Sunday, April 19, 2009

When it Rains it Pours or I Watched Four Movies Last Weekend

Over Easter break I actually watched a few movies--I've had to downgrade my Netflix subscription to just one movie at a time since I've gotten so bad about watching what I have. I'm slowly trying to watch the three I have at home so I can actually see something I am anxious to see. I ended up renting a few from the video store in order to be able to have some movies I was EAGER to see for over the holiday weekend.

Over the weekend I got to see Milk and I really enjoyed it. I didn't know much about Harvey Milk and while he clearly wasn't a saint, I thought it was interesting to learn about his life and the things he did in the 70s in San Francisco. Of course, there are incredible parallels now with the Prop 8 struggle in California and the Anita Bryant/Briggs drama that was unfolding in 1978 in the US over the issue of fairness in the workplace. It's sad to realize how little progress we've made in this area. But with recent developments in Iowa, perhaps there IS hope. I really like Sean Penn as an actor, regardless of what he's like in "real life" and I sort of forgot he was the actor and believed he was "Harvey Milk" as I watched the movie. One discussion point made as I talked with friends about the film was that the elements about Dan White were not developed enough, nor was there much explanation for his behavior and actions. I found myself online looking up who was "real" and what was fictionalized for the film and in the process I learned even more about Mr. Milk. I guess it's a good sign when a film pushes one to learn more. I'd definitely recommend this one.

I did finally manage to watch one of my Netflix films: Shotgun Stories based on an Ebert pick from 2008 and I would not recommend it. This film was about as depressing as it gets. It's the story of three brothers known as Kid, Son, and Boy whose jerk of a father mistreated them, then abandoned them and went on to lead a more or less normal life with another woman and fathered more sons who he recognized and treated as a family. Following his death, Son feels it's necessary to show up at the funeral and remind folks that he wasn't a saint. This launches a sort of feud between the sets of half brothers that is the focus of the film. Meanwhile, the depressing lives of the main characters was almost more than I could handle. I'm sure this is a story about family, about overcoming your past, about brotherhood and solidarity, justice and revenge, and the future and forgiveness, but it just made me feel a little yucky.

Rachel Getting Married wasn't all that much more uplifting but at least I could relate to some of it. The wedding scenes were fun and it seemed joyous and creative and full of life. In this film Anne Hathaway plays Kym, the messed up sister, fresh from a decade of ins and outs of rehab home to attend her sister Rachel's wedding. She's upset that she's not the maid of honor, she's upset that her sister is moving to Hawaii, she's upset that Rachel is pregnant and mostly she's just upset. There's obvious tension and disappointment in their mother (Debra Winger), experienced by both girls and there is a tension in the whole family relating to Kym and her sins of the past. Her lies catch up with them, her father is an smiley, tension breaking enabler. And things reach a boiling point when Rachel says, "enough." But it's not that easy, nothing in life is and with Kym there's a lot of healing that still needs to happen, and she still seems like a bit of a drama junkie. However there are quiet moments in the movie where I really felt I understood her struggle, the way her sister felt, their connection to their mother, and ultimately despite their frustration with one another, I felt the sisters "got each other" too. This one was pretty depressing, but it was intriguing too. I'd recommend it.

It turns out I screwed up and rented a film I'd already seen for our Easter family flick. Oops. I got the latest Bond film, Quantum of Solace, because I hadn't written it down in my movie journal and so there was no record of my movie theatre viewing over Christmas break. And for whatever reason I just didn't remember it. Until about 20 minutes into the film. Oops. I enjoyed it. Bond is always good fun. I just wish of the long list of movies I'd LIKE to see, I'd managed to rent one of those. I really liked Judi Dench's hair in that film! She looks pretty awesome.

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Vintage Victories.

The basket and bunny are "new" items,
the books are vintage childhood lovelies.
All items from the Plain and Fancy Antique store.

The frame just spoke to me,
"I'm only a dollar.... buy me for my lovely curves."
I thought I could paint her if I found a better use.
For now, she's showcasing an inspirational postcard I've had for awhile now.

