More Kisses Please: October 2008

hello- my name is jack

hello- my name is jack, originally uploaded by jill y.

busy bees

Ya- I don't have too much to say right now. I'm kind of busy and not feeling creative. Today might have gone the way that many before it had.. off to work, solve problems, work late, come home, make dinner or order in, retreat to beautiful flannel sheets, and the biggest puffiest feather duvet I could buy covered in flannel. Get cat to purr in the crook of my arm. Fall asleep.

But tonight is different..back in May I decided to buy a ticket to the Madonna concert. I almost forgot about it and now I'm running late.. but tonight is different than the last few.

I'll fill you in later...

on green, originally uploaded by jill y.

guess where

guess where, originally uploaded by jill y.

Janis Joplin's Bathtub

Janis Joplin's Bathtub, originally uploaded by jill y.

Did I ever tell you about the time I talked my way in to the house Janis Joplin owned when she died? No? Maybe I'll tell you that story tomorrow.

{72/365} love in silly places, originally uploaded by happygirltc.

You know when all things seem to happen at once and there is almost no time to get anything done lest of all hire someone to help you.. there really is only one thing to do and that's..

I desire one of these lovely posters/ tshirts/ bags/ whatever but they don't ship to Canada. Must find another way..Heidi.. may be this is the thing you can help me get from the UK.

update: I have the shirt ordered!! YA

and here's the history behind...

"a bird in the hand"

"a bird in the hand", originally uploaded by jill y.

For Friday

where ever you go- there you are.

In March, on a Wednesday, I found I was going to Tokyo on Friday- for a week. I stayed in a remarkable hotel styled after the hip era of the 1970's except with rice paper screens and toilets that cleaned up up after. I found charming little sun powered bobble head dolls and had to buy another piece of luggage to being 10 of them back because they were 5 bucks each. I also bought a vintage kimono on the street. Tokyo was cool.

In May, I took off for Toronto and caught up with a dear old rocker friend, Gene, for a few drinks and laughs before I took off for Havana with a 2am arrival. The tropical air engulfed me and under mild intoxication from crushed mint and rum- Cuba and I had a 2 week love affair and I visited 10 different and crazy places.

A week after coming home from Cuba, I was whisked off to the tropical paradise of Scottsdale Arizona to entertain the masses with my funny jokes and fresh face mask making. The hotel was brilliant. Like an oasis.

In July, I was packed again and headed for London, where I was met at the airport by my old friend Heidi. We stopped talking to one another nearly 15 years earlier and pretty much picked up just about where we left off but better. I met her charming partner Matt and their happy little baby- Indie. We spent the day in the park eating cheese, fruit and drinking ciders. So perfect.

Then for the next 5 days, I lived in the Selsdon Park Compound where I partook in team building exercises, dressed up like Tippy Hedren from The Birds complete with fake blood and a million tiny birds, engaged in vegan cuisine, lead discussions on Motivation, and conducted a presentation in front of the leaders of the 5 global Lush Manufacturing Companies. Then I had summarize the NA Manu meeting in front of all of global Lush. I like to say I was motivated by fear.

I did manage to sneak away in London and find a 300 year old cheese shop. Nuff said.

On the heels of London, I flew to Edmonton to meet with my bike and do a little trail riding for old time's sake. I met up with old friends Pete, Vince, Tracy, Sean, Sherry, Sandy, Elizabeth, Alf, Evan, and anybody else I could happen to find. A little Folk Fest action happened (along with Heritage Days and Fort Edmonton). Took a drive down into the country and saw my mom and grandmother. Always perfect.

In September, it was time to pack my bags again for a whirlwind trip to NYC where in a flurry activity the Christmas Lush lineup was set up and presented to the NY Press. I got to be demo girl extraordinaire and make my favorite product ever- Angels on Bare Skin and talk it up and give it away to gate crashing editors. Then we tore it all down in one night and I walked away from the Hudson Hotel and headed for the Chelsea.

And for 2 glorious nights, Michael and I stayed in the historic Chelsea Hotel, in a room with a balcony and regretfully- no ghosts. We made friends with the cafe around the corner and wandered aimlessly through the West Village, Greenwich, Soho and Central Park and did nothing.

And there it is- my year of wanderlust and wonderful opportunity. Lest I forget how fortunate I have been this year.

