ConnieMadden
01-07-2009, 02:54 PM
(reposted from Petaluma360.com/Connie Madden)
Shiny moments remembered; startup 2009
Noticing that shiny memories disappear forever if not captured, so here I am capturing. Downtown fun and worry, Holidaze with friends, the family, the big extended family, some still not reached. More cards sent; same number received - many eCards, some musical and dance included free.
Holidays for us begin with Halloween – Classroom Safari critters in Jungle Vibes – the hedgehog – where ever else do you get to pet a hedge hog? Watch for Hairy Hedgehog the YouTube! And the seemingly thousands of children who come into the store all costumed out with their Moms most often. This year the Halloween costume went out on the street when Jungle Vibes Wayne, 9 feet tall as Jack Skellington, strolled around the Boulevard and Water Street with his Sally from Nightmare Before Christmas the afternoon when Santa Arrived by boat.
The whole downtown seemed lit up with shiny faces - kids of all ages - on many days from All Hallows Eve through New Years Eve. This year, hoards of costumed kids were met and greeted all over downtown at various events and then Dickens Christmas - must admit Marie McCusker did a thorough and wonderful job running the whole Dickens Holidays series complete with horsedrawn carriage, some of our friends playing lively mix of music in Helen Putnam Plaza, elf dancers, high school carolers. And every shop holding open house had great nibbles and attitude.
Sweet all around - though we knew shop keeps were not raking in the dough along with putting out the cookies. Scary for many and a fairly long list won't be here come - well, they're already closed. I'll especially miss Bella Luma Caffe' and owner, Craig Stamler's playful presence there. Wife, Melanie, still holds court at Star Struck Boutique on Kentucky, but the tough kids in the Plaza no longer have the Craig buffer - so caution is advised there nights.
In our Cave-home, the season officially began with Holidaze for Friends, potluck and gift exchange with maybe 50 or so, arms full of potluck and a giftie to share and so much to say nobody even played ping-pong! Musicians played sweet tuneage but the talk took over on this warm and fuzzy night.
Most wondrous to me at our family Christmas Eve was Casey, now 4, who asked with shiny eyes "Do you want Santa's Elves to give you all the colors of the rainbow in blacklight?" Of course, I had to say yes, and this Spiderman-outfitted nephew swished his hands purposefully all around myself, resulting in mission accomplished! I am now blessed with all the colors of the rainbow - in blacklight! Recall my website's original artwork was aurora borealis - and it will come again! All the colors of the rainbow - and how am I to do the blacklight? I'll ask those who may know.
I have a guilty love for Christmas decor, especially amazing musicboxes, ornaments that look like live angels, tigers, shiny glass birds. I tell others its OK - I'll put them away with the tree stand. Though it takes weeks for each bit to find its way into the appropriate box.
Other holiday memories were created when local virtuoso Richard Stark played piano beautifully and to much applause before and during the feast. And for me, there's more than a bit of magic in putting meaningful and silly, delicious and irreverent little objects into a Santa stocking and handing over to my grown up but tolerant son and his girl, a tiny pink glass elephant for her collection, a gorgeous purple dragon for said son now running Dungeons and Dragons games as Dungeonmaster. Added delicate and delectable Christmas candies handmade by Live Oak Charter School parents! Too beautiful to eat? Also bought 3 handmade beeswax "body bars" with bas relief lovely angels that literally melt in your hands, smelling great and making your skin soft among favorite finds.
Nearly done with shiny stuff recitation, except I noticed when Sabrina got the great swirly turquois and white scarf, she started up with her typical funny happy acting out. Glad.
So now we've shared the bottle of Gloria Ferrer champagne at PJ's party (how special to arrive late at a party where Pamela Joyce is singing! See her at YouTube - Ricky Green, Pamela Joyce, Gary Grubb at the Moose, Petaluma (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RXPGyW7QTI) - and its back to Petaluma City Council for inauguration of our new group on the dias. Great feeling seeing people I like, respect, know to be smart and hardworking up there! And cake, too, though I am fasting and only put tiny taste in mouth.
Tried to speak helpful words at Public Comment at Council - shiny moments morphing into Econ 2010...what is to be done? asked Lenin. We live in a new world, says futurist Paul Saffo. We have left the credit world and are entering a creator world which we must needs create ourselves! Keywords are uncertainty and volatility.
Yup. The woman working cashregister at Long's yesterday said the world seems like an upside down tree with its roots in the air - sounded scared and said she doesn't know what to do! Doesn't vote. I said well, arrange to vote and wanted to offer more.
Looking and listening everywhere for sense coming out of this uncertainty. Robert Reich, former official during the Clinton administration, now economist at Berkeley, says sometime in 2010 our economy will stabilize - and look something like it did in 1990. Remember what you earned in 1990? About half, right? Huge shift coming; get stronger, be nice to your neighbors, grow a victory garden. Seriously. And don't forget to relax?
Always thought my Mom sort of enjoyed the depression - friends were close friends - she was an artist and beans were OK for dinner. And this Great Recession may not be so bad.
