Movie Monday - Nuns and Christmas!

I've watched two movies, almost back to back, about nuns.  They were aired by TCM as part of their celebration of Christmas.  I'm not so sure what either of these two movies had to do with Christmas other than Christianity.

Let me step to the side and discuss Christmas movies.  I never wanted to like It's a Wonderful Life mostly because everybody and their dog loves it - pretty much a formula for me hating something.  But dammit, I really do like It's a Wonderful Life.  It's a nice wholesome story, with a nice message.  It's funny, and heartfelt, and just... nice.  And in case you are thickheaded like me, it's a twist on A Christmas Carol with a more modern theme and less spooky - those ghosts always freaked me out.

Elf is another family friendly movie, driving home the Christmas message of brotherly love.  It's super cute and very funny but I fear a lot non-kid-toting adults may have missed it.  Basically a child ends up being raised as an elf in Santa's workshop, but when he grows up he decides to find his biological family.  He is a misfit in both worlds.

The one movie could watch any time of the year, over and over and over again, is Christmas Vacation.  I laugh my ass off every single time.  The Griswold gang is their crazy selves but my favorite is the crazy aunt with her cat and that jello mold with Meow Mix.  I don't know how you can't laugh. 

So, about the nun's... like I said I'm not sure what either of these have to do with Christmas, but I liked both of them.

The Nun's Story (1959) takes Audrey Hepburn's character leaving her family's home to join a convent through her struggles as a novice and assuming her vows.  This happens before World War II and deals a little bit with the impact of war.  This is quintessential Oscar material as it shows a person's growth, development, and questioning her life path.  It bored the ever living snot out of my husband as he walked through the room and tried to avoid the screen.  Yeah, it was a little slow, and it was heavy on the churchy music.  What I found intriguing, though, is the process of becoming a nun.  I'm not Catholic and the chicks in the penguin get-ups are more than a little mystifying to me.  In the end, I decided, you know besides not being Catholic, that I would really suck as a nun.  I am really bad about following rules and they are really strict about them rules!  It was intriguing, educational (to me), and overall a nice story.

Come To the Stable (1949) was soooooooo not the movie I was expecting.  I thought it was going to be about the birth of Christ.  Nope, nothing of the sort.  At the end of World War II, two french nuns arrive in Bethlehem, New York and end up staying in a converted stable on a mission to build a children's hospital.  The one nun is completely driven by faith and seems to bulldoze everyone in the sweetest manner possible.  As the owner of the stable asks, "you don't expect to stay here?"  the nun responds, "why thank you for asking!"  And she manages to do that to everyone she encounters.  I liked this movie almost as a natural follow-up, sort of, to The Nun's Story.  It's like the first one is about going to school and the second one is what you do after you graduate.  That's rather simplistic, but the two do fit together.  This one has a lot of humor and even though you're pretty sure they will succeed in getting the hospital built, it's not a clear path.

Sunday In My City - The Jewel Box

I've never been to the Jewel Box which is stupid because it's free and we all know how much I like FREE.  It's an indoor garden in Forest Park with tropical plants, including tall palm trees - it's quite a tall building.

I really could not have chosen a more beautiful time to visit with a fresh coat of snow.  There are a ton more pictures to post so you'll see them over the next few weeks.

Sunday In My City - Christmas Ornaments

I've had the hardest time capturing pictures of my Christmas ornaments.  On Friday morning the sun shone brightly on my tree and proved to be the perfect light to photograph its content.

Friday Fragments - December 21, 2012

Aha!  We survived the Mayan apocalypse.  So, are you disappointed or relieved?  Personally, I think we missed a golden opportunity to consume massive amounts of Mexican food.  We thought it was a grand idea at work but we had a whole buffet of food left over from the potluck the day before.  Maybe on Wednesday when we return we'll celebrate the Mayans.

Last weekend my older son got married.  It was a beautiful wedding and a very fun reception. 

After much coaxing my daughter got the teenager on the dance floor.

 

 Of course the star of the show was my grandson, the ring bearer

He promptly passed out

Daddy posing by him

Because our groom had been a ring bearer 20 years ago and also passed out at the reception

Movie suggestion for the Christmas Season - The Bishop's Wife.  I see it's scheduled to play a couple of times on TCM today (Sunday) at 7pm and midnight.  I thought it was a sweet film that captured the Christmas spirit very well.  Please make a point of looking for it.

My plan for the weekend is to make cookies!!!!  Hubby doesn't want me to go overboard, except of course, to make plenty of peanut butter.  I figured I will make the batters and probably use only half of each, freezing the rest.  Then I can have fresh baked cookies later on.  We'll see.  I might just go overboard after all.

May everyone have a very merry Christmas!

