A rose by any other name

Time and other Strangers

2011-08-16T14:51:00.000-07:00

Wow, it has been a very long time since I blogged...a very long time. I guess time has gotten away from me. It seems, as time marches on, its passages has gone from snail slow to slow and steady to quick paced to OMG where did the time go.
My birthday approaches and I somewhat conflicted. First of all the date is 9/11...a significant date in history as of 10 years ago (my how quickly time passes you say). That alone makes me wonder about celebrating my birthday. I will also be just that much closer to 60 (still a bit to go but closer all the same). I wonder if I should still be doing the things I do. I still belly dance..I still play with fire..I love to try new and unusual things..Should I still be doing crazy stuff..
After much thought I reflected on one of first blog comments....why must people obsess about age? Age is irrelevant to life. So on my 57th birthday I am taking flying trapeze classes..You read it right..I am off to join the circus. I am filled with fear and dread...excitement and anticipation. My life will be reflected in this freewheeling activity. I am pushing the limits ..but what else is new.! So I had shoulder surgery..so what...So I am afraid of height..There is a net..so I am 57 WHO GIVES A RATS ASS...Life is what you make it and I intend to make the most out of my life...and any one else who wants to join the circus with me...!!

California Winters

2009-12-01T14:24:00.000-08:00

As I write this I am painfully aware of what an oxymoron the title is. California, at least Southern California, rarely experiences winters of any magnitude. Sure there are the occasional nights where the temperatures get down right chilly and I am forced to turn on the old heater. But winter...not really. There is noticeable change in the way the air feels. It gets dark earlier and the mornings warrant a sweater. I love those days when it is crystal clear and sunny outside, you walk out a realize it is downright cold. That does not happen much, but I love those days. We rarely get "weather". Rain, snow, hail and the like are infrequent visitors to this part of the state. When we do get the rain the news stations go a little overboard with teasers...Storm Watch 2009. For heavens sake, when is .25 inches of rain a storm. And heaven forbid people on the freeway would acknowledge that a little rain should alter the speed with which they drive..Ahh, the roads are slick, let's go 85 on the freeway!!
That being said, we are supposed to have an El Nino this year. No one seems to be able to predict when or how severe. I have seen several El Ninos in my life..1969 was a real doozy. It was the year my grandfather died..January to be exact. It was right in the middle of a 40 day rain storm. The ground at the cemetary was so wet he could not be buried until April. Then 1972, 1987 and 1997..I remember those. El Nino Winter in Southern California...Wet and wetter...We really have a dilema this time around. There has been a drought with no significant rain for at least five years. We are all praying for some relief from the drought and yet, many are praying for a little more time to shore up the fire stricken mountains. I assure you that if we do have an El Nino, as predicted, there will be much damage from flooding. The forecast is for a significant amount of rainfall much like 1969. Who knows..they call it prediciting the weather..I could predict that I would win the lottery but that is up to the winds of fortune as is the weather.
So for now I will appreciate the chill in the air and laugh when STORM WATCH 2009 shows up on the TV. I will probably not get a white Christmas or even a wet one but that will do nothing to "dampen" my true joy in the season.

Labor Day.....the end of Summer ?

2009-09-04T11:24:00.000-07:00

Wow, this summer seems to have flown by. I am grateful for that. Summer is not my favorite time of year. It was when I was a kid..hey, what kid does not relish the idea of no school, summer days filled with swimming, eating, movies, the beach, staying up late and sleeping into the afternoon. Those were such fun times. I was lucky as a kid, having a pool right outside my bedroom, I would get up in the morning (well not too early) and swimm before I even thought about breakfast. Then my mom and would would go out for lunch, do some shopping at Robert Hall or the Five and Dime and then home for more swimming. I do not think my hair was completely dry until I was 18 years old.
But life is very, very different for me now. Summer is just hot and uncomfortable now. No pool..no time for the beach..no vacation (cannot afford it). Not to say that I do not appreciate any time I have...I do. Summer usually means getting ready for our "big belly dance show" and this years it was super duper fabulous bang up, standing room only Hooray!! The pictures prove that. Sewing in the heat..yuck...
Seems like a lot of complaining...hey we have no air conditioning at our house so it is hot...we live in So. California..it is supposed to be hot in the summer. I accept this....and I am grateful when summer retreats and fall makes its way. The best feeling is that first morning...after a hot summer, when you put your feet on bare floor and it is cold...you ask "wonder where my slippers are?"..
The holidays appraoch again..I love the holidays. New dance opportunites..maybe even a new job offer...new exciting thing...coolness...dark mornings and darker nights..blankets, fireplaces, candles...Chili!!!!
So, good bye summer...frankly I know the hot weather is not going to give up so easily but at least I know I do not have to wait too much longer. Where did I put my slippers anyway???

