Just when it seems like a bit of good news would be exceedingly welcomed, comes this true story (I’ve checked it with Snopes) about a woman hand feeding hummingbirds.

Isn’t it great that with the Internet we have a way to easily share these experiences that we might never hear about otherwise?!

Thanks to Cathy for sharing with me in the first place!

It’s a reminder to me that “God’s in his heaven; all’s right with the world.”

from “Pippa Passes”

The year’s at the spring
And day’s at the morn;
Morning’s at seven;
The hill-side’s dew-pearled
The lark’s on the wing;
The snail’s on the thorn;
God’s in his Heaven -
All’s right with the world!

Robert Browning (1812-1889)

Is it possible that in these difficult times we could trust more deeply that God will feed and clothe us, as he does the birds and the lilies? Whether we are literally in need of food, shelter, clothing, water, health, employment or any of a myriad of other needs, the most basic need is for the ideas that will lead us in the right direction and out of limitation.

Ideas are always limitless! (This goes along with the short movie I posted earlier.)

Not too long ago while pondering how I should schedule my day, though my first inclination the night before had been to get on down the road and back home, I felt it was all right to meander a bit. In doing so, I had a number of interesting conversations with strangers, some welcome time with a friend, and a bit of fashion enjoyment, including some time with perfumes.

After I’d been back on the highway for a while, an electronic sign informed me of an accident 26 miles down the road. One lane was closed. (I learned later that it had only cleared about an hour before I got there.) If I had hurried my way home, I would have been stuck for hours while they cleared the road. I was able to get past it without any lost time.

Sometimes we do not know what we or others are protected from, but this time it was apparent. And it could have been far worse, but thankfully wasn’t. On this busy stretch of road, many more could have been involved in this accident but were not.

That’s just a small example of how ideas will clear our day for us. Expect ideas today and always that will help you!

Karin

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Apres Vous is a romantic comedy that takes place in Paris. The DVD is subtitled in English, at least here in America.

In a way, it is similar to Ratatoille, only not animated. A lot of the action centers around an up-scale restaurant in Paris. Things get complicated when Antoine (Daniel Auteuil) (he was nominated for a Cesar for best actor), the headwaiter, takes a shortcut, scaling the gate, through the park late one night. (I was trying to figure out what park, and if I’d ever been there.) He is late to meet his girlfriend, and he is about to be even later. In a humorous scene, filled with pathos, he saves Louis (Jose Garcia) from hanging himself.

This random act of kindness snowballs into more, when he takes Louis home; doesn’t tell his girlfriend the whole of it; and eventually gets Louis a job in his own restaurant in a funny scene in which Louis is clearly out of his element during the job interview.

The same night he rescues Louis, Louis remembers he sent his grandparents a suicide note. Antoine and Louis take an all night road trip to intercept the letter. But the letter has already been delivered. The grandmother is a hoot, and Antoine reads her his version of the letter. (It would have been fun to know the whole of what the other letter said. I could catch a lot, but I suspect it is even funnier than I knew.) The grandmother is to blame for a lot of it. I bet the actress had fun with this role!

Louis is despondent, because his love for Blanche (Sandrine Kiberlain) was not reciprocated. Louis is just strange enough — and funny enough, since you know this is a comedy — that it makes you wonder how anyone would take him home without being afraid. And make no mistake, he is strange. But against all odds, he manages to conquer the restaurant, strange or not.

Later Antoine finds Blanche, saves her from a disastrous fast-approaching marriage, and falls for her in a big way. He tries to leave the field open for Louis, but there are pitfalls in the way. And the better Louis seems to be, the more Antoine has followed in Louis’ footsteps by being unable to function.

It has a believable and satisfying ending. There are many, many funny scenes, where people just miss each other — or run into each other — scenes in the restaurant; the restaurant owner; scenes in the kitchen of the restaurant; etc.

