lost in translation

i got a call yesterday from my new friend at AFD (alliance francaise denver). she was following up on our brain storming about the "champagne and chocolate" event planned for members in february.

"so.... remember that magnum of expensive champagne that was donated for the event? " she began... well, i thought i clearly explained to the benefactor that he should keep it climate controlled in his wine cellar until the party." he had called AFD on another matter and when AFD friend brought up the subject of the february party and expressed appreciation for his donation of the champagne was mentioned.... ( the magnum was the inspiration for and the center of the event)... he responded: "oh, i drank it."

5 parties in 4 nights

party one: industry party on wednesday night :a mini-reunion of sorts that included a high school friend and a previous denver experience(pde) connection, and a new work friend(nwf). the pde generated an invite to an ornament exchange that would have included even more pde people from the newly wed/newly bred days. last night nwf gave an invite for the party her husband was throwing for his employees, which involved "cooking with friends"/and of course the eating and fun involved in preparing a 6-course meal. party 2 and 3 were a bust because i'm fighting a rare yomama bout of flu symptoms. i guess i should include the fact that i actually had 2 party invites for last night: darlene's(party 4) - party with my people- party (in geographically impossible fort worth). but party 5 is on tonight... the eog holiday party (already this will be my 2nd year) that's a whole lotta parties. me likie.

north star no longer leads wise men to jesus

and now this story out of florida: it is expected by local officials. if you put a "baby jesus" in a manger display... it will be stolen. apparently this is a new tradition. but conscientious overseers somehow found it in their budget to fund a line item for "baby jesus's" very own GPS tracking device. and it payed off. they found the latest "baby jesus" victim in an abandoned house a few miles from the scene of the abduction. what next for "baby-j", a pied-a-terre with security and maid service?

you want me to what?

i don't like to switch lines at the grocery store. inevitably when you switch they have some computer glitch or need to check a price or some other drama that delays the deed to twice as long. i really didn't want to, but then.... the previous customer zipped through and he stood there waiting for me. we exchanged pleasantries, i gave him my store card for the discounts. he then looked me in the eye and said: "would you like to sing something today for our customers?" i stared back at him while i considered taking my pulse to see if i had temporarily lost consciousness and was hallucinating. he continued: " i asked my boss if i could ask people to do this today, he said no, but i'm doing it anyway." realizing i was indeed awake, i replied "you don't know who you're asking, i am a singer as a matter of fact and i have programmed myself to say yes to such a request, and therefore am awaiting your selection of a christmas song." he checked me out (my groceries that is) and just as i thought he had changed his mind about the whole thing, he made his selection. he dialed up the intercom on the phone, handed it to me and i verily rendered my sweetest few bars of "white christmas" to the aisles of cans, boxes, deli, produce and unsuspecting customers. i handed him the phone, he asked for a round of applause in my name. i smiled graciously, took my bows and exited with paper not plastic. clerks thanked me on the way out. what a wonderful surprise... on more levels than i can begin to count.

one last thing to add: i passed a hair salon on the way home... the business name was: curl up and dye.

Oh O! got your magazine today.

oprah, honey, it's hard being a media icon. i see that you have taken on more of your own weight, and, i suspect, some of the weight of the world too. you do so much, care so much, give so much. i really appreciate everything you stand for and have given to the public. i have learned many insightful and helpful things from you. thank you oprah. please take care of yourself because there are many great things ahead for you. now be a dear and pass the brownies.

snow

a cover-all blanket of white fluffy snow settled on the denver cityscape overnight. it quiets everything as it falls and binds together on any surface, be it land or branch, rooftop or roadway. it slows down and whitewashes outside and contrasts the warmth and activity of inside. by day it glares back at the sun and gives up its grip on solar absorbing surfaces and clings to more accommodating sites. great chunks of icy wet melting snow separate from the roof peaks. inside, i hear it sliding its weight down the slope, over the roof tiles, scraping its frosty underbelly as it bumps over the gutters and falls with dead weight onto the patio or into the gardens. each time it elicits a "what the hell?----- oh, yeah" response when i hear it. it is winter in colorado, there is snow. this is the christmas season. there are angels in our midst, and scrooges.

a response to granny

i got this email from my "politically incorrect former neighbor" who sent obama slander my way all during the election and after. this is a response to her, which i will not send, but i feel needs a response. she and those of her ilk, could not even imagine how "unchristian, unamerican and unacceptable" their words and actions are. they are the worst of what they accuse everyone else of. to all like this i proclaim the challenge: "let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.

here is her email:
"MERRY CHRISTMAS...
On the way home last night, I was listening to the radio when a newscaster
called his little 91 year old granny to talk to her about the "Holidays". He
mentioned that he had noticed that Christmas has become so "politically
correct" that no mention of Christmas is made by most retailers, we now wish
people "Happy Holidays."

