Happy birthday to my second-born son, Benjamin Lafayette! I still think of him as some little wild-haired, mac & cheese-eating dude who hated wearing clothes. Now, he’s turning 29. TWENTY-NINE! How the hell is that possible? Can I really be old enough for him to be 29? Here he is being an incredible young man, running around being all responsible and stuff instead of lining up his trains and Matchbox cars all over the den floor. Time flies much too quickly when it comes to our children. Thinking of them as adults is almost impossible, but here they are, doing all the good stuff and doing it better than their parents did.
Speaking of kids, if your kids are in that age group where Lunchables are part of your daily routine, you need to find another routine. According to news released yesterday, Lunchables contain a scary level of lead and sodium. I know, it’s easy and the kids like it and they’re not eating it for every meal. Can it really be that bad? Yes. Please remember, omitting all the sciency stuff, lead makes people stupid. Those of us from my generation should be a sufficient case study to prove that point. You’re probably not going to like this suggestion, but making them a sandwich or “lunchable” type of meal on your own, as time-consuming as it is, would be much better for them. We’re guilty of hooking our kids on processed food much too early in their lives because it’s easier. I’m just as guilty of this as anyone else. I’m glad that my kids are old enough to get up and cook their own lunches to take with them. In fact, that’s exactly what Tipper is doing as I type. Please, don’t follow my example on this one. Stop feeding your kids Lunchables.
Yesterday kinda sucked. I’m not sure why this happened, but about 10:30 yesterday morning my digestive system rebelled and made me more ill than I’ve been in several months. I was running back and forth across the hallway to the bathroom most of the day with far too much intestinal pain. I don’t know if this was a side effect of the chemo or if I ate something stupid. It seems to be gone for now, but I’m still tentative about eating anything substantial.
The good news is that my SS check hit my bank account this morning! While it’s not a lot, it means I can actually pay some bills and take care of some much-needed food items. Of course, I’ll be budgeting carefully to make sure it lasts all month, but the relief I’m feeling at this moment is substantial. And the odds are pretty high I’ll be having fried chicken for lunch.
One other strange thing that happened yesterday is that one of the buses at Tipper’s school ran into a police squad car as they were leaving the school. Apparently, the squad car took the brunt of the force, neither the bus nor the kids on it were hurt. Still, it caused all the buses to be about 30 minutes late. It wouldn’t be worth mentioning if this was the first time this same bus/driver has had an accident while leaving the school. Last spring, just about this same time of year, it was a car they collided with, and again, it caused all the buses to be late. I’m not going to blame the driver right off, but there’s a stop light at that intersection. There’s no sensible reason for anyone to be having a collision there. Someone’s not paying attention.
Okay, there’s a lot to try and do today. I may do a photo dump later? Maybe. You just have to stay tuned!
Thoughts on the Passing of Roberto Cavalli
Roberto Cavalli died today at the age of 83. I wish you could have known him. Or maybe not. He was a unique character in the fashion world, his own life shaped by the loss of his father, shot by nazis when he was three years old. That event did two things that lasted: it gave him a stutter that could make his words difficult to understand whether in Italian or English. It also sent his now-single mother to make dresses, from which he would learn great skill.
Cavalli loved three things: art, women, and wine. Art was almost always behind the purpose of his fashion, but bringing out the sexiness of the female body was behind the silhouettes that graced his runways. And wine? Cavalli never shied away from throwing a party. In fact, the party atmosphere of his fashion shows was pretty much a staple.
Cavalli could be fiercely competitive and one of the fastest ways to get on his bad side was to be wearing Armani in his presence. So fierce was his competitive nature that he would threaten to file suit if his Milan show was within two hours of Armani. He wanted to be the biggest show of the day and throw the biggest party afterward.
While the designer loved seeing a woman in a dress, it was the stretch denim fabric and the resulting jeans that made him stand out. The jeans hugged a woman’s curves in the sexiest way possible, often leaving very little to the imagination. He’d pair the jeans with a daring low-cut top covered in sequins and rhinestones and five-inch tall stiletto heels, They were looks that were impossible to miss and anyone in the know recognized the look at Cavalli’s.
Roberto hasn’t been directly involved with the brand for some time now. With age came the loss of motor functions, making it difficult to sketch, and exaggerating his stutter, making it difficult to communicate. Finding someone to replace him was difficult, though. Designer Peter Dundas failed miserably at the house, failing to understand the basic look of the brand (despite his kind words in Vogue). Eventually, Fausto Puglisi took the creative director’s post and has continued with designs that match Cavalli’s concept of making beautiful women impossible to miss.
Yes, there were some issues with Cavalli as the world changed. The designer loved being around models and that gave rise to accusations that were less than flattering. While I never witnessed anything inappropriate, his personality certainly made it difficult to dismiss the charges, especially those made regarding the ’80s and early ’90s. He kept such matters private, though, and as he aged was much more careful about his interactions with the women who walked his runways.
Cavalli could be gruff and fun at the same time. He might complain about a sample not falling the way he wanted, demanding to know who had done the sewing or why the wrong stitch was used, but in the same instant, say, “Oh yeah, I did this, didn’t I? Maybe I should fire myself.” Everyone would laugh, and then he would remove the piece and either fix the problem on the spot or remove it from the show.
Cavalli was part of fashion’s Old Guard, a group that really only has two or three members left. Younger designers are coming along with new fabrics and ideas that are better suited for today’s women. He’ll be haunting someone, though, if his legend is ever lost behind Armani’s. Be sure of that.
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