splendid kentish seafronts and british back gardens

April 9, 2014 | teamgloria

darlings

we are feeling MOST restored by a mini break by the seaside!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

and especially calmed by a morning in the Essex Street Pleasure Gardens over at William’s house – with a visit over the fence by Burt and Dottie – and a cheery wave from the clever landscape designer and his trusty mate from next door as they dropped by to pick up some fencing parts (for an actual fence – not a Duel at Dawn – it’s not that sort of a seaside Town, at least not for the past hundred years).

Pictures?

you didn’t even have to ask, love.

here we go…

this is the view from the top of the house in the Herne Bay Suite – and lovely it is too.

here is the Essex Street Pleasure Gardens in all its springtime glory (note grecian blue shed – a lovely touch).

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

a walk to the shops; an armful of english newspapers and a pot of tea enlivened the spirit still further and calmed the nerves.

this is Dottie (on the left, not the daises, those are called Marguerite).

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

this is Burt (who appears to be wrinkling up his nose in some anticipation of his tea). while this is William (reading the Guardian and being very intellectual and Thoughtful – mainly because there are few funny bits in the Guardian).

and this is a poster advertising the vintage delights of Herne Bay – it’s just down the Coast – not far at all – and a gorgeous drive in the bright Kentish sunshine – and so we did Just that shortish and most delightful drive after a (light) lunch. here it is – Herne Bay itself! OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA with a Cerulean blue sea.

*exhales*

before we leave you (metaphorically) in Herne Bay…..we thought we might introduce you to one of its famous Lady Authors: Miss Evelyn Whitaker, who was born There in 1844.

her work is Most Charming – and – due to the magic of the interweb – much of it has now been “digitized” and is available to read on a new-fangled device – thus allowing Miss Evelyn Whitaker – who remained anonymous much of her life, asking her publisher to keep her identity secret – to reach forward through time and sit with us while we enjoy her Tales of the past.

a little snippet?

Mr Clifford the vicar was accounted very lucky by the neighbouring clergy for having such a man, and not being exposed to all the vagaries of a young schoolmaster, or, perhaps, still worse, schoolmistress, with all the latest musical fancies of the training colleges. Neither had he to grapple with the tyranny of the leading bass nor the conceit and touchiness that seems inseparable from the tenor voice, since Mr Robins kept a firm and sensible hand on the reins, and drove that generally unmanageable team, a village choir, with the greatest discretion.

sly undertones of Austen-esque social commentary, non?

very Kentish Coast.

as Burt would say – if Burt could make his thoughts known.

actually, Burt probably can.

he’s that sort of a smart Kentish cat you see.

tomorrow?

*lookstocamera*

oh.

*said_airily*

another Airport – and another Island.

we’ll see you late Thursday evening from a new Location.

delicious.

in the meantime (*happy_smile*) – COSMOPOLITAN picked our book as (one of) their pick of the week (if you’re feeling depressed)!

reading poetry in cafes, sea breezes and spirits lifted in #whitstable

April 8, 2014 | teamgloria

darlings

due to some last minute Decisions regarding not-feeling-well-at-all we Took a Train from Victoria Station last night (bought a refreshing cup of tea from the man on the trolley who made his way from First Class to the front carriage: milk-no-sugar-please-gosh-no-no-biscuit-thanks-ever-so-much) and some hours later………..arrived at the Coast.

the seaside air cures all.

and after a blissful full night’s sleep for the first time in *sighs* Five Days (not fun), we are slowly feeling better. a few sniffles. the tiny bit of dispirited-ness is Lifting, at last.

as dusk fell on the town of Whitstable we walked with lovely William (he lives not far off the beach road and just a short walk from the Railway Station – long enough to have a proper conversation while the Samsonite was wheeled ahead and the bags of groceries fitted nearly in the crook of one’s arm) – and everything started to fall into place again.

especially when – as you can see – the First thing we saw as we took a Stroll Down the High Street this morning – was a BOOKSHOP.

