Notes From A Broad

Won't you be my Valentine ?

2012-02-14T08:00:00.001-03:00

As a skinny , freckle faced little girl, I was no ones Valentine and the boys I liked always ignored me or were mean to me.
We had moved from California to a Southern US town where people with different accents were mocked, looked at with suspicion or laughed at.
So the odds of my having a Happy Valentines with the rest of the kids were low at best.
But then something happened, as it does to most everyone... I grew up.

One day I met a man. ( in NYC) ..
I did not expect it, I did not have a new man in mind nor was I even thinking about such a thing.
But there he was.
And as corny as it sounds, as Harlequin Romance-y as it sounds, I fell head over heels in love with him immediately.

We have been married for , oh my , at least 100 years now .. or almost.

And every day, he is my Valentine.
I am sure there are plenty of days he wonders about this .. having an insane, moody wife can be a test for any man, but he is more than up to the task.

Happy Valentines Day to my Sweetheart ...

Monday .. Look at This Blog !

2012-02-13T09:32:00.000-03:00

This blog, Sadie Olive , has been on my Monday Look in the past but if you enjoy decorating and design and beautiful rooms, go take another look.
She has inspired me many times but this time I am probably going to copy her kitchen right down to the mirror from her husbands aunt !
Go take a look, tell her hello and let me now how much you enjoyed Sadie Olive.

photo : Sadie Olive

Places

2012-02-11T20:41:00.001-03:00

With a view like this, how can you not get all romantic and dreamy ?
Doesn't it make you want to drop everything and go live in a place that has more old buildings than new ?
More parks and statues than many cities and towns ?
A place where the people still use those ordinary little manners that we were taught as children... you remember, Hello, How are you ? Thank you, you are welcome .. that sort of thing.
Something that seems to have faded into obscurity in many places.

A place that has buildings like this must have cafes everywhere !
A place where people stop in the middle of the day to linger over a cup of coffee, where children kiss each other goodbye at the door of the school at the end of the day.

Places where people sit in the park, for no other reason than it is there, it is beautiful and why not, it is a beautiful day.
Yes, there is a lot to be done at home.
Yes, there are chores to do , errands to run, but a moment of peace and quiet in the green park is good for the soul.

A place where strangers stop you to pet your dog and end up kissing him and you when they say good-bye.
Where strangers will see you without your pup and ask about him.
Where music can be heard from all sorts of places.
A car will go by with the radio a bit loud, music thumping.
A shop has opera playing. .. walking past some apartment buildings on a hot day, windows are open, I hear a violin being played.
There isn't much you can say against a place where just about every single person loves music.
And babies.
And pups.

Friday Photo

2012-02-10T08:00:00.001-03:00

Wherever I go in this city, Beauty is waiting .. sometimes it is huge and you can't miss it, sometimes it is so small or quiet or hidden that you feel privileged that you didn't miss it.
Buenos Aires, you are so beautiful.

A Change is Going to Come

2012-02-08T10:33:00.000-03:00

We had more storms last night but the result this time was actually cooler temperatures !
The sky is a dramatic mix of shades of grey and the wind is blowing.
I am definitely going to be outdoors today, enjoying walking again and not feeling like fainting from the heat .. or at least melting into a little puddle on the sidewalk.

It is quiet around here these days.
In this sort of summer heat , there is not much ambition to do much other than go online and look at places where it is not so hot, read about recipes I will make in the winter, and decide what to do with the apartment.
We are doing a bit of paint touching up at the moment. Well, one of us is, the other is just full of directions and comments. But full participation is expected soon.

The bad news ( to me in a lot of ways) is that the building which is 100 years old, is about to get a much needed bath.
But this bath requires the entire building to be wrapped in blue netting. Or black.
The men work inside the netting, supposedly the people passing by on the sidewalk will be protected from Stuff that will be falling.
When they are through, which could be in 6 months, the building will look much much better, cleaner than it has looked in some 50 years, probably.
The bad part : All of my plants that get sun are on the front balconies. They must come inside.
All of the light that comes into the apartment, comes in through the front windows and french doors, they must be closed, shutters and all.
And just in case this is not depressing enough, the wonderful tree in our back garden that shades my bedroom, that houses countless doves and their babies, has apparently outgrown it's garden and has been reaching roots under the buildings behind us , causing them problems.
Our tree has to be cut down.
I am bothered when I see branches trimmed on trees in the park, this will be a terrible thing.
Not to mention, the loss of greenery outside the window , leaving us a view of another building, not even a pretty building.

