Paris Parfait

Attention to detail

Oak door of a private residence, Delft, Zuid-Holland. I love how the bronze letter slot has similar lines to the wrought iron trim.

 

I've spent my entire life paying attention to detail. This focus has served me in good stead, both as a writer and a photographer.

While living in London and particularly during ten years in Paris, I collected many, many beautiful antiques and vintage items for our home. I never imagined that moving to a canal house in the Netherlands would mean my tastes would change dramatically. While retaining an appreciation for all I've collected, I have a strong desire for a different aesthetic.

It began with admiring lights (old and new) by Danish designers Louis Poulsen, Louise Campbell and Cecilie Manz. The interest grew into obsession, fueled by watching Danish political thriller Borgen (I & II) and crime dramas The Killing and The Bridge. I began reading Scandanavian design books, magazines and blogs.

The Danish and Swedish designs perfectly suit the clean, modern lines of our house. They also reflect the more relaxed way we're living in the Netherlands. Slowly, many of the French antiques are being replaced with design classics, which blend well with my favourite pieces collected during years of travel and living abroad.

Relaunch of a Swedish design icon

Thanks to reading Scandanavian design blogs, I was excited to learn about the revival of the iconic Swedish Triplex lights. It's a true labour of love for these talented creators. I have reserved a lamp from their first production, due later this summer. It will be a welcome addition to my office! To request your own Triplex lamp, contact Ulrikka Kullenberg.

New design magazine

My friend and interior designer extraordinaire Francoise Murat and her colleagues Kate Thompson and Sam McArthur have started a new digital magazine, STUFF UNCOVERED. They bill it as "a celebration of the unusual, the eclectic and the downright daft." I especially like Francoise's account of the Mid-Century Design Show in Dulwich, London and Kate's round-up of Britain's summer festivities. Read the premiere issue of STUFF UNCOVERED here.

Paris Parfait on etsy

P.S. What am I doing with all the French antiques and vintage collectibles I don't plan to keep? Smaller items are for sale on etsy, while larger treasures and furniture will be sold to an Amsterdam antiques dealer. If you don't see something you fancy, stay tuned...many more items are yet to be listed!

Happy Father's Day 2012!

My dad on his 80th birthday in May, 2011.

Perhaps it's only after having a child of one's own that we fully grasp and appreciate the enormous responsibilities - and joys - of being a parent. On this Father's Day, I am thankful for my dad Bobby and for all he's done for me, my brothers and sister, as well as for my daughter. At  81 years young, he's still setting a good example.

Thank you, Daddy!

Water lilies

Water lilies in our canal, photographed at various times of the day, over the course of one week.

Click photos to view detail.

Coots chasing each other across the canal, disturbing the serene environment.

Hosting guests: the best and the worst

Party barge, Egmond aan Zee, the Netherlands. Click photo to view detail.

 

My dear friend from college left Wednesday, after spending two weeks here. And David and I would have been happy if she decided to stay even longer, because she was the best guest ever! The secret? We gave each other space and she didn't expect to be entertained/doted upon 24/7. She was extremely thoughtful and respectful of our time. Plus she happens to be an intelligent, interesting woman, who's very engaging and curious about her surroundings.

One of the things we talked about is key attributes both for being a gracious host and a good house guest. Both of us grew up in the South, where manners are important. I told her about the tongue-in-cheek article Weekends only I'd written, after a particularly difficult guest came to stay.

The thing about being an expat living in Europe is that you have a never-ending stream of visitors. Over the years we have had many many guests, who were an absolute pleasure to host. But after a few unpleasant experiences with clueless individuals who took advantage of us - including those indicated below - we grew weary of acting as an unpaid bed-and-breakfast and started saying "No!" to other than the occasional good friends, experienced travelers or family.

Over-staying your welcome

In Paris, I lost count of how many guests came to stay, not all of them welcome. Two days after I'd returned from Nepal, a long-time friend arrived, supposedly for three days. She announced she had no money or credit cards, then changed her flight to stay even longer!  She planned to take a train to Strasbourg to see a man who was playing mind games with her. But she didn't believe me when I said she needed advance reservations for a Thalys train; insisting she could just hop on any train at any time. And the man-in-question kept toying with her and ignoring her messages. So she stayed with us for eight days, obsessively dithering over the not-worth-her-time loser. Consequently, we had no choice but to finance her stay.

I practically had to force her to leave by phoning a taxi to take her to the airport, as later that day David and I were going by train to Amsterdam. My friend later sent a series of emails and tweets from Jerusalem, suggesting I was the "hostess from hell" and berating me for not letting her remain in our apartment while we traveled.

A woman I knew casually (we'd never even had lunch together) via my office in San Francisco came to see us in London, en route to France. She'd purportedly lined up odd jobs in various towns and planned to work her way to Italy. She asked if she could leave luggage containing camping equipment behind, saying she'd send for it shortly. After a few days, she abandoned her plans and returned to the US. And we had to move the bag with us to Paris. It stayed in our cave (wine cellar) for three years, before I insisted she retrieve it. In the interim she came to Paris twice and failed to contact us.

An American lawyer from my Spanish course in Seville showed up - ostensibly for three days while she spent time with a French guy from our class  - only to cancel her planned trip to Ireland and stay an entire week. Oddly, she met the French guy only once for tea. Guess any notion of romance proved a figment of her imagination. She then had dinner with us every night. When we took her to an elegant restaurant, she didn't offer even to pay for the wine. Basically she had an eight-day holiday in Paris at our expense!

If you never want to be invited back, these schemes are foolproof:

Have your hosts make dinner reservations for a Saturday night (essential in a city like Paris). Your hosts will get dressed up to go out, but you don't turn up in time to make the reservation. This forces the hosts to cancel reservations, rush to the supermarket 30 minutes before it closes and cook dinner. But you're on holiday, so everyone else can accommodate your changing whims.

