5 years ago
Friday, October 31, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
A Middle-Aged Affair
It's always reassuring when an author you love is rediscovered. In fact, by the time you've reached l'age moyen that favourite author may be in for their 2nd rediscovery. In my case this author is Elizabeth Bowen.
The wonderful literary biographer, Victoria Glendinning has just written a book chronicling the 30 year love affair between Elizabeth Bowen and Charles Ritchie. Ritchie was a Canadian diplomat posted in London during the Second World War. It was through Charles Ritchie that I first discovered Elizabeth Bowen over 20 years ago. The route to Ritchie began by reading Cecil Beaton's diaries, the noted British illustrator and photographer who began his career in the '20s. Charles Ritchie moved in the same circles. Maybe he captured my interest because he was Canadian, debonair, a great conversationalist,(let's face it, Canadians aren't usually recognized as dazzling society folks) who knows, anyway I quite pleasantly made my way through Charles Ritchie's diaries. He wrote about Elizabeth Bowen with such admiration that I had to investigate further. So, I went to the bookstore and found her paperbacks - sad looking things they were - printed on the cheapest, roughest newsprint and featuring the most trite romance novel-type covers. Happily, the writing was so beautiful and the stories so interesting and quirky that I didn't let the covers deter me from working my way through all the books. Suddenly, she was rediscovered and Penguin reprinted her books with the usual Penguin panache. The BBC gave a couple of her novels the Masterpiece Theatre spin. She assumed her place as a first-class fiction writer. Of course, I felt quite smug for having been loyal to her at her low point.
What has this to do with l'age moyen? One of her best novels is The Heat of the Day which is set in London during the Blitz. It is considered to be a realistic depiction of the experience of being in London during these years. For those of us interested in all things l'age moyen, it portrays the love story between two middle-aged characters, Stella and Robert. The relationship hasn't a trace of naivete about it, and communicates the depth and conviction to ideals, both good and bad, that make l'age moyen so interesting. As a book to reread, its tone and complexity resonates even more deeply now that I'm in l'age moyen.
Elizabeth Bowen, The Heat of the Day
Victoria Glendinning, Love's Civil War, Elizabeth Bowen and Charles Ritchie, Letters and Diaries 1941-1973.
The wonderful literary biographer, Victoria Glendinning has just written a book chronicling the 30 year love affair between Elizabeth Bowen and Charles Ritchie. Ritchie was a Canadian diplomat posted in London during the Second World War. It was through Charles Ritchie that I first discovered Elizabeth Bowen over 20 years ago. The route to Ritchie began by reading Cecil Beaton's diaries, the noted British illustrator and photographer who began his career in the '20s. Charles Ritchie moved in the same circles. Maybe he captured my interest because he was Canadian, debonair, a great conversationalist,(let's face it, Canadians aren't usually recognized as dazzling society folks) who knows, anyway I quite pleasantly made my way through Charles Ritchie's diaries. He wrote about Elizabeth Bowen with such admiration that I had to investigate further. So, I went to the bookstore and found her paperbacks - sad looking things they were - printed on the cheapest, roughest newsprint and featuring the most trite romance novel-type covers. Happily, the writing was so beautiful and the stories so interesting and quirky that I didn't let the covers deter me from working my way through all the books. Suddenly, she was rediscovered and Penguin reprinted her books with the usual Penguin panache. The BBC gave a couple of her novels the Masterpiece Theatre spin. She assumed her place as a first-class fiction writer. Of course, I felt quite smug for having been loyal to her at her low point.
What has this to do with l'age moyen? One of her best novels is The Heat of the Day which is set in London during the Blitz. It is considered to be a realistic depiction of the experience of being in London during these years. For those of us interested in all things l'age moyen, it portrays the love story between two middle-aged characters, Stella and Robert. The relationship hasn't a trace of naivete about it, and communicates the depth and conviction to ideals, both good and bad, that make l'age moyen so interesting. As a book to reread, its tone and complexity resonates even more deeply now that I'm in l'age moyen.
