warm, fuzzy, confused

Driving home last night I was amazed at the number of Christmas
trees and strings of lights I saw on homes and even the Firehouse
on Stanyan. It isn't even December. I expect the commercial holiday
bling, of course, but this was different. What was odd, however,
was that my reaction wasn't the usual "oh no, say it isn't so" ~ but
"hey, that's pretty!" I believe this attitude change has everything
to do with retail-light instead of the horror of the big box in years
past. Getting sentimental, Bunkie?

a good friday in november

Even though the deYoung was packed and that tiresome Boy King
sold out, it was a pretty easy retail Black Friday for us. It's just
so wonderful when the customers are so easy to please and no
one is in the attack mode, as they used to be at the big box. God,
did I hate retail Black Friday in the past. Even closing wasn't a
big deal and we didn't have any call-outs, so I had lots of help
with all the details of counting and bringing down all the cash
register drawers (and cash). Again, how nice to have a host of
security guards who take care of the rare visitor who might be
out of line. And really, that is RARE.

Down at the Legion we are gearing up for the Cartier Exhibit
which opens December 19. There are some previews beforehand
though, and I'll be working a couple of those. I will be in
sparkle mode, you can count on that.

thanksgiving joy

Gwen, Nicole, Sam and Ben ~ during a quiet moment yesterday.

Neti and Frank's table. The mamas sat at the end here so they
could jump up when one of the two monitors made a noise. We
had a lovely day and the turkey, stuffing, Rita's cauliflower,
creamed spinach, yams, cranberry sauce ~ all perfect. It was
so nice being with everyone again this year. Happy day indeed.

Tonight I close at the deYoung. The final Friday night event
until 2010. Loud music will be the only problem because it is
College Night and they don't do Beethoven.

the turkey goes to twin peaks

Husbando and I are roasting and trotting (ahem) the turkey
up to Neti and Frank's today about 3pm. I can see a new twin
word play game here because the reason we are going to Twin
Peaks is because of the grandbaby twins, Ben and Sam. It is
their first real outing and yes, there will be some excitement
and, I hope, some good photos for tomorrow. Our middle
son and his wife will also be there, as will our friend Rita.
All in all, a very wonderful holiday and as always, I am one
grateful woman. Happy Thanksgiving!

blissful days off (2)

Last year I wrote that I sincerely hoped it would be my last
holiday season in downtown retail. Hooray! Husbando and
I ventured there on Monday and I echoed my '08 thoughts
as we dodged the people and packages. We probably won't
be back, except for the occasional play, until January.

Today and tomorrow I'm off. Oh joy. We were busy at the de
Young yesterday, but never crazy, even with the traditional
holiday call-outs. The customers are so pleasant and easy
to please, what a huge difference from the big box.

I need to write a dramatic scene for fiction class next week.
Amazingly, an actual plot has emerged, just like the
teacher said it would if I really got to know my two or
three main characters. Of course I know Ellen, but Keith
and Aaron need some filling out. Men. So difficult.

But now ~ off to yoga. Om shanti.

our little world

There have been four unmarked white trucks here in our nabe the
past few days. Of course they block the garages and take up what
few parking places might exist. Yesterday I asked one of the taciturn
workers what they were doing and who they were working for.
"We're making a communication center here for T-Mobile." But
why did he have a PG&E sticker on his white hard hat and what
are they really up to? Conspiracy theory time here in Bernal Heights.

a very special day!

RR is six years old today! It doesn't seem possible. Blogmaid
and family hosted a few parties this past week or two and that's
how it should be for such a wonderful girl. Really, all she needs
now is a palomino pony ~ let's keep our fingers crossed. Happy
birthday, dear RR!

big and little edie

Here we see Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore listening to JFK's
funeral from their Grey Gardens home. This is on HBO all week,
don't miss it! Grey Gardens is faithful to the 1975 documentary about
Jackie O's aunt and cousin and we both thought the acting was
terrific. The blogmaid loved it too ~ and not just because of the cats.

a new book beckons

I finished An Experiment in Love last night and I'll be taking
this Val McDermid mystery, Beneath the Bleeding, with me
today. One day last week I was involved in my book out in Golden
Gate Park and another Sweet Young Thing passed by and
said, "are you ever NOT reading?" Hmmmmm, how to answer...

