Magical things happen to all of us on our way through life without our noticing for a time they have happened. “Surely it has been there all along,” you think. “Surely I have always loved him.” “She has always been mine,” you tell yourself. And of course, being magic, it is all true, even when it is still only becoming so.

And so it was for the pirate and the mermaid who fell in love.

This mermaid of whom I speak was not unlike a certain Wendy of whom I’m sure you all have heard, who always knew just when to sit thoughtfully at a window and when to step to the window’s edge and take flight toward the stars. The pirate was not unlike Peter Pan, who, despite choosing never to grow up, knew all the best pathways through enchanted woods, which only the wisest of adults know. But above all, the mermaid and the pirate were not unlike each other, for while both delighted in the kind of solitary escapades that can only be undertaken in secret, they each separately believed that true adventure, is best when undertaken with a friend; For adventures are always sweetest when you can see in another’s smile, that Yes, this is an unforgettable moment.

Both the pirate and the mermaid were frequenters of a certain lagoon, nestled in a corner of a much-loved island. Though both spent many days and nights and weeks throughout the years enjoying the lagoon, they both thought of it as their own, and rarely, at least in the beginning, noticed that anyone other soul besides themself kept is as a home away from home.

For the mermaid, naturally, lived at the edge of the sea. On evenings when the sunset promised to be dazzling, the young mermaid would climb to a secret spot on the cliff overlooking the ocean to watch the sun settle down to bed in the deeper sea beyond her reach.

To the south, in an isolated patch of woods, the young pirate enjoyed the solitude offered by tall trees and disguised hideouts. Even as a boy, the pirate was a superb swordsman and parried with dazzling rapidity against imaginary foes.

And while the years passed, we would be mistaken if we thought the pirate and mermaid never noticed one another or spoke, for to be sure, it was not a very large lagoon they frequented. But did they recognize each other? Not quite. “How can this be,” you ask, “if they shared a home away from home.”

Some would say it was because the pirate and the mermaid had seen each other so often in their dreams, they did not know the other was real. I’m inclined to agree with those that say so.

And this would explain how one night, when both the pirate and the mermaid were invited to the same banquet, they fell into conversation so easily.

The mermaid thought herself dreaming, though wide awake, when she noticed a rakish-looking man in a well-haberdashered suit and fine boots. The mermaid said to herself, “Here’s a flashy fellow, but not in the artificial way of bobs and bangles. No, his is a flash like sunset beams on the water, natural and luminous.”

The pirate recognized the mermaid from across the room. “I have seen her before” he thought, “ seen her standing on the shore in a bright dress with her hair dancing in the wind, have seen her facing the rain on a hillside, bundled against the storm yet eager for more. Have these things happened already or are they about to?” He wondered.

And it seemed only natural that he should cross the room to her and speak.

“I know you,” he said. “I know who you are.”
“You know me?” said she, “Well, I am not hard to find. Many know my name.”
“But I know who you are. You are a mermaid.”

She was taken aback. For though she had recognized him, she did not expect him to recognize her.
“What you say is true,” said the mermaid. “But how did you know?”
The pirate replied, “There is a certain lagoon I’ve had reason to visit often. I’ve seen you there laughing with your sisters, and teaching the little fishes new games to play.”

“And I recognize you,” admitted the mermaid. “But maybe I mistook you for a fish. I see now I must have been mistaken. You are a pirate, aren’t you?” she said.
He smiled his ‘Yes.’
“Do you pillage and plunder for treasure”
“Certainly not. I design treasures and share them. What treasure do you seek?”
“Well” said the mermaid, “I should like something to keep me warm on my windy walks on the shore.”

And just like that, the mermaid found herself wrapped in the warmth sown by this pirate, her friend.
“You made this just for me?” she inquired.
“Truth be told, I made it for myself, but thought it would suit you better.”
“Then I like it all the more. What else can you do?” asked the mermaid.

The pirate leaned in so that only the mermaid could hear, and said, “I can fill a single day with one thousand adventures. I can make wearing a tie look fun. I can walk in the wind and the rain and snow so long as it’s a new place to go.”

The mermaid smiled, put her hands on her hips and winked up at him. “Well, sir pirate. I shall put you to the test.”

And she did. For if you cannot already tell, both the mermaid and the pirate had lion courage. Neither was tame, but both were good. From that day forward, adventures were of daily occurrence. The difficulty is which one to choose to close our tale. Should we follow them snowshoeing up the frozen volcano? That is a pretty story and shows how brave both can be when the other is there to encourage them. Or we could join them at their favorite talking spot and eavesdrop on their secrets.

But since our time is short, I think the best story would be the adventure of the sunken treasure. For, after years of many mini-adventures, the pirate and mermaid decided that to live together would be an awfully big adventure.

“Now forever more, I will call you ‘my pirate,’” said the mermaid. “What now will you call me?”
Her pirate replied, “I will call you Lucy, for your own name is the sound I like most of all.”

