Dream Time: A Woman's Work....

I often dream I am in my home. Except that, although it is familiar, in waking life I have never lived in it. This one is dark, rather old but full of rooms and... for a change... people, although maybe not people I know from waking life.

Anyhoo, I be muddling along quite happily when I do realise that it is almost suppertime and I have not yet started to make the dough for the meal. For some reason... fried onions seem to figure large too. I panic a little but start anyway, confident I will manage somehow. Then I wake up.

Not very profound, is it.
But I wonder... How many men have anxiety dreams about cooking? Do any men have such dreams?

Then maybe also... I do share Mrs D's anxiety that she has left it all too late to cook up some art. She draws and draws her cartoon frames of Syb and Her and Cats even. But there is always something else to draw, or record or edit.

Hmmm. Going to stop pontificating on dreaming life now, shape that dough... and turn it into something.

Happy New Year

Towards the end of 2016 things grew more social for The Old Man et moi.

Now, understand that this doesn't mean gadding about and hob-nobbing at full tilt. No, no. It do mean that occasionally someone crossed our threshold other than ourselves and food and drink was shared and connections made. But even more often it meant that old connections were re-established. And what is most strange is that it seems as if strong bonds made in youth can pick up and conversations continue as if no time has passed and certainly not decades. Such conversations seems less stilted than those between more recent connections. Is that about youth itself do you think?

Alors! If 2017 proves to be an example of "interesting times" I do heartily wish the comfort of of re-connection and reinforced friendship for you all.

Christmas Time

Are you ready? We are... just about. Just a bit more cooking and cleaning to go.

Today, staggering down the main street in Penzance, bags stuffed with sprouts, peppers, tomatoes and potatoes, I did break for The Edge of The World  bookshop, a place of comfort. I need some fantasy, I think. No more crime reading just at the moment ... the world is rather dark, ain't it? So I may as well tackle witches and spirits this Christmas time. And the good bookshop do not let me down. I browse the shelves and come out with a collection of  Neil Gaiman tales -"Trigger Warning".

The Old Man and me do wish you a restful, enjoyable and well-fed time ... with a little bit of peace and joy as well. Why not?

Better Viewing For Mrs D

Remember I posted about the squashed delights of watching The Opera via  streaming it from the internet? On Mrs D's laptop?

Well The Old Man has stepped forward with an early birthday present for us ... me... er... Mrs D. He has stumped up for an extra monitor screen for the laptop... a nice 24inch little fella.

So now Mrs D can graphic away to her heart's content with her graphics tablet, laptop and monitor.... And we shall be able to sit in extra comfort to watch the opera... or the films... or whatever.
We is all happy.

William Kentridge: No It Is!

Continuing my ongoing obsession with the work of South African artist William Kentridge.

Here is an Institut fur Kunstdokumentation video from his exhibition at the Walter-Gropius-Bau, Berlin  earlier this year.


.... Everything in a sweetie jar as far as I'm concerned. Animation, drawing, film, machines, theatre... what's not to like.

A Night-In: Streaming "The Nose" by Shostakovich

... in which a pair of seniors do experiment with the Internet.

There are new ways to "go to the opera", I decide. We can try watching it via broadband. The Royal Opera House was streaming a live performance of "The Nose" by Shostakovich the other week (my word that do sound funny, put together like that) and The Old Man says: "Let's do it." ... Much to my surprise.

Rural, granite cottages are not very amenable to house-wide wi-fi. So it do mean that we have to watch the opera in the same room as the router... which is Mrs D's workroom (and feels like the coldest room in the house, except for the downstairs bathroom).... And on her laptop. Fortunately the laptop has a pair of additional speakers so we can listen quite nicely thank you... but sitting closely, side by side, peering at a laptop enthroned on an animating table, do make me long for ... opera glasses.

Never you mind, it was an enjoyable and, dare I say it, "exciting" if cramped experience in our sheltered life. We do only "buffer" twice!!
And the opera itself was a theatrical delight full of wonderful performances... though I would have liked it to have explored if possible even more of the plot's surreal absurdities caused by the flight of a civil servant's nose to live a life of high prospects and social success.

In fact our cramped viewing, despite its nature, proved so successful ... we have come up with an achievable technical solution ..... More of that later.

William Kentridge: A Film About His Process

I only found out about South African artist William Kentridge a short time ago (clutch hand to forehead and roll eyes) and then, only in the context of animation. Now I find out he is also a theatre and opera director. And I wish I could see his upcoming Metropolitan Opera production of Berg's "Lulu" at English National Opera. I will in some manner.

Meanwhile I start by sharing this short video from San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in which he explains and demonstrates his extraordinary animation technique based on making a drawing in charcoal.

A Bit Of A Family Do

The other day we are visited by niece, hubby and their border terrier. Everything very jolly, much hugging, talking and eating of buns... By the end of visit we is all quite tired... even little dog is found standing... with eyes shut.... like a sleeping horse.

Mrs D do keep up the family theme this morning by dragging out her Mum's sewing machine to do some repairs. This fine, black and gold, knee-operated machine must be all of eighty years old and probably clothed and curtained and covered Mrs D all of her life.

Having forgotten how to thread it properly, Mrs D gets out the instruction manual and finds a piece of paper inside with notes written in her Mum's hand. These turn out not to be instructions for the machine but for assembling a 1970s chair which must have been passed on to Mrs D. It finishes with a cartoon of Mrs D sleeping in the chair.

..... Cartooning must truly be a family thing.....