Hello!
We’re just out of a long weekend here, one which included my birthday, so I’m catching up this morning with homework for my Italian class (Zooming begins at 9:30: I’d better hurry). . .
So just a quick post to thank you for all the thoughtful, wise, supportive comments at my last post. I think the most recent comment there (as I’m writing this, at least) — by longtime reader Buffalo Gal — captures what I feel about the community and the conversations I’m privileged to host. She writes:
I have never before “ducked back into” a conversation, but I feel compelled to. What a stark contrast this thoughtful conversation is to the “clanging cymbals” we are surrounded with in the media! It is a pleasure to read these thoughtful and thought provoking comments from women who take time to support one another. Frances- you have attracted quite a community here. That is an accomplishment I would treasure.
And I do. Thank you so much!
One more bit of blog housekeeping, and then I’ll take you for a quick Pink-themed walk in my neighbourhood, before I hop (virtually, purtroppo) over to Italy for the morning. . .
Housekeeping. . . or Promise keeping. A few posts ago, Eleonore asked if I might share the recipe for the Leek Torta (Torta di Porri or Porrata) that I made and sketched. I was inspired to make this Leek Pie (with a bread crust) after seeing a post on Stefano Arturi/@italianhomecooking’s Instagram feed. You can find recipe proper, prefaced by the history of the dish, on Arturi’s blog in this post. Let me know if you make it (I will tell you that the bread dough puzzled me a bit, and I didn’t let it rise for the recommended time).
Okay, then.
Ready for a walk?
as mentioned, the theme is pink, so I’m sharing a photo of the COS sweatshirt dress I bought back in February and only took the tags off last week. Styled above with my Glerup slippers and black tights, which is not how I would have worn it if I chose to wear it out for a walk these recent sunny days. . . But it’s the only recent photo I have of my wearing something pink . . . So imagine I’m wearing that dress with bare legs, pink ankle socks and my pink oxfords. Or possibly my white-with-green-trim Stan Smith sneakers. If the temperatures would go up another 3 or 4 degrees into summer weather, I might even get my Birkenstocks out.
But for now, let’s imagine I chose the Oxfords. And we’re off. . . .
About four or five blocks away, these city-planted street trees are in their glory right now. I believe they’re a Midland Hawthorn (I’ve only known the native, white-blossomed hawthorn before I discovered these) — if you know better, I’m happy to learn.
The pink blossoms delight; I’ve been so struck, this spring, by gratitude owed to those with the vision to plant the trees that bring so many of us this untrammelled, simple joy.
A very good counter to this reality, also seen on my walk. . . .
Ha! Too true. Not for now, at least (I just got a sweet, sad, hopeful email about from the hotel I would have been staying in a few weeks ago, enroute to Sicily. Le sigh.)
But if we’re not in Paris admiring the chestnut blooms of May, well, the chestnut trees at home are not so shabby, even if they’re not adorning streets lined with Hausmannien architecture.
In fact, this majestic chestnut was overlooking a park whose playground might have been roped off as unusable during Covid
but whose grassy field was strewn with blankets on which people sat or sprawled or knelt while visiting at Public Health-sanctioned distances from each other. Not quite Jardin du Luxembourg, but something of the Parisian spirit nonetheless. . . .
And with that, I’ll leave you so that I can go prep my camera look for the Zoom session. . . A few weeks ago, I wore this scarf and was tickled to hear our (30-ish, male, from Milan) instructor comment, “Che bella sciarpa!”
And to quickly answer the question my Italian granddaughter asks when I wear my hair like this, No, I haven’t cut it. It’s just pinned up with that tough-to-sketch hair clip of last post. . . . (Our hair stylists are allowed to open this week, but I haven’t heard yet if mine’s ready for appointments. Soon, I hope…)
That’s it for this Gallimaufry of a post. . . .
Happy Tuesday!
xo,
f
Those pink blooms are very pretty…ah Paris (sigh) I wonder when it will be safe to resume travel? I was supposed to go in September but my flights have been cancelled.
Your hair is looking fabulous btw…I love those curls! Stay well and enjoy your Zoom class.
Maybe your keen eye and inveterate traveler of a persona will take some notes on what it's like to spend a summer near home?
I wonder when travel will be available? Pink is a favourite colour right now after years of shunning it as "too girly" Are you enjoying your Zoom Italian classes? I'm looking at Alliance Française but they are $850 which I consider expensive for online classes. Your hairclip curls are lovely.
Seriously, your hair is THE BEST. I grew my (grey, curly) hair long last year but then cut it off because it just doesn’t look like yours 🙂 Travel … yeah. So much cancelled, so much reassessment of what will ever be possible. In my case, even my move to the country (practically Antarctica, given it’s far southern Tasmania) is on hold for border restrictions … But there is always a silver lining. A slower, closer world has many upsides.
I love that pink dress, Frances. It's the same colour as my new tee shirt. We are slower to get pink around here. Our apple blossoms are straining to come out… you can almost hear them. We had to cover much of the garden last night as Stu was afraid of frost. But we have seen baby gosling swimming in a line on the river. One family of eleven! Geese may be aggressive and noisy but they sure are good parents. Hope the Italian lesson goes well. Vancouver is so lovely. It's not Paris, but it's not bad! 🙂
Reading your post realized there isn't a single pink item in my wardrobe. Pink looks good on you. Love your curls–though they are likely driving you to distraction. My hair is well past the sell-by date, but my hairdresser contacted me as the state just opened this up; will have a cut on June 3rd. Fortunately, she has a large home studio located on a different floor of her home with a separate entrance. Never more than one or two of us there at a time so wearing a mask/handwashing will be the only necessary precautions required.
As for pink flowering trees, we seem to have had weeks of strong winds, so blossoms aren't lasting too long. Nice to see the lovely flowering Vancouver trees.
Hostess: I know you were so looking forward to that trip. We just have to settle into the beauty around us, right? And it's here. . . .
Lisa: Thanks for the compliments! I'll try. . . 😉
Mme: Wow! That really is pricey, although it would dependent on length of classes, of the course, and of the instructor-student ratio. I'm finding the Zoom classes from Il Centro very good at less than 1/3 that price (for 12 weeks, I believe, 2.5 hours weekly, 7 students)
Tiffany: Thanks re curls! There are more bad days than good, tbh, but I can always pin up or put a scarf on, and my stylist should re-open soon. I imagine it will be weeks before my name gets to the top of her list. Too bad about not being able to get to your property, but as you say, slowing down and paying more attention will show us a silver lining or two. I hope 😉
Sue B: So we have two sets of Matching Pink then!
I agree that geese are great parents. We used to have them regular paddle their little armadas past our beach. . . So cute, even if I hold some grudges against them for what they do to a soccer field (my kids used to play and walking across to watch the games — ugh!
Mary: I've only added the pink back in over the last two or three years, and this dress is the least practical — I'm just waiting for the first drop of soya sauce to land — but I couldn't resist its promise of Spring back in February. Now that Spring's here, and Summer nearing, it's hard to imagine going anywhere that suits a dress, even a sweatshirt dress.
That's a good set-up for getting your hair done. Something I'd really be looking forward to!
That is a delicious pink on you!
Yes, that's your pink!
I lost my gym and hair salon on the same day, they just couldn't hang on. No stated date for salon opening, either.