The Friday Evening Nudes

Marc Chagall Red Nude Stitting Up 1908

Amedeo Modigliani
Nude Looking Over Her Right Shoulder
1917

Gustave Courbet
The Source
1862

Pierre Bonnard Woman in Black Stockings c. 1900

Boucher Odalisk

No news; just nudes
(A pre-recorded post)

The Peace Tree

My post, Jazz: Transgender Children and Gender Independence is up at The Peace Tree, if you care to read it.

And while you're there, check out incredible, original poetry and art by the one and only Poetryman, The Peace Tree's keeper extraordinaire. There are many other great bloggers who contribute: Dark Daughta, Betmo, Enigma4ever, Case Wagenvoord, Graem, Mentarch and Robert. I hope I've not left anyone out.


Yours in Peace,
Pagan

Dinner

This is my first-ever food post. What the hell, everyone needs to do at least one food post in their blogging life, right?

Supergirl Two and I made pesto with the basil from our garden. It was tough old basil, I tell you, but ground up with pine nuts, cheese, olive oil and garlic, there were no complaints when it came to eating it! We also bought local, organic greenhouse tomatoes and fresh mozzarella, sliced them, arranged them, added black olives, lots of black pepper and ate it all with gusto.

SG2 would not let me take her photo because she thinks I'm indiscreet about which pictures of her I choose to post. I guess I can't be counted on to put her best face forward. But I'm her mother and I think she always looks perfect. So there you have it; tonight's dinner.

Also a note to you all. I've had quite a bit of spam lately. For instance, describing myself as shy in one of my blog posts, generated a couple of emails from folks trying to sell me "get over your shyness" programs. The usual medicine show, internet style. So, starting tomorrow, I will be screening comments, at least for a while. I don't want to come back from vacation and have the blog riddled with unwanted comments.

We're packing up and putting things in order tomorrow and leaving for Nova Scotia on Thursday. W.P. and I have decided to take his work computer (which I have mixed feelings about) but he promised he'll only do the Wi-Fi thing occasionally. When he does, I will likely check in and even maybe read a few blog posts.

So long everyone! I'll try not to come back and bore you with too many Nova Scotia pictures but I know I won't be able to resist posting at least a couple of the highlights.

Peace & Love,
Pagan

A Song Trilogy

1) Song for Sharon - Joni Mitchell
2) All The Best - John Prine
3) Off-White Dress - Bill Morrisey

A trio of songs about loneliness, lost love and marriage the second time around.

There are currently three engagements in my immediate family: W.P.'s daughter's, my older daughter's and mine.

I dreamed last night of a veil that never ended...

Forgive me for my self-indulgence but certain songs, like poems and art, help me to work my thoughts out about things. I hope you enjoy a song or two.

If you'd like to skip a song, drag the orange bar all the way to the end and the next song will start. And hell, if you want to skip it all together, I will not be offended! :-)

Love,
Pagan

La Mariee

La Mariee
Marc Chagall

Bad Art Or Not?

David Cerny's Piss has two bronze sculptures peeing into an enclosure that is actually a map of the Cezch Republic. The stream of water writes quotes from famous Prague residents. Visitors can interrupt them by sending SMS messages from mobile phones to a number displayed next to the sculptures. The living statue then ‘writes’ the text of the message, before carrying on as before.

And for those of you interested in furthering your appreciation of this piece (ha!):

Bad art or not?
You weight in.

Ya GOTTA Love New York

The Bitter Woman
Times Square

I did not think of her as a side show freak. In fact, I found her really beautiful in a way that I don't often see. She was kind and honest. I'll bet she has some stories to tell...

What's Goin' On

I really miss reading all of your blogs consistently, as I've more or less been able to do for months now. But it's been busy.

As you know, the wonderful trip to NYC, from which we returned Friday night, exhausted. And yesterday, we helped W.P.'s daughter throw an engagement party. Everything went great. I was in rare form, as I usually eschew shindigs, and had a great time. It was great that a family that has been dear to both W.P.'s and my family for years, were able to make it. There were many new people to meet and I was able to overcome my shyness and ask if I could take their photos. I've discovered that having a camera helps to break the ice.

Yes, I'm shy but I do a pretty good job of faking it. In yesterday's case, I wasn't faking. A testament, I believe, to how much a part of my "new" family I'm feeling. I have so much. Knowing this is a real help when I start to bitch and moan about this or the other insignificant thing. My family, a few but very loving friends, good health and though we're not exactly prospering, enough to live comfortably, have fun and not feel like over-consumptive American gluttons.

This coming week, both W.P. and I have a lot of loose ends to tie up before we pack it up and take off to Nova Scotia for a couple of weeks. To this vacation, we are immensely looking forward. When W.P.'s wife A was alive, they took many family vacations there and he has been looking forward to taking me there. W.P. always knows the best, out-of-the-way spots and things to do and he's a wonderful travel companion. We're hoping (optimistically) to leave Thursday but I think it will probably be more like Friday.

I hope to be able to read as many blogs as time allows before I leave. I haven't decided yet if I want to take a computer. I'm inclined not to at this point.

Meanwhile, make love not war and all that good stuff.