Fall & Halloween on the Horizon

Now, that we will soon be entering the month of September thoughts of fall color and foliage start to come to mind. I'm not wishing away summer or longer days. I too dislike the thought of loosing valuable daylight hours at the end of the day. The trade off is that we receive a wonderful new pallet of colors. A few of my past Halloween projects have been picking up in the number of views this past week on Flickr. Take a peak.

Halloween in the dining room circa 2005 was spooky and fun. Since then I have located black tapers that tie in more with the theme. Cupcakes were featured on the center three-tier stand. The stand is basic white that on top of I added a flocked pumpkin floral pick and orange paper fringe around the circumference of each level with double sided tape. Vases filled with candy corn or dried black beans made colorful anchors for tabletop candles.

Edward M. Kennedy 1932 - 2009

Kennedy's beloved dog Splash enjoyed coming to work with the Senator.

The more our feelings diverge, the more deeply felt they are, the greater is our obligation to grant the sincerity and essential decency of our fellow citizens on the other side. . . .

In short, I hope for an America where neither “fundamentalist” nor “humanist” will be a dirty word, but a fair description of the different ways in which people of good will look at life and into their own souls.

I hope for an America where no president, no public official, no individual will ever be deemed a greater or lesser American because of religious doubt — or religious belief.

I hope for an America where the power of faith will always burn brightly, but where no modern inquisition of any kind will ever light the fires of fear, coercion, or angry division.

I hope for an America where we can all contend freely and vigorously, but where we will treasure and guard those standards of civility which alone make this nation safe for both democracy and diversity.

Ted Kennedy, Truth and Tolerance in America speech, 1983

Once I made Massachusetts my new home I was honored to vote for him in 2000 and 2006.

Julia Child Reaches New Heights

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/24/business/24julia.html

Business
After 48 Years, Julia Child Has a Big Best Seller, Butter and All
By STEPHANIE CLIFFORD
Published: August 24, 2009 NY TIMES
Almost 48 years after it was first published, “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” by Julia Child is finally topping the best-seller list.

Are we relaxing as a society and discovering that real food made from real ingredients plus a dash of care can possess a wealth of joy? Special occasions should be special and require food that did not come from a box. The meal need not be perfect - a word Martha Stewart uses way too much to stress the hell out of the rest of us without a staff of 40 sycophants. Have fun. If people come to your home for dinner, they will not complain if every dish is not spot on. They will know at least those who cook or occasionally throw a party will that the effort is a genuine expression of fellowship. This does not mean that one should cut corners or not try recipes or flavor combinations outside of an established comfort zone. Of course, I have to remind myself of this important rule and not let anxious little demons devil me if the deviled egg are slightly off center.

A woman , Auntie Mame, who knew how to live before there was magazine about living it to perfection said it best. "Yes! Live! Life's a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death!" Auntie Mame 1958

PS: Should people not appreciate your effort and be so ghoul headed as to grouse to your face regarding your cooking, take them off the invite list for good. No one should be surrounded by kill joys who suck the life from your time intensive labors. Family, on the other hand, you should confront with your discomfort.

"The Kind Lady" Kept Me Up Past My Bedtime

The headline of this post may appear a bit tawdry. . . but headlines can misrepresent their subject in order to entice the sensational eye of their readers. I have decided to stoop to that level today as I report on adding another classic film to my viewed list. First, I want to be clear that I enjoy Ethel Barrymore in almost everything I have previously viewed from her career. Some highlights for me are the following: Pinky, The Spiral Staircase, The Farmer's Daughter and Portrait of Jennie (my personal favorite). Last night as part of their Summer Under the Stars day-long tribute to Angela Lansbury, TCM aired The Kind Lady (1951). I had to know what happened to the captive Barrymore and ended up remaining awake until 11:30 p.m. to see the suspenseful conclusion. Source material for film was a stage play followed by a 1935 film version. In Robert Osborne's wrap-up, I learned that Lansbury's mum, Moyna Macgill, had a bit part in the film as the household cook, Mrs. Harkley.

"More regal than royalty." --critical accolade once bestowed on Barrymore quoted in her The New York Times June 19, 1959 obituary.

District 9

Another film that proves that big A list stars have their work cut out for them if they wish to maintain their multi-million dollar pay days(see Friday, August 21st post). District 9 has an unknown cast and is directed by first timer Neill Blomkamp. Peter Jackson produced and his Lord of the Rings team handled special affects and creatures. I go see a film generally if I want to and ignore reviews or do select viewing of them because I want to be caught off guard as much as possible. Previews that give away the whole film help one easily avoid spending treasured funds on worthless rehashing of tired old plots. These days the tired old plot may even be a blessing since plots seem to be on hiatus from a growing number of scripts. The protagonist (Sharlto Copley) has hints of Peter Sellers humanity and bungling in his break-out performance.

A couple of reviews that sum up or concur with my feeling regarding this wonderful late summer big screen arrival.

"District 9 proves that sci-fi thrillers don't have to be star-studded or mega-budgeted to be visually compelling and thoroughly entertaining." Claudia Puig USA Today

And

"This might go down as the year that science-fiction cinema, despite the deafening crash and clangor of sparring robots, began to rediscover its brains, heart and soul." Cary Darling
Dallas Morning News

Begonia Collection on Vintage Distressed "Boo-Fey"

Begonia Collection on Boo-fey

This summer I moved my begonia collection to the dining room to a prominent display location on the buffet - also know as the Boo-fey during Halloween. I have put many a begonia out of their misery by over watering. Secret for my plant success is to wait until the soil is dry past the top inch of soil or wait until they start to droop a bit. Occasionally I will mist them in the winter since they are no fan of dry artificial heat. Martha features them in her dining room for her September column in MSL on newsstands now.

Jimmy Stewart the Man & His Words

A clip for dog and film lovers.

After yesterday's post I found myself thinking of other films of his that I would consider favorites. We don't have movie stars anymore at least not as they were originally defined. The definition of movie star has changed. We still have many actors who are either talented or try very hard. But there seems to be a lack of people who will survive the strange process of film decade after decade. Stewart's career was in full swing for over 30 years. He was one of the first independent stars to reap a portion of the profits rather than take a straight salary. The fact that neither Vertigo or It's a Wonderful Life were popular in their day seems unfathomable. Stewart is often remembered for his stammering/starting-stopping speech pattern but he could not be typecast. He starred in almost every type of genre film had to offer and excelled. BTW: I don't remember Carson crying on another show with the exception of his finial broadcast.

Movies

A-List Stars Flailing at the Box Office
By BROOKS BARNES
Published: August 21, 2009 / NY TIMES
Studios aren’t giving up on stars but they are trying to pay them less or looking for cheaper alternatives.