Sunday at Home with Jax

Sunday I went over to chill with Jax and watch movies - The Golden Voyage of Sinbad followed by the first three eps of Voyagers! which he really liked. In a couple weeks I'm heading back so we can watch Clash of the Titans and more Voyagers! - I can't wait!

Sadly Rufus and Rugen (Count Tyrone Rugen, to be exact) are still skittish and cuddling together in the powder room. But I did sneak in and snap a couple pix!

Positano Afire

I awoke from a weekend nap yesterday to receive the following text from David and am heartbroken to think that this is happening to one of the loveliest places on Earth. But today he informed me that Canadair is helping to scoop up the sea water and put out the blaze. It must be spectacular to have people from so far away cross an ocean to help save your home. Grateful that the fire is away from David and his father and hoping they are extinguished soon.

Rita's With My Own Black Panther

Took a long nap while Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee's The Mummy played on repeat in the background then over to get Bishop at 8:30. We headed to the Rita's Water Ice near him then chatted about losing Chadwick Boseman yesterday (I knew his name and his face but had only seen him in a clip from the Jeopardy skit he was in on SNL and on The Graham Norton Show), about inept clients that Bish has been dealing with, Toni Morrison (I'm listening to her read Beloved), and Bowie's Bookshelf which I picked up at the library today. (Sidebar!! The library has very limited times, but finally has Saturdays 11-1 for curbside pick up. It was so nice sitting in the designated parky spot and seeing half of a familiar face come up to the boot of Roark and say "Hi Miss Star!" and then tell me to keep an eye on the website. Apparently next month the library will re-open so I can dash in and get my books myself. Fingers crossed that they expand their hours...) Anyways, heading back to the Mazda, I told Bishop we needed a low-grade quality photo and of course, he looks wonderful and I look like an escapee.

(ps - Bish finished his Georgia Peach/Mango water ice and went back for a small Black Cherry and I got to snap this pic.)

Cobra Kai Texts

I was so super excited to see that this series is now available on Netflix - both seasons! I had to share the good news with the brothers.

 

When things are rotten...

...as they are this year, especially seeing more police brutality, I'm grateful that the joys of being pure at heart blog is still up. No new posts since 2014, but scrolling through the photos is so calming. This one made me long for a cold, cold winter night where I can read a historical romance in my grandparents' recliner, under fuzzy teddy-bear fur blankies, with crackling candles burning over my left shoulder and some Michael Nyman playing on my stereo.

Noise for Now

Ms. Hanna posted this on her IG page and I dashed on over to Noise for Now to get me a mask on order!

A little background on Noise for Now:

OUR MISSION
NOISE FOR NOW is a national initiative that enables performers to connect with and financially support grassroots organizations that work in the field of Reproductive Justice including abortion access. NOISE FOR NOW is the link between touring musicians, progressive promoters, and local reproductive rights organizations in cities across the country.

Reproductive health care services, including access to safe and legal abortion, are under attack. By organizing benefit concerts and campaigns, NOISE FOR NOW provides a way for performers to use their talents to raise money and send a clear message that Reproductive Rights are human rights.

OUR HISTORY
NOISE FOR NOW began in 2017 with the inaugural benefit concert at the Santa Fe Opera. Proceeds from this concert went to the Santa Fe NOW Action Network, which distributes grants to clinics, abortions funds, and reproductive health education programs in New Mexico. On the heels of that successful event, NOISE FOR NOW was formed as a non-profit organization dedicated to organizing benefit concerts across the country. Musicians that routinely travel through areas that are most adversely affected by anti-choice legislation can now support the heroes on the ground that fight for and provide access to health care and abortion everyday. When nationally recognized musicians support local organizations on the ground, it has a powerful and motivating impact on those organizations and their community.

In the time since our first concert, NOISE FOR NOW has worked with 140 musicians to raise $340,000 for 22 local organizations working in the field of Reproductive Justice across the country. 

(Just a little note on the mask being sold, I really like that it's large and covers a good portion of the face, has a nosepiece so my glasses don't fog up, and "adjustable rubber stopper on earloops for secure fit." The size is really good, too. I'm white so I tend to think of only my own experience regarding all things, as that is my only perspective, but I recently read something by an Asian woman who had difficulty finding masks that were wide enough to cover her face. I never even thought about that being an issue for someone. The Noise for Now mask looks large enough to properly cover both wide and narrow faces. I don't know if they designed it to be so inclusive but I really like that it is.)

(post post script - I was super disappointed when the mask arrived and it was a child's size. I emailed the company and gave them the measurements for the mask I received. They were very nice and said to keep that one and give it to a child and they sent me a new one. Yeah, same damn size. I forgot about it because I ordered another mask while waiting. Then I messaged them back to say I got the wrong size again and could I please mail back the two that don't fit and have them donate them. They nicely sent me a return label, however I was kind of hoping that they would say, "And we will send you out another mask and I will personally ensure that it is the correct size, since you paid twenty-eight dollars for it." Yeah, they didn't say that. At least my 28 bucks is going to a good cause and the masks will go to small faced people who need them.)

Please join me in the Low Budget Philanthropy movement and help out your community and beyond in the simplest way - donating any amount to whatever charity or organisation that you care about!

Precious

A new turkey baby has been born!! Super annoyed that I can't meet the lil' bugger in person while they're still teeny tiny and fuzzy, but this photo from Amy helps.

