Plumée, vidée et à défaut de passer à la casserole, la poule que je suis avait tendance ces dernières semaines à bouillir à la première anicroche. Rien de grave dans la basse cour rassurez vous, juste un petit burn-out à l’horizon. La routine quoi, la classe quoi, on est comme ça nous les poules de la pub, on est bookées, over bookées, pressurisées, atomisées, mais c’est SU-PER, ça fait partie du contrat. Alors pour décompresser, ou éviter de finir en taule et parce que je suis toujours en froid avec la salle de sport, j’ai décidé de replonger dans les délices du chlore.

Ah mais attention, la piscine oui. La déchéance non. Le standing, Darling, le standing ! C’est donc en bikini turquoise, manucurée, pédicurée, maquillée, coiffée que je pars m’ébattre chaque semaine depuis deux mois dans les eaux turquoises du 9-2. Ca n’a pas été facile au début… loin de là, il a fallu trouver le rimmel qui ne fait pas les yeux de panda, le mouvement de brasse qui ne mouille pas les cheveux, les claquettes de piscine qui ne font pas infirmière des DOM-TOM.

Mais c’est bon là je suis rodée, mon corps est une arme fatale et suscite l’admiration des lifeguards de la base aquatique de Chatillon (oui je sais ça fait rêver). Il est rare en effet de croiser une femme nageant la brasse avec le dos en forme de U… rapport au brushing je le rappelle ! La grande classe.

Mon charme exotique n’émeut pourtant pas les hommes triangles, stakhanovistes de la natation aux épaules démesurées, ventre plat et maillot minimaliste ridiculement échancré. Je me demande d’ailleurs si les heures d’entrainement n’ont pas fini pas par leur laver le cerveau : après tout comment avoir si peu de goût avec des corps pareil. Ça dépend ça dépasse, et là clairement ça me dépasse.

Ces aliens triangulaires me sidèrent et fendent l’eau sans la moindre gerbe, ni éclaboussure, tels des squales, des lames affutées coupant du beurre, tandis que moi, je lutte contre l’eau tel un couteau à beurre dans une côte de bœuf. Rien à faire, c’est une question de géométrie, la poule d’eau est ronde, point d’angles saillants, et face à ces regards sévères elle range soigneusement ses armes. Après tout, on sait ça depuis la maternelle : les triangles ne rentrent jamais dans les ronds. Pas la peine de forcer sur la boite.

Mais cet après midi c’est un autre requin qui m’a fait boire la tasse. Après 45 minutes de contorsionnisme dorsal appliqué, je suis tombée nez à nez avec Philippe Lucas. Si si, Monsieur Lucas himself, maitre nageur de son état, crinière au vent et langue de vipère intégrée, qui m’a lancé goguenard : « hey dites, et vous respirez quand exactement ? ». J’ai réprimé direct un spontané « et ta sœur connard » fort peu Shalimar pour hocher la tête studieusement à chaque consigne du tortionnaire. Apres tout un cours gratos, c’est un pas de géant vers le grand bassin.

Il paraitrait donc que je peux nager la tête sous l’eau (misère mon brushing, mon rimmel, mes poumons !). Je peux le faire , je peux le… blurp blurp blup. « Respirez ! je vous dis , respirez !!! ». Mais c’est ce que je fais, je respire, je respire… mais de l’eau. Arg. Je rechigne, je bois la moitié du lac, me fais un lavage nasale avec l’autre moitié, je tousse je pleure je crache. Je suis une poule mouillée il parait. Tout est dans la tête. Il faut ouvrir la bouche. Lucas me beugle que c’est la faute des mères qui disent toujours à leur gamin de fermer leur bec. Il m’en deviendrait presque sympathique cet homme. Il connait déjà ma mère.

Mais bon j’avoue, j’ai quand même fait un break : officiellement pour surveiller ma progéniture, officieusement pour éviter de me noyer et suis revenue armée de lunettes de plongée. En effet, je sens naitre en moi l’âme d’une compétitrice, d’une athlète, pire d’un triangle femelle. Je veux les même abdos que Laure. Et je sais que Lucas aurait été d’accord avec moi si lesdites lunettes empruntées à mon fils n’avait pas été pas en forme de poissons… Le diable en rit encore. HUMF.

Bilan des courses après une heure de torture, la poule de luxe a remisé son ego par devers elle, et va rempiler chaque semaine avec le coq psychopathe, à la plus grande joie de son fils qui n’en finit pas de glousser sur les traces de lunettes incrustées dans ma chair… de poule pour ceux qui ne suivaient pas.

(Magadit, rejoint le comité de redaction de LadiesRoom et ça valait bien un petit post, un free hug, et un p’tit pot jeudi pour fêter ça !)

Qui a dit que les meufs se tiraient toujours dans les pattes ?
Qui croit encore que seuls les mecs pensent que se friter pour le sexe opposé est la pire des conneries ?
Qui pensent que les meufs ne s’intéressent qu’à la mode de Prisu et aux recettes de cuisine, qu’elles rougissent en parlant de sexe, qu’elles ne sont que dociles et tendres ?
Qui enfin oserait affirmer que les femmes n’ont rien à dire ?

Certainement pas votre servante ici présente, qui non contente d’être comblée depuis 2 ans par Magadit et DCUB (blog à 6 mains manucurées, 2.5 cerveaux, je ne dénoncerai personne, autant me tirer une balle dans le pied, dans lequel chaque semaine, trois regards s’affrontent autour d’un thème tels une figure imposée dans l’immense toile de la gynosphère secouée par quelques centaines de fou rires), a le plaisir de regagner avec mes comparses, les rangs du comité de rédaction de LadiesRoom. Hiiihaaaaaa

Allez pour ceux qui n’ont pas LR en bookmark, je vous fais l’article ! En même temps c’est facile, c’est un site malin, impertinent, anti-conformiste, anti-morosité, (anti-cons ?), coquin, osé, communautaire, qui laisse le champ libre aux élucubrations, délires et pétages de plomb des bloggeuses, dans une bonne humeur contagieuse. C’est un quotidien de filles écrit par des filles, pour des filles mais finalement pas que.
Et pour une fois, mauvais esprits passez votre chemin, car si les ladies ne sont pas toujours d’accord elles chérissent la convivialité et la positive attitude. Et si vous pensez que du coup on parle que de chiffons et crème minceur dans les toilettes des filles, vous vous mettez le doigt dans le nez jusqu’au coude. Ce qui, en ces temps de pandémie, équivaut à prendre un très grand risque…

Je le vends bien non ?
En tout cas moi, je retourne bomber le torse, affuter mon clavier, téléphoner à ma mère, lancer un e-mailing à l’ensemble de mon carnet d’adresse…
Et fidèle à mon claim je terminerai par ce cri du coeur :  LadiesRoom c’est carrément Shalimar !

