THANKSGIVING

I truly am thankful for so many things.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

🦃🦃🦃

 

I LOVE A PARADE

Call me strange, but I love a parade! The fun of it, the pomp and circumstance, the revelry and celebration of it...gay pride or otherwise. Even though the town we live in only has a Halloween one, and even when I lived in Doylestown, we had a wonderful lively Fourth of July parade, one thing Philly does well is put on a parade. The Mummers Parade is legendary!!!! But Thanksgiving wouldn't be the Thanksgiving without the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Parade. I have been a few times, and it may shock you to know, it's actually even older than the Macy's one.

In 1920, the Gimbels Thanksgiving Parade was the first of it's kind. Store employees in clown costumes bandied down Market Street vying for attention to promote the store's "Toyland" department. Today, along with the Mummers and 25 or more college and high school bands, numerous floats, balloons and performers- the two hour parade ignites Ben Franklin Parkway with much fanfare and color of pre-holiday merriment. Gimbels in Philadelphia was at 9th and Market Street- the cornerstone of a national brand that famously rivaled Macy's- and catered to both high- and low-end consumers, unusual among retailers od the era. It just wouldn't be thanksgiving without see this parade in the morning for me, along with all the cooking smells from the turkey and stuffing and other goodies for the dinner in the evening.

As a regular reader will tell you, I can't stand Macy's.

So as Auntie Mame said-"GET IT AT GIMBELS!"

STOP THE CAR....

Who else, but the GOP and war mongers. War??? I'll never understand it. I couldn't agree more with US Rep Summer Lee.

And color me confused. The US is buying bullets and bombs for Isael, then we're buying bandages and aid for Palestinians, who get shot and bombed? They wouldn't need to buy the damn aid if we didn't fund Isarel to begin with!!!

CASTELLO BROWN CASTLE

High up on the hill in Portofino, it is sort of hard to miss this landmark...on the point overlooking the harbor is the elegant and very grand Castello Brown, an old defense castle dating back to the 15 th century that was used to protect the port. These days the castle is used as a museum and is really worth a visit even if just to enjoy the peaceful walk up the hill and enjoy , probably what are the best panoramic views in Portofino. Stepping inside the castle walls felt to me like entering a film set of a fairytale similar to The Princess and the Pea, the entrance is so grand and elaborate yet mysterious, inviting and unbelievably bewitching all at once. With the castle being so prominently located, the caliber of artist exhibiting at the museum is of different extremes, yet all of exceptional standards, eclectic sculptors and artist. One stood out to me, Federico Schiaffino, who art almost seems to meld into the walls itself. The one thing that stood out to me in Castello Brown was the beautiful tile works. Lining the smooth marble stairs from the art galleries to the second floor are some very rich and intricate detailed tiles, and yet there is an eeriness to the atmosphere. It was definitely a relaxing time there...we sat in the garden for what seemed an age.

And right down the hill from the castle was this lovely villa, belonging to Dolce and Gabbana. If they would have asked me to model for them, I would have declined. Can you picture my ass fitting in their pants???