Consolation by Billy Collins (and more . . . )

Oh, how I love Billy Collins.  And this particular poem seems especially appropriate right now.  

AND he made me laugh a little.

My wanderlust is at high peak right now.

I'm happy and lucky to live in a place that is full of breathtaking natural beauty, but dadgummit - I am missing PARIS!

You may have heard "that guy" say if he loses the election he might have to leave the country.

Pfft.  Bye.  Go.  WHO cares?!

Donald and I have a couple of spare suitcases we're unable to use due to the atrocious NON-HANDLING of The Trump Pandemic Virus.  We're not welcome anywhere.  If, however, "that guy" finds a place that will welcome him, we will gladly donate suitcases to help him out.

-  -  -

Consolation

How agreeable it is not to be touring Italy this summer,
wandering her cities and ascending her torrid hilltowns.
How much better to cruise these local, familiar streets,
fully grasping the meaning of every roadsign and billboard
and all the sudden hand gestures of my compatriots.

There are no abbeys here, no crumbling frescoes or famous
domes and there is no need to memorize a succession
of kings or tour the dripping corners of a dungeon.
No need to stand around a sarcophagus, see Napoleon's
little bed on Elba, or view the bones of a saint under glass.

How much better to command the simple precinct of home
than be dwarfed by pillar, arch, and basilica.
Why hide my head in phrase books and wrinkled maps?
Why feed scenery into a hungry, one-eyes camera
eager to eat the world one monument at a time?

Instead of slouching in a café ignorant of the word for ice,
I will head down to the coffee shop and the waitress
known as Dot. I will slide into the flow of the morning
paper, all language barriers down,
rivers of idiom running freely, eggs over easy on the way.

And after breakfast, I will not have to find someone
willing to photograph me with my arm around the owner.
I will not puzzle over the bill or record in a journal
what I had to eat and how the sun came in the window.
It is enough to climb back into the car

as if it were the great car of English itself
and sounding my loud vernacular horn, speed off
down a road that will never lead to Rome, not even Bologna.

Women Deserve Better

 

Do you have a daughter?  A granddaughter?

A wife, sister or mother?

If you're a woman, 

don't you think you deserve better than this offensive man as your president?

OF COURSE WE DO!

Chasing away the wrinkles - - - by VOTING (?)

I have a birthday coming up pretty soon. 

I'll be 72. 

While I have, for years, preached about age being just a number and not worrying about it too much, I feel like these past 4 years have been pretty tough. 

Oy. 

Where IS that dewy complexion anyhow?! 

So, in search of my very own Fountain of Youth, I've discovered that I can, by golly, erase a few pesky old wrinkles, freckles and the dreaded "age spots" via the magic of "photo enhancement." 

Since we so rarely leave the house, who's to know what I really look like anyway?! 

Wrinkles - Be Gone! 

Those horrid "brackets" aka "laugh lines" (HAhaHAhaHA) around your mouth - Gone!! 

Crows Feet (WHO came up with that?!) - Fly Away!

 Beware though. 

Warning - Warning - Warning - - - If you try this ancient, magical trick of "air brushing" be very careful - too much and not only do you lose all your wrinkles, etc., you lose "you." 

Instead of the wrinkled self you've grown into and earned, you can become a ghost! 

For real! 

Just saying. 

There was a photo I played with for so long, it disappeared. 

But I did come up with a "real me" pic and a "what I would look like if it weren't for trump" pic. 

Now that I've told you my secret, if you only see me here at Meanderings and Muses, or at Facebook, you will think I am forever young. 

And I probably would be if not for trump.

 

So.

Help an old gal out, will ya?

Vote!

Vote him out!

Maybe all my wrinkles (etc) will go away and all our lives can return to normal.

So mote it be.

Our road

 

“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”

                           ― L. M. Montgomery,

                                         Anne of Green Gables

One more reason to love October

Loving October.

When I can sit on our bed and read and catch this view straight ahead through our sunroom.

