Details Of Post Apocalyptic Bohemia

The Husband recently informed me that readers of my little spot on the Internet have been fully saturated with photographs of our home & are losing interest with each post. Still, I don't think that I have ever shared this little area.

It is a small space that is covered, not quite indoors or out. We have dubbed it the "Pass-Through Room", which is different from a Panic Room, although I did once witness The Husband panic at the sight of a spider the size of a Buick making its way through the room.

One must move through this space to reach the back garden & to the structure we named the Boys' Fort (not to be confused with the Husband's shop of the same name). 

The wheel is part of the bell works from an old English Church, circa early 1880s. The bench is mid-20th century Indonesian.This outdoor room serves little other function. We simply never hang out here. The Husband did recently set the pass-through as a buffet area for a recent cocktail party.

On This Day- August 16th... Junior Comes Home

Butch was dog #3. He came to us as an orphan, as they all do. He was 4 years old when he joined our family & we only had 9 years with him, not long enough.

Butch was a serious & stalwart little dog. In 2004, he broke his foot, but never complained. We never would have known, if we had not noted that one foot was 60 degrees turned outward. Butch was spirited & spry in his squirrel patrol, but in all other ways he was calm & composed canine.

We loved Butch beyond all measure & although his passing was sudden & swift, we grieved deeply when he went to doggie heaven. I still have never really recovered from the loss.

Butch & his Dad, July 2007

I waited an acceptable 3 days before orphan #4 joined us at Post Apocalyptic Bohemia. I had told myself that I was open to another dog & I would take my time to find another deserving orphan needing a home. But, there he was on Craigslist in my first minute of searching. The post told the sad tale: in the countryside, outside of Portland, the little Jack Russell mix had been tied to a tree with a lead of rope, for a year. The trucker who had him would bring the young dog food & water, but not much else. A neighbor of this pitiful puppy, explained to me: “Out in the country, we don’t tell each other what to do with our animals, but I just couldn’t take seeing him every day, all alone, with no love & no activity. So I dognapped him & I need for someone to take him fast so that I can take down the Craigslist post & not get found out.”

I emailed this animal savior, telling him that I was at home & I would meet this terrier. I said yes to the dog staying with us on first glance, even though the first thing the little dog did on arrival was vomit.

For the first 36 hours, I thought that the new terrier might have escaped, but then I would spy him out of the corner of my eye as he skittered around the edges of the back garden. On day 3, while I was sitting in the Boys’ Fort, the dog cautiously approached me & laid his head on my knee. I looked down at him & started to speak, but he was gone in a flash. But, the next approach lasted longer, & the next longer still.

He came with the name- Junior & we decided that was a name that was fine by us. He had been through enough in his first year of life without having a name change, the only one of the 6 dogs that we have shared our lives with to not be christened with a new moniker. Junior. It fit him.

The poor Husband has never had a say in the choosing of a dog. Starting with a terrier mix by the name of baby in 1985, I have brought each of them home, often with no discussion. I mean, I don’t rearrange the furniture & he doesn’t choose the children. The Husband has been devoted to & delighted by each of our orphans.

Only 3 days after Butch’s taking leave, Junior was a part of the family. Like Butch, he is strong & stouthearted, but unlike Butch, he is a little slow. I see so much of his predecessor in him, but of course, Junior is his own animal.

Junior started life living outside with no comforts & no attention. Now he sleeps on pillows & is reminded that he is loved every day. Junior has been a member of our family & a resident at Post Apocalyptic Bohemia for 5 years today, August 16^th. 

Post Apocalyptic Bohemian Dog Days Of August

With Portland temperatures in the upper 90s for the week, my family just sacks out for the day.

Details From Post Apocalyptic Bohemia

A shot of the work space of your host. Like so many things in life, click on the image & it will get bigger.

Bucket List

I have visited Italy twice, once while on tour with a singing group when I was 15 years old & 20 years ago, with The Husband, on the trip that was life changing & impassioned.

In 1992, fortunate me, I enjoyed having a national commercial, an international commercial & a national voice-over all airing at the same time, I was receiving residual checks for over $1000 each week. Still in my 30s, I made no effort to be responsible or save the income. In October 1992, The Husband & I spent a week in Venice & 2 weeks in Tuscany. Because we were well funded, this adventure was not censored by a budget.  We stayed in hallucinatory lodges with outlandish views. We went with empty suitcases & purchased change of clothing as we needed. We ate & drank what & when we wanted. 20 years later, it is a rare day that I don’t reference that journey. Italy changed my life.

