Movies

30 things is a big ask

~ MaryG ~ 12 Comments

List 30 things that make you happy.

Today I am grateful for:

A comfortable bed

A good night’s sleep

Hot coffee in the morning

The well-being of my daughter and son

Morning silence (husband at the gym)

Music (singing with friends later today)

Safety (physical)

Security (financial)

Leftovers (Mexican)

The seemingly downward trend of the racist/nationalist/hateful Trump movement in the United States

Recent visits with friends who are happy and planning fun things

The Paris Olympics

My new kitchen window

My husband’s health

My health

Vaccines

Air conditioning

TV

Internet

Books

Raindrops on roses

Whiskers on kittens

Bright copper kettles

Warm woolen mittens

Brown paper packages tied up with strings

Cream-colored ponies

Crisp apple strudel

Door bells and sleigh bells

Schnitzel with noodles

Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings

Heat wave luncheon

~ MaryG ~ 7 Comments

What foods would you like to make?

I made Grilled Chicken Salad for my dear book group friends yesterday. This was the second time I’ve made it and I can confirm that it’s a good and reliable recipe.

I found napkin folding demos on YouTube. That one is called “rose.”

Dessert was made by Whole Foods.

Unfortunately, it was too darn hot to eat on the porch, but later we had a lovely, strong thundershower.

The sound is very soothing.
grilled-chicken-salad-dinner-at-the-zoo.pdfDownload

Fantasy Dinner Party

~ MaryG ~ 5 Comments
Daily writing prompt
If you could host a dinner and anyone you invite was sure to come, who would you invite?
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I can’t deal with a group larger than eight for dinner. I’d probably invite a bunch of creative types, especially funny ones. They might be hard to cook for, but the conversation would be entertaining.

Maybe…

Bowen Yang

Barbara Kingsolver (She’s the only guest that concerns me. A Pulitzer Prize-winning writer would be an amazing guest and I’ve read most of her books, but does she watch TV? Could she deal with all these funny people?)

Kate McKinnon

Greta Gerwig

Wanda Sykes

Quinta Brunson

Matthew Gilbert (retiring TV critic for The Boston Globe—I’m going to miss him so much!)

Image from Pexels

Two-piece bathing suits after 50

~ MaryG ~ 3 Comments
Daily writing prompt
What strategies do you use to increase comfort in your daily life?
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In the past five years or so, I’ve gone back to wearing two-piece bathing suits. I’m not talking French bikinis here, but legit, midriff-exposing, two-piece swim suits—without skirts or ruffles (but with some strategic ruching). Two-piece suits are just more comfortable than one-piece suits and so much easier when using the restroom. I even wear one to swim laps these days.

No, I will not be posting a picture of myself in my two-piece, but here’s Paulina in hers, with both hip-replacement scars showing.

GenX supermodel Paulina Porizkova is two months older than me. We’re both going to be 60 next year. I follow her on IG. I like her honest commentary on sexism, aging, and happiness. Maybe I’ll read her book “No Filter” soon.

Another thought: If you get HBO Max, be sure to watch Jessica Lange in “The Great Lillian Hall.” It’s such a beautiful performance. At age 75, Lange is better than ever.

Froot Loops

~ MaryG ~ 5 Comments
Daily writing prompt
List your top 5 favorite fruits.
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Just kidding, everyone knows there’s not one speck of real fruit in Froot Loops.

This is one of the many jokes in Jerry Seinfeld’s new film “Unfrosted” on Netflix, which I recommend if you’re an American between the ages of 55 and 70.

Did your mother watch Jack LaLanne on TV—or even own one of his “calisthenics” records—like my mom did?

Did you ever make a newsprint transfer with Silly Putty?

Did you have a Milk Man?

If you ever ate astronaut-inspired “food” or grew Sea Monkeys in a fish bowl, this movie is for you!

It’s basically 90 minutes of non-stop jokes and cultural references to our 1960s childhoods. The premise of the film is the battle between Post and Kellogg’s over the race to invent a breakfast pastry kids will love even more than sugary cereals like Frosted Flakes or Froot Loops. (Spoiler alert: Kellogg’s wins with the ubiquitous, sugar-filled Pop Tart)

I don’t typically like the comedian Bill Burr, but he’s really funny as JFK in this movie. Plus, there’s a ton of other celebrities in roles both large and small.

My generation ate bananas (sliced up into cereal), apples, and dry navel oranges. In the summer, there was watermelon and the occasional strawberry shortcake (especially on the Fourth of July). I’ll stick with those as my top five fruits. Thank goodness the citrus options have improved!

A fun time in 1968

Zeitgeist

~ MaryG ~ 7 Comments
Daily writing prompt
What topics do you like to discuss?
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I like talking about the zeitgeist—current events and popular culture (especially movies and TV). I also love talking about books with my book group and music with my choir peeps. I enjoy hearing about people’s travels (to a point). I’m not a big sports fan, but if a Boston team is in the playoffs, I like to know what’s happening with that. Go Celtics ☘️! (and Bruins, I guess)

And as anyone who follows my blog knows, I despise Trump with a deep, burning, crimson hatred I’ve never felt for any other public figure in my lifetime, so I’m always up for any conversation which involves trashing him.