as befitting a british bookshop – Brian – one of the owners – who was there on the till (cash register for our American friends – and we did have a lovely chat) – there was a Large Selection (well-curated) of vintage finds, local authors and a whole shelf full of Mr. Maugham.

the Trouble with Mr. Maugham is that his famous book “Cakes & Ale” is actually a Satire (which the British do very well – but it is usually prefaced by the word Biting and it most certainly would be Here) – of, well, Whitstable.

our friend Karyn from A Penguin A Week has the full exposition of the controversy here.

but that does not deter the good folks of Whitstable for re-claiming its prodigal son in the upcoming Literary Festival (oh dear, we would LOVED to have stayed for this but we are needed – hopefully – back in the USA by then to start a new “gig”).

Especially sad to miss this as we’d be Thrilled to see Miss Selina Hastings do her talk on Mr. Maugham and his somewhat turbulent love life and literary leanings.

gosh! Ms. Lynn Barber is Also speaking at the Literary Festival – about her new book (*makes_note_with_pencil* of new book title)

now back to Oxford Books (so named because tis on Oxford Street, Whitstable, you see)

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

always so splendid to see a shelf of Mr. H. E. Bates

and some very teamgloria style Books for (be-bobbed and brave and british) Girls.

what did we Buy?

Something we have bought too many times to count in secondhand bookshops before – as we like to read it in cafes and then give to friends (often young people who are in need of poetry as it happens).

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA for more about the Mersey Sound and the poets Mr. McGough, Henri and Patten – there’s a lovely piece here from G. Cordon who knows his stuff.

Then – after lunch (a simple yet nourishing meal at the Whitstable Coffee Company where we shamelessly eavesdropped on two friends of an uncertain age having a gossip because it was fascinating and useful for future novels) – we took a blustery turn by the seafront to blow the cobwebs from the brain and tousle the freshly washed hair.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA and a turn down the high street.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

now – don’t you find small towns always have such interesting Libraries?

*looktocamera4*

Whitstable’s is a tiny bit disappointingly modern (but re-worked for the community so we shan’t complain – but we had hoped for Mullioned Windows and there were none – hence no photographs).

but this gave us Pause.

thanks to mr. google(.co.uk) – we are able to share with you some details about Joan’s life – as it was glorious and she deserves remembrance.

Joan Cavender, who has died aged 93, was known to her many friends in Whitstable, Kent, as an ardent socialist and a person of endless optimism about the possibility of creating a just and more equal world. For many years, Joan ran the Whitstable bookshop, Pirie and Cavender, a career she took up in 1949 after the sudden death of her husband. Her strong views about literature were not always sympathetic to all the tastes of her customers.

A very important part of Joan’s generous social and political vision was an interest in worldwide politics, and it was this that drew her, after her retirement, to go and work as a volunteer teacher in the Gambia. At an age when many people might have been pleased to turn away from the responsibilities of full-time work, Joan entered with enthusiasm into the teaching of office skills to Gambian women. She described these years as among the happiest in her life. In this setting, Joan’s politics of limitless concern for every individual expressed itself in her commitment to her students.

When Joan returned to Britain, she refused, with characteristic determination, to accept more conventional meanings of retirement. A passionate supporter of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, she went to work at the movement’s London office as an assistant to Bruce Kent. In this context she found another focus for her political convictions, in particular the idea that ordinary human beings could, by their determined actions, correct injustice and prejudice. To turn one’s back on the possibilities of the political was, for Joan, never an option, and until her final illness she maintained that constant interest in politics which she had acquired in the 1930s.

Mary Evans/The Guardian/Monday 10 April 2006

moment of silence for Joan. thank you.

and here we are again.

with a view from the Herne Bay Suite overlooking the Essex Street Pleasure Gardens (and next door’s washing/laundry on the line).

time to sip some tea and catch up with Correspondence from Abroad.

there’s a fish supper this evening and another early night after some diverting television program(mes) on the BBC and tomorrow a fresh start with more photographs of morning coffee cups in the garden as the dew melts into the newly laid down turf.

the seaside is good for the soul.

especially when one was rather Under the Weather and Confused about the Future.

