So many things seem to reference ‘The Golden Girls‘, and for gay men of a certain age that show has come to embody a more comforting and happy time. Whenever I would find myself worrying about something or troubled by the general state of worldly affairs, I would find a re-run of the show and instantly be set at ease.
Now, whenever I hear someone mention a waterlily, or even when passing them while driving past a pond, I remember this scene.
It’s been way more than a hot second since I’ve had a brownie sundae, and that was rectified this past week at an impromptu lunch. Sometimes a sundae can turn the whole day around. Usually I’m more disciplined than to allow myself such an indulgence, especially at the height of swimsuit season. These days, however, discipline just feels silly, and I’m at the age where I’d rather be happily satiated than hungering for a sweet treat. If you have an itch, why not scratch it?
This may very well be the Year of the Petunia. They are somehow still managing to bloom in our backyard, despite repeated attacks by rabbits intent on defoliating them. And then on a lunch-time walk in downtown Albany the other day, I saw this exquisite variety that had me question whether the world had turned from technicolor into black and white at that particular moment. It was enchanting.
While these were white with purple throats, it was a purple so dark that at first glance it gave the image of a black and white combo. Many gardeners seek out dark flowers, and the closer to black the more coveted. As a child, I too thrilled at the darker hues, particularly in irises. This hint of darkness in the throat of a petunia brought me back to that magic.
Keenly aware of the power of the thirst trap, Charlie Puth has been baiting his fans for the better part of the year, with sly peeks at his underwear-clad life, and while there will always be those who criticize everything that everyone does, I’m not made about any of it. He’s the Dazzler of the Day thanks to his undying and contagious passion for music, and his cheeky way around social media. His newest album ‘CHARLIE’ is due this October (which is closer than we want to realize). Visit his official website here for further details.
Tomato season is just about upon us. We’ve had cherry tomatoes tumbling off our trellises for days now, and the markets are just seeing the first influx of heirlooms and big boys that I don’t bother growing at home anymore. Let someone else deal with all that fuss – I’m content to purchase and pay for someone else to do the work.
The easiest and best way to enjoy a tomato may be this classic combo of mozzarella, basil and balsamic vinegar, with a dash of olive oil and some freshly-ground pepper for good measure. It is the taste of summer, and not terribly bad for you either. Easy deliciousness for when the weather zaps all energy and fighting spirit. It can make for a light lunch, or a precursor to a heavier dinner. The possibilities are endless, unlike summer, which is decidedly all too brief.
“I’m not familiar with these angels…” ~ Joseph Abramo
The Abramo family has always been a quartet of angels in my life, so when Missy recounted a dream-like sequence of Joe’s opening angel comment, I cracked up for quite a long time. Such happy laughter was a constant during our annual Connecticut Summer Weekend pilgrimage to Southbury, where Julian and Cameron joined in the merry-making. Music was, as ever, a companion for the weekend, and the soundtrack for the occasion is neatly summed up by the light and carefree funk of Harry Styles and his new album opener, ‘Music for a Sushi Restaurant’.
This song set the tone for the fun weekend that was had by all, and I arrived to the sunny and peaceful planning going on by the little lotus pond, just in time to see the first lotus bloom of the season. It was an auspicious start to a weekend of relaxed serenity and old friends.
Joining in the air of calm festivities, a water lily emerged to add to the beauty of the weekend.
Along the path leading to the pool, wildflowers lended their own blooms to the season. The world around us had granted a floriferous atmosphere that collided with our joy and peace. There is something about visiting old friends that sets the soul at ease. It is its own form of meditative cleansing.
I took Julian and Cameron down to the pool for a quick dip (and a few games of find-the-bottle, which I would bring back to our pool when the twins visited next) before Missy and Joe joined us for some lounge time by the water. They have an idyllic home for a relaxing visit – no schedule, no pressure, no time crunch – and I relaxed into this little vacation with a grateful heart.
This has always been a place of tranquility, accented by echoes of the Buddha, and a natural beauty that Joe and Missy have emphasized in all the right ways. Whether contemplating the still and quiet calm of the water plants in the little pond or leafing through the books on Japanese gardens and water features, each corner offered a new opportunity for comfort. Bookended by the riotous action of boys in the full giddy glow of growing up, the weekend provided a little bit of all summer joys.
When the last petals of the lotus bloom fell, it was already time to depart – a departure made reluctantly, as it’s always hard to leave familiar angels. Perhaps we will schedule a fall return, to close out the season and start a new one…
When a simple squat-shot in a cave sets the internet on fire, the creator of such a firestorm is definitely worthy of Dazzler of the Day status, and so it is that we honor Lee Pace with such a distinction today. Lee first came to my attention with his work on the whimsical and criminally-underrated ‘Pushing Daisies’ with Kristin Chenoweth. Since then, he’s popped on my radar in such wonders as Tom Ford’s ‘A Single Man’ where his all-to-brief appearance still manages to make an impression, and an almost unrecognizable turn as a villain in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’. The veil of tantalizing mystery shrouding the upcoming ‘Bodies Bodies Bodies’ only leaves us wanting more.
Crafting an off-shoot of this mocktail daiquiri recipe, I broke out the Lyre’s non-alcoholic white cane spirit for this little summer drink, whose main twist is some additional mint, for freshness, flavor and garnish. The magic of mint is that it can do all three without so much as breaking a sweat. That sort of triple threat is an antidote to the oppressive heat we may be continuing in the days to come.
The best part of a mocktail is that there is no alcohol to dehydrate the body – which was always one of the nasty side-effects of traditional summer cocktailing. Here we have the refreshment, the cool-down, and none of the depressant or dehydrating drawbacks. Mocktail magnificence in full-effect.
