Category Keeping Up Appearances
Stolen moments in the garden
I ought to have spent the day at my desk working through my mile-long list of thing to do. But knowing that I had a cartload of new plants waiting upstairs was more than morale could bear. So I ditched the computer for a couple of hours and got one section of planters done on […]
Two good things
We’ve been on lockdown now for four weeks now, and I’ve been working 16-18 hour days for most of that, weekends included. The two things are related and there’s no end in sight for either. But two other things help me feel a tiny bit human notwithstanding: First, I got a haircut today! After the […]
Those leaves!
Let’s just sit with this for a minute: That colour! The newness of those leaves! It’s just so full of life. The leafing-out of my Japanese maple is one of my favourite moments of spring.
The comeback artist
The last thing I did in London before leaving my keys in the flat and catching an Uber to the airport was to pull my shamrock out of the dirt it was planted in, chop off all the leaves, and hide the roots wrapped in wet cloths in my luggage. I wasn’t sure if it […]
Party in Luxembourg
I’ve been in Luxembourg all week for an EU business summit, which means many interesting-ish meetings and a massive themed costume party. Last year’s theme was The Great Gatsby, which meant I got to wear my tux (always a delight), but this year’s theme was The Future Is Now, which, I’m sorry, but what does […]
My sense of scale
It would seem my sense of scale could use a little fine-tuning. When I saw this piece hanging at the art fair yesterday (in a cavernous former agricultural hall), I would have described it as medium-sized, perhaps even on the smaller side of medium. But now that it’s in the flat, that doesn’t seem quite […]
Visit to the London Art Fair
The London Art Fair happened this week literally across the street from where I live. That, plus the free tickets that the gallerist around the corner sent me, seemed like a sign that universe wanted me to go. Held inside a massive Victorian agricultural hall, the venue was enormous and, on preview night on Tuesday, […]
Back together again
Remember how I broke my 250-year-old Chinese dish when I (inadvertently) tapped it on a granite countertop while using it to eat a burrito bowl? Well, the Japanese Kintsugi lady has plied her craft and now all is well with the world.
All the pretty houses
I’m just loving all the little white bungalows here in Auckland. They’re pristinely kept and have delicate details, they but don’t feel fussy. I think it’s because the corrugated roofs add an element of austerity, while the subtropical plants lend a bit of chaos. I’d love to see what they’re like on the inside.
Flower emergency
So. Those flowers I got last weekend so that they would be in full bloom by the time Justin got here for Christmas? Well, by Saturday they were looking glorious. But by Sunday morning… Wilting! DISASTER!! It wasn’t due to a lack of water, so I hypothesised that the stems weren’t pulling water, and that […]
A More Gentlemanlike Manner 