Blk Santa

So I am attempting to herd my family and take photos with Black Santa at Macy’s in New York in the next few days, since my niece and I will both be in New York. As y’all know I live in Dallas now and my youngest niece is away at college in Delaware. With the remaining members of my fam, my sis, nephew and my oldest niece they all live in NYC but have competely different schedules. I thought it would be a fun thing to do, as a family since we don’t really have many photos together as a unit. But my loving family, with all their many personalities, are driving me almost insane. We have two new family members, and I honestly don’t know how my mother was able to juggle all these crazy personalities, cuz my sibling and I ALONE, would take a bevy of circus handlers. In addition to handling personalities, schedules need to be respected, then to add to the mix, my sister would like us to wear either white or red turtle necks but my youngest niece already said nope. So in addition to now trying to figure out a top that would suit everyone, we have to be concerned with how everyone’s hair is going to be styled, except for me cuz I’m throwing on a wig. Sigh.

I will definitely keep y’all up to date with what actually happens on picture day.

Tristan Jonez.

Day of the Dead

I love the idea of placing your loved ones photos on an alter, ofrenda, along with items that belonged to them as a reminder of their lives. Also as a path for them to be able to return to the living world, when the veil is the thinnest, October 31. I was able to visit San Antonio, which has a large Mexican culture/presence, and experience dia de la muerta festival!

It was such an amazing time. There was beautiful ofrendas, but I didn’t think it was appropriate to take photos as these are someone’s loved ones so I soaked it all up with my heart. However I did capture the ofrenda for Selena and Frida Kahlo. Beautiful is an understatement!

Jonez.

Dear Diary …

There was a time when meeting his mother was significant, right? No checklist, but you had to mean something special to him, before you met momma. Y’all had reached a certain ‘level’ before the meeting of parents, but in 2019, it means nothing. Well I want to believe there are still men who place value on introducing women to their family but largely it’s an indication of nothing. Momma may meet a bunch of chicks, and still be her charming, sweet, kind self to each of them cuz her loyalty is to her son, first. It’s not her place to say anything to you, even if she met another shorty the day before, hell an hour before meeting you. She’ll just mind her own shit, cuz who wants to get in the middle of their son’s messy ass relationships?

I don’t want to meet ya momma, and if your not serious with me, you don’t want her to meet me either. Cuz once I’m done with you, years later she’ll still be bringing up my name.

Jonez

… like Piña Colada

Garlick’s (My mother) favorite alcoholic beverage was Piٌña Colada! I remember her and my godmother would put on music, and while dancing in the kitchen, mix up the ingredients, then blend to perfection in a white blender that was loud af. Bacardi was always the rum of choice, as well as the frozen Bacardi Piña Colada mixers, still found in your neighborhood grocers. On occasions, my mother would make a Virgin Piٌña Colada for my niece and I, but I would still ask for a sip of hers, cuz even as a kid, alcohol was life.

I recently got to experience the hotel in Puerto Rico where the Piña Colada was created. It’s as delicious but as fresh as my mind would’ve imagined it. I toasted to my mother and wished she could be there to experience just how that drink was able capture the ‘tropics’ of Puerto Rico. Next time you’re in Puerto Rico be sure to stop by Caribe Hilton, where you too can ‘taste’ the best of Puerto Rico.

Jonez.

PR Princess

As y’all know I adore Puerto Rico! When visiting a country you love, do you try create new adventures by exploring or do you keep the same routine? In Puerto Rico, I tend to keep the same routine, find a spot on the beach and tan this melanin skin tone. Lately I’ve been seeing the island, spending time with the locals, getting to do more than just spend time at the beach. However I do enjoy, simply doing, nothing. There’s so much of my life, my time spent doing, that when I don’t have to, I’d rather not.

Dear Diary …

No matter how much you prepare, you can never emotionally successfully prepare for the lost of a parent. Recently I’ve found myself thinking about if Garlick, my mother, would be proud of me. When asking others who knew her, the answer is always yes, but what if she wasn’t. Obviously we’d never truly know how she would feel. But the question remains, would she be proud of what my life has become? Proud of the life I’ve created? My journey is unique for sure, and it’s different from the life I think she had for me. Hell, it’s different from the life I considered for myself. And although I can’t say if she’d be proud, I know whatever route, no matter how unconventional, she would’ve supported my choices and THAT trumps everything.

Tristan Jonez

Dear Diary …

I’m tired of being me, but I don’t want to be anyone else, Ever.

