merry christmas

December 2011

<<<<<<<>>>>>>>

so much love

I Have Dreams!

crazy ladies

Cathy and Gina

BFF

She lived on Vine St.

I lived on Lombardy Lane

We played. We twirled. We read. We wandered. We danced.

And WE SANG.

She had a little reel to reel tape recorder and we recorded ourselves over and over. It is a good thing, a very good thing that we did not have youtube. The only people that ever heard our tapes were us! We were a great audience though.  We laughed so hard. Greatest hits:

Catch a Falling Star

California Dreamin'

My Favorite Things

Mellow Yellow

Fay and Georgia (we made it up)

We love a good song bird still.

Take Brandi Carlile

We love her.  We think she is our daughter.

When Gina heard she was playing The Rio in Santa Cruz, well, it was a done deal. 

We suited up.  We showed up. Happy happy time! 

During "Turpentine" we harmonized. 

No reel to reel.  Just a contraband smart phone recording the joy.

I love my friend.

Growing older is simply growing better.

**

a shout out

On the corner of 18th St. and Guerra in The Mission District there is a bakery.

It is not an ordinary bakery.

It is Tartine.

Briana knew this place, of course.

She owned their cookbook.

It took a wildly crazed taxi ride to get there.

It took tired feet, the BART train, running tired feet and a rickshaw to get back in time.

It was worth it.

I can't describe it, won't even try.

I'm not even eating sugar these days but left with a Coconut Tart, double Pain au Chocolat, shortbread and a most lovely piece of embossed gingerbread.  Yes, embossed and glazed.

Holding, gazing, sniffing and caressing this work of art was joyful.

Peace on Earth

*

spirit rich

I love my job. Today was one of those days. People that believe that birth is part of life, of a loving life bring so much to my day's work. It humbles me to serve. I have a new birth friend.  Tandi. She was present at the last birth I attended with Briana. She's going to help me with a birth in Heber City next summer. As the circular story goes, she came to the prenatal with me today.  The new to us mom mentioned reading about Briana and extended her sympathy.  At that moment of light, we realized that Tandi's presence links the circle of Briana's wisdom.  My eyes were a little misty as I talked about moving forward, peacefully, happily. This mom smiled, hugged us both and another story begins. . .

partera

Clinic de la Partera

I can see it.  Diane and me. 

Catching babies in Tulum Pueblo.

Cotton skirts, wildly wavy hair, rebozos and cumin tea.

Great mama hips and fat baby cheeks.

Nurslings tied on, cloth diapers or no diapers.

Proud papas. Smiling. Kissing.

Blue water.  Dark chocolate.

Awake to the birds. Asleep to the waves.

Cielito Lindo in the air.

You down, Cousin?