Tuesday April 21st

It has been a wonderful few days.

Saturday was the one-day NORCAL show. I want to thank everyone that came out to make the show such a success for all of us vendors and hawkers. There was a line outside the door and it was a busy show floor all day long. I got to see quite a few of my peeps from the Bay Area and the best part was that I got a phone call from my friend Anne D. She saw my FaceBook post about being in SF and called to hook up for brunch on Sunday.

Anne D. & Anne M














The view of San Francisco from Treasure Island as displayed by Gail Moore

Sunday, as you can guess Gail Crosman Moore and I went into the “city” for brunch on Sunday morning but not before I took her to Treasure Island. When Gail lived in SF I do not think that the island was open to visitors. I believe that at that time it was still a military base. Today it is being converted to condos and apartments and the US Coast Guard still has a base there. Brunch at Zuni’s was as excellent as always. Oysters and a baked egg dish all accented with a glass of champagne.



After brunch Gail & I went out to the Legion of Honor to see the Artistic Luxury: Fabergé, Tiffany, Lalique exhibit. To say that it was opulent and exquisite is an understatement.





Monday we had to say good-bye for a few weeks. I dropped Gail off at the airport and I took off for New Mexico and then on to Denver for a show next weekend. I have brought all of my bench tools with me so I can work on several projects that I need to finish up over then next few days.

I know that I have been talking a lot about looking at the path of our lives and taking stock of the fabric or our time that we have in this life. I find it amazing and strange at the many twists and turns that happen over the course of our lives that get us to this very day, and this very moment. Just think about all of the intricacies, turns, choices, decisions and options that were made to get each of us at exactly here. It still baffles me why so many of us choose not to take stock of the past to see how it has shaped where we are now. If the same thing keeps happening over and over again, if the same action keeps having the same crappy result why do people NOT take note and change the pattern? I do not get it and I never will.

I find that fate can also be a very interesting aspect to our existence. I drove yesterday for 14 ½ hours and I had the best time. I had never driven through that portion of the Central Valley of CA. I shot across to 99 South and then hooked up to 40 West to get me into New Mexico. As I was driving I was just thinking about the conversations that Gail and I had about looking back at our lives and I just started thinking about the long path that got me out to the west coast from NYC. Then I started thinking about all of the fun stuff I have gotten to do just because of my chosen profession and all of the amazing people that I have gotten to work with.

I thought about several of the lighting designers that I worked with during my years in NY and I recalled a wonderful designer by the name of Marilyn Rennagel. When I originally interviewed to work with Marilyn, I had no idea that she was the long time partner of one of my idols Tharon Musser. As I stood in Marilyn’s living room during my interview I noticed the Tony Awards that were on the coffee table and that the name on the award was Tharon Musser (I about died right then and there) and then 10 minutes later Tharon walked in to the room and I was scared SHITLESS as she looked over and commented my designs. I was honored to have spent many evenings drinking with Marilyn and Tharon at McHale’s Bar in NYC and just sitting back listening and laughing to the many stories and escapades of these 2 remarkable women. When I moved out west I lost contact with these 2 and they both crept into my thoughts as I drove east yesterday afternoon.

This morning I opened up a theatrical newsletter that I still love to read and was so saddened to see that Tharon passed away on the evening of the 19th. The article stated very simple that she passed quietly in her home with her long time partner Marilyn Rennegal. When I met them they had been together forever and now I needed to add another 20 years onto that total. It is strange how fate brings us around and how the thought of these 2 came back to me as I drove on the 20th.

The Lights on Broadway will be dimmed for one minute this evening at 8pm in honor of 5 decades of brilliance.

Tharon, if I drank Cutty Sark I would open up a bottle and drink to you this evening at 8pm EST. I guess you will just have to settle for my usual glass of wine.