Come to an elegantly-set table in your bare feet, even though your hosts are dressed for the occasion.

Start eating before everyone at the table has been served.

Ask if you should tell an off-colour story at dinner and when told no, do it anyway, (leaving everyone with unpleasant images lingering in their minds).

Drink too much, talk loudly and constantly ask for your glass to be refilled. You're on vacation, so it doesn't matter how much you drink!

Dip your French baguette in your wine glass (!) and drop wine on the vintage linen tablecloth, creating huge stains. No doubt your hosts will laugh all the way to the drycleaner!

Ask for seconds of the main course, then, after the cheese course and dessert, ask if there's more food.

Cut the rinds off your cheese and arrange them on the cheese tray, rather than on your own plate. So creative!

Offer to help with the dishes, then bring two plates to the kitchen and leave the others for the hostess to clear and wash and dry by hand. She loves waiting on you!

Try to converse with the hostess when she is washing dishes, etc. At this point, chances are she has nothing polite to say to you.

Shout from one room to the next and expect your hostess to 1) hear you and 2) respond, while she is hand-washing and drying crystal glasses.

After a long, hot day walking around the city, take your shoes and stinky socks off and leave them under the coffee table. Put your dirty feet on a French linen-covered chair that's 170 years old. Another visit to the drycleaner or possibly the upholsterer?

Eat greasy potato chips while sitting in the same antique chair (see above).

Set your steaming mug of coffee on the 1940s glass coffee table, ignoring the coasters there for that purpose.

After you have had your shower, hog the bathroom putting on makeup, while others wait their turn. Ignore the perfectly nice mirrors in your room.

Arrive with four suitcases for a six-day stay, but forget an important prescription medication. Wring your hands with worry, but refuse to see a local doctor. You seem so anxious that your hostess asks a French pharmacist if they have a mood-stabilizer like the one you were prescribed in the US. In French, she begs the pharmacist to give you the drug; otherwise she'll be obliged to book you into a hotel.

Expect your hosts to drive you to and from the airport and to various towns and tourist attractions - places they wouldn't be going if not for you - but don't offer to purchase petrol.

Insist you're getting up early to run, then go back to sleep after the wake-up knock on your door. Expect your hosts to change their plans to accommodate your revised schedule. It's all good!

Leave your bed unmade and messy, wet towels on the floor and the door open while you're away during the day.

Leave the lights on in every room you depart; European electricity is very expensive, but your hosts are paying, so no worries.

Constantly mutter to yourself as you move around the apartment. Fun!

Spend time on your hosts' computers writing email, but repeatedly complain about the unfamiliar keyboard.

Don't bother to close the door behind you when entering or departing the apartment! That's what a burglar alarm is for, right?

When your hostess escorts you down the metro stairs to buy tickets and show you which train to take, don't offer to carry her heavy cart filled with groceries up or down the stairs. And especially don't offer to reimburse her for the tickets she just purchased for you!

When your hosts are meeting you at the airport and ask you to wait at a specific spot, don't stay there! Wander around while your hosts spend 45 minutes trying to find you (even better if you don't have a phone).

When your hosts ask you NOT to mail a package to them, ignore them! Never mind that they'll have to pay 19 percent tax upon arrival of your belated "hostess gift." (Either bring a hostess gift with you or not. Despite your good intentions, if you must send something after the fact, make it flowers, which won't require paying tax upon arrival).

When your hosts suggest you make event reservations in advance of your trip, pay no attention. Your hosts will be thrilled to help you book last-minute tickets online, while you fret about event times and miniscule price differences of said tickets.

Talk incessantly and/or constantly boast about yourself. After all, could there be a more fascinating topic of conversation??!!

Repeat the same story over and over and expect your hosts to laugh every time.

Take one of your host's stories and over the course of a few days, repeatedly attempt to make a feeble joke about it, even though the story has nothing to do with you.

Talk "at" the chef and distract him while he is preparing dinner, even when it's clear he'd prefer to be left alone while juggling tricky timing of various dishes.

Interfere with your hosts' personal belongings. Make yourself at home! Because it's the last time you'll be invited.

Have you had some unusual experiences with guests in your home? Do tell!

Igor Josif and a shared design obsession

It started with this feature on photographer Stella Harasek's lovely home that both Igor Josif and I saw - unbeknownst to each other - on a couple of Scandanavian design blogs. When I saw Igor's post, I sent him a message that I was mad about the City Sunday magazine rack and had ordered two from Finland for my home office. Igor responded, "You mean it's possible to buy something like that?" And ten minutes later, he'd ordered one too.

Here are the magazine racks at first blush. No doubt the contents will evolve on a regular basis. And follow Igor's Happy Interior blog for his version of the City Sunday magazine racks. If you fancy your own magazine racks, they're available at Finnish Design Shop.

In my magazine racks: (top) French enamel sign; French francs price tag from a Paris shop; David Burke's Writers in Paris; a photograph of a Paris milliner's salon in 1944 by Lee Miller; the book Thinking in Type and a small poster for Linotype: the Film, for which I am happy to be a backer. (Bottom): Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino, one of my all-time favourite books; a photograph of Afghan children given to me by Marianne Elliot; a Christies auction catalogue featuring mementoes of adventurers and explorers, including T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia); the latest issue of News Photographer magazine; Mary Oliver's poetry book Evidence; an art piece by my friend Christine Mason Miller and a notebook.

Where Women Create

French glass negatives from 1910 and 1914 framed against the window in my home office. Light filters through, illuminating the images. One of the photos shows a French family in formal dress inside a Native American tepee - in France!

 

Today my favorite item in my typography-mad office - the alphabet chest - is featured in Where Women Create. I've been a fan since getting a signed copy of Where Women Create in Savannah, Ga. in 2005. It's still one of my go-to books for inspiration. So it's an honor to have my office featured on their website.