*cheery_wave_from_the_Coast*

sunday on the eastern kentish coast

November 17, 2013 | teamgloria

darlings

after the surprising sunshine of yesterday there was a return to the customary dampen gloom of an english wintry day – and lovely it was too – with plenty of stops for hot mugs of tea and a Proper Breakfast, a Bracing Walk across the Blustery beach, admiring everyone’s labradors who were enjoying the Weather most Especially and a drive through country roads and high streets with vintage cinemas and more teashops (vicar) and now we’re sitting in the kitchen (isn’t that delightful*?)

William has many diverse cultural interests and allegiances.

and a lovely glow in his living room.

we took a trip to Westgate-on-Sea

where we enjoyed a significantly splendid british breakfast (William had the “Veg option”).

then we took a trip further along the coast to Ramsgate

even the statues needed a warm scarf on a day like today (does that remind You of the Andy Williams rendition too? Thought so.)

William has Very Grand friends who like to send Thank you Cards.

FAIRY LIQUID!

ah.

england.

back gardens and slightly steamed up windows (not shown) because the kettle’s on.

the quiet blue light in the Study upstairs – with a very collectible Ercol chair upholstered and refurbished by someone in the Village with a vintage blanket (very comfy and splendid for reading Coleridge – a large tome of which is nearby).

this is something that William found from an artist called Della Scales at Cockpit Arts in Deptford – stained glass is very elegant and also surprising, especially with an insert of a 1960s style Zoom ice lolly from Lyons Maid.

ah. peaceful days.

and a quiet sunday with a ticking clock in the kitchen and the Papers (actually printed material with the glossy sunday supplements).

delightful.

*talking of delightful, William (with whom we are staying at the Eastern Kentish Coast this weekend) came up with a tumblr link to many other descriptive words to say delightful.

we share them with you here, darlings.

and yes, we’ll be using them Shortly.

15 Wonderful Words for Delightful Experiences

PETRICHOR
The scent of rain on dry ground.

EYESOME
Easy on the eyes.

TOOTHSOME
Delicious.

JUCUNDITY
Merry enjoyment, delight.

SALUBRIOUS
Good for the health.

VOLUPTUATE
To take luxurious pleasure in something.

DULCILOQUENT
Having a gentle, sweet way of speaking.

SNUGGERY
A cozy little room.

SUAVILOQUENCE
Soothing, agreeable speech.

EUPHONY
The quality of sounding good or pleasing to the ear.

VISCEROTONIC
Having a comfort-loving, easygoing, social personality.

ADLUBESCENCE
Pleasure, enjoyment.

OBLECTAMENT
A source of delight.

PULCHRITUDINOUS
Beautiful.

PHILOCALIST
A lover of beautiful things.

England. A source of OBLECTAMENT.

it’ll take a while to get used to differently descriptive words.

but it’s all delicious.

what an amazing journey this has been!

tomorrow there will be a train into London and then two planes – one to get into America and through international Immigration (with the Green Card for the 1st time!!) and then a layover (don’t panic – b r e a t h e – ) a pretty long one actually – and then a flight to Los Angeles.

and home.

it’s been over two weeks and we’ve been all the way round the world – at least to below the equator and into the middle east and across to England and back via Brooklyn to Hollywood.

gosh.

hullo, england!

November 16, 2013 | teamgloria

darlings

we are in ENGLAND (again)!

and we made our way from cape town to whitstable and it took 24 hours and so now we’re completely e x h a u s t e d and william has made us a Very Nice cup of decaf coffee (which is delicious) and we must pause and say thank you (not just for the coffee, but for having us to stay and joining us for a splendid Fish Supper) and now here we are.

it’s ever so Strange that everyone speaks English – and Rather Nice.

yes.

a d r e a m y sunset.

don’t you adore a sunset, darlings?

wherever one is in the World a sunset is a fitting close to a lovely day.

lingering with fellow europeans in beverly hills

July 18, 2013July 18, 2013 | teamgloria

darlings

we write to you mid-sip of a freshly squeezed melange of fruits and vegetables – it’s been a delicious day but we’ve been quite frankly rushed off our (with lovely Work) size 9 doctor marten originals and completely forgot to post!

the fruits of lingering with europeans in cafes is most definitely paying off.

here’s another Record(you knew that was coming didn’t you?)

