It's Been One Year

Yesterday, 20 September, was one year to the day since I arrived to live in London. It has been quite a year. It has been a wonderful year. It has been a challenging year. I like living in London much more than I ever could have imagined. I've made some lovely new friends who I hope will be part of my life for years to come. I've learned so much, mostly about myself.
That is all.

BEAUTIFUL MONDAYS, again

Beauty is in the eye (ears, nose, tongue, and touch) of the beholder, so tell me, what beauty have you “beheld” lately?

This weekend my beauties were multi-sensory. I attended the final performance in the Proms concerts for this season. I went to the one in Hyde Park. At the end there were fireworks. It was glorious.

BEAUTY: Paris and environs

This is the last of my beauty posts for a while. Today’s was inspired by and is for gypsyg, as well as my ongoing ruminations on the true nature of friendship and trust, vulnerability and fear.

Beauty is in the eye (ears, nose, tongue, and touch) of the beholder, so tell me, what beauty have you “beheld” lately?

PARIS, May 2006










This one’s for Mit: the best kitchen supply store in France








This one is for hitmouse & misfratz:

BEAUTY: Brighton, Newquay, London

Yesterday, I posted because it was Monday. I had a bit of a turbulent weekend, but come Monday, I had a new perspective on a lot of things and on myself. But, I want to keep doing this for a few days.

Today’s submissions are inspired by something frreenie shared with me yesterday. These posts are all about beauty, wherever you find it.
Beauty is in the eye (ears, nose, tongue, and touch) of the beholder, so tell me, what beauty have you “beheld” lately?

Come. Share. Enjoy.
NEWQUAY: August 2007









BRIGHTON: June 2007


a very small jellyfish on a very big beach


a water story in 4 parts:






LONDON: July 2007

BEAUTIFUL MONDAYS

Mondays can be such a drain.

This is for anyone who happens to stumble across it. But this is especially for my lovely OKC friends, I think you know who you are; you are in Scotland and Italy, Louisiana and North Carolina, Missouri and New York, Australia and London, Norwich and Florida, Cambridge and Kent and a few other places in between.

So, why not try to find a little beauty in each day.
Maybe we should share our occasional beauties with each other. I was talking with a good friend last night and for the second time recently we lamented a change of mood in these journals. Then we started talking about Easter Island. Our conversations go like that. However, I continued thinking about the things we miss. There seems to be less joy. I’d like to offer a little anecdote.

Yesterday, I went to Tate Britain and saw the photography exhibition,
How We Are: Photographing Britain. It was the last day to see it. I enjoyed myself despite the crowd.
How We Are Now is the companion online exhibition. Upon leaving the museum, I was surprised to see some beautiful flowerbeds in the museum’s outdoor patio/courtyard area. And one charming little surprise (at the end). What I saw inspired this post.

Beauty is in the eye (ears, nose, tongue, and touch) of the beholder, so tell me, what beauty have you “beheld” lately?







I have a growing fascination with bees (and honeys). This one was quite busy, beautiful, and content.






Beauty takes many forms.

NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL (with lovely company), part 3

MONDAY
It was down to sparklingone and me. If you ever have to go to Carnival for the first time, sparklingone is the one to be there with. She knows everything and she’s a guy magnet! Which was good, bad and sometimes funny!!
The theme of this year’s Carnival was Set All Free! commemorating the abolition of England’s legal involvement in the Atlantic Slave Trade.



Carnival, like so many aspects of African diaspora cultures is a complex product of various traditions. We anthropologists might use the word syncretism, or creolization, but no matter which you prefer traditions are rich and vibrant and very much alive in all of us around the world today. Notting Hill Carnival is comes to London from the Caribbean, mainly Trinidad and Tobago, tradition of Carnival. It still happens in varying ways throughout the Caribbean, in Rio de Janiero and New Orleans, where it is called Mardi Gras.

First we hit salsa corner on Portobello Road. Guy magnet in action!



London’s Fire Brigade is worth burning down your house too see. IMHO.


Then we were all over the place! In true Carnival tradition we followed the floats with music we liked. Whistles are required dress for Carnival. Actually they are the only required garb about Carnival.


There was a fantabulous!! samba group.



The big, loud sound systems get all the publicity, but the real heart of Carnival music is the traditional steel bands. There are still a few parading.


One of my course mates was there!


And much, much more. . .






No post of mine is complete without shoes. Carnival has an impressive group of women in spectacular heels and costumes dancing in the streets for hours and hours and hours.




But these (worn by a man) were possible the most creative addition to Carnival this year:


Hope you’ve enjoyed. Join us next time!