Weekend Movies

AW and I watched two movies over the weekend -- one on tv and one a Netflix offering. Both movies were very good although very different. It seems that we managed to reach a happy medium in our cinema viewing this week.

The first, from Netflix, was "Ghost Town". A really cute movie with Ricky Gervais is sort of a "Ghost" in comedic form. I love Gervais in "The Office" and was thrilled to see him do such a good job in this movie. It was basically a love story and a ghost story, poignant and funny. It was entertaining and I recommend.

The second movie, "A Time to Kill" was older, circa 1992 or so, with Samuel L. Jackson, Matthew McConaghy, Kevin Spacey, Donald Sutherland and Sandra Bullock. It was centered around a murder case -- Jackson's character murdered two white men for the rape of his daughter--and the subsequent trial and unrest that it evoked in a small southern town. It was a really good movie with a great cast. I would definitely recommend this one -- let's just say the younger cast is easy on the eyes.

I have no clue what is next on my Netflix list but, after several weeks of movies that I wasn't thrilled with, I was glad that "Ghost Town" turned out to be so good!

The Fairy Door

The Fairy Door has arrived! Now, I know I sound like an eccentric old bird, but I have always liked subtle, offbeat additions to my environment. So, when we put in the flower bed in the back, I immediately started thinking about what kind of "yard art" I could fill it with. Well, AW isn't a huge fan of "yard art" and he looks at my gnome with much disdain so I decided I better keep it to a minimum. After much internet searching, I discovered a site called Enchanted Gardens (www.miniature-gardens.com). They have a lovely assortment of miniature garden doors, buildings, windows, etc. I chose, after much deliberating with AW, the Pixie door. It came yesterday and I am very pleased with it. It is darker than the photo shows which is ok because it blends in very well and isn't so "in your face". I am sure any self-respecting fairy would prefer to be tasteful. Now, I am sure I will never create an entire miniature village, although the idea is definitely enticing, but I might have to add a wee creature to the area -- if one doesn't come on it's own! Heh, heh --- my English/Welsh/Irish roots are showing.

Anyway, here are the photos! I have to say though that while I was out looking for meteors last night I didn't see any evidence of any fairies moving into my tree. Oh well, maybe the word isn't out yet that I have the coolest door!

Julie and Julia

I saw a movie. In a theater! It was "Julie and Julia". It was really good -- not a chick flicky as I thought it would be. The scenery was gorgeous. Just see it -- I think even husbands would like it. Really.

Netflix movie -- "Mongols"

Ok, I don't know what comes over me when I add movies to my Netflix queue. I am always trying to find something that AW will like, mixed in with all the chick flicks and historical fiction that I like. So, while perusing the vast options one day, I added "Mongols" to it figuring that it was something that the hubby would like. It has been a while ago, though, so I had sort of forgotten I had it on the list. It arrived a couple of days ago and we watched it last night.

Well, what can I say. There was dialogue but it was in whatever language the Mongols speak -- Chinese? It didn't sound Chinese. There were subtitles. The entire movie was subtitled. I am not a fan of subtitles but we went with it. It was a brutal movie. It was sad. It was long but it was pretty good. I didn't fall asleep in it which was good but it did have it's draggy moments. At the end, when all the text was scrolling, it did explain that it was the story of Ghengis Khan which, truthfully, we didn't know. I guess I need to read the synopsis a little more closely. Anyway, would I recommend? Yes, with reservation. Like I said, it is brutal.

The Garden

Here is our completed landscaping project. Our thanks to Jathan of Glennscape for hauling large trees, dealing with rain and constant changes from us.

Fairy Doors --

This is coming to my house soon! I can't wait. I have a perfect place in the new flower bed for it and it is going to be very cute!



It is from www.miniature-gardens.com. I have been doing some looking at fairy gardens on the internet and, while I don't think I am up for creating an entire village, I have always wanted a door (introduced to me by my Aunt Velma). So, this one has been ordered and will be here eventually -- hopefully in time for fall because we don't want the pixies to get cold!

Was it Me or my Grandmother?

I am aging. I know this from the obvious signs -- greying hair, wrinkles, an approaching milestone birthday, suddenly sort of liking the color purple which I always, ALWAYS assigned to "old ladies". I did not, however, think I had an old attitude. If I don't look in the mirror, I feel 19. I still remember the words to the songs of my youth, I have a get up and go approach to life and I keep up with the here and now. So, I was shocked last evening when I saw what I saw and when I thought what I thought and suddenly my age closed in on me and I felt old.

AW and I were feasting on soup at one of our usual haunts and, being seated close to the door, we got a good look at all the patrons as they entered the eatery. As I was sipping my soup I glanced to the side and saw some black flats with rather wide grosgrain ribbon attached at the back and lacing around the wearers ankle to be tied in a large black bow. This wasn't a child's foot so I had to look up to see what was north of these outrageous bows. What I saw was a 40-something woman dressed in -- her slip! It was a pink number that was either faded or tie dyed -- not sure which. Under this little number she wore black undergarments and tied around her waist was a floral, floaty apron-like affair that tied in the back (with a large bow, I might add) and came to an assymetrical point to one side of the front. It only covered the front of this get-up, not covering her entire body so from the back she was dressed -- in her slip.

