have a cool new year...

i was thinking the other day, how cool would it be to sit around and listen to records all day like we used to do when we were kids...

have a happy new year sweet ones!
bisous!!

also...

any idea which scene this is, in which film... i must admit i do love me christmas films and christmas music...

have fun these sweet days & have a quick look at the previous post, just wanted to take a moment to wish you all a lovely day...

bisous!

sweet christmas wishes...

i''m wishing you dear friends a sweet christmas. our paths have crossed this year... and for this gift i am thankful...

surely you must know...

when i lived in madrid i worked as an english teacher. i made very little money, just enough to pay the rent and utilities and have dinner and wine with friends, almost always. at the time, a glass of wine was about 2 euros and a nice dinner could be had for 10 euros. i lived like a queen... good wine and friends!

as i did not spend much then, i still don't, out of habit not stinginess. it's just that i learned that the sweet life does not have to cost much. well, yesterday, and in the spirit of american christmas commercialism i went on a little shopping spree. of the many goodies, i bought my very own copy of pride and prejudice. this way the librarian can stop looking at me crosseyed when she sees me checking it out... again! there is a line when elizabeth is overwhelmed by what darcy has done, and he looks at her in all hope and says... sure you must know! i am left breathless... i can't get enough of those words...

then i bought outliers by an author that is new to my book collection, malcolm gladwell...

the first time i saw this dude i found him incredibly interesting and funny looking. this past friday i saw him again on charlie rose and i think i am in love. if i were a guy i think i might want to be him. his job is to write about interesting (at least to me) stuff, formulate it simply, and then put out a bestseller. somehow it all seems so romantic, sitting and thinking and meeting with most interesting friends and having deeply interesting conversations over dinner and wine and then sharing it with those who might be interested. i love this idea and i think it says something very much about me... i'm soooo attracted to intelligence and romance...

have a happy christmas week! and i hope you get to indulge in all that pleases you... if you happen to pop in, share what that might look like... share your gifts and goodies...

nice weekend

thank you so much for your kind words of encouragement in connection to my previous post. i think we all have a special feeling about our blog relationships... i think it connects with the 'better angels of our nature.'

the order of the day...
do have a jazzy weekend!
and may it involve something, anything that's candy apple red...

creeping away

when people ask me about my family, i simply say that i don't see them very often, they're not very nice people. though to think of it, i think i remember that the adams family were nice people, though a little 'creepy and kooky...'

still it's all a bit creepy. of my family of five, 3 persons have birthdays this month, and all clustered together. i made my last phone call for the year last night to say my 'happy birthday wishes' and i should be free and good until after the new year.

i made up a story saying i would be away skiing for the holidays and i'll be back in touch after the new year. it's not true, and i use this space as my confession booth. how stinky is this situation.

when i wake up in the morning, i stay quiet and still for a moment thinking of what my responsibilities are for the new day. this morning i thought of my family and the pain i suffered beneath them and i was leaning towards being sad. but then i remembered, though they take the wind out of my sails for a minute and i get back up, they don't destroy me like they used to. not only do they not have this power any more, i've gotten stronger and wiser, thankfully. this makes me happy. and plus, sad but true, it frees me up to create for myself a life that brings me joy.

invent your world, surround

yourself with people, color

sounds, and work that

nourish you... sark

trippin' on today and tomorrow

what's on tap for this new week? all's a buzz this holiday season... i was going to share an image of a crystal ball, to have a look into the coming days, and i stumbled upon this crystal lounge... hmmm apparently it's in sweden. how dreamily trippy is this? i can totally see me siding up to the bar for a really fresh flute of champagne, a little coolness, as i imagine inside is warm and cozy while a bit chilly on the outside...

any who, it's a new week and i'm feeling quite content with the connections we've made as blog buddies, sharing our doings and our heart's concerns...

looking on into the near future...

1. meeting with my dear friend helen as i'll package my 'heart love' and send her off with my best wishes as she begins a new chapter in her life.

2. for some reason, i have no idea why, the vice-president of spain is speaking at my alma mater this week. i'm there just 'cause it tugs at my heart strings for my love of spain.

