John Fiedler, a stage actor who won fame as the voice of Piglet in Walt Disney's Winnie-the-Pooh films, died Saturday, The New York Times reported in Monday editions. He was 80.

Two years ago, I was up north visiting my brother and his family and my niece decided that we should watch a video together. She chose a Winny-the-Pooh, one of her favorites at the moment. I figured that we would watch for a few minutes and that she would get bored and then we would move on, which is what happened for her, but I became totally engrossed in the story.

First of all, understand that I am Winnie, that's who I am in the story, or at least that's who I'd like to be in the story. And in this little fantasy world, the character I like the most in my Winnie-mode is Piglet. Understand also that this Winnie-Piglet thing is a good analogy for the best relationship that I've ever had in my life; the voice somewhat, the size difference, the dizzy playfullness, it's all there.

My niece was respectful, she was bored with it all, but she waited until the story had finished before starting the next piece of business that three year olds always have ready.

It's funny, the way things affect you over the years. This doesn't seem like it should affect me this much, but it does. This passing brings up other passings, other losses, another voice lost to memory and love.

Oh, Yea, I won!



Pebbles asked that someone give her a new name, a name of a goddess, perhaps a Voodoo goddess. My name for the entry into the contest was "Maitresse Erzuli Bambula Butt" and I won!

I got the prize chicken salt and pepper shakers! And they are fabulous! They were shipped to me, Durlene, and with the letter of shipment, there was included a selection of small and inexpensive candies and a personal note from the guy who shipped the stuff. Now that was very nice.

And since they arrived just the day before my birthday, I will accept them as a birthday present. Hopefully this will help to defuse the bitter feelings of those who did not win the original contest.

However, you must always remember and never forget that you should never compete in a voodoo contest with someone from newawlins....

hee, hee!

Over all, I am reasonably happy.

Short Bits...

When I met you, I didn't think that you were that shy, although I know how it is, it's very much the same for me. Dinner with luca and your rommie went rather well I thought, with everyone talking rather comfortably. I used to be so quiet, but life has changed me somewhat; the shy part got beaten up and sent to the corner. When I'm out and about, I tend to be fairly outgoing and have no trouble speaking to new people anywhere, especially at work. But at work, it's all about being a host in my department and turning people on to new tastes. I'm still terrible at flirting... I can talk about cheese and wine and chocolate with a lot of passion, but when it gets down to the nasty, I'm as reticent as a little girl. Part of that is still the memory of Bill, a decade after his death it's still there, not as strong as it once was, but still there. I made a strong commitment to him, one not easily abandoned. For now, the energy that might have gone into a relationship with one man, goes into my team at work. It's very sweet really, I am well liked and respected. People come to me for advice and sometimes for comfort and I do not fail them. I smile at everyone and have a kind word for them. During store meetings, I pick up a microphone and talk to three hundred people about what my department is doing and they listen, and laugh at my jokes and sometimes cheer. I wonder at myself; how did I get this way? I guess love changed me; filled me, burned me and made me whole. And now I think I am ready to share again, but is it too late? I wonder...


Yes, It's gone from Halloween Disco Pants for the wild and the restless to...

The French Quarter in New Orleans has gome through something similar. Across the street from where my little deli was, are five three story town houses, with two story "slave quarter apartments" in the back. They were originally built be a rich planter a hundred and fifty years ago for his daughters and for many years they housed the various immigrant peoples, the French, the free people of color before the Civil War, then the Italians and then the free people of color, the ones who were free after the Civil War. And the businesses that went along with that.

Then for fifty years, until just recently, they were apartments for the young and fancy free, the gay and artistic souls.

I've been told recently that Lindsay Lohan has bought three of them... I doubt that they were purchased in order to rent them out to new young people that might come to town to explore their sensual and intelectual potential.


A decade ago when I still lived there and owned a business there, it was already starting.

Rather famous directors would wander into my deli at all hours of the night and then we would be overwhelmed with business from the technical staff for weeks. Then some friend for Socal would buy an entire fabulous building with four or five or eight apartments and "convert" it into a single fabulous residence. And no one would actually live there; it was a "dream house get-a-way home" for very rich people from LaLa Land; we almost never saw them and of course, they spent no money in the hood. What was once a rather vibrant neighborhood full of interesting, crazy and often innebriated people became a sort of ghost town. Pretty buildings, but lifeless, even when the pretty people where there in occasional residence.
I sure miss the artists and the "b-drinking" girls and the strippers and the hustlers and the musicians and the street performers and the mimes that used to make up a lot of my customer base late at night. They were at least always there, if not always sparkling company.

Now the streets are bare, quiet and there is no joy.

Open! Open! Open!

Well. we got the store open and it's amazing! A lot of work, but it went smoothly enough, much better than most openings. The store is gorgeous and our customers are stunned, which is what we had hoped for them.

I managed to put together a really good opening team of 27 people for my department and we will have a total of thirty team members in another week or so. We have about 325 team members working at the store and twenty-five or so of them are working the over night shift. That also includes my department; I actually have people working twenty four hours a day to kep up with the demand. Our department has over 500 cheeses right now, 50 varieties of olives, a thousand wines, 175 beers, a hundred different chocolates, several hundred teas and coffees, including 30 plus fresh roasted coffee beans and hundreds of other items like crackers, nuts and jellies that are yummy with cheese. We just got in a marinated cherry from Spain...

I also have a lot of high end housewares like Le Creuset and Chantal and Rosanna...

I have a small special cheese case with special humidity control and there are some things in it that are rarely seen anywhere in the US.

You can take a look at what my store looks like at Here.

Go to Store Locations and find Louisiana and then select "slide show" for the Metairie store.

I've also been able to assemble the best team; I really enjoy working with these people.


Other News.

I took a spill on the scooter turning into the store parking lot a week ago, hit a patch of gravel and the front wheel just went out from underneath and I went off into the air and onto the pavement; picked myself up, just a very few scratches, nothing much at all, a little shook up, no pain... but the next morning I woke up feeling like someone had beaten me severely with a baseball bat! Two weeks later, most of the bruises have faded but my shoulder still ain't right. And I turn corners like an old lady lately...

Fortunately, I had just got a new bed, a "Select Comfort" bed... it has an air control for firmness and I got a matress pad with 2 inches of memory foam and all new sheets, pillow cases in 300 count cotton and new pricey pillows. It's sweeeet! The best bed I have ever slept in...and for what it cost, it should have come with a massuesse, but after all, well, if ya don't have a good nights sleep, you don't have a good day. (My old bed was fifteen years old... where does the time go?)

I watched "The Life Aqautic with Steve Zissou" last week and I love it! I really like all of Wes Anderson's films so far. I love Bill Murrey, he's gotten so good. And I am in love with Owen... a smart actor and a smart writer.

So, that's some of what's happening. I'm going to watch "Sideways" now...

ta.

durlx