Last week in class KarenTeacher mentioned that in America,
almost all novels have happy endings. I've been thinking about
that a lot and I already know that mine certainly will, whatever
and wherever the plot might go, if it goes. When it goes.

not everyone follows baseball

I will practice my dialogue work. From yesterday at the Legion ~
I returned to the store after messing around in the storage area.

Sweet Young Thing: "Mary Ann, Dennis called about an author or
something, I wrote it down."
(The note said "Lincecum" and "Young".)
I called my boss: "Lincecum won the Cy Young again!"
Dennis: "yes, but I don't think SYT knows baseball, she asked if
it was spelled 'Jung' and I had to spell Lincecum very carefully."
Mary Ann: "and she thought Lincecum was a writer."

In any event, congratulations to Tim on his 2nd in a row Cy
Young award! Yeah....

more about fiction writing

I can't say I really LIKE these fiction classes I'm taking. First, it
means work. Sitting down and writing kind of work. Then it
entails actually going to class for two plus hours every Monday
night, but thankfully I live close by The Writing Salon. I
finished the first half and now we have a new teacher (Karen)
and she expects us to be writing our novels NOW. What? I
didn't see that in the class description. The nerve.

So I have been getting up earlier and writing for just a little
while every morning. Here are some interesting thoughts about
the whole elusive plot business. From Karen's class notes:

There is one sure thing about writing a novel: there is
no sure way to do it. But there are things you can and
should do as you work. You should know your character
intimately. You should have some sense of his or her
conflict because that will drive the plot. You should create
for the reader an enticing and believable world. Most of all,
you should concentrate on getting that first draft done.

yes, but do I really need it?

Faithful readers know that I love Verizon and have been a loyal
customers for years. I keep hoping that they'll wrench away the
iPhone from AT&T, but I don't think that will happen. So now we
have the Droid and it could be all mine for $200 or so. Two things
are worrying me:
1) will my inexpensive monthly rate go way up?
2) could I become one of those people who puts my phone on
the table in front of me when we go out for lunch or dinner?
Yes, I could go into the Verizon store and do some research,
but we all know that I'd be walking out with my new Droid.
So I will do some technological stewing for awhile.

back to last year

Always in my work life I have been blessed with friends, usually women,
but a few men too. Here we have my delightful co-workers: Frances,
Patrice, Tanya and the blonde Lucy(belle). They keep me sane and
smiling as they help me on this journey at the museums. Just think,
a year ago I didn't even know them. Now we all know a LOT about
each other, and all of it good, of course. Lucky, lucky me!

a little more magic, please

Last night we thoroughly enjoyed Mrs. Whitney at the Magic Theatre
down at Fort Mason. It's the sad/funny story of people reconnecting
after a few decades. Great acting with Rod Gnapp as the Mister and
Patricia Hodges as the delightful Mrs. Whitney. You will recognize
Patrick Alparone up there in the right hand corner, he was Billy
in SF Playhouse's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

from Mary in Bisbee!

Today while I was out running my errands, I stopped off at B&D Lumber to pick up some wild bird seed and one of the folks there happened to mention that the Capitol Christmas tree is in Bisbee today. It's touring Arizona on its way to the White House, stopping here and there for an hour or so. It was supposed to be parked just down the road from my house outside of Warren Ball park at Farmer's Market. So I drove over there and, sure enough, there it was, blocking the road on my way home, with a large motley crowd of desert mountain people gathered around. So, now being an official inhabitant of this outpost where any diversion is a big deal, I got out and walked over to see what was going on. The truck is draped with a huge banner so that all us Arizonans can sign it and send it on its way with Christmas greetings. This is the first time Arizona has been chosen to provide the Capitol Christmas tree, so there was a lot of excitement about this historic event. It seemed like everybody in Cochise county was there, chatting, clapping, laughing, cheering - eating the bad cookies and drinking the bad coffee that was provided - and just having a good time. Speeches were made. The highschool band played 'Arizona' and 'Oh, Christmas Tree'. A big ugly Christmas tree ornament (I couldn't tell what it was supposed to be) made out of copper was 'presented' to the tree. Then they opened the side of the truck so that we common folk could all line up and peer inside at it, giving our good wishes, I suppose. Why they included Bisbee on the grand tour is anybody's guess. But it was a very celebratory event for this little place down by the border.