The dunes of Provincetown already feel far away, as if our magical time there was only a dream, much like many days this summer, which has blessed us with a number of happily notable moments. Yet I know our time in Provincetown was real, and I know how enriching it was for our souls, so I’m recounting the posts I wrote here, and feeling the collection of stones in my hands, the ones I procured at the shore to remind me that it actually happened.
Sitting in the shell with which I collected them, these little beach stones sit in a special place in our attic, in the very room where JoAnn now stays when she visits. It ties everything together – past and present, friendship and love, beauty and nature. It’s the perfect embodiment of our time at the dunes – and a lovely keepsake for such a treasured memory. I will revisit these again when the summer departs and the long stretch of winter begins.
Waiting for the Breach – Part One
Waiting for the Breach – Part Two
Waiting for the Breach – Part Three
Waiting for the Breach – Part Four
Dear Jaxon ~
Last Friday, July 22, 2022, in the wee small hours of the morning – 3:06 to be precise – you entered this world and instantly brought some much-needed happiness to everyone around you. Hello little guy! What a long, winding, and wonderful journey awaits you, and what a lucky baby you are to have so many family members who already love and adore you. From your parents to your older brother and sister, to all of your grandparents, and your Uncles, we will always be here, loving and supporting you at every step of the way.
Your brother and sister have taught me a few things about being an Uncle (and they will be more than happy to school me on any missteps I will still be likely to make) but this is my first run at being a Godfather, at least in the traditional sense of the role. Not to worry, we will figure it out together, and I promise to do my best to make your life as magical and enchanting as any proper Fairy Godfather should. (The twins can verify that.)
You came into this world during a heatwave – maybe that’s why you waited to come out when it was so deep into the night. The days have been hot and humid – a throwback to the sweltering summers we once seemed to have. Yet there you were when we made our first visit to see you, cool as a cucumber and peacefully slumbering as if the heat were no matter to you. I held you in my arms and you didn’t fuss or fidget, and time suddenly seemed to pause for a moment.
Maybe you are the cooling and calming balm that our world so desperately needs right now. Maybe you will be the bridge we have all been seeking to a more serene and tranquil place. That’s a lot of pressure to put on such a little baby, and a lot of added baggage that you need not carry now or ever. You will become whatever you want and were destined to become, and the rest of us will be glad to watch and wonder at all the magnificence that is yours to experience. As much as I complain about things, this is a remarkable world, with many remarkable people in it, and we are here to help you out along the way, or simply hold your hand when you take your first steps.
I wish I had the words to cast a spell that would make your life easy and good and painless. I would cast it for your happiness and peace, for your enrichment and comfort, for your health and your compassion. I would cast it for you to find fulfillment, to find kindness, to find love. But you don’t need such spells or magic – you will find your own way and discover your own path – and any words I might conjure will pale to all the marvelous treasures you will unearth on your own.
It will be a privilege to watch you grow up and become who you are meant to be, and I can’t wait.
Above all else, remember how much you are loved, and don’t be afraid to love in return.
Until I see you again soon, I proudly remain,
Your Godfather
(PS ~ Uncle Andy and I love you very much – welcome to the world!)
The title of this post is the sole reason for its being.
I mean, beeing.
Trolling Josh Hawley in any way is worthy of honor, and so it is that Missouri Senate candidate Lucas Kunce earns this Dazzler of the Day. He expertly rakes Hawley across the coals for the way Hawley ran like a chicken during the January 6 insurrection (which he had earlier helped hype up with an infamous hand-pump). Kunce is easily a better choice for Senate than Hawley, so check out his website here for how to help, especially if you’re in Missouri.
Summer is personified by the morning glory – echoes of sky and sunsets may be found in the shading of its blooms, open mostly in the morning and giving name to its fleeting magnificence. Those blooms have been hybridized to encompass all sorts of shades, though my heart will always below to the big, basic sky blue of the common variety. These smaller versions pack a more powerful color-punch, however, so they get much of the glory these days.
I don’t plant them anymore as they tend to be weedy and prolific re-seeders, but I’ll usually let a few get by so we can see what the flowers look like. They also come into bloom when the rest of the garden is beginning its first exhale from the charge of summer, and will see it through to the fall.
One of the coolest tricks of the garden is the way it can sometimes create a mood or feeling through its use of colors and shades. Case in point is the way warm colors and cool colors work to set the place on fire or douse it in metaphorical water. The little annual blooms seen here do the latter, calmly lowering the temperature we think we are experiencing with the cooler end of the color spectrum.
Gardens of white and silver do similar magic, their calmer hues lending a cooling aspect to the day and night.
At the other end are the bright oranges and reds and yellows that light a place up, setting ablaze the day with matching fire and pyrotechnics. The cup plant right now is accomplishing that, with its fireworks that burst forth as high as the garden goes. Some scarlet petunias are lighting up its base too, and together with the orange butterfly weed, they make their own heat and fire.
The garden is wonderful in all ways.
A dark, dreary and rainy Monday started the week in drab fashion, and when I opened the laptop to begin the workweek the screen was brighter than my surroundings – a situation that hadn’t happened since the earliest days of spring. We must make other sources of light, I thought, and promptly found these pics on my phone.
This little orb of imitation sunshine is brought to you by Rudbeckia – a small stand of which has made its way into our front garden. It’s echoed in the backyard by great stands of the cup plant, which also provided some false sunshine as the rain fell and Monday slowly trudged through her gray trajectory.
I shouldn’t complain too much – we need the rain badly, and I was getting tired of watering the ferns every morning. So much of July is given over to watering and weeding, it’s difficult to get a handle on anything else.
