Pachyderms!!

I think I really kinda need this.

(photo kidnapped from etsy)

The Son

So not what I was expecting. A third of the way through, I was about to give up on it and I'm really glad I didn't. What a great film with exceptional acting.

(photo kidnapped from mfdb)

I heart Bishop

I love getting emails like this, out of the blue, that can completely change my day around. I have the coolest, sweetest friends on the whole damn planet.

United in the Hereafter

In the aftermath of Olivia's death, the family sat together at the kitchen table and tried to comfort one another with the thought of those we have lost that may be there to greet Livi in the afterlife. There would be her grandmothers and grandfathers, uncles, aunts, and so on, and it gave everyone a sense of solace to know that wherever Olivia is, she might still be with family and friends who love her. It was in this moment that, true to fashion, Marina pointed out to all, "Livi'd be like, 'Hi Grandmom, hi Granpop, hey Uncle Marty. So, where's Paul Walker??'" She hit the proverbial nail on the head with that one.

Best Lullaby

My father and I were never really very close. He was a great guy - funny, often to the point of silly, kind, respectful, and open minded; a characteristic rarely found in men of his age. But we never had much of a relationship, at least not the kind I would have liked; one that involved phone calls and text messaging and conversations about who we are, how we became that person, and what we wanted out of life. Even though we were not what I wished we would have been, I am fortunate enough to have several good memories of him. My fondest memory was when I was about four years old. My mother was out for the night and Da was in charge of putting me and my older brother to bed. I have always been a stubborn girl and stood my ground as I informed my father that I could not possibly fall asleep until someone sang to me. I vividly remember his exhausted sigh as he admitted that he didn't know any songs. With shock in my voice, and perhaps a slight tone of superiority and condescension, I said, "Not even Mary Had a Little Lamb?!" He sheepishly replied, "No." I wasn't about to let him off the hook. I needed a song and he was going to perform or I was simply going to refuse to fall asleep. He finally acquiesced and softly sang what soon became my favourite lullaby - The Marine Corps Hymn.

Sometimes

Yippee!!

Look what Glenn the Mailman brought for me today!!

(okay, so i'm supposed to be working but....there's always time for the Pigeon...and some of Lost season two on the laptop!)

Minnewater Park

 

Cousins/Sisters/Best Friends

It was wonderful to see Marina after so much time apart. We are both day dreaming that she and her family will soon move into the apartments down the block from my place. Fingers are crossed!!

¡Primos!

Finally my nephews meet! Jackson was so sweet and immediately recognised his cousin from all the photos of him on our phones. Nana Rose held Jax and Marina had Mateo so they were face to face and I asked him, "Jack, who is this?" With his lil' smirk and cheeky grin he replied, "It's Mateo." They had such fun together and Jackson just loves his new buddy. Below are the mommies and the babies, although Marina is holding Jax and Mary's got Teo. We are a family that makes super cute kids!

 

 

 

(as we were giving out Easter hugs and saying our good nights, Xave says to all, "Happy Zombie Jesus Day!" Truer words were never spoken...)

The Garden

Warning: This movie will make you angry.

(photo kidnapped from oscilloscope)

Brotherly Hilarity

Xavier and I were discussing plans for our trip to San Francisco and were ironing out the deets on our rental car options. I said, "Tell Enterprise I want something in Pearlescent Pink." Never one to miss a beat, Xave came back with, "We are gonna be in the Gaybourhood soo....I'll say to give us something fabulous, but don't make me look like a slut." I don't know what that means, but it kept me laughing all freakin' day!

The Swap!

Tomorrow Mum and I decided to have a sort of open house at her place. We are giving away some unwanted goodies and having a bunch of friends and family come over to rummage through everything and take what they will. Some will bring their own stuff to part with or (hopefully) some yummy munchies. It should be a great time and everyone is really looking forward to it. However, Rosie's downstairs now resembles a weirdo thrift store. She can't wait until her house is back in working order, and just in time for Easter dinner!

 

 

He's Very Excited

Tucker in Mountjoy Square

Right across the way from our flat in Dublin was number 19 Mountjoy Square, the one time home of actor Donal McCann. Here is our little guy on the doorstep and just as pleased as can be!

