blogging101

Fragrance Friday: The Scent of Water
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Fragrance Friday: The Scent of Water

One of my favorite books is “The Scent of Water”, by Elizabeth Goudge. Sometimes I re-read it when I need respite from the tug and pull of my modern American life and job. It is the story of Mary Lindsay, a single, childless woman who leaves her successful career in London to move into a house in an English country village which she has inherited from a distant elderly cousin. She is on something of a spiritual quest, to rediscover her true self, her beliefs and her memories of the man who loved her more than she loved him, who had died in war before they were married.

Elizabeth Goudge had a rare gift of description: her words beautifully evoke the people and settings of her novels so that one can truly see them in the mind’s eye. Her early training was in art, and it shows in her ability to paint pictures with words. The house Mary Lindsay inherited is very old, and its rooms are bathed in rippling greenish light, as if they were underwater, because of the ivy and wisteria vines that grow near the old windows: it has a “dark stone-flagged hall where a silver tankard of lilies of the valley stood on an oak chest. The flowers and the polished silver gathered all light to themselves …”  Goudge uses the metaphor and imagery of water throughout the book, including an ancient well of springwater, hung with ivy and moss, that figures in several characters’ stories in the novel. She is also well aware of the symbolism in Christianity of flowers like the lily of the valley, which stands for purity and humility and is sometimes called Mary’s Tears, referring to the Virgin Mary and the tears she shed at the Crucifixion.

What is the scent of water? One of the other characters is another older woman, also single and childless, Jean. She is a kind but timid and fearful woman, often depressed and overwhelmed by life but struggling bravely to meet its challenges.

“Jean was visited by one of her rare moments of happiness, one of those moments when the goodness of God was so real to her that it was like taste and scent; the rough strong taste of honey in the comb and the scent of water.”
― Elizabeth Goudge, The Scent of Water

But if one were to seek an actual scent that captured the spirit and atmosphere of this beloved book, what would it be? I nominate Jo Malone’s Lily of the Valley & Ivy, which  wafts from my wrists as I write this. With its notes of ivy (top), lily of the valley and narcissus (heart) and amber and beeswax (base), it is a lovely green floral with a hint of white musk. It is an elegant, quicksilver scent with earthly roots. It reminds me of a small, green and white English garden after a gentle rain. The scent of water.

Photo: http://www.basenotes.net

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What Went Well

What went well this week:

  1. My son’s football team won their first game of the season! This is a big deal because they are in middle school and did not win a single game last year. They won because they have been working hard, including in some new positions, and did not allow themselves to become discouraged.
  2. I am making progress in physical therapy. Because I have a terrific physical therapist and I am pushing myself to do the exercises as often and as far as possible.
  3. I got great advice from one of my oldest friends. Because she is wise, and kind, and she cares deeply about me.

Have a serene week, everyone!

Needle Painting Tutorials

Trish Burr, embroiderer extraordinaire, teacher and author of several beautiful books on needle painting, has posted some short video tutorials on her website that combine with some free projects on her website. Most of them are for flower designs but one includes a pretty bird. If you like embroidery, take a look!

trishburr's avatarTrish Burr Embroidery Blog

Hello everyone

Hope your week is going well.  For several months I have been working with the idea of providing tutorials on my website – am still tinkering with the idea of uploading some videos as I know these are really helpful but have not found the best method of filming myself yet – work in progress!

If you remember my amusing little incident some years ago with the trials and errors of self video you can read about it here.  It seems that although I seem to be making progress in some areas of my work others are harder to perfect!

These tutorials are aimed at providing basic information on the stitches, materials and preparation if you would like detailed information then it is recommended that you refer to either my DVD or any of my books.  Of course each book is a reflection of my work…

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Fragrance Friday: Biryani, Wine and Perfume
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Fragrance Friday: Biryani, Wine and Perfume

Tonight I am making coconut and curry leaf biryani while I sip a glass of Yellowtail Big Bold Red wine. Both, needless to say, are very fragrant! I adore biryani and am trying to learn to make a good one. Here’s what is in the spice blend: cumin, coriander, Kashmiri chili, turmeric,  black pepper, kibbled curry leaf, black cumin, clove, star anise and cinnamon. Very fragrant!

The Big Bold Red wine is yummy. Australian wine reviewer and blogger Natalie Maclean has this to say:  “This full-bodied red wine offers flavours of fleshy ripe raspberries and strawberries, along with notes of chocolate, mocha and espresso from toasty oak aging.”

So what perfume might go along with my Indian meal and Australian wine? I’ve found one that has notes of both coriander and cumin that sounds very appealing, as it includes my beloved rose note: Miller Harris’ Rose En Noir.  Top notes according to Fragrantica.com: coriander, cumin and lemon leaf. Heart notes: rose, violet leaf, black pepper. Base notes: tobacco, patchouli, ambrette (musk mallow). No fruit.