I get tired of folks seeking and using my light, my energy for themselves. Depleting, taking all my gifts, and failing to replenish. Some humans just know how to drain the Life out of you. Sidenote; I don’t think I’ve been kind to myself lately. I KNOW I need a beach, I know I need to feel the sand between my fingers, on my body and I have yet to give my soul what its’ seeking.

How often do you retreat to give yourself what you need? Do you listen to your body/soul when it says Stop? Go? Rest?

Jonez.

One Night Only (Atl)

Surprisingly I’ve only been to Atlanta once. A city that’s such a historic epicenter, I can’t understand why I haven’t been interested in going before.

One Night Only Consists of three parts, The Arts, Food and Culture. Right now, let’s explore The Arts. SCAD, The Savannah College of Arts and Design, has SCAD FASH, museum of fashion and Film, which initially wasn’t on my radar, but I was lead to explore. Quick Story, the museum’s entry is ‘car friendly’, it’s easily accessible thru the parking garage but you know I’m walking. So I ended up walking pass the parking garage, then walking back and thru the garage, but it’s only key accessible on the ground flr. So I had to walk to the first floor to get to the elevator, to gain access to the fourth floor! Extensive but, the exhibit was worth every bead of sweat acquired.

The space houses two exhibits at the same time usually but a new exhibit was being installed which opens later this month on the 22nd. An intimate space, which allows personal attention from the curator, was a nice change from the major museums we usually experience. The exhibit, Form & Function: Shoe Art by Chris Frances, an iconic Los Angeles based artist, who explores the blurred lines of art, fashion and functionality. The exhibit continues through December 8th.

Jonez.

One Night Only Tour

I thought I would try something new when planning my overnight adventures. Truth be told, I am not a planner, I just ‘do’. Its especially easier when traveling alone, I just have to ask myself, “Self, What would you like to do?” Then I go out and do it. I wanted to be able to have a set of guidelines, so I could follow the plan no matter the city I explored. Are you ready for those set of guidelines? Well loosely, our focus would be The Arts, The Food and the Culture of any set place. No matter what city I am in, I will ALWAYS seek out the arts, usually a museum will do but there are times when none are opened, or they aren’t in the vicinity of where I am staying, etc. Food is my first love. I try my best to immerse myself with the culture of a country, when I fly out. If I am somewhere local, then I familiarize myself with what’s popular in that city. It wasn’t until I was thinking about what Culture is, that I had a harder time placing that in a way I could explore it. However I was able to verbalize culture in a way that COULD be explored.

Now that you know my guideline, Sit back, Relax and Read all about My One Night Only .. Atlanta.

Tristan Jonez.

Hey Diary,

When your heart is already in it, what body part do you look to for guidance?

The head would be the next logical choice right? It weighs the pros and cons, it can decipher what’s real and what’s just for show, right? Or can it? I’m the first to tell you, when it comes to matters of the heart, just tell me already. Lets take the guessing out of it, cuz I am so tired of trying to figure out who I should date, who I should invest my time with, who I should take seriously. This is all just toooooo damn much! Its such a popcorn culture, you think you’re vibin’ with someone then poof, they have disappeared because they’ve found something that better suites them currently. Are we no longer looking toward the future? Are we only looking towards the here and now?

Tristan Jonez

Dear Diary …

How do you know when it’s time to cut your losses and stop investing in someone? Maybe this question would be better posed to someone who invest in stocks and bonds so we could have an accurate depiction of how the process works. Maybe if we started treating our relationships/friendships in the same manner we do our finances, we’d be more successful? Although everyone’s finances aren’t anything I’d use as a go to guide.

Could we ever create a winning formula for relationships, using the same tools to invest in something financially? what would goals look like? What ‘mile markers’ could be created to determine the worthiness of investment? Could one’s dating history be an indication of anything other than what’s happened in the past? Since feelings change daily, how could we determine when it’s no longer ‘profitable’ to us as the individual to invest?

Tristan Jonez

Finish Last.

For a few days, I’ve been thinking of this text, a friend sent me. I’m genuinely nice, all the time. Never looking for anything in return. Just wanting folks to change their perspective, and see the good that’s to be seen in a situation. Do I have moments where I’m stuck complaining? Yes! But I try to set limits on those moments, cuz truly what do we get out of complaining?

I personally know life is a fragile, beautiful but short thing. I didn’t put my all into people as I should’ve while they were alive, so I use that to continue to move forward but to be as pleasant as I can. I’ve been thinking about what I want to be remembered for, what’s my legacy? I want folks to always feel I genuinely cared for them, that my niceness knew no bounds when it came to making them happy.

Jonez.