Rebels!

November 13/11.

Auntie Ray had a cool 92nd birthday!

Inimitable interior designer, Ray Staples surrounded by staff members at the Christie Gardens diningroom, celebrating with prezzies, cards and cake!

Screens around the seniors condo advertised her birthday, (which she shares with another resident, Elizabeth Herfenist). She's holding a packaged, shiny pashmina scarf we gave her. - Should look great at Christmas time!

Auntie Ray is SO very special to my sister, Carrie & me. Our "surrogate Mum" and link to all things past, (our own, hers, our late Mother's, our grandparents', you name it). She is SO intelligent with more insight and ideas into the world than anyone you will ever meet. A true original. We were on the verge of tears many times during the course of our three-and-a-half hour conversation with her. (as Carrie says, "You just CAN'T do an hour with Ray"!!! - Virtually impossible).

We took her outside, with her walker, so she could introduce us to her favourite plant, - (the one she swears, "claps its hands" when she walks by)! - As an artist, she tends to see things others don't!

Also went up to Auntie Ray's condo, but things were a tad discombobulated, (to say the least), due to a freakin' major overhaul happening on her floor. Unexpected water damage resulted in EVERYTHING having to be temporarily moved from its proper place to some other spot. DOH!!

Mega-stuff in ALL the wrong places!!

(this, after her dutiful son, Kevan, and devoted daughter-in-law, Marilyn - a TV set designer no less (!) spent MONTHS, putting every single teeny item exactly where it should be. (Looking at it NOW, to quote my TV fave, Ricky Ricardo, "WHA' HOPPENED")??? Ai yi yi!

Knick-knacks and chotskies galore!

(I PITY the poor fools who have to put these hundreds of items back in SOME kind of order)!!

Yikes-o-rama!

At one point, Auntie Ray called the front desk, to ask someone to please come up and move the heavy harp,

blocking her bedroom doorway, back to the livingroom,

since she couldn't get around it!! - DONE!!

Uncle Ev's beloved harp back in place!

Later, Auntie Ray insisted, since she missed MY birthday, (in October), she HAD to give me a Barbie doll, with a knitted dress, (made by one of the ladies at Christie Gardens)! She clearly recalls the obsessive love that Carrie & I had for "The Barbs" when we were kids!!

Those were the days!

While at her condo, we looked at the many fabulous Garth Haines original paintings on the walls.

Gorgeous, generous gifts

given to them, out of love, over many years of intense friendship.

My seestah, Carrie & I, outside Christie Gardens after our visit with Auntie Ray.

As I was leaving Auntie Ray's condo, couldn't stop myself from taking a pic in the pretty park just down the street! This is mid-November?? Wow!

Meanwhile, after finally getting home, went to put the garbage out, and as I was just about to toss a huge bag into the bin, spotted a raccoon in the VERY bottom, resting! Ai Carumba! - Scared the HELL out of me!!

Later, realized, this raccoon will NEVER escape without any garbage bags to climb up & over, so had to turn the bin on its side, open it up and hope for the best!! - (as of 10 p.m., "raccoonie" STILL IN THERE)!!

In the midst of all the raccoon nonsense, Sam managed to hang the magnificent mirror (which weighs a TON!), given to (our late) Mum by Auntie Ray, (and now, inherited by US), above the mantle. Not an easy chore.

My fantabulous son, Max, posed in front of the mirror, wearing his new
H & M black jacket,

and looking cooler than Marlon Brando in jet black leather in The Wild One - (1953),

or even James Dean in Rebel Without A Cause - (1955), in the sizzling red rebel leather windbreaker!

Speaking of which, is there a cooler, (or HOTTER?) shot,

than Dean, cooling his face, using a milk bottle? Unforgettable!

Cheers Jimmy!