Something has come from a friend in vastly different parts of the country every morning this week.
But yesterday's morning surprise from a friend who is one of the artisans in the Mary-Melinda Wellsandt atelier, located in Seattle, was spectacular. She and her crew make collectible glassware. They write more orders every year, despite the horrible economy. People still prize beauty.
Those teeny little dots you see on some of the pieces? My friend applies them, one at a time, with a teeny-tiny brush.
Every piece is hand-made -- they blow their own glass -- and crafted. Mary-Melinda comes up the designs, shapes and forms. She and her krewe, including my friend, then using a variety of tools and implements, from sand blasters to paints and brushes, execute them.
I had no idea this was coming. It has made me very happy. I love to hold it, to look at it. Not only is it a visual joy, it is a tactile one -- smooth and rough, solid and weighty.
This little vase is going to stay right here, where I can see and hold it many times every day.
Beauty arriving by the US post office -- there is no better way to begin the day
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
*Lost Girl* Me, Wrong O SO WRONG
Evidently I was working from out of date info. Lost Girl's third season doesn't start until January 14th. Sad now.
But then -- looking at the trailers -- maybe season three will be for me what Season three of The Vamp Diaries was: ho hum, and I quit about 3/4 of the way in.
It's not easy to keep up that level of imagination, freshness and creativity.
But then -- looking at the trailers -- maybe season three will be for me what Season three of The Vamp Diaries was: ho hum, and I quit about 3/4 of the way in.
It's not easy to keep up that level of imagination, freshness and creativity.
PBS's *The Abolitionists* Begins Tonight
Tonight PBS’s The
American Experience broadcasts the first in a three part series titled “The
Abolitionists.” The program will be available for online streaming
for about a month, though I’m not sure if that means after each episode or only
after all three have been broadcast.
Premiering January 8, 2013. Abolitionist allies Frederick Douglass, William Lloyd Garrison, Harriet Beecher Stowe, John Brown and Angelina Grimké turned a despised fringe movement against chattel slavery into a force that literally changed the nation.
The Characters in “The Abolitionists”
When we first began the task of tackling the history of abolitionism four years ago, we were faced with a daunting task: the movement spanned decades, the leaders were numerous, the history complicated and the scholarly literature voluminous. And yet there was no book that told the overarching story of the abolitionists, and no guide for capturing the courage and struggles of these remarkable civil rights heroes. We decided that the way to grab the attention of a broad television audience was to focus on a handful of key characters -- that is, to create a character-driven mini-series set against the backdrop of a tumultuous time in American history.
So you know how this will work. Very clean impersonators
in streets and and paths without mud, manure and expectorate, and in light-filled
rooms with billowing curtains, dressed in perfectly tailored period costumes,
emoting with every facial muscle, while an authoritative narrator tells us
what the character is doing or thinking, followed by another authoritative flat oration
voice-over reading the words the characters have written, followed by yet
another cut-away to actual authorities – various professors, etc. – sitting in
some neutral space, telling us what it all means and how it happened. Alas,
boring. But it is cheap.
Several teaching aids that go with the program are accessible
online, such as this
interactive abolitionists’ location map which is interesting and
useful. It should be helpful for the very many middle and high
schools whose budgets have been slashed and deboned for teaching an aspect of
our history that has been nearly forgotten since the southern coup that
ended Reconstruction. There were abolitionists already active from the colonial era. By the
days of manifest destiny the number of abolitionists who made abolition their
life’s calling and for which they dedicated everything they
had grew constantly in the years between the Mexican American War an the
Civil War. Their efforts and effect have been forgotten, elided, or derided as
criminal in the long years of revisionism since the Civil War. It’s good to see
a focus on them in this era, in which the real truth of these matters is once
again coming into public consciousness.
Sunday, January 6, 2013
The Return of Television and Mardi Gras!
