Vita Sackville West – teamgloria, inc.

(special post for @womensday) well behaved women seldom make history #internationalwomensday

Posted on March 8, 2014March 8, 2014 by teamgloria in people., places., things.

darlings

*popping_on_suffragette_sash*

here’s a post for International Women’s Day.

with music by the great tormented free-soul deep female genius of ms. Janis Joplin.

https://soundcloud.com/legacyrecordings/sets/janis-joplin-the-pearl-1

turn it up!

*sighs_happily*

oh that’s l o v e l y.

firstly: Proper Credit is due to Ms. Laurel Thatcher Ulrich for her deeply delicious quote:

well-behaved women seldom make history

which adorns many a bumper sticker in los angeles (and especially portland and our cousins further north in seattle who drive trucks) and t-shirt these days but originally was part of an essay that the learned professor wrote and ended up as the title of a book she wrote on the subject.

so let us share with You a conversation we had with someone of very not-so-advanced-age-at-all last week somewhere above the Hollywood Hills not far away from the Sunset Strip:

for example, the suffragettes are an example of women who stood up to be counted.

who?

the s u f f r a g e t t e s……

(blank look)

seriously? you’ve never heard of the suffragettes?

er, no.

did you know that women didn’t have the Vote until the early 1900s?

shit. seriously?

yes.

who said we couldn’t have it?

governments in most countries around the world.

NO WAY?!

yes, way.

time for some prep/homework assignments (if we gave them, which we do not)

wow. (goes off to look intently at mobile device)

this conversation (which shocked but not surprised us) actually gave us pause for thought (always an excellent idea)

and we looked at our bookshelves heavy and poignant with the words of women who took the radical step of Writing out their Lives.

like Anne-Marie Schwarzenbach

(more here from the inestimable “bookslut” on the life of Ms. Schwarzenbach)

and the more Eagle-Eyed of you (and we know you are now legion – *shivers*) may have spotted the Translator (we ADORE a translator) happened to drop by to say hello when we last mentioned her subject’s work.

the sheer intensity of Ms. Schwarzenbach (we hesitate to call her by her first name although we feel sure she’d be slyly amused by the use of her initials so “AM” it is) is evidence of a Life Recorded (in albeit much terror and inward searching but these are most valuable too – especially when one is on the Open road and heading somewhere Foreign and dusty and glorious……

talking of lives unknown.

when you’re driving (or being driven if the car is not yours but a hansom cab or perhaps a limo for special occasions, hope it’s a Bentley – the ride is so s m o o t h in one of those as we recall) do you look left and suddenly wonder Who Lives There? and What Are Their Lives Like?

we do.

all. the. time.

especially when the sun sets into the sea and the palm trees loom dark and brooding over the cliff top and the lights come on, one by one, in the apartment buildings nearby.

and one can spot a few solitary figures sitting at the water’s edge, perhaps with a letter that they need to read – or write – or let go into the waves (in tiny pieces).

when the twinkle lights blink at the end of the Pier and one is suddenly GRASPED by a feeling of Excitement and possibility and sheer happiness.

sunsets have that effect on the Psyche, non?

while twinkle lights engender a sense of Possibility and ease – especially if one has the good Fortune to live in that powder pink almost Ms. Schiaparelli hot vermillion shade house to the bottom right.

when women Write they tell what it is like to Be.

be what?

whatever they want to be.

dreams bring forth inspiration.
(thank you to Adriana at NonStop Printing who helped us with our card order yesterday)

and inspiration brings to light many things.

including how to witness and help Others tell their stories.

which Might Well include doing so in glorious places, for example, *coughs*, on the island of Deia off Majorca next month.

gosh.

who-we-are-in-RL is super intense looking isn’t she? ;-)

and now – as we wind down this special post for women’s day, let’s hear from the extraordinary Nina Simone.

https://soundcloud.com/nem0o0o/nina-simone-feeling-good

oh, you’re most welcome.

rock those speakers and close your eyes and let her divine rage seep into your veins and inspire you to go out and do something.

in fact:

Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

thank you ms. mary oliver.

it’s saturday.

have a nice nap.

and then don’t forget to write later.

we need your stories.

dawn to dusk with anne scott-james.