Fire

2009-08-31T11:52:00.000-07:00

I hate fire..Well not all fire. I mean the fire that allows us to have hot meals, stay warm in the winter, gaze upon in the fireplace on a cold winter night or happily gather around when camping, those are all great. But I hate wildfires. They always frighten me and make me nervous. Even the ones very far away in another country upset me. Wednesday August 26 a fire started along Angeles Crest Highway..my neck of the woods. It started out small, 25 acres. There were no structures threatened and no winds to push it along. The weather has been very hot and the mountains are overgrown and very dry but there was a fire in Azuza to tend to and it was bigger. I am not saying the fire was not attended to..it was. Fixed wing aircraft was all over it right away. But this fire has a mind all its own. I really feel fire takes on a personality. This one, now named the Station Fire, is evil and wicked and crazy and confused. It cannot make a decision as to what direction it should travel. It is going three different directions. It burns uphill and downhill...it re burns over itself. I shoots flames ups 100 feet and sends ashes everywhere. Many of my friends have had to evacuated their homes. The little fire is now a monster...as of today 85,000 acres. It spread from La Canada to Sunland Tujunga to Acton to Altadena and points beyond. Right now it threatens Mount Wilson. Two fire fighters have perished is it wake and no containment is in sight.
I can stand on my front porch and see flames dancing and laughing...almost saying you cannot control me. We have extraordinary fire teams working on this monster(the press calls it a monster, not me) and I pray they stay safe.
For me..I am on pins and needles. The reverse 911 call kind of set that into motion. So In my stress I painted the bathroom..go figure.
After this is all over (and I pray that is soon) I will again have to clean my drapes, wash everything, scrub furniture and shampoo rugs. The smoke and ash have engulfed our neighborhood. I am just so grateful I still have all these things to clean.
One of the prices we pay for living so close to nature is that we stand the chance of having it all blow up on any given day. Fifty years of no fire and now....well lets hope all those prediction of a El Nino fail to appear and we have a normal rainy season...otherwise my next blog might be about mudslides.
BTW..the picture was taken last night not too far from where I live.....

Man how they grow up

2009-08-19T16:39:00.000-07:00

So, last Sunday Amanda, Teresa and I danced at a private birthday celebration for my dear friend Susie. It was actaully her grandson Kevin's birthday..he turned 22. We had danced last year, giving Kevin his own private bellly dance show and he enjoyed it so much he asked us that we dance again this year. Kevin comes out from Pennsylvania to spend time with Susie each August. This year the party was much bigger. And our "show" was pretty well organized. We had a stage, lights, costumes and choreography. The crowd was sort of quiet, something we belly dancers are not used to. We failed to let them know that the more noise they made, the better. So it was hard to tell if the group enjoyed the show...with the exception of one young fellow..He is twelve (he is the less tall young man in the picture). He was very enthusiatic. He was so enthustiastic that while taking photos with his cell phone he fell off his chair...His mortified mother apologized but we were very flattered. Gosh I am no spring chicken so that made me feel pretty darned good.

Thoughts of summer

2009-06-24T15:48:00.000-07:00

I have not blogged in a while..been too busy trying to keep my life together. Working three jobs, making hula hoops and sewing sure takes up a lot of time. This June seemed more hectic than others. LSJ performed at Cairo Caravan (formerly Cairo Carnivale) It was held at the Queen Mary in Long Beach on June 6 and 7. This years dance production was "Beyond the Sea". It was a wild fantasy with dancing sailor girls, happy, hooping mermaids and fierce Thai goddeses...Indiana Leela and dispicable Lara Croft character who tumbled to her death with loud cheers from the audience. The costumes and props were a challenge but we managed to get them all completed before the show. We managed to turn a giant lazy susan, wood and canvas into a magical mermaid rock and mystical idol shrine. It was fun. Unfortunatley there are no preformance pictures BUT there are after prefromance pics. Some of us decided to stay aboard the Queen Mary for the night. We had a lovely time. I think I looked pretty not bad for an old broad.
Cairo Carnavan now seems to signal to me that summer is one it's way. It is always near the beginning of June just as the weather starts to get wierd..June gloom here, sunny and warm there...So after Cairo I prepare myself by taking on my summer attitidue...longer days, warm nights all make me restless. I feel the need to accomplish something on a greater, more meaningful scale. So I welcome the opportunity to help Leela with Arabia Summer. A new production scheduled for August 23..I get to dance in several numbers and help with the production. I cannot wait.
Other things are churning in my head...only time will tell how they manifest themselves but for now I am content. But just for now!!

Happy New Year to ALL

2009-01-07T11:44:00.000-08:00

Wow, hardly seems possible that 2009 is here but I have to tell you..I am so glad to see 2008 gone..bye bye!! we lost a lot of things in 2008...jobs, friends, cars and money!! But I gained so much more than I could have possible lost. I gained a wonderful son-in-law. I gained new job opportunities. I gained many new and wonderful freinds. I gained a few unwanted pounds too...those will come off with a little work (I hope).
Our New Years Eve was a fun filled night at Wine Styles (1007 Mission South Pasadena..great place..come and visit) I work there three or four nights a week and we hosted a Murder Mystery Party. What fun that was. I was truely amazed at the level of "play" people were willing to commit to. All our guests came in costume and took tho thier character roles like fish to water. The setting was a 1920's speak easy with all the characters..Al Capone, the Ravioli Family, congressman, inspectors and the like. Amanda and Jesus were there and Amanda (as Cassandra) was a murderess, off the big boss himself (Don Wannabee. Amanda won a prize for best costume and I solved the first crime (Amandas was the second murder of the evening) and I also won for ending up with the most money. Extortion, bribery, cheating, stealing, tell tales..all got me that rpize..yeah for me.
So as we welcomed 2009 in with a great party it made me feel as if things were changing...for the better. I always try to keep a bright perscptive and this years is no different. Leela and I have a ne motto Fine in '09......

Thanksgiving

2008-12-09T15:01:00.000-08:00

My friend from Hong Kong, Fung Yee, emailed me last night asking about my Thanksgiving. She said she should have checked by blog first but had she, she would not have found anything..I have been remiss.
Thanksgiving just seemed to arrive so quickly. I have been working a lot and the thought of doing all that work, cooking, cleaning..etc..seemed so alien to me. It was funny, when I finally got around to doing it all it was such a pleasure. I like to clean (well I like the end results) and I love to cook..I enjoy having all my family together even if they are moderatly disfunctional. So I put on my itunes and started the work..Wednesday night mind you. I cleaned and cooked until 1:00 in the morning. I got up early Thursday to escort Frederico (the turkey) into the oven, peeled potatos and just generally puttered..It was by far one of the more relaxing days I have had in a long time.
Amanda's wedding on Halloween was the best thing ever but it left me disconnected from the holidays...Thanksgiving and all the wonderful tastes and smells that joined it helped bruing them all home...Now off to Christmas...just around the corner..

