from my desktop...

the MITM has decided that he really does have work that MUST be done, so he's leaving the blogging to me (ok, for today anyway) again!

i'm not prepared!

i've been on hiatus!

i'm in new granny-haven't-been-out-to-lalaland-yet foggyland?

or i'm just (fill in the blank).


but enough about why i haven't been blogging! here's some miscellaneous flotsam and yes, more baby pictures and at the very end....a surprise!

this is now my new favorite birthday e-card



i wanted to post this card on fb, but someone said it would be mean and not very polite, but i thought since i wasn't mentioning that the person was now sixty it would be ok...

any thoughts? *snickering*

(ok, yeah, a bit catty on my part, but i am just sharing it with all y'all and not everybody, so that has to lower the catty/mean girl/ok, i'll say it, bitchiness quotient.)

and moving right along

it's picture time!

Moxie and the blue bath mats

Moxie has decided that even bath mats are far more comfortable than parquet wood floors.

confused Moxie

and the back of the sofa is even more comfortable! but, she's also decided that it really is going to be OK to have another pack member.

after the doc's birthday brunch at casa de matrix

cap'n chaos and the coconut krewe have sent a few photos since my last pictorial essay, so it's fabulous baby picture time!!

mr. matrix and baby boy chaos

"so, this is what a party looks like!"

Stretch and baby boy chaos at the best creole restaurant in town!

sleepy baby!

the best creole restaurant in los angeles? i know y'all are wondering, "OK, the baby is cute, but you can't just leave that out there without telling us, savannah!" so, i'm going to share an insider la secret: go to harold and belles next time you're out in lalaland! don't thank me now, just remember to raise a glass! seriously, outside of being in new orleans this is the best on the west coast!

back to pictures...

when i opened my email today there was a postcard from our best pal, daisyfae! i think we should all meet up in NYC one day!

YES!

remember earlier on i said there would be a surprise at the end?


(hold on, you didn't just scroll down here without looking at everything else, did you?)



(you did, didn't you?)



(waiting while you go back)








and here it is:

IT'S A GIRL!!!

super nana & mr matrix are going to have a GIRL in august! this will be the first girl for the coconut krewe and their cousins. so far, there are 4 boys, so this baby will be a first on so many levels! i KNOW, right? to say we're all excited is an understatement!

but yeah, everyone is happy.


what a year this is turning out to be!

Mixed Tapes

Our four year old daughter came into our bedroom, cute as a button, curly hair everywhere and brown as a nut from the summer sun. She jumped in the bed between us to make sure she woke us up. When she had our attention on that lovely summer day, she said with all earnestness - "Can we have some Vietnamese Liberation Toast?"

Before I explain VLT, I must tell you that she is now a beautiful woman, pregnant and due in August this year, one of the most intelligent people I know, and a gifted innovative educator. She was the baby of the family. Her three brothers - now fine men to a man - are equally as intelligent. Our oldest son has just had his first child. And in retrospect, I like to think, VLT had something to do with all of this.

Savannah Marsh Mama and I came up in L.A. - more specifically, South Central L.A. - at a time when revolutionary politics and great cultural upheavals were redefining how we saw ourselves, our community and our country. We traveled in political and artistic circles that assumed, of course, that everyone read Franz Fanon, knew the name of Regis Debray, listened to Rap Brown, Stokely Carmichel, and the Last Poets. The soundtrack to our lives consisted of Motown, R&B, Funk, Jazz from Armstrong to Avant Garde, Blues from Bessie Smith to Buddy Guy, Rock from the British Isles to Hendrix, classical composers, and operas. Eclectic to say the least. We never even gave it a second thought. It all just was. And so was our approach to educating the children. We did things as a matter of course - like change the name of French Toast to Vietnamese Liberation Toast, tell the children that Columbus wasn't the first to discover America and that his discovery had negative effects because 1-several others had already discovered it for the Vikings and the Africans, 2-the concept of discovery fueled by religion and greed is never a good thing. We were the kind of young parents who would have a moment of silence for dead Native Americans on Thanksgiving. Suffice it to say that years of struggle, activism, travel, trials and tribulations have made us into the pragmatist we are today.