Talking of Post (in another Context) both william And george sent missives today.

We do adore a glimpse into the pastoral beach scenes of the garden-of-england and we do Hope william will be reporting from both the Oyster festival and Ladies Bowling.

Delicious.

better trickery: ordering Library Materials, blowing bubbles and Writing a new novel.

February 11, 2013 | teamgloria

darlings

we were a Tiny bit Despondent earlier but after a Lot of Action and reading all your Clever suggestions at the end of that Post, we perked up no end and went online and ordered some Library Materials (so much more financially prudent than Ordering via Amazon and it’s all pre-1960 – can’t wait to share it with You).

miss Jules suggested blowing soap bubbles to engender happiness so we did…..

and Then the mysteriously-glorious writer-editor-minnesänger went one Further and brought our attention to the fact that bubbles-are-not-just-for-children anymore – look!

William said “commune with the waves” which is gloriously transcendent and very English (particularly if the Sea is Wild and Cornish).

George was singing a ditty from the Twenties and apparently that works – we just tried it – it Does!

Stacy reminded us to Just Begin.

and so we did.

having delivered Emerald to our lovely agent in New York (such a splendid phrase, non?)

we have Started the Next One.

Meet Marion, darlings.

Marion peered out of the window as the taxi swung into Church Row, Hampstead. She could not see much because it was raining. Of course it was raining, she thought, this is England. At least it made the grass green and the houses look freshly washed and brushed up.

Leaning back she pulled her gloves on tightly and tried to remember what her boss back in New York had said: something about the London office needing rescuing. She knew it was a ruse. But things had got just a tiny bit too much in New York and she agreed to this transfer. Besides, it was only a year. How bad could it be?

A few moments later the taxi pulled up outside a tall white house with casement windows and a brightly painted red front door. A woman in sensible tweed skirt and cashmere lilac sweater set was standing with a clipboard, barely sheltering from the rain, in front of the door. Marion sighed. The woman was wearing pearls and lace-up brogues. Seriously? Did the English really play their part to the hilt so convincingly?

Marion paid the driver and opened the cab door. The driver sprung open the trunk but did not move to get her luggage. She wondered if she had not tipped him enough. Perhaps they just didn’t do luggage removal here in England. She struggled with the bags a little and smeared some mud on her camel coat. The coat had been pristine when she left New York, but a few moments in England and it was soaking and had a mud stain. Great.

The woman with the clipboard called out, cheerily, “Are you on your own?” but stayed firmly inside the doorway. Marion lugged her bags up the front path and dumped them hard on the stone step.

“In a metaphysical sense or in reality?” she asked. The woman – whose name appeared to be Diana Knoll-West, according to her business card – was undefeated.

“We assumed you’d be bringing your family,” Diana said. “It’s rather a large house for one.”

After living in a Manhattan apartment for the past seven years, Marion thought the house on Church Row was rather large, but she was damned if she was going to say so. “I have rather a large life,” she said, and gestured for Diana to open the door so they could both get out of the rain. Diana was not a former Head Girl of Cheltenham Ladies College for nothing. She drew herself up to her full height, which was actually not that impressive, and looked at Marion with a tiny bit of condescension. “Gosh. I forgot how confident you Americans are!”

“Brash, I believe, is the word you Brits use, Diana” said Marion, and took the keys out of Diana’s hands and opened the door.

what do you think, darlings?

