Ghost of Christmas Past

Dear Madonna,

A couple of weeks ago I was invited to the Four Seasons Toronto's seasonal customer appreciation party.  Along with an open bar and passed hors d'oeuvres there were cookie decorating stations set up. Geat fun!  We were supplied with "blank" gingerbread men, snowmen and Christmas trees and all the "toppings": coloured icings in squeezable containters, sprinkles, gum drops, mini M&M's.... 

The hotel also provided beautiful boxes in which to carry home our creations. As I was carefully placing mine on the red and white shredded tissue paper I realized - with a start - that I had re-created my mother's Christmas tree: all blue and green.

I hadn't done it on purpose.

After Mom died, when we were cleaning out the house at 401 Elmwood, without a second thought I added the box marked "Christmas decorations" to the items that were to be sold at auction, grimly declaring: "There won't be any more Christmases."

Ha! In the decade since I've had to accept (kind of like the Grinch) that you can't stop Christmas. It's all-pervasive, even after your childhood traditions have ceased, and the blue and green Christmas decorations are long gone.

That said, I really liked seeing Mom's tree again. 

Same Time Last Year

Dear Madonna,

Last year at this time I was in Arizona, practicing with The Meat in preparation for our big US Open Debut.  It was the culmination of months of travelling back and forth across the country and countless hours of practice - at Summers Danceworks on Prescott, the Dovercourt House, and on parquet dancefloors in hotel breakout rooms during event weekends. Our nerves were frayed and all the physical effort had taken its toll on The Meat's body.
I remember being terribly frustrated by the dodgy internet access in the hotel and feeling disconnected with my peeps despite Dana and Michelle being there sharing the experience with me.
This year its back to C.A.S.H. Bash in Cleveland with the whole gang. I have a new partner and a new routine - again the culmination of many months of practice, but without the travel. We'll be performing rather than competing, but will be critiqued by two of the Pros I admire most: Mario, who choreographed the piece, and Angel, who - uh - tells it like it is.
The nerves are fine. I think.

Dear Madonna,

When I was 18 years old I went to New York for the first time and stayed at the legendary Waldorf= Astoria.

It was a graduation gift from my father, and my mother went with me. We visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art, walked around Times Square (much seedier than it is these days), and shopped at Lord and Taylor’s. My favourite memory, though, is of having drinks in the afternoon in the Waldorf’s “Peacock Alley”.

Mom chatted up piano guy – seriously! I had no idea she knew as much about music as she did. Of course married to my dad, how could she not? He was the son of a music teacher and played in marching bands, sang in competitions, and became a “Barbershopper” later in life.  In fact the Barbershop conventions they attended were a bit like my west coast swing events.

Recently I was on a business junket to Florida and got to see the Waldorf Astoria Orlando. Not the same, of course, but I couldn’t resist getting my picture taken with the replica clock in the lobby.

Updated version of Peacock Alley.
Not at all like the original but dig the carpet!

Diversions

Dear Madonna,
I hear your new film, W.E., will have it's premier at the Toronto International Film Festival - and that you'll be coming to Toronto!  That's awesome!!

Listen, I know you'll be pretty busy with the Gala, meetings with distributors and media interviews or whatever, but if you want a bit of an escape from the paparazzi while you're here, let me tell you what we're doing.

DIVA ROAD TOUR!  - SEPTEMBER 11
A weekend away with my BFF Shelley - YAY! We're driving to Toledo, Ohio in her new "A Car" nto meet with Doug Rousar and talk about plans for the Spotlight Dance New Year's Eve Celebrations. Well, she's meeting with Doug and her co-emcee, Chris; I'm really just along for the ride. You could join us!

10th ANNIVERSARY PARTY - TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13
This is taking place during my weekly West Coast Swing dance party - preceded by classes, as usual - at the Dovercourt House. I'm commissioning a cake from our resident dancer-cum-pastry-chef, Jade (OMG you'll love it!) and marking the occasion with pictures and stories from when I first started teaching in September of 2001. We've come a long way, Baby!

ACROBAT NIGHT CLUB - FRIDAY, SEPETEMBER 16
Kathleen Campbell has invited me to teach a Beginner West Coast Swing lesson to the regular crowd of Salsa dancers, many of whom have been getting into Hustle.  We're staging a Flash Mob this month at the clube to create some interest - the same choreography as the one we did at the CN Tower. Did I send you that clip?

