The papers have been signed and stamped, the price has been paid, the keys have been bestowed and now it’s time to celebrate the official acquisition of Naomi’s Hideaway! We spend the morning preparing tasty snacks and tidying up… At 2:30 pm Ded “Grandpa” Vitya, the Hideaway’s former owner, arrives with brown bread, pickled herring, pickled tomatoes, pickled pickles, a bottle of vodka and his own shot glass. For the next several hours, we eat and toast and talk about subjects ranging from romance (“I loved the ladies so much I would kiss them from top to toe!”), past glories (“I was the strongest man in the village! Give me your hand!” “Uh, please don’t crush it… I’m a musician… I need it!”) to the horrors of war (“We were starving… My grandmother died…the neighbors ate her corpse…”) and the last raging pride of the aged (“I will dig my own grave!”). When one bottle of vodka gives up its last five drops, there is another to take its place. And so it goes, deep into the afternoon and the twilight and the nighttime. There is lots of laughter and there is also some crying but all the most memorable parties have deviled eggs, dancing and few tears, don’t they?
… and pickles and blue paint… not all parties have life and death, but the most important ones do. You live good, my friend.
Speaking of blue paint, that’s one of my latest ceramic experiments holding the homegrown horseradish in image #2… Korean Celedon… heavenly!
Wow! Sounds like quite the party. This gentleman must be quite the story teller.
Yes, indeed… the old timers here have many, many amazing tales to tell!
“I loved the ladies so much I would kiss them from top to toe!”
I love your stories, Lisa!! And the pictures!
Can’t wait to hear all your LA stories!!!
I am so inspired by your life and the manner in which you live it so fully.
Thanks, Cousin! I’d say you live a pretty full and inspiring life yourself… Maybe it’s those Fromme family genes!