This fabric cost me a quarter and I just knew I had to find a way to frame this bookish lion. It is so cute, it hurts!
I've hooped it so you can see the design,
but I think I'll look for some kind of black frame.

It's "Owl or Nothing" with this punny vase.

Two of the 12 books I picked up for a quarter apiece.
I love the vintage first aid drawings.
The red book is "203 ways to drive your lover wild in bed."
I figure I could always use a few pointers!

Friday, April 17, 2009

I'd like you to meet...

Shawna Noel Photography
via Shawna Noel Photography

I've been in love with her incredible wedding photos and baby pics and well, everything she shoots for some time now. Today I saw her photos from the Sugarland Concert and well, I'm smitten all over again. Please check her out. Even if you have no photography needs, her work is a real treat!

------********------
Miss Sweet Basil

My first buds are peeking up through the soil in my herb containers. I planted one week ago and so these are my first little darlings. I was overjoyed to see their sweet green faces. In both locations, the sweet basil is the first to make an appearance.

------********------
My Buddy Kailas

Isn't he precious?

I've been missing my next door neighbors since they moved to Vancouver and lucky for me they were back this week so Jeremy could defend his dissertation. And I got to see my sweet pea, my honey, my little Kailas. He always seems so glad to see me. We all need a bit of that in our lives!

Thursday, April 16, 2009

I Link ,Therefore I Am.

How cute is this little card table playhouse for a child?
I am in LOVE with it.
I wonder if I could make something like this myself...
Special order them here, at Imaginative Play Toys on Etsy

Secrets of Simplicty by Mary Carlomagno sounds like a book I need to read (via Decor8)
Am dying to make these yummy cupcakes via Inchmark.
I'm all about the coconut.

Awesome wedding invitations for the music lover! via Black*Eiffel



I think the printable checklist is pretty darn cool, for a list lover like me!



Fabrics from this Etsy Store are making my mouth water.

Fat Quarter pack of two fabrics:
Jennifer Paganelli--Polly Stripe in Persimmon
Alexander Henry--Apples & Pears in Blue

Fat Quarter:
Alexander Henry--French Countryside Granville Fabric

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Away We Go.



This looks wonderful. I can't wait until June when it releases! Original screenplay by Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida. Directed by Sam Mendes. With a great cast... John Krasinski, Maya Rudolph, Jeff Daniels, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Allison Janney

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

More Big Edie and Little Edie


You can't imagine how excited I am to see this. I LOVED the original documentary and I am quite eager to see how they re-envisioned it for this project. I've had my doubts, but just seeing the poster has my heart pounding! Now, to find someone with HBO. Can I just pay to watch this program? Does HBO have an "in demand" or "pay per view" version?

Monday, April 13, 2009

Better Late Than Never


There is really no good reason why this couldn't have been done in a day... and instead it took a couple years! I bought this fabric for my brother, the Scooby Doo fan, awhile back in order to make a cozy comforter for his bed. He was complimenting me on one I'd made for myself and I decided I should do one for him for his birthday--in 2007. I was nearly done with it by this Christmas but it took until this weekend before I finally did the yarn ties. Sheesh. It was a good feeling to send him home after Easter dinner with a cheerful little blanket.

Saturday, April 11, 2009

I Love the Smell of Dirt.


I've been meaning to do some container gardening for ages and ages now and with the apartment overhaul I've finally been motivated to find a space and some containers to use for planting herbs. I decided to plant from seed, but if these don't grow or I get too impatient I may try again with some plants.

I have fond memories of the little "bean in the paper towel" growth experiment from grade school, and that joy of seeing happy little plants peeking through the soil has never quite left me.

Earlier today I gathered some stones (decorative rock from my mom's front yard) to use as drainage in the silver bins. I am trying herbs--rosemary, sweet basil, sage, cilantro, oregano, and lemon basil--from seed in two different types of containers (an experiment) and I am eager to see how they turn out. I didn't really research to see what can or should be grown next to another herb so that, too, will be a learning experience.

