Month: August 2012

a summer, bookended by heavy hearts

Hi blog. I can only touch down for a second to report I’ve suffered another loss today (this time, of a family member) and I’m floating in a surreal, seamless place.

Slapped by grief right after Memorial Day, and again just before Labor Day. I think there should be a rule against multiple losses in the summertime, sort of along the lines of the rule about wearing white shoes.

I make no sense, but I’m fine, really. I’m about to get really exhausted over the next few days — either by participating in the huge weekend event I’ve been planning, or by going to where family members are, to weep all over them.

But right now? Let’s watch this. Soothing.

[link]

August 31, 2012
driving in cars with boy

Two recent moments in the car with the Boyf.

While on the way to Los Angeles (to, I believe, the recent Ringo Starr and His All-Star concert that we attended): I related to Lamar that I had fallen asleep while watching 1974 version of The Great Gatsby, which starred (among others) Mia Farrow, Robert Redford, and Bruce Dern. I had been surprised to see a clean-cut and somewhat square-seeming Dern.

After falling asleep, I told Lamar that I dreamt that I was watching the same movie, but that Bruce Dern was looking and acting like later-career, freakier, long-haired Dern.

After a pause, Lamar started to ponder.

Lamar: What’s Laura Dern’s mom’s name?

Becky: Oh, yeah, blonde lady. They acted together. Married to Bruce at some point, but different last name.

Lamar: Gloria, Gina, Gee gee gee

Becky: No, you’re thinking of Gina Rowlands. Oh! Eeeeeeeee …. Eh.. Ellen Burnstyn? That’s not right.

Lamar: Let’s not look it up, and see how long it takes us to figure it out.

Hours later. I’m driving. Lamar is quiet, lost in his own world.

Becky, suddenly: AAAAAH!!!!! DIANE LADD!!!!

Lamar [blank with startled terror]: Jeezus, baby.

And then last weekend, on the way back from our odd Bay Area vacation, Lamar was driving, as was the deal — I did all the driving while in the Bay Area, he did the whole drive back to our town. We were on about hour 5 of what turned out to be a 7-hour drive back, thanks to Sunday traffic. Brutal.

The car rental people promised us a sound system that had a jack so we could hook up our iPods and phones, but no. We were slaves to Sirius XM, new to us and we were utterly bewildered at the bounty of bad music available to us. Where was the good music?

I did discover that there was a Broadway station, but Lamar has always been quite clear that anything Broadway is a big fat VETO on his end. Lamar is a sweet and easygoing sweetheart, but something about musicals raises his hackles, no lie.

This did not stop me from occasionally surfing back to the station and trying to sneak in some great white way goodness from time to time. Lamar did allow me to listen to “Tradition” from Fiddler on the Roof, but he stipulated: one time allowance.

[link]

We then settled in to an hour of the “Soul Town” station, music that was generally agreeable to the both of us. However, my inability to NOT STIR THE POT forced my fingers, once again, towards the dial and toward the Broadway hits.

Lamar only needed 30 seconds of “Children Will Listen” from “Into the Woods” before he very calmly spoke.

Lamar: Oh, no, no, I am going to run this car into the back of the car ahead.

Becky: C’mon baby, it’s Sond-

Lamar: Serious! Crash! Now!

Becky: Oooh-kee dokee, Soul Town it is.

[link]

August 12, 2012
modern love

“Rail Fence-ish” quilt, completed March 2012

This quilt sprung from a quilt square challenge issued by my group, the Ventura Modern Quilt Guild — create a square that is a modern twist on a traditional pattern.

I bless the day the Guild came into my life. It’s everything I want — community, inspiration, accountability, passion, challenge. ART!

I took the the traditional Rail Fence (three or more parallel rectangles) , but then made the squares wonky — that is, cut the squares off-kilter. I also used non-traditional colors.

You can see what I mean by wonky, above.

As soon as I started making this quilt, I was pretty sure that, if it turned out well, that it was going to go to my wonderful friend Sharon.

Sharon didn’t know it, but many years ago she “qualified” for a quilt. She is an artist, a positive and supportive human, and is owner of one of the biggest hearts in the world. She also said some really nice things about my quilts from the beginning, and so I can’t imagine a better person to create for.

Giving the quilt away is part of the art process for me, so I need to listen very carefully to my heart, and to the quilt. And as time marched on, the quilt said “give me to Sharon!”

I loved making this one. I took risks, I got frustrated, I got elated, I wandered in deep chasms of doubt.

I was pretty happy with the quilt top, but when a nice lady at Fabric Town USA gently suggested the striped fabric for the binding, fabulousness started happening. Thanks, Fabric Town lady!

It’s a bit weird and wrinkly here, but I washed it a few times, slept under it, made it relax and get quilty. I have to say I might make lap size quilts for a while. It’s a much more useful size than I thought.

On my way up to the Bay Area (and to Sharon!) last weekend, I embroidered the greeting. Normally I would do this after the quilt top completion, but I needed to make sure this quilt really was Sharon’s quilt.

PS Up north I also saw Tamar and Rich and Molly and a bunch of Lamar’s friends (plus Lamar) and it was a bizarre and quite delicious trip. I’m not ready to discuss the strangest hotel experience ever, quite yet.

And now the quilt is home. Sharon very sweetly posted this picture of herself and Astro enjoying the quilt whilst watching the Olympics! Could you just squeeze the both of them?

Sharon and I used to work together in a very close knit office*, and it was lovely to see all our friends from that era liking this picture on Facebook. I had that job right at the start of my quilting path, so everything feels very full-circley and warm and wonderful.

I am so blessed to have such love in my life.

ART!

*I wrote about that job here. I also realize that I have made quilts for six people that I either worked with or met through that job. Wow!

August 9, 2012
a worthy cause

My niece, Sarah Blout, is making a new documentary. I just am popping with pride over her. If you want to donate to a worthy cause, make it this one. Here is her description. Her mom (described below) is my sister, who liked power suits and panty hose about as much as I ever did. Donate via Kickstarter here.

I remember 1984. My mother was struggling to succeed in the male dominated business of corporate America. I used to watch her get dressed every day. She had “power suits”. She had pantyhose. She had high heels. And she had gigantic shoulder pads. I mean huge. Dynasty-huge.

Shoulder pads were a fashion statement back then- one that said I’m big, I’m important, I have power. It is no coincidence that at the same time (1980s) America saw a surge of women entering the workforce. My mother needed to be careful with her appearance. She told me that her skirt cannot be too long (matronly) or too short (whorish), she cannot show too much cleavage, just enough to remind “the boys” that she is still a woman. There were rules about lipstick, jewelry and on… At 10 years old I realized that, for women, getting dressed wasn’t so simple.

Today, women make up 46% of the workforce in America. We have let go of the shoulder pads, but have we lost the need assert our power though our image? How do we appear smart but not geeky, sexy but not slutty, powerfulbut not bitchy, attractive but not ditzy?

This documentary will explore these questions as we watch professional women negotiating the constraints, contradictions and consequences in defining their image in the workplace.

Making this film is very important to me. I hope to raise $2,500 to cover basic production costs like equipment rental, archival footage, travel costs and materials. I cannot complete this project without your support.

Make sure to check out the prequel, Girl Power: All Dolled Up

BACK THIS PROJECT ON KICKSTARTER

August 6, 2012
i am aware of the irony

of watching The Social Network while surfing Facebook.

“Irony”? I’m sorry, I meant “pathetic-ness”, especially since I’m watching this damn movie 2 years too late.

Anyhoo, back to it. These cookies aren’t going to eat themselves.

August 1, 2012