2022 means 72 for me

 HAPPY NEW YEAR, DEAR FRIENDS!

May 2022 bring us all things good and joyful!

and Happy Birthday to me!

Once a week, instead of once upon a time

 The lovely Scarlet gave me a great idea of how to shake this languishing off! Instead of trying to write every day and then feeling down for not making it happen...here we are!

It's been strange times around here that I'll share at some point, but for now, there is good news or some fun news to share.

Last night the MITM and I catered and served a four-course dinner party for Captain Chaos and Stretch. The starter was a Louisianna Turtle Soup served with a drizzle of sherry, chopped hardboiled egg, and a sprinkle of fresh chopped green onion. A lovely Pinot Noir was the perfect accompaniment!

The main course was a Northern-Italian Rabbit Cacciatore served over egg noodles, instead of the more traditional polenta. All the ingredients were fresh and some a bit unusual! For the first time, the MITM used juniper berries in a recipe. They've been sort of an inside joke between us after watching a Nero Wolfe episode ages ago and now I understand the argument over the number of berries to use in a recipe. A couple of delicious reds were shared.

Normally, the cheese course would be served now, but it was so lovely that guests helped themselves first. Hat's off to REDACTED for her contribution!

Dessert was also presented by friends, REDACTED, for a gorgeous pear galette and a delicious Chocolate Lava Bundt cake served with vanilla or chocolate ice cream! (I had both!)

It was a grand party and  I'm truly glad the MITM and I could do the catering and clean-up, so they could really enjoy hosting their friends!

Sadly, no one took pictures of the food, but I guess it was because it was too good!

xoxoxo

November 25, 2021

HAPPY

THANKSGIVING!

Today I give thanks for my friends, family, and

especially all of you!

However you celebrate, let us remember those who are no longer with us

and

find joy, love, strength, and peace

together!

xoxoxo

Guess who's 50 TODAY???

CAPTAIN CHAOS!!

This pic was taken last year on his first day back on set after lockdown. I think the wide-eyed wonderment is equally as impressive at the thought of turning 50! He's a great son, a thoughtful brother, a lovely husband, and a fantastic Dad, so I hope y'all will join us in wishing him a fantastic birthday and a wild weekend!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, super nana!!!

Yep, it's that time again!

Today is super nana's BIG DAY! I suppose at some time we should acknowledge her actual age*, so this year I am happy to celebrate, with all y'all, her REDACTED birthday! I hope y'all will join us in wishing her the very best REDACTED spin around the sun!

This is from a few years ago, but it's one of our favorites!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SUPER NANA!!!

* For a few years, the MITM told everyone she was 26! She was not, but looked as if she still was.

Hello, Friends!

 It's been a minute since I last posted, 

BUT...

it's been a very busy time out here in Lalaland. So, let me bring y'all up to date or something like that.

BBC and BGM did indeed start back to in-person learning at school. They're both happy to be back with their pals and away from the olds! (OK, that's how I see it anyway) Their parents are relieved as well! Providing constant entertainment can be exhausting, or maybe that's just the way I felt! 

The MITM had a HUGE family reunion, so we finally had a chance to see the extended family after a few years of separation. The MITM has spent a few years working on his family genealogy so new members from different branches showed up! It was a great opportunity to gather all the various branches together for a genuine Creole gathering and enjoy music, delicious food, and perfect southern California weather!

What else kept me away? Nothing exciting, just anxiety, insomnia, general ennui. You know,  business as usual. 

Sooooo, what's happening with all y'all? Wait, I know that answer, Go read our blogs, savannah, and then you'll know!

I've missed all y'all! 

xoxoxo

A couple of things happened this past Sunday and today!

Today BGM (Big Girl Matrix, if you've forgotten) and the MITM went to the Huntington Gardens in Pasadena and had a grand old time! There are pictures, but I'm sharing only this one today.

BUT, on Sunday the little person in the photo celebrated her 9th BIRTHDAY! There are some pics from the party we celebrated on Saturday, but I haven't uploaded them yet. But, in lieu of that, here's an interesting fact I learned - you can rent puppies for your party! Yep, the theme was "A Puppy Party" and the cutest little puppies were here for everyone to play with for an hour! Who knew, right?

Anyway, I'm 2 days late publishing a 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BGM  

post, so help me out and leave some belated best wishes for BGM!

