TO SAVOR OR TO SAVE?

 

January 5, 2026 To Savor or to Save? PREVIOUS BLOGS: TERRYBAUM.BLOGSPOT.COM PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO ANYONE WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED. PODCASTS, EVENTS, INFO, POSTERS: LilithTheater.com "Every morning I awake torn between a desire to save the world and an inclination to savor it. This makes it hard to plan the day. But if we forget to savor the world, what possible reason do we have for saving it? In a way, the savoring must come first." ----- E.B. White Truly, the world seems more and more in need of saving. And anyone who has a conscience and a heart and who lives in this country, knows there is so much saving to be done -- each day more and more. But first, a little savoring. Just a little ramble in my 'hood. Because of San Francisco's hills (I live in a very hilly neighborhood & don't have a car so I walk a lot, and will probably live forever), there are many hidden little parks that you cannot see from the street. One of them is Peixote, which is distinguished by an amazing cliff. Usually, when I've gone there, people have been climbing it. But this time, not. And there was a new sign: So a rare geological feature was just walking distance from my house! Not only that, it is called a slickenside, which is the coolest name for a geological feature that I've ever heard! And not only THAT, this particular Slickenside "is thought to be one of the largest slickenside exposures in the world!" So apparently the slickenside was at one time one side of a fault and was rubbed back and forth by the other side of the fault for a million years or so and then at some point was pushed upward, so that it could be hidden away in Peixote Park. You can't see it in my photos, but parts of it really are shiny. Apparently some slickensides are like mirrors. Imagine being able to see yourself in a rock cliff. I did some research on slickensides, as a good Blogmistress must. But quite frankly, I understood very little. HOWEVER, I can tell you that our own moon has a slickenside, and it was photographed by the crew of Apollo 15 when they were up there strolling around. And this proves that the moon has more geological activity than was previously thought. Onward with the birthday walk. What else was there to see in Peixote Park? It feels kind of abandoned and grubby. The only new thing was the sign about the slickenside. On a concrete wall, a tombstone is painted: Apparently a fish named Scorchio was murdered by... Godzila? Maybe a cat? ate the fish??? There used to be a whole row of tombstones for various pets. Now only Schorchio is left. I like the idea of naming a cat Godzilla. But then, I'm not a cat person. Then I see this amazing huge mushroom, maybe 9 inches in diameter: I mean, really, as big as a dinner plate. I never saw such a mushrooom before! And then a whole row of dancing silhouettes on the backstop: And then a trail leading up the hill.... But what does it say under the little hiking figure? It says "Summit." Now, that's a strange word to see on a trail sign in a city. "Summit." I'm someone who actually enjoys walking uphill. But a summit?? That's a daunting word. I feel daunted. Time to go home. On the way back, I see one of those goddam AT&T boxes taking up the sidewalk. I remember when they were first put in years ago. We were all angry. Why does AT&T have the right to take up our sidewalk? At the time, I thought, if they actuallty painted them with some flair and imagination, then I could forgive their presence. And now they do: This one is Twin Peaks, Sutro Tower, some people and a cow. Sutro Tower was built because people couldn't get television transmission back in the 50s because of all the hills. I remember the first time I saw Sutro Tower after I moved to the city. I was just walking up Market Street -- and suddenly, there it was: monstrous, ugly, looming over everything. I was totally shocked. How could something so spectacularly awful be allowed in this beautiful place? Why haven't they torn it down??? Of course, now after all these years, I'm fond of it just like everyone else. It's quirky, it's unique. If you see it in a picture, you know immediately: San Francisco. But what is the cow doing there? I have no idea, but somehow, it's perfect. Amd then a special house. I've taken its photo so many times, but it's never made it into a blog. There's something foreign about this house. Does it belong in the French countryside? I'm not sure. These people wanted to keep anyone from robbing their house, in the nicest possible way! And on up Eureka Street toward home, with the Eureka Ginkgo trees doing their full Fall glory thing: And lastly, before I turn onto my block, a solitary Ginkgo... and Sutro Tower! What a city! You got your two bridges, your bay, your museums, your sports teams, your ballet, your opera, your symphony, your ginkgos, your hills.... and the largest slickenside in the world! (Ok, I know it says "...thought to be one of the.." , but just for the moment, let me have it.). Dear Bloggelinis: HAPPY NEW YEAR! All for now. Terry

Lilith Women's Theater | 547 Douglass St. | San Francisco, CA 94114 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice

WATCH LESBO SOLO FUNNY TRAILER/ SEE IT THRU NOV. 30 / TUESDAY'S TOTAL TRIUMPH

 

ONE WATCH A REALLY QUITE AMUSING (AND VEYR SHORT) TRAILER OF LESBO SOLO BY CLICKING HERE.

CLICK 4 TIX! And please notice the show starts @ 2pm, not 5pm. TWO TUESDAY'S TOTAL TRIUMPH!! I happen to have bought a ticket to the Celebration Tuesday night of the 160th birthday of The Nation Magazine. That's right, 160 years old, founded by abolitionists after the Civil war. They're having evenings of speakers to celebrate all over the country, including San Francisco. And what a night it was! Election Night 2025! Listening to Robert Reich talk about "The Sleeping Giant" awakening, at first I thought, "Oh Robert, that's such a tired old metaphor." But then, as the election results kept coming in -- the metaphor came to life! Could it really be that the American people were actually awakening from their bizarre Trumpian dream?? It seems so! New York City elected a Muslim Social Democrat for Mayor! Pennsylvania retained its three Democratic Supreme Court Justices, thus avoiding the absolute end of democracy, according to the many alarming texts I've been getting for months! A Democratic governor was elected in New Jersey! In California, Proposition 50 won. It will allow the state to gerrymander election districts to elect more Democrats, in order to counteract the the pro-Republican gerrymandering in Texas. and... Virginia Virginia Virginia!! Democrats swept all the state races, winning Governor, Attorney General, and Lieutenant Governor -- and retaining control of both houses of the legislature! So the audience of 500 people who came to celebrate The Nation Magazine had cause to celebrate the ACTUAL nation! It was quite an election night party, all in all. Dear Bloggellinis: Please consider subscribing to The Nation Magazine. As one of the speakers at the Celebration said, no newspaper or magazine gets it right all the time. But The Nation's record is better than any other national media outlet. I've been subscribing for many years because of their track record. I want to make sure there's at least ONE national voice of reason. Click here to subscribe. Terry

MARGA GOMEZ SEARCHES FOR INTELLIGENT LIFE.