Posted on February 13, 2014 by teamgloria in people., places.

darlings

in between writing articles and chasing up consultancy tasks, we cooked and listened to Mr. Robert Elms on the wireless, popped out to meet friends at lunchtime and then decided we’d Done Enough.

and settled down on the sofa, with the pashmina over our shoulders and another throw near the feet, for comfort, and read and read and read Anne Scott-James, Most Happily.

may we share?

another rosy dawn.

which gave a pinkish glow to soft cotton sheets.

and a sunrise kiss to the book (and the divine dorian)

the dawn reflected in a photograph we took of our friend Anna (where would she be now?) from the Theatrical Performance (circa 1989) at London University of a Torrid Tale

and now to Anne!

wonder if Anne’s Morris Cowley was Racer Green too.

and then there was the cinema (note longing italics).

and love letters much an-ti-ci-pated….

ah. the Americans who invade the British offices.

we can only imagine.

now Ms. Lesley Blanch sounds TREMENDOUS, don’t you agree?

this made us a tiny bit homesick.

not that we grew up in the 1940s Or wore print dresses (perhaps once) and certainly cannot recall a village (there wasn’t one for miles) or Communal berry picking and jam-making.

but it’s the Sort of shot that makes one Linger in the lost England where people did such things. non?

favo(u)rite line here – and yours too?

Visitors were frequent, mostly poets.

just like at teamgloria towers then ;-)

so we ARE old enough to have worked (adjacent to) on Fleet Street (actually Old Street, when The Independent offices were at 40 City Road (and we stayed with the paper through its move to the Docklands – a strange place) and, on one memorable occasion (which has been sadly lost to the mists of Time) we had to Phone Our Copy In to the copy-takers from, we *think*, the Queen Elizabeth Hall.

of course this was (long) before cellular telephones so we nestled into a telephone booth and a lovely lady took down our bon mots on the other end for the paper the Next Day *shivers*

back to Anne – can you imagine finding a Cable Office to send word to Our Man in Havana that one is arriving on the Clipper a tuesday from hence?

glorious.

now this is Anne (on the right), unidentified lady extreme left and the blonde with the nice slim watch strap and pill box hat is none other than Miss Audrey Withers.

can you see this Transmission in your Territory (if not ask mr. you tube for “audrey withers vogue” and hopefully you’ll get a version of the British Pathe newsreel too!

oh look! Anne wrote a book about Sissinghurst!

so we *thought* she would enjoy a Spot in our bookcase next to Vita and above Nancy whom she also interviewed and not far along the shelf from Isherwood who, we are sure, enjoys the serenity of nestling next to Mr. William James (and everyone loves Plum Wodehouse) we still felt a little crazy today and then, while typing not long ago, took a look up and saw the full moon.

oh.

right.

that’ll do it.

we are Very in touch with the pull of the moon, darlings.

as one might expect.

hello, london.

Posted on November 5, 2013 by teamgloria in places.

darlings

we’re here!

and quite MAD (in a funny way) from the overnight flight from NYC to London in 51H (don’t ask) with probably not-exactly-2-hours-sleep but the Virgin Atlantic staff were splendid – all perky british essex voices and a kindly way about them – especially when dispensing tea or hot chocolate (nobody was allowed coffee as we were all supposed to Sleep) and then the Lights Went Out and we all did, duly, sleep (sort of).

now we’re here!

gosh.