Movie Monday - Animated Feature

Animated Shorts has been an Oscar category for decades, but the feature length animation has only been a category since 2001.  And that is a crime.  All of those fabulous full-length cartoons denied recognition.  Such a shame.

One of the all time best animated features, in my book, is Aladdin (1992).  Aladdin and The Little Mermaid (1989) were constant fixtures in my home - books, tapes, blankets, sheets, pillows, pillow cases, action figures, stuffed animals, balls, cups, bowls, plates, socks, pants, shirts, bookbags, folders, pencils, Christmas ornaments, underwear, hats, temporary tattoos, stickers, balloons, gift wrap, and maybe a few other items that escape my memory.  Of course both movies were played ad nauseum for many years at my house.  My daughter is still gaga over The Little Mermaid and the songs linger in my memory.  But Aladdin was the superior movie, and ranks over any that I've seen.  We had the great fortune of seeing Aladdin in the theater in 1992.  While nearly every movie I see is via rental viewed on a television, some are simply meant to be seen on the big screen.  When the opportunity presents itself through a re-release, make a point of seeing Aladdin IN the theater.  The first time the genie rises out of the bottle is one of the most impressive things you'll ever see in a movie.  He is HUGE and totally fills the screen.  It's incredible.

Toy Story also missed nomination contention because it came out in 1995.  It too was a spectacular film with a great story.  There were many other animated features that missed the opportunity.  At least Shrek (2001) received its proper recognition and was the first to win "Animated Feature".  I think, though, Toy Story was the one that finally broke the Disney domination of the animation field opening it up for Oscar consideration.  Last year Toy Story 3 was the first animated feature to receive a best picture nomination.  I suppose that may have been to make up to Pixar Studios for not nominating the first Toy Story - it did deserve it, too.

I'm still muddling through the other nominees.  Wallace and Gromet, Cars, Happy Feet have been fun to watch.  The Triplets of Belleville (2003), however, was pure torture.  There was no dialog, this is even worse than being foreign language with subtitles!  You're forced to watch it.  I decided since there was no dialog that I could fast forward and still catch the essence.  It's about a little boy who wants to ride in the Tour De France and is kidnapped by a bookie.  It's convoluted and stupid.

I can't wait for the 2012 nominees.  I haven't seen any new animated features this year so... oh wait, I just watched Brave.  I bet it receives a nomination, it was really cute and FINALLY the princess isn't an orphan (a running theme of all princess cartoons).  The other nominees will be entertaining to watch, I'm sure.

Most people without small children don't watch cartoon movies and they are truly missing out.  The big Disney and Pixar movies are really great stories that have a lot of adult humor and are not dumbed down for the sake of their younger viewers.  I strongly insist everyone take a trip through the children's section at their video store (or Netflix) and pick up some of these titles.

Serendipity

It's a pretty word, isn't it?  Serendipity?  Those little surprises that somehow exceed coincidence.  The ones that fit pieces together quite neatly.

I've encountered a lot of it lately especially in my movie watching.  Wasn't I complaining about the excessive amount of Nazi films in my Oscar list?  So I skip across yet another one Monday.  Or I managed to watch Lorenzo's oil and Awakenings almost back to back (both about illnesses).  I will see two or three movies with the same actor clustered together.

This happens all the time, sometimes more subtly, that if you aren't paying attention it might slip by completely.  At work we have long discussed doing a huge overhaul to our webpage.  I've had bigger, more pressing problems to address that the webpage has been worked on only as absolutely necessary.  The donation page has been a particular problem and I've patched and patched as much as I could.  This week we finally brought in an expert and her resolution is coming with a fix to my entire webpage issue.  This is coincidental because "December" had been a quietly set deadline  for all of this to happen.

Saturday is the 30th anniversary of a huge event in my life - not a wedding but close as far as the hoopla involved.  I was installed as Honored Queen of my Job's Daughters bethel.  It's an invite all of the family, special cake, printed napkins, gifts, thank-you notes, pretty dress type of event.  Back when my mom was a member in the 50's some families really went all out like it was a debutant party or, in some cases, a wedding.  So December 15th has stood in my memory as a fabulously happy day.  And lo and behold if that isn't the day my son has decided to hold his wedding!  He managed to make one of my special days even more so.

I CANNOT WAIT!

It all fits together, nice and neat, with a bow on top.

Movie Monday - Big Accents

Have you ever considered the bad guys in movies?  I think it makes sense that for decades our biggest boogie man has been eastern European.  During the 40's and 50's German accents were rather devilish and they continue to pop up, but the king of all bad guy accents in the movies has always been Russian.  Hell, even Bullwinkle's nemesis was Boris and Natasha.... "Borrrrrrris and Nataaaaaaasha".  It just sounds evil, doesn't it?

