Latest article...Jazz Musician Brent Bagwell

Here's my lastest interview. His name is Brent Bagwell and he's a multi-talented jazz musician here in Charlotte, originally from Brooklyn. Had a great time with this one, nice to see dudes who dig Ellington. 8)

Otherwise, not much else going on besides the usual. The end of the month looks promising, lots of events rolling around!

New writing digs...and I'm on Twitter!

This is perhaps a rather late posting (since November, ya think?), but I wanted to mention to anyone listening that I now write for Charlotte View Point, an online webzine focusing on the cultural side of the Queen City. Go to the Arts section for my last few articles I've written (since January).

Also, as of a few days ago, I'm also on Twitter...follow me for fabulous updates of my exciting celebrity-ish life. I'm only experimenting, mind you.

More to come, dashing off to hear Beethoven tomorrow night uptown, with some Malaysian dining pre-show. So posh. :-P ;-)

Indulgences

This is the time of year when many of us take vacations. It’s the holiday season, actually, of pumpkin spices, the tartness of apples and the comfort of cinnamon… cold, piercing breezes that sweep the golden leaves back into the lawn you so carefully raked the evening before (they’re so attractive in their look and feel, soft like butter leaves, why shouldn’t you bring them inside? Sprinkle them over the hearth…), but breezes you can’t help but succumb to. After the heat of an extended summer well into September and October, feeling the nip and nick of chilly autumn air is like the Holy Water of oxygen.

But it’s such a pleasure to look at the colors that pop out at you like an old 60’s photograph, against a vibrant blue sky…it brings to mind White House images of the Kennedy’s, red and orange landscapes, dotted by white clouds and the boxy candy colors of Jackie’s suits. Autumn is a season rife with memories for us all, whether the tingly excitement of trick-or-treating with friends as children or simply sensory memories of happy fall feelings gone by, there is so much to celebrate right now.

So, in the spirit of these musings, I came up with a list of fall indulgences around the Charlotte and Belmont area, some of which are my personal tried-and-triumphed activities, things one can do to relax and unwind from stress. Vacation. What a word. If only it lasted year long. If you have time, consider it!


Fall is here, gang. But that doesn’t mean you have to stress about work, family, who’s going to cook the turkey, why can’t aunt Mabel do it? She may complain about her arthritis, but that doesn’t mean she has to stick *you* with it, and what about your sister-in-law? Her cranberry salad is sour and so are her children…oops….

Indulge in….



...French pastries:
Amelie’s French Bakery
2424 N. Davidson St, Charlotte
(704)-376-1781
http://www.ameliesfrenchbakery.com/

Nowhere in Charlotte can you find a little taste of Francophile heaven than Amelie’s. The shop is small (and sparsely decorated the last time I was there) but is thoroughly authentic in terms of what you’ll be eating. Everything is made with French ingredients, in the French style and manner. The glass display case may cause you to faint upon first sight from the sheer bliss of it all, but once you pick yourself back up, whatever you do, try the twice-backed almond croissants. These are gooey, moist and dense, filled with almond paste and dipped in a syrup before being baked. Stupefying of your taste buds may occur. The tortes, tarts, cakes, pies, buns, palmiers and other delicacies are just as scrumptious. With a warm cup of coffee or tea, the drive uptown is worth it for half an hour of sweetness.


…A pedicure (for the ladies)


William Henry Signature Salon and Spa
15 S. Main St., Belmont
(704)-825-9040
http://www.williamhenrysalon.com/

There is much to recommend for spending half the day in Belmont. From Charlotte or Gastonia, the drive is nothing and the benefits are worth everything. One of these is the exquisite care you will receive getting a pedicure, manicure, massage or any other comforting service William Henry will provide. The building has been renovated into a creative space with plenty of light, as acoustic coffee-house music wafts through the air, as does the scent of candles and the friendly jabber of the staff. It’s a place to escape. Tour the website for a selection of services they provide. And speaking of Belmont....

