I don’t know quite how to describe pleasures enjoyed when alone. This morning, in England and Wales, pupils returned to school after five months away . Twice, on my 8am drive through urban areas, the fragrance of multiple , simultaneous makings of toast and butter were transfixing . I only had dogs for company so was unable to share conversation about the unusual pleasure of smelling toast. Created, I’m sure, by many houses being on the same schedule for the first time in ages and the continuing lower levels of traffic and pollution. The dogs , of course, experienced the smell of toasted bread far more vividly than me but didn’t feel the need to talk to me about it or even amongst themselves.
I also had some ‘alone’ time in the the park at Devils Point. Once again it was me wondering at the surprising absence of other humans and canines while they just took it in their stride, reading the messages left by other dogs but never once looking up and exclaiming ” Wow we are such lucky dogs to have this beautiful place to ourselves”
The smell of toast and these beautiful views this morning were lovely pleasures that I was unable to share with another human and made me think about another ‘alone’ pleasure I had recently . A swimming pool that just had no-one else in it at the time I went swimming.
Am I odd to enjoy these moments of serendipitous alone pleasures? It’s easy enough to isolate myself from other humans but somehow a chance encounter with aloneness plus a pleasure is one of life’s joys.
However I also love to share things and of these three things the one I most wish to share is the intangible one. The smell of many toasty breakfasts wafting from homes eager to return to some form of normality. If only I could copy and paste a link for you to share the buttery, toasty, smell of normality this morning.
Not just any Newspaper, The Financial Times. The pink, in colour, paper. The two actual Pink Papers, one Lgbtq and one Sport were not the same colour at all. Both are no longer published in print form.Sometimes I just buy the Financial Times for the joy of its colour combinations. I always loved it in the days of Black and White ( Pink) printing but with the advent of colour the pink just gives everything s little joosh, a brightener, a lift. I am not by nature a pink person but this Financial Times Pink floats a whole flotilla of boats for me.
It is the pink of both my grandmothers’ underwear. One, a sensible woman who wore Directoire Knickers in peach. She would be horrified , if she were alive today and able to Google, to discover that her choice of undergarments were now the underpinnings of a Vintage Fetish.
Many of the images on Google could not grace Ponderings. Some of the wearers had male looking bulges, others cavorted and posed, plump rounded buttocks presented like over ripe peaches with a short shelf life . My other, more lively, Grandma wore the same colour underwear , her knickers also had a French sounding name, French Knickers, and were trimmed with the most amazing lace. She would not have been shocked by anything she discovered on Google and would certainly have embraced Vintage Fetish. In fact she was known for embracing anything.
In a strange twist of Google Image fate, my sensible Grans, sensible knickers have become the things of Vintage Fetish.The racy Grans fancier pants are just that, Fancy Pants . No images of women or men posing erotically in her peachy knickers.Peach is the next bone of contention. What colour is the Financial Times or indeed my Grandma’s knickers?I’m not certain the actual colour can truly be described as Peach but Salmon does not strike the right tone for underwear or sage financial journalism in my opinion . Salmon is the descriptive word the Financial Times chooses to use. It has to be said it is certainly slightly fishier now than it used to beLuckily for Pandemic ponderings the Pantone Colour Institute and Hex have come up with four descriptive names that are a close fit to Financial Times Pink, and Grandmas knickers.Bisque
Blanched Almond
Old Lace
Papaya Whip
Whatever the name, this pink is the one I search for, but rarely find in shops. It is not often in vogue, but was quite recently. Almost too popular particularly on Instagram. I have a very striking pair of newly purchased daytime Pyjamas.( Is that not in itself a delicious idea, DAYTIME pyjamas)
A Financial Times Pink Chaise longue would be the perfect place to lounge while reading the FT in my daytime pyjamas.The overall effect might be a little eccentric, but not, I think over the top.
Newspapers to Knickers, a classic pink ponder.
Print is the prompt word for the Art Group.Printing is Dirty work and I absolutely love to do it. There has not been enough printing in my life.My fish are a popular print.
But on the whole I do not do anywhere near enough printing.I should do more , it was a printed piece of work that was exhibited at Tate Modern.
Note to self, spend more time printing.Fine Art printing is one thing but written word printing is a whole other world. Bringing Pandemic Pondering to the written word brings me to The Mayflower and the postponed anniversary celebrationsLocally in Plymouth , England 2020 was set to be a hugely significant year. 400 years since the sailing of the Mayflower and the founding of America. Events were planned all over the place. The Pandemic has delayed celebrations.Printing is the key to this date,not the arrival of settlers.
The Mayflower was not the first ship to deliver Europeans to America in search of a different life. What made the date of the arrival of the Mayflower significant was the signing of a printed document. The Mayflower Compact. 2020 is the 400th anniversary of the signing of that document. The actual date of arrival of the first European migrants to The New World is unknown. The 400th anniversary had, in reality, already been missed so postponing the party for a year is regrettable financially but not historically a problem of accuracy.https
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