Miss Lucy, my Saturday helper, worked on the signs so I know what the plants are as they are growing. I'm sure once they are fully there I will be able to recognize them and distinguish between sage and rosemary and cilantro, but in the meantime I have cute little laminated signs.

Thursday, April 09, 2009

For Spring, For the Season

Religious Leanings
e.e. cummings

i thank You God for this most amazing
day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes

(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun’s birthday; this is the birth
day of life and of love and wings:and the gay
great happening illimitably earth)

how should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any – lifted from the no
of all nothing – human merely being
doubly unimaginable You?

(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

Tuesday, April 07, 2009

Once Upon a Time.


I am totally in love with my new fairy tale papercut prints (Peter Pan, Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Pigs, and Pinocchio). I bought them Elsita's shop on Etsy-- artist Elsa Mora has a wonderful bio there and a blog here. I also bought a darling Alice in Wonderland papercut print that I will display in my studio because my frame only holds four. Of course, the minute I received these and put them in the frame I discovered she's done an adorable Mary Had a Little Lamb papercut. Oh well.

The Sylvester and the Magic Pebble prints are just snipped from a tattered copy of the book. I really love that story.

Monday, April 06, 2009

Wit -- Chuck and Charles

Chuck Klosterman, Memorial Union
UND Writers Conference-- Thursday April 2, 2009

Klosterman, a North Dakota native, attended the University of North Dakota at the same I did and I remember reading him in the Dakota Student. I've always been a little bitter to realize he's famous and I'm only famous to my friends. :) Of course to become published one probably needs to actually WRITE something and SUBMIT it for publication. Hmmmm....

Regardless, I do not begrudge Chuck Klosterman his success and I have really been enjoying what I've read of his book Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto. Normally I have night class on Tuesdays and Thursdays but my students were eager to attend the reading and so halfway through class we loaded up and drove to the Union to hear Mr. Klosterman. We were joined by one student's mother and interestingly, my own mother. He read an excerpt from his recent novel, Downtown Owl which is set in 1983-84 in the fictional ND town of Owl. The story centers around the lives of three characters: Mitch Hrlicka, a depressed high school student (often called Vanna by one teacher, as in "can I buy a vowel?"; Julia a high school teacher who just moved to town; and Horace, an old guy.

The segment read was from Mitch's perspective and it involved his English teacher informing his junior class that they would be reading a George Orwell novel entitled 1984. In fact, all English students grades 7-12 would be reading that book that year. Part of the reason Klosterman wanted to set his book in this era was because it was his first foray into fiction and he wanted to be able to be as authentic as possible about his details without massive research and these years were within his frame of reference. In fact, these years were pivotal in that he recalls the Gordon Call incident in the news and wanted this to be a subplot in the novel.

Before he moved on to his second reading he took questions about this one--paraphrased in my own cryptic way:

Q: Was he Mitch?
A: He was not. He can see where someone might have thought that since he writes a lot of memoir.

Q. What makes ND unique?
A. All places are unique. He liked that it was really rural, since culture on the coasts takes a while to move to the center of the country he believes that what ends up here is often the most popular and most reflective of the trends of the country.

Q. Why call it Owl?
A. No symbolism to it. He liked the way it would sound for their sports team. The Owl Owls. Of course, in the novel, they are in the midst of a school nickname name change.

Q. Why George Orwell?
A. Other than the obvious 1984 setting, he recognizes that within a small town it IS as if Big Brother is watching. In fact, within the Orwell novel, Winston Smith is able to rebel and do things unnoticed for a time. In a small town, that is difficult; yet, people often only know the superficial elements.

Q. Why go from nonfiction to fiction?
A. Doesn't everyone aspire to write a novel? He feels that nonfiction is a reactive art form. And in a world of newspapers and magazines his writing has limitations. He can only deal with reality. When he'd interview people he was often wishing folks would say certain things that they did not.