My baby's Married.....

2008-11-07T16:39:00.000-08:00

My first blog was about my daughters engagement and now...she is married. The wedding was perfection. Things could not have been more perfect and she was magnificently beautiful and from what I can tell, blissfully happy. Now this does not mean that the preperation for the wedding was not without it bumps but almost..I cannot recommend Almansor Court in Alhambra enough..they were efficient, helpful and downright tenacious in some cases. They fulfilled all of our expectations. The food was good, the service was great and they even averted what could have been a disaster when the cake order disappeared the afternoon before the wedding. Michaelene, the manager, took the issue to hand and we had the lovely cake the kids had ordered (very fresh by the way)delivered on time.
Thank you to all our guests, especially those who took the Halloween spirit to hand and dressed in costume. What fun it was to have Wonder Woman, Greek Goddesses,Pirates (including the infamous Jack Sparrow)Roman soldiers, witches, rhinestone cowboys and cowgirls among our honored guests.
I thought I did a nice job with the flowers and loved my early morning visit to the LA Flower Mart. I shall have to go again...just for fun and maybe not at 5:00 in the morning.
I thought for sure I would cry when I saw my baby being escorted down the aisle b her daddy...who looked pretty spiffy himself but I did not. I was so taken with her beauty and poise that I was almost frozen..not wanting to miss a single minute or word. She looked so amazing and I guess I was blinded by the white...She never once faultered. She was composed and you could tell, she knew she was the centerpiece. Sure Jesus looked great and he was much calmer than I thought he would be but Amanda left me breathless.. I am so proud of the young woman that we raised...a vision in white...
Now I get to pick her up in San Pedro tomorrow, as they come home from their honeymoon..I know she has so much to tell me and I will be all ears........my baby is married.....now I cry for joy...

So much to do!!!

2008-10-14T09:16:00.000-07:00

My lovely daughter is getting married in less than three weeks. There is so much to do. I remember my first blog was about the proposal and now the day is drawing near. I still have bridesmaid dresses to sew but all in all..things are pretty much handled (I think). Last weekend we had our big show..Arabia Exotica. Wow, it was pretty amazing. For that event I made another 18 costumes for a drum solo number. Then there were the 32 other costumes I made..and I a have orders for Jane Austin costumes and more belly dance costumes....All of which I am grateful to do in this challenging economy..but after November 22..the sewing machine and all my stuff gets tucked away so that I can use my dining room again ....as a dining room. The holidays are also fast approaching. Amanda and Jesus should be in their new house before the wedding and I can barely wait to help them make it a home. So much to do....so little money :)

I am ready for my close up!!

2008-09-16T10:01:00.002-07:00

All righty then!! I am a girl who enjoys looking nice. I make sure my hair is styled, my make up is good and that there is no lipstick on my teeth most of the time. So how is the world did I end up in a life vest, covered in mud, looking like the Pillsbury dough boy - on NATIONAL TELEVISION....
Oh my gosh...the things I do. This would have been so much easier to explain had I been able to keep my WipeOut blog posted but ABC asked me to remove it because I had posted it before the show aired...certainly..I understand. So I took it off. It was pretty brilliantly written and I forgot to save it in a file..so you won't see it....but let me just tell you...that picture represents the easy part of the WipeOut course. So here I am, stuck in the mud, doing mud angels...having the announcers point out that am not familiar with the true spa experience....Duh!!! If I was would I be languishing in stinky, weeks old mud that has strange fruit floating in it...NO!!..
So glamorous is not in my past...and maybe not my future either but I am still ready for my close up!!!! P.S. I might use this for my Christmas card......

Semi Automatic or 38..and good customer service

2008-08-13T17:08:00.000-07:00

OK, as I have mentioned before, my life is never boring.....I try but things just happen.
Today, while on my way into the local Von's to get some chicken for lunch ( I was going to McDonald's but went for healthy) I was confronted, at the door, by two men. They stopped and looked at me, I looked at them, we played that ..who is entering and who is leaving game. One man dropped his bandanna...hmmmmm. As they bolted out the door the manager looked at me and said the stores just been robbed. I am not too bright sometimes. All I could think about was, Damn them..how dare they!! I went after them to see if I could catch the lic. number on their car. As they dashed down the sidewalk one of them dropped his gun..a semi-automatic handgun..probably .9 mm .45 mm. They took off running no vehicles in sight.

I go back into the store to do my shopping...well that was not going to happen right away. The police came and questioned me..yes I am a great eyewitness, down to shape, size, hats, clothes, ages...then the loss prevention guy...all good. Police ask me about the gun..I told them and he asked me barrel or semi-automatic. Semi-Automatic, of course. How could you tell maam...? Well A barrel gun would not slide as easily across the concrete and this one was flat and by the way, did I mention I used to shoot with my friend Gene, years ago..I know a 38 from a 360 magnum..a semi-automatic from a .22 caliber and a 30-6 from anything...

I think I kind of scared the checker Leon, who actually sold the guys a gallon of milk (later found dumped behind the Marshall's) and handed them an application for a Von's Club Card....Now that is customer service......

Silk veil or giant bedsheet ??