Friday, 01/04/13:
The premiere of SyFy's Merlin's fifth and final season. I haven't been able to make through the fourth season. Really? King Arthur still doesn't know that Merlin has magical powers? Really? Evidently they will go all through season 5 without Arthur learning either. So when does he? Also, bored by what they've made of Morgana and her ridiculous bed head. None of this is the fault of the actors. The fault lies with conception of a series that supposed to be, kind of, maybe, sort of an arc series. The producers saw it as a five season series from the start, They Say. But if the constant is each episode's conclusion is Arthur, now King Arthur, still no more clued into Merlin's real self than at the conclusion of all the episodes before, there can be no actual arc, i.e. character development.
This probably explains why I generally care little for entertainments that feature kids or Young Adults in the first place. I'm an adult. I understand there is cause and there is effect, a great deal of it of our own doing, no matter how much we wish to blame the Mean Girls and the Mean Boys in Our School, and we need to deal with that. It's called growing up, and we as a nation aren't doing well with that. I am really interested in how adults handle their problems. Thus:
Today (Sunday):
The Good Wife (CBS) resumes its season four. It's so much fun watching all these actors in this series about adults, with matured beauty of Julia Marguiles at the center. It's also fun to recall her as Morgaine from the Mists of Avalon miniseries (2001), which was excellent, with a cast of actors, with the sad exception of Guinevere -- here called Gwenhyfar -- good enough to inhabit the large figures they played. This includes Angelica Huston as Vivienne, Lady of the Lake. That was a funny time, the early aughts; strong actresses were playing strong roles in fantasy miniseries. Recall Saskia Reeves in the splendid (2000) Dune, and Alice Krige in (2003) The Children of Dune, each playing Lady Jessica Atreides? Isabella Rossillini as the head priestess, Thar, in the not-so-splendid in some ways, (2004) The Wizard of Earthsea? Most lately we saw her as Annie T's mom in last year's season three of HBO's Treme, holding that screen down with that voice, those eyes, and that delivery. Woo.
SyFy's Lost Girl premieres its season three. Urban paranormal fantasy, set in some un-named Canadian city (Toronto?), this show shamelessly pulls on Buffy most strongly (but no high school and no college either, though there is a hilarious episode in the first season where Bo, and her utterly smart, too-adorable- to-live, sidekick (and no, you do not hate her, you love her!), Kenzie, investigate disappearances in a sorority. It references other fantasy series like Xena, particularly with the girl-on-girl, bi and hetero action. Even Wonder Woman receives a nod -- in one episode of the second season Bo, the succubus fae central character, our Lost Girl, is given a magical bracelet that deflects fire balls.
But the show is smart, as when we say, "walked smartly," "smart" dialog, the slap made her cheeks "smart," her outfit was "smart." All of these and more. It fast and precise, it's timing impeccable. It has all the qualities that I liked so much in Tanya Huff's urban fantasy novels, (2009), The Enchantment Emporium and (2011) The Wild Ways. I don't like paranormal fantasies as fiction at all, but I liked these two novels of Huff's very much, fresh in treatment, character and Canadian locations. Like these two of Huff's novels, Lost Girl is splendidly inventive, always finding a new and delightful twist you would never have thought of yourself for every tired and over-used trope of the fantasy genres.
It is also features as diverse a cast of characters in terms of race, sexual identity and age you are going to find on television. Only Scandal gives Lost Girl competition in the diversity range, but Scandal is mostly, hetero, whereas Bo is definitely bi.
She has two romantic interests. The first is an intellectual blonde human doctor named Lauren, who was claimed by the fae (humans don't know they exist, while they live amongst us doing everything we do and things we cannot; yeah, I know plausibility isn't the show's strong point -- we just move beyond that, particularly since it is the world(s) of the fae we're interested in anyway). The second is Dyson, a werewolf fae, who is a homicide detective in the un-named city's human police department. He's played by Kris Holden-Ried, who most of first saw as common born William Compton, Henry VIII's friend in the first ten episodes of The Tudors. He played Quint Lane, the mutated lyca (i.e. werewolf) in Underworld: Awakening (2012). Um yeah, eek darklings, they are both white, as is Bo herself. There are though many characters of color, including regulars. The diversity emphasis seems to be focused more on sexual expression and gender identities.
