Cheesecake

Friday, January 29, 2016
Cheesecake
Quick side note: if you've been to San Diego, if you live in San Diego, you've probably heard of or been to Seaport Village. It is THE most darling part of America's Finest City and it is at risk of being torn down to make room for a mall and hotels. Now yes, I get that we need to expand the convention center, but by tearing down Sea Port village we are taking from San Diego a place where locals AND tourists enjoy peace, the best coffee in town (at the Upstart Crow), and a variety of adorable shops. Please help us preserve this piece of our town by visiting this website and sharing it with all of your friends on your Social Media: http://www.saveseaportvillage.com/take-action/. It takes two clicks to let people know that this is NOT right and it should not be allowed to happen. Write #savesaportvillage on Facebook AND Twitter with your photos of the joy Seaport Village has brought you.

Alrighty, dear readers, here's the scoop: some of the following may not be suitable for all audiences (young'ns in particular) because, to paraphrase a line from Sophia, "This ain't going to be no cakewalk." 

A few years back, one of my sisters sent me a link to an article regarding an analysis of the Mary Tyler Moore Show. The article discussed the residual impact of the sitcom on viewers and its influence on social norms. This sparked inspiration for my sister to send me the link with her simple commentary: "You could do this with the 'Golden Girls' no one knows them better than you." 

When I first started this journey I had not claimed to be the number one fan, still don't, but I have always deeply respected and admired the messages within the show and the strength of their characters. Once, I considered proposing to instruct a semester long college course on the 'Politics of Golden Girls,' so this project struck me as a positive first step toward achieving this goal. 

Whether you are interested, but not familiar with the sitcom that aired in 1984 or if the girls are dear friends, sit back, relax, and in the words of Sophia, "Fasten your seat belt slut puppy, this ain't going to be no cakewalk." (See, that's the complete quote). And that's probably not the case; the following posts will be discussing social issues that were controversial at the time of the show's running life and that remain relevant issues to-date.

A tremendous thanks goes to Victoria who introduced me to the girls. Victoria, as ever, "Thank you for being a friend." 

Chapter 1: Cheesecake

I. Widows and a Divorcee, Not Biddies 

In the first season, Rose and her boyfriend Arnie decided to go on a romantic weekend cruise. It is Rose's first intimate experience with a man since her husband Charlie's passing fifteen years earlier. She is hesitant, scared and nervous. She was concerned that she would feel like she was cheating on Charlie. To add to Rose's fears, Charlie had endured a heart attack while they were making love and passed away; you see, Rose was afraid that she might kill Arnie. 

The episode switches to a conversation with Blanche, Dorothy and Sophia. They are discussing how long they waited to be with men after their husbands passed or, in Dorothy's case, after her separation. Blanche is the most-promiscuous character - to say the absolute least - and she did not wait so much as a month after her husband George passed. This contrast brought to light the taboos that face women at that stage in life: can there be life after your husband dies? At what quality and to what extent? In the 1980s when the GGs were on air, women outlived their husbands on average by eight years. Women have historically outlived their husbands and have been stuck with the question of "what do I do now?" for centuries. Rose Nyland captured the concern best in her speech in the pilot episode: 

"It's not fair you know. We get married, we have kids. The kids leave and our husbands die. Is that some kind of a test? You don’t work that hard. You don't go through everything you go through to be left alone. We are alone, Dorothy, we really are. Our families are gone and we are alone. There are too many years left and I don't know what to do." 

The Mary Tyler Moore show had a similar theme of life after marriage, showing a woman after divorce, another taboo. But she was young and did not have an established family. These women are all over fifty and while Blanche has a different date in almost every episode, their prospects for marriage seem small. However, in their seven years of show, they more than proved their prowess, knocking the stereotype of cake-baking, sweater-knitting, t.v. zombie grandmas. These grandmas, they rock. 

The GGs did something that had never been done prior and that has not been done since; for seven years, four women in their fifties and sixties ruled the air like twenty-somethings. They set the stage for shows like Sex in the City and Mom, and they proved that actresses don't have to be shelved once they're over forty and starting to display signs of aging. Bea Arthur wore her white hair with dignity and style. Betty White displayed evident signs of aging gracefully. Rue McLanahan, the youngest at fifty-one.had more sex-appeal (even if it was self proclaimed) and as such a sex life more active than most can claim. Estelle Getty was even made to look older by wearing a wig, skin-colored makeup, and old-lady" glasses.  

