From Revere to West Hampstead to Tarset.
Three very different neighbourhoods.
Back in Inglaterra and I see Iggy Pop selling CAR insurance and Johnny Rotten British butter! Talk about surreal.
Just like the travelling I have been doing lately.
From London to Helsinki, Finland. Then back to London.
London to Boston to Provincetown, Cape Cod.
Then to Amherst, Mass. Next to Vermont, deep into bear country in the Green Mountains, back to Amherst after that.
From Amherst to Cold Spring in the the Hudson River Valley, NY. Train to NYC and Manhattan and Brooklyn too for the Brooklyn Book Festival. Back to Cold Spring and next stop the Keene, the Adirondacks!
What an exraordinary adventure!
I will write more when I settle in a bit. Right now I am still spinning on the carousel.
It was a fantastic trip in all ways.
Saturday, 19 September 2009
Friday, 4 September 2009
An echo from the tip of the Cape
A short message to say that I am home again!
Swimming, walking, reading, seeing dragonflies hovering over ponds, families of wild turkeys crossing the back roads, the electric sound of cicadas, lotsa art, seafood, ideas sprouting for new work, meeting new friends, having delectable suppers with good friends, re-connecting with this place that is a home to me and myself and I.
I feel so infinitely grateful that I can come here.
Thank you. Merci. Danke.
The walks in the dunes in silence, and swimming in the peace and quiet is balsam to the soul and spirit and body and mind!
Wish you were here!
Swimming, walking, reading, seeing dragonflies hovering over ponds, families of wild turkeys crossing the back roads, the electric sound of cicadas, lotsa art, seafood, ideas sprouting for new work, meeting new friends, having delectable suppers with good friends, re-connecting with this place that is a home to me and myself and I.
I feel so infinitely grateful that I can come here.
Thank you. Merci. Danke.
The walks in the dunes in silence, and swimming in the peace and quiet is balsam to the soul and spirit and body and mind!
Wish you were here!
Sunday, 16 August 2009
From here to Helsinki
Helsinki or Helsingfors as it is called in Finland-Swedish is on the agenda for next week.
It is a booktrip in the sense that it is mainly to meet with publishers in Helsinki and explore possible exchanges and translation projects.
I hope to have time to go to the largest bookstore in Scandinavia?! And to visit Kiasma the contemporary art museum which looks like an extraordinary building.
Travelling via London and the Richard Long retrospective at Tate Britain.
Got to get the priorities straight!
Supper ordered in from Holy Cow! The best to be had delivered to your door in NW6! I know the menu by heart.
We, me and my bestest friend, are going to work on our proposal for a project in Japan next year - very exciting! It is fun brainstorming and sharing ideas, a privilege when you work in a team.
So I shall probably not be visiting DJANG for a while.
Ciao for now!
It is a booktrip in the sense that it is mainly to meet with publishers in Helsinki and explore possible exchanges and translation projects.
I hope to have time to go to the largest bookstore in Scandinavia?! And to visit Kiasma the contemporary art museum which looks like an extraordinary building.
Travelling via London and the Richard Long retrospective at Tate Britain.
Got to get the priorities straight!
Supper ordered in from Holy Cow! The best to be had delivered to your door in NW6! I know the menu by heart.
We, me and my bestest friend, are going to work on our proposal for a project in Japan next year - very exciting! It is fun brainstorming and sharing ideas, a privilege when you work in a team.
So I shall probably not be visiting DJANG for a while.
Ciao for now!
Saturday, 15 August 2009
Dragonfly and Tarset burn
The burn is swollen with rainwater and capturing the sunlight making it look like a silver snake in the valley.
A large dragonfly, no not large it was huge, flew by me in the garden at Sheep Cottage. The first one I have ever seen here in the valley where I now live.
It means a great deal to me. Dragonflies are my insect, my totem if you like. They are souls of the recent dead.
Trollslaenda in Swedish and Oeyenstikker in Norwegian, libellula and libelle...
That day when it flew by sounding like it had a wee motor was the very same day Bill visited with his two sons Tom and Joe.
They were on their way to Bamburgh on the Northumberland coast for a weeks holiday. The coast is a hidden treasure in the UK. Long golden yellow sandy beaches for miles and miles, castles, ruins, puffins on the Farne islands, Lindisfarne, etc. It is well worth a visit.
The silver snake reminds me that change is inevitable and to welcome it.
Bill I knew in the early 80's at MIT in Cambridge, Mass. He is a poet and followed the trail of John Clare. He now lives in the Lake District with his family. Then he worked for an MIT professor and I also worked at MIT. A very kind and humourful man.
The boys were wonderful and ate with hearty appetites. I hope to see them soon again, before they grow up in any case!
We discovered later that we had a very strong bond to the Cape in common. He had spent many years there a few decades ago.
The silver snake of poetry and life.
A large dragonfly, no not large it was huge, flew by me in the garden at Sheep Cottage. The first one I have ever seen here in the valley where I now live.
It means a great deal to me. Dragonflies are my insect, my totem if you like. They are souls of the recent dead.
Trollslaenda in Swedish and Oeyenstikker in Norwegian, libellula and libelle...
That day when it flew by sounding like it had a wee motor was the very same day Bill visited with his two sons Tom and Joe.
They were on their way to Bamburgh on the Northumberland coast for a weeks holiday. The coast is a hidden treasure in the UK. Long golden yellow sandy beaches for miles and miles, castles, ruins, puffins on the Farne islands, Lindisfarne, etc. It is well worth a visit.
The silver snake reminds me that change is inevitable and to welcome it.
