forever 21- again. I had to prove that the two story one was the mack daddy of all their stores
Later we took the fresh victim to Monterey Park for spicy Szechwan Chinese Food-
Cindy teases sedona with tiny dead fish heads
the next day -the Show Pony was shaped up by new employee Sedona- who chose to tackle the loft and feng sui the counter top. Britt and I didn't realize the stairs were there before...
And now- DRESS UP Time!! Fashion Break
Randi (Mr. P's sister) came by for a visit to the shop
Lisa from the salon helped make her hair into a fine combed poof...
for the theatre
Becky Stark from Lavender Diamond came by with a film crew- and interviewed sedona-
LAter that night we all dressed up fancy & ventured out to El Capitan Theatre- to see a 3-D MOVIE!!
Look at the ceiling!!
There are a lot of crazy things out there on Hollywood Blvd...like wild birds, break dancers etc...
we ate dinner at the old Italian place Micellis- where Sinatra style singers sang to us, while Sedona sipped her Shirley Temple- which matched her dress
in front of Shirley Temple's foot prints at Mann's Chinese Theatre
My eleven year old niece has arrived with her two big suitcases- for SIX whole exciting days.
She brought 4 purses, every sparkly pair of shoes she owns, and matching pj sets with sequin eye masks. It's like my very own child- shopping til she's dropping. From the minute she got off the plane we decided to explore all the stores and try food from every ethnic region
So far- we hit up the French for their CREPES, she helped Mr. P whip up some Italiano homemade pizzas
(we made those special for out welcome to L.A. SEDONA movie pizza party- we rented CARS and a few other animated flicks- and she was asleep before the opening previews ended.)
Ah youth.
She tried Japanese sushi in little Tokyo
Ate her first Rodeo Grill Mexican Bean burrito...and was introduced to the spicy world of Szechwan Chinese tonight.
She's a real trooper. I've had about 15 strangers say- "hey lady your daughter looks just like you" I'm just glad someone has arrived who gets Mr. P's fourth grade boy humor. Finally an audience for all those suave jokes.
here she is right off the plane- we are cracking up because Aunt Kime already got us lost for twenty minutes in the Continental terminal at this point and Mr. P was aiming his camera at the down escalator ready to capture our picture--only to discover we were behind him instead.
From the second she arrived this little fashion plate was aching to shop. She really is like a true valley girl.
here she is showing off the loot and prooving it takes muscles to be a good shopper
Mr. P takes the double dog dare to eat all of our wasabi at once. Bad idea
stay tuned for Spring Break part 2...
the shopping saga
My sister lives in Ohio, with an adorable house on about 6 acres of land. The backyard is vast and has a cute creek with a bridge. I should mention that she used to take magic classes, invested her birthday money as a kid on saving the whales and books on "How to make yourself Invisible" (long before bookstores had a new age section). A few years ago she spent her tax refund check buying a stretch limo from a funeral parlor. I thought that was crazy- til I got to ride around in in with my whole family at Christmas. That thing comes in handy, trust me. She recently received her tax refund money and told me she bought an alpacca. I don't even know how to spell the word...but learned it's something like a mini llama. I thought it may be an insane purchase- but then she sent me this picture.
And I have to admit -- it's like part muppet marionette...part Lambchop sock puppet face, and so cute and cuddly. Who cares if it doesn't really provide milk or able to fit a saddle, it's worth every penny just to look at his face. And of course once a year he will give you his curly locks to make a sweater or something.
Hippie power
This is my niece (her daughter)- who received an airline ticket to L.A. for her 11th birthday! Guess who's going on the buzzelli tour of Hollyweird.
I got lucky. I have finally found a man who gets the gift giving thing. For the first time- someone who realizes that roses are ridiculous especially when forced. I had never been a big fan of Valentines Day- maybe the past had prepared me for the lackluster "romance" of the day. I like strange things, and prefer the "thought" over the money spent. So I knew I had a keeper- when a few years back- he presented me with a printed Black and White photo of us out laughing, made dinner, and handed me another large frame- this time -behind the glass -surrounded by a decorative matting- locked forever inside- his original torn/worn little black book. Underneath the little black book a small typed note (typewriter) it simply said:
Thank you for making this obsolete, Happy Valentine's Day Love.
I mean, how can you top that?