 

Why I Love October

All I have to do is look out any of our windows or step into the yard and I am reminded why I love October.

 

“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”

                     ― L. M. Montgomery,

                           Anne of Green Gables

October's Party
By: George Cooper

October gave a party;
The leaves by hundreds came
The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples,
And leaves of every name.
The Sunshine spread a carpet,
And everything was grand,
Miss Weather led the dancing,
Professor Wind the band.

The Chestnuts came in yellow,
The Oaks in crimson dressed;
The lovely Misses Maple
In scarlet looked their best;
All balanced to their partners,
And gaily fluttered by;
The sight was like a rainbow
New fallen from the sky.

Then, in the rustic hollow,
At hide-and-seek they played,
The party closed at sundown,
And everybody stayed.
Professor Wind played louder;
They flew along the ground;
And then the party ended
In jolly "hands around."

October

BY ROBERT FROST

O hushed October morning mild,

Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;

Tomorrow’s wind, if it be wild,

Should waste them all.

The crows above the forest call;

Tomorrow they may form and go.

O hushed October morning mild,

Begin the hours of this day slow.

Make the day seem to us less brief.

Hearts not averse to being beguiled,

Beguile us in the way you know.

Release one leaf at break of day;

At noon release another leaf;

One from our trees, one far away.

Retard the sun with gentle mist;

Enchant the land with amethyst.

Slow, slow!

For the grapes’ sake, if they were all,

Whose leaves already are burnt with frost,

Whose clustered fruit must else be lost—

For the grapes’ sake along the wall.

A rainy Sunday in the mountains

a good book (read about it here)

 

some good music

a perfect golden view from our window

and a very good dog

Life is Good

Come November

Twenty-Four days until the election.



In a show of positivity and support and belief in an upcoming Blue Wave in 24 days I have put a bottle of champagne in the fridge.

On election day in 2016 we were at Topsail Island.

There was a bottle of champagne in the fridge, and several sparklers we were going to light as we danced on the beach in front of our rental house.

Instead.

Our hearts were broken.

Over the next four years those broken hearts have become more broken.

I  have, over the last four years, talked endlessly here about all the things I'm unhappy about.

But, I have also tried to do some things to keep myself sane and on an even keel.

And to hold onto my joy.

It's become harder now that we're living in a pandemic.

A global pandemic our "leader" has made worse by downplaying and lying.

Yesterday Donald and Annabelle and I went into town to pick up our mail.

Our normal outings to shop, have our hair cut, keep our dental appointments, meet up with friends for lunch or dinner, go out of town for a concert, spend a week at the beach, get on a plane to travel, or celebrate a personal occasion with dinner out, have all come to a total standstill and yesterday it hit me fairly hard.

The town we live in is not a terrific place to be living right now in terms of COVID

And all I want is to put on some make-up, fluff up my hair, put on a cute outfit, some pretty jewelry and go out for a nice dinner with my husband.

Would I actually feel comfortable eating in a restaurant these days?

Absolutely not.

So.

We're at home and continuing doing small things that make us happy and keep us sane.

Today I streaked my hair with Overtone Rose Gold coloring conditioner.

Some days it's just the little things.

Like rose gold streaks in my hair.

and stepping onto the back deck to see the pretty red and gold leaves.

and hoping to enjoy that bottle of champagne come November.

Revisiting the mysterious locked Paris apartment "discovered" in 2010

Remember?  

The article that started it all:   https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/8042281/Parisian-flat-containing-2.1-million-painting-lay-untouched-for-70-years.html

The exact location has since been challenged, but was originally said to be located at 2 square La Bruyère in the 9th arrondissement. 

An apartment that had been locked and forgotten, and when entered was every child's dream.

Magical.

Rooms full of dusty treasures.

Unseen for many years.

Who did the apartment belong to?

Why was it abandoned?

Why was it suddenly discovered and unlocked?