His granny said she missed the Old Fashioned Christmas when everyone
wished each other "Merry Christmas".

I thought about it and agree...so this year I will be making a conscious
effort to wish everyone Merry Christmas...my way of saying that I am
celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. So I'm asking my email buddies, if
you agree with me, to please do the same.

And if you'll pass this on to your email buddies, and so on...maybe we can
prevent one more treasured tradition from being lost in the sea of
"Political
Correctness."

God Bless and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

My response: what i actually considered sending back in response:
the continued attempts at political correctness, which at its heart is an ongoing study of the constitution and interpretation of its language into actualizing its intent, is difficult for some. it means change. our country is, was and always will be about change. nostalgia is inevitable, but we have the freedom to indulge in this however we want. we are still blessed to live in this land that is forever TRYING to advance itself and do the right thing for all. we have the freedom to worship, pray, believe, move about and speak our minds (with very little restriction and even if it seem idiotic and offensive to others ). what better gift to remind ourselves of. may we keep a mindful heart of the prince of peace for ours and the earth's salvation. merry christmas.

what i would not consider sending back:
alongside mudslinging, lying, hateful and unacceptable assaults to our senses in the name of partisanship, this election year has made us all cross-eyed and convulsive. what kind of a twisted circus we must seem to the world. it appears that we hate each other. and on behalf of some, the negativity and doom-saying did not end with the election. some even continued to try to promote divisiveness rather than unity. let's put it aside with a christmas spirit that is full of hope, promise and support for the new administration in the struggles our country has ahead. amen and go zen.

can i get a bon jour

alliance francaise de denver is a great place to volunteer, n'est ce pas?  it was a swirly kind of snow day.... like living in a snow globe.  the snowflakes chased each other in the sky and raced sideways to the ground.  i chose to ignore it piling up in the streets and head for a volunteer call. i knew the desperate plea for help from suzanne was some kind of omen.   the whole experience was happy right down to the chocolate and the art and meeting Guillaume. i announced early in my intro there, that i know i was meant to be here and today i was hoping to find out why.  alas, as i was stuffing the brochures my answer came.   i had been researching language schools for americans in france and was having little success.  within the brochures i was handling was their program for linguistic stays in france......  numerous locations, up to 30 days stay with a family or private accommodations, 15 hours of french/wk and unbelievable prices.  magic happens in the high plains of america. a prochaine!

it can't be december

just by chance i noticed the date.   okay, so i haven't posted since i left town without my computer.  fire me!  it is december 2. it was my father's birthday.  since he died when he was younger than me, that is how i will always remember him.  it is impossible to imagine what he would look like alive today and 82 years old.  there was nothing i did not love about him.

i am back in denver after a long car trip back.  going to ok and tx was exciting and happy. returning to co was not.  i was tired, the car was getting blown all over the road, there was black ice on the road when we hit co, there were no smiling faces waiting for me.  

the house project continues.  fireplace rock placement yesterday and today.  floors tomorrow.

tip of the day:   DO NOT rub your eyes while eating anything with wasabi!

spicy nuts, fighting the unibrow, music and the abyss

the house smells of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger.....  it's time for spiced pecans. 

my eyebrows have been professionally tamed (at last).

went to the mercury cafe tonight to hear my multi-talented renaissance man neighbor play a cello and piano gig of his own composition (variations on his chosen theme).   vegan chocolate cake and fair trade organic coffee rounded out the experience.

it's difficult to repair broken things, the crack is always noticeable and weak. it remains vulnerable and in need of reassurance.  abandonment/apathy, not hate, is the opposite of love.

just say NO to texas politics

easier said than done.  michael said it was miserable living in texas as an open minded person during the election.  now it's not much better.  the fatalistic christians are predicting the end of days scenario starring obana.  sick.  i am so relieved to experience something different.   i assured michael that the rest of the country is NOT like that.  he can only imagine.  stuck in texas, what a life.  

the fireplace has been templated, at last.  the rugs are ordered.  baby steps, but forward motion none the less.   

it's already wednesday..... another day closer to seeing my girls! can't wait to give/get a big squeeze from them and look into their beautiful faces.

tango tuesday

the ocho combination is challenging and oh so fun! i stayed with my dance partner for the lessons and practica.  it was a fun tango night.

