Dear friends, We’ve had several sad posts in the past week and we’ve all commented that we need to enjoy this life and find happiness wherever we can find it, I am now well too aware of that. I found out a few hours ago that a very good friend died this afternoon, suicide, hanging. I’ve known her husband since we were 15. The shock is too much to bear. Juneau, they are the friends I mentioned that we visit often in Dennis, a beautiful house on Cape Cod Bay. Her husband found her when he came home from work. She has had depression problems for years. I spoke to her the other day and I know it is a cliche, but she sounded fine, but then, how do we ever know what someone is really feeling inside. She had to be in such a deep dark place that she could not face another day.  I am shocked, I am profoundly sad and I am f**king angry … damn her, how could she do this  ? She has two wonderful children, both grown, one in Boston, one in San Francisco… my heart is breaking for them and the impact this will have on the rest of their lives, could she not see the violence that she has caused. How does someone do this ? 

Interesting that I thought of you ladies after speaking to other friends and my children. We’ve has such tender conversations in our few months together and I was drawn back to you all …  maybe because we have shared such unmitigated joy and love in our reveling in all things Adam, I had to get away from the hurt and anger and escape back to this silly refuge, and I mean silly in a good way. We have all learned to give in to the joy that Adam has awakened in us, the excitement of seeing a new young life experiencing all the joy the world is showing him, it is giving us a new hope that many of us have forgotten. We need to cherish this, it "is all good", there is real joy and goodness in this world and I am reminded of it every day right here. I love my life, I love my husband and sons, I have wonderful friends, and wonderful new "cyber"friends that make me laugh every day ….. but I am devastated that there was someone close to me that was succumbing to the depths of depression and could not be helped. If only she could have laughed like we do.

Hard to understand, and it really sucks.

I will be away for the weekend. We are going to be spending tomorrow at my favorite place on earth. The Tanglewood Music Center in The beautiful Berkshires of Western MA. It is the summer home of the Boston Symphony and Boston Pops. We will picnic on the lawn with wine and cheese and fruit and listen to the music. It will be a melancholy day for sure but the best thing I can think of to do at this time.  We will try to remember the good times and try to comfort ourselves that her pain in finally over. 

 Think of me and try to hug someone you love this weekend, help them see the joy and love that is out there. Reach out.

I think a few songs by one Adam Lambert will be played in the quiet moments. Have a beautiful weekend, Love you all.

Ellen 

Northern Spirit, Have a delicious time, and I use that word on purpose because that is what Italy is …. the bread, the food, the wine- a total sensuous delight. I’m jealous. …. and, they have some very nice looking dark haired men !

Buon Viaggio !!

Welcome back Cleo, hope you are tanned & rested and that you were romanced, fed, served martini’s on a platter and had grapes dangled over you mouth. 

Lotsa catching up to do, we’ve been busy bees ! 

Dear Clare, We have reached an impasse here and need to move on. I think you are totally wrong, I think that you need to believe that everything in the Bible is true because if you begin to doubt one thing then the whole house of cards comes down, but that belief includes some pretty ridiculous things, Noah’s Arc, The Whale Story, the world created in 7 days,woman made from adam’s rib, man shall not lay with another man, etc. etc. It is a book of fable stories written by men 150 years after Jesus from stories handed down and changed  in the telling, incorporating pagen and Roman myths that the people already knew to make them more understandable. But because of some of the vile, ignorant, backward ideas persist, that have long since been disproved, it is the source of much of the hatred and discrimination that exists in the world today. 

I had the same experience when I was around 13, just hormonal experimentation, I didn’t enjoy it, would NEVER chose to carry it further. My mind is wired to want men, NOTHING would make me want women. And WHY would anyone CHOOSE to do something that is so shunned in society, no, if  you are gay it is because your mind makes you that way. Our friends had a daughter that was one of my son’s childhood friends. We knew her from day one … she hated being a "girl" from day one, it just wasn’t who she was, no matter how hard her parents tried to make her a girl, it was no use. She did not choose to be that way, I watched her grow up, he never was confused, she may have looked like a girl but she was NEVER female. God, or whoever made her that way. I have absolutely no doubt about that. And I get the same story from other gay friends, they knew when they were young, it was no choice. Some words in a book you believe in doesn’t change that. I am a bit insulted that as much as you love Adam, you see him as not normal or had bad" thoughts."

