Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Reflections . . .






Then and now circle around me vying for my attention: My vibrant driven past that is surprisingly still alive in so many ways, and the ocean of this day, teeming with sustenance, wide sky and seemingly endless possibilities -- this day with hummingbirds, trumpet vines and the magic of each moment unfolding.


    




** My next posts will be on the 10th of July, and then again on my regular date of the 20th. On July 4th I will be celebrating with joy and honor, but will not make a post on that date, as I will never, ever be able to capture five pelicans flying in unison past the American flag again (I invite you to take a look at last year's post on the 4th.) Until then,   ~   My warm wishes,    ~   Aneet

31 comments:

  1. Aneet,
    These are two very beautiful shots of you. I'm completely convinced you can't take a bad shot.

    I was wondering if people had commented to you on the top photo that there is a similarity to Faye Dunaway? I see here your Mom's eyes.

    I remember the bottom picture you had posted before. It was so interesting how you were able to capture yourself on many different angles. Very creative. You are a true artist in many ways.

    All in all,two great shots of a lady who was classy,elegant and beautiful "then",and classy,elegant and beautiful "now".

    Jonathan, and PS- I also love that picture in the sidebar! Another great reflection shot. But then again,that's our Anitra!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jonathan, good day,

      Lovely to hear from you and get your response to my latest post. Your kind and complimentary words are happily received.

      As for the Faye Dunaway comparison, after Bonnie and Clyde came out, people began to tell me that they saw a resemblance. And yes, your trained eye doesn't miss a trick, I have published the above reflection photo before -- twice, I believe -- but both times it was cropped in more closely, revealing no more than the section on the right. I've said before that this mirror is one of my favorite locations for self portraits, as the light is usually super and the multiple images are so much fun to explore.

      On another note, in my Mother's Day post I spoke of dreaming about a day when I might wear glamorous clothes, and Marie pointed out that she'd only seen me wearing the equivalent of "day clothing." That inspired me to dig into some archives for something with a little more glamour.

      I'm still glowing with your kind words. Thank you Jonathan. Sending my warm wishes your way ~ Aneet

      Delete
  2. The extraordinary mirror mirror on the wall...Reflections. Very well done.

    Buckaroo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Buckaroo,

      Hello, and welcome! I value your words and impressions. Thank you so much for sharing them.

      My good wishes to you Buckaroo, ~ Anitra

      Delete
  3. Anitra, looking forward to the next post. Thanks as always for a reminder that the life best lived exuberantly and slightly off the beaten path. The magic is never far away. Thank the heavens for mirrors but thank them more for who is reflected in them...
    Louis

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Louis,

      Thank you for your wise and poetic words. They fit so well with the tone of this post. And then...there is that utterly charming last line.

      Sending my good wishes your way, ~ Anitra

      Delete
    2. And oh, Louis, hope you didn't miss the Father's Day post.

      Delete
    3. Anitra,

      I loved the Father's Day post... especially the animated dinosaur at the museum! I guess the kid in me still loves those rascals!

      Reading your Father's Day and Mother's Day comments, I suspect you and I were both among those fortunate few children to have nurturing parents who believed there was no limit to the things their youngsters could do.

      Speaking of Father's Day, the girl child called. I answered the phone. "Oh, good! It's you. So, ya want me to wish you a 'Happy Husband of Your Daughter's Mother Day' or a 'Happy Father's Day?'" Ah, kids. Whatcha gonna do with them?

      Have meant to mention this for a couple months but I keep forgetting. During my college days, I watched "The Price Is Right" between classes on my tiny tiny portable black and white set. Wrote to the show and asked for some publicity photos. You and Janice were kind enough to send pictures. No offense to the lovely Ms P, but yours was the lovelier photo. (It was the one later used in "The Longest Yard". It remains, to me, one of the finest glamour photos ever taken. Thanks to the magic of modern technology, I am able to "chat" electronically with tne subject of that very beautiful picture.