Ninotchka (1939) was a Lenonite communist come to Paris to sell the royal jewels back to the Grand Duchess.  Ninotchka was a stern Russian with no humor, no frivolity.  She was all business and looked down on capitalist excesses.  Her visit to the Eiffel Tower was utilitarian to observe architecture and she was insistent on taking the stairs instead of the elevator.  She meets a man who shatters her beliefs.  This is really only a love story, but they wove in social commentary mostly  about the evils and ignorance of communism.

As far as an Oscar nomination it was for best actress.  I've come to learn these nominations are for parts that display transforming characters.  Ninotchka was a completely different person at the end of the movie compared to the one we met at the beginning.

It was definitely a light-hearted movie and a welcome change from some of the more serious topics that litter my list.

As I watch more recent movies I notice we no longer have a clear-cut bad guy.  Occasionally a Russian or other eastern European will be among the hitmen.  Germans still have that ominous accent that recalls some old feelings, but usually that is reserved for war movies like Inglorious Basterds (2009).  Did anyone watch that one?  It was a bloody farce that as best as I can tell was to amuse teenage boys who really didn't understand World War II.  Yes, I laughed, but more often than not I cringed.  The only reason it received any nomination was because it had big actors in it.  Men Who Stared at Goats may as well received a nomination if we were honoring famous actors, but I guess that wasn't "big" enough.

Eastern Promises (2007) was another bloody movie, but it was a good chase, who-done-it movie.  It was present day Russian mafia chasing after a man in America.  And while Russians were bad guys, one was also the victim.  I liked this movie, it was one Hubby and I watched together and both enjoyed.  It was filled with lots of action and wasn't predictable, although I think Hubby did guess the ending at one point - that's a regular debate between us while watching movies.

We seem to be reaching these days for a new bad guy.  I saw the new Red Dawn last week and while they tossed in a cameo of an evil Russian, the bad guys were North Korean.  We definitely have a lot of movies about battles and conflicts in the Middle East but movie makers are tap dancing around making a blanket statement.  A Middle Eastern accent is not a definitive bad thing, and maybe that's a good thing.  Any more, though, I think the most consistent bad guy is home grown. 

Sunday In My City - Train Tracks

A New Skillet

We recently purchased a new skillet to replace the battered and worn teflon non-stick ones that my husband brought into our union.  I've never been a fan of non-stick.  All of the ones friends and family used seem to stick as much as my hardy stainless steel.  And they were fussy pieces of equipment requiring special cleaning techniques.  I abhor anything with special cleaning rules.  It combines "cleaning" and "rules"- two things I really try to avoid. Yes, I have tossed colors in with my whites and my sweaters into the dryer. 

So the new skillet.  It has a ceramic lining and is supposed to be awesome in the non-stick department.

And it is!  Hubby has been using them and attests to their greatness, but this morning I made pancakes without any sort of oil in the pan.  NONE!

I wish I knew what brand it is, but I don't think it matters.  It's more of the style of pan more than anything and I am a convert.  My poor stainless steel skillets are going to be so jealous.

Friday Fragments - December 7 2012

How is everyone's holiday preparations?  Ours are kind of on hold as my son's wedding is next week.  I try not to think about things like this because I blow them out of proportion with anticipation.  It's really exciting but if I don't focus on it then I will be able to enjoy it even more.  The surprise of how the day will unfold will be a million times better than anything I could ever concoct in my head.  And I'm one of those people who gets disappointed if things don't go as I anticipate - so I've taught myself to stop anticipating.  It took a long time to learn that and even longer to make it happen.

Chicken strips seem to be the epitome of bad eating... hmm... maybe it's hamburgers... so chicken strips are a close second.  But I have to say I do like eating them.  What I don't like are the pressed meat variety.  I want a genuine hunk of meat, batter dipped, deep fried.  As we contemplated dinner one night I quipped I wanted chicken strips.  And that's what we did, but homemade ones.  They were fabulous and I want to make them again.  We used boneless breasts, cut into chunks, dredged and floured like regular fried chicken.  It was faster than traditional fried chicken, especially with these mutant huge chicken breasts available in the grocery store.   I feel almost brilliant for  making them.  It's the basic stuff, isn't it?

What was the last movie you watched?  It doesn't matter if it was in a theater.  In my book a movie watched in any venue counts.  Cable, online streaming, and movie rentals have opened a whole world of  entertainment to us.  For me cable is relatively new.  I didn't spend my teen years in the 80's watching MTV videos because my parents were sheer evil, denying me this basic NEED.  I do regret not seeing all of the videos my contemporaries saw, but I definitely appreciate the access now.  Instead of catching up with all of the videos from my deprived teen years, I'm now watching more movies than any civilized person should.  I'm watching the full gambit of Oscar contenders to crappy B films.  And I'm loving it.  It's only a phase which one day will pass.  Oh I will eternally love the film medium of telling a story, but this obsession with movie marathons will l eventually subside.

