Friday 30 April 2010

Without M



This is how I spend my days. Photographing flowers from my mother's garden. Tulips that seem lifted straight from a Dutch oil painting, vases of the softly tinted blooms taken home to droop languidly over my dressing table as the week goes on. Lying under the fruit trees, level with the forget-me-nots as the grass prickles my bare arms. In an emerald silk dress at a green themed East London house warming, drinking mojitos packed full of mint leaves and worrying about the night bus home alone. Lounging on the grass on a Sunday afternoon with Anna in the garden of the Camden Arts Centre, an oasis of green calm raised above the Finchley Road, eating delectable little cakes stuffed with almonds and red berries and sipping lurid yellow chamomile tea. Stewing rhubarb with sugar and lemon peel, letting it cool, then spooning it over fridge-cold homemade yoghurt for my breakfast. Visiting the Very Sanderson exhibition with Dad on a muggy London afternoon, loving the vintage wallpaper, bemoaning the lack of postcards featuring the designs in the gift shop afterwards. Watching 'I am love' (Io sono l'amore) on a Wednesday evening, utterly absorbed by the opulent Italian interiors, breathtaking landscapes, stunning cinematography. Immersing myself in 'Captain Corelli's Mandolin' for the first time, devouring the pages and wishing myself away to a sunlight filled Greek island whilst crammed onto rush hour trains or waiting for buses. Composing lengthy emails to M in my lunchbreak, laughing at tales of pickled sea cucumber, raw scallops and coffee from cans when I receive his responses in return. Lighting scented candles before bedtime, drifting around my room in my nightie, writing thoughts on scraps of paper, remembering to floss. Thinking of him often, but managing not to mope.



10 comments:

  1. captain corelli is beautiful, as is all LOuis de bernieres books. If you enjoy that, maybe try his trilogy set in a fictional south american country? starts with 'the war of don emmanuels nether parts' - hilarious, rude, bizarre and wonderful.
    also, the tulips are gorgeous.

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  2. mawww, it's not THAT long before you get to see him again! but this is adorable, nevertheless :)

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  3. Beautiful post Becky, very dreamy.

    Hope the times flies and he is back soon!
    xx

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  4. I think you are very brave! I get quite mopey when my husband goes away for a week. Your rituals sound lovely and calming.

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  5. hey, it doesn't sound like a bad way to fill one's time by any means! and think of all the lovely gifts he will be laden with on his return. right, M?

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  6. Have you ever put copper coins in the bottom of a tulip vase? It helps them stay upright, I've found, but I do love their droop. I'm jealous of your lovely week.

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  7. managing not to mope is a very great thing indeed!
    well done, my love

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  8. Oh, I saw I Am Love last weekend... i still keep thinking about it, all the sounds and the colours... and the scene with the rain. Such a beautiful film. I want to see it again, which is rare.
    Perhaps you should take a little trip to the Japan Centre where you can buy all kinds of fun and sometimes rather peculiar Japanese things... including canned coffee!

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  9. I love Captain Corelli... don't think I did anything else in the days I read that book. Hoping your OH is on his way back soon... Japan is fab (I adore it) but not sure how happy I'd be if I was stranded there. At least he's sure to bring you back lots of nice stuff... Good on you for not moping too!

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  10. What a beautiful and evocative post. Quite dreamy. And the most heavenly tulips imaginable - thank you.

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