"When I first met your Grandma? Well she looked like a Movie Star..."
My Grandpa
Amid my morning scurry this past week, somewhere between the city bus stop & my favorite morning bagel destination, I saw the most enchanting elderly couple. Sitting outside while perusing a newspaper, they had coffee cups in one hand & each other's hand in the other. Oh sure I see fabulous older couples everyday. I live in a gorgeous, healthy & active city with no lack of beautiful people; people who take incredible care of themselves & look far younger than the birth dates posted on their passports, but there was something innately different about this couple. I like to refer to it as the Glimmer Shimmer.
As I stood in line for my avocado & egg with cheddar, I felt a gentle nudge upon my shoulder. "Excuse me miss, he said as I turned to find the gentleman standing behind me, I couldn't help but notice your clothing as you passed by." Me? I cleared my throat, "Oh this old thing?" Old thing of course meant carefully plotted out funky bright polka dot tights & a flash dance worthy hot pink sweater & my favorite cowboy boots. Ok, admittedly I was out for attention, but suddenly I found myself hoping for the positive reinforcement style feedback & not the other style..."Yes!" he said. "surely a snappy dresser like yourself must know where a fellow could get a fancy hat for his sweetheart?"
As my lips formed a collective sigh of relief I thought, "what did he just say?" YES He had just called that lovely woman I had spotted with him moments before his SWEETHEART. He had just complimented my wardrobe. He had just used the word fancy & he had just asked me about HATS! Needless to say, I wanted him to be my new best buddy for life, I wanted to stash him in my pocket & keep him forever.
The conversation continued as he told me of an after the holidays party they had been invited to & how the dress code was fun & fancy. He introduced me to his wife & my heart fluttered as though I had just stumbled upon the sweetest story of my life. I wanted to hit PAUSE. I wanted to stop the moment, suspend it in time & maybe turn it into some happy & sappy iPhone app for people who don't believe in true love. As my mind swirled with thoughts of her smile, my app idea & the perfect black & grey scarf she had wrapped around her perfectly coiffed dark hair, she reached out to shake my hand... "You must be the sweetheart he mentioned", I said "Yes indeed! For 42 short years now!" she giggled with a giggle more like that of a school girl than a grandmother. Her energy was contagious & the way she looked at him?? It was the kind of look found in the movies under the strict guidance of a scene director, only it was quiet & real & calming.
We visited for a bit & I exchanged my vast hat knowledge for his surefire tested & true tricks for keeping cowboy boots shiny. She laughed & smiled at almost every word he uttered, as if it was the first time she had ever heard him tell a story in all of their 42 years together. The sincerity between the two of them was warmer than the unseasonable 60 degrees of that day in January & I felt it's rays stronger.
I walked away thinking about the journey.
My journey & giggles & sweethearts ..
Oh & hats. I thought a lot about hats!
Shiny Cowboy Boot Wishes & Sweetheart Dreams
xo
Birdee Bow
"I'd rather have friends who care than friends who agree with me." Arlo Guthrie
If mannequins could speak to passersby who peep by the light of the window display..
they would tell the stories of shopgirls & the chatter filled noise that brought them to life on that day.
Something about laughter & talks about happily ever after & all the ways the world could be brought together
IF we all really wanted it that way...
A little talk about politics a lot of talk about concert tix
& the latest people in their lives who take their collective breaths away.
Dreams
Schemes
Countless fabulous things
If mannequins could tell about the fierce loyalty that is held between shopgirls who style them up without end?
It would surely be stories of infinite glitter dance parties & how nothing shimmers brighter than the love of a friend.
Happy New Year
2012 is Yours
Hepburn Hugs & Ric Ocasek Dreams
Birdee Bow
I keep Santa on speed dial because a girl never knows when she's gonna need to call upon a snappy fabulous friend dressed in red with a beard as white as the driven snow who loves to give gifts & is rumored to be made of pure magic. As much as the world would like to tell me that such magical endeavors are merely fantasy? I'm still a fan of The Claus. I'm still a believer, even though I realize this crazy world makes it tough to be a believer at times..
My letter journey started out simple enough: "Dear Santa", I sketched out, in my best print handwriting " I wish for.." At that exact moment a blank stare parked itself upon my face. As my hand froze, something beyond my comprehension began to happen. I did NOT know what to ask for, I did not know what to write. ME? Come on! I want LOTS of things. Endless things! How could I be at a loss for words? Things Things Things. This is my specialty. THIS is what I DO. I'm a wisher! I'm a crush it til I get it kinda girl. What on Earth was happening here? Suddenly, just as quickly as my pen hit the table, I jerked it back up again & the words "makes me happy " began to form. Only this time the letters were in cursive with large meaningful strokes, swirls of letters across an empty white page coming to life with a blue Bic. Happy, fun, energetic words on & on flowing so easily, effortlessly, as if by magic. Hyper cursive words appearing with accompanying smiles on my face for every listing of a beautiful person in my life: People who care about me in this world & ask for nothing in return except for exactly who I am. People who make me feel alive with the spirit of a holiday season every day of the year. My Holiday Wish? To spend more time with them.
Santa's So Stylin! Hope he writes me back:)