As I write this To Kill A Mockingbird is playing.  The Teenager is reading this for English class.  I suggested that if he wanted to boost his grade to ask his teacher if he can write a paper comparing Mockingbird to the Sand Lot.  He looked at me like I was crazy - more work???  He knows he needs to do some extra credit, but I added that teachers LOVE compare and contrast stuff like that.  Is that cheating?  Knowing how teachers think?  It's just bizarre enough he might do it.  We'll see...

I think this has been a fairly random post - definitely the stuff of a proper Fragmented Friday!

Closure

All I want is a little closure.  I'm not talking about the emotional type of closure, but the literal type, physically closing stuff.  It seems to be a problem around here and it's driving me crazy.  This ranks up there with putting toilet paper on the wrong way.

I thought I was safe after the divorce.  No longer would I have to face closet doors cracked half open, kitchen drawers dangling mere inches away from my normal walking path, cabinets never latched.  Bumps, bruises, and unresolved fears of things hiding in the dark were a constant danger.

Blissful years of things properly closed ensued.

And now I have to face these issues all over again.

Every time, and no, I am not exaggerating, EVERY single time I walk into the kitchen, I have to go through a "Stomp" like dance routine as I close the silverware drawer, the two cabinets above the sink, the one over the counter with the spices, and usually one more.  And that basically means I have hit every single door in my ever so tiny kitchen.  There are two cabinets that necessitate opening, rearranging stuff, and then closing.  Those are almost excusable as they require some form of effort.  I won't even get into the issue of why it seems so damn difficult to put the small bowl inside the big bowl and turn the rectangle thing sideways, but whatever.  The other doors and drawers, however, require the faintest follow-through of a touch, not even a full-fledged "push".

Every time.

And then I go to refill the salt shaker.  The little spout thingy is sticking up.  Really?  we can't even flip down the spout before shoving it back into the cabinet?  I never really understood the inability to screw the lids on things, but this is a spout that with one hand you can nudge it against the bottom of the cabinet and it will magically close before returning it to the shelf.  It just doesn't seem that difficult to me.

The real problem is, though, that none of this really matters to the culprit.  I'm being obsessive.  Well, maybe I am.  And as in most matters, to keep the peace we should pacify the obsessive person.

Pacify me dammit and close the fucking doors!

Movie Monday - Pondering Nominations

I'm still stumped.  Why do some movies get the Oscar nomination and why are others overlooked?  It seems that certain actors are almost automatic bait.  You know the names - Bette Davis, Clark Gable, Katherine Hepburn, Marlin Brando, Jack Nicholson, Robert DiNiro, Sally Field, Sissy Spacek, Leonardo DiCaprio...  When one of these heavy hitters is in the cast the nominators seem to perk up.

And that really is not fair.

Yesterday I watched Cape Fear (1991) in which Robert DiNiro received the best actor nomination.  Okay, I really liked this movie.  It was incredibly suspenseful, filled with lots of twists and turns, and ultimately it had a tidy ending.  And you had to wait until literally the very last minute of the movie  to see that tidy ending.  Now I liked it, and yes, Mr. DiNiro did a stunning performance as the bad guy, but was that really among the BEST acting of ALL the movies that year?

I doubt it.

What about Four Weddings and Funeral (1994)?  Again, a movie I liked, but BEST PICTURE nomination?  Really?  Was it because Hugh Grant was a big deal in the mid-90's?  Somebody wised up in that department because ol' Hugh turned out to be a one trick pony.  Need goofy, but sweet English guy?  Dial up Hugh.  Now Bridget Jones Diary (2001) was worthy of the Best Actress nomination, but notice Hugh Grant didn't get a nomination in either film.

As I've mentioned before I'm not a fan of Bette Davis.  I've seen about four of her movies and all of her characters are the same - whiny, prissy, and self-centered.  I guess back in the day the politics of the movie world made it so actors like Bette were always front and center.  Jimmy Stewart?  Yes, by all means, he was a brilliant actor.  His characters had depth and he played them to their fullest.  I've yet to see one of his films I didn't like.  Bette?  Total crap.  Her last film, Whales of August (1987) still had her in a role like all of the others.  AND the movie was a ho-hum - two elderly sisters spending the summer in their old family seaside home waiting for the whale migration.  They were sisters, still fussing at each other 80 years later. 

There are better sister movies out there - Crimes of the Heart (1986) really captured the interplay of sisterhood way better than the Wales of August.  And yes, I recommend Crimes of the Heart highly.  Southern women sporting 80's fashion in over-the-top frilly house, protecting the one who had killed her husband.  It's funny, sweet, and very endearing.  Yet, it too had big name actresses: Diane Keaton, Sissy Spacek, Jessica Lange, but they're all solid actresses and the story was good.