*********

School starts next week for her and BBC (Big Boy Chaos), so like everyone in schools around the nation, they'll be masked and ready to start in-person learning...we hope!

August 2, 2021 or WTF happened to July?

 Jeez Louise, but I'm starting to think that this languishing is becoming my normal state of being! I keep reading all the articles about moving forward but try as I might, nada as in no go, no show, no nothing! Anyone else still trying to move forward? 

Total aside, but I just found out that the shift key on the right side of my MAC doesn't work and Apple KNOWS it's a defect/problem! They will replace the key, but it will take 3 weeks. It's as if my inconvenience is my problem, not theirs even though this recalcitrant key is their fault! (that exclamation point was done twice-think about how you type and you'll understand my situation!)

I'm going to bed. 

G'night, Gracie

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, STRETCH!!

 Yesterday was the 4th of July and we all gathered together to eat and then watch the big fireworks display. 

But, today is the REALLY BIG DAY because it's Stretch's REDACTED birthday! She's celebrating at the beach with Captain Chaos, The Kid, and Big Boy Chaos! I'm not sure what time things will kick off because yesterday ran really long into the night. 

So, here's to Stretch, may she have many more birthdays! Join us in wishing her the happiest of happy days!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, STRETCH!!

The 4th of July, 2021

For many people, this will be the first time gathering together and watching fireworks celebrating our country's founding. Historically speaking, this is the commonly accepted day that was chosen to commemorate the signing of the declaration of independence. Given the past events here in the United States, the rise of white supremacy, the acceptance of ignorance over science, and sadly, false patriotism, I hope it isn't the last.

I think I have re-entry anxiety.

Stay safe, sweetpeas!

Three posts in April and now it's MAY 18th!!

I don't know what's happened to my blog mojo, but it seems I have lost it.

I'm still languishing even though we're all fully vaccinated here. I've seen my family and we're getting ready for a larger get-together this coming weekend, but I don't know why I can't seem to focus on writing or reading.  I mean, I've even been to Trader Joe's and Target! (wearing a mask, of course)

I have to admit that since the CDC relaxed mask-wearing, I've become more adamant in my stance to continue wearing one when I'm out in public. To be clear, I have and will continue to follow science, but there are far too many people here in Lalaland that seem to believe that they've been lied to and that COVID is a hoax! Not to mention the fact that the CDC is asking me to trust those same people to be honorable about their being vaccinated. What could possibly go wrong with that assumption? 

I don't know what's coming next, so I'm not making any promises. But do know that I haven't forgotten any of you. xoxo

So, how the hell are y'all doin' these days?

420, 4/20, April 20

 Today is an auspicious one. No matter which way you read it or celebrate it, or smoke it, today has been one helluva day!

Waking up and after watching a bit of the news, wondering if the jury in the Chauvin case would have a verdict or if their deliberations would take longer. Then the MITM came in and asked if I'd read the NYT yet. When he found I hadn't, he told me that Idriss Deby, the president of Chad, was dead after a "clash with rebels" near the Libyan border. This is the country that the MITM used to work in (remember deepestdarkestafrica?)  Deby was a dictator and, to my mind, a destroyer, not a savior or a just leader, of his country, so while his death will be immortalized and he will be lauded, the movement to supplant his son, the new ruler, will be quick. 

But, here, in America, the first steps towards healing, justice, and accountability for all came around 5PM Eastern daylight time. This country was prepared for the worst, a not guilty verdict because, sadly, that is what we've come to expect. Today, that changed. It changed so much that even Chauvin was surprised to hear he wasn't acquitted! You could see the expression on his face. I have to admit, but I was among those who expected him to be found not guilty but hoped I was wrong. It is a sad reality for POC to expect, as we say, the short end of the stick when it comes to justice, especially when it comes to criminal justice. So, you know I was pleasantly surprised, as was everyone watching TV or following live feeds on a computer. This verdict will not bring George Floyd back to his family, nor will it erase the trauma experienced by those who stood on the sidewalk and watched, while they pleaded for the police to stop, George Floyd's life end.

I don't know why all of this happened today, but it did. Will Chad have a more equitable future for all its citizens?  If history is any guide, the odds are against it. Will America be better for this verdict? Perhaps, but it is a start and we can not and will not go backwards from it.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

***********

A little levity:

There's a site on Instagram called "Overheard in L.A." and I have one:

Guy: Idriss Deby died.

