July 3rd: A Most Auspicious Day

Blueberry Doughnut Plant donut consumed in honor of Lara's birthday

 Before I list all the ways in which July 3rd may be even more amazing than July 4th (Tom Cruise's 50th birthday aside), I wanted to do an Artist's Way check-in, as well as a six-month blogger check-in.  In AW land, this is the week that we're not supposed to read.  I'm not sure exactly what the AW author, Julia Cameron, means by that (like NO READING??), but I've cut down on my reading considerably, and I'm trying to meditate and/or concentrate on my surroundings (including paying attention to the people in my life) more consciously.  I have a new issue of The Onion languishing, and I'm avoiding picking up the free subway papers and reading them on my commute.  A novel I'm reading has been ignored.  Cameron says that "blocked creatives" are frantically filling themselves with other people's words, thoughts and ideas, so this week is a chance to concentrate on one's own thoughts and ideas.  It's a whole process of dislodging--which to me, sounds like so sort of emotional colonic.  Whatever.  I'm trying it (although, I did indulge in some major online TomKat chit chat at the reference desk yesterday--very hard to avoid reading while sitting at the ref desk); plus, I cannot avoid reading my students' assignments for my online summer class.

And quick Blogger check-in:  At the six-month mark, I'm definitely more conscious of the choices I make each day, but I still haven't done enough writing, submitting of writing and yoga.  Something to work on.

Now onto how awesome July 3rd:

Oh, and Lara is also totally gorgeous (here with an empty glass)

1.  First thing's first:  Today is my lovely co-blogger, LARA'S BIRTHDAY!  I merely ride her coattails here, so I'm very grateful for her involvement and friendship, not just on the blog, but in real life.  I say in all honesty that Lara--brilliant poet and critic, inspired foodie (not easy in Provo), mother of five, and insightful friend (just a few off-the cuff observations)-- is one of the most incredible people I've ever met in my life, and I feel lucky to have met her back in 1987. 

That same knee is hurting right now after last week's bike accident.  Photo by JW.

2.  Soon after I met Lara, I made my first foray into the Betsey Johnson store.  Betsey Johnson has long been one of my favorite designers and I've been collecting her clothes since I was in my early 20s (and quite flippantly and perhaps foolishly, gave many of them away).   Above is a photo of me in the first Betsey dress I ever purchased, which was from the Fillmore Street store in San Francisco September of 1987.  Over the years, I patronized Betsey's stores in Los Angeles and New York, her tiny Thompson Street store 1989.  In fact, I remember thinking that any city I lived in had to have a Betsey Johnson store:  one of the first places I visited when I moved to NYC for real in 1995 was Betsey, where I purchased my birthday dress.  Now it's 2012,  and she's closing all of her retail shops, plus her online store, and so I took my oldest kid there today, July 3rd, to pay our last respects.  My kid picked up a skirt at a deep discount, and I bought several logo-ed wooden hangers for a buck a piece.  Although I rarely wear her clothes in middle age, I feel like a chapter of my life has closed.

3.  On July 3, 1992, I flew into Paris for the first time in a Betsey Johnson dress.  It was not lost on me that this date was the 21st anniversary of Jim Morrison's death, a rock star that had kickstarted my interest in poetry when I was a teen.  Later that night, I would visit the closed Pere LaChaise cemetery (where Jim's buried), a crazy Parisien who carted fake impressionist paintings in the trunk of his Citroen in tow.

4.  It now goes without saying that for me, at least, July 3rd is far superior to July 4th.  Happy, happy birthday Lara!!