Last year the movie "Goon" was completely overlooked.  Folks, this is an incredible movie.  It is a total riot and I do believe there was some really good acting.  Okay, maybe that's pushing it, I am an amateur movie reviewer after all.  Haven't heard of it?  Time to shoot over to Netflix.  It's a hockey movie with a rebel player who manages to piss off nearly everybody.  Both hubby and I liked it a lot and found it really funny.  And yes, with good acting.  It has raw language and some brutal plays on and off the ice, but it's HOCKEY, that shit is expected!  If you can laugh at a bloody tooth sliding across the rink then you'll survive this movie.  If you're squeemish like me, cover your eyes.

Sunday In My City - Family Time

Today I got to spend a little time with my grandson.  I figure it's been a while since you've seen him and let's be honest, he was my favorite sight today (although seeing all three of my kids at one time was pretty awesome).

He's a busy little guy.  Wearing a batman cape (all his daddy's doing) he's digging through mama's purse and proceeded to pull out three Sharpies and two ink pens before finding her keys.

He got ahold of the other grandma's camera and snapped a picture.

 From a photography standpoint I really like the quality of this picture.

After 15 different shots my daughter finally caught both of us smiling at the same time.

Friday Fragments - November 30, 2012

Okay, truth be told, I'm writing this Saturday night.  What can I say, I've been busy.

Today was the Cans Film Festival put on by a local theater chain collecting for our food pantries.  For 5 cans we can see a movie for free.  If we bring another 10 cans we get a pass for a movie in the future.  So we each brought in 15 cans and after we watched the first movie we ran to the grocery store for another round of cans.  We now have four passes to be used in the next couple of months.  The only catch to it is that it's only valid Mon-Thurs.  That sucks but we'll cope.

We watched Red Dawn and Argo.  And liked both.  I was a fan of the old Red Dawn so I was a little leery of seeing the remake.  Gotta say the new one is awesome.  Korea is the occupying force instead of the Soviet Union, the kids are in Spokane instead of small town Colorado, and most of the fighting this time is in the city instead of in the woods.  The story lines are the same and if you like action movies, this is a must.  Argo was the true story about 6 escapees from the American embassy in Tehran 1980 and how the CIA fakes a Canadian movie production team to get them out.  It was VERY suspenseful and I really was on the edge of my seat through most of it, although I think I was startled more times in Red Dawn.  I'm quite sure it will get an Oscar nomination this year.

My family's Thanksgiving gathering was last Saturday and quite simply, it was exhausting.  And not in a good way.  As I was recapping with a friend on Monday, I wondered why getting together with this group is not as easy and laid back as getting together with my friends.  And the crazy thing is, all but one person in this assembly is pretty much as laid back as anybody you'll ever meet.   I guess that points in the direction of the one not-so-laid-back person.  I always chalked up my holiday stress because I was pulled in multiple directions, having to keep an eye on my children, or a multitude of other excuses.  Clearly I need to rethink my attitude for future gatherings and prepare for the mayhem differently.  You would think after twenty years of this crap I would have realized this sooner. 

Guess what came out of the oven an hour ago?  FRUITCAKE!!!  I'm telling you, homemade is absolutely nothing like the neon-green crap from the store.  The smell alone can put you in the holiday mood.

Falcon In The Yard

This is what I saw in my neighbor's yard when I walked out the door this morning! 

It's one of the falcons that I frequently see at the park.  He sat there and watched me get in the car and drive off.

My Geeky List

Coworker Anna is highly amused by my spreadsheet of movies.  It wasn't sufficient that I merely keep a list and check off the movies I've seen.  Nope, I had to geek it up and record WHEN I've seen it, IF I like it, WHAT it was about, and then, of course, enter formulas to count how many and figure percentages.

This silly list is actually helping me.  One, it keeps me from watching movies I've already seen.  Not that I'm against re-watching movies, I do it all the time.  I do, however, want to avoid watching dreadful, boring movies all over.  And with my crappy memory I get about fortyfive minutes into a movie and I start to wonder if I've seen it already.  Well by then I have to finish watching it because I don't remember how it ends!

This morning I started to watch Mona Lisa (1986).  It hit me about 10 minutes in that I'd seen it before.  I sat through another 15 minutes and yep, I think I have actually watched this TWICE before.  I fast forwarded through to the end and that was enough for me to declare I've watched it in November 2012.  Did I like it?  Not really.  Was it worthy of a best actor nomination?  Not really.  What was it about?  A man falls in love with a prostitute who is in love with another woman.  Sorry, telling you about the other woman is probably giving away too much.  I don't care.  This movie will get lost in the shuffle which is where it belongs.  It certainly has been lost in my brain's files and I will be happy when it slips away again.