Anyway, there's always lots to do. Nick might even organize one of his Thursday night outings to the Bier Markt. It would be cool if Dione Taylor's band, Soular was playing. They do a great cover of "Express Yourself"; may-be they'd invite you up on stage to sing with them?

My Jean Paul Gaultier

Dear Madonna,

I was in Montreal last week and visited the Musee des Beaux Arts to see the fabulous Jean Paul Gaultier exhibition - "From Sidewalk to Catwalk".

Here I am with a "talking" Jean Paul Gaultier, welcoming me to the exhibit.

Absolutely stunning  - and challenging - creations!  The exhibition was curated to highlight his various collections and influences over the years - and when would one ever have the opportunity to get so close to couture?

Oh, okay - so you get to actually wear such pieces of art....

Actually, I have my own designer. Rod Philpott of Shkank created the purple and black catsuit I wore for my piece with "The Meat". Now that I'm working on a new routine with Larry I went back to him to come up with a new costume.  I only had a couple of rough elements in mind; he sketched up something so quickly my head was spinning. Shelley revisted the shop with me yesterday to make a few minor adustments. It's going to be in a "Julie colour".

What's the Buzz?

Dear Madonna,

I managed to get tickets yesterday to the nearly sold-out Stratford Festival production of Jesus Christ Superstar. It's getting rave reviews - B-word rumours abound - and I'm so excited that I'll be going with my brother Andy, and his girlfriend Tara.

Andy and I saw the show 35 years ago in London, England. We were there as a (migrant) family, moving from Ottawa, Ontario Canada to "Camp C" in the middle of the Saudi Arabian desert. Our stop in London included the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, shopping at Harrod's and "Marks and Sparks", and a night out at the theatre.

As I recall, Dad surprised us by buying theatre tickets for Mom and himself to see something a bit more adult, and he bought three tickets for Andy, Mike and me to see Jesus Christ Superstar.  We were loaded into a London cab outside the Four Seasons Hotel and sent to the West End to enjoy the "Rock Opera" live on stage.

I owned the album, which came out before it was ever a theatrical production, and knew every word. I think I still do, in fact. I also seem to remember studying the libretto in Grade Eight music class.

In other, unrelated and perhaps ironic news: I joined the online dating service JDate in the hopes of meeting a nice Jewish guy. Wish this Shiksa Goddess luck!

I Just Haven't Met You Yet

Dear Madonna,

I attended a lovely event at the Art Gallery of Ontario last night hosted by the Spanish Tourism Consul and convention bureaus from Barcelona, Adalucia, and Costa del Sol. It promised to be an informative workshop highlighting the benefits of bringing meetings and incentive groups to Spain, combined with a "Wine Tasting Experience". I imagined a convivial evening shared with industry acquaintances (check), an opportunity to make new vendor contacts (check), and perhaps a enjoy a trip down memory lane recalling my visit to Barcelona with Cava-Karen, accompanied by a glass of Cava (check and check).

I did not expect to fall in love - with Malaga.  The cute Deputy Director of the Costa Del Sol Tourist Board  - he claimed to be 62 and attributed his youthful appearance to the Thalassa Spas built around the region's natural spring waters - shared a compelling presentation which talked about Malaga's museums and art galleries (this is the birthplace of Picasso, to name just one), antiquities (a Moorish fortress and Roman amphitheatre - both available for group functions!), modern outdoor pedestrian shopping malls, and the ability to take day-trips to Tangiers in Morocco, to the beach resort town of Marbella (whose port is currently be developed a-la-Dubai with Arab money), or even travel by fast train to the country's capital, Madrid.  All that combined with Mediterranean food, climate, and a dash of Flamenco....be still my heart.

This is where I'll be spending my honeymoon.

DIY Kisses

Dear Madonna,

May-be it’s the whole Valentine’s Day-chocolate association but today I had a sudden craving for chocolate meringue cookies.

