the Odyssey: young Argos Part I

the Greek story of ARGOS, Odysseus' faithful dog, is the essence of the unerring-unquestioning relationship between  master and dog. Faithful ARGOS-after twenty years of waiting for his master to return- immediately recognizes Odysseus as he arrives home dressed as a beggar. ARGOS cannot get up- but only wags his tail and drops his ears in honour and recognition of his master. Now so old and sorely neglected- as Odysseus passes he sheds a tear at the long years he and ARGOS have been apart-both remembering their glory days. ARGOS at last- seeing his master returned- Dies.

 excerpted from Homer's Odyssey: 
As they were talking, a dog that had been lying asleep raised his head and pricked up his ears. This was Argos, whom Odysseus had bred before setting out for Troy, but he had never had any enjoyment from him. In the old days he used to be taken out by the young men when they went hunting wild goats, or deer, or hares, but now that his master was gone he was lying neglected on the heaps of mule and cow dung that lay in front of the stable doors till the men should come and draw it away to manure the great close; and he was full of fleas. As soon as he saw Odysseus standing there, he dropped his ears and wagged his tail, but he could not get close up to his master. When Odysseus saw the dog on the other side of the yard, dashed a tear from his eyes without Eumaeus seeing it, and said:

"Eumaeus, what a noble hound that is over yonder on the manure heap: his build is splendid; is he as fine a fellow as he looks, or is he only one of those dogs that come begging about a table, and are kept merely for show?"

"This hound," answered Eumaeus, "belonged to him who has died in a far country. If he were what he was when Odysseus left for Troy, he would soon show you what he could do. There was not a wild beast in the forest that could get away from him when he was once on its tracks. But now he has fallen on evil times, for his master is dead and gone, and the women take no care of him. Servants never do their work when their master's hand is no longer over them, for Zeus takes half the goodness out of a man when he makes a slave of him."

So saying he entered the well-built mansion, and made straight for the riotous pretenders in the hall. But Argos passed into the darkness of death, now that he had seen his master once more after twenty years.

ARGOS

Our story is of the young ARGOS... just 15 weeks old- sadly neglected by his master, ARGOS has struggled to survive with his two brothers-one did not have Argos' strength and died. ARGOS, treated for parvo and quarantined, was an urgent case that had to be placed in foster care immediately.  Rather than finding a foster family-though that was their intention- ARGOS has found a new home-complete with MASTER, FAMILY, DOG. SOPHIE- her story here- is ARGOS' sister- she is grumbling accordingly -but She, as ARGOS will soon discover, is perfectly placed with her family. Sophie was a rescue dog too. Deep within her memory- she knows and accepts.

the Master of these two weimaraners told me "ARGOS came with the name Gomer- which of course will not suit a weimaraner, much less MY dog! -Anyway, you know it's from The Odyssey - Odysseus' faithful dog who awaited his return, mistreated while he was away, a true survivor and loyal companion... "

Young ARGOS has a new life- much eating and growing to do-
& a feast of Unlimited love from two young boys.


...more Chronicles of ARGOS' odyssey- as he grows!

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Vale from Carthage

 

Vale From Carthage

 Peter Viereck, 1944

 

 I, now at Carthage. He shot dead at Rome.
Shipmates last May. "And what if one of us,"
I asked last May, in fun, in gentleness,
"Wears doom, like dungarees, and doesn't know?"
He laughed, "Not see Times Square again?" The foam,
Feathering across that deck a year ago,
Swept those five words-like seeds-beyond the seas
     Into his future. There they grew like trees;
     And as he passed them there next spring, they laid
     Upon his road of fire their sudden shade.
Though he had always scraped his mess-kit pure
And scrubbed redeemingly his barracks floor,
Though all his buttons glowed their ritual hymn
Like cloudless moons to intercede for him,
No furlough fluttered from the sky. He will
Not see Times Square-he will not see-he will
Not see Times change;

at Carthage (while my friend,
Living those words at Rome, screamed in the end)
I saw an ancient Roman's tomb and read
"Vale" in stone. 