My list also helps me now that I'm stepping forward and sharing my thoughts on movies I've seen.  I can't report on a movie as soon as I see it so keeping some notes is necessary.

Movie Chat - Oppressed People

You would think the topic of oppressed people would be a favorite subject of the Oscar nominating committee, but overall that is not the case.  We don't see much about the oppression, war, and extermination in Bosnia.  There are a few movies nominated such as Hotel Rwanda (2004) and Invictus (2009) about the brutalities and inequity found in Aftrica.  American slaves and Indians both seem to be missing from the rolls while the plight of southern blacks in the first half of the 1900's is only recently getting attention The Color Purple (1985) and The Help (2011).  Slumdog Millionaire (2008) is the only one about India since the 40's.

Yet the nominating committee does salivate over Nazi's and their concentration camps.  I gave that issue a lot of pondering and have come to the slightly unfair conclusion that it's because the movie production companies been dominated/owned by Jews.  It's not that these movies are undeserving, they are poignant stories performed by very talented actors, just that we are lacking representation of all of the other oppressed, repressed, and outright down-trodden people of the world.

Of the movies I've seen, these are somehow associated with the Jewish experience in World War II:
Ship of Fools (1965)
Voyage of the Damned (1976)
Cabaret (1972)
The Boys From Brazil (1978)
Judgment at Nuremberg (1961) - reviewed November 9
Life is Beautiful (1998) - reviewed on November 23
The Reader (2008)
Mr. Skeffington (1944)

There are more, these are only from a quick scan of my geeky list.

Oh yeah, Sofie's Choice (1982)

Seriously, I watched The Reader today and when the Nazi trial came up I literally groaned.  Remember, I don't typically read the synopsis before watching because I like the surprise (ha).  So when I find a movie that highlights a different group I get a little excited. 

One like, Persepolis (2007), has been lingering in my head since I watched it.  First I have to warn you why I shied away from this movie for a very long time - it's a foreign language cartoon, an artsy one at that.  I have tremendous disdain for the artsy crap - just tell the story without the interpretive dance and goofy symbolism... I like thoughtful, intelligent symbolism, not goofy symbolism.  When the girl was deflowered, there were flowers falling from the sky.  Seriously, blah!!!  And then subtitles????  Come on.  That means I have to read and watch?  How can I play on the internet with all of that going on?

And yet

I liked it.  It is about a girl in a very liberal, 1970 something, prewar Iran and how she had to adjust to the new rules of an increasingly oppressive regime.  It really made me consider what people living in Iran have had to cope with over the years, that not everyone is crazy, anti-American, bomb-toting maniacs.  Maybe a cartoon... sorry, "animated feature"... is the only medium to properly tell her story.  My imagination managed to fill in the gaps and I guarantee the picture I built in my mind is as strong as anything I've ever watched on a screen.  If for no other reason, you must watch this movie to fall in love with her grandmother who puts jasmine blossoms in her bra every morning and soaks her breasts in ice water to keep them perky!  Grandma was loaded with all sorts of fabulous advice and lived a no-nonsense, take no crap, life.  With women like that in your life, you're doomed to be headstrong and independent.  And I do like stories about strong, feisty women, even if they're told through sub-titles in an artsy monochrome cartoon.

Sunday In My City - Visiting My Brother

A few weeks ago we drove out to celebrate the birthdays of two of my nephews.  My brother's new house is situated on a beautiful piece of property and these are the views from the back porch.  It was the height of fall colors

 

 

Friday Fragments - November 23, 2012

How was your Thanksgiving???  Mine was great.  All of the essentials were present - turkey, pie, and family.  We will be repeating the process with my side of the family on Saturday. 

The only thing I had to bring was dessert - and not a pie because that was already covered.  Okay, little kids were going to be present so Rice Krispy Treats is pretty easy and always a hit, right?  Yeah, I've made them with stale marshmallows in the past with no problem but this time was not so successful.  It was more like Rice Krispy BRITTLE.  Even my teenager said they were horrid.  That's okay, I've been wanting to make my fruitcake recipe without the fruit.  OMFG, that also turned out horrible.  I didn't toss it out, but soaked it with amaretto and have managed to create something palatable, but not appropriate to bring to a house of teetotalers.

Finally, I broke down and whipped up pumpkin bread.  I cannot even begin to describe the heavenly scents in my house.  The teenager turned up his nose, convinced it was going to taste like shit.  He did manage to choke down a tiny crumb after some coaxing... and ended up with two servings on his plate.  Hubby found the recipe when looking how to improve Bread Pudding.  He found one from Alton Brown that used pumpkin bread instead of a stale loaf of white bread.  The bread pudding was divine, but we also discovered this easy bread recipe was tasty on its own.
Alton Brown's Pumpkin Bread Recipe

 

*****

Are you participating in Black Friday?  I have managed to sleep in and have no plans to leave the house.  Our shopping this year will be online.