      Louis

      Delete
    4. Louis,

      Dare I say, "How Groovy!" I think that's great that you are one of those who received one of the autographed photos, that, by the way, I sent out myself! Ah yes, life is one fascinating adventure.

      Glad you didn't miss the Father's Day post and that you heard from your revered daughter on that day. And yes, we are fortunate to have been given that sense of possibility from our folks.

      Thank you for sharing your charming words. I love that image of you watching "Price" on your tiny B&W TV in college.

      Sending thoughts of happiness and good health your way, ~ Anitra

      Delete
  4. "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the most radiant of them all?" Of course we know the answer to that =)

    This tends to be a reflective time of the year, as we hit the halfway point and think about what lies ahead on the downslope of the year. Now that spring has given way to summer, I'm sure the sun is shining brightly on Santa Barbara and it's a living postcard of the ideal California image.

    The picture of you with the glittery head wrap immediately conjured up an image of 1970's haute coture, and you walking down a runway in Paris for a designer such as Yves Saint Laurent.

    What a fascinating juxtaposition of the "now and then" reflections, with the sidebar pic and the one that you took , was it almost a year ago now?

    The "eyes have it" for sure, and I have no doubt they are what drew the attention of photographers and directors over the years. In some of your closeups on TPIR, especially in the early hourlong shows, the lighting was just right to reflect even more of the sparkle in your eyes. Marc Breslow no doubt had to have enjoyed doing those closeups.

    Aneet, this whole blog is a remarkable blend of past and present, and like you said, that in itself is reason for reflection. Best wishes for a vibrant, healthy summer.

    Regards,

    Joseph

    ReplyDelete
  5. Joseph,

    I always so enjoy hearing from you. I enjoy your writing and the way you express yourself, as well as your particular view of the world.

    It's true that now is a time of seasonal change as the first day of summer is upon us. Your words have filled in many of my unexpressed reflective thoughts. I like your impressions of the photo in the sequined turban; it conjures a new perspective for me. On my self portrait in the mirror, my guess is that I took this particular shot about 10 months ago. I've taken several in this location.

    I'm so pleased that you enjoy what you see here. Thank you for your good wishes Joseph. May you have a lovely and enriching summer as well. Sincerely, ~ Anitra

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi Anitra:

    I am honored that I inspired you to find pictures of yourself in glamorous evening wear to share with your readers. You look fabulous in all three pictures.

    I enjoy seeing all three but I like the most recent one which shows a playful side of you with the mirror capturing many reflections. Mirrors easily capture the external beauty of people but they have a hard time capturing their inner beauty. Through this blog, you have shown us both sides of your creativity, imagination and inner and outer beauty.

    Have a wonderful day!

    Sincerely,
    Marie L.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hello Dear Marie,

    What a lovely feeling to come full circle. You inspired me to find something different, which also opened up a new idea -- and thus, this post was hatched.

    You received it and returned your kind and insightful reflections. It is a very satisfying mirror with more depth than meets the eye :)

    Thanks so much for sharing. My warm regards, ~ Aneet

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hello Aneet,

    I must say you are as beautiful today as you were in those vintage photos. Love seeing new and old pictures of you! The vintage shots make me think back to the 1970s. I know you worked for Spelling-Goldberg on two episodes of Starsky and Hutch. Were you ever considered for Charlie's Angels? I think you would have made a great Angel. I know there were large casting calls for these parts and I certainly hope you were a contender. Seeing your dramatic guest star parts as well as TPIR skits...you would have been perfect!

    My best wishes,
    Tom

    ReplyDelete
  9. Tom,

    As always, lovely to hear from you.

    You are so perceptive. Get this: in the mid-seventies, Spelling Goldberg offered me my choice of one of two pilots they were filming at the time. One was a western, where I would play one of the leads, and the other was a stylized series with three model-type sleuths. They already had Farrah and Kate. I was flat-out offered the third role. Wasn't interested in the western, but the model-type sleuth, I thought would be perfect casting, probably the offer of a life-time, but I wasn't able to do it. The weird long story as to why, perhaps one day I'll write about. I swear this is the truth.

