Taking turns with the food
Getting it on
Thursday 29 July 2010
Life in the Garden
I bought a bird table last month with the idea of putting out seed to attract my feathered friends. It is placed outside the window where I sit to waste time on my computer. I can compute, I can bird watch, all from the same chair. Brilliant. I thought I would get cute little birds but instead, it's pigeons all the way. Okay, they are birds and they need to eat. I noticed two of them having what looked like a real dust up. I assumed they were fighting over me or at least my bird seed. I mentioned this to my next door neighbour who knows everything about birds. She tells me that when it looks like they are fighting, they are actually courting. How like life! It appears that my high class restaurant has turned into a cheap motel.
Taking turns with the food
Getting it on
Taking turns with the food
Getting it on
Saturday 24 July 2010
Back to reality
This is my best birthday present. I got it from my grandson, Sam. Thank you, sweetheart. It is perfect.
I'm home now and have been for almost a week. Paris is behind me and real life is grabbing hold. I have a plan for the New Me. I will spend my mornings walking briskly, sorting and clearing and either painting or writing. Okay, stop laughing and pay attention. The plan is to turn the shed into a studio and become an artist. I know I have no talent but I like messing about with paints and crafts and I'm going to do it. The writing bit is also problematic but I have a few things in my files that I can resurrect and work on before true inspiration hits. I also want to get serious about my camera. It is a beautiful SLR Canon. I have owned it for two years and I still use it on automatic. The only adjustment I make is the 'flash off' setting when I am in a museum. In spite of my failings, I have lovely pictures and they could be much better.
I'm home now and have been for almost a week. Paris is behind me and real life is grabbing hold. I have a plan for the New Me. I will spend my mornings walking briskly, sorting and clearing and either painting or writing. Okay, stop laughing and pay attention. The plan is to turn the shed into a studio and become an artist. I know I have no talent but I like messing about with paints and crafts and I'm going to do it. The writing bit is also problematic but I have a few things in my files that I can resurrect and work on before true inspiration hits. I also want to get serious about my camera. It is a beautiful SLR Canon. I have owned it for two years and I still use it on automatic. The only adjustment I make is the 'flash off' setting when I am in a museum. In spite of my failings, I have lovely pictures and they could be much better.
Friday 23 July 2010
More pictures
Housekeeping on the lily pad pond at Giverney
From the sublime to the ridiculous? I don't think so. I love the Pompidou
The garden at Versailles
Enjoying lunch at a French restaurant
From the sublime to the ridiculous? I don't think so. I love the Pompidou
The garden at Versailles
Enjoying lunch at a French restaurant
Thursday 22 July 2010
Monday 19 July 2010
Paris and the Seine
I got back late last night and am spending today enjoying being home. It was a wonderful trip. Those Impressionists know how to paint although for me, Post Impressionism and some Modern Art has a greater impact. We spent the first three days in Paris. Unfortunately, it was 90F and about 90 humidity. Combined with lots of walking, this was hard going for me. I knew I was out of shape but I hadn't registered that I had become a slob. Now I know and, of course, my plan is to do something about it. Later.
No one else was interested in modern art so I took myself off to the Pompidou which I loved. Many people consider it a blot on the Paris landscape, a load of pipes! Well, there are lots of round metal bits sticking out but they are colourful and interesting. I wouldn't want the whole of Paris to look like the Pompidou but it pleases me that the Pompidou looks like the Pompidou. Also, the escalator system on the outside of the building is good and works well. Going to the top provides an increasingly panoramic view of the city. I spent most of my time on the fifth floor; the permanent exhibition. All the great ones are here - Braque, Derain, Matisse, Chagall, Kandinsky, etc. and, of course, the greatest, Picasso. I have another offbeat favourite, Chaim Soutine. He uses wonderful colours and that quirky rippling style. I discovered a new painter (new to me) called Sonia Delauney. And then there was Francis Picabia. A strange bloke, obviously angry but I was interested to see his work because I had discovered him many many years ago in a cookbook by Alice B Toklas (Gertrude Stein's girlfriend) which described how to cook eggs a la Francis Picabia. They were delicious but I have to wonder if this was because he used about 1/2 lb of butter for 6 eggs.
We started the cruise in Paris and went down the river to the Normandy beaches to have a look at Omaha Beach and the American cemetery. Obviously this was very sad. Things cheered up with a side trip to Bayeux to take a look at the tapestry. This is a marvellous piece of work but I became a bit fed up with the pro William spin. I've always been a Harold fan and I think he got a raw deal. He and his troops had to run all the way up to York to deal with some very nasty Vikings and then turn around to run back down to the south for the major battle with W the C. The tapestry makes a big deal about Harold swearing to allow William to be king of England after the death of Edward but if you look closely, there are a couple of blokes with spears pointing at him whilst he takes the oath.