Your host at the door of our pension in Venice, October 1992

The Husband taking in the Tuscan countryside in Sienna

In my lifetime, & I figure I have, possibly, another 20 good years left, I desire to go to this place. La Grotte della Civita features guest rooms are spread throughout a complex of ancient cave houses in Matera, on the southwest coast of Italy, at an UNESCO World Heritage Site that dates back to the Stone Age.

Each room features simple furnishings influenced by traditional designs (a local museum was consulted during the process) & made by area craftspeople. The caves have been modernized for comfort (running water, electricity, etc.), but the focus is on conservation & historical integrity.

Shall we have a Post Apocalyptic retreat at this unworldly, exotic place? Have you visited Italy? What destination is on your list of “before I am gone from this world”?

Details Of Post Apocalyptic Bohemia

The Dining Room circa 2009                

The Dining Room, Summer 2012

The Husband did random-width planks of whitewashed hemlock for the wall, with corresponding lines of painted plaster on the adjacent wall. He brought the 18^th century sofa to our relationship at its start 33 years ago. It was purchased 40 years ago in Belgium. The frame is carved with flowers & seashells & the piece is covered in burlap with vanilla colored leather cushions. It stands on a hand-knotted rug from Afghanistan. Above the sofa we showcase our collection of shadow-boxed snapshots from the 1930s of men being affectionate.

Details Of Post Apocalyptic Bohemia

Click on a photograph & it will get bigger

The Front Room is used more in the winter, with its working fireplace. In the summer the room all but abandoned, with the focus going to the floor-to-ceiling window in the backroom overlooking the Boys' Fort & rear garden.

The fireplace is partially silver-leafed but intentionally left unfinished. Our mantel is where sacred things go to live. Mirror on mirror on mirror is a favorite look. The reflection in the mirror is of our art pottery collection across the room.

Post Apocalyptic Bohemia is filled with religious iconography: Christian, Buddhist, Jewish, Hindu & pagan. I like to have my bases covered… just in case. The crucifix was found in a junk shop in Seattle's Greenwood neighborhood, on sale & marked- “as is”, because Jesus’s chalk-plaster legs are broken, leaving just the wire forms. I found this to be touching: "Leave me broken…”

There is a treasured 19th century ivory crucifix from Portuguese Colonial India on the mantle's left side, bought as a gift to each other on our 20th anniversary at a small gallery in SoHo that specialized in 18th & 19th century Indian pieces. You might also spot, on the right hand side of the mantle, several small framed ex-votos from 18th Century Venice, purchased at an antique shop in the Dorsoduro, perfect souvenirs from a magical trip, because they fit neatly in to our wallets, being small & flat.

My favorite thing about the Front Room is the indulgence of formality in such a small space.

Photos by Jaclyn Campanaro

Details Of Post Apocalyptic Bohemia

The small bathroom, we only have the one, which is why I have been known to pee in the garden. Everything in the bathroom is salvaged or re-purposed. The door & the sink were both found at The Rebuilding Center in the Mississippi neighborhood of the North Quadrant of Portland. The maroon floor tile is original to the house, circa 1941.

The Husband's design philosophy includes the principle that you cram the most data in to the smallest space. Nearly every inch is covered with art & collections. Please note my Justin Beiber battery powered toothbrush. It sings- Boyfriend.


Photos by Jaclyn Campanaro

“I LOVE YOU, BUT YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT”

Almost teetering on the verge of tweeness, I am still always won over by Wes Anderson’s films, indeed, his movies are among my favorites of the last 15 years. No American filmmaker, not even Woody Allen, has a more recognizable aesthetic, & Moonrise Kingdom may be the most, well, Andersonian movie yet. His style recalls storybook illustrations, puppet shows, school-project dioramas, & community theatre productions.

Moonrise Kingdom is the best film I have seen in a very long time. It is a film of transporting beauty & visual brilliance, perfectly cast, a paean to precocious puppy love, a parable set in a parallel world, somewhere on the New England coast during the summer of 1965, & concerned with the all-consuming passion between a pair of oddball, seriously serious 12-year-olds.

Moonrise Kingdom is a restorative film: unabashedly uplifting, breathing fresh air into our dusty old hearts & reminding me what it is like to love with the absolute conviction & utter abandon of the young.

After experiencing this film, I want to remember what it was like to play fast & loose with my heart, even when it seemed foolish, because there was so much of what I desired buried underneath words like ‘dangerous’ & ‘absurd’.

Moonrise Kingdom left me thinking about what brought The Husband & I together instead of how we are going to pay our bills. I want to feel like I’ve found my place in the world & that it’s exactly where I am, & every line on every map that does not outline this place will be erased. I want to save myself before I need saving. I want to flip through faded old photographs plucked from moments earlier in my life & feel the sun on my face & the salt from the sea air settle on my skin. I want to find my own Post Apocalyptic Bohemia to be a Moonrise Kingdom, a place where they will never find us, because maybe, just maybe, there’s still some lightning in me in my old age. 