A Brand New Year

Blizzard '96

Side A

Survival - Madonna
You Make Me Believe - Simply Red
Love, Brother, Friend - Gregory Gray
Philosophy Now - Scritti Polliti
Put the Blame on Me - Eurythmics
Rollercoaster - Everything But the Girl
All the World Loves Lovers - Prefab Sprout
I Believe - Chris Isaak
Day Break - Brand New Heavies
What You Won't Do for Love - Go West
First Joy - Lisa Stansfield
Someday We'll Be Together - Jimmy Sommerville

Side B

Better Make It Better - Swing Out Sister
Better Things - Massive Attack w/Tracey Thorn
Call Me - Me'shell Ndegeocello
Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover - Sophie B. Hawkins
Fairground - Simply Red
I'm Not The Man I Used To Be - Fine Young Cannibals
All Through the Years - Erasure
Safe in These Arms - Jimmy Sommerville
I'd Rather Be Your Lover - Madonna
Possibly Maybe - Björk

Olivia

Our little Livi Livi Liv Bug through the years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another Weekend with The Kids

Friday evening with Zach and Jax then Saturday with Mateo and Isabella and finally today with Jaeden. I've got so many kids in my life and thank Christ I don't have to pay for any of them to go to college. It's the best!

 

 

 

I ♥ Zach!!

I have tons of nieces and nephews - five and eight respectively - plus my two godchildren. Now, Kay and Jaeden have always, always greeted me with genuine excitement and Nicole and Ashlee also have always been all smiles when we see each other, but...the rest of the kids aren't as instantly enamoured of me or want to rush over for a hug. Z, however, is in a class all his own. He's nearly ten years old but has yet to reach that stage where he's just past all that affection.

Yesterday after work, where I received some crappy news via text (the worst way to receive bad news), I stopped at my brother's place. As soon as I walked in the door, Zach, with sincere cheerfulness in his voice said, "Lisa! I didn't know you were coming?!" I got a great big hug and a "How was your trip?" followed by chit chat and a mini photo shoot out in the driveway. He's the sweetest boy alive, so compassionate and thoughtful, kind and loving, and I am just completely nutso over him.

Heading West

This year my little brother turned thirty and so we decided to take a trip together. We rarely see each other since he got married and when we do it's surrounded in chaos. So, in July we are flying out to San Francisco for a few days. He wants to hit some breweries and Napa and I wanna check out The Castro and the Redwoods. Oh, and we both agree that the first place we go is In-N-Out Burger. Xavier will get something chock full of meat and I am gonna get a Wish Burger. Ya gotta respect a burger joint that has vegan options. I mean, that's just plain cool.

(photo kidnapped from chronicle) 

Oscilloscope Laboratories

Some of the best films released in recent years have been through this production company which was started by Adam Yauch. My goal this year is to put a check mark beside every film. Ya know, sometimes just thinking that Adam is gone forever causes my chest to ache and my eyes to burn. What an extraordinary hero to have had.

