So. It's snowing at the moment.
The wind has been crazy strong, and trees have fallen down.
Nature continues to surprise us in so many ways... however, I refuse to post a photo of snow.
So. I am sharing instead, a photo I took last May, of some gorgeous pink magnolia blossoms.
I am trying to be optimistic.
There are lots of things going on this weekend... shows and events in the area...
but I am thinking that I may just hide under a warm quilt and watch a movie, or finish a book.
Currently, I am reading "Empty Mansions, " the story of Huguette Clark.
I had breezed through it when it first came out, and am now taking a more leisurely stroll through it's pages. I recommend it.
Instead of my usual list of links; I thought this time I would share with you some of the movies I've watched in the past few months, and what I thought:
*The Art of Getting By: sort of a 'coming of age' movie. Not bad. Not great.
*Begin Again: great music... the story sweeps you up and doesn't let go. I loved it.
*This is Where I Leave You: I got drawn in because I think Jason Bateman does a great job playing these quirky characters. Kind of dark, but humorous... and interesting. Jane Fonda does well playing the mom, although her character was pretty 2 dimensional.
*Mr. Holmes: now this, was good. Great story. Great acting.
*Ricki and the Flash: I really wanted to like the characters more.... it was ok.
*Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: THIS. This was really good. Great characters, great development. And beautifully photographed. LOVED Judi Dench, LOVED Maggie Smith.
*the Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: and who likes a sequel? this girl. It was good too.
*Henri Cartier Bresson: This was a bio. Very interesting, and of course, they showed much of his work.
*Iris: also a bio, this is the story of Iris Apfel. Really, really cool.
*The Life and Times of Frida Kahlo: also a bio, narrated by Rita Moreno. I've seen lots of movies about Frida, this goes in the top 3.
*Elsa and Fred: lesson here? great actors (Christopher Plummer and Shirley Maclaine) do bad movies too. Horrible.
*100 Foot Journey: I watched it twice. In a row. It was that good. Helen Mirren is stellar.
*Chef: This is the story of a single dad who ends up running a food truck. It is amazing. I highly recommend it.
...and there you have it. I hope you all have a great weekend, and I'll see you all back here on Monday.