Thought I would share this darling Valentine that I received from my pal Emily in NYC
if you are pondering what to wear tonight in order to get lucky- (new from christopher kane)
Xmas eve went something like a Clark Griswald affair...(Xmas Vacation)
I nearly chipped my tooth on the chestnut stuffing and the conversation at the table made me laugh face down into my butternut squash. I nearly got a cramp. Mr. P's plump pheasants were tasty enough to save the meal.
here's the proof that David cut into the Jesus cookie.
Mr. P's sister made this cookie. David accepted that because she is Jewish perhaps she confused Jesus's birthday with Easter somehow. Anyhow this life like carmel creation was a a work of art
Christmas Day we decided to Dim Sum- and have fear factor like contests- only Noah and Mr. P were brave enough to taste the chicken feet. Proof that not everything deep fried tastes great
Miss cindy and I decided to take advantage of Boxer day- by attending the festivities of the mall with unwashed faces. Here are the exciting gold glitter Betsey J. platforms for the season
the abandoned santa photo stand was chock full of giant glitter cookies and candies
Thanks to our photographer pal Lisa Johnson, our Xmas card really turned out great. She not only has photo skills but has a funny art direction style too. For example...during this shoot she would drop lines like, "you have 2.5 kids and are about to enter the 99cent store..." or look past me-past the camera and stare off like you want to kill someone."
It was tough picking the perfect one for the Xmas card-here are some of the rejects:
(for best viewing click on the image to make bigger)
At four lbs- on the Eve of Halloween...
WELCOME to the world--Mr. Hunter Joseph Sias. They chose Hunter because her husband was planning on hunting that day and had to cancel his trip. The Joseph comes from my great Aunt Josephine who passed away last week. Let's hope he has a little bit of Hunter S. Thompson in him.
he he.
maybe you can settle for giving him his new nickname
My Mom called yesterday to tell me that my sister's water broke. She wasn't due until Dec 19th- so this is obviously a problem. She is in intensive care at the moment where they are pumping her full of vitamins and steroids so that the baby's lungs may develop completely. The baby will have to be delivered C-section today and put under watch for 3- 4 weeks. Think good thoughts for them- and try to help with a name. Because it happened so fast they still had not decided on a name.
He is a boy- and he is being born on the eve of Halloween. Wow.
(Keep in mind my sister has sort of a Western/ Indian theme already going with her other two...Ryder and Sedona) and the last name is Sias.
Here are some of the great ones that Cynthia and I came up with so far:
1. Shadow
2. Sonny
3. Hunter
4. River
5. Sequoia
6. Jake
7. Sage
8. Joaquin
9. Spirit
10. and Stone- cause that sounds like a T.V. Anchor "Stone Sias"
When I was 18, my parents tried to figure out if they wanted to stay together. My Dad ended up putting the house up for sale the summer before I left for college. He pretended that we would be moving as a family into a new place, but later revealed that he was having an affair with our real estate lady. Obviously my parents divorced, and he got most everything. My mother moved into a condo after her nervous breakdown. I mention all this only because it has been another 18 years since all that went down and yet the dream still occurs.
Ever since we moved from the house I grew up in- I've continued to have detailed dreams where I go back to my old home. Sometimes I sneak up on the back of the house- through the forest and look into the windows on the new family. One time I had a terrorist dream where I was running behind the house trying to find a good place to hide. Then there have been the numerous ones like last night where I befriend the new lady of the house and say I used to live here--"can I come in and look around." LAst night in particular, I had a dream that a huge section of the top where my bedroom lay was burned in a fire. I went up the home alarmed- The family had placed some belongings in the driveway--sheves and shelves of my childhood favorite books. I then ask "why are these here? " and she replies "well, we were saving them for you-in case you came back." So I started going through the piles and gathered up the classics.
Strangely enough I've had these re-occuring dreams for years and years. Some weird way of dealing with my parents divorce, the loss of our home- and a life I will never have again.
My parents were never the same when we left that house. It was like a part of their personality got buried there.
About three years ago, my roommate at the time was off playing records at some fancy fashion party. We had to share a key and so I had to wait up til he called. The phone rang at around 2 a.m. from an Ohio area code. I didn't pick up. Listened to the message a few minutes later and it was my roomie saying that he had borrowed a cell phone to make the call and to call back. When I called back - the owner of the phone answered. I told him that I noticed he had an Ohio area code. He said he just moved out here to L.A. I asked where in Ohio he was from. He said- "you probably wouldn't know about it- it's a small town" I persisited. He said Solon. I said that's where I grew up. He said where did you live? I replied by saying where these two streets meet. He said 5426 Clarendon? I said "How did you know that?" He said his best friend still ives there and that he spent most of his high school years sleeping over there. I asked what year the family moved in- he replied 1988. The same year I was forced to leave it.
