Jiro on his blanket, dozing off in the sun
Yuletide camellia making a great show
Not much to write about today. We've had some beautiful weather here over the last week, the last gasp of autumn. As you can see, the camellias are particularly nice now. We have the last roses and the first camellias out together. The garden is a mess, but I'm enjoying just sitting in the sun and reading. I've just read Molly Keane's "Good behaviour" and throroughly enjoyed it, and a coffee-table type book called "I am dandy" about modern dandies, men who like to dress extravagantly, with obsessive attention to the detail of their clothing and grooming. I don't know about some of the men's costumes; mustard tartan waistcoats with pink socks don't really do anything for me, but the whole point of dandyism is to be noticed, and they certainly do get noticed. I can see the appeal of a life dedicated to aestheticism, an attempt to get away from the modern world into a world of one's own creation. I've also seen a doco on youtube about modern people who live 'vintage' lives, recreating the 'thirties or the 'fifties in their homes and clothing. The modern world is left behind in a whirl of nostalgia for so-called "better" times. I don't know if I'd pick the 'thirties to go back to; depression, civil unrest and rumblings of war? I'd not want to leave behind my washing-machine to spend a whole day once a week washing, as my grandmother did. Boil the copper overnight, then wash, wring, starch, blue, and rinse and wring again. No, thank you.
Both Jiro and your camellias are beautiful. I suspect Jiro knows it too.
ReplyDeleteI certainly wouldn't want to go back to hand washing or a copper. I have done both, and hope to never have to do so again. Many years back we swapped a bottle of cognac (which neither of us like) for an automatic washing machine. We got the better deal. And the washing machine lasted longer too.
A simpler life has charm - until I think of the sheer hard work involved.
Yes, the simple life. I read a book about Henry Thoreau not long ago. Much as I admire him, his simple life was enabled by his ability to go back to the parental home for lunch and dinner, cooked by servants. No doubt his washing was also done for him by a laundry-maid too, although this was not mentioned in the book!
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