By the time we had watched half the movie I was picking up a lot of French phrases again. In some cases I know it was subtitled perfectly. In other places I know the subtitles were not complete or were translated easier than it would have been if you knew the language. Scenes in the restaurant, with people talking in the background are not subtitled, but you’d catch the words if you were French-speaking. Same goes for the songs played during the soundtrack, the words are not translated.

Have you seen it? I give it a 3.

Karin

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This is the first book I’ve read by Qiu Xiaolong, though he’s written a number of other books. I chose to read this book because the cover jumped out at me from the library — a beautiful Chinese woman, drawn from just above the mouth, rising over a city (Shanghai) — and because of the Chinese subject matter.

This is the fifth book in the Chief Inspector Chen series, according to Qui Xiaolong’s website, though he has written other books, including translations of poetry. I found I could easily pick up the stories with this book, then read the others.

He dedicates this book to his elder brother, Xiaowei –

but for luck, what happened to him during the Cultural Revolution could have happened to me.

I am privileged to know someone who was caught up in the Cultural Revolution, so this book had a secondary appeal to me.

In a way, this sets the stage for the book which moves from just before the Cultural Revolution up to the present. The book is interspersed with much Chinese poetry, heady insights into the Cultural Revolution and its costs to Chinese society, Shanghai history and Chinese culture (including the concept of ‘face’ as it plays out in the story.) It also has a couple of scenes of cruelty to animals in cooking (also befitting the story.)

Chief Inspector Chen has decided to take a vacation that coincides, fortuitously, with his being asked to investigate a corruption case that is going to court. He can’t directly say no, but he can use this time to take a literature course wherein he has to write a paper.

He doesn’t appear a lot in the first half of the book. Instead we meet the other characters, including the lawyer in the corruption case, officials, his counterpart in the force who is taking over for him while he is gone and this man’s wife who is interested in helping her husband solve the case. (Women play pivotal roles in this story.) But like a fox, he solves the case in a slow and steady way, using love poems along the way.

If you are interested in learning more about Chinese culture, this series would be for you.

Qiu Xiaolong was born in Shanghai, but now lives in St. Louis, MO. A poet and translator, he has an MA and PhD from Washington University.

The book has a feel of being translated from Chinese. By this, I mean that it is easy to slip into the world of China, because the choice of words or phrases is a bit different than a native American English speaker would choose. I’m not sure this is a deliberate literary ploy or if we are just blessed because of who is writing it.

I felt the book was as valuable for what it says about China both literally and through the story and the interactions of the characters as it was for the actual story.

If you have a Chinese child or a heart for China, you should not miss this book. It is not always easy to read (such as the scenes of cruelty in cooking and the fact that it has a feel of being translated and because you’d like to remember the cultural references) but it is very worthwhile.

I look forward to reading his other books. Have you read it?

I give it a 4.

If you would like to see the story behind the book, go here.

Karin

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For those of us who wonder what it might be like if our Chinese child were still in China in their first family, here is an interesting article.

I also thought it was interesting that his parents chose the English name for him of: Seven Eleven (not Jack, for example.)

Some of our adopted Chinese children came with what sounded to us like odd names. Others of us were lucky enough to have someone tell us that the name occurs in a famous ancient poem, perhaps, one that is not commonly known to the modern scholar.

Karin

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One thing that is good about getting out of town is that it broadens our perspectives. It is all too easy to think our little (or big) milieu is the final word or full extent of mores or fashion or culture or…

Recently while out of town, I was struck by how many men I saw with pony tails. Nearly all of them had them held back, then clamped across the middle to the ends with other bands. Most of the men were older, but not all.

Personally, I like this look but never see it at home. It must bring back aspects of my youth.

I’m curious where the men were from. The area we traveled has world-wide tourists, so the men were likely from all over. I wonder if the look is prevalent in their area, or if they march to a different drummer.

I saw a number of nose studs (we see a lot here) and a few tattoos. One elderly woman was heavily tattooed, though there was a bit of open skin.

What do you find similar in your own experience?

