Hemingway's Cats

Today is Ernest Hemingway's birthday & we're celebrating with a little tour down Key West way. GG is jealous of the cool lives these cats lead in the laid-back tropics (& of their lineage, of course). GG would dearly love extra "toes". (Her Nibs has been informed that it is an unattractive thing, envy. Didn't make an impression.)

Here's a terrific link to the Hemingway Home & Museum. There are photographs of the cats (there's even one named Audrey Hepburn), a live cat-cam, & explanations about the cats in the writer's life, how they are cared for now (they're quite well-off, thank you very much), & the history of cats on Key West.

The largest available archive of Hemingway material is at the JFK Presidential Library & Museum, here. You can read Hemingway's short story Cat in the Rain, here (a pdf download).

ciao-meow/GG's literary editor

[photographs of Hairy Truman via LA Times blog, Hemingway with kitten via JFK Library & Museum & Hemingway Home & Museum]

Picnic on Box Hill

Refreshingly pretty images for a hot July Monday (although the idea of wearing the clothes in hot weather is another matter entirely). If you haven't seen the "new" Emma on PBS, you really should catch it (the links have re-run schedules). The two-part program was nominated for several Emmy Awards for good reason. The Emma site is great fun. Take the Bachelors of Highbury Quiz. We are not satisfied with our first run-through, so we'll try again; of course, we prefer Mr. Knightley--who else?

Jane Austen Today & AustenBlog are two favorite (of several) Jane Austen sites. In case you're thinking that they are prissy & pursed mouth affairs, you are quite mistaken. Good humor (& a good dose of cheekiness) is the hallmark of these informative, charming, & well-written blogs.

Also, have a look at Hats and Laces. It has wonderful images of all fashion periods, including Regency. It beats washing the kitchen floor, no? Especially since GG refuses to do any sort of housework. She was keen at first, but then became bored. Perhaps Emma has been an influence in this regard. Oh dear. Have a wonderful Monday.

ciao-meow/GG Central

[PBS Emma images via Jane Austen World]

GG Wants a French Braid - Week's End

For heaven's sake, Giulia has longish fur but it is nothing like her editor's. Still, she pines for a crown of braids. She might get crowned today, but it's a different kind. (We're teasing!)

Recently, several ladies stopped GG's editor & inquired: "How do you do that? Do you do that on your own?" GG's editor does so occasionally on her own, yes. But it requires much swearing & one shouldn't do that in front of others, including a devilish feline. When she was younger & more (delusionally) powerful, one of her interns adored playing "beauty parlor." Before working hours, braided masterpieces appeared on our head. How we miss Antoinette (not just for her braiding artistry).

Herewith, a little summer fun. A link for 15 Grown-up Ways to Wear Braids; a link for African-American hair & braiding; & the history of braids & other styles. (Much to Giulia's dismay, there is no--repeat--no history of cat fur braids.)

ciao-meow/GG's parrucchiere (stillista)

(Renoir image via artcyclopedia (dot) com; braid via A Cup of Jo; black & white photograph via LIFE archives)

Happy Bastille Day

...or le quatorze juillet as it is informally (& widely) known. It is also the natal day of one of GG's aunties & we have humorous memories of sparklers & French treats--so as to do justice to both hallowed occasions. We are not French but Giulia is half-French & responds to French much better than English or Italian (she is scolded in Italian & this no doubt explains her language preference). Her editor went to school in Strasbourg, France & a major GG Central feature is our friendship with a Franco-American famille.

Maison Française (part of the French Embassy) in Washington, DC probably has room for you if you'd like to attend the party tonight. They publish France Magazine (which we love); we remember the good old days when it was free. Oh well. It's still worth the money.

Please remember, you can always make a donation to UNICEF or to Darfur Peace & Development Organization instead of buying the most expensive champagne. There are several lovely French champagnes that do not cost a fortune. Yes, there are, so do not argue! Oops. Sorry, got carried away there.

We're off to plan all manner of delightful doings (well, for the weekend, truth to tell), so we'll be back on Saturday for week's end. Salut!

ciao-bonjour-meow/Centre d'Activités de Giulia Geranium

[Claude Monet, Rue Montorgueil, Paris, Festival of June 30, 1878.1878. Oil on canvas. Musée d'Orsay, Paris, France.]

