Downton Abbey Fever

Am always late to join these cultural parties [see the mentions about the series in this, this, this and this blog I read] but I am finally working my way through Downton Abbey (Hooray instant Netflix! And hooray rainy days!) and am much enthralled, wondering why in the world I waited so long.

Image by c_l_b via Flickr

I was getting ready for a break from the self-educational non-fiction that is my normal track, time for a little escapism. Especially, since the weather is so bizarre, dismal and even obstructive to normal springtime activity. (I have a feeling that it will take me longer than I imagined to get the garden all in, for instance.) But, no matter! I am neck deep in Brittania and suffragettes and butlers and proposals and ladies maids. *sigh* Ru has actually even taken to watching with me which has been quite fun. I'm not sure how much he understands, but he's interested and sometimes he asks me questions..."What's that thing he's carrying Mommy? etc..."

Someday I will go to England...and spend my own holiday "season" in London...someday....

Until then, it is blooming, floral May even if it is rainy although I have to admit I am finding myself swept back up in homekeeping interest, and less drawn towards the landscaping plans of old...all this grey makes the indoors the most alluring thing I suppose. I always feel a bit inspired regarding my housekeeping whenever I see films with lots of maid footage. This time what is catching my eye is the lovely rotating bouquets of flowers all over the manor house. There are quite a few times when maids are busily laying out fresh arrangements and some moments when we catch glimpses of a vase full of this or that on the dresser or the side table etc. And I swoon.

After watching an episode today I went dashing out into the yard twice "between the raindrops" with a basket to snip and clip whatever I found. Right now our lily-of-the-valley is all in bloom so it was my most leaned upon basket filler....and then I went inside to dry off and assemble a train of bottles, jugs and vases on the counter for stuffing with blooms. Such fun to sweep the house up, polish off the windowsills and set out little jugs of blooms while a big pot of split pea soup bubbled on the stove. Sometimes life is jolly.

Filmography Beauty

Two videos to share today that have nothing in common except a link to tragedy (floods and car accidents) but a focus on beauty. Both are sort of dreamy and poignant.

The first film is a flooded May field in Austria which, I stumbled on and was just kind of open-mouthed over. It looks like this European footage was taken during flooding last year in the spring. Because we're having floods here at the moment and lots and lots of rain this spring (I heard it was a record for wettest spring in New York) I have floods on the mind. Mostly floods are scary or at least debilitating but this flood is so pretty. Hope you enjoy. Love the apple tree in bloom and the dandelion, stinging nettles and other meadow plants at the end.



And then this next film is one of the most poignant and beautiful commercials I've ever seen. Regardless of what you think of seatbelts you have to admit there is beauty here and genius of the artistic and yet low budget kind. Love the emotion and symbolism.

In A Baby State of Mind

 The view from here lately. (fyi, have a pink shirt on...am not naked)

Am starting to feel a massing whirl of pressing baby To Do's whirling in my mind around the clock. I sat down yesterday and wrote a list of all the things I want to get done before the new one arrives and have started hacking into them.

The boys helped me haul and dump all the kid and baby clothes and supplies out of their closet and pile them on the floor in their room. Then we organized it all within an inch of its life. Two big bags of Goodwill supplies and several neatly labeled cubical boxes later, I feel a lot better. All the clothes are organized by size and tagged on all four sides to that effect.

The boys share a dresser and I was starting to wonder where in the world I was going to put the baby's things when it came to me in a dream. (Really!) I love it when my brain works overtime...all I had to do was consolidate the storybooks onto one bottom shelf and then do a little more shifting and two spare shelves would appear...then I saw in my mind the perfect arrangement of wicker baskets in rows.

Thankfully, Michael's had just what I had envisioned so it took one trip to the store and they were all plopped in a place. Huzzah! Feels great to be accomplishing. I have just started to fill one of the boxes with tiny socks and have a bin next to the bookcase all stocked with the baby blankets and the tiniest of the cloth diapers. I was surprised after putting my newborn clothes collection through two boys how small it had become. After a few rounds of diaper blowouts and spit-up stains its amazing how briskly things are culled right down. I'll need to go out and hunt up some more onesies for sure. One nice thing about a May baby is that I won't worry nearly so much about leggings and socks, and tiny shoes and sleepers...it will be warm so fast that all those things will just get in the way. Onesies may just do the job....and a few little pants to throw on for cool evenings. Sounds pretty idyllic.

I ordered myself a maternity bathing suit so that I have one pretty thing to wear for our trip to California next month and I made notes of all the supplies I would like to stock up on from birthing snacks to nursing tank tops and even found a cute nursing friendly bathing suit that might be worth investing in for the hot weather to come.

I am feeling less panicky and more on top of things, just getting a little bit done and getting all that stuff out of my head helps a lot. Did ever tell you all that I sleep with a blank note pad next to my pillow so that I can jot down the frantic lists whizzing through my brain and allow myself clean sleep? I'm just that tied up by my own worries. Its good to let go.

Am thinking tomorrow might be a good day to sit in the sunshine with the baby booties I started at Christmas and finish them up...another quick hit of accomplishment.