To prove he wasn't lying- he mentioned every detail of the home- where the giant fish was mounted in the basement that my dad caught in Mexico- etc...
He said anytime I go home during the hoidays I should just go over and say I know him and that I want to visit.
I've never had the guts.
sure it was obviously the 80's-- and that is an aerobic suspender outfit- but check out the big fish that I was talking about--
According to this dream analysis book I checked out- " To dream of your childhood house, tends to be a reflection of your life today, though a dream of mass chaos in your childhood home can indicate great disturbances in your life either now, or coming shortly. These kinds of dreams are often prophetic. You should always write down and deeply analyze dreams of your childhood."
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Dream Interpretation House
Houses in your dream can have different meanings. If you dream of a house from your childhood, your parents' house, or the house you knew in the past, you may have nostalgia about childhood and people you grew up with. It embodies a nostalgic reminder of your innocent childhood. If you have this dream, ask yourself, if you still run the same patterns from your family of origin in a current relationship. A house in general can symbolize your inner self and the house structure is also symbolic. Consciousness about a particular house part can provide you with some clue to the meaning of the dream. Your reaction to the house and feelings about it are crucial. If you are leaving the house in your dream, you are ready to move on in your waking life. Pay attention to the furniture, room decoration, windows, hallways, doors and windows, all of these house attributes play essential role for interpretation of a house dream.
A dream of home often relates to our sense of emotional and financial security. The most common home theme is that of dreaming of living in the house in which you were a child. Our first home will always remain an emblem of home, family, connections and traditions throughout our lives. The dream may say that you feel nostalgic about the past, or you are trying to relate the past to your present life.
Someday I would love to get my mom a real birthday gift --like a trip to Greece, a car or a cute house. In the meantime I'll send out a card and some kind words. It's hard to believe that in most of the pictures my mother is only 28!. This was the same year she took me to Scotland to visit her family-and I saw her dance with relatives and laugh so hard she fell to the floor. I give her kudos for being a patient young mother who figured out how to use creativity to cope with crazy kids and a type "A" husband. On her birthday today- I know she will be finding a party somewhere with cheap cocktails- and laughing with all her friends at bad jokes.
I woke up early this morning to take GP to the airport. While brushing my teeth I heard the phone ring and then him reply to the caller "I'm so sorry Marie". And then he handed the phone to me and my mother simply said "my mommy is gone, she passed away this morning".
I guess the day before most of her children, grandchildren and great grand children gathered for a party to celebrate Todd (my cousin's son) going off to college for the first time. They took Nana from the nursing home and everyone took pictures and watched fireworks and had a good time.
Every since she took ill and had to leave her home for the hospital, my aunt has struggled to tell her that because she never signed her home over to her family, the state would eventually seize it to pay for nursing care. Sometime after the party, in the evening back at the nursing home she fell asleep. In the early morning she called a nurse in to say..." I need my keys now." Then she turned on her side and slipped away. I'd like to think she thought she was going back home.
Ellen "Nelly" Warnock was born in 1924
She had the sweetest Scottish accent that echoed like a song
she used to whistle soft little songs down the halls
she was always reading romance novels
and asking "would you like a wee cup of tea hen?"
in her wedding photo she had the longest jet blue/black hair in ringlets, like Scarlett O'Hara maybe
She always fixed my Papa toast and jam in the evening while he watched t.v, right before bed.
She loved boxing matches
Her witty sarcasm was always masked well by her 4 foot 11 darling frame
She was the first person to buy me paperdolls when I was 7--Marilyn Monroe.
She was the first customer to dine in my make believe restaurants and save every menu.
She lent me her delicate china to play house as a young girl
She always took us to the cemetary to play when she lived in Cleveland and didn't have a yard.
she kept a straight face when I marked every page in the JC Penney catalog Toy section on my XMAS list one year
She lived above the Broadview SAvings Bank when I was young, and would clean the offices at night.
We would follow her around and play "bank tellers" always scared of the mechanical Santa display in the basement.
She encouraged my entrepreneur spirit, by letting me cut up all her socks to create doll clothes
When I was a teenager she saved me clippings in the newspaper on Duran Duran
She wore my bikini once in the hot tub.
