My Dream Come True

You know those dreams you always hold deep down in your passion center- and at 50 you realize its more than likely never going to happen...well designing, making, even taking care of the amazing costumes at the Opera has always been high on my list. This weekend the rare opportunity to not only peruse the amazing place storing all the treasures but a chance to purchase some of the pieces the opera is ready to pass on makes me quiver with excitement! I imagine there will be MANY others who share my passion — get there early!

SAN FRANCISCO OPERA COSTUME SHOP SALE

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC OCTOBER 24 & 25

Spectacular Array of One-Of-A-Kind Costumes, Hats, Masks, Shoes, and Fabrics

Rare Sale Includes Designs by Noted Costume and Fashion Designers

and Costumes Worn by Opera’s Greatest Stars

SAN FRANCISCO (October 5, 2009) — Looking for a unique piece of opera memorabilia, or the

ultimate Halloween costume? Don’t miss the San Francisco Opera Costume Shop Sale on Saturday,

October 24 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m and on Sunday, October 25 from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the

San Francisco Opera Scene Shop, located at 800 Indiana Street (between 20th and 22nd Streets) in San

Francisco.

For only the fourth time in its history, San Francisco Opera opens its extensive and historic

costume warehouse to the public. This rare sale offers hundreds of stylish and exotic items, including

hats, masks, fabrics and shoes, as well as handmade costumes spanning a wide variety of styles and

periods, for men, women and children.

In addition to medieval, biblical, Renaissance, and eighteenth-century costumes, modern and

vintage clothing previously worn in San Francisco Opera productions are also available, as well as

conceptual and fantasy costumes that defy description.

Hand painted kimonos from Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, photo emulsion-printed costumes from

Verdi’s Macbeth, spectacular 18th-century costumes from Massenet’s Manon, and hand painted soldier

costumes from Verdi’s La Forza del Destino are among the one-of-a-kind costumes on sale.

The sale includes a special collection of costumes worn by some of opera’s greatest luminaries at

San Francisco Opera, including Montserrat Caballé, Beverly Sills, Leontyne Price, Luciano Pavarotti,

Régine Crespin, Plácido Domingo, Renée Fleming, Thomas Hampson, Mirella Freni, Samuel Ramey, and

Dame Joan Sutherland. Pieces by noted fashion and costume designers such as Gianni Versace, Bob

Mackie, Thierry Bosquet, and Jean-Pierre Ponnelle are also featured.

Prices range from $1 to $750; prices for costumes from the special opera luminaries collection are

available on request. Cash and credit card accepted. All sales are final and benefit San Francisco Opera.

For more information, visit sfopera.com.

A Mother's Wish

October 19,2009

Happy 21st to my boy! Your at the helm, it's cloudy with a chance of stormy weather ahead but there's no doubt "you" will find the sun and the sweet breeze to launch you toward your destination-may that sweet little boy always be at the heart of your journey and those you love the soul of your purpose. Know there will always be a safe harbor called home-happy voyage!

Weekend in My City by the Bay

Another glorious fall weekend in San Francisco. A hint of fog sat distant on the coast and allowed that familiar crispness to brighten the day. Not to mention the opportunity to break out the lovely fall clothes — boots, sweaters, soft wools, textures, rich colors, warm tones. The city swarmed with crowds out to enjoy the feast of activities...Nike Woman's marathon brought an extra layer of visitors, there were shoppers, plays to be seen, art shows, operas, restaurants spilling over-the hot seat being the outdoor venue. Give yourself over to the crowd — drink in the energy and creativity — the surge will open your eyes to all the possibilities.

Photos by Blossom

ACT in conjunction with Kneehigh Theater extended performances through this weekend of Noel Coward's "Brief Encounter"-set in 1945 in an English train station tearoom — explores the "forbidden passion" between a man and woman, switches between film and theater with songs by Coward (who in real life was a British spy during the war and on the German "black list" — which I found far more appealing than the play itself). Overall solid performances, good music and interesting media melding (although in this tech savvy world seemed a bit lacking). Didn't find the characters particularly compelling or their story very interesting-I'll chalk it up to my not being British!

