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Be still, ye Clattering Empires: Nobody does pageantry married to finesse and discipline as well at the British.
…And yet once again: “Believe me, my young friend, there is NOTHING—absolute nothing—half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.”
The Chartwell, fitted out in premium fashion to serve as the Royal Barge for Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee Water Pageant. (You have realized that I’m an anglophile of the first water…?)
Sorry I can’t simply embed this lovely narrated slideshow on the history of water pageants on the Thames. Sorrier yet that I can’t return to London for this rare and “teddibly British” event…
“Believe me, my young friend, there is NOTHING—absolute nothing—half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.”
Nine Variations on a Dance Theme (1966)
Dir. Hilary Harris
Danced by Bettie de Jong
The first time I saw this extraordinary film, showcasing the extraordinary Ms. de Jong, I was in graduate school getting my Master’s in Dance. I saw for the first time, I think, how powerfully film can capture the expressive physicality of human movement; through the course of my relatively brief (and rather un-extraordinary) career, I learned also how very rarely that ever happens. Ms. Harris had already won an Oscar for her work when she made this film, and Ms. de Jong was already a renowned member of Paul Taylor’s dance company. When arthritis put an end to her brilliant performance career—a cruel stroke of fate both for her and for her audience—she continued on as rehearsal director for the company, a position which she apparently still maintains at the age of 79.
Bathtubs of the Gods, Almost Perfect Edition. If that’s actually a floor-drain in the midst of the beautifully scaled checkerboard tiling, then it’s gonna have to be upgraded to Absolutely Perfect Edition. Really, I’ve never seen the point in having plumbing and waterproof surfaces in a room, without also giving it a floor-drain so you can clean the place by just hosing it all down! Simple…!
Garden art you can play on! (N.B.: You’re in trouble if you get the north end of the table.)
“The Earth’s a big blue marble when it’s seen from way out there…”
Viggo never looked better; don’t know about the cat, but he looks pretty damn sharp, as well…
Was given five raspberries fresh from the garden today. (Yum!) Summer’s officially here, hereabouts.
“Hot off the looms,” so to speak. I’ve got three of these (kingsize!) in storage, and I miss them even though it’s way too warm to have much use of them. Sorry we can’t see the point marks…
The Library,
Chatsworth House, Derbyshire, UK
The Great Dining Room,
Chatsworth House, Derbyshire, UK
