THE ROAD GOES EVER ON AND ON

The Road goes ever on and on ...

                  -- J.R.R. Tolkien

My daughter, who seems to have sprung out of childhood overnight,
in front of the Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia

As 2016 rolls around, I can't help but see Bilbo Baggins' eager feet on that Road stretching as far ahead as it does behind.

Wishing you all an extraordinary trek through 2016!

GAULTIER GOTHIC

It's that time of year when witches and ghouls -- or Moulin Rouge Goths -- emerge from the bushes.  Trick or Treat.

It all began with my black, feather neck corset.  Tips in iridescent green seemed decidedly wicked.  Tulle seemed a deceptive accomplice.  It was all evolving into some Toulouse-Lautrec vision of Paris, with strains of Saint-Saën's Danse Macabre in the background.

Hmm ... Corsets.  Paris. Macabre.

...  I must really have been thinking of Jean Paul Gaultier!

Well, here's a Halloween Treat for you.  These are long overdue pictures from the Jean Paul Gaultier exhibit at the De Young Museum in San Francisco.  (His Moulin Rouge outfit was actually on a revolving catwalk, but I couldn't get a good moving shot in the dark.)

Happy Halloween!  What's your inspiration this year?

********************

PS Apologies if you have been seeing various template designs on this page.  Just trying to clean up the side bar!

100 CANDLES

Greetings for the New Year, dear eFriends!

Thank you so much for all your notes and thoughts.  My online absence hasn't been due to some cosmic chasm.  Blame my cephalopod way of life (and sorry for referencing myself -- smacks of geriatric reminiscing) with multiple projects reaching in all directions. There must be some sensible name for this chronic condition?

Happy New Year!
Also celebrating my Grandmère's 100th birthday from afar.
I missed the grand family reunion in Asia
so we sent a video greeting instead.

The holidays were an opportunity to reconnect with family and old friends from around the world.  Too much to tell you.  Recent life has resembled a merry innkeeper's.  We've been welcoming a stream of out-of-town guests at home with just enough time for fresh linens in between.  Our evenings have been marked by live music, good spirits (libation and disposition, both), and interesting discourse!  It's been a marvelous month-and-a-half.

Which brings me to an homage I wanted to make.  My dearest grandmother, Grandmère to us, just turned 100 this week.  Her legendary wit is undimmed though her own memory might be.  Call her the upbeat version of Downton Abbey's Dowager Countess -- barbs not meant to cut but rather to induce laughter!  Her biggest accessory is a broad smile (and perhaps, huge dark glasses).

I find the sweater's asymmetric hemline -
short in front, long in the back -
an interesting counterpoint
to the horizontal stripes

Our Grandmère was the pillar behind our Granddaddy, now gone but a towering public figure for us, whose life was driven by principles of integrity and civic duty.  (Meritocracy and anti-Nepotism were indelibly imprinted in us through them ...  Pardon me but big words tend to surface whenever we think of our grandparents.)  We are so proud that my grandmother and her sisters earned their Bachelors of Science back in the '30s, at a time and place when few women were encouraged to do so.  Their role model?  Florence Nightingale (whom many may not know was a gifted mathematician)!  Emulating the Lady with the Lamp, they believed intellectual gifts were meant to be bundled with public service - all tied up with ribbons of gaiety and song for the loveliest of packages.  

My grandparents also believed in a simple life beyond reproach.  I still recall their insistence on receiving gifts only from family and close friends lest anything be considered a bribe, or worse, turn out to be a bomb!  (Trojan horses come in all shapes and sizes.)  Coming from a country cleft by poverty and antiquated rules of Class, they wanted no part in a lavish lifestyle which could be misinterpreted.

So here I am, beginning 2013 in my comfortable, "everyday" clothes of sweater dresses and jeans, accessorized only with large sunglasses and a smile - just like my dear Grandmère.

Wishing you all a wonderful start to the year!

IT'S A WABI-SABI LIFE

Ask George Bailey.  Life doesn't always go according to plan.  In his case, nothing ever did, and he was tired of it.  It took Clarence, his Guardian Angel, Second Class, to open his eyes.  As Clarence explained,

"Strange, isn't it?  Each man's life touches so many other lives.  When he isn't around, he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?"