She went on many family trips with us- including the infamous scenic route to see the caverns that took an extra 5 hours. (my father is Clark Griswald- if there was a giant ball of mud somewhere we took the long way to see it)
This means that all of my grandparents are gone. She was the last one alive. I cherished her
for all of her genuine spirit and sass. She was always telling great tales and folk remedies. I especially loved the cure for chapped hands-- pee on them.
these are the first paper dolls she ever bought me and helped cut out
these are the paperdolls I made when I was seven at her house
Here I am as a young doll clothing designer- if you click on this My sister at right was the shop girl
me- in nana's kitchen
Here I am with "one" of the dolls from my JC Penney Xmas Catalog list
I called my mom early today. She lives in Ohio with my younger sister. They are both LEOs, one born on the 7th and the other on the 17th. Both of them are almost too kind for this world. My mother will leave an 80% tip on a table, and when I argue about it, she'll say "That waitress is a single mother..." and go into a detailed account of the woman's life/family/ problems etc... She has every stray cat on the block fed and sheltered at her home. (Which also applied to our runaway friends in high school or loser boyfriends-who she also took in and fed) She never bought herself anything when we were growing up, except maybe an occasional chocolate bar. She moved to the U.S. from Scotland when she was about 11 and has a mean sweet tooth. If you ever said in passing that you liked something, she'd sell the clothes off her back to make it yours. Her creativity is endless. She can knit, embroider, sew, replicate any T.V. guide cover, and put any miserable game or bike together. While my impatient father was swearing, she would be solving the problems effortlessly.
I like that when she was on the phone she would doodle patterns on envelopes and write THE END over and over. She was also the first person I ever witnessed blacking in all the teeth on magazine covers and giving celebs eye patches.
When Ohio was experiencing a blizzard and I was "too cool" to wear gloves and a hat outside at age 12...my father told me I couldn't leave the house, while my mother remained cool and said " Let her go..." Which I defiantly did-- only to sneak back in later and admit I needed them. She knew that by trying to hold us back from doing things would only make us want to more. When I had decided to run away from home at age 9 because I hated the entire family, she assisted me in my luggage choice and said I should go for the more light case- in case the roads got long. She also asked the important questions while packing like "Do you think you may need this warm coat too? Don't forget clean socks." She then led me to the door and said "Don't forget to keep in touch".
I only got as far as the back yard hill. Where I could look in on them resuming dinner activities without me. She never even rolled her eyes when later that night I snuck back upstairs and went to bed.
In the 6th grade, my teacher Mrs. Reed made us read Johnnie Tremain- where he apprentices with someone to learn how to make something. We were assigned to work at home with our mothers and bake a pie for the class. The best pie would win a prize.
When I told my mom, she said "We should do something totally unique and not really bake a pie at all, then she suggested we make a fabric pie. She then took a pie tin and glued satin cream fabric to the bottom and filled the pie with those deep red small curtain pom poms and cut satin into pretty pinking sheared strips woven on top like a fresh cherry pie. It looked real- and it won for most original.
IT's funny cause if you ever told her she was artistic she would say she really isn't good at anything.
In high school she always took me thrifting to find JAckie O- like two piece 60 suits and Pretty In Pink jewelry. She would always cover my tardiness to class with fake dermatogolist notes. She would fall in love every day in the 80's with a new "one hit wonder" from Safety Dance to One Night In Bangkok and buy the cassette tape. On route to the grocery store she would sing all the wrong words- for example-
Journey lyrics for Faithfully-- she would sing I'm forever yours Italy
Police Every Breath You take--- she'd sing I'm a pool hall ace-- instead of my poor heart aches.
The Go Gos-- Our Lips are Sealed ---AS Long as I see you.
You get the picture, right?
Anyway- I was just thinking about all that has happened in the years since we moved from that house, afer my parents messy divorce. She still remains sassy and quirky. My father has long since remarried, and yet I believe he never knew how to contain her. She can still get him to do pretty much anything. He was always so conservative and controlled- and she was so natural and free spirited that it baffled us as children how they ever married at all. Perhaps it was her Beatle mania mop top Vidal SASSOON haircut, or the mini bike she used to ride, or the way she was hard to impress.
I like to imagine that he was struck down by her inability to censor herself- that uncontrollable laugh and her honestly. Things he could never acquire.
Anyway- on this mother's day-I'm glad to have such a crazy mother
It's almost Mother's Day, when everyone scrambles for flowers and something nice. Most of our mothers would prefer a day at a spa, someone else to clean for the day, and peace and quiet I'm sure. The Goldmine Garage on Echo Park is packing all sorts of flower arrangements, Le Pink on Sunset has all the lotions and beauty products, and there's always books. Of course my mom would probably just like to win the lottery and have my father put in a small cage. Just kidding, well maybe. The War of the Roses has not ended quite yet.
