Just a Closer Walk with Thee

This movie is about cancer. Colon cancer to be exact.

I randomly found it On-Demand and now it is gone.

The story takes place in New Orleans.  Kate Hudson plays a gal-about-town, hot, ad executive.  She begins to look ashen and lose weight.  After prompting from her friends she visits a physician played by Gael Garcia Bernal.  She learns she has cancer, a rather advanced stage and aggressive form of cancer.

I won't give away the rest, although from the start you have a very clear idea of where the story is headed.

What I will say is that the last scene is one of the loveliest celebrations I can imagine.

This movie had rotten tomatoes thrown at it from every angel.  I don't care.  Watch it anyhow.  I saw it over a week ago and it has stayed with me the entire time.  And probably will for some time to come.

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1. I am weak, but Thou art strong;
   Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
   I’ll be satisfied as long
   As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.
   • Just a closer walk with Thee,
     Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
     Daily walking close to Thee,
     Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
2. Through this world of toil and snares,
   If I falter, Lord, who cares?
   Who with me my burden shares?
   None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.
3. When my feeble life is o’er,
   Time for me will be no more;
   Guide me gently, safely o’er
   To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore.
4. -Anonymous

The Eyes of Texas

 Thank you, Richard Linklater and Skip Hollandsworth!  Thank you, thank you, thank you for providing me an experience worth leaving my house.

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Are you from 'round here?  Have you been to Texas?  Have you breathed in the direction of Texas?  Have you ever thought of visiting Texas?  Then, my friend, this movie is for you.  It smacks of Pineywoods, East Texas honey covered, intrigue with just a hint of "somethin' ain't right, here."  Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine and Matthew McConaughey (and his momma) turn in award winning performances.  But the real stars are the REAL citizens of Carthage, TX perfectly cast as your lovable, Methodist, God-fearing, well intentioned loving people.

A proud, life long Texan, I am feelin' just a little bit more sassy this evening!  Go see this...before it leaves your local art-house cinema.  (San Antonio...it is currently at The Bijou.)

Speaking of The Pineywoods of Texas....

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I am about a quarter of the way done with this memoir.  You know...it is a rare thing to actually KNOW the author of the book you are reading.  It really is something to look them in the eye and ask them the questions that led them to paper.  I, currently, have this privilege.

Sandy Foster Morrison came into my life two weeks ago...for a reason.  The word "synchronicity" was made for experiences like these.  

Going to her homepage will reveal my relationship to Sandy...and I am okay with that.  I am not a person of secrets...never have been...never will be.  Just like this photo...Sandy is holding me up...in a rather infantile state and guiding me with knowledge and wisdom granted to her by God, The Goddess, The Universe...call it what you will....she is a gifted author, a gifted therapist, a gifted woman and a powerful human being.  

I choose God...really Jesus...and His path led me straight to Viva Books and what I thought would be a "lecture" on intuition.  Few experiences have changed my life.  That Saturday afternoon at Viva Books....was one of them.

Look for information, via Fete and Facebook, for further workshops offered by Sandy!  When I think of Sandy...one word comes to mind...Sass-a-frass!  And that, my friends, is a compliment of the HIGHEST degree!

"I will dance, I will sing and my life shall be gay....but I long to see him and regret the dark hour...he's gone and neglected his pale wildwood flower." -June Carter Cash

Never Judge a Red Box By It's Cover

Those who know me well can tell you I have a "strangle hold" on pre-conceived notions from time to time.  They will also tell you that more often than not I have to eat my words (which is never a fun experience).  I have, once again, found myself on the foolish side of a snotty notion!

Since the (semi) revolutionary inception of "The Red Box" I have assumed "The Red Box" could not possibly have anything to offer me, a seasoned movie critic (clearly).  

Well, let me back up.  I believe (if I am not mistaken) "The Red Box" made it's first appearance at McDonald's Restaurants nationwide.  Since I rarely spend anytime (physically inside) said establishment (only in the drive through line for coffee) I never had much interaction with "The Red Box."  My friends spoke highly of "The Red Box," however the movies they spoke of were more of the blockbuster Palladium type; rather than the small films with big heart of the Bijou type.  