*nervouslooktocamera*

well, it seems that who we are in RL has just popped next door to apply mascara and head out into the World in her guise as Special (digital) Advisor to be helpful and gainfully employed.

of course we are going to stay in with an apricot face scrub and lie winsomely on the sofa with a pashmina loosely draped and a selection of British DVDs and continue with The House on Church Row (which is already a completed screenplay so writing the Novel is going to be dreamy – a Lot Happens in Hampstead – you’ll see).

opening parcels, slowly waking up, the pace of sundays in new york

December 16, 2012December 16, 2012 | teamgloria

we missed an important appointment yesterday and we’re still mortified.

It’s not your M.O….so I was worried.

the gentle soul was very kind

But it freaked us out.

We. Don’t. Miss. Appointments.

the season, the move prospects, the new Life, the leaving-behind (agonizing sadness in the eyes of Others during what-are-probably-goodbyes but we dont-say-it – we both mutter something about maybe-january but we know it is Unlikely), the consulting that didn’t happen and never Quite Explained, finishing up Projects and supporting visions and Being Practical and worrying -slightly -about How Long it will take to settle in and build something new and…..

Yes.

We. Are. Overwhelmed.

the due date is coming close on the green card – we’re not certain it will be awarded (they are not guaranteed) – we say Vague and brave things like –

Well. We Could go to Australia!

But the thought of Starting again is just too much.

And yet we could.

We Could.

So yes We Are missing appointments with People we really wanted to see. And it feels wrong and imperfect and that’s scarier than anything.

There’s also silence from certain quarters and we’re not strong enough to find out why.

So thank goodness for a quiet sunday morning to take a deep breath…..

Open a parcel from William in London

And take a small but perfect hour back in bed to gaze upon exquisite imagery in the book that came nestled inside the Parcel #weadoreaparcel he sent.

From a glorious exhibition at the Tate – and reviewed here by The Telegraph and The Guardian for two Contrasting and Yet Most English of commentaries.

This is the picture we stopped and stared at for a good long time…..

It’s one from the glorious Eve Arnold.

1961.

“one of four girls who share a flat in knightsbridge”

We first saw this – when?

1983?

Where?

Brighton – a museum? A gallery?

We remember the feeling, if not the Place.

One day we will live in a flat and hang handwashed delicates over the bath and hear voices from next door and a kettle whistling and laughter and we will adjust the bath taps to run in more hot water and see the steam rise over the high window and look out at the view and plan the next adventure.

And it all happened. Just like that.

It really did

Amazing.

Nothing to worry about.

But we will be double checking the date book and all appointments twice before setting out after the bath and lavender salted steam clears from the mirror……..

a rather glamorous 24 hours.

November 29, 2012November 29, 2012 | teamgloria

darlings

a Whirl of excitement and being all-fashionable (as who we are in RL, but we seriously hope it doesn’t go to Her head, considering We’re the one with a Book Deal – ahem).

so – yesterday – as we didn’t manage to Post last night…..forgive.

here we go (do you have some strong coffee to hand? it might be a long one – but you never know…)

there was an Early Breakfast with some Television Executives from England (and a great deal of Nodding and Eye Contact and extemporizing-when-required and generally being Very Excited about this new project that we are consulting on – can’t say what it is – but it’s Deeply Beautiful and Business-like).

it was at the Dream Hotel – serafina restaurant – do you know it?

Lots of sequins on-the-walls.

and Industry legends
with very sartorially-impressive-pocket-Squares.

and then we Rushed Across Town, popping into The Plaza en route to, well, darlings, does one really need an excuse to drop into The Plaza and pay homage?

and we were completely On Time for our lunch with someone-very-chic (who also used to be anonymous for a long while and then did a big reveal).

our lunch?

Bergdorf’s darlings.*

*we did warn you this was a Rather Fashionable 24 hours ;-)

with an extraordinary View over Central Park (and the Plaza next door).

Then there was Just Time to take the escalator all the way down to admire the mint green walls and 1930s light fixtures.