Goings On At Post Apocalyptic Bohemia

I have settled in to my new life as a Stay-At-Home Mom. In week 12, I am reticent to give up this job of keeping the house clean, attending to the laundry & keeping the kids focused, on time for vacation Bible school, music lessons & sports camp.

Although I am a natural ne'er-do-well, I still have been kept busy enough to barely stay out of trouble. I am on my neighborhood association’s board, serving on the communication committee. I am a co-manager of the community garden, maintaining our page on The Facebook, a task I also do for The Husband’s shop- BOYS” FORT. It has been a true lesson in discipline to spend so much time on the computer & steer clear of photographs of naked gentleman. The real self-command comes from avoiding being snarky, sarcastic, salty & scrappy in producing posts for other people & staying clear of my own screams for attention.

My little family

I have a bit of organization & routine to keep me away from drinking whiskey at 11am or answering Craigslist listings for guys seeking daddies. I go to the gym 3 days of the week, putting in a half hour of cardio & taking classes with titles like Senior Ball Stretch, Beach Body For Boomers, & Circuit Training For Geezers. I have 3 gentle yoga classes each week. I give Lulu & Junior a one hour walk each day. I ride my bicycle.

Junior in the fort

In mid-April I was taking 5 medications, including an anti-depressant & an anti-anxiety drug. I now take only vitamin D & folic acid. I have lost 10 pounds.

I water, weed & whack at the garden with a rotation of back garden one day, next day- front garden, then skip a day.

I stay clear of panicking about finances, by living my Buddhist nature & realizing that I am going to be alright today & to stay in the moment.

Henry in the sun

Behind the scenes: I am researching opportunities for starting my own business.

Listening on repeat: Florence+ Machine, Fun., early 1960s pop.

Go-to drink: Rye & Ginger

Reading: Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter

Lulu considering chewing my new Romney flip-flops

Obsession: The Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I recently finished Under The Banner Of Heaven by Jon Krakauer (soon to be a fim by Ron Howard with a screenplay by Dustin Lance Bass). I knew nothing about Mormonism until this summer & I am still jaw-dropped amazed by the tenants & dogma of the world’s fastest growing religion.

In the fort

Our mascot- Moosey

Hidden Talents: I am a really good & unique singer. There were decades when everyone in my life were quite aware of my talent, but I have a decade’s worth of acquaintances who would be surprised.

Next major purchase: For a guy who loves TV as much as I do, it is time to step it up a notch. We have a very regular TV. I want it big. Big & black. With lots of features. Wall mounted on a pivot. I want to really see the red stuff splatter on True Blood.

I realize that there are about 12 more weeks before I will need to earnestly take on the task of finding a way to make a living. I’ll think about it tomorrow.

Boys' Fort, Summer 2012

In the summer of 2006, The Husband built a structure in our back garden & dubbed it The Boys' Fort. The name carried over & became the moniker for The Husband's downtown pop-up shop & eventually the name of his shop in our Kenton neighborhood.

We spend a lot of time in the backyard fort, July-October. The space becomes the center of our home in the summer. The fort is very conducive to being lazy, reading a book, drinking a cocktail, having a little romance, or taking a nap.

Each year, the fort is transformed into something different than the summer before. This year, the structure gained a roof & rearranged walls & windows. Summer of 2012's fort has a slightly Asian vibe. This afternoon I was transported to a beach shanty in Vietnam or maybe a Thai trading outpost. I think it is the best fort yet.

Don't you just want to spend a little time having cocktails & conversations in The Boys' Fort 2012?

Goings On At Post Apocalyptic Bohemia

There was a lovely comment on my little spot on the Internet from a Portland reader- Ronnie, who I have never met, but oddly, The Husband has. Ronnie noted: “Isn't it funny, when you don't blog for a day I miss it.” I then turned around & promptly disappointed Ronnie by missing another day. Even with my personal commitment of a post a day, I was just too pooped to post. I am not young anymore & I had such a whirlwind weekend.

Saturday afternoon I attended a summer party on a beautiful Balinese influenced floating home on the Columbia River, with several enchanting, bewitching women & a herd of handsome, hunky men, including my escorts, the artist couple- Scott & David. All the guests were smart & interesting & most of us got positively blasted.

  My artist friends, the handsome Scott & David. I love them. They are enablers.

The Post Apocalyptic Bohemian on the Columbia River floating home, caught in a rare pensive moment. When in doubt, a cocktail always makes a smart accessory for any modern man.

