twilight

Our second evening in Pennsylvania. We walked, through the fields and into the woods. Me and two of my favorite guys. We talked, I can't even remember what about, but it was good talk. And as the sun slipped slowly behind the inky mountains, we headed back to the house. The men gathering kindling for a fire as I followed behind. Twilight is my favorite hour, the moment when you savor the last bit of a good day, before heading home to a warm fire and a good meal.

- - - - - -

Yesterday Emile honored me with a Stylish Blogger award. Since then I have been thinking about style. Webster's Dictionary defines style as "a distinctive manner or custom of behaving or conducting oneself," or "a particular mode of living." I like to live well, and fully. On my own terms, and with the people I love most. I suppose my blog is a reflection of that, and so to have Emile (who I hold in high regard) pay me the compliment of an award, I am truly flattered.

Thank you.

a weekend away

In the wilds of western Pennsylvania. We drove through snow showers in the mountains, and were greeted upon arrival by temperatures in the teens (it was almost like turning back a season!). But, the rewards were many. Brilliant sunsets, golden fields and indigo hills. Warm fires and good friends, and the sorts of memories you keep in your breast pocket for leaner days.

More tomorrow.

hello spring

Here in Washington the first full day of spring was ushered in by thunderstorms and a few pink blossoms.

Some bits for the history buffs:

* the Printing Office of Edes & Gill opens next month in Boston
* the map that put Manhattan on the grid
* and the conservation of Jefferson's Bible

Happy monday all.

P.S. Our wedding is over here!! (thank you Kate!)

trouvée: two broads and some bread

Just couldn't resist ~ because it's friday, and I thought we could all use some levity. Throw in a 1937 Ford and you have a little bit of fabulousness. This one found somewhere, in some box (I can't remember exactly). {click to view larger}

I have been working hard, and thinking hard this week! I am ready for the weekend and a margarita (!!!).

Two nice things:

* Seton Smith has a new show opening
* and Jane Eyre opens in Washington tonight (and I have a date to see it!)

Have a good one. Enjoy.

feeling quiet

As things go from bad to worse in Japan, I am feeling quiet. My heart aches for everyone involved.

It is hard to know how to help from such a great distance, but there are some small contributions one can make: the American Red Cross is accepting donations for earthquake relief, and Doctors Without Borders has already sent medical teams to the area.

I am sure there are others, so please feel free to add those in the comments section.

silent clouds of stars

Seas are wild tonight . . .
stretching over
Sado Island
silent clouds of stars

~ Matsuo Bashō (1644-1694)

- - - - - -

Thinking of Japan today.

winter blues

Now. . . where were we? It has been a while, I know. Still sorting through photographs from England. These bits of blue and green make me happy ~ from this beautiful place. An idyllic refuge on a chilly winter afternoon.

Life is busy, but never too busy for some history:

* Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Vaccines

* the Hawthornes kept a joint diary (their children scribbled in it!)

* and a 350-year-old witch trial diary goes digital

There is more to come from London. And a house tour is in the works.

Cheers!

in like a lion

Weary of shoveling. . . and very much ready for spring. It was still looking rather wintery up there in Connecticut.

Just stopping by briefly today to say hello and give you a few bits of news ~ what once was lost, now is found:

* Jefferson's last library

* the diary of a royal companion

* and a Bamiyan Buddha may have a second chance

Happy tuesday friends.

cold connecticut mornings

The gentleman and I were in Connecticut this past week for various work appointments. We headed up over the weekend to stay with my brother and his family, and see good friends. A foot of snow still blanketed the ground, and as soon as we arrived Mother Nature sent along a few more inches for good measure.

Winter mornings begin early in New England, as we hear the thuds of children tumbling out of bed and the smell of coffee wafts up from the kitchen. It is cold out and the sun is barely up. And there is frost on the window panes. I love the way it writes a story across the surface of the glass with wild abandon. Within an hour it is usually gone, but for a glorious moment, it tells quite a tale. When my niece was very little she used to climb in bed with me ~ in the "blue part of the morning" as she called it ~ and talk about the magic of those things. Nowadays she just wants breakfast.

Until monday. . .

Here's wishing you a good weekend.

dreaming of england

"The budding twigs spread out their fan, To catch the breezy air. . . " (from William Wordsworth, Lines Written in Early Spring, 1798).

I am still sorting through lots of photographs and notes from London, and will have more to share. However, I am off on another work trip next week, so posting may be spotty in the near future. In the mean time, Anglophiles on this side of the pond may be pleased to hear that you don't have to cross an ocean to enjoy a bit of England:

* The Enchantress: Emma, Lady Hamilton, opened this week at the Grolier Club in New York
* Thomas Lawrence: Regency Power and Brilliance, opens next week at the Yale Center for British Art in New Haven
* and fresh off her own trip to London, EEE comes to Washington with “Mirror, Chrome & Gin Fizz: Art Deco in Britain” ~ a talk by Emily Evans Eerdmans, March 1, 7:15pm, at the National Trust for Historic Preservation (presented by the Institute for Classical Architecture and the Royal Oak Society) . . . I have my tickets!