(For those not up on Americana, this is all in reference to Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life," a sentimental, classic Christmas film.  Clarence saves George, earns his wings and gets promoted to Angel First Class. Of course, the screenplay is plumped up with scenes of compassion versus self-interest.)

A wabi sabi ceramic dish made by my Japanese friend
cradling Christmas ornaments on this grey December day.
Tomorrow it might be serving up something else.

I am reminded of my previous post, which touched on the wabi sabi concept of the Japanese.  There is much beauty in imperfection, in the little accidents of life -- even the passage of time.  We just need to see.  And that chance post on wabi sabi and impromptu gatherings drew lovely comments - on and off blog - from you friends in, shall I call it, the eCloud.  That must make you all a bunch of eAngels? (When I hear the bells, I'll know you've earned your wings.)


Ending scene from Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life"



Here's to the Christmas season, and to how we touch each other in our little virtual world, even though many of us have never met in the real one.

Nature's Timekeeper: the California holly or "Christmas berry"
They're all around the house, neighborhood, town, mountains ...
as if wishing the Bay Area a happy Christmas!
This is what I see from my window every day.
It was much fuller until the deer dined on it.

Now I wonder, what is the real world anyway? ...  Ah, I've been watching too many existentialist films, like "The Truman Show," recently.  Excellent film, by the way.  But that's another post.

ALL HALLOW'S EVE

It's that time again, when Spirits join the world of the Living ... which one are you?

This is my favorite holiday of the year.  Spirits are unleashed, and along with them, unabashed creativity.  Uptight folk -  always afraid of looking ridiculous - finally find a great cover for loosening up.

Halloween also happens to be our wedding anniversary!  Revelers surrounded us in NYC during this full moon many years ago.  You wonder what odd people we are -- and yes, we are odd -- to have chosen this date.  Even odder is that my older brother and sister in-law got married on the same date many more years ago.  They had their own reasons.  Ours was simply the full moon.  The extended revelry was a bonus.  For that year, you could say our costume was Bride and Groom.

My mother passed down the philosophy that costumes are created, using anything in the house, rather than purchased.  She was a master at re-purposing scarves or discarded toilet paper cylinders!  I've kept that practice to this day.  So, everything I am wearing is either a gift (the Venetian mask, the beaded necklace) or from my closet (gloves, lace blouse, floor length skirt, hooded cape).  

Have a wonderful Halloween wherever you are!

MY FAVORITE THINGS ...

There it was.  A forlorn, brown, paper package sitting in the rain.  The postman had kindly sealed it in clear plastic before leaving it on the steps.  It couldn't be helped, but my mind's film reel was rolling off Fräulein Maria, clad in white on a stormy night, singing,

"Brown, paper packages tied up with strings,
These are a few of my favorite things."
                                     -- The Sound of Music

My older sister mailed me this Mask
after spending 2 weeks in Venice, Florence and Rome.
I was so thankful for the Postman's thoughtfulness
in protecting the package.

How can we possibly resist unexpected packages?  It's Magic in every mysterious box.  Can't blame Pandora for peeking into hers.

With this surprise, Halloween is now taking a Venetian slant as my costume ideas percolate ...  What do you plan to be for Halloween?

******

Late addition, to this post:

A delightful, little stop animation short for Halloween from film maker, Spike Jonze, and bag designer, Olympia Le Tan.  Enjoy!

AUTUMN BOUQUET

Forget my laments to bring back summer.  My attitude has turned along with the leaves.  I love Autumn!

Perhaps our nephew's wedding in Colorado had something to do with it.  Denver's picturesque foothills were painted over in russets, greens, and golds.  The bridal party's yellow ochres blended right in.  I wish I could post my shots from the wedding but I can't.  I will, however, share the radiant bride's brooch bouquet below.  Have you ever seen anything like it?

The Bride's Brooch Bouquet
I've never seen anything like it!

