Family

Mark and Karen gave us this book as a gift and we absolutely LOVE it.
It's a book of photographs, taken by photographers of their families. It's such a touching gift, from Mark's family to my small and very new family. And even more poignant to receive it on the same weekend that Ibolya's Mum is staying with us and that all my family are with us for Mother's Day.
We'll always treasure it. It's even got one of my very favourite photographs in it, by 10 year old Jacques Henri Lartigue, called 'In my bedroom, my collection of racing cars; 40 rue Cortambert, Paris 1905'

Squeaky Things

Ibolya's Mum arrived on Tuesday and is staying with us for the next couple of weeks. Here are a couple of things she's brought with her. A squeaky, rubber, piggy-bank

another squeaky, rubber mouse

1 part of a Russian doll

an Eastern Block era games console

Wise Blood

Some bits and pieces from our weekend.

Not strictly from the weekend but a great picture from Thursday's Mother and Baby group. Ruby and one of her chums, little Oscar

With the help of Andy and his van, I finally jettisoned 28 boxes of vinyl LPs, that I've been carting around for many years now

Saturday night at Stephen's. Mark, Stephen and I celebrated Stephen's birthday with wine, a very large cigar and watched John Huston's magnificent film, 'Wise Blood'

we also admired some of Stephen's recent acquisitions

Sunday morning, up very early to pack up the last of our fish for their journey to Andy's pond in Wales. They've definitely gone to a better place

These beautiful Hyacinths, that Matt and Caroline brought us, are threatening to burst into colour, at any moment

Ibolya working out on the parallel bars, in Queen's Park

Miffy bathed in some lovely light in Gracelands

A cable on our coffee table, looking a lot like a Brice Marden painting

Ruby's new (Paul Smith) rabbit money box.

Stephen's Birthday!

It's Stephen's birthday today! And to mark this special day, here are some pictures, I took earlier today, as I cycled through St James Park, of spring flowers in bloom.

Happy Birthday Stevie! See you tomorrow.

Wim Wenders

This is such a brilliant, brilliant, photograph; a scene that you'd think only possible in a cinephile's, like me's, wildest dreams.
It's from today's Guardian 'My Best Shot' feature and is a photograph, taken by Wim Wenders, (that's his foot) in a pond, on Francis Ford Coppola's Nappa Valley estate and shows Coppola, cooling off in the pond with his wife, Eleanor.
On the rock is Coppola's (future film director) daughter Sophia and, Godlike-(giant of world cinema)-genius, Akira Kurosawa, who was working with Coppola and George Lucas on 'Kagemusha'.
Wenders was working with Coppola, at the time, on his disastrous, lost-gem of a movie, 'Hammett'. He sums up the picture beautifully in the article, by saying;

"It was as if we were all aware of this instant of bliss: the sun shining through the trees; the sound of the crickets; the utter peacefulness of a moment that united several generations of film-makers. Life is good - and every now and then a photograph can do it justice."

Ladbroke Grove Water Tower

I can never pass the water tower at the top of Ladbroke Grove (just by Sainsbury's) without thinking about the genius of Bernd and Hilla Becher. Here's my little tribute to the Bechers.

Portobello

Ruby and I left Ibolya at home, on Sunday morning, while we took off, with Ruby in the papoose, for a stroll around Ladbroke Grove and Portobello Road. Here are a few things that caught our eye.

The Day we Made Ruby

Today's the day Ibolya and I officially recognise (well, we're pretty certain anyway) as the day we made Ruby.

It all happened after we got home from Stephen's warm up party for his 40th birthday 'Allo Allo' party, March 8th 2008. It was a very good party.

To mark this special day here's a picture, I really like and feels appropriate, of the first egg to be laid by the Bennett family's chickens, on Sunday.

Afternoon Tea

To celebrate Ibolya's birthday, we had friends over, on Saturday afternoon, for tea and scones. My sisters, Jane and Sara, and Karen brought along some, absolutely delicious, home-made scones, which were extremely grateful for. Thank you girls.

It was a really lovely afternoon and particularly fantastic to see Matt and Caroline, over for the weekend from New York. We love the brilliant Barak Obama, children's books, they brough for Ruby.

Pete, Stephen, Karen, Caroline and Matt

Jonathan, Rita and David

Samia, Jane, Beatrice, Sara, Florence and Jerry

Claire, Lorena and Anletta

Claire, Lorena and Vittoriano