Karin

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Perfume is the unseen, unforgettable, ultimate accessory of fashion. It heralds your arrival and prolongs your departure. Gabrielle (Coco) Chanel

I think it is safe to say that perfume prolongs your enjoyment of moments too. It adds both a sensory layer and a sensory memory to life’s experiences. I find that I can enhance a mood — or conversely change a mood — by the perfume I choose for the day.

I decided this last sentence isn’t exactly true for me. It is rare that I wear the same fragrance through the entire day. I much prefer to layer up and change as the day goes on and as my own feelings develop. I wear enough that I can enjoy it, but not so much that I can’t change in a few hours.

Neil Morris spoke with me saying that he likes to capture memories and moments of his life in a fragrance. Behind his fragrances, there is always a story. He asked me if I would like to know the stories behind his fragrances, and of course, I said yes!

Dark Season is a lovely, lush fragrance, filled with nuances of meaning. The notes are

French cinnamon, labdanum, oak moss, myrrh, fir needle, dark vanilla, Indonesian patchouli

He told me

Dark Season is a scent impression of a time I spent in Finland visiting friends — cold, dry shimmering nights. One evening our group took a walk through the winter woods in Lahti. The night was crystalline with cold air, and a majestic forest. The snow started to fall — it was an other worldly landscape. The stars were like frozen lights, as if they would break in a thousand crystal pieces, if you breathed on them. We had to return home as the north wind was getting too potent. My friend lives on a street that translates: Path of the Northern Hag. In the distance we could smell the warm fires and the saunas. Out in the cold and elements, a dry cold, we felt the promise of something warm in the distance, the hearth burning. My friend served gloggi, like a mulled wine — a perfect evening.

One thing I have longed to do for a number of years is spend some time in Finland during the winter season when the nights fill the daytime hours. I have ‘family’ in Helsinki and a dear ’son’ who lived with us for the school year when our son was 5. Just recently he brought his son to visit us, a kind of full circle. I’ve spent some time in Helsinki and at their summer cottage, enjoying their saunas, not to mention the cold dip after in the crystal clear lake.

I asked Neil how he learned to speak Finnish, and he told me he’d lived there for about a year. Lovely for him! Someday I hope to do the same, even if I might be hopeless with the language.

I asked him what he would do if he could no longer use oak moss. He said, it wasn’t settled yet, but he preferred to use natural oak moss and labdanum, but he has a good alternative, if he can no longer use oak moss.

Well, my impression: of course, knowing the Finnish back story enhances the fragrance for me, how could it not! My first impression is of fir needle and patchouli, the sweet kind that I love. The fragrance settles in with cinnamon wrapped around the patchouli — both last until the end — with vanilla casting a spell, along with the richness of myrrh. Altogether an entirely satisfying fragrance. If you love the notes, you would love it!

Yes, it is a walk in the woods, a night dark enough to let the stars shine through as crystal. (We had this experience of stars so bright you felt you could touch them, when we were at Lake Tahoe.) Wrapped around like the warmth of a good lap blanket are the notes that make up some of the spicy drinks we serve in cold weather — but not spiced cider, as there is no apple/fruity note in it.

I think I’m thirsty!

This fragrance is not overbearing, nor sickly sweet. It is the promise of happy memories and good times, richly elegant in its simplicity.

Stayed tuned for his other fragrances on other days. The price is $150 for 2 oz of perfume. Again, these are not available at his website yet, but you can order them by requesting them. Or if you prefer, you can phone: 617-267-2315. They are also available at Takashimaya in NYC.

Karin

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We recently took a trip cross country to see family — we had a lovely, lovely visit — on American Airlines. Interestingly enough, we did not fly a single flight that we had booked and all of the seats were, of course, different. Granted, we might have taken the first flight (which was delayed) but we would have arrived later than the flight we rebooked to.

Sometimes you just hafta go with the flow.

On the way out: the first flight to Los Angeles was delayed, which would have caused us to miss the connecting flight. There was a second connecting flight, but it was full, likely we would not have been on it, though likely our luggage would be (it was irretrievable and would make its way without us.) We could have made the third flight and arrived at 9:30 at night. So we rebooked through Dallas and arrived at 7:30 within minutes of our baggage arriving on the second flight that we would not have been able to get on. That was serendipitous.