...Small-town quaintness

Downtown Belmont is where you’ll find the Caravan Coffee house with a Near Eastern/Moroccan look and feel, as well as the Old Stone Steak House, owned by the LaVecchia family, a name synonymous with fine dining in the Charlotte area. These are across the street from Stowe Park, a tree-laden hilly area to romp with the family, get some ice cream from the small concession shop at the corner and watch the changing colors of the lights in the fountain. This is usually the scene for most of the outdoor festivals in Belmont at various times of year.

...A simple walk

Belmont Abbey College Campus
100 Belmont - Mt. Holly Rd.
1-888-222-0110

http://www.belmontabbeycollege.edu

Belmont Abbey College is a short 2 minute drive from downtown and its foliage possesses all the glory of fall colors you could imagine. 110 acres house both the Benedictine Monastery and the college's facilities, lending a cozy, acquainted feeling - just the kind of atmosphere to stroll along tree-lined Abbey Lane, visit the Grotto for prayer or reflection, or take a deep breath in the Monastery Garden. Holy Grounds Coffee House is a popular pit stop for Abbey students, where Starbuck's coffee is served along with wi-fi. It seems nearly every nook, cranny, and hidden area is picturesque and worth the time of stopping to take it in. See for yourself.

...The Outdoors

This is a fairly simple pleasure, without a price tag, non-fattening, and can be done any time of the day (or, if you're adventurous...night! Strong moonlight, like the reflection of fine white satin, under a full moon is not to be missed. Stand under it outside for a while and you'll see). At this time of year, despite the cold, the sun always seems to shine with more a gleam than any time of year. Late afternoons in autumn are particularly evocative of what fall "feels" like in the collective unconscious of American imagery. Think Norman Rockwell, film, or back-to-school advertising. Go outside, find a cluster of trees or an open space in the country. Stand there and let yourself be still. Breathe in the scent of what real earth is. Don't gather your thoughts around you, do not bring anything into that space with you other than God. Ah yes. We've touched upon the ultimate meaning of what relaxation is! :)

...The Ultimate Indulgence: Prayer

For people of faith, prayer is something that is encouraged on a daily basis. A constant dialogue with God. Giving up your tribulations, trembles, fears, thoughts and hopes to your Creator, who is there to comfort you, brings much consolation to those who put their faith in Him. But prayer is more than just a stress reliever. What I have meant to touch on here is that while there are tangible effects to calming the mind and quieting the soul, spiritually speaking to God is incomparable to anything else. It's the key to a true peaceful soul. Fears and anxieties melt away, the more and more you meditate. Think of it as more than a warm cup of tea for the soul. Embrace your prayers and think of it as a spiritual four-star meal. In the same sense, and just as importantly, reading Scripture serves as that spiritual food. Read the Bible, any part of it, take comfort from what you read...breathe slowly...relax...close your eyes...remember you are loved, special, unique. Celebrating His birth is just around the corner!

I am going to die

On November 14th, I go in for a 20 minute procedure that may have taken 25 years or a little less to prepare for.

For the past few years, at least, I have had acid reflux issues that have gradually become worse. After attempting to reason with my family doctor, who swore I did not have an ulcer, and taking three different kinds of medication that helped (but did not cure) the problem, I finally (perhaps belatedly) took a trip to the Gastroenterologist. It was decided within the first 5 minutes that I needed an endoscopy.

This is by no means a fun procedure, unless you consider being drugged and putting a tiny camera down your esophogus...fun. Nevertheless, I've rocked and writhed and twitched, crying out like King Lear's "Hoooowwwwllll!" from the pain quite long enough, thank you.

The reason for my prediction of death is the mere thought of a strange, solid un-digestible object being swallowed...by me. A biopsy of my stomach lining will also be plucked from said organ while I am shivering in a stooper of anesthesia, which I'm sure will be lovely.

The kicker of all this was when my doctor told me that I will be partially awake throughout this entire ordeal. The IV will be pumping a certain kind of chemical (definition escapes me) that is identical to those proteins found in the brains of amnesia patients. That way, she said, you won't remember anything, either before or after the torture....I mean, the endoscopy. Right.