3. going to 'cafe philosohique' at the alliance francaise, where they philosophise about life and art in french. still trying to improve my french, it is a journey isn't it...

well, i imagine you must be bored by now. i didn't mean to bore you, but it's like you pop in to visit a friend and you want to hear all about what s/he has been up to and you want to share your little things too.

if you're inclined to share... to tell of a wee thing you're up to this week...

sending out christmas kisses...
photo by amundn

do you remember II

christmas time as always is an interesting time. i, we(?) get sentimental, thinking about persons and situations that we haven't thought about for what seems like a life time. memories... the other day i watched again the film 'when harry met sally.' it's so cool to have a look again at new york in the eighties. it was a lovely walk down memory lane.

i like almost everything about the film, but what seems to stand out most for me is remembering how at the end of the day i would curl up in bed and talk for a while with my best friend. it was sheer pleasure and such a cosy way to end the day before drifting off to sleep.

today in our fast paced existence, there simply seems to be little time for visiting... i've a friend who gets it. i rang him up and got his voice mail. he rang back, but this time i was in the middle of macy's with christmas carols playing softly over head. there, i layed down the slacks i was planning to try on, and stood there and talked to him. it was nice to be mindful of the moment...

and i confess that i'm feeling a bit sentimental, as i always do during christmas season. and it's a sweet thing to get messages and phone calls from persons we haven't heard from for quite some time these days. it really shows who is thinking of you during this sentimental time.

in my last post i mentioned how when we were wee ones, the panic, nervousness and exitement that came over us when boy meets girl. well i got to thinking about my first crush in grammer school. it was 'james powell,' and i thought he was the cutest. these were the days when the girls were in one line and the boys in another. well, i would look to see where james powell was in line, count, and then place me self next to him in the girls' line so that i could hold his hand.

well i ran into james as an adult one day before entering the metro...

there he was after all these years. when our eyes met i said 'you might not remember me...' he said 'i remember you very well, you still look the same.' as did he, only older of course and incredibly handsome. the cute boy had grown into a handsome man. we exchanged memories before i ran off in nervousness...

have yourself...
let your heart be light...
have a memorable weekend...

do you remember

s. is 10. on weekends i tutor him and his brother in english, at 10 and 11 the two boys are just about fluent in 3 languages... meeting on weekends for nearly a year now, it surprises me how my heart falls for these boys who were strangers not so long ago. sometimes they say things, apart from our english lessons, that venture into the real life of everyday boys. and very often they leave me at a loss for words. this past weekend s. got a phone call from a sweet little girl. he recoiled in horror. not only did he not want to take the call, he mentioned something like, girls are stupid. i've known him long enough to know that he was in a bit of a panic, as he did not know what to do upon receiving a phone call for the first time from a girl. i suppose it takes time to learn to navigate these waters. i shared some positive words on behalf of my girl sisters and he looked at me in wonder. i can only smile in thinking that, in just a few short years he'll be waiting eagerly for some sweet girl to give him a ring...

ahhh life... when boy meets girl...

hello

last night upon leaving the cinema i walked into a little sweet snowfall. what a nice surprise. i walked along 5th avenue with the wee little flakes dancing in my hair. the holiday festivities are slowly getting under way here in the city. it always amazes me how new york does christmas. it really is a wonderland...

i've had some trouble with my internet service, so i'm not in touch as much as i would like to be. i miss popping in on you and seeing what you are up to more often. but i trust these issues will be resolved, and i'll be back to visiting regularly. i do enjoy sharing in your endeavors...

meantime dear lovelies, i do hope that you are well and enjoying these days...

looking forward to things is half the pleasure of them. ~lucy mand montgomery

i send you warm hugs wrapped in love and cheer...

breath on glass

paint should not be applied thick. it should be like breath on the surface of a plane of glass. ~james mcneill whistler.

