Welcome to Thursday Coffee Hour. This is an open topic thread so help yourself to the goodies and sit a spell and let us know what is new with you. Today is my birthday. As I finish up my first year as a senior citizen I find that memories frequently pop into my mind from the past. Looking back I have accomplished a lot in my now 66 years. I plan to accomplish a lot more. Follow me below the orange doodle-di-do as I skip around memory lane and head towards the future. Today I'm focusing on happy memories. There has been a lot of tragedy in my life but today, of all days, I want the happy memories.
I always knew that I was never one of the in-crowd and never would be. That is what happens when you discover science fiction and fantasy at the age of eight. It sort of ruins you for being Home Coming Queen. The first book I read was Tom Godwin's The Survivors. The phrase "Ragnarok calling" has stayed with me all my life. I moved on to Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, Ursula LeGuin, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Frank Herbert, J.R.R. Tolkien, and many, many others. If I listed all the books I love in the science fiction and fantasy field we will be here forever. But my main memories are the ones where I've worked with some of the authors.
I remember the late Theodore Sturgeon grabbing my hand and suggesting that I run off to Ireland with him. I had the same offer from one of the Irish Rovers when I worked tech for one of their shows. I remember Harlan Ellison pulling me away from my shift during a convention and ordering me to go to dinner with him and Robert Silverberg and a couple of others. He then proceeded to ignore me while Bob Silverberg and I had a great conversation. I remember Marion Zimmer Bradley looking at Harlan Ellison and remarking "I knew him when he was a snot nosed kid. Now he is a snot nosed adult."
I worked with a lot of the Doctor Who people. I will never forget Colin Baker leading my staff into meowing Happy Birthday to my cat Sasha who was our mascot at my convention. I remember Gerry Davis coming in with a bottle of wine telling me we were neighbors in the hotel and we should go ahead and celebrate with the gift bottle of wine. I remember Peter Davison telling my staff that they had to go get me so I could go to dinner with them. We then proceeded to talk Shakespeare and theater a love we both share.
One of my favorite people in the entire world is Star Trek's George Takei. I've worked several conventions with him over the years. He is far and away the sweetest person I have ever met. I remember walking through the back corridors at a convention where we were taking George, Walter Koenig, and Jimmy Doohan to their panel. I'll never forget George utterly cracking up at my "Jimmy get that hand back where it belongs!" Jimmy was a flirt.
I remember right out of High School and living in San Francisco and meeting my parents at the Oakland Coliseum for an Ice Capades show. I took the bus in and asked Dad how I would recognize them. He said to just bring a red balloon. I found the largest red helium balloon I could find. I'll never forget the look on Dad's face. He was actually embarrassed. Gee I just did what he asked.
I remember Easter at my Aunt's house. The 7-Up uncola glass was the rage. I remember my Dad calling "Michele quick put your hand under the glass the bottom has just fallen out." I had been wool gathering and actually started to do so before I realized it was one of those upside down Coke glasses.
I remember when living in San Francisco I had my niece with me and we were walking back from the store. She was around 4½ at the time. She was complaining that Christmas was too far away. I tried to explain to her about the seasons and the Earth orbiting the sun. I told her you couldn't make the Earth go faster. I still laugh at her reply, "well you could if you get out and push!"
I remember working at my first science fiction convention as an artist and being told as I came in on Sunday morning that I had something at the Art Show. I came out with a certificate for "Best Computer Generated Art." I remember an on-line literary magazine contacting me wanting to print my first short story The Dragon and the Lake and a couple days later telling me they needed a short bio as I was going to be their author of the month.
I have learned over the years that animals love you because of who you are not what they expect you to be. I am now on my eighth pootie named Pixie. I inherited her from my late Mom. She is a day brightener. She turns my worst day into sunshine. I don't know how I ever survived without her. She is so "helpful." Of course I would like to try and make jewelry without her help but that is not to be. I'm thinking of changing the name of my shop to Unique Jewelry by Michele Finished in Spite of Pixie's Help.
I remember during my first time as caregiver to my Mom discovering that Pixie had pulled the aloe-vera plant out and dumped it on the floor. Mom replanted it and then got hold of Pixie and sat her on the kitchen counter. I'll never forget Mom shaking her finger at the cat and saying, "How many times have I told you to leave my aloe-vera plant alone?" I had to flee upstairs because I was in danger of choking with laughter. Pixie of course looked at Mom like she was nuts.
I learned that when life hands you lemons make lemonade. When arthritis crippled my hands to the point I couldn't hold a pen or paintbrush I learned that the computer will continue to let me create art. I learned that the right tools will allow me to do jewelry. I learned to use all the convenience tools, especially ones from Oxo Good Grips, to allow me to continue to cook.
I have learned that I can still use my talent. I have art and jewelry up for sale. I hope to have the cookbook finished this year and find a publisher for it. I am calling the cookbook Michele and L'arpie Michele Love to Cook. It is important to me to give a shout out to one of my favorite charities and the ladies who make the L'arpies (Little 'appy Rock People). You can find prints of my artwork on my Fine Arts America account. You can find my jewelry for sale here. I have a Pinterest account that also features my art and jewelry.
I have learned that kindness comes from within. I learned that one of my favorite people will always be George Takei. I am glad he has a second career on the Internet. It is from this 78 year young man that a new generation is going to learn special lessons. They will learn about the shame of the concentration camps we forced Japanese Americans into via his Broadway bound musical play Allegiance. They will also learn that as easy as it would be to give out hate for hate that it is more important to take the high road as he did with the death of Fred Phelps.
George quietly teaching us how to be good people.
Michele and her Sous Chef L'arpie Michele
My 66th birthday picture.