Two Fridas

Alberto and I love to costume for Halloween, Carnival season, and Mardi Gras. We have had some good ones over the years. Our collection of wigs and masks and costumes has taken up more and more space in our closet. We almost never have to buy anything new anymore.

This year I was inspired to dress us alike.

Frida Kahlo working on her painting The Two Fridas

 

 

Alberto is a good sport, and he has dressed up like a woman many, many times.  Among my favorites -  he was once Ugly Betty; we were a pair of tango dancing nuns; he dressed as me for a "Come As Your Favorite Woman" party. So when I asked him if he would be one of two Fridas this year he said sure.

Two Fridas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I got the idea when I saw the idea for a little kids costume.

This little girl is adorable

So off to the Salvation Army store to find a couple of Mexicali Rose skirts and tops. We spent $10 for the two of us. Then off to Walmart where I got some fake flowers and a shawl for Alberto (which I will wear this winter). We had wigs in our costume closet. I recycled Alberto's Ugly Betty wig for him to wear, and for me I used a wig I had from a tango show we did years ago.  I added necklaces and bracelets from my jewelry box. A black eyeliner pencil and some red lipstick were the finishing touches.

Alberto in his Frida costume - Work that skirt!

Valorie in her Frida costume

Of course we got a lot of laughs. Sad to say some people had to be told who we were (one squealed "Oh look it's Carmen Miranda"), and who Frida was. But most people got it and loved it as much as we did.

We went to a party in the neighborhood, and had a wonderful time. When we got home we took these pictures. We tried to pose like Frida, who seldom smiled. She was an intense beauty.

Serious Frida

Frida Kahlo intense beauty

Channeling the self portrait of Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo self portrait

I know a lot of people back east missed Halloween this year, with so much more to deal with. If you are looking at this I hope our silly costumes made you smile. Things will get better.

With love from Alberto and Valorie

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Living Together Apart

My friend Sara pointed me to a little story in The NY Times by a favorite writer Penelope Green. To quote: "... new twist on a newish trend, particularly among boomer-age couples, known as living apart together, or L.A.T. for short, an acronym that describes those who commit to each other, but not to having the same address".

From The New York Times

I think that most couples end up living together apart even at the same address. It used be twins beds, or maybe separate bedrooms. Maybe the garage workshop for the guy or a den, and a sewing room for the lady. You know, like in the old movie Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House. Even in a shared studio apartment, couples will find their own corners.

The most famous TV couple living together apart

Our home is not overly large or small, and Alberto and I each have our own corners that we disappear into for the better part of a day. He has an upstairs office with all that he needs up there except for a bathroom and kitchen.  I tend to work at the table in the breakfast area, and relax in the living room. As most couples do, we have different TV viewing preferences, though we will often watch a movie we like together, usually in bed, or in the living room. I don't visit the man cave very often.

The most famous movie couple living together apart

Still doing it on TV - The Petries

Living together apart - two guys - TV is still pretty uptight and does not show gay couples sleeping arrangments

At night we sleep together in a bed big enough to accommodate two totally different sleeping styles, mine restless and active, his calm and serene. Cholo our dog sleeps with us until he can't stand my moving around, and Kitty Kitty Bang Bang the cat, is nocturnal, often patrolling the house.

This was groundbreaking TV in the 1970s - The Newharts in one big bed

Sometimes I think about moving to the guest room because I feel my restlessness is disturbing, but I am old fashion and want to drop my head on the pillow every night next to the man I love.

The Times article is charming. About artists, a couple living in twin houses, one pink one blue, connected by a common patio. Read it and find out how they came to this arrangement. The houses are charming to look at too.

Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera

The artists as a couple that comes to mind with a similar living arrangement is Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. Married, divorced, and remarried, they had a home with separate areas connected by a covered foot bridge. Of course they lived a revolutionary lifestyle of an open marriage, and Frida was an invalid for her whole life. If you have ever been sick, even with a common flu, you know you don't want anyone sleeping with you.

The home of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, living together apart, two houses connected by a foot bridge

What do you think of living together apart, in different houses, or in the same house?

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