Miscellaneous Monday
Lest you worry about my whereabouts, I decided to post something today. But what? How about some randomness?
I noticed the sign above on one of my morning walks recently. In the unlikely event that you’re unfamiliar with the Monty Python skit, you can watch it here.
This is my favorite tulip tree in our area. This house has a much bigger one in the front yard, with darker colored blossoms, but this one charms me. I love the way they keep it shaped.
One of our local public art pieces, nicknamed ‘Fountain Head’ was taken away for restoration the other day. Not my picture, I saw it on our municipality Facebook page. You can see my handsome boy, Mulder, posing with it here.
Another local walk, I love this house. It’s just charming.
What else…I watched a couple of movies on Saturday, both of which we rented on Amazon Prime.
First, Ted and I watched ‘American Fiction’, the story of Thelonious ‘Monk’ Ellison, a writer in a critical period in his life. His mother has dementia, and her care is going to be very expensive. His books are not selling, because they are not considered ‘black enough.’ He has just been put on unpaid leave from his work as a Professor for having the N word on the blackboard. In frustration, he writes a satirical memoir that brings in all of the tropes of Black America. He means it as satire and an insult to the publishing houses that won’t publish his latest book, but of course it takes off. I really liked it. The acting was great, the satire biting. By the way, it won an Oscar last night for Best Adapted Screenplay.
After that, I watched ‘Past Lives’. I really liked this movie a lot too. It’s a quiet film. In it, Na Young and Hae Sung are 12 year old friends in Seoul. They really like each other, and go on a supervised date, where they play innocently in the park. Then Na Young and her family emigrate to Toronto, where her father works as a filmmaker, and her mother works as an artist. They adopt English names, so she is now Nora. She has dreams of becoming a writer, and wants to win a Nobel prize. Fast forward 12 years, and they connect over Facebook, and start talking via Skype, him in Seoul, her in New York City. Fast forward another 12 years, and she is still living in New York, he is still living in Seoul. She is married, and he is coming to town for a few days. The film touches on the idea of in-yun, which is described as the idea that everyone you come into contact with in this life has a connection to a past life, even someone you brush against in the subway. Someone you have a strong connection with in this life is someone with whom you have had connections in many lifetimes. In another life, would Nora and Hae Sung be together? Were they a couple in the past? Will they be in the future? What about in this life? I especially liked the feel of ‘Past Lives’, the feel of slight melancholy of being far from home. Nora loves her life, she is successful and seems happy. But coming to Canada and the US means leaving Korea behind. I think this movie would be especially poignant to viewers who have left their homeland and are living elsewhere.
What else…well, Ted made a tasty meal with spaghetti squash, chicken, pesto, cherry tomatoes, and spinach. It was a casserole type meal, but not cheesy or full of carbs from pasta or rice. I didn’t take a picture, but it was very good.
I’ve stuck with my daily yoga and strength workouts. I took one day off from the strength in February, but that’s it. In February, I did Adriene’s 2015 30 Day Yoga Journey, and now I’m doing the 2016 version. She has done 10 of them so far, though she is not planning one for 2025, and it’s very possible that 2024 was the last one. I’m planning on doing all of them in 2024, and then will see what’s next. She does post a monthly calendar with free videos, one per day, I suspect I will do that, it’s pretty easy to let a schedule be my guide. The only hard part is that the videos vary a lot in length. I had one the other day that was under 20 minutes, and then another day one that was almost an hour. So I have to plan a bit if I’m going to get them done before work.
I’ve read some interesting books, but I think I’ll save those for another post. For those in the Cool Bloggers Book Club, I’m really enjoying the second book in the Neapolitian Quartet, The Story of a New Name. It makes me feel like My Brilliant Friend was more of a setup for a story than a story in itself, though I loved it and that didn’t bother me. Perhaps it would have (as it did many book club members) if I hadn’t already watched 3 seasons of the show on HBO.
That’s it for now, other than this photo, another picture taken on a local walk. What’s with the creepy face in the window? There is no other Halloween decor visible for this house. Is it perhaps a kid’s room? I don’t know. It makes me laugh though, and I love the little black cat that lives here. It’s a little court with 4 or 5 houses, and the cat will come running out to greet you when you walk past its house. Very sweet.
31 Comments
Ally Bean
The tulip tree is beautiful. The large head is odd. The walk is charming, but the creepy face in the window is creepy. I’d like to see Past Lives and I have to, have to, have to get with it about Adriene. I say will but I don’t.
J
Ally, there are things I feel that I HAVE TO do but I don’t. I wonder if the challange of having a ‘streak’ of success would motivate me? That’s what has been working for the daily yoga.
Margaret
I love tulip trees and admire your dedication to yoga which I’ve tried several times and never enjoyed. There are several movies I’d like to see and “American Fiction” is one of them.
J
I really enjoy my daily yoga, though there are days when I don’t start out in the mood. If it didn’t give me any joy, I absolutely would not do it. Life’s too short.
Beckett @ Birchwood Pie
Fountain Head looks a lot better with Mulder sitting in front of it. I love all of these random things that I’ve seen on my walks.
American Fiction looks good. I’m making a note for the next time I’m looking for something to watch.
J
I hope you like American Fiction, it was indeed very good.
I agree about Fountain Head. Improved by Mulder’s smiling face.
