Yesterday was a bit epic so today I am just cleaning the house, tidying up the garden, reading a friend's book, taking a nap....
I set the alarm yesterday for 5am but didn't need to, I was awake at 2am, 3am, 4am, and finally 5am. There is something about having to get up really early that makes it hard for me to sleep at all. I just kept looking at the clock, you know what I mean.... ! Finally got up and headed down to the Railyard Park to set for the Artist's Market by 6am. Tent, 40#-weights, 3 tables, cash table, bags, wrapping paper, and oh yeah, artwork! Met all kinds of interesting people from all over the country and then loaded it all back up into my Tacoma by 2 in the afternoon. A friend needed to borrow my weights so I dropped them off before heading home. When I got there Dave said he wanted to walk the dogs and needed the truck so I did it all over again, same stuff, unloaded into my cargo trailer. This was all in 85 degree heat so I was a wilted piece of lettuce by the time I moved that shit for the 3rd time in one day.
Lucky for me I had a party to go to (plenty of food and drink without having to cook) but needed to be there by 4. I hopped into the shower and was just barely dry by the time Christine came to pick me up. I have to say it was one of the loveliest parties I have ever been to... here is why...
About 8 years ago one of my close friends lost her husband to melanoma quite rapidly; from diagnosis to a life celebration/wake in 9 weeks. As Michael was the love of her life this was unbearably painful for her. That is why when she fell in love again a few years ago all her friends, myself included, were so very happy. Consequently, in the last few years Michael's collection of Hawaiiana has slowly been given away, sold, or at least packed up.
The question remained however what to do with his very large collection of vintage Hawaiian shirts...
These were the real deal, no cheap tourist imitations made in China, but real Hawaiian shirts with coconut buttons in real vintage fabrics. Said friend decided a party was in order and set about planning a Hawaiian-shirt-giveaway luau of course. Her plan was to hang them all over the garden, invite all of her friends over, and cajole everyone into taking home as many as they could carry.. With one caveat; you had to wear one of the shirts for the duration of the party..
(Flash back... to the year I spent, 1979?, as a seamstress in Hollywood making Hawaiian shirts for tourists out of vintage tablecloths from the 50's and 60's, but with real coconut shell buttons...)
Thus ensured a bittersweet afternoon with all kinds of friends from Eldorado and Santa Fe, gaily trying on bright Hawaiian shirts whilst drinking beer and mint juleps and remembering Michael. A sweeter way to remember and honor her husband I could not think of. I just felt Michael was really having a good laugh somewhere as all his friends tried on his old shirts and picked one out for themselves.. surprisingly harder than it might seem!
Aloha Michael! you and your spirit are now seen brightly all over town....
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