Go Green with Darfur Baskets

Replace plastic bins and containers with these vibrant, eco-friendly baskets made of all-natural materials. It’s a win/win/win for the weavers of Darfur, you, & the planet. You can read here about their construction (it's very interesting). The baskets are sold through retailers & you will find the growing list, here.

Many of our friends & readers have asked about Sudan (both Darfur & in the South). Things are not good, not good at all, friends. (There's lots of news, check with the BBC or any of the links in the right sidebar closer to the bottom of the page.)

But you know what? No matter how things are in Darfur, these women have mouths to feed like everyone else. It's just that simple.

We also wanted to say that these are very sturdy baskets. GG's editor has sat--accidentally--on some. This is not a recommendation to throw yourself on baskets. Just letting you know that if that didn't destroy them, we don't know what will!

ciao-salaam-meow/GG Central

[photographs by Susan Burgess-Lent/DPDO/all rights reserved]

The Morning is Full

The morning is full of storm
in the heart of summer.

The clouds travel like white handkerchiefs of
goodbye,
the wind, travelling, waving them in its hands.

Pablo Neruda
Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair (translation by W.S. Merwin)

Happy birthday to Pablo Neruda from GG Central. Giulia seems to be feeling rather dramatic this morning. She's flung herself on the floor, sighing several times. We're pretty sure this has nothing to do with Pablo Neruda. Off to investigate.

ciao-sigh-meow/GG's editor

Sunday Shopping - French Sailor Stripes

GG's editor had a bit of a fit last month & wrote about Sailor Stripe shopping. The gist is that we cannot stand seeing consumers taken advantage of, especially when in the throes of fetishizing French(style) material goods. It happens to the best of us; we're not judging.

Satisfy your stripe-y longing & read here (or click directly over to brittany-boutique.com). Usually, even with shipping, it's less expensive to buy these items directly from France. GG Central knows this from experience. People around the world do not want to wear stripes made by an exploited labor force. At the same time, stop spending at stores like J. Crew when they overcharge for items they stock (like the shirts above) from other sources. It's the same Saint James shirt. Yep.

ciao-meow/GG's personal shopper

[collage photographs via brittany-boutique (dot) com/Audrey T. from a cute site Pink Peony--to the author: props to you for discussing cruelty-free diamonds/Picasso by Doisneau from goodness knows where; tragic but lovely Jean Seberg via Elle (France)]

World Cup 2010

Good luck to both teams tomorrow. We have to remain neutral at GG Central (it's better this way). If you're in the States & are concerned about the health of our children, check out Let's Move. If you're anywhere, check out Jamie Oliver's campaigns, here.

ciao-waka-waka-meow/GG Sports Central

Run for Congo Women - Week's End

Important - From Enough Project & Amnesty International:

When: July 12th, 6:30PM
Where: Amnesty International, 5 Penn Plaza, New York City

Journalist and UN Goodwill Ambassador, Jimmie Briggs, and representatives from Run for Congo Women will give a presentation about the crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo at the July 12th meeting of Amnesty International NYC, Women’s Human Rights Group. The speakers will talk about the violence being inflicted against women and children in the DRC, as well as providing information on the New York Run for Congo Women walk/run event on September 25, 2010. The event begins at 6:30 pm and will be held at the Amnesty International office, located in Manhattan at 5 Penn Plaza on the corner of 8th Avenure and 34th Street.

Due to security at the building anyone who is interested in attending this event must RSVP prior to the event to Alyce at nycwhrat@yahoo.com

[beautiful poppies by Olga]

GG & Suzy & Limoncello

Voglio un limoncello, per favore.

A fan whirs, the shades are drawn. Giulia is passed out (in a good way) on the wooden floor. She's comfortable because her furry little red head is damp from multiple applications of a clean, cool, wet cloth. And also because she is a great big Fan Hog! (Sorry for the outburst. Om. Om. Om.)

What GG cannot do, though, is make & partake of limoncello. We love lemons, we have pounds & pounds of them (for some reason) in the house. Tomorrow we will buy the other fixin's & have at this recipe on Bleeding Espresso. It's a very nice post, too, written by guest blogger Susan Filson of Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy. We're not allowed to eat (currently) the cool stuff Susan makes but there's no harm in looking.

ciao-cheers-meow/GGCM

[GG's grandmother's favorite model Suzy Parker by Allan Grant via Life Archives (more Suzy on myvintagevogue); limoncello via Gioia Luisa (USA), & Italy photochroms via Library of Congress]

Marguerite

This is for our friend Marguerite who is ill & in the hospital. Giulia & her editor send much love & healing thoughts all the way to Lyon, France. bisous, Maguy.

