Our roses have started to bloom, putting a colorful splash in the center of the garden. They'll be at their best in about three weeks, I think. As you can see, the dahlias are coming along, too -- one of them is downright bushy and almost all the others have sprouted. Only one hasn't come up at all, and I suspect it's dead -- one of the new varieties we bought last summer. I think it's "Iron in the Fire," but I'm not sure.
Our yellow peony is blooming as well, and our other two peonies each have buds, so we should have some good displays there too.
I heard back from my slide guy over the weekend. He set aside a big box for me, and I went yesterday to Camden Market and picked it up, along with another full bin of loose slides from his shop:
Woo hoo! So now I have plenty to keep me busy for a while. I didn't even get a chance to talk with him, but after I picked them up I sent him a link to the Flickr album where I'm putting the scans as I complete them, so he can see what I'm up to. I suspect he thinks I'm a little unbalanced, so I'm going to leave him alone for a while. Part of my drive to acquire more is based on the fact that I want to keep slides from common sources together, because context says a lot about the images -- and if he still has more from photographers I've scanned, I'd like the additional pictures too. You know me -- I'm a completist. But I also can't drive the guy crazy.
I can't tell you how exciting it is for me to look at those bags. The mystery! The promise! Now I need to fine-tune my methods for organizing, cataloguing and storing all these images.
Otherwise, I'm still trying to catch up on The New Yorker (story of my life). Dave and I are now starting our TV-watching in the evenings with "The Golden Girls" -- I know! Such a gay cliché! But I never watched it very comprehensively when it was popular and we're enjoying the cozy humor. We're also finishing "Southland," an LA-based cop show that I loved when I first watched it about 15 years ago, and we're watching the newest season of "The Diplomat" and a show called "Imperfect Women" on Apple TV. The latter is quite a soap opera but it has a good cast, including Elisabeth Moss from "The Handmaid's Tale."
Maybe, just maybe, the descendants of the photographers, will someday rediscover the images, living online. I have some old family photos posted online that no one ever seems to see.
ReplyDeleteMy roses are still in tight buds, my peony is having an off year, I do love the mix of colours you have.
ReplyDelete"I suspect he thinks I'm a little unbalanced..." If so I in turn suspect that he was a leading clinical psychiatrist who worked in one of London's top teaching hospitals and wrote the fascinating research paper, "Obsession - hobby mania in retired librarians and former journalists".
ReplyDeleteI do enjoy reading your eclectic posts. So much of interest all in one go!
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to seeing what treasures you uncover in your latest batch of slides.
ReplyDeleteYour garden is so wonderful. So much color! If you are going to be obsessed with something, gardens and slides are pretty innocuous obsessions.
ReplyDeleteOne time I went to the antiquarian book-and-ephemera show and found, at a postcard dealer, a postcard of the cottage at the lake (now the cousins) where my mom spent her childhood summers. Nice, but in and of itself, not totally unusual. But what made it so was that it was written to my childhood babysitter from the grandmother who died five months before I was born. I stood at the booth and cried, never having even seen her handwriting. It's my hope that someone from Beryl's family -- or any of the others you are chronicling -- will somehow happen onto these images (and shed a tear or two, too). (And you wondered what all you would do to occupy your days in retirement!)
ReplyDeleteI think someone might be doing an internet surf and stumble upon your selections of slide and find someone they know, or a place they remember, or just a story for them to fashion in their own minds.
ReplyDeleteI kind of like the glimpses into another time and place.
Slides are to Steve as Genealogy is to Ed. I'm excited to see what treasures you find and post on here!
ReplyDeletePerhaps I have a hidden gay side then as I have watched the Golden Girls before and enjoyed it. I've never watched an entire season because that was during the time I didn't have a television but my grandfather loved the show and I saw plenty at his place along with episodes of Mash and Hee Haw.
It's a good project for retirement, Steve.
ReplyDelete"Edward's 21st Birthday" that alone is worth your obsession. Treasures, all!
ReplyDeleteThat is a lot of slides to go through! I'm sure you will enjoy the challenge.
ReplyDeleteI finished Imperfect Women and you are right it is a bit of a soap opera. But, as you say, with a great cast. One thing that struck me was the clothes they put on Kerry Washington. I've never seen such a horrible selection of clothes put on a lead character. The costume person must have been quite mad.
My older daughter has been a Golden Girls fanatic since childhood. I can't tell you how many GG related gifts I've given her over the years. This Christmas it was a neat Warhol style tee.
ReplyDeleteFor some reason my latest post didn't update in anyone's sidebar. Come see me.
DeleteI loved the Golden Girls back in the day. I really (REALLY) related to Bea Arthur's character. Ha!
ReplyDeleteThe Golden Girls was great entertainment back when we didn't have to think so much about TV. Now with all the thrillers and suspense type shows, I'm entertained in a more stressful way! Love the flowers. My bearded irises are getting ready to bloom although they don't look as big as in other years. They were disturbed when I had my flowerbeds revamped.
ReplyDeleteYour garden is looking good, nice and colourful.
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
Your garden is thriving beautifully with lots of beautiful blooms. Don't we all look forward to Spring and Summer blooms after what seems to be a long Winter.
ReplyDeleteThe guy with lots of slides knows he has a good buyer/customer for his slides. He is a good source for your slide hobby.
I look forward to seeing more photo treasures.
GG's was a favorite for my mother so I've seen a few episodes. The character I remember most is Maud.
Gorgeous flowers. Your garden must be lovely. Have fun sorting slides!
ReplyDeleteI checked out your Flickr page and the photos turned out really good and even though I don't know any of the people, it was fun to try and guess the year that the photo was taken.
ReplyDeleteI went over and looked at your flkr site. i can see why you would be fascinated with the slides.
ReplyDeleteYour garden is a rainbow! Maybe the "dead" dahlia just needs a bit more time and sunshine. I loved The Golden Girls but it did send me on a cheesecake binge.
ReplyDeleteThose roses are gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteI can imagine the excitement about the slides, even though it is not a project I would take on.
Imperfect Women has been on my to-be-warched list for a while; I like Elizabeth Moss ever since I first saw her in Mad Men.