And hearing this, she took him by the hand, leapt into the surf, and led him swimming to a place she’d always wanted to explore, but had not yet had reason to. There, glittering under the water, hidden by undersea caves was a pirate ship, not ravaged by wreck, but in perfect condition, as if its crew decided to put it to there to sleep after a long day afloat. And as the mermaid began to unroll slippery maps on the captain’s table, the pirate waved her over to a small bronze chest whose lock was broken. Eager to see what was inside, the pirate and the mermaid opened the case together and what do you think they found inside, but two golden rings, studded with sapphires.

“They match,” said the mermaid to the pirate once they were back on shore.
“And so do we,” said the pirate.

It will come to no surprise to any of you here to learn that not long after this, the mermaid and the pirate invited all their friends together to a beautiful spot, not far from their lagoon, so they could give these rings to one another.

And if you are a lucky one, on a day such as this, if you happen to wander onto a certain island, you might, just as the sun is setting and the stars are beginning to wake, see a mermaid and a pirate dancing to the rhythm of the sea, as the night sings “This is love, this is love, this is love, that we’re feeling.”

If you see this, you will have no doubt that, Yes, this is an unforgettable moment.

*wedding photos stolen from Facebook friends

Dec 1991–Disneyland: Age 12, so didn’t have to pay

**

Spring 1995–Disneyland: Went as a performer with high school so didn’t have to pay

Summer 2003–Disneyland & California Adventure: Signed in for free by my cast member friend

Dec 2010–Disneyworld: Gifted graduation $$ from beloved friends, and a free week’s stay at the resort as a guest of Spiro who was shooting a wedding there.

Jan 2012–Disneyland & California Adventure: On Disney Promotion’s dime.

** Somewhere in there Erin, Richard and I went in middle school, but I can’t remember the circumstances. I just know we screamed like maniacs on every fantasyland kiddie ride, and received many disturbed looks as a result.

So this time, with Spiro and I headed down, I alerted Ian that we’d be in his ‘hood, hoping he could take a day off and join us at the park. He could and he did. THEN Jonathan decided to make it his birthday weekend trip, and flew down too. He and Ian are both annual passport holders!

With some help from another Disney cast member friend, we got a discount on a second night, as well as an extra evening at the park the night before. Fantabulous.

Ian told me that gnereal statistics for visitors to the park is 8 attractions in a day. With 3 hours Wednesday night and 11 hours the next, Spiro and I hit 28 ATTRACTIONS. We rocked it!

Highlights:

Star Tours-The Adventures Continue: The new Star Tours 3D adventure was sock-off-knocking. We rode it 5 times. Each time was different. With a series of 5 sections of multi-options, there are 53 possible different ride combinations. We went to Hoth, to Tattoine, underwater on Naboo, and a bunch of other places. And the 3D was so sharp, it never felt like 3D.
Pirates of the Caribbean: the recent film franchise has captured my heart (minus the last two) and it makes the ride all the more captivating. It’s a slow, take-in-every-detail ride through politically and historically incorrect scenes, but oh the charm of it all! Yo ho ho!

Animation Academy: Ian showed us this hidden gem. It’s tucked into a building in California Adventure that looks like something just for kids. But when we walked in, we were immersed in a giant room paneled with giant screens of classic animation and concept art, with select songs playing to accompany them. We sat on the carpeted floor of the air-conditioned room for over 20 minutes while scene after scene of magical Disney memories performed for and around us. I could have sat there all day. There’s also great activities inside, including having your voice stolen by Ursula in her Grotto and discovering your true Disney identity in the Beast’s enchanted library. Amazing.

Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage: the old 20’000 Leagues Under the Sea submarines have been transformed to take you to Nemo’s coral reef, and it’s wonderful. This is one case where using video projection on a “live action” ride really works, and I felt like I was really discovering an undersea world. My mouth was agape the whole time.

Monster’s Inc.–Mike & Sully to the Rescue: This is a kid’s ride at California Adventure, and it is wonderful. It feels like you’re in the jazzy, pastel-colored, hi-jinxy, romp of a world that is the film. And there are smells! Of all things to find on a kid’s ride, when we crashed through the sushi restaurant, the smell of wasabi is unmistakable. Loved it!

The Disneyland Hotel rooms: Spiro had been to the hotel less than 2 years before and remembered the sad, 70’s décor. It’s all gone! The hotel has been redecorated with imagery from Mary Blair’s work, my favorite Disney artist. Also, the standard rooms are about the quality of a business class hotel, which is much nicer than I anticipated. But the most magical moment of all was this: Spiro and I had just got into our room and were getting organized. I turned a switch on the lamp between the beds, but instead of a light coming on, I heard the very quiet notes of a music box playing Cinderella’s “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes.” I said ‘Spiro! Listen!” But she said “Kj. LOOK.” Behind me, the wooden headboard, which stretched between both beds and featured a giant carved-out castle, had lit up with twinkling fireworks. Our headboard was a magical, singing, sparkling, twinkling nightlight!

