Back in the land of the living
Feels good.
Mind you, there were some highlights during my enforced lay-off. I caught up on so many films and books I'd been saving for when I had time. Two special highlights were that I finally read Patrick Suskind's "Perfume" (stunning in every respect), and I rediscovered Richard Attenborough's utterly brilliant film from 1969, "Oh! What a Lovely War". If you've never seen this, do try to dig it up. There's an insanely stellar cast, but aside from that, it's the most powerful anti-war film I've ever seen, and as far as I know is stylistically unique in its blending of music, history, pathos, surrealism and humour. My two younger girls watched it with me, and were visibly moved.
Of course, there was also the opportunity for escapism - old episodes of "Get Smart" (The ones with Hymie are my favourites), and all of Series 2 of Green Wing (again). Laughing didn't do my innards much good, but it was a considered trade-off.
Another cold day outside, and lots to do inside. Back to work.
Mind you, there were some highlights during my enforced lay-off. I caught up on so many films and books I'd been saving for when I had time. Two special highlights were that I finally read Patrick Suskind's "Perfume" (stunning in every respect), and I rediscovered Richard Attenborough's utterly brilliant film from 1969, "Oh! What a Lovely War". If you've never seen this, do try to dig it up. There's an insanely stellar cast, but aside from that, it's the most powerful anti-war film I've ever seen, and as far as I know is stylistically unique in its blending of music, history, pathos, surrealism and humour. My two younger girls watched it with me, and were visibly moved.
Of course, there was also the opportunity for escapism - old episodes of "Get Smart" (The ones with Hymie are my favourites), and all of Series 2 of Green Wing (again). Laughing didn't do my innards much good, but it was a considered trade-off.
Another cold day outside, and lots to do inside. Back to work.
posted by MargieCM at 11:43 am
16 Comments:
work is for sissies
sounds like a well needed rest Margie. Oh, "cold outside", I would love that right now. We are having a heat wave, 110 degrees.
take care, xox
Quiet, brat! If I couldn't hear you practising I would have you emptying the dishwasher as we speak.
Grace, you poor thing! 110 is no-one's idea of fun, and certainly not mine. You can always get warmer ...
Margie, I'm so glad to see you back here. I've missed you terribly and do hope all's well now. I totally agree about both Perfume and oh What a Lovely war, although I haven't seen the film for many many years. I do remember it as being extremely powerful and moving though. Perfume is one of the most compelling books I've ever read..but awful though. I believe the film is also very good.
We are having a wet spell here too, so there's not much outside painting to be done. We've had quite some dramas with the Hennie H, and lots more unanticipated work. Leaks and thin spots in the hull that the insurance inspector was very unhappy about and lots of work in the engine room which is costing time and money. It's all been a bit disappointing really and we aren't too sure now if we are going to keep it.
i too am glad you are back and feeling good. Amy and i caught the new movie of Get Smart she loved it and i was a bit dissappointed because Max just wasn't the same. so now i'm in the mood for something good to sink my mind into and i'm off to get perfume and oh what a lovely war. don't work too hard:)
hugs
cherylann
Thanks you Vally, and as I said over at yours, I am so sorry to hear of your troubles with the lovely Hennie. I hope one way or another it all works out for you. She really is very sweet.
Mads saw the film of Perfume after she'd read the book, and was disappointed, but when she went back and watched it again without expecting a miracle of dramatisation she was better impressed. I must look it out and see for myself.
Cheryl Ann, I hope you are able to catch up with both of those - I'm sure you won't be disappointed. Best not to be feeling too fragile at the time perhaps! I haven't seen the new Get Smart movie either, and probably won't bother. If it's on the teev some time down the track I'll give it a go, but I'm too fond of the original I think. It was one of the very few U.S. programmes I watched as a young teenager, and I loved it.
Oh goodness I'm back at work tomorrow ... nooooooooooo!
Welcome back, Margie. Cold is not a word we're hearing around these parts these days, thankfully. I'm glad you had a restful break. Get Smart was one of the few shows we were allowed to watch as children, and it always made me laugh. I wanted to grow up and be 99 myself.
xx
AM
Thanks for the good wishes of the HH, Margie. I now expect we'll keep it for a while but probably not for all that long.
Hoping your first day back at work...I nearly wrote school..haha.. wasn't too taxing...but then you work at a school don't you??
Take care of yourself, and listen to your Colin. He's right to be concerned!
Glad to see you back and hope that all is well.
I have yet to see the film Get Smart - but one clip was filmed about two miles away from where my parents live (in a tiny town called Lost River). The scene of the shot was supposed to be in a small Russian town so the few buildings on Lost River's highway had new Russian facades put on them (that still remain today because they are so beautiful). I wonder how Steve C is as Agent 86.