Why are you so afraid to say, well, maybe we need to rethink this one little thing, that we know so much more today to explain the chemistry of the brain and the influence of testosterone than they did  2000 years ago . It would change so much hatred and discrimination and make the world a better place. Believe all the rest of the stuff, but give Adam and everyone else a break. Stay true to the essence of God and the love he preached, but give up some of the judgement.

Comparing a gay person to a suicide bomber is one of the most offensive things I have ever heard. I will say it again, in the strongest way possible - PEOPLE DO NOT CHOOSE TO BE GAY . PERIOD.  Do you personally know any gay people ? Have you ever talked to them ?  You seem like such a kind, loving person, and we both love Adam, how can you think that ?

Sorry, I just can’t give you a pass on this . It affects too many fine people I know.

That’s it ! I’ve got to get my own too … enough  searching around the men’s fragrances at Marshalls hoping to get lucky, or hoping my husband doesn’t notice me wandering off to the fragrance counter … I’m going to take this bull by the horn and just go to Sephora and buy it !!!!

Oh you MUST have eye shadow ! Women of a certain age ( I don’t know how old you are, but I’m sure you are younger than me) need to accent the good features once nature begins to slide the rest. Natural beauty looks wonderful on young firm skin, but begins to look just plain OLD once you are past 50. Go for it girl ! 

Xena, Sign me up.

A man’s arm has always been the turn on for me, something about the sheltering nature of a strong shoulder and arm, maybe its the Howard Roark image, the strength, the sustainability. But not the Swartzenegger model, the artificial steroid model … too comic book /super hero X man. I like a real man, with the natural broad shoulder …. sinewy, lithe, a natural strength gotten from real work- be it chopping wood or dancing. But to have that arm attached as it is to a beautiful face and gentle personality … I think we are getting close to the "meaning" that we are searching for. We are calling him the universal man for a new age, a new era, that’s it. In this age of equality, of the lines being blurred between men and women in the home and workplace, the rejection of the traditional segregated roles and artificial barriers between men’s work & women’s work … here we have a man that really is both. Isn’t it interesting that he is NOT the Brad/Drake stereotypical limp wristed, "thin, neat and single"( Seinfeld) gay man. He is tall, strong, broad-shouldered MAN, only he is beautiful and wears makeup. This just popped into my mind ….. He is Rock Hudson who is "out" and "made-up" and happy about it ! What is f**king not to love about that ??

Speaking about Seinfeld, my favorite episode is where Elaine says " I don’t know how you guys walk around with that" .. I agree, the GB is something that should stay covered, left to the imagination or seen in the dark at the height of the moment. But a beautiful arm ? Flex it in my face, baby ! 

Juneau, you don’t need to show him much, check out the biceps at 1:37 here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JI-DCG2CR0g

But damn, those eyes .. it must come from the Zodiac shows and Wicked . WE need to add a class by HIM at the seminar !!!

That was hilarious !!

 I think he might sing well, but I couldn’t hear him over the sound of the audience’s heads collectively exploding in excitement.

Winner Kris Allen got much less applause than did runner-up Adam Lambert. This didn’t have anything to do with people liking Adam better, though. It was only because half the audience had died from spontaneous combustion during Adam’s set. Though, since Kris’ act went by without a single death, or even a heart-stopping close call, I guess it’s safe to assume that people did like Adam more. 

The thing is, have you ever eaten a can of Spaghetti O’s and meatballs? Of course you have. And when doing so, have you ever painstakingly eaten around the meatballs so you could save them for last, as they are the most awesome part? And after savoring every meatball, do you sometimes find two or three lone O’s stuck to the bottom of the bowl? And you eat them, but it just isn’t the same after those meatballs?? 

That’s what watching Kris close the show is like. He is also short. These are the two main issues standing between Kris and stardom. He should work on these, though I’m not sure which problem will be easier to rectify. 

Sorry … it’s at 1:38.

Look at him at the M&G in Chicago, so sweet

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iN9gJHTxOkE

Gloria, Isn’t the single from 2012 coming out in October ?  That’s only 6 weeks away !!!!

It’s not on the album, but it WILL be eligible for an Oscar .. can you just SEE him at the Oscars ?????