The Calm Before the Storm

Grim weather reports, but I'm OK (right now)

I looked out my window this morning and the scene was calm.  The leaves on the willow tree, whose branches reach within 10 yards of my bedroom window, were barely moving.  It had rained slightly overnight and the deck was wet.  The sky is very grey and the stillness of everything outside is foreboding.  The birds are quite noisy though and the feral cats that come to my yard everyday are up on my deck now staring into the window. 


We have been inundated with news of this Frankenstorm (as it is called) for a few days now.  Stores are now out of generators, batteries, flashlights, radios and anything else that they think necessary to protect them and their property from the ravages of Hurricane Sandy.  I imagine the grocery stores have sold more bread and milk in this past week than they have since last year's October surprise.

Hubby and I have been working since Friday trying to get ready for what's to come.  What we could not put away, we have tied down.  Fresh batteries have been put in all that need them and we have candles on every table.   We have even made some shelters for those outside cats, because we have learned to care about them and hope no harm comes their way.

The clouds are gathering

Sitting here waiting for the inevitable is not easy.  Most people are frightened and it is hard to imagine what will be the outcome of this hurricane.  Yes, I have been around for many of these in my life, but for the most part, they start further south and subside to a tropical storm before they get here.  This one is different and will plow into the middle Atlantic states with all it's power.  As it moves across our landscape it will meet up with other storms coming from the west to give us a double whammy.   Winds of up to 80 mph are expected to bring down trees and power lines and the predictions are that it will affect 50 million people. 

I haven't given up hope that this storm will turn east and continue out to sea, but that is not being realistic.  However, with all the warnings we have been given and the preparations made, we will come out this, possibly battered down some, but ready to pick up and carry on.  I am just hoping not to wake up tomorrow morning and find that branch from the willow, or perhaps a larger part of the tree, laying in the bed next to me.

I saw some geese flying south earlier today.  How easy it is for them to just pick up and leave. 

Play It Again, Sam

I never even learned to play Chopsticks, but I am doing OK.

Today I saw this on the news.

Alma Deutscher, the new Mozart.

And have you seen Jonathan?

 

 

Remarkable yes, but feast your eyes on Nora.

 



Makes you feel a little inadequate, doesn't it?

Minimalism

Fall came one cold night last weekend, and I am doing OK.

Bird Rock Hotel, San Juan Island, WA

Have you ever gone away, stayed at a nice hotel or resort, and even though the space is limited, thought, "I could live like this"? The closets are empty, save for the clothes you brought along in that one suitcase and carry on, you have flip flops and decent walking shoes, and your toothbrush has been charged to last a week.  What else do you really need? There is no clutter, few choices to make, and little or nothing to dust or clean.  Simplicity, I wish I knew you better.  

Even the word minimalism is too busy and cluttered.  Maybe we could use a few less letters also.

Mayhem at the Cinema

Four days of rain, rain go away, but I am doing OK.

I have mentioned before that I love to go to the cinema. When I was a girl under 12,  my friend Peggy, my brother Fran and I would go to the Saturday afternoon matinee where we would see two movies, three or more cartoons, an adventure serial, and a Newsreel.  For forty-two cents each, my parents got rid of  us for the whole day, something I am sure they thought was well worth the money.   Of course, before we went, mom would check the Legion of Decency to make sure everything was on the "A" list.

After marriage, convincing hubby to take me to the movies was not easy and it took years before he would relent, as sitting in an uncomfortable seat and eating stale and heart-stopping oily popcorn, was not first on his list of entertainment.  However, after years of nagging pleading, he gave in and before long he was a cinema aficionado.  When they recently built a theater near us with double wide seats and rows, a menu of good bistro food and a full bar, along with pleasant waiters, he thought he died and went to heaven.  Going to the movies and being served a salad and sandwich (or such), accompanied by a glass (or bottle) of Pino Noir is an idea whose time has come. 



Today, though,  it is difficult for me to find a movie that I would enjoy seeing.  They all seem to be of one genre, "blow them up, shoot them up, destroy, and kill, kill, kill.   In order to be fair to friends whose choice of movie usually has to do with car chases and shooting automatic weapons, we sometimes have to fold, throw in the towel, acquiesce agree to their choices when they accompany us to the theater. 



Last Saturday, we saw the number one movie in the country, Taken 2  Where do I begin? Liam Nissan plays a CIA operative whose wife has been kidnapped by some eastern fellows.  They are seeking revenge because Liam killed thousands of them (or it seemed like that) in Taken 1 where his daughter was kidnapped and almost sold into slavery.  Liam, who is getting long in the tooth, wipes them out with various weapons, but not before he beats 5 or so up at any one time with his bare hands.  During all this, he only gets a scratch on his left cheek bone and a little blood smeared around his mouth.  To add to this, he and his daughter (who has not passed her driver's license test) race their car through the streets of the crowded city, while being chased and shot at and crashing into other vehicles and stores along the way.  Cars are being tossed in the air and mayhem ensues but there is not a mark on their car.  They head for the US Embassy and as they barrel in, knocking down gates and with bullets from machine guns flying at them, they finally stop and surprise, surprise, they have no apparent injuries.  The car though finally has some damage.  There are some bullet holes on the front hood and a small sideswipe on the side.  I guess they wanted to show that the good people at the embassy could hit a speeding car.  However, they showed quite a few soldiers with these heavy duty weapons shooting at the vehicle but there are only about 8 holes in the front of the car.  Not a good advertisement for the military.  A ten year old kid with less than a week of playing video games could do better.

Not my cup of tea, but the saving grace is that I was drinking something stronger than tea.

For those that like this type of movie, I have good news.  Right before Liam kills the last man standing, we find out that his nemesis has two more sons who will also seek revenge.  And here I thought he had done in the whole country.

If there was a Legion of the Mindless, this one would get five stars.