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« December 2007 | Main | February 2008 »
Here, have some cake. Perhaps some tea, or a glass of champagne? We're celebrating!
For me, it's a red letter day! Paris Parfait turns two: 1,105 posts and more to follow. Thank you - Merci - Gracias for your encouragement and support - and for always coming back for more!
"Cake Girl" art doll by Vanessa Valencia.
Stained glass heraldic crests highlight leaded windows in a 16th-century church in York, England.
It's a cold, rainy day in Paris. The news headlines are filled with speculation about Societe Generale's future after rogue trader Jerome Kerviel caused a 3.7 billion euro (about $7 billion) loss. The outspoken French President Nicolas Sarkozy has said the government will intervene, if another bank tries a hostile takeover of Societe Generale.
The bank's board of directors met this afternoon and voted to support embattled chairman Daniel Bouton and his co-chief executive Philippe Citerne. Bouton had previously offered his resignation. The next board meeting is Feb. 20. Meanwhile, many people are aghast that Kerviel has been released on bail, after police questioning.
Societe Generale, France's second-largest bank, has been our bank for the past seven years. As you might imagine, its future has been the topic of much dinner table conversation. French newspapers are speculating that BNP Paribas, France's largest bank, might attempt a takeover. But an international bank also may be interested in Societe Generale, recently touted in the banking industry as a success story.
Edwards, Guiliani bowing out
Sadly, John Edwards is abandoning the race for president. I'd hoped he'd stay in through next Tuesday, February 5, when 22 states host primaries. As he's bowing out today, guess my vote cast via absentee ballot in the California primary is nullified. But I expect Edwards still will have a role to play in the presidential race, by supporting one candidate or another. Possibly he could be named as a vice-presidential running mate or to a cabinet post, if a Democrat wins in November.
Barack Obama's statement after Edwards said he was leaving the race:
"John Edwards has spent a lifetime fighting to give voice to the voiceless and hope to the struggling, even when it wasn’t popular to do or covered in the news. At a time when our politics is too focused on who’s up and who’s down, he made a nation focus again on who matters – the New Orleans child without a home, the West Virginia miner without a job, the families who live in that other America that is not seen or heard or talked about by our leaders in Washington."John and Elizabeth Edwards have always believed deeply that we can change this – that two Americans can become one, and that our country can rally around this common purpose. So while his campaign may end today, the cause of their lives endures for all of us who still believe that we can achieve that dream of one America."
Besides Edwards' endorsement, both Obama and Clinton are hoping for New Mexico Governor - and former presidential candidate - Bill Richardson's endorsement. California, Colorado, Arizona, Utah and New Mexico - all with significant Latino populations - vote in primaries Feb. 5th.
As for Rudy Guiliani, I'm glad to see him go. He severely lacked strong leadership qualities and good judgement. The Republican presidential debate tonight in California should prove interesting, with John McCain and Mitt Romney trading verbal blows. I don't think either candidate is up to the job. McCain's constant talk about war - not only Iraq, but warning "there will be lots more wars" - and security makes me fear he would have us mired in Iraq for years. Equally worrying, he seems to have limited knowledge about the economy and other important issues.
Yes, he's an American hero. But does that qualify him to be president? No. We need a leader who can understand the enormous global challenges facing our country and its future - not someone whose thinking is status quo. The status quo simply can't match 21st-century realities.
And Romney? I find it hard to get past his statement that he would not shut down the prison at Guantanamo Bay. Even though the notorious "Gitmo" prison violates international law and denies Habaeus Corpus and basic human rights to prisoners, Romney has said he would expand the facility!
Interesting days ahead, sifting the chaff from the grain.
"Through the Glass Darkly" is a quote from the New Testament in 1st Corinthians 13. The phrase is interpreted to suggest that humans have an imperfect perception of reality.
I'm thrilled to announce that Patry Francis's intriguing book The Liar's Diary is now out in paperback!
When Patry's book was published last year, I was almost as excited as if it were my own. I'd been hearing about The Liar's Diary, as well as appreciating Patry's enormous writing talent through her blog Simply Wait. We'd "met" through an online writer's group and I was impressed by how Patry was able to juggle her jobs as a waitress, wife and mother and still find time to write a book! And she hosted The Third Day Book Club. Most of all, I was inspired by Patry's brilliant writing.
Since that heady excitement when Patry's book was released and she was working on her second book, her life took an unexpected turn. An aggressive form of cancer was diagnosed. As one would expect of Patry, she faced the battle with courage, determination and fortitude. She writes about her experiences with grace and a lyrical beauty.
I'm one of more than 300 writers, bloggers and friends participating in The Liar's Diary Blog Day to help promote Patry's book, while she recovers from cancer. If you haven't read The Liar's Diary, you're in for a treat! It's a thrilling story that will keep you up late reading. In Patry's own words, "Though my novel deals with murder, betrayal and the even more lethal crimes of the heart, the real subjects of THE LIAR'S DIARY are music, love, friendship, self-sacrifice and courage. The darkness is only there for contrast; it's only there to make us realize how bright the light can be. I'm sure that most writers whose work does not flinch from the exploration of evil feel the same."
An excerpt from the publisher's synopsis of The Liar's Diary:
"Answering the question of what is more powerful—family or friendship? this debut novel unforgettably shows how far one woman would go to protect either."They couldn’t be more different, but they form a friendship that will alter both their fates. When Ali Mather blows into town, breaking all the rules and breaking hearts... she also makes a mark on an unlikely family. Almost against her will, Jeanne Cross feels drawn to this strangely vibrant woman, a fascination that begins to infect Jeanne’s “perfect” husband as well as their teenaged son.
