It's been such a pleasure looking at work here lately, and making a small dent in the sea of deviations in my watch.

There isn't an artist there, or one whose work I've commented on, who doesn't give me a measure of hope for us all. And there are a whole lot of you that I just haven't been able to get to. This is a huge site and I'm a bit...well, slow.

I do hope you will all keep on keeping on.

The bringing of our best to a table we share, a very big table, but one where we can move about at will, that is just magic.

Not that it's perfect. Of course it is not. But it IS wonderful.

YOU are wonderful.

Yay for you.

[link]

A new friend's work is on display here. If and when I can I hope to photograph his work, I think if you look you'll see why.

Love,

Paulscha

The mind works miracles as it expands to take in the horizons of the spirit.

Yep, you heard it hear first.

Love,

Paulscha

Mood: ...

My Friend Dennis Du Bois

Passed away today. We had grown very close over the last year. There was this effortless peace that would just sort of settle in when we were together. We could talk about anything but often we did not need to talk at all.

Dennis was a big, big-hearted Dutchman, who gave many wonderful people the closest thing to a sense of ‘home’ and ‘family’ they ever had. Like many queer people I know who grew up feeling orphaned and alone, he was a natural mentor. He was the least sterotypical anything I have every known, a constant reminder of the freedom which so many never tap into, to create your own unique way of being in the world.

He was a man of strong opinons and definite tastes, a master chef, and, along with my dear Bob, the creator of the Café Cameleon, by far the freest, hippest establishment I have ever had the pleasure to frequent, and frequent it I did, savoring the unlikely mix of skinheads, queers, old people, students, artists of all kinds, the walls always alive with new work, and the most amazing variety of live shows, from local punk bands to European theatre troupes the Café seemed to draw free spirits to it with amazing consistency.

It was driven out of business by greedy landlords, an earthquake, and an unfriendly local government, which aspired (and still does) to turn Santa Cruz into some bland suburb.

They won’t succeed, if I have anything to say about it.

How do you honor a life? How do you thank someone like Dennis Du Bois for the amazing display of creativity and good will he brought into the world? How else but to strive to pass on the gifts he shared with us in our own lives? To make a place in the world around us where people of good will feel welcome and safe?

It’s the lesson of my mother’s death all over again. They actually died in the same room at the hospital. But I was not there for Dennis’ death, or feel the need to be. He is no less near and dear to me than if he were right here, sitting next to me.

Love, to Dennis and all of you,

Paulscha

Hello Everyone,

I would like to start by saying that this isn't our friend Paul posting, but his friend ~azurephoto (Jeremy to my friends). As those of you who were in touch with Paul before he went MIA around here know, he's been going through some less then desirable times; he is certainly alive, though not in the best of health. After not having heard from someone in the time I'd not heard from Paul one assumes the worst, as I can imagine many of you had, too - I can certainly put that fear to rest at this time. Right now Paul is undergoing treatment for a somewhat advanced stage of lyme disease, which makes many things excruciatingly painful and near impossible to do - DA included. It pains me to learn about how restricted he is from that he loves, including us, his friends...family...and of course the passion he has for photography. As someone who grew a very close friend to Paul in the time I'd known him, there wasn't a moment when I couldn't ask him something or, if necessary, ask something OF him...[in fact, he offered me and my girlfriend residence at his home when we were planning our vacation..] I would like to think it's not much to ask for us to say a prayer, take a moment, or somehow pause in our day to think about our friend Paul (not that I'm sure you don't, anyways) in the hopes he experiences a speedy recovery and beats this disease. Please feel free to reply here with your thoughts and messages, which I'll be sure he gets to hear from everyone.

Thank you all for your time/With sincere love,

Jeremy/Paul