Last Night at Amberbrownfest

A couple days ago Amber posted this on IG - an imaginary three day festival featuring her fave performers. She asked which day would we pick and it was a tough call until I saw Chris Isaak's name. 

Harry Wild

Exciting!!! I've discovered a new series called Harry Wild featuring Jane Seymour and my neighbour in Dublin appears in an episode. Plus it's set in Dublin! I've only seen Michael's episode, A Corpse in My Soup, but it's already taking the sting out of Striking Out having been cancelled. Can't wait to watch more tomorrow.

(photo kidnapped from rte.ie)

Jeff

Countryside Daydream

(photo by James Lloyd Cole kidnapped from jameslloydcole IG page)

A Literary Translation of a Visual Image

On Friday March 27th 2015 I went to Brussels in the afternoon to visit the Magritte Museum. Before entering the section that actually displayed the artwork there was a notice posted about photography being prohibited, which was a bit disappointing. Oh, and no bags were allowed so I had to stuff my passport, iPod, iPhone, all my cash, the apartment keys, and the pouch with my ID and insurance cards in my pockets and stash my backpack in a locker. Annoying. Instead of letting it dampen my spirits I decided to thoroughly document my experience while viewing my fave Magritte painting in words rather than take a quick snapshot and move on. Here's what I wrote in my iPhone's notes while standing in the corner of the museum across from one of the most stunning paintings ever created.

Black Magic, 1945
Level 2
Chevron patterned wood floor in oak
black walls and ceiling
quiet whistling of the AC
room is cool in temp
can overhear the couple's audio guide
overhead lights - track lighting
people are respectfully quiet like at the Vietnam Memorial
in orange carved into the black walls are writings in French:
 - La grande force de défense, c'est l'amour qui engage les amants dans un monde enchanté fait exactement à leur mesure et qui est défendu admirablement par l'isolement.
(This is on the two-two sketch wall.)
 - Tout ce que je suis de l'espoir que je mets dans l'amour c'est qu'il n'appartient qu'à une femme de lui donner une réalité.
(On the three sketch wall across from Black Magic.)
the room is virtually odourless - if I had to describe its smell I wld say it is clean. I imagine it is what Napoleon LeNez's room smelled like in that ep of Pushing Daisies 

a man with Reverend Jim hair sneaks a photo of Black Magic
the painting overwhelms all the other works in the room and draws people to it
later one man blatantly takes a very close shot - both get away scott-free as there are no guards in sight

Black Magic:
The piece is blue - vibrant - warm skin - dark dull brown frame, which is perfect, as no one really notices it - the painting features the ideal female figure - she is listless - calm. The essence of serenity. She is the reason I am here. I can almost feel the cold of the stone beneath her right palm - her fingers gently and instinctively curl around it - she has exceptional posture - the sea in the distance

on the wall left of Black Magic is The Pebble:
a woman - pale ginger coloured hair with black chiffon bow and white pearl necklace - licks her right shoulder innocently or seductively - you be the judge - white tiles with blue caulk - the ocean and breaking waves behind her - the shore at the very bottom - she is nude from the pubic bone up - with a tangerine coloured sarong hiding her thighs - her left hand gently cups her left breast - erect nipples - left thumb just touching her left nipple

Derry Girls

I first watched this series in 2020 and it cracked me the hell up. Now that I saw Netflix has season three available, I decided to re-watch it while filling out my Christmas cards. The cast is an out and out riot and I'm loving the all the 90s tunes that take me back to senior year of high school. Oh and season three is just as fantastic as the first two.

(photo kidnapped from radiotimes)

Roger, Benny, and Berne

I've been going through Aunt Berne's photo albums for the last few months and early this morning I came across this hilarious one from Summer of 1991 in Disney. I am so getting this framed!

All Dogs Are Good Dogs

Last year when I went to Ohio I knew I'd be staying at a place with a dining room table so I ordered a Gemma Correll puzzle from Badge Bomb. I had such fun sitting with Maureen and gabbing while I looked for the end pieces. This year Mama Rose is away for Thanksgiving weekend so I dug out the puzz and tonight I sat listening to Hugh Bonneville's memoir, Playing Under the Piano, while doing laundry and gettin' m'jigsaw on. It's so fun and I really wanna get her kitten one next.

2021

2022

(FYI - it took a little under 3 hours to complete, going at a very leisurely pace.)

Woody

In the Winter...

With full-on Winter temps hitting the area, I am so loving this sign I saw on Sunday with Jackson in Phoenixville. Currently I am curling up with Anne Maybury's Jessamy Court, Dav Pilkey's Hombre Perro, and another Nancy Drew book - The Bungalow Mystery. Try as I might, I can never focus on reading one book at a time. I prefer to jump back and forth between totally different stories as the mood takes me.

I want this so baaaaaad!!!

How cool is this fab John Waters portrait that I found on ThrowbacksStore's Etsy page?! I covet it with utter desperation.

Saturday Evening Fun

Tonight I went to hang out with Stacey and Lucy with a bonus of Jackson coming over. We hung out, gabbed, swapped stickers, watched some of Iron Man and did random crafts together. Stace snapped this pic of me with the kids to send to Nana Rose to make her jealous of all the fun she was missing!