This weekend we're off to England to see family. Hope you have a wonderful weekend, filled with delights. And to all the moms out there - including my own amazing mother, Cherie - Happy Mother's Day!

Ten.

Antique prayer necklace from Yemen.

 

Forgive me for indulging in a little sentimentality. Today marks ten years of marriage: much love, hope, prayers and dreams come true. David and I celebrate our good fortune on a regular basis: we know we are blessed and take nothing for granted. On this special anniversary, we raise our glasses in a toast to the next ten years and beyond...

An afternoon in Delft

Reflections in one of the historic city of Delft's canals. I shot these pictures strolling around the city centre, while our guests visited an exhibition at Vermeer Centrum.

An Italian Fornasetti plate is artfully framed in a private home's window.

Trees reflected in a canal.

Delft blue ceramic messages embedded in the sidewalk.

An original apotheek (apothecary) sign from 1759 opposite the tower of Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) in the city's famed market square.

Antique and vintage Delft porcelain in a store vitrine.

Art Nouveau architecture at a Leonidas chocolate shop.

Chinese herbs.

A stack of wooden crates in a bar window.

A patiently-waiting father staring out the window in a children's store.

A mercantile selling molds, fabric, yarn and sewing notions.

A mannequin wearing 1970s thrift-store fashion and vintage scarves tied to a chair.

For more glimpses of Delft, go here, here and here.

Sunday morning

A swan coming around a bend in the canal...

...and gliding away, après un petit déjeuner chez moi.

An unexpected discovery in our garden. (As always, click photos to view detail).

A profusion of pink lilies...

...and pale pink and white blossoms against a backdrop of a weeping willow on the opposite bank of the canal.

A moment of calm (with the boat still on the deck, awaiting warmer temperatures).

Unusual purple and blue hortensia (hydrangeas), a gift from dinner guests last weekend.

 

Hope you're having a lovely Sunday, whatever the weather!

P.S. Have you read Frank Rich's alarming piece the Sugar Daddies, the old, conservative white guys who are trying to buy the American election??!!

An unlikely makeover

When I noticed the house on the Dutch realtor's website, a dirty white brick wall screamed out at me. My initial reaction was to find out if the wall could come down. When I saw the house in person, that idea was reinforced; the wall was horrid and dated. But we bought the house and there were so many cosmetic improvements needed, (thankfully, the house is structurally sound) the building work involved in knocking down the wall seemed like a tedious process, not to mention an unnecessary expense. And after moving twice in one year, we really didn't want to spend weeks living amidst construction chaos.

So rather than knock down the wall or try to mask it with art, I decided to make it a feature. I chose a teal blue inspired by the Rijksmuseum (much to the dismay of the painter, who clearly thought I was mad). The teal matches the William Morris Strawberry Thief fabric in the Arts & Crafts chair. I hung the circa 1830 French gilt mercury glass mirror and pushed the Napoleon III glass-fronted bookcase (bought from the grandson of a professor, who had it in his office at the Sorbonne) against the wall. Then I put the 1930s table in front of the mirror and topped it with glass scientific specimen globes to reflect more light. The arrangement of antique globes containing various curiosities are a winking nod to Miss Havisham's table in the latest BBC production of Great Expectations. A Napoleon III "bamboo" stool and a matching stand (holding an antique Buddha head) complete the grouping.

The rest of the room is a mixture of modern design and influences from the Middle East and Andalucia, Spain. It's an eclectic combination, which seems to work.

In case you didn't notice, the perfectionist in me is compelled to point out a pair of eyeglasses on the table that should not have been in the photograph. But in my bid to quell these annoying perfectionist tendencies, I am posting this photo, rather than take a more "perfect" one.

The ceiling is painted a pale blush pink, which helps "warm" the space in the winter. The pendant lights (of which there are six) are from Italy. The wool rug is handmade by the Bani Hamida Women's Weaving Project in Jordan. I'm looking for a different rug for this spot; ultimately the Bani Hamida rug will move either to my office or the guest room.

Stay tuned for more house "makeover" photos... Bon weekend!

One wall

Work-in-progress, my home office.

The bookcase contains language and photography books, an antique book press and my iPod. Vintage American typewriters from the 1940s and 1920s rest on an alphabet chest handmade by Luke Ellis of Kent & London. On the wall is an original Henri Cartier-Bresson photo of boats in the Bois de Boulogne, Paris (my old neighbourhood); a Mucha Art Nouveau alphabet drawing from 1901 and an oil on wood painting of nightfall over Santa Fe by Greg Moon of Taos, New Mexico. The 1950s Tolix stool is French and the Louis Poulsen suspension light is from Denmark. The colour-block tiles belonged to the house's previous owners; am still searching for a rug. The door leads to a balcony overlooking the garden and canal.

Vignettes

Vignettes from my home office space, the Netherlands.

As always, click photos to enlarge.

Happy Easter

St. Saulve Abbey, Montreuil-sur-Mer, France.

18th-century statue of Jesus Christ, St. Saulve Abbey.

Wishing you and yours a joyous Easter!

Waiting...

Restoration underway at Reales Alcazares de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain.

 

Hello, dear friends and gentle readers! Despite my lengthy absence from the blogosphere, I haven't forgotten about you. While our house isn't nearly as grand as the Alcazar Palace in Sevilla, it has its own simple charm (and some antique tiles from Sevilla are part of our decor). For weeks I've been preoccupied with improvements and repairs. Waiting for tradesmen and builders to work their magic has been a slow and frustrating process, with delay heaped upon delay and a couple of incidents involving less-than-stellar workmanship. 

