My Friend Becky

I originally posted this in November. 2010.

A lot has happened since then.

Tonight I learned that Becky is no longer with us.

My heart is broken.

Becky Flury Honey - i love ya

The other day when Donald picked me up from work (November 4th, to be exact.  4:15 p.m., to be more exact).  I was grinning like the proverbial Cheshire Cat.  I had, after all, signed my retirement papers that morning (remember!?).

Donald and I can get more tickled while riding in a car than any two people I know.  My mother is hesitant to ride with us 'cause she's afraid we're going to run off the road during one of these giggle fits.  We have, more than once, had to pull off to the side of the road until we were able to get a grip.  And many a day I get to the office with mascara running down my face from laughing so hard.

Well, this day (November 4th, to be exact).  I started singing the old Donna Fargo song "I'm The Happiest Girl in the Whole USA"  Remember it?!

And while I was singing it, I had one of those wonderful flash memories that can make you just laugh out loud.  As clearly as I could see Donald sitting next to me, I had a flash of my friend Becky (usually known as Becky Flury Honey), sitting across from me in Al's Pizza in Decatur, GA singing along with Donna Fargo.  Loudly.  With head thrown back and a laugh in her voice.  And me on the other side of the booth singing right along with 'em.  Loudly.  With my head thrown back and a laugh in my voice.  Until we both just collapsed into laughter and tears.  And then we'd put another quarter in that little jukebox on the table booth and play it again.  And again.  And a few more times.  Interspersed with Lynn Anderson's "I Never Promised You a Rose Garden" and a few country cry in your beer songs.  And we sang along with every one of them.  (loudly)  Becky and I have never been known to do things quietly, especially laugh.

When I started telling Donald these little stories about me and Becky and Al's Pizza, he got just as tickled as I did, until we both had tears just rolling.  BIG ol' belly laughs.

It's one of the things I love best about my Donald.  The laughter.  The unharnessed, from the soul, laughter.

And it's one of the things I love best about Becky.

Meet my friend Becky -

No, I didn't know her when she was this itty bitty little thing, but I have known her since 1972.

and we've been laughing together ever since.

The first time we went out for one of our many Girl's Night Out evenings, we went to The Leather Bottle in Atlanta.  We had so much fun we decided to stop at Underground Atlanta, and the very first place we went it just so happened that Percy Sledge was on stage and had just that second started belting out "When A Man Loves a Woman."  wow.

And a friendship was sealed as solid as any friendship on God's green earth.

Since then we've been to a few more concerts (The Beach Boys and Willie Nelson pop into mind).

We've attended many many many Braves games -

We've been to the Indy 500 together a few times - 

We've sailed at Hilton Head a few times -

 

We've made several beach trips together (and worn silly things on our heads) -

We've skied together in Aspen - 

(that's our dear friend Michael - more about him another day)

Actually, in the spirit of truthfulness.  We didn't really ski "a lot."  We did give it the ol' college try.  We were asked to leave our first ski class (the instructor was gorgeous, but didn't seem to have much in the way of a sense of humor).  He didn't think we were taking it all seriously enough, and suggested because we looked so cute in our ski outfits, we might be better suited hanging out in the ski lodge.  imagine that.

The second day we tried lessons (from a different very handsome instructor), we got tickled and froze on the lift.  Just didn't ski off like you're supposed to,which resulted in the lift being stopped and some confused (some unhappy) people dangling their legs wondering what was going on.  Becky skied off (somehow!), but I was scared to death.  Somehow, she convinced me to jump.  Jump!  I landed in one of those little kayaky looking things that the ski patrol rescues people in.  People who have injured themselves on the slopes.  Not, usually, on the lifts.  The nice (gorgeous) guy who helped me out of the rescue kayaky thingie didn't have much of a sense of humor either.

