A thing of beauty is a joy forever:Its loveliness increases; it will never
Pass into nothingness; but still will keep
A bower quiet for us, and a sleep
Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.
~ John Keats
It's a hot, humid day here already. I don't like it! [grumpy face] lol I love the sun, swimming, the beach but I like it on warm (not hot) days, with a light breeze or just barely hot days that start off cool and, when the sun goes down, are cool again, almost cool enough for a sweater. Sounds lovely doesn't it? I think I will call it Amy World! Honestly, as the years go by (i.e. I get older) it feels like I tolerate the heat and humidity less and less. It seems to bother me more every year. At this rate, I'm going to have to summer in Alaska in 20 years! lol Probably the worst part of it is I started sweating...er....perspiring (that's what ladies do, right? hmmmmm lol) a great deal 2/3 years ago. I don't like it! {grumpy face] It makes my glasses slide down my nose! Yesterday I was bending over to pet Sadie when my glasses started sliding and slid right off my nose, flew into the air and landed on Sadie. She was not impressed and stalked off while I was laughing. It was pretty funny! lol But this sweating stuff definitely has no place in Amy World. hrumpff!
I saw some beautiful paintings this weekend by one of my favorite artists, Mary Cassatt. {the painting above is Mary Sara Holding a Cat (1908) }. I think she's a fascinating and inspiring woman. She was born in Pennsylvania in 1844 and began studying painting at a young age. Her family never fully supported her career as an artist. Her family, particularly her father, was just one of several difficulties Mary encountered during her burgeoning career. Many peole saw painting as more of a hobby for women than a career. At the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts women were not allowed to use live models and in paris Cassatt could not attend Ecole des Beaux-Arts because women weren't yet welcome here. But thank goodness she was not deterred. Around 1877 she was invited by Edgar Degas to show her work with the Impressionists and exhibited with them for many years. She died in 1926 having never married. About 12 years before her death, she became an active proponent of women's suffrage. In 1915 she exhibited 18 works in support of her cause.I think all of her works are beautiful but I've always adored her series of mother and child paintings. Critics call them unsentimental and maybe they're meant to be that way but I don't see it. I think they're sweet, loving, tender, content and joyful. Fortunately for me, the Met has a great collection of her paintings! These paintings are definitely a part of Amy World!
Breakfast in Bed and below, Summertime
_-_Summertime_(c1894).jpg)
Posts
Hi Amy!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for yr lovely comment! Glad you like this week's catwalk trends (more outrageous ones next Monday!) though I'm a bit concerned about the model with the raspberry-shaped head & the other with her head in a bag! Hmmm!
Loved yr post above - especially all the pics of such gorgeous felines (who I adore too!) - and do hope you can join me this Thursday when I'm inviting blogpals to join me on a *viral* trip into Marbella! (Hope the weather cools down a bit by then though!)
I'm looking forward to returning again soon to yr great site - am yr newest follower!
LOL LOLA:)
PS Thanks so much for the follower link; we have followers in common - Clarity & Slices of Beauty - both great blogs too!
Beautiful post today, Amy. I enjoyed the paintings as well.
ReplyDeleteIt is terribly hot here in NC as well. I just stay inside in the A/C...I can't tolerate heat and humidity in my old age! LOL
Have a great day and try to stay cool!
LOL! I guess Sadie did not realize that you had good intentions. :)
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to believe it has not been that long ago that women were not allowed to attend colleges or vote. I am always amazed on how much they were able to accomplish given the obstacles. Thanks for the lovely feature on Mary Cassatt.
Keep cool!
That is one of the most beautiful quotes and I feel applies to people's hearts. Thank you Amy.
ReplyDeleteThe painting I like from the bunch is Breakfast in Bed, it is calm, wistful and seemingly unposed. Almost photographic.
I love her redering of women and little girls. There's such an innocent quality to them. Great quote and post!
ReplyDeleterendering
ReplyDeleteI think I read somewhere that "Ladies Glisten", instead of sweat. I also remember thinking, yeah, right, I sweat! I'm with you, summering in Alaska sounds about right, but I don't know if I can wait 20 years to start! What a wonderful post!
ReplyDeleteIt is HOT!
ReplyDeleteWelcome to Kathy's world with the sweating and I mean sweating! It's been that way all my life. And in weather like this or when I work out -- well let's just say I don't have a clogged pore on my body! I seem to have a better time adjusting to the heat, however, than to the cold and damp in winter.
Trying to get the house cleaned before the surgery on Thursday. I did our bathroom this morning, but will wait until the sun goes down to clean the tile floor in the sun room and the kitchen floor.
I like Amy World! Such a welcome, calm and cool place! It sure is hot here, but we had such a cold, wet summer that I don't hear many people complaining. Summer is almost over and it will be cold again before we know it. :(
ReplyDeleteNora: thank you for coming by! I love fashion, I really think it's art especially the designs worn on the catwalk in the major designers' shows and also displayed in the pages of some of the fashion magazines. I will see you Thursday and before! Love to Lola :o).
ReplyDeleteMissy: Hi! Oh I imagine it's quite hot in NC, I think staying in the AC is a great plan! You have wonderful beaches I've been told, I hope you can enjoy them when the weather calms down a bit.
Pesky: Sadie's my baby and, of course, spoiled! I always get a bit of a shock when I think that it wasn't long ago that women had very little rights. And there are still several countries treating them as 2nd class citizens today. A real shame. We are quite fortunate.
Clarity: Exactly Clarity! This quote spoke to my heart. But that was Keat's specialty in a way.
Breakfast in Bed does look as if mother and child were caught in a quiet moment unaware they of being watched. Love the expressions on their faces.
Purple Flowers: Yes, and they have such a feeling of contentmment and quiet joy about them. (I am forever making typos & not noticing them! No worries!)
Susie: I like that term very much! (But I cannot lie, I, too, sweat!) My husband said the same thing - "20 years? I won't make it!". Hang in there!
Kathy: I can so relate! (to the sweating part anyway!) I learned to dress for the cold in college when I was a coxswain and out on the lake at 5am in March in MA. I couldn't wear bulky clothes so I learned about long underwear and what works and doesn't work! Still, I like the mild temps of fall & spring best! Don't go crazy cleaning, guilt Richard into it when you're recuperating! lol
Kathy: Yesterday my husband reminded me that we have had summer has been more cool and rainy than anything. But I still don't like humidity!
Since I brought it up in responding to Kathy above I want to tell you that I have been meanint to mention to you and Seashell that I was on the crew team in college for 3 years! I was a coxswain & loved it!
Thank you for visitng! I'm sorry I haven't responded to comments in a couple of days. I've been a little out of sorts & fatigued and so haven't managed to get to everything I want to do! Thanks for sticking with me, I love reading your comments & blogs!
Amy