London looks lovely in the rain.

but there again, it always did….

we braved the Tube (must not call it the Subway) because, well, getting a taxi is just Foolish with London Traffic.

we had a little snafu before we left Manhattan – our hostess for tuesday night suddenly got STRUCK down by a Flu Virus *shudder* and so we decided we had better NOT get sick as we’re en route to South Africa to do some important work (well, we’re not doing it, who-we-are-in-RL is doing that bit, but we’ll be reporting in Here).

so we had to ask Mr. Expedia if he had a last minute room and he did but we couldn’t check in until 2PM and the flight arrived at 7AM so we had an adventure (see pictures).

this is the only thing that still annoys us about England – the private worlds of the privileged.

yes, yes, we *know* Los Angeles has many a gated community – but one doesn’t know about them unless one does know about them – here the private parks are on full display and one presses one’s nose up against the railings to no avail. *sigh*.

but this cheered us up immensely.

as did a breakfast at the Troubadour.

that’s been on site since 1951 (which is not actually that long for an English Establishment but now we live in L.A we practically reeled with excitement.)

so many marvel(l)ous Mews around our hotel (Earls Court – decadent and threadbare but utterly perfect gentry-wise).

more up-against-the-railings-shots.

ah – a sweeping Georgian Terrace.

many Minis.

and the sort of places Vita Sackville-West would have visited when In Town.

this is our little room in the eaves.

isn’t it sweet?

sort of Student Nurse in size.

one could almost be in paris with a rooftop view.

and now we take a short nap.

before heading out into the night to thrill to the lights of soho and Beyond.

ta dah!

crazy with lack of sleep but remembering to use a Proper English Accent, darlings.

well, Bonne Anniversaire, to who we are In Real Life.

Posted on March 9, 2013 by teamgloria in people., places., things.

gosh.

is it that time of Year already?

March 9th (we won’t make her blush by saying the year) is the day that who-we-are-in-real-life celebrates her you know – Birthday.

of course it’s not Our Birthday (because we celebrate April 9th which is when we were allowed to start writing, publicly, here, on teamgloria.com) but we Do Indulge her because she gets Rather Excited about today on account of increasing years to become what’s she’s always wanted to be since the age of 9:

“femme d’un certain age”

she’s not There quite yet (mainly because Catherine Deneuve is the gold standard in this respect and she keeps increasing the upper limit, refusing Point Blank, to be anything Other than Still Glamorous and feisty and eyebrow-raising-irony French).

while she got all excited and sipped coffee and responded to lovely (how modern) text messages next door, we did Some Research.

it appears that there are Other people born on March 9th too!

and they all have something of a deeply creative and big eyed fringed with dark lashes (mascara or not in the case of John Cale) Appeal, it seems.

Kim Tae-yeon from Korea #weadorethewondergirls – watch this!

and then from La belle France – Juliette Binoche – and there are many beautiful heart-rending movies made by La Binoche but we love Jet Lag (Décalage horaire) most of all.

John Cale was also born today (in a Welsh mining town – such a long way from there to Here.)

and then, of course, of course, there’s VITA.

so there you go.

a Deeply Creative Bunch born today.

William sent a Marvel(l)ous Card. we’re going to lounge here just for a while – it’s only 0746AM in Los Angeles, darlings – we shall amuse ourselves with the Letters of Truman Capote, slip into the dark embrace of caffeine and perhaps nibble on (just) half a grapefruit.

there are plans ahead for the day – we’ll tag along and take photographs just to keep her amused and indulged.

although we’d Like to Point Out that Last Year we were in PARIS.

*sighs*

as we recall – we ordered Room Service (yes, we were at Le Bristol – with the Day Job and being all secretive and Still Anonymous) and just “happened” to confess it was our “anniversaire”……..the door was discretely tapped on again a few moments later and VOILA! Un Gateau!

but naturally we’re Tickled Pink that we’re in Tinseltown.

plus half a grapefruit for breakfast rather than Un Gateau is probably more suitable for (almost) un femme d’un certain age.

but there will be Milkshakes later.

we’ve been Promised.

*smiling*

as who we are in RL is Increasing in age, as teamgloria, n’est ce pas, we’re Perpetually 28, naturellement, so we can afford to be Gracious ;-)

a garden preview with buds in bloom.

