About-Face, ladies!

A little more than 6 months ago I stumbled across a fabulous organization called About-Face. Their goal is to change the way females see themselves, to call out the companies that portray women and girls as objects, and to teach the world that females are as diverse and fabulous as males and should be treated as equals and I think that is fantastic.
I have a slew of charities that I select from and donate to each month and today in my mailbox I found a handwritten note from Evelyn Kim who thanked me for last week's donation and told me of her work with About-Face. It was such a nice surprise and it totally made my day. Go on and check out their site and see for yourself because what they are doing is monumentally important.

(this is the pin i bought from about-face's shop that is stuck on my army hat. i love it.)

Vintage Princess

I love this picture of Princess de La Coiffure on Kelly Drive in Philly back in the Autumn of 2004. She is more uniquely beautiful than I have room to describe on this humble little blog. But you, dear reader, can see that for yourself.

Parisian Story Time

Last night I got a rare opportunity to sit and chat with my brother Wayne. He told me of the time that he and his Dad went to Amsterdam, Paris, and London together. It should be stated that Wayne is the epitome of The Nice Guy, so that in this city that people claim hates Americans, Wayne's experience was completely the opposite of most tourists. I believe it's because he's tall and respectful and kind and who doesn't appreciate that?

Anyway, so Wayne and his father were wondering which bus would take them to Notre Dame Cathedral. A tiny old lady was walking past and Wayne asked, "Excuse me, ma'am, would you happen to know if this is the bus for Notre Dame?" The woman, who Wayne now discovered was rather intoxicated asked if they were Americans and when he told her yes, she broke out into a huge grin and exclaimed, "I LOVE Americans! You save us from the Germans when I was a child in the war and ever since then I have loved Americans. I (as she dramatically waves her arm above her head like Lady Liberty) will take you to Notre Dame myself! It's the least I can do for two Americans." Wayne didn't have the heart to tell her that neither he nor his father had anything to do with rescuing the French from the Germans.

And so this woman put them on the bus, sat next to them, talked of her childhood, then walked them around Notre Dame, pointing out its history and literally giving them the grand tour. Once inside, she sat with them, asked about their lives, and said a prayer for them both. As she walked with them outside and posed for photos with each of them, Wayne pulled his dad aside and said that they really should ask her to dinner with them tonight as a thank you for all her efforts. He of course agreed and as they turned back to ask her, she had vanished. Wayne said that they stood there in stunned amazement and questioned, "Did that all just really happen??"
(I asked if when they developed the photographs was it a picture of his father with his arm wrapped around an invisible figure, like James Stewart in Harvey. It wasn't, though.)

Far Away

In the mid 90s I was corresponding with a slew of people from all over the world. Russia, Ireland, England, Italy, Germany, Holland, the South, the Midwest, Canada, Jamaica, and Africa. The photo above is of Mekonnen (lounging and sipping) and his brother in Addis Ababa. Although we no longer exchange letters, I still look at this picture from time to time and so wish to visit that gorgeous continent.

Nights & Weekends

"Do you ever wonder how, like, what story you're gonna be in someone else's life? Do you ever think about that? What's going to be your soundbite for the next person?"

Isn't that fascinating? It really made me stop and wonder about the people I've known and those who are no longer a part of my life. What do they say about me to their friends? Who from my past still speaks of me and what stories am I included in? It's somewhat frustrating, isn't it though, the fact that I will never know the anwer.

Inviting....

Karen has opened her pool for the season and I just wanna sit on the edge, dip my feet in, and read a Jacqueline Susann novel.

Hangin' with Melis

After a delightful late night dinner at a local pub, Melissa and I headed back to her place in Cwood. I have always cherished the times when us two gals get together and have mind-expanding, inspirational 4-hour long conversations. It's been what feels like ages since we've had time together, but tonight we sat in the cool night air beneath the brilliant moonlight on a dark porch and for close to two hours we engaged in wonderful conversation, enjoyed several cigarettes and listened to the windchimes while watching Murphy the Cat patrol the neighbourhood.