So are her other two closest people white. The small person known as Trick, a/k/a the light fae Blood King (yes, that tired trope of light and dark fae, but it's OK here -- at least so far), also proprietor of the neutral ground of dark and light waystation, the Dal Rait, a Celtic brew pub. The Dal Rait plays the role that the library, the Bronze club-bar, and later, the Magic Box did in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Trick also has in his private basement living quarters (nothing at resembling poor Xander's basement) many histories and geographies, magic texts, lore texts, fae and other magical implements, weapons and tokens. He also has Willow's capacity for doing research and knowing everything.
However, when it comes to the research and figuring out patterns, and never doing what you think she'll do, leave it to Bo's most beloved, Best Friend for Life -- not just Female Friend for Life -- the young human woman Kenzie -- thief and all around con artist -- seemingly of a Russian or a Gypsy or a Ukranian family -- or you name it, whatever works for Kenzie, she's it. The opening of the series starts Kenzie and Bo off very fast as bonded forever, though not necessarily explained. There's a great deal of seat-of-the-pants feel to Lost Girl's scripts. Things arrive when needed, though not necessarily with entire explanation. So far though, it hasn't been bothersome. But, one cannot help but notice that when the series began neither Bo nor Kenzie showed any particular weapons expertise, even though Bo does take out a bruiser to show her worthiness to survive in the fae world, previously unknown to her. By now they can do anything from martial arts and boxing to samurai swords, cross bows, even, when appropriate, a chain saw.
Kenzie is so smart-sharp, so cute, so adorable -- yes, I did use the word previously, but that how adorable Kenzie is, and oh, does she know it. She reminds me of my 7 going on 8 year-old-Haitian goddaughter, who obviously learned as early as Kenzie that her first and greatest survival skill was to be the cutest one of all, and is equally hyper all the time. Except when Kenzie's hung over (my goddaughter, of course, has the experience of hangover far in future as yet). Kenzie is human, yet she's Bo's equal and even in some ways her superior. Even her own kind of beauty -- and the actress is very beautiful, makes for a grand contrast to Bo's beauty -- and Anna Silk is very beautiful. Hey, Bo's a succubus -- she has to be that beautifully charismatic.
This is where the show really shines. The relationships -- they are never what you think they are. Dyson's first and true love shows up? She is beautiful and rich but she's not overused cliched mean bitch who hates Bo. Ciara is good, she's brave, she's honest and loyal, and truly wants to understand and be Bo's friend -- and she succeeds.
Lost Girl doesn't have the urgency and sheer fear that we get from Buffy, at least the first times we watch, but it is no less enjoyable for that -- perhaps, in these days of economic and the many other real fears so many of us struggle against -- this is a plus. No matter how frightened by what is happening or going to happen to the characters, those sequences never go on too long. Nor does the show revel in gore and terror, any more than the girl-on-girl and other sex is given to us in a pervy, creepy, male-gaze sort of way -- very not Joss Whedon (the creator of the show is a woman).
Its tone varies with each episode from wry and cynical, to sweet and vulnerable, sad to comic, suspenseful to sexy. Though you might think it wouldn'y work, it does, I think, because Lost Girl doesn't take itself as seriously as much as it enjoys itself.
What I don't like about this show? The ridiculous shoe - stilettos 8 inches high fetishism -- fighting in those heels, really? And that I can count on one hand and not use all the fingers, nevermind the thumb, of scenes that don't show enormous acreage of Bo's tits. One other thing. Dyson's a werewolf. We never see him being a werewolf. I am guessing from how other things are handled on this show, that the budget is relatively small, certainly by the standards of what is spent on a single episode of HBO's Boardwalk Empire. On the other hand, nobody seems to care that for all the direwolf fanning, we don't really see the dires do anything, in GRRM's pages or on HBO's Game of Thrones, beyond Brandon running inside his wolf. In fact, we hardly see the wolves at at all after the first book, except John Snow's Shadow growls sometimes. But years have gone by and the other surviving wolves are off somewhere somewhere else not where their bonded humans are. Nevermind. I digress.
Tonight too premieres o dear, the very bad, o yes, really bad PBS's Downton Abbey's third season. It's already been howled at and picked over for months in the UK. I helped, I confess, as I saw some of the third season while there last fall. Everybody will watch it. Nuff said. But so many of us are so ready for Sherlock! At least the first episode. They are going to keep us waiting for quite some time longer to learn how he who is on the side of angels but o so not an angel himself handled his death and resurrection. Are they really going to keep us waiting until Easter?
