We’re heading up to the mountain today, hoping that the rains will abate during our brief stay there, if not on the drive up. The post I’d hoped to have finished before we left is close, but its completion was interrupted by mood. I’m working on that (the post and the mood), and I’m hoping to do much better, here, very soon.
However, as I ask for your patience and indulgence, I’m also sharing a concern, perhaps an alert, that there may be disruptions here over the next week. And I’m trying to ignore a small fear that the blog — all fifteen years of it — will somehow vanish into the ether with the “upgrade” my very large and seemingly impersonal hosting service is conducting this week. I did receive advance notice of this — something like four whole days, including the weekend — and advice to check my something-technical and make sure it was something-else-technical and that I could refer to a helpful something-technical guide (I referred to it; it wasn’t very helpful. Nor easily legible without a something-technical lexicon).
So given that I don’t have a support staff nor, as I might if I survive this, a local resource I could contract with for such occasional support as I need, I decided that I might very well have updated the necessary PHP something-technicals enough to survive this upgrade (there’s a chance; I know that automatic updating of certain functions happens regularly and I had lovely support when I transferred the blog last year so maybe). And I recognized that I lacked, as of Friday, the time, energy, and motivation (see above, re “Mood”!) to hustle frantically trying to make sure that was so, and if not, to execute necessary functions effectively.
Maybe cross your fingers for me? For the blog?
And meanwhile, I might, in an act of faith in you and in the technical-something powers that be, even finish a post and sent it out from a cozy fireside chair with a view of snowy trees and happy skiers. . . .
Also meanwhile, because you’re so patient and indulgent and you always lift my mood, I thought I’d leave you with some images from the local art show I attended with my nine-year-old granddaughter last week, the same show and the same granddaughter that inspired the sketch in my last post. Queens at the Academy: The Courtly World of Roz Marshall, the exhibition is called, and if you’re in the Vancouver area, it’s at Il Centro, the Italian Cultural Centre, until March 20th. The gallery there — Il Museo — is just the right size for the thoughtfully (and professionally) curated shows it features. I’m always happy to spend 30 minutes to an hour here, a quiet, reflective, and restorative space — you might remember me sketching Italian fashion there with my friend Alison back in March 2020.
I brought another sketcher this time. . .
A very fashionable one, you’ll note. . .
We can peek discreetly over her shoulder. . .
I think she’s captured it, no?
Time to tiptoe away, leave her to her contemplation.
We could stop at a few other paintings on our way out. . .
In her notes on the back of the show’s gorgeous postcard-sized publicity handouts, the curator, Angela Clark, comments that “nowhere is female power so evident as in a portrait.” And as much as I love (am enraptured by, to be honest, and so was the Nine-year-old) the lush ornamental detail, the gilding, the colours, in these painting, I’m struck by the strength, the power, of these faces. . . Clark goes on to say that Roz Marshall “celebrates historic queens. Referencing some of the most famous ones in history painted by Holbein, Botticelli, Giorgione and others Marshall questions the essence of royal portraits, where colour, gilding, the show of wealth and resplendent jewels are essential elements in the art of self fashioning.”
And if you happen to notice that the colours yellow and blue predominate in the photos I’ve chosen, well, I noticed that as well. That flag is on all our minds right now. . .
All comments welcome and you’ll be keeping me company as I wait to see whether the blog is still here through this week and into the next. How are you doing balancing between the dire and the beautiful these days?
Take care,
f
Hope, hope, hoping that all will be well with the blog, Frances. I know that feeling of tearful helplessness in the face of technical jargon and people who seem to think it’s all so easy. It ain’t!
xox
Author
Thanks for the blogger solidarity. Really, I just want to do “front of the house” 😂. . . need a team working for me behind the curtain! 😉
Fingers crossed now. . .
Fingers crossed for the blog!
I love,love Roz Marshall (new to me,thank you)-especially this golden queens collection
Yes,Nine-year-old’s captured it indeed (it runs in the family!)
Have a great time!
Dottoressa
Author
Thanks you, K! I love the energy of her work as well and the contemporary reinvention of some art history classics — fun and beautiful, imho! (and I think the Nine agreed!)
Yellow and blue, “that flag on all our minds right now”. Yes, yes.
Balance between “the dire and beautiful”? Practising deep mindfulness when possible…the guided mediations I have been listening to reminds: ” If you are making a salad, make the salad. Gently focus on making the salad-that’s all for the moment”. Just made the hell out of the salad with 5 colors in it. Noticed only that for a few moments. It’s hard- but several of those moments throughout the day are increasingly offering me opportunity to add some beauty to help keep the “dire” thoughts away. That, and only reading 10 mins of news a day, is keeping me in the moment. From afar, the bravery being exhibited under that yellow and blue flag gives hope, and that is beautiful to me.
