Metamorphosis

The most extraordinary thing has happened this summer...

Last Autumn, these bright mauve or lavendar flowers were blooming late and I was absolutely delighted with them as the rest of the backyard was getting all golden in color and leaves were falling...

this summer the same plants have turned up completely different as reddish purple and white!!!
and here the new blooms are opening up nicely, showing the pinkish purple and pale pinkish white as opposed to last year's all bluish purple blooms...
hmmm...they're exactly the same plants but completely different in color...how could that be possible? They've somehow mutated of their own accord!

Roman Readings...

These days, continuing with my "Classical Studies" to include Rome, I'd like to share some of what I've been reading...my Colleen McCullough's "The Masters of Rome" series readings are progressing very nicely...I've always had an interest in Italy but reading these books, I find myself falling deeper for ancient ROMA!

THE FIRST MAN IN ROME

This is where it all started...the main characteres are Gaius Marius and Lucius Cornelius Sulla and their military and political entry into Rome's elite ruling class...

Gaius Marius

Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix

THE GRASS CROWN

In this book, one of the two men is awarded the ever coveted Corona Gramea or Grass Crown...

OK, don't laugh too hard, but I actually have my very own "Corona Gramea" or grass crown! hehe...right on my back porch...

FORTUNE'S FAVORITES

Now, I wouldn't want to give the plot away...but "Fortune" is referring to the goddess "Fortuna" or Lady Luck as we would know her...of course, all of the Romans as they went campaigning, were in the truest sense, "soldiers of fortune!"

I'm not exactly sure if this lovely illustration on the inside of the cover is Sulla and Aurelia(my favorite interpretation!) or Caesar and Cinilla...either would be fitting...hmmm...on second thought, that definitely is a Civic Crown, with oak leaves...so it's probably Caesar...

as ever, I am extremely intrigued by clothing and footwear in particular; these laced up shoes sported by the sultry gent caught my eye...

I was quite amazed to learn that I owned a pair of walking shoes which looked remarkably like the criss-cross shoe that is shown in the illustration above...this pair by Rocket Dog...

CAESAR'S WOMEN

Caesar's Women is really more about Caesar's political machinations and all the significant women in his early life; some pretty brilliant maps and illustrations as usual from McCullough...

The name "Caesar" actually meant "having a full head of hair," which this bust of him still shows, though it began to thin quite early in his life...

I was quite surprised to find that I had these two very classical looking ensembles!

Like this drapy, asymmetrical mint green and teal floral dress echoing the lines of classical tunics called tunicas...

and I want to wear this dress with this this teal rose floral choker necklace...

This navy blue chiffon blouse and skirt with a drapy neckline and layered skirt, so typical of the illustrations I've seen depicting what women wore in Rome back then...

and this pair of sandals will be just perfect with either... So I pondered, what would you actually say in Latin, if you wanted to pick up someone or whisper sweet nothings...and I find this $1.25 book at a local thrift store...as Luck would have it...

oh, they were forever referring to each other as "Domine" and "Domina" for Lord and Lady respectively, and I found this little domino in a grocery shopping cart left by someone's little darling no doubt, I mean really, playing dominos is all the rage these days with the little ones...