Elizabeth Bowen, The Heat of the Day
Victoria Glendinning, Love's Civil War, Elizabeth Bowen and Charles Ritchie, Letters and Diaries 1941-1973.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Social networking in l'age moyen
O.k. I admit it - I don't understand Facebook. I just don't get it and I don't particularly want to. It can't be a generational thing because lord knows many grandmothers are using it to stay connected with their grandchildren. I have resisted Facebook without knowing why although the light is beginning to dawn.
At this stage in life, friends are so important and the quality of those friendships easily trumps the quantity. Do I really want to reconnect with people I've gone to school or worked with over the last 40+ years? The answers seems to be a resounding 'no'. Maybe for others it's a way of reconnecting with the 'one that got away'. I probably have a few of those if I gave it an ounce of thought. My excuse is I can't afford to lose ounces here and there. I want to save them and lavish my friends with pounds of intense connection, even if we only manage to visit a couple of times a year (and even better if we manage a couple of times per month). Can it be replaced by a quick quip on Facebook? Not for me.
Public access to personal information gets under my skin. One pathetic example came on my birthday. I am linked into a facebook group and I received a birthday greeting from someone who wouldn't otherwise know my birth date. I was rather touched that he had discovered this from someone who would be privy to the date, and then he acted upon it. More fool I. Apparently, when I had to register in the group I needed to post my birth date (of course, I did it without considering the ramifications - should have known better), alas, now it pops up to remind all those in the group of my birthday. What did it achieve? An insincere birthday greeting. No harm was intended or endured, it's just the effect fell far short of the intent. No harm done - no goodwill gained.
You never know, I may get with it and find a role for facebook in my life. Or I can just wait for the whole thing to pass.
At this stage in life, friends are so important and the quality of those friendships easily trumps the quantity. Do I really want to reconnect with people I've gone to school or worked with over the last 40+ years? The answers seems to be a resounding 'no'. Maybe for others it's a way of reconnecting with the 'one that got away'. I probably have a few of those if I gave it an ounce of thought. My excuse is I can't afford to lose ounces here and there. I want to save them and lavish my friends with pounds of intense connection, even if we only manage to visit a couple of times a year (and even better if we manage a couple of times per month). Can it be replaced by a quick quip on Facebook? Not for me.
Public access to personal information gets under my skin. One pathetic example came on my birthday. I am linked into a facebook group and I received a birthday greeting from someone who wouldn't otherwise know my birth date. I was rather touched that he had discovered this from someone who would be privy to the date, and then he acted upon it. More fool I. Apparently, when I had to register in the group I needed to post my birth date (of course, I did it without considering the ramifications - should have known better), alas, now it pops up to remind all those in the group of my birthday. What did it achieve? An insincere birthday greeting. No harm was intended or endured, it's just the effect fell far short of the intent. No harm done - no goodwill gained.
You never know, I may get with it and find a role for facebook in my life. Or I can just wait for the whole thing to pass.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
What are we waiting for?
As I'm having coffee with a lovely friend who is not yet 40 - not l'age moyen but one looks forward to welcoming her in - we agreed that we should seize the day so to speak when it comes to wearing the fabulous things we have tucked away in the closet.
Let's face it, when one finds oneself firmly in l'age moyen, one also finds a closet full of shoes. There are also a few exquisite black coats not to mention some suits, and more than a few blouses that count as real blouses not shirts. You love them, you buy them and then, you save them for special occasions. Ridiculous. This must change.
Take shoes as one example. Yes, you ogle the gorgeous shoes and you might even think they're classic and you can wear them forever. Well, you can't. Not only does the foot change over time what with all the wear and tear, but the shoes never come back the same way. Like all fashion, reference even homage is made to the past but it is tweaked for the 'now'. The only people who can really get away with vintage are the young. On those of us in the l'age, we just look like we need a wardrobe intervention. So what's the message here, put on the stilettos and make spaghetti sauce. Don't hold back. They won't last and you'll want to be part of the next great shoe movement. You know you will.
