Meanwhile at Chateau de Notre Maison, celebrations!
I apologise. I just cannot stop making fun of the Escape to the Chateau program and its spin-offs. The more of them we discover, the more we have to watch. … Continue reading
I had a visitor from the past with evidence of my previous lives.
Imagine that! The first immediate family member I see since 1999 came to visit. We talked so much she was barely able to see the house. She had evidence at … Continue reading
The end of summer in Mazamet
And what a wonderful time we had. Discounting the heat, of course. That part was appalling. Having resisted air-conditioning all these years, we finally gave in and installed one in … Continue reading
A Very Mazamet Summer: Flowers, Food & Wine
And a good time was had by all, I believe. Our first guests of the year have come and gone. My brother and sister-in-law. I realised something fantastic happened to … Continue reading
A Short Post — regarding people’s nether regions
Just want to get this one out of the way because — well, because that’s what this blog is actually for. It’s here that I talk to myself (and to … Continue reading
Another Mazaversary!!! Also, lunch and dogs
The Ukrainian branch of the family is in a secure location so let’s set aside for a moment all the terrible things happening in the world. As we celebrate another … Continue reading
This is how the mafia operates: Caio Druso
A Portuguese version of this post will follow shortly. Imagine the hilarity of receiving not one but an inbox filling succession of “extrajudicial” letters as attempts to — not only … Continue reading
Wishing you all A Life in Roses in 2022
Mike got me a few roses for a nice start to the New Year.
Happy Holidays!!! To Every Thing There is a Season, and a Time To Every Purpose
We’ve had a lovely bit of very welcomed sunshine lately to brighten up what’s been an emotional time. As we’ve completed our seventh year in France we also lost the … Continue reading
The Secret of Life: We all play the status game, but who are the real winners?
“Life is a game. To understand this is to understand why the human world can be so maddening, angry and irrational. The behaviour of racists, transphobes, conspiracy theorists, cult members, … Continue reading
A Fascinating Perspective; Critical Race Theory in Action at The White Lotus
“… Excellent performances (and performers) like Rothwell as Belinda are wasted as the Black and Hawaiian characters — the ones actually best suited to critique their white oppressors through the … Continue reading
Much Ado About Critical Race Theory
People seem to be incredibly preoccupied with this theory at the moment. It’s being discussed in much the same way as they used to talk about the Homosexual Agenda. I … Continue reading
All the Things One Doesn’t Say Out Loud. De mortuis nihil nisi bonum
“Her mother blackmailed her, her husband Giovanni Battista Meneghini stole from her, and shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis was violent and abandoned her for Jackie Kennedy… …In writing a new biography, … Continue reading
Happy Holidays!
So here we are and what a year it has been. I don’t even have the energy to comment. Let’s hope 2021 brings some measure of normality back. Christmas Menu … Continue reading
Official Mourning Declared Tomorrow in Brazil’s 4th Largest State
Governor Rui Costa declared official mourning for the 18th of August to honour my grandfather’s death which happened this morning. Mayor ACM also released a statement. Not entirely sure how … Continue reading
And now for not beautiful things, like Covid-19
Last week my mind was the scene of a landslide of memories and emotions. It’s taken me a while to collect my thoughts. My email began flooding on Wednesday. Messages … Continue reading
The Threshold of Injury to Demand for Action Ratio as Based on Genetic Determinism/Identity
Consider this example: For the past few years a sector of the American population has been proposing the legal denial of service to customers based on the customer’s sexual orientation. … Continue reading
The mood music for this post is Sabor a Mi, late 60’s.
And then one day, suddenly, it makes sense. It all makes sense. I’m reading Pete Walker’s Complex Trauma (CPTSD) book. It’s the text I hoped I would one day find. … Continue reading
An 18th Century Walnut Sofa, Circa 1730; And other thoughts including on people who see Jesus on toast
It’s a very conservative estimate, but there’s a chance someone will end up with an outstanding piece of furniture for a very reasonable price. I still find it baffling that … Continue reading
Phenomenal performance, writing, photography – everything.
