Week's End - Day at the Beach

This was going to be 'no day at the beach' but these are too cute, though that older one seems a bit bossy. These are not necessarily two sisters as I have older cousins & felt like a little sister quite often. However, the three younger sibsters will fill your ear about my alleged bossiness. Propriety - & a lack of time to write a clever riposte (for now) - prevents me from making my case. (I said, for now, B, E, J....mwahahaha). If they're not good, I'll scan photos on a new-to-me printer/scanner & post them. Let me think on what I shall take in return for not doing so...hmmm.... Nope, can't be bought. Ciao!

[photographs by Nina Leen, LIFE Archives]

Nick, the Sicilian Druid - 2 Kids & a Dog

Do you want to laugh?

I had other plans but they're grim compared to 2 Kids and a Dog's latest episode. Watch as Nick & his father-in-law have a misunderstanding (perhaps abetted (?) by Alexia) about, let's call it provenance. I've not asked Alexia yet if I can embed the video, so please do click. They are a funny, funny family. On further thought, this is more on the fly than usual, start with May's first web episode (all very short), so you can follow this hybrid Highlander-Sicilian-Roman family in their quest to honor Alexia's heritage. (Her father wrote a book about his family history from Scotland to Virginia. Alexia grew up near where I live now.)

Now I have to go get ready for a Frenchie & fils visit.

Update early evening: Farewell, Lena.

[I've no time to be clever about photographs. It's Fred Astaire's birthday & for possible post on Funny Face I had this in a folder. Therefore, via Audrey1.org: Fred & Audrey feeling silly.]

A Christmas Surprise

Sure hope my mother doesn't see this dreadful photo-from-slide (she didn't see it on GG's site last year). If ratted out by a sister or three, or many nieces, I promise that hideous Christmas-pix-of-past (of you) will appear soon. The uncharacteristically bizarre outfit & coiffure are what happens when moving house two or three days before Christmas (the tree is up, that's the important thing!). I never saw those plaid pants before or after. She was on the spot & is smiling like she's ready to go out for the evening. Dad looks goofy (he always looked goofy in photos; he was usually the photog). I've a fondness for the photo because the surprise was a new neighbor 's appearance as "Santa."

At the least, my mother made sure that her daughter's hair was quickly bow-tied. I think the lesson of the photo is being absolutely delighted when surprised by well-intentioned new neighbors when you have a little girl, one on the way, & have just moved hundreds of miles away from family two days before Christmas & are wearing the most dreadful plaid pants. Good manners.

Off to have my hair made fit (if not beribboned) for festivities.

Birthday Roses

...to my mother. I sent her this bouquet for her birthday (this Friday). While I was spending an inordinate amount of time, money, & shattering my last nerve* having the new laptop fluffed & folded, she called to say it's beautiful. At the hairdresser's last week, I flipped through Martha Stewart Living to see how inadequate I am (lately). There was an advert (& a 15% discount code through December 31) for the collection. The code is LIVING15. Cheers.

*and that of a friendly, patient young college student who had the misfortune to be on duty when I arrived with my list of questions & worries.

[Martha Stewart Radiance Birthday Bouquet via 1800FLOWERS]

Week's End - Zelda & Friends

I planned to use the top photograph for another post on my grandmother (who is on the right, the skinny lady). But I'm pressed for time (yes, I'm tired of typing it) & see that it is, indeed, Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald's birthday. I'll come back & write more eventually. But go here to The Writer's Almanac that features Zelda. (Zelda, Scott, & Scottie are buried in a churchyard not far from me, & it's always quite sad to go past there, especially on the bus as you can look down into the yard. If you go on purpose, it's one thing; if you're riding by on busy roads & no one else is paying attention, it somehow seems wrong. I fear someday I'll turn into a tour guide, stand & begin to hold forth on the subject, on the Q2 bus.)

I asked my grandmother, so what's the deal with ripping off the top of the photo-postcard? As in, there's a man standing behind you & your friend. I asked a number of times, allowing 5-6 years in between. Same answer. Not peeved, not snappish. Just dragged on her cigarette (not unladylike in those days) or applied her lipstick or pinned on her hat. (She never wore pants, always had on heels...the best vintage jewellry, very cool.) & gave no comment except, "I just don't remember." But she did. That's catnip to a budding Harriet the Spy/Nancy Drew/you get the idea.

The final time I asked she said something along the lines of "I admire your tenacity, but...no comment...". So I told her, whether this guy had to something to do with her friend or her or not, I would write about the photograph & make up my own story. Didn't she want to set the record straight? At all? To which she said, "That will be absolutely wonderful, honey, I'm sure of it. Whatever you come up with will be so much better than the real thing." She was a character.

Have a great weekend.

[photograph of Zelda & Scott - LIFE Archives]

I'll Be Seeing You

For Memorial Day. Picasso & Lee Miller, one of my very favorite photographers, in his studio during the Liberation of Paris. A woman applying lipstick on a break, near Washington, DC's Union Station. My grandmother's favorite song. I'll burst into tears if I say anymore. (I'm used to hearing Peggy Lee's version but can't find a video.) Julie London sounds as good as possible on a dial-up connection. (Please let me know if it's too awful. I can't figure out how to center it right now. )She is lovely, though & Julie the Cat is pleased (all that matters to a cat). Well, I give up, darn it. Now, the blasted thing won't come up on the screen at all. Here's a link anyway.

The Miller photograph is from a scan via personal copy of The Lives of Lee Miller, put together by her son Antony Penrose. Info here. There are so many gruesome war images in this apartment, including this book. They are necessary but I don't want to put them on the site.

ciao.

Week's End - Noah in Black & White

A very tough week finally winding down. I love this b&w shot of my youngest nephew (marred by my darn pen) from a few years ago. He's the smiliest person, so I wonder what he was thinking about. Mesmerized by the sound of the ocean, most likely. A day (a life) at the beach sounds fabulous right now....