Shape-shifter and chameleon Lee Pace transforms into a warlock for the much-hyped sequel ‘Practical Magic 2’ and while we have yet to see what part he plays in this witchy story, it’s another hairpin turn in a career of versatile roles. From an Elven king in ‘The Hobbit’ trilogy to the villainous Ronan in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ on the big screen through memorable performances in series like ‘Foundation’ and ‘Halt and Catch Fire’, Pace has consistently delivered mesmerizing work in wildly-disparate characters. Even bit parts in such brilliant fare as ‘A Single Man’ and ‘Infamous’ stand out thanks to his scene-stealing gumption. He earns this Dazzler of the Day thanks to sheer force of his talent – and he’s not bad to look at either.
Before this website undergoes its annual autumn revamp (which is of greater import this season, with a wild image reinvention) I’m returning to smaller and quieter posts, in which the little moments of a day get their time to shine. Within that process often comes a revealing look at something greater and bigger of scope, the way a macro view of life can be a metaphor for a larger scene.
On this day, at this lunch break, I had the cafe to myself. Taking lunch later in the afternoon has always been my preferred schedule – less people, less noise, less bustle – and I embrace the silence. Some people are afraid of that – afraid of their own thoughts surfacing during the quiet – while I lean into it, and am calmer for it.
Focusing on friends and family, while working out the new fall season of this website, is proving more than ample diversion and purpose in these last few days of summer. Inspired and compelled with a fresh era and image, the chameleon is in forward motion again. No looking back – and that’s where and how I’m happiest.
Glowing beneath the light of a street lamp, the leaves of this Japanese maple seem almost luminescent in the cool night, like certain jellyfish in the dark depths of the ocean. Somehow, light finds a way – an important realization, especially during the darkest of times when hope feels in short supply.
The days grow shorter as fall approaches, and light drains faster and faster from the sky. Even this sort of green scene, which feels so invincible even in the middle of the night, will soon be wrinkled and dried once the first hard frost hits.
After an extended holiday weekend, a Tuesday morning hits harder than most Mondays, but this is not the time to wallow or whine. On with the preparation…
The glow of oncoming autumnal splendor illuminates the dahlia blooms at this time of the year. This bouquet was on display at Riverside Garden Studio, brightening up a lunch-break visit I made there last week while on the hunt for a natal mahogany tree. Dahlias are at their prime now in this part of the world, their splendor coming late in the season, and welcome when so much of the garden has gone to seed or slumber already.
Dahlias hold a special place in my heart, despite the fact that I don’t find them worth the trouble of growing. It is enough to admire those of others, enjoying them in those gardens through which I will only briefly pass.
Here we are in the month of September, and how we came to be here feels like a mystery – it was only turning into June when last I checked – now we’ve reached the final weeks of summer, and the unofficial end of the season with Labor Day’s arrival. Time to take stock of the week that came before in our weekly blog recap… and prepare the way for fall.
Lest we end this unofficial last dance of summer on the dour and sour note signaled by this post, here is the second part, with an extended dance mix for Donna Summer’s ‘Last Dance’ – to prolong the magic, to elongate the dance, to perpetuate the summer for as long as possible – the way only a good old-school remix can accomplish. At the five minute mark, the flutes flutter in for a brief reprieve, to allow some of us to catch our breath and restore lung capacity for that final thrust of choreo… and when the bass and those 70’s strings take off a minute later, our Solid Gold Summer flies again – because this summer is not yet over… and if this is one of the final songs, let’s make it last…
Hubris-free factoid: I’m a good dancer. Whether it’s the Filipino blood in me or the gay gene, I know how to cut a rug. (The Filipino karaoke chromosome completely skipped me, so my talent remains solely in footwork rather than anything coming out of my mouth.) Dancing is something that just comes easily and naturally to me, from the days of choreographing routines to the opening themes of ‘CHiPS’ and ‘Dallas’ to the moments of dancing to Madonna, when at night I’d lock the door so no one else can see. Every once in a while, I’d take it to a club and lose myself in the music and the marvel of the community that could always be found there. Madonna knew what she was talking about when she said the dance floor is not just a place, it’s a threshold – a ritualistic space where movement replaces language.
It is here where some of us found a sanctuary and safe place – where being different didn’t matter, where together we moved as one – becoming part of something greater than our individual selves, while being more absolutely ourselves than perhaps anywhere else. As this Solid Gold Summer sounds its last dance, I remember the movements of the past, the dances that were over too soon, and the people I could only know on the dance floor.
My quest for approximating the magical ginger rhubarb scone from Beacon Hill Books & Cafe continues with this batch of candied ginger scones. This one turned out decently enough, but it’s not close to the original. I’m going to try freezing the butter and grating it for the next attempt – and I found a recipe for a lavender version that I want to try out as well. Trying two different switches is the worst way to experiment, as I recall from my Earth Science days, but that’s the kind of chaos I’m bringing to this end of summer party. Deal with it.
Not gonna lie and not gonna pretend: I’m not sure I have it in me for this pair of last dances for the unofficial end of summer weekend, but we’re gonna try and put on a show for you anyway. That’s what a good gay guy does – in the face of misery, tragedy, and even death, we learned how to put on a proper face and dance, because sometimes that’s literally all we had. This song has been a staple in the gay clubs of my youth, and even later, always coming on at the end of the evening to give everyone who needed a warning to scatter before the lights came on.