Here are my favorite SPRING picks for feeling fine in the May month--
this adorable vintage dress is all hand embroidered and painted
check out the PUCCI print umbrella
My favorite flower artist ODILON Redon- I used to check out books at the library when I was a kid of Redon because of the pictures
www.ibiblio.org/ wm/paint/auth/redon/
and something to look forward to:
The next two paintings are by artist Kelly Ording- who is having a show at New Image ARt in June
Uncle Lou finally hit the big 97. I told him that Junior's Deli had a lot of fine looking ladies and that he should hang out there more often. David said maybe he could take two 40 year olds for the price of one 80 year old. I suggested that maybe he take four twenty year olds ( We are in L.A. you know) The birthday boy was definitely in great spirits--he was flirting with our waitress and asked her what she was doing later.
He ordered the usual combo and talked about his new c.d. player. Greg brought him some new Birthday discs of BIG BAND music--and of course Sinatra. He insisted these were too big to fit in his C.D. player.
Greg had a half hour rant to the waitress about plastic ketchup bottles. He told her they were disgusting and bad for the environment. He went on and on and on about how they feel disgusting and lack decent aim. He proceeded to purposely squirt the table as a form of rebellion to modern convenience. She seemed confused and perhaps pondered who at the table was "really" turning 97 today.
I almost followed this baby Grandpa out- he looked just like my Greg
This is him trying to pay for his own meal.
Lou's wife Dorothy painted most of the sad clown paintings in the house.
This is me sitting at his awesome green stripe table. The chairs are made for elves. (1 foot off the ground)
This one is the devil in Uncle Lou--see the red floating face? That's what keep him boyish
I like the idea that Uncle Lou used to read the Dicken's classics with this bookmark.
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when we got home we pulled up behind a brand new car. Greg (old man) remarked that most new cars look like "HIP HOP BLING". This made him almost as mad as gold teeth.
Ever since I was a kid, my sister and I would sit and paint Easter eggs for hours and hours. My mother was really crafty- and would help us batik, tie dye, and draw all over them. I can practically smell that strange vinegar food coloring concoction. Today I went and bought 2 dz eggs, and all the stuff to make it happen. This time of year I lament my old life...my family, which dissolved sometime around age 18. I forget sometimes that my father was a "daddy". This picture breaks my heart. Mostly because of the look on my sisters face as she stares up at him.
I remember this one year all my cousins came to town and we spent Easter at my Aunt Jo's old house. The adults hung around and smoked cigarettes while we ran around finding eggs. I always knew exactly where my parents hid them. Always one behind the guitar and under the french horn.
That's me in the stripes
I haven't heard from my dad in months. He has remarried and has two sons under age 6. I'll admit it's hard imagining him hiding the eggs around some new house. I'm not sure if this divorce stuff gets easier as I get older.
On a happy note---I've been checking out all the different ways people decorate eggs and am excited to be staying home on a SAturday night to watch old movies and paint. Today is Uncle Lou's 97th birthday and we will be celebrating with him tommorrow.
found this creepy White House Bunny lady online.
Joaquin sent me this amazing beefy bunny picture.
this is the Goldmine Garage special egg
Hope all these eggs inspire you to go get some paints out. I promise to show you my fancy results tommorrow-before the Deviled Eggs emerge.
Everytime we pick up Uncle Lou- we beg to dine somewhere besides Norm's. And everytime we suggest Chinese or Junior's Deli...Uncle Lou informs us how he hasn't liked their food since the last time he ate a sandwich there in the 60's. This time we pushed the "Passover" thing and said it would be a sin to eat someplace that didn't offer traditional Jewish food.
Going anyplace new with Uncle Lou is like a brand new adventure. (He once told Greg that he wanted to eat at this Chinese place called Panda something. He told Greg where it was located and they drove there. There was nothing there but a drycleaning place. Greg kept asking if this for sure was the location he remembered....Uncle Lou answered in his angry tone--Of course I just ate here a little while ago. So greg went in and asked the lady if there is a "Panda" Chinese place around...she said well- uh this used to be Panda Chinese 9 years ago. Times flies when your 96.)
As we waited for them to call our name in the lobby I noticed that Phyllis Diller once had her birthday at Junior's Deli.
I also noticed while waiting that an old man had gone to the bathroom in his pants and was having trouble noticing the stain all the way down to his ankles. Talking to Uncle Lou about his old days at Junior's 50 years ago was very nice. He said he was willing to give it all another chance.