Since then we've learned a lot.

There is a lot of information available, but, unsurprisingly, much of it is incorrect, or conjecture.

And - there are some who still believe the entire story is a hoax.

The aparttment was owned originally by a French demimondaine and socialite by the name of Marthe de Florian.  

Research reveals her original name to be Mathilde Heloise Beaugiron, 9 September 1864 – 29 August 1939.

Marthe's son,  Henri Beaugiron, died in the apartment in 1966.

Henri's daughter, Solange Beaugiron, inherited the apartment.  The rent and expenses were paid regularly until her death in June 2010 at the age of 91. As a result, everything the apartment contained, including many paintings, furniture and all the usual elements of early 20th-century life remained intact for several decades.

Some reports say the contents of the apartment were auctioned off in 2010.

Some reports say the only thing auctioned off was a portrait of Marthe de Florian painted by Giovanni Boldini which sold for $2.5 million, although some say $3.5 million.

Further reports state that the apartment belongs in the de Florian/Beaugiron estate and still exists, sealed, somewhere in Paris, left exactly as it was found when it was opened for the first time in 2010. 

NOTE:   These two articles are the best of the stories I found about Marthe de Florian, her family and the apartment.  Fascinating!! - 

https://monagiza.com/stories/research-team-found-a-secret-inside-an-abandoned-apartment-in-paris-that-had-been-hidden-for-70-years/

and

https://randybigham.wixsite.com/pastfashion/single-post/2014/05/01/The-story-behind-the-indigenous-towns-of-Guatemala

There are a few novels inspired by Marthe de Florian's apartment.  Here are the ones I know about and have read:

Paris Time Capsule by Ella Carey

A Paris Apartment by Michelle Gable

The Velvet Hours by Alyson Richman

Additional Sources:  I encourage you to take a look at these.  They are interesting, mysterious and fun!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marthe_de_Florian

http://www.astoriedstyle.com/a-look-into-the-past-an-untouched-1942-paris-apartment/

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2323297/Inside-Paris-apartment-untouched-70-years-Treasure-trove-finally-revealed-owner-locked-fled-outbreak-WWII.html

https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/untouched-1940s-paris-apartment-inspires-thrilling-new-novel

http://www.citizenbrooklyn.com/topics/pov/a-rich-woman-abandoned-this-apartment-in-1942-what-they-just-found-inside-is-incredible/#:~:text=Share%20this%3A&text=Madame%20de%20Florian%20was%20a,to%20it%20after%20the%20war.

https://www.thevintagenews.com/2017/05/26/madame-de-florians-1942-apartment-found-untouched-with-a-painting-worth-nearly-25-million-2/

https://beautifulbuildings.wordpress.com/2014/09/13/time-capsule-apartment-in-paris-found-untouched-for-70-years/

http://lolosfrenchbloguette.blogspot.com/2014/01/a-tale-of-two-madames.html

Happy Reading!!!

Hell Yes I'm Mad

Donald and I, like all of you, have had a very different year than expected.

We, like many of you, have self-isolated, washed our hands continually, curtailed our social activities and travel.

We're still not eating in restaurants.

We're still not keeping appointments we would normally keep.  (We both desperately need haircuts, but that is not going to happen for awhile).

And we wear a mask when we leave the house.

All while this president, his family and his administration have carelessly tossed aside and  ridiculed all the facts offered by medical professionals who actually believe in science.

This photo is a perfect example of wilfull stupidity.  Now being referred to on social media platforms as "the Massacre in the Rose Garden."

 

This photo is a perfect example of wilfull and negligent arrogance.  

The trump family arrived at the debate venue too late to be tested, then refused to wear masks in  violation of the Commission on Presidential Debates’ rules.

Trump then attended a fundraiser in New Jersey on Thursday evening, knowing full well that his aide, Hope Hicks, had tested positive.

Yep.

I'm angry.

Damn right I am.