My sullen teenager reared his head in this endeavor as well.  He has spent the last several weeks bemoaning the need of a new Xbox so he can play the latest release of Halo (which he is also lacking).  As we scoured the Black Friday ads he discovered large flat screen TV's in his price range.  Suddenly his priorities have changed and he is in DIRE NEED of a new TV.  The measly 32" currently residing in his room is simply insufficient for his gaming and viewing pleasure.  Poor thing. 

*****

Oscar Movie update:  I've started to dedicate my Monday posts to discussing my movie watching adventure so make sure to come back and read more.  The one pick I have to offer you this week is Life Is Beautiful (1998).  Usually I go into these movies blind, unaware of the topic.  Sometimes it burns me and other times, like this, I am pleasantly surprised.  Had I even known the synopsis I would have been prepared for something wildly different.  It was about a Jewish family taken to a concentration camp.  Yet, it was more about the man and his incredible view on life, how he swept his wife off her feet and later how he kept his son shielded from the atrocities going on around them.  I smiled quite a bit and even giggled a few times.  It was truly a touching story (and true).

*****

Christmas preparations are now underway.  Time to listen to carols, pull out decorations, shift through wrapping paper, and send out cards.  Are you ready?  I'm certainly not.  Of course I never am ready.  Ever.

*****

The Fog

It is so incredibly foggy this morning...

I EFFING LOVE FOG!

It ranks up there with snow in my book.  I love looking out the window at it, I love standing outside in it, and the thicker the better.

And this morning it's a big thick fog.

Like snow, everyone hates driving in it.  And yes, it's a royal pain in the ass from that vantage point - even super duper dangerous.  But it doesn't stop me from admiring it.

Fog is cool

Preparing Menus

What are your Thanksgiving plans this year?

Are you hosting or visiting?

What are you responsible for cooking?


This year Thanksgiving day will be spent with the in-laws and I'm responsible for bringing a dessert, but not pie because someone else is covering that.  I guess I'm making Rice Krispy Treats and a cake.  On Saturday we will be gathering with my family.  We're not hosting but we will be making the turkey and a few side dishes.

Gobble gobble!  Yummy meals ahead!

Lincoln

We went to see the new movie, Lincoln, yesterday.  My husband hoped it was going to be more of a biography of his life.  Instead it was about the last few months prior to his death and the political back and forth of getting the 13th Amendment passed.  Needless to say, Hubby was disappointed.  I, however, thought it was great.

As soon as I saw previews for it this summer I knew I wanted to see this movie.  Then a few weeks ago Jay Leno was talking about it and said he thought it was one of the best movies he's ever seen and knew it was going to be an Oscar contender.

The topic of the movie alone isn't really something that would perk the nominating committee's interest - politics and slavery.  But they will enjoy the struggle and negotiations it shows.  For that alone it will get a best picture nomination, you know, forget that golden child, Steven Spielberg, produced it. 

Where this movie really stood out and no doubt will sweep the Oscars will be with the actors.  Daniel Day Lewis LOOKED like Abraham Lincoln and by all accounts sounded and behaved just like him.  I believed I was watching President Lincoln, it was an incredible performance.  Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones were both absolutely stunning.

Unfortunately, this is a fairly boring moving.  My inner history geek thought it was great, but a lot of the beauty of this movie will be lost on the masses.  They may admire the fantastic performances by the entire cast (truly, ALL of them were awesome) and they may think the debates were somewhat amusing, but the struggle to significantly alter our Constitution and the work that went into it will be only an interesting side note, if even that.  And that will be the real crime.  I don't know how to make political debates any more interesting than what I saw on the screen yesterday - they were brilliant.  Thaddius Stevens was merely an interesting name that somehow hung in my memory from college, but I didn't know how or why he was important.  I'm sure some droll instructor covered him in one of many lectures.  It's probably scribbled in one of the notepads I've kept.  I'm quite sure no one told me of his linguistic artistry, but the man could make a point and drive it home.  His significance in history was lost on me until yesterday.  He was a passionate abolitionist and kept the slavery issue on the table at incredible odds.  Without his passion and convictions Lincoln would not have had the backing necessary to write slavery out of the Constitution.  

The one thing I do remember from high school, however, was the name Seward.  He was Lincoln's Secretary of State (something that also didn't stick in my memory).  The reason I remember him is that he was the guy who managed to bring Alaska in as a territory to the US and the newspapers called the deal "Seward's Folly".

There you go, a history lesson for the day.  You're welcome.