 it was a record breaking 78 degrees in denver today.

  the park was alive with people (every dog and their owner).  there were two blind women making their way toward me in the bike lane.  they were just keeping their own pace with their sticks out in front of them.  no one had yet said anything to them, i realized, when i got their attention and said "ladies, you are walking in the bike lane, you might want to switch to the other side.  bikers have been going around you."  one of them responded: "oh, is that a problem?"  i offered that it might be safer for everyone if they switched.  they did. i found it incredible that no one had stopped them sooner.  

snail's pace progress

the fireplace is prepared.  augustin is returning to template on wednesday.  we will also find out if macy's can find the rugs we selected somewhere in america.  

fly away crows feet

botox rox!

a most wonderful movie

saturday movie night: "the secret life of bees"  see it!  

discovering something called "macy's pre-sale"  an event with OMG discounts.  ask about it. not every department (or store) will tell you if they have it.  

what's your YOU-Q?

www.abcnews.com        take the you-Q quiz     a holistic reality check

tips for avoiding invisibility

please read mary winter's 11.08.08 rocky mountain news column with this same title.  she expounds upon the following tips:  avoid apologies, be brief, be direct, avoid emotional displays.  we need to know the rules when communicating with men.  we can understand the how and why of adapting a communication/language as needed.   they can't and won't.  so just do it.

not a whole lot shocks me anymore.  but i am still undone by audacity. especially when it is cloaked in sweet christian innocence.  i spent the whole election process  enduring obama-slamming emails from my old neighbor.  i often wanted to respond in kind (from my side), but took the high road of silence.  most of her emails i did not open.  some i did because the title clued me in to it being the height of ridiculous.   today, i got my first post election one from her (i knew it was just a matter of time).  basically, it was "morality lesson" starring the "smarter" republican party.  kids, a classroom election, one student standing for truth, justice and the "american" way, the other just offered ice cream.  of course the students voted for ice cream.  moral:  some people in this country acted like selfish, juveniles and just voted ice cream!   there was so much disturbing in the insidious language of the details. it was racist, separatist, anti-christian, anti-american, dictatorial, etc.  she did not realize that she was holding up a mirror to herself.  i find this scary and stinking of supremacist odor.    i can no longer excuse this and must eliminate this stupidity and bullyism from my mailbox.  i knew what i had to do...  relegate her to "spam" status!  why didn't i think of this a long, long time ago.  

argentine tango rules of engagement 2

     looking over a stranger's shoulder and dancing backward in heels---- it's argentine tango night                                                                                                                                                                         at tonight's lesson, we learned la cruzada (the cross) the goal being to walk to the cross well. the cross is tricky, because like all moves and positions it is dictated by the man and all balance and weight change on the feet depends upon his cue.  the cross is when you cross your left ankle over your right and gracefully change the weight to your left crossed foot in preparation for whatever he decides to do next.  a learned partner will give you time to do this, a beginner... maybe not. 

  

after the lesson, we stayed for the practica. this is where you can practice on your own (beginner + beginner)on one side of the dance floor, or go solo on the other side of the dance floor with a more learned partner.  if asked to dance, and you agree, you are committed to a tanda (a set of 3 or 4 songs of similar musical style, followed by a cortina (curtain) very different sounding musical style that signals that you are off the hook with this partner (if you want to be).   alex and jorge had their own styles. both were patient.  jorge's involved very little personal space. 

note.  in a practica when asked to dance, if you are new to the tango it is correct etiquette to say "i am a beginner" NOT "sure i'll dance with you but i have no idea what the hell i'm doing."  alex tutored me in this.   when it came to jorge, i knew what to say upon accepting his hand.  when i said i was sorry the FIRST time i stepped on him, he said "don't worry, in tango if their are any mistakes, it is always the man's fault."   i gladly told him that i could live with that.

argentine tango rules of engagement

meatballs without borders

MWB is a global italian heritage program bringing creative cuisine to the world.  this program was originated by my mother, carmela, who made meatballs every sunday and fed them to whomever came within sniffing distance to her kitchen and beyond.   she even sent them to my brother once at boot camp, she brought them to me when she visited to the west coast, she sent them in sandwiches on car trips, they were brought on picnics by request.   it is not about the meatballs literally, it is about creative cooking with love and outreach to the bland palates and lives of our global community. 

my neighbor has never refused my offerings of baked apples, scones, chili, etc.  she unknowingly is a recipient of MWB.  the tradition lives on.....    have you meatballed anyone lately?