After our professional painter carelessly splattered paint on our home office floors (which two hours of scrubbing wouldn't remove, requiring rugs to mask the damage), we've decided to paint the guest room, the top floor and the stairwells ourselves. Also, we're tasked with touching-up several spots the painter failed to notice. Louis Poulsen lights from Denmark arrived two weeks ago, but the too-busy electrician has cancelled three appointments; hopefully the job will be accomplished next week!

But life is not all home-improvement drudgery. David and I are enjoying the birds (including a grey heron!), ducks and swans that frequent "our" canal and the lovely flowers and trees blooming in our garden. Hard to believe we're in a city, yet surrounded by nature. The winter snowstorm caused extensive damage to two palm trees from Northern China, so amateur-like, I've been trying to salvage what's left.  I've read at least five books (and promptly recycled them, in a bid for more space; less clutter). Slowly, but surely the house is starting to feel like a home.

Meanwhile, we're long overdue for a trip to London to see family and American friends arrive for a visit later this month. I'm hoping to get back to a regular blogging schedule, starting next week. Watch this space for photographs of our new abode.

Wishing you and yours a very happy, healthy Easter weekend!

A frequent visitor glides by our garden.

Amidst decay, new beginnings

Amidst seasonal decay...

...a sculptural beauty remains.

...while extravagant blooms hint of spring...

...heads bow, preparing to blossom...

...and trees awaken from their slumber.

The old and the new artfully co-exist, as seasons merge.

 

Photos taken Tuesday in our garden and a flowerbox on the deck, with the canal beyond. Click to enlarge.

This week I've been clearing post-winter storm debris from the canal. As homeowners living along a canal, we're tasked with keeping the canal clear (fish live in the canal and devour mosquito larvae), as well as  looking after the lily pads! While the local council takes care of all major canal maintenance, we are responsible for looking after the section adjacent to our property.

Meanwhile, we're still busy with painters, electricians and a hundred small tasks involved in making the house a home. It is a modern house, so by the time I'm finished, it will have a cleaner, simpler look than our previous house in Holland or our Paris apartment.  

This year I've been influenced by the Danish modern aesthetic of the television series Borgen. I'm particularly obsessed with Louis Poulsen lighting!  Over the next couple of months, I'll be selling some lovely French furniture and collectibles to an antiques dealer in Amsterdam. I also plan to re-open my etsy shop to offer smaller items from my private collections. Stay tuned!

Eclectic style

If you haven't seen my friend Maryam and her husband Chris's gorgeous home in the April issue of Elle Decor, check it out - so beautiful! It is bursting with personality and creativity, not to mention Maryam's exotic collections! You can also pre-order a copy of Maryam's book Marrakesh by Design here, here or here. And her new shop Red Thread Souk is online; you can get your own vintage rug or Moroccan wedding blanket. I have (ahem) a few of the latter and can attest that they are gorgeous, not to mention super-stylish!

Ode to New Orleans: Happy Mardi Gras!

Today is Fat Tuesday! In honor of Mardi Gras, here are photos taken last year in the great city of New Orleans. Click photos to enlarge.

(Pictured above and below) Costumes for sale or rent are displayed in a New Orleans shop window.

A dress fit for a princess.

Mardi gras masks.

Gold and silver fleur de lys in many variations.

Alligator heads at the farmers' market.

"Alligator" jerky.

Ice-cold thirst-quenchers.

Palms for sale.

A Tarot card reader and passers-by admiring art pinned on a fence.

Street performers.

Mardi gras beads bedeck this balcony.

Saints country.

Christmas all year round.

Wrought-iron grillwork and greenery.

Reading on a balcony.

Green shutters.

Beads and flags.

A balcony weighed down with greenery.

Green is a popular choice for shutters in the French Quarter.

White pumps (thankfully, after Labor Day) dangling from a balcony.

Wrap-around balconies.

Les fleurs.

 

Grillwork, plants and flags.

Grillwork and green shutters.

Turquoise shutters enhanced by plants.

A sprig of green in a metal envelope.

Ode to Dixieland jazz.

Street life.

Horse-drawn carriage ride.

Pink bicycle to match the blossoms.

A private courtyard.

Reflections in a vitrine featuring a crystal chandelier.

French antiques shot through glass.

Reflections in the window of another antiques shop.

A child's wonder in a French quarter lighting store.

Wedding celebrations.

No visit to New Orleans is complete without a stop at Arnaud's.

A legendary restaurant.

Another popular local eatery.

Decorative lights on a lovely side street...

...and on the raucous Bourbon Street, which sadly has deteriorated into a loud, drunken tourist trap.

The New Orleans skyline.

The waterfront.

The Creole Queen.

The Steamer Natchez in the Port of New Orleans.

Happy Fat Tuesday! Happy Mardi Gras!

Moving house

Polka dots and graffiti, Delft, Holland.

 

After weeks of packing boxes  - and broken nails and box cuts and paper cuts to prove it - our moving day begins at 8 a.m. tomorrow. Hard to believe this is twice within a year we've moved household! Thankfully, this should be the last move for a very long time.

David and I will be staying in a hotel before our belongings are actually delivered to the new house. In the interim, there are appointments, including a meeting at the notaire to formally receive the keys; a second meeting with the painter and at least a dozen errands. On Monday I'll be off to Paris for meetings, then back to Amsterdam later that night to continue unpacking. I'll have limited internet access for a while, but will blog when I can.

Here's hoping this move goes much more smoothly than the chaotic one from Paris!

Martin Luther King's legacy

A rug depicting the (now Chinese-banned) Tibetan flag, hand-woven by Tibetan refugees in Nepal.

 

As a child of the American South, I grew up during the Civil Rights Movement. Underlying racial tensions were inflamed by class and grinding poverty. Television screens and newspapers were filled with images of white-hooded Ku Klux Klan members arrested for burning crosses on lawns or racially-motivated murders. Schools were segregated and doctors' offices had separate entrances and waiting rooms for black patients and white patients.

