Give Up Yer Auld Sins

A coworker introduced me to this animated short film.  In the 80s-90s they found a tape recording that was done in the 60s of school children in Dublin retelling stories from the Bible.  I love listening to how they speak and the vernacular they used.  





A couple weeks ago I tried my hand at baking a Golden Syrup Cake.  I found Lyles Golden Syrup at Kroger's just two days after I read the blog post on Always with Butter.  So, naturally I had to try it for myself.  The batter took me by surprise; it was the driest cake batter I had ever encountered...so naturally I added a wee bit more milk into the mixture.  The crumb of the cake was quite different than what I'm normally used to.  It wasn't airy or fluffy; it was dense.  A satisfying cake that pairs well with Barry's Irish black tea. 

This weekend I went to World Market and to my utter delight discovered that they carry HobNobs.  Oh, the world is a wonderful place!  HobNobs--in case you've not heard of them--are English biscuits (cookies) made primarily of rolled oats.  Delightful crispy, crumby biscuit texture.  Oaty but mellowed with sugar.  They are tea's favorite companion...and one must dunk the HobNob biscuit in one's tea in order to experience the full delightfulness of them.

Hermes: Interactive

When needing inspiration I surf the web.  


I came across Hermes.com recently.  I knew of their products...beautiful scarves and leather handbags...but I had not visited their website until last week.  What fun it was to explore and navigate their interactive online offerings.  There's one segment where you can apply your choice of Hermes wallpaper.  


Team Hermes is truly very creative.

http://lesailes.hermes.com/us/en/

Love it!

Brave

Summer 2012 June Disney will release Brave in to theaters.  


Can't wait!  


Spunky red-haired princess on a mission to obtain her freedom.  (Couldn't help being reminded of Mel Gibson and his impassioned cry for...FREEDOM!!!)

Goal: COLOR

In my opinion the weather is too warm for spring.  Seriously?  80 degrees?


What ever happened to the slow launch into spring, the lazy transition from 30 degrees to mild 60s?


This is the south, that's what.  


My friend tells me, If you don't like the weather, stick around, it'll change.


One thing about spring that I LOVE is COLOR.  Green leaves, purple petunias, coral tulips, blush cherry blossoms. Hence, I very much admire these color combos from J.Crew.

Ahhhhh, shopping we go!

Dazzled by Cartier

I saw the L'Odyssee de Cartier commercial for the first time a couple weekends ago.  It was amazing!  It's one of those things one sees that is so beautiful and inspiring that one absolutely must spread the news.  My friends at work had not seen nor heard of the commercial when I mentioned it to them.  So we gathered around my desk as I went to Cartier's website and played the film for them.  Watching their reaction was a treat.  Mouths dropped and lots of ooohhhs and aaaahhhs abounded.


Not only was the commercial eye candy, it was quite emotive for me and for my friends as well.  It was superb storytelling through visuals.

New Camera

Unexpected.  


I did not plan to purchase a new camera right away.


It just happened.


I had finished filing my taxes.  I was so drained I left the mess of papers in my office and went to the sofa to lay down thinking I could probably fall asleep for a nap.  Did not happen.  My mind was a buzz.  So I picked up a book I've been working on (though not diligently) to finish reading.  Wings of a Dove by Henry James.  Oh my.  I'm halfway in Book Second, meshed in the part where Kate had informed Densher that her aunt wanted to speak to him and he's trying to find out why things between her father and the family are so estranged only Kate couldn't provide him with a satisfactory answer because she doesn't know the details herself.  And then the inspiration hits me to go online and peruse make and model of digital cameras.  Within less than an hour I found one that I was intensely interested.  Although perhaps at the time I didn't realize how intensely interested I was until I arrived--that very afternoon--at the store and held the model in my hands.  I'll take it, I told the sales rep.  (Oh my gosh!  Did I just realize what I've done?)


I walked out of the store with my new purchase in the bag.  I returned home and read the users manual from start to finish--a thing I've never done before.  I was now ecstatic with my purchase.


Welcome home my Sony NEX-C3!

Lights

Books

Blanket

Phantom of the Opera

Last night on Great Performances, PBS aired Phantom of the Opera performed at the Royal Albert Hall.  

It was magnificent!

I've not yet had the opportunity to attend a live performance, but the one shown last night made me feel like I was there.  I sat on the sofa with my favorite throw wrapped around me and pillows propped beside me.  All the lights were turned off save the string of twinkle lights on my mantle.  I felt giddy.  In my DVD collection I own two copies of Phantom of the Opera the movie, the regular DVD and the extended version DVD.  I also have the soundtrack.  So, to see the performance in a theatre, especially at the Royal Albert Hall was a stupendous treat.

In this performance Sierra Boggess played Christine and Ramin Karimloo played The Phantom.  I loved Sierra's rendition of Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again.  It was so expressive.  Simply marvelous.  I almost shed a tear when The Phantom sang the line, "Christine, I love you."  

Bravo!

The Gale is Stroked

Aged gargoyles, now bluish black, perch unmoved despite the wind.  Stones do not creak.  The mighty bells sway, but the gongs are silent.  

Whisper, whisper once more the last of hell’s gates, the dominion door.

Piercing, the screech ascends as a wight exhumed from death.  Its billow of smoke trailing the eastern end.  The bells are silent.  The door is shut.  But none who walks attends the omen.  As such things are defamed when secrecy is breached.  Fate’s witness peers over the latched smoky window.  What once was and what will be have split.  The horizon bleeds purple.  The door is shut but the latches rattle.  

No longer bound the omen flights pursues to gain the victim.  The gale is stroked.

Last Encounter

I lower my aim.  Target leans forward, elbows propped, legs stretched and crossed at the ankles.  Paper cups are pushed aside.  They are aware only of each other.  Crumbs trail the paper napkin bridging the distance where their fingers almost touch.  I am sure he wears his special cologne, the one that smells of the breeze.  

It is now or never.  Last time and I will walk away forever.  I lift my aim, slow my breath.  He runs a hand over his chin.  A shadow of stubble hides his skin.  He smiles.  I shoot.  He doesn’t know I exist.  The shutter closes and traps him before he reaches for those fingers.

Musings on Happiness

Happiness of our situation should not stem so from persons, things or locale.  Granted, they all have a part to play, sometimes albeit a powerful one.  Our happiness should not be rooted in temporal things (for we know the fate of temporal things).  No, our happiness should come from within.  But I am not saying that we manufacture happiness.  If that was the case we would always be happy, but oftentimes we are not even happy with ourselves.  


No, happiness should be embedded with joy which is tied to contentment.  And joy is a much stronger virtue than happiness, as love is a stronger virtue than like.  One may experience happiness without joy, although it will be fleeting.  And happiness without true contentment is fickle.  Sooner or later such happiness will wane for want of being anchored to an eternal source.  Once a person grasps what it means to be content, regardless of situation and status, and is able to practice it, then is that person truly happy indeed.