Outfit Blogging

Today I'm wearing this blouse (but mine is black with beige trimming) over a beige tank.

It is paired with a black, beige, and white floral skirt. I am also wearing black knitted tights and these shoes

Etienne Aigner shoes

I think the outfit works, but haven't had any confirmation of that, so could be really, really wrong.

Uncanny Resemblance

People often remark on Muffin Man's resemblance to me or Mr. Spock.

But then they will ask, "Where did he get the dark brown eyes? Where did he get the curls?"

Cousin Muszka 1964 - 2012

My cousin died Monday night in Paris after a long and valiant struggle with cancer.

Born September 18, 1964, in Paris, Cousin Muszka (family nickname, I didn't make it up) glowed with life.

Muszka (left), at 2 months old, meeting my sister (center) for the first time. Her  mother (right) supervises. My sister is 14 months old in this picture.

She had wonderful almost-black curls, dark brown eyes, and deep dimples. Her laughter was infectious. She was fluent in at least 3 languages, spoke French with a Parisian accent, and English with a Brooklyn accent. It was hilarious to hear her talking to her mom going back and forth between French and English in the same sentence.

Muszka at play. I don't know when or where this picture was taken.

Whenever she came to visit, she and my sister were inseparable. They were as close as two people who are usually separated by an ocean could be.

Muszka and my sister, probably in March of 1969, when I was born.

I don't remember being jealous of their closeness at all, but I do remember wishing I were older and could be like them.

Passover, 1972. From left: Me, my sister, Muszka.

Passover weekend 1972. Back porch of my mom's house. From left: Muszka, my sister, me.

Muszka often came for long visits in the Summer, and for shorter ones in the Winter. It was like having another sister, one who lived far away sometimes.

Summer of 1978. We are on the porch of a house on Fisher Beach in Cape Cod. From Left, Muszka, my sister, me.

Muszka on a winter visit. My sister's room.

Muszka was a professor of American History at a University in Paris. She was highly regarded in her field. She has a beautiful, smart, wonderful 14-year-old daughter (I couldn't find a picture of the two of them together this morning).

I believe this is from my grandma's 80th birthday party. From left: Grandma, Muszka, my aunt (her mom).

She leaves behind an empty space.

July 1989. My sister's wedding. 

I will miss her so much.

Out the bathroom window

Mr. Spock got this picture of the view out our bathroom window.

The end of an era.

Hold your Dose.

I hab a siduz idfecshud. Id is dod pleazadt. For two dayz, I had a headache thad pushed by eyeballz oud of by head.

By doctor recobbedded irrigading with a Dedi Pod, becoz for wad thig, siduz idfecshud's are usually caused by a viruz, add for adother thig, the illdess I god three yearz ago cad cob back if I use addibiodics.

Dow, I am dot a persod who likes wadder up by dose. Id fact, I really hade id. But id turds oud thad using a Dedi Pod reduces the pressure on your siduzes. Who dew? I ab sdill sduffy, but id izd't az bad az id wuz, add by eyeballs are coddedt to sday where they belogg.

A fairy tale.

Once upon a time two days ago, a wicked mother offered to go with her good and handsome son to buy a new two-wheeled steed for him to ride upon while slaying dragons in the surrounding kingdom. The wicked mother thought that this offer would be welcomed by her good and handsome son because her son had, in the past, frequently expressed a desire for a new steed as his old steed had merely been a pony that was given away a while ago to a smaller neighboring principality.

Imagine the wicked mother's surprise when her good and handsome son said that he did not want a new two-wheeled steed, he'd never wanted a two-wheeled steed, "no, and you can't make me".

Well.

So the wicked mother proved her wickedness by asking her good and handsome son if he were "really really sure? We have time to go do it today, we have time for you to learn how to ride a real two-wheeled steed this weekend (one without two small extra wheels), your two best doughty knights have steeds and would like to go riding with you".

"No".

"Okay, well, if you change your mind that's fine, but we may not be able to go tomorrow, though we would have time to practice if you already had one."

"No."

"Okay, are you really sure?"

"Yes. WHY ARE YOU GIVING ME SUCH A HARD TIME ABOUT THIS. I ALREADY TOLD YOU NO."

"Okay."

....
....
....
....

Long about sunset, that evening two days ago, the wicked mother's good and handsome son told his mother that he had changed his mind, that he would, in fact, like a two-wheeled steed after all.

Whereupon his wicked mother said, very well, and his kindly father asked what had changed the good and handsome son's mind. "Nothing".

Whereat the wicked mother wanted to rip her own ears off, but merely said, "very well. You hurt my feelings earlier today by shouting at me, but I will get you a steed anyway because I said I would if you changed your mind. We may not be able to go tomorrow, but we will try."

And thus the wicked mother, the kindly father, and the good and handsome son went on a quest on Easter Sunday to find a steed worthy of the good and handsome son.

The first store they went to, a toy store, had some fine steeds at low prices, but the front brakes on all of them were somewhat sticky, and showed why the steeds were not priced higher.

They then went to three other stores dedicated to outdoor sports (and particularly two-wheeled steeds) that were all closed for Easter Sunday.

Upon arriving back home without a new steed, the wicked mother said to her good and handsome son, "I am about to give you a hard time, because I want you to learn a lesson. Why were all those stores closed today?"

"Because it's Easter"

"Was it Easter yesterday?"

"No."

"What have you learned?"

"That I really need to think hard before I say no to something I probably really want."

And they all lived happily ever after, because the wicked mother did not slay her good and handsome son and eat him for Easter Dinner.