#badmetaphors

Sorry, I just couldn't resist.

Merry Christmas, xoxo, MF

Every Christmas, I watch this movie at least once. Some may not know this-- but the landmark musical film, Meet Me In St. Louis, marked the introduction of the song "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" to the public. The song was sung by Esther, who was played by the undoubtedly delicate and beautiful Judy Garland. The year was 1944.

That said, given the conditions of this epic historical period,  I find it to be probably one of the most beautiful Christmas Songs ever written and sung. I hope you do, too.
Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, lots of warmth, and love,

BLACKOUT NYC

On a cold Thursday night, my friend Kaylee lured me from my favorite pizza at Cafe Fiorello in Lincoln Center... all the way down to Lower Manhattan. I say lured, as it was during the recent blackout.  Apparently, I had to-- if even for a few hours-- experience and see what it was like.

Kaylee was staying with a friend at the Bowery Hotel, which was operating with only one small generator, and thus, minimal lighting in the hallway sconces only. For the most part, stepping foot into the hotel felt not much different than stepping into the McKittrick Hotel that houses Sleep No More. Only this was real life.

After one Old Fashioned, two glasses of red wine, three new friends, and several attempts to play Bach on the hotel's broken piano, we found ourselves at Gemma for a complimentary dinner. With the restaurant's famous gigantic candles lit,  a mere twenty people scattered throughout the restaurant, and the pure silence all around, one could mistake the normally buzzing restaurant for a big barn-turned-restaurant in the Catskills. The Chianti was poured, glass after glass, and we feasted on fresh tomato basil pasta, roasted veggies, bread, and salad.

By this point, our cellphones were dead (though I must note: due to the lack of cellphone service in all of downtown Manhattan, everyone in the room clearly forgot they existed to begin with).

And so we ended up outside. In the darkness.  Kaylee ran into friends, and they were attempting a journey to The Smile.

Someone had sparklers. And somehow, we all took part in this impromptu video.

BLACKOUT NYC from L.A. on Vimeo.

a new season

to-do list by my niece maggie (l) / djing cabin down below (r)

(summer 2012)

 

pants by Suno (l) / vintage dress (r) 

 prada cap toe pumps (l) / maison kitsune blue silk dress (r)

(wishlist)

PARIS IS BURNING END CREDITS

my nieces are too much

horses horses horses

Whitney Houston

zen in the art of archery

beat beat

everly brothers

john lennon's list of word associations

live your own story, don't go by the book

press this

I could use a story

from where the wild things are

love you dad

one of my most favorite scenes from a movie possibly ever

"learn more, not earn more"

Julianna Margulies' commencement speech to Sarah Lawrence Class of 2010

While the overall message of the passage of this speech one might not be able to identify with directly (who after all, makes that kind of money these days?), I can't help but hear her words and find them somewhat resonant.

Everyone wants to know their mission.

I've made my own choices-- have followed my heart-- against the grain only to be mocked, hurt...   I think (and hope) that everyone has done this at some point in their lives. I have turned to my dad so many times. "Dad, what should I do?" And only to hear sound advice.  "When is enough, enough?"

 And while I am not one to be religious, this past month I have turned to churches, meeting houses, temples. I think I've been to nearly every church and cathedral in the borough of Manhattan.

"I realized my mission in life was to learn more, not earn more."

At the end of the day, at some point in time, we should look back and see evidence of value, and that value is not monetary, nor is it fame. Both are empty. I am blessed to have the things I have, and the experiences I have had. But the lessons I have learned this past year have been tremendous, decisions at times torrential, however looking back, they all have meaning.

Perhaps most importantly, I have learned that despite heartbreak, you can't stop your heart. But it is this that makes us human.

I would much prefer a life of lessons leading to happiness and love than all the money or nice things or fame in the world. A family.

Fin.

making messes

Found!

  in my childhood chest

by my sister katie, 1987

dad text messages: chapter hurricane irene

quake 2011

Okay so I know that everyone is poking fun at this earthquake situation.

But being on the 26th floor

I hope NOBODY ever experiences an earthquake on the 26th floor.

I felt the tremor and then began to feel my entire building physically sway for a good minute and a half.

And the first thing I thought about was ten years ago.

and I am GLAD that everyone is safe and nothing terrible happened.

I stayed downstairs, outside sitting on a bench using free wireless for the rest of the day, and reading. 

So I heard a lot of people's reactions. And yes, I can't help but find a lot of them really really funny.

I'll leave you with this:

Kid, walking down Greenwich Street with his mom. Blonde. Glasses. Skinny. About six. Funny kid.

He said, matter-of-factly, to his mom:

"There was just an earthquake."

(pause)

"There was just an earthquake."

(pause again)

 "And I cried my face off."

funny stuff.