February 28, 2004
no sooner said

caught in the snow, prinsengracht, amsterdam

my daughter was in unusually high spirits one morning last week.
"spring is in the air!" she announced, folding her bright summer bits and pieces and slipping them into her drawer.
"hmmmm," i responded, regretfully bursting bubbles, "it HAS been known to happen, y'know: elfstedentocht weather at the end of february."
"no skating this year! spring is in the air! i can feel it!" she caroled.
her smile can make my day, but i did doubt her instincts on this one.
and i was right.
since then, it has flurried - a little or a lot - every single day.

Posted by lynn at 05:34 PM
February 26, 2004
and still somehow

destined for demolition, utrecht

the windows, solid and silent, are mere sweeps of a painter's brush; the branches beckoning her cloudward are mere shadows, crisp in the winter chill.
he, ensconced in her soul as he is, has never been more distant.
nothing is as it seems. her eyes and her heart have deceived her, and disillusion's gentle deliverance is a quiescent wait away.

Posted by lynn at 11:10 AM
February 24, 2004
riveted

frogcycle (amphibian vehicle), utrecht

so there i was, strolling through old utrecht with edwin, who i'd never met but felt i knew, when i caught a glimpse of this bicycle. it, in turn, brought tomo to mind: indeed, a person i've never met , but feel i know.
(honour her lovely site with a thorough visit, and you will understand why this caught my eye!)
we - observers, photographers, collectors, instigators, however we see ourselves - interwoven worldwide, communicating, sharing, seem to be a species apart.
this pleases me, somehow, no end.

*and speaking of communication: i am having major issues with my mail server. since yesterday i have no addresses and no lovingly-filled folders. i can send no e-mails. i can however, receive them, at least thus far. i am obliged to send from an alternative address, but i'll announce myself as best i can.

Posted by lynn at 09:02 PM
February 22, 2004
my place, my goods, my day

ceiling, main post office, utrecht

i would never have realised.
i had no stamps to purchase and no letter to post. if i had been in utrecht on my own, i would have missed this loveliness completely.
happily, though, i had edwin to show me around: through the afternoon and the old town, we walked, talked and took pictures...here a spacious moat, there a secluded courtyard, everywhere the deep sharp shadows of winter.
it was a city of grace; and - not surprisingly, and much like the other two meetings in the past month - it was an encounter that felt comfortable, and inspiring, and familiar.

Posted by lynn at 08:15 PM
February 18, 2004
nearest thing to heaven

feathered friends, lijnbaansgracht, amsterdam

she needs to get out from under this wet grey winter's blanket, and back on top of the world, where she can see to forever, where she can sing, effortlessly reaching the high notes, and - when the mood takes her - fly.

Posted by lynn at 09:57 PM
February 16, 2004
another human being

him again, eerste marnixdwarsstraat, amsterdam

amsterdam is as much graffiti - from frustrated vandalistic scribbles to true works of art - as it is canals and coffeeshops and cobblestones.
i happened saturday upon a familiar signature, and wondered, as i did a few weeks ago on the rozengracht, about this person with his can of spraypaint: his convictions, his inclinations, his state of mind and soul.
the succinctness made me ache a little, and i resisted the urge to uncap my pen and scrawl a few comforting and optimistic words in anonymous but heartfelt reply.

Posted by lynn at 09:37 AM
February 14, 2004
can't buy me love

santa claus, last week, singel, amsterdam

no hearts and flowers here today:
this "timely" reminder, spotted last week at the floating flower market, is typical - to my mind - of the way commercialism distorts almost every holiday of the year into something it was never meant to be: an opportunity to make money. and i refuse to co-operate.
the 14th of february was simply another day in late winter when i moved to the netherlands. there is no tradition inspiring specialness, and yet the shops overflow with romantic reds and pinks, and the ploy is fallen for en masse.
i think i'll just keep telling the people in my life that i love them as often as possible. i think i'll just keep giving gifts whenever the notion takes me.
okay.
i'm off my high horse.
happy valentine's day anyhow.