"At the heart of the friendship between Ali and Jeanne are deep-seated emotional needs, vulnerabilities they have each been recording in their diaries. Ali also senses another kind of vulnerability; she believes someone has been entering her house when she is not at home—and not with the usual intentions. What this burglar wants is nothing less than a piece of Ali’s soul.
"When a murderer strikes and Jeanne’s son is arrested, we learn that the key to the crime lies in the diaries of two very different women . . . but only one of them is telling the truth. A chilling tour of troubled minds, The Liar’s Diary signals the launch of an immensely talented new novelist who knows just how to keep her readers guessing."
Watch a brief video clip here. The audio was produced by Eileen Hutton at Brilliance Audio, especially for this effort. Sheila Clover English, the CEO of Circle of Seven Productions created the video.
You can pick up a copy of The Liar's Diary at your local bookstore or order the book from Amazon,
Barnes & Noble or Powell's. Or you can buy the book directly from the publisher Penguin. Get a 15 percent discount by adding the book to your cart, entering the word PATRY in the coupon code field, then clicking 'update cart' to activate the discount.
Read the book - you won't be disappointed! And tell all your friends and family about The Liar's Diary. No doubt, they'll want to read it too!
The Liar's Diary Blog Day event was initiated by Laura Benedict and organised by Benedict, Karen Dionne, Susan Henderson and Jessica Keener. Visit Lit Park for a full list of participants. See what they have to say about The Liar's Diary!
...but still a treasure. This late 18th-century French silk bridal fan was a gift from a dear friend, a former antiques dealer. As the fan's silk has sustained heavy foxing, I took it to a Paris artisan specialising in textile restoration. He advised the fan is "a museum piece" and too fragile for repairs.
But the sentimentality behind the bridal fan makes it special, no matter its damaged condition. The flocked and hand-woven lace is 19th-century. It once was draped over a fireplace mantel in a Loire Valley chateau.
I prefer treasures with little imperfections and the patina of wear. If an antique appears too pristine, one should wonder about its origins and what restoration work may have gone unreported. Rather like aging - one can age gracefully, with the accompanying lines and battle scars or go to the plastic surgeon and have all signs of character and individuality replaced with a bland expressionless stare.
Why do so many Hollywood actresses seem to be resorting to that these days? It seems a sad commentary on Western society that prizes youth and looks above all else, while ignoring substance and wisdom gained with age. Yet another example of the "entertainment lite" celebrity culture dominating the media, with too many people never looking beyond the surface to see what's happening around them.
This late 19th-century French piece features a needlework bunch of silk velvet parrot tulips. The background is composed of hundreds of tiny irridescent glass beads, each hand-sewn onto the canvas. The framed piece is so heavy, it's difficult to hang. Currently, it is leaning against the wall in a bedroom. The pleated silk moire fabric on the back of the frame is original to the piece. Click photo to view detail.
At the bookstore Friday, I bought a copy of Vintage Vavoom: Romantic Decorating with One-of-a-Kind Finds and Simply Country. While neither book tells me anything I haven't read before - or discovered for myself - the photos are gorgeous. Vintage Vavoom is produced by the editors of Romantic Homes magazine and features some tips from Elizabeth Maxson, formerly of the St. Louis-based store Elizabeth House, who writes the blog The Adventures of Elizabeth. Carolyn Westbrook as well as Alicia Paulson of Posie Gets Cozy also offer ideas.
Simply Country or Easy Cottage Style as it is known in the US - is by British stylist Liz Bauwens and writer Alexandra Campbell. Simon Brown photographed the decors, which depict a faded country grandeur. Nothing - including valuable antiques - is considered too precious and everything is used constantly.
I believe in this philosophy. At our house we live with and use our antiques daily - and that includes fragile crystal glasses and 200-year-old porcelain. What's the point of having lovely things, if not to use and appreciate it?
Years ago someone told me about a young woman who had died quite suddenly. Her husband found a beautiful silk charmeuse gown, wrapped carefully in tissue paper in a dresser drawer, that she had been saving for a special occasion. I found that story deeply upsetting, imagining the young woman's unfulfilled dreams.
I think it is up to us to make each day special. After all, who knows how long we have to enjoy our beautiful things? Someday these antiques that once belonged to others will be owned by someone else. So while they're in my possession, I'm making full use of them!
When I was 13, I took my first plane trip to Chicago, where I was met by Dr. Edward and Ann Pfau, friends of my parents. They lived in an elegant two-story home near Madison, Wisconsin. What most impressed me was at every meal their table was set with silver, including silver goblets, chargers and serving dishes. Each morning they drank their orange juice out of silver cups.
At 13, this seemed to me like unimaginable luxury. How did they find the time to polish all that silver? They explained to me that if you used something all the time, it didn't need quite so much care and polish. Years later Mrs. Pfau gave me an elegant set of silver grapefruit spoons. Although I do not eat grapefruit, those spoons are currently on display in a French stoneware mustard jar in our kitchen.
What about you? Do you keep all your precious things stored away in a cupboard? Or do you make some of them part of your daily routine and rituals?
What is your favourite antique or collectible that was passed down through your family or that you purchased for yourself at an antiques shop or flea market?
The gilt-edged porcelain cup and saucer that once belonged to a man named "Pierre," dates from 1830. The gold gilt decoration is fading, but there are no cracks or damage anywhere to be found. Even the cup handle remains intact.
Antique passementerie adorns pillows made of vintage fabrics, as well as faded mattress ticking (above right).
Evening in Paris...Remember the romantic perfume by that name, with its distinctive cobalt-blue bottle? The Saturday evening sunset, as glimpsed from our balcony. I like the stark contrast of winter's bare tree branches against the sky's pastel hues. Photo by David Holmes.