Then we were Struck (no, not dumb) by the thought that this day felt Very Familiar in all its Fashionable-ness with locales and light fixtures and people with pocket squares and walls-decked-in-sequins……..

YES!

the entire day was straight out of a Judith Krantz novel.

no, not I’ll Take Manhattan (we wouldn’t dare presume – and anyway, we’re leaving soon, that would be rude to do so and run).

one of the other ones…….in fact, with all the photographing of glamorous friends, we’re feeling a tiny bit (in the Nicest way) like Princess Daisy.

now.

the most important thing about having a day out of Judith-krantz-Novel is that one Truly Appreciates it.

and scrapbooks it.

those are just our scrapbooks from the past five years ;-)

oh yes.

#manyStories

lots of glorious people, places and things.

and we’re doing some more portraits tomorrow – here’s the Cecil Beaton-esq set we built today chez teamgloria.

white satin gives such a lovely sweet lighting bounce to the face, we have found.

talking of glamourous moments – we curled up in bed last night to finish Mr. G. S. Snyder’s novel (actually, his third) – (it’s thrilling – very well-paced and insider Hollywood and West Hollywood adjacent gossip and wrong-doing and naughtiness and a congenial sub-plot involving, gosh, we can’t Possibly say) – and then we sat up in Shock and (very good) Surprise.

we’re in the acknowledgements.

well. she is.

you know, who-we-play-in-Real-Life (sort of).

well.

how glorious.

and what a glamorous end to a Very Fashionable 24 hours indeed.

in the acknowledgements of a book about Hollywood and its environs.

we’re even In the Book – did we tell you?

well – we cannot reveal any details – but there’s a simply Splendid English Woman who has a glamorous Life and Travels The World and is generally Very sensible in giving-advice (when asked, using on a Transatlantic Trunk Call, in the middle of the night in CHINA – or Paris, naturally).

Look: Proof!

The Author signed it to all three of us.

How Nice.

you see?

glorious.

or as William says: GLORIAous.

did you have a delicious summer, darlings?

September 1, 2012September 1, 2012 | teamgloria

we’re back! are you?

did you have a delicious summer, darlings?

we did.

bits of it were quite tough – but, we feel, character-building.

thank goodness for a languid luscious lunch with The Sophisticate at – gasp! – La Grenouille (the palest pink of the interiors and the low lamps and the pearls and the cashmere over-the-shoulder and the Conversations and the – oh – the Upper East Side blondes of-a-certain-tax-bracket – Divine!) and tea with Very Glamorous people at the St. Regis and late night suppers uptown after a walk-through-the-park with generous and beautiful souls with stories of summer’s in Paris with designer chaps and a suite at the Ritz and tapas on the terrace.

a few pictures?

but of course!

a few from the house (lots of reading, being quiet and general r e l a x i n g moments to start with)

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

then, towards the end of July, william met us at the train station in deepest south-west england (the bit not far from where king arthur hung out with his knights and a round table).

it was a delightful sojourn in the old country – even if we did need our galoshes and wellingtons (translation: water-proof clothing and rubber boots) – but we could not possibly take up William’s kind offer of a cagoule and, instead, purchased a Storm Hat in Sensible navy (and, with a sigh, left the sun parasol inside).

thank you dear william.

………back in NYC, the temperatures reached a quite ridiculous height (100 – whatever that it is in old money) and made working awfully exhausting.

thank goodness for this summer’s movies: and yes, we saw them ALL (even the bad ones which no, we shan’t mention – this is teamgloria – only glorious people, places and things here, please).

did you celebrate July 4th?

always amusing to have a British passport for that one.

thank goodness we have friends-who-have-friends-who-own-Penthouse-apartments (and know deliciously eccentric and Most Diverting artists who left Berlin before-the-wall-came-down and now live partly in Marakech (well, wouldn’t you?)

and then there was a biopsy – no – please don’t worry – all clear – just a continual reminder of you-know-what……..to be honest, the slow, slightly sly at times, thought, of what-might-happen if Tobias returns has lead to our big decision*