So regardless of how I hang on to Things and try to keep everything serene ...Someone Else comes along and messes things up.

I would much rather create my own Changes, if you know what I mean. So perhaps, soon, a Change will come.

Happy Birthday, Charles Dickens

2012-02-07T08:00:00.001-03:00

Charles Dickens, son of John and Elizabeth, was born on February 7, 1812.
He was a lover of the theatre, aspired to be an actor, political reporter , reformer , philanthropist and father of 10 children.
He was the author of 16 novels over four decades.

His father was a Navy clerk, he had a middle-class childhood was sadly disrupted when his father’s finances or lack of, landed him in debtor’s prison.
When he was 12, Charles was forced to room with a family friend.
To pay for board, he worked long hard hours with poor children in a warehouse that made polish for shining shoes.
The hardship of these days left a mark on his writings and inspired a life's work for labor , especially child labor, reform.

In 1833 his first story was published.
Followed by The Pickwick Papers, Oliver Twist, Nicholas Nickleby, The Old Curiosity Shop, A Christmas Carol.
He wrote for a radical newspaper called the Daily News.
In 1859 he wrote A Tale of Two Cities, Great Expectations ( 1860) .

He died on June 8th, 1870.

Monday .. Look at This Blog !

2012-02-06T08:00:00.001-03:00

God, I Love Paris !

I do, she does, just about everyone does.
Now you can not only read her blog but you can read her book.

See you in Paris, if only in our dreams ...

Sunlight

2012-02-05T10:21:00.001-03:00

Down near the bottom of the crossed-out list of things you have to do today, between “green thread” and “broccoli” you find that you have penciled “sunlight.”
Resting on the page, the word is beautiful, it touches you as if you had a friend and sunlight were a present he had sent you from some place distant as this morning — to cheer you up, and to remind you that, among your duties, pleasure is a thing, that also needs accomplishing...

Tony Hoagland

Hace Calor !

2012-02-04T15:01:00.000-03:00

It is hot.
The sun is beating down from a typical, ridiculously blue Argentine sky with not one little wisp of a cloud to give a person on the ground a touch of shade.
There is hardly any traffic either .. they are not dummies here, they know what to do when it is Summer and a Heat Wave is over the City.
They Get Outta Town !

And if they are not out of town, they are in their pools or like myself,
hiding in a darkened room with the air conditioning on.
Thank you God for air-conditioning.
I know everyone doesn't have it and quite a few people live without it but I am not one of them.
I am a wimp. I freely admit it. I don't even go to Wimps Anonymous, I am Out with my Wimpiness.

If it were cold, I would be bundled up and striding through the streets, boots on, gloves and scarf ( that my sweet husband bought me in Montreal and it keeps me soooo warm) and you always know that if it gets too cold, you can pop into any cafe and fill up on hot coffee or tea and warmed manzana tart or medialunas .. ahhhh...
I do look forward to Winter.
They do Winter very nicely in Buenos Aires.
But for now, they are doing some brutal hot Summer.
So .... if anyone needs me, you know where to find me .. here, in my room, with the air-conditioning on High.

Friday Photo

2012-02-03T09:01:00.000-03:00

There are days that I just block out the city sounds and the city sights and remember to Look Up.

Sleeping late

2012-02-01T10:45:00.000-03:00

I know that I have always been a night owl , someone who hates to go to bed and hates to get up early in the morning.
This has been Me since I was a wee thing.
I always have more energy and ideas at night.
I think there are times when I am just getting started when I have to go to bed.
(grumble grumble sulk )

Tuesday morning I woke at 11:00 AM.
I was shocked ... shocked I tell you !
I have not had that sort of lie in in years !
Should I tell you how good it felt ?
No ?
You will be jealous and want to try it yourself tomorrow ?
Oh, alright, that is a good reason .. sort of.
So I will just say that I was surprised it was so late, I thought it was only around 9:30 ..

