Ariadne's Ring

Here a photo of Ariadne's hand complete with engagement ring. I am now informed by Xavier that it is still a prototype and that Rupert the ring designer has commissioned a Finnish sculptress named Ulpu to complete the final piece.

Meanwhile Ariadne continues to sport this top heavy object. She even maintains her dog training schedule. When I inquired as to the stylistic influences on the ring Xavier says he has moved from his Classical Antiquity phase to his Viking phase.

Yesterday we visited the end of year degree exhibition at the College of Fine Arts. Xavier insisted on sporting his Trident, claiming that of all people, the incumbents of said institution should understand. Personally I think said inhabitants just as likely as anyone to be put out when poked in the foot by a small person wielding an oversized pitchfork (as evidenced by the reaction of the Head of School who had the misfortune to share an elevator with us). Xavier added insult to injury by then treating the Head of School to a rather damning (and in my view undeserved) critique of the show, it's lack of vision and maritime themes. Suffice it to say our visit did not pass unnoticed.

Home Again, Home Again Jiggedy Jig

Ah the comforts of home. Well worn slippers, well worn paths to familiar cafes, book shops and parks, old friends. Xavier was most solicitous upon my return. He very kindly looked after Bruno, the Roly Poly Chime Ball, for me and said there was a flurry of jingling approximately at the moment of my travails at sea. Xavier credits my survival to his particular relationship with the Sea God and says I should be grateful that I am his friend and thus protected.
There has been little progress on the wedding planning but Ariadne is now sporting a most unwieldy object on her engagement finger and keeping a brave face about it. Rupert the ring designer and Xavier have concocted really a most extraordinary object for her and I am sure she will have to set it aside at some point but for now she is wearing it much of the time. She says she sees herself as a moving art work (a sentiment I am sympathetic to).
Hugo arrived at my front door yesterday with an elaborate invitation to take Tea with the Anonymous Patron tomorrow. I am a little trepidatious as I suppose he will critique my video piece. We shall see.

Engaged in a Search for the Ring

Xavier says I have been lapse in my posting with all the tweaking and experimentation I have been doing on my Blog. He has a point. This as we went to find a ring for Ariadne. Xavier spurned the large (and suspect) jewellery franchise shops. He was very particular about what sort of ring he wanted and consequently we spent the whole day going from one antique jewellery shop to the next like worker bees gathering crystal nectar for the Queen. He adopted a fatalistic approach to engagement ring purchase saying 'I'll know it when I see it.' Of course Xavier persisted on looking outside his budget and I kept having to provide a note of caution. One such was a confection in white gold with a rose diamond and border of tiny sapphires. Xavier alarmed the shop assistant, a sweet lass called Molly, by bursting into floods of tears when he saw it and saying 'This is it, this is it'. She then gained the impression that I was buying a ring for Xavier, which notion was difficult to dislodge as he clung to my arm weeping and saying 'I must have it! I must have it!'
Finally, exasperated and demoralised we sat in a city cafe as the crowds rushed by. Before he could become too maudlin I suggested he have a ring designed and made just for Ariadne. Well this idea was a big hit and he rose from his chair, inflated, saying 'I know just who to ask' and promptly exited the cafe! I was then obliged to pay for our two Vienna coffees and chocolate mud cake (yes we did binge a little, jewellery shopping is very depleting you know). He was a distant figure way down the street, Admiral's plume waving above the crowd (he insists on wearing his nautical hat everywhere, hence the somewhat dubious attitude of several jewellery merchants). In short, I made my way home alone and still have not heard the outcome, nor who this mysterious would-be ring designer might be.