I have now descended into the rabbit hole of the Winter 1999 Issue of Images, which itself was a fairly nostalgic affair, what with it being the end of the century and everything. I will return to the present day shortly. In the meantime, here’s the text that accompanies the above image.

Femme Fatale Favourites
Oriental fragrances with their exotic spicy notes, have an exotic, dusky mystique – perfect for vamps from the ’20s to 21st Century. Here are the most provocative Orientals of the past 110 years:
• Shalimar (1925) is one of the original modern Orientals, made with a enigmatic mixture of patchouli, vanilla, incense and bergamot.
• The notorious Opium (1977) suggests all seven sins (along with notes of mandarin myrh, jasmine and vanilla) in one bottle.
• Cinnabar (1978) is a spicy mix of cinnamon, musk and cloves.
• Free-spirited Coco (1984) is a melange of Indian Jasmine, mandarin, mimosa and even chocolate notes — it’s sexy and subtly strong.
• Ysatis (1984) A mysterious mix of Chypre, Amber and Jasmine with a hint of ylang ylang and tuberose.

Note from the present: I can’t believe I used the word dusky. Also, why do I still have these files on my computer? They predate my iMac, which predates my MacBook, which predates this MacThing.

I dag kom det to pakker til, og nå er Jicky EdP,  l’Heure Bleue EdP, Samsara EdP, Shalimar EdP og Mitsouko på plass.

De er så søte hos The Perfumed Court; de sender alltid med sukkertøy 

Mer eller mindre velkvalifiserte uttalelser kommer etterhvert.

One of my favorite perfumes is Shalimar. It’s a warm, comforting oriental with notes of bergamot, jasmine, incense, opoponax, tonka bean, and vanilla. My first experience with it was at the age of eighteen, when I was in the hospital and my parents gave me a jar of Shalimar body cream. It proved to be my last shred of dignity at a time when everything was taken from me. We weren’t supposed to keep such products in our rooms- there were lockers behind the nurses’ station for shampoo, perfume, etc.- but I kept my jar in a drawer beneath my underwear. We were allowed so few possessions, and I knew if any of the staff discovered my secret cache, I’d be in some trouble. But the risk was worth it to me, because I got to use the cream whenever I wanted or needed. Not that my skin was so dry, but the scent of the cream made me think of my parents and a home that would be waiting for me when I got out. Sometimes one has so little hope to hold on to, one must cling to every scrap of it. And that is what I did. No matter what the day dished out, I was protected by a secret, scented veil that promised me it would all be over soon; that I hadn’t lost everything. For a while after the hospital, I didn’t use Shalimar. It reminded me too much of the hospital. But now that time has passed and wounds have healed as much as they are going to, I love this scent once again. Sometimes I put it on at bedtime and it reminds me that I have a family who loves me; that I am home.

Después de nuestra visita a BsAs, tuvimos el honor de tener como invitados a Juan y a Lu durante algunos días.
Entre otras cosas, cómo no, fuimos al Parc Güell a pasear y al Shalimar a comer. Como los tortolitos son un poco “especiales” para comer… no hubo mucho festín culinario durante su visita.

teo capitaneando la visita de los recién casados

Well, I think we can almost officially call this Fall now! The leaves are turning, the weather is cooler (at least in the morning and evening hours), Starbucks have Pumpkin Spice lattes back…IT IS FALL!!

I’m so excited because I think this is becoming my favorite time of year. Unfortunately, I’m not a big fan of winter but perhaps I can be creative this year and find a way to enjoy that season more too

So, where to begin! Oh yeah, let’s start with how Friday went down…

Breakfast was plain oat bran with banana and almond butter. The jar is almost empty so you know what that means…oats in a jar soon!

Then mid morning I snacked on more banana and PB after a 15 minute walk (this was half, the banana from this morning was huge):

For lunch, I had one of my favorite vegan convenience meals!

I don’t want to become dependent on these but it got me through this time

YUM! Just as good the second time around…

After lunch digested, I went to the gym for a 40 minute treadmill workout with Farrah. We did walking and running intervals until we reached 3 miles…went something like this – 5 min walking warm up (2.5 mph), Run 5 minutes (5.5 mph), Walk 2.5 minutes (3.8 mph) – repeat run/walk sequence 4 times – cool down walking for 5 minutes. In the run sequences I did 6.0 for the last minute a few times.

It was awesome! I felt like I could’ve pushed it more but I didn’t because I want to honor my body and not reach those limits as I’m not a competitive athlete or anything. My body thanked me by not being sore and I wasn’t too tired either.

Snacks were some REAL dark chocolate (no milkfat in this piece):

Some almonds…

For dinner, I convinced Josh to go to Shalimar, a really great Indian restaurant here in town. I ordered what I’ve seen Gina eat several times…Baingan Bartha!

I had mine over some rice with garlic naan on the side. I think this dish was vegan, no? It was just peas, eggplant and sauce I think. Geez, it was so good. I ate most of it, but not all.

Even though I felt pregnant (with a food baby) for the next couple of hours, I still managed to eat a serving of ice cream (not vegan trying to use it up):

Then we watched a couple of bad movies (The Mummy Dragon Emperor something or other, dumb and Valkyrie which wasn’t too bad actually) and I snacked on two sheets of graham crackers (these need to leave my house like now) and a couple of marshmallows.