Have a wonderful weekend (a long one for many Stateside).

Cheers!

at ham house

. . . for real! This past saturday I met up with Emile de Bruijn at the Richmond train station. As the sun struggled to make an appearance through thick, grey clouds, we walked along the Thames to that great Jacobean manse: Ham House. Such a wonderful treat ~ not only to be at Ham again, but to finally meet Emile in person (you may read his post on our visit here). After taking an abbreviated tour of the house (still officially closed for the season) we fortified ourselves with tea, sandwiches and scones at the orangery café, and dished about blogging and books, old houses and gardens. Then, being the diligent bloggers that we are, we walked around to take photographs.

I will refrain from telling you much about Ham, as I have written about it before. You may also read about it on the National Trust web site. However, I will say that it is one of those places where you discover something new with every visit, such is depth and complexity of its history.

A special thank you to Emile for thinking up such a lovely outing!

- - - - - -

On a sad note, my parents lost their 12-year-old shih tzu yesterday. She was stubborn and cranky, but had the heart of a lion. And she will be sorely missed.

for emile

A little National Trust wabi ~ flowering jasmine blossoms at Ham House.

One of the highlights of my trip to London was a saturday outing to Ham House in Surrey with Emile de Bruijn. The day began with clouds and rain, but ended with bright sun and blue skies. In between touring the house and gardens and drinking tea, we managed to fit in quite a bit of talking. You may read Emile's post about our day here (I feel like quite the cover girl!), and I will have a bit more about our visit in the next few days. In the mean time, I have started adding my photographs to a London set on flickr.

On an unrelated note, I could not let the day pass without mentioning that Jasper Johns received a Presidential Medal of Freedom today. The first studio artist to do so in 34 years.

a valentine

Just home from rainy London, where even on a chilly grey day, a few lone trees were beginning to show their colors. So, my Valentine for you: a little proof that spring is indeed coming to the northern hemisphere!

More to come this week. In the mean time, here's wishing you lots of love and chocolate.

xo

four years & counting

Yesterday marked the four year anniversary of JCB! Since my first tentative steps into blogging, I have literally dragged my readers around the world. I have met amazing new friends, seen new places. I have fallen in love and gotten married. All in all, it has been an amazing adventure. Thank you all for following along.

This past weekend, the gentleman and I stopped for lunch with a friend at Eden Center, a Vietnamese enclave in Arlington full of restaurants, grocery stores, nail salons, and coffee shops. The last day of the lunar new year celebration, workers were sweeping up spent firecrackers, and the restaurants were packed with revelers. Guided by our friend, we feasted on Vietnamese crepes, papaya salad, shrimp chips, roasted pork and noodles. On our way back to the car, we spotted the first, tentative, pink blossoms. A little sign of spring, and a fresh reminder of things to come.

Expected next month:

* Founding Gardeners, by Andrea Wulf (the author of The Brother Gardeners)
* and The Paper Garden, by Molly Peacock (I have linked it before, but it bears mentioning again)

I am off on another little adventure. Take care, be well.

See you in a week.

trouvée: une jeune parisienne

Inscribed in French: "A ma meilleure amie Hélène, / ceci en souvenir d’une jeune parisienne / en regardant cette / photo pense quelquefois / […] et aux bons moments / [...] nous ensemble à Reims – / 20 Avril 1903 / Loéline Adam." Some of the inscribed words are cut off along the edge, so part of the message is missing. But I suppose this is enough to spark your imagination. {click image to view larger}

Some interesting photography:

* portraits by Hellen van Meene
* on the streets with Vivian Maier (via Chris Storb)
* and a little voyeurism. . .

Have a good weekend.

raindrops

I almost hate to flaunt these raindrops ~ as so many of you are buried in snow right now! Last night I lay in bed listening to the rain, and dreading the ice we had been told would come. But, luckily there was only rain. Lots and lots of cold rain.

To distract you from the world outside:

* this amazing discovery
* a bit of old Boston
* the Cult of Beauty
* and some Dairy Queens

Goodnight. Stay warm.

coconut cream pie & other things

Time out . . . for dessert! A gorgeous spread put together by a few good friends to celebrate our nuptials. A belated wedding shower. The theme ~ can you guess it? Yep. . . books & booze! With a side of coconut cream pie.

We are truly spoiled.

We have enough books, wine, Scotch, Port, and sherry to get us through this long, cold winter (and very likely the next).

Thank you friends.

xo

(photo taken on my iPhone, using shakeitphoto)

trouvée: joie de vivre

This photograph just makes me smile ~ such great spirit! A recent acquisition, with no date or inscriptions.

So many good things, so little time:

* The Diary at the Morgan
* Stieglitz, Steichen and Strand at the Met
* Marin Watercolors in Chicago
* and a little Eye Wonder !

My friends, here's wishing you a happy, cozy weekend.

