And the peace of mind it cost

[sovay]

Rabbit, rabbit! I would have liked a more auspicious start to the month, but I had to mail some bills in the evening, so I took some pictures while I was out.



It was enormous and crepe-paper-textured and more bump-and-grind pink than my phone could capture in the shadow of the houses on the other side of the street. It looked more like a hollyhock to me than anything else, but I'll take suggestions. [edit] Per pameladean, hibiscus.



I miss strong Edward Hopper light on brick. Our old neighborhood, for obvious, post-industrial reasons, had a lot more of it.



These looked definitely more hollyhock-ish to me. They seem to be popular around here.

Brioche and liverwurst make a very nice sandwich from my perspective, but I think they may be confused by one another.

Comments

[pameladean]

I think those must be hibiscus. It's conceivable that the second photo is of the cultivar called Angel Eyes. There are too many seriously pink hibiscus for me to even make a guess about the first one. But they are Malvaceae, like hollyhocks.

P.

[sovay]

I think those must be hibiscus.

Thank you! My mother thought the first one was more hibiscus. There were some platter-sized things we drove by recently that she was sure about.

But they are Malvaceae, like hollyhocks.

That's good to know.

[pameladean]

I meant to ask about the size, but forgot! And in general terms, yes, I agree with your mother, who I think is likely more knowledgeable than I am, that the first one is more hibiscus-like. I just happen to have grown Angel Eyes for a while, though there may be other plants with flowers of that general type as well.

P.

[sovay]

I just happen to have grown Angel Eyes for a while, though there may be other plants with flowers of that general type as well.

I trust your identifications! The pink one was wider around than the spread of my hand and I don't have tiny hands.

[sholio]

Those are lovely. I like the dramatic light.

[sovay]

Those are lovely. I like the dramatic light.

Thank you!

[nnozomi]

Agree they are hibiscus (hibisci?) and the photos are beautiful. Made me laugh, having recently posted a picture of flowers I didn't recognize with a caption along the lines of "these look like hibiscus but..." to be informed that they were hollyhocks!

[sovay]

Agree they are hibiscus (hibisci?) and the photos are beautiful.

Thank you!

Made me laugh, having recently posted a picture of flowers I didn't recognize with a caption along the lines of "these look like hibiscus but..." to be informed that they were hollyhocks!

That's great! Clearly the two flowers like to confuse people.

[castiron]

The second one looks like what I've always heard called Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus). There used to be a nice large bush at a house near me, but the weather events of the past couple years killed it.

[sovay]

what I've always heard called Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus). There used to be a nice large bush at a house near me, but the weather events of the past couple years killed it.

I'm so sorry! I hope you have other flowering plants that are weathering the chaos.

[castiron]

Oh yes. Caesalpinia pulcherrima is still quite happy with the weather, and the lantanas are cheerfully saying "we were born for this". The regional wildflowers are coping fine.

[aurumcalendula]

Those are lovely photos!

[sovay]

Those are lovely photos!

Thank you!

[asakiyume]

You did pretty well capturing the golden light on clapboards! But I know what you mean about that light on brick...

The mallow-family plants, whether they be hollyhocks, hibiscus, or rose of sharon, are all pretty. Okra's in that same family and has a similar pretty flower. (Apparently durian is too!)

[sovay]

You did pretty well capturing the golden light on clapboards! But I know what you mean about that light on brick...

Thank you! Brick-light is one of my favorite kinds.

Okra's in that same family and has a similar pretty flower. (Apparently durian is too!)

Oh, neat! I don't know if I knew that. I have never seen okra in flower.

[asakiyume]

Here's a photo I took in 2020, when I grew okra ^_^

[sovay]

Here's a photo I took in 2020, when I grew okra

That's beautiful.

[asakiyume]

^_^

You can grow vegetables AND have beautiful flowers at the same time!

a better picture

[asakiyume]

You can see a pod ripening in the background (ETA: not exactly the background, but by the flower)

Re: a better picture

[sovay]

You can see a pod ripening in the background

I love this picture. I should link you this article with recipes and poetry about okra.

Re: a better picture

[asakiyume]

OH MY GOODNESS.

I love this on just a quick scan; can't wait to read it slowly! (And try the recipes)

[thisbluespirit]

They are very nice pictures! <3

ETA: Btw, I acquired a second dvd of the 1999 Winslow Boy and even less of it played than the first one (this one had a big vertical scratch on it). I've been refunded it once more and am now not trusting that supplier again. But also: the rest of the film is a MYTH. Clips in trailer of Mr Northam a total LIE. XD

(I will try again, but for the moment I cut my losses and instead (finally after 13 years of looking at it wistfully because Romola Garai mainly), ordered Glorious 39, which apparently will also give me some bonus Mr Northam as well. Hopefully.)