A trio of Art Nouveau pottery pieces, circa 1898, Belgium.
If, like me, you're mad about Art Nouveau, the Musee d'Orsay is hosting an exhibition through April 13. Tickets for Alexandre Charpentier: Naturalisme et Art Nouveau are available at the museum.
The museum is open daily - except Mondays - from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and until 9:45 p.m. on Thursdays.
This handcarved wooden boat and figurine - along with cases of vintage wine, an Alexander Calder hanging mobile and two robots - are among the diverse items for sale at an upcoming auction in our neighbourhood.
A Canadian drug company has broken into my rarely-used Yahoo.co.uk account and is sending bogus email purporting to be from "parisparfait@yahoo.co.uk." I rarely use the Yahoo account, other than a couple of times per month when checking for email from readers who never noticed my change of email address.
As of today I have closed this account; if you email me there, your message will be lost in cyberspace. But the Canadian company/sleazy spammer may have accessed my address book. If you receive email purporting to be from "parisparfait@yahoo.co.uk" please DO NOT OPEN IT: delete any such messages as spam. My email address associated with Paris Parfait is here. For future reference, the email address is linked on my sidebar.
Have you experienced similar incidents of your email account being hacked into or someone stealing your password and personal information?
A reflection of a passing motorcyclist is captured in this photo of a Chanel vitrine on rue Cambon, Paris. The rhinestone-studded pins are part of the abundance of jewelry adorning Chanel models for spring.
Short-sleeved mesh tops with a hint of irridescence top full skirts. Pearl bracelets, chain necklaces and belts complete the ensembles.
The mesh top is paired with a lightweight wool pleated plaid skirt with a fringed hem.
The traditional Chanel quilted bag in gold leather. Pearl suspenders are attached to a navy skirt.
Patent leather two-toned platform Mary Janes and leather t-straps with striped, knitted ankle-bands accompany the spring skirts at Chanel.
A 19th-century stone cherub and acanthus leaf enhances a building entranceway in Passy, Paris.
In Paris, the exuberant beauty and extravaganza that defines Fashion Week has been overshadowed by the shocking revelation of a rogue trader's 3.7 billion euro (about $7 billion) fraud at Societe Generale, France's second-largest bank. The fallout is just beginning!
A tragic loss
My husband was in Brussels yesterday, speaking at an European Parliament workshop. While he was on the train back to Paris, I turned on French television to find an unscheduled showing of Brokeback Mountain. Alas, I'd missed the first half, but I'd seen the film in the theatre in 2005. Watching last night I was reminded of what an extraordinarily-gifted actor Heath Ledger was. He should have won that Oscar! Ledger's death too young, too soon is of course heartbreaking for his family and friends. And his presence on our cinema screens will be missed by all who admired his amazing talent; his startling ability to virtually disappear into a role.
Politics as usual
You may have heard news from the McCain campaign in South Carolina that some voters were turned away when electronic voting machines failed and no paper ballots were available. With multiple failures of voting machines in recent elections, it appears paper ballots are the most fair and reliable. Sometimes simple is best.
Also, Rudy Guiliani's latest campaign ad really takes the biscuit, as the Brits say. The ad contains actual 9/11 footage.
I shudder to think of the despicable mud-slinging still ahead in the presidential campaign. Both Hillary and Bill Clinton have been playing old-style political games lately, forcing the issue of race and trying to distort and manipulate the truth about Barack Obama. They're resorting to the same dirty tricks and underhanded tactics they previously accused Republican opponents of using against them. One would think their time would be best spent extolling Hillary's plans for a better America, rather than wasting time and energy criticising an opponent. After all, the Clintons have made plenty of mistakes of their own.
It seems to me that Hillary - spurred on by Mark Penn, who runs her campaign by encouraging practiced statements, combined with deliberate Karl Rove-style attacks on her opponents - will do and say anything to get elected. Many Democrats, including Ted Kennedy and John Kerry, have criticised the Clintons' behaviour. Why doesn't Hillary just address the issues? She is losing my respect by playing fast and loose with the truth. Although I once was a Hillary fan, I voted for Edwards via absentee ballot in the California primary. And I'll be happy to vote for Obama, if he's the Democratic nominee in November.
Update Jan. 25 - Endorsing Hillary Clinton as the Democratic nominee, the New York Times wrote: "As strongly as we back her candidacy, we urge Mrs. Clinton to take the lead in changing the tone of the campaign. It is not good for the country, the Democratic Party or for Mrs. Clinton, who is often tagged as divisive, in part because of bitter feeling about her husband’s administration and the so-called permanent campaign. (Indeed, Bill Clinton’s overheated comments are feeding those resentments, and could do long-term damage to her candidacy if he continues this way.)"
Wouldn't it be wonderful if the millions expended on political campaign advertising - largely designed to muddy the waters with misleading allegations - were instead spent on worthy causes? I've mentioned previously that French presidential campaigns are run with each candidate receiving equal air time. Television advertising is forbidden.
Of course in the US, the advertising agencies and television stations would be up in arms at the thought of losing all that revenue. Sad that in most countries, political candidates trying to campaign without numerous financial backers don't stand a chance. It all comes down to money, doesn't it?
Those 935 lies
The Bush administration's 935 lies leading into the Iraq war have been catalogued by the Center for Public Integrity and Fund for Independence in Journalism:
"President George W. Bush and seven of his administration's top officials, including Vice President Dick Cheney, National Security Adviser Condoleeza Rice and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, made at least 935 false statements in the two years following September 11, 2001, about the national security threat posed by Saddam Hussein's Iraq. Nearly five years after the U.S. invasion of Iraq, an exhaustive examination of the record shows that the statements were part of an orchestrated campaign that effectively galvanized public opinion and, in the process, led the nation to war under decidedly false pretenses."On at least 532 separate occasions (in speeches, briefings, interviews, testimony and the like), Bush and these three key officials, along with Secretary of State Colin Powell, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz and White House press secretaries Ari Fleischer and Scott McClellan, stated unequivocally that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction (or was trying to produce or obtain them), links to Al Qaeda, or both. This concerted effort was the underpinning of the Bush administration's case for war."