We were in the far back of the planes for these flights, but the flights were smooth, so it didn’t matter. I stood for a time because the middle seat was too middle, if you know what I mean. S.Q.U.I.S.H.E.D. But I got there!

On the way back: our flight was canceled. Of course, we did not know this getting to the airport really early. The good thing was that we were about 6th in line for canceled flights. It was a very slow line. In the meantime one of our cell phone rings and an automated message tells us that we are rebooked the next day on a flight 2 hours earlier. Hello! What if we had checked out of a hotel? What if there was then no more room in the inn? (Meds were a problem for my dh.) And interestingly this earlier flight and our flight were both canceled going to Dallas, so what were the odds it would work the next day?

The young woman at the desk was competent and frazzled. The woman next to her was also competent and very kind. I complimented her on her demeanor. First the woman we were working with booked us through Chicago, which dh was having none of because of possible weather issues. We would have arrived at the home airport at 11:30 at night, assuming the connecting flight got out of Chicago. She got special permission for us to be on it. Then she had to cancel it, after she ended up booking us through Los Angeles, again with special permission, on a flight that left in minutes, then two stops and home at 9:30 (which turned out to be 10:30 with delays.)

If we had been any later getting to the airport or any farther back in the line, we would not have been able to make that flight. There were at least 200 people behind us in line. If we had been later or tried to check in at the curb, we would not have made the flight she was able to book us on.

As I said to her, they must put their best people on the desks. She was dealing with a lot of unhappy folks and did it with elan. She said she had been there since 4 am without a break.

Never mind that dh says he will never, ever fly American Airlines again. And was not. a. happy. camper.

I found a lot on the trip back that made me happy. Compatible people to talk with. Lots of interesting people watching. An art exhibit in one of the airport pathways. Taking a shuttle to the main terminal that crossed the tarmac — a birds eye view of planes taking off and landing, way cool. Sees candy! One of the airports had beautiful inlays in the floors, something more to look at.

A friend told me today that I saw this because I’m an optimist. I don’t know about that, but I had to do something to trust in the serendipities of the moment.

Just before our flight out of Los Angeles, there was a group of young kids, from about age 2 to age 4, simply adorable. The lone boy was dressed in a bright red Santa outfit. The girls were all in white, except for their Santa hats. White velvet coats; white tights with ‘fur’ trim; white shoes. They sang and danced to Christmas music, both in English and in Spanish. (They were Spanish speaking.) I tell you, it was a precious moment. Travelers were enthralled, using their digital cameras or cameras in their cell phones to capture the spirit. Smiles all around.

I wonder how they were allowed out to the gate?

Never mind, it was a gift from heaven. And if I’d been in Dallas as planned, I would have missed it. I wouldn’t even have known it either!

It’s kind of funny, really, that when we were booked through LA, we went through Dallas, and when we were booked through Dallas, we went through LA.

It took us 18 hours to get home, but we are home. We had a good trip. I was very glad I wasn’t getting on a plane to head out somewhere again. That would have been too much. But I have flown 15 hours on a flight to and from China. It is doable, especially when the end goal is in sight. Give me a few days and I could do it again, especially if it were somewhere I wanted to go or someone I wanted to see.

Take happiness in the moments. Don’t overdo during this time of year. I have yet to finish cards or even get all the gifts out. I hope I can, but I’m not going to make myself crazy. I have to go with the flow.

Karin

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E. Coudray Nohiba is one of the most interesting fragrances I own. I bought it a year or so ago, unsniffed, on the strength of recommendations at POL, judging from the sounds of it, knowing I love spices and Oriental fragrances, though I wear Opium only infrequently (I preferred Yves Rocher’s Ispahan, which is now discontinued.) Galbanum features in several fragrances I love also, though I don’t think I would know galbanum if I smelled it alone.