Because THIS is who this man is 

Cruel.  Ignorant.  Uncaring.

He, his administration, his family and his supporters have embraced and delighted in cruelty.

I've been angry for four years for a number of reasons; the cruelty dealt by this president leads the list of reasons.

So yeah - reading the timeline leading up to the announcement of the president's diagnosis has made me angry.

Madder than hell, actually.

While I don't wish the man dead, here's what I say to his supporters who are demanding we show him some respect, some kindness and some compassion.


Fuck you.

I think it's fair to say, many of the broken-hearted families of 200,000 + people who might still be alive today if we were "led" by an administration who actually put people ahead of party politics feel the same way.

Those people make me sick.  And if I become literally sick with this virus I'm pointing a finger at the president of my country.

In the meantime, although Joe & Jill Biden tested negative, they are not in the clear yet.  We can't know for sure for another week or more.  

I'm putting this list from CBS News here and will be updating it as I'm sure some of these "negatives" will be changing to "positives" over the next several days.

Trump's family:

• Melania Trump: Tested positive on Friday, October 2.
• Ivanka Trump: Tested negative on Friday, October 2.
• Jared Kushner: Tested negative on Friday, October 2.
• Barron Trump: Tested negative on Friday, October 2.
• Donald Trump, Jr.: Tested negative on Friday, October 2.
• Eric Trump: Tested negative on Friday, October 2.
• Lara Trump: Tested negative on Friday, October 2.

White House: 

• Counselor to the president Hope Hicks: Tested positive on Thursday, October 1.
• Vice President Mike Pence: Tested negative on Friday, October 2.
• Chief of staff Mark Meadows: Tested negative Friday, October 2.
• Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar: Tested negative on Friday, October 2.
• National Economic Council director Larry Kudlow: Tested negative on Friday, October 2.
  
• White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany: Tested negative on Friday, October 2.

 
Others: 

• Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett: The White House said in a statement that she tested negative on Friday, October 2. 
• Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie: Christie, who helped Mr. Trump with debate preparation and spent hours with him and Hicks over several days, tweeted on October 3 that he tested positive.
• Former White House counselor Kellyanne Conway: Tweeted on Friday, October 2, that she has COVID-19.
• Attorney General Bill Barr: The Justice Department said he tested negative on Friday, October 2.
• Reverend John Jenkins: The president of the University of Notre Dame, who attended Barrett's nomination at the White House has tested positive, according to the university.
• Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien: Tested positive for coronavirus Friday, October 2.
• Senior Trump campaign adviser Jason Miller: Miller, who was involved in President Trump's debate prep, tested negative.
  
• Rudy Giuliani: Tested negative on Friday, October 2.
  
• Chris Wallace: The first debate moderator was tested on Friday and is awaiting results.
  

 
Congress:

• Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn (R): Attended debate and flew on Air Force One; Tested negative on Friday, October 2.
• Minnesota Representative Jim Hagedorn (R): Flew on Air Force One; tested negative Friday, October 2.
• Ohio Representative Jim Jordan (R): Attended debate and flew on Air Force One; tested negative on Friday, October 2 
• Utah Senator Mike Lee (R): Judiciary Committee member who attended Barrett's nomination announcement and met with her this week. Tested positive Thursday, October 1.
• House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D): Tested negative on Friday, October 2.
• South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham: The Judiciary Committee chair tested negative on Friday, October 2.
• North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis (R): Judiciary Committee member who attended Barrett's nomination announcement. Tested positive on Friday, October 2. 
• Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson (R): Tested positive for the virus on Friday, October 2.

Not in recent contact with Trump, but tested protectively:

• Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel: Tested positive on Wednesday, September 29.
  
• Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin: Tested negative on Friday, October 2.
• Secretary of State Mike Pompeo: He said in Croatia that he tested negative on Friday, October 2. 
• Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe: Tested negative on Friday, October 2.

Remember - even with all this constant drama - we need to keep our eyes on the election and VOTE!