2008-07-28T11:49:00.000-07:00

So our belly dance troupe is getting ready to film a DVD using veils. It really should be a beautiful piece of work. Leela is such a brilliant choreographer and never ceases to amaze me with her innovative concepts. This one is no different with a veil origami theme. Unfortunately I am struggling with the whole veil thing. I am 4 feet 11 inches and the veils are bigger and longer than me. Monday night in class I felt like the veil was made of velcro and I was the target. It stuck and clung and got hung up. After about an hour it's weight was 10 pounds instead of 10 ounces. near the end of rehearsal Leela suggested I get a smaller veil so it did not look like I was struggling with a king size bed sheet. I did not think I was that bad but on reflection..probably. I hate not doing everything spot on from the very start so this just sent me into a furious tailspin.
I went home (at 11:30 no less) and got out every veil I own. Played the music and test drove all of them. Nothing was working except the lovely silk veil my mom got me for Christmas. It drives itself. But that one would not do for the shoot. they have to be all one color and mine is tye dyed. After all was said and done I managed to take control and drive the lovely blue, standard size veil....and no one was hurt in the process.......

I won...well not me really....just read!

2008-07-25T13:44:00.001-07:00

My life is never boring. Crazy, busy, frustrating but never boring. Recently I had the task of making a costume for a young lady who is the "fresh new face of porn". Yup, you read right, porn. Samantha is a lovely girl from Manchester, England, who needed a costume for a bikini contest held in Las Vegas. She was trying to acquire a talent, other than the obvious one she already has, and approached my belly dance teacher to teach her to belly dance in 20 days. Leela, in turn, referred her to me to make her costume.
Samantha (aka Nikki Jayne) had very specific ideas of what she wanted in a costume. It needed to look like something Brittany spears had worn in a long ago video, before she took her sad turn in to whatever it was she turned to.... OK, I can do that...This girl is stunning, I am telling you. Tall, tan, blonde, artificially enhanced (I am pretty sure about that part) and very sweet. Not at all what I expected from a porn star. Of course, never having met anyone in that industry I have no basis for comparison. I bet they are all very lovely......
So I have her over so that we can chat and I can sketch, get her measurements and set a price.
All doable. Downtown I go....It is amazing how much so little fabric can cost. All July 4th I dedicated my time to constructing, sewing, designing and this amazing looking costume starts to form on my dress form...I was a bit worried that, even though it looked great on the dress dummy, it might not look that good on Samantha with her curves. When she finally arrived to pick it up and tried it on....oh it looked amazing. Now at this point Samantha was having second thoughts about competing. She wasn't "to keen" on the whole thing. I wanted to say..hey, I worked hard on this, you better get in it and strut your stuff....but I didn't. Not my place right?
So off she went (paid me a bunch too)....I kept waiting to hear about the whole thing from her but nothing......then Leela emailed me that "we won our first porn award" YEAH...She had won the Miss XBiz contest wearing a white bikini and preforming a cowboy strut (don't know what happened to the belly dance portion..in a fabulous costume.......Not sure if I can put this on any resumes but hey...still a winner.!

Working without a Net

2008-07-09T16:42:00.000-07:00

Last Monday I finally had my access port removed..for those of you unfamiliar with this little gizmo it's full name is a Central Venous Access Port used for delivering chemotherapy over a long period of time. It is placed under the skin of your chest and has a line that goes directly into your heart. Having one saves the veins from breaking down over the chemo process. I had mine for six long years. They (the doctors) used it for almost three years. They (the doctors) asked me to consider leaving the line in in case I needed more chemotherapy. Now this never sounded very positive to me but whatever..I am pretty easy going. I was supposed to have the line flushed (cleaned out) every month. The last couple of times the port was not acting right...they thought maybe, after all this time, it was breaking down. The ports are only supposed to be in there for two years and mine was holding up really well. So, with the invitation set to "take her out" I was ready. Surgery happened with out much hoopla (except that I woke up in the middle of the procedure but no pain so they kept going).
I was not prepared for the feelings that would rise up from the departure of my old friend. It was like a life line to me, I guess. If, God forbid, I have to have any more treatment I will have a new one installed but for now...I kind of feel like I am working with out a net.....wish me luck.

Alice in Leelaland

2008-06-09T13:24:00.000-07:00

The show was a huge success...not that I ever doubted it. Mind you I was still sewing costumes the night of our final dress rehearsal and getting a little anxious. Then there was the stage issue. According to the Arcadia Fire Marshall, the stage could have only one set of stairs. This meant that our months of staging entrances and exit from both sides of the stage(because every other year we had both sides of the stage) had to be changed. The troupe stepped up the challenge the night before the show and re staged all the entrances and exits and for the most part all went without a hitch. Then there was the Belmont Stakes...the much anticipated race with Big Brown in contention for the Triple Crown....now mind you MEDCA (the organization that sponsors this whole thing) had arrangements and contracts well in advance of this race so there should have been no conflict at all...but there was. We were told that because of the race we were going to be put back a half an hour or more because the track did not want any music interfering with people watching the race on the TVs there....OMG, your are kidding..for a HORSE RACE...Luckily they did not hold us up..Big brown did not win and all was well with the world.
Really it was a wonderful show. Everyone preformed beautifully. There was some question about the flu hitting several of us, me included, everyone rallied. What a great group of ladies. I am so blessed to be in their company.
Now on to October...our biggest and best show of the year. P.S. I don't think I look too bad for 53 years old....

I am ready for my close up......

