China on my mind…

Malaysian Airline Flight 370 has been on my mind quite a bit these past days. Like many people, there are a myriad of reasons why some of us are affected by this tragic mysterious loss. Unexplained losses are the hardest.

I spent all my high school years in Singapore, with the last two in boarding school as my parents moved to Malaysia. I have fond memories of a train journey from Singapore through Malaysia onto Thailand with three classmates. Over the course of several years, I took similar flight paths as MA 370. I returned to Thailand when my parents were stationed there. I travelled to Hong Kong and Macau. I went on to mainland China to Guang Zhou. I returned to Singapore twelve years after my high school graduation to re-edit and retrace the steps of The Secret Map of Singapore which my parents had designed, and I was left speechless at the grandeur of the Wall of China a couple of years ago.

Now, living in Northern California, I am often drawn to San Francisco's Chinatown. I always sense a pull from all my years and travels in the Far East. With passengers from the flight being from many corners of the globe, by far the biggest loss is the Chinese. I honor them today with this small collection of colorful photos, which wrap themselves around my fanciful taste for Chinoiserie, whose colors blend with the vignettes of Provence in my home.

A rural home ~ a poem by Mei Yaochen (1002-1060)

The cock crows three times; the sky is almost light.

Someone's lined up bowls of rice, along with flasks of tea.
Anxiously, the peasants rush to start the ploughing early,
I pull aside the willow shutter and gaze at the morning stars.

• the last emperor of China, Pu Yi •

Off to the side of the main palaces in The Forbidden City in Beijing, I discovered stunning large photographs framed in Chinese lacquer red surrounding a small intimate courtyard .

 How nice it would be to sit there today, and reflect on the lives of all the people of flight MA370.

Indeed that would be … very good for the soul.

 Adeline

A gift of Spring ~ A Happy Easter

Outside in the front garden, the wisteria is in full bloom with its periwinkle blossoms drooping lazily, soon to be swept away by late afternoon winds. Dainty purple flowers dot the surface of  the rosemary plants while the tulips in full bloom on the back deck welcome the morning sun.

The sweet temptations and the soft pastels of Easter are here as well, with my younger daughter clearly reminding me that last year she was away camping when the Easter Bunny came through town. In her honor this year, I have captured Easter vignettes around the house: you will find hand-blown glass and hand-painted eggs from places near and far - including my own feeble attempt at Ukrainian egg design; traditional French 'dragées' - those irresistible candy coated almonds with that perfect crunch - too pretty to be eaten truly; outlandish floral crowns and hats; and a few Victorian inspired springtime treasures. 

I think I will let them all linger around well into April ~ and I believe even the Easter Bunny will stay a while, and be tempted to read the beautiful words of the poet Rainer Maria Rilke. I found this excerpt from his poem "Spring!" to be just so... read on.

"Spring!" - Sonnets to Orpheus I,21 - by Rainer Maria Rilke

Earth, school is out now. You're free

to play with the children. We'll catch you,

joyous Earth. The happiest will catch you!

All that the teacher taught her - the many thoughts

pressed now into roots and long 

tough stems: She sings! She sings!

A Happy Easter ~ A Happy Spring ~ A Happy Daughter... I know this must be good for the soul...

Springtime and Toy Cameras

Remember the toy cameras one had back in the late sixties and seventies; that look of soft edges with the corners darkened; well, my digital camera has such a setting. It made me smile - it's actually called 'toy camera' setting. In art school days, we called it fancy words like 'burning and dodging'; in the digital world you often hear the word 'vignette'. Just recently, I felt like a little kid walking around my home capturing details of objects I love around me. I love zooming in on detail. I love when you really look at a texture up close, when you don't just dismiss it. I love curlycues, I love tassels. I am truly hooked on scalloped edges. It is also clear that I am definitely possessed with pink and green... a recurring theme on this blog and in my home.

Enjoy these trios of photos; live in the moment, and who knows... you too might feel like a kid! 

Fanny Crosby says it perfectly. I shall not alter a single word; but look closely around you at the people and the things you love. Do you see the details, the beauty, the springtime?

I will tell you this... 

Springtime is definitely good for the soul... and it is around the corner.