Then I had some tea and went to bed Zzzzz…

~~~

Hello Saturday!

For breakfast, I had two very non-vegan Eggo waffles with PB and banana. I decided to have fun and make a waffle-wich!

On a Pokemon plate no less. Haha. Close up of the yummy goodness…

On the way to meet my mom for a nice walk at the park with Suzie, I grabbed a tall soy latte from the ‘Bucks. It was tasty…I think there soy latte feels like a treat even though it’s fairly low in calories! I resisted the pumpkin spice latte for now

At the park, we walked around the track twice which is about 2.4 miles, plus walking to and from the car, we got a good workout in! So did my silly dog.

For lunch, we went to Mimi’s Cafe, which is easily my favorite restaurant. While perusing the menu though, I couldn’t help but think how hard it would be for a vegan to eat there.

I ended up getting the veggie burger with fresh fruit. I only used half the bun as it was huge and not even close to whole grain.

This was pretty good and definitely filled me up. But I can’t eat veggie burgers all the time…

I think I might write to the company…not to complain, but just to find out their suggestions for vegan menu options. Other that a garden salad with no dressing…that’s what I’m finding on the websites out there – that’s not a meal!

I also had some delicious unsweetened raspberry tea

Before I went grocery shopping, I popped a piece of real dark chocolate. Now that I am back home, I’m thinking it is time for a nap. I’m going out with some girls to Ramsi’s tonight…I see falafel in my future…and it is beautious!

Have a great day friends!

Femeia Maimuta traieste intr-un permanent conflict intre nevoia de a se simti bine peste tot si dorinta febrila de schimbare, imediat ce si-a cucerit obiectivul.

Este foarte naturala, joviala, cu mult umor, independenta si foarte provocatoare.

Nu suporta singuratatea, clipele de refugiu din viata sa putand fi numarate pe degetele de la o mana.

Cand vine vorba de prieteni, devine serviabila, si de aceea, foarte apreciata de acestia.

Cand simte ca se clatina ceva, apeleaza la armele sale preferate: umorul si farsa.

Trebuie sa fie atenta insa, deoarece poate glumi prea dur pe seama unor persoane care ii sunt antipatice si pe care nu le cunoaste destul de bine. Fata de acestea devine caustica, ofenseaza si dispare. Nu se stie daca ar trebui sa se astepte la o razbunare din partea lor.

Este o femeie fatala, originala in felul ei, care exercita un efect de senzatie oriunde va merge.

Este deosebit de dragalasa si de spontana.  Este foarte competitiva si nu suporta sa fie ignorata.

Este foarte independenta si nu-i place ca aceasta libertate sa-i fie ingradita.

Este foarte creativa si poate face din orice nimic un lucru de valoare. Acest talent al ei ii asigura succesul deplin in orice domeniu profesional pe care si-l alege.

“Maimuta” este agera, draguta, vesela si foarte sensibila si  intotdeauna lasa o impresie excelenta in societate.

Maimutele sunt glumete si iubesc persoanele care sunt intotdeauna bine dispuse si energice.

Sunt foarte destepte.

Se pricep foarte bine sa rezolve problemele. Oriunde ai fi, oricine ai fi, daca ai o problema pune mana pe telefon si sun-o pe Maimuta.  Stie sa asculte cu atentie si in acelasi timp cauta solutii.

Si pentru ca la Maimuta curiozitatea este obisnuinta are si o mare sete de cunoastere.

Au cateva scrupule - pot fi nerezonabili cateodata si au abilitatea de a-i convinge pe toti cei din jur sa creada ca ceea ce fac este corect.

Nu-si poate ascunde intotdeauna emotiile si de cele mai multe ori nu doreste acest lucru. Veti putea observa cu usurinta atunci cand o Maimuta este fericita sau deceptionata.

Cea mai pregnanta calitate a Maimutei este spiritul obiectiv si realist, cuplat cu o buna intuitie si cu o agerime deosebita in a descopiri punctele slabe ale adversarului. In toate aceste evaluori se bazeaza pe intelectul sau dezvoltat, pe memoria de exceptie si pe exigenta sa in raport cu ceilalti.

Defectele cele mai frecvente ale Maimutei sunt: ego in exces, adoptarea de decizii contradictorii, egoismul(nu suporta sa imparta cu nimeni ceea ce este al lor in special persoana iubita si din acest motiv sunt considerate geloase), sunt posesive si au un orgoliu nemasurat. Cand avem de a face cu un nativ al acestei zodii la care aceste trasaturi sunt accentuate, colaborarea cu acesta devine imposibila.

Ele detin arta de a se face indispensabile. Nimeni nu se poate supara prea mult timp pe un nativ al acestei zodii, chiar daca a fost afectat sau lovit de acesta/aceasta.

Este foarte versatila si are un bagaj de cunostinte inepuizabile din toate domeniile.

Today I pack up all my family (mom, dads, sisters, brother-in-laws and nieces) for another yacht charter…this time it’s to the Caribbean for 1 week aboard the 118’ Shalimar!

Whoever writes the copy for centralyachtagent.com is brilliant! I just love the opening paragraph:

“Indulge your Dream..
IN YOUR HANDS is the key to unlocking the ultimate holiday -the perfect vacation. From this very moment, you hold the power to create a world that exists only to bring you pleasure. There are no limits! Imagine a world of pampered perfection, where, beneath a clear cerulean sky and bathed in the warmth of an island sun, you relax by the jaccuzzi, cool cocktail by your side, languishing in paradise. The soft tropical breeze, sweetly scented, lightly touches your skin. Gently, you float away, while dolphins play, in surrounding, sapphire sea.”

I feel relaxed, peaceful, calm just after reading that. It rocks my imagination and stirs my senses…I’m totally there, right now. Check out these photos of the master suite and bathroom!

One week, for the 10 of us, costs $60,000 during low season. The $5,000 left over is for more pampering and play/fun.

The first time I smelled Shalimar perfume, I remembered it from before. Its distinctive fragrance seemed new to me, and yet I knew I had smelled it sometime deep in my past. It didn’t evoke any memory, but rather it was the memory. I choose to believe it is the perfume my birth mother wore.

Being an adopted child, I created a past and connections for myself. Until I turned six years old, since I knew people would understand I was making it up, I talked often about a time in the past when I was six. “When I was six, I had a dog named Boxer Dog Boxer Dog,” the four-year-old-me would say. I had constructed a previous life for myself, in which I’d lived backward, growing down from 6 to 5 to 4 years old, etc. When I reached zero, I was born into this life.

