Ellie...

My stepmother passed away early this morning. She had broken her leg very seriously in a fall in her apartment around Easter, and she was never able to recover; it was just one complication after another. So it wasn't totally unexpected, but it was still out of the blue when her daughter called me to let me know as I was rushing off to work today. I arrived at work in a daze and promptly turned around and left, with my manager's blessing.

She loved her independence and was very unhappy in the hospitals and rehab centers she was bounced around in for the past few months, plus she endured a lot of pain.

She was a very smart woman, loved to read. She was a Special Ed teacher and supervisor in the New York public school system. She had a quirky sense of humor, and had survived a lot in her life-- who of her generation hasn't? She loved animals, even though she wasn't in a position to own fur-babies herself. (She was always asking how my "children" were.) She was very open-minded and accepting of my sexuality and wanted me to be happy.

She was exceptionally caring to my father during the last part of his life, and I've come to be extremely grateful that she came into his life when she did. They truly loved each other.

I spent half of today trying to figure out if I could make it back east for her funeral on Sunday, but it was an impossible feat-- both financially and logistically. I finally decided I would just honor her memory in my own way here at home.

The above photo was taken during my last visit to New York in 2007. Ellie and I were waiting to go see the film "Into The Wild" which was an awesome film, though her comment at the end of it was that the young romantic/naive protagonist was "selfish" to have left his family like he did. Spoken like a true Mom! :-)




Here's me on the same day with my little Pre-Retail belly. Well, we ate huge meals all week long!

Thanks for reading, whoever's reading.........

Change Is Good

I got this book out of the library last week and I've been meditating each morning on these cool modern mandalas that are in it. I'm finding it easier to focus on something visual than what I've done before, which is staring at a candle or at nothing in particular, or eyes closed. I was riding the bus home after work last night and it was chaotic and crowded as usual (is all the drama REALLY necessary, people?!?), but I was able to summon up that morning's mandala and I felt some serenity!

I'm also on a MAJOR de-cluttering/cleaning kick in my apartment right now. My clutter is *contained* somewhat, but it still feels oppressive to me. If I were to post a pic or two, you might be shocked. It's artsy clutter, but it's clutter all the same. I think that this is a problem that many other Americans are dealing with in our consumer/disposable economy. Hence, all the books and Oprah shows about it.

The Boy-King

No, this entry is not about Michael, although I think he may have stolen some of his makeup tips from this other dude. (RIP, Michael, and I hope you find some much-needed sanity on the Other Side. )

It's about Tutenkhamun, the Boy-King of Ancient Egypt. I went with The Ex to see this huge exhibit that just opened here at the De Young museum. A lot of these treasures were first seen in the U.S. in a big travelling exhibit in the Seventies. This time, some of the more fragile pieces remained behind in Egypt, but the current exhibit is still amazing. The beauty of these objects that are 3000 years old is astounding.

The exhibit is mounted sort of like a Disneyland ride, using the latest technology and theatrical lighting to jazz things up and make the history of the era more accessible to children of all ages. More in-depth curatorial information may have been lost by this approach (I learned more about some of the details of King Tut's Tomb in a childrens' book in the kitschy gift emporium!) but on the other hand, I think people expect more bells and whistles when they go to a museum these days.

This exhibit is going to be here through next March and is a goldmine, literally, for the museum and surrounding neighborhoods.

The Most Dramatic Rose Ceremony Ever

Just thought I'd use some "Bachelorette" lexicon to dip my toesies back into the Blog Pool...

Would the odious "Wes" ever rock this look?

I am not a "We" anymore; I'm back to being an "I", at least temporarily! :-/

I'm having this really strong desire to have my life be more about COLOR and PATTERN. I'm not sure exactly how this will play out! It's another of my artsy, circus-y, fashion-y, drag-y ideas.

I'm (Re-) posting my Tie-Dye Avec Cowboy Buckle photo here-- it somehow seems appropriate.

Hope all y'all are well!