Uniting and Reuniting

After two weeks in Los Angeles, I couldn't wait to go to the milonga. Holly brought another blogger along to Los Consagrados, Esther Hartwig, who I had the pleasure to meet for the first time in person; I've been a fan of her blog, Not Just Another Brick in the Wall, from the beginning. Esther, or Coogie, was passing through Buenos Aires before leaving today for her home in Germany. She hopes to return one day to Argentina.

















My L.A. visit also was rich and full of reunions. I feel so incredibly blessed. Here are some photos so you'll see what I mean:





My librarian friends always meet for our traditional Mexican dinner whenever I'm in town. I've had the pleasure of working with all of them in one library or another and they are the best people, real good folks, whose friendship I treasure through the years and over the miles. (From the left are Roy, George, Pearl, Cathy, me, and Sheila.)








Another day, another reunion, this time of bellydancers who performed together in The Perfumes of Araby. We are all still active dancers (MaryAnn on the left is also a librarian), despite the passage of several decades since we first donned our veils. (To my right are Donna and Denice.)






Here are my dear L.A. tango friends who I see in Buenos Aires whenever they are in Argentina, and in California when I am there! (From the left are Flo, Howard, me, Dee, and Manley.)










Gorgeous Marita and I first met at our apartment building in Los Feliz in 1994 and have had lots of adventures together through the years. Here we are with her new husband Noah and her parents, Manuel and Helga, visiting from Arizona.









Of course a big Chateau Rodney reunion was inevitable. We ex-tenants and good friends met for a Sangria Sunday at ChaChaCha on Hyperion close to our fabulous old building in Los Feliz. When our apartment building was sold in 2001, we all had to go our separate ways, but we bonded forever during the years we lived there. We were one united family whose doors were always open to each of us; we shared Thanksgiving, celebrated Soltices and Equinoxes, birthdays, went on rafting trips and art walks, had barbecues, supported each others' performances, and cried together when our "family" had to split up. It was so good to be with them again! It was like we had never been apart.




Chateau Rodney Forever!
(The building is featured in the new film, The Ugly Truth; in fact, my old front door is shown clearly with the address, 1930 1/2.)





















(Front row from left: Marita and Noah; second row: Mitch, Steve, Jessica, me, Steve; back row: Chris, the Virgin, Daryl, and Jason.)



















But the main reason I went to L.A. just now was my son Jason's 40th birthday--that's a big one and I had to share it with him as it's a big day for the mom too. And I'm glad I did. His older brother Adam drove down from Sacramento and we saw each other for the first time in over three years!







Adam, Connie, me, Jason


Naturally it was also wonderful to reunite at home in Boedo with Ruben and Mirasol the cat! And with all my friends in the milonga.

I am very blessed indeed.