Posted on February 18, 2013February 18, 2013 by teamgloria in people., places.

darlings

before we pop the kettle on to make a Pot of tea and then have a quick nap before our evening’s engagements…….we wanted to show you where we’ve just been.

but we are not Sure we can tell you where it Was.

we offered Picture Approval to the Head Gardener who gave us a delicious preview of a splendid Garden not yet open to the General Public (so Chic – and we had to carry a hard hat as well) and he airily said, “no need” but we forgot to say “can we say where we were?” and so we’re going to Keep Quiet about where-we-were but if He wants to pop a little comment in the comment-field (hint) to say it’s Quite OK to do so – we’d love that.

UPDATE: he said yes (see comments) – we were Here!

for now – flowers – flowers – blooms – trees – leaves – sunlight kisses on Live oak trees and sunbeams on swift and vocal hummingbirds and one delicious Drowsy Bee nourishing itself inside a fully flourishing floral delight.

after the garden pictures, we have provided a helpful (or what we Hope is helpful) link to Vita Sackville-West’s Gardening Diaries from the late 1940s to early 1950s – just to add contrast and depth and because we were so overawed by the beauteous garden that we don’t quite know what to say that would be better (plus you May recall that we Share a birthday with Vita in RL…….just saying…..).

firstly – the bounty from the Farmers’ Market – aren’t those creamy-white roses so Terribly Syrie Maugham?

then we drove (not far) across town for Brunch and spent a few moments in reverie in the back garden by the water feature and leaned down to nuzzle with……

the most delicious golden (in Southern California).

who nestled down by the elegant and pretty Raffish brown leather couch as we all had brunch and talked at the sunny table nearby before piling into a large motor vehicle and being driven to where-we-cannot-say.

Voila!

the garden (in Preview mode).

as promised – a drowsy bee sipping (does a bee sip?) pollen.

and now for Vita:

we must remember, of course, that February in England in those days (and now, we hear) was Very cold and the plants would be grasping different soil and probably hibernating waiting for signs of Spring.

and now to Nap with newly-minted memories of gardens in preview and dreams-of-gardens we may plant ourselves (or get a lot of help with from People who Know) in the Future.

*softYawn*

did you have a nap?

it’s always a good idea on a sunday, especially when one has been In The Garden, darlings.

too much. #allpassionspent

Posted on January 3, 2013 by teamgloria in places.

it’s all too much.

need to go Back to Bed.

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we’ve been Updating Change of Address and it’s exhausting (especially when one Encounters those either Automated or in-another-land “remote helping agents” who are not That Helpful when changing one’s utility bill reference details).

sigh.

oh for a late 19th century existence.

although we Are aware that there were a Great Many Restrictions upon a person of whichever gender in those days.

but – you know – just for a moment – nothing to do but pick up a cup of tea and await a caller with roses.

*dramatic_sigh*

and the Truck Across America doesn’t leave until the 14th.

so we’re flying out of here to there on the 12th instead.

and then we Wait on the other side (of the country) – not behind the veil of life itself, darlings.

we’re dramatic.

but not That Bad.

giggle.

are you having a delicious day?

are you warm and toasty with a good book waiting for your arrival home from the Office?

we do hope so.

links and extracts please.

we love those.

magical manhattan moments on a rainy day.

Posted on December 10, 2012 by teamgloria in people., places., things.

darlings

(peering from under the umbrella)

is it raining where you are?

it’s been POURING down all day here.

not torrentially. more a consistent drip-drip-drip-misty-hair-ruining-drip-drip.

quelle depressing.

so we’ve been trying to spot magical moments to provide relief from the rain.

like the magical lending library on cornelia street.

viewer

which apparently is part of a Movement!