And so my erroneous, judgmental, snotty little opinion was conceived; and I was not interested in proving myself wrong.....UNTIL I was house sitting for a friend and I could not figure out how to operate cable; but seemed able to manipulate the DVD player into showing movies.

A trip to CVS pharmacy brought me face to face with my pre-conceived notion.  There it was, "The Red Box."  There I was, bored to tears in a house with no functional cable.  

I took a deep breath and said to myself, "Patty, you WILL select a movie and you WILL give it a chance, regardless of how much money it brought in at the box office."  

Much to my surprise, screens and screens of movies popped up on the monitor.  And some of the choices were small, independent films I had been wanting to watch; but had missed at The Bijou (and I cancelled Netflix to save money). 

I selected the following movies and highly recommend them both.

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Fisher Willow

This weekend I watched a film called The Loss of a Diamond Teardrop.  This film is based on a screenplay originally written by Tennessee Williams in 1957.  I LOVED this film.  I needed a period piece and I needed a beautifully crafted woman of all shades of gray to relate to this weekend.  Bryce Dallas Howard payed a tender homage to Fisher Willow in her performance of a terribly wounded, majestically outspoken, uniquely flawed and deservedly insecure woman.  Fisher Willow both simultaneously stole and spoke to the deepest recesses and corners of my heart.  I read that reviews were terrible.  I am happy I pushed aside the hype because I deeply enjoyed the movie.  And I felt as if the film were created with the subtle nuances of the "stage."  Maybe that is why the critics didn't like it as a "movie."  As a "play"...it worked beautifully.

 www.comingsoon.net

Jason: Hey!  I didn't know you were going to be here.

Lorelai: Oh well, the white rabbit ran by, I chased him down the hole and here I am.

Scene: Phone ringing

Lorelai: Hello.

Emily: It's a complete disaster!!!!!!

Lorelai: My existence?

Emily: Not everything is about you, Lorelai.

Lorelai: Oh.

Honestly, Lorelai!  It's not your looks that keep them away.  You should think about that. -Emily

Nothing is as beautiful as when she believes in me. -Ben Harper

My "Husband"

I once had an ex boyfriend who called my Hollywood Husband a "no talent ass clown." Well...ex boyfriend (I doubt you are reading this).....eat your words! The Town was GREAT! I highly recommend this movie....and not just for the Ben Affleck eye candy; but for the interesting story line and the inexplicable desire to root for the underdog, the bad guy. Often from the least likely of people does a genuine human being spring forth.....or at least in the movies. (I would like to believe it about real life, too.)

Days of Rest

Today I am grateful for two days of rest. Jace' and I have a thing we call "Going MIA." Essentially I have gone MIA for the last day and a half and while that may seem strange to others; it isn't strange to me. (Nor is it strange to Jace'!)

I wish I could say that during the last day and a half I have done anything worthwhile. But the truth is, I haven't. I DID get my hair cut and colored (thank goodness...the grays were coming in BIG TIME). I also played around a bit in the backyard; but beyond that NOTHING of any great significance. I watched a movie called Multiple Sarcasms which was of little help. Story about a man with a perfectly GREAT life, great wife, neat kid and he throws it all away and doesn't do anything about it except write a play about it. I wanted to like him but I was mostly disgusted by how selfish he was and how many people he hurt....and was doing it WILLINGLY. So....I guess I don't recommend it....unless you just want to appreciate some amazing performances by Timothy Hutton, Dana Delany, Mira Sorvino, Stockard Channing and Mario van Peebles.

I have started to dip my toes into the chilly Silent Auction waters. Though mostly just ideas right now; the ideas are at least starting to take shape and force themselves into action. It feels sort of like auto-pilot right now. The beautiful part is that I have an ENTIRE village of support and I know that Silent Auction will be a success simply because of my circle of support!

Okay....this blog is taking a dip into a place I NEVER intended it to go. Remember...this is only about daily celebrations! So...it is time for me to stop typing, re-group and realize all that is right with this day.

