Monday, July 20, 2009
Peek-A-Boo!
I was watching Sunday morning TV and CBS was show-casing the Met's new exhibit of "The Model & The Muse". Models & fashion and the evolution through the years. The commentator mentioned the 60's when clothes started to be more di-constructed and women didn't wear bras, corsets or slips. This invoked a memory of me standing on Mulberry Street at one of the side entrances of my grade school P.S. 23. It might have been lunch time when we were allowed outside of school and a bunch of us were playing or hanging out. A young slim caucasian woman walked by. She was wearing one of the first see-through blouses - sheer & white in color. Oh, I know...Scandalous!! She passed us with nary a glance. But I remembered the boys were agog - their eyes bulging out and mouths hanging opened. Oh what a ruckus she caused this little group. In all honesty, I didn't know what the big whoop was but their reaction caught my attention. If I could have, I might have tried to wear one but at 10 or 11 years old - it wasn't easy to find! LOL...who am I kidding?? My mother wouldn't even let me wear bell-bottoms!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
The 4th of July 2009
It was a great 4th of July filled with fabulous weather and lots of family. My perfect kind of day.
Nikki came up with Tom for the first time and we won’t talk about the disastrous drive they had but I was just thankful they kept going instead of giving up and returning home.
Evelyn, Mark & Xavier were also in attendance making it extra special. We were planning to celebrate Xavier’s 14th birthday and his graduation from Middle school.
And although we had a great time, it did make me think of past Independence days. For awhile, when my dad was still alive and the upstate community was at its height of popularity, it was very festive. And HOT! I didn’t have my own house then and would arrive by bus or car after work. Nikki would already be there arriving earlier in the week with my parents. My dad would have fireworks and when darkness descended, the kids would stand outside in a circle holding sparklers or incense sticks while different poppers, star-twirlers and various other fireworks were being set off. All of us oohing and ahhing and the kids screaming or giggling. It really was carefree and wonderful. And the kick-off to the season.
It’s still an unofficial start of the season. And I was happy that we had some warm weather. When Nikki & Tom showed up….finally…Xavier couldn’t wait to take Tom on in basketball and while they were shooting hoops, Nikki got Kris to play some tennis and catch. The rest of us sat out on my deck chatting and laughing.
Kathy made delicious BBQ ribs…2 kinds…an Asian variety (“Is this the Asian one”?) and an another that had a spicy rub. She also made her famous cornbread souffle. I made Lime Adobo chicken with chimichurri but hardly anyone touched it. I also put out a tossed field salad with avocado. We had too much food. Evelyn brought sweet corn on the cob and had a contest with Kathy on who could eat it neater and had a cleaner cob. Kathy won. But I think she’s had a lot of practice.
Nikki baked a birthday chocolate cake for Xavier and we presented it with his gifts of Xbox games.
The only thing that was missing and did change the whole dynamic of the get-together was Miranda who was away at sleep-away horse camp. Yep…it was a lot less drama, less noise but she is our own sparkler and we missed that a lot.
Nikki came up with Tom for the first time and we won’t talk about the disastrous drive they had but I was just thankful they kept going instead of giving up and returning home.
Evelyn, Mark & Xavier were also in attendance making it extra special. We were planning to celebrate Xavier’s 14th birthday and his graduation from Middle school.
And although we had a great time, it did make me think of past Independence days. For awhile, when my dad was still alive and the upstate community was at its height of popularity, it was very festive. And HOT! I didn’t have my own house then and would arrive by bus or car after work. Nikki would already be there arriving earlier in the week with my parents. My dad would have fireworks and when darkness descended, the kids would stand outside in a circle holding sparklers or incense sticks while different poppers, star-twirlers and various other fireworks were being set off. All of us oohing and ahhing and the kids screaming or giggling. It really was carefree and wonderful. And the kick-off to the season.
It’s still an unofficial start of the season. And I was happy that we had some warm weather. When Nikki & Tom showed up….finally…Xavier couldn’t wait to take Tom on in basketball and while they were shooting hoops, Nikki got Kris to play some tennis and catch. The rest of us sat out on my deck chatting and laughing.
Kathy made delicious BBQ ribs…2 kinds…an Asian variety (“Is this the Asian one”?) and an another that had a spicy rub. She also made her famous cornbread souffle. I made Lime Adobo chicken with chimichurri but hardly anyone touched it. I also put out a tossed field salad with avocado. We had too much food. Evelyn brought sweet corn on the cob and had a contest with Kathy on who could eat it neater and had a cleaner cob. Kathy won. But I think she’s had a lot of practice.
Nikki baked a birthday chocolate cake for Xavier and we presented it with his gifts of Xbox games.
The only thing that was missing and did change the whole dynamic of the get-together was Miranda who was away at sleep-away horse camp. Yep…it was a lot less drama, less noise but she is our own sparkler and we missed that a lot.
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