Last dance Last chance for love Yes, it’s my last chance For romance tonight
I need you by me Beside me to guide me To hold me, to scold me ‘Cause when I’m bad, I’m so, so bad
When I think of the gay men who came before, so many of whom were extinguished by the AIDS epidemic in the 80’s and 90’s, I marvel at how little was done for so long, and how such a large segment of a community could just be allowed to perish like we did. And then I think about today, and how little the current generation seems to know or remember about those scary days. At selfish moments, I feel grateful – for having survived, for having been too scared to do anything of real danger, for being made to be strong because there was no other choice. Had I not been forced to grow up with such life or death choices, I’d be far less decisive today – and a whole lot weaker too. It gave me a perspective that most young people don’t have, because death is supposed to be a lot further away than it ever was for us at such a young age.
So let’s dance the last dance Let’s dance the last dance Let’s dance this last dance tonight
Last dance Last chance for love Yes, it’s my last chance For romance tonight
These days, it’s not so much about life and death choices as it is about simply trying to live better before the long slow march to death really picks up speed. Well past the halfway mark, I’m already on the downhill trajectory, and every year seems to move faster. It’s all a bit exhausting, really, and sometimes the energy to slow the motion and stop the slide is more than I have available, so I spin slightly out of control, losing myself and my center.
Oh, oh, I need you by me Beside me to guide me To hold me, to scold me ‘Cause when I’m bad, I’m so, so bad
Losing oneself at this stage of life can be a dangerous thing – there’s far less time to correct major mistakes, and some blunders simply can’t be fixed so I’ve been careful to try to avoid those. Not always successful, my falters and foibles only really hurt myself more than anyone else, but if I can prevent that it’s still better than going completely bonkers. I reserve the right to do so, however, and you should reserve the right to freak the fuck out if/when it happens, because I have all the receipts and will take the world down with me in a great big ball of flames. Of course, it will be pretty as fuck…
So let’s dance the last dance Let’s dance the last dance Let’s dance the last dance tonight
This may be what the world needs at this particular moment – the long-awaited and hoped-for sequel to ‘Practical Magic’, one of my favorite witch movies of all time. (Between this and ‘Hocus Pocus‘, ‘Practical Magic’ is definitely the superior film. Far from perfect, it still holds sway over a certain segment of fans (some of whom, myself included, didn’t even see the film upon its original release in the late 90’s). It’s gained its own cult-like following, and is an annual viewing for fall in this household.
For the upcoming sequel, I’m taking my niece to see it in the theater. We’ll have a sleepover and watch the first film, then have an old-fashioned theatrical experience the next night for the sequel. Currently we’re discussing outfit options – both of us leaning toward something black and bewitching. I like Nicole Kidman’s look below for one of the premieres, perhaps just in a shirt versus a gown. One doesn’t want to be completely uncomfortable in a movie theater.
Tom Ford has been teasing his latest Private Blend release – the intriguingly-titled ‘Tobacco Chocolat’, which holds a bit more promise than the coffee-accented foray of ‘Cafe Rose’ from a number of years ago. I wasn’t a fan of that coffee slant, but chocolate seems a bit more palatable, particularly given the way it might mingle with the tobacco. Hey, if it worked for vanilla with ‘Tobacco Vanille’ who’s to say it won’t be equally charming with a chocolate note? Titles and names only go so far in the Tom Ford world, however, so I’m reserving serious judgment and comment until I can actually try this one on. Hopefully that will happen soon, and hopefully the confection isn’t too sweet, as tobacco can often carry an intrinsic sweetness that, in my preferences, does better with something drier, as employed in ‘Tobacco Oud‘. Only time, and nose, will tell…
Transitioning from summer to fall is happening in a big way here – most of it behind-the-scenes as I prepare for a new look and theme for this seasonal shift. It’s a re-invention in a way, as well as a stepping into some new shoes that instantly felt like old ones – more on that to come. In the meantime, this purgatorial pause is a good point to stop and assess where we are – something in service to the old adage than an unexamined life is not worth living.
The journey into the next level of consciousness and life is fraught with such landmines – tricky spots where you might end up blowing your life up if you make the wrong step. I’ve always been too careful and measured to make those kinds of rash decisions and movements, but you lose out on certain things playing it too safe, so this season I’m planning on being bold and changing things up – all with an eye to being better.
The road to fall stretches out before us. Summer is still here, but senses her time is limited, at least until her triumphant return next year. I’m just trying to enjoy the journey.
A Friday night where I cannot find words to adequately capture this end-of-summer moment… and so a song will have to suffice… a song and several links hidden throughout…
Rivers run red, river run dry River run red and whit? I am the fire and you are wat?r Drown me out, but I learnt So if you see me, cross the street But I still see you in people I meet And I am fire and you are water You ran me wild to the sea, there you’ll find me, trying to catch me Make ashes from stone All of these things that I’ve seen turn darkness into gold And when I was made from the right kind of wrong All of these things that I’ve seen turned darkness into gold All of these things that I’ve seen turned darkness into gold