I wonder now if that was a way for me to account for experiences I had before coming to live with my adoptive parents. That’s possible, since I was adopted at the age of one and lived in foster homes before that. When I turned six, I felt I could no longer tell “when I was six” stories without being a liar, because people might think I was talking about the present. So I stopped.

Last December, in order to get some medical history, I petitioned to have the seal of my adoption broken. In late February I was given the name and birth date of my birth mother and the name only of my birth father. In spite of my specific request for it, they gave me no health information. Still this was a tremendous improvement over my former lack of knowledge.

I had names and I wanted to know more. I soon discovered that one of my friends loves genealogical detective work. He went onto ancestry.com, and probably numerous other sites, and constructed a family tree for me from information on my birth mother’s side.

When I first got the info from him, I was overwhelmed. It seemed unreal to finally have solid information about a birth mother who had almost seemed imaginary to me before. And yet at the same time it felt very real. Now there were documented facts where I had only had conjecture. These facts were so concrete (census records of addresses where her family lived through several decades, the draft records of her brothers from World War I) that it made them seem truer than the snippets of passed-on information I’d had. Of course, in my brain I always knew I had had a birth mother “somewhere out there,” but now I knew it with my whole being.

The clincher was the draft card descriptions of my birth uncles. They were noted as being very tall and having blue eyes. Exactly like my son. These people I never even dreamed about were genetically expressed in the very person of my own son, who was unique among all his previously known, biological relatives because of his over-six-feet height. I was connected.

I am, finally, ready for the Welcome Home Sale at www.onlineauction.com . I was able to get about 30 items listed at very inexpensive prices.  The participanting members in this sale have items listed below $10.00, so bargains will abound.

This is just a little preview of some of the 30 new items I have listed.  Just remember these Auctions don’t go live until August 2, 09.  Then they will run for 7 days. 

Details of this Toulouse-Lautrec, Course de Galop – Jockey Club Post Card Auction  CLICK HERE

Details of this Fürstenberg Porcelain depicting Wilhelmshaven, Germany Auction CLICK HERE

Typing WHS into OLA’s Search Bar will show the many Auctions featured in the sale. Come find some other great bargains under $10.00 from me, too.

“‘Não pense na corda como uma linha de segurança no espaço. Pense nela como uma linha de ar recolhido. Ou pense no ar como alguma coisa se preparando para ser corda. A corda e o ar são a mesma coisa. Quando entender isso, vai estar pronto para voar.’ [...] Shalimar se lembrou de seu pai ensinando-o a andar na corda e compreendeu que viajar pelas rotas secretas do mundo invisível era exatamente a mesma coisa. As rotas eram ar acumulado. Quando a pessoa aprendia a usá-las, a sensação era de estar voando, como se o mundo ilusório em que vivia a maioria das pessoas estivesse desaparecendo…”

(Salman Rushdie – Shalimar, o Equilibrista)

A vue de… nez, rien à voir entre tout ça. Mais ce n’est pas grave, c’est comme ça que vient l’inspiration. En cette journée estivale parisienne, qui fut aussi pour moi une journée de convalescence (aller attraper une angine blanche avec une chaleur pareille… les Solidays c’est bien, mais pas sous tous les plans), il a fallu se trouver une occupation intelligente et utile. Alors j’ai commencé à farfouiller dans les échantillons de parfums Guerlain gracieusement offerts par Madame Sylvaine Delacourte lors de la rencontre bloggers-amateurs du 22 juin dernier, et j’y ai pioché le plus attendu, le plus connu et le plus royal de tous : Shalimar (en extrait). Si cela vous a pris un jour de penser que Shalimar n’était pas pour vous, eh bien, vous n’aurez raison que le jour où vous aurez essayé l’extrait. On le dit depuis des années, mais pour connaître un parfum, généralement, rien ne se compare à l’extrait. Vous cherchez le dessein du créateur, la finesse d’une composition, vous voulez comprendre un classique ou le redécouvrir : il vous faut l’extrait. C’est la lune qui me l’a dit ce soir, ici-même, bronzée après une longue journée de soleil et lovée dans un ciel noir-cuivré encore vibrant de chaleur. Elle me regardait d’un oeil mystérieux à demi-fermé sur son beau visage ocre, et soufflant sur mon poignet de sa douce haleine d’été, elle m’a fait sentir. Et j’ai compris.

Le chat bleu aux pattes de vanille et aux yeux bergamote était là, ronronnant sur mon poignet. Parfois il se levait, s’étirait, baillait, laissant entrevoir ses dents d’iris et me frôlant de ses douces moustaches de patchouli. Une touche de transpiration, très légère mais vivante, finit de m’achever.

Pourquoi je travaille toujours la nuit ? L’inspiration et les grands moments de force et de volonté qui l’accompagnent bien souvent, tombent, chez moi, assez systématiquement aux alentours de 23 h si ce n’est pas minuit. Sérieusement, je me demande comment je vais faire plus tard au boulot, parce que les oiseaux de nuits dans notre monde moderne, ça ne court pas les rues. Bon, j’avoue pour ce soir, c’est aussi parce qu’il fallait bien que je laisse le temps à l’extrait de s’étendre et se détendre sur mon petit poignet. Quoiqu’il en soit, je ne suis pas déçue du résultat. Même si je savais depuis bien longtemps la beauté de Shalimar, je ne la connaissais pas vraiment. Elle est apparue ce soir, dans une vision très dense et dans cette atmosphère un peu énigmatique de lune rousse. Elle a rougi d’ailleurs, est devenue presque cramoisie, et ne cesse de me faire du charme depuis qu’elle sait qu’on parle d’elle…

On ne sait pas trop ce qui peut nous arriver lorsque l’on sent un parfum. Qui sait sentir est capable de remuer en lui des trésors d’imagination insoupçonnés. Finalement, peu importe que l’on ait vraiment saisi la vision nette du parfumeur (je doute que Jacques Guerlain ait imaginé un chat bleu en composant Shalimar), peut-être n’était-elle même pas nette pour lui-même… L’important est de s’approprier sa beauté. Elle se manifestera sous forme d’émotions, de sensations, de souvenirs souvent mais aussi de visions. Cependant, comprendre, ça prend du temps.