pardon my ignorance. it's amazing to me how i can discover something and someone so famous. what i mean to say, many times i stumble upon a thing that impresses me that i've never known before. in my amazement, when i share it with another i so often find that i'm one of the last to know. while browsing/reading an interior design magazine i came across a nicely written article on the works and attitude of the painter whistler. i thought how sweet and delicate are his works. never heard of him. when i mentioned him to m., he says 'you haven't heard of him?' m. is always gentle in enlightening me. many years ago i picked up a collection of stories by dostoevsky. i'd never heard of him. i borrowed it, read and loved the stories with a heavy heart. when i returned the book, in all confidence i said 'you know, this dostoevsky guy is pretty good.' m. says gently again, 'that is incredibly generous of you, considering he is thought to be one of, if not the greatest writer ever.' i looked on quietly, not embarrassed by not knowing, but delighted in the idea that i was quite moved by one of the great ones. what would i do or think if i thought it was crap:)

i always know that my education in the arts and literature are 'lacking,' but i do so love learning and discovering. the above painting is by whistler... one of my new 'discoveries.' hope you like it...

jazzy days ahead...

when i was in my twenties i wore some funky hats. not as funky as these, but still nice... this morning while organising some magazines and papers i stumbled upon a poem titled beginning to be. i thought about the synchronicity of it all considering the fact that i have been thinking very much these days about beginning again/new beginnings. the thought came to me... though i'll be dipping my toes into new waters, i want to remind myself to stay true to that about me that i enjoy.

it's been a while since i've worn a gorgeous hat. have you recently? i think it's time again...

this thursday, here in the states is the thanksgiving holiday. if you are celebrating, do have fun! if not, perhaps you're off in some gorgeous place somewhere else, then i celebrate you!

until soon...

oh, here are those words that tracked me down this mornin'

beginning to be

it is i who must begin...

once i begin, once i try

here and now,

right where i am,

not excusing myself

by saying that things

would be easier elsewhere,

without grand speeches and

ostentatious gestures,

but all the more persistently

to live in harmony

with the 'voice of being,' as i

understand it within myself

as soon as i begin that,

i suddenly discover,

to my surprise, that

i am neither the only one,

nor the first,

nor the most important one

to have set out

upon this road...

whether all is really lost

or not depends entirely on

whether or not i am lost...

vaclav havel

second chances

i've many strange things about me. i mentioned once before that sometimes when i wake up i like to play a game and imagine, where in the world would i like to be? i think very much that i've a bit of a wanderlust about me. these days i would love to visit paris for the beauty of it all. i want to be immersed in beauty; inspiring architecture, gorgeous scultpure and paintings, delicious tea and croissants, the scent of lovely french perfume... and fashion... don't get me started.

sometimes we write and we think the words are our own creations. we ourselves thought them up, they are our ideas. and they are, in a way. but in a way not. this morning when thinking of france i was browsing through un livre that i have titled a writer's paris. it was this passage that i found most appealing. it is called 'second chances.'

often quoted to make a point about american culture and character is F. Scott Fitzgerald's famous line 'there are no second acts in american lives.' in fact, nothing could be further from the truth. we are not done at twenty, thirty, forty, or fifty...; we have not ruined our chances by not writing for a decade; we have not precluded the possibility of a second act and a second chance by making even the worst mistake. alchoholics get sober, cowardly lions find courage, and with each new dawn, every writer gets a second chance as well...

in my opinion, this is true of most situations. and i suppose i stumbled upon this idea as i am dreaming of france this morning and wanting very much to improve my french and not only wanting to sip tea and taste croissants in paris... it surprisingly also has to do with me connecting to my heart's desires and wanting and planning and doing! to beginning again.

in university i failed a most dreaded course. when i'd bought the books the next year to repeat the class that had been restructured and taught by a brand new professor, i was a bit sad that i had failed the class before, though i tried my hardest. i sat there in the library with my new books as the new class was about to begin again. i remember so well a good friend and fellow student leaned in close to my ear and whispered... 'once more, with love.'

i always remember this when i am beginning again. dear reader if you are on track with that you wish, marvelous! and if not, let's begin again...

hope you have a sweetly inspired weekend!

