Counting one's blessings

             Caroline, from a Polaroid taken in NYC in 1987.
 
Counting one’s blessings is always a good thing to do, especially during times like these when there is much to moan and groan about. Just read a very good article by Angela Watercutter with the wonderful title of Doomscrolling in Wired. Warning: this short report contains no gloom, just enjoyable and beneficial activity, together with a bit of history, and praise for those who deserve it most.

Here are a few of my blessings which might be yours too.

1.The garden is growing well this year and we have time to work on it.

2. I have my health which, at my age, 87, is not always what people have.

3. I have a wife who is cheerful, full of good sense, hard working, gifted in many of the artistic fields and encourages me to rest before I collapse.

4. Our son Nicholas loves us and we love him. We have two dogs and a cat that are a joy to be with.

5. We have friends who recommend books. Two recent ones which are both winners to my mind, are The Lost Girls by D.J. Taylor and The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson, the latter is about Churchill and his family and ministers during the Blitz in 1940 and 1941. As a child my family lived near London and we were bombed occasionally but escaped a direct hit and lived.
 
6. Unlike during World War II in England, there really is no food shortage her in the USA today.
 
7. The world at the moment is divided into those who wear masks and those who do not, and those who know what six feet looks like and those who do not. I am of the mask wearing and the six feet school. I find that most people are sensible and will respect your mask wearing and distance keeping. 

If you encounter a difficult non masker or non distanter, don’t confront them. Being challenged is what many of them love, so they can make a nuisance of themselves. Which they can’t do if you move swiftly out of the way.

8. I like bonfires very much. We have cleared a lot of brush and have been having bonfires in our fire pit. What a pleasure to see the flames spreading and to hear the crackling of the twigs and leaves.   

Just to sit there staring into it. Better than any TV show. First you have to get it going, that’s quite an art, and then feeding it with just the right amount of brush to keep it in check so that it burns nicely but does not set fire to the county.  

                Borage, self-seeded from last year's plant in our garden in Garrison, NY


9. Things to look forward to: 1: Tennis. I have been introduced recently to two players both of whom have their own courts. 2: Borage, the beautiful herb with bright star like blue flowers has seeded itself all over the place from last year. 

I had also sowed some borage seeds so we have it everywhere we look. It will be Pimm's every weekend from the beginning of July onward. The leaf has a cucumber scent and flavor, a must for Pimm's.The other essential when making Pimm's is to put a lot of gin in it.   3: Seeing people’s fully exposed faces again and taking their picture.

First and last thought: for ever bless, thank, admire, reward, applaud and respect doctors, nurses, and all their medical staff.    
 

Heidie Posner, NYC, late 1980s.

Neither Caroline nor I can be certain how or where we met Heide. At this time we used to wander about Soho looking for faces that appealed to me. Almost always young and female. A number were waitresses.

Heidi could have been a waitress at the time. We also have vague memories of her working at Martha Stewart's as an assistant art director.

If there were better things to go on to I am sure she went there. Her strong looks would have prevailed, I believe. We both liked her and I think she came to see us more than once. Where are you Heidie?

                  Young couple under a street light outside Botanica in Red Hook, Brooklyn, NY.

Just read two superbly written articles by Cath Pound published in the Culture pages of the BBC website. She is a master of brevity and unramblingness.

The first article is a review of short stories which she recommends for those still with more time than usual for reading. The second article is about the painter Bonnard. I am a photographer who has never really liked color photographs very much, especially color portraits. After seeing Bonnard's work again I shall be sticking to black and white photography.

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20200612-the-best-short-stories-for-every-taste-and-mood
https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20190201-the-man-who-painted-moods

I realize this photograph of the quite attractive couple I have displayed above has little to do with the text. Well, if you can see a connection let me know. But I also thought that between the two they might inspire a short story.