Community Matters

(Community Matters)

yum, one of our mutual Xmas gifts – Julie Speed

(Community Matters) gotta love him

Hat Tip: David Gail

(Community Matters) The Saveur 100 – they asked readers for their favorite ingredients, chefs, tools and tips.  Some that stand out: dried lemon zest, Boss butcher blocks, ssam jang, chocolate gravy, The Apprentice: My Life in the Kitchen (which I’ve just ordered by 1-click but only found paperback so if anyone looking for my 2/4 birthday gift . . . ), Arthur Avenue in the Bronx, the Fernandez & Wells Winebar in London, The Olive & the Caper (I did 1-click hardcover), clarified butter, sichuan dipping salt, & pan con tomate (which Sue Sheridan taught me years ago).

btw, the chocolate donut holes at Bread & Breakfast in Alpine (probably the donuts too but I didn’t try one) are the most delectable object I’ve tasted in 2010 and will be my standard for the year

(Community Matters) says the AAS

I don’t disagree but obvious misses: Brett Hurt, Jeff Dachis, Amy Bryant, Cotter Cunningham, Kevin Lalande, Dave Sikora, Bryan Jones & Mickey Milsap.

(Community Matters) Gosh, thinking back on the “weekend” just now remembering the extraordinary tour arranged for us at the McDonald Observatory.  What a perfect way to celebrate Benjamin Brooks’ 5th birthday, not to mention the visit from DC of Gabel & Dio and from Austin of Isaac, Charlie, Solvye, Emma & Max.

Foreground right: 0.8-meter Telescope. Background L-R: Struve Telescope, Hobby-Eberly Telescope, Smith Telescope, 0.9-meter Telescope  (McDonald Observatory pic)

Jill & Feferman inside the Hobby-Eberly telescope’s dome

inside the Harlan-Smith, 107-inch, telescope’s dome, touring with Dr. Sneden

we also had dinner in the astronomer’s quarters with Dr. Chris Sneden, his wife and Joel Barna, enjoyed the Twilight Party, the Star Party and walking the catwalk of the Harlan-Smith even later.  from the top of the Harlan-Smith to the sub-basement where the light is refracted, reflected and otherwise bent to remove imperfections – extraordinary.

(Community Matters) Much celebrating and lots, lots, lots quality time with dear friends.  Not only did we take over most of the Paisano Hotel but keeping the Rock Hudson suite as a hospitality suite as well as the site for the New Years Eve bash created a place for community and the making of even more friendships. (pic: Eugene & Boyd Elder)

Of course, those here all dear friends of mine & Steven’s.  And, we so wanted those who didn’t already to get to know each other even better.  Worked out terrifically that Margo & Gregory’s 5yo loved playing with Mitch & Ingrid’s 4yo, and that their 6 and 8 year olds, played so well with Sonya & Reid’s 8 year old, who obviously adored Nancy & Keith’s 13-yo twin son, ditto on Sonya & Reid’s 11yo daughter and Keith & Nancy’s 13 yo daughter.

Michael & Rachel new to this tribe and widely adored by the kids as well as the adults.  Helped that Michael brought all the sports equipment for Thursday’s three bursts of soccer & football.  The kids were no worse the wear, though the adults feeling a wee bit sore the next two days.   (pic:  Michael & Rachel Feferman, Dio Cramer, Max &  Emma Graves & Peter Johannsen)

And, mixing our tribe of 50 with another dozen Marfans and part-time Marfans made for a spectacular new years eve. Regrettably, I didn’t make it over to Tobin Levy’s bash, nor to the Teepee Party at Cosmico.  We did make Terry & Suzanne’s earlier in the day.

The Hilltop hotties hosted a New Years Day brunch at their place overlooking the city.   Rest of the day spent eating, reading, walking, touring and last night a big night for leftovers, dictionary, Banana gram, cards and more wine.

A couple of folks pulled out of town yesterday, nearly all the rest today.  Last night I blew out my back, so I haven’t been too helpful with the packing up and loading, and I’m now mostly stationary.  ughh

Some (not many) pics from New Years eve. 

Sonya Cohen Cramer & Jill McRae

Dick DeGuerin, Joe Christie & Mitch Berman

Michael Feferman, Christina Gutierrez & Hazel Barbour

Graydon Parish & Kim Hughes

Dio & Gabel Cramer, their daddy Reid Cramer, Max & Emma Graves

Robert & Valerie Arber

Susan Ghertner & Margaret Keys

Vivian Castano (off to left), Kim Hughes & Michael Mitchell

Terry Mowers, Barbara Hill & Suzanne Tick

(Community Matters) Brought in the new year among the dearest of friends from Austin, San Antonio and DC plus many new friends from Marfa including Barbara Hill, Dick & Janie DeGuerin, Valerie & Robert Arber, Tim Johnson & Caitlin Murray, Suzanne Tick & Terry Mowers and Boyd Elder.  Will post some pics later today or tomorrow.