My questioning today centers on what effect does music, cultural nuances, political bents, etc. have on the psyche of a child? I don't really know. I know that our children as adults are all the kind of people I would want as a friend. Maybe that's all there is to it. There is no real answer. Each person takes what he needs from his early childhood and makes do as needed. (Savannah says - fucking ask their therapists!) They traveled with us around the country, through the Middle East and Europe. They all have, I'm sure, many fond memories and many times where they say - "What the hell were they thinking".

We used to make mixed music tapes to play in the car when taking the kids to school, crossing L.A. streets and freeways. These were as eclectic as our lives and our taste. The children, at an early age, had many lyrics and styles floating through their reality. What happens when you start off with Bessie Smith, flip to Crosstown Traffic by Hendrix, into an aria from La Boheme, land on the Jazz Crusaders, and finish with Phoebe Snow? Who knows? Anyway, here are a few tracks from that long ago summer. Coconut Krewe - feel free to enjoy or turn it off with a vengeance.





And finally - and I'm sure Cap'n Chaos is covering his ears - the dreaded Phoebe Snow

Spring has Sprung

It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade. ~Charles Dickens

There is new life all around us. These are the days when nature tempers my cynicism with glorious explosions of color. Some shots around our Savannah neighborhood as we approach St. Patrick's Day.

today our sweet angel baby is 39!

in the captain's den

i know! how did that happen, right? we remember when he was born, his first words, the first time he told captain chaos NO (and then proceeded to hit him with a tonka truck, but that's another story...), how he questioned why his uncle chuy didn't know his name because he  kept calling him jack! (ok, you have to know my brother-in-law the attorney to get that one) (from the MITM: as in film noir style, Hey, Jack!) we have all these stories and memories of that little boy who is now a marvelous man, a great husband, a generous brother, the perfect uncle and a good friend to those who know him...but to us, no matter how old he is, he'll always have the same little boy grin when something goes well...

"yeah, i shot that duck!"

happy birthday, doc!

saturday shakeup or this is what is on my desktop or things i've been wondering about...

yep, i don't post for a couple of days and suddenly, there are a ton o'things i need to share, a question to ask and if i'm lucky, maybe, one of y'all will have an answer for me!

so?
where to start?

how about fabulous baby pictures?

first, he found his hand

and then he put himself to sleep

Stretch called this pic "tiny sleeper"

he's too cute, right?


some of you on facebook have seen info about the dancing lady and classes she's teaching out in lalaland, so here she is

supernana & mr matrix sent this

and then there was the chameleon

so now to my question:

 i've been trying to remove some long gone blogs from the sidebar and for some reason blogger won't let me save my changes!! (who knew that blogger doesn't always cooperate, right?) any suggestions?

and finally,

did i tell all y'all that the MITM sent me a file of his "approved for posting" photos? yep, he did, but this is one i took of him sitting across our partner's desk!

i told you he wasn't the boss of me!

there's other funny stuff, but i'll save those for the next time i can't put a sentence together, much less write a post!

march 8, 1969

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

more, more, more!

really? did you seriously think i wouldn't post more baby pictures????

and then there's super nana & mr matrix...

mr matrix and super nana and baby (name and gender TBD)

Moxie and the fluffy golden blanket

i'll write more soon, i promise, m'darlings!

JUST IN: a new pic of captain chaos

did you get your precious photos?

Baby Boy Chaos and super nana

big sister and little brother

as the pictures come in, i'll be posting! yeah, that's right, i am so into being a grandma i could dance!! oh wait, we have been already! it's been celebration city around the plantation, my darlings. friends have joined us to toast the newest addition to the coconut krewe and revel in the good times that have been so long in coming.

mr moose is going to visit today and he promised to send more pictures!

baby boy chaos

Thank you all for the kind words of congratulations! Stretch and the baby are doing fine. the captain is recovering as well, in fact, as he said, he's back at work today, this week or probably, the rest of his life! the MITM and i celebrated with our best pals and raised our own glasses a few times, too! and nobody quoted luca brasi!

Correct! Seaman Beaumont, Signal Algorithmic Processing System. Give it a week and you'll be teaching at Caltech. So, like Beethoven on the computer, you have laboured to produce... a biologic.