The estate where the wedding was held kept its historic charm.  Here's a glimpse of the mansion, The Manor House.  It was built in 1914 for a self-made millionaire, John Shaffer, whose modest beginnings were as a boot black.  His 28,000 acre cattle ranch used to surround this Manor House. Shaffer was also the editor-publisher of the Chicago Tribune and brought the arts to both Chicago and Denver.  This Manor House proudly entertained the likes of Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft -- and now us!

The Manor House, Colorado
snapped from the car as we drove up the hill

But back to the wedding.  Our nephew, the jazz trumpeter, serenaded his Bride up the aisle with his originally-composed fanfare.  (I have a wonderful photo of him and his trumpet in the sunset.)  His band friends, mostly brass, encircled the guests on the hilltop.  So all those golden notes filled the brisk air, coating it in autumn sunshine.  To top it all, the vows were poems written or sung by the couple.  I just love weddings which truly reflect the couple's nature.

Our nephew and niece are decidedly outdoorsy, opting to give up the urban diversions of New York City, where they both attended graduate school, to move back to Colorado.  Fittingly, the pre-wedding Rehearsal Dinner was held at another scenic location, the Denver Botanic Gardens.  My camera lens fogged up on that cold, rainy evening.  But I did catch some amusing sights, like this fork in the road ...

Metaphor for life's choices?

... or this benign looking "Corn Maze" entrance -- which unexpectedly sprawls into an eight-acre corn field.  I lost my husband in it after he took some little kids in to the "maze".  They didn't surface for hours!  Luckily, there was cherry pie to reward the muddy, little troupers afterwards.  But perhaps, the kids thought it was one big adventure, and it was really just my husband who was concerned amidst the endless corn stalks.

Corn Maze needs to include "Bermuda Triangle" warning!

I took over 400 photos of family during this lovely excursion into Autumn.  I regret I can only share a handful, and not the most beautiful ones either.  This was my last look from the car as we drove to the airport, back to lush, green California.

Leaving my brother in-law's neighborhood
right by a horse ranch

Or so I thought.  Just today, I was out on a morning run in the hills. Amber leaves lined the dirt trail at my feet.  Autumn must have followed us home.

What is it like where you are?

SIGNS OF SUMMER

It must be Summer.  The signs are everywhere:

I'm back to tangerine-and-turquoise pairings.

I feel the sunshine waking the Boardwalk up.

I hear the barefoot holler: no more school!

I spy boys and boogie boards, back and forth, sun up to sun down.

I taste the salt air as colors dance on the sand.

It is definitely Summer over here.

Here's wishing you wind in your hair this Summer!



All beach photos taken in Santa Cruz, a traditional kick-off for Summer in this part of California.

I have a lot of summer activities over the next 3 weeks.  Hope to have wonderful photos to share from time to time.

WALTZ OF THE FLOWERS

... while visions of sugar plums danced in their heads.
                                - from Clement C. Moore's "The Night Before Christmas"

I have never seen a sugar plum nor dreamt about them, but my encounters through poetry and literature tell me they are incredibly delightful and associated with Christmastime.  With all this Christmas imagery, I thought we could resume our Nutcracker journey and fly to the Land of Sweets: that confectionary dreamland ruled by the Sugar Plum Fairy.

The original 1892 libretto (by Marius Petipa for the Imperial Mariinsky Theater in Russia) had Clara and the Nutcracker Prince travel by dolphins (pulling their nutshell boat).  I think we can take an even bigger leap and have them pulled through the air by swans instead!

Photo collaboration with Jill Adams of Street Style London

En route to the Land of Sweets
Swan image: me again, studio photo by Jun Yang Photography
Photo Art: Jill Adams of Street Style Polka Dot

The second Act of the ballet is one of celebration within the Land of Sweets, where candy, chocolates and flowers honor Clara and her Nutcracker Prince.  Here, I'd wager the "Waltz of the Flowers" is one of the most recognizable pieces of music Tchaikovsky ever wrote.  Even non-ballet goers are familiar with it.  Moreover, this is the dream role for most young ballerinas for whom the Sugar Plum Fairy role is as elusive a fantasy as candy floss for breakfast.  Who wouldn't want to be waltzing with Dewdrop while swathed in frothy pink tulle?