Not just any chocolate meringue cookies – although from what I can see all the recipes are quite similar – but the ones my mother used to make. They were called “Eight Calorie Chocolate Kisses”. I searched in vain my recipe binder then Googled “chocolate meringue cookies” and found several recipes. One endorsed by the Heart and Stroke Association of Canada. Another endorsed (sort of) by... *you*! You’re quoted as saying:

"This is a meringue cookie with a double chocolate taste. Store these in an air tight container."

Anyway, as I said all the recipes sound pretty much the same, and resemble what I remember from my mother’s: egg whites, cocoa, sugar, cream of tartar…. What is cream of tartar anyway?  There are even some recipes that pop up when you search “chocolate meringue kisses”.

For Valentine’s day, in the absence of the real thing – kisses, I mean – I think I’ll enjoy some meringue.

One Perfect Day

Dear Madonna,

Have you ever flown United Airlines?  Their inflight magazine, Hemispheres, must be available in First Class. I love the Three Perfect Days pieces, don't you?

Anyway - I recently spent One Perfect Day with my Sister-By-Choice, Penny in Ottawa. 

I woke up in Penny's third floor bedroom, surrounded by sunflowers and angels on the wall. It was a sunny, cloud-free winter morning so we bundled up and walked over to the Rideau Canal ("The World's Largest Skating Rink") for a brisk skate. In the afternoon we headed to Le Nordik spa in Quebec where we did "the baths": outdoor hot-tubs and cool water dipping pools - also wet and dry saunas and "quiet rooms".

We had dinner at a busy pub in the nearby village - I had a yummy bison burger, and Penny loved the micro-brewery beer they served.  Back in Ottawa we went straight to the National Arts Centre where we had tickets to see The Year of Magical Thinking - a one-woman play based on the Joan Didion novel of the same name. The tickets were my Christmas gift to Penny.

I'm reading the book, now. Penny thinks one of her real sisters gave it to me right after my brother, Mike died.  Penny was dating Mike at the time, and I ended up giving her the book - which is about the sudden death of Joan Didion's husband and her subsequent period of grieving.  It's a bit strange that I only met Penny once while he was still alive, and in fact now I've known her more than twice as long a he did. We've become so close ince he left us, and I understand so completely why he loved her - I love her, too.  As someone noted recently, Penny is a gift Mike left to me.

After the play we went to Penny's neighbourhood pub, Irene's (where she and Mike first met). They were having their weekly Blues Showcase - awesome! Loved the music, and it was so fun watchng various musicians being welcomed to the stage - most of them obviously regulars to the scene.

We went back to Penny's house, got into our jammies (thanks, Theresa), threw in a DVD, and ate a massive bowl of popcorn.  I retired to my sunflower/angel room on the third floor and Penny's new kitten, Baby Gaga, curled up beside me and purred.

Perfect.


Julie

FOR SALE: one slightly-used US Open costume

Dear Madonna,

You'll have to have it shortened, but this would look *great* on you!  Perhaps you could use it on your next tour? 

Sadly *I* won't be needing it again. The Meat has lost all interest in competing, performing, or attending West Coast Swing events in general. 

I was really hoping for a longer run - to improving the routine over time and to growing my own dancing within the choreography and beyond.

Sigh.

Looking *Way* Back

Dear Madonna,

Going through some old family photo albums recently I came across this amazing picture of my Great-Grandmother Clark, taken in 1906.  I'd never seen it before.  The accompanying notes, in my Grandmother's distinctive handwriting, talked about how her father was invited to come to Queen's University to head up the Physics department. (He would eventually become the Dean of Engineering and start the tech supplies store and Engineering Pub: Clark Hall).

My Grandmother goes on to say how her mother had two dresses made in honour of the move. She describes the one above, the 'Paper dress', in detail: 

"It was sea-green crepe over a green taffeta petticoat. The petticoat rustled as she walked - hence the name 'Paper' dress coined by me."

My my memories of Grandma Clark are of an elderly woman, widowed around the time my parents married, living in a big house near the Queen's campus, serving afternoon tea.  I (obviously) never knew her as a young mother with an (enviably!) tiny waist, but I do know that she lived well into her 90's and apparently touched her toes every morning when she got out of bed.

My own mother passed along many of her expressions. For instance, as I was headed out somewhere all dressed up she would say: "If you act as nice as you look you'll do just fine", and another favourite: "Horses sweat, gentlemen perspire, and ladies glow".