Winifred Wikkeling

Mr. K suggested we take a look at the Black Eye exhibit curated by Nicola Vassell, an exploration of black experience as well as the mark that experience leaves behind.

It was a short season that took us through many turns, mercifully landing the way the viewers really needed it to.

The well curated Brain pickings took an excerpt of a 1991 interview for Paul Zollo’s book Songwriters on Songwriting of Bob Dylan, in which he says that environment is important to him, in his writing. The right environment, for Dylan, also comes from “…getting the thoughts out of your mind.”

Unlike most here on the East, we never complained during the long Winter. There was that one day when the puddles of melted snow almost sank our Fiorentini and Baker biker boots and had our poor toes, though not wet, quite frozen. But for the rest we paid it no never mind. We can always stay in sweaters and coats, ear muffs, and woven hats. Besides, what is more romantic than being wrapped around Mr. K while watching glorious fat snow flakes floating down on a sea of blanketed trees and roofs? We can stay entirely in the moment, even when that moments stretches on for months.

But when the sun begins to shine and warm balmy days finally happen, we really light up. We waste no time becoming ever present on the roof deck, finding the open air and sunlight compatible to most anything we might do in a day; meditation, guitar sessions, reading, stretching, cocktails, all meals, even sleeping.

We’ll use Memorial Day Weekend to start off a long delicious season of communing with nature…

Working on our a mixologist credentials and

earning reasons to own a

Buster and Punch Rockstar Bar,

We will start with

Whiskey Ginger’s,

sipping them overlooking the city,

They will give us the courage to rock out

as if we were Nik West,

In a jumpsuit of course,

we might need another,

like this one by Maria Grachvogel,

We really never stop wearing a scarf, in Winter under a fedora,

in Summer tied through our hair,

nonchalantly falling over our shoulders,

at least thats how Diana and we do…

But the most heavenly of all,

is lounging languorous and sweet,

basking with contentment and harmony,

in all of our blessings,

A refined, passionate, meditative peace

that sings,

can you feel the brand new day?

Images Via ShrimptonCouture, BusterandPunch, NYTimes, Pinterest

It was totally by accident that the TV was turned off and left on TCM and that we at the right moment would turn it back on to find ourselves stopped dead in our tracks at what looked like a very early film with an all black cast. It was from 1929 no less!

So this is what it was like around the late 60s. Change, experimentation, resistance and a fight for things to stay the same. It was well reflected in last night’s episode of Mad Men. We can’t decide if this environment would lead us to choose the alternate realities offered by LSD, or force us to stay completely sober…

Oh, we had been absolutely spent! Days of fighting with interior designer, Billy Haines, over 100-year old hand painted Chinese wall coverings and the specific velvet drapings for our vanity. We had almost completed handwritten notes inviting friends to our new Roland E. Coate designed home, when we ran out of our Mrs. John L. Strong stationery.

There was a time, one we hardly recognize now, many lifetimes past, when we lived in San Francisco. The guitar playing, nature loving, hemp milk drinking, reiki practitioner in us that we have fiercely protected and stayed committed to even while in New York, remembers the beauty of California and the many experiences it offered us.

Surinamers love their gold. Our jewels have cultural meaning and we select most of our pieces based on what our spirit (our “yeye”) tells us we need. Usually protection, guidance, strength, love. We rarely seek spiritual meaning behind our skincare routines. Now comes an opportunity to do both.

…..we remembered that there had only been once that we actually stopped and found ourselves mesmerized in a way we hope to experience at least once again. The betrothed were from Pakistan, the ceremony a fairy tale that stopped time as much as it seemed to transport us back.