I don’t think I remember what my mind was before the things that happened that ruined my mind. It’s particularly fascinating for me to see someone exposed in this way, … Continue reading
The Mayan Conquest
Intense. There’s no better word to describe this first month. Maya’s life experience has created a very unique mindset. Humans have a tendency to personalise everything – and so, I … Continue reading
Maya, Day II
I’ve cut away most of her matted fur and she’s had a bath. She arrived Tuesday evening because things got delayed at the shelter. The night was peaceful but she … Continue reading
Life can be difficult
I usually make an effort not to talk about unpleasant things – but sometimes life just doesn’t cooperate with me. There have been two things this this year that have … Continue reading
Uncle-hood
We had a surprise visit – which coincided with the heat wave. We thought the temperatures (we’re just two hours away from the record breaking 45.9º!!!) might ruin the experience, … Continue reading
To Gillie, With Love
“I hope you are already aware of the forthcoming celebration of Gillie’s life and art and the launch of the Lynne and Land Foundation we are setting up to help … Continue reading
A Hanging, our Mazaversary and Various Other Versaries
The Hanging: It looks right. It was March 2015 when we arrived at number 42. Many corners have been turned since, but now it looks as if the big ones … Continue reading
Mazamet, March 7th, 2019
February in Mazamet has been like Spring. Lots of sun and beautifully mild temperatures hovering around 15 during the day, cooler nights. It’s been very enjoyable but of course something … Continue reading
As I Walk Through the Valley of the Shadows of Hungry Ghosts
Or is it goats? Worry not, this isn’t a depressing post! I’m actually feeling very well. But this is a haphazard post which basically goes nowhere, so be warned. I’ve been … Continue reading
Did you know that when a parent dies you get a free churro?
A breathtaking piece of writing from a cartoon, no less. If you have Netflix, look up: Bojack Horseman series 05 episode 06, it’s delivered by Will Arnett. The first part … Continue reading
Mazamet, October 2nd, 2018
The weather has been sublime. Warm days, cool nights, stunning skies. I’ve been making an effort to order my thoughts. Sometimes my mind feels so full it’s like sitting on … Continue reading
Cooking this season – let’s call it vintage style: Cordon Bleu, Madhur Jaffrey & Edouard de Pomiane
The other day I found a complete set of the 1968 Cordon Bleu home course for sale online, and of course bought it immediately. It was designed by Rosemary Hume … Continue reading
If the grass is greener on one’s own side – does one stop watering?
So confusing! I opened an upstairs window this week to this image. People here let their grass go brown in summer. I went looking around and it seems everyone does … Continue reading
So – Sarah Porter – What can I say?
It’s true that the day after you get bad news is a little bit easier. Just a little, though. Memories have been flashing in my mind all day yesterday and … Continue reading
LET THE FUN BE-GIN!!! Until it ends.
Summer girls have come and gone. We had a glorious time as we do every year. They went exploring this year in a way they hadn’t done before. They say … Continue reading
Religion as a Tool in Social Dominance Theory
“Social dominance theory was put forth by two researchers, Jim Sidanius and Felicia Pratto, in 1999. Specifically, Sidanius and Pratto attempted to explain how, and why, social structures seemed to … Continue reading
A marble bust of the Roman Emperor Commodus | Christie’s
“… Aurelius Commodus Antoninus Augustus (161-192 AD), or Commodus as he was more commonly known, was the last emperor of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty, which ruled the Roman Empire for … Continue reading
(Almost) July at number 42
Mike got an umbrella because when summer girls are here we sit outside most days and his skin is prone to those lesions (caused by the sun) that have to … Continue reading
The Magnificent Hannah Gadsby Monologue
” … because I still have shame. You learn from the part of the story you focus on. I need to tell my story properly. Because the closet, for me, … Continue reading
Pot-pourri —– is a stupid title
Did you know pourri means rotten? The French term came about during the Napoleonic occupation of Spain. It began life as the name of a typical Burgos dish which mixed … Continue reading
An Evening with Patrick Melrose or why the worse thing that ever happened to me was that I wasn’t an orphan.