A.in London
Author
Yes, this is a good approach — I try to fit in a 20-30-minute guided Yoga Nidra session (sometimes becomes a nap, it’s true) most days and then helps reset.
Mmmm, your salad! 😉
And mmmm to hope . . . following action and having active consequences. . .
I hope that you don’t lose your blog! It’s a sad experience unless you want to think like a Buddhist. Your words have struck a note with so many people in the world. You’ve shared so many travel adventures, OOTD’s (not too many), books, and provided us with the opportunity to watch your Littles grow. I’m going to have to give up my BBC World News habit because I’m becoming morose. I will visit that exhibit. I really enjoyed the fashion exhibit in 2020. It seems a lifetime ago. Did you go to Manning? Take care.
Author
I’ve been marshalling any Buddhist capabilities in preparation, but should it vanish I’m not sure how well I’ll do at putting them (such as they are) into practice. I know you’ve had some experience with this.
Not Manning, no, we were given a gift certificate for a mountain spa in another direction. You can probably guess from that.
Enjoy the exhibit — it’s on for another few weeks.
Oh, the beauty and strength in those portraits, including your granddaughter’s ⭐️!
It can be difficult balancing between the beautiful and the dire so I appreciated that beautiful nod to the yellow and blue. Here (in Australia) the weather/flooding also causes real concern so thank you for those images which help with finding that balance. x
Fingers crossed that the technical stuff just magically happens!
Author
I’ve seen images of that flooding — dramatic and heart-rending. Take care. We had so much destruction and loss of life here last fall from historically unprecedented (at those levels) flooding. I know the receding waters have far-reaching effects. . .
And yes, fingers crossed. . . thank you!
I do hope the ‘upgrade’ goes well. It really lifted my mood when I saw your email today, I enjoy your posts so much. Always thoughtful and enjoyable. The nine year old, did indeed capture the Queen. She shows talent.
Enjoy your time in the mountains. I find I need to walk longer and more often these days, being in nature reminds that there is still peace and beauty in this world. The yellow and the blue, will I think be my theme in my plantings this spring.
A yellow and blue garden planting this year sounds like a beautiful idea on so many levels!
Author
Thanks, Lesley, for the kind words. The Nine will be pleased to hear this also.
You’re so right about the time in Nature — and spending more time in it, may we all work to help conserve its peace and beauty.
Those plantings, what a good idea . . .
The paintings are beautiful but the thing most dear to my heart is to see your granddaughter sketching on the floor. It’s s like when I see my grandkids (or any children for that matter) curled up reading a book.
Author
I’m the same way, Nancy! I’ve long admired and envied the way European and British children cluster on the floor in front of a painting and sketch earnestly away as a guide chats to them about what they see. We’re seeing more of that here this generation, at least in the bigger cities where there’s easier access, but I love making it happen with my own grandkids at our own small scale.
Thanks for an uplifting post today. I’m struggling to keep my chin up these days with a couple of nasty family situations battling with world news for top of mind. Today I heard very distant squawking and spotted a far away flock of geese circling very high in the sky. Being in nature can be so restorative.
I’ll keep my fingers crossed for a smooth, uneventful upgrade!
Author
Oh, I’m so sorry, Wendy! Family “stuff” can be so hurtful and discouraging, and our reserves are so low right now. I hope you continue to find some small points of restoration outdoors.
Thanks for the crossed fingers!
At present, I am keeping spirits buoyant by spending three days talking non-stop with a very old friend who has come to stay. A sofa apiece, the obliging Mr Green providing food and drink, we are shrieking with laughter, snorting at old jokes and catching up on a couple of years of experiences. When she goes home this house will be very quiet indeed. I think I will stop now and take her a cup of coffee so we can gird ourselves for another day of gibberish.
Hope the blog survives a wash-and-brush-up in the intertubes.
Author
Lucky! Enjoy! Have a shriek or two for me (of the laughter, that is) and a dollop of gibberish as well.
A delightful peek at the beautiful today. Thank you so much, it it is more appreciated that you know.
Your grand daughter is a very good little artist. Kudos to you for cultivating that joy in her.
Author
Thanks for the kind words, Susan!
I do so hope your blog survives. I myself am so overwhelmed by the technology that is constantly being thrown at us I confess that most of the time I have just given up. It has been such a rough time. The world situation seems so dire. and for me that a friend called to tell me she is stepping away from a volunteer organization where she has been my rock for nearly a dozen year. We vow to keep our personal connection, but of course no guarantees. I realized, once again, that I have such little control over events. So I took myself to a local concert. The music was what I needed. In the dark and masked I was able to let go of tears which had been stored for a long time. The last piece was by Elgar, music I love and for that reason even more moving. And thank you for sharing the beautiful artwork.