Although Rose's speech about being older and alone is chilling, every episode to follow in the next seven seasons proves that these girls were anything but 'alone or inactive.' There have been many times when I've acknowledged that the lives of these gals were more active than mine!

They attended a Madonna concert, went to a nudist resort (granted, unbeknownst to them), they were on a game show, they sailed through a hurricane, traveled back in time in Brooklyn, danced the night away in an all night marathon, and, need it be said, had more dates than one can count! Now, Blanche may have been the most promiscuous one, but Sophia got all the celebrities: she had dates with Burt Renolds, Mikey Rooney, and Julio Iglesias (yes, Enrique's dad). Sophia, the character in her eighties was quite often times a grump, demonstrated the most that life is about living, especially after loss.

There's one episode, "A Nectarine" where it's a rainy day and the three younger ones are determined to be productive around the house. Alas, their ambition is thwarted by apathy and they spend the day in their pajamas. But Sophia goes to the market to buy a nectarine. At least, that's what she tells the girls. When she goes to the market, she meets a lady who is about her age and is being spoken down to by the grocer. Sophia, the champion for the under-trodden, steps up and takes a stand against the grocer, listing a myriad of organizations that she alleges represents the elderly. In a later scene she is volunteering at the hospital and an elder lady who is clearly been neglected by her family, a theme we see arise numerous times in a few episodes, including one where Sophia "kidnaps" a friend of hers from a home that is poorly funded and has less than home-happy standards.

Elder abuse and neglect  was not considered a criminal issue until the 1980s when "Surgeon General Louis Sullivan held a workshop on family violence, declaring it to be a public health and criminal justice issue that included the problems of elder abuse and neglect." (National Academies Press). In 1985, a federal task force was created to determine the extent and possible prevention of elder abuse within the United States. The task force requires, "States to have in effect a State elder abuse law with mandatory reporting provisions." (Library of Congress). This hadn't existed federally prior to the 1980s. The writers of the Golden Girls were highly attuned to the social issues of the day, and throughout the course of the show, Sophia stands as an advocate for elder rights, shedding light onto the fact that the elderly in the States are too often seen as burdens and not as loved family members with incredible insights on life, love, and days long gone. For many of her friends and the watchers, Sophia shows that you don't have to accept something that feels wrong especially because you are not alone. This is a theme that rises numerous times throughout the Golden Girls and we will continue to discuss this theme throughout the following weeks. 

Yes, these are brief overviews of deep topics and youbetcha I could ramble endlessly about each topic mentioned, but this is a blog and a mere brief escape, so I'll do my best to keep these short. Trust me, it's not easy. This whole segment is to show that the Golden Girls were more than just a mere sitcom - they were guardians in a way, proving to people in their golden years and up that they didn't have to be afraid. That if they tried hard enough or if they did not sit down and wait for death, that one thing was certain - you would find a friend and maybe even find someone with whom to share a slice of cheesecake.

Until next week dear readers when we meet the girls individually,

Your humble author,
S. Faxon

Your Golden Moment: 

Oh, Betty

Last week's post wasn't much of an escape and I do apologize for the sorrowful read. But, this is an escape, so we're going to jump right into something light and bubbly, and who else makes us smile and laugh more than Betty White. Last week, Ms. White turned 94 years old. Alas, I could not find the video from her most recent birthday, but here is the video of the flash mob that was done for her last year:

Now I don't know about you, but this video may bring me to tears from the sheer happiness on her face. Whether she is trying to or not, Betty White has been bringing laughter and happiness to people and animals across the world for decades. From her early work on "Life With Elizabeth" (1952-1955) to her tireless efforts to protect and love our animal friends, Betty has certainly been an active member of this world and remains to be today, even in her nineties!

It's hard to tie a Golden Girl down. Many people in Hollywood start to slow down when they hit fifty, but for Betty, Rue, Estelle, and Bea, fifty was a new beginning. A genesis in their careers that would spark laughter, inspiration, kinship, and most importantly friendship, for countless years to come.

There was something remarkable about the Golden Girls, the series that stretched across seven seasons and has been viewed by millions around the world. The actresses, writers, and production team touched topics never before dared and impacted our society and culture in ways I doubt many have really stopped to realize.