 

Subscribe to My Blog! August 1, 2025 Marga Gomez Searches for Intelligent Life. PREVIOUS BLOGS: TERRYBAUM.BLOGSPOT.COM PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO ANYONE WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED. PODCASTS, EVENTS, INFO, POSTERS: LilithTheater.com I saw The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe at the Aurora Theatre in Berkeley, performed by Marga Gomez. I loved it -- especially the second half, when Marga really gets her teeth into the play and runs with it. She's created so many brilliant solo shows herself. And this landmark play, written by Jane Wager and performed by Lily Tomlin, opened on Broadway in 1985. It seems as funny and profound now as it did then. It's aged well. I urge you to go see it. The show is running through August 17.... And they are also streaming live performances August 5-10! So, in fact, everyone reading this blog can see it, no matter where you are! Isn't that amazing? I had no idea theaters were doing that, now that the pandemic is over. CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS. Here's the play synoopsis from the Aurora Theatre website: Through the eyes of a lovable and eccentric bag lady with a sharp wit and a heart as vast as the cosmos she ponders, Wagner weaves a rich tapestry of interconnected stories that celebrate a mosaic of humanity in all its beauty, chaos, and contradiction. Marga Gomez plays a whole cast of quirky and unforgettable characters, revealing the invisible threads that connect us all.   “A true goosebump experience” - The New York Times I happened to be in New York when the show opened in 1985, and of course I had to go see it. Lily was already very famous for her TV and film work. It was a very big deal. She's a lesbian. Jane is her life parther and, I assume, her wife by now. All the dykes knew Lily was a dyke, but she was NOT out as a performer. And I was not happy when the script portrayed lesbian sex as a big joke with the vibrator blowing out all the electricity on the block, while it portrayed straight sex as all yummy and smoochy, with romantic sound affects. No, I was NOT happy. Otherwise, I loved the show. but I could not accept the vibrator joke followed by the luscious heterosexual intercourse. I mean, come on! I don't believe in pressuring people to come out of the closet, but have a little respect for your own people! So I wrote her a letter. And one day, the phone rang and I picked it up, and said "Hello?" because in those days there was no caller ID so I had no idea who it was. And the voice on the other end said, "Terry?" And I said, "Yes?" And the voice said, "This is Lily Tomlin." Fortunately, I happened to be stoned at the time, said I said without a beat, "Oh hi, Lily!" as if I was expecting her call. And then we had a little discussion about the offensive vibrator bit. And of course, she knew I was a lesbian and she knew that I knew SHE was a lesbian and I knew that she knew that I was a lesbian. And I knew she knew that I knew that she knew that I knew ... and on and on in an endless series of mirrors, as gay people have engaged with each other from time immemorial. And I only wish I had said, "Look, Lily, we're both lesbians, right?" But I never did. Anyhow, we debated. I didn't feel that I convinced her that lesbian sex deserved more respect and heterosexual sex deserved less. But when I saw Marga perform, either the vibrator joke had been cut or Marga played it down. And she certainly did not play the sex with the male of the species as a delight to end all delights, so the offense that was a flaw in Lily's performance is not present in Marga's performance. Anyhow, go see Marga Gomez in The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe at the Aurora Theatre in Berkeley. CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS. All for now, Bloggellinis.

Lilith Women's Theater | 547 Douglass St. | San Francisco, CA 94114 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice

Dancers in the Air

 

Subscribe to My Blog! July 28, 2025 Dancers in the Air PREVIOUS BLOGS: TERRYBAUM.BLOGSPOT.COM PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO ANYONE WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED. PODCASTS, EVENTS, INFO, POSTERS: LilithTheater.com See those three tiny figure way up at the top of the very tall building? Those are the dancers of Bandaloop, the aerial dance company, before they take off. I had never seen aerial dance before Saturday. My friend Tara, often my guide to amazing cultural events, introduced me to them in downtown Oakland on a cloudy/sunny/cloudy afternoon. The performance, called Somewhere to Oakland, took place in three different locations of downtown Oakland's civic center, a very attractive and useful congregation of plazas and skyscrapers. These are a few photos from their first location. There's no way I captured tthe amazing leaping, whirling movement of the dances in these still photos. All the dances at every location were accompanied by poets reading and gorgeous live music on the ground, created by a wondrous and soulful singer and accompanied an inventive melodious guitarist/piano player. Sorry I can't credit people. I don't have the information. The theme was Migration. My photos are a feeble reflection of the glorious performances. I just wanted to WATCH, not record! The first dance was performed by three women, entwining with each other, flying apart, coming together.

Then a solo by the artistic director of the company, during which the clouds lifted. And then a spectacular finale with six dancers - accompanied by their shadows. So it felt like there were twelve performers on that huge concrete wall. These photos are a very meager reflection of the beauty and magic of Bandaloop. Oakland is their home, but tthey our. I urge you to sign up on their website, so you'll know if they migrate to somewhere near you. You'd best be in Bandaloop's loop. Thank you, Tara! Terry