A place for my photos and thoughts and stuff.
So there was this giant, weird thing…
Weird hippie air plants everywhere!
This is a little more my speed.
Flies and other annoying pests, beware!!!
There were lots of orchids. I find them beautiful and creepy at the same time.
My purchase!
Wild and free!
16. CLASH OF THE TITANS (1981)
Two words: Ray Harryhausen. The rest of the movie is a lot of fun too…everyone takes the proceedings very earnestly…to the point of being just *this* side of tongue in cheek. But those creatures…divine.
Verdict: Ray Harryhausen. Enough said. He has brought me so much joy. Just look at these wonderful monsters!
17. THE QUIET MAN (1952)
Everything here is perfect. Especially Maureen O’Hara’s ferocious, down-to-earth, tender performance. Her Mary Kate wears her proud and loving heart on her sleeve in such a moving and funny and relatable way. This is her movie, and every other wonderful performance and bit of beautiful Irish scenery is thing basically there to support her. One of my favorite performances in any movie.
Verdict: Inductee, Laurie’s Cinematic Hall of Fame
18. YOUNG GUNS (1988)
This is a pretty decent movie and tells the story of Billy the Kid and the Lincoln County War with more attention paid to accuracy than you’d expect. And with the hindsight of decades, this is a damn good cast, and they all do well in their roles. It holds up well, and it’s fun seeing some actors who we now see as hoary veterans so early in their careers.
Verdict: Not bad at all.
Nasturtiums still going strong…
Golden poppy, one of THREE…WOW!
One last iris, a totally different color from the rest…
A sword lily. I had no idea we even planted one.
Last of the ranunculus…
Bachelor’s buttons…the bees love them.
The Meyer lemon is going nuts!
Geraniums still cranking out the blooms. A lot of our geraniums were brought from our old house. And a couple were there when we moved in 30+ years ago. I’m sentimental about them.
New flower bed, for future blooms!
This is a wonderful book about many things. It’s nominally a children’s book, the story of a princess trying to undo an old family curse. It’s about friendship and faith, and how little missteps and misunderstandings can spawn great sins. It’s about the indelible power of the fruits of the spirit. And it has the most wonderful, cathartic ending it’s ever been my pleasure to read in a book. I need to read all of Elizabeth Gouge’s books! Highly recommended.
Not the ear-peeking instrument on the table at right. Soon the doctor came in, looked in my left ear and proclaimed: “You’ve got quite the ear infection! There’s a lot of goop!” Thus, the seemingly innocuous cold, blossomed into a 2-week (so far) adventure of partial deafness, terrifying snot, ear drops and pills.
ETA: An additional round of antibiotics later, I finally feel normal. All viruses need to die.
It was the coldest water I’ve ever experienced. My feet felt like they were plunged into a snowbank. And yes, I see those children playing in the water, and I am fully prepared to accept the fact that I’m a wimp.
Meanwhile, in nature…
…the Circle of Life, in the form of shore birds eating something gross and crawly, continues.
It’s almost impossible to get a picture of this handsome guy…
Almost there!
THERE’S my Moosie!
13. CYRANO (2022)
This is a perfectly enjoyable, post-modern update of Cyrano De Bergerac nestled very uncomfortably in an absolutely terrible musical. Truly, the music, by the band The National, is just awful. Wastes some fine work from Peter Dinklage as Cyrano and Haley Bennett as Roxanne.
Verdict: Really, the music is very, very bad.
14. RIO BRAVO (1958)
I truly can’t think of a moment in this film that’s not perfect. It’s about friends taking care of one another and their community simply because it’s the right thing to do. The actors — including John Wayne, Dean Martin, Walter Brennan, Rick Nelson, and Angie Dickinson — all do career-best work, the writing is top notch, and the direction strikes just the right balance of light and dark to make sure the character moments shine even as the tension ratches ever upward.
Verdict: Inductee, Laurie’s Cinematic Hall of Fame
15. MEMORIES (1995)
Like most anthology movies, the quality of the three short films that make up “Memories” vary in quality, but all are wonderfully animated and worth watching if you like anime. The first chapter, called “Magnetic Rose” is legitimately brilliant, wild stuff.
Verdict: Recommended for anime fans.
Getting at all of that peanut butter takes work, but Pearl is up to the task!