I was shocked. Of course, I had read about women wearing lingerie as outerwear, mostly in the evening and mostly black or white. I never thought I would see someone parading around at the usual dinner time in a family restaurant dressed in this manner. I was disgusted. This woman looked intelligent, carried a status bag and had a trendy hairstyle. I am certain she had something in her closet to wear that would have been more appropriate.

Then I thought about my reaction --- it was certainly not one of hippness, trendiness, or acceptance. It was an old woman's response -- I could see Grandmother Madge sitting there passing judgment on this woman and I realize then that my age was showing and I was equally appalled by THAT.

So, in the world of fashion I would have to say "to each his own" but I would be remiss if I didn't say it was the most laughable thing I had seen in a long time and an enlightening moment to myself -- fight the aging a little harder because it is creeping up faster that I realize.

Friday Fill0Ins #139

1. Iced tea is my favorite summertime beverage. It is my favorite wintertime beverage too -- hey, I am from the south!

2. My favorite John Huges movie is yet to be discovered.

3. Fabric is something I love to touch.

4. The full moon reminds me of autumn.

5. I am getting hungry right now.

6. When daylight fades the soft dusky glow illuminates the spidery branches of the trees in the wood beyond the cabin.

7. And as for this weekend, tonight I am looking forward to another movie, tomorrow my plans include house cleaning and Sunday I want to do my usual Sunday thing.

Netflix Update

Slow to blog, here, but we just viewed two Netflix offers in the last week. The first was "The Women" with Meg Ryan. It is a remake of the 1939 classic -- I would like to see the original again. It was good, typical Meg, but entertaining and I would recommend it.

The second movie was "Valkyrie". Definite recommend and it has nothing to do with Tom Cruise being in it. It was a great movie -- enough action to keep it going and not so much gore to make it disgusting -- a rarity these days, it seems. I have always liked "war" movies (The Longest Day -- thanks JLSHall!) and this one did not disappoint. I would recommend and I might add it to my personal DVD library.

Today is my father's birthday. If he were still with us he would be 86. My dad was sort of a renaissance man, or a rebel, a free thinker or maybe just plain stubborn but whatever adjective you use to describe him, boring would not be one of them.

My dad was born in San Antonio in 1923 but lived in several different parts of Texas during his life. He lived in Austin, Corpus Christi, Quemada, the hill country but his heart was always in San Antonio.

He started working at a very young age as a radio actor. At sixteen he decided to pursue a career in radio which he did until Uncle Sam decided differently. He served with the US Army Communication Corp in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Upon his return stateside he was fascinated by television and got into that as quickly as he could. He was an announcer, a weatherman, an anchorman, an artist. He built sets for such programs as "Shock" and "Captain Gus". He had the privilege of interviewing many celebrities such as Raymond Burr and John Glenn.

Being the creative sort, he was drawn to movies and took a stab at making a few himself. One of his movies has been released after many years on DVD and one stands as a tribute in the garden of Frank Thompson. Realizing that San Antonio was not the "new" Hollywood, Daddy returned to television only to leave again a few years later to enter the comic book world which was an enduring career that lasted until his death.

He was all these things, actor, movie maker, tv personality, politician, and artist but to me he was just "daddy". We were too much alike to always get along but I knew, and appreciated, that my homelife was a bit unusual. I grew up with my dad on tv or my dad splicing movies in the back room or, instead of reading me a story, we talked Egyptology. I wouldn't have had it any other way although I didn't realize that until much later in my life.

To my kids he started out as "Pop Pop" but quickly turned into "Banker" and not for the obviously assumed reason. He used to play superhero with my son -- my son being Aquaman and he would slosh into the "bank" and my father was "the Banker", hence the name Banker or Bank. Nope, no Grandpa, PaPa or PopPop for him -- Banker fit him to a tee. He nicknamed my daughter "Breezy Wheezy Motor Mouth" which stuck with her much longer than I am sure she cared for it to. He absolutely adored my kids and was always there with a typewriter to take apart or to help build a Micky Mouse replica for school. My kids were blessed in having an unconventional grandfather with a brilliant, artistic mind.

I choose to believe that he knows how great the kids grew up to be, how fantastic and wonderful Nathan and Kathryn are and how I am growing to resemble him more every day. And I choose to believe that he knows that we wish him a very happy birthday!

Nurse Jackie

I am not a very organized tv watcher. I rarely watch new things, I forget to watch things, I forget to DVR things so most of my viewing is either DVD's or random, hit and miss channel surfing. That is why I love Video on Demand -- when it works, of course.

Yesterday, as an option to pacing the floors watching the landscapers, I decided to channel surf and hit on "Nurse Jackie". Of course, I got in on the tail end but it held my interest for a little while so I went to my video on demand service and watched the first episode. I enjoyed it even though it is based on a drug-addicted, adulterous emergency room nurse that reminds me of Ellen. I never thought of Edie Falco as an Ellen-esque person -- maybe it is the haircut. I digress -- In any event, I am looking forward to watching the rest of the episodes as it is a pretty compelling program -- drug abuse and adultery aside