Q. His characters in Downtown Owl have a lot of nicknames. Why?
A. He felt that was an authentic reflection of the small town high school culture. A NY Times Review remarked that his nicknames were contrived and inauthentic. As in, what small town ND kid is going to be called "Grendel." Do they even know who Grendel is? What struck Klosterman as funny was that was the ONE nickname that was REAL. It was a kid he knew from Lidgerwood. Go figure. He noted that in this world people were often nicknamed for the most obscure random things and those names stuck for years and years. Once at 4-H camp...

Next he read an essay from his new book, due out next fall, entitled Eating with Dinosaurs. The piece was about music, film, sports and the problems with time travel written in a Stream of Consciousness technique. He read this very quickly. It was complicated and interesting and amusing. He spoke about HG Wells and his time machine and Terminator and 12 Monkeys and all sorts of time travel related pop culture. He spoke about the Cassandra Complex, the Bootstrap Paradox, and the Godfather Paradox. He read for us the seven rules of time travel. Most excellent. I found the whole essay fascinating and will certainly have to buy that book too.

The evening ended with a few more questions; here are some of those:

Q: How does he find his voice in writing?
A. He believes voice is inherent to oneself. Imitating others is stealing a voice. Every person has a singular voice and a way to express himself.

Q. Why write ND memoir? Who would be interested?
A. Why write any memoir? His books? They don't NEED to exist. But being from ND has actually helped a great deal. People act like it's in Russia. And for some reason ND seems more remote than South Dakota. For him, he simply tried to think of a book that didn't exist that he'd like to read and he wrote that. In the end, the only person who really cares about the writing is YOU.

Q. Does he follow pop culture since he writes so much about it?
A. No. Not really. He feels no responsibility to follow it. For example, he's never seen Grey's Anatomy. If he starts to feel like he NEEDS to follow something for his writing he fears it will all just become contrived. If he investigates it, he is constructing a feeling and people can see through it. He listens to what he wants, watches and reads what he wants. It's real. Is he more engaged in some aspects of pop culture? Yeah, he's weird. :)

Q. Does he think the Internet will change the remote and isolated aspects of ND life for its youth?
A. He'd just talked about how the fact that ND seemed less media soaked when he was young helped him as a journalist. And he wasn't sure the impact the internet was going to have on young people but now they were being impacted with more access to music for sure. He talked about how in his small town the only place to buy music was at the local drug store and they only featured the most popular... Motley Crue and Cher. There were no Indie bands. Nothing like The Smiths was available. Now anything is available through the Internet to sample and to purchase. When he was young, he recalled having six cassettes he listened to again and again and nearly wore out. Now kids have too much... thousands of individual songs downloaded to itunes but they never really listen to them more than a couple times before they buy something else. They lack the depth even though they finally have the breadth of music at their fingertips.

Q. What is his writing process?
A. He has no set ritual. He is always mentally writing so that when he sits down to the computer it just pours out. He finds the process of writing fulfilling. He revises as he writes and then does revision only minimally afterward. "Mistakes are me too." --Jimi Hendrix

Q. Is it hard for him to sleep, to turn off his mind?
A. Yes. Yet, he is very good at sleeping from 5 am to noon. One great thing about his life? No one tells him when to go to bed or when to get up.

Charles Baxter, Memorial Union
UND Writers Conference Friday April 3, 2009


I didn't take such copious notes on Mr. Baxter. I think I was just ready to soak it all in and he was lovely. His first reading was a piece called "Gryphon." In this one a fourth grade boy is captivated by a substitute teacher who told them fantastic things: Beethoven was not deaf--it was a trick to get famous. 6 x 11 = 68. A student argued and she explained, "Substitute teacher. Substitute facts." Diamonds are magic. That's why women wear them... they have the magic and that's why men fall in love with women but women do not fall in love with men. the greatest mystery of Venus is what is beneath the cloud cover, but she knows.. it's angels. And she told them about an Egyptian animal that was half eagle and half lion, a gryphon. Baxter said that after this was published he got tons of letters about crazy substitute teachers.

