awsome alicia in the merchant exchange ballroom

"lush life" for your next event

Ander, Gerry, Robert, playing with two musicians of the Alexander Trio at Miss Laura's wedding

happy birthday mauro!

Mauro looks like a mad scientist here, playing the melodica, and he is of sorts. He is an innovative musician, artist of metal and paint, and magical builder.

cool game!

Here is the link: http://onemorelevel.com/games3/double-wires.swf

Just found this on http://delee928.tumblr.com/. I feel like spider playing it -check it out and you'll see what I mean. Warning addictive!

my favorite mother daughter dancing duo

I'm thinking of putting up photos I've taken of people I know every week. I have so many special friends that do so many interesting things that I'd like to feature them.

I thought of Mallory and Tiana after writing about the Lakota women's ceremony earlier in the week. I thought about this mother and daughter because they share so many things together - dance, cooking, their culture, love of foreign lands.

Mallory and Tiana

surviving 7th grade

doing it different

I just left Kaiser in Redwood City, feeling frustrated and drained this afternoon. As I was driving down Hiway 92 to Half Moon Bay, I tuned into KPFA 94.1 which was airing Bay Native Circle. On the radio I heard about a tradition which seems so far way from our current world and the one I was brought up in. As I listened to their experience, my frustration evaporated and thoughts of living differently filled my head.

A Lakota woman on the radio were discussing the women's ceremony that "coming of age girls" go through in their culture. The mother described how her 13 year old daughter joined other young girls in North Dakota for a week long focus on becoming women. I assume that the ceremony is connected to when they begin menstrual cycles.

The girls were given all the supplies to build their shelter for the week, a teepee. The mother bragged it only took her daughter's group 2 hours to put it up, while other years it took the girls all day to erect. The older women camped out 100 feet away from the younger ones and cooked their daughters' meals and fed them everyday. Each mother taught a lesson in cooking with native plants and making medicines. The girls learned to make clothes or baskets or other traditional ways. They were also taught how to interact with their family members, males, and strangers, now that they were women.

I found all of this so touching and important. It seems now in the non-native American culture these things are not specifically taught -much is gleamed from kids' peers, school, TV, the malls, and the internet. How hard it must be to be a parent in these times with the pressures of our culture and the cost of providing for a family.

A very profound moment was when the mother said that the ceremony marked for her, the letting go of her daughter as a child and the time for her to respect her daughter's decisions as a woman. Her daughter had to realize that with her decisions came the responsibility to think about the consequences.

The mothers discussed how the younger ones should not feel required to become a mother unless she feels called to do so and that there are other roles in the tribe for those who choose a different route. In other words, ALL the women are valued, no matter what their choice!

Now her daughter returns to the women's ceremony each year to be a mentor to the younger girls so the circle continues.

I found honoring the passing from childhood to womanhood to be so special. I remember having my period as being more of "just a mess", "a bother", and an embarrassment - not something sacred or a right of passage. I felt that now that I could get pregnant, I was in a place of vulnerability and danger and a cause for worry.

Listening to the program really made me think about how I interact now with children and what kind of role I want to have, since my path was chosen for me to be an artist and not a mother.

It also made me wonder what responsibilities we as our society have in raising the children. Do we have a protocol, a code, a "way" we offer to our children as a community? Can we learn from the ceremony I heard on the radio today? Can non-parents interact and help in some way? Hmmmmm.......

In honor of May Day immigration marches I'm posting a trailer for "Romantico", a documentary of two Mariachi muscians and their life in America and Mexico. I found it touching and heart-breaking and amazing.

SF May Day march

There is a march for solidarity of immigration and citizen workers today.

Tuesday, May 1, 12 noon Gather at Dolores Park, Dolores and 18th Streets (Mission District, 16th St. BART) March to Civic Center

Part of a national day of solidarity of immigrant and citizen workers demanding: * Stop the brutal ICE raids that are splitting families. * Stop the militarization of borders. No more deaths. * No Guest Worker programs, no exploitaition, no bracero slavery. * Unconditional amnesty and legal residence now. * Equal rights and services for immigrants and citizens. * No more deportations. * Free the detainees, close the detention centers Read more about the event: http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/04/12/18396515.php

the Flaming Lotus Girls sparked their stuff at the Arts on Fire reception, Sanchez Art Center in Pacifica. I also saw Hannelore Fischer's terrific paintings on display in the concert hall.

food in Pacifica?

Nona's Kitchen 5450 Coast Hwy Pacifica, CA 94044 (650) 557-1455

Lisa took me out for a birthday dinner after we went to an art opening at the Sanchez Art Center in Pacifica. We had both been to Nona's before, but not in awhile. I went there when I still lived in Pacifica, like approximately 3 years ago, and was not wowed, but they had just opened, so I was willing to take another taste last week. We came in just before closing and waited at the counter for a table. This ended up being a great opportunity to chat with the chef who had a strange name, hmmm maybe Lisa will remember it, but I think it was Joth. He asked us if we had ever tasted his artichoke soup and neither of us had. Lisa the eternal challenger (I love her for this!), asked how it compared to Duarte's in Pescadero. Well that ended up getting us a sample! Lisa and I agreed that it was better - more flavorable and I thought lighter. We got our table and then had a hard time choosing. I finally selected a special - braised lamb with root veggies and home made pasta. Lisa got the gnoochi with chicken and pesto. We were both impressed with size of the servings. I thought the presentation and flavor was terrific. Then to top it off, Joth (out of his chef whites and now in his motorcycle leathers) brought us an on the house home made dessert! It was a yummy berry filled tart slice with whipping cream. I thought the wait people were very professional and charming and the chef won some new customers with his terrific food and attention. I looked on yelp.com for more online reviews of the place and they were mostly great. Seems many people will even drive from the City for breakfast. There was a warning though - no reservations and the wait can be long.

Yoko Ono - Grapefruit, A Book of Instructions and Drawings