Dear Reader,
How are you? I am fine.
There have been men in trees with ropes and saws (and good knees) since last I wrote. I stayed on earth and directed the show. Haircuts for all! The mighty oaks agreed to go first. I promised them the cuts would be gentle and they were. Then it was Jacaranda’s turn, and then Olive, then Young Oak, and finally at the very back of Moss Cottage, Old Elderflower. El Niño 2.0 is on the way and the tree canopy had to be thinned. The trees understood this and even though they prefer to hug Moss Cottage tight they agreed to give her some breathing room. The moon is now glistening through the newly opened windows of said trees and most nights find me tracking her path with my binocs and phone trying to capture the wobbly glow.
I’ve returned to crochet after a long spell. I decided to use a giant hook and thick yarn. I carry the giant balls of yarn from room to room and decide from which chair to embark on my next giant granny square. That is, except for now I’m positioned in front of the computer tutorial watching every movement at half speed. I suppose the training wheels can come off at some point. I doubt my wobbly-ass square inspires you, but Caroline Langford’s Happy Home Collective on IG might. My square is called Forever Flower.
On a walk I met a coyote with long ears and legs that made me think of Walt Whitman. Don’t ask me how or why. I think it’s in the eyes and whiskers. The cat posse has no interest in coyotes, Walt Whitman, 9mm crochet hooks, Anita Brookner, the moon, or men in trees. They’re also not convinced that I need to leave for Dijon, France soon, but they’ll have a good caretaker while I’m gone.
Someone should start packing something sometime, but not yet. I’m doing things the easy way and taking many of the same things I took to France in May except less of everything and some different hair. Something autumnal, maybe in the color pumpkin spice. Maybe not. I’ll send you a selfie from the road so you can assess my Burgundian disguise. I’m unlikely to climb the 316 steps to reach this tower over Dijon, with a selfie stick, but it’s not out of the question. Stay tuned. Or not.
Found some time ago on a Burgundian tourism site and I’m afraid I’ve lost the trail so can’t credit the photog.
On My Bookshelf
I’m having a good run with Anita Brookner. Currently on the unputdownable The Bay of Angels. There’s an equal chance you’ll love or hate it. Depending. Do inform me if we have similar reading taste. I love finding kindred book spirits. So many good lines in these I’m scribbling into my journal. I do love a good miserable character sunk deep in an existential crisis of one sort or another.
Inform me of all the things I need to satisfy my curiosity about your whereabouts and whatabouts.
Discover more from Dispatch from LA
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
I had all my 7 trees trimmed last year. One that is a giant Ash tree! Now I need rain gutters with El Nino coming. I would be nervous if I encounter a coyote on a walk although I take my dog on walks and I’d be terrified if something would happen to my dog, Nori. But the coyote looks beautiful. Love all your wonderful photos they make feel like Autumn is around the corner. I’m a big lover of Halloween. I couldn’t decorate last year because I had Covid but I promise myself I’d do it this year. So this year I decide to do a Dia de Los Muertos theme so I have been busy painting some skulls, and gathering Papel Picado banners, marigolds & Catrinas etc.
We’ll miss you while your gone but I can’t wait to hear about your trip!
Yoo hoo Margarita, your house is going to look marvelous. Take pics and share them with the Art Mammals okay?
Sometimes I get an email notification that you have a new blog post and I wait a few days (or more) or more to open it up and read knowing that there might be a day when I need a little pick me up. I always did the same when my beloved Martha Stewart Living came in the mail and I would wait until the first quiet Sunday to crack its pages! Dreamy post as always. Someone over on Booktok recommended an older book The Post Office Girl by Stefan Zweig. The prose is so beautiful I find myself reading sentences over and over just so I can live with them a little longer!
Well my goodness, Kristina that is awfully nice to hear. Sending out smoke signals into the vast void of the interwebs sometimes a person wonders if anyone is still out there. Thanks for sending a signal back this way. Oh and that book has my attention, thanks for telling me about it. I love Booktok!
I love everything about this post, especially the lyrical writing of your tree surgery experience. I’ll be sending you a poem of mine about that very subject.
You have 10 days to pack but with your experience you’ll do it in half that – or less.
