A G00D LAUGH!
It's always exciting to sleep somewhere else. --Jean-Cedric Michel, THE DAY APPLE BOUGHT GREECE, a novel Well, it's my birthday month and I like my birthday month to be spontaneous. As Dorothy described in a recent letter 'time does pass quickly' and as Gloria (Alan's mother) reminded me: we must enjoy the present. She has problems with that herself. It is not easy to enjoy the present moment or the present day. I am working towards doing that and in the middle of it all I strive for a good laugh.
May 10, 1995, an exciting event
Alan and I attended the Gianfranco FERRE APLA-Fashion Show event in Santa Monica tonight. It was cool to see Liza Minnelli kiss the Italian Fashion Designer, Gianfranco, after she presented him with the Crystal Apple Award from APLA-Aids Project Los Angeles. Ferre was honored by the CA Fashion Industry Friends and APLA for his efforts in their fight against the disease. They know how to organize these affairs elegantly. I love how they planned it for a Wednesday night. People assume things like this happen on Friday or Saturday nights. I prefer it on a weekday night. I really enjoyed the fashion show. At first I was a little nervous, but then Alan added some encouragement; whereas, I said, "You're right, we'll just pretend we are Producers." Ha-ha
May 12, 1995, a postcard from Gloria
Hi, miss you and Alan! I know you would like a postcard of CHICAGO since you don’t have one in your collection. CHICAGO is a great city, just an enlarged San Francisco. Hope you get this card before you get home. Regards to All.
Love Always, Gloria and Jack
May 13, 1995
It was nice to be back in the Bay Area to see mom for a weekend escape. I kept my date for lunch with Dorothy Rua, also. We had a lovely lunch in Berkeley at Chez Panisse. I filled her in on the latest goings on with me. She thinks her life is boring—but I don’t. I like hearing what she says. She makes me laugh. And what does everyone need: A GOOD LAUGH!
First Cousin, Carol Lucero sent a sweet floral card
Well, hello, Michael. Yes, I’m still alive. I’m sorry for the lapse of time. Since I’ve last written in response to your last letter, you asked me when my Birthday is—well it’ just flew by (April 30th). If my memory serves—yours is sometime soon, no? I need a Birthday calendar to write these details down. Well, I’m happy to say that on my Birthday, RYAN and I got engaged to be MARRIED! I think I just got over the realization of it.
I don’t think it’s any surprise for those who knew us—but I can't believe it’s happening.
We’re thinking/planning for May of 1996, so we hopefully can have it at the YOSEMITE Chapel in the Valley. It is our second home after all. Well, that’s the biggest news I have to share.
How are you? Yes, I know we haven’t made it down there to visit you—hopefully later this year. Ryan and I promised to visit his cousin (over a year ago). We’re finally visiting her in Yakima, WA later this month. We’re going to Portland, Yakima, Seattle, San Juan Island...
Take Care and talk to you soon.
Love Carol
This was such wonderful news. I am so happy for Carol and her forthcoming marriage. I already spoke to my mother about it and we will definitely attend her wedding together. I hope it is held at Yosemite National Park. I have never been there and I know it would be a beautiful setting. I guess I will find out if this will happen next year. Time will tell--but for now, I will enjoy the present moment.
It's not that you have to achieve anything, it's that you have to get away from where you are. --Marguerite Duras, THE LOVER