Blast from the Past

It is so hard to believe that it's been twenty years since I would drive to the University of Richmond, sometimes just for the day, to see my bestie at college. It was a gorgeous campus and all of her friends were so, so nice. This postcard was a sweet reminder of some great times we had there. Mostly at the Krispy Kreme on Broad. Oh and Bottoms Up Pizza. Possibly the best pizza in the country.

The Original Westerley

Xavier was a huge help and did some major work on Roark, scored me a discount on the parts and did the labour for free. As a thank you I bought him the Westerley cardigan by Pendleton. He's a massive Big Lebowski fan (aren't we all?!) and I knew he'd admired the sweater for a long time. Clearly he was thrilled as he tried it on and left it on for hours in the August heat. Here's that silly fella lookin' super fab.

The Gus Glasser Lofi Mix

Amber posted a song from this album in her Instagram story and so I dashed over to Apple music to download the album. It's really chill music and I love discovering new artists!

(photo kidnapped from soundcloud)

Peter Cushing

I finally started reading the Peter Cushing autobiographies I gifted myself at Christmas and was immediately hooked on all things Cushing! For the past two days I've had a mini-marathon of his films: The Beast Must Die, The Uncanny, Asylum, The House That Dripped Blood, and Nothing But the Night. I genuinely liked all of them and thought he was brilliant in Asylum as the grief stricken father. When Peter Cushing cries I follow right along. Looking forward to seeing more and more of his work in the coming months.

(photo kidnapped from colinjmccracken - wonderful article, definitely worth reading)

Helen and Peter - lovey dove couple of the century!

(photo kidnapped from independent.ie)

Mish Mosh Photos of Antwerpen

 

Animals Are Not Ingredients

Arcadi Café

When I was in Brussels in 2018 I went to Arcadi Café for the second time. The quiche is still divine but not as wonderful as when I went with Ashlee in 2014. Still pretty damn delicious though!

Intra LaRue on Lotts

Disappointed Purchase

Last week I was over-the-moon when I found an absolutely stunning photo of Jon-Erik Hexum on Etsy. I ordered it and eventually it arrived. I was mega disappointed. It's clearly a photo taken from the internet and printed on cheap photo paper. I mean I could have done this through freakin' Shutterfly for God's sake. I wasn't expecting that it would be an original but geez, I thought it would be CLEAR and not all pixel-y when I get up close. It's like a fuckin' Monet. I mean, I'll still hang it up but not at eye level. It's such a shame because it's my favourite picture of Jon-Erik. 

Camo Duckies

SLP's Mascot

I loved discovering this lil' donkey behind the kitchen door at the cottage in Dublin. I'm so sad to not be returning there this year and possibly 2021 as well...

Zuke Noods and Seitan

In lieu of pasta I've recently come to love this whole zucchini noodle craze. I basically brown some seitan (BTW - I think my gluten issues were not gluten after all, thank gawd!) in a pan with a spritz or two of olive oil, toss in some Trader Giotto's marinara sauce, and once it's ready to roll I flip in the noods until they are warm and then pop 'em on a plate. So simple and delicious.

Vermilion

Tears for Fears - Head Over Heels
The Four Seasons - Can't Take My Eyes Off of You
Milla - It's Your Life
The Smiths - Back to the Old House
Gary Jules - Mad World
Sting - Englishman in New York
Marry Me Jane - Athena
The Cure - Lullaby
The Pointer Sisters - Jump
The Church - Under the Milky Way Tonight
Red Hot Chili Peppers - If You Want Me to Stay
Carl Carlton - Everlasting Love
Stan Getz - Falling in Love
Tom Waits - Poor Edward
Ani DiFranco - Anticipate
Janis Joplin - Me & Bobby McGee
Ollabelle - Soul of a Man
Stevie Ray Vaughan - The Sky Is Crying

- 8 September 2004

Trader Joe's Stickers

Went to T. Joe's with Anne tonight and the charming gent who rang me up gave me a bunch of cool stickers that you colour in!!! It was the highlight of my day, for sure.

The Diary of a Young Girl

I had been meaning to read this since last year but I just kept putting it off and getting sidetracked. It is really difficult lately for me to sit and crack open a book and read for more than 10-15 minutes. I'm highly stressed out and my mind is racing with so many jumbled thoughts. So I got the audiobook version read by Selma Blair from Audible and finished it in a couple days. It was really everything that I'd always heard plus so much more. It's the sort of book that any female entering her mid to late teens can pick up and feel instantly connected to the author. Anne Frank wrote about what was happening outside the secret annex but she mostly focused on real things - feeling unloved and misunderstood, having questions about sex and candidly discussing her desires and thoughts, and especially moments of frustration with her mother. You'd be hard pressed to find a female who didn't butt heads with their mother during adolescence and her writing about this felt very universal. Anne was a solid writer with so much promise and I couldn't help but get teary-eyed at so many moments where she discussed her future, knowing that there was no future. Yes, she lives on in the written word but I kept wishing that the last entry would discuss those in the annex finally being liberated. I longed for descriptions of the men who would rescue them and tell them that the war was over and the Nazi regime had fallen. But it ends with separation, humiliation, degradation, starvation, fear terror, illness, cruelty, death, and her corpse being tossed into a mass grave. Completely devastating.