Chicago's Mary Poppins

There are people in the world who seem to go unnoticed by others. I think that there are some writers and artists who nurture the ability to blend into the wallpaper in order to observe the world around them. I love stories about people who aren't what they seem on the surface. The recent discoveries about the life of a woman named Vivian Maier seems to have all of the elements of a story about an "unchosen treasure." And her haunting photography has made me ardent admirer of her work.

It's All So Veddy Veddy British

I've been caught up in my Kindle for weeks reading a book I can't put down. It's called "Major Pettigrew's Last Stand," and it's written by Helen Simonson. She's an English woman who lives in the US and decided she would write a book to please only herself -- and so she wrote a book about the England that she misses. It's a wonderful read. I was sorry when I finished. And since I've got four months to go until I get my fill of English pomp and circumstance at the next Royal Wedding, I had to turn to the television for my next fix of Anglophile-er-up. I can always count on Masterpiece Theatre -- and they've come through in a big way with "Downton Abbey." It's an upstairs/downstairs slice of life set in 1912 in an English country estate. Is there anything about that last sentence that doesn't make you want to know more? I know. It's unbelievably delicious. And did I mention Dame Maggie Smith is in the cast? She's a hoot. On a completely unrelated topic, I was searching today for an intriguing article to read during my lunch break and I found THIS I've always been fascinated with art forgery/theft. There's something inherently romantic about it.

Some Tea and 'Temporary Misfortunes'

Well it's been awhile. I know. I've been working and moving and working and moving...which don't necessarily go well together. And then there were those pesky holidays. I hardly even noticed Christmas -- and New Year's Eve was just a blur. 2011 has not kicked off in the most wonderful way. I've been dealing with a series of what my mom calls "temporary misfortunes." Which makes them sound less dreadful and more like tasty little tea cakes. And so I'm pretending that my "temporary misfortunes" are sweet and cute and will be gobbled up quickly by an afternoon tea party at the Dorchester Hotel in London. (At least my imagination is still full intact.) Hopefully, I'll have some good news to report in the very near future. In the meantime, may your life be like a box of chocolates and free from any "temporary misfortunes."