I stumbled upon this Etsy seller. This bag is so gorgeous I half wonder if I could commission a similar one with something similar to my wheat and rose tattoo?? So pretty..

from the archives..

True stuff folks, from the archives of Time Magazine...

Monday, Feb. 11, 1929

Ring

At Saint-Brieux, France, one Victor Rousoult was walking along the docks where he worked, when a dangling hook caught in the ring on his finger. The derrick from which the hook dangled hoisted ring, finger and Rousoult 100 feet into the air. Comrades saw, shouted. The derrick lowered Rousoult to the ground. When he was within a few feet of landing, his finger tore off.

Aged

Near Cairo, Egypt, last week, the police commandant discovered, living alone in a six-foot shack, an Arab who said he was born at the opening of the American Revolution (153 years ago) and who remembered the massacre of the Mamelukes by Mohammed Ali in 1811.

In the village of Latti in the Caucasian mountains, last fortnight, Henri Barbusse, French author, discovered a peasant named Nikolai Andreyevich Shapkofski who has a social insurance card showing that he is 146 years old and entitled to draw a pension of 50 rubles ($27.50) a month. Peasant Shapkofski has only one tooth left and therefore does not eat as heartily as he did a few years ago. But he still drinks plenty of wine. His last child, a daughter, was born when he was 120 years old.

Near Siler City, N. C., last fortnight, a woman reporter interviewed "Uncle" Ance Watson, 112, onetime slave, and his son, 75. Said Watson Sr.: "If my Missus didn't go to Heaven, den Heaven is sho scarce of white folks."

In Rochelle, Va., Mrs. Elizabeth Davis, 93, was cutting, last week, her third set of natural teeth.

Latchkey

In Willesden, England. Magistrate Lloyd Williams upheld the right of a father to take away the latchkey of a daughter who stayed out after 10 p. m.

Well.. whatyaknow..

don't forget to send a thank you note to life

The annual celebration of Thanksgiving came and went and mostly I was thankful for an extra day off but then I kind of gave it some thought.

So.. in no particular order, thanks for:

Parents that were/are pretty decent human beings who made sure I had a clean bed, breakfast lunch and dinner and new clothes and school supplies every Sept.
Family of amazing character on both sides behind them.
A farm in my childhood.
my beloved maternal grandfather. I've missed you terribly for 33 years.
family pet cats. Duchess and Ming
My maternal grandmother who taught me to bake bread, crotchet, knit, embroider, sew and raised my lovely mother- among other things
My mother who always maintained it was better to be my parent than my friend. Now she is my best friend.
My sister who gives me pillows that say, "I'm smiling because you are my sister and laughing because there is nothing you can do about it."
My father for giving me my intellect and stubbornness and maybe some "issues" but I'd be nowhere without them or at least not wonderful me.
my job for it's flexibility, challenges, frustrations and opportunities
cheese- the first time I ever felt passionate about anything
hostels- the first time I felt really truly happy was when I lived in one for a month.
my beautiful Michael and for the last 5 years. I always suspected love could be so effortless and simple.
the boyfriends of the past for I see now that it isn't supposed to be a struggle.
old blues music you make me feel calm
white sneakers, Levi's and white t-shirt- you are my uniform
wheat and wild roses- you are my preferred landscape
health- without you I'd be sick and sick sucks
clinical depression- you taught me to be less hard on myself and to try and eat my greens. I love how you slink around in the background waiting to pounce again. You're so playful in your darkness, you funny thing you.
Jon Penner, Sandy Smith, Rob Grant, Sue Foley- you 4 made up some of the best times in my 20's. They were roaring thanks to you.
photography- I always wanted to draw or paint pictures. Thanks for filling in the blanks,
mashed potatoes, butter and gravy.
art nouveau
Cuba- I loved you
Scotland- you're hot
my cool landlord's who care more about a community in the house than making a buck
Ruby- the playful white cat that sleeps in the nook of my arm at night
bird song and prancing squirrels
bike riding
friends in Edmonton- Tracy, Vince, Evan, Alf, everyone- you make coming home worth it
friends in far away places- Bess, Heidi, Tim- you make getting out of dodge a possibility
my blog. you need a revamp but without you, where would all this stuff go???