Filthy.

Here's a pic of Daisy and me at the Filthy Lucre opening last Saturday. We were modeling Justina's fabulous recycled fashions. It was fantastically fun!

I highly recommend stopping in to see the show. Waterfall, Rosie, Trixie, Wave, Justina, and Orange had works in the show. Agnes, Justin Sayre, and Reno all performed on Saturday. I'm sure I'm forgetting some names...there were tons of faeries in the show. And the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence were in the house. Nancy did a fantastic curating job.

I always complain about going to Jersey, but every time I do, I have a blast!

More ups than downs.

Above: a Spring sunset over NYC from my roof in Bushwick, Brooklyn.

I bought a bike this week. I haven't owned a bicycle since I was a child.

Last night I rode over the Williamsburg Bridge into Manhattan. John and I hung out in the East Village, had some killer burgers, and went to Beastie's to celebrate her graduation from college.

Then we biked home. Oh, my gawd. I thought I was going to die. Did you know that those gorgeous suspension bridges are actually giant, artificial hills? Very steep hills!

And I'm out of shape. I nearly died crossing the bridge. I don't entirely remember the trip after that, as I was huffing and puffing too much to really pay attention to the world. All I could think about was getting home. Of course when we finally arrived home, then I had to carry my bike up to the fourth floor. My legs were noodles and I could barely stand!

Biking will definitely be good exercise. Hope I do it often enough to get super buff!

I'm heading to Vermont tonight with D for a glorious holiday weekend among the fae. I'm so excited I could pee.

Long Time Gone

I haven't been writing much lately. Life has been full of changes, at work, at home, with my family, and with my health. I have had a very busy six months or so.

Everything is going well, now. I have many fun projects on my list and lots of fun adventures on the horizon.

I hope this Summer will bring more time for reflection and writing.

I was in Vermont last weekend at the first work weekend of the season at Faerie Camp Destiny. We started planting the garden and getting the land open. I made a little video, which I'll try to post below, that shows some of our handiwork.

I am trying to write from a new place--a quiet place. In the past I've written the most when upset. I become loquacious when offended or emotional. I rant. I rave. I emote. All of that is fine, and often interesting to read, I'd just like to find my creative spark when I'm mentally in a calm, centered place.

I was quiet this weekend in Vermont. I often "lose my words" when there. More correctly, I lose my urge to speak: that little push that forces the words from my stream of consciousness out my mouth. It's a pleasant sort of effect. I spend more time examining the stream and choosing carefully what I want to express, so that my words of substance tend to be a little closer to the poetry I'd always like them to be.

This weekend, some of the quietness was simple fatigue. I am seriously allergic to Spring and the things that trees do during the season. I had to take so much medication to control my allergic reaction that I ended up rather lethargic, and while I could force myself to garden in order to keep my body moving and engaged, it was difficult to do the same with my mind. I spent too much time zoning out, instead of carefully reflecting.

I have a feeling I missed some of the lower volume, lower frequency rumblings of this weekend's song. I hope those harmonies will appear again when I'm better able to listen and join in.

Strangers in a strange land.

We come from Planet Purple

Where everything is purple

And people are all the same

All the boys are named Paul

All the girls are named Pauline

And everything is purple

One day Lady Elaine Fairchilde

Of the Neighborhood of Make Believe

Found the Planet Purple

And traveled back to Earth

With our friend the Purple Panda

To learn more about your planet

On Earth the Purple Panda learned

That people can be different

And there are many colors

Like blue, green, orange, and pink!

Purple Panda traveled home

And told the Purple People what he learned

We were tired of all being purple and same

So we decided to be different

Now some boys are girlie

And some girls are boy-ish

And Purple People aren’t all purple

And we all have different names

This is your invitation

To join the Purple People

Who struggle to be different

While loving each other the same

Christian H.

Inspired by

If We Were All The Same

Fred Rogers, 1988

Photo credit for the last two pics: Chris Scanlon

Justin Bond: Rites

Howdy, y'all!

2009 is off to a really good start. The universe has been kind to me lately. I'm knocking on every kind of wood.

I'll have a post up soon looking back at 2008, but in the meanwhile, I figure the best gratitude I can show for my happiness is to share it with my friends and throw a party!

Pre-Party for Justin Bond: Rites
January 25, 2009
7:00pm
Christian's Crib
Cocktails, beer, and seasonal nosh.

Justin's show starts at 10:00pm at the Zipper Factory theater, which is on my block. Buy tickets for $20 through his site (link above).

Email me for address and directions, if needed. (riotpuprex at gmail dot com)

Please RSVP directly or through Facebook so I can make my plans.

I'm thinking of some fun Justin-themed party games for before and during the show.

I'll be dressing up in something sparkly/insane and I hope you'll feel inspired to pull a say-something outfit out of your closet. I know they're in there. Don't make me invade your wardrobes.

Happy 200FINE!!!