A Computer and a Cup of Coffee

My half-drunk, luke warm cup of coffee collided with my computer and things got ugly. As of today I was able to recover all files on the hard drive (YAY) and am now the proud, if not ridiculously "after the fact" owner of an external hard drive. My computer is on a journey to Kentucky...where it will no doubt beat me to a tour of Bourbon distilleries...and get itself repaired, recovered and rehabilitated so it can come home to mama like new. Perhaps it will always carry with it the faint smell of coffee which will undoubtedly make me smile.

So for the next few weeks there will be nothing in the way of blogging. (I am blogging at work...on a break...and hoping not to get caught!) A break from Facebook is also a welcome respite.

Sweet Monday, dear friends! Oh...to all my "peeps"...mi gente...out there...check out a movie called La Mission. Benjamin Bratt in prison tats...not too bad to look at! Plus...there actually is a lovely story underneath all the tatoos, Virgen's, rosarys, matachines, frijoles, etc.....Oh and of course all songs sounding faintly of "Crystal Blue Persuasion."

Bad, Bad, Bad...

You know it is bad when you are receiving text messages from friends saying, "When are you going to update your blog?" Again...I have no excuse. I can't even blame Facebook this time. I simply haven't had much to say.

Last week was my first "official" week back to work. While it was lovely to see old work friends, I am still trying to readjust to the schedule. I found myself quite sleepy last week. Additionally, I had something to do every evening last week! No...I am NOT complaining...just trying to explain why there has not been a post since last Sunday.

This week I saw Julie & Julia (I also saw 500 Days of Summer~fantastic!). For those of you who do not know Julie & Julia is a movie about Julie Powell who cooked 584 recipes from Julia Child's cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking over a period of 365 days! She blogged faithfully EACH day! I was amazed! I mean...I find it hard enough to blog EVERY DAY...never mind serving up a fine French feast AND going to work EVERY DAY! I was inspired. However....I must have been only mildly inspired because I saw the movie on Thursday and I have only logged on to post today. Anyhow...at the end of the movie I turned to my mom and said, "You know...I started my blog to chronicle daily celebrations and as an outgrowth, to stay busy and find things to blog about. Now I am so busy, I don't have time to blog! Guess my plan worked!" So...today I celebrate the fact that the blog served it's purpose!

I am hoping to be more faithful this week....although I can already see where this week is shaping up to look exactly like last week! Busy, busy, busy all week long. Staying busy serves me well. I am the type of person who needs to stay busy. If not....I could have a repeat of today....which wasn't pretty! It was Movie Marathon Sunday. I laid in bed and watched The Manchurian Candidate, The Graduate and Some Like It Hot. The only thing that took me away from the television was an occasional nap. It struck me...I was no better than my cats today!

I would like to take this opportunity to wish my friend Lisa a very Happy Birthday!

Happy Sunday, friends. For those of you welcoming fresh faces tomorrow....best wishes. You are charged with a beautiful task. I know it isn't always easy....but you all amaze me every day!

Goodnight.....

Play It Again, Sam

Happy Tuesday friends! The last few days have been heavy with laze. But that is okay. Yesterday was the first day since school let out that I didn't have something pressing to do. It was nice to relax. I woke up early, completed a piece of copy that needed to be written for Pictoric Media Group (thanks again Ciara) and then spent the day on my own terms....well, sort of....

My grandma is here! And having a "lazy Monday" was ENTIRELY her idea. I asked her what she would like to do and she said, "Nothing. I want to have a lazy day!" I said, "Okay! I have been dying for a lazy day for weeks!" So yesterday we did nothing...and today wasn't much more productive (although we did manage to get her to the salon for a wash and blow dry). She has been resting quite a bit. My theory is my mom and my aunts tired her out last week with shopping, late night bar-b-ques, primping, packing, etc. I think she is recovering here! However that all ends today. Mom is at the helm tomorrow and I can assure you she will not be so indulgent. She intends to take grandma to the mall while I am at a meeting for the Bereavement Center Silent Auction.

We have had a brilliant time together so far. It is so wonderful to host my grandmother in my home for the week. I cherish and value this time together. It is rare that she and I are ever alone together. I know this week will forever be a precious memory...for the both of us! I intend to pick her brain and probe into all those stories I think she might be ready to part with.