I "jumped" ( if you know me, you know there was no actual jumping involved first thing in the morning ) out of bed and wandered in here to the computer, coffee in hand and no particular drive to do anything else for the day but read blogs, read the news online ( thank you NYTimes for making that more difficult ) , and only getting up for necessary breaks .. including the one where I eat a slice of cold pizza washed down with pomelo .. oh, what a great day it was !

Now we have to get back to the way things are normally.
Whatever that is !

Someone has been repairing and retouching paint jobs.
Brilliant man .. I am slightly envious, he has energy ... he is not overcome by slothfulness.
Actually, if a Sloth and I were in a race, the Sloth would win by at least a nose.

The Exciting Life of an Ex-Pat

2012-01-31T07:34:00.001-03:00

Got up late.
Took a walk ... sunny and warm.
Stopped at cafe for coffee and scones... tasty.
Sat outside in the shade ... nice.
Picked up cherries and plums at the market.... ripe and juicy.
Walked home...slowly.
Read book..boring.
Went online .. took nap.
Order dinner to be delivered.
Walk over to Ice Cream shop ...

Monday .. Look at This Blog !

2012-01-30T09:00:00.003-03:00

Gilles Vidal !

the photography !! the Panoramic View of Paris from the Eiffel Tower !!

What's not to love ?

Look at his Still Photography .. Jean Rochfort .. I love that mans face !

Enjoy ~

Thinking about Trees

2012-01-29T09:56:00.001-03:00

I have been thinking a lot about trees lately.
We walk through parks full of the most fantastic trees.
Great huge things , some vaguely familiar, some not at all.
Plane trees were planted here long ago and they always remind me of Paris.

We have a Plane tree outside our living room window.
Up high up in the branches where we can look out at a small bird or a noisy parrot , for a while lately, it was the Mama Dove. Taking a break from egg sitting.
Then when the babies hatched and grew larger, she would take a break and sit in the tree, relaxing, while the babies sat there like little downy bald guys ,wobbling around in the nest.
They babies learned to fly.
Now they are gone.
But I still see doves in the tree and wonder if they are our recent balcony tenants.

We walk through the parks and see one tree with huge magnolias , great white waxy flowers, the air is full of sweet scents.
There are trees that have flowers that resemble large pink lilies, these attract hummingbirds in the late afternoon.
We have trees that are shaped like umbrellas, children hide from each other , playing in the park, under these trees.

And then there are the Ombu trees, the size of a large house.
This has to be the tree that Swiss Family Robinson lived in.
I have not seen a tree larger than this anywhere .. simply amazing and I see them all the time.. and I am always awe struck.

What if we leave here ?
What if we go live somewhere else ?
I know how I will mourn the absence of the lovely people here ... but the trees !
I will miss the trees.
Would having my own trees make it better ?
Would having an apple tree be solace ?
What if I hung a swing in my own tree, would that make me feel better ?

As I said, I have been thinking a lot about trees lately.

The Beauty of Where We Live

2012-01-28T11:01:00.000-03:00

Friday Photo

2012-01-27T17:54:00.000-03:00

Up the stairs into the green shade ...

Another #^@&ing Beautiful Day

2012-01-26T21:33:00.001-03:00

What a day ! Not a cloud in sight.
Dry, comfortable to walk for miles and forget that you are dehydrated and might collapse any minute if you don't stop for a drink or better yet, ice cream !

It was a bit too hot for the majority of the people in town, well, if you don't count tourists who are suitably dressed with hats and walking shoes and backpacks and maps and cameras and make me want to sit down and rest just looking at them !

We walk in the shade.
We manage to stay cool-ish and not burned to a crisp .. well... mostly.
I have one too many freckles from the past few days and my hair is turning a very scary white.
Even my eyebrows are bleaching out .. too bad the freckles don't bleach out .
I will look like whats-his-name .. Edgar Winter .. remember him ?