The Magic Oriental Created in 1922… Spices, Galbanum, Incense, Laudanum, Geranium, Rose Musk, Amber, Vetyver, Patchouli, Sandalwood

Elsewhere I found this description of it:

This one was formerly known as Tulip Noir. It has notes of jasmin, indian marigolds, clove, ginger, amber and vanilla.

Whatever the mix of notes, it is delightful. I can find it now in bath products but not the edt. Hopefully, more will surface.

In the meantime, something about this reminds me of L’Origan (1905.) Maybe it is the basic time frame of the fragrances, more sophisticated and formal vs. casual and fruity. But I’ve never worn L’Origan and love Nohiba.

top notes: mandarin, coriander, pepper and peach on a bergamot theme

mid notes: spicy floral clove and carnation with orchid, ylang-ylang, rose jasmine and orris

base notes: woody including sandalwood, cedarwood and labdanum

I must be in an autumn mood, even though the temps are still high here, in the 90’s. I woke thinking to wear Nohiba today, though I haven’t worn it in months. I think I like the marigolds in it.

Nohiba evokes autumn for me, the autumn of my childhood with colored leaves and a bit of smoke hanging in the air, before burning the leaves was forbidden — the crisp air blending scents of damp earth, wet trees and damp leaves, as well as dry leaves hidden in the piles.

I sure raked a lot of leaves in my times! The wind would come along and scatter them as soon as they were in piles, or we would jump in them with great energy.

I have a friend in Michigan who has sent me autumn leaves over the years. (The trick is to layer wax paper between them before mailing.) I put them in a large brandy sniffer bowl which I put away after the season. Each year I replace the old ones with new ones, but even a year later, they smell (and look) the same if I lean toward the bowl for a whiff. I am transported to a different time and place.

Nohiba is a way to carry those scents (and a different time) with me. Additionally it evokes for me the alleys and souks of the Casbah. I’ve never visited, but hope to one day.

It’s not possible to be bored wearing this scent. It has movement and verve.

Do you wear it?

Karin

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I am deeply saddened by the fires in Greece and my thoughts and prayers are with all who are there.

Helg and others, let us know you are safe.

I so much enjoyed our time in Greece. Seeing Olympia and Athens and other Grecian places makes me long to return. It is hard to imagine fires threatening Olympia and ashes falling on the Acropolis. Seeing the Acropolis lit at night was one of the highlights of our trip. I was glad to read that the museum in Olympia is safe. The artifacts are irreplaceable.

Helg writes about it here. A tragedy of epic proportions. I’m glad you are safe. It puts our day to day joys and sorrows in perspective.

Karin

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One of the most beautiful places on earth is Lake Tahoe in California/Nevada.

The water is so clear, it reminds me of the water at the summer cottage I visited in Finland. The water looks only a few feet deep because the rocks on the bottom can be clearly seen, but it is deceptive because it is not shallow.

For myself: I find water and trees refreshing on spiritual levels when I am quiet enough for them to sink in. Throw in mountains too, and I have it all.

I used to love visiting N. Carolina in the summer for much of the same reasons — mountains, trees, water, and a break from the heat at night. N. Carolina mountains have more vegetation and greenery than at Lake Tahoe, where they appear more like rocky outcroppings. And the ambiance is different in California.

My kids enjoyed walking along the rocky beach at Tahoe, throwing rocks into the water for hours, and learning to skip them. I enjoyed watching them do it and seeing the views. I relaxed.

We went by boat to another beach at Meeks Bay that was sandy where the kids jumped off the boat and swam to shore. One of my girls was more adventurous than the other. She did things first, but ultimately my fraidy one jumped off the dock too. Good girl!

It took me three days to acclimate to the cooler air temp, and by then it was warmer too.

Summer days are warm, but the nights cool down nicely because the elevation is so high. And while the air is thinner, it is so pure, as there is no pollution from traffic, although there is a lot of it.

I find it soothing to watch the sun rise and set over the mountains…often reflected in the water.

I came back refreshed.

What places and things of nature rejuvenate you? Have you been to Tahoe? Tahoe is a place that calls you back again.

Karin

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