We also went to Rouen to visit the spot where Joan of Arc was burnt and to see the Cathedral. The local museum had an exhibit of 11 of Monet's paintings of the Cathedral in all lights. It was fascinating to see them side by side. We stopped also at Honfleur and we watched the Bastille Day fireworks from the upper deck of the boat. Another high point of the tour was the trip to Giverney; a garden to die for. The lily pads in the pond were good but the garden even better. I think I understand now where Judith got her inspiration for the plan of my garden. Now, if only I could paint!
We finished up back in Paris and said our farewells on Sunday morning. Most of our group were flying back to Los Angeles so they were up for an early start. I made new friends some of whom I will see when I am in LA in September. But I have to say I was thrilled not to be facing an 11 hour flight after a tiring week. Being a tourist is not for the faint hearted. Anyway, I love Oxford and am lucky to be living here.
No one else was interested in modern art so I took myself off to the Pompidou which I loved. Many people consider it a blot on the Paris landscape, a load of pipes! Well, there are lots of round metal bits sticking out but they are colourful and interesting. I wouldn't want the whole of Paris to look like the Pompidou but it pleases me that the Pompidou looks like the Pompidou. Also, the escalator system on the outside of the building is good and works well. Going to the top provides an increasingly panoramic view of the city. I spent most of my time on the fifth floor; the permanent exhibition. All the great ones are here - Braque, Derain, Matisse, Chagall, Kandinsky, etc. and, of course, the greatest, Picasso. I have another offbeat favourite, Chaim Soutine. He uses wonderful colours and that quirky rippling style. I discovered a new painter (new to me) called Sonia Delauney. And then there was Francis Picabia. A strange bloke, obviously angry but I was interested to see his work because I had discovered him many many years ago in a cookbook by Alice B Toklas (Gertrude Stein's girlfriend) which described how to cook eggs a la Francis Picabia. They were delicious but I have to wonder if this was because he used about 1/2 lb of butter for 6 eggs.
We started the cruise in Paris and went down the river to the Normandy beaches to have a look at Omaha Beach and the American cemetery. Obviously this was very sad. Things cheered up with a side trip to Bayeux to take a look at the tapestry. This is a marvellous piece of work but I became a bit fed up with the pro William spin. I've always been a Harold fan and I think he got a raw deal. He and his troops had to run all the way up to York to deal with some very nasty Vikings and then turn around to run back down to the south for the major battle with W the C. The tapestry makes a big deal about Harold swearing to allow William to be king of England after the death of Edward but if you look closely, there are a couple of blokes with spears pointing at him whilst he takes the oath.
We also went to Rouen to visit the spot where Joan of Arc was burnt and to see the Cathedral. The local museum had an exhibit of 11 of Monet's paintings of the Cathedral in all lights. It was fascinating to see them side by side. We stopped also at Honfleur and we watched the Bastille Day fireworks from the upper deck of the boat. Another high point of the tour was the trip to Giverney; a garden to die for. The lily pads in the pond were good but the garden even better. I think I understand now where Judith got her inspiration for the plan of my garden. Now, if only I could paint!
We finished up back in Paris and said our farewells on Sunday morning. Most of our group were flying back to Los Angeles so they were up for an early start. I made new friends some of whom I will see when I am in LA in September. But I have to say I was thrilled not to be facing an 11 hour flight after a tiring week. Being a tourist is not for the faint hearted. Anyway, I love Oxford and am lucky to be living here.
Friday 2 July 2010
Brighton Pictures
I'm not a fairy but I love their cakes
In the pub with Mummy Ali
I'm holding the coolest salad servers which Mummy Sian gave to Grandma for her birthday
In the pub with Mummy Ali
I'm holding the coolest salad servers which Mummy Sian gave to Grandma for her birthday
Birthday (mine)
It was my birthday on Tuesday but I celebrated last weekend in Brighton. I went down on Saturday and the wonderful girls took me out for a meal in the evening. I had a lie in on Sunday and then we went to Lewis for lunch at a pub. John and Pat met us there and a good time was had by all. Harry was his usual sparkling excellent self. He helped his Mum decorate fairy cakes for my tea time birthday party on Sunday. His decorating style is to put icing on the top of the cake, add sprinkles and then eat it off. This provides him with an opportunity to start over on the same cake. We slouched about on Sunday evening watching a film. I left on Monday morning because I had to be back in time to make myself a birthday cake for the book club on Monday evening. It was at my house and we had read The Bell by Iris Murdock. Most of us had read it years ago. The rereading gave us a chance to bring a more mature insight into the discussion. None of us had remembered the strong homosexual plot. All I remembered was pulling the bell out of the water. I made an old fashioned checker cake and everyone sang Happy Birthday. I am lucky to live where I do, surrounded by good friends. The next day was my actual birthday but I was a bit hung over so I limited myself to reading to Roger which is always a great pleasure.
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