Daria
I NEED to see PAST LIVES. I think I will connect a lot to the film. I came to the US in my very early 20s and have been feeling some nortalgia. Midlife crisis, I guess hehe That sign about the funny walk is hilarious, I wonder how many people actually do it lol I’d do it!
J
I hope you like it! I really liked it a lot, and I think for an expat, it would ring home even more, even though she doesn’t really TALK about what she’s missing about home.
Suzanne
That tree is beautiful! I think we may have one in our new yard, and I’m excited to see if it really IS one. I’ve always wanted one — they are so beautiful.
The weird face in the window cracks me up. Why????
And thanks for the movie reviews! American Fiction sounds really interesting!
J
I can’t figure out the face in the window either. It’s placed and centered so well!
Nicole MacPherson
So that’s what a tulip tree looks like! I have heard of them and then I see that my local park has them (they have signs) but it’s winter, so I have not seen one in bloom yet. I’m excited for that to happen here.
That house looks like something out of a fairy tale!
J
I love the progression of blooms on tulip trees…the stage where you think, ‘is that a bud?’ ‘Oh, yes, a bud!’, then the little, tight blossoms, then the big, glorious blossoms. So pretty. They’re a species of Magnolia tree, but when I picture a Magnolia I picture the huge ones with dark green leaves and white blossoms.
nance
That charming house is like something a hobbit would inhabit. What a lovely property.
The fountain head! I remember using it as a graphic for one of my random thoughts posts once, and being so shocked when you told me that it was an art piece in your neighbouring area. So cool.
So jealous of your flowering tree and green landscape. But we’re getting an early spring (even though it snowed here on Sunday)–my daffs are about 8″ above ground, and I’m already using fresh chives from my herb garden.
J
Oh, fresh chives! Makes me want a simple omelet.
I love that house so much, though I wonder if the upstairs ceilings are steep and you bonk your head. The house is so different from anything else in the area, and I love how they’ve decorated the yard. I feel like the people who live there are probably European, though of course they might be from Stockton (my crummy home town) for all I know.
NGS
I agree with Birchie – the head is much better with a Mulder next to it!
Are you familiar with the UK panel show Taskmaster? I’m obsessed with it, but it’s popularity seems limited in the States. Anyway, I think you’ll enjoy this clip re: funny walks. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=916771306380986
J
OMG, thank you for that, that was amazing! Jessica FTW, for sure.
Ernie
I appreciate the movie reviews. I saw the actors of American Fiction interviewed on some program and it made me want to see it, but I can never think of a movie I want to watch when I actually sit down to watch a movie. We don’t or haven’t watched much lately, but now that b-ball is over, maybe we wil find some time. Mini is home for break and we just watched Maestro. It was good but also sad.
I think that house is darling. It looks so cozy.
The pic of the head with people’s legs sticking out of it is funny.
What is the deal with that weird floating head in the window?
I love Monty Python.
J
Oh, I havne’t seen Maestro. Sometimes movies come out and I just don’t know much about them. Back when we used to get a physical newspaper, we always read the movie reviews and went often. I think we should do more movie going, though renting via Amazon is much cheaper than going to the theater, for sure.
Meike
Oh, aren’t the tulip trees pretty this time of year. Our neighbor has one and it looks glorious right now.
You sure got me interested about the movies, especially “Past Lives” me coming from a different country and all 😉
J
I hope you give Past Lives a try, it’s a lovely film.
Jenny
Ha ha… I do remember the Monty Python Silly Walks! I like that sign!
I haven’t been doing yoga because is was hurting my wrists, and I really miss it. It was probably a little over a year ago that I did yoga every day for a month, and that was when my wrists got really bad. I’m probably doing something wrong, but I need my wrists to be functioning properly (I use them in my job!) I’d like to get back to yoga someday though.
J
Jenny, I’m sorry to hear that about your wrists! I had to give up yoga for awhile years ago due to inflammation in my wrists.
Lisa's Yarns
Ooooh, Past Lives looks like a movie I would love. The trailer is gorgeous. I will have to try to watch it on my next shouldless day!! It kind of gives me “Before Sunrise” or “Before Sunset” vibes? I assume you’ve seen those movies? Very different story but kind of similar vibes in a way?
The creepy face is so bizarre/funny!
J
Lisa, it totally gave me those vibes, but with a lot less talking!
Tobia | craftaliciousme
That movie Past Lives sounds like something I would enjoy. Also that charming house is… well charming.
J
I really liked Past Lives. I may need to watch it again.
Stephany
The tulip tree is so very pretty! I love it.
That face in the window is soooo creepy!
J
Such a creepy face!
Kyria @ Travel Spot
I love tulip trees and they are really looking great right now! Actually I have been so enjoying my walks around the neighborhood, with the sun shining and the flowers blooming and the buds budding. I am not looking forward to more rain, or snow in the mountains, as I am planning to be outside a lot in the next few weeks. Sorry drought, I have things to do and you cannot have any more rain!
J
Do you go to the botanical garden in GG Park? The magnolia trees there are LOVELY.
Kyria @ Travel Spot
I have not gone this year (and can’t remember if I have in the past) but will put it on my list of things to do when I am back in San Francisco! (I usually just go to look at the Bison 🙂 )