"Waltz of the Flowers" in Balanchine's Nutcracker, New York City Ballet

The fast tempo of this version is characteristic of Balanchine, whose choreography tends towards fast footwork and near athleticism.  Technically impressive -- but not my favorite rendition.  However, I think they have the best Flower costume of all the productions!  The whirling layers of tulle look so much like flowers blooming!  And their Candy Land set is the stuff kids' dreams are made of.


Many thanks to blogger, Jill of Street Style London, and her brilliant idea of creating photo art out of my ballet images.  I feel this is a kind of Christmas present in itself!  She recently posted one of her photo montages of my swan image on her blog.  You can see it here.  This is one of the things I love about the blog world -- that people who have never met (yet) can form online friendships, akin to pen pals of old, and collaborate with each other artistically.

What are your favorite sweets?  I hope you get them this Christmas!

TULLE & STRIPES

Happy Veteran's Day on 11-11-11!  (Sorry, just had to get the cheesy date thing out of the way.)

I didn't have a patriotic Stars & Stripes photo to post, but did recall this shot at the rehearsal studio. Presenting Tulle & Stripes instead.  I was mesmerized by my friend's sharp stripes against her tulle, punctuated by black and white legwear.  Some of you may remember her as our long-limbed dancer from an old post: Curves in Space.

Tulle and Stripes
Surprising my friend, R, during warm ups

I don't mean to trivialize the heroes of the past.  I am thinking about them, and in fact have been ruminating on history and what the wars meant.  However, I have decided to expand this day's appreciation of people to include people who are around today, and continue to inspire me with their daily life.

I am so fortunate to be surrounded by amazing people -- Blogger friends included!  These photos are a reminder that my ballerina friends are not only graceful and beautiful.  They happen to be interesting and interested in fields beyond ballet.  My friend above has a Ph. D. in the social sciences from Stanford.  Another ballerina friend is a regular visiting professor in the sciences at Stanford with a Ph.D. from Japan.  Some are talented artists working in various media.  I could go on and on with their impressively diverse backgrounds.

Barely-captured movement
My friend, R

I believe exposure to -- even mastery of -- other fields imparts an artistic depth and dimension not acquired by merely flexing muscles at the barre.  In my humble opinion, choreographers, fashion designers, musicians, writers -- actually, any kind of artist -- are the same way.  The brilliant ones infuse their field with inspirations from without.  Is it becoming obvious that my heroes in this world are polymaths?

Which brings me to Blogging.  Next week, I will be posting about an admired, multi-talented friend in a collaborative post.  Many of you might be fans of her creative blog already.  Stay tuned!

HALLOW'S EVE GOTHIC

Halloween traditions are as ancient as the Celts celebrating Samhain -- the most magically powerful of nights when the worlds of the living and the dead collide.  Back then, bonfires and costumes would ward off mischievous ghosts wreaking havoc with the harvest.  Divination would set the course for the following year.  Druids and villagers alike would disguise themselves in animal heads as part of the festivities.

Separately, while musing on the origins of All Hallow's Eve, Grant Wood's "American Gothic" painting was percolating in the back of my mind.  No connection, really.  Merely that The Sartorialist's recent images of couples in such upright positions couldn't help but remind me of this vestige of Americana.

A surreal take on American Gothic
Unlikely couple: no pitchfork, just a widow's bouquet
Photo: The Foolish Aesthete

So, just as Halloween has come through the ages from the pagan, adopting Christian traditions along the way, my thoughts have come together here in a Halloween Gothic scene -- with traces of Druid traditions, and Tim Burton's magical world (refer to previous post here).  And instead of a pitchfork, I wield a widow's black rose bouquet.

A widow from Sleepy Hollow?
Photo: The Foolish Aesthete

I am still tweaking all my Halloween ideas, but with several parties going on this weekend, I may try several looks!

Are you celebrating Halloween?  What costume did you decide on?

Photo details:

Top hat: Scala
Green, velvet gown: handmade, from an estate sale
Cameo brooch choker: my grandmother's
Velvet booties: Sam Edelman
Velvet gloves: thrifted
Black rose bouquet: Party City