I haven't actually read any of his work. I did manage to see The Feast of Love, quite unintentionally awhile back. Though he spoke about how he was disappointed in the casting of the film, citing Philip Seymour Hoffman as a better pick to play Bradley than Greg Kinnear who he felt was just too good looking. His readings from that book include the scene in which Bradley tries to retrieve his dog from his sister who insists they are keeping the dog, "they've bonded." and he reads a scene with Chloe and the fortune teller she visits to find out the truth about her boyfriend Oscar.

Q. It sounds like he really like what he does.
A. His response. "I do. I'm the happiest guy in the world... What else would I rather be doing?"

Q. How much of his life goes into the work?
A. Not much lately. He's tired of himself. He used it all up in the first few books.

Q. Some reviewer compared Feast of Love to A Midsummer Night's Dream. Was that deliberate on Baxter's part?
A. Sure. He didn't want to write a story about mature love. He wanted to write a story about people who are spellbound. People who fall in love with the wrong person--people who are matched with the wrong person before the right person.

Q. How did he capture the nuance of the relationships?
A. He's been around the block a few times. It was his first first person novel and he really wanted it to be spoken.

Q. How hard is it to let go of a work and watch it get filmed?
A. It would have been harder when he was younger.

Q. How does "wit" show up in his work?
A. The way sentences are put together. He thinks of wit as a pleasing incongruity that allows a new perspective on something. He feels that wit at someone's expense is not the best form. He thinks of Oscar Wilde as a wit... his dying words? "Either this wallpaper goes or I do."

Sunday, April 05, 2009

Now Loving.... Easter Candy!


The latest Hershey's Kisses--coconut creme (in blue)-- are to die for. I suppose one must like coconut to enjoy them, but I do. Oh, how I do. A student shared a few with me on Friday and I've been searching for them since, mouth watering in anticipation. I didn't realize they were an "Easter thing." When it finally occurred to me to look in the holiday candy section, I found my holy grail. I bought three bags. Yum.

I got out my three section pickle dish so I could put out all three Easter candies for my first guests to my new pad. Following a Palm Sunday service Marci and Dave and the gang came over for Papa Murphy's Pizza and the girls got to see the end result for their hard work last weekend. John and Sophie dug out a couple board games and started to play The Game of Life, while Dave went home to rest since he was recovering from a flu bug. Lucy and Marci and I wandered the apartment and they offered some final thoughts on the placement and choice of window box containers for my next project... yep, an indoor herb garden. More on THAT later! It was such a last minute thing and so fun to sit and chat and relax in my apartment made new. Ahhhh...

Saturday, April 04, 2009

My Studio.

My new computer area.
Fabric covered bulletin board to my left.
John Cusack on my right.

My yarn stash.
Projects in progress are in baggies lining the bottom shelf.

The decision on these shelves was a tough one. I brought my pal Andrea in for some consultation last Wednesday on our way to have dinner with Greg Williamson. She encouraged me to go with the 8" shelves instead of the 10". So wise. Thanks, Andrea!
I moved my blonde bookshelves into my studio space rather than store them. They are perfect for shelving and storage. I have some writing reference books in here as well as all my knitting, sewing, crocheting books and patterns. The Orla Kiely basket from Target is one of my favorites in this image.
The shoe bag organizer is something I've used in the storage area for some time. It is a lifesaver when it comes to finding things like batteries, tape, glue sticks, post its and so much more. The closed closet doors open to reveal another workspace:

My sewing nook. I have stamping, scrapbook, extra fabric, cotton batting, and mending in progress on the shelf above. I have my wooden crates from my former office space serving as shelving for things like old journals, writing portfolios, colored paper, markers, paints, modeling clay, modge podge, and felt.

Here are some details of the more decorative bits of the room.
Yum. This was the frosting on the cake.