BUT according to Miller Harris’ own site, these are the notes in Rose En Noir: “Ruby red raspberry fruits, violet leaf and hints of petit grain provide a tantalising introduction, while rich notes of Turkish rose Damascena and black pepper dominate the heart. Rose en Noir seductively draws down into a deeply rich velvet base of ambrette seed, tabac noir, vetiver and patchouli.” Yes, that is raspberry listed first — just like my glass of wine.

So now, as I savor my glass of wine and smell the fragrance of biryani on the air, I have added a new perfume to my wishlist. It doesn’t hurt that it was originally a limited edition exclusive to my favorite department store in the world, Liberty of London.

Rose En Noir Bottle with Petals

Photos: 18 The Mall.

What Went Well
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What Went Well

What went well this week?

  1. The weather broke a little and after a few days of heavy thunderstorms in the afternoon, this morning was clear, cool and beautiful. Because the rain always ends and the sun always comes out afterward.
  2. I discovered a new perfume that I like very much and am enjoying it on my wrists right now. Because I am having fun teaching myself more about fragrance.
  3. Our new colleague-to-be came to a work function last night, although he doesn’t start until Monday, and he fit in perfectly with the faculty and students. Because my other colleagues and I worked really hard to find and hire the right person, and he’s the right guy to add to our little team. We will be so happy to welcome him next week!
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New Blog Feature: Fragrance Fridays

http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/denver-botanic-gardens-patrons-melissa-dulcey-left-and-bob-news-photo/484513708?et=gh4_AOt4QhBA6d_QHZkBcA&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwordpress.com%2Fread%2Fpost%2Fid%2F95493526%2F214

One of our Blogging 101 class assignments this week was to create a recurring blog post feature. I already had one, What Went Well Wednesdays, but I think I’ll add another, consistent with my renewed interest in fragrance and perfume, and lifelong interest in flowers and gardening. So welcome to Fragrance Fridays! I will post stories with a common thread of fragrance, scent or perfume — but not necessarily the kind that comes in a bottle. Here’s my first, about the rare blossoming of a Titan Arum, also known as the “corpse flower” at the Denver Botanic Gardens: Thousands Stop To Smell A Flower (And Hope Not To Gag), as reported by The New York Times. It gets its common name from the usual reaction that its blossom smells like rotting meat.

Okay, not a pleasant smell — but how fascinating! And it is really interesting to read how differently various visitors perceived the smell of the flower. Some smelled rotting meat but others smelled stinky cheese, gym socks, etc. The purpose of the scent is to attract specific insects that will then carry its pollen away, which is why most plants have evolved to emit fragrance, although some seem to use fragrance to repel. LiveScience.com explains more at: Denver Stinky Corpse Flower Blooms.

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What Went Well

I’m a day late on this one because 1) it has been a very busy week; and 2) it has been harder than usual to do this exercise. Which, of course, is the whole point: to refocus one’s mind on the positive, on the blessings, and away from the negative. So here goes:

  1. My son started school this week in advanced classes and won a starting position, the one he wanted, on his team. Because he works hard and gives his best efforts both to schoolwork and to athletics, and he has been blessed with a good mind and healthy body.
  2. My daughter has been spending a lot of time with us lately, just hanging out, before she goes back to college. Because she is a loving young woman who was a big help all summer and who knows she is lucky to have a happy family and loving parents.
  3. My students have turned out in high numbers for my programs this week and have expressed a lot of appreciation for what I do for them. Because I put a lot of thought and work into meeting their needs, I’m very good at that and I make their wellbeing and growth my priority.

There, that wasn’t so hard. Enjoy the rest of the week, friends!

Scentbird?
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Scentbird?

One of the tags I follow is “Perfume”. I have always loved perfume and even saved up my money in eighth grade to buy my mother a small flacon of Chanel No. 5, her signature perfume. An early memory of mine is sitting on her bed watching her get ready to go out with my father, as she sat at a real dressing-table whose lid, when lifted, revealed a mirror and a deep compartment filled with mysterious bottles of fragrance, lotion and makeup. I am firmly convinced that scent and fragrance can help transport us to a different (better?) state of mind, as the sense of smell connects to the most primitive, unconscious parts of the human brain, the ones that process emotions and memories. Let’s use that power for good!  Serenity now!

Today, another blog featured a subscription service called “Scentbird.” I loved that name so much, I had to read more just to find out what it was. Turns out it is a service where you pay a monthly fee to receive a decanted sample of a different named fragrance each month. This has clearly been given a lot of thought; subscribers get a special container to hold their samples, which come in small glass vials. Very creative! I had heard of another subscription for beauty supply samples — “Birchbox” — but not for fragrance. Where do they get these great names, by the way?