Saturday evening in Mazamet. June 9th. The weather is mild. There’s a street party in the centre of town. From the garden we can hear music in the distance. For … Continue reading
Yippee: a crucifixion, abortion, ducks and pretty things!!!
And it’s only Wednesday! – In case you missed the exceedingly popular last issue of Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, there’s a fascinating article on the second case of crucifixion ever found. … Continue reading
Author Didier Eribon: ‘What was difficult was not being gay but being working-class’ | Books | The Guardian
“What was difficult was not being gay but being working-class,” he says. ‘People who say they are proud to be working-class are really saying they are proud to no longer … Continue reading
Christie’s: The Kenneth Neame Collection, Including Arts of India, English and European Furniture and Works of Art
“This June, discover the refined taste of Kenneth Neame, one of London’s most respected antique dealers. Ahead of his forthcoming relocation, Neame is offering a curated selection of pieces from … Continue reading
The Elegant Atheist: Keeping away the Jehova’s Witnesses and the Mormons
I finally decided to get a sign having been woken up today by the doorbell and the consequent dog barking. I ran downstairs flustered, stopped at the inter-phone to say … Continue reading
Princess Margaret preferred a vase –
The Queen’s sister was so miffed at the tiny glasses on Concorde that she used a vase for her G&T, according to a recent report. But what is the best … Continue reading
That was quick + The visit of flexitarian millenials.
– That took five minutes to sell, which is a rather good sign for the strengthening market of the area. Asking was 470 EU which is 580 US$ (at today’s … Continue reading
A Horrendous Day
I had planned on posting wonderful pictures of a stunning parcel gilt lacca povera console table from the first half of the 18th century this afternoon – but that will … Continue reading
Older Than Springtime
The weather was lovely over the weekend and again today. I’ve taken advantage of that to start pruning the wisteria. Nightmare job. Terribly frightening to be that high up a … Continue reading
Countdown + the newest family member
It’s countdown to Holy Week when the family arrives. People from Holland, (the) Ukraine and Britain. One of them is heavily pregnant with this child above! They don’t want … Continue reading
On this cold winter afternoon
Last night was the coldest night in France this winter. It snowed on the Côte d’Azur and in Corsica. Here the temperature went down to -7, but that was … Continue reading
V.I.Poo
So we’re watching television last night when this advert comes on. I kid you not. V.I.Poo. Not a documentary about reality tv stars, but an air freshener. I’d like to … Continue reading
Titles are boring
This was the last Christmas of my 30’s. Then the last New Years of my 30’s. Then the last January 4th of my 30’s. Today it’s the last January 17th … Continue reading
Experimentations in Shallow Breathing
We watched Call Me by Your Name today. Undoubtedly the film of the year. It’s only going to be released in France in February, so it was excellent to see it … Continue reading
Happy Holidays!!!