I enjoyed it very much! (I think I am becoming a simple soul.)

a touch of nostalgia

I hardly ever read old posts, even though I have them printed
out for Husbando every year, but I couldn't resist checking
out last November when I left the big box, for all intents and
purposes. It was a tough time for me, but I'm so pleased that
I took that major step. Life at the museums is a lot easier and
the pay is better, the benefits fantastic. I have made some
wonderful new friends and I can even identify a precious or
semi-precious stone from time to time. But not always...

a quilting party!

Thank God, a new exhibit opens today at the de Young. Amish
Abstractions on the second floor features 48 quilts dating from
the 1880s to the 1940s. Our merchandise is new and exciting
too, and we are all ready for this change. (Through June 6, 2010.)
I haven't seen these quilts yet, but for sure I will today. Come visit!

sing, damn it!

Seems like the after-table gets worse every time...

Frank wears the birthday hat well, doesn't he?

This was funny ~ cake arrived. Guests kept talking.
Hostess and aged birthday woman (above) had to remind
everyone that they just might want to sing. Someone
said that they remembered they were supposed to sing
but had forgotten the words. A wonderful evening,
laughter clears the sinuses and warms the heart.

pink and blue and olive oil ice cream

Oooops, now I see that the tablecloth is longer on the right side. Too
late. I'm always heartened when I remember that the Navajos (or some
Indian tribe) would purposefully weave a mistake into every basket or
gourd that was created. In any event, November is birthday month for
a few of us and Husbando spent all day cooking yesterday. I like the
table setting part, but you know that. And I'll remember to photograph
the after-party table too, as per usual.

Special ice cream from Humphry Slocumbe on Harrison Street. (The
name comes from the Are You Being Served? British comedy series.)
We tested it last Monday and decided it will be a welcome addition
to the party tonight: olive oil, pumpkin and Vietnamese coffee ice cream.

And I have two days off in a row!

setting the scene

Here is some homework from the fiction class, for all of you

Ellen (and Keith and Aaron) fans:

Msmac beckoned. Her computer had the best view in the house,

the back room with the skyline of San Francisco. When
she first installed the 8 ft. dark mahogany table back here,
Ellen was reluctant to clutter the surface, but now
all her favorite items were within easy reach.

The three cobalt blue bowls from Community Thrift on
Valencia ~ smallest for paper clips, medium size for her
BART and Muni passes and the big 9" bowl held notes
and postcards from her friends near and far. On top
was the scene of Switzerland, her ex-lover James had sent
it about a month ago. His message was, as usual, a complete
mystery, and she found herself reading it again and again,
before turning it over. "I WAS WRONG ~ FIND THE DIARY"
he had written in black, bold letters.

Salmon, in all his orangeness, was curled around the matching
blue vase filled with while and yellow daisies. No matter where
Ellen put the vase, the big furball liked to be right next to it and
yes,he had knocked it over a number of times. "Not today,
please, SalmonBoy, I'm not in the mood." Gently she scratched
behind his left ear and he purred loudly, everso content.

Somewhere in the four stacked sturdy cardboard boxes Ellen
had the perfect birthday card for her friend Alicia. First she
tried the one with the dark blue floral print, then the striped
light blue topped box and she finally found it in the largest
box, the one with the solid royal blue cover. She selected her
favorite pen with the deYoung logo from the blue glass coffee
mug and started to write a loving message to her best friend.