Spring time for the elderly Goth~~~

Hello again Darklings,

The weather here cannot make up it’s mind if it’s winter or spring, it’s cold and yet fruit trees are blooming, winds have picked up which is Mother Nature’s way of pruning off too many blossoms so that the fruit is not overwhelming the branches by its weight.

But because of that, once again our thoughts turn to Spring…Ahhh yes, the time of renewal and re-birth and income taxes and property taxes….no matter what Darklings you can always find a down side to things.

But what is an elder Goth to do when things turn to Spring Time---I say ENJOY IT!

Take a page from the Catholic Church which seems to enjoy suffering and guilt, this is the time of Lent, of depravations, wearing sack cloth and ashes, I went to church on Ash Wednesday, (a day full of woe) to receive the ashes on my forehead, for me as an elderly Goth it is not so much for the man who will die on the cross as it is remembering all those of my family and friends who have gone before me and to rejoice knowing that where they are it’s much better than this earthly existence of wars, cruelty, selfish and self-centeredness and extreme consumption. And so for 40 days I will enjoy my period of mourning and remembering.

Then go to church for Good Friday services, enjoy the aspect of the suffering and death of the Man and remember that we all suffer.

Then on Easter Sunday get out your Dark Purples and enjoy the fact that we can celebrate being Goth.

Yes dark ones, enjoy it. For this is the time for yard sales, rummage sales, antique fairs, art wine festivals, all things outdoorsy.

By why??? You ask. Well how are you going to find all those wonderful darkly gothic things to add to your wardrobe or your home. This is the time to start hunting at Estate Sales and everything.

During the Christmas holidays such sales are rare with the exception of some Estate Sales, but most things outdoors are in hibernation and you’ll never know what to expect.

I went to one that had all kinds of old and I mean ooollllllddddd catholic religious things and bought everything, of course I kept the best for Moi but that which I wasn’t too fond of or I had something similar that I liked better I put on my Dinning room table and called my friends and said “Guess What”, I wanted them to have first refusal and what didn’t sell I used E-Bay and made more money for more Yard and Estate sales.

Also if you are planning to repaint the interior of your home, with the warmer weather you can open windows and allow the fresh air in without ‘gassing yourself’ out.

You can go to wine tastings and find all that dark vintage wine whose color reminds you of blood.

Eventually with the return of fruit bearing trees you can indulge in dark, dark Bing Cherries, dark raspberries and loganberries, deep rich dark plums, you can even plant a “Dark Garden” purchase all those roses and irises that have dark petals and foliage. Have your own “Cemetery Garden” or “Mourning Garden”, one of my friends has a “poison garden” with plants that can be poisonous (animals and children are not allowed, “too dangerous”), another has a garden with carnivorous plants like the Venus flytrap or the pitcher plant (all those that are legal to have), even an all white or grey garden or a garden with night blooming flowers. You will need to do some research but it’s possible.

Now when you go out into the sun light always wear sun block, use makeup that can prevent sun damage, a large hat to shade your face and use a parasol (preferably in black) to keep the sun off of you, always sit in the shade if possible. I have one friend who looks for things in cotton but in black if possible, but she discovered that she can be Goth even wearing white or cream color clothing. Just look for her skull, crosses or bat jewelry. Another wears various shades of light grey with splashes of pink, red or pale coral, as she says “all hints of blood” in her darkly way.

Depending upon the type of event and the time, you can enjoy things just before sunset, such as the beach or Amusement Park Boardwalk.

Some of my friends will walk or tour the red woods especially going up north to the Trees of Mystery or touring the “Avenue of the Giants”---as one of them says, “How often can you walk through the interior of Redwood tree.

Some of my friends enjoy walking along our local beach starting just before twilight; it becomes very mysterious and darkly romantic---unless you come across a homeless person.

When the weather is warm you don’t have to have bar-b-ques during the day, start it at twilight and dress up your yard with ‘fairy lights’.

All it takes is a little thought and planning, some people during the day will have a picnic in a cemetery, just put flowers on the graves that you are going to be sitting next to and look like you are caring for it.

I and several friends have done picnics and we have almost always have found a grave or two that appears to be not attended to or lonely, so we clean it up and put fresh flowers, it may seem morbid but you really are inviting the dead to dine with you.

Lots of time it little children’s graves, they have been dead a long time and we’re sure the parents must be dead, we have even taken to having some head stones repaired because we felt sorry for the little ones. So your picnic can have a two fold purpose.

This is also a perfect time to take in all those Film Noir Festivals and wearing your favorite vintage clothing, I had the pleasure of going to one here in San Francisco and saw Angie Dickenson, and last night I went to a book signing and had the pleasure of having the most recent novel and my first edition of “Interview with a Vampire” autographed by Anne Rice.

Another event I love to go to is the gun and knife shows, not so much for the guns (and knives) although I find them fascinating (I even own several), but there are also dealers who sell other things strange and bizarre, one of them sells fossils, minerals and insects incased in heavy plastic, right now I have one of a black scorpion that I’m using as a paper weight.

There are art deco shows with wonderful vintage clothing, accessories and furniture, you can even take a tour if it’s offered in your area of cemeteries and columbarium’s.

There is one place called “Dark Apple Tours” that give tours of places where people died in New York City.

But many of these events occur between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. so Darklings you will have to venture out into the sun. Don’t worry you won’t turn to dust, but feel alive as you pursue all that is dark, Gothic and glorious.