(we simply adore a movement).

we took a slim volume (aren’t they always?) of poetry from the cornelia street mini free library and will be replacing it with something trashy and engaging to get someone else through a dark grey wintry afternoon.

viewer-1

we have a few books we can pass on – but then there are Treasures we cannot part with.

like our collection of Vita first editions.

in fact we got through this dark morning (we awoke at dawn for some reason) by eating tart ginger chews (very colonial India and probably not counting towards a necessarily Healthy repast) and reading Vita’s diaries of her trip to Persia (food for the soul, as always – the life of Adventure and risk and glorious writing-and-illustrations and thoughts and passions well spent, if not Wisely, at times, but what is wise in matters of la coeur?). viewer-2

oh! talking of la coeur – for movies are very close to ours – we appear to live in a film set – such a lot of people milling around with make-up brushes, disappearing into trailers or carrying long cables and directing traffic – always exciting.

what’s this one about?

(peers into screen and selects our friends at IMDB…….just a moment, darlings).

oh!

ever-so-slightly-disappointed (apparently it’s Television. not the silver screen of MGM and the like).

still.

at least there’s still a disco ball at bleecker street records where the hits of yesteryear go to lie around and discuss Vinyl and the last gig of the Jam and what Weller-is-doing-these-days (wearing decent threads) while drinking strong builders’ tea (yes, they’re always english or english-wanna-bes – in record establishments, hadn’t you noticed?

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we stood awhile by the window with our eyes closed and let the reflections from the disco ball as it rotated (very clever, apparently a Motor) flicker past our eyelashes like an old silent movie written by Anita.

but the most magical thing we saw today which lifted our spirits Immensely in the rain was the notice board (what the Americans call a Bulletin Board) at the corner of Charlton and 6th avenue (what tourists call Avenue of the Americas and locals try not to be rude and correct them).

look!

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it’s pretty special.

there’s no way of responding back-to-it (as we are used to now on the world of the interweb) or even an About Us or a contact us.

curious.

it sort of just appears.

the new post – sort of a fairly regular weekly basis.

there’s an old-fashioned lock (and there must be a Rota or a permanent Monitor person for the key because the post each week is always credited to a different local person).

we can find nothing about it on the interweb (it appears to be ignoring bulletin boards all together which is rude but perhaps understandable as this one is clearly competition with its post this week about the christmas tree of 1936 that appeared in That Actual Spot – amazing.)

and the final magic thing that happened today (although it is still not quite supper time so who knows what may transpire Next) is that Betty the post-mistress gave us a hug (we left a blessings-for-new-year – we don’t really Do Christmas and a small tip of folding money tied up with a dark pink ribbon, almost scarlet in the fluro-lobby-lights when we considered it more closely).

she was putting the Post into the large mailbox (yes, we live in an Apartment building where this happens late afternoon – how we wish we lived somewhere where a Butler called Sam – male or female – we’re pretty open-minded on that score – left our post/mail/letters on a silver tray in the hallway) and saw us (we had to pop back between tasks to get some personal effects) and she suddenly gave us a hug.

which was lovely.

when did you last hug someone?

highly recommended.

we got Quite Pink cheeks afterwards.

a northern pale winter light, a first edition of vita sackville west, 1940 and Mr. Everett.

Posted on December 3, 2012December 3, 2012 by teamgloria in people., places., things.

It’s still early (7 ish) but we set the alarm for much, much earlier and could not, it seems be as sprightly as someone from lower III, eager to greet the day, all prep done and with the fountain pen created ridge on the third finger still gratifyingly smudged with India ink and one’s sports kit all washed and redolent of lenor from the local commercial laundry.

In fact we felt quite truculent and Rather weary in a not at all depressed way but sort of wanting to stay and Read All Day instead.

A bit like the young Mr.Everett in Another Country, in fact.

Have you seen it?

If you have a thing for cloisters and cricket whites and Marx and the poetry of repression and longing……..well……you will adore it.

So – cultural reference aside – we did get up, make coffee and admire the thin delicate almost Danish light in Manhattan today.

And the dark embrace of caffeine kicked in.

We turned to today’s task on instagram for the #Decemberchallenge.

Today it was “red”.

So thank you to gym c for the now blooming amaryllis!

Which turned our thoughts to gardening (we don’t have one, but one day we might).

And gardening of course brings us to Vita.

Always.