Here two wars mix their dead:
     Roman, my shipmate's dream walks hand in hand
     With yours tonight ("New York again" and "Rome")
     Like widowed sisters bearing water home
     On tired heads through hot Tunisian sand
     In good cool urns, and says, "I understand."
Roman, you'll see your Forum Square no more;

What's left but this to say of any war?

A poem I remember in detail from high school days- this Vale from Carthage, by Peter Viereck, a haunting reminder that some things do not change- as we pass this Memorial Day 2010. 

A necessary evil in such a world the American Battle Monuments Commission site HereWhere we honour our dead.
Over 125,000 American dead lie on foreign soil from three wars. Many more must be lost to the decaying earth-never claimed or marked.

These remembrances must be kept and their significance never lessened in the Hope that someday we will come to mark them with no countryman's blood shed away from Home. 

Where we are needed we should go-where we are not and do not understand a culture thousands of years older than our own-We should not go. We are not marked there with stones--but unwelcome-Our living and Our dead. Now in this year of 2010- a generation as young and beautiful as any- dwindling in numbers and expectations.

about Peter Viereck Here

Read the back story of the poem (in brief) Here
Phototgraph 1 Monument facade from the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery Here
Photograph 2 US forces in the Piazza del Popopo, Rome from HERE

Ruins at Carthage, Tunis 3 Here

Times Square 4 Here

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So Southern Redux Updated

 

One of the pure pleasures of getting older is working with my clients on project after project. A third project with this client; I am trying to actually remember our first meeting- I would just say -it seemed we had known one another forever. Any designer will admit, they have initial instincts about a project immediately at the first meeting. The connection you have that day is many times over- strengthened- but if that initial something isn't there-It probably will never be.

OUR first project involved selecting final touches for a living room and we added curtains in the dining room. NEXT, A small dining room became the SITTING ROOM and the clients created a large DINING ROOM to satisfy their love for entertaining -the lady of the house is a chef with some of the best secret recipes in the South. She makes it seem so simple- but that is the art of, is it not?

 the Tudor in question

with new lamps, rug and hanging light

Along with the room changes- an ADDITION- brought me back to the house.Other needs were pressing too- a growing family- the addition included a huge living dining area and a master suite upstairs. This project flew by.

LE FRUITIER

Our color palette by French painter Andre Beauchant

It was time for Updates.Pieces needed refining, Rugs needed adding, fine tuning in the Master bathroom- the list increased and we touched every room and had a wonderful time doing it.

 One of the fabrics used for the redux

 Here are some photographs of the results, With Notes, and a Footnote or two.

the MASTER SUITE

 I love the Master Suite. This space was added during Project III-a new Master Suite. We had established the wall color and the clients were still very happy with the choice.The carpet is new and it is one of those things we waited for over four months. The WALL color-a soft dove gray, the headboard and the two ottomans were selected for the bedroom when we decorated the first time. The new washed gray linen curtains with their antique look are on informal bamboo rods.

headboard fabric by Groves Brothers

curtain fabric

A much needed seating arrangement was added on a large wall along with a skirted table that once served as one of the bedside tables. An embroidered Lee Jofa fabric updates a french chair while other touches of yellow and camel were added to the room.

French chair fabric & Headboard fabric

My client found the pair of mercury glass lamps in a favorite antique store- custom gray silk drum shades give them a modern edge.

 I Love the gray ultrasuede french chaise dressed with a camel pashmina and Randolph and Hein silk pillows, all paired with a simple modern table and a decidedly 1940's wood and iron sconce.

The SITTING ROOM

Deep taupe walls are just as they were the first time I visited. SITTING ROOM Chairs are all in taupe with pink accents- A traditional camel back sofa in taupe and table skirt are from the first project. The curtains and shade were part of the original Dining Rooms decor. One of the french chairs is covered in an Indian sari the other pink and taupe fabric is by Vervain.