When schools were integrated, our next door neighbors moved to an all-white town in a different area of the state. Some of my friends' parents sent them off to private schools, while another group of parents started their own charter school. All that upheaval to avoid their children intermingling with black children!

I was lucky that my parents weren't prejudiced and didn't support this ignorant, reactionary behaviour. I never saw my parents treat anyone - no matter their race - with anything but respect. As Martin Luther King said, we should consider a person's actions, not the color of their skin.

Years later, I took a Kuwaiti friend to see the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee. Martin Luther King was shot and killed at the Lorraine Motel, now part of the museum. My friend - whose family had suffered through Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait - was struck by the model of the segregated lunch counters once so common throughout the South. The museum also displays the Montgomery, Alabama bus where Rosa Parks famously refused to give her seat to a white man.

We listened to a recording of President Dwight D. Eisenhower's speech ordering Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus to allow integration of Central High School in Little Rock, the state capitol. Eisenhower had to call out the National Guard to force Faubus to allow nine black pupils in the school. (Years later, I saw a tipsy Faubus stumbling down exterior hotel stairs in Little Rock. How the mighty had fallen).

Ironically, the same state that kept Orville Faubus in office for 22 years also voted for liberal Democratic senators John L. McClellan and J. William Fulbright. I had the privilege to meet both McClellan and Fulbright, who became leading lights in the Senate. As a teenager, my interest in politics was sparked particularly by Bill Fulbright, who was the powerful and outspoken chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Fulbright devoted his life to public service and education.

 

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Lately we are seeing eerie echoes of Civil Rights movement tensions. In 2012, The Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery - headed by lawyer and activist (and my long-time hero) Morris Dees - reports hate crimes on the rise. The SPLC is working flat-out defending victims of hate crimes, as well as the rights of immigrant workers adversely affected by Draconian anti-immigrant laws in Alabama and Arizona.

Meanwhile, organisations linked to the Republican party are engaged in voter suppression efforts around the US, seeking to shape 2012 election results. Voter suppression is a tactic from the civil rights era, resulting in passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Apparently it's not enough that the Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling allows corporate PAC money to pour practically unchecked into political races...now they want to suppress the vote!  In the 2008 election, the GOP distributed flyers containing false information and issued robocalls designed to mislead citizens and repress voter turnout.

This year, long-dormant "dog-whistle" provocations are dominating entire news cycles. These cynical attempts to manipulate potential voters are funded by right-wing billionaires the Koch brothers and Rupert Murdoch and other wealthy corporate heads. Meanwhile, the real issues go largely unreported by the mainstream media.

We cannot allow wealthy corporations to buy an election. Every single American has the right to vote - despite GOP-sponsored bills in several states trying to make this privilege more difficult. It's up to us to stand up for ourselves and not be deterred by cynical machinations of a few unprincipled men with bad intentions.

Know your voter's rights. For Voter ID Toolkits or up-to-date information about voter's identification required in your state, refer to  the non-partisan Election Protection's excellent website or telephone 1-866-687-8683.

We honor Dr. King's legacy and his dreams of peace and equality by taking action. And we must stand strong against injustice, no matter its form.

Ducks in a row

Ducks in a row and reflections, Delft, Holland.

 

Hello! Am writing amidst a mountain of boxes, in preparation for our upcoming move. I'm a bit busy trying to get 'all my ducks lined up in a row;' dealing with this house and organising a painter, electrician, etc. for our new one. Please forgive my absence; I'll be back soon with more posts and photos!

Swimming upstream

 A manmade salmon stream or "vispassage," Hagestein, Holland. Click photos to view detail.

Now-defunct flood gates and waterworks at Hagestein.

 

During the holidays, I watched a film my daughter and I saw in London when she was a child. "The Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" is based on the C.S. Lewis children's book. The story features various moral dilemmas, pitting hope against fear; light against dark; good against evil.

As in every such film, there is a moment when the music swells; when the hero and his friends are in great jeopardy and all appears lost. The hero looks around for a lifeline, but no help is forthcoming. So he summons his courage and rushes in anyway. He does the right thing.

Heros and villains

For a long time, I believed certain politicians would do the right thing; that the moral imperative of elected public office took precedence over greed and power. Lately I have accepted that this was a naive concept, based purely on optimism. Yes, a handful of good men and women remain in public office, determined to help their constituents. But their numbers are dwindling. In the United States (and Great Britain), politics has become a cynical game or blood sport, funded by self-interested corporations and unholy business alliances empowered by Citizens United. This winner-take-all approach benefits only the wealthy 1 percent of the population, while problems of the 99% fester, gathering pace. 

It's no wonder the OccupyWallStreet movement has garnered enthusiasm and widespread participation from diverse coalitions and Americans of all ages and faiths. Despite the often-heroic ongoing efforts of protesters in cities and communities worldwide, politicians remain largely dismissive of the Occupy movement. They don't want to hear about issues affecting ordinary people's lives. No, career politicians are much more interested in 1) courting the wealthy to fund their re-election campaigns and 2) saying anything - even if this means completely reversing course from previous statements and policy positions - to satisfy right-wing voters.

With few exceptions, Republican "Party of No" politicians have gone out of their way to erode environmental and consumer protections; to undermine or strip women's reproductive rights and dismantle education and road-and-bridge maintenance programs. In Alabama, inhumane anti-immigrant legislation has directly impacted even foreign business owners responsible for hundreds of local jobs.

Politics over principle

Worst of all, the woefully-ineffective US Congress seeded a defense bill - the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) - with draconian measures that would remove our habeas corpus rights. In effect this bill would allow the military to arrest and detain anyone suspected of "terrorism" ties or links without charge, legal representation or trial. Even the Bush administration, with all its human rights abuses, never attempted such an outrageous civil liberties grab.

