Best headline ever

Do you march to the beat of a different drummer? You are in good company, even if their number is small. One of my all-time favorite ad headlines tapped into this sense of being proudly different:

"Nine out of 10,000 People Prefer Campari."

Enjoy.

In Flanders Fields

By Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)
Canadian Army

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow...
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Commit me!

If I EVER say I'm planning to have another garage sale, do me a favor and put me in a high-security asylum until the feeling passes. Thank you!

I made $42.25 after ten grueling days of clearing out clutter, borrowing seven portable tables from three sources, setting up the display, and price-labeling every blessed article that was for sale. I am now left with most of the original pieces and have to decide which to keep and which to take to Goodwill or give to the Vietnam Vets organization. (Most of it.)

Scribbler's delight

Charlton Heston - farewell to a wonderful person

"I have lived such a wonderful life.
I've lived enough for two people."

Happy 60th Anniversary, Mom and Dad!

Married April 3, 1948

Quote of the Day

The world is so empty if one thinks only of mountains, rivers and cities, but to know someone here and there who thinks and feels with us, and who, though distant, is close to us in spirit, this makes the earth for us an inhabited garden.

Goëthe

A blast from the past

Winston, age -- 3?
Keith and me in Amsterdam, four decades ago.

Word of the Day: Wabi-Sabi

Wabi-sabi nurtures all that is authentic by acknowledging three simple realities: nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect.

My backyard fence is as wabi-sabi as you can get. Worn, weathered, faded, chipped, wonky, and just lovely.

Georgie's adoption anniversary

Georgie has just celebrated his first year as an adopted member of our family. When he came here he had a bad chest, stank to high heaven, and his poor nose was calloused from digging in the dirt.

Most of the habits he came with have faded away, including hiding or burying food and trying to escape at every opportunity. Now he knows he is safe, loved, and can get food or chewies anytime he turns his big brown eyes up at me.

Here is a very recent photo of Georgie lolling around with his older sister, Precious the cat.

Remembering Bertie

I made him a small altar just like I did the day he died, using flowers from my garden, where we spent so many happy hours together. And, his ashes are there in the box.

My Travel Past

The Merry Widow

How I celebrated last night

I simply couldn't spend the evening alone, given that it was the 30th anniversary of the day on which I met my (late) husband in London. So I went to a friend's house around 8:00 PM (she, in her jammies already, did not turn me away, as others might have) with a tear in my eye, a bottle of Veuve Clicquot in my hand (appropriate) and some excellent English and French cheeses from Central Market in Plano. Very consoling.

• Somerdale Top Hat cheddar


• Windsor Red -- cheddar with port wine and brandy


• Brillat Savarin Affiné -- decadent isn't a strong enough word for this brie-like triple-cream cheese


• All served with Lavash, those crispy Mediterranean crackers with black and white sesame seeds on top that leave olive oil smudges on your fingers as you eat. Yum.

Looking back, looking forward

Thirty years ago today I met my husband, Keith, at the Lamb & Flag pub on Rose Street in Covent Garden. It was his birthday. He would have been 68 today, if he were alive. I married a man much older than myself, if you are wondering!

I had intended to revisit the SOC - I mean the pub - during my visit to England in August (last month) but wasn't able to. Maybe I will get another chance in December. My son and I are considering a trip together then. But will I have the funds together? (And if not, will that stop me?) I wonder if ANYONE who used to frequent the pub in 1977 still goes there. I wonder if Danny, the publican at that time, is retired. I suppose he would be.

Yesterday, I forgot to record, I corresponded with someone from the alumni fund of one of my alma maters, the University of Cape Town, and offered to be the coordinator for the Dallas area. So perhaps a cocktail party of expatriate South Africans will be in the works soon. Previously I tried getting together regularly with fellow alumnae from Mt. Holyoke, but I just couldn't get into it. Anyway the last thing I need is more time spent exclusively with women. Although, some intellectual companionship would be most welcome, gender notwithstanding.