I await the reading of the poem, Chrissy. Eyes and ears peeled for your transmission xo
Great pics… as usual. The coyote!!! Looking forward to your pic from France. Xo sv
Me, the whatabouts over here in Minnesota. Been working on a journal for months now. Mostly fabric, some paper. It continues to be a work in progress. I’m doing a ton of reading, some easy, quiet reads about sentient plants and quiet magic folk: The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst. It might not be your thing, and it would not have been mine either up until recently, but in these times I need a bit of lightness and imagination, good for both mind and soul. And delightfully unputdownable, and then there are the nonfiction tomes of things that intrigue me, such as Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space by Adam Higginbotham. I’m learning a lot. I like soaking up knowledge and information. I’ve heard it is good in later years to keep the brain and mind on its toes. I’d rather do it than hand it all over to AI;. I’m going to prefer not to wade further into that topic. I’ve never been a fan of anything that begins with the word artificial. It’s like, why would you want to have artificial chocolate if you can have real? Would you bake with artificial flavors or seasonings in your dishes? Aren’t processed foods all primarily artificial, and we are being told to avoid those these days? But then there is really nothing new about that; some of us have been saying or told that for longer than AI has been around. But seriously. I find the term laughable to be honest, but I am neither a techie or expert, so what do I know? Nothing more than I did a few brief seconds ago. I will check out your current reads. I am always on the prowl for new authors.
greetings susie in the land of 1000 lakes, or is it 10,000 ? Glad you are well and reading and thinking and breathing and living up there in the far north. xo
I am a voracious reader and have picked up many books that you have read and mentioned over the years. You might be interested in the biography about Anita Brookner that comes out in November. It is called “Art and Life” and it’s written by Heemoione Lee.
Happy travels to Dijon. I was there over 10 years ago and had a lovely time.
Thanks for the biography info, Lisa! I like the title. It’s sure to be interesting. so much of her fictional female characters are bound to be autobiographical in one way or another and I would like to find out more about that.
What a lovely update! And how exciting that you have another adventure coming up. You can promise to bring back French cat food for the furries, maybe they’ll forgive you then for leaving them. And I think autumnal hair in shades of browns and reds would be perfect for a French autumn. Here in London town we have gone back to summer, it’s sunny and warm and nobody is feeling like cinnamon autumn candles at all. Yet. I have been neglecting my journals a little but want to get back into them as soon as the weather turns and it’s cosy time. Do you know Barbara from 49dragonflies? On youtube? She has fabulous journals and I spend far too much time watching her videos. I’m reading a murder mystery which takes place in Oxford and it’s giving autumn vibes, just because it’s academia. AND as a nod to academia, I have bought myself some t-bar Doc Martens shoes which look nice but are an absolute pain (in the truest sense of the word) to break in. Enjoy France, I look forward to seeing your journal.
enjoy the warmth and sunshine in London, Margit. I’ll be headed there next June. Staying in Marylebone near Regent’s Park. First time. Can’t wait! I’m going to check out the dragonfly woman on YT. I love finding new people over there. I looked up your shoes and they are v.v.v.v. cute. Hire some kid to break them in for you and return them in a few months. LOL
I am excited for you about the upcoming trip! Difficult to launch off, always, but so nice to be there and it can’t get better than that part of the world in autumn. Hope you post lots of pics. Here on the Central Coast, we bought a house on a golf course and while I have no interest in golf whatsoever, I have a huge interest in the many species of birds that frequent the green spaces, so I’m going to just pretend it’s a bird sanctuary with occasional migratory sightings of old retired men riding around in carts. Your art is wonderful as always, I think a Wall of Eyes hopefully offers some kind of protection against the negative forces in the world!
This made me laugh and giggle to no end. Migratory old men in carts. What a hoot. Thank you Diane!
I’ve never been to France in fall and looking forward! Your views will be lovely on your golf course. I don’t golf but a ride with an old man in a cart isn’t necessarily a bad thing. If they can hold on! The Walls Have Eyes. Coming soon to a theatre near you!
Sister! Were I going with, we WOULD be climbing for the view. No doubt about it. Rest stops along the way make all things possible. The rooftops are so fabulous! I would set us up a little table with 2 chairs and a small bottle of wine with 2 glasses and local cheese and baguette. Maybe the French cousins of the guys with good knees who trimmed your trees would carry it all up to the rooftop for us.