The NDAA makes a mockery of justice, abolishing due process rights in a manner previously unseen in American government. President Obama - who is a Constitutional lawyer - promised he would veto a NDAA bill including such extreme measures. But like so many other promises publicly made and broken, he chose politics over principle and signed it anyway - on New Year's Eve, while the nation and the media were distracted.

His "signing statement" is a litany of excuses, suggesting 'I'm a nice guy, so don't worry.' Even if the president's claim - that he personally won't apply the NDAA to American citizens - is genuine, the law is enshrined for another president to enforce and/or abuse.

The American Civil Liberties Union said President Obama "will forever be known as the president who signed indefinite detention without charge or trial into law. The statute is particularly dangerous because it has no temporal or geographic limitations and can be used by this and future presidents to militarily detain people captured far from any battlefield.” Amnesty International has joined other human rights groups in condemning the NDAA measures that "could spell indefinite detention without a hearing, keep Guantanamo open and hinder fair trials."

The hope and expectation is that the NDAA will be challenged before the US Supreme Court and struck down as unconstitutional. Meanwhile, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) has introduced the Due Process Guarantee Act of 2011, legislation to undo the NDAA's extreme provisions. The act amends the Non-Detention Act of 1971, providing that Congressional authorization for the use of military force does not authorize indefinite detention—without charge or trial—of U.S. citizens who are apprehended domestically.

Please urge your Senators to remedy this wrong.  Just click here -- it'll take only a few seconds.

For comic relief, watch Jon Stewart on the president's indefinite detention measure: "Lockup everyone!"

A winter's afternoon

Reflections in a canal on a winter's afternoon. Click photos to enlarge.

A dilapidated wooden rowboat is grounded.

A "put your trash here" sign has landed in a canal clouded with duckweed.

Silhouettes on a high road outside the town gates.

Puffy clouds reflected in a canal.

Sunlight marks the path.

Feeding the deer in a local park.

Black-headed gulls encircle the church's 15th-century bell tower...

...and swoop around the town.

Amidst puffy cloud cover, a faint rainbow is visible.

Another crossroad outside one of the town's historic gates. Along with the essential dike roads, such routes help prevent flooding during heavy rains or rising waters from the River Lek.

Today, this young man's story really touched me; I hope it means something to you, as well.

A year to cherish

Antiques in a New Orleans hotel lobby. And a haiku for 2012:

 

Write the next chapter:

choose your own destination;   

treasure the journey.

As a new year dawns...

Despite numerous claims to the contrary, nobody knows what the new year will bring.

I'm hoping yours is sparkling with verve and fizz. Here's to you, my friends! Happy new year!

 

Photos: Signs hanging in the French quarter, New Orleans and light trails from a staircase at Antoine's shot through glass.

Christmas tidings

Our fireplace mantel with 19th-century French Madonna crowns, a framed 18th-century page from the Koran (yes, religions can peacefully co-exist) from Sevilla, Spain; 18th-century French books topped with Delft porcelain miniature shoes and a vintage Santa ornament; a hand-carved wooden lamplighter from the Netherlands; an 18th-century wooden angel from an Italian church (wearing a rush crown woven with irridiscent beads from London); Christmas parcels from my daughter in the US and a glass cylinder containing an arrangement of amaryllis, berries, a silvery fern and "snow," a gift from a Dutch friend, who is a talented florist and interior designer. The mercury glass and gilt mirror is French, circa 1830. Click photos to view detail.

Antique porcelain figures at an exhibition of Christmas decorations currently underway inside the city's 15th-century gate tower.

The Virgin Mary.

Baby Jesus in a straw-filled manger. "For unto us, a child is born..."

Joseph.

Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus (and a wood-framed leaded window at the top of the historic town gate).

A handmade nativity scene. This picture is slightly out of focus (taking pictures was frowned upon at the exhibition), but you can see the amazing detail of each cloth figure and the surrounding scene, including a hand-woven tent.

Vintage ornaments on a wire tree.

Gingerbread in a shop window.

Outside our window, bells are ringing, while carpenters build a manger in the 15th-century church courtyard. And a house-drawn carriage is ferrying last-minute shoppers through the cobblestone streets.

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas, filled with tidings of comfort and joy!

Occupy your heart

Rain and mist on the windows, the Netherlands.

 

House-buying bureaucracy has taken most of my time and energy these past couple of months. It seems I haven't had a stress-free moment to gather my thoughts about the remarkable events of 2011 and their impact on all our lives. Rebecca Solnit's article (excerpted below) is a timely reminder that what's most important is how we care for and respect one another. Please take a few moments to read "Compassion is our new currency."

"Usually at year’s end, we’re supposed to look back at events just passed -- and forward, in prediction mode, to the year to come. But just look around you! This moment is so extraordinary that it has hardly registered. People in thousands of communities across the United States and elsewhere are living in public, experimenting with direct democracy, calling things by their true names, and obliging the media and politicians to do the same.

"The breadth of this movement is one thing, its depth another. It has rejected not just the particulars of our economic system, but the whole set of moral and emotional assumptions on which it’s based. Take the pair shown in a photograph from Occupy Austin in Texas.  The amiable-looking elderly woman is holding a sign whose computer-printed words say, “Money has stolen our vote.” The older man next to her with the baseball cap is holding a sign handwritten on cardboard that states, “We are our brothers’ keeper.”

"The photo of the two of them offers just a peek into a single moment in the remarkable period we’re living through and the astonishing movement that’s drawn in… well, if not 99% of us, then a striking enough percentage: everyone from teen pop superstar Miley Cyrus with her Occupy-homage video to Alaska Yup’ik elder Esther Green ice-fishing and holding a sign that says “Yirqa Kuik” in big letters, with the translation -- “occupy the river” -- in little ones below.