Great. They're going to make me forget. This is the liquid equivalent to that flashing stick Tommy Lee Jones used in Men in Black. The idea of me, control-junkie that I am, forgetting something like that is odd. I rarely forget my dreams or the snippet of conversations I hear as I walk by someone in the grocery store, let alone my own actions. Ohhhh.

So, we'll see what becomes of me. I know it will come and go and will be over before I know it, so I'm not all that worried. I'll be in pain for a few days, but thankfully I'll have the weekend to recover. Wish me luck and I will no doubt give you what details I can remember (WHICH WILL BE PLENTY! MMMWWWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!) when I return. :)

Lots of interesting things...

There's a lot going on this week that has caught my attention. Let me expound:

Dickinsonian Revelations

I got the American 19th century literary kick of my life this week, when my husband sent me an article that is no doubt the main subject on the tongues and minds of Dickinson scholars right now. Turns out the mystery of Emily Dickinson's enigmatic poetry and life is in reality quite ordinary: she was engaged (shocker!) to a poor but bright Amherst student, George Gould. Her father intervened in the classic Wimpole Street fashion, she pined away while he traveled to Europe, he came back, he married, she went mad with romantic grief and began writing poetry. Ohhh ok: so that's why her poetry exploded in a flurry of morbidity in the early 1860's (he married in 1862), one might say. Perhaps. As to wearing white and secluding herself in her father's home, that's still in question, still an intriguing anecdote that no one can really pin down.

Before I say anything else, I should mention that I love Dickinson. Her poetry, her life, her circumstances were by no means flowery, but it provides a backdrop to what I consider a dark, remote time in Eastern American history. It's the fodder for gothic-esque novels and films. I read the original article in the New England Quarterly (you can download it, for $10.00 unfortunately, at the MIT Press Journals site). They will no doubt do a movie on this, since the elements for the perfect tale examining her pre-creative years (much like Becoming Jane did with Jane Austen's young love story) and love affair are all there. There is, admittedly, only the basic information to build upon, leaving the writers an easy task for fictionalizing the script.

Georgian England...it's where I want to be.

I saw The Duchess last night, with Keira Knightley and Ralph Fiennes. Simply wanted to say that I adored it, it was everything I expected, something that is rare for me when it comes to film. I have high standards, what can I say. 8)

Glass, Warhol, and Brando...yes, this has a point!

The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra is teaming with CPCC this November 14th for a concert I am thrilled about: Phillip Glass' String Symphony No. 3, coupled with scenes from the film On the Waterfront and paintings of Andy Warhol, intertwined with Leonard Bernstein's score from the film. 20th century expression at its finest. Readings from Jack Kerouac is the only thing wanting. Remember the days when respected composers created soundtracks for film? Bernstein, Copland, even Rachmaninoff threw in something now and again. Glass is probably the only one who has achieved this, albeit discreetly: the score for the existential-ish, long-forgotten comedy The Truman Show was a product of his repetitive melodies. John Williams, Howard Shore and others have built their reputations upon writing exclusively for film, not vice versa. Nothing wrong with that, however!

Can't buy me loooooovvee!....

Remember my article from last November, when I waxed ecstatic about the tribute Beatles band, Rain? Well, they're coming back to Charlotte in a matter of weeks. This time, I'll bring my parents along and they can have a flashback to their youth. ;-)

That's it for now. Don't forget: read, sing, soar and inspire. Life is too lovely to waste it on Wii!

Candy just got more fun

Go to www.fusiongorumet.com , if you please. Green tea latte candy? Iced Tea candy (I just ate one, a little too sweet, but definitely reminiscent of a summer's Southern-sweet day)? We have a few of these at the receptionist desk here where I work. I'm thrilled. But check it out, it looks delicious. ;-)

Em

I'm back, from brief hiatus

Can't write a whole lot right now, but here's something to console you for the long absense I recently took from Bloggy world. :-)

Again, you know me and my righteous disdain for unhealthy food. Here is the an article from MSN on the fat substances of Fast Food. I never eat any of this stuff, but I like knowing the truth about things, especially what I eat (or don't eat).

Be Back Soon!