A bright spot

Now where is that Buzzy?

When I was a little girl, my Grandma had asked us kids to call her Bambi. We called her Bambi because she was “so dear”. Bambi is not “dear” in the typical dotting grandmotherly way…rather she is more of a darling in an unconventional way.  When we visited with her we got to try on her lipstick, clothes, high heels and carry her handbags. We got to use her phone and fold ourselves up in her exercise chair. We had free reign to explore and grow – anything would go. And Bambi was always fashionable. She was creative and not afraid of what others thought, in fact I think she enjoyed the mystery...the aura that surrounded her. Bambi always kept them guessing.

War Stories

As I got older, Bambi and Buzzy, my grandfather, would come to visit us in Pittsburgh from Florida for weeks at a time. Buzzy has made his career in the US Navy and was even at Pearl Harbor. He is very organized, is quite the story-teller, has a high moral code and can be very sarcastic. Us kids loved the visits from Bambi and Buzzy – they had a different perspective than my parents and I noticed even at a young age how refreshing that was. They slept till noon, got dressed even later and sometimes even drank in the day. They communicated by bickering with one another about trivial things that would never be solved, it was almost flirtatious. They were interesting – Buzzy was always buying Bambi jewelry or pretty things,  Bambi was always putting Buzzy to “work” and saying how he “liked to do this” (though I knew he just liked to please her), they both played cards, travelled and visited friends regularly. Mostly, they laughed. They laughed loud and they laughed a lot.

Tell your Grandmother....

I visited Bambi and Buzzy this weekend in Jacksonville. They have gotten less mobile and more forgetful over the years. They still manage to find a happy spot though. Bambi is writing a play and I am going to star in it.  She and Buzzy are going to get all “dressed up” and watch me do what “comes so natural to [me] on the stage”.  Buzzy has” let the house slide a bit” but he fully intends to get back over there and “whip it back into order”, he likes to putter around.  And though their health issues have them in two different locations at the moment, they are still asking about one another and even resulted to using me and Yahtzee as messengers as we travelled back and forth between their respective homes. 

I am told I am sometimes like my Bambi – a bit alternative, sometimes eccentric.  I guess I also like to surprise people, make them think a bit differently and keep them intrigued (especially with my fashion!). This compliment honors me.  It has made me less afraid of what other’s think and more focused on what I like and doing what I enjoy.

Through Bambi and Buzzy, I realize the importance of pure, almost childlike, happiness. The necessity to finding the humor in things – even when it may seem difficult to do.

Bambi and Buzzy have been a bright spot in my life. 

And I have learned, from the two of them, 

to laugh loud and laugh a lot

He loves me

...one for each month of marriage

Kewl

Peace Out Palooza - 21st August

Purple Haze all in my brain, lately things don't seem the same. 
Actin' funny but I don't know why. 
'Scuse me while I kiss the sky.

We were a bunch of righteous souls Saturday night at the Be-In Urban Disco style.  

Lots of beautiful people chillin and gettin' cosmic at the crash-pad.

Where its at, dude

Rainbow Family Hipsters, Yahtzee & Dasha

Flower Children

Groovy Threads

The night was far out - hanging loose under the stars  - chillin', dancin', bein'

Orange Sunshine

Electric Kool-Aid Enlightenment

if it feels good, do it

Yahtzee & Siby getting their Kicks

There was nothin' bringing us down - enjoying the summer night

Its a gas

Go With the Flow

Social anthropologist Jentri Anders observed that a number of freedoms were endorsed within a countercultural community in which she lived and studied: "freedom to explore one’s potential, freedom to create one’s Self, freedom of personal expression, freedom from scheduling, freedom from rigidly defined roles and hierarchical statuses...". 

This party was a celebration of Freedom.