"The woman with the stolen-votes sign is referring to them. Her companion is talking about us, all of us, and our fundamental principles. His sign comes straight out of Genesis, a denial of what that competitive entrepreneur Cain said to God after foreclosing on his brother Abel’s life. He was not, he claimed, his brother’s keeper; we are not, he insisted, beholden to each other, but separate, isolated, each of us for ourselves.

"Think of Cain as the first Social Darwinist and this Occupier in Austin as his opposite, claiming, no, our operating system should be love; we are all connected; we must take care of each other. And this movement, he’s saying, is about what the Argentinian uprising that began a decade ago, on December 19, 2001, called politica afectiva, the politics of affection.

"If it’s a movement about love, it’s also about the money they so unjustly took, and continue to take, from us -- and about the fact that, right now, money and love are at war with each other. After all, in the American heartland, people are beginning to be imprisoned for debt, while the Occupy movement is arguing for debt forgiveness, renegotiation, and debt jubilees.

"Sometimes love, or at least decency, wins.  One morning late last month, 75-year-old Josephine Tolbert, who ran a daycare center from her modest San Francisco home, returned after dropping a child off at school only to find that she and the other children were locked out because she was behind in her mortgage payments. True Compass LLC, who bought her place in a short sale while she thought she was still negotiating with Bank of America, would not allow her back into her home of almost four decades, even to get her medicines or diapers for the children.

"We demonstrated at her home and at True Compass’s shabby offices while they hid within, and students from Occupy San Francisco State University demonstrated outside a True Compass-owned restaurant on behalf of this African-American grandmother. Thanks to this solidarity and the media attention it garnered, Tolbert has collected her keys, moved back in, and is renegotiating the terms of her mortgage."

In this Christmas season and beyond, my fervent prayer is that compassion continues to occupy our hearts and minds - and we act accordingly.

Happy birthday, Jordana!

My daughter Jordana, pictured in May making cake balls for her grandfather's 80th-birthday.

 

Please indulge a little sentimentality as I wish a very Happy birthday to my wonderful daughter! I couldn't be more proud of her.

This is also the day David and I signed the final documents for the house we're buying just north of Amsterdam! All being well, we will move on January 26th.

Later in the year, Jordana will spend her vacation time with us in the Netherlands. I suspect we'll also take a quick jaunt to Paris (where Jordana graduated high school).

Happy days! We are truly fortunate.

Oh deer!

A reindeer? A tall coated-wire mesh fence prevented me from getting too close in this deer park. I pushed the camera through barbed-wire at the top of the fence and angled the lens downwards to get these shots. Click photos to enlarge.

Munching on a leaf.

This little girl was looking at my camera and ignoring the child trying to climb on the pony.

Meanwhile, weekend Sinterklaas festivities continue, with music and entertainment for children at the local town hall.

Late afternoon view of a canal near the deer park and the 15th-century church.

The church tower viewed from another canal. Looks idyllic, doesn't it? I shall miss this lovely area when we move house in late January. All being well, we'll have a canal view from our back garden.

Speaking of homes, here is an unusual dwelling. Wherever you live, hope you're having a lovely weekend!

Illuminating

Candlelight, 2.a.m.

 

"It is a common experience that a problem difficult at night is resolved in the morning after the committee of sleep has worked on it." - John Steinbeck

Thanksgiving

This shot reminds me of a chandelier, because of the tiny water droplets at the end of each bud. Did you notice the heart-shaped leaf on the right? (Click photo to enlarge).

 

So many things for which to be grateful, including all my dear friends and faithful readers. Thank you for staying the course on this journey! Wishing you and yours a happy and healthy Thanksgiving weekend.

Foggy afternoon

Foggy afternoon, 15th-century town gate, the Netherlands.

 

I've spent much of the weekend taking photos of various Sinterklass-related festivities - including the controversial Dutch tradition Zwarte Piet.

Today our neighbourhood has been blanketed in fog; a bonus when it comes to photography. I took a long walk on paths through polders and along tree-lined canals, where the only sounds were birds chirping and ducks quacking. Such a peaceful afternoon.

I found cranberries in the supermarket to make Nigella Lawson's cranberry-and-orange stuffing. We've ordered a turkey from the butcher. David will cook the meal, while I'll bake sweet potato and pecan pies. We've invited Dutch friends for dinner, who've never experienced Thanksgiving or even visited the US.

Earlier that day, we have a very important bureaucratic meeting, as part of the house-buying process. Fingers crossed, that will go smoothly, because in my head, I'm considering paint colours and arranging the furniture! (Dare I hope??!!)

Hope you're having a lovely weekend. Check back this week for posts galore from recent photo shoots.

Choosing joy.

Adorable toddler throwing alphabet blocks in the air, England.

 

I have friends who are struggling with grief or facing challenges which require summoning all their strength. Understandably, they're down in the dumps. So I'm hoping this picture of a laughing little boy will help lift their spirits.

"Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day." - Henri Nouwen.

Bon weekend, mon amis!

Of hearth and home

Fireplace mantel in our current 200-year-old maisonette. Click photo to view detail. French gilt and mercury glass mirror circa 1830 (found at Marches aux Puces at Clignacourt, with bits of the frame missing; restored in 2001). From left, 19th-century French beaded handbag; Raku pottery from Northern California; 18th-century Tibetan monk's worn turquoise-lined copper and enamel food bowl and woven carrying basket with leather strap; 18th-century French books; Pomegranate pottery from Whitney Smith, Oakland, CA; small Dutch pottery piece; framed butterfly; pottery bowl handmade by Riley Salyards, Amsterdam; early 20th-century French Art Nouveau iron candlestick; 19th-century French carved wooden easel holding hand-tinted postcard illustration of Reales Alcázares de Sevilla.