Posted by lynn at 11:08 AM
February 12, 2004
the selfsame winds

boats, nudging, singel, amsterdam

they need to meet, to face each other, to discuss courage and cowardice and the willfulness that clutches them both. they need to ponder trust and devotion. they need to navigate their way through the murkiness of misunderstanding to a place where the current can carry them onward - an oar's-length apart, or otherwise - to forgiveness.

Posted by lynn at 06:37 AM
February 10, 2004
blue suede shoes

kitchen stuff, latei, zeedijk, amsterdam

...and of course i took her to - among other places - latei for coffee: it's one of the few places that can hold a candle (or perhaps a 50's lamp?) to her own irrepressible brightness.

Posted by lynn at 08:49 PM
February 08, 2004
and golden needles

scarf by renee: a work of art!

my fingers were crossed the whole of yesterday morning, with renee in amsterdam for a weekend break and the weather behaving very badly.
it worked. the afternoon became gloriously clear, and i hope she enjoyed. i'm sure she did, since she seems to instinctively get the best out all the places she visits.
i'll hear today; we've planned a few hours together.
i can uncross my fingers, though. cold, snow, sleet, hail: they can't daunt me now. i have the warmest and most amazing scarf, knitted by renee herself, in an irresistibly chunky yarn in every imaginable shade of blue, looped around my neck - and with it, cloudless skies and endless summer on even the most dismal of days.

Posted by lynn at 08:52 AM
February 06, 2004
same moon, same stars

two doors, den haag

for decades, through a lifetime of friendship, they have been mistaken for sisters.
in their young days, approached, asked outright, they would smile mysteriously and tilt toward each other, blushing, coy.
that tentative assumption has become, with the passing of time, their routine and their comfort.
they still lean. they are aged and elegant, white curls frivolous above powdered cheeks, collars and cuffs starched, backs straight and stately. one is slightly better-preserved than the other; neither notices.
they are companions.
they have lived - and loved - their days, and done their fading duty, side by side.

Posted by lynn at 09:06 PM
February 04, 2004
three hundred and sixty five

happy birthday, two-muses, happy birthday to you

a whole year.
imagine that.
i appreciate you all.

Posted by lynn at 06:49 AM
February 01, 2004
a pocketful of miracles

10 o'clock from the office, westerdoksdijk, amsterdam

during the dutch winter, even a promising new morning can turn on a dime, the horizon suddenly glowering, and all and sundry surreptitiously checking to see whether they've brought their umbrellas after all.
on days like these, i'm grateful for the little ribbons of sunlight that i've gathered here and there, twisted into frivolous bows, and tucked into my pocket to get me through the gray:

*new babies, long awaited, totally cherished: a daughter for jen and mark, a daughter for amy and josh, a niece for gimmy and john..

*renee arrives in amsterdam on thursday, and i have been anticipating her visit for months. her wit and her wisdom touches me, and tickles me. somehow, i don't think we'll find ourselves at a loss for words...

*edwin has burned me a dvd of "charlot and charlotte", which is the very very VERY best tv series i have ever seen. (my favourite film is atom egoyan's "exotica", in case you're wondering...) and hopefully i will take possession of this jewel over a cup of coffee somewhere: utrecht, amsterdam? it would be good to shake his hand and share an hour: his observations and his remarkable photos have been a part of my daily routine for ages...

*february 4th is a special day: more then.

*as far as i know (and hope), a music cd is winging its way hollandward as we speak, from jason, with a selection of numbers he thinks i will like as much as he does. i'm sure i will. and though i miss "in the trenches", his new site has been worth the wait.

*razzi's images, and his words, continue to fill me with amazement. i personally believe that NO-ONE photographs people, life, as he does. his work is full of warmth and humour, and so is he; i am already looking forward to his next visit to amsterdam...

*in the february/march edition of yasse, out tomorrow or the next day, a bit of attention will be paid to these "little stories". and because yasse is a unique and lovely initiative, produced with inspiration and dedication, i am proud to be a small part of it. trish and cory's spectacular hollyburn peak photos will be there too.

i know.
that's a whole lot of blessings.
let it rain.

Posted by lynn at 09:13 PM






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recent entries
no sooner said
and still somehow
riveted
my place, my goods, my day
nearest thing to heaven
another human being
can't buy me love
the selfsame winds
blue suede shoes
and golden needles