05-JAN-2009
New Year resolutions...
I have decided to not give up my artistic talents only because of age.
Maybe I have already told you once that, when I was much younger, I had a liking and a real skill for dance. My teacher was also a dear friend, Fred, and we had performed together for a while, until a certain Ginger came to mess around...
But this is, of course, another story...
Well I’m particularly attracted by Spanish and Latino-American dances, so I really want to keep on pratising.
I phoned a guitarist, friend of mine, and he told me:
“Come, Violet, let’s see what you can do”
Well, I have still to perfect my style, but my friend told me my performance was not too bad....
03-JAN-2009
Aughhh, too much champagne, I’m afraid!
Luckily my nephew Frimpong is not here any more...I don’t dare to imagine how much he would have teased me.
Well, at Elton’s home they serve usually the best champagne. We sang so much. I felt thirsty and...
No excuses, I exaggerated.
At my age I should be more sensible.
I have a terrible headache, so you’ll forgive me if I’m not able to tell you anything more interesting than moaning:
“Aspirin, please, aspirin...”
But I’m also ready to reply to Frimpong’s kind reproaches.
Quoting one of my old dear friends, George Bernard,
“I'm only a beer teetotaller, not a champagne teetotaller.”
Oh, after all, tomorrow is another day....
03-JAN-2009
Ah, these Americans who don’t know Sir Elton John...
There is not only the barrier of the common language between us, the Britons, and our American cousins...
There is often also a gap in our mutual pop-cultural references.
All my fellow-countrymen have surely immediately identified my “mysterious” friend from the hints I have given, while my kind American visitors are in doubt and think of the late Elvis...
Elton is a Pop-rock icon and I must say his tastes are not exactly the most sober. Just to use a euphemism, he loves all that is redundantly glittering and baroque, even though recently his style has become just a bit less...uhm., flashy.
As you can see, his home also is not a model of traditional sobriety, but he remains one of the most important pop-rock singers and composers of all times.
01-JAN-2009
My friend and I going to a surprise party....
I’m definitely an old lady and I’m quite sedentary, as a consequence of my age.
Nevertheless, every now and then a friend insists on taking me out downtown for a party.
This time I decided to accept the invitation because my elegant New Year's Eve dress was readily available.
Besides that, the friend who came to my home to invite me out is an amusing person and a good musician whom I have known for a very long time.
He’s not that young anymore either and he has gained weight, which is very sad for him, so I decided I had to cheer him up.
We’ll end the night singing along together as we have done many times before. He plays the piano, I sing and, sometimes, I even give him the inspiration to compose a song...
Several years ago he composed a very nice song he wanted to call “Violet Song”,
because he said he had taken the idea for the main theme from a tune I was whistling,
but I didn’t want to show off,
so I asked him to not mention my name,
and he simply called the song
“Your Song”.
“You know it’s yours, Violet,” he told me.
So here I am in central London going to the party with my friend.
31-DEC-2008
Happy New Year!!!!!
I don't know what will be, nobody knows.
But what I have learnt is a simple principle which always works well in life:
"The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past,
worry about the future, or anticipate troubles,
but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly."
"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years."
Besides all these wise words I always keep in mind that:
"Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyways."
Happy New Years!
31-DEC-2008
Oh poor me, I'm still frozen.....
I'm afraid I exaggerated yesterday with my swim in the icy lake....
I cannot stop shivering today and I have to be ready for my New Year party.
But don’t worry I’ll come back at midnight to wish you all the best!
For the time being I’m sipping hot chocolate with whipped cream and a bit of whisky inside.
Believe me it’s the best medicine against the cold!
30-DEC-2008
What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger!
After the sauna and the run in the snow I had to jump in to the icy lake for a reinvigorating swim....
Either I’m going to die (we all have to go through that sooner or later)
or I’ll recover from my pain due to the ski fall of yesterday!
Oh, I feel already better.
I think I’ll remain alive!
30-DEC-2008
After the sauna one must run naked in the snow....
It’s well known that after a sauna
one is supposed to run naked in the snow to jump into an icy lake!
I’m not a lady who refuses to try new experiences, so let’s go on...
Don’t peep at me too much anyway....
30-DEC-2008
Nothing better than a sauna in pure Scandinavian style!
Nothing better than a sauna in real Scandinavian style!
Believe me, I needed a good sauna to recover from yesterday's excess of winter sport...
A dear Swedish friend of mine, a film director, Ingmar, used to tell me:
“Violet, my basic view of things is - not to have any basic view of things.
From having been exceedingly dogmatic, my views on life have gradually dissolved.
They don`t exist any longer.
So let dissolve your pain in a good hot sauna....”
Dear old Ingmar.....It was very hard to deal with him, not a very friendly character...
but I have learnt many things from him...
29-DEC-2008
Auuugh!!!!!!!!
Oh my...I’m afraid I have been a little too self-confident in my talents for winter sports.
I would have had remembered my age...I’m not as elastic and I was when I was young.
I feel pain everywhere, every single bone hurts...
But it was a gracious fly....
The problem was when I landed, who said the snow is soft?????
But I know what to do to recover from this fall...follow my adventures and tomorrow you’ll see!
28-DEC-2008
Wowwwwww!!!!!
I’m enjoying winter sports deeply!
I regret I haven't gone sledding for so many years, but it’s never too late.
Today I’m trying something more exciting than quiet and romantic ice-skating.
The most boring matter is to drag the sledge to the top of slope, but my kind neighbour, Professor McLivet, did it for me.
Unluckily he refused to get into the sledge in my company. I don’t know why...
“Do you know how to manage this, Ms.Violet? Have you practised this exciting winter sport many times?”
“There is a first time for everything, Professor; let’s go and try...”
“Uhm, do you know how to brake and stop the sledge, Ms. Violet?”
“Not really, Professor, but I suppose sooner or later it will stop by itself...”
At this point he refused to get into the sledge with me...Oh never mind...I’m having FUUUUUUUNNNNNN!
27-DEC-2008
It's time to practise a little some winter sports....
My nephew Frimpong, during his short and welcome visit, told me he had the impression I had become too sedentary...
I don’t want to disappoint him, and, in spite of my age, I have decided to start over practising some of my favorite sports.
Near my cottage there is a small pond which is now frozen, so I thought it was an excellent opportunity to take out my old ice skates from the trunk in the attic...
Don’t you think I can still skate graciously?