The weather here is quite hot - in fact we're having an extreme hot alert today as the mercury reaches about 35 in the shade today.
Hi Margie! Just stopped by to say 'hi' and glad to hear you're feeling better.
You know, you could send some of that winter weather to Iowa too. It's about 90F here with 70-80% humidity every day. That's about 35C, I think - darned unpleasant anyway.
I'm with you about not seeing Get Smart. I'll wait for the DVD or until its on TV. It's one of those classics that just shouldn't be messed with.
Well, keep warm and don't overdo...
xo
Margie
Are your innards ok? did I miss something vital????
Summer has truly arrived here, but it is a two-faced one. Last night I was decidedly chilly as I drove home, as I was this morning, and today burned myself by foolishly forgetting sunscreen... lol.
But this afternoon is lovely, and I am taking a couple of hours off prior to heading back to work.
And enforced or not, taking time off it is a VERY good idea!
xo
S
Hi Anne Marie - funny, that - I wanted to grow up and be Mrs Peel from the Avengers! I thought she was superb - beautiful, intelligent, witty and utterly classy. Ah well.
Vally, I often catch myself thinking "school tomorrow" too. It's OK to be back, but I still get tired very easily and they're long days.
Hiya Lannio and Rache - lovely to see you both again. It's so odd reading about how hot you all are when it's blowing a gale and sleeting down outside. Then in a few months, we'll change places. "Extreme hot" for us is about 42, but I hate anything over 35. I'm told Steve C is very good. I loved him in Anchorman, but I'm not fond of remakes as a rule, and like you Rache, won't bother to go out for it.
Stevie - you made me laugh: "Are your innards ok? did I miss something vital????". Yes, my innards are OK, and no, neither of us is missing anything vital. I had uterine fibroids, including one very large one which was causing problems, so I had the Big H - or actually just a little one, as they left the important bits alone. Now I just get PMS without the M! Once I get over this post-op tiredness though, it'll all be brilliant. Naughty you forgetting your sunsctreen! Now that IS vital.
Hi Margie, you're right, I am slacking, but only on the blogland front. We're busier than ever at the moment with all the work on the Hennie H, and my major work starting on the Vereeniging (well it will as soon as the rain stops), meaning I've had to vacate the ship, and pile all my stuff on the bed and cover it all with dust sheets, cos there's going to be a heap of that. Then, there's also the business of getting Koos's ship ready for Mo to stay in when she comes in September, so it's all go here with us fleet owners!
Anyway, hopefully things will quieten down a bit in August, so I'll dust off my blog then and give it a sort out.
Hoping you are well dear Margie and all the family too. Lots of love to the whole bunch but especially to you and Colin...but even more to you xx
Hi Margie
I hope this finds you feeling in the pink, so to speak...innards and all. Rcovering from abdominal surgery is no fun at all. Anything doing with our "core" can be quite painful.
There's nothing quite like being constipated - with broken ribs...
I have been very busy and the computer is at the far corner of the house, therefore not very handy. (I lived in small, cosy quarters for so long that I've not yet become used to having to pass through several rooms before reaching my office!)
I did chuckle aloud after reading about your love of the Get Smart - Hymie episodes. He was my favourite, too! My then young mind never did figure out quite how he fit in, but he sure was funny! I'd love to see those episodes now...
I also remember seeing trailers for the movie "Perfume" but I don't know what became of the movie. Did it reach a large audience? Stuck away in a small mountain valley, I don't always have access to such urban rituals as attending the theatre.
But...we have the beach!
And that's where we're headed right now. I'm in my bikini (the fuzzy insulated one is stashed on the shelf awaiting ski season...snort...) and cover-up.
As a footnote, one movie sporting another stellar cast is "At Play in the Fields of the Lord". It is one of my all-time favourite epics. It contains much food for thought, as well as many amazing actors. Look it up some time.
Take care and heal well.
Love
Dale
P.S.
So now you suffer from P.S!
Vally, you have been busy! And yes, thank you, I am now digustingly well and feeling fantastic, as are we all, despite drowning in domestic disorder. I'm getting to it, honestly.
Dale, constipation with broken ribs??? Haven't tried that one, thank goodness. I did crack a rib a week before I had one of my girls though, and I can't honestly recommend labour in that condition.
I'm chuffed that you love Hymie too. I'm not sure how Perfume did at the box office, but OK I think. Decent cast and an adaptation of a great book. I got it on DVD the other day, but have yet to watch it.
Fuzzy bikini - the mind boggles. Sort of like extra body hair where you least need it. Enjoy your summer though; the snow will be back soon enough.
I will also look up the film you recommended. I've never even heard of it, so there's yet another gap in my education.
Haha - PS! I like that. Colin says he feels dudded by the whole thing - he was rather hoping my mood swings might go with the extraneous matter. No such luck!
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