    My agent at the time told me that Spelling-Goldberg really liked me as an actress. Hmmm, dare I even imagine how different my life would have played out had I taken that role. Ya never know. It would, of course, been far more worldly successful, but who knows . . . perhaps not as fulfilling. There is a saying I once heard that I particularly like, "Consequence doesn't hit fan until a decision is made."

    You have amazing insight Tom. My warm regards, ~ Aneet

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hello Aneet
    I can see that the Mirror has never once lied to YOU! what a stunning beauty you are
    inside,and out.You have been so kind to all of us readers on this Blog,and I am forever
    grateful to you.I realized some time ago that you had a long succesful career before
    TPIR.I was so sorry to see you leave,but Im sure you made the RIGHT decisions at that
    time in your life.It seems just like yesterday to me,I was wondering if you felt that this
    was a lifetime ago? I"m trying to move foward in my Life and,and be grateful.I loved
    the top photo very 1970"s you looked so elegant.sending good wishes your way take care
    Roger

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Roger,

      So lovely to receive your "reflections." Thank you so much for your generous words. So much of this blog and its tone began with your wonderful comments around two years ago about my photo of a spider. So, as they say, 'What goes around comes around.'

      And yes, in many ways different parts of my past do seem like different lives, but there is some thread holding them all together and connecting them. I'm not exactly certain what that is, but I have a sense that time will clarify this.

      I hope and trust that this time of change will be good to you Roger. Your spirit warrants that.

      Delighted that you liked the vintage photo.

      My fond regards to you and your family. Sincerely, ~ Anitra

      Delete
  11. I really don't know which is more beautiful - your thoughts, or the vessel they issue from.

    Your past/present juxtaposition hits pretty close to the bone with me, as I have only this week revisited my own past - by finally returning home to my Show-Me roots after two and a half rather rough years away. Bittersweet? You betcha. A lot of triumph and tragedy were recalled sharply as I wheeled the final, familiar miles down I-70 to my old stomping grounds earlier this week.

    The "fresh start" I had envisioned when I left in 2010 never happened. After the months of my Mom's final illness and her passing the first week of 2011, I bounced from one upset and calamity to the next, even tasting a bit of my own mortality in a near-fatal collision with an idiot farmer last year. It still took me another 12 months to realize I wasn't even existing on my own terms AT ALL.

    It all came to a head this past weekend; after a horrible upheaval, I wound up throwing all my possessions into my car as fast as I could, and lit out for Missouri like the old Wabash Cannonball passenger train. Oddly enough, the emotional wounds I was harboring began to ease up, the closer I got to home. Couldn't quite put my finger on why this was so, as it was happening.

    Returning here and reading this installment clarified things, though. Sure, you had your own "fresh start" lined up with the CA audition that didn't pan out - but it doesn't seem to have crushed your vital spark in any appreciable way. You were truly sparkling as both a model and an original "Barker Beauty" long before anyone even knew who the hell Jaclyn Smith was!! And post-Hollywood, you've achieved the rarest of precious gifts; being able to mature with grace, dignity, and SERENITY. The photography and literary skills are icing on the cake, from my point of view.

    You truly do appreciate the REAL wonders and beauty of life, whether it's pictorially documenting the delicate veining of a monarch butterfly's wings, a gorgeous coastal sunset or sunrise, or the amazing natural camouflaging ability of your little scaly friends - or even a nicely-restored 1956 Buick station wagon. And you concoct evocative prose to accompany the evocative pictures. A pretty far cry from all the plastic, Botox, and HYPE of the ol' "fun factory," no?