Même si j’avais peu de chance d’être déçue avec un classique tel que Shalimar, cette expérience m’a fait comprendre que chaque parfum a droit à son microcrédit. Vous connaissez le microcrédit ? Cette opération qui consiste à accorder des prêts de faible montant pour des petits projets à des artisans ou même à des particuliers comme à la mairie de Paris… Eh bien, pour les parfums c’est un peu la même chose. Un microcrédit de temps associé à une petite parcelle de peau est nécessaire pour chaque parfum, pour qu’il puisse révéler ou non, sa beauté. Je tente de procéder à ces opérations parfunancières depuis quelques jours et je dois dire que l’expérience est profitable pour le parfum et pour moi aussi. Tout le monde y gagne! La preuve que le microcrédit est vraiment un outil fantastique…

Rhythms of Grace: Say Amen, Howard Hewitt

Below Photos by Carlston Edwards (first pic), King Yella (next two pics) Jay bailey (fourth pic) and Ma&atology R&B singer Howard Hewitt (RIGHT)performed last Thursday at Oz nightclub in Sauget for a Pre-Mother&s Day concert. …

Howard Hewitt: I write an every other week newspaper column about wines under $25 and feature education aspects for the novice wine drinker. You can click Grape Sense above to see those columns. I write on this blog 2-3-4 times a week …

Howard Hewitt: I write an every other week newspaper column about wines under $25 and feature education aspects for the novice wine drinker. You can click Grape Sense above to see those columns. I write on this blog 2-3-4 times a week …

Below Photos by Carlston Edwards (first pic), King Yella (next two pics) Jay bailey (fourth pic) and Ma&atology R&B singer Howard Hewitt (RIGHT)performed last Thursday at Oz nightclub in Sauget for a Pre-Mother&s Day concert. …

Below Photos by Carlston Edwards (first pic), King Yella (next two pics) Jay bailey (fourth pic) and Ma&atology R&B singer Howard Hewitt (RIGHT)performed last Thursday at Oz nightclub in Sauget for a Pre-Mother&s Day concert. …

This is very exciting news. Jody Watley finally got over her grudge of years and decided that it’s not such a bad idea to reunite one of the greatest disco bands that this earth has seen. They are doing it for a TV show called Unsung, it’s a little but at least it’s something. Watley needs to realize that reviving her once hot solo career is out of the questions and it’s about for a huge disco revival. Already artists like La Roux and Little Boots are revisiting the genre. Check out “Night To Remember” and my personal favorite “I Can Make You Feel Good.”

The Mughal emperor Jehangir loved Kashmir and traveled often from his capital of Agra in the North Indian planes all the way to the valley beautiful. So much was he in the thrall of the valley  that he called it the ‘paradise on Earth’.

Now having driven from Delhi to Srinagar in the Kashmir valley, I can only wonder at the difficulties he must have faced 500 years ago and yet he couldn’t resist the allure of the valley. Today, Srinagar is connected to Delhi (and Agra) by a modern 6 carriage highway all the way upto Jammu (the work is still on between Jullandhar-Pathankot and Jammu). From Jammu to Srinagar, the road is a 2 lane carriageway, well maintained by the Border Roads Organisation and is the lifeline of the valley.

We drove from Delhi to Jammu, a distance of approx 630 kms in about 11 hours, stopping twice at roadside dhabas for refreshments. The next day after breakfast we set off for Srinagar a distance of approx. 300 kms. Soon we were in the hills, passing by quaint towns, ascending to Patnitop at 2024 m and than coming down to Ramban, where we crossed the Chenab, flowing swiftly to our left. We than climbed to Banihal and crossed the Jawahar Tunnel to enter the Kashmir Valley. The Jawahar Tunnel is an engineering marvel. Opened in 1956 and named after Jawahar Lal Nehru, the tunnel connects the valley to the rest of the country and allows India round the year access to the valley.

Once across the tunnel we swiftly descended into the Kashmir Valley and drove to Srinagar approx 80 kms away. The first views of the snow capped mountains ringing the valley, the magical greenery and free flowing springs everywhere made me switch off the car air conditioning, lower the windows and breathe lungfuls of the clean air of the valley. The drive on the road leading to Srinagar is an exhilarating affair, the accumulated fatigue of the earlier days drops off, the road is lined with clusters of beautiful, erect tall trees, locally called safeda (they have white bark) and the green paddy fields on either side of the road are filled with water fed by small streams flowing from the mountains. We reached Srinagar by the twilight hour and settled down in our hotel on the Boulevard, on the Dal.

Srinagar

Srinagar, lies on the banks of the river Jhelum a tributary of the mighty Indus. Srinagar is an ancient city with a recorded history of more than 2500 years. In the 3rd century BC, the city was a a part of the Maurya empire and Asoka the great is credited to have introduced Buddhism in the valley. Subsequently it was ruled by the Gupta Kings, the Kushans and the Huns. The valley came under Muslim rule in the 14th century and Akbar the great assimilated it in the Mughal empire. in 1814, Maharaja Ranjit Singh conquered the valley after the fall of the Mughals and the valley came under the influence of  Sikh rulers. In 1846, a treaty was signed at Lahore with the British, providing them control over the valley, a dogra king by the name of  Gulab Singh was installed as the ruler of the valley. Gulab Singh and his progeny ruled Kashmir till the Indian independence, when the princely state was absorbed in the Indian union.

Srinagar today is a bustling city. Lal Chowk, its main market has shops full of exquisite Kashmiri handicrafts and dry fruits. Big malls are yet to arrive and the entire market has a quaint, old fashioned charm about it. The old city boasts of grand mosques, traditional eatries and a rich and vibrant culture of  Sufiana Music. The shrine of Hazrat Bal on the shores of the Dal Lake attracts devotees from across the valley and beyond. We too visited the shrine and paid silent obeisance.

The Dal

The Dal is a mesmerising sight. The stately victorian era houseboats, the beautiful shikaras, the hawkers selling Kashmiri handicrafts, saffron, trinkets and baubles all add to its magic. The boulevard around the lake is lined with huge safeda trees casting a deep shadow on its placid waters and the reflection of the hills surrounding the lake gives it an aura of immense depth and tranquility. In the evening as we went on a Shikara ride, the setting sun bathed the lake in its golden glow, and all the world seemed to be at peace with itself.