It was an amazing trip, which also included a glorious birthday meal at Steakhouse 55 to celebrate Jonathan’s birthday, and much, much screaming and laughter. Spiro made a great little video blog, and it features the magical headboard. And in case you miss it, there’s another video of that too (you have to turn that one up loud to hear it).





Thank you Disney, for kicking off my year of enchantment! And all in the span of 48 hours!

For those expecting “Diaries of a French Burlesque Dancer”, prepare to be disappointed. While one may approach Colette’s behind-the-scenes of a traveling pantomime artist in turn-of-the-century France expecting it to be flavored with salacious frivolity to match Colette’s reputation, what you’ll find is more an existentialist rumination on ambivalence, than story of a passionate life. In fact, if there’s one thing that most defines the divorcee-turned-stage-performer Reneé Neré, it’s her distrust of passion. Colette’s largely-biographical novel tracks the frustrations, distractions and depressions of a woman in her early thirties whom, in the fallout of a disastrous and damaging marriage, chooses a life of solitude on the stage, rather than one of societal rules. But it’s not a story of the gay and free life of an artist. Instead, the monotony and doubt expressed by Reneé are all-too-recognizable for any single woman reader today, particularly if that reader is in-between jobs and still trying to figure out what to do with her life, with men, and with herself. (ahem).

Did I enjoy this book? Not particularly. The protagonist’s reflections on self-doubt and self-denial are disruptive, and even at times, numbing.
Do I respect this book? Absolutely. To read something that speaks so frankly about women’s experience, women’s fears and women’s strength much less about a woman living in her own apartment and making her own living during a time when corsets were still ubiquitous, is both humbling and empowering. But to spend time with Reneé Neré, is to linger in a space of dissociative hesitation and unconscious compulsion. It’s uncomfortable, but truthful.

Read, respect, but do not expect to revel.



**The Dover Edition is terrible. Stanley Applebaum’s introduction is meant to replace what endnotes would be, but this book desperately needs endnotes for the cultural and historical references. Also, Applebaums new “Americanized” translation reads at times like an Archie comic book. The Enid MacLeod translation may be 60 years old and egregiously British, but it’s still better.**



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What is the Magic Kingdom of the Soul? It’s the capacity to be awestruck with wonder, to watch fireworks with tears in your eyes, to marvel at the early-blooming flowers in your backyard, to be stopped by the sight of the Milky Way as you walk home at night, to be easily surprised and frequently silly. It’s the ability to say YES, PLEASE! to mystery and to allow the knowledge that we are truly made of star-matter to affect our sense of identity.

True enchantment is perhaps this: to be utterly captivated and breath-taken by reality. I love living here.

A Prayer

May you read dangerously,
listen passionately,
and write with risk

no matter whom you are running from,
where you are hiding
or who is telling you to beware

and when you find yourself face to face with a story that
awakens your desire
or breaks your heart,
unleashes your hope of adventure
or reminds you why you started seeking in the first place

then dive in, steal it if you have to,
and wrestle it for a blessing.

May you be brave, may you be kind,
may you be haunted by the wonder of God’s Kingdom.

Amen

The Shaken Rainier – Featuring locally-made Dry Soda
This elegant blend of muddled lime, Tanqueray gin, Green Chartreuse, and Juniper Dry Soda evokes the verdant forests of the northwest mountains.
Muddle lime
5-count Tanqueray Gin
1-count Green Chartreuse
Shake
Serve up
Top with 2-count Juniper Dry Soda
Garnish with lime (or rosemary)


The Sound – Featuring locally-made Dry Soda
Calm your senses with this delicate combination of lemon, Smirnoff citrus vodka, Chambord, and Lavender Dry Soda; rose-tinted like the sunsets over Puget Sound.
Muddle lemon lightly
3-count Citrus Vodka
1-count Chambord
Shake
Serve on the rocks
Top with 2-count Lavender Dry Soda
Garnish with lemon (or lavender)


Ruined
By Lynn Nottage

The Karibu (Welcome)
Let us welcome you with this delightful concoction. You’ll feel right at home.
Muddle lemon
2-count Captain Morgan Spiced Rum
2-count Brandy
2-count Sweet Vermouth
1-count Red Apple Schnapps
Heavy splash of cranberry juice
Shake
Serve up
Garnish with a cherry (dropped in)


The Sunbird
Fly into the sun with this smooth, refreshing mix of muddled lemon, Smirnoff Citrus Vodka, Amaretto, and Chambord. It’s like rich berry lemonade.
Muddle lemon
3-count Citrus Vodka
2-count Disaronno Amaretto
1-count Chambord
Shake
Serve up
Top with soda
Garnish with lemon

More William Emmert links:

The Weird World of William Emmert on ThinkFaest

Unstage.com

Beautiful/Decay