The Associated Press reports that as of Jan. 23, 2008, at least 3,931 members of the U.S. military have died since the Iraq war began in March 2003.
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget office said war funding cost American taxpayers about $93 billion a year from 2003 through 2005, rising to $120 billion in 2006 and $171 billion in 2007. President Bush has asked for $193 billion in 2008.
The Bush administration's deliberate duplicity - and sheer incompetence - is breathtaking.
An early 19th-century French doll's chair with its original needlepoint seat found at a Paris antiques shop. The wide band beneath the needlepoint was added in the 20th-century, perhaps to cover the exposed brass nailheads that attach the needlepoint to the chair. The vintage lace doll's hat was found last year at a brocante at Bastille. All that's missing is a doll!
Do any of you remember the book Hitty: Her First Hundred Years? Rachel Field's tale of a wooden doll and her far-flung adventures was one of my favourite books from childhood. The book apparently was inspired by a real doll, which is displayed in a museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. I am looking for a vintage hardback copy of the book. If you come across one, please email me.
Another childhood book I adored was Betty MacDonald's Nancy and Plum. I read it to my own daughter, along with Hitty: Her First Hundred Years, which was checked out from the school library. But it was Louisa May Alcott's Little Women that really affected me and made me want to be a writer. What were your favourite childhood books?
For the Writers Island prompt "fork in the road or crossroads:"
At the crossroads,
where one could go either direction;
she chose the road less traveled
and that made all the difference.*
It might have been easier
to take a conventional path
of relative safety and comfort;
of predictability and routine.
But she wanted to fly to the far edges of things, * *
to venture beyond the horizon
where adventures beckoned,
curious and irresistible,
shaped by constant change.
No set boundaries
for this small town girl,
always longing for excitement
and new discoveries.
Even if the road proved bumpy and long,
pearls of wisdom produced along the way:
unexpected blessings.
* A line paraphrased from The Road Not Taken by American poet Robert Frost.
**A line translated from French poet Guillaume Apollinaire.
Photo of cart of vintage luggage at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway Station, England.
A thin double chain links antique silver hearts for holding prayer requests. The hearts are photographed on a hand-embroidered altarcloth from a former convent in Marseilles, France. In one of the hearts, a prayer remains. It was handwritten in ink on a small agenda page, then folded and tucked away for safekeeping.
In follow-up to my previous post, some thoughts about humanity:
"After all, there is but one race - humanity." - George Moore, The Bending of the Bough, 1900, Act III
"...by his screams, he asserts his right to live, sends a message to the outside world demanding help and calling for resistance. If nothing else is left, one must scream. Silence is the real crime against humanity." - Nadezhda Mandelstam, Hope against Hope, 1970
"The fundamental rights of [humanity] are, first: the right of habitation; second, the right to move freely; third, the right to the soil and subsoil, and to the use of it; fourth, the right of freedom of labor and of exchange; fifth, the right to justice; sixth, the right to live within a natural national organization and seventh, the right to education." - Albert Schweitzer
"My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together.” - Archbishop Desmond Tutu
“All humanity is one undivided and indivisible family and each one of us is responsible for the misdeeds of all the others. I cannot detach myself from the wickedest soul” - Mahatma Gandhi
Update Jan. 23 - Desperate times and desperate measures.
Seems it's not enough that this weekend Israel closed the borders to Gaza, keeping 1.5 million people from traveling for work or urgent medical care. Now Gaza's sole electrical plant has shut down, after Israel blocked shipment of fuel that powers the plant, as well as all humanitarian aid.
Israel prides itself as a democracy, yet what kind of democracy cares for the human rights of one people and not another? Because that's exactly what Israel is doing - collectively punishing an entire population for the bad behaviour of a few militants firing rockets into Israeli territory. Why are the lessons of history never learned?
Also this weekend, an Israeli air strike destroyed the unoccupied interior ministry building in Gaza. At least 20 people were wounded in collateral damage, most of them guests, including children, at a nearby wedding. In separate air strikes last week, more than 35 Palestinians were killed, including some militants.
UN and human rights agencies have condemned the Israeli actions and warned that the humanitarian situation in the Gaza territory is nearing crisis proportions. Further, with no raw materials entering Gaza and no finished products leaving, the industrial sector has collapsed. Local unions say in the last six months, over 100,000 Palestinians have lost their jobs.
Praying for peace. Photo of the Hand of Fatima on a door in Ranelagh, Paris. The symbol is popular among Arabs and Jews alike.
Native American red suede dreamcatcher from Santa Fe, New Mexico. Santa Fe Railroad advertisement from 1947 framed in a 19th-century French wooden frame, reminiscent of the "Tramp Art" frames popular in America. Originally, the photo of a French wedding party was in the frame.
Is there a dreamcatcher filtering out your bad dreams and temporary setbacks of your life? Or do you continue to move forward, determined to bring your dream(s) to fruition? Do you have faith in your dream(s), no matter what obstacles are placed in your path? After all, that's what faith is: the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not yet seen.
The dreamcatcher is in our dining room, not hanging over the bed, as tradition would have it. Because I believe waking dreams are the really important ones. As British explorer, adventurer and soldier T.E. Lawrence wrote in The Silver Pillars of Wisdom, "Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that all was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes, and make it possible.