 

You may recall we've been searching for a house, as our current abode has been sold. On Wednesday, we met the owners and signed the papers to purchase the lovely house just north of Amsterdam that caught our fancy! The charming owners graciously are donating the rowboat, which they say "belongs with the house."  So barring any unforeseen catastrophe or bureaucratic muddle, we should be moving in late January.

There's no fireplace, but the house has ample room for our global treasures. At last I'll have a proper office, complete with balcony and canal view. We'll make one bedroom a dressing room, so we can find the clothes we need (without searching through suitcases, due to one tiny closet here). We'll also have a guest room with its own balcony, for family and friends!

On Thanksgiving day (!) we'll complete more paperwork to help make the dream a reality. Am hoping and praying all the seeds we've sown come to fruition. My daughter Jordana reminds me to "visualize, visualize."  Meanwhile, your good wishes will be much appreciated!

Signs and portents

Islamic symbols, Reales Alcázares de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain.

 

So there are choices, many choices, for which I should be grateful. But how do we choose among such a variety of abodes, each with its own particular benefits, as well as imperfections??!!

It may surprise you to know I've never owned a house! As a journalist, all my adult life has been nomadic, moving from city to city; from country to country. So our current quest for a permanent home in the Netherlands is proving an emotional minefield, as I try to come to terms with the idea of stability (!); of finally unpacking all that baggage, real and imagined.

Am trying to trust my instincts. But just when we think we've found the right place, unexpected problems are revealed: a leak that needs repair; a window that requires attention. A 1920s ground-floor apartment with original stained-glass windows seems too small and narrow. A beautiful 1934 bungalow is located on a busy city street. A charming 1930s maisonette is close to a train station, with an enthusiastic noise level to match.

A light-filled mansion is located in a nondescript neighbourhood, with sweeping views of -  other houses! A gorgeous house is amiss in a modern, Stepford-like bedroom community, devoid of character. A place near our current maisonette that ticks most of the boxes is jaw-droppingly expensive. A spacious three-storey house has a tiny, closet-like kitchen. A former schoolhouse converted to a loft has light and space to spare, but would need major renovation and euros to burn.

We've viewed about two dozen places in different cities and neighbourhoods - as well as probably 100 online listings - and it seems our search isn't finished. Meanwhile, we edge a week closer to a late January move date, with no set destination. Perhaps we'll be traveling without reservations?

Fall foliage

An afternoon stroll in my neighbourhood. Click photos to view detail.

These houses are built against a wall that once encircled the city.

A duck flaps its wings.

A carpet of leaves leading to a dyke road.

One of the town's historic gates.

The church bell tower, viewed from a distance.

Riot of colour

autumn's last gasp of beauty

before winter's chill

Beginnings

Fresh blooms: a bowl of autumn crocus on our windowsill.

It's a new month, a new day and soon a new abode for us. Am wishing and hoping this will be the view from our back garden, Norwegian rowboat and all. Click photos to view detail.

All creative visualisation, positive thinking and good wishes will be much appreciated! 

"Fall back" set to music

Turning the clocks back: the 15th-century church clock and bell tower photographed early in the morning. Click photos to view detail.

The same tower photographed over the roof from our second-floor balcony at 11:05 one night last summer.

Sans flags, photographed from the balcony.

The bell tower viewed from our third-floor bedroom window.

 

When we move, we won't miss the church bells playing melodies every 15 minutes from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. After the tunes stop, the church bells continue to ring at the top of the hour, every hour.

I've yet to meet a local resident who doesn't wish that the bells would ring every 15 minutes, rather than the pop or Christmas (in July) tunes played relentlessly throughout the day and evening. Apparently, officials at Town Hall - who purchased the bell rights from the church - consider the tunes a tourist attraction. At the moment, the bells are playing "All You Need is Love."

A dash of Delft

One of the places we've been house-hunting is Vermeer's Delft. I adore this charming city and fell in love with a 1920s house, simply because of its original stained-glass windows and doors. But it's a bit small, so the search continues.

Strolling along this canal, we came across a swan paddle boat. Click photos to enlarge.

And this building boasts its original hand-painted sign, stained glass windows and a trompe l'oeil mural on one window.

The search continues!

Candlelit elegance

Recently we dined at a 19th-century brownstone restaurant which was so beautiful, I skipped the first course to go home and get my camera. The main dining room is accented with bronze candelabra, gilt mercury-glass mirrors and bronze wall sconces dripping with crystals. As if that's not enough glamour, white roses tumble out of a silver champagne cooler and hand-appliqued gold leaf fleur-de-lis accent the pale gold plastered walls.

White roses fill a black glass urn on a fireplace mantle and a tall iron stand holds a whimsical arrangement of ivy and white flowers. An appliqued chandelier enhances a sliding door, echoing an antique crystal chandelier reflected in the glass.

An 19th-century crystal chandelier and framed tapestry are reflected in the mirror's mercury glass.

A 1940s French crystal chandelier highlights a private dining alcove. I have a pair of 1940s crystal wall sconces from Paris modeled on this same design. It is hoped I'll find space for them in our next abode.

The restaurant's ceilings are centered with a gold leaf-etched Art Nouveau design, next to a moulded wooden cherub. Not only is the interior an aesthetic delight, the food is superb.

Wishing you some candlelit magic of your own this weekend...

Horses at midnight

Horses at midnight...Lighted images of horses and their reflections in a canal.

The horses are in honour of the annual horse market, conducted in this area for the past 740 years!

A deserted Voorstraat at midnight, with platforms ready for festivities that begin early Wednesday morning, October 12th. Stay tuned for photos of the Horse Parade!

On my windowsill

A handmade pottery bowl with tiny aqua-centered mushroom caps sits on a windowsill. The bowl contains Dutch bulbs (autumn crocus is the American equivalent) that bloom without water. Click images to enlarge.

While some bulbs are flowering now, others will take a few weeks to bloom.