You know, it was my dream to meet the girls to tell them how much their show meant and means to me, but unfortunately I missed my opportunity to meet the majority. I did write to Ms. Betty White and she sent to me a signed photo of herself with her dog Panda. I do regret not writing to the others earlier, but life is too short to dwell in regret. And so, I will do what I can to make it up to the ladies to help their legacies live on. Over the next few weeks, dear readers, we will be delving into the amazing lessons, values, and laughs that the Girls gave to us. This will be a tribute to these legend-leaving-ladies who quite a few of us would like to thank for being a friend.

And so, tune in next week dear readers for Chapter One: Cheesecake. 

Until Next week, dear readers.

Your humble author,

S. Faxon

Mr. Rickman

Tears dropped onto my desk at work today. I, like much of the world, received horrible news. Actor and wonderful man, Alan Rickman, passed away.

This is not to be a happy one, dear readers. This writer is quite devastated by this news. Though I only met him once on the streets of New York city, Mr. Rickman was like a very dear friend. From the moment I first saw Galaxy Quest in 1998 as an eight year old kid, I knew that this actor was something special. The more I learned about him, the more he proved that.

As a writer, I occasionally base characters off of actors, for appearance or characteristic. Because Mr. Rickman was so good at becoming whatever character the screen required, he was an easy one for me to derive inspiration. Being that I've been writing for thirteen years, he was a familiar figure, to say the least, in my head and very much so in my writing. Made a list of how many characters in my books I would have liked him to portray on screen - seven. Seven separate stories that I have had with him in my heart for thirteen years. I consider each one of my characters as my children or dear friends. I know every one of their histories, their stories, their personalities. I know that it is merely fantasy and I know that my grief is silly, but it feels like all of those characters and Alan Rickman have died. It is not going to be easy to pick up the pen for a while without tears staining the pages.

My sincerest condolences to Rima - his lifelong love, and to his family, his friends. I cannot begin to imagine the grief that they are feeling.

I am sorry too my dear readers that this is not much of escape for you. Just needed one myself today.

Life is strange. One moment, you are riding high in a cloud of happiness and everything is right. The next minute, your face is in the gravel and digging in. It's in those times that we must cling close to the memories of goodness and of light. Those images may fade at times, but it's in our moments that we are down that we learn to appreciate the little things and the memories of what is right.

Your grieving author,
S. Faxon

A Wild One

Good day, dear readers! Are you ready for a wild one? An adventure with the wild ones that is.

My mom and I took a visit to the zoo this past weekend and though it was a drizzly, grey day, the animals were collectively more active than I have seen in a long time. Allow me to tell you about it.

Mama and me at the world famous San Diego Zoo

We made it to the zoo and it was quite grey and misty out, but there were a surprising amount of people in Balboa Park. Probably all assuming like we had that San Diegans seek shelter whenever the blue in the sky is absent. 

There is a LOT of construction and remodeling happening around the zoo. The entrance is being changed and is currently in a temporary structure that I'm pretty sure was a trailer painted an extraordinarily bright green. 

We entered the zoo and made our way to the Koala area. We ooed and awed at the little grey fluffs hanging out in the trees by their little heaters, of which we were jealous!

We saw a baby wallaby be groomed by mama wallaby and then the little tyke hopped right up into mama's pouch and disappeared! It was so precious!

From there we walked over to the giraffes and apparently, you can feed the giraffes now on Saturdays and Sundays. It was amazing to watch people feed these gentle giants. Their big ol' heads and necks reached over a gate so that they could extend their long, grey tongues to take biscuits out of the hands of tourists. And yes, people were selfie-ing with the giraffes as they plucked food from their hands. That part tarnished the moment a bit, but then there was a baby giraffe that was just barely taller than me. So cute! He was born in May and he was his mama's eleventh baby! Did you know that when giraffes are born they are technically dead? It's the kaboom with the ground dropping from mama's elevated backside that starts their hearts! What amazing animals!

After the giraffes we crept by a sleeping rhino (would not want to accidentally wake a breathing tank!) We started to head over to the center of the park to try to find a place for coffee. It was freezing! En route, we passed some awake grizzly bears! They were ENORMOUS! One was napping, but simultaneously digging with her long clawed paw. The other was crunching on a delicious looking salad. Eventually he finished his greens and moved on to dessert - grubs from a tree stump that he ripped apart. I've never seen the bears that active. It was incredible.