Wishing you all the best of everything – just as long as it’s just that little bit less good than whatever I get 😀
Not a great day
Annette Glasmacher, interior designer and former director at Chanel, has died. I spent the day trying to get my head to stop replaying images of her, her terrace, her house … Continue reading
Breaking News: ISIS claims responsibility for When Calls the Heart, Season 4
If they claim responsibility for series 1-3, then Canada can breathe a sigh of relief. Maybe Trudeau could ask his offshore money manager to speak to their offshore money manager … Continue reading
A very good blue & Larkin
“A Louis XV ormolu-mounted blue and gilt Vernis Martin bureau en pente. By Pierre IV Migeon, circa 1735-40, the vernis decoration attributed to the Martin Frères. Estimate: £120,000-180,000 The brothers … Continue reading
How the oligarchy wins: lessons from ancient Greece | Ganesh Sitaramanan | Opinion | The Guardian
“To understand that, we can turn to an instant classic from a few years ago, Jeffrey Winters’ Oligarchy. Winters argues that the key to oligarchy is that a set of … Continue reading
You weren’t wondering – but anyway
I’ve been quiet because I’ve been doing stuff. On occasion my mind becomes exceedingly unpleasant. Critical and negative, to an almost crippling degree. This has been one of those periods. … Continue reading
Now Canada Has Gone Too Far
I’m afraid this is a much more serious declaration of war on the entire world than any test North Korea might attempt. I have rarely, if ever, seen so many … Continue reading
Just a thought
One of those email forward things going around, but an amusing one. This woman is 51 yrs old. She is TV health guru Gillian McKeith, advocating a holistic approach to … Continue reading
Lady Macbeth (Leskov) & Beatriz at Dinner
We finally got around to watching both films. This Lady Macbeth (as I mentioned in a recent post) isn’t the Shakespearean version, but based on a novella published by Nikolai … Continue reading
How Well Can We Remember Someone’s Life after They Die? – Julia Shaw for Scientific American
“Memory is often a social construction. Certainly in the context of grief, memories are often elicited and shared in group settings with family members and friends. Information is disclosed, information … Continue reading
A Boy (or more) to be Sacrificed
I watched the men talking on the beach with some degree of suspicion. I simply did not understand what was going on, what they were doing, or why. I’d never … Continue reading
Of what we feel – and don’t feel.
After posting that little excerpt from The End of Eddy I ended up reading the English version yesterday. Excellent, although the translation isn’t quite as stylish as the French original; … Continue reading
And one day you realise you’re a cartoon squirrel
And all the beautiful and sophisticated things you have are just you hoarding acorns- no matter how many romantic Dostoevskian justifications you may have. And you mostly socialise with other acorn … Continue reading
The ecology of human fear: survival optimization and the nervous system | Neuroscience
“In this article, we gather ecological theories and empirical data from a variety of related fields in an attempt to create a unified model of how humans predict, respond to, … Continue reading
Safety in numbers?
One of (in my firm opinion) the best interior designers in the world has landed at number 42- bringing along with her a photo of us together many years ago. … Continue reading
Update: Ten Types of Human by Dexter Dias
Absolutely worth the time! The title may be off-putting because it’s gimmicky- but the contents of the book are not. He uses the Ten Types format as an outline to … Continue reading
Tentative Uncertainty
When my mother-in-law was first ill, it was a strange time. Sometimes she’d say unusual things. Things that didn’t quite fit in the conversation. Then she’d have the occasional fall. … Continue reading
A Mild Headache & Peonies
–I have a mild headache. –We’re entering summer mode. We had guests a couple of weeks ago, but as of Wednesday it’s basically non-stop until September. Cold soups will feature … Continue reading
The Changing of the Loos
The one terribly unpleasant thing I found when we moved into number 42 were the loos. From a little distance they look normal, but as one approaches, one discovers they’re … Continue reading
Hips, Lovage, Heat & Banks
Lovage: The only good part of the title. I can’t believe I’ve gone 39 years without it. It looks like big flat leaf parsley but with a much stronger celery-like … Continue reading
I burst out laughing: Trump orders the slaying of Clooney newborns – The Whitechapel Whelk
US President, Donald Trump, has issued an executive order calling for the newborn twins of actor, George Clooney, to be put to death immediately. Source: Trump orders the slaying of … Continue reading
An Agendist’s (Mostly) Private Thoughts
It’s usually a bad idea to put people on a pedestal; Unless they’re blind or in a wheelchair, in which case it might be funny. Three of my grandparents are … Continue reading
Must See: Betting On Zero
“From ‘Darfur Now’ writer/director Ted Braun comes a riveting docu-thriller following controversial hedge fund titan Bill Ackman as he puts a billion dollars on the line in his crusade … Continue reading
Some things never change- mostly the chandeliers
I was up a ladder cleaning the chandelier in the grey salon today and I started trying to count backwards to figure out the year when I bought it (because … Continue reading
Salvador Sobral WON Eurovision!!!