(I also hope your antibiotics are continuing to work and that August can if nothing else leave you much much better than when it came in. <3)

[sovay]

They are very nice pictures!

Thank you!

I acquired a second dvd of the 1999 Winslow Boy and even less of it played than the first one (this one had a big vertical scratch on it).

Oh, no. I didn't realize it was going to be a cursed project. I hope Glorious 39 at least plays Jeremy Northam's scenes.

(I also hope your antibiotics are continuing to work and that August can if nothing else leave you much much better than when it came in. <3)

*hugs*

[thisbluespirit]

Oh, no. I didn't realize it was going to be a cursed project.

Neither did I! I think it may be a Rattigan-curse, though.

[thisbluespirit]

I hope Glorious 39 at least plays Jeremy Northam's scenes.

It has at least so far played nearly half the DVD, so it's doing better than The Winslow Boy! And I had apparently also been seriously starving myself of Romola Garai content lately, so I am enjoying it a lot. She and Jeremy Northam stood in the same shot on some occasions and I enjoyed that a stupid amount, even if there seems a reasonably high probability that he might try to kill her before this is done. (idk, at the moment I am reasonably confident that Bill Nighy is the actual instigator of all this sinister plot, but while Jeremy Northam also seems up to his neck in it, I'm less sure where he actually stands because Bill Nighy is refusing to have him in his house for being too sinister and shady and he is another actor who is never nothing if not ambiguous and there's not been much ambiguity if he's just straight up going round killing David Tennant and Hugh Bonneville left right and centre, but idk. Too shady to have in the house anyway.)

(I watch films slowly, so I imagine I can worry about whether or not my faves will try to murder each other or something for a while yet.)

There are a lot of Jeremy Northams in British Intelligence in WWII. This is my third this year alone. Maybe they're all clones?

(♥)

[sovay]

(idk, at the moment I am reasonably confident that Bill Nighy is the actual instigator of all this sinister plot, but while Jeremy Northam also seems up to his neck in it, I'm less sure where he actually stands because Bill Nighy is refusing to have him in his house for being too sinister and shady and he is another actor who is never nothing if not ambiguous and there's not been much ambiguity if he's just straight up going round killing David Tennant and Hugh Bonneville left right and centre, but idk. Too shady to have in the house anyway.)

Keep me posted on the survival of your faves! I am entertained by the gravitation of Jeremy Northam toward a very specific niche of WWII.

[thisbluespirit]

Keep me posted on the survival of your faves!

Ha, well, I assumed someone outside the family had to be not in on this plot, either Charlie Cox in a straight-forward way, or Jeremy Northam in a double-crossing way, but Charlie Cox has now turned up dead as well, so Jeremy Northam is just being sinister, and apparently off-screen murdering David Tennant, Hugh Bonneville and Charlie Cox, which I suppose is an impressive kill-list. XD

(At the moment the only way I can see Romola getting out of this is if maybe her creepy younger brother who grows up to be Christopher Lee in the 2010 bits is going to help. Her baby brother is apparently going to grow up to be Corin Redgrave. I mean, in theory Jenny Agutter could, but she just seems to be here to do gardening.)

I am entertained by the gravitation of Jeremy Northam toward a very specific niche of WWII.

Tbf he does just seem to gravitate to mid-20th C generally, because he's also Ivor Novello and Anthony Eden, but, three of him in British Intelligence at once does seem a trifle suspicious...

[thisbluespirit]

I finished! \o/ I'm a bit amused at myself because I was trying to approach it like Agatha Christie, but it's just all psychological and metaphorical and that's why people were just what they seemed to be or rapidly proved to be as it progressed.

I'm even more amused because it struck me after that, even though Mr Northam is the most horrible person in it, and has probably committed at least 2 1/2 murders, and very likely caused harm to small furry animals and maybe even children, the only actually really sinister things he does on screen is a) helping her find a lost baby and b) (most sinister) takes his jacket off and passes her some lemonade.

And then I watched some of the extras and that was when I realised that is so true they actually had to use the jacket removal in the trailer as his only dramatic moment: https://youtu.be/ANKJwH_Q7y8 (Me: I'm not sure that creates the right impression, lol.)

Anyway, apologies, I'm not even sure if you've watched this or not, although I think so???

I enjoyed that more than I expected to! I thought I'd like it, but it seemed to do nothing at the time, so I lowered my expectations accordingly, but I thought it was very interesting and, weirdly, didn't stress me out or upset me like that kind of psychological thing usually does for some reason. Maybe because I was so amused at the collective cast?

[ethelmay]

Brioche and liverwurst sounds as though it ought to be an Alsatian thing (as in mixed French and German, not the dogs). Though actually, come to think of it, liver pate is plenty French.

[sovay]

Brioche and liverwurst sounds as though it ought to be an Alsatian thing (as in mixed French and German, not the dogs).

Good point. Perhaps it's traditional, just not in the Boston area.