This past summer my friends Jenn Harris and Jimmy Gribbin came to The Castle Bedelia several times to photograph for a music video they were creating using Barbie dolls.  This video was for a song "Girls Like Us" on the debut album of The Julie Ruin, the new band formed by Kathleen Hanna, punk rock icon from Bikini Kill and Le Tigre bands.  We had so much fun filming all around the Castle including a pyrotechnic shoot in the driveway which involved throwing a Firebrick into a cardboard box to ignite some People magazines as it was too hot, damp, and humid for the paper to catch fire.  I am just so happy that they dressed me up and got a photo of me like this...


All summer, everywhere that Jenn and Jimmy went, they brought The Barbies and filmed them.  Jenn was constantly reciting the lyrics of the song and thinking up situations to use The Barbies to illustrate the lyrics.  I am beyond thrilled that she had a 'moment' and decided that The Countess Bedelia should be a part of this.

Here is the completed video.  So proud of Jenn and Jimmy for creating this.

New York City is such a small world.  I became friends with Kathleen because her husband Adam, who happens to be AdRock from The Beastie Boys, is my NYC roommate's band leader, etc, etc, etc.  Everyone knows everyone...it's really only 6 degrees of separation from anyone.  Thank you, Kathleen, for letting me be a part of this video. 

Next month I will return again to the City of Light.  When I was there last year, we couldn't fit everything there is to see and do into our itinerary so we made a "Next Year" List.  One of those things was a day trip to the Palace of Versailles.  The Palace is about 15 miles outside Paris so I thought signing up for an organized tour with transportation would be the thing to do.




There are a few companies online with tours. Viator has several to choose from.  Also this site called Tours Versailles.  I am also waiting to hear recommendations from our Paris friends. 

Tomorrow I will look at each option and see what looks best.  Bonsoir, mes amis.

This picture popped up on my facebook page this morning and I saved it.  Not sure who to credit.  It just touched me deeply because the ghost towers always seem to be visible to me.



Every year I post a remembrance of my friends who died when Flight 11 crashed into the World Trade Center on that fateful morning.  I don't know why I am extra sad today remembering the shock of 12 years ago, but I am.  I feel such a deep sadness for their loss and for all the people who lost their lives that day.

You can read last year's post here and if you want to read the others, just go back in my archives to 9/11 each year.

R.I.P. Janis and Dom. Keep on dancing!