knowing when and where good is

my tongue was at my teeth, my palate was high and i was thinking "o", i was in the mask and had the "tube" idea going, i was supported low and round, i took gently full breaths,  my jaw was unhinged and relaxed, my neck was supple and fat, i waited for the sound to come to me.  

most of the time this worked. sometimes i heard my speech habits creep in.  i did not get hung up in my passaggio.  but, of course, the overachieving controller that takes over got involved.  this was the first time i sang high sustained notes (including the high c).  it started out fine, but i pushed it to distortion at times. this is uncharted territory and i did make a different choice--- that of going for it instead of staying safe.   okay, so now i regroup. i've got this experience under my belt and from here i learn what i need to do/not do/ do too much/too little.   

diva doings

debating the articulation of french vs. italian vowels during a rehearsal can be treacherous territory,  but the most excellent voice teacher was making a point that i did not get at the time.  it is tricky to have to sing in two languages and remember the difference.  my problem wasn't the foreign tongue.  it was the american english language habits that the brain goes to when thinking a sound.  so to circumvent this, i must confuse it a bit by going for something different. good luck to me on this tomorrow.

it is also challenging to try to ignor the part of your brain that is complaining about getting used to a new accompanist after being spoiled by a previous one that knew your nuances like a mother and a newborn. 

properly prepare the surface

i have sketched my design, selected my materials, got code safety approved changes for the gas line of the firebox. i was good to go until jorge arrived.   i thought of everything, except that my surface is not properly prepared.  i need to float the uneven base and insert metal bolts into the concrete/brick to support the weight of a granite mantle.     ohhhhhh, okayyyyyy!  now i'm left to find just the right person to legally, safely, aesthetically do this.  yet another setback.  it is now setbacks permeated with moments of progress.  do i hear an ohm?

to further illustrate the direction of the day: please crank your neck sideways to see "before" photo of deconstructed pre-properly prepared surface of fireplace area.

random acts of ignorance

when encountering random acts of ignorance ---as in bold statements from others about what they "know" to be right and true dirt and negativity about how "it" should be and who is the right "one", the right "way" blah, blah, ohshutup---- duck and cover (your heart). be grateful that you have the wisdom to seek and live truth in your own peaceful place.  we know that intelligence is more in the questions than the answers.  est il pas? 

obama rama

this is an historical election.  i voted for hope. 

some states are voting on an expanded definition of marriage.  this is for state property and family  privilege.  this is also for public proclamation of commitment.  we all know it is impossible to try to reconcile the procreation part.  just like we can't legislate love.  but it is with love and caring that such legitimatizing is sought.

 i'm voting for the values of my family.  so family, i hope you are hearing this.  i do believe in marriage as a joining of two people with equal rights within a commitment under god and this country.  yes, even gay people want this---- to do right by each other as human beings under law and under god.  it is the right, respectful and honorable thing to do.  it bespeaks love and protection and responsibility and value and belief in each other.   this is for each to decide their beliefs and values about commitment, not the state or those who think they should play god. 

if you can figure out what i'm talking about, good for you.

  

NABLOG MO

Yes, it has come to the attention of yomama that it is national blog month and she is already two days behind.  so let's catch up, shall we?

on friday night (oct 31) yomama sported a "spider witch" costume and went out on a date with dracula.  we double dated with the gypsy and surfer dude/hippie next door.  said sd/hipster carried around his mini acordian all night... just in case there might be an opportunity to make music in our evening's journey.  before we went out for the evening he played a free concert on his front porch to emphasize the fact that there was free candy and entertainment.  such is the notoriety of s. clark st.   

thanks to a timely phone call to good neighor, L, who was at the grocery buying candy at the time of the call, i got free home delivery of a bag- o -kit/kats for the goblins and cute little ones.  (tip: buy halloween candy that you DON'T like, therefore you would have to be in complete desperation for a goodie to be tempted to eat any). our house looked appropriately spooky with no inside lights,  no curtains, no furniture, a ladder in the window.  the construction project that never ends drags on.

it was a sad yomama moment when she remembered that last year at this time she was walking away from her beloved home, family, friends and life in fort worth.  it was halloween when she shut the door to an empty house and drove away.  now yomama doesn't feel like writing any more and needs to go do something else.  no, i don't mean that i am going to tear the place up until i find a left over kit/kat.  there is coffee to drink, laundry to be done, music to be studied and art projects that need creativity poured upon them.

i'm sending out the yomama yummy goodness/happiness vibes to the loves of my life... you know who you are.