Gal:  Oh no! That's horrible!

Gal: Wait, wait, I thought you said Idriss Elba died!  Dude, I work in Hollywood, don't scare me like that!                                                                     

Happy Birthday to The Dancing Lady!!

 Today is "The 30th Anniversary of The Dancing Lady's Quinces"  so she has elected on that other social media site to share the following photos with a few sartorial additions this year!

Thirty years ago, well I'll let her tell it:

This time I'm wearing the tiara and nails my Mami wouldn't let me wear the first time around. That's the benefit of being 45!*

I hope you'll join us in wishing The Dancing Lady the happiest of happy days!

Oh yeah, her birthday request, now that we're all vaccinated, is for the entire krewe to gather and share the MITM's famous gumbo this Saturday! There will be pictures!!

xoxo

*To be perfectly clear, I don't think The Dancing Lady has EVER worn nails this long!

06 April 2021

 Checking in with all y'all because I ain't got much to share today which is why this is being posted at 21:55!

Yeah, I've been MIA, I know, but there's a reason (it's weak, I know) that I've been absent. You see, I've been scrolling through that other social media site and ignoring the news, except for what pops up in my email, and I can't seem to organize my thoughts to blog! 

Weird, right? 

Anyway, this too shall pass. 

The MITM is finally getting a new phone and mine has been repaired, so we're all iPhone people now. (Don't judge or try to dissuade us, we've paid the money and that's the end of it.) I don't know why any or all of this is relevant, but that's the way it is around here! 

SweetMarySunshine, I will try and get myself in gear this week, I pinkie promise!

24 March 2021

 I thought I'd date this post so that I'd have an easy reference to how long it's taking between posts these days. I'm not sure why it's taking me so long between posts, but I have a suspicion it's because I've been spending too much time on that other social media site, but not the one you're probably thinking of! Yep, that's right, I finally found tik toc and I am amazed at the volume of things that are on there. It's really insane but strangely fascinating, in that way that Boomers find all things done by other generations. 

What are these kids thinking? 

Yes, ma'am, I fell into that trap of tut-tutting and feeling ridiculously old, UNTIL I read that everyone over the age of 25 feels that way when it comes to tik toc! So, there's that and now I'm back in Blogville, but with the occasional trip to Instagram and its doting mama, Facebook.

I almost forgot my other spot, TWITTER! Now that the orange menace is no longer in the spotlight of social media, it's a far calmer place. I've given up doomscrolling and also watching the evening news, so there is that...

Now I just read the highlights of world tragedy and information in email summaries. If something is important, then I'll do more follow-up, but this method seems to be working for my mental stability. This pandemic isn't over and we are still a ways from the end.

********

The other day I shared a meme on Facebook that said that the greatest threat to our society was white supremacy. Sadly, the only response (the post received many likes and shares) was that the greatest problem was people who rubbed salt in the wound instead of doing something to change it. Then the suggestion was did I have a mirror? My first response (internally to be clear) was to ask for an explanation because I wasn't sure what I was reading. But, then I realized that it was of no use because I knew what he meant and that no matter what I said as a woman of color, he would never see that the problem is HIS, as a white man, to solve, not mine. I'm sharing this here because earlier the MITM shared a story he'd read about Dave Brubeck that brought him to tears as he relayed it to me. Seems Brubeck when he was a kid he lived on a ranch in Stockton, California. His Dad wanted him to work the land with him, but Brubeck wanted to be a musician. Now here's the story that struck the MITM. Brubeck's Dad took him into town to meet a Black man that he knew and then asked the man to raise his shirt to show Dave his chest: it was a brand. His father said this should never happen! That was the reason Dave Brubeck joined the Army and why he always had an integrated band when it was NOT a common thing! As an aside and a great example of people with heart, Benny Goodman once told a white man who questioned his playing with niggers, "If you say that again I'll crack you in the head with this clarinet!"

All of this to say, if we don't face our problems, we will never change our society. Each of us has to deal with those around us, but when it comes to white supremacy, only white people can change that because those folks who believe in the superiority of their skin color will never listen to a colored gal like me!

Dave Brubeck - The Essential

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE DOC!!

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DOC

This photo was taken in 2016 in London at St. John Restaurant! The Doc and the MITM had a brief stopover for a meeting on the way back from deepestdarkestafrica. Since this pic was taken he's grown a very distinguished beard with just a hint of grey!