Shiny moments remembered; startup 2009
Noticing that shiny memories disappear forever if not captured, so here I am capturing. Downtown fun and worry, Holidaze with friends, the family, the big extended family, some still not reached. More cards sent; same number received - many eCards, some musical and dance included free.
Holidays for us begin with Halloween – Classroom Safari critters in Jungle Vibes – the hedgehog – where ever else do you get to pet a hedge hog? Watch for Hairy Hedgehog the YouTube! And the seemingly thousands of children who come into the store all costumed out with their Moms most often. This year the Halloween costume went out on the street when Jungle Vibes Wayne, 9 feet tall as Jack Skellington, strolled around the Boulevard and Water Street with his Sally from Nightmare Before Christmas the afternoon when Santa Arrived by boat.
The whole downtown seemed lit up with shiny faces - kids of all ages - on many days from All Hallows Eve through New Years Eve. This year, hoards of costumed kids were met and greeted all over downtown at various events and then Dickens Christmas - must admit Marie McCusker did a thorough and wonderful job running the whole Dickens Holidays series complete with horsedrawn carriage, some of our friends playing lively mix of music in Helen Putnam Plaza, elf dancers, high school carolers. And every shop holding open house had great nibbles and attitude.
Sweet all around - though we knew shop keeps were not raking in the dough along with putting out the cookies. Scary for many and a fairly long list won't be here come - well, they're already closed. I'll especially miss Bella Luma Caffe' and owner, Craig Stamler's playful presence there. Wife, Melanie, still holds court at Star Struck Boutique on Kentucky, but the tough kids in the Plaza no longer have the Craig buffer - so caution is advised there nights.
In our Cave-home, the season officially began with Holidaze for Friends, potluck and gift exchange with maybe 50 or so, arms full of potluck and a giftie to share and so much to say nobody even played ping-pong! Musicians played sweet tuneage but the talk took over on this warm and fuzzy night.
Most wondrous to me at our family Christmas Eve was Casey, now 4, who asked with shiny eyes "Do you want Santa's Elves to give you all the colors of the rainbow in blacklight?" Of course, I had to say yes, and this Spiderman-outfitted nephew swished his hands purposefully all around myself, resulting in mission accomplished! I am now blessed with all the colors of the rainbow - in blacklight! Recall my website's original artwork was aurora borealis - and it will come again! All the colors of the rainbow - and how am I to do the blacklight? I'll ask those who may know.
I have a guilty love for Christmas decor, especially amazing musicboxes, ornaments that look like live angels, tigers, shiny glass birds. I tell others its OK - I'll put them away with the tree stand. Though it takes weeks for each bit to find its way into the appropriate box.
Other holiday memories were created when local virtuoso Richard Stark played piano beautifully and to much applause before and during the feast. And for me, there's more than a bit of magic in putting meaningful and silly, delicious and irreverent little objects into a Santa stocking and handing over to my grown up but tolerant son and his girl, a tiny pink glass elephant for her collection, a gorgeous purple dragon for said son now running Dungeons and Dragons games as Dungeonmaster. Added delicate and delectable Christmas candies handmade by Live Oak Charter School parents! Too beautiful to eat? Also bought 3 handmade beeswax "body bars" with bas relief lovely angels that literally melt in your hands, smelling great and making your skin soft among favorite finds.
Nearly done with shiny stuff recitation, except I noticed when Sabrina got the great swirly turquois and white scarf, she started up with her typical funny happy acting out. Glad.
So now we've shared the bottle of Gloria Ferrer champagne at PJ's party (how special to arrive late at a party where Pamela Joyce is singing! See her at YouTube - Ricky Green, Pamela Joyce, Gary Grubb at the Moose, Petaluma (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RXPGyW7QTI) - and its back to Petaluma City Council for inauguration of our new group on the dias. Great feeling seeing people I like, respect, know to be smart and hardworking up there! And cake, too, though I am fasting and only put tiny taste in mouth.
Tried to speak helpful words at Public Comment at Council - shiny moments morphing into Econ 2010...what is to be done? asked Lenin. We live in a new world, says futurist Paul Saffo. We have left the credit world and are entering a creator world which we must needs create ourselves! Keywords are uncertainty and volatility.
Yup. The woman working cashregister at Long's yesterday said the world seems like an upside down tree with its roots in the air - sounded scared and said she doesn't know what to do! Doesn't vote. I said well, arrange to vote and wanted to offer more.
Looking and listening everywhere for sense coming out of this uncertainty. Robert Reich, former official during the Clinton administration, now economist at Berkeley, says sometime in 2010 our economy will stabilize - and look something like it did in 1990. Remember what you earned in 1990? About half, right? Huge shift coming; get stronger, be nice to your neighbors, grow a victory garden. Seriously. And don't forget to relax?
Always thought my Mom sort of enjoyed the depression - friends were close friends - she was an artist and beans were OK for dinner. And this Great Recession may not be so bad.