Too Darn Hot

GG & her editor are hiding behind pulled blinds & in front of a fan. It's 108 degrees Fahrenheit. GG's editor's plans to look for a summer cardigan are on ice. Ahem. GG allowed a cool, wet cloth on her l'il red head. We'll bring you news of...stuff....soon. We have hot scrambled brains. [photograph, Ella Fitzgerald sings at Mr. Kelly's nightclub, Chicago, 1958, by Yale Joel/LIFE archives]

GG on Holiday

Although Giulia will be home (supervised), she will be unable to post as her editor is taking the laptop on the road for a few days. Therefore, GG is on holiday. We hope very much that you will visit the good people at Darfur Peace & Development Organization (DPDO) while we are away. The Annual Report is available, baskets are ready to sell, & there's a lot of news. We'll post more photographs & more what-you-can-do after the Fourth of July.

Also: Ante Up for Africa's Fourth Annual World Series of Poker will be raising funds for DPDO on July 3. Please see all the news, here.

Please visit all of our blog friends, as well. They are on this page & on bricolage (GG's editor's place to blow off steam, employ first person pronouns, & work on other writing.)

Ciao-meow/GG Central

[gorgeous photograph by the generous Olga]

Pandora Opens the Box

A bit of Sunday afternoon drama here at GG Central. Giulia was informed this afternoon that she'll not be making a trip to the beach after all; the drive would be too hard on her. (GG has asthma.) Is she grateful for this concern on her behalf? She is not, no. Oh well. A little Sunday illustration by one of our favorites, Walter Crane. You can read about GG editorial staff, um, sartorial challenges for the trip, here.

By the way...this image is by one of our favorite illustrators, Walter Crane, & is in the public domain. The original is at the Bibliotheque Des Arts Decoratifs Paris. We have noticed many bloggers trying to copyright the image (one can copyright a product made with the image, yes). This is somewhat amusing as Walter Crane was a, gasp, Socialist who wrote & illustrated books in the belief that they should be affordable to the masses. What would he think? We're pretty sure that he would say poppycock to this cheekiness. So do we.

ciao-cheeky-meow/The Management

Très Charmant - Hanna Rides to the Sea - Week's End

Ocean On Bicycles from jean pichot on Vimeo.

GG & her editor love this atmospheric & pretty little film by Jean Pichot; it reminds us of Jeanne Moreau in Jules et Jim. It's less than two minutes long. There's a wonderful soundtrack by Jean, featuring a sample of the classic French song La Mer by Charles Trénet. (Who is that? Ooh la la, you need to click some links!) Click through to the vimeo (above) site to see the video on a larger screen in HD. It's worth it; it will make you smile (if not, there is no hope for you).

Have a lovely weekend.

ciao-meow/GG Central

[stills via dearcinema(dot)com; Jean Pichot]

Artful Aussies - Then & Now

Photograph of Tom Roberts(9 March 1856 – 14 September 1931) by our fave Sam Hood via the State Library of New South Wales Archives. Roberts was the British-born Australian founder of the Heidelberg School of Painting in Australia. (What?! This is confusing. Art historians, please be in touch.) Artcylopedia's link to Mr. Roberts, here. (We admit, we thought he was rather good looking & so...ahem, this is a lot of trouble to justify posting a photograph. Good grief.)

The Aussie-of-Now is a photographer (who loves paintings). (GG's behavior lately has left her editor very distracted & unable to type Plain English. All apologies.) We speak of Julie at Being Ruby, brilliant photographer/artist who cooks up all manner of marvellous travel stories with accompanying witty text. Quite often there are clever gems hidden in her end-notes & credits, for heaven's sake. You absolutely must visit her in Sydney. All you have to do is...click.

ciao-g'day-meow/The Management

[paintings by Tom Roberts via here & here]

Happy Midsummer Holiday

Read about Sweden's lively midsummer holiday, here, via the Swedish Embassy in Washington, DC. Giulia is up to no good, we can tell, so back on feline watch. Thank you to Olga for this beautiful photograph of a Swedish field of gold. GG's editor has written a little more about midsummer mysteries, here.

ciao-festive-meow/GGCM

GG's Editor Hits Roof, Needs Peeling from Ceiling

GG has turned into a feline Pippi Longstocking. She has been so very devilish that her editor has to rest, perhaps for the rest of the month. Maybe until after the Fourth of July; we'll see. (Saving the world is all well & good, Giulia, but get your own computer!)

ciao-wild-meow/GG Central

[lovely photograph by Alexandra Grablewski; delusional feline via lol cats, we hang our head in shame.]