This is my favorite picture of my grandma. As I write this she is looking at the photo. She can't remember quite how old she was but she remembers it was taken in Laredo, TX when she was enrolled at Holding Institute. She says it was a finishing school and had various programs for women. For instance they trained you to be a secretary and things of that nature. She laughed at how curly her hair was in this photo. She says she achieved the look with pink foam rollers....ladies you ALL know those! My mother would put them in my hair EVERY Sunday evening and I would sleep in them all night. Monday morning I sported a beautiful mane and a terrible crick in the neck! I will forever contend....beauty is, in fact, pain!

We just finished watching Casablanca. She said she did not want to watch a "current movie" because often she didn't understand the content. I suggested a classic film. We purchased it "on demand." I, shamefully, have NEVER seen this film! She says she has seen it more times than she can count. However, she remembered the first time she ever saw it was at The Majestic Theater in San Antonio with her father and step mother. I thought that was a particularly sweet coincidence because that is, by far, my favorite place in San Antonio. It is a truly regal, historical building. It is the theater where I saw my first musical, Les Miserables. I think my love of theater grew in large part out of the grandeur of that building! (Not necessarily the musical!)

Tomorrow we don't have anything going on in the morning so we can sleep in, have our coffee and breakfast, spend some time outside while she prays to Jesus and then prepare her for the mall. No doubt she will be exhausted by the time my mom gets done with her. Thursday we will visit with Najla and Gianna as well as attend a softball game. She seems particularly excited about that. Friday she is being treated to a facial by Rene at Healthy Skin. Oh...the pampering! She deserves it!

Today's Top Ten List is courtesy of Jace'. Jace' has this insane ability to watch a movie once and not only memorize the most poignant lines; but recite them on command. While she and I have rather different taste in films...I do appreciate her unique talent. She has a particular penchant for what I call "stupid movie quotes." When I suggested the topic she took some offense. What I should have said was, "Hey Jace'...can you provide me with a list of your top ten favorite comedy film quotes?" By no means do I think these movies are stupid...well...no, no, no. I won't comment. I haven't actually seen all of these. When Johnny provided the YouTube links to his favorite songs to groove by, Jace' said she WOULD provide the same service. She would simply NOT be outdone!

Jace' and I at Maria's birthday party. I am playing with black and white and blurring of edges.

1) Airplane! 1980

This had me cracking up when I was in elementary school!! It’s a classic!

Rumack: Can you fly this plane, and land it?

Ted: Surely you can't be serious.

Rumack: I am serious... and don't call me Shirley.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZPVw-Vl1ow

2) Wedding Crashers 2005

Mediation Scene This is too funny. Every time someone is talking to me and I don’t want to listen I just say this….

soon to be ex-wife: "You shut your mouth when you're talking to me!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C85tJflYb4s

3) Pineapple Express 2008

Saul and Dale about to light up a joint.

Saul: “Just sit back and get ready to enjoy some of the rarest weed known to mankind...

It's almost a shame to smoke it. It's like killing a unicorn... with, like, a bomb.”

4) Grandma’s Boy 2006

This movie is HANDS DOWN one of my all time favorite movies! It’s hilarious! It’s so funny that there is not just one or two quotes that stand out, but since I couldn’t put the entire movie on the blog here is what I came up with.

After he beats Bobby in Dance, Dance Revolution, this is how Jeff reacts:

Jeff: “Uh-Oh? High Score? What does that mean? Did I break it?”

Jeff is about to loss his virginity to one of Alex’s grandma’s friends. This is their pillow talk in bed. Oh, and Jeff is only about 25 in the movie.

Jeff: “So, I mean, what’s it like being old? It’s gotta be weird, right? I mean you saw a lotta stuff go down. World War I, World War II, the automobile, Tupac…”

www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsEuOw3ihbs

5) Caddyshack 1980

This movie needs no explanation, it’s still funny! The link is to the Caddyshack theatrical trailer.

Al: “Oh, this your wife, huh? A lovely lady. Hey baby, you must've been something before electricity.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrTqenN1SqQ

6) Role Models 2008

This movie has a few very funny quotes, but I have to include the Ben Affleck quote for my girl Patty!

Danny is this little 9 year old black kid that Ronnie and Wheeler have to be “Role Models” for (along with McLovin) so they don’t go to jail.