Am I the only one with a sign like this on display in my kitchen for the past 8 years?

The late comeback

~ MaryG ~ 17 Comments
Daily writing prompt
Write about a time when you didn’t take action but wish you had. What would you do differently?
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I’m not typically someone to not say something. I will speak-up when needed. I trust my instincts.

For example, when an ambulance (with no siren or lights in use) nearly ran over a woman in a Boston crosswalk, I made a mental note of the name of the ambulance company (which was from a different part of the state), called the main office, and got the driver in trouble. Another time a FedEx driver (a complete stranger) beckoned my young son to his truck when he was walking by himself and asked him to carry a package up the driveway. I got that guy in trouble too.

Being a native-born Masshole who participated in the hellish Boston commute for decades, I’ve also been involved in my fair share of road rage flare-ups. I’m quick to flip the bird to the deserving. I’ve been involved in one or two shouting matches with other drivers while sitting at traffic lights.

One time two young men with a Harvard window sticker cut me off dramatically on a winding thoroughfare, only to end-up at the exact same ATM as me minutes later. I went up to them and said, “Did they teach you to drive like that at Harvard?”

The only times I remember regretting not saying something are when I couldn’t think of a comeback fast enough. I hate that.

Ponytail Harvard guy from “Good Will Hunting”

Click here to watch the best comeback in the film.

The Brainiacs

~ MaryG ~ 7 Comments
Daily writing prompt
What’s something most people don’t understand?
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Oh gosh, I don’t know. Physics? I certainly don’t understand physics…or…chemistry…or calculus.

Here’s to the scientists and engineers. May they use their powerful brains for good not evil.

Albert Einstein and J. Robert Oppenheimer at Princeton in 1947
(image from http://www.life.com)

“For better or worse, we’re all living in Oppenheimer’s world.” ~Cillian Murphy

Saying yes

~ MaryG ~ 6 Comments
Daily writing prompt
How often do you say “no” to things that would interfere with your goals?
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I was good at saying “no” to things for many years, especially volunteer roles in my church and in the schools. I had too much going on with the kids and work. I did my part for various fundraisers and events, but I wasn’t one to get roped into running the whole thing. In fact, a woman once told me she admired my ability to say “no.” (possibly a backhanded compliment)

Now that I’m retired (there, I said it) I’m ready to say “yes” to more things, especially if it’s something fun. Kudos to my husband, who is still working, but says “yes” to quite a few of my proposals. He doesn’t agree to everything I want to do together, but I’d estimate that he says “yes” 75% of the time. For example, we went and saw ALL TEN Best Picture nominees before the Oscar broadcast. And he’s been especially good about visiting museums with me. (He likes museums too, but it’s a bit more of a sacrifice for him to make the time to go.)

On Saturday, we went to a very cool exhibit at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts about Hallyu (Korean Wave)—the surge of popular culture from South Korea that started with K-drama and cinema in the 90s and then spread across the globe with K-pop and its massive fandoms in the mid 2000s. K-beauty and fashion has also been a huge cultural export and Korean designers’ work was on display. After that, we went to a Korean restaurant to round out the K-culture experience.

A K-pop idol’s costume at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Reconstruction of a set from “Parasite,” the 2019 film directed and co-written by Bong Joon-ho. It was the first non-English language film to ever win the Academy Award for Best Picture.
The costumes from Squid Game
Fashions by South Korean designers
Korean “sticky ribs”

Related post:

Are you retired?

Star Wars & the musicals

~ MaryG ~ 7 Comments
Daily writing prompt
What movies or TV series have you watched more than 5 times?
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As an adult, I’ve not been a big re-watcher of movies, or re-reader of books for that matter. Once is usually enough. Sometimes, if I really like a movie, I’ll see it twice in a movie theater. As an adult, I saw both Good Will Hunting and Barbie twice on the big screen.

As a kid, I watched a few movies five or more times. Other than Star Wars, they were all musicals:

Sound of Music (1965)

Leisl and Rolf in the gazebo

Stars Wars (the original 1977 film)

Grease (1978)

Hair (1979)

For the musicals, I also bought the soundtrack albums, so I could listen to them over and over, and act them out with my neighborhood friends. I remember fights over whose turn it was to be Liesl (from Sound of Music) and whose brother could be roped into playing her Nazi boyfriend Rolf. Unfortunately, nobody in the neighborhood had a gazebo, so we had to act that one out by jumping on and off living room sofas. (I am 16… going on 17…thud)

For Star Wars, I bought the sheet music for the main theme by the great John Williams and learned to play it on the piano. I still have it.

I had to pencil in the base notes, because they fell so far from below the staff lines.

Has a more perfect movie theme ever been composed? Are you really even GenX if this piece of music doesn’t give you at least a couple of goosebumps?

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…

Related post:

Favorite films seen on the big screen