Peace, Love and Freedom

A true blue friend in the Bluegrass State

I have been on a blog writing hiatus, mainly because I wanted to concentrate on some other things I have been letting slide.  Well, things are still sliding but I miss blogging so the hiatus is officially over. Plus, I really wanted to share the trip I made last weekend to visit with some wonderful friends, Weave Girl and Athletic, in Alexandria, Kentucky.  I have found that time passes more slowly outside of NYC and sitting on the back porch talking about nothing and everything with my girlfriends was just heavenly.  Later we went out on the town and found ourselves in downtown Cincinnati for dinner and drinks and listened to a great acoustic guitarist at Blind Melon.  I met a lot of Weave's friends who are were v. fun and interesting - even one Steelers fan!  And on Sunday we went for a local favorite – the Ice Ball.  It’s ice cream and slushy and pretty darn tasty and went perfectly with peaceful moment sitting on a park bench with my two friends.   hometown favorites - Dene & the Iceball! Mostly it was interesting to see Weave Girl operate in her hometown since I have only known her “als Fremde” in Karlsruhe - but this trip gave me a glimpse behind the curtain. In meeting the parents and the friends it gave me insight into the person she is. And who is that, exactly? Well….She is an observer of things, never too quick to make rash decisions. She works hard to play hard. She is full of wanderlust but stays true to her roots.  She also stays true to herself.  She listens without judgment.  She is appreciative and counts her blessings. She gets joy from watching others have a good time. She is a quiet storm, a fighter. She is my friend Weave Girl, my friend Little Dynamo , my friend Dene. And she likes me just as I am (or whoever I am – Dasha, Farah or Stephanie). And I like her for all of these things that make her who she is. Thanks for the wonderful weekend, Dene. And thank you for your friendship.  You always make me smile.

lovebirds

Together again

If the shoe fits

Shoes make me so very happy

Whilst picking up my first pair of orange Fluevogs from the cobbler today and I saw these beauties in the shop, new for Fall...(oh husband!)

What do you think?

Birthday +1

Geburtie Gang

Thanks for coming out to Ninth Ward to celebrate my birthday with me. 

It was a nice relaxing evening and just what I had in mind. 

Thanks also for the drinks and lovely notes, gifts, jokes, songs and cake! It was very thoughtful and much appreciated.

my very talented sister created this colored pencil portrait of me

This dizzy life of mine

I am a child of fire
I am a lion
I have desires

And I was born inside the sun this morning
                            -Counting Crows

~happy birthday to me ~

Road tripp'n and picnic'n

[Party] tosser & his sister

Picnics are not something that happens too often in NYC - not proper picnics with real barbequed foods, volleyball, horseshoes, swimming, kids running around...  That is one reason this weekend was so special.

Late Night (to wee hours) Sing Along - Soul Brotha

On Friday I drove home to Pittsburgh to attend a "Lovin My Oven" party - sponsored by my brother.  At this party, everyone brings a dish that can be baked in the oven (except dasha who doesn't cook - she buys pre-made slaw and corn), and there is judging and prizes to follow. Fourth place has to hold the event the next year. This year there was a twist to the theme in that it had to be a BBQ dish - in line with the theme of Barbeque Sauce and Balloon Toss. Everything was delicious.  Coleslaw did not win.

Highlights included guitar jams with Party Tosser, Jo, Mich and Soul Brutha (I am making lessons myself now soon - thanks to the inspiration), SS in awe over the balloon toss and her plans to introduce it in Germany, blue ribbon winner excitement, watching my niece and her friend come along over the course of the day and finding the pole markers so we could get the volleyball net up.

Soul Sistah's

And the Winner Is...

Some were more competitive than others

Little Besties

Tried and True Besties

New Besties


Another reason that it was special is because I brought Soul Sistah along to meet my Crazy Haysies. She fit in famously at the Compound and its easy to understand why - with her bright smile, open mind and positive attitude was a perfect fit.

Autobahn 76

Of course we had to throw in a road trip as well, where we learned lots about one another...important things - like mustache types, fruit likes and dislikes, solutions for age old problems, song lyrics, family matters, work (but only a little), the joys of being a woman, flirting techniques that really work, dreams and disappointments and driving capabilities.  We are soul sisters.

Balls

In da Burg

don't mess with the S

Dasha bowls over 100