    Looking at the vintage shots of my dear Sveltana, or the current shots of my dear Aneet, I'm still struck by the one constant that links the two indelibly - your vital spark. You've figured out how to keep carving your niche by being true to yourself, which is a quality I only now can relate to very well indeed. Splitting Nebraska was both the hardest and the best thing I've ever done in my life, but only because I finally started trying to be true to myself.

    Don't ever change, and PLEASE don't get hung up on all the "what if's," Luv. Your "if" is reflected in your words and photographs - in a way, you've essentially broken down motion-pictures {small or big screen} into their original components, and made them work well for you on YOUR terms. And you're still touching many lives in a positive, if somewhat vicarious, way.

    That's something to be damn proud of, in my book.

    Take a bow, Luv - you've earned several. Be well, and keep being absolutely true to yourself. "Classy" doesn't even begin to describe such a lovely personal disposition.............. or the equally lovely vessel it issues from.

    XO

    Chris

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My Dear Chris,

      You have a stunning ability to express truth and insight in such a spontaneous and organic way. Thank you for sharing the current changes in your life. What you describe in your sense of coming home is really touching.

      I'm fascinated by the way you see me and what I do and am honored, flattered and humbled. It is not always easy to follow the path that calls to you. I am reminded that we are all wired so differently and I think it's applicable to say about each and every one of us, that nobody else does exactly what you do.

      I am very fortunate to have had so many supportive people in my life, and I continue to be fortunate to be in touch with the talented, sensitive, intelligent and insightful readers of this blog.

      Wishing you miles of good fortune Chris. Sincerely, ~ Anitra

      Delete
    2. Chris,

      I realize that while I was thinking it and feeling it as I read your comment, I failed to actually put down my words. I felt such deep regret upon hearing that you lost your mom so recently. I'm so terribly sorry to hear this. Please accept my sincerely sympathy and condolence, ~ Anitra

      Delete
    3. Chris,

      Thank you so much for sharing your very personal words about your mother, and how she liked The Price is Right. Your words are poignant and so well expressed. That you see her reflection every day in your resemblance in the mirror is a wonderful image to convey. And that you hope to have the dignity and grace in aging as your parents had is both touching and inspiring.

      You are such a prolific writer, Chris, I'm glad you have been keeping your blog going.

      My good wishes to you, ~ Anitra

      Delete
  12. Aneet,

    That is amazing!!! Such a fascinating behind the scenes story! I knew Spelling-Goldberg liked you a lot (two episodes of SWAT and two episodes of Starsky and Hutch are the obvious proof!)...and I had a strong gut feeling you were a very likely candidate for the part that went to Jaclyn. As they say, everything does indeed happen for a reason...and when you think of all the wonderful things in your life post-1970s, that's what is really important...and it would have all ended differently if you had been one of the Angels.

    I think you have a book idea in all of this...your journey from modeling to acting to writing and photography...it would be a great book you know hint hint. :)

    Have a wonderful weekend!

    Tom

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tom, hello,

      I find it almost as amazing that you see into these events with such clarity and understanding.

      And as to your other insight. Ahem...I guess we'll just have to wait and see :)

      Wishing you and Mary too a beautiful first weekend of summer. with warm regards, ~ Aneet

      Delete
  13. Hi Anitra! You posted that you would like to tell us what it was like to be a model on The Price Is Right - I would love to know. Who did your hair and make-up? Did you rehearse? How many shows did you tape in a day? Which days did you tape? What did the doors look like from behind the stage? Have you stayed in touch with Janice? I looked at your Wikipedia credits and I didn't see The Newhart Show from the 70s listed. I swear you were the girl in the elevator with Bob Newhart's galoshes - was that you? Again, thank you for being such a big part of my life!

    Love, Kevin

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Kevin,

      So nice to hear from you. I'm happy to know that you were a big fan of TPIR.