What are you doing today, to bring your dream(s) just a little closer to reality?
The Make Do and Mend book was published in England during World War II. Many of us might be adopting that philosophy, due to faltering economies in both the U.S. and the United Kingdom. Photo of exhibition at the Castle Museum, York, England.
While George W. Bush continues to insist the economy is strong, the United States appears to be in an economic downturn, if not edging towards full-blown recession. From the mortgage crisis, to three dollars a gallon gasoline to 47 million Americans without health insurance, it's not just the poor who are affected. Two of our staunchest symbols of capitalism, Citibank and Merrill Lynch, have incurred enormous losses. Now they're being bailed out by the Saudi royals, the Bush family's wealthiest foreign friends. And Bush's solution to America's troubles is to suggest a vague rescue plan issuing small tax rebate checks to some Americans?
Bush already has poured billions of taxpaper dollars into Iraq, but says we don't have enough money to continue to fund SCHIP, the program providing health care to millions of children. Late last year, the president issued his second veto on legislation to expand children's health coverage. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has scheduled a vote January 23 to try to override the president's veto. The House fell 13 votes short of the two-thirds majority needed to quash Bush's first SCHIP veto.
Please consider contacting your Congressional representatives and asking him or her to vote to override Bush's SCHIP veto. Shouldn't every child be provided with adequate access to medical care?
More potential for identity theft in Britain
Meanwhile in Britain - also suffering tremendous economic fallout from the American mortgage crisis - more incompetence in safeguarding citizens' private information has been revealed. Personal details of 600,000 people have gone missing, after a Royal Navy officer's laptop was stolen. Police are investigating the theft of the laptop, taken from a vehicle in Birmingham. The computer contained personal information - including passport details, national insurance numbers and bank details - about British citizens who had expressed interest in joining the Armed Services.
Why would a laptop containing such sensitive information be left in a vehicle? The theft was discovered January 9, so why wasn't the news released publicly until nine days later? Defense Secretary Des Browne is expected to appear before Members of Parliament next week to answer these questions.
The theft was revealed on the same day a motorist found documents bearing people's personal details near Exeter Airport, Devon. In December, the same motorist found similar documents at the same spot! And in November, two computer disks containing child benefit records were lost, after HM Revenue and Customs sent unregistered and unencrypted disks to the National Audit Office.
Coeur de voh, New Caledonia, photo by Yann Arthus Bertrand.
This morning I clicked on my friend Gillian's site, expecting to see some holiday snaps and tales of her latest adventure. Instead, a You Tube video and a song were featured. I turned the sound on and immediately was overwhelmed by a flood of memories. The song was Christopher Cross's Sailing, which was very meaningful to me and my once-fiance, who was murdered. You may remember the Love and Death piece I wrote about Ghassan. He lived his life with zest, humour and imagination, as though he sensed his time in this world was fleeting.
Merrily sailing along, too much
squeezed into a moment in time,
then gone too soon.
Yet the world continues to turn
and the essential rings true:
love never dies.
It may change form
and shift attention,
but love remains,
embedded deep in the psyche
and in the solitary heart,
which bears jagged scars
post-heartbreak,
but sings with the knowledge
that you once lived
and loved and laughed.
The Antiquites Brocante at Bercy Village, Paris, began today. The event continues from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily through January 27th at Cour Saint-Emilion - Place des Vins de France, the old wine warehouses near Palais Omnisports and Parc de Bercy. If you go to the brocante, stop by Stand 104 and say hello to my Swedish friend M. Pettersson. He sells beautiful and unusual items, well worth a visit.
Photos of vintage shoes from various periods at the Castle Museum, York, England. For a fun piece about "The soul of a shoe," visit Rochambeau.
Perhaps a soothing cup of tea? Photo of a Victorian parlour set for tea, the Castle Museum, York, England.
Update: The Washington Post reported today that Americans and others unknowingly may be eating meat from the offspring of clones. Executives from major cattle cloning companies conceded Wednesday that they don't know how many offspring of clones have entered the food supply, despite a longstanding FDA request to keep clone products off the market, pending completion of the agency's safety report.
One Kansas cattle producer said that he has openly sold semen from clones to many U.S. meat producers. Donald Coover, a Galesburg cattleman and veterinarian who has a specialty cattle semen business said it is a "fairy tale that this technology is not being used and is not already in the food chain. "Anyone who tells you otherwise either doesn't know what they're talking about, or they're not being honest," Coover said.
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I find it difficult to accept that the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has decided meat and milk from clones of cattle, pigs and goats and their offspring are "as safe to eat as food from conventionally-bred animals." Further, the FDA, traditionally charged with insuring our food and prescription drugs are safe, has said there's "no need" for special labeling indicating the products are from cloned animals! Shades of Orwell's 1984! And what will this decision mean for America's farmers, already struggling not just to compete in the marketplace, but to survive?
The European Union will not allow any cloned products to be sold without labels identifying them as such. But if the FDA has its way, in American supermarkets shoppers will no longer know if they're buying products from animals or from clones. What has happened to the fair labeling rules that apply to foods, cosmetics, toiletries, cleaning products, as well as prescription and non-prescription drugs? Product ingredients and origin of production are required to clearly be identified to consumers. So why should products of cloned animals be exempt from the same health and safety standards?
The FDA announced their decision on January 15, despite Congressional mandates requiring further testing for safety of cloned products. Last month the Senate passed Farm Bill (H.R. 2419), containing a provision requiring the FDA delay its decision on cloned animals until additional studies can be completed by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). To date, only three studies have been conducted on the safety of cloned animals. Two of the studies were run by people who own patents on cloning.