Be well.

cold weather cooking

Ahhhh, old man Winter. You are so harshing my mellow! However not to be completely outdone by cold and ice this past weekend, the gentleman and I decided to have a little fun in the kitchen. Making good on my promise to to be more adventurous on the fungi front, I bought a box of mushrooms at the market on sunday. And the gentleman turned it into wild mushroom risotto. Divine! We served it up with a salad of delicate Boston lettuce and fresh Texas grapefruit, dressed with a simple vinaigrette. Then paired it with a good Italian Pinot Grigio. Yummmmm.

Some other culinary inspiration:

* a rosé in winter (yes!)
* beets and blood orange
* and tomato jam from The Blue Chair Jam Cookbook (this is what I am going to do with next summer's tomato harvest)

And before I forget, Chris Storb's wonderful blog about Mount Pleasant has moved here!

From my igloo to yours ~ cheers!

a winter walk II

January, quiet, quiet. Even time seems frozen with inactivity. The gentleman has been hankering for a house tour (me too, for that matter). Perhaps a virtual tour will suffice for now? Hmmmm. . . time to start making plans for springtime outings.

A few interesting tid bits:

* The Hellcat
* Oliver Twist's workhouse

* and The Gift Outright ~ Robert Frost for JFK (and a Dedication, never heard)

Be well.

Stay warm.

a winter walk I

Hello tuesday! A cold icy day, following a long, cozy weekend. Household chores and paperwork consumed most of our energies. We also spent some time rearranging our library, and contemplating a cataloging system. Oh, and setting up our new computers. (!!!) After 10 years of service, I finally put my old MacBook to rest (yes, you read that correctly, ten years). We also invested in a MacBook Air for traveling (although we have found it rather nice for watching movies in bed, ahem).

Yesterday afternoon, after two solid days of housekeeping, we thought a little fresh air might be in order and headed out for a walk along the old C&O canal. It was so cold that our noses froze after about 5 minutes. We persevered for a while longer however, and enjoyed the quiet calm of the winter landscape.

To be honest, I think the best part of our walk was coming home to a warm, clean apartment.

trouvée: two girls

Other than the fact that I found these two anonymous ladies in the same box (and that they have similar paper borders), there is really no reason to think they belong together. I just feel that they do. They don't appear to be related, but then who knows. Each is wonderfully striking in her own way. {click to view larger}

Perhaps of interest:

* Charles Ryskamp: a life of collecting
* and a second season for Downton Abbey !!!

A quiet weekend of house chores and healing is in store for me and my gentleman. Until next week. . . cheers!

mid winter days

We escaped the worst of yesterday's east coast storm, and woke up to just over an inch of snow. Picturesque, but hardly treacherous.

My cold seems to be waning, and I now am turning my mind to thoughts of cooking. Every year I tend to select a food item to perfect ~ last year quiche, the year before frittata (I believe I single handedly kept the local egg farmer in business). I know I have toyed with the idea before, but this is: The Year of the Mushroom. I am not talking about those garden variety grocery store mushrooms. I am talking serious wild mushrooms. Now, I don't plan to start foraging (never fear) ~ there is an intriguing enough selection at the local farmers market. I'll start there. And in the mean time, I am dying to get my hands on a copy of The Wild Table!

Funny thing is, when I was a kid, I despised mushrooms. . .

Cheers!

on birthdays

These two photographs were taken the day after the blizzard, on my birthday. I spent most of the morning nursing my cold, but late in the afternoon the gentleman insisted we take a drive. The wind was blowing snow over the roads, filtering the late-day sun in the most extraordinary way.

We ended up at a local antiques mall, known more for its piles of junque and used books than for fine antiques. Housed in an old chicken barn, the place is a family favorite and has yielded some real treasures over the years. With only 45 minutes before closing, we quickly scanned the booths, not expecting to find much. But then, out of the corner of his eye, the gentleman spotted the loveliest bird cage Windsor chair, c. 1810. The price was right (plus the 20% after-Christmas discount) ~ so happy birthday to me! Our first joint acquisition of a piece of furniture. After some research, the gentleman believes it to by Samuel Gragg of Boston, almost identical to this chair.

Exciting furniture finds aside, I have generally celebrated my birthdays without much fanfare. It is nice to have a day you can call your own, when you can selfishly revel in doing nothing. Sandwiched between Christmas and the New Year, my birthday is generally lost in the shuffle. Friends often apologize for passing it by, but honestly, I really like the quiet.

winter days

I always plan to take on so much in January. Thank you notes. Over-ambitious reading lists. Catching up on emails to friends. Organizing the apartment. Here it is the 10th and I have done none of it. I am surrounded by a pile of tissues, and the gentleman is flat on his back with a fever. However, Lisbeth Salander has been keeping me company, as well as the residents of Downton Abbey (I am completely engrossed!).

For you Anglophiles:

* don't you just love a good mystery?

* The Gardens of English Heritage (a favorite wedding gift)

* and Thomas Lawrence visits Yale in February

Thank you for kind all your wishes on my last post! I am on the mend, slowly, slowly.

P.S. There are more blizzard photographs in my winter set on flickr.