state of mind

Nose bleed

nostrils down to cartilage
I try to breath in the stinky air
armpits aching from friction
my eyes open and shut at odd intervals under
the weight
of distance
it is not pretty
the hillside is steep and my crooked toes curl
on the rocky slate
the altitude is dizzying and my nose
is dripping
red.

more flowers

I feel that I have talked and shown flowers a lot lately.no accident, you might add since I love them.they soothe, they dazzle, they uplift, they smell divine,they heal, they help make honey, they color a room,or calm it down,and now in the spring, they are everywhere.
these are camomille flowers that I am ready to dry.

red

Dot brought me this notebook for my upcoming voyage to Paris.And since I am visiting my mother, that sums it up pretty much.
The red geranium is blooming and its single blossom would put any swiss citizen to shame.The terraces of the old wooden chalets are filled, come summer, with bursts of hundreds of red blobs,stating their patriotic pride .That was the ritual of each summer of my childhood upon arriving to the mountain.My grandmother, then mother would go to the market and buy a few pots of red geraniums that would adorn and brighten the front of the house till September.
My favorite colors are black and white, so red is there sometimes, for shock or memory, in small doses.

greek gods

Helios drove his chariot across the sky over the week end,which was particularly appropriate since it was the annual Greek festival, here in Oakland. Cheap vacation: a balmy terrace overlooking the city, greek bands bringing everybody to their feet, food stands with homemade fare,kids digging into their carton of loukoumades,Greek gods working things out, older men drinking retsina wine, cooling the parched throats.Imagine the sunset with Greek singing in the background and the smell of honey poured over the loukoumades...until next year...

Loved the aesthetics of the jewelry studio/store called Modern relics in san francisco, where a book release party took place. I also love the book featured called" San Francisco kitchens" published in japan, with a very different eye to details and artfulness.It feels snapshoty, and intimate, going for the uniqueness and funk rather than the upscale monotonty of brand designs.

black and white

I love my new Rae tiles in my kitchen.
but then, he said:" Don't you have them backwards , cook first then eat ?"

My mother's day

Dot works on Sunday, so we agree to defer the day to yesterday.The plan: to pick me up to take me to her place where we would have tea and a mom/dot time, then significant would pop over and we would all have dinner together.
First,Dot went to get me my special favorite afternnon tea of the moment ( masala chai from Peets), and arrived with this:

then we drove to her quiet refuge next to climbing favas and gossipy chickens, and had our tea and crumpets in her kitchen

She had made a sweet card, we talked about relationships and books while dipping madeleines.
She showed of her new ring, that fits her wildness:

When significant arrived, she served us some apetizers, styled just so on the plate !

We had a delicious dinner, the rosé was refreshing, we played a little game , she and I had a couple of dance moves before leaving. My heart is full.