I took my camera and we wandered around a neighbourhood that is interesting, a long walk but full of things we want to go back and see more of .. not to mention a street of mostly Antique shops and Curio shops and Art Galleries.
The Sofitel Hotel and some nice cafes are there too.

Yesterdays protestors left some notes for some people .. this one was on a nice old building that had just finished painting and cleaning their entire facade this past year ..

Tomorrow, I think a nice museum or Cultural Center with air-conditioning is a good idea.

*Regarding the title .. if you saw the film, White Mischief, you might remember Sarah Miles and what she said in the morning... getting out of bed, opening the shutters and looking out at the day ..

Not a Bad Day

2012-01-25T20:40:00.000-03:00

Yesterday - apparently it was Demonstration Day .
Why the Evita Moviemiento people thought it worth blocking a street and the police found it more interesting to watch, was never made clear.
They made quite a bit of noise, gathered slowly, chanted and sang a bit and then , thanks to the Riot Police and PDF (Federal Police) ... they marched from that side of the street to the other.
Today we saw the results of this little gathering.
A beautiful architectural gem of a building, Belle Epoque style, covered in graffiti.
A big 1930's apartment building that had just undergone a large renovation and painting of it's exterior, covered in graffiti.
The graffiti was addressed to David Cameron, somehow I don't think he will see it .
But the people who live in that building, who spent money getting it fixed up, will see it every day.

My solution to this is .. the police should do more than watch.
And the graffiti people should be rounded up and made to clean the buildings. Not just those that they messed up but wherever there is graffiti, let there be a "chain-gang" of wrong-doers who have to clean them.

Okay, I am off my pulpit now.

The weather finally cooled off a bit. Storms in the night. The sort that allow you to sleep like a baby.
The sort of sleep that you never heard the thunder, never noticed the lightening but woke to no need for an air conditioner. Lovely.

We did some errands , stopped at an old favorite cafe for coffee, walked back through one of my all time favorite neighborhoods then home through the parks.

All in all, not a bad day.

This and That & A Recipe

2012-01-24T22:10:00.002-03:00

Today was truly a day of This and That.
We had storms in the night, the day was not quite as terribly hot.
There was a nice breeze blowing so walking on the shady side of the street, we were able to get some errands run and not suffer sunstroke.

No matter what I do, freckles appear an hour later and there are spots that are pink, no matter how much sunblock I wear.
Argentine sun .. it is special.

We took a little walk that turned into a very long walk, picking up goodies from the bakery , powdered sugar croissants, fresh loaves of bread, a few "sables" which seem to be mainly made from sugar and butter, crisp and melt in your mouth sort of cookie/things.

Then on the way home, who could resist Volta ? ( ice cream) .. certainly not one of us !
So we picked up a kilo of lemon sorbet, chocolate suiza , strawberry sorbet.
Sugar overload ?
Noooooo .... you must learn to build your tolerance ... by taking small "doses" several times a day ..
It might seem like work but it pays off.

Then we waited for our Computer Wizard to show up and figure out where my thousand plus photographs have been hidden.
While we waited, we listened to the crowds gathering.
Apparently, someone bussed in loads of people who had nothing better to do today than be in our neighborhood, with flags and things that made noise.
Mostly that would be Cherry Bomb sorts of fireworks .. you know, no pretty sparkles, just a bone shattering bomb exploding sound.
Charming, in a residential neighborhood with babies and children as well as old folks like me.

They waved their flags around , gathered in a great crowd, while someone ( not an official) closed off one of the streets so they could gather in comfort, let those silly cars find another way..

This is what you get for living near an Embassy.
An Embassy for a country that the Argentines are not happy with at this time.
An Embassy that was well protected and probably didn't hear a thing, no , that was for the ordinary people who live here and just want some peace and quiet while they eat their ice cream !

So the Wizard showed up and found my photos.
I still don't know where to send them when I download so the photo showing on here will be limited for a while, I am afraid..he has been sent a message- h e l p .