We soon moved into a Houseboat called Shah Parie and spent a few days with Bilal Hakroo and his family the owners of the Houseboat. The houseboat has a balcony in the front, a living room, a dining room and four rooms along a narrow corridoor. It has exquisite teak wood carvings, embroidered curtains, linen and soft wall to wall carpets. My father spent a lot of time chatting with Bilal’s father on the balcony, watching the shikaras go by and enjoying the sounds and the sights of the beautiful lake. Bilal hesitantly talked about the turmoil of the last two decades and how it has ruined the valley, he blamed fellow Kashmiris and their Pakistani masters for fomenting trouble and driving away tourists. Bilal also talked about the humiliation of living under the shadow of the gun. The Indian Army seemed to be omnipresent in the valley and even on the Boulevard, every 500 metres or so one would see an alert soldier, armed to the teeth keeping a sharp eye on things.    

While on the houseboat we discovered that the Dal also sustained a unique way of life. The kids go to school on the shikara, the faithfuls go for prayers to the mosques located on the lake, there is a busy market floating on the lake selling everything from vegetables, to groceries, toiletries, Kashmiri handicrafts, saffron, and flowers. We also saw a hotel now being used by the Central Reserve Police Force, restaurants offering Kashmiri and North Indian cuisine,  nice houses with vegetable gardens at the back- all floating on the lake.

The Mughal Gardens

The world famous Mughal gardens in Srinagar are a sight to behold. Shalimar, Nishat and Chashm-e-Shahi are all located on the shores of the Dal, along the boulevard. Shalimar Bagh, was built by the Mughal emperor Jehangir in 1616 for his beloved wife Noor Jehan. The garden is symmetrically laid out along a stream, which flows into the Dal. The stream has beautiful fountains and each terrace is punctuated by a ‘baradari’. We visited the Shalimar on a glorious morning, with the sun playing hide and seek with candy floss clouds in an azure sky. The garden was a riot of colour with flowers in full bloom. (I counted at least 9 different colours and shades of roses, each flower the size of my fist or more). The massive chinars gradually recede into the hills at the back giving the impression that the entire garden is laid out in the lap of a gigantic mountain.

Nishat, though a little smaller than the Shalimar is just as breathtaking as the Shalimar. It is a lot closer to the Dal and has the entire lake spread out in front. The garden has 12 terraces with a stream running through the middle creating small waterfalls on different levels. Nishat was built by Asif Khan, Noor Jehan’s brother more than 400 years ago. The garden with a mountain in the backdrop, the massive expanse of the Dal in the front and huge Chinars presents an awesome sight.

Chashm-e-Shahi is the smallest of the Mughal Gardens and was built by Emperor Shah Jehan. It is set up the hill facing the Dal and has a natural aqua duct (chashma) flowing through the garden. Many people believe in the medicinal powers of the spring, though I must admit we refrained from having a sip.

Pari Mahal

As we drove up from the Chashm-e-Shahi the road became narrower and we went past hair-pin bends with dense foliage on either side. We pulled up at the door of the Pari Mahal late on a fine evening. Pari Mahal is a terraced arched garden built by Emperor Shah Jahan’s eldest son Dara Shikoh. The Pari Mahal overlooks the Dal and offers a monumental view of the city of Srinagar. The facade of the retaining wall of the Pari Mahal has 21 arches, in the descending order and on the sides are specious rooms. Sitting on the thick walls of the Pari Mahal, we watched the sun gradually slip behind the iconic Hari Parbat across the city and we witnessed the Dal change colours from blue to ochre, to golden and finally to inky black.

All Pics by the author

En en blog de Isa y Garoto hay unas fotos muy buenas de Teo con Luisa.
Puden verlas aquí: Link

teo y luisa

Poetic Liberty or Bad Songs?

This article was originally published here in PFC, now being cross-posted here.

The world of Hindi film song lyric is like an ocean of expressions of emotions, mainly of love and pain. For years, song writers and lyricists’ deep poetic thoughts, through their eloquent verses, have been, creating magnificent tunes which are sung across generations. Such songs are original, melodious, memorable and generally termed as ’good songs’ and often as- ‘timeless classics’.

However, there are other kind of songs which neither qualifies to be lyrically enriched, nor that meaningful, but necessarily possess some unique virtue of jingles to become ‘catchy’ and create its own band of listeners for a long period of time. Most of the cases however, the tunes and lyrics of such songs are not even original and inspired or directly lifted from works of international artistes. Subjectively, some people term few of them as ‘bad’ songs. I, for one, loved those songs as a kid and still remember them as reminiscent of those good old silly days. Interestingly, most of such songs are dance numbers and are very upbeat and rhythmic in nature.

Success or popularity of such songs always makes me think, why such songs become popular at the first place? Is it because of its tune? Or the catch phrase in the lyrics? The way they are picturized? Or simply because of the playback singer’s voice or a combination of all the factors?  I don’t know. There’s no need to know actually.

Let me list down my favorite ‘catchy’ songs which boldly use meaningless phrases, awkward verses and repeat words, yet are immediately identifiable and hummable. The list is restricted only to the songs, which has at least one meaningless phrase (or group of words), to rhyme with other meaningful wordings. Please note yodleying, humming and other vocal modulations are excluded from this category.

1. Ina Mina Dika Dai Damo Nika
Movie : Asha (1957) |Singer(s): Kishore Kumar| Music Director(s): C Ramchandra
Lyricist(s): Rajinder Kishan

na mina dika dai damo nika/ maka naka naka chika pika rika

ina mina dika dika, de dai damo nika/ maka naka maka naka, chika pika rola rika

rumpum posh, rumpum posh

dil de du hai koi lene wala, aise vaise ko nahee dene wala

suratiya hasin ho, umariya jawan ho

koi bhee use dekhe toh bas yeh guman ho

yahee hai yahee hai yahee toh hai wo

Augmented with idiosyncratic Kishore Kumar antics, this outstandingly crazy but brilliantly racy number, till date is unmatchable for it’s nonsense quotient and probably there would never be any. I wonder if the first para was written by Rajinder Kishan or added by Kishore himself!

2. Mera Naam Chin Chin Chu

Movie: Howrah Bridge (1958)| Music : O.P. Nayyar | Singer:Geeta Dutt |

Lyricist: Qamar Jalalabadi

Mera Naam Chin Chin Chu/ Chin Chin Chu baba chin chin chu

Raat Chandni main aur tu/ hello mister how do you do ?

Babaaaa….Babaaa