Anyhooooo - it was a fun trip.  We ate well, we shopped, we partied and we even found John Denver's house.  But the guard at the gate wouldn't let us go in.  Although I'm sure if John had known we were there, he would have invited us.

We met Arnold Palmer in Augusta at The Masters one year.

The next year we went we met Tennessee Ernie Ford.

But.  I meander  - - - -

We've gotten all dressed up for holiday parties - 

(that's our friend Dindy - more about her another day (heh heh heh)

We've gotten all dressed up for Halloween -

We've gotten dressed up for backyard bbq's -

 

(that's our friend Nan - more about her later, heh heh heh)

and we've danced at a few -

We've dressed up to go Christmas shopping at The Omni Hotel, stuck around to have our hair done, have lunch at Maxim's and ended it juking at Burt's Place

We've dressed up to meet friends at The Downtown Marriott, The Ladybug, The Pewter Mug and The Beer Mug.

We've dressed down to meet friends at The Airport Holiday Inn, My Brother's Place, Sgt. Pepper's and The "Farplace" - that would be "Fireplace" to those of you who haven't done any bar hopping in South Atlanta.

We've even ridden (well, one of us . . . ) one of those mechanical bulls.  Wearing a dress.  At Flynn's.


Mostly, though, we've laughed.

 

 

And, this dear woman, stood by my side on May 11, 1986 when Donald and I got married.

 

 

(this is our friend John - LOTS more about him; later . . .heh heh heh )

Still laughing.

we're still laughing.

AND, we're still rocking . . . 

 

Becky Honey - this one's for you.  I love you, girl, sister of my heart.

My fascination with Hermès scarves

I love Hermès scarves.

There is much to love, beginning with their history.

They are well known and well loved for their artistry, attention to detail, their observation of diverse cultural significance.

And I love that there's a story to go with each scarf.

Hermès lovers include a wide range of people from Queen Elizabeth to Madonna.

And me.

I bought my first Hermès scarf in 2019.  

Not new, but a vintage design by artist Loic Dubigeon

I chose Les Clefs du Notre Enfance (The Keys of Our Childhood) because its theme speaks to me.

 "The child is father to the man" is a way of saying that the adult's personality is shaped by childhood experiences. Like Orson Welles' Citizen Kane, who in his final breath called out for a childhood treasure, we are all haunted by happy ghosts from the farthest reaches of our past. Whether it be a miniature tram, an English hydroplane or a rocking horse, toys are truly the "keys to our childhood'. 

It pairs well with my love of carousels.

I talk more about it here:

https://www.kayebarleymeanderingsandmuses.com/2019/11/in-celebration-of-occasion-of-my-birth.html

Since then I have purchased a couple more vintage designs, and have been gifted one, also vintage.

Collecting Hermès scarves and/or shawls is a hobby for more people than you might realize, considering the cost of some.  ALTHOUGH, with patience, there are some good buys available!  I am a member of two sister Hermès Facebook groups.  One group is a discussion group, the other is for buying, selling and/or trading with knowledgeable, trusted Hermès collectors.  I have learned a lot from both, and they've sent me down that proverbial rabbit hole that all curious folks know about and understand in an effort to learn more.  

This article might be a fun place to start -

The Hermès Scarf Explained – All You Need to Know About the Famous Carré

Another fun resource here

There are particular things that Hermès collectors look for.  

Number One is authenticity.  I am, by no means, an Hermès expert, but I do know a few key items to look for and talked about them here.  

Although, since writing that particular post I have learned so much more - including the fact that there are caveats and exceptions to some of the rules.

There are fakes out there, so Buyer Beware.  

Do your research.

Ask questions before buying.  Make sure you know the return policies.

And remember - "If it sounds too good to be true, it's probably too good to be true." 

Some collectors have a favorite design artist (there are over 150 design artists).  You can read about some of them here and here and here

Some collect around a particular theme such as those listed at the Hermès on-line store; Animal World, Around the World, Cars, Comic Books, Graphic/Geometric, Heritage, History/Myth, Nature/Floral, Nautical, Objects, Textiles

Some want a particular scarf in a particular colorway.  