Bella Capri on Sunday

How GG & her editor would like to be in Capri (OK, perhaps Anacapri during tourist season) today. These lovely images were recently posted by the Library of Congress. Visit their Photochrom Travel Views set, here, & marvel at their ongoing Grand Tour. Also, we recommend a visit to Australia's Being Ruby & her lovely photographs from a trip to Anacapri.

ciao-meow/GG's travel agent

[To see all 6,500 pictures now, check out the Photochrom Print Collection at the Library of Congress, http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.pgz]

Happy Birthday to Aung San Suu Kyi - Week's End

Daw Suu was born 19 June 1945; she is still the Prime Minister-elect of Burma. She is still under house arrest. Please help her by reading & taking action at the AIUSA page; Canadians, here. All other countries, you can find your Amnesty Section, here. The US Campaign for Burma is holding a rally here in Washington, DC tomorrow. (Here is the Canadian Campaign for Free Burma.)

GG & her editor have a great big poster of Daw Suu by our desk. We think about her every day, as do millions around the world. As is often pointed out, it took many years of protesting for Nelson Mandela's release. Don't give up now.

ciao-meow & a good weekend/GG Central

[images: Libera from Rome, 2009 by Amy L. Beam; protest via US Campaign for Burma; Aung San Suu Kyi portrait via GG]

Queen Summer

GG loves this book written & illustrated by Walter Crane (Flora's Feast, a Masque of Flowers). Queen Summer has another title, as well, The Journey of the Lily & the Rose. We have lilies (& one Rose) in our family, so that's a good excuse to post these pretty images tonight. We are so very, very busy. Yes. But by week's end, we'll be all caught up (ha!) & ask for your help. For now, have a lovely Wednesday evening/Thursday morning.

ciao-summery-meow/the Mgmt.

[images via LIFE archives; there are also other Crane illustrations at Turn of the Century tumblr]

Olivia's Help the Gulf Wildlife Project

From the National Audubon Society's blog The Perch (by Julie Leibach)

After hearing about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, 11-year-old (as of this Friday) Olivia Bouler was devastated—and determined to act. She and her parents brainstormed ways to help, and it dawned on her: “I have a little artistic talent,” she says modestly. So she began sending original bird illustrations to donors who contribute to oil spill relief efforts.(rest of article)

Please help Olivia & the National Audubon Society help the birds of the Gulf. Go here to see more of Olivia's paintings . What wonderful girl (& talented artist).

GG & her editor

[Plover, tern by Olivia Bouler. Brown pelican, by Olivia Bouler. The original is hanging in the National Audubon Society's headquarters in New York City. All rights reserved.]

Mamma mia, Azzurri!

Forza Azzurri! Yes, but this was close. Are you trying to give Giulia's editor a tremendous case of the vapors? We are too delicate for such suspense. Here are two photographs of the 2006 World Cup champion festivities in Roma (the first shot is a few seconds before they won) via Giampaolo Macorig's camera. To remind people that they did win, they can win again, that they are not "old" (OK, a little), & because instead of working, we have been watching the match. Over & out, we pass out in front of the fan. (GG is already there.) Oof.

Ciao-meow from GG Sports Central

PS: Visit Michelle at Bleeding Espresso for all the latest news (via her Facebook page)

Sicilian Sunbrella - Week's End

Have a wonderful weekend. We'd hoped to have comprehensive news of Darfur Peace & Development Organization (DPDO) latest basket shipment & the 2009 Annual Report. But there is just too much to do; information will be posted next week. Meanwhile, have a relaxing weekend; we're jumping up & down in front of the World Cup action. GG is asleep now, content that South Africa & Mexico tied. (She hates for anyone to lose.) GG's editor is enjoying in L'odore della notte (The Smell of the Night) by Andrea Camillieri. Somehow, we'd missed this one. Excellent!

ciao-bella-meow/GGCM

[Sicilian beach umbrella by Giampaolo Macorig via flickr]

The Flower Sermon

GG & her editor wish you a peaceful Thursday. (The story of the Flower Sermon)

ciao-om-meow/GGCM

[photograph by generous D Sharon Pratt, from her Free for All Creative Commons flickr set.]