(Community Matters) The reality of Mexico and its drug wars?

Mexico where the war is for drugs, where the police and the military fight for their share of drug profits, where the press is restrained by the murder of reporters and feasts on a steady diet of bribes, and where the line between the government and the drug world has never existed.

Mother  Jones article

(Community Matters) From Towleroad:  Palin-Johnston custody lawsuit comes out in the open. Writes Dan Savage: “Before Republicans are allowed to impose their values on our families their political leaders—Sarah Palin, Mark Sanford, John Ensign, et al—should be required to successfully impose their own damn values on their own damn families for for five fucking minutes.”

(Community Matters) Fayza Elmostehi in the Houston Press names the 10 most Bangable Men in the Texas Technosphere.

No surprise to find my young friends, Austin-based hotties, Will Roman and John Erik Metcalf (actually now Bejing) among the bunch

Will Roman

John Erik Metcalf

(Community Matters) Yum – about 2 inches of snow on the ground, in the trees, on the walls & rooftops this morning.

Unlike previous visits, I haven’t spent much time taking pictures or blogging.  I’m not sure Steven and I have ever needed decompression time as bad as by the time we arrived last week.  Our lives are so full of joy, work, fun and opportunities; nevertheless, we should probably be a bit more judicious at life’s buffet.

Not to mention, there are tons of Marfa pictures already in this blog – and pictures of almost all our Marfa friends.  We’ve reconnected and shared meals with many.  Though, we’ve also just hung alone more than ever – about half & half.  It’s been delightful and rejuvenating.  Steven spent yesterday in Terlingua celebrating Leslie Jarmon’s life with her family as they sang, reminisced and hiked spreading her ashes at her property.  I spent the day reading, writing and organizing for the arrival of many of our dearest friends for a three-day celebration of the new year.  Since here, I’ve finished Michael Crichton’s Pirates Latitude and am now reading Barbara Kingsolver’s Lacuna.

This place (Marfa) remains magical – the big sky, big horizon, exquisite light, minimalist setting, epicenter of minimalist art, gathering spot for an eclectic, yet strangely homogenous mix of people and indigenous German-ancestor ranchers and Mexican workers who’ve always been made this a liberal oasis in West Texas.   It’s the one time of the year we see certain friends from around the country – interestingly, everyone is talking about staying just a bit under the radar, taking it easier and having more down time this holiday.  Maybe it’s been a really busy/stressful fall for everyone.  hmm, need to explore this more.

All this said, and I can’t wait for our friends to arrive for the new year celebration.  The Cohen-Cramers (Sonya, Reid, Dio & Gabel) arrive tonight after a day in Carlsbad Caverns.  Margo, Gregory & Benjamin spending tonight at Indian Lodge in Ft. Davis, then here midday tomorrow.  Tomorrow the arrival of the Fefermans (Rachel & Michael), the Christies (Tana & Joe), Margaret Keys, the Graves (Nancy, Keith, Emma & Max), Jill McRae & Stephen Yelenosky, the Bermans (Solvye, Isaac, Daniel, Ingrid & Mitch), the Hughes (Kim & Kyle), Trey Herschap & Vivian Castano, Michael Mitchell/Robert Torian, Victoria Corcoran & Jeff Neal, Richard Hartgrove & Gary Cooper, Graydon Parish & Heath Riddles; Susan Ghertner, Christina Gutierrez & Hazel Barbour; and I’m missing some and will add later.  Tomorrow night,  McDonald Observatory private tour, dinner with the astronomers, star party (on a near blue moon night) and looking through the 107-inch telescope; softball & soccer organized by Gabel & Michael F on Thursday, lunches, dinners, a book reading, the new years eve party in the Paisano’s Rock Hudson suite (sneaking away briefly for Tobin Levy’s bash across town), brunch at the Hilltop Hotties place overlooking the city on new years day, parlour games, hiking and good food that day/evening and just reading, eating, long conversations and chilling with our dearest friends until the last head home on the 3rd.

Steven is doing serious writing and will likely have a first draft of his play before we leave.  Next week, I kick back into remote work mode & ADL planning.  Already working on our first and second quarter calendars.  hmm, and seriously thinking about some art.

(Community Matters) Gotta love author, playwright, activist Larry Kramer, the Yale-educated founder of ACT-UP.  His upcoming book – The Amercan People – likely to cause as much furry as his activism.

Mr. Kramer gets my nomination as the most important contemporary member of our LGBT community