IT'S A BOY!!!

 after a 40 hour labor, at 12:10AM on 15 feb, Stretch and cap'n chaos became the proud parents of a 20", 8lb, 3oz little boy!!! 

pictures to follow later today!

Captain Chaos and Baby Boy Chaos

wow! is it tuesday already?

so, yes, the plane did land. the MITM arrived safely and so did his luggage! (delayed baggage is a problem when a flight is coming out of deepestdarkestafrica as some of you may remember from another adventure) he's already settled back into at home mode and it's as if he'd never left. dinner plans are made for thursday and the weekend is starting to book up...

yeah, i'm the boss of her! seriously. yeah, really.

yes, this is a REAL cuban cigar!

there's an update from the west coast!

cap'n chaos called last night to let us know that Stretch had started active labor! there could be a baby today!!!


we'll chat later! happy van halentine's day, darlings! xoxoxoxo

countdown/waiting/killing time/filling the last few hours

YES!

it's sunday and i'm waiting for phone calls.

OK, really?

i'm waiting for one call from the ATL (also known as Atlanta Hartsfield Airport).

the MITM is scheduled to touch down stateside this afternoon. in fact, according to his itinerary, he should have landed already, then at some point, start walking down to collect his luggage, go through customs, return same for placement on the last leg home, have his passport stamped  and then, wander on over to the gate for his trip down to SAV. but according to delta.com, the damn flight is still in flight. *sigh*

sometimes, too much information, isn't enough information. or maybe it's just the wrong information.

so, here i am. talking to all y'all because it's keeping me busy and keeping me from fretting.

i've decided to do a list of the members of the coconut krewe because some new friends have stumbled on to the plantation and need to know who i'm talkin about!

the MITM is the Man In The Moon aka the Husband aka the-guy-who-thinks-he's-the-boss-of-me

captain chaos is #1 son  and married to Stretch aka The Girl 

dr. T is #2 son  and married to The Dancing Lady

mr moose is #3 son and married to Miss Nan

super nana is our ONLY daughter and married to mr. matrix

there ya go. those are the players.

i have to check flights again.

and just like that, the phone rang!

Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.

it's saturday on the plantation.

so far, Stretch hasn't had the baby, but cap'n chaos did send this picture he took on thursday.

Stretch on the beach carrying Baby (name TBD)

and there's more good news!


remember when i mentioned a countdown?


well, m'darlings...


guess who's coming to dinner tomorrow night?

the MITM

finally, right?

so there is anticipation on both coasts for lots of reason, but lots of excitement and happiness. revel in each other, darlings and don't let life pass you by while you're planning for the future.

i love you all.  xoxoxoxo

remember when i told you there was more good news?

well, there is and now i can share it!!!

super nana & mr matrix are going to have a BABY!!!!

sonogram at 12 weeks

and no, no one knows if that's a boy or a girl. and that's OK. we all like surprises. OK, not all surprises, but this one is fine. the nursery is already planned, furniture has been secured and will be delivered soon. there are color schemes and a fresco has been planned! people are thinking about baby showers and parties. it's just all so exciting!!

there will be more photos, but for now, super nana said i could share this one with all y'all!

our baby girl is carrying a BABY!!

cheers, darlings! let's celebrate!!

Charlie Callahan has died.

Professor B. Worm passed away on Wednesday, February 2nd. Charlie was one of those people that I didn't have to meet in person to call friend. Over the years it was just accepted fact around the plantation that my pal in Arizona was a very, very cool guy and we were all damn lucky to know him! He wrote kind words of support to my children during  difficult times just because he knew what they were dealing with and knew how a few words of support could make a difference. I will always be thankful for his friendship.

