Her Word is her Bond

My "BondJamesBond" and I looking agent-ish on a vacation. I used to think me his aide-de-camp on trips.  

AdventureGirl Romance notes  - a start:  how James Bond has grown and changed - and may continue the morphing.

Nancy Drew fanatics in girlhood in the 50s simply evolved into Bond girls in the sixties. A family friend and lifeguard at our nearest beach was bingeing on the books and I couldn't put them down.  How we gasped at the adventures, and cried for a month when ... well, you know about Traci.   The following today has grown, not decreased and scroll down for the best links for it.

I lost track of Bond completely when I married into a fine family with plenty of interesting work, and some of them agents for real.  I had no real connection, except thru my man who made medicine.  Both of us worked with children and arts and science and occasionally did our bit for America.   Our son, oddly enough, heard about Bond through a friend, when "Octopussy" released - when we were still reading Tolkien and Hobbiteses around the fireplace.   He never mentioned it, but made a  huge octopus for a class art project with the film name on it.  His insights still make me smile.

James Bond has had quite an influence on most of us, like it or not.  And is Bond the mancave come to life, really a girl thing?  Eunice Gayson, as Sylvia Trench, instigated the famous BondJamesBond epithet in the first story.  For many, Dame Judith Dench soon became a fine and logical "M" - the letter in the books was said to stand for "mother".  And one day soon, if Moneypenny can be agile and young and black, the next James Bond may be a woman named "James" for fun.

The famous gunbarrel opening - was it telling us that his brand of guy was targeted for serious improvement?  I wonder: today's Bond does not pat girls on the backside demeaningly, or smoke, but he is not as cultured and much more noire than our "gallante" of old.

 In the books, every other line reminds us that these brave life-and-death feats are being performed by an Oxford Man of finest tastes who would rather simply go to a suit fitting, or wine-tasting,  but sees his holy duty and does it.  Nobility in our heroneed refreshing, maybe?   It's not there, except in my fond memory, which I apply like a graphic filter over Daniel Craig to help me feel as elegant as I did back then, enjoying the derring-do. 

Today's James Bond is not an update on "The Scarlet Pimpernel" ...okay..but who is he?
Comment welcome!
More to come......

There is a lot of BOND online.  Free Video clips and the films and books in every format.  For great links for serious fans - the details, the drinks , the haberdashery and much much more, I I follow Bond James Bond on Facebook "The James Bond Dossier" and I get the newsletter from David Leigh, the "Dossier" author and faithful guardian.  He attends the openings and is quite respected and engaged.
 

The House in Connecticut

Okay - making it real involves engagement.  So happy to have found this one recently - perfect in every way for one lady who knows  her homecraft.  I grew up in privately owned homes and owned with my late husband and on my own after his early sudden passing.  Later, I opted for a bit to NOT own a home. Ten rents later, I am looking at a home again. "Both sides now" was a popular song but I guess that is how I feel. Experience and several arrangements with varying details taught me well.   Doing it so that I can enjoy these last independent years and rent a room then pay an aide to enjoy it as I age...Popular path today.

A quick list to start:  cost of operation a big factor  Green a big factor - sustainable

• fixeruppers are fine - moneysaving and room to make it the perfect place in renovations.
• yard for healthy pleasure with air, lawn and gardens
• garage not visible from the main front of home
• soundness in construction quality - foundations, framings, roof, siding, chimneys
• plumbing, electrical and heating/AC up to date and even innovative - solar power YES
• floors - same throughout the home with sound underlayments
• walls - open floor plan, with some walls removed to optimize size and flow and light
• ceilings - done nicely and high where possible - exposed beams and light fixtures
• lighting adjustable and solar-powered
• shelves, counters, built-ins : NO sharp corners, for safety - square with rounding off...or

Only Daughter

I cannot believe my daughter is going to be "29-and-holding" tomorrow!   Again.    I am in memory, at this moment, in my front seat in NDCHS second honors room,  Latin one class, as Sister is welcoming us newbies. She would call us “rara avIs” , Latin for"rare birds", so we countered with the loving "SisterTerryGerry".  Fair.  Part of the lesson that day was the classic :  Conjugate the verb:  “amo, amas , amat…”   I love , you love, he, she or it loves…..and down the line of times and genders of the word to “AMANDA” … "she must be loved, or ought to be loved" .

Like   Arwen’s vision of her love,  and their son, Eldarion, in "Lord of the Rings”, I had seen our son, while outdoors one winter,  painting the white sun, yellow sky in a lovely Connecticut snow  - gasp - "OUR son!  I see our son! “  Rightness and love that works!   And then back to the painting.     I had seen his father, that summer before,  also while out painting.  That first time, it was June and it was the Bachelor Buttons , putting on so snazzy a show - I laughed, to see my one, true, love in my  mind’s eye while painting BACHELOR Buttons !  It was  four years later before we met, and all details of image in my mind's eye correct,  but I was his, right then,  and never wavered.  

And now, right there in freshman high school Latin class -  once more,  everything in me lit up!   Soundlessly singing in jubilation:  “ We have  a DAUGHTER!   And she’s petite…and her name is Amanda! And she must be loved” !!!!   One two three…… what could be simpler?   Husband, son and daughter!  Life and good work too!  Done and done and back to a girl's life carefree!

I forgot such things as visions,  because, later on, it's about taking good care of these gifts and bringing them to best fruition - visions are not realistic, not respectable -  even for a thing in  the early teens.   But, many happy years later,  there was sudden widowhood and as I built my new life all good memories grew in value and I remembered.  I respected, and I knew I was right to respect it now.

ONE TWO THREE…they did not disappoint!!!   Not even once!  

They are all gone to me now, but life is like that sometimes, but for twenty years, we knew the True Thing - and every day was a celebration and the good things for all we touched, I hope.

I miss them all, but do not dare fail to celebrate that it ever was.  May it be a proof that that the good thing is there and worth it.   May it bring happiness and all the good things , as it has, to every day  since.

“They can’t take that away from me.”  

Happy Birthday Amanda - you earned one!  Find me soon!

Thank you!  Your part of the days were wonderful!     from your Mother Elle February 17, 2016

Amy's portrait by me and photoshop at Christmas a decade ago....she was champ at clarinet, flute and recorder, and picked up piano from me, automatically somehow.   She said it was because she loved music but though her tiny lady voice too screechy....not to me, but it's hers, so.

e.