image de anneinparis

a little sit down

last week was a tough week. nothing terrible, i'm happy to say, just enough to break my stride. it seems not only did i get the wind knocked out of my sails, also, i could'nt get things to align and flow. i felt stuck and frustrated.

today...

i feel as if i am dusting myself off and preparing to get back on the horse again. a good friend had a little sit down casually with me. gently she asked 'shall we have a glass of wine?' i nodded yes. she then adds 'shall we make it champagne?' even the thought of the bubbles are inspiring...

she asked me about my concerns, my hopes and desires. she mentioned how time is passing. and how, though my next move may not be perfect, it is important to begin again.

with a sense of awe, as i look back over the past few years, i not only marvel at time's ability to mend a broken heart, also, at its capacity to usher in wonder...

i marvel at how life can renew itself in the most precious and wondrous ways. as i am older and i hope wiser, i can see the beauty that is... especially if i take care. i like very much this notion of 'taking care.' there is so much that is precious to us... family and friends, our doings and hopes and desires. i like the idea of taking care of them. ...and the sweetness of friends helping us to take care as well.

...as i am ready to begin again.

image de maxinne marie

look what you have done

ladies do take a bow, you have helped me wee heart immensely in connection to yesterdays drama! merci beaucoup.

do tell… s’il vous plaît

dear friends, i've a question for you... have you any insight into the idea that some people can leave you feeling blessed and elated, while some, on the other hand leave you feeling as if all the air has been let out of your balloon, and you are not sure why?

this happens to me. i can leave the presence of someone and feel on top of the world. and the feeling i get from others is as if i have been hit by a thing, and all the wind has been knocked out of me. and i've got to spend some time putting the pieces of my heart back together.

when i look at the situations, i can't put my finger on a particular something, but i know i feel a certain way.

do tell if you have any insight, i'd be ever so appreciative...

image de kittypinkstar

don't try this at home...

though i should not have, i walked through central park the other day at nightime. have you ever done something and thought to yourself 'hope my mom never finds out'? just because you were raised to do and know better. ...but there i was on the edge of the eastside, the park was there and i needed to get to the westside. i didn't have the patience to walk around the park. so i held my breath and jumped in.

don't try this at home, but it was really magical. i followed two other women just to try to stay near other people.

i do know that hanging out in a park at night is not the smartest thing to do, and i'll try to not let it happen... often. that aside, it really was quite magical. all was calm and lighted in a magical sort of way. i took my time and enjoyed the walk as i was on my way to meet a friend for dinner...

hope there's some magic in your day today...

bliss

feeling a bit sentimental today. i'm over the moon about yesterdays election, joy and hope are my companions today. thanks so much for your good thoughts. enjoy this wonderful moment...

and too i marvel about the leaves that fell in the courtyard as i had tea and scones with malena today. stopped in at la maison francaise in greenwich village to get a program of their upcoming events, lots of philosophical goodies coming up. christmas is coming with all its glowy warm cosy lights... and cosy thoughts of persons we love.

just enjoying the moment as i hope you are too... if you pop in, do tell what cosy things you are thinking of these days...

bisous!

barack the vote

religion and politics are the 2 social taboos. bring 'em up and you could be in for a fight. but i must confess with the changes in washington about to happen, i feel like that moment in the film the wizard of oz when the munchkins wonder if the wicked witch is gone...

gone i hope, with whoever gets elected will be the practices that have wounded so many hearts, to be all too mild about it all. because how do we even begin to talk about the hearts that no longer beat...

these past years have left me at a loss. feeling like dorothy in oz, shocked, surprised and afraid of the horror of it all. and how to get out of this hell. (pardon my french)

and now comes a day, today, november fourth when we have a chance for change.

i do confess that i hope barack obama wins the nomination for the president of these united states. i confess that in my prayers i ask that the best and most loving gesture be made. sometimes i think it's best that he not be president, mostly because i want him to live and i want he and his family to be safe from all harm.

plus it's got to be a thankless job, this mess we're in. who would want it? president Bill Clinton lends hope when he shared that it is a wonderful opportunity for someone to step in and genuinely bring hope and change in a positive way.