Tuesday:
Justified (FX) opens season four. I haven't yet seen season three -- it's in my netflix queue, but netflix is really stingy with its dvd budget .... Though what I've heard about season three, it comes across as inferior to the exciting season 2. So I guess I can wait. I do like series though that aren't set in my hometown or LA -- though I like those too, often, i.e. see Damages. I quite like thinking of the ghost of that Great Orator from Kentucky, the Great Compromiser, Henry Clay, floating around Raylan Givens. Clay's Ashland estate outside Lexington is still there:
Ashland - The Henry Clay Estate
And Thursday:
ABC's Scandal, resumes its season two. Pow, this has been one for the books. Thanks, Hulu. The o so awesome awesomeist evah Olivia Pope is giving Glenn Close's Patty Hewes of Damages a serious run as the most monstrous lawyer -- or consultant? detective? whatever Olivia is, of all time -- though Olivia is beautiful and Patti's not, and Olivia can do vulnerable like nobody else, and Patty would rather turn her back on her own son than exhibit a hint of vulnerability. Who back in season one would have thought Olivia Pope could be cold at all, much less that cold? Also that time lapse, back to the past, return to the present style, though somewhat softer, is very Damages-like. When we concluded last year everybody was spying on everybody via an illegal program, and everyone was allied with and betraying everybody else ... all at the same time! It was even more mad than the soap, Revenge, it was awesome!
Happy watching.
O yeah, it's also King's Night, and the opening of Mardi Gras. The Phunny Phellows are drinkin' champagne on the street care of St. Charles. I just saw a video, and these are some of the drunkest white people you'll ever see.
The premiere of SyFy's Merlin's fifth and final season. I haven't been able to make through the fourth season. Really? King Arthur still doesn't know that Merlin has magical powers? Really? Evidently they will go all through season 5 without Arthur learning either. So when does he? Also, bored by what they've made of Morgana and her ridiculous bed head. None of this is the fault of the actors. The fault lies with conception of a series that supposed to be, kind of, maybe, sort of an arc series. The producers saw it as a five season series from the start, They Say. But if the constant is each episode's conclusion is Arthur, now King Arthur, still no more clued into Merlin's real self than at the conclusion of all the episodes before, there can be no actual arc, i.e. character development.
This probably explains why I generally care little for entertainments that feature kids or Young Adults in the first place. I'm an adult. I understand there is cause and there is effect, a great deal of it of our own doing, no matter how much we wish to blame the Mean Girls and the Mean Boys in Our School, and we need to deal with that. It's called growing up, and we as a nation aren't doing well with that. I am really interested in how adults handle their problems. Thus:
The Good Wife (CBS) resumes its season four. It's so much fun watching all these actors in this series about adults, with matured beauty of Julia Marguiles at the center. It's also fun to recall her as Morgaine from the Mists of Avalon miniseries (2001), which was excellent, with a cast of actors, with the sad exception of Guinevere -- here called Gwenhyfar -- good enough to inhabit the large figures they played. This includes Angelica Huston as Vivienne, Lady of the Lake. That was a funny time, the early aughts; strong actresses were playing strong roles in fantasy miniseries. Recall Saskia Reeves in the splendid (2000) Dune, and Alice Krige in (2003) The Children of Dune, each playing Lady Jessica Atreides? Isabella Rossillini as the head priestess, Thar, in the not-so-splendid in some ways, (2004) The Wizard of Earthsea? Most lately we saw her as Annie T's mom in last year's season three of HBO's Treme, holding that screen down with that voice, those eyes, and that delivery. Woo.
SyFy's Lost Girl premieres its season three. Urban paranormal fantasy, set in some un-named Canadian city (Toronto?), this show shamelessly pulls on Buffy most strongly (but no high school and no college either, though there is a hilarious episode in the first season where Bo, and her utterly smart, too-adorable- to-live, sidekick (and no, you do not hate her, you love her!), Kenzie, investigate disappearances in a sorority. It references other fantasy series like Xena, particularly with the girl-on-girl, bi and hetero action. Even Wonder Woman receives a nod -- in one episode of the second season Bo, the succubus fae central character, our Lost Girl, is given a magical bracelet that deflects fire balls.
