One of the best parts of being in Ohio is that we have reconnected with Ben's (huge) clan of family. I've known them for over 14 years, but from a distance. I was a bit slow on getting all the names right and the spouses and the kids. When I saw one kid I'd known as a little kid (now late teens) I did not recognize him to everyone's amusement.
How could I not know Hunter?
The clan has been together in the same area of Ohio forever. The 14 years Bens been with me in Californa never really took him out of the family loop. Now that he's back here, it's almost like he never left. I have to say I love being part of the "clan".
Today Ben's aunt Bobbie (Barb) had everyone to her home in Mansfield for "pigs in a blanket." (pork and ground beef balls with rice wrapped in cabbage in a soup of tomato and spices and sauerkraut. Thick chunks of bread and butter and mashed potatoes finished the meal. All served straight from the kitchen to whoever showed up, whenever they showed up. The pot had been cooking for over 10 hours - started the day before and then reheated today so the flavors blended and mellowed. It was so unbelievably good and satisfying. We all ate wherever we could find a spot while the tv played one of many football games. Ben helped this cousins set up his mom's new speaker system to go with her new tv. Ben and his cousin Lonnie worked together on the project - joking and teasing each other. Honestly they are as different as night and day, but underneath the "types" the connection - the family tie - is obvious. Ben- his tight black jeans, pink and black sneakers, red and black flannel topped with a black biker jacket, tatted and pierced, blue hair, goofy humor - in the snow, Ben makes snow men. In the snow, Lonnie waits for hours with a gun or bow for his prey to pass close enough for a clean kill. Lonnie with his home full of stuffed and mounted animals, deer watch his tv from behind his chair - the black bear comes out of the wall behind the tv. The turkeys and peasants are flattened into wall hangings. Lonnie - in his camo pants and loose muddy boots - hair trimmed short - buff - while Ben is a computer whiz who does art for a living. Lonnie works at a correctional facility. He is big and tough. I'm sure on one messes with Lonnie. Different. Wildly different. And yet I've watched them getting closer with each gathering.
Ben's family accepts each other 100%, Can't say they accept everyone - or every type - but once someone is in the family "clan" everyone has their back.
Every time we are with Ben's family - I feel - like I am a part of something.
It's wonderful to feel this much love - from them all and for them all.
And Ben.
So yeah.. you will not find me paying $$$ to go into clubs to celebrate the new year with a bunch of drunks... what will you find me doing? .... hogging a bottle of champagne all by myself at home.. the result.... I feel like I got ran over my a truck.... and my goal was to finish the bottle..that didn't happen.. boo @ me
V Magazine's Size Issue will be on the newsstands
everywhere Jan 14 2010
Day 2: Curves Ahead by Sølve Sundsbø
Also see the V Magazine Video preview
Photo: Sølve Sundsbø
Styling: Nicola Formichetti
Make up: Frank B (The Wall Group)
Hair: Esther Langham (Art + Commerce)
Models: Candice Huffine, Marquita Pring, Michelle Olson, Tara Lynn (Ford NY), Kasia P (Click)
Photo assistants: Karina Twiss and Ashley Reynolds
Stylist assistants: Emily Eisen, Jessica Shaw, Enrica Ferrazza, Angelo deSanto
Videographer: Bell Soto
Digital technician: Nicola (Republik)
Tailor: Alberto Rivera (Lars Nord)
Printing Box
Bloggers: Please limit usage on any other site to 1 or 2 images. If you are reusing these images on a personal blog to talk about the V Size issue please credit models.com and V Magazine as the source and include a working link back to this page. Thank you.
None of these images can be reproduced for any commercial purpose without prior approval from V Magazine.
All images are copyright V Magazine and respective photographers.
Ten years ago today I was at a party that changed my life, which is to say the first real kind of grown-up party I had ever been to. I was playing in a band, and all the other band members were so much cooler than me and so much more talented than me. I felt so happy and so out of place. It was ridiculously painful, exhilarating, intimidating, stressful and perfect. Part of that is being 16, I guess. The next four months were also ridiculously painful, exhilarating, intimidating, stressful and perfect. Ah, nostalgia.
Anyway, I'm flying home to New Mexico for the next ten days or so. Here's hoping this trip is a bit more restful and happy than the last one. I hope you all have a great start to the new year and stay safe and have insanely spectacular moments somewhere along the way.
I coughed and wheezed all night long. No more "i'm ok, it's just a cold." I drive my mess down to urgent care.
Yes, I have a cold - and that cold has camped out in my lungs. Now it's bronchitis. I got a whole mess of meds to take and an shiny new inhaler. My script called for me to get a vaporizer and other non rx stuff and then to up my vitamin c, liquids, and REST. He asked if I needed a note for my empoyer so I could get out of working for a few days till the anibotics and steroids - whee.
Once I settled in on my second pot of tea I watched SHAKES THE CLOWN. Wow, I loved it. Bobcat rules.
Nym headed in to the vet today too. Like mommy he has a infection in his ears and in his nose. He's beside me right now on his part of the couch. Me, I'm on my end with my feet up watching tv for the 6th day in a row. But I don't want this to get worse - so - I'm resting with the steam of the humidifier filling the room with the scent of vicks.
I keep trying to write here and failing. A lot of shit has happened in the past month and I don't want to talk about most of it (hooray for blogging about not blogging!) But I figure if I keep starting entries eventually one of them will stick. I wrote a big long gigantic post I don't really want to have around forever more, but maybe it'll re-emerge sometime in a tamer format. I don't really have my feet under me at the moment, maybe I will in January or May or June or ... ? I've been traveling a lot, and thinking a lot about the following: Family, goals, jobs, writing. You can just fill in whatever nonsensical/whimsical/genius text you'd like on the subjects. Go!