Rest well, dear Friend. I miss you already.


xoxoxo

Catalog Living

Catalog Living


FUNNY STUFF! seriously, check out the link. the stories of the people who live in the catalogues that arrive in your mailbox!

i'll be back later. OK, tomorrow. i'm going to bed now, been a very, very, very long day.

just because or i just clicked on share

long, dull, grey day UNTIL it was time to join our BFF's from one plantation over for a night on the town! sooo, the 3 of us went downtown and over the bridge to the westin hotel for a jazz concert. lots of fun and really great to see a bunch of musicians i hadn't seen in ages! the other part was seeing people who remembered the club and asked when we're were going to do it again! of course, as soon as i got home i sent the MITM a message letting him know that he was still remembered as the best sax player in our little town! his response? wow, cool, but what's the score for the NYG-SF game! (yeah, i turned the game on as soon as i got home and he knew it) i gave him the score and then, turned the tv on, blasted the sound and put my MacBook in front of the screen so he could see and hear the game! good times, good times and big hurray for technology!

see all y'all later. 

18 january 2012

 

if you tried to visit my blog today (after i corrected the html) this is what you saw. i have tried not to politicize my blog because most of the time, the politics would be local and not of interest to anyone except me and my neighbors. today was an exception. today was a day when i felt i NEEDED to express myself and show my support AGAINST a bad piece of legislation that would NOT stop online piracy, but would put my country on the same plane as china and iran in terms of government censorship and interference in the flow of information.  the issue isn't dead yet, but i do hope that copyright laws will be amended to reflect current technology and look not only to the current technology, but also to its future growth and potential. laws can be vague to allow for growth, but they must not be so vague as to allow for abuse. 

wikipedia has put together an explanation of the legislation and also lists the pros and cons of implementation. form your own opinion based on critical and informed research. don't be swayed by graphics or sound bites. 

a mind is a terrible thing to waste, so use yours!

tuesday

HELVETICA!


today it isn't going to take much to intrigue me/distract me/engage ...


what was that? yes, i was saying something and then...

not enough sleep. i'm sorry, where was i? yes, tuesday. tomorrow if all goes as planned i wont be here. or the site won't be here. we'll see.




reading update: 2 done, 2 started and a clarification of the guidelines. if a book that's been in the TBR (to be read) doesn't grab/excite/makeyouturnthepage interesting, then it can be set aside, never to grace your TBR pile again. *whew* i might write about those. i'm reading a mystery set in post world war 1 england which i suppose is my hat tip to all things downton abbey. we'll see. it's been sitting on the nightstand for 2 days now. a test of wills is the title. i have to admit, the storyline and the protagonist are intriguing...


but, really? you know what i've been doing since the saints lost to the 49er's? watching movies/tv shows/imports/documentaries all streaming to my tv. netflix is my pal and we have spent some quality couch time together! *sigh* i already miss football! BUT, next weekend, i'm going to have to watch the NYG-SF divisional NFC championship game BECAUSE i think the NYG are going to kick some serious SF butt. now, i'm guessing many of you don't know or care, but we're almost done, so don't worry. (see nfl.com for explanations)

i am seriously going to answer comments, if you leave one, i promise!

but for now...there's a chameleon on the window...have you ever looked at the unde


rside


o f 
one 


of 


those 


t


h


i.... 

and having resumed control of the helm...

first, thank you all for the responses to the MITM's entries. the coconut krewe was surprised, to say the least, that he/we were even considering going anywhere else besides the west coast this summer! but, i say, we should do it all! 

i've been reading and not blogging (as if you didn't already know that) but, thought i'd drop in and update you on my progress. i did finish one book and pretty much laughed my way through it, but i love the author and her style and also that it's regional, so i indulge my inner romantic. currently reading Death Comes To Pemberley and loving how well p. d. james is channeling jane austen! i think the next read will be  2 books at once, one to leave by the bed and the other by my chair in the living room. (i KNOW! what a lazy coot i am, right?)  also on my agenda has been watching football! my team, the new orleans saints beat some other team (detroit lions) to take the wild card and will now go out to the west coast and kick some other team's (san francisco 49'ers) butt for the division. the following games will be for the championship and then, THE SUPER BOWL. now i don't want to jinx the outcome, so we'll just leave that topic alone for now...

that's what been happening here on the plantation, sugarpies. what about with all of you? we're working on our second week of the new year...think we'll get it right this year? me? i'm just thinking about today, everything else will fall into its own place at its own speed.


(it just dawned on me that i should have posted some pics with this post, but that will have to wait for next time!)