B-Earthday

I have had my very own birthday on Earth day! I love that the two are the same date.
This year I was in Grasmere in the Lake District for the day and night.
We had to go over to Dove Cottage, The Wordsworth Trust to film Tomas Venclova and Ellen Hinsey. They were reading from their new books in the church in the middle of Grasmere. It is a very unusual building and the Wordsworths are buried in the churchyard. The last and only time I was there was for Robert Woof's funeral and so it was especially uplifting to be there for a memorable poetry reading.
As birthdays go it was alright I suppose. A lot of work though and rushing around but then I spent the rest of the afternoon and evening with my son in Hexham. He cooked us a delicious Japanese dinner. It was a warm sunny afternoon and we had tea outside in his courtyard and then took a drive in the countryside. Bought country eggs at Wall, sat on the bench with the glorious view at Anick and wishing the Rat was open, visited Barrasford and explored that area.
Today the kittens are 2. So they are officially cats now! We will celebrate them over the weekend.
On sunny warm days Northumberland has a unique feeling. Spacious and liberating.

Paloma Picasso

Today is Paloma Picasso's 60th Birthday.
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Paloma Picasso by Pablo Picasso 1956

Primavera

I have not written on this blog for several days because we have had the most exquisite lovely weather lately.
Easter was glorious with warm sunny days and I spent them all outside although I was meant to be working to deadline on a film I am editing!
In this part of the world if it is a beautiful day you drop everything and just bask in it because you never know when the next one will come along!
So in between planting and drinking tea outdoors with the cats, they are marvellously helpful gardeners by the way and they do love digging!, I have been working on the film and for that I am glad.
A white peony went in below the rosa rugosa. Fruit trees all along the dyke where we found a huge stone lintel. More wild garlic which I am trying to establish near the ditch in the shady part under the shrubs.
Gardening has become for me a way to come to terms with living out here in the wilds.
I am trying to do un-invasive gardening where I encourage what grows here happily and introducing things that may very gently. I also do not prune hard and heavily I like to see how things will grow. I am encouraging what is native to here and grows in the wild. E.g. wild garlic, and cowslips.
Editing in between forays into the garden and sitting on the bench with a view and hot tea is a great way to work. I am grateful.
Yes and especially so because spring has finally arrived!

James Lee Byars's birthday

James Lee Byars would have been 87 today. Thinking of you with much love. Miss you JLB.

Li would have been 80 today

Li Yuan-Chia a Chinese artist who lived in Cumbria in the UK for many many years would have been 80 today were he still alive.
A remarkable man, artist and friend he is buried nearby at Lanercost Priory.
Things are moving along in a very positive direction for a new phase of his beloved LYC Museum.
Happy Birthday Li and happy Spring!

Leonora Carrington

Happy Birthday Leonora!
Today she is 92 and I wish her the very best of days and rest of the year.
If you do not know her work do look it up.
She is a painter, a sculptor, a writer...
An enormous inspiration to generations of artists and she makes fascinating work.

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Today my father is 77. A beautiful number. In Japan they celebrate double digits in the way we celebrate even birthdays.
My father is in Stockholm and I called him this morning. He said the sun was shining but they had no signs of spring yet.
In the afternoon he was going on an outing to a small celebration in his honour.
He loves seafood and Princess cake. I think they will spoil him with shrimps and lobster his favourite.
I was happy that he has something to look forward to especially after this excruciatingly LONG cold and dark winter.
I sent him a beautiful card of a painting by Paul Stangroom of the Northumberland landscape.
Princess cake is my favourite cake too and my brother's and Noah's and and and...
It is delicious.
I have not seen him in a while and I am thinking it is time.