Fleurs!

It's been a while since I posted some recent flower pics.  How I do love them. :)

Chelsea Physic Garden

You'll Be Glad to Know!

The man, who I somehow summoned into existence from my urgent need for fresh, handmade ice cream last year at the Thames Festival, is still wandering the earth, dishing out his creamy goodness.  In a strictly professional way, of course! 

When he appeared last year at the exact moment I voiced my need for real ice cream, I smiled at how well London takes care of its own.  

When he emerged through the trees in Battersea Park right at dessert time after our picnic, I fell in love with this city even more.  

Thank you, London, for your fantastic surprises and frequent treats! 

It's the First Step that Counts

"He watched it warily, as if it were an enemy that was trying to entice him again into a war that he had renounced.  Even in the dim, familiar quiet of the library, in an empty carrel that he found hidden in the lower depths of the stacks, he had a hard time making himself look at the pages he carried with him.  He opened other books and read paragraphs at random; he sat still, inhaling the musty odor that came from the old books.  Finally he sighed; unable to put it off any longer, he opened the folder and glanced hastily at the first pages."
                                     

Dear NB@C

I miss you!!!   I have so many posts to put up about this summer and all my travels.  Essentially I had the best summer anyone has ever had in the history of ever.  Three of my favorite people were here (and a fourth was here in spirit and most of our conversations) for many weeks.  We traveled to Great Missenden, Brighton, Edinburgh, and all over London but also spent many days at home, in pjs, eating cookie dough, watching movies and laughing from deep in our guts.  Absolutely splendid!

I needed the revitalization more than I knew.  Having home come to London was so refreshing.  It also reminded me just how fantastic my friends really are.  Erin has the solutions to seemingly unsolvable life dilemmas.  Sara somehow manages to keep everything simple and easy.  And Alex helps us all gain weight but then is also capable of making us laugh the food back out of our mouths, chuckling until our sides ache, so maybe the calories in vs. calories out of being around him balances us out.  

So three cheers for a splendiferous summer!!!!  Pics and posts to come!

Gilgamesh

http://bit.ly/pAktYQ

The Epic of Gilgamesh



I started reading Gilgamesh a couple days ago in an effort to kill two goals with one read.  The text is one of the oldest writings known to exist (written - or rather pressed into clay slabs - around 2500 to 2000 BC) and was composed by the Sumerians.  It falls in both the MENA section of my Where the History Comes From project AND my list of books in the 30/30 list.  I have only read the first two tablets so far and am bringing the rest - in a paper format, far lighter than the originals - on the train to Great Missenden this weekend for our Roald Dahl museum trip.  I thought I'd share some historical context I came across in my other readings, as well as things I like about the text so far.  I will update after the weekend too.