Monday, June 21, 2010

Summertime memories


While out on an early morning walk yesterday with Sadie, I realized that it must certainly be summer. Everyone I came across was in shorts, t-shirts and flip flops. The sun was out, the sky blue and it was scrumptiously warm.

Wouldn’t you just like to be a kid again and enjoy summer the way we used to? We could…

Go to the BEACH!
This is San Souci beach in Waikiki were I learned to swim!


Another favorite spot was Hanauma Bay both a nature preserve and marine life conservation district. It was also a favorite place to camp and I vividly remember an overnight trip with the Campfire Girls. We did a treasure hunt had a marshmallow roast and told ghost stories!


Is there anything more delicious that fresh fruit to munch on in the summer?


Or how about an awesome picnic in the park?


Ok, this was always fun, camping out in the backyard. These days it pays to do a staycation.


How about a BBQ with family and friends? I can't tell you how often we did this in the summer!


I saw numerous Disney movies at the drive in. We would all pile into the station wagon in our jammies, snacks in hand, for a fun family night out.

Remember these ads for the concession stand?



One of my absolute favorite things to do was to lay down in the backyard and look at the sky and try to see if I could see images in the clouds. Did I just see a dragon pass by?

How about finding a snug little corner in your world for a little summertime reading? I loved Nancy Drew books.


You know by the time the 4th of July rolls around there will be fireworks galore to enjoy!


Now, this is something I would absolutely love to do...go RVing! It looks like so much fun and I would love to up and down the West Coast and also discover all the state parks like Yosemite or the Grand Canyon. Maybe in a tricked out behemoth like this one...

...or a cute little Airstream like this one!


So what are your favorite summer memories and what are your plans for the summer? Enquiring minds and all that! Have a great summer!

Sunday, June 13, 2010

As you probably know, cats were once worshiped in ancient Egypt and they have never let us humans forget it!



I have tried to tell my cat, Kitty, that kitty worship went out in the 390 A.D.’s but he won’t have any of it. After years of living with me, he has trained me to be a slave to his habits and his exacting schedule. Woe am I if I refuse to get out of bed at 4 in the morning to let him out. He will take his claws to my overstuffed rocker and rip it to shreds and then go in the spare room to have a cigarette. I am not sure where he gets his ciggie supply as Sadie and I are non smokers and I really don’t allow smoking in the house. Somehow he manages.

Here he is, the boss of me!


But I have found a way to exact some revenge on my little Felis Catus. Wigs! Oh, yes, wigs for kitties! My niece gave me a book called Glamourpuss and that started the wheels in motion!

Kitties need glamour too!


My name is Madonna but you can call me Madge.


Dude, let's go Wild Hog and zip cross country this summer.


Maybe you remember me, I used to be on a show called Petticoat Junction!


What do you think? Conservative yet punky, perfect for the office, yes?



Pink is my signature color and I'll be going to Harvard Law this semester.


Don't be hatin'


My codename is Kittylicious.



I'm feeling brighter than a lucky penny!


Hold on, I'm channeling Cher.

Enjoy the video!


Kitty! You're next!


Sunday, June 6, 2010

The Ballad of John & Yoko


I was driving home from a quick trip to the grocery store this morning when the WALRUS started playing The Ballad of John and Yoko. I started a quick psychedelic flashback to 1969 with John and Yoko doing their little bed-in espousing peace and love.


Drove from paris to the amsterdam hilton,
Talking in our beds for a week.
The newspapers said, say what you doing in bed?
I said, were only trying to get us some peace.
Christ you know it aint easy,You know how hard it can be.
The way things are going, They're going to crucify me.


John and Yoko's infamous ‘bed-in’ for world peace

Caught on film


While all this transpired, I was a teenager in high school whose love of the Beatles knew no bounds! Paul, by the way, was my favorite Beatle.


The Beatles in 1969


For me, there always seemed to be a bit of kookiness that surrounded John and Yoko. Yoko was an avant garde artist but today I think they would call what she did performance art.

Here is Cut Piece by Yoko back in 1964 in Tokyo. This was an interactive piece whereby audience members were requested to come on stage and begin cutting away her garments until….well. there wasn't anything left!



But at age 70, Yoko was still at it in Paris where she performed Cut Piece in 2003.


The audience was encouraged to Come and cut a piece of my clothing wherever you like, the size of less than a postcard, and send it to the one you love. She concluded by saying Cut Piece is my hope for world peace. I’m not sure how taking a scissors to a chic black evening dress will bring about world peace but the girl's got guts and is still living for her art!

John & Yoko


John and Yoko moved to New York in 1973 and John Lennon was only 40 years old when he was killed in 1980. It’s ironic that a man who promoted peace and love died in such a violent manner. When the city of New York erected Strawberry Fields in Central Park, Yoko donated $1million to maintain the site. Strawberry Fields opened on October 9, 1985, on what would have been John's 45th birthday.

Strawberry Fields Forever


The centerpiece of Strawberry Fields


Yoko and Sean Lennon 2009


Yoko is still rockin’ it and received a lifetime achievement award in 2009 at the Mojo Awards a British music publication.

A retrospective of Yoko's work


You guys, this is what 77 looks like. Not bad!







I think I'm going to start wearing a fedora!