SF Opera "Salome" - Combine Strauss, Oscar Wild (inspired by Flaubert's "Herodias" and Gustave Moreau's paintings), The Dance of the Seven Veils, beautiful soprano Nadja Michael (Salome) , and very "manly" Greer Grimsley (Jokanaan) and you start to get the image. Touted as a "succes de scandale" originally in Europe, it's first tour of America in 1907 inspired a public prayer meeting and as a result Metropolitan Opera cancelled the performance. Salome's charter is a "symbol of sinful, destructive seduction...fin-de-siecle obsession with the unnatural and decadent, with vampiric beauty beneath which lurk terrifying desires" (Thomas May), pretty much sums it up! Oh and the rather painfully long love scene with the severed (rather bloody) head of Jokanaan... Another winner for new music director Nicola Luisotti (the crowds love him he is all that SF cherishes in its celebs- classy, perfectly coifed, passionate, brilliant all wrapped up in a cute, exuberant Italian package).

Harvest

We let too much time pass this year and were not able harvest our grapes for wine. Once past the disappointment and faced with a very large bucket of beautiful, delicious, old vine cabernet grapes I was inspired to move on. Every year we have managed a small batch of jelly and it is always a treat and worth the time. This year I am preserving the concentrate juice by freezing in ice cube trays, also experimenting with zip lock bags (laid out flat in freezer), to be used for cooking and juice throughout the months ahead. Another new this year is saving the seeds and skin left over after processing through food mill to be used for salt scrubs...this is still in the "creative" process.In order from end to start — the end product a luscious concentrate — add water only (no sugar required)

the jars are submerged into a pot of boiling water(one to two inches above jar line) to sterilize and seal

the prepared (juice concentrate, sugar and Pectin) jelly is poured into cleaned jars

juice concentrate is poured into ice cube trays-also zip lock bags (which are stored flat) for the freezer
this is the pure juice (concentrate)
process through food mill to separate seed and skin from the juice

about 1/4 a cup of fresh lemon juice goes into the concentrate at some point during process

roaring boil softens and breaks down grapes and a glorious juice emerges (sometimes I'll add about 1/4 c water to get things started)
the best ones are sorted, plucked from stem and selected to enter the pot for the juice

these are selected to be left out and continue the process of becoming raisons - Yum!

The first steps wash, taste, select...

So Long Farwell

Another sad loss to the changing times of print. Since 1941 Gourmet has been lavishly compelling our pallets with beautiful, glossy food imagery on thick structured paper that enticed our senses and engaged us to go forth and do something extraordinary in our kitchen, or visit someplace far off and exotic and be indulged. Now Conde Nast has decided that Bon Appetit will have to do — produced on cheep paper and filled with advertisements from mass manufacturers. Well, they claim it's about the numbers and we the people apparently want Bon Appetit- I'll give it another try. But something has been lost-I love reaching,dreaming and being lured by beauty especially when it comes to food. Au revoir

Oh Anthropologie don't ever go away...the creative energy abounds I am always inspired, charmed and delighted!

Bravo! SF Opera

If Il Trovatore is any indication SF Opera season is shaping up to be a good one. New music director Nicola Luisotti, stellar performances, "haunting imagery" Goya inspired sets, Verdi's "irresistible stream of melody" (SF Opera) stunning, favorite themes "destiny and desire" (SF Opera) passion, love triangle, maternal love, happy ending if not for the fatal poison-death, ultimate revenge... After 12 years of dedication to SF Opera this is one of my top of the list picks! Of corse there have been so many and memory fades...

lovely lunch at Boulevard in San Francisco- these posters are in the hall on the way to the bathroom - equally beautiful

thoughts after a weekend in Southern California - pondering growing older with dignity, passion, confidence and grace - in spite of the forces working against the concept.

Fall Fridays

October brings a new layer to the palette, rich warm tones and bright bold splashes glaze past the eyes while robust scents of harvest - ripening - abound. A drive up the Napa Valley fills the imagination as one drinks in the familiar yeasty smells of crush... The wines that will grace the table accompanying warm stews simmering slow in fig and rich red wine, spiced/candied walnuts tossed with blue cheese over fresh greens and crisp juicy apples topped with a persimmon vinaigrette - treasures from my garden. A distant fire adds a layer of warmth to a table surrounded with loved ones. I love October!

the parched land will soon be replenished by the first rain-it will lie hopefull...as do we here in the land of the dry