This year I put up my Dickens Christmas Village. It is a whole day's project to put up and another to take it down. I admit that it is much more fun putting it up, and that I dread the taking down part. I hadn't put it up for a couple of years. I took lots of pictures of it and I'm posting some here to share.
We had our first snow of this winter last night. We also had a power outage because the snow was wet and therefore, heavy, plus it was very windy. But this morning we woke up to a pristine and beautiful scene. These are some of the images I caught just outside my house.
Remember when movies were not about comic-book characters, or, let’s see how many explosions we can fit into an hour and a half? You know, the kind of movie that actually has a plot, good acting, good visuals that were not computerized, and maybe even made you. . . heaven forbid . . . think?
The Reckoning, released in 2003, and staring Paul Bettany and Willem Dafoe, combines drama, mystery, history and masterful performances. Nicholas (Paul Bettany) a priest running from the law because of a crime of passion, meets up with a troupe of traveling actors, headed by Martin (Willem Dafoe). When they reach the town where they are to perform, they are faced with a town in uproar. A deaf-mute woman is condemned to be hanged for the murder of a teenage boy. Nicholas and Martin find out that the woman is innocent.
The excitement and drama builds as Nickolas, the self-defrocked priest and Martin learn the truth and then face the life-threatening decision of revealing the truth to the townspeople. During the Middle Ages the only plays actors were allowed to perform were biblical morality plays. In order to save the woman from death the traveling troupe must decide whether to defy the law in order to reveal the truth.
I don’t want to give too many spoilers, so I am giving the barest of sketches in this description of the movie. However, It is a sensational movie that probably few people have even heard of.
There is a scene where Willem Dafoe is preparing himself for his performance by doing a set of exercises. WOW!!!! The man is not only chiseled, he is unbelievably flexible. The movie would be worth watching for that scene alone. We are talking the perfect body with perfect control – absolute symmetry.
I highly recommend this movie for anyone who loves a good story, wrapped in a good mystery, and topped off with historical tidbits that make for a pleasurable movie experience.
This year it seems that Michigan didn't put on as vivid a fall color show as it has in other years. I think that the excessively hot summer must have stressed the trees and they pretty much just folded and dropped rather than turn the vibrant colors that can take your breath away.
Usually about sometime after the first week in October is when Michigan’s trees are at their color peak. With that in mind we went, armed with cameras at the ready, in search of some scenes to photograph.
We didn’t come home empty handed, but we were somewhat disappointed that most trees seemed to have just shrunk and dropped their leaves The ones that had color showed more yellows with very few vibrant orange and red in the mix.
Here are a few of the photos we took that day. It was, to be sure, a beautiful day. The air was just fresh but still warmish, it was sunny with blue skies and it was good to just walk about and be outdoors. A great excuse to go on a drive and walkabout.
One of the great things about today’s new technology is the availability of old movies that have been digitally remastered. One such old gem is called “The Trouble with Harry,” an Alfred Hitchcock movie that is unlike anything else he ever did. It is the only comedy that he ever made. Yes, I did say comedy, not a word one often, if ever, associates with Alfred Hitchcock. And it is a delightful ride.
Based on a novel by Jack Trevor Story, The Trouble with Harry takes place in a picturesque, small New England town. It is the movie that introduced a very lovely and young Shirley MacLaine, staring with established actors of the time: Edmund Gwenn, John Forsythe, and Mildred Dunnock.
The trouble with Harry is that, well, he is dead. And that is precisely where the fun begins. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but Harry’s corpse is buried and dug up more times than I kept count. No, it is not a gory movie, and there are no bloody scenes or hair-tingling suspense, a hallmark of Hitchcock movies, or evil people. Actually, all the characters in this movie are sweet, a bit quirky, but good hearted and well meaning. Which makes the predicament they find themselves in because of Harry’s corpse all the more fun.
If you are able to get your hands on a copy of this movie I urge you to watch it. You won’t regret it.
Waking up on a winter Michigan morning can be full of beautiful surprises. These are a few pictures of one of those mornings when the beauty of nature takes your breath away. These were taken from by backyard.
The air feels fresher and cleaner in the fall
Ghoulies hanging out in my front yard
Me and my buddies hanging out
We keep strange company this time of the year
And then there are the beautiful colors
Even without their leaves, trees are a thing of beauty
Fields and trees getting ready for the cold winter ahead
Cruising through channels in search of something to watch while eating my lunch I caught a snippet of a movie that looked, from the short morsel I saw, to be utterly tasty and charming. Since I had tuned-in in the middle of it I changed channels because I didn’t want to see any spoilers, and made a note to Netflix it so I could watch the movie from start to finish.
My first impression was spot on. Second Hand Lions is an absolute delight. Staring Michael Caine, Robert Duval, Haley Joel Osmet, Christian Kane, Kevin Haberer, and a superb supporting cast, it is the story of Walter (Haley Joel Osmet), a 14 year old boy who goes to live with his two eccentric, and at first impression, scary uncles.
As the story unfolds, his uncle Garth (Michael Caine) tells Walter about the fantastical adventures he and his brother Hub (Robert Duval) had in Africa during their 40 year absence and of how they came by the fortune, which all their relatives suspect they have and are forever trying to figure out how to finagle away from the two brothers.
Throughout Uncle Garth’s narration, the story flashes back to the two brothers when they were young and their swashbuckling adventures (Christian Kane plays the role of young Hub and Kevin Haberer plays role of young Garth).
I don’t want to put in any spoilers so I won’t elaborate any more on the plot. I will simply say that this movie is a delight, full of humor, action, good storytelling, endearing characters and the definition of a good time. This is a movie the whole family can enjoy. It isn’t a saccharine, schmaltzy movie, a chick flick, or a shoot’m up movie. It is a feel good movie and one of those fabulous movies that not many have ever heard of. Why that is the case I can’t even begin to fathom, because after you see it I will bet that you will add it to your list of favorite movies, which you will always remember and which you will probably recommend to everyone you know.
YOU CAN PURCHASE THIS PATTERN
Pattern No.1
I made this shawl with a multi-strand yarn (three distinct strands to be exact), each a different color and texture. I added a crocheted edged border in a plain-colored yarn, which picks up on one of the colors within the shawl. The result is stunning and versatile. Because of all the lovely colors it can be worn with a lot of outfit combinations. The shawl is simple yet elegant, so it can be dressed up or worn with jeans and look at home either way.
There is no reason you have to use the same yarn or color combinations that I used for this shawl. Use your own color scheme or yarn combinations and make it your own. The only rule is to check your gauge and change the number of stitches or the needle size accordingly.
HOW TO PURCHASE PATTERN:
The price for the pattern is $5.00. I will be glad to mail a paper version of the pattern to you, or I can make it available as a Word e-mail attachment.
Please be sure to give me your correct e-mail and/or mailing address.
PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU SPECIFY THE TITLE AND/OR NUMBER OF PATTERN YOU ARE PURCHASING.
You can purchase the pattern by credit card by going to the “Buy Now” button on the blog's right column.
You can contact me at c-nill@comcast.net or at tinti@tintitypes.com
Change is Good
