So yesterday, Olga and I walked past the twee bakery on the high street and I'll be darned if the dog bowl didn't have water in it! What are the odds? Did they read my blog yesterday?!
I swear that is the first time that's happened.
This (above) is how we spent our entire morning -- sitting on the bench in the garden, Olga comfortably atop her Union Jack dog bed. Dave was still out of town so we had the entire day to ourselves. I sat and read an entire issue of The New Yorker, and started my newest book, "The Woman in the Window," which is good so far. Olga snoozed in the sun.
Here's the obligatory annual photo of bluebells in the garden...
...and the bleeding hearts, aka dicentra, are blooming too. In fact, so much is suddenly blooming at the moment -- the aquilegia and the candytuft, our yellow wallflower, our white camellia. It's crazy out there. And I'm seeing bees and hoverflies and early butterflies, like cabbage whites and holly blues.
Speaking of dicentra -- and there really is a connection here -- I just learned that my old apartment in New York is on the market again. I was on Zillow looking at something else, and I tried some of my old addresses just out of curiosity, and found the listing. The apartment looks much swankier than it did when I lived there. They remodeled and expanded the kitchen and put it some fancy appliances. The bathroom, however, looks exactly the same.
(The dicentra connection is that there was a dicentra in the back garden of the apartment building, and I looked forward to it blooming every year.)
And finally, at the risk of seeming completely insane, I want to show you my newest t-shirt. New to me, that is. Yes, I found it, on one of my walks. It was discarded in a field with some other clothing that I did not rescue, because after all I was walking and besides, one has to be selective about these things. As you can see it got a bit faded from lying in the sun -- but I like that. Call it fashionably distressed. The logo is pretty small, in the center of the chest. I dig this shirt, and given the message, finding it seems appropriate!
Perfect shirt for you, and love the dog and the blooms...Sorry you did not pick up when I called...
ReplyDeleteThe T-shirt design plays upon the "Kit Kat" commercial - "Have a break, have a Kit-Kat" - Kit-Kat being a famous British wafer bar covered in chocolate and first produced in Yorkshire. By the way, as an indigenous native of this island I am somewhat offended by the fact that Olga's dog cushion has a Union Jack design! Has our proud flag been reduced to this - a mere dog cushion?
ReplyDeleteE: I didn't even know you called, though I see that now on my phone. Sorry!
ReplyDeleteYP: You know, I knew the design must be alluding to something -- but I didn't immediately recognize the Kit Kat connection. Thanks for pointing that out! (We had Kit Kats in the states, too.) As for the flag, one thing I have found SO REFRESHING about Britain is that the Union Jack appears on everything -- coffee cups, t-shirts and yes, dog beds. We need more irreverence in the world!
So cute! Olga's cushion suits her, being both stylish and comfy.
ReplyDeleteAren't you happy that you took photos of your old New York apartment? A mere ten years ago, but eons away from your life now. When I had a tiny studio apartment on the Upper West Side I was never so house-proud! I loved every stick of furniture, every objet d'art, every dish towel and house plant, and I had the best cat in the world who knew my heart and soul. Now I have a big house and there are days that I wish it would burn down so I could move back to a little place with all new, specially and individually chosen stuff.
The TV commercials for Kit Kat bars in the U.S. are really weird. There's a factory that makes the left bar, and another factory that makes the right bar, and they feud. To me, it's an unfunny person's idea of hilarity. I have a Kit Kat once a year, at Halloween. They aren't bad.
Always love to see Olga. Have put in a reservation for that book at the Library, the last one you recommended was a great read, been trying to remember the title, something with dust in the title I think, about Australia.
ReplyDeleteBriony
x
You and I are much alike in our clothing acquisition.
ReplyDeleteFor some reason, I did not realize that your blog went back to your NY days! I might have to go back to the early days and read about your life then.
Your garden looks like a little bit of heaven.
that's the way of spring it seems...dawdles along until one day it busts wide open. and I agree, more irreverence!
ReplyDeleteMy blue bells just poked out of the ground! Kool shirt!
ReplyDeleteLove seeing the flowers of spring there.
ReplyDeleteSeeing your old apartment reminds me that at heart you are a zen minimalist, everything in order, which is so at odds, to my mind, with your rescue of street items like that very cool vintage looking t-shirt. and yet both seemingly opposing impulses live harmoniously in you!
ReplyDeleteYour old apartment kitchen got a very nice upgrade indeed.
Yes, I too love that first photo and, like you, I dig the t-shirt.
ReplyDeleteWhat a perfectly peaceful weekend you had as opposed to me who had one of the most hectic weekends I've had in a long time. However, I'm not complaining. I had a wonderful time. Olga looks so cute on her Union Jack bed in the garden sunshine. Your flowers are beautiful and I love the T-shirt. I'm kind of wishing I was in London right now. The weather looks just about perfect.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a blissful day to me. I could have had such a day - it was really pretty here too - but I cleaned the house all day. Ha!
ReplyDeleteThat shirt logo is awesome - I'd have rescued it too :)
ReplyDeleteOlga looks quite queenly on her comfy bed. No offense to the actual queen. You could use a cushion, too, especially for a long reading session :)
I love bleeding heart plants, and they are DEER RESISTANT!!! That calls for three exclamation marks. They have an unpleasant taste, apparently. I have a few and they spread every year, so eventually that's probably going to be the mainstay in my flower beds.
I'm loving olgas cushion x
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