lending a helping hand is a beautiful thing that i know we all can do for one another wherever we find ourselves. it really is a special thing and feeling to help in our own ways towards someone or something that needs a little assistance. i guess i'm a big fan of helping others simply because i have been on the receiving end of a loving glance and a hand held out to lend assistance. having had these experiences i try to lend a hand as best i can whenever i can.

i like when barack obama shares the idea that surely we can find common ground. i'll add to that the idea that we are more alike than unalike... sharing a journey at a shared moment in time... let's make it a good one...

at the time of this writing the voting is underway, at the end of the day the choosings will be counted and a new president will be chosen...

at the time of your reading, are the results in...

is there a new president elect...

is it President Barack Obama?

i'm closing my eyes and clicking my ruby red heels and... and please tell me it is so.

waiting for midnight

deep into the darkness peering, long i stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before. ~edgar allan poe

lovelies, do have a wonderful, dreamy, and imaginative halloween!

... and weekend.

變動 ... crises/change

what do i know? i was talking to m. the other day. her son of 11 years old broke some growth bone in his writing hand. doctors said that they will have to treat and monitor it closely. it's unlike a normal broken finger, in that this part that has been broken has a thingy that is responsible for the growth of the hand. hmmm, never heard of it. so the thing is, if this is not treated properly then leo's hand will not grow properly. thankfully he is getting good care. one has to remind him that though his hand is in a cast, still be extra careful zooming the cars around the room...

his mother explained to me that sometimes he does get sad because he can't be as active as he would like to be. she has been thinking that she would like him to begin something new especially for this time, so that when he emerges from this difficult situation he will have some fond memories to go with it. i'm thinking that when something happens like this you never forget it. my mom still talks about the horrible itchyness she suffered that summer as a little girl in florida when she broke her finger. and leo's mother remembers when she broke her finger, she spent the time learning french.

it has been said that the symbol for crises in chinese is the same as the symbol for change, that out of crises change can come, a new beginning...

what a wonderful idea. since i know absolutely nothing about chinese, i looked the symbols up. they look different to me. but what do i know? it's still greek to me. Jorge if you happen to pop in, clue me in and let me know what you think...

still i must admit, i do like the idea that out of a crises, space can be created for a new beginning...

two moods at once...

yesterday all day i did not feel well. i took the day off from work, but in a way that did not make any sense. some guys showed up at my door to replace the heating radiators that should have been replaced a few months ago. i thought since they are here, i'd better let them do their job.

so i ventured out and left them inside to do the work they needed to do. i'm not sure if not having heat these past days have contributed to my not feeling well. so i was kind of left out in the big bad world on my own feeling all achy and weak. i thought 'where can i go for the day so as to come in from the chilliness of the day?' i found my way to the metropolitan museum. even there it was a bit taxing to walk up all those stairs. and to tell the truth once inside it was painful to walk around, but i pushed myself. and during this time i noticed that even though i did not feel well, it was really nice to be in the midst of such beautiful art works. i studied quietly the drawings and sketches. when i'm feeling good i don't have the patience for such detail. i meditated on the painted scrolls of ancient japan. i studied porcelain from germany, lost myself in the vastness of american landscape paintings, i touched and browsed through books in the metropolitan museum's bookshop. and when i thought i could use a break i wandered over to the cafeteria for soup and hot cider. there i spent time talking with a lovely lady about our favorite travels. soon afterward i spent some time browsing european paintings. i looked at my watch, only 3pm. the guys won't be finished in the apartment until about 6pm. i'm so tired, though the artworks are so lovely. what a mix of emotion. i wandered down to the lobby of the met and had a seat on one of those big sturdy wooden benches. what will i do for another 2 or so hours. to my surprise i sat there drifting in an out of sleep as the vast crowds made their way about the museum's lobby. but the sweet surprise was the rest and peace i felt not only drifting in and out of sleep, but witnessing the doings of many persons. listening to tourists plan the rest of their day in new york, seeing lovers smooch, watching the interesting fashion of passers by. sending love to the young lady who processed my admission ticket at 11am and is still on the job now close to 4...