Over 95 percent of cloning attempts fail, resulting in diseased and deformed animals. Obviously, long-term health effects of consuming the “successful” clones are unknown. Many consumer groups, including Farm Sanctuary, the Center for Food Safety, the Consumer Federation of America's Food Policy Institute, Food and Water Watch and The Humane Society have protested the FDA decision, urging further testing.
Some good news: The Agriculture Department said it will adhere to a 2001 voluntary moratorium on sales of cloned products until industry and consumer groups can agree on labeling and marketing restrictions. This means cloned products legally may not reach the U.S. market for years.
Traveling around the world, I've had many memorable experiences and discovered treasure, both literally and figuratively. But the greatest treasures are not for sale at any price. For the Writers Island prompt "treasure," a poem inspired by one fateful Ides of March dancing to George Michael's Father Figure.
Something special, something sacred
shines in your eyes.
Nothing can rival that dazzling light;
not gold or precious jewels
or any pirates' bounty;
not a beachhouse on a tropical island
or adventurous holidays.
No stellar career
or diplomatic title
can compare.
All I ever wanted
is in your eyes.
Priceless treasure
found.
Lines 1, 11 and 12 are from "Father Figure." Roses photograph by Tina Modotti, Mexico, 1924, courtesy of the Museum of Modern Art, New York. To uncover buried treasure, visit Writers Island.
The Light Dances at Night by Randall LaGro, oil on canvas, photo courtesy of the Blue Rain Gallery, Santa Fe and Taos, New Mexico.
"If there is magic in story writing, and I am convinced that there is, no one has ever been able to reduce it to a recipe that can be passed from one person to another. The formula seems to lie solely in the aching urge of the writer to convey something he feels important to the reader."- John Steinbeck
Update 5:45 p.m.: Et voila! This afternoon I installed a new modem; so far it's working! All being well, normal programming will resume Tuesday. I'm looking forward to catching up with the writers' groups from which I've been missing in action, as well as with you and your blogs. Thanks for your patience and understanding.
As most of you know, I've been without internet access for nearly a week now. I've been reading and working on my book - telling a series of stories - when not having extremely frustrating conversations in French with the hopeless LAN access provider. I was touched by Scott Russell Sanders's Ten Reasons Why We'll Always Need A Good Story from the book A Writer's Book of Days:
"We delight in stories because they are a playground for language, an arena for exercising this extraordinary power. Stories create community. They link teller to listeners and listeners to one another. Stories help us to see through the eyes of other people. Through stories we reach across the rifts not only of gender and age, but also of race and creed, geography and class, even the rifts between species or between enemies.
"Stories show us the consequences of our actions. To act responsibly, we must be able to foresee where our actions might lead and stories train our sight. Stories educate our desires. Instead of playing on our selfishness and fear, stories give us images for that which is truly worth seeking, worth having, worth doing.
"Stories help us dwell in place. Stories of place help us recognize that we belong to the earth, blood and brain and bone and that we are kin to other creatures. Stories help us dwell in time. History is public; a tale of influences and events that have shaped the present; the mind's time is private, a flow of memory and anticipation that continues, in eddies and rapids, for as long as we are conscious. Narrative orients us in both kinds of time, public and private.
"Stories help us deal with suffering, loss and death. Stories reek with our obsession with mortality. Stories teach us how to be human. We are creatures of instinct, but not solely of instinct. More than any other animal, we must learn how to behave. Stories acknowledge the wonder and mystery of Creation. (They) give us hope of finding meaning within the great mystery."
I am hoping to be back soon, exchanging stories with you! Also, I will post a piece about George Bush's lamentable attempts at Middle East diplomacy. On a brighter note, our German friends Ralf and Jutta, who moved to Budapest are in town. We had a wonderful dinner Saturday evening - my first outing this year, other than to the doctor's office. Better days ahead...
Miniature flag and sample ballot for the California presidential primary on Feb. 5, 2008
Today is the New Hampshire presidential primary. Inspired by the massive voter turnout and mandate for change reflected in last week's Iowa Caucus, a poem for the Writers Island prompt "Over the horizon:"
Over the horizon
is a new dawn
and the glimmer of a brighter day
for a country too long mired
in divisive politics of fear,
distrust and hatred.
Over the horizon
is a chance for a new start
to put things right
for our children and their children;
to accept responsibility
for our choices and our actions.
Over the horizon
is the hope for redemption
to regain our place in the world,
while respecting rights of others,
without trampling on freedoms
often taken for granted.
Over the horizon
is a golden opportunity
to take the high road
and elect a leader
who cares about our country;
not just a privileged few.
Over the horizon
is a promise to honour our founding fathers
and protect our Constitutional rights,
clean up our environment
and ease the burdens
of those desperately in need.
Over the horizon
is a milestone of change
when we cast our ballots
in defiance of those
hollow men with blood on their hands
whose lies have lined their pockets
and left a trail of death and destruction,
crushed our dreams and civil liberties
and damaged our reputation on the world stage.
Over the horizon
is the privilege to stand up and be counted;
seize the day!
Little black dresses are part of the resort wear collection at Chanel on rue Cambon, Paris.
Casual wear for travel.
This window display is reminiscent of the old Vogue magazine suggestion for always being well-dressed while traveling abroad with only one suitcase: a Chanel suit; a Fortuny evening gown and a pair of jeans. Of course all these clothes are Chanel.
A plane is in the background of this travel-inspired vitrine at Chanel.
A striped dress for warmer temperatures.
No matter how cold it is, cyclists are out en masse in the Bois du Boulogne, Paris. French President Nicolas Sarkozy often jogs here.