Ronnie: Suck it, "Reindeer Games!"

Danny: I'm not Ben Affleck.

Ronnie: You white? Then you Ben Affleck.

7) Friday 1995

This is another movie that needs no explanation.

Smokey: I got mind control over Deebo. He be like "shut the f**k up." I be quiet. But when he leave, I be talking again.

8) Office Space 1999

Bob and Peter are chatting about Peter’s lack of motivation.

Peter: “The thing is, Bob, it's not that I'm lazy, it's that I just don't care.”

The link below is the video of Peter “not caring” in the gangsta scene.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eniw_S8JaJM

9) Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy 2004

This is when Brian is talking about his special cologne called Sex Panther…it’s made with bits of real panther…

Brian: They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time, it works every time.

10) Dumb and Dumber 1994

There are entirely too many from this movie, so I’ll just say this…

Guy in restaurant: “Kick his ass sea bass!”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUvV0BOiE6E

A special "thank you" to Jace'. I absolutely adore this crazy talent of yours. You keep us all laughing all the time! Even if "some of you" don't believe she really saw a chupacabra at that bar-b-que joint!

Here is another card from Quotable Cards. I love the sentiment of this celebrated quote. I often think I need to abide by this gentle suggestion on a much more frequent basis. This one is tough for me. I keep it right next to my desk to remind me.

Goodnight friends! Grandma has fallen asleep as I have been finishing this up. Unfortunately I am going to have to wake her up to get her ready for bed. She does not enjoy this! Who can blame her?

Red, White and Blue Equals Lavender

I received very nice responses to my Father's Day blog! The overwhelming consensus is that my mother's letter was extremely touching. I had several people tell me they cried....and these are not the typical "cry-ers!" So, nice job, Mom! To be honest...some of the elements of the letter were a surprise to me. It was really sweet to read about their special memories...memories that actually did not include me. (Hard to imagine but apparently there was a time my mom and dad did not have me in their lives!)

Here is a photo of mom, dad and I at The Grill at Leon Springs. We celebrated Father's Day with a late lunch. Once again I was most pleased by this restaurant. Once October rolls around I can not wait to have happy hours on their new patio! In addition, they have "Economic Stimulus Wednesdays" where they offer about five to six meals for roughly 11 dollars each. I know the reviews are mixed but I have always enjoyed my meals at The Grill and I highly recommend it.

Several weeks ago I picked up the latest edition of Scene in SA magazine. (I'll admit I like to thumb through the periodical from time to time to check out all the "party pics" of various social events in San Antonio.) I noticed the Lavender Festival in Blanco was fast approaching. I immediately sent a text to my "Sandbar '08/Round Top '09" crew to see if we might add "Lavender '09" to our ever growing list of weekend debacles, fiascos and getaways. Miraculously we were all available and agreed to leave very early as the mercury is SERIOUSLY rising and FAST! We arrived in Blanco at about 10am. Parking was tricky but we find a semi-shady spot and a very nice gentlemen picked us up in his John Deere golf-cart-like vehicle and dropped us right at the front gate! The girls made me ride shotgun. I am still unsure how I won that distinct privilege. They asked me to take their photograph. I was happy to oblige but I was quite afraid I was going to fall out of the cart. It was a major contortionist act to grab this picture. Not bad, huh? Immediately upon arrival we purchased "Lavender Lizzies!" Think mimosa...but with lavender margarita mix instead of orange juice. They were tasty!

Unfortunately Jace's "Lavender Lizzie" went straight to her head and she ended up in a bit of legal trouble.....

About twenty minutes into our lively lavender libations we realized the heat was unbearable. Each one of us kept quiet about it until we couldn't stand it any longer. We were quickly in agreement. We would sprint through the Blanco town square, find a cool place for lunch and then suffer through a tour of one of the various lavender farms in the area. We simply were not going to leave the lavender festival without visiting one of the participating farms. Despite our well developed plans we still tucked into the courthouse. It was the only place with air conditioning. And we got a chance to sit down for a bit.