2008-06-06T09:43:00.000-07:00

Well, the rehearsing is done (almost) and the costumes are sewn (and hopefully we stay together). This June show that my troupe, LSJ, dances in is a really big thing for us. It sort of sets the tone for the rest of the year. LSJ is not the standard belly dance troupe. Our incredible leader, mentor, guide, choreographer and inventive mind, Leela, comes up with some of the most brilliant concepts and this Junes show is no different. "Alice in Leelaland" is a fantasy adventure into the strange world of Alice...she ventures to Leelaland and the out come is amazing. Twelve girls, 34 costumes, feathers, giant tea cups, cupcakes, a sexy caterpillar and showgirls....oh my. So I am packed, ready for my close up!!! See you all at Santa Anita Race Track in Arcadia at 4:00..don;t be late or you will not get a spot. Pictures next week...
Give a shout out to "break a leg Lori"....
XX

OMG Huell Howser

2008-05-19T15:21:00.000-07:00

If you live in California and watched PBS than you should know who Huell Howser is, for sure! I do. I have spent countless hours watching his show. Of course, not without adding many of my own comments to Huell's interesting interview style and approach to situations. Come on...how innocent do you need to be at Folsom prison and ask if all the men in blue shirts with numbers on them are inmates..Good grief. This goes somewhere so don't drift....

This Saturday was our belly dance troupes appearance at Raqs LA. This was the big belly dance event I spoke about in my last blog...It was at the Glendale Civic Auditorium. My group went on at 3:40. As we all stood in the wings waiting to the MC to announce us (by the way, this was one of the first times anyone has ever gotten the name of our troupe correctly..and our music cue was right on the money)..I felt very calm. The crowd was hardy and accepting so I knew no matter what happened we would be well received. Our entrance was a rainbow of colorful gypsy skirts and flying hair. We enter and then turned upstage to the audience and with a flurry of skirts turned to face the crowd. As I am turning I see a gray haired man in a familiar blue shirt (I think it is his trademark) right up against the foot of the stage. Along side him is a TV camera operator. As I am dancing I think to myself...gosh, that looks like Huell Howser...low and behold it was ole' Huell. Dozens of bizarre thoughts raced through my mind...which should have been occupied with choreography ....and I couldn't help but giggle to myself that my husband was going to have a fit that he wasn't there to see Huell.
They filmed our whole 8 minute number, which turns into 14 girls all dress in nothing more than belly dance bras, belts, fishnets, heels and fabulous feathers, flashing boobs everywhere. Immediately after we danced, we were commanded by Mr. Howser to join him in the center of the auditorium for a lengthy interview...with Huell asking us questions like "So you all are belly dancers?" DUH!! Did you not just watch us dance....We had pictures and video and interviews and it was all very fun. Huell is actually very charming and holds a certain child like quality that you cannot help but like.
It sure made our day more fun and I could not WAIT to get home and tell Chuck.....he was green with envy, well maybe not but he was adequately impressed....Look for us in about two months on "Visiting with Huell Howser"..I will post pictures as soon as I get them...

Flamingo Pink

2008-05-12T14:27:00.000-07:00

So my life is always busy and never boring but things are starting to get a little out of hand. My work as a private practice nurse always gets busy right before summer and this years is no different. Weight Watchers is busy too as bathing suit season is approaching. I am sure you have all tried on this seasons bathing suit in complete horror..I have!! Then there is "Dance Season". Yes, we seem to have one of those too. This Saturday is a much anticipated performance in Raqs LA. This is a new gala, belly dance weekend sponsored by the infamous Miles Copeland and the lovely Marta Schell. We have been rehearsing this 8 minute number for what seems like an eternity. I got lucky with this one. I did not need to make an single costume. This is rare for me. I usually costume the entire troupe but we pulled all our existing resourses and I all I had to do was learn and remember complicate staging. The dancing part was not too hard..but getting my butt to where I am supposed to be at any given time proved to be tricky.
The next show June 7 at the Belly dance Carnivale...This one requires I pull out all my sewing talents. I need to create, design, construct, fit and sew 34 costumes by the end of next week...EEEECK
After Leela and I both ventured downtown to buy various shade of velvet, lycra and sequins dot fabric, my dining room table looks like Mardi Gras....including flamingo pink sequins dot. Now this is NOT to be confuse with light pink, hot pink, magenta or peach...It is the color of a flamingo. This is a very important factor in costuming a particular section of the number....Heaven forbid part of the costume would clash with a flamingo on a stick.....long story, wait until you see the show. Not only do I need to sew costume, I need to make props. I love all of this activity. I can't wait to get my arms elbow deep in papier mache!!!
Top this all off with me dancing at Moun of Tunis tomorrow night. I don't usually dance in restaraunt venues but I love Moun and this time it is special. It is my Mom's 83rd birthday and I am bringing her, her friend Mickie and an assortment of family and friends. My Mom has never seen me dance before, at least not in person. She has watched the DVD's of our shows but on them I am a tiny speck among a crowd of girls...this time it is just me. She may finally find out my back is heavily tattoo'd. I am more nervous having my Mom see me than performing in front of 800 strangers......So think of me when you are relaxing, watching Dancing with the Stars....and yes...wearing flamingo pink.