Claudine

I had put this film on hold in January after listening to Diahann Carroll's memoir. It was stuck in the system and it took me until this month to mention it when I went in to get my holds. The young gent was kind enough to place an inter-library loan and get it for me all the way from South Carolina. My upstairs neighbour was out for the night and I took advantage of being able to actually be home and not worry about stomping feet and random items being dropped on the floor above and put it on. First thing I did was text Bishop about how gorgeous James Earl Jones' arms are in this picture. Whew! Talk about lustful thoughts... After recovering from that mini-swoon I got sucked in to the film and the lives of Claudine, her six children, and Roop. An absolutely remarkable film.

(photo kidnapped from movieposters.ha)

The Grand Seduction

While searching for Fisherman's Friends I came across The Grand Seduction available on Hulu. Part of the film poster was covered but I could still make out one of the star's last name: Gleeson. I dashed right over to Hulu and saved it in my Watchlist for today. I have seen it twice already. It was so good. Excellent characters, charming location, terrific and original storyline, and sprinkled with great big laughs throughout. Brendan Gleeson is a fave of mine because he's just so damn loveable. He's one of those marvelous actors who is able to convey that quintessentially authentic performance every time. You believe without question that he is a dirt-ball cop, a priest, a hired gun, a zombie-fighting father, a small town detective, and, naturally, a gifted fiddler. His portrayal as a fisherman desperate to turn his community around and bring work and pride to their harbour is absolutely worth a watch. I just loved it.

(photo kidnapped from moviefanatic)

Fire of Love

Absolutely enthralling film

(photo kidnapped from imdb)

If Only!

Lunch and Shopping with Kay!

After a long gab at the house in Fishtown, Kay and I gorged ourselves on goodies at Goldie's then headed to our favourite shop in the city - Garland of Letters. We were running late to get Kay to work on time but had to pose for a selfie outside the shop.

Cwood Gettin' Christmasy!

This afternoon Bishop and I met up in Collingswood for lunch at Healthy Garden and to catch eachother up on all things Star and Bishop. Then it was across the street to Ida's Bookshop and then down to Occasionette, where they were all decked out and ready for Christmas. I showed great restraint and only purchased a Bavarian home in a globe and an adorable wood block of a yeti. But oh if I were a truly solvent bitch, I would've gone ape-shit in there and bought one of everything! (ps - the sister store (I think it's called Joy) is for babies and kids so we didn't go in but the store windows sure were fun and festive!)

The Song Lives On!

Stopped over Dave and Stacey's last night to catch up for a bit and hang with Miss Lucy. I shared stickers with her and she picked the one of a PB&J sandwich that she coloured in. I started singing the ole Peanut Butter Jelly Time song, which she clearly knew already and soon went crazy singing it. I managed to catch the tail end and it still cracks me up every time I see it!

More Fab Fall Fotos from AB

I love that I am, as Amber would say, The Keeper of the Photos. Now I'm going through the ones from Aunt Berne's albums and she took so many wonderful pictures. The ones of the Fall Foliage adventures are particularly gorgeous. These are my latest faves!

Sept 1990

October 1991

Bluey

I am obsessed with this show!!!! Oh my gosh it's so cute. I first heard of it through Lucy and then over the weekend Melanie was telling me and Lauryn how she watches it on her own, even when the kids aren't around. Best eps so far are Hospital, Faceytalk, Favourite Things, Shadowlands, and Dance Mode and Bike and The Pool....oh they are all SO gooooood!!!

(photo kidnapped from googleplay)

Richie

A Look Around The Colonial

Krispy Kreme Pie Minis!!

Scrumptious!!

The Banshees of Inisherin

This movie left me in a state of melancholy. Colin Farrell's performance was so heartbreaking that I was in tears for the last three quarters of it. It was a beautiful film that looked gorgeous and had wonderful actors, but Farrell's eyebrows tore my heart out. He was in a constant state of despair and his expressions undid me. Not sure I'll see this again, but glad that I took my afternoon and evening and drove on out to The Colonial Theatre to sit up in the balcony with several tissues to help me through it.

(photo kidnapped from searchlightpictures)

Out with the Gals

Today Lauryn, Mel, and I spent four and a half hours together in Cwood, being good and having yummy salads while talking about everything good, bad, and mega-stressful in our lives. These ladies are always so great to be with and we have already set up our next get together in December!

Inky and Alan

I love this photo of Uncle Al and Inky from August of 1956. The viewer of the photo immediately knows that Irma happened to look over and see Inky patiently waiting at Alan's side while he ate, knowing what Inky was thinking and grabbed her camera to snap a photo of it. A bold, bright day over 65 years ago during a time that is long since passed, in a home that now looks nothing like this, sat a nine year old boy and the family's beloved dog, and a mother moved to capture this small moment. I love, love, love, that years and years later, she remembered the occasion and wrote the message on the back of the photograph for me to see and read. 

Inky hoping for a crumb from Alan

What a great camera I had!

She Made It!

A few months back at Uncle Alan's he gave me this note he had from Nana Irma, probably from the early aughts. She had such a great sense of humour.

Alan

Your Dad many times took me to "The Downtown Club," which was frequented by accountants and professionals, mentioned by M. Smerconish on his program.

Have always been curious about the "Union League" because they did not permit women members.

I went there several months ago and had a delicious lunch with a tour group from Meadowood. Wow! I finally made it!

Fall Photos

I found these beautiful snapshots that Aunt Berne took on her New England adventures. Autumn is the best time to be a Yank!

October 1982

New Hampshire - October 1991

Delaware Water Gap - October 1988

view from Indian Head Resort - Shadow Lake - 25 September 1987

Covered Bridge - 26 September 1987

view from the Covered Bridge

On the road to Mt. Washington - 26 September 1987