This song is as famous for its Chinese name ‘chin chin chu’ and as the first hit of ‘Helen’. This is probably one of the most evergreen songs, alive even after half a decade of its creation.Geeta Dutt’s voice and the mystic charm of Hellen has an intoxicating effect bringing alive the ‘Sunehri Yaadein’ of bygone days.

3. Dum Dum Diga Diga

Movie: Chhalia (1960) | Music: Kalyanji- Anandji | Singer: Mukesh | Lyricist: Qamar Jalalabadi

Dum Dum Diga Diga Mausam Bheega Bheega

Bin Piye Maein To Gira…Maein To Gira… Maein To Gira

Haye Allah, Surat Aap Ki Subhan Allah

Another evergreen happy foot tapping number which elegantly passed the test of time. A timeless classic, undoubtedly.

4. Hum bewafa

Movie: Shalimar (1978) | Music: R. D  Burman | Singer: Kishore Kumar | Lyrics: Anand Bakshi

Chorus: Jingala La La Jhum..

kishore: Hum Bewafa Hargiz Na The Par Hum Wafa Kar Na Sake

humko Mili Uski Saza Hum Jo Khata Kar Na Sake

hum Bewafa Hargiz Na The, Par Hum Wafa Kar Na Sake

chorus: Phur.. Phur.. Phuur..

The gloom of the song is accentuated by that unsympathetic tribal ‘Jingalala hoo…phurr phurr’. Kishore and RD both got award for best music and playback respectively. Usha Uthup received an th best playback award for her One two cha cha cha number too.

5. Jile Le Jile Le

Movie: Tarzan (1985) | Music : Bappi Lahiri | Singer: Alisha Chinai | Lyrics : Anjaan

Jee le le Jee le le /, Aiyo Aiyo Jee le le

Masti me Masti Me/ Aiyo aiyo jee le le

Dooba dooba dooba dooba masti me

Kabhi kbahi kaliya mile hasti mein (?)

Jee le le Jee le le /, Aiyo Aiyo Jee le le

Cognizant of the wild theme, the lyrics did poetic justice to Tarzan’s (Hemant Birje) untamed expression of love towards Kimi Katkar’s junglee jawani. For the uninitiated it would be interesting to note that Bappida used the pseudonym Basavalingaiah Hiremath when he sang his songs like Jeele le Jee le and I am a Disco Dancer !! Talking about Disco Dancer, the song Koi yahan aha nache nache, Koi wahan aha nache nache, Auwa Auwa would also fall under the category of songs we are discussing.

6. Zubee Zubee Zubee

Movie: Dance dance (1987) | Music : Bappi Lahiri | Singer: Alisha Chinai | Lyrics : Anjaan

zu zu zubee zubee zubee, zu zu zubee zubee zubee

zubee zubee hey hey

(mere dil gaye ja zubee zubee zubee

mastee mei gaye ja zubee zubee zubee) – (2)

hey zubee zubee zubee, hey hey zubee zubee zubee, zubee zubee hey hey

zubee zubee zu zu zubee zubee, zubee zubee zu zuuuuuuuu

aaah aaah aaah

Clearly, the weirdest lyrics ever heard, but just because of the oomph of the voice, the song is unforgettable. More discussions on this song can be found on my post on Best songs of Alisha Chinai.

7. Oye Oye, Oye O O Oaa

Movie:Tridev (1989)| Singer(s) : Amit Kumar, Sapna Mukherjee | Music: Kalyanji Anandji

Lyrics: Anand Bakshi

Tridev, with its star studded cast and superhit songs, created huge furor. Sapna Mukherjee  for the Oye Oye song, won the best female playback beating Alisha Chinai’s raat Bhar Jaam se !  The same year I learnt that the song was an Inspiration from Gloria Estafan’s Rhythm’s gonna get you. Nevertheless, ‘Oye Oye’ became the slogan of the youth. Slightly Tarzanish, lipped by Nasiruddin and Sonam, Oye Oye song remains as a memorable milestone.

8. Tamma Tamma Loge

Movie: Thanedar (1990) | Singer: Anuradha Paudwal, Bappi Lahiri | Music: Bappi Lahiri
Lyricist(s): Indeevar

tamma tamma loge

too premee aaha, mai premee aaha

too raajee aaha, mai raajee aaha

phir kya daddy kya amma

ik bas too hee pyaar ke kaabil, saara jahan hai nikamma

tamma tamma loge…….

Clearly, the talent of Bappi Lahiri (or Basavalingaiah Hiremath) on creating such gems out of meaningless words are beyond any doubt. This is also the first ‘Kompooterijed mujik’ in Hindi Cinema as he claimed.In his own words he is the ‘living lejend in hindi mujik industry’, and I dare doubt it.

9. Hai Huku Hai Huku Hai Hai

Movie : Gopi Kishen (1994) | Singer(s): Alka Yagnik, Kumar Sanu, Poornima |

Music : Anand Milind | Lyricist(s): Sameer

Hai Huku Hai Huku Hai Hai (4)

yeh ladke mere samne

Hai Huku Hai Huku Hai Hai (2)

yeh ladke mere samne, mera dil liye jaye jaye…(2)

Hai Huku Hai Huku Hai Hai

Suneil Shetty trying compact the ground with robust heroine Shipa Shirodkar on his side, by thumping the earth vigorously, an action need to be accepted as ‘dancing’. The cumulative masculinity of this song is degraded slightly when Shipa lips “who ladka mere samne mera dil liye jai jai jai”. I also remember the letter SO DA was written is large letters on Suneil Shetty’s shirt. Where is Shilpa Shirodkar gone ?

10. Jab Bhi Koi Ladki Dekhe Mera Dil Deewaana Bole Ole Ole Ole Ole Ole Ole

Movie : Yeh Dillagi (1994) | Singer(s): Abhijeet| Music: Dilil Sen- Sameer Sen | Lyrics: Sameer

This was one fast paced song picturized on Saif Ali Khan and a room full of girls. I think this was the song which established Saif’s playboy image

11. Chinai Chun Chun

Movie: Jallad (1995) | Singer- Udit Narayan, Sadhna Sargam | Music- Anand-Milind |

Lyrics – Sameer

See Song No-2 @ 0.38.

Chinai chun chun chinai chun chun

Kya kehti hai dil ki dharkan dilbar mere sun

Chinai chun chun chinai chun chun

Apparently the song seems to be a dedication to Alisha Chinai, but it was Rambha and Mithun, whom this song is picturized on. Mithun played double role and his villain role of ‘Amavas’ fetched him  the‘ best villain’  award from Filmfare.

12. Aanan Fanan

Movie: Hathkadi (1995) | Singer(s)- Abhijeet ( or was it Anu Malik?), Swarnalatha |

Music- Anu Malik | Lyrics – Maya Govind

The lyrics go like this-

Chand ka dola laaya hoon dulhan/ aanan faanan aanan fanan

Dekh bani hai duniya jabse/ saathi hoon main tera tabse,

lekar tujhko jaunga dulhan/ aanan faanan aanan fanan.

One of the seriously hilarious song, rich with true Govinda flavour, spiced up with Shilpa Shetty’s hip shaking visuals.

I can quickly remember some more songs of this nature-

Ding Dong Sing a Song….. ( Hero, 1983)

Auwa Auwa….. ( Disco Dancer 1983)

Tunna Tunna Ta Ta Tunna….(Adharm, 1992)

Gutur Gutur….. ( Dalal, 1993)

Aa A ee, U U oo, Mera Dil Na Todo…… ( Raja Babu, 1994)

Humma Humma….. ( Bombay, 1995)

Dil Ding Dong Ding Bole…… (Kuchh to Hai, 2003)

Zara Zara touch me ….Bin Tere Sanam Dum di dum di dum….. ( Race, 2007)

Annan Faanan….. ( Namastey London, 2007)

Ta tananana Tandoori Nights…. ( Karzzz…the remake, 2008)

There are some songs which have successfully used drum beat sounds as catch phrases, which can’t be categorized meaningless in entirety, but the songs are worth a mention.

Dhina Dhin Tak … Aa Jee O Jee (Ram Lakhan, 1989)

Tak Dum Dum Tak Dum Dum/ Ghode jaisi chla Hathi jaise dum (Dil to Pagal Hai, 1997)

The list no way claims to be exhaustive.