What?  The history geek doesn't remember these significant fellows?  Nope.  I hated history in high school and didn't discover its intrigue until college.  So, yeah, lots of important stuff slipped in one ear and out the other.

Back to the movies, I have a couple of other nomination titles I've jotted down:
The Forger
Magic Mike - yes, I think supporting actor is due here
Being Flynn
Ruby Sparks

We are at the beginning of block buster season where many more titles will bubble to the surface.  I can't wait to see The Hobbit.  By all accounts it will be as amazing as the Lord of the Rings trilogy that each received their own nominations.

We'll have to wait until January to see how my predictions turn out.

Sunday In My City - Elk up Close

We made yet another trip to Lone Elk Park.  We're finding late afternoon seems to be the ideal time to see the animals and we were truly surprised to see the entire herd of elk, right there beside the truck.

Use Moisturizer

I think I was still in college when I saw on TV a woman who said the best advice she could give any young woman is to use moisturizer.  I'm not one to accept advice very well, but something clicked in my tiny head that maybe this was important.  Moisturizer has since been part of my morning routine.  It took a while to find the right product that didn't cause acne or feel too greasy.

Moisturizer on my face makes sense.  But my neck is starting to show a bit of age. Lotion hasn't necessarily made it beyond my chin every day.  And it shows.

Then I saw Sally Field on the Tonight Show promoting the new movie Lincoln (I cannot WAIT to see it and that was before Jay Leno said it should be an Oscar nominee).  Her face is still cutie patootie, but holy crap, her neck was a horrid collection of wrinkles.  And I hate talking about anyone like that, but damn. 

Ladies, don't forget your neck and hell, probably the cleavage too!

New Quarters

We've been collecting the new quarters as they're released.  It's not like I'm a professional collector and know when or even what the next one is.  They pop up as pleasant little surprises.  It's kinda fun that way.  Anna, the mal-treated coworker, always brings me new ones.  Last night, however, my son brought a quarter for my inspection.

It was fantastic, filled with all sorts of patriotic designs.

And it was OLD.

He was so proud.  This one must be worth something.

Right?

"Ian, it's a Bicentennial Quarter."
"What's it worth?"
"Twenty five cents."
"What?  Why?"
"Because it's still in circulation and everyone has at least one in their wallet."

Poor dejected child.  He has a collectible quarter worth a whopping 25¢

Movie Monday - Illnesses

Okay, it makes sense to finally devote a day to discuss my movie finds, so come back every Monday to read my recaps.   

I'm amazed how I watch movies in the same time frame that have similar topics.  This makes sense if TCM (the source of most of my old movies) is having a week long devotion to Nazi movies or a tribute to Bette Davis, but my movies do not all come from the same place.  Some I stream online, others I rent from the video store, and then of course there are other channels.

Within two days I watched
Lorenzo's Oil (1992)
Awakenings (1990)

I knew the premise of Lorenzo's Oil, a sick boy whose parents went to extraordinary lengths to find their own cure.  I dreaded this movie.  DREADED IT.  I had absolutely no idea about the plot of Awakenings before I watched it - a boy starts to lose function of his limbs and eventually becomes catatonic.  Years (decades) later a doctor searches for a cure.  I groaned as it started to watch it.  Who wants to see a movie about a sick kid?  True stories about sick kids?  And here I was watching TWO of them back to back.

UNCANNY isn't it?

Even more uncanny was how beautiful and perfect these movies were.  I liked them!  Yes, they tugged at the heart strings, but not miserably so.

I should have known better with Lorenzo's Oil.  It had Susan Saranden and I have yet to see a movie with her that I didn't like (you have seen Rocky Horror Picture Show, haven't you???  Yeah, I should have listed that on Friday with musicals I absolutely love, oh but it's not an Oscar nominee.  Sometimes you need brain candy.)  Lorenzo's Oil was a true drama with lots of back and forth and arguments and people pushed to their emotional and physical limits.

Awakenings was funny - of course, it had Robin Williams!  There were lots of in-your-face victories and interesting twists.

Without giving away the endings of either, one was happy, the other not exactly so.  Despite that I walked away fulfilled by both.

Sunday in my City - Round Buildings

I'm not really a fan of 50's and 60's architecture, but these round buildings have always captured my interest.

This beauty is called a spaceship.  Many years ago it housed Naugles which was later bought out by Del Taco.  Two years ago Del Taco pulled out of town, very much to my dismay I LOVED THAT PLACE, and left a controversy in their wake.  What would happen to the spaceship building on Grand Avenue?

 Property owners decided not to raze the structure and ended up renovating it.  Now it houses a Starbucks.

Not too far away down Lindell Boulevard is a AAA office.  At one time it was headquarters, but those facilities have since moved out to west county  Now it is simply another AAA office in a really cool building.