I returned home to an angry Husband because I had stayed out until an outrageous, unheard of 10:30pm: "You were at a party for 7 hours? Who parties for that long? I can only imagine what you were up to!" He hates it when I have fun without him.

Eiric, Yoga Master/Gardner

Kennneth, High School Counselor/Gardener

Sunday Morning was breakfast & Bloody Marys at Mock Crest Tavern with Eiric & Ken of Seattle. The gentlemen, soon to be married when it is legal in Washington State, are friends of 25+ years & Best Men at our wedding. Later, the Seattle pair & I took a walk through my Kenton neighborhood to look at the bungalows & gardens before stopping at BOYS' FORT to harass The Husband.

  The first annual Summer Sunday Supper at the fort.

Sunday evening was experienced at the BOYS' FORT/Solabee Botanicals/Salvage Works Summer Sunday Supper with the proprietors of the 3 businesses & their spouses, siblings & sprouts. Plenty of food on the grill, lots of wine & beer, produce from local gardens, conversation & dancing. As always at social events, I ducked out early & drunkenly rode my bicycle back to Post Apocalyptic Bohemia for evening devotions.

The Husband: "Nice. Classy. Filling your wine glass to the rim with rose... with a big Brie chaser. Your readers would not be impressed."

Stephen:"Worse… I added ice cubes to the rose. My readers understand that I am a hedonist & a peasant. I once shot a man in Reno just to watch him die."

The Husband (rolling his eyes): "Hmff..."

I had engaged in enough substance abuse & naughty behavior, that I need a day of rehab on Monday. I drank chamomile tea, wrote in my gratitude journal, performed my stretches & meditated. Please forgive me, Ronnie!

As you can surmise from this post, I have a penchant for hanging out with handsome fellows, Forgive me, Husband!

Family Therapy

This weekend, after a number of problems raised their little heads in an attempt to destroy our family, at my insistence (being the only rational one), we had a long session of Family Therapy with the renowned Dr. Shlomo Sectshual.

After indulging the good doctor in some role playing & trust exercises, we each were able to open up. The very essence of each family member can be distilled in the following:

Stephen:"I believe that it is a cosmic mistake that I do not have my own TV show, magazine, bestselling book, plus the #1 dance single in the country..."

The Husband: "I am not looking for power or money or success. I am looking for aesthetic balance."

Lulu: "I have abandonment issues..."

Junior:"I never got enough love in my childhood."

Henry: “I finally became tired of being a passed around pussy.”

How Can You Explain It?

In 1988, I was flown to from Seattle to Portland to appear in a little film- Drugstore Cowboy, directed by Gus Van Sant. My 2 scenes were filmed at a motel near Hayden Meadows Racetrack in the Delta Park area of Portland.

I didn't know my way around Portland in 1998 & didn't really pay attention to the trip in the van that drove Matt Dillon & me to the location from the hotel.

Because life can be just so zany... in 2001, I settled down in Post Apocalyptic Bohemia, my little blue-collar Portland bungalow, in walking distance of the film shoot location- the Union Ave Motel, now torn down. If Matt Dillon had been portentous in Portland in autumn of 1998, he might have turned to me & stated: "Dude... in the next century you are gonna live your last days around here!"

In The Garden At Post Apocalyptic Bohemia

We have planted 15 trees on our regular city lot in the past decade. My favorite tree at Post Apocalyptic Bohemia is Stewartia Ovata, a multi-stemmed, deciduous tree, native to the American South, featuring stunning bark that exfoliates in strips of gray, orange, & red, with serrated leaves that emerges bronzy purple in spring,  develop into a perfect green by summer, & turn orange in the fall. All summer long, glamorous white camellia-like flowers open in random succession & are followed by pointed brown seed pods, which are persistent but not very ornamental. This tree grows somewhat slowly until established, eventually reaching up to 40 feet tall and 20 feet wide. It has little disease or insect problems. It’s is putting on quite the show this week.

The Husband casually mentioned that he would like to have a little kitchen garden, so this week I planted one in a tall vintage garbage can & located it on the front porch, the sunniest spot at our little place. I chose Cherokee Purple heirloom tomatoes & Goat Horn heirloom peppers, paired with oregano, tri-colored sage, & tiny tangerine marigolds.

The Husband has hauled home 5 uncommon chairs in the past 6 months. I guess a boy can't have too many chairs. This one is made from the wood of Thai fishing boats destroyed by the 2004 SE Asian tsunami. Talk about repurposed materials. I love catching a glance of this piece of furniture, placed in the rear garden, from the big window at the back of our bungalow.