Bill I knew in the early 80's at MIT in Cambridge, Mass. He is a poet and followed the trail of John Clare. He now lives in the Lake District with his family. Then he worked for an MIT professor and I also worked at MIT. A very kind and humourful man.
The boys were wonderful and ate with hearty appetites. I hope to see them soon again, before they grow up in any case!
We discovered later that we had a very strong bond to the Cape in common. He had spent many years there a few decades ago.
The silver snake of poetry and life.
Thursday, 13 August 2009
The Glorious Twelfth!
Was yesterday.
It refers to Grouse Season shooting beginning around here. That is the day/date when they can begin shooting the pheasants and grouse that have happily lived on these fields and hills since last year. They are such colourful birds and we enjoy seeing them as they come into the garden to eat the goodies left out for them all through winter and spring. They breed on the fells and some of the big landowners around here employ Gamekeepers to make sure the birds of prey and animals of prey are "controlled" so that the more survive for shooting season. Makes sense does it not?!
The pubs start serving pheasant on their menus shortly perhaps even today!
Most of the birds are sent straight to London and to the fancy restaurants there.
I did not want to write about it yesterday, needed a bit of distance to the whole thing.
It has been a tradition in these parts for ages. This is a land of hunts, big estates with suitable open landscape, horses can charge across the fells and fast and furious hounds can bound.
Big parties go out with hunters on foot and the thrashers that scare the birds out of their hiding places!
People pay big money to come to these shoots, mainly from other areas and countries however.
We looked at the stars last night and feared for our beloved birds of beauty.
Gamekeepers have been known to shoot cats and dogs to protect the "wild" birds that they own!
Yesterday becomes yesteryear in one fell swoop.
It refers to Grouse Season shooting beginning around here. That is the day/date when they can begin shooting the pheasants and grouse that have happily lived on these fields and hills since last year. They are such colourful birds and we enjoy seeing them as they come into the garden to eat the goodies left out for them all through winter and spring. They breed on the fells and some of the big landowners around here employ Gamekeepers to make sure the birds of prey and animals of prey are "controlled" so that the more survive for shooting season. Makes sense does it not?!
The pubs start serving pheasant on their menus shortly perhaps even today!
Most of the birds are sent straight to London and to the fancy restaurants there.
I did not want to write about it yesterday, needed a bit of distance to the whole thing.
It has been a tradition in these parts for ages. This is a land of hunts, big estates with suitable open landscape, horses can charge across the fells and fast and furious hounds can bound.
Big parties go out with hunters on foot and the thrashers that scare the birds out of their hiding places!
People pay big money to come to these shoots, mainly from other areas and countries however.
We looked at the stars last night and feared for our beloved birds of beauty.
Gamekeepers have been known to shoot cats and dogs to protect the "wild" birds that they own!
Yesterday becomes yesteryear in one fell swoop.
Wednesday, 12 August 2009
List references
The last posts have been catch-up ones refering back to The List I made July 28th 2009 on here.
As I look at it now I can not imagine trying to catch up anymore so much is happening every day as it is!
Tonight is the night of the shooting stars - meteor showers galore. Outside is clear and we shall look to the skies.
Planting in the garden today big time! A lovely day with sun and breeze, cats running about the garden, Milo in his birdhouse, the Jacobs grazing next door...
A fragrant double white peony found its home at the cottage corner just under a rambling rose I think called Ballerina. A Mexican daisy along the path to the door where it can self-seed and fall over the path. I like the path huggers that cascade onto the stones.
New grasses, one a zebra grass with striking foliage, another a green clump which turns golden and Ben found places for the lady's mantles and euphorbias along the wild lane and in the shade by the cottage as well.
We checked on Pauls Himalayan Musk a climbing rose we just planted about a month ago and it is thriving! Lovely! Next year I may even see some roses.
The Dark night/knight buddleia is just opening its arching dark purple blooms and monkshood stand erect about to open also.
So all the pots have been planted-great! I set Ben this task called "Spot the Pot" and he smiles...
Coffee, tea and short bread at the garden table/potting surface with a red checked table cloth on-very posh indeed.
I do enjoy the garden mornings on Wednesdays I really do and so did Myles today because he made friends with Ben big time!
The preparations are now almost complete before going away. I just have to re-pot a couple of indoor thrivers and water everything and place it strategically so that they are sheltered yet receive rain water too.
As I look at it now I can not imagine trying to catch up anymore so much is happening every day as it is!
Tonight is the night of the shooting stars - meteor showers galore. Outside is clear and we shall look to the skies.
Planting in the garden today big time! A lovely day with sun and breeze, cats running about the garden, Milo in his birdhouse, the Jacobs grazing next door...
A fragrant double white peony found its home at the cottage corner just under a rambling rose I think called Ballerina. A Mexican daisy along the path to the door where it can self-seed and fall over the path. I like the path huggers that cascade onto the stones.
New grasses, one a zebra grass with striking foliage, another a green clump which turns golden and Ben found places for the lady's mantles and euphorbias along the wild lane and in the shade by the cottage as well.
We checked on Pauls Himalayan Musk a climbing rose we just planted about a month ago and it is thriving! Lovely! Next year I may even see some roses.
The Dark night/knight buddleia is just opening its arching dark purple blooms and monkshood stand erect about to open also.
So all the pots have been planted-great! I set Ben this task called "Spot the Pot" and he smiles...
Coffee, tea and short bread at the garden table/potting surface with a red checked table cloth on-very posh indeed.
I do enjoy the garden mornings on Wednesdays I really do and so did Myles today because he made friends with Ben big time!
The preparations are now almost complete before going away. I just have to re-pot a couple of indoor thrivers and water everything and place it strategically so that they are sheltered yet receive rain water too.
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