But the show is smart, as when we say, "walked smartly," "smart" dialog, the slap made her cheeks "smart," her outfit was "smart." All of these and more. It fast and precise, it's timing impeccable. It has all the qualities that I liked so much in Tanya Huff's urban fantasy novels, (2009), The Enchantment Emporium and (2011) The Wild Ways. I don't like paranormal fantasies as fiction at all, but I liked these two novels of Huff's very much, fresh in treatment, character and Canadian locations. Like these two of Huff's novels, Lost Girl is splendidly inventive, always finding a new and delightful twist you would never have thought of yourself for every tired and over-used trope of the fantasy genres.
It is also features as diverse a cast of characters in terms of race, sexual identity and age you are going to find on television. Only Scandal gives Lost Girl competition in the diversity range, but Scandal is mostly, hetero, whereas Bo is definitely bi.
She has two romantic interests. The first is an intellectual blonde human doctor named Lauren, who was claimed by the fae (humans don't know they exist, while they live amongst us doing everything we do and things we cannot; yeah, I know plausibility isn't the show's strong point -- we just move beyond that, particularly since it is the world(s) of the fae we're interested in anyway). The second is Dyson, a werewolf fae, who is a homicide detective in the un-named city's human police department. He's played by Kris Holden-Ried, who most of first saw as common born William Compton, Henry VIII's friend in the first ten episodes of The Tudors. He played Quint Lane, the mutated lyca (i.e. werewolf) in Underworld: Awakening (2012). Um yeah, eek darklings, they are both white, as is Bo herself. There are though many characters of color, including regulars. The diversity emphasis seems to be focused more on sexual expression and gender identities.
So are her other two closest people white. The small person known as Trick, a/k/a the light fae Blood King (yes, that tired trope of light and dark fae, but it's OK here -- at least so far), also proprietor of the neutral ground of dark and light waystation, the Dal Rait, a Celtic brew pub. The Dal Rait plays the role that the library, the Bronze club-bar, and later, the Magic Box did in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Trick also has in his private basement living quarters (nothing at resembling poor Xander's basement) many histories and geographies, magic texts, lore texts, fae and other magical implements, weapons and tokens. He also has Willow's capacity for doing research and knowing everything.
However, when it comes to the research and figuring out patterns, and never doing what you think she'll do, leave it to Bo's most beloved, Best Friend for Life -- not just Female Friend for Life -- the young human woman Kenzie -- thief and all around con artist -- seemingly of a Russian or a Gypsy or a Ukranian family -- or you name it, whatever works for Kenzie, she's it. The opening of the series starts Kenzie and Bo off very fast as bonded forever, though not necessarily explained. There's a great deal of seat-of-the-pants feel to Lost Girl's scripts. Things arrive when needed, though not necessarily with entire explanation. So far though, it hasn't been bothersome. But, one cannot help but notice that when the series began neither Bo nor Kenzie showed any particular weapons expertise, even though Bo does take out a bruiser to show her worthiness to survive in the fae world, previously unknown to her. By now they can do anything from martial arts and boxing to samurai swords, cross bows, even, when appropriate, a chain saw.
Kenzie is so smart-sharp, so cute, so adorable -- yes, I did use the word previously, but that how adorable Kenzie is, and oh, does she know it. She reminds me of my 7 going on 8 year-old-Haitian goddaughter, who obviously learned as early as Kenzie that her first and greatest survival skill was to be the cutest one of all, and is equally hyper all the time. Except when Kenzie's hung over (my goddaughter, of course, has the experience of hangover far in future as yet). Kenzie is human, yet she's Bo's equal and even in some ways her superior. Even her own kind of beauty -- and the actress is very beautiful, makes for a grand contrast to Bo's beauty -- and Anna Silk is very beautiful. Hey, Bo's a succubus -- she has to be that beautifully charismatic.
