I Never Promised You a Rose Garden
but here you go anyway!
The world isn’t exactly rosy these days—all the more reason for “E-Musings” to be!
ART: THE ROSE GARDEN BY PAUL KLEE
On our last day in Paris in 2016, we decided NOT to visit the Louvre (too overwhelming! Mona Lisa is so small!) We’d been to Musée d’Orsay and Musée l’Orangerie, and been wowed by Van Gogh’s Starry Night and the Monet Water Lilies. We opted for the Centre Pompidou, where a Paul Klee exhibit was in progress, and boy! was that a good choice. Klee’s work embraced primitivism (child-like imagery), automatism (automatic drawing) and reductivism (reducing subjects to their simplest form). Among the incredible paintings we saw, a standout was The Rose Garden. Colorful and playful, the roses look (to me) like lollipops—it’s totally captivating.
TRAVEL MEMORY: LA ROSE DE FRANCE RESTAURANT, PARIS
This was our “splurge” meal, and it was stellar. Cozy and quaint, La Rose de France, located in the Place Dauphine, was an almost perfect dining experience—escargots, filet with truffles, mille feuilles with wild strawberries and white chocolate custard. I say “almost,” because another party in the restaurant was a trio of rude and boisterous American businessmen. The French customers looked appalled at the antics of these brash bros, especially when the guys loudly complained that they could buy cheaper wine at Costco in the US (!), and I just wanted to apologize to everyone for the boorishness of some of my countrymen. I swear, do we even hear how we sound sometimes?
SONG: ROSES OF PICARDY
I’ve always been a fan of early-mid 20th century music (if you read “E-Musings” often you’ve probably guessed that.) I became acquainted with this 1916 gem at my friend Lisa’s house, waaaay back in 7th grade. During weekend sleepovers, we’d amuse ourselves by playing (and singing along to) music rolls on the old player piano in their kitchen. One of them, “Roses of Picardy,” was composed by a wounded WWI British soldier, whose nurse would bring him roses in the French hospital. I was excited to find a recording WITH a player piano, and was immediately transported back to Atlanta, 1968, and good times with a good friend.
SONG: THE ROSE OF TRALEE
This beautiful Irish tune has been performed and recorded by countless folks over the years. Perhaps my favorite is this poignant modern rendering, by the phenomenal Irish group Nightnoise. Give a listen…(btw this whole album is fabulous)…
MUSIC: I NEVER PROMISED YOU A ROSE GARDEN
And of COURSE I include this country classic, performed by Martina McBride!
BLOG POST: MY MOUTH DROPS CLOSED
A little tribute to my Rose, who—as my essay will attest—has ALWAYS been a force to be reckoned with!
MEMORY: ROSES FROM MY GIRLS
My late sister Maureen had a signature flower—the rose. On the 40th anniversary of Mo’s death in 2021, I received these beauties from my sweet daughters. It means the world that my kids, who never met their aunt, still honor her memory every year.
BLOG PREVIEW: SOUND AFFECTS
My friend Bill just introduced me to the Wilhelm Scream (a scream from an old movie that has been used in hundreds of films since). That got me thinking of laugh tracks, too—those chuckles and guffaws that were once routinely inserted into taped TV sitcoms. Rose worked as a Foley artist on several movies, and her job was to add sounds (footsteps, doors creaking, etc.) during post-production. I write about these sound effects, and how they affect our experience of horror and humor. I invite you to join me over at Working Title. “Sound” good?
INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
I agree with Paul Klee. Art gives us eyes to see the world in new and wonderful ways— even as a whimsical place where roses look like lollipops! Wishing you a beautiful new vision for the world as it could be, friends…