A New Life

As most of you know, I lost my husband last month due to cardiac arrest.  I'm still struggling to get back into the swing of things.  It is difficult to focus on anything, including my writing.  Although I am learning to adapt to life without my sweet love, it's still a daily challenge to get anything done.  I seem to go from one project or task to another without finishing anything, although I am getting better each day.  Paperwork and phone calls make up the better part of my days...insurance, both health and life, getting things such as the house utilities, the cars, the house, the bank accounts, etc. etc. into just my name takes forever.  Notifying creditors such as doctors (and there seem to be hundreds) that he has passed and then there's the "can you please send us a fax with all of the information and include a death certificate".  I think I've spent $30 in one page faxes in the last two weeks.  And if all of that isn't enough, I have flying squirrels in the attic.  At least the wildlife expert, Greg, was a "stop me in my tracks" look-a-like for Ryan Gosling in his role as Noah in "The Notebook".  I'm not exaggerating.  I asked my daughter Sarah, "who do you think he looks like?" and without missing a beat, she responded "Ryan Gosling".  I asked him if he had ever been told this amazing little tidbit of information, to which he replied with a smile "about 10 times a day".  In a later conversation, Greg said "Yeah, I guess that movie is sort of every girl's dream of what love is."  I think that's an accurate statement.  Tony would have gotten a kick out of the fact that there was an amazing looking 30 year old assisting me with my attic invasion.  But my point being, just another thing to deal with on my own for the first time in 27 1/2 years.  I have been able to take pleasure in the little things, such as turning his office into mine...rearranging all of his baseball memorabilia, his model car collection and his childhood memories in such a way that I can enjoy them, but at the same time, making the space workable for me on a daily basis.  I have turned his desk around to face the windows that look out over our backyard, with a view of our pool and the pond just beyond it.  This morning, I raised the windows and listened to the birds as I drank my coffee and checked my Facebook page.  Suddenly I heard loud squawking noises, as a flock of geese swooned in for a landing on the pond.  I have placed a table under the windows with a little bench next to it so that our terriers (or should I say terrors) Charlie and Archie, can lie on a pillow and watch the squirrels and birds, or at least the ones that haven't checked into the Banks Attic Bed and Breakfast for Flying Critters.

So I guess one might say that I am doing better, learning to go on with life.  Things will never be the same, but hopefully I will be able to find my way into the world, a world without a really good man who loved his family, loved life and fought the good fight for 19 years, to keep going and to remain amongst his family and friends, even on the days when just getting out of bed was a struggle.  If he can do it, so can I.

I plan to get back to my blog on a regular basis as soon possible.  I enjoy it so much.  I had started back to my usual "all things beautiful, all things British and family remembrances" posts, but seemed to have gotten off track as of late.  Again, please hang in there with me...I am taking baby steps.  

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And When You Dream of France....

It's 1:30 am, there is snow on the ground once again here in Sharpsburg, Georgia, my dogs are snoring and I'm wide awake as usual.  So I decided to check out one of the gazillion blogs that I follow on a regular basis. One of my favorites is Maison Douce. written by the lovely Isabel Feist Lang. Maison Douce so often has the most wonderful posts and so it is, with great pleasure, that I am featuring her most recent post.  Isabel shares my love of French style, as evidenced by these warm, cluttered (yes cluttered -- even with today's trends, cluttered still goes along way with me) rooms.  I so admire the "happened over time" look of these spaces, along with the sort of beauty that only patina and age can create.  I think these spaces have my name written all over it.  I would gladly give up my two rotten Yorkshire Terriers for this place (kidding...sort of).

Enjoy

Love these muted colors

Lots of greys which isn't surprising - hottest color going

Another space with the "unplanned" look

Rustic...chippy...and white - love it all

Gives me ideas of what to do with all of these urns I have

No nouveau riche granite, builders grade tile and backsplash here - love this 

A wonnderful argument for no rug or carpeting on the stairs

Artwork that doesn't coordinate - a mirror haplessly hung on the wall, the beautiful color of green...ahh

This sofa - my heart just skipped abeat - the place is perfect

Thank you Isabel.  Readers, if you are looking for a wonderful blog about antiques, old homes, flea market and thrift store treasures and the like, please visit Isabel's blog.  You will be glad that you did!