This is where the show really shines. The relationships -- they are never what you think they are. Dyson's first and true love shows up? She is beautiful and rich but she's not overused cliched mean bitch who hates Bo. Ciara is good, she's brave, she's honest and loyal, and truly wants to understand and be Bo's friend -- and she succeeds.
Lost Girl doesn't have the urgency and sheer fear that we get from Buffy, at least the first times we watch, but it is no less enjoyable for that -- perhaps, in these days of economic and the many other real fears so many of us struggle against -- this is a plus. No matter how frightened by what is happening or going to happen to the characters, those sequences never go on too long. Nor does the show revel in gore and terror, any more than the girl-on-girl and other sex is given to us in a pervy, creepy, male-gaze sort of way -- very not Joss Whedon (the creator of the show is a woman).
Its tone varies with each episode from wry and cynical, to sweet and vulnerable, sad to comic, suspenseful to sexy. Though you might think it wouldn'y work, it does, I think, because Lost Girl doesn't take itself as seriously as much as it enjoys itself.
What I don't like about this show? The ridiculous shoe - stilettos 8 inches high fetishism -- fighting in those heels, really? And that I can count on one hand and not use all the fingers, nevermind the thumb, of scenes that don't show enormous acreage of Bo's tits. One other thing. Dyson's a werewolf. We never see him being a werewolf. I am guessing from how other things are handled on this show, that the budget is relatively small, certainly by the standards of what is spent on a single episode of HBO's Boardwalk Empire. On the other hand, nobody seems to care that for all the direwolf fanning, we don't really see the dires do anything, in GRRM's pages or on HBO's Game of Thrones, beyond Brandon running inside his wolf. In fact, we hardly see the wolves at at all after the first book, except John Snow's Shadow growls sometimes. But years have gone by and the other surviving wolves are off somewhere somewhere else not where their bonded humans are. Nevermind. I digress.
Tonight too premieres o dear, the very bad, o yes, really bad PBS's Downton Abbey's third season. It's already been howled at and picked over for months in the UK. I helped, I confess, as I saw some of the third season while there last fall. Everybody will watch it. Nuff said. But so many of us are so ready for Sherlock! At least the first episode. They are going to keep us waiting for quite some time longer to learn how he who is on the side of angels but o so not an angel himself handled his death and resurrection. Are they really going to keep us waiting until Easter?
Tuesday:
Justified (FX) opens season four. I haven't yet seen season three -- it's in my netflix queue, but netflix is really stingy with its dvd budget .... Though what I've heard about season three, it comes across as inferior to the exciting season 2. So I guess I can wait. I do like series though that aren't set in my hometown or LA -- though I like those too, often, i.e. see Damages. I quite like thinking of the ghost of that Great Orator from Kentucky, the Great Compromiser, Henry Clay, floating around Raylan Givens. Clay's Ashland estate outside Lexington is still there:
Ashland - The Henry Clay Estate
120 Sycamore Road,
Lexington, KY 40502 Phone (859) 266-8581
Fax (859) 268-7266 Email: tjordan@henryclay.org
And Thursday:ABC's Scandal, resumes its season two. Pow, this has been one for the books. Thanks, Hulu. The o so awesome awesomeist evah Olivia Pope is giving Glenn Close's Patty Hewes of Damages a serious run as the most monstrous lawyer -- or consultant? detective? whatever Olivia is, of all time -- though Olivia is beautiful and Patti's not, and Olivia can do vulnerable like nobody else, and Patty would rather turn her back on her own son than exhibit a hint of vulnerability. Who back in season one would have thought Olivia Pope could be cold at all, much less that cold? Also that time lapse, back to the past, return to the present style, though somewhat softer, is very Damages-like. When we concluded last year everybody was spying on everybody via an illegal program, and everyone was allied with and betraying everybody else ... all at the same time! It was even more mad than the soap, Revenge, it was awesome!
Happy watching.
O yeah, it's also King's Night, and the opening of Mardi Gras. The Phunny Phellows are drinkin' champagne on the street care of St. Charles. I just saw a video, and these are some of the drunkest white people you'll ever see.
Friday, January 4, 2013
How Many Writers?
