Geranium Kiss

The kings of Tyrus with their convict list/Are waiting in line for their geranium kiss- B. Dylan

The top image is by Hazel Smith of The Clever Pup & The Plum Plum. She generously whipped it up at the last moment for Giulia Geranium's 2009 blog anniversary. I've been caught up short again this year & thank her for allowing me to use it.

Always loved the image from Bob Dylan's Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands...& somehow it reminded me of the other photographs. These young women are searching for their perfect geranium mouth. I know that cosmetics were in short supply during & at WWII's end, but what a weird (& funny) way to choose a lipstick. From Nina Leen's wonderful 1945 shoot for LIFE.

I'm too tired to whip up & fold in the kings of Tyrus to the mix. Just enjoy musing on it, if you like.

Mille grazie, Hazel.

Blue Shutter in Bretagne

Rochefort-en-terre, France, blue door and shutter, red geraniums by Robert in Toronto. [here is the link to the larger format, it's lovely.] Will be "visiting" France, Italy, & elsewhere in the coming weeks via Robert. Seriously beautiful & generous. He has a creative commons license. Bouquets of his favorite flower(s) to him. The photograph of Capucine in green is in Paris but it looks nice with the other; stone, brick, geraniums, summer clothes...it's not Washington, DC (see below). I can go back to lying down, speak French & Italian to the sleepy orange cat (she can't object to verb tenses), drink mint tea, & escape. Perhaps inability to walk to corner for newspapers will be a good thing.

I tried to be polite & correct three times this morning to cancel my RSVP to an event. You know, so someone else could be admitted easily, without waiting. See in yesterday's post. Too tired. When an imperious (young) twit says "I'm sure they'd figure it out when you don't get here..." you should hang up the phone. Hard. Slam it. No, of course I didn't. Now must decide if this repeat offender should be reported to his supervisor. You know. In case I was someone, uh, important. Geez. This jerk has really bloomed since last summer when he was clueless & rude to about five people (not me, I was watching) in ten minutes at a poetry & politics or political poetry or whatever-the-panel was...I thought: wow, these kids really don't get it. You have to be at least decent to everyone unless they're hitting you or something. I wanted to whack him in the head with my bag but it remains purse-fantasy for now.

Hope everyone else's day goes well. I promise to stop ranting soon.

Capucine

A little fast forward fantasizing to summer. This is a Genevieve Naylor photograph of model-actress Capucine with an apricot-colored kitten in 1958 Paris. Capucine means 'nasturium' in French & so nothing to do with coffee; but I'd be lying if I said caffeine didn't pop into my mind as I watched The Pink Panther (the real one) this weekend. She plays Simone Clouseau for the uninitiated. I'd already been looking at images of espresso with floating foam flowers. And wishing I could go somewhere, anywhere (almost) this summer. (photograph via myvintagevogue on flickr)