Dinner is over and I think I hear people chanting ... oh Lordy .. not again.

Dinner:

Couscous with Chicken, Tomatoes and Greek Olives .

Make regular couscous with broth instead of water ..
Chop up some tomatoes.
Dice some red onion.
Dice some greek/black olives.

Saute chicken cutlets in olive oil with a bit of Masala seasoning ( anything spicy is good) and let cool.
Dice . Add to couscous.

Toss everything with a bit of Caesar salad dressing ( you can choose what you would like.. I wanted something less oily and more creamy) and serve in a warm pita bread.

Monday .. Look at This Blog !

2012-01-23T08:20:00.014-03:00

I have gone into a new phase.. the old/current one is Photography.
So of course, I have a Tumblr blog and over 1,000 photos and what else ?
Oh yes, iPhoto and my computer have decided to lock me out.

A frantic email was sent to the Wizard and we just have to sit back and hope he can fix it right away - like Tomorrow !

So while browsing through other blogs that have photos that work .. I found the style files .

Well , the style files is on my blog list but in her files is this ... Celebrity Homes .. so go take a look at that one too, after you spend hours browsing through the rooms of homes of the rich, famous and well decorated.
But first, Go take a look .. at the Style Files

Tell me how you liked it ..

Keeping up appearances

2012-01-22T13:03:00.001-03:00

You may have noticed that the blog has changed a bit in appearance.

This is due to Blogger letting me re-design and return to what
Notes From A Broad originally looked like.. blog-wise.

Hope you enjoy it.

We're having a Heat Wave ... again

2012-01-22T11:13:00.003-03:00

I seem to remember writing about a Heat Wave last summer.
Hmmmm, does this mean that every summer I think we are having Heat Waves and it is really just a typical Buenos Aires summer ? for 4 years now ?
Every day is in the 90's, which for the city dwellers out there, you know how much hotter that can feel, than a 90 º day out in the country.
Or even where there are trees and grass.
Although, here, there are parks full of trees and grass, all kinda dry and yellow .. we aren't getting rain either.
I worry for the cows.
Yes, the cows.
There are thousands of cattle and a lot of horses that live out in the countryside and they need water and they need shade and if they are anything like me ( hey! you never know !) they must be suffering.

I put fresh water in a little container out on the balcony...
I want my little baby doves to at least have cool water while they huddle in the shade of a plant, on a balcony that faces the afternoon sun.
Every day I am shocked that we don't have 2 little fried doves out there .. although one hasn't been seen for a few days.
It is either better at hiding from me than the other or it has gone .. hopefully flew somewhere cooler.

So as in every city I have lived in, when the weather is too hot or too cold, where do you go ?
A Mall or a Cinema .. in our case, they go together so there have been a few days of window shopping combined with sitting in a freezing cold cinema.

I bought a hat .
Once upon a time in a land far away, I looked good in most hats.
Here, I almost don't care how I look, as long as it covers my head.
I have developed a fear of bad things that happen to a persons skin.
I have had them already, but people I know are getting worse than what I had so I am more aware than I wish ..
Now, I pull that hat down as far as it will go, to the point where my eyesight is impaired and I make sure I am hanging on to my husbands arm and we stroll in the sun.

That nice looking guy and that woman with the hat pulled down to her chin.

source : photolibre

The People Here

2012-01-21T21:55:00.000-03:00

So .. I have, for some reason, lost but not really, my photos .. all of my iPhotos.
At least 1,000 photos are being withheld from me ... hidden and I am not allowed to get in and find them.
Updating the computer only made some things better and made others annoying and I still cannot open my iPhotos.

So my blog will be photo-less except for the times I use someone else's.
Yes, I am sad.

Now ... About Living in Buenos Aires.

We have been here for almost 5 years now.
I have still not adjusted to the seasons .. being backwards and all .. you know, like right now it is Summer here.