Update Jan. 8: French President Nicolas Sarkozy has told reporters in Paris that his relationship with Carla Bruni is "serious," but declined to reveal wedding plans. He said there was a "strong chance" the media would learn about a wedding only after the fact.
The French capital is abuzz with talk about their "bling-bling" president seeking the limelight. After his wife Cecilia divorced him in October, the 52-year-old president immediately set about shoring up his wounded ego by dating various attractive women. In the last few weeks, Nicolas Sarkozy has made a public spectacle of his relationship with the Italian former model turned singer Carla Bruni, 39. The couple has encouraged photographs at Disneyland Paris, various holiday spots in Egypt and now at Petra, Jordan. Ironically, Sarkozy's former wife once fled to Jordan with the man for whom she left Sarkozy. The Sarkozys reconciled prior to the French presidential election.
Inviting media attention to his personal life is in stark contrast to Sarkozy's previous behaviour, when he sued Paris Match and some newspapers for publishing photos of his wife Cecilia and reporting that she didn't bother to vote in the final round of the presidential election.
Several French publications are rife with speculation that Sarkozy and Bruni will marry. Le Journal du Dimanche, owned by one of Sarkozy's closest friends, announced on its front page that the couple would marry on February 8 or 9 - barely three months after they first met. This is too much for a nation that traditionally exercises discretion, when it comes to private life.
Sarkozy's "in your face" presidency has angered many of his supporters. Some Parisiennes suspect that the Sarkozy-Bruni courtship has been little more than a mutually-beneficial publicity stunt, designed to detract attention from unpopular issues, such as the Paris visit of Libyan leader Muammar Ghaddafi. The publicity also may have contributed to increased sales of Bruni's new album. Critics wonder why Bruni, who publicly supported Sarkozy's Socialist political rival Segolene Royal, would spend time with such a right-wing politician. Yet Bruni's mother has been quoted in the Italian press as having given permission for Sarkozy to marry her daughter. The Elysée Palace has declined comment.
Nostalgia at Selfridges, London.Hard to believe that after
all these years, Aunt Jemima Syrup still has that same label!
Also funny to think that Lucky Charms cereal and Jif
Peanut Butter are considered “gourmet” foods worth
a special display at a big department store! Do you have any similar items in your kitchen cupboards? What are the foods from childhood that you still eat on occasion?
A heart-shaped keyhole in an ancient wooden door in Amboise, France. The artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci spent the last three years of his life at Clos Luce in Amboise.
If you haven't seen English director Michael Winterbottom's film In This World, I urge you to rent the DVD. The story of two Afghani boys who make a hazardous journey from a refugee camp in Pakistan to what they imagine is a better life in London is a powerful cautionary tale. The film explores the desperate lengths to which refugees fleeing political unrest, violence and economic hardship will go, fueled by little more than hope. In This World paints a vivid picture of the dangers refugees frequently endure in their quest for basic human rights and freedoms that we take for granted.The film - which has the look and feel of a documentary - deservedly has won numerous prizes, including the Berlin Film Festival's Golden Bear for Best Film. It may change the way you view refugees and would-be immigrants.
The 19th-century l'oeil du boeuf window leaning against the wall at our apartment is from the Trianon Palace Hotel at Versailles. It has witnessed much history, including the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on June 28, 1919. Guests during the Trianon Palace Hotel's illustrious history have included Marlène Dietrich, J.D. Rockefeller, Paul Getty, Charles de Gaulle, Jacques Brel, Prince Aga Khan, Queen Elizabeth II and King Hussein of Jordan.
Recently, the Trianon Palace Hotel was renovated, with most of its original furnishings sold at auction on June 2-3, 2007. The windows were replaced, due to their inefficiency in keeping drafts of cool air from entering the rooms. One of the artisans working on the renovation knew my friend Gabrielle and offered two of these historic windows for sale.
Now the window is awaiting the day when it can become part of our home, either as an actual window or with the glass replaced by mirrors. I will take it to a local restorer, who will touch up the paint and make sympathetic "adjustments" to return it as closely as possible to its original glory.
This advertising sign on the London Underground mimics the design of the tube map, pictured at left.
For two-and-a-half weeks I've been housebound with bronchitis and too miserable to do much but watch old movies. I've enjoyed a plethora of film noir and comedies from the 1940s and '50s, including Preston Sturges's Christmas in July and The Palm Beach Story; A Place in the Sun with Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift; They Drive by Night with Humphrey Bogart, George Raft and Ann Sheridan. I also watched Joan Crawford in Mildred Pierce; the Marx Brothers in A Night in Casablanca and last night, the beautifully-restored version of Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece Vertigo, filmed in my beloved San Francisco.
Hitchcock considered San Francisco "the Paris of America" and his film depicts the city in all its glory. I love black-and-white movies; the snappy patter; the fast pace; the Edith Head-designed clothes and hats; the lush interiors. Those filmmakers knew how to tell a story without the aid of special effects. Watching these films is pure pleasure and escapism.
Stark reality of the news
In contrast, late last night I watched an Arabic television documentary about the late Saddam Hussein's use of chemical warfare on the Kurds. The footage of all the dead bodies, including children, was gritty and shocking. Following the Madrid train bombings, Spanish television showed very graphic footage. Yet most Western media reported a sanitized version of these horrific events. Maybe if we looked at the horror full in the face, we would start to make critical changes in our world. This week, hundreds of Kenyans were burned alive in a church. How much more tragic can a story be? Yet with the war in Iraq and suicide bombings and explosions on a daily basis, it seems many people have become desensitised to violence. Special effects in movies and violent video games have contributed to this disconnection between fantasy and reality.
