Posted by Malkia Devich Cyril
A Book Dedication
Imagine my delight when I discovered that Adrienne Marie Brown’s newest book, Pleasure Activism, was dedicated to Alana. The dedication is pictured below. Alana has an interview in the book too! The book can be purchased here: https://www.akpress.org/pleasure-activism.html
Posted by Malkia Devich Cyril
Dance Movie List
Some of you may have seen the awesome dance movie video made by Alana’s friend Karen, which I will upload soon. For those who want to check the full list of Alana’s favorite dance movies subjectively ranked from best to worst according to her, here it is!
Posted by Malkia Devich Cyril
Her Red Wig
Losing her hair was hard for my baby. Her hair was part of her identity, and it was gorgeous. But it was not the whole of her. Alana quickly dived into a variety of fun wigs, but this red one was my favorite, and she loved it too. She wore it to brunch and to the hospital. Red is her favorite color, the color of her passion and flair. The color of blood, of life, of our marriage and our love. Her beauty persisted no matter what changes her body went through. I am so proud to have loved and been so deeply loved by Alana Nicole Devich Cyril.
Posted by Malkia Cyril
Blaze of Glory
Posted by Nalani Jay
Ashes at Maui II
Muffy loved brunch (or any meal) at Duke’s on Kaanapali. Here is Char, scattering her ashes in the surf behind Duke’s, and in the garden next to the restaurant.
Posted by Bob Devich
Ashes at Maui I
Muffy loved Maui and she loved wiener dogs. Where she used to stay in Kaanapali, there was a large family of wiener dogs that would play every morning. So we scattered some of her ashes in the field where the dogs play.
Posted by Bob Devich
Never Not Funny — one of Muffy’s favorite videos
Posted by Bob Devich
Nalani, Eliza, and Alana enjoying dinner together
Posted by Nalani
Fancy dinners and wine tasting
Alana loved fancy dinners. I don’t remember all the places we went to, but we definitely went to Millennium, Firefly, and once splurged on the All About Vegetables Tasting Menu at Atelier Crenn. We were both vegetarians with similar tastes, so it was easy to agree on restaurants.
However, after a while, I wanted even more celebration with Alana. In 2010, I proposed a sparkling wine tour. (I never would have remembered this if I didn’t reread this email exchange, but she said she had never really done wine tasting up north. So, all of you who went wine tasting with her after this, you are welcome.)
We went wine tasting many, many times, sometimes springing for an oh-so-civilized tour where we could snicker inappropriately in the back of a group, Alana could flirt with the people pouring, and we could beam at each other over glasses of delicious, lip-smacking wine and congratulate each other for being so good at wine tasting. I’m pretty sure we hit almost every winery in Napa or Sonoma that made sparkling wine. Schramsberg! A fantastic trip with Penne and her Jacquie (vs *my Jackie*)—not exactly sure where we went (Quintessa, maybe, among others), but it was amazing! And of course J (the first time where we did the tasting menu and she decided to become a member, and then again last year when she and Mac needed to pick up wine)!
I miss her, her love for sparkles, and her general effervescent joy and light so much.
Posted by Nalani