rising up from my comfortable fascinating front row seat and the interesting doings of folk, i wandered out of the museum across central park. it was chilly and beautiful as the fall leaves created a flowering in the air blowing all around me, the lakes and gorgeous browns and greens and reds and yellows that painted the scenery before me. when i reached home a few minutes before 6, thinking i did not have the strength to wander about much more, the work guys were gone. the new heaters were installed, and the heat was on and the place was nice and quiet and cosy and warm. i showered, put on my pjs and curled under my covers deeply grateful. on television's entertainment tonight where they often talk about the lifestyles of the rich and famous, in that moment i felt i was the richest of all...

11 things about moi..

thanks so much to Julianne at potpourri promenade for tagging me, i have the opportunity to share 11 things about me... how fun to consider....

1. clothes shop. i've a shop here in nyc called daffys. they sell discounted designer clothes. i mean really discounted. i can pay $12 for a silk blouse. my last purchase was a leather jacket for $99. i don't know what i would do without them since clothes can be so expensice now...

2. furniture shop. i heart the shabby chic shop by rachel ashwell.

3. sweet.german chocolate cake... love it!

4. city. tough tough question. if i have to choose i wouldn't mind exploring brussels.

5.drink non alchoholic.tea, i do love myself a nice cosy cup of tea...

6.music. i like very much the swedish songstress lisa ekdahl, her voice is so soft and playful.

7.television series. hmmm believe it or not '2 and a half men.' i like the crazy carefree life of the character charlie, though i would never want to be one of his 'girlfriends.'

8.film. wow, good question, i'd have to go with breakfast at tiffanys. i know how unoriginal of me, but it really is a lovely film.

9. workout. yoga

10.pastries. funny i know very little about pastries. i'd have to say those little sweet pastries, i think they are called baklava.

11 coffee, i actually can't drink coffee. it turns my stomach and gives me the shakes. though i envy those we can drink it, they seem to enjoy it so...

tech stuff on the mend...

how sweet to read about your doings for the past weekend. i must admit i love all the details...

i've traveled to my local library as my internet does not seem to be working. i'm not sure if it is a small gliche or something where someone has to come out and have a look at it. i'll have to investigate...

in the meantime... have a wonderful week! i do hope to be back soon with all the tech gliches mended...

take most care lovelies!

hello lovelies!

hope you have a pretty nice weekend...

love!

this past week i heard an actress who's work i admire answer that in her free time she likes to dream. she said she could just be walking along and in midstep her daydreaming begins... i thought that's me! i'm such a dreamer. sure it can be an escape mechanism, but i think also it is connected to my love and desire of imagining and creating stories.

sometimes i wonder if someones who may visit l'air du temps might think that i am this dreamy unsubstantial being with nothing of importance to say. i never get that sense from friends we pop in regularly, but i wonder for 'first timers,' what might their impressions be...

here i try to keep it light and insightful, and my more 'profound' thoughts, i like to think i do, i tend to do away from this space. but so often the not so light wants to say something, and finds its way here. it's been a mix of stuff. though i have been twisted in knots about all that is happening with the u.s. presidential campaign and new presidential election that will occur in a matter of days, and thinking so much not only of what is happening here in the u.s. but all the broken hearts and lives abroad in the middle of unjust and horrific happenings, and simply wanting and wishing that things were different... simply.

dear Lala wrote so wisely about what is happening in Rwanda in one of her posts from thursday, 2nd of October on her blog http://www.mycastleinspain.blogspot.com/

my heart always breaks in a million pieces where there is pain and injustice and i just want to run and hide. but i know that is not the answer and these days i ask myself what can i do, however small, that may contribute to healing and justice. these past days i have been rolling these thoughts over inside and though i still plan to do something more concrete to help as i can, this morning i woke up with one thought...

love!

how beautiful and much needed is love. how we need it in all relations, family, friendships, lovers, international affairs, love of neighbor...