Life Underwater

2008-04-28T15:53:00.000-07:00

This past two weeks I have developed a much greater empathy for those individuals with a hearing impairment. I have not been able to hear out of my right ear for at least two weeks and it has become a very frustrating situation. I feel as if I am living my life underwater. Sounds are muffled, balance is off, everything seems...thick, especially my brain. My ear makes its own ocean sounds too. If I close my eyes, I am at the beach on a windy afternoon, then I fall over because I can't stand up on my own.
The doctor has me on three kinds of medications for a really bad ear infection. I thought that once you hit menopause you were immune to certain childhood afflictions...tonsillitis and ear infections....guess not! In the past week I have said "huh" more times that I can count and I have to crank up the TV. I have not, however, had to put my earplugs in to counteract my husbands snoring so there is a positive side to everything. I do have to tell you that dancing with no balance has proved to be a challenge (bravo Marlee Matlin) and and even bigger challenge is doing a quick costume change, negotiating stilettos and fishnets with no balance borders on hysterical....at least for those watching me. I look like a drunken hooker...
That being said...I certainly hope this whole situation resolves itself before our performance in May..I have never been much of a mermaid and life underwater is uncomfortable unless you are a fish.

Down but not out

2008-04-21T09:38:00.002-07:00

This past week I have been down with a really bad cold and ear infection. The kind of thing that makes you feel as if you are underwater all the time. I know I am doing the right things...drinking water, taking antibiotics, including the tried and true chicken soup..and things are improving. Resting is still one of those things I am not very good at so Saturday, when I had the chance to check out a new venue/club that we are considering for the October show as a VIP , no less( remember my "Let's put on a show" blog) I jumped at the chance. Now I know how to dress for clubbing...spiffy, shiny, tight, plunging, blingy but frankly, by 9:00 Saturday night I was only interested in looking average. After all, I was there on business...right? I should tell you that morning I found myself at work at 6:45 a.m. with two different shoes on my feet. Granted they were both black sandals but one was actually a beach shoe...oh my!!.. Since I was driving to the Hollywood location the girls met at my house. I thought I had cleaned up fairly well..a skirt, matching sweater, boots (matching) and jewelery (I had make up on too!!) Leela arrived first and set the tone for my evening when her comment about my wardrobe was "you look like lovely..kind of like June Cleaver if she were going clubbing!" OUCH....Now I realized I looked a tad matronly but I didn't think it was THAT bad...oh well, I was comfortable and warm. Of course the June Cleaver joke went on and on...the only thing I need to complete my outfit was a string of pearls and an organza apron. OK, OK I get it!!! Next time BLING !!
Upon arriving at the complex (yes this was at the Hollywood and Highland complex that houses the Kodak Theater....where the do the Academy Awards) we went to a fabulous Italian place for dinner...very yummy. Johnny Depp was seen lunching there on Tuesday. Then off to the Highlands..Our connection met us all outside and personally guided us in and around, took care of our needs and was a perfect host. The venue is a good pick by the way....but I have to tell you, after looking the the Saturday night crowd of young "hip" girls, dressed in saran wrap and Lycra..all too tight, too short and too cheesy, I felt more like June Cleaver than ever. One young ladies dress was so tight and so short she could not negotiate the stairs without a crane to lift her from stair to stair. There was much dancing and a lot of immature drinking. After watching all of this I was glad I was more like June Cleaver than the members of Animal House. I still was asked to dance by younger, handsome men...I was still offered a cocktail by the same...and at the end of the evening I was not being drug out of the ladies room by two burly body guards because I could not stand up on my own....All in all June and me may be down but we will never be OUT! And I was able to get to work by 6:30 a.m after getting to bed at 3:00 a.m...I bet those little honeys at the club cannot say that!

Down but not out

2008-04-21T09:38:00.001-07:00

Should be brown and have water

2008-04-07T16:08:00.000-07:00

Planning a wedding is proving to be an exercise in flexibility. At first I thought we had most of this event all figured out. I was wrong. I am pretty sure this will not be the last time I am wrong in regards to the wedding. I foresee much 'wrongness' on my part. As I said, at first we had it figured out.....Dabney Hall at Cal Tech would be the perfect place. Sure they charge a bunch more for a wedding than a regular party...maybe we could squeak by telling them that it was a Halloween party. Then there is the catering...not cheap not matter how you look at it. Oh yeah, tables, chairs, linen, wine, stronger libations....starting to add up. Then Amanda says she would really like to have a little more traditional service with her Dad walking her down and aisle. I am all for that but a church is an additional cost. Chuck and I got married at the lovely Church of the Hills in Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills. It was very reasonable but that was over 30 years ago and guess what?? It want up a whole, big bunch. So much for keeping costs down. So I get on the computer and do some research. Chuck and I start talking about what we could afford and how to do it without "us" doing the majority of the work. A country club might be the way to go. La Canada Country Club looks like an option. Call Amanda..discuss it with her and Jesus..Jesus would like a brown building and a ceremony near water....OK THEN!! La Canada has a water obstacle and sprinklers...don't know about brown but the hillside should be brown by October...Let's give them a call and see what we can set up. I call....they are booked...I call some place else...they are booked...Who would have thought that would be such a popular day...thank heavens for Google. I googled (yup, I think it is a real dictionary approved term now) and found the Almansor Court in Alhambra. Lovely looking place, at least on line and prices we can handle (sort 0f). No one there on Sunday to answer our questions so I call first thing Monday morning. Yes, they have that date open and by gosh it is discounted because it is a Friday. Amanda and I rushed over there on our lunch hour to make sure we had the date secured and to see if it made the grade...I overshoot the turn to the club and end up in Montebello but we turn arounda nd finally locate it. WELL...it was brown (light brown but hey!) the gazebo where the ceremony will take place rests over a lovely little lake, ducks and all. The banquet room was unconventional, meeting all our needs. Whew !! One giant hurdle ...now to pay for it all.......chicken all around!

" Hey Gang!!"