I request readers to read the comment section of the PFC article which is probably the most exhaustive thread on the topic. In my view that can serve as a near exhaustive reference for such crazy songs!

If time permits, Ill try to compile all the songs in this post, till then don’t hesitate to comment with your favorites among them

Ps: A Laurel Wreath would be given to each commenter , who comes up with a fresh contribution, a new song (new= a song not mentioned in this post or PFC comment section) falling into the category being discussed.

To avoid ‘creative frauds’, request you to provide a link as a proof of the song’s existence.

Definitely feelin the weekend burn today haha.. but Youtube has come to the rescue once again

Wanna do a photshoot inspired by this video

These girls are so cute!

In 1931, what was to be Shalimar and its thereabouts was an elaborate scheme of amazing proportions that captured the eye of many an investor and the attention of nearly all of Northwest Florida. Port Dixie, it was called. In “A History of Okaloosa County” by Henry Allen Dobson, the author referred to the Port Dixie development as “A grandiose scheme which had the ingredients of a great hoax.” It was to be an extraordinary commercial-industrial complex on Garnier’s Bayou and chartered as the Port Dixie Harbor and Terminal Company. The optimistic venture depended on two things: the enlargement of Destin East Pass to accommodate large sea vessels, and the construction of a railroad that would service the complex. Following rampant rumors of the development’s birth and details of its far-flung facets – realty company, railroad, port, steamship lines, ship-building plant, tire plant, town site, night club – the complicated plan fell on its face. “The Corps of Engineers decided that the plans to dredge Destin East Pass to accommodate deep-water vessels was not feasible,” Dobson wrote. “It is not known for certain whether capital for the railroad was contingent upon a positive report by the Corps of Engineers on the pass proposal, or whether company was simply unable to finance the railroad. In any case, the project died, died with no obituary, no post-mortem.” Port Dixie was the first of many ventures to see unexpected change in the yet-to-be-named Town of Shalimar. When Clifford Meigs started the town in the early 1940s, he developed a community of 160 houses to be used as housing for military officers. Said to mean “by the beautiful water,” Shalimar became the lovely home – although often only for a short time – of dozens of military and, later, civilian families. A Dec. 31, 1944 article in the Atlanta Journal reads: “Life beyond the ragged hammocks, the flat sage grassland and the blue waters becomes remote. The little community at Shalimar is a world of its own…and always there hangs the Damocles’ sword of ‘When will overseas orders arrive?’ The peace and beauty of the this little hidden home spot is made more poignant because of this constant apprehension.” In the 1940s, few thought Meigs’ plan to develop military housing would be a prosperous one. An article in the Nov 12, 1959, Playground News (what is now the Northwest Florida Daily News), quotes Meigs as saying: “I furnished the land and another fellow did the buildings…it was a gamble, though. People said I was crazy to build houses way out here in the woods, that the base would fold up as soon as the war was over, and I would be left with empty houses on my hands. But it didn’t work out that way, and the 160 houses I had constructed stayed rented all the time.” Meigs turned his gamble into a success. But not until gambling of another sort prompted the issue, did Shalimar incorporate. Florida law prevented clubs in unincorporated areas from staying open from 12 a.m. Saturday until Monday morning, according to the Playground News of 1959. That meant could be trouble for the famed Shalimar Club owned by Roger Clary and described in “A History of Okaloosa County” as a “sumptuous” spot. Best known for its gambling, Dobson wrote, the club’s opening “was the social event of 1947.” But because its home wasn’t incorporated, the club’s existence was threatened. “The Fort Walton Beach places were doing a booming business on the weekends while there were rumors that the sheriff might enforce the law in Shalimar and close the place there,” Meigs told the Playground News. “The owner came to me and suggested incorporation, and while I didn’t think I had much to gain then, I agreed. With only about three other freeholders in the area, it was a simple matter to get incorporated.” Although helped by the Town’s incorporation in 1947, the Shalimar Club and other gambling hotspots didn’t fare too well for too long. “The collapse of Okaloosa gambling was brought about by the glare of outside publicity, reform zeal from within and the direct intervention of Governor Fuller Warren. The first wind of adversity was blown in by the Tampa Tribune’s expose of gambling in Fort Walton,” Dobson wrote. Despite such glitches, Shalimar began to build its own character, much of which came from Meigs, its founder and mayor from 1947 to 1960, when he died. Jim Tras was Shalimar’s first elected mayor in 1965 following a short term in office by Clyde Meigs – Clifford’s brother – and a term of two to three years by Sara Tras, who was married to Clifford Meigs at the time of his death. She is currently married to Jim Tras. Greatly responsible for Shalimar’s continuous growth, the Meigs family donated land for Choctawhatchee High School (now Meigs Middle School), Meigs Stadium and what eventually became the Shalimar Courthouse Annex. Before the annex was completed in 1947, a winery stood in its place, according to Sara Tras. Today, the Meigs family continues to spur growth in quickly changing Shalimar. Clifford Meigs, Jr., owner of Shalimar Ventures, a commercial development firm, has built a car wash, convenience store and has other ideas “on the drawing board.” That, he believes, would suit his father just fine. In the 1959 Playground News interview, Shalimar’s founder said the area should not depend entirely upon Eglin for its growth. With that in mind, Meigs says of his dad: “I think that he definitely would agree with some of the other local people here that we need other industry. I give a lot of credit to the Air Force, but then I give a lot of credit to this area and to the beauty of the area and the water and the climate. We’re building a real large retirement base.” Even in 1944, Shalimar’s settler had that in mind. “Pilots, returned from combat overseas, are settling at Shalimar now,” the Dec. 31, 1944 Atlanta Journal reads. ‘The billeting officer gives them first preference. And I am glad they can have its peace and quietness, its unique charm…to help salve the mental wound of battle.”