It turns
out, that while I was watching models posing for Ms. Klum while hanging from a
skyscraper 50 metres above Dubai, great guy was posing for peter rabbit in a
sad, empty bar in Bad Kreuznach. I’m itching to see the photos. Peter rabbit
said they are some of the best photos he’s taken for his photography project (he’s
in a two-year, professional photography program, commuting twice a week to
Cologne). But, he did say that the photo is so sad and depressing that there’s
no way we will want to hang it up in our house. It’s not because great guy is
so sad-looking; it’s intentionally dark and lonely and depressive. The photo
will be part of a series called ‘nachtschwärmer’ (nighthawks), where peter is re-creating
some famous oil paintings by Edward Hopper.
Last night
was my turn. Peter showed me the painting that he wanted me for; a woman
wearing a hat, all dressed up, sitting alone in a café, darkness outside. I
spent about an hour rummaging through my closet trying to find some
old-fashiony clothing; a dark-red wrap dress; a dusty pair of black, mary
janes; fancy pearls from step-mum; a black wool coat; and a soft, turquoise
cloche. I was feeling a bit sickly and so spending the next hour or so, sitting
in an empty café beside the river, staring sadly into a red wine glass, was
actually quite easy. Peter rabbit zipped around, playing with lighting and
tri-pods and flash angles, while I stared out the window into the darkness…feeling
sick. Apparently he got the photo he wanted.
When I
returned home, great guy was studying, and I proceeded to accidentally make a
really great salmon for dinner. Well, God made the salmon but I somehow (and
I’m not sure exactly how) made a fabulous crust on it. I’m a bit insecure
cooking fish because I don’t really know how or what to do. But, to go with our
new healthy living plan, I had bought a large, beautiful, salmon steak, rubbed
salt, pepper, rosemary and (for a healthy kick) sesame seeds onto both
sides. Then a dusting of flour, into the
frying pan and voilà, excellence!
Even the
new, totally crabby, non-smoker in the house loved it.
I will end this post with 3
thoughts:
1) I have a new, glorious
nephew. I’m completely in love with the first one (who I saw on skype grab his
mommy’s baby belly and yell “Hi brother!” – is there anything cuter?) and so I’m
very excited about falling in love with this one. It’s just a crying shame
(literally) that I’m so very far away. I’m thinking we need to make the ocean
just a wee bit smaller.
2) Today I received an email
with the following piece of advice:
Lent Day 24: Look out the
window until you find something of beauty you hadn’t noticed before.
So, I did. I’m sitting at my desk, in the stellwerk
(signal tower) where we live, and from here I stare out onto three train tracks
with a wall of cliffs behind them. The cliffs are covered with all sorts of
greens and browns; I’m not the best with foliage names. But, I notice that
there are also long, trailing willowy branches hanging down, all along the
cliffs, and one section is, for some reason, a lovely shade of pink. I have no
idea why, when all the other branches are brown this large section in front of
me is the colour of Helen Mirren’s new hair-do. It’s a soft colour, like pink
cotton candy. Pretty.
3) I’ve
been doing quite a bit of procrastinating lately. My two online writing classes
through the U of C have kicked into high gear, and I’m feeling the pressure. It’s
good, but it’s hard. So yesterday I cleaned out all of the cupboards in the
kitchen. I realized then that I must be experiencing an extreme case of
procrastinitis, because I don’t usually care too much how clean my cupboards
are…even though I am living with a German man.
Then I decided
to finally sit my butt in the chair and start writing…while rewarding myself
with a cookie after each paragraph. Super bad idea. Now, if I actually want to
write the novel that I think I have in my head…I will also need to join a gym.
Finally, I started
writing the first chapter about Hattie.
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