Girls, A Day Of Memories And Memoriam!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                           Well, darlings, after all the high end drama, surrounding the house keys, you have every right to ask, what could be next???????????????

                            How about a birthday celebration and a memoriam gathering--all on the same day?????????

                              Only when one is the Raving Queen can such a thing be possible, scattering one in all directions.  From a Sunday that began  with a quiet breakfast for two, then off to Century 21, where we purchased the most decorative (though I am still not sure strategically placed!!!!!!) blue vase, we trekked back home, had lunch, and were whisked off by the R train to 63rd Drive, and Rego Park, Queens,  where we attended a milestone--the 100th--yes, darlings!--anniversary of the birth of Monsieur's mother's friend, Bea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                When we--Monsieur and I--met in 2010, he took me to visit Bea for the first time, I would say,  around that September.  At that time, she was a mere 98, and, after being quite impressed with both her alertness and stylishness, I remarked that I hope she makes it to 100.  When someone makes it beyond 95, you start hoping that hope.  My father is well into his 97th year, and I am betting he makes the Century mark.

                                   But Bea made it yesterday, and what a celebration it was!  A lovely cake, party favors, gifts...honey, I am telling you, Anna should have put her on the cover of "Vogue."  Joining us were her wonderful caretaker, Jean, Michael and his wife, Michael's sister, Elena, and Elena's son, whose name I did not get, but he resides in Stamford, Connecticut, and was as straight as you could get.  I mean, darlings, I don't think he had any idea he was in a room populated by two confirmed--oh, think of it!!!!!!!--homosexuals!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  But he was nice, in spite of his  naivete!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                     A good time was had by all. Bea was so stylish, with  a head of still flaming red hair, done up in the most elegant way, accompanied by  a matching accessory.  She knows how to turn herself out, darlings, even after 100 years!!!!!!  Those faux things at Fashion Week could learn a thing or two, from her!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                       Alas, we could not stay that long, because Bea was overwhelmed, and we had to dash off to another event, on Bleecker Street in the Village.  This was the memoriam gathering for my older friend, John Robinson (74!!!!!!!!) who died on September 3, just one day before what would have been his 75th birthday. And just last week we were at a similarly related event surrounding the passing of the mother of David's friend, Brian.  What is going on, darlings?????????????

                                         John's gathering, while I saw many people I had not seen in awhile, had to be the most austere event of its kind I have ever been to.  A closed casket, which is fine with me, above which ran a digital slide presentation, detailing John's embarkations into and out of Life, and pictures of him at various locations, including his home of many years in Eastchester, New York.  But no cards or flowers, nothing to really beautify the scene. Who knows?  Maybe he wanted it that way.

                                            I felt a mixture of gladness and sadness. Glad that I had come, but sad, not only at John's passing, but how comparably fast (3 years!) his decline seemed to go, with the last year especially not being a good one.  My hope is that is behind him now.  I shall remember John as a well read man of great intelligence--there was hardly a book I was reading he did not know of, and could discuss--and he had a keen sense of humor and an adept gay men's knowledge of all things artisitc, though he did not go much to movies or theater.  All of which was evident whenever the Group we had for so long, which I called "the Girls," gathered several nights a week for years, at the Malibu Diner on West 23rd Street, whcih I came to call "the world famous Mailbu, where the elite meet to eat!"  Honey, it was not Elaine's, but it was our spot for years; we even had our own table!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  As George said at the gathering yesterday, it was the most non-Malibu place you could imagine, but it  was the company, not the cuisine (though by diner standards it was not bad!) that made our meetings there so memorable.

                         Alas, Life moves on, taking us in different directions, and John to the next journey, but all shall live on in our memories.  I would not think of going to the Malibu now, unless circumstance placed me there, because what was had there once could never be recaptured.  But it was wonderful, while it lasted!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                          So, that was my day, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Can you iamgine??????????????????  Let me add just one more thing--no more Memoriams this year, please!!!!!!!!!  I have already been to four!!!!!!!!

                          Instead, let's look ahead to more cheerful things--crisp Fall weather, shows to see, and Raspberry Bavarian Cream to make!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                             Oh, and maybe the cancellation of 'Honey Boo Boo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!'