Sitting Room chair fabric detail

an Indian Sari fabric covers the french chair

an Indian Sari fabric covers this french chair

a cozy corner with old family slipper chairs covered in a J Robert Scott dragonfly print.
old gray and pink Kilim pillows add color to the taupe room,
just peeking out in the photograph is a Merida sisal rug

THE FOYER

The grayed taupe walls were hand finished by the client's sister when they had just moved in. New tall porcelain lamps enliven a very narrow console made from an old iron gate; Nest porcelain adds just a touch of color.

A richly detailed rug adds color and impact to the foyer. I am always in love with rugs when I start looking at them- I would take any of them home, this one is no exception.

A small sitting area in the Kitchen. The Fabrics- a Schumacher embroidery & club chairs covered in a Phillip Gorrivan Greek key inspired fabric. In the Kitchen, we took the dark cherry cabinets to a light grayed white and added new bar chairs and lighting. (Must get some photographs of this.)

THE SUNROOM

Vibrant green linen curtains cover all the windows and doors and are accented
with a great Greek Key bordered edge.

An old cane chair, and by the way, I love these 1920's cane pieces- is covered in a huge print by designer-Thomas Paul and and antique Empire ottoman is covered in a dralon Schumacher fabric.

 ottoman fabric detail

This room was once a porch off the dining room. We painted the brick a "dirty" shade of white and added the arched windows and doors. The original brick floor remains, the ceiling is painted an old shade of faded brown. Pieces from other areas were called on to serve along with a "odd pair"/meaning almost-but not quite/ of old Chinese tables. I purchased these for myself- where would they go? and why? They remained in the trusted hands of the clients- Until they decided to keep them. Some things just work out. These two pieces are perfect stacked on top of each other for catching papers and magazines.

THE LIVING ROOM AND DINING ROOM

aka the Everything Room

This room is THE Everything room- originally the ADDITION, now a well integrated part of the family. The Original design for this room created a Tudor Keeping Room- of sorts. It was time to lighten up. Deep brown painted woodwork was banished for a light color and the walls were lightened as well. The original half curtains in a Calvin brown woven "burlap" were retained- I love those curtains. A pair of new modern pendants were added overhead in the sitting area and over the dining table.

The comfort of leather never grows old- and the original pieces of leather purchased for the room stayed, along with an English style loveseat covered in a Brunschwig and Fils wide wale cord in a mustard.

 We added another comfortable chair in a green and taupe Phillip Gorrivan fabric-another variation on the Greek Key- and added old kilm pillows and pink Sunflower patterned pillows on the sofas.

Sunflowers pillow fabric- however we used the reverse side to get the mileage from the pink ground

ottoman detail- a woodgraining pattern

 
 

Old Louis XIV style chairs were slip covered in a vibrant paisley linen and flank a lime washed console made from reclaimed wood. More slip covered chairs surround the dining table.

A PINK BEDROOM, go here to see the room in detail.

Summer came and it is already waning, I hope to get some photographs of the porch and the patio, along with the Kitchen and some other details shots.

 We slipped up and ran out of time -when the family returns from their summer at the beach-I will stop by, say hello and who knows? We Do need to get new rugs on that staircase.

the original post ended here

updated -What happened last summer? A saltwater pool was added, porch and patio furniture was finished. I am now working on a project with this client where He assumes the role of Builder- and I- of Designer. A switch, but no less rewarding- I will share as things progress.

No- We still have not found the right runner for the Foyer Stair-
but, This will be the Summer.

 Loads of old wrought iron to refurbish for the  patio

My client's color palette moved out into the great outdoors for a Fall Supper Party and a Neighborhood Halloween Party by the pool last fall. I arranged Flowers  in tall bark urns- with full blown orange and yellow fall foliage and flowers towering to seven feet high.

I will photograph the porch very soon.
These things take time.