& all::otHer craZY stUff::hAppeNing on this stReet

it somewHat feeLs””fAmiLiar”” soMetiMes…

after a moment, angus lordie looked at pat. she noticed that his eyes were watery, as if he were on the verge of tears.

“it’s the onion memory that makes me cry,” he said quietly. “do you know that line?”

pat replied gently. “no. but it’s a lovely image. the onion memory.”

“yes,” said angus lordie. “it is. isn’t it? i think it comes from a poem by craig raine. a fine poet. he talks about a love that was not to last, and thinking about it makes him cry. such a good thing to do, you know – to cry. but forgive me, i should talk like this. you have everything before you. there’s no reason for you to feel sad.”

from ’44 scotland street’
~ alexander mccall smith..

“”tRueLY””…

after that they had sat in silence for a while and pat had thought, and thought again, now that she was back in her room: we love the unattainable. yes, we do. foolishly. hopelessly. all the time.

from ’44 scotland street’
~ alexander mccall smith..

soMetHing [[not qUite]] tAng!bLe

“i love him very much,” said domenica. “although i never knew him, i loved him very much. does that sound odd to you? to love somebody you never knew?”

pat thought for a moment. “no, i don’t think so. people fall in love with all sorts of people. people write letters to one another and fall in love even if they never meet. that happens.”

domenica nodded. “it’s a special sort of love that one has for such a person. it’s an idealised love, i suppose. you’re in love with a memory, with an idea of somebody. and i suppose that for some people that’s all they have.”

from ’44 scotland street’
~ alexander mccall smith..

gRounded to mY :: origiNaL love* (the mini of course)

pat stared at the car which was being pointed out by domenica. it was a sleek-looking coupé with gleaming silver hub caps and a proud mercedes circle worked into the grille. “it’s a very beautiful car,” she said. “a lovely car.”

“it’s a dream to drive,” said domenica. “it has double kick-down feature. you press your foot right down and it shifts the automatic gear-box down, twice, if you need it. and the power! the engine capacity is five point six litres, which gives it power of five minis!”

“five minis!” exclaimed pat.

“yes!” said domenica. “five minis! now come, my dear, let’s get in it!”

from ’44 scotland street’
~ alexander mccall smith..

..love…

her hand remained against the front of the garment, gentle against his chest. she looked up and into his eyes. there was light in them, and she wanted only to embrace him. she did not want him to go away; she wanted him to stay. she did not want to be anywhere but with him, because now, at last, she felt a happiness so complete that it was a mystery in its own right. simple love she thought, not a mystery, but the vision of eros.

he leaned forward.
‘my beautiful one,’ she whispered.
‘isabel.’
‘my beautiful one,’ she said. ‘be careful of the rain.’
‘you too.’

from ’44 scotland street’
~ alexander mccall smith..

t!NkLeBeLL***

‘i was away with the faries…’
‘excuse me?..’
‘i’m sorry. that’s a scottish expression. it means that my thoughts were elsewhere. people used to talk a lot about the fairies in scotland, especially in the highlands. you probably wondered what i was going on about..’

from ‘the right attitude to rain’
~ alexander mccall smith..

nOt in lOve with a canYon…aMongst others…

‘i’ve actually seen the grand canyon,’ said isabel. ‘years ago. and, no, i didn’t fall in love with it. i suspect it’s rather hard to fall in love with a canyon.’ oddly, she thought of lines which said the exact opposite. she did not turn to jamie, but mothed, half whispered them anyway: love requires an object, / but this varies so much, / almost, i imagine / anything will do: / when i was a child / loved a pumping-engine, / thought it every bit as / beautiful as you.

jamie frowned. ‘pumping-engine?’

‘that’s auden’s point,’ said isabel. ‘we all need to love something. anybody can fall in love with anything, or anyone: love requires an object, that’s all. even an island will do.’

l!ttLe “”d!NgBat””

i always like how the beginning of a chapter of a book begins with a little graphic….

~ alexander mccall smith
“the careful use of compliments”

maY the h!ghest b!dder wiNs….

“all’s fair in love and auctions…”

~ alexander mccall smith
“the careful use of compliments”