Ironically we chose to eat at a bar-b-que joint just off the town square. Guess what....air conditioning was BARELY functional and the smoke was so thick we could hardly see each other across the table. But I digress. We headed out FM 165 to Heron's Nest Herb Farm. Lavender, echinacea and various other herbs are grown here. Guests of the festival were invited to tour the entire farm...including the owner's home and private gardens.

This is a photo of the private gardens off the farmhouse.

The owner had various pieces of metal art displayed throughout her private gardens.

I realize the following two photos are VERY similar, however I wanted to post them both to showcase just how lovely the private garden was.

Part of the festivities included making our own lavender products to take away with us. Each one of us made a "mister" with lavender as our base essential oil and then layered various other oils on top in order to create different aroma combinations that also serve specific restorative functions. We also created a sea salt scrub for our friend Valerie. We thought it would be a perfect birthday gift for her.

Below are various photos I took of the grounds.

This was a wonderful festival. HOWEVER it would be a more pleasant experience in ANY OTHER EARLY JUNE or in early spring or late autumn. As it turns out this is the "harvesting" season of lavender and the festival MUST take place during this time of the year. If you "can stand the heat" then by all means check it out next year. If you do not like to be hot and sweaty then this festival is not for you! Grab a lavender soap bar and lavender candle instead!

I actually have been loving these two Wes Anderson films for quite some time. I JUST scanned these graphics in so I am sharing them with you now. I love, love, love, love, love these two films...and to a lesser extent...The Darjeeling Limited and Rushmore. The merits and attributes of these films are extensive and I can hardly list them all right now. I will share the "top three reasons I love these films:" 1) the overall visual asthetic of these films very much appeals to my eye (I do not know how he achieves this), 2) the soundtracks (especially of The Royal Tenenbaums) and 3) Bill Murray (who I believe has made AT LEAST one appearance in all Wes Anderson's films except Bottle Rocket.) I am not a fan of watching movies over and over....but I could watch these two movies time and again and laugh out loud each time. If you like "quirky" then pick these up. If you don't....then do not waste your time. You will HATE these! And then you will tell me and I will be very upset and have to yell at you and defend the movies and really...do we want to go there?

Rory: I am sure you will have fun at your Cotillion.

Charlotte: I am looking forward to it.

Lorelai: Oh, don't get too excited. Cotillions are not fun parties. They are boring rituals to train a whole new generations of snobs.

Emily: And how exactly would you know? Lorelai never attended a Cotillion.

Lorelai: You don't have to jump off the Empire State building to know it is going to hurt.

Goodnight friends!

Pink Martinis, Dirty Martinis, Martinis Everywhere I Go

I apologize! It has been days since I have posted an entry. I have THOUGHT about it everyday but have been exhausted, plain lazy or expected elsewhere and haven't had enough time to devote to a lengthy post. The next few entries are not in chronological order. I have had a lot of moments to share and celebrate over the last few days. I am sort of throwing them on the blog wily-nily. So please know they have not taken place in order, one after the other! And if they did I would be so exhausted I wouldn't even be able to turn on my computer much less press the keys that make the words appear.

Admittedly this week has been a tough one. I haven't felt much like "celebrating" anything. I have had a mild, low-grade funk fever...or as my friend Ciara likes to call it, "I have been bit by the nasty bug!" I realize that is counter-intuitive to the nature of the blog. And perhaps there is a twisted symbiosis there.....I haven't blogged thus have been funky? Who knows! But I had a very dear friend lay it all on the line for me yesterday. He identified all the great things in my life and basically said, "Get over yourself! And yes, I am here to do the reflecting for you!" So, thank you! You know who you are and I don't think you are reading anymore which saddens me beyond belief...but your loss! Tee-hee.
My first daily celebration is my new phone. I FINALLY got a phone with a full keyboard thingee. It is pink, with flowers and all the numbers and letters on it...and they each have their very own button! Imagine that! My friends have been relentlessly pestering me to join the rest of the world and upgrade. Now, let's make no mistakes about it...this gadget does not hook up to the internet or throw photos around the globe. It just helps me text more quickly. However, now that I can use both hands to text, my texting dexterity has been knocked down about 85%. I suppose it will just take some getting use to.