      I do believe that I have written a bit about Price here and there on this blog and have answered some of your questions. It would take to long to fill in the details here, but the questions you pose are interesting. We had a hairdresser named Edie, whose last name doesn't come to mind. She was a pretty lady who looked somewhat like Zaza Gabor. She styled our falls, but Jan and I both did our own make-up and hair. We usually taped three days per week. Depending on whether they were half-hour or hour-long shows, we taped 3-5 per day. And yes we had surprisingly long and tedious rehearsals.

      No, I never did The Bob Newhart Show. It would be interesting to know who the actress was. And yes, Janice and I are still in touch from time to time.

      I'm so glad you have shared here Kevin. Welcome! Sincerely, ~ Anitra

      Delete
  14. please sign my big bird cage dvd

    all these people talking about price is right dont know the greatness that is the big bird cage

    ReplyDelete
  15. Oh, my gosh,

    I was just re-reading some comments and came across your message. I recalled it so vividly, and was really taken by it. In fact, I loved it! I don't know how it slipped by -- how I posted it but didn't respond. Something must have come up in the meantime that distracted me.

    It would be great if you returned here to catch my reply, posted several weeks later. In regards to signing a DVD, that's pretty difficult for me to navigate. But let me inform you here that I love the way you think.

    Super to hear from you, and it would be nice to have a name to connect with your words.

    My good wishes, ~ Anitra

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. and here i am almost six months later

      my name is ian and thanks for replying

      i knew you wouldnt be able to sign the dvd i just wanted to let you know how big a fan i am of bird cage

      Delete
  16. Ian, gosh, thanks so much for responding. Yes, the logistics for me to sign your DVD at this time, wouldn't be possible, but I truly appreciate your thoughtful and kind words, and I got such a kick out of your last message: your comparison of "Price" to "Bird Cage" was really unique. You have such a different and refreshing perspective.

    Once again, let me apologize for being slow to answer. Not as slow as last time (thank goodness,)and of course, I'm on a break from my blog -- but, I've also been having computer problems and due to clouds and rain, haven't been able to receive my wifi hardly at all for several weeks. It's back for the moment, but who knows what 10 minutes will bring.

    Meanwhile, thanks once again for your message Ian. Sending my good wishes your way.

    Sincerely, ~ Anitra

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hi Anitra. I'm surprised I never commented on this post before. That's a great reflection in the mirrors-and I like how you tied it together with your past and future. It also resembles a pose you may have had as a model, at least, your expression shows enthusiasm, joy, and interest in the scene of being surrounded by mirrors. I really like it.
    Speaking of mirrors, in 1978, Genesis went on the "Mirrors Tour." The name occurred from a giant gimballed and computer-controlled assembly of six ten-foot mirrors that Genesis placed over the stage. The mirrors made for some great lighting effects.
    http://genesis-movement.co.uk/photos_memorabilia/popup.htm?rockland78/1genCAGE78rcc.jpg
    http://genesis-movement.co.uk/photos_memorabilia/popup.htm?msg78/08.jpg
    http://genesis-movement.co.uk/photos_memorabilia/popup.htm?oslo78/G016.jpg
    http://genesis-movement.co.uk/photos_memorabilia/popup.htm?frankfurt78/Frankfurt78-11.JPG
    These last two are from a song called "Afterglow." Beautiful song. There's a moment where the lights and music swell before leading into the end of the song. Chester Thompson and Phil Collins play a drum duet together at the end, and the cue to the end of the song is when they ride the china and follow it with a crash.
    Genesis has always been a great live band, between the lights (and lasers), stageshow, music, and theatrics.
    Thank you for sharing these reflections and impressions. I hope your writing assignment is going well. And I'm glad you are keeping the blog going. Your blog is a refreshing dose of hope.
    Yours,
    Joe

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Joe,

      Glad you like this post. Thank you for sharing your info on Genesis. And for your good wishes. Your word "hope" is a very nice compliment.

      I will use it again to say, I hope that life is treating you kindly. Sincerely, ~ Anitra



      Delete