We hiked down the trail, admiring the incredible plants and trees on the way to the bottom of the hill. Eventually we took the Aviary Trail and looked at the colorful birds. When we reached the top of the hill we found what we desired - coffee. Although, there was a moment of fright when we found this sign:

We hung out with the baby orangutan and her family. We watched little otters swim to their hearts content. We were right at the window when the male tiger prowled by - I loved that. We also saw a snow leopard leap from the top of his enclosure to prowl right beside us. I could have pet a snow leopard if I had been so inclined to reach my hand through the fence we were so close, but it is never wise to pet something with the word leopard in its name. (Hey, that's a reference!) The day of animal activity was just spectacular. The last really cool thing we saw was a young male jaguar. He was enjoying lunch, but when he was through he started to cry out for his mama. It was soooooo heart breaking. The keeper kept telling us that he was like a kindergartner who wasn't quite used to being away from mama yet. This didn't make any of us feel better. Rest assured that mama was reintroduced to him, but we all still felt for the little guy.

Looking for the smallerish human

There was one part of the park that was really interesting. The zoo has an animal ambassador program where they have cheetahs and Labradors, wolves and labs, and a few other buddies together in a long pen. We had a lovely lady cheetah out and about with her friend. They were running around together and playing. We were able to see the cheetah bolt, and I mean BOLT through the exhibit, probably a 100 foot dash when she locked onto something, which I'm pretty sure was a small human. If you're curious about the Ambassador program at the zoo, Nicole Payer did an interesting article explaining the program, which you can read "Dogs and Cheetas Living Together." 

We eventually made our way to the front of the park. We bought souvenir tumblers so that we could have another cup of coffee. The nice thing about these tumblers is that we'll get 99 cent refills on all beverages (except beer) on all future visits. And it's a nice tumbler, so I'm excited to use it. I also bought a pin and a fleece - did you know that this is a special year for the zoo? This year marks the centennial of our town's zoo, which originally composed of a bear, a lion, a few flamingos, some borrowed ostriches from the ostrich farm, and a cigarette smoking chimp. Ah, the early 20th century. Actually, I can't remember if the chimp was a part of the zoo during the Panama Exhibition or if he came later with the World's Fair in the 30s. I'll let you know once I remember.

Until then, though, I wish you a happy week and that you enjoyed this wild escape.

Your humble author,
S. Faxon

Celebrations

Good evening, Dear Readers! (Or whatever time it is that you read this blog!)

Huzzah for the first post of this New Year! It is customary for us to celebrate the New Year in the middle of the night. We celebrate with bursts of light in the sky and raise our glasses to the hopes for renewal. Well, in a similar albeit micro way, that's how I think of sunrises. The bursts in the sky are not from fireworks, but from the awawkening sun. The  glasses that we raise are coffees, teas, waters, celebrating the fast of the night. I'm an early morning person, does it show?

Whether we anticipate doing so or not, the New Year marks a reawakening, a new beginning. A fresh start. I was resolute not to make resolutions, but of course I did join a gym as the membership prices are affordable thanks to the "New Years Resolution" folks being sucked in like metal to magnets. Now please do not think that I frown upon making resolutions in the New Year. I think it is a delightful way to set goals for ourselves that we may otherwise let slip by. I do have hopes and aspirations for the New Year. Most of my goals are personal, but the ones that I will share include my writing. There is a sequel that I have been penning for some time that I hope to see through within the next few months. There's the blog, which I hope continues to bring delightful, short distractions to my dear readers. Other than that, I'm more curious about you - what are your goals or resolutions for 2016? If you're up for sharing, leave a comment below. Who knows, maybe you're looking to start a blog yourself but don't know where to start - why not try it out here?

If one of your resolutions was to increase your reading, I may have a suggestion or two for you:

The Feasts and Follies of the Animal Court by Me - On Barnes & Noble's Nook and on Amazon's Kindle

Already ripping through that one? Well, it's only the beginning.
Foreign and Domestic Affairs - Exclusively on Amazon's Kindle

If you only have a Nook and want to read the sequel, let me know! I'll see what I can do. After all, I'm here for you.