Meanwhile, the number of reporters killed on the job has risen 244 percent over the past five years, Reporters Without Borders said Wednesday. In 2007, more than half of the 86 journalists killed worldwide died in Iraq, the Paris-based media watchdog said. In 2002, 25 journalists were killed worldwide.
Friday is my young nephew Jon David's birthday; sadly, he won't have much of a celebration. Instead, Jon will be on a plane bound for Iraq, along with other members of the National Guard. Does anyone know why we are still in Iraq, other than to salvage George Bush & Co.'s foolish pride and make his friends and cronies richer with no-bid contracts to rebuild the country? All the reasons Bush, Cheney, Blair et al gave for going into Iraq nearly five years ago have been proven false. So why are we still there? And why has oil hit $100 a barrel? Remember when Bush said the oil in Iraq would pay for the war?
Iowa Caucus
Today is a big day in American politics, with the Iowa Caucus. I hope it marks the beginning of some desperately-needed change, culminating with a better man - or woman - in the White House. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a leader with courage and vision, who believes in the Constitution? My absentee ballot arrived today for the California Democratic primary on February 5. I'm looking forward to voting for a new president!
Hooray for California!
I applaud the State of California for suing the federal government, in an effort to force car makers to conform to tough cuts in greenhouse gas emissions. Attorney General Jerry Brown filed the lawsuit Wednesday in the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) denied the state a waiver from US law needed to enact its own efficiency targets. Fifteen other states are supporting California's action, including Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.
The EPA - which under the Bush administration has dismantled hundreds of environmental protection laws enacted over several decades - says it wants to avoid "a confusing patchwork of different regulations across states." But California claims the EPA has "done nothing" to curb greenhouse gases. California wants to implement its own emissions law, requiring a 30 percent reduction in motor vehicle greenhouse gas emissions by 2016.
Previously, California has been allowed to set its own environmental targets in recognition of the "compelling and extraordinary conditions" the state faces. These "dangerous consequences from global warming" include damage to California's mountain snowpack, which supplies one-third of the states of drinking water. Further, miles of coastline and levees are threatened by rising sea levels.
Escape at Twilight by Vanessa Valencia, mixed media on canvas. The woman is running away from a circus tent, carrying only a birdcage and umbrella.
For someone who's never owned a bird, I have a bit of an obsession with birdcages. I was reminded of this today, when my friend Vanessa displayed a wonderful vintage birdcage given to her by her grandfather. At antique fairs, brocantes and flea markets in Paris, I am always on the lookout for vintage birdcages.
As you can see, birdcages are a recurring theme at our apartment: in Vanessa Valencia's painting (above); in Sandra Evertson's birdcage couture doll (below) and Madelyn Mulvaney's photograph of an open vintage birdcage. To me the latter represents freedom and wings to fly.
Birdcage Couture doll by Sandra Evertson, now residing in Paris.
Sandra Evertson's doll was cast in papier mache from a reproduction mould of an antique doll, with most materials at least 100 years old. Her hair is made of curly lambswool. The pale pink ostrich plume came from a Victorian hat, while vintage paste jewels and millinery flowers adorn the rim of her antique tart tin crown.
The bodice of her dress is made of passementerie from a French ball gown, circa 1870. The first flounce of her grand skirt is a vintage bread pudding mold, dusted with touches of baby blue. Her layered tulle skirt was hand-dyed from a white wedding petticoat. Tiny blue velvet flowers are sprinkled over the gown, while silk bows with gold trim enhance the ruffles. The bustle over her ruffles is made of blue silk. And the 1920s bird cage that is her "dress" probably held songbirds! Sandra used old curtain trim with small silk tassels to embellish freshwater pearl ropes gracing her skirt. Perched on its own swing inside the cage is a baby blue bird!
In the bottom of the cage, Sandra pasted a collage of copies of vintage floral wallpaper and a print from a 1779 book Gallerie des Modes et Costumes Francais depicting hair and hat styles of the period. Her "fainting fan" is made from a vintage copper wire Easter egg dying "spoon." It is trimmed with rose pink, curled feathers, antique lace and small blown glass pearls. Sandra suggests using the doll as a revolving display piece, filled with glass perfume bottles or porcelain dolls.
Madelyn Mulvaney's Michaelangelo photograph was a special gift.
Choosing a wedding gown by William Mulready 1786-1863, from the Victoria & Albert Museum, London. The painting was inspired by the opening sentences of Oliver Goldsmith's novel The Vicar of Wakefield: "I had scarce taken orders a year before I began to think seriously of matrimony and chose my wife, as she did her wedding gown, not for a fine glossy surface, but for such qualities as would wear well." Mulready had already provided a frontispiece for an 1843 edition of the novel - the composition on which this painting is based. Mulready's painting was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1846, where it was a great success. The painting was donated to the V&A by the industrialist and collector John Sheepshanks (1787-1863), who owned 31 of Mulready's paintings.
Speaking of weddings, my daughter Jordana and her boyfriend Keith have become engaged! As they seem very happy together, David and I are pleased for them. They will plan a wedding, after Jordana's graduation this spring and after both Jordana and Keith begin new jobs in a new city. As Jordana is a talented seamstress, she will probably design her own wedding gown. Lots of exciting changes on the horizon for 2008 and beyond...
Update 11 p.m. Just spoke to Jordana in Cincinnati and she managed to charm the airline personnel at Charles de Gaulle into putting Keith on her flight! They had originally been scheduled on separate flights en route to the US and planned to meet at the airport in Savannah later tonight. These next few months will be a busy time for Jordana, who's preparing a project by request of a prospective employer, as well as producing her senior collection. I will be the proud mom cheering her on at a special showing this spring, followed a few days later by her graduation.
Hope 2008 is off to a good start for you!
Photo of ornate clock in York, England.