(read on, dear friends – do you need to pop the kettle on and make a delicious hot beverage? we’ll wait…….welcome back – oh, that’s a lovely cup and saucer – Fortnums? lemon, please – most kind.)

where were we?

oh yes. we also changed our doctor (see! – it *was* a Big summer over here – lots of decisions and outside help was required) to get off the synthroid and we’re So Much Happier (the black dog of depression and mood swings and the most unwelcome side effects got us Really Down).

new stuff?

thanks for asking.

are you squeamish?

if so – look away.

for those still with us – this is what we’re on now – yup – doesn’t really bear thinking about Too Closely for the implications – but we’re Lighter and not nearly as cRaZY.

moving swiftly on ;-)

we had a lovely tea and a reading of poetry and a discussion of the late great anita loos with Joseph at his pied a terre uptown – book heaven, non?

one could spend So Many happy hours at Joseph’s – look at all those delicious tomes.

shall we have a quick moment to take in all the movies/films/art-moments we saw?

here’s the list (yes, it was a hot summer in NYC and yes, movies are Very Distracting for RL stuff)

1. The Well-Digger’s Daughter: Daniel Auteuil and a bevy of beautiful daughters in a meditation on honor/honour/family pride in the period before WWII when girls still hung out petticoats to dry in the sunshine on the line and despite feeling cross and lacking in future prospects, got a good hat trimmed and headed out to an airshow with a smile and a pat for the horse.

2. Seeking a Friend for the End of The World: curiously affecting – but we were ever so shocked (spoiler alert) that Bruce Willis didn’t come in at the last minute.

3. Sacrifice (yes, the one from China): the body-count was so high in the first few minutes (and especially disturbing to see how much force one needs to pierce a many-layered traditional Chinese court garment with a knife) that we slipped into the movie next door (seeking a friend for the end of the world) which is maybe why we were a Bit Surprised that Bruce didn’t save the day because we missed the first 10 pages of script “story-set-up-unfolding”.

4. Bruce was in Moonrise Kingdom – you did see it, right? oh! glorious. Summer love, toasted white and pink squishy sweet products by the campfire, tents, trails and trials, maps and old-fashioned vinyl players, the soft eager first young yearning-ness of Youth.

5. To Catch A Thief – it was at MoMA in a reassuringly not-remastered-print (comfortingly bleached out and scratchy and just pleasurable in the extreme) – you can’t go wrong with 1950s sassy dialogue, a beautiful car, a more beautiful Grace Kelly and a in-his-absolute-prime beautiful Cary Grant – and a simple Mediterranean picnic lunch for two.

6. Hope Springs – we didn’t Love this (god knows it’s hard enough to sit through one’s own therapy sessions) but we did Admire it. Please don’t see it with someone you love, or might love, or might even be divorced from one day. And if you’ve just got divorced, definitely don’t see it. And if you might be getting divorced soon’ish, like within the year, and are considering couples therapy (is anyone in NYC or LA and in a couple without such a thing?) definitely double definitely don’t see it. The rest of you – go ahead – Meryl and Tommy (can we still call him Tommy?) are magnificent.

7. Ruby Sparks – if you’re in a relationship (particularly if it’s with a fictional character that you’re attempting to control who just appeared in RL sort of suddenly) then you might want to avoid this too – but you’d be missing out (maybe see it – but not actually With your Significant Other). The Kazan genes are still strong in Talent we see. Brava, Zoe.

8. 2 Days in New York – Julie Delpy is a (beautiful, neurotic, highly-observant) genius.

9. Chicken With Plums – we would buy a ticket to see matthieu in anything (even something as sad and as melancholic as this – but oh, it was beautiful and clever and surprising and then ever-so-heartbreaking all over again) but we’d prefer to see him with Deneuve (do you remember when we went to the Event where they honored/honoured Catherine? did you miss that? it’s here) – especially a Christmas Tale (we wrote about that movie here).

