This monumental post - my 201st - marks the onset of the holiday season. On a brisk and chilly Friday I put the first of the red lights outside and also pulled out the stack of cookbooks to select the honored recipes for this years crop of cookies. But also a night back, I shared the tradition of watching one of my holiday chestnuts in a warm living room, with a fireplace, on a couch curled up with a blanket.
Jodie Foster's brilliant classic Home for the Holidays with a stellar ensemble cast of Holly Hunter, Robert Downey Jr. and Anne Bancroft among many others. It is hard to believe it is nearing 20 years old as we watched the credits roll; other than the obvious lack of wrinkles in RDJrs young face and the sad passing of both Bancroft and Charles Durning. I'm not sure what it is that draws me to it time and again - it is certainly not my East Coast family although we do bring along some of the crazy to the Thanksgiving table. Maybe it is the colorful characters that defy molds? Geraldine Page as the nutball auntie with her whipped cream key lime pie with M&Ms or farts in the car. Papa Durning playing his Hammond living room organ while watching the holiday football game. Robert Downey Jr keeping his gay relationship at bay amidst a sense of humor that is offending to everyone. But I think if I had to capture it - it is the angst at the onset of the season that begins Thanksgiving Day and hangs over our heads until the ball drops on New Years Eve. Some rejoice in it while others dread it. Family is always central and while some cling to those traditions, others deny that they ever existed for them. It is a snowglobe of moments whirlling in our life and every once in a while we try to freeze one into a Polaroid photo that we can revisit when we need a marker to define ourselves. If you have not seen it in a while, this is the season!
This morning on the way to work I felt a certain heaviness. Often at the same intersection of Franklin & 280, there is this steadfast woman in the cold with a sign. She says she has work, but it is not enough to support her two kids. I can tell by looking at her that she is not pan-handling. She has definite need - more obvious with the dropping temps, flimsy coat and lack of gloves. This woman is not looking for a crack fix. It is even more obvious by the defeated look in her eyes that tell me she is swallowing every last morsel of her pride to man that corner. I am guessing the kids are in school and this is the small moment in her day to make best use of the morning traffic. The traffic light is always inevitably red as I stop. If I was not on my way to non-profit work where my own hours were cut, I would be more generous. No answers. And then, strangely enough in my morning news feeds; I stumbled onto Angelina Jolie accepting her OSCAR Humanitarian Award. This would generally seem so incongruous. And I would likely be one of the last to rally for her position in life. But her speech was above heartfelt as she owned her privilege. She compared her life to so many of the world refugees she has met, and asked the audience why she was given the life she has versus someone in a third-world country that deserves far more. She spoke of her reckless path and how she found purpose. To be of use in life. And to me that is profound - how important it is to be of use. Finding a true purpose and being genuine to that.
A good laugh on a Monday morning. I reluctantly admit, that I was a closet fan of the reality show when it first came out. No idea why - it is so white privilege and fairy tale fantasy. All the contestants and singles had teeth that were too pretty and led lives that were nothing like my own. But for some reason I would watch for the exotic adventures and drama that played out over the course of 8 weeks. It inevitably began to bore me so I couldn't tell you anything about it if it is even still on. This parody brings to light all the phony qualities obvious from the show. Self absorbtion. Objectification and lack of substance. Persona over personality. Blah blah blah. Jesse Tyler Ferguson is fabulous as the brunt of it all. View with caution!
I have had this one in the wings for a long while, waiting for the opportunity to share it. It has gotten some decent viral press, so it may be old news to a few of you. Yes, at first it was some chuckles and broad smiles. But the more I think about it, it is a great reminder to fuel my creative spirit and not be stifled by the daily things that can become mundane. So whether that is donning a ridiculous costume to hand out candy on Halloween, or stepping on stage to do a cabaret set - it is important that I keep that side of myself intact. Joy without conform. I would be anxious to see this girl in 25 years...
This video feed brought some hearty chuckles to me today at work. I am always a big fan of classic artwork, although by no means a world expert on it. I usually at least recognize the work of most Masters and always try to catch a museum if there is time during travel. So this concept of taking classic pieces and adding technology to bring them to life grabbed me. It could be something that would work as a full length feature on Comedy Central easily. And as I read up on the video, it was indeed from an Australian sketch show called the Elegant Man's Guide to Knife Fighting. These are clever and amusing if not inspired. Tell me which you liked best!
A quirky share here. I was intrigued to say the least even if I don't quite get exactly who they are. We have all seen the objectification of men in addition to women in the last decade. Magic Mike was a telltale sign that men's naked bodies are finally just as in demand as T&A. Another tangent has been the onslaught of male calendars. Usually in the name of some benefit or other. But let's face it - they are still the equivalent of an old Spencer Gift's poster bordering on porn and no one is really buying them to pencil in birthdays on their kitchen refrigerator.
I'll admit that I have peeked at the St Paul Firefighters! But this is a new one called Men in the Alps. They are these very attractive men in leiderhosen and suspenders who are parading the snowcapped mountains in search of either a St. Bernard or the Von Trapp kids. The latest promo is them singing along to a Michael Buble track. Great eye candy that we have seen from GI's on duty or frat boys with too much time on their hands. So I offer it up as a sort of traffic gawker situation. I found myself watching it, but am not sure why. :)
Likely the final garden post of the year. Bummer there. I got the last of the bulbs in to hopefully avoid squirrels. Garnished with both cayenne pepper and Irish Spring soap - both supposed detractors. I brought the plants in from the frost to adjust to dormancy. And, harvesting a few seeds and bulbs for next year. It is a small chore, but always appreciated come next spring when I am wanting to bring things back.
Which is how I came across a great resource for next year. A co-op of sorts from Iowa called the Seed Savers Exchange. I think of them as sort of a Sierra Club for horticulture. Their mission is to make sure heirloom species of flowers and vegetables are not lost to processed farming and mutation. Much of it relates to produce and I'd love to make a trip down for their squash, tomato or apple festivals at some point. But I'm looking more forward to their catalog as a member now. It will allow me access to rare varieties of flowers that come from their temperature controlled storage vaults. We can all go into any garden store and buy off the shelf, but this will allow me to be part of a garden heritage that borders on legacy. So with that in mind, I am trying to be more conscientious of my own "crop" in the garden and not letting it fall victim to transient birds and critters as well as harsh MN winters. Stay posted come next April and May for possibilities. Below is their link if anyone else cares to check them out.