2008-04-04T12:43:00.000-07:00

Does anyone remember the old Mickie Rooney/Judy Garland movies where the kids needed money to save the old folks home or the orphanage and they decide to put on a show. Well that is just what happened to me this week. My intrepid dance mentor puts together an absolutely incredible belly dance extravaganza every October. She brings in talent from all over the world and allows us not so famous dancers to show our stuff. The show was so successful last year that the venue where we hold the show decided to raise our rental rates......considerably. Since I am an assistant, student, friend, would-be performer, I am part of the information loop. I started scouting out places to hold the next show only to find most are either booked, too expensive, not big enough, too big or just not right. So after some semi-panic we (Leela, Amanda and I) sort of cooked up a plan to try to raise the additional monies that were required for the old venue. BTW this place is the Avalon Theater in Hollywood formerly the Hollywood Palace. The Palace is famous in its own right, located near the well known corner of Hollywood and Vine. It once housed famous, famous acts including the Beatles and Rolling Stones. But I digress.....we thought about options to raise money...advertising, trying to find a sponsor etc. Yes, we are still trying those but we have decided to go totally old school.....Yard sale, bake sale, raffle and best of all.......A belly dance Car Wash. Can you imagine bikini clan beauties (not me, I will be an organizer) with sparkling hip wraps all wet and soapy for you car washing pleasure...Should be a big hit in Southern California.
So in June we start hitting the proverbial pavement with some good old fashion fund raising. If anyone has other suggestions bring them on. So this week I felt just like Mickie Rooney (gosh we are about the same size) "Hey gang, let's put on a show!!"....

Corset, Fishnets and Feathers OH MY!

2008-03-30T23:41:00.000-07:00

Saturday we (by we I mean the troupe I dance with) had our first professional photo shoot. This has been a long time coming. We have a lot of new girls in the troupe and no professional pictures. I should point out they we are a very diverse group with an age spread for 15 to 52 (that's me). Our first "set up" was to be our big girl bellydance picture....all of us dressed in black and silver belly dance costumes. This was by order of our fearless, talented leader who wanted to wear her fabulous new Madame Abla dress that was....you guessed...black and silver. The second shoot was a bit more tawdry with the required wear black and red corsets, fishnets and feathers. Our shoot was in Canoga Park at 10:00 in the morning. That meant that I had to get up at 6:00 am to color my gray hairs, shave all the appropriate locations including my upper lip and areas I don't want to discuss.. plus moisturize, pluck and spray paint my body. I discovered that Preparation H really does help plump up wrinkles, although it doesn't last as long as one would hope and you smell like cod liver oil but hey, beauty has its price, right?
After all the painting and plastering I had to apply crystal eyelashes at 8:00 in the morning, all while drinking coffee and trying to remember wear I put the heavy duty fishnets. The ones that hold everything in and make your legs look like waffles when you finally peel then off. Then off to "the drawer". The one I keep all the "slutty" clothes...I needed a sexy red bra, a black corset, the fishnets, something to try to cover my flabby arms lest I look like a jelly roll in the photos....Amazingly I readily pulled these out without a problem..Packed them all up along with the bellydance clothes, the stilettos, long black boots and the seven inch black patten leather platforms with the red flames. Yes, I have seven inch platforms and yes I wear them...me and drag queens. So off to Canoga. Me and Amanda, all made up and ready for the shoot, hopin we did not get stopped for any reason. We were just a tadded over made up for that early in the morning. All the girls were on time..a first. The first shoot we all looked so beautiful....even this old gal didn't look too bad and I know Bijan, the photographer, is brilliant and will eventually make me look at least 10 years younger when he retouches them. The next shoot was something out of a Moulin Rogue flashback. We all got trussed and taped (yes there were boobies that needed taping and others that need to be tamed) We poured ourselves into the corsets and tutus..hair and feathers.
After 20 minutes of positioning (Leela has a great eye for the staging) our timid photog came in to the studio..we had banned him during our dressing and set up.....his reaction was priceless....he walked in, looked at all of us and said "oh wow!!" then was quite speechless.
Later that day we had a chance to see the rough pictures...they were really great. I felt so lucky to be in the company of so many beautiful women.
For anyone who thinks modeling is easy...think again. It is hot, uncomfortable, one of the girls nearly passed out from locking her knees for so long and the majority of us were so sore the next day we felt like we had done a mini marathon. There is much awkward positioning to make us look natural......So corset, fishnets and feathers makes for pretty girls.....I will post the picture when I get the younger, retouched version......

Capricious Koi

2008-03-24T11:04:00.000-07:00

In an effort to try to get those last stubborn ten pounds off I have started to run. Now running is not one of my favorite things...in fact I have always said it was against my religion..Now I love to walk and I can do that all day but running.....not so much. Since my weight loss (100 pounds) running had become easier but not very enjoyable...until very recently. I guess when you figure out you can actually do something, not look a total geek and not keel over dead, it becomes less offensive. So I run..not great distances but I have gotten two miles in without having a coronary.
Easter Sunday Chuck and I went up to the track to exercise. I walked and ran...he walked. It was warm and I tucked my shirt up under my bra to cool off my midriff. Now I always forget I have a large tattoo on my lower back..it is orchids bookended by two large, colorful koi fish. Right after I got these fish I was belly dancing and my daughter noticed that the fish "swim". Very funny!! Apparently when I run they "swim" too. As I passed my husband on my run he would giggle and mention my swimming fish. I had no knowledge of this as I was engrossed in my iPod. It must have been very entertaining for all of the soccer players and such to watch my talent fish do there thing while was so engaged in trying not to die right there on the track...
So maybe the fish will get smaller as I do...hey they are working out too...