I pray that you all have a wonderful, beautiful, prosperous New Year! Now go out and celebrate life. 

Until next time, dear readers.

Your humble author,

S. Faxon

"Tidings of Comfort And Joy"

May merry days be behind and ahead of you, dear Readers! I hope that your Christmas' were filled with family, love, and peace. If you do not celebrate Christmas, the message to you is of course the same, that you are blessed with happiness and love. 

Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, we've all been assailed these last few weeks with Christmas music, for better or worse (I'm a traditonalist - I tend to like non-pop holiday songs, but to each his own). There are many carols that I find moving ("Little Drummer boy", "Oh Come All Ye Faithful", and "Oh Holy Night" come to mind), but it is the lyrics of "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlement" that I found particularly striking this Christmas season.

Not familiar with it? Nat King Cole did a wonderful rendition of the song: http://youtu.be/_TkXHCWGxQg

The first stanza (I think that's what it is called) goes a bit like this:

"God rest ye merry, gentlemen

Let nothing you dismay

Remember, Christ, our Saviour

Was born on Christmas day

To save us all from Satan's power

When we were gone astray

O tidings of comfort and joy,

Comfort and joy

O tidings of comfort and joy."

The song goes on to describe the miracle of Christs' birth and the celebration of his life, then the song ends with:

"Now to the Lord sing praises,

All you within this place,

And with true love and brotherhood

Each other now embrace;

This holy tide of Christmas

All other doth deface.

O tidings of comfort and joy,

Comfort and joy

O tidings of comfort and joy."

As a peacebuilder, these words of comfort and of a guardian who has come to guide us from fear, hatred and darkness is quite lovely. I particularly love the line: "And with true love and brotherhood each other now embrace." Indeed. Whether you believe in Christ or not, is it such a bad thing for us to celebrate our differences and come together in peace inspired at the very least by the beating of a drumb? Remember all the year round that the same heart beats within all of us, regardless the color of your skin, the flag above your head, the accent you sing, or the God you believe in. We all sleep, eat, breathe and most importantly, we all laugh. Let these humble words be reminders of our brother and sisterhoods. Let that be for you "tidings of comfort and joy" in this new year.

Until next time, 

Your humble author,

S. Faxon

Christmas on the Prado

We're full steam into the Christmas Season. The trees are up, the lights are lit, and there's a magical crispness to the air. The tree I call my own has a "Star" theme. but not the stars you see in the sky. The 152 year old sailing bark, Star of India is the theme of my tree. She is one of the iconic pieces of the San Diego community and has played as a major role in global history, so she gets to be the theme of my mini tree. If you're interested in learning more about our Star, I recommend reading the most recent letter from the Maritime Museum's President/CEO: Year End Letter.

Every city has fun Christmas and Holiday traditions. In my home town, we have a few. One in particular is fairly well known. Well, it's more than a tradition. It's a part of life. A part of our home, memories, history. This isn't so much a ritual, it's a place. A place that you've likely heard about, and it is called Balboa Park.

Every year, Balboa Park hosts Christmas on the Prado, although it is known now as December Nights.....I'll let you decide which one you prefer. Christmas on the Prado is a magical celebration where all of the almost thirty museums are open for free to the public. The park is decorated beautifully with every Christmas wonder imaginable. There is a decorated tree display room, the Youth Ballet puts on abbreviated free performances of The Nutcracker. There is food gallor! (I enjoyed a lobster roll this year - yum!). There's carolers and musical performances at the soon to be 101 year old Spreckles' Organ Pavilion. "Magical" truly does not quite begin to cover how wonderful the festivities are.

This year, I attended with my bestie Victoria, her sisters, brother-in-law, and one very un-chihuahua chihuahua. We had a blast! From enjoying the music in the Prado, to possibly smuggling in a Chihuahua into a venue or two, it was a great night. Yes, the crowds were a tad overwhelming, but even that was something spectacular to be seen. With all of the crazy happenings in the world, it was a joy to see so many splendor-filled faces in a great big public place. Troubles of the world dissipated the second we crossed the Cabrillo Bridge and entered the land made famous by the 1915 World's Fair. I could go on and on about that and perhaps someday I will, you'll just have to keep tuning in to see if it becomes a Weekly Read.

Your Christmas'd out Author,
S. Faxon