Anyway, Scentbird also has a blog where contributors comment on various fragrances: Scentbird. And today’s post included a fragrance I just tried myself in a store and liked very much: Hermes Jour d’Hermes. The blog aptly describes it as taking its wearer into a beautiful garden — and you know how much we love gardens here at Serenity Now. It was very appealing, with its white florals, green notes, sweet pea, citrus and water notes. And yes, it made me feel more serene.

Next up for me to try: Hermes Jour d’Hermes Absolu, pictured above with my favorite roses!

jourdhermes-bottle

Not Creepy
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Not Creepy

Russian Revolution in Color

Today’s Blogging 101 assignment: respond to a prompt. Today’s Daily Post prompt is a photo challenge: show us something creepy. Coincidentally, the most interesting thing I’ve read this morning was a post on Mashable about a Russian photographer, Sergey Prokudin-Gorsky, who devised a process for creating full-color photographs in the early 1900s. He won a commission to travel throughout the czarist Russian empire, capturing its many peoples in photographs. They are stunning!  It is amazing how much more immediate and contemporaneous photos seem when they are in color. These long-vanished people look out at us from a century or more ago and they come alive.

I don’t like creepy things and since the purpose of this blog is for me to focus on the positive, I’ve chosen to adapt this prompt and share these photos which I find fascinating, not creepy.

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Creepy.”

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Liebster Award and Nominations

liebster award sticker

Thank you to Fun Simplicity for nominating me for the Liebster Award!

Here are the questions I am to answer:

  1. Who/What inspires you to start a blog? I started Serenity Now because I wanted a routine to capture my observations about the many beautiful things I encounter in life and to remind myself to notice and appreciate them; and because I love to write and am trying to get back in the habit.
  2. Who is your favourite author? I have many favorite authors, as anyone who read my post on favorite childhood books knows: Too Many To Choose Just One. Favorite authors of books for adults right now are: Hilary Mantel, Ian McEwan, David Halberstam, Robert Caro, Elizabeth Goudge, Taylor Branch.
  3. What is your favourite pastime? Reading.
  4. Which country are you from? The United States.
  5. What is your favourite season? Spring, but I also love autumn.
  6. What is your most memorable moment? My wedding day; and the births of my children.
  7. If you’ve won a free trip, which country would you like to travel to? Japan.
  8. If you are alone in a haunted house, what will you do? Leave. Quickly.
  9. If you meet an alien, what will you say? I think I’d be speechless!
  10. If  you have a time machine, which era will you travel too? Tudor England.
  11. What is your Christmas wish for Santa this year? A yearlong sabbatical with a generous travel allowance.

My nominations for the Liebster Award are:

1. Expat on ACK; a recovering lawyer, she blogs about life as a British expatriate living on the unique island of Nantucket off the shore of Massachusetts.

2. Newshound to Novelist; Donna-Louise Bishop is a journalist who is trying to complete and publish her first novel. She’s a gifted writer and deserves a wider audience!

3. The Hopeful Herbalist; a former nurse and city resident, she blogs about the move she and her husband made to a cottage in the country, near the sea, where she is restoring a derelict garden after having retrained as an herbalist in Scotland.

4. The Perfume Magpie; she has a wonderful blog about perfume, which she illustrates with her own beautiful drawings. Seriously, her illustrations are gorgeous.

5. The Introvert’s Dictionary; Charlotte Latvala blogs a rotating list of alphabetized word definitions from an introvert’s point of view. Speaking as a card-carrying introvert myself, they are hilarious and she is spot on.

Here are the questions I ask my nominees to answer; some are the same as above:

  1. Why did you start a blog?
  2. What is the best book you’ve read this year?
  3. What is your favorite pastime other than writing?
  4. What is your favorite smell?
  5. What is your favorite season?
  6. What is your most memorable moment and where did it happen?
  7. Which country would you most like to visit?
  8. If you could meet any author, past or present, whom would you choose?
  9. Do you believe in fairies?
  10. If  you could be any character in a novel or film, who would that be?
  11. If a genie gave you three wishes, what would you wish?

The Rules:

  1. Once you are nominated, make a post thanking and linking the person who nominated you. Include the Liebster Award sticker in the post too.
  2. Nominate 5-10 other bloggers who you feel are worthy of this award. Let them know they have been nominated by commenting on one of their posts. You can also nominate the person who nominated you.
  3. Ensure all these bloggers have less than 200 followers.
  4. Answer the eleven questions asked to you by the person who nominated you, and make eleven questions of your own or your nominees or you may use the same questions.
  5. Lastly, COPY these rules in the post