Blinded by the White

2008-03-21T08:24:00.000-07:00

Last night Amanda and I went bridal gown shopping. I anticipated this was going to be fairly long evening but I had not idea how emotional it would all be. She made an appointment at David's Bridal (BTW they were very sweet and helpful) for 6:30. We walked in, they had her fill out forms and Ana, our representative, asked what she had in mind. Amanda was really open minded about the style but she was fairly sure that she did not want white but ivory or champagne instead. The first dress she tried on was a lovely, puffy ivory number, very nice......the next was blinding white dream reminiscent of Grace Kelly. She looked amazing in that dress and we set it aside on the "in the running" rack. Many dresses came after that one. All with potential but none with the "wow" factor of that white fluffy number. The store was nearing its closing time and we were going blind with all the white (which turned out to be just the right color for her). Ana silently slipped away while we waited for the seamstress to give her advice on one dress with a particularly long hem. She brought out a dress they had just gotten in....not even on the rack yet ...a preview style, they called it...By this time all the sales girls had gotten involved in Amanda's decision. They were treating her like there very own dress up doll and they seemed to be having a great deal of fun. As they trussed Amanda up in the new dress, I was restless and strolled around the store. In the mean time the girls had dressed her, put her in a tiara and veil. She stepped out of the dressing room.......this absolutely gorgeous goddess in satin, tulle and pearls..My heart skipped a beat, I gasped and tears welled, she looked so beautiful. You could tell from her face that THIS was the dress...she felt like a princess. A vision in white. I tried hard not to look at the price tag but really, it didn't matter how much it cost.
So blinded by white and perhaps a tear or two....my baby is getting married and there will never be a more beautiful bride than my Amanda.
BTW the crock pot cooking was a big success.!!!

Curious Crockpot Cooking

2008-03-20T16:17:00.000-07:00

So, my husband is home for a while and anxious to help me around the house. He is actually pretty great at laundry and dishes and for that I am most grateful. He has not ventured in the world of cooking, or should I say, I have not allowed him much opportunity to cook. This is for some very obvious reasons in my past experience. Now, I am not saying he does not cook well...frankly I have not allowed him to cook in so long that I don't know if cooks or not. He manages to survive when I am out for the evening but I usually make sure there is something frozen or pre-cooked. Early in our married life he would cook eggs (over done) and an occasion pork chop dish (pork chops al la Isaac) which to me was very much like pork jerky soaked in salt...nummy. He did cook fabulous abalone, the best I have ever had. But abalone is not a regular item in our house now that we not longer scuba dive and the way he made it would clog you arteries in, well, a heartbeat.
So today I decided to release some of my kitchen duties and asked if he could put the meat in the crockpot with some water, soy, pepper and a few quartered potatoes. Four phone calls later the meat was successfully cooking. I am very curious to taste the result...I will keep you posted.

Great things happen over wine and cheese

2008-03-17T09:07:00.000-07:00

This has been a very exciting weekend for our family. My daughters beau finally popped that special question, asking for her hand in marriage. Needless to say she is floating on air and the entire family is thrilled to have Jesus as a member of our family. Now on to the wine and cheese...In celebration of the announcement my husband Chuck, the happy couple (Amanda and Jesus) and I gathered for lunch and then off to WineStyles for a celebratory toast. Mark and Kathy Bergstrom..the owners of Wine Styles, pulled out all the stops for the kids, gifting us a lovely bottle of Cabernet Savignon, a champagne toast, cheese, crackers and snack meats. We listen to Amanda recount the very romantic way Jesus propose (on his knees) and tales of the yet unseen ring (at the jewelers being sized as Amanda has tiny little fingers). Kathy approached and asked "that question"..."Have you set a date?"..Oh my gosh..this whole thing was only a few hours old and nothing had been determined. Now Amanda has always wanted a non traditional wedding and one of her deepest desires was to be married on her favorite holiday, Halloween. I should point out that both Amanda and Jesus celebrate their birthdays in October (one day apart) and we have the biggest dance event in our lives early in October but not to be deterred ...Halloween it is..What better day to celebrate the many roles we take as husbands and wives then on that day of costumes, tricks and treats.
So on a quiet, cold, rainy Saturday in southern California....over wine and cheese the biggest event of my babys life was scheduled....now on to the actual planning.....and paying. Oh my!!

A Rose by any other name!

2008-03-14T10:33:00.000-07:00

This is my first time blogging and I am fairly sure no one will find it interesting but me..so I will write to entertain myself.
Let's get right to the reason for the title...A rose by any other name. While my husband, daughter and her boyfriend were out last week enjoying a wine tasting at our favorite little place in South Pasadena (WineStyles) we started discussing burlesque names we could use. I should point out, for those who don't know me well, that my adult daughter and I belly dance in a troupe (Leela with SalomeJihad) and occasionally preform in burlesque theater. Now I had always heard that your "stripper" name should be the name of your first pet and the first street you remember living on. So my name would have to be Valiant Edenhurst. Not very sexy, I am thinking. Amanda on the other hand would have to be Cosmo Oak Circle....not at all sexy. At that moment her boyfriend, Jesus, suggested she be called Emerald Pearl because she has lovely green eyes and is a beautiful pearl in his...she actually has hazel eyes but the thought was there.. After a bit of thought we decided that it was a nice burlesquey kind of name and if she was Emerald Pearl I should be Mother of Pearl. This set the table and anyone in earshot of this odd conversation to laughing and thus the burlesque team (yes we so tandem burlesque) of Emerald Pearl and Mother of Pearl was born.
To what end we will use these monikers has not yet been determined but we may debut the act in August at Stiletto 3.5....a show devoted to circus oddities....are you surprised.??