Happy New Year!

To all my dear friends. Though we are far apart, I am with you in spirit. May the coming year bring health, happiness, and peace for us all. (click on the photo for a larger view)

Lady Day

Born Eleanora Fagan in 1915, Billie Holiday was a brilliant and beautiful, but ultimately very troubled, jazz singer and songwriter who had a life long struggle with drugs and alcohol. One of her most poignant songs was "Strange Fruit," based on a poem about lynching written by Abel Meeropol, a Jewish schoolteacher from the Bronx. She died virtually penniless at the age of 44.

C'Est Si Bon

Check it out. You'll love it.

A Legend in Her Own Time

Chicago, 1996

JET: "No one does it like Eartha Kitt...winning rave reviews for her portrayal of the late jazz legend Billie Holiday in the musical, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill." 

Chicago Sun-Times: "The result is a fascinating hybrid--part Kitt, part Holiday and wholly mesmerizing."

Chicago Tribune: "Kitt finds the tenderness, hope and dignity that were Holiday's..."

It was one of those experiences that you never forget. She will be missed.

My Christmas Wish for You

Peace, love, and happiness for you and your loved ones.

Unconditional Love

My maternal grandmother Anna passed away on December 29, 1954. Though I was raised by Anna and Clark for most of my first ten years, Clark was not my biological grandfather. So after the funeral, my father and stepmother took me to live with them. I only saw Clark once or twice afterwards but his unconditional love has been a lifelong comfort and inspiration.

Saving the Economy

I spent most of today wrapping and stickering.

Once, when I was about six years old, my grandparents couldn't afford even the most minimal presents. I spent Christmas eve wrapping old toys and clothes, pretending they were from Santa. God, it must have broke their hearts.

Just a KISS Away Jeopardy

a) Teenage angst with style
b) Self-expression with a smile
c) Heavy metal gone wild

Why I Love Living in the Country

It's freezing out here in Hollister. But there are rewards that come with winter. On Tuesday, I took my camera with me when I went out to feed the horses and chickens. These of some of my favorites.

When It's Dark Enough

San Benito County, home of Fremont Peak Observatory, has passed a dark sky ordinance, declaring itself a “light free” oasis.

When it's dark enough
you can watch the stars
climb Fremont Peak
away from cars
no neon streams

streetlights or bars

Lights out here
allow lights up there
untainted sky

unlimited night

unfettered wishes
unsullied light

Silent House

So, it's a Sunday night and there's no Rachel Maddow (yeah, yeah, I'm back) and I'm checking out some pre-recorded programs. I check out an old Austin City Lights and it's Crowded House. They have a folksy rock sound that I like. Then they're doing a song that really catches my attention: Silent House. I look up the lyrics and see that it's first released by Dixie Chicks. Next I go to YouTube and find a haunting version by a guy whose handle is blackandwh1teboy. Please check it out. It's beautiful.

The Women

The women in her life
were dark-eyed;
kept pots of soup on the burner
for unexpected guests,
laughed at jokes no one else understood.
They shopped at thrift stores
choosing clothes for their color, texture
or, like their lovers,
for their possibilities.

The women in her life
were adopted aunties, mostly childless.
They grew stronger with age.
At night the wind skittered
out their open windows
carrying laughter
and hope
to the women without dreams.

"It's My Birthday

and I'll predict doom and gloom if I wanna!" Michel de Nostredame, French physician, astrologer and clairvoyant In this time of 24 hour news cycles fueled by dire predictions, he would have been a mega media star.

Lightning Strikes Twice (revised)

On a cold December night some 25 years ago, I broke my right ankle while dancing a jig at Molly Malone's in LA. Last night, my son John broke his right tibia (not ankle) while trying to block his daughter's fall on the ice rink in San Jose. Let us hope that Isabelle will not feel compelled to continue this odd family tradition.

Kissing Cousins

Into the Wee Hours

One night I couldn't sleep and while channel surfing came across Julieta Venegas. Her music is described as "an eclectic mix of rhythm and harmony" incorporating, among other things, "a tuba, clarinet, xylophone, flute and a string quartet." Check out "El Presente" on YouTube. (Unfortunately, the link can't be embedded, so you'll be signed out of the blog when you click below :>)


http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=7BRojVr2b9k

Post-Retirement Blues?

I'm stuck and can't get up from the computer! I check my email every few minutes, browse useless websites, screen my phone calls to avoid taking a substitute teaching assignment. I'm even bored with Rachel and MSNBC!

Help, I'm Falling & I Can't Get Up

I'm so sore I can't move but I am also the proud parent of a brand new "slab on grade." After two days of back-breaking work, we have made a huge leap in the construction saga. There's still lots of work to be done but it feels great to be here.

Gone But Never Forgotten

Three years ago today I lost my dear, dear friend Chris Ballin to non-Hodgkins Lymphona. Chris was a remarkable woman and an inspiration to all who knew her. In a time where opportunities for women and Latinos were very limited, she broke through many barriers and built a successful career within the corporate world.

Later, she chose to leave money and status behind, moved to Lake Tahoe, and devoted herself to helping immigrant families in need. She left a lasting impact on all who crossed her path. She will live forever in our memories.