10. Luckily this summer season DID have a Catherine Deneuve film in it – Beloved – and we saw it – and stayed for the Q & A with the director, Christophe Honoré – (the joys of living in NYC and going to the IFC to watch late-night movies) – and we even asked a question in French (so glam – we didn’t mean to but his translator was often skipping over the deeper nuance of the questions from the American audience and we wanted to make sure he understood the subtext of our deep inquiry – we lie – we were showing off, bien sur, cheri – forgive).

oh! wait! the revelation of Beloved was Paul Schneider – seriously – we had to rub our tired jet-lagged eyes (we had just returned from a Business Trip – alas no time for pictures – 24 hours in Seattle) several times to recall where we’d seen this splendid actor before – it took riffling through the DVD collection (yes, we still have DVDs – we like the pictures on the disks and the extras) to realize it was in Elizabethtown. Remarkable. It’s amazing how slipping into a (Nicole Fahri for men?) elegant cashmere-mix chunky expensive sweater and singing (gently and winningly) in French can move the soul.

11. last movie note – (why yes, we also saw Spiderman and The Dark Knight Rises – do you really need our opinion of them, darlings? there are Other Blogs that do a lot better ;-) Did you see Robot and Frank? Oh! so moving, so thought-provoking, so careful and yearning and heart-breaking in its approach to humans and humanoids and losing memory and erasing memory and – oh – that bit at the end where (spoiler alert) Frank has to – you know – and the Robot falls forward (we were In Pieces in the balcony among the plush lilac velvet-ness of the Paris Theatre) and………go and see it……please……we haven’t met anyone else who has (not everyone loves a machine, tis clear, but Susan Sarandon is in it and Very Good, as always).

so that’s the movie round-up.

and then we went to Los Angeles.

yes, you read that right.

in fact we just got back in the early hours of this morning (which is why we’re still Up and writing with a large pot of decaf gurgling in the very-small-anteroom of the kitchen behind us).

ah.

L.A.

yeah. it was Great.

the place where “hey” comes with five slow drawled out sexy syllables. #sigh

pictures?

of course, darlings.

so the hour is getting late – and we promised to return for september which it will be in 48 minutes, darlings – and we’ve almost told you about the bits of our summer that chose to divulge (you know how it is) – so we can publish the blue button (for tis blue on wordpress, it might well be different on your blog platform, we know).

our big news?

*big decision alert:

we’ve decided it’s time to leave NYC & corporate America.

ah no – tis not dramatic or even flip and whimsical – tis a long thought out decision – partly why we took a break from blogging, really, so we could think it out and Talk to Learned Friends and so on.

so, watch this space, we guess.

we don’t yet know our “exit date” as there are still Details to be worked out so we can finish up everything that needs to be done and make a Big Binder of everything that has been done to date for whomever moves into our office/role.

and this blog is about the future – not about who we are in RL, as you know (although sharing the travel pictures with you has been delicious).

Where are we going?

you probably guessed it already – we’re going back to Los Angeles.

what will we be doing?

ah.

that’s for another day.

we promise to tell you whenever the time is right.

until then, there are glorious people, places and things to continue to share……….like “I’m Your Man” the biography of Leonard Cohen, which we were given in review copy (in fact we’re listening to “Dance Me To The End Of Love” right now – a wonderful heart-opening and moist eye musical moment-of-sheer-poetry if ever there was one……don’t you agree?)

btw, before we slip off and run a hot bubble bath (yes, of course, Crabtree and Evelyn, but we might need to use it up and switch to something a bit more West Coast soon – tuberose and jasmine, hmmm? any ideas of bubble bath brands with those scents?) we digress – where were we? oh yes – do you like the new fonts and color/colour/shade scheme? we got a Bit Excited doing an upgrade to “Custom Design” (only 30 bucks, bargain).

answers on a postcard (we jest – you know the drill – pop them all in the box below and we promise to visit You on the web soon).

it’s been too long.

we missed you.

cue: shy wave from SoHo. *blush*