Author
It’s tough, yes, such a rough time. I’m trying to think of ways we can gather our resources as Seniors to help us cope with the piling on of Ageing and Difficult Times. . . and I do note, even just in the comments here, that we know how to acknowledge the hurt but stay open to the consolation we’ve learned is still there, in some form. I’m really trying to pay attention to this, because some days I don’t think it’s going to get much easier . . .
I do hope your upgrade goes well. And, I say this selfishly because I recently discovered your blog and have spent a good deal of time reading your older posts.
What a very lovely and thoughtful and excellent place for me to stop every other day or so!
Greetings from Ohio!
Author
What lovely selfishness for me to read, Beth — thank you! 😉
I love that art, and the young one’s renderings. Seems to me those works show beautiful women with power and artistry, i.e. you don’t have to give up any one to have the others.
All the best for your blog update. My blog has pretty much fallen over, and I’m going to have hire someone for a not small sum to fix it. Technology is only simple if it’s all from one era, or all from one vendor, otherwise the versions and interfaces become incompatible and, yes, it all falls down:( Sending all the best wishes!
Author
Thanks, Lisa — I love the paintings for that reason as well.
Yes, this is the frustration, the constant monitoring and updating — Blogger was limited, but at least it was all in one place and I didn’t have to do anything but “create content.”
I do hope the upgrade to your blog goes without a hitch. Technology seems so fragile at times. Not as fragile as peace in this world, though, and my thoughts are continually swinging to what’s happening across the ocean. I’ve had to pull back from constantly reading/watching what’s happening as I can feel the tension building in me. And I wonder how people far closer to the situation than I cope, and can’t even imagine how those in the midst of the turmoil function.
The art exhibition looks like such a lovely one. And how fun to enjoy it with a Nine! Those gold stripes would surely draw the eye.
Enjoy your time away, and may you find relaxation of body and mind.
Author
Fragility. . . . and the tension. . . Somehow conserving strength while we figure out ways to help. . .
All of what you say, so true.
Thank you, I have been relaxing between the bouts of, well, not relaxing. . . insert eyeroll emoji!
I so hope that your blog survives the “upgrade” intact. Technology giveth and it taketh away. Oy.
Author
So true, Maggie. So true!
Like Beth, as a fairly new reader of your blog I truly hope it all survives! Your blog touches all of my interests–making art, reading, granddaughters, travel, lovely clothing. . . I am sure one way or another you’ll be able to go forward, even if some old content is lost? I don’t really understand how all this works, to be honest. (Which is why, despite off and on contemplating it for years, I have never started a blog myself!)
How am I surviving? What I have learned over the past few years of big huge plagues (it feels almost biblical!) is to try to limit my news diet, get plenty of exercise of some sort daily, and engage in some sort of creative enterprise every single day, whether it is drawing, writing, knitting, threadpainting, or whatever. I look at pictures of my little granddaughters in the long stretches between our visits. (It is a long way between Arizona and Oregon.) It also is good when I find ways to help people I love, or my community as a whole–but as a lifelong “giver”, I have to make sure I don’t get too lost in helping others as I did for so many years working in education. After nearly three years in retirement, I think I am finally finding my way. . .
Author
I really appreciate your kind and encouraging words, Linda.
Your approach to staying well, to coping and thriving sounds very wise. It does take those few years to sort out retirement, I found as well, and I got to start before a pandemic!
Oh, I do hope the upgrade goes smoothly and nothing is lost. Technology was supposed to make life easier and in some ways it has, but in others, not so much! It seems to me that it sometimes adds a great deal of stress.
I’m also hoping that the mountain spa you mentioned above is the Scandinave Spa at Whistler. We were there at Christmas time a few years ago and it was wonderful. I’d love to go again!
Author
As did Maggie, you’ve hit the nail on the head. Technology helps and then hinders or even hurts. All in how we manage it, I suppose.
Our first time at Scandinave today, and it’s everything we’d heard of it! A very special place.
Your blog is so enjoyable, varied and thoughtful; I hope it will still exist after the mandatory changes. Thanks for the heads up on the exhibit at the Italian Cultural Center; I’ll visit and fill up on beauty. I’m taking notes on what to do with and for grandchildren as my husband and I will start that new chapter this summer. Enjoy the Scandi Spa and drive!
Author
Thanks so much for the kind words. As for the exhibit, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it — and oh, what an adventure you’ll be embark on, this whole grandparenting gig! Exciting!