i thought of the picture above. this was taken outside one of the museums in san francisco. this newly wed couple beside a chihuly art piece is incredibly striking. it speaks to me of love and relations and art and beauty. www.chihuly.com

below is a photo image of a program i have learned about called the barefoot college. their website is http://www.barefootcollege.org/

'the students are mostly women, some are grandmothers. hundreds have come through here from villages across india and a dozen other countries to learn how to install and maintain solar energy in rural villages.'

these ladies train and become solar technicians and return to their villages to install and share what they have learned with others and they work for themselves creating a good source of income for themselves.

and it reminds me that there is a way. there are many ways to care and protect and i think a big part of it is love. a desire for justice and well being for every being. i hope to add my little sprinkle to the pool of love...

london calling

i'll tell you a little secret. sometimes when i wake up in the morning i play a little game with myself. i ask myself if i were waking up in another city which would it be? this morning it was london. i wonder if it had anything to do with the overcast skies, and chill in the air... i thought i would love to tumble out of bed, find my way to a cafe with a little lovely book and have my morning tea...

in the spirit of my english cravings today i pulled up the guardian newspaper online and clicked onto the culture section. see, if i were in london i would have a better idea why this film, a remake of brideshead revisited, is being reviewed just now.


i am embarrased to admit that prior to some months ago i knew nothing of the previous films nor the much loved and celebrated novel by evelyn waugh. thing is, i saw this current remake of the film some months ago here in new york. it can't be that it is just being released in london now, could it be? i just assumed it was an english film. hmmm...

anywho, i thought, though visually the film is stunning with gorgeous actors, the film itself was a bit empty and boring. the writer in the guardian today wrote/asks...

why revisit it?
it's fundamentally uninspired.
it offers no compelling reasons for a screen revival.
the film fails to make us care about the people.

ouch! sad but my sentiments exactly. i understand that there is another film version of the novel that is quite excellent which i will seek out. and of course before? or after? i must now read the novel.

and my question for you today dear one is... whatcha readin'?

have a most wonderful cosy weekend.
these words are written while the soundtrack of the film love actually plays... in the spirit of all things english this day...

another question... is there a place you dream of de temps en temps? the dalai lama shares that we should live in the present moment, it helps to alleviate suffering and longing. i'm sure he's right... but dreaming can be so tempting at times.

bon week-end!

dreamlands

the 'worlds' most crooked street. i'm not sure if you can get a glimpse from this photo of this magnificent winding road. i wondered about the persons who live here in these beautiful homes. who are they? do they love it? what do they do for fun? how did they land such a gorgeous space? most fun was a lovely lady walking with her 2 little girls asking people where they were from. it turns out we were so many from so many different places; germany, india, japan...


like this house... who lives here?!

i'm especially attracted to doorways these days. i supposed as an opening, an invitation, a beginning (sometimes an ending) into... i like to hold my friend's dreams in my heart. together we talk and think and try to find a way to edge closer to our dreams. these days my friend h. is thinking of her 'next move.' what will it be, what will she do... she has some ideas, hopes, dreams... these days exactly she's waiting for a yes to begin her next 'project.' she's afraid and doubtful, i on the outside, maybe a bit more objective can see no reason why not, and almost every reason why she should receive a yes in response to her request. i am hoping she has a chance to walk through a new doorway and get closer to her dream...

love is an attempt to change a piece of a dream-world into reality. ~henry david thoreau

hello again

san francisco is a city where people are never more abroad than when they are at home. ~benjamin f. taylor

i'm back from san fran! indeed. it is said san francisco is our most european city here in the states. it really is quite beautiful, i must say. sometimes i ask myself wouldn't it be nice to settle in a place that is not as busy as nyc... and i think it will be a question that i live with and love for a bit of time. san francisco is tempting. it has many things a city girl loves while at the same time not as hectic. though this is from a visitors point of view.

here standing one of san fran's many hills, the golden gate bridge is hiding in the midst of the fog...

it was a surprise, i'd heard about a gorgeous church on the campus of stanford, and here just outside are sculptures made from casts of rodin. the arts center at stanford university has the largest collection of rodin outside of paris... the gorgeous sunshine is the sweetest work of art as well.

trying to remember, is this lombard street, or is it a lovely corner on stanford university's campus... don't remember. being in california, the look of it, reminds me so much of the look of southern spain. not necessarily the architecture, but the bright blue sky, the warmness in the air, pretty colours and flowers all around...

as the time passes and i get settled in, i'll try and share some more insights about this special place...