Some shop only vintage.  

Some want only a particular size, or a favorite fabric - cashmere vs. silk vs. mousseline vs. cotton, etc.  

Some simply love all things Hermès.  

Some search out Hermès "grails," which are hard to find designs.  Hard to find because they might have been limited editions, or so popular they rarely come available on the re-sale market, and when they do might be at a price that is limiting to many - like me.

A true Hermès grail I really do love is the Les Toits de Paris Rooftops Silk Scarf by Dimitri Rybaltchenko.  It is available in several colorways, none of which come along often, all of which are very expensive.  It is also known to be faked a lot.

Who doesn't love the idea of standing on your own Paris balcony overlooking Parisian rooftops?  

And some will search out particular scarves they refer to as their own "personal grails." Maybe by a design artist they love and collect, a particular theme, or who knows what someone who is a collector might seek out?

Les Toits de Paris Rooftops is an Hermès scarf i would love to own.  Me and many others.

A personal grail of mine is the Hermès  le Jardin de Leila cashmere shawl designed by François Houtin,  https://www.nicaise.com/artist/francois-houtin/  

The Jardin de Leila scarf was issued by Hermès in 2014, and is a tribute to Leïla Menchari, Hermès' longtime head stylist, and depicts her private garden in Tunisia. 

https://carredeparis.me/2020/05/14/le-jardin-de-leila-hermes-scarf-2014/

Gardens inhabit the imagination of landscape gardener, engraver and illustrator François Houtin for whom the plant world is an endless source of inspiration. Some years ago he composed a dreamy personal interpretation of Leïla Menchari’s Mediterranean garden. Menchari discovered this garden in her native Tunisia at the age of 10 and it has inspired decades of creations since. She describes “creepers hugging enormous trees”, “vegetation inhabited by the rustle of bamboo in the breeze”, “the surrealism of this nature” and “the image of paradise”. A few seasons back this scarf was decorated with embroidery, stamps of multicolored flowers, blooming corollas and ornamental foliage. These colorful motifs are reproduced here through the magic of block printing.

First edition in 2014

Hermes silk twill scarf, hand rolled, 36" x 36"

---

This garden is possessed of the powers of its deep soil, imprinted with Roman ruins, and nourished by the humus of all the seasons. I entered this world at the age of ten, via the beach that runs next to it. By chance? Or fate – I have never left. Vines take root in the vast trees, their strange, almost animal blossoms adding to the climate of mystery. Time becomes fluid, impalpable. This kingdom of plants is inhabited by the murmur of wind in the bamboo, by birdsong and the melodious croaking of frogs from the depths of the ponds. And so I walked straight to the heart of this surreal, natural scene, which later became the source of inspiration for my decorations for Hermès. Anyone entering this place is struck by the graceful beauty of its elements: they will embrace you, or escape you, reconstruct you in the image of your vision of the world, your sensibility, your relationship to the elements. Do we not say that a garden is the image of Paradise?’ -Leïla Menchari

Now . . .

If  you're shopping for your first Hermès scarf and don't know exactly where to start, I suggest going to  the Hermès on-line store and browsing.  Then go to one of the Paris shops, either 24, rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré   OR   17, rue de Sèvres,

Paris, 75006, France and buy one that speaks to you.  

You will not regret it.  It will be your "forever souvenir" from Paris.

Additional places for exploring are listed below.  Remember to read the return policies carefully in case you are unhappy with a purchase!  I am not associated with any of these websites and make no guarantees.

https://exquisiteartichoke.com/

https://www.vintage-hermes-scarf.com/

https://www.annsfabulousfinds.com/collections/hermes-scarves

https://www.1stdibs.com/

https://www.therealreal.com/

https://us.vestiairecollective.com/

https://www.fashionphile.com/