My next daily celebration is PINK MARTINI! I LOVE PINK MARTINI! I have rearranged the play list so I believe the first 8-10 songs you are listening to are all by Pink Martini. They were in San Antonio last night and, again this evening playing with our symphony. This WAS my mother's day gift to mom. We both love them very much and have seen them perform before. However, she bailed on me (are we seeing a pattern with me and concerts?). Thank you to my dear friend Jace' who agreed to join me. It was a lovely evening that felt like it was straight from another era! Below is a photo of Jace' and I with the symphony warming up behind us. I know they look like candles, but that is actually the light reflecting off their instruments.

The following image and excerpt is from http://www.pinkmartini.com/. I loved the photo and felt only they could capture their spirit appropriately. So, I borrowed.....(I think it's okay if I identify the source!) Both times I have seen them they have mentioned San Antonio feels like their second home and they appreciate how well they have been treated by the city and the symphony. They were most appreciative of our mayor, city council and city manager. In fact, our mayor, Phil Hardberger (NOT Julian, yet) was asked to come up on stage and dance in their final song of the evening, Brazil. He was very cute in his seersucker suit, even though he has no rhythm. Sorry, Mayor!

Pink Martini is like a romantic Hollywood musical of the 1940s or 50s – but with a global perspective which is modern,” says founder and artistic director Thomas M. Lauderdale. “We bring melodies and rhythms from different parts of the world together to create something which is new and beautiful.”

The Portland, Oregon-based ‘little orchestra’ was founded in 1994 by Lauderdale, a Harvard graduate and classically trained pianist, to play political fundraisers for progressive causes such as civil rights, the environment, affordable housing and public broadcasting. In the years following Pink Martini grew from four musicians to its current twelve, and has gone on to perform its multilingual repertoire on concert stages and with symphony orchestras throughout Europe, Asia, Greece, Turkey, Lebanon, Canada and the United States.

Lauderdale met China Forbes, Pink Martini’s “diva next door” lead vocalist, when the pair was at Harvard. He was studying history and literature while she was studying painting, English literature and theatre. Late into the night in their college dormitory on the Harvard campus, Forbes would sing Verdi and Puccini arias while Lauderdale accompanied her on piano, and their creative collaboration blossomed. Three years later, Lauderdale called Forbes who was living in New York City, where she’d been writing songs and playing guitar in her own folk-rock project, and asked her to join Pink Martini. They began to write music and lyrics together for the band, and their first song “Sympathique,” or “Je ne veux pas travailler” (I don’t want to work) became a huge hit in France.

The ensemble made its European debut at the Cannes Film Festival and its orchestral debut with the Oregon Symphony in 1998 under the direction of Norman Leyden. Pink Martini has since performed with symphony orchestras across the country including four night nights with the Boston Pops in 2005, multiple concerts with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra in 2000, two nights with the Los Angeles Philharmonic on a co-bill with Sergio Mendes in 2002 and two nights headlining with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2005. Other prestigious appearances include the grand opening of the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s new Frank Gehry designed Walt Disney Concert Hall, with return sold-out engagements for New Year’s Eve 2003 and 2004; the opening party of the New York Museum of Modern Art, the Kennedy Center and the William Morris Agency’s 100th birthday celebration with soul legend, Al Green.

Pink Martini’s debut album, “Sympathique,” was released independently in 1997 on the band’s own label Heinz Records (named after Lauderdale’s dog) and quickly became an international phenomenon, garnering the group nominations for “Song of the Year” and “Best New Artist” in France’s Victoires de la Musique Awards. Seven long years later the high-anticipated follow-up, “Hang on Little Tomato,” was released and climbed to #1 on Amazon.com’s best sellers list.

If you do not know Pink Martini, pick up one of their three albums, put on your favorite fancy, slightly vintage outfit and have your friends over for appetizers and drinks. Play them softly in the background and watch your party transform into a time when men wore suits to dinner, lit cigarettes at the end of a lady's gloved hand (not advocating smoking), when men drove long, black Cadillacs and dinner was accompanied by a live, big band!