For years I saved this beautiful green tweed suit waiting for the big shoulders and double-breasted deatils to come back in style. Never has. 20 years later and those shoulders have just never returned - not in the same way. So, the suit is gone and perhaps I'll see it on the street one day worn with chic irreverance by some trendy young woman. That would be fun.
As part of my wardrobe's new lease on life, I've been wearing a cashmere sweater for the last 2 days that I've been 'saving' for 2 years. And I'll be cooking Thanksgiving dinner in my fabulous suede shoes with my gorgeous blouse and a skirt. I'll feel so French.
And, yes, to counter the affects of extended periods of time in heels, I'll be on my head the moment the guests leave.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
My love for les voluptueux
To begin, I am the very antithesis of the full-figured gal. Of course that means there's nothing I love better than les voluptueux - big bones, full breasts, round hips preferably combined with a waist that slides in, even a little. I love it and most of all love it when the woman has the confidence to capitalize on the utter femaleness of her assets. Skirts, belts, jackets that cynch in at the waist with unabashed feminine flutter - lace, ruffles, frilly collars, all that stuff that makes me wish I was that sort of woman.
When I was about 14 years old my sister brought one of these voluptueux home and I followed her around like a love sick puppy. The few times that I saw her she always wore the same dress, it was kind of flowery and flowing with a belt, some kind of a fluffy collar and always always always, even in the house, mary janes with high heels. This was the '70's of course so the look was totally 'in' and utterly fabulous. She was about 18 at the time and new how to wear a dress and, most importantly, recognized that this way of dressing played to her assets. I remember her brother coming in to the house to pick her up a couple of times and he seemed just as entranced as I was.
The next time I spotted one of these babes in a little boutique on Bloor St. (there were still boutiques on Bloor st. back then) in the early '80s where this lovely woman was trying on hats. Again, like her predecessor, she wore a skirt and very feminine blouse, her hair was short and she was uttely feminine and completely lovely. I saw her again waiting in line to pick up tickets at the ballet. She was there with her daughter who must have been about 8 years old. I was so impressed that this 'mother' was still so feminine and attractive. Lucky little girl to learn from such a woman.
Then recently I found another such woman. I would guess that she is mid '30s (not age moyen but no girl) and she was not tall but completely voluptueux wearing a beautiful beige suit with wide legged pants, a short jacket that belted way in and an almost Tudor-like collar setting off her pale colouring. She was so stunning and so comfortable in this outfit that didn't cling, was elegant yet modern and emphasized every curve she had. Such an inspiration.
I regret (again) not having a camera with me so I could show you just what I mean.
When I was about 14 years old my sister brought one of these voluptueux home and I followed her around like a love sick puppy. The few times that I saw her she always wore the same dress, it was kind of flowery and flowing with a belt, some kind of a fluffy collar and always always always, even in the house, mary janes with high heels. This was the '70's of course so the look was totally 'in' and utterly fabulous. She was about 18 at the time and new how to wear a dress and, most importantly, recognized that this way of dressing played to her assets. I remember her brother coming in to the house to pick her up a couple of times and he seemed just as entranced as I was.
The next time I spotted one of these babes in a little boutique on Bloor St. (there were still boutiques on Bloor st. back then) in the early '80s where this lovely woman was trying on hats. Again, like her predecessor, she wore a skirt and very feminine blouse, her hair was short and she was uttely feminine and completely lovely. I saw her again waiting in line to pick up tickets at the ballet. She was there with her daughter who must have been about 8 years old. I was so impressed that this 'mother' was still so feminine and attractive. Lucky little girl to learn from such a woman.
Then recently I found another such woman. I would guess that she is mid '30s (not age moyen but no girl) and she was not tall but completely voluptueux wearing a beautiful beige suit with wide legged pants, a short jacket that belted way in and an almost Tudor-like collar setting off her pale colouring. She was so stunning and so comfortable in this outfit that didn't cling, was elegant yet modern and emphasized every curve she had. Such an inspiration.
I regret (again) not having a camera with me so I could show you just what I mean.
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