The Doc reads this blog, so I hope you'll join us in wishing him a 

BIG OLE FANTASTIC BIRTHDAY!

Lauren got TikTok famous but is she bovvered? | The Big Night In - BBC

52 years ago and last year

 On March 8, 1969, the MITM and I were married. 

Last year was the last time we celebrated our anniversary with family and friends. Last night we were talking about all the events that happened before lockdown and how things have changed over this past year. 

There was a baby shower.

The baby is now almost a year old. They live in San Diego now and no longer in New York. We haven't seen them in person yet. 

On the plus side, the MITM and I have received both doses of the Moderna vaccine. Only 2 people in our family haven't been vaccinated yet, so we're close to having our pod expand to include The Doc and The Dancing Lady! Soon the rest of the extended family will be vaccinated which means we're very close to celebrating together again.

I'm hopeful.

This is probably the scariest part of all of this because we're so close and yet, so many idiots out there still think that it's nothing to worry about.

Stay safe, darlings, and please continue to wear your mask, wash your hands, and practice social distancing.

A little levity courtesy of the BBC:

 For some reason, the video won't post, so it's shared in the post above!

That day when you hit the wall

 Watching the news (for the first time today) and realizing that even though 45 is gone, his actions and GOP inactions still dominate the news. Then there's the winter cold snap that's plaguing the country. Looking at images of Texas and reading about their decision to leave the national power grid and the impact that has had on the state is beyond insane. It's a testament to greed and neglect of the needs of the people of Texas. 

I am saddened by the state of this nation. President Biden gives me a bit of hope, but we still have to contend with the fact that there are far too many people who believe in the lies spread by white supremacists and insurrectionists. I facilitate between fear and anger almost hourly.

Yesterday, I watched BBC and BGM play together celebrating BBC's 9th birthday. The Captain, Stretch, The Kid, and super nana sat at the dining room table laughing and talking while the MITM and I took it all in. What is their future going to be?

Today, today I hit the wall.

Today was the day it really hit me.

Lockdown, no lockdown.

Rise in cases, fewer cases.

The escalating death rate, the declining death rate.

It's as if no one is really listening to the science that's saying, 

this 

shit 

ain't 

over

 by

 any 

means.

So I wear my mask, wash my hands, stay home, and when I do go out, I practice physical distancing.

And some days, I just cry.

Happy Birthday, Big Boy Chaos!

 TODAY HE'S 9!*

Join us in celebrating and wishing BBC a wonderful day!

*There will be a picture later after the batteries for his remote control car are charged!

Contrary to the ex-president's defense team, the FIGHT for justice has just begun!

 I've watched the Impeachment Trial since it began and I find it hard to believe that 43 Republican men and women were in the Senate chamber watching what I and the rest of the world saw and still managed to construct an alternate reality that found Trump not guilty. The case for impeachment was made by the images we saw and the words of Trump! The House Managers presented in a clear and logical manner what the world saw and what the members of the House and Senate experienced! How Senators could go from saying on the Senate floor that Trump was guilty and then weeks later acquit him beggars belief. I have to agree that if the vote had been to impeach him on January 7th, Trump would have been found guilty! Sadly, politics over the country won today.

On Mago's blog*, I wrote the following:

My heart is broken because even though the reality of an acquittal was a given, I truly believed that those men and women in the Senate who had to RUN for their lives from the insurrectionists would vote for the good of the country, and for truth, over their party. I can only hope, once again, the DJT will be tried and convicted in federal and civil courts! This is not about vengeance or hatred, it is about justice and the preservation of our Democracy. 

I think that Rep. Jaime Raskin summed it up best when he said that if these actions by Trump did not constitute impeachable offenses, then what did? I don't want to even contemplate what the future holds for our children, our grandchildren, and America.

*https://63mago.wordpress.com/2021/02/13/the-deed-is-done

A BRAND NEW DAY!

Three drafts and nothing published since January 1, 2021

 Sorry, darlings, but I can't seem to share anything positive right now. Too much anger and frustration. 

Just too much.

I'll see all ya'll after the 20th...maybe.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 

WELCOME 2021

SO LONG 2020

WE SHALL NEVER SPEAK OF YOU AGAIN

WHEREVER YOU ARE

MAY 2021 BRING YOU PEACE, JOY, AND HAPPINESS!

WE NEED IT FOR REAL!