After the concert Jace' and I walked to Soho Wine and Martini Bar. (Let me tell you about the wind storm we had to endure to get from point A to point B. For some reason we were caught up in what felt like hurricane force winds. I had on a long dress and the wind kept sweeping it to one side, taking me along with it and I must have resembled a human flag. Our hair was ALL OVER the place! BUT....it was nice to take a leisurely walk through down town crossing over and and under the river and enjoying the sounds of the city.) My dear friend, Lutfy, works at Soho. We like to visit him for the obvious reason....he is, by far, the best bartender in town! (And we like him a lot, too!) He elevates it to an art form and is constantly working to come up with creative approaches to the fine art of mixology! In fact, last night he allowed us a taste of his most recent infusion. Now, keep an open mind.....brisket and date infused bourbon! It was a feast in a glass. The bourbon was oak-y, the brisket allowed for nutty buttery-ness and the dates rounded it out with the perfect amount of sweetness. Lutfy, you have done it again! Completely blown my mind. And the dirty martinis you make me are like no other. There's a little somethin' special in there...I just can't figure it out. And I don't want to! Gives me a perfect excuse to continue patronizing your lovely establishment! This is a photo of Lutfy and I. We have been friends for YEARS and do not have one photo! And yes...he is always this serious, brooding and mysterious. I suspect he was just born that way!

Another HUGE reason we visit Soho is to see, and hear, our friend Logan Keese! Jace' and I work with his mother and have become friends with him through his mother, but also through his association with Lutfy and Soho. Logan plays live every Friday night at Soho. Again, run, do not walk, to see Logan! Logan plays trumpet. San Antonio is lucky to have this jewel living among us. Logan primarily plays jazz....deepening my enormous crush on him! He is such a talented young man. He plays with the passion and experience of an old, old soul sent back here from another time and place. His music sounds "far away" in more ways than one. Beyond that, he is an incredible young man. He is kind and gentle and is completely humble despite his overwhelming gift. I feel like one day we will lose Logan to the big jazz city! Or at least the big music conservatories, so catch him now, order a martini and again....trasnport yourself to another time and place. (Seeing a theme here?) Below is a photo of Logan.

Below are photos taken of Jace' and I listening to Logan and Paul. Paul is playing with Logan. He is from New Orleans and is a piano guy. And, it must be said, he has the sweetest little drawl since Harry Connick, Jr. He and Logan are both lovely gentlemen and live the values evocative of the music they play!

Logan and I posing for a blog photo......
What I am lovin' right now is Elegy. (Image from http://www.celebritywonder.com/.) Months ago I watched Charlie Rose interview the cast and director of this film. I was instantly fascinated. I knew this was the type of film I would enjoy. I knew it would leave me thinking for days. I also knew it would be a difficult film for me to watch and that I should likely wait for it to come out on DVD so I could watch it alone and cry as much as I needed to without the constraints of a public theater. (And I certainly was correct about all those points.) I highly recommend this film. However, there is nothing funny about this film. This is not a light, breezy date movie. This is a very serious movie about the human condition, choices we make and the consequences of our decisions.

Below is a brief synopsis from http://www.imdb.com/.

Driven by Isabel Coixet's (My Life Without Me) visually assured and deeply observant direction, ELEGY charts the passionate relationship between a celebrated New York college professor, David Kepesh (Kingsley) and a young Cuban-born woman, Consuela Castillo (Cruz) whose beauty both ravishes and destabilises him. As their intimate connection transforms them more than either could imagine a charged sexual contest evolves into an indelible love story. With humanistic warmth, wry wit and erotic intensity ELEGY explores the power of beauty to blind, to reveal and transform.With extraordinary performances by Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley and Penelope Cruz, the film is based on Pulitzer Prize-winner Philip Roth's short novel The Dying Animal. On the one hand a shattering, heartfelt romantic drama, ELEGY is also a complex, intelligent and unflinchingly honest meditation on lust, mortality, family, male friendship, intimacy and commitment. Its a refreshing film in its ability to deal with adult issues while remaining an invigorating cinematic experience

Luke: Do you want to know the problem here?

Lorelai: Actually, no. I don't like problems. I avoid them when I can and I don't like people pointing them out to me.

Goodnight friends. I need to start getting ready for a very special wedding! I am going for the total Carrie Bradshaw look. I promise to take tons of photos so you might see if I achieved success.