Gefilte fish is definitely an acquired taste. This doesn't really make me want to try it again--
By the time we left the place- it was dark and the Junior's sign was lit up in all its glory. Uncle Lou asked me "why are you taking a picture of that? what are you gonna do with that?"
We ended up going in to his cool bachelor pad for a quick listen to his new c.d. Uncle Lou owns a nice mini boom box
These are uncle Lou's reading tools- a flashlight and a magnifying glass
Uncle Lou and his wife never had kids. They spent their time traveling around the world together- hanging out with fabulous people. His wife and her sister were performing Vaudeville stars back in the day. She knew how to work the costumes- and was also an amazing painter. Her flower vase paintings look like perfect Odilion Redon works
Uncle Lou only recently retired from his Podiatrist position to the stars. He was having a hard time seeing their feet. In his prime he worked on some of the best feet in the business...including Gene Kelly, Irving Berlin, Jennifer Jones, Judy Garland and Ann Margaret who gave him this image which he still has on his wall
This is the lobby at Uncle Lou's building. Dark wood panel walls and smokey marblized mirrors never looked so good. Don't forget Uncle Lou is celebrating another birthday this Sat. the 15th! Only 3 years shy of a century. wow.
Every sunday is Uncle Lou Sunday. That means that we drive to Westwood and take Uncle Lou to his favorite diner--NORMS. This particular NORMS caters mostly to people over 85 -with walkers, I.V.s and on occasion screaming grandchildren. For those who don't dine at NORMS, it may be hard to imagine the caeser salad dressing dripping from the lips of old men. Uncle Lou is older than Musso and Franks, Norms and other establishments that boast longevity. He will be turning 97 on April 15th. He still orders the usual herb roasted chicken with french fried potatoes and lentil soup. (make sure it's hot)
Sometimes he'll tell you about his days as a celebrity podiatrist. He'll tell you about the corns on Judy Garlands feet, Gene Kelly and his ankles, and lovely Ann Margaret. He even tells of nights where he ran into Sinatra performing. Uncle Lou's late wife and her sister were gorgeous performing Vaudville stars. They travelled all over the world and never bothered to have children. He still walks two miles every day to the golf course to hit some balls. We should all take tips on living well. On a side note I would love to try a new diner.
My mother finally made good on her threat of clearing out the basement storage. This discovery came in 6 boxes from Ohio. I never realized how much random nostalgia I saved. All those years as a pack rat boxed up like some 80's timecapsule. Stolen library books on James Dean, love letters, locks of hair from my first big 7th grade cut, and valleygirl diaries from the 6th grade through college. Yikes. Now what?
As if all the memories weren't enough- 16 Candles and Breakfast Club played back to back on cable last night. I remembered going to see B. Club with my mom at the theatre. She turned to me half way through the movie and said "God does everyone hate their parents that much?" I forgot all about the concept of SAturday School. Funny, considering I spent four hours every SAturday my senior year for the last few months. I can't even remember why you get detentions...was it cutting class? All I know is that you dressed up because the best delinquent boys were found there. It was four hours of reading Brett easton Ellis books- doodling and writing insane letters to friends (which were later folded 18 ways) Reading through the cards and things I have discovered things I suppose I tuned out- The evidence of a lonely sister left at home while I went away to college, postcards from a guilty father divorcing my mother, and declarations of undying love from highschool boys I haven't seen since.
My personal favorite letter- was from the bad girl SArin Roberts who resembled Madonna circa Borderline video. She was a junior when I was a freshman. She stole GUESS jackets from SAks 5th Ave and resold them at school. She approached me before homeroom one day and said "I like your style- I'm picking you up this Friday at 8...where do you live?"
I was flattered and frightened. What would we do? Where would we go? I asked if my best friend could come. (this is all so Valley Girl )
She took us to cruize the local Solon McDonalds and then to drink our first mixed drinks. SLOE GIN FIZZES...wow haven't had them since but I can still taste that cherry foam. We never made it home that night, which resulted in my very first grounding. Cool
The following is an excerpt from her letter I found:
The following images are of my sister and I as kids...
her letters to me at college...(she was fifteen and enduring the WAR of the Roses-my parents divorce)
The lost art of autograph books... a page from Cindy-
It's hard being reminded of who you were vs. who you are. It's hard knowing some of these people are gone and this is all that I have of them. I always thought my memories were enough until I saw all these things that prove I may have rewritten my history in some effort to forget the things that really sucked-