'san francisco itself is art, above all literary art. every block is a short story, every hill a novel. every home a poem...' ~william saroyan

i look so forward to connecting with you all again. i'll be peeping in to see what you are up to.

bisous!

when in san francisco...

i'm off to san francisco. it's my first time. as it is thought of as the u.s. city with the most european style i am interested to see and experience it. i hear about the beautiful colourful victorian houses, cable cars, the golden gate bridge, hilly hills to walk up with great effort, art and delicious cuisine in abundance... on va voir!

i'll share some pictures of the journey with you when i return. and in the meantime i hope to be able to pop in to share some of my daily experiences...

and of course, to stop by and say hello on the blogs i enjoy visiting.

until soon... and have a wonderful week.

love the questions...

this is a picture of my dream. can you imagine? i dreamed i was in a clearing in the woods, there alone beneath the trees. though i did not know where i was, i was also unsure of where i might be going. actually for the moment i wasn't going anywhere. only still. there. content. well for the moment where i am, while at the same time finding comfort in the light, streaming in from up ahead...

'have patience with everything that remains unsolved in your heart. try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books written in a foreign language.' ~rilke

may you be well where you are, and may hope accompany you in your dreams.

bon week-end!

have a sweet weekend. how you choose to spend your time is your business... what happens in your local wine spa... stays, no one has to know...
wine spa in japan

most unusual...

when asked to think of my most unusual memory, for some reason a memory that never happened came to mind. i remember the first time i heard about the elephant march into manhattan, i thought how unusual, i want to see that. but then i remembered i never did go see the elephants as they came through and out of the queens midtown tunnel, as they do every year, on their way to madison square garden for the ringling bros. and barnum bailey circus. the thought of the elephants locked in the life of the circus when they

could be running free was heartbreaking. because the mind is a funny thing, at least mine is, i connected this thought and i shared the memory of when i was a little girl in second grade. we had a little puppy that got sick and for some reason it was taken away. i think i was too young to remember the details. i went to school the next day and put my head down on the desk and cried. mr. debellous could not stop me from crying. he called my mom, and she came to talk to me. i remember standing there in the hallway, outside the classroom as she explained to me what had happened and somehow i understood that the puppy was going to be alright. my heart lifted and i could smile again. i wonder what she said, i don't really remember. but for some strange reason i keep my distance from all animals. i think somewhere in my little heart i'm afraid to fall in love with them again, as they may be taken away.

some years ago, i was asked to go the circus. i said 'i don't like the circus,' even though i had never been. i was talked into going to cirque de soleil. this circus i love. it's creative and beautiful and i felt like that little girl who finally had her chance to go to the circus.

first image above from cirque de soleil and baby elephant from m. skovgaard

been raining

the best thing one can do when it rains, is to let it rain. ~longfellow

to do at some moment on sunday
1. curl up on sofa
2. nice book
3. tea

hope your day is sweet, rainfall or sunshine, whichever one finds you...

the lightness of being

i wonder if summer simply in it's precious way inspires a lightness of being. so much so that if what i hope and intend to do seems to drift into air ...undone yet. but somehow i'm not worried. though i can be a procrastinator, so much of this is indeed just summertime having it's way, in the most wonderful way! urging a glance at flowers, delicious summer salads, gorgeous sunsets with italian gelato, walks along the boardwalk, reading stories ...and i don't mind.

as the children are returning to school, and perhaps we're beginning to lend or thoughts to fall time and all that needs to be done, there's still moments to be savored of summertime bliss...

hope your days are lovely and light!

image de vogue

a girl's desires!

i love it when we get to a place in life where we give ourselves permission to indulge our heart's desires...

image by 'noontime'