All photos courtesy of Isabel Feist Lang

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The Eyes Have It - Taylor and Clift

Since I was a wee girl, I can remember my mother telling me, "there will never be another woman more beautiful than Elizabeth Taylor."  To this day, I think she's right.  If you have ever seen "A Place in the Sun," then you know what I'm talking about.  In this film, she was paired with a man who was also described as beautiful, Montgomery Clift.  Never in the history of film has there been a more hypnotic couple than Taylor and Clift.  George Stevens directed this glorious melodrama about a boy with a not so bright future who falls head over heels in love with a girl who has it all.  "A Place in the Sun" is known for its cinematography and the way that the camera zooms in on the faces of Taylor and Clift with a soft, almost out of focus qualtiy that frames their faces as they stare at one another, as if they are going to die from passion right before our eyes.  I don't think I've ever seen a film that makes two people look any more in love.  As the story unfolds, you can sense that it will all end tragically.

The two stars also saw their share of heartache off the screen.  We all know about Taylor's marriages, her lost loves and her illnesses.  We also have been witness to her passion for life (and jewelry) and her love for Montgomery Clift, even though it was platonic.  It is said that Clift, although gay, often remarked that Taylor was the only woman he ever loved...whether that was romantic or not, his love for her shows on his face in every scene in the film.  You can't "act" that look in his eyes, nor hers.  When she tells him "Tell Mama...Tell Mama All"...well, enough said.

It was later that, while leaving Taylor's Los Angeles home, on a weaving road in Beverly Hills, Clift lost control of his car and suffered terrible injuries, disfiguring his beautiful face.  Taylor rushed to his aid and even went so far as to shove her hand down his throat to remove two teeth that he was choking on.  He was permanently disfigured, as you can see so sadly in their other film together, "Raintree County."  Moviegoers rushed to the cinema to see the film, as if it were a train wreck, as it clearly showed which scenes were filmed before and after the accident.  He lost his signature good looks and, for the most part, his mind, suffering from alcoholism, drug addiction and depression for the rest of his days. It is said that Taylor stayed by his side through it all.  Maybe they were just friends...maybe they were more.  Whatever they were, they were never more stunning than in "A Place in the Sun."  If you have never seen it, I encourage you to do so.  It's a wonderful film...a true classic.  The connection between Taylor and Clift makes it unforgettable.

A Place in the Sun - click on link for a clip of the film.

The billards room scene, where the two first meet

Star crossed lovers extraordinaire

Stills of the extreme close ups for which the film became famous

Tell Mama - Tell Mama All

What to do - what to do

Publicity still from the film

The eyes - not just hers

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Rub a Dub Dub - Dream Baths

Bathrooms continue to be a huge factor in house hunting these days.  I personally think that some of the bathrooms in the mega-mansions being built today are ridiculous.  But then, I think just about all of the mega-mansions are ridiculous. I would much rather have an older house with character than these big boxes full of granite, tile, dark wood and no personality.  I must admit that, even though I love my master bath, it is a bit on the small side.  If it weren't for all of the lovely plaster work and murals that have been done over the years, it could definitely pass for one of the bathrooms in a box that you see so often these days.  I should have taken pictures to post here, but that can be for another post someday.  But wouldn't a warm bath be wonderful on a cold day like today? I might just have to take one.  In the meantime, here's some baths that I find very inspiring...for bubbles and for just looking so lovely all by themselves.  I have had many of these photos saved to my laptop for quite some time so I don't have photo or design credits but if you recognize any of these interiors, please let me know and I will add the information.  Enjoy

What's not to love in this bath? Aqua and white claw foot tub, lots of white and beautiful views

Gray and white - lovely

Wayyy beyond anything I could ever imagine - so amazing

I love the dark plank flooring paired with all of the white in this bath

A fireplace in the bath - ahhh

So feminine and a fat upholstered chair... love the beaded board around the tub

I like everything about this bath - the door with the big hardware, casement window, panelling

Parisian Bath by Christopher Noto

Not much privacy but who cares?

A big bath tub and nature all rolled into one

Venetian glass chest, love the curved walls - so old Hollywood

And last but not least, the ducks...I love this picture and had to include it.

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Hold on - I am coming back

For those of you that follow my blog, please know that I will be back to regular blogging hopefully next week.  Life is crazy right now...since Tony's passing, it seems that I don't get much time to do more than deal with health insurance, life insurance, paperwork, the funeral home...the list goes on and on.  Please don't give up on my writing...I will be back in full swing before long.

Thanks so much!
Cynthia

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