Thursday, April 02, 2009

Wit -- Wolves and Candy


8:00 pm Wednesday April 1, 2o09
Memorial Union, UND Writers Conference

Steve Almond's "I've never been to North Dakota before" was the refrain for a number of the authors, Klosterman excepted. It seems that is our claim to fame. A state to which no one has ever been before. I'd attempted to read Candyfreak once years ago, but had to return it to the library before I got very far. So, Almond was an author I had not read. Still I was curious what he'd have to say. It turns out he had to say "cock" about 50 times. He shared a short story about adolescence and hot tub masturbation and camp romances. It was funny but pretty edgy in ways that made me glad I'd planned to bring my students on THURSDAY night instead! Yikes.

In the author intro, his somewhat scandalous departure from Boston College's teaching staff was raised and he addressed that in the questions. Yes, he resigned because his university decided to offer an honorary degree to Condoleeza Rice and he couldn't be party to that. He read some fictional responses to the volumes and volumes of hate mail he received once CNN picked up his story.

Partway through his reading Almond lamented over a poorly worded sentence. He pointed out that once it's published you have to live with that poorly worded sentence for the rest of your life. He does have a point. Perhaps this is why I am less eager to publish.

Almond opened with an excerpt from an essay about Vonnegut. "Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt." I loved this bit and I am eager for more. I am intrigued by Vonnegut and everything Almond said about him. He talked about how he turned grief into laughter and how he and many other great writers and comedic folk seem to comprehend how sad life is and they try to make less that grief. He believed that all great cultural critics have been comedians.


4:00 pm April 2, Memorial Union
UND Writers Conference

Karen Russell read from her short story "St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves" the title track in her collection. I loved it. Though I hadn't read her work before hearing her read, I simply had to buy the book. I figure even if I don't love any of the other nine stories in the book, I'll at least have that one. She admits it's her favorite in the collection. The story is funny and sad. I guess I believe there is a pretty big connection between those things. I think that's why I love The Royal Tenenbaums so much. She talked about how the story is about progress and loss. How as we progress, things are lost, innocence if nothing else.

Wednesday, April 01, 2009

"It Seems Like They are Trying to Do a Food Chain on Me."


Greg Williamson, Steve Almond, Karen Russell, Chuck Klosterman and Charles Baxter were among the authors at the 2009 UND Writers Conference. The theme was wit. There were other invited authors. These were the ones I saw.

In fact, on Wednesday April 1st, I got to have dinner at the Toasted Frog with Greg Williamson as part of a group from the Red River Valley Writing Project. What a treat! We'd all read Williamson's book of poetry Errors in the Script.

We heard Williamson read some of his poetry at 4 pm. First he read several of his "double exposure" poems which could be read together or each separately. He talked about how the concept was inspired by a roll of film that was double exposed and he tried to carry that over to poetry. Pretty cool actually. Next he read some poems from his new book A Marvelous Piece of Luck which is comprised entirely of sonnets all with a 9th line turn in which the guy dies and, of course, is resurrected again in the next poem. It all sounded very Edward Gorey to me!

Something that reminded me a bit of Jillian and her hot dog test on The Bachelor was Williamson's "taco test" in which he tried to envision various authors eating a taco. I'm not sure what it means if he can see them that way or if he's unable to. It was just an amusing concept imagining Charles Dickens eating a taco. I think he said he was pretty sure Shakespeare would and certainly Chaucer was a taco guy. But Edith Wharton? Not so sure.

Williamson ended his reading with a wonderful bit of "creative non-poetry" called "The Yard of Constant Sorrow" in which a man struggles with a fire ant attack and then if it could go wrong, it does.

Our dinner conversation was lively and interesting. He teaches in The Writing Seminars at Johns Hopkins University and he comes from a father and uncle who are both engineers and a wife who is an electrical engineer. He's surrounded by lots of math and science and here he is... in the arts. We discussed teaching, poetic forms, specific poems, his road to writing, his book's cover art, and much more. We reminded him that if our group and the UND writer's conference is a sort of touchstone, he should be expecting his Pulitzer Prize nomination any day now.

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