How many writers read their work out loud to themselves in the process of creating a work, whether fiction or non-fiction?
How many writers listen to some one else read their work in progress out loud while they sit and just listen to their own words?
One might think that all writers do this, because it is such a useful tool for writing the best sentences and pages and chapters that can be written.
But I don't know if everyone does or no one does.
I do though, and so does el V. I know a few others. All of them are non-fiction writers, incidentally. It's the very best way of catching thuds, that all too often the eye does not process as what they are, as the eye moves along.
Though if voice, pacing, rhythm, tone and style don't matter much or at all to the writer or the writer's readers, it probably is a waste of time? Though one's own experience with manuals and other writing that is intended to be helpful, still it seems that reading the instructions and even the step-by-steps aloud might make for highly improved instruction manuals!
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Essay
Completed with links and illustrations, about 16 single-spaced pages worth, and turned in.
It was pronounced, "Excellent! Really good stuff!"
Which is a good thing because of the people who see it, and thus learn what kind of a writer I am.
O, and yes, by golly, it's still darned cold! :)
It was pronounced, "Excellent! Really good stuff!"
Which is a good thing because of the people who see it, and thus learn what kind of a writer I am.
O, and yes, by golly, it's still darned cold! :)
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Happy New Year For Us All!
sincerely hope for a happy, productive and most of all healthy 2013 for Everyone, but particularly for all of us who suffered significant unpleasantnesses in 2012. Speaking, alas, from very up close and personal experience, a run of poor years is really rough.
In the meantime, el V has requested my essay to be sent to him for the pdf today. However, it is not finished, considering I was only well enough to start working on it Sunday. I wasn't able to finish it yesterday as el V decreed we had three parties to go to, beginning at 8 PM, so thus we didn't get to bed until after three. Today, el V has decreed I am going with him right now uptown to the annual New Year's Day Gumbo party hosted by Historian-Buddy of both New York City and New Orleans (a native of NO, but lives now in NYC). So, I am baffled as to how I shall fulfill both these decrees.
Fortunately, when one's spouse is also one's editor, there remains much wiggle room for deadlines. It's called 'pull' in some quarters, nepotism in others, and in other others, even favoritism. I call it, "Which do you want more? My company or my essay?" He always goes for the "my company."
Boy, is it cold here! And we're glad, very glad of that. One has justified fears that winter as we understand winter is forever a thing of the past.
Edited to Add: Back home from Malcom X Blvd. and a most splendid NY Day's party of the most splendid conversation, music, eating and drinking. The party is moving into second shift as we left to come home and try to do some work. Equally interesting people were just arriving as previous interesting people began leaving.
Also -- colder than before. Which cheers me, just like everytime I get way uptown I feel cheered by the sight of the open skies, boulevards and streets, and where there are no tourists, just people, baby, people who live there.
In the meantime, el V has requested my essay to be sent to him for the pdf today. However, it is not finished, considering I was only well enough to start working on it Sunday. I wasn't able to finish it yesterday as el V decreed we had three parties to go to, beginning at 8 PM, so thus we didn't get to bed until after three. Today, el V has decreed I am going with him right now uptown to the annual New Year's Day Gumbo party hosted by Historian-Buddy of both New York City and New Orleans (a native of NO, but lives now in NYC). So, I am baffled as to how I shall fulfill both these decrees.
Fortunately, when one's spouse is also one's editor, there remains much wiggle room for deadlines. It's called 'pull' in some quarters, nepotism in others, and in other others, even favoritism. I call it, "Which do you want more? My company or my essay?" He always goes for the "my company."
Boy, is it cold here! And we're glad, very glad of that. One has justified fears that winter as we understand winter is forever a thing of the past.
Edited to Add: Back home from Malcom X Blvd. and a most splendid NY Day's party of the most splendid conversation, music, eating and drinking. The party is moving into second shift as we left to come home and try to do some work. Equally interesting people were just arriving as previous interesting people began leaving.
Also -- colder than before. Which cheers me, just like everytime I get way uptown I feel cheered by the sight of the open skies, boulevards and streets, and where there are no tourists, just people, baby, people who live there.
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