But I love it here.
I love the people.
I love the city and the places ... and the people.
I love the way the people here have good manners .. you know, the old fashioned sort, like asking you how you are , then waiting for an answer.
They say hello, how are you and they say goodbye ..
The men are ... what was that old fashioned word ? Chivalrous ..
Yep, they hold doors for you, they pick up something if it gets dropped, they call you Señora and they are polite ..
They also make no secret of admiring you and yet, they don't yell rude things from afar, they don't make rude faces and they hold doors for you.
(I can walk past a construction site and not a single embarrassing comment is yelled from the workers..)

The Ladies .. they rule.
La Señora rules her house, her children and (sorry guys) her husband.

I love watching the ladies when they are out shopping, sometimes with a maid .. they tell the cashier their address and leave, groceries to be delivered later.
I love watching them in the parks, sometimes a couple of grandmothers, sitting , chatting with friends, giggling like the girls they used to be.
I love the way they are with their children and grandchildren and I love the way their families treat them.
Respect and Love abounds.

I often say that the one thing that never changes here is my love for the people, who make Buenos Aires what it is.
Of course, you can run into someone who doesn't make you smile and feel all warm and tender towards them , but those ( for me) are few and far between.

I think the root of it is .... They still care here.
They still have those manners and behaviours that we were taught, way long time ago .. that too many people/ places are lacking now.
I imagine someone who has lived here all their lives and has nothing to compare, looks at me like I am crazy for thinking this way.
But I think those who do travel and come back here, home ... know exactly what I am talking about.

We were walking down the street not long ago, when a Porter said hello.
Then he asked about our dog.
Where was he ? ... we told him.
He was so sympathetic and so kind and sad , recounting how it looked each day to see Tate go by, with his jaunty walk.
The porter copied the way Tate would walk, we agreed, Tate was like a Person.
It was so touching, so kind and sweet that he spoke of our sweet Pup as if he were a person that we all miss, but then again, it was not really surprising... I expect nothing less from the people here.

If we ever leave here, I will miss so many things and places, sights and sounds, but most of all, I will miss the people here.

Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow is a mystery.
And today ? Today is a gift.

Alice Morse Earle

Friday Photo

2012-01-20T09:00:00.001-03:00

Some whine ?

2012-01-18T20:22:00.001-03:00

When the sun is so strong and so hot that you can feel the freckles popping out and you know your nose is getting a bit too pink, thinking of far away places where it is Winter and at least cooler than 90ºF helps me ... just a little.

I think, at least with my mind busy with Where is it nice and cool ? keeps me from voicing my discomfort and sounding like a whiner.
Okay , nothing will help it, I sound like a whiner when it is so hot and the sun is baking me down.

This is the image I have tried to keep in mind when I need to put myself into another place ..mentally at least. (photo taken by Billy Currie )

We decided to walk and take photos .
Then we decided to find a place that had gotten some good reviews for their empanadas, so we ended up walking miles ... in the hot sun ... ( anyone feeling sorry for me yet ?)

I know , talking to the rest of the world ( except the Other part of the Southern Hemisphere) is not going to get me a lot of sympathy.
I hear it is a bit cold and damp where you live.
Sorry.

Now back to my whine.

We had walked so far, that there was no turning back, so I stopped in the shade and took some photos and then .. as we walked, we found the place !
Immediately ordering a slice of a Fugazetta Relleno. ( Stuffed pizza )
As my Aunt Jean would say ... Lawsy !
It was very tasty, maybe better with less onions but it definitely was a tasty dish to set before ... us .
There was no way I was cooking today so we brought home all sorts of empanadas and that will be dinner.

My arteries will have to take it up with me later, I think for all the miles I walk every day, they should still be fairly happy.
And if not, after tonight, I doubt I will want to see any cheese for at least a month.

The heat spell seems to be lasting ...
Instead of hoping for it to break overnight, I now hope it breaks in a month.
But being January, I have a feeling it will be March before I can quit whining.
Yes, be glad you don't live with me ..

Keep in mind .. if the winter cold, snow, wet, damp, ice gets you down, you can contact me.
I will listen to you and sympathise and memorise every word that describes what it is like to be in serious cold again.
So go ahead, if you need me, I am here ..