How absolutely wonderful. First Macron, now this. There is much light at the end of this tunnel.
The science of inequality: why people prefer unequal societies | Inequality | The Guardian
“… For example, studies of income and happiness have revealed that, once a basic level of wealth is achieved, relative wealth is more important for overall happiness. Similarly, a vast … Continue reading
From Denying to the Grave
From Denying to the Grave: Why We Ignore the Facts That Will Save Us by Sara E. Gorman, Jack M. Gorman, M.d., Jack M. Gorman, Oxford University Press Rabbit Feet and … Continue reading
Does Revenge Serve an Evolutionary Purpose? – Scientific American
“Why all the celebration after the killing of Osama bin Laden? A psychologist who studies evolution and human behavior explains the complex desire for vengeance” Source: Does Revenge Serve an … Continue reading
In the land of zeros and ones- there are questions
Curiosity, hope and the constant impulse to compare ourselves- all part of the human evolutionary strategy. Doesn’t that mean we can whittle everything down into those terms? What follows is that most … Continue reading
Heuristics & Biases (borrowed from GSU)
I love graphs and tables 😀 This one is amusing. The more I look through comments on newspapers and blogs, the more I notice the extent to which people rely … Continue reading
Ai Funghi
Here I am, a month or so in. This seems to be working for me. Intellectually what I knew I wanted was, shall we say, a divorce from the ego. … Continue reading
The Grey Agendist
Well, the hair is grey, anyway. Very, very grey. Also, very, very short. My mood is up. We’ve had over a week of excellent weather now. One day at 18º … Continue reading
Pastoral Amusements
Isn’t that room stunning? The tapestry you see on the wall on the left is the Cheval Fondu from the Amusements Champêtres series. It was thought to be Beauvais but … Continue reading
Thinking aloud
I was awake until very late last night looking at old pictures. In particular pictures where the Bacchus painting appears. A collector contacted me to make an offer. We haven’t … Continue reading
The fire that burns unseen – Luís Vaz de Camões
16th century poetry and also some wonderful music. Amor é um fogo que arde sem se ver, é ferida que doi, e não se sente; é um contentamento descontente, é … Continue reading
The Last Shaman by James Freeman
This documentary is now on Netflix. Interesting concept. James suffers from acute depression. He’s tired. He’s tried all sorts of treatments but nothing has really worked. He decides to “give … Continue reading
Lessons in Ethics: The Moral of Annie
The moral of Annie is that there was a time when it really didn’t matter how talented your child was and/or how well they could sing, if it was a Ginger, … Continue reading
The adventures of President Shyster & his Shysterettes
By now you’ve probably seen President Shyster posing next to a table covered in files: The setup was extraordinary. Basically he said, Dear Public, these are papers. Papers mean I … Continue reading
Little- thinking
When I was little I sometimes wished an aeroplane would crash. This was generally to get rid of a single person- which makes it terribly inefficient methodologically. Wishing for choking would’ve … Continue reading
What would 18 year old you think?
I read this the other day and it stuck in my mind. It’s from a speech by the author of The Black Swan, N.N. Taleb. Interesting notion. To go back to … Continue reading
Attempts at mind control
Because I obviously need(ed) to *wear* a reminder in very large letters.
The unbearable heaviness of being.
Milan Kundera is a stupid name. There, I said it. I don’t mention it often, but I was one of those clever children. You get high scores on a test … Continue reading
Darwin, Bonaparte & the Samaritan (starting the year on a good note!)
That’s the title of Michel Serre’s new book. Unfortunately I think it’s not yet available in English (but it is in French & Spanish.) He’s one of the great minds … Continue reading
Stufen
I remember being 10 and sitting in the back seat of the car (a town car), my parents were up front, and I asked them why they thought they should … Continue reading
Why we are willing to pay for mega expensive things
by Paul Harrison Director, Centre for Employee and Consumer Wellbeing; Senior lecturer, Deakin Business School- The Conversation Australia “It may not seem logical or good value for money, but there are … Continue reading
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