After a few sips of new Orleans chicory infused coffee and a page or two of Vita (why yes, that Is a First Edition from 1940, clever you for knowing that), we simply Must get ready.

But the Mr. Everett reference is not altogether lost, for we are taking a portrait this morning before heading to more Consultancy-style-special-Advisor tasks and the inspiration might well come in handy……

More later, darlings.

Stay warm out there if you’re from the Northern Hemisphere.

Which, judging from our “stats” (How Modern!)) many of you are not!

Bom dia, Brazil. In fact.

And howdy down under possums.

Nihao Hong Kong (which might be our friends in CHINA re-routed via off shore servers, of course with a geo IP lookup to denote device type for optimum UX)*

*this is the sort of dialogue we get to use in RL. #smart huh? Yeah. We keep a straight(ish) face ;)

the view from the couch

Posted on March 28, 2012March 28, 2012 by teamgloria in places.

we are Quite Weary this morning and finding it hard to summon that “up-and-at-em” attitude of the kicky chorus girls in movie musicals of the 1930s.

It’s 7.30AM – or 0730 hours if we’re being all BBC morse code and Wartime about it.

and we’re utterly supine.

On the couch.

we like to Read a little in the morning to create space for imagination and connection and lively thought (rather than the over-caffeinated panic of Rushing-Out-The-Door) so we get up Rather Early.

but today it’s hard to summon any courage to face the day.

we’re not sick.

Or necessarily Depressed.

Just Awfully Weary

and reading about re-potting roses and moving them to a shady part or under glass (Vita Sackville West). Or inventors in 1970s Paris (who knew crepe-y soles were invented in the 20s? They feel so Carnaby St market circa 59) and Other transatlantic curiosities (Mary Blume) has not Really helped.

deep sigh.

Nothing for it.

Must move from the couch.

As a pre-moving-attempt we just sat up and slid to the other side of the couch to catch the pool of sunlight gathered there.

Today we’d rather be a cat. Lying elegantly and philosophically in a mellow yellow sunshine bath.

But we’re not.

we’re an executive (good lord).

sigh.

Not a cat.

Oh well.

for the love of Roses….

Posted on March 16, 2012 by teamgloria in things.

upon returning from Abroad, there was a bouquet of flowers and several parcels awaiting us (signed for by Betty, the faithful post-mistress, as she knows we Adore Post, and left at our door).

the flowers were for our birthday (last week – march 9th – when we were in Paris, on business – doesn’t that sound delicious a sentence to say out loud? do try it) one of them was the utterly splendid Garden Book by a certain Vita Sackville-West (also born march 9th, but a much earlier year, and in Quite Different Circumstances – we were not to the Manor Born sadly, but hope to be to the Manor Eventually, in Malibu, one hopes).

we are hoping to emulate Vita (we have done so in many ways already but that’s for Quite Another Blog – or an autobiography and probably a BBC mini-series if we play our cards right ;-) in Creating A Garden.

we don’t know where.

or when.

tis Highly Unlikely right now as we Travel a great deal and live in an apartment in manhattan where gardens are few and far between (we’ve never been good with a window box, we tried it in London once – it was fun to plant – and then a hassle to water and not Much Fun as one couldn’t breeze busily through it of a morning with one’s coffee and a copy of the International Press to enjoy down by the simple stream near the raspberries under canes and netting).

we’re not even sure we have “green fingers”.

but maybe we’ll be able to hire a gardener who can guide and chide and indulge us.

we’d like to grow all the roses that Vita mentions in her book.

and perhaps grow a white garden – like at Sissinghurst.

and greet the spring with freshly ordered plants or grown from a seed catalogue (Vita is always mentioning Seed Catalogues in the Garden Book, which was a collection of her columns from the 1940s onwards in The Observer newspaper)

wouldn’t that be Utterly divine?

because – as Vita writes – there is no limit to the imagination and Pleasure a garden brings..

Why, indeed, should anyone have a commonplace garden in the commonplace rectangle?

why, indeed.