remodeling your home and other nightmares

it started with a vision to tear down some walls to open up some space. this is a guarantee for a journey that will expand before you say the words.  it will require considerably more time, energy, money and creative resources than you originally thought you were capable of.

case in point:  a 1930's tiny tudor with a new extension/expansion that ignored the original "tiny" part when it slapped on the more open new part. what mark & i have come to refer to as "timmisms": the at times scary and/or almost laughable choices made by the former owner/remodeler of this house.    

  let's start our story with the kitchen. note the "before" pics. and.... back to "tearing down some walls"... this kitchen part has nothing to do with the walls.  this is like one of those ballot issues that has "add ons" that are part of the package.  in this case, if we are going to do the kitchen, the two-walls-to-go program in the other part of the house will be attached to the budget.  NOW you get it.

the progress report on the kitchen is: countertops(from concrete to granite)-done. saw off part of cabinet to expose island-done, backsplash(from busy multicolored dizzying pattern to serene natural-hued tumbled marble)-done.  paint, island lighting and window treatments-pending.

let's save the rest for another post.  

p.s. hurray for me! because today is the day i learned to connect two different cameras to my awesome new mac notebook to send an email to the HVAC contractor (yet another post to come) and to post photos on this blog.  while we're at it, i also created a Picasa photo site this week. .. all this productivity while sitting on my ass is astounding!

latest great book/site/blog

notsobiglife.com

go yomama go!

yo mama has had a long recovery period from the france trip.  apparently yo mama's back has had an almost two month hissy over prolonged transatlantic flight positioning in business class. 

 been to the doctor, been to the massage therapist, been to the chiropractor, been to my personal trainer,  been in pain and discomfort that is messing with my sleep.  now this is getting serious when we're talking about messing with yo mama's sleep.  it took the chiropractor---- and his twisting me into positions i could only dream of in my yoga class---- to inform me that i was making a bad matter worse by lifting weights and going for deep muscle massages.  so i've had to quit my trainer (only temporarily) and pass on the deep tissue massages for a while.  yo mama is feeling so much better.  

meanwhile, yo mama has joined a new yoga studio (with chiropractor approval). now, yo mama has taken yoga classes before, but this is not just an exercise class.   yo mama is journeying deeper into the mind, body, spirit rehlm via her yoga mat.

yo mama is also playing well with others in painting and drawing classes at the "art students league of denver."  just the best little art school outside of florence and nyc.   see the awesomeness of it at asld.org    yo mama is currently struggling with perspective and appreciating color and repetition of pattern.  and.....  how cosmic is this:::: my weekly painting class began right after labor day, and yesterday during the fourth class meeting, i walk into class and head toward the one empty chair that awaits me for the art history lecture that is about to begin.  i look over to the person on my right who has not been in the previous classes and recognize her.  she says "hello, you look familiar."  i say "hello shari, i was in a writing class of yours last spring."   eventually our conversation leads to her asking me the question: so, are you still writing.  yo mama is rather lost for words, but concedes that there is no good excuse for saying no.  she tried several and all were so lame that she could do nothing else except get a tension knot in the part of her psyche that needs its ass kicked to get a move on.   

besides the bizzareness of this appearance of the writing teacher in art class... (which reminds me of the presence of the voice teacher in my writing class last spring/ not shari's  literary non- fiction class but andrea's "writing short")... i realize that these things happen to yo mama..... a..... lot!   we will see if shari shows up next week after the brutal perspective  cramming that the art teacher gave her in an effort to catch her up.   the class went outside to draw buildings and shari stayed in to face the horrors of vanishing points, horizons and fighting what your brain tells you you see vs what exists before your eyes.....  it's a losing battle that's worth fighting if you are brave enough.  if she doesn't return next week i will be left to wonder if she fled from the battlescene or if she was an apparition.

yo mama has gotten way too involved in her home remodelling project and one day decided to take hands on action.  but that will be for another post....

littlebitoyomama intro

yo mama thinks she was destined to blog.  now she has the format and hopes to not create a blah---ugh! i have an awesome new laptop that is SO PRETTY. i have some thoughts to share and interesting links to cyber info FYI.  

i am definitely not a fan of negative press/blatant gossip that trashes someone's good name for the sake of elevating one's own ego.  thatbeingsaid,  i am not above a little wink-wink-nudge-nudge dishing in which we can all see ourselves and might perhaps want to check for our own potential wardrobe malfunctions of life.

now, i proclaim, i can check the "start a blog" line on my to-do list and get back to nursing my jet lag.   

YO MAMA salutation: be the best YOU you can be and always remember that yo mama loves you.