✔ Gunnin’ For that #1 Spot
✔ FLOW: For Love of Water
✔ Dear Zachary
✔ Wendy and Lucy
✔ Frontrunners
✔ Not Your Typical Bigfoot Movie
✔ Treeless Mountain
✔ Scott Walker: 30 Century Man
✔ Kisses
✔ The Garden
✔ The Law (La Loi)
✔ Burma VJ
✔ Unmistaken Child
✔ The Paranoids
✔ No Impact Man
✔ The Thorn in the Heart (L’Epine dans le Coeur)
✔ Terribly Happy (Frygtelig lykkelig)
✔ The Messenger
✔ Beautiful Losers
Youssou N'Dour: I Bring What I Love
✔ The Maid 
✔ Tell Them Anything You Want
✔ The Exploding Girl
Bananas!*
✔ A Film Unfinished
✔ Howl
William S. Burroughs: A Man Within
✔ I Knew It Was You: Rediscovering John Cazale
✔ Monogamy
The Unloved
✔ Meek's Cutoff
✔ Exit Through the Gift Shop
✔ Who Took The Bomp? Le Tigre On Tour
Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale  
✔ 28 Hotel Rooms
✔ Dark Days
Compassion in Emptiness
✔ If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front
We Can't Go Home Again
Bellflower
✔ Rebirth
✔ The Other F Word     
✔ We Need to Talk About Kevin
Four Lovers   
Shut Up and Play the Hits
Hello I Must Be Going
Brooklyn Brothers Beat The Best
Only the Young
Tchoupitoulas
Reality
Wuthering Heights
It's A Disaster
These Birds Walk
Mother of George
After Tiller
12 O'Clock Boys
✔ Teenage
Samsara
Bunohan: Return to Murder
Oma & Bella
About Sunny
Dying to Do Letterman
Welcome to Pine Hill
Wasteland
Gretchen
A Teacher
Breakup at a Wedding
Off Label
Our Day Will Come
Whitewash
Stand Clear of Closing Doors
The Kill Team
Tim and Susan Have Matching Handguns
Coherence
Soul of a Banquet
Wild Combination
The Past is a Grotesque Animal

(the ✔ means that I saw these films after publishing this post)

Best Self Esteem Boost

My awesome niece, Sydney, had a school project recently where she had to write about people that she values. And I made the list! I was shocked. Syd is gorgeous and smart and so the sort of girl in school that would have thrown Cheetos at me. I'm always convinced that she thinks I'm a huge dork and that she feels obligated to be nice to me. Then my lil' brother read me what she wrote for school and it made my sad little heart all hap-hap-happy. It cracked me up that she remembered my bringing her and Zach toothpaste from Italy as well as our trip a few years ago to the Movie Tavern and that I got us lost. Thankfully she left out that I broke all speed limit laws and cursed a bit while trying to reach the theatre in time.Which we did. Can't wait to see her next week and give her a much needed hug and get caught up on all things Syd!

Seen In Antwerpen!

Spotted this outside the post office and gasped because my dear ole Da had one in red back in the 70s. This little beauty we saw was in pristine condition - the interior was to die for. I kinda wanted to steal it and drive around...

6 September 2002

The movement in your eyes
is like the sea after a squall
A black squall that ravishes
the waters and leaves them listless
Burying a thousand cries
in its infinite waves
Bringing solitude a new home
beside the wrecked vessel
of a lonely, insignificant woman.

I wrote this ages ago and I still think it's one of my better pieces.

Black Converse Sneakers

Side A

Tonight, Tonight - Smashing Pumpkins
Let's Go (Nothing for Me) - New Order
Mirror People - Love & Rockets
Head On - Jesus & Mary Chain
In Between Days - The Cure
Lost Art of Keeping a Secret - Queens of the Stone Age
All Apologies - Nirvana
Your Favorite Thing - Sugar
Otherside - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Daysleeper - REM
Underdog (Save Me) - Turnin Brakes
Good Riddance - Green Day

Side B

Just - Radiohead
Sing - Travis
Good Souls - Starsailor
Have a Nice Day - Stereophonics
There Goes the Fear - Doves
God Put a Smile on Your Face - Coldplay
Drive - Incubus
Sour Girl - Stone Temple Pilots
Summertime Rolls - Jane's Addiction
Elderly Woman... - Pearl Jam

August 23rd, 2002

Double Feature

This morning at about 4 am I watched Koen De Bouw and Wouter Hendrickx first in Brasserie Romantiek and then Het Vonnis, which I picked up on DVD in Belgium. I was ecstatic to find that they both had English subtitles and I really enjoyed both films. Het Vonnis was not an edge-of-your-seat nail biter, but it was a solid film with a fabulous cast (Johan Leysen is always wonderful as is Veerle Baetens) and great performances. I wish these kinds of films would get more attention in the States. People are missing out!

 

(Het Vonnis photo kidnapped from cinebel and Brasserie Romantiek also from cinebel)

Heading Back Home

I'm sad to be leaving Belgium, especially Antwerpen, and am already thinking of when I can go back. There's so much I didn't see, but what an incredible time we had!

 

Tucker in Antwerpen!