they had lights inside their eyes

The image in that box probably doesn't exactly inspire you to click play.

But if you like movies about love

especially movies about love that seem like they really could happen,

then you should.

It's called Like Crazy.

I watched it last night

and it was really, really good.

It came out in 2011 so it's easy to find.

and I'd encourage you to do so.

It really stuck with me.

Made me feel something.

(and the soundtrack is divine)

Sniff.

golden nuggets

Have you seen Midnight Cowboy?

No, I hadn't either.

Fella has been picking up old VHS movies at Goodwill and Salvation Army

(yes - we still have a VCR. It comes in handy, I tell you.)

So he picked up Midnight Cowboy.

I think I was confusing it with a movie that has Sylvester Stallone in it

or maybe it's John Travolta

(I don't know what movie that is either...)

Anyway, Midnight Cowboy was really good. Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight both were great.

It's pretty depressing, though, so be warned.

But it's worth the gloom.

Last week we also watch The French Connection

( I really love Gene Hackman. He's amazing. Seriously.

Have you seen Heist? It's incredible.)

I had never seen this movie either.

There's a reason these movies are classics.

They are brilliant.

The actors are amazing.

And you see that what they did

has been copied and now seem like cliche

but for what they did

at the time they did it?

Genius.

ballet beautiful

This may be old news

but I ordered this dvd from Chapters a month or two ago.

It sat next to my dvd player for a goodly amount of time

and I finally got around to trying it last week.

I was a typical little girl.

I wanted to be a ballet dancer when I grew up.

I started classes when I was 5 and danced until I was 15, then switched to jazz.

There is no evidence of my dancing history in my body today.

None whatsoever.

I knew I didn't have a hope of being a real ballet dancer.

I was 5"8 when I was 13.

I had large, flat feet.

And, let's face it,

not really very good.

But I loved it.

And I think because I knew I had the wrong body and feet for it,

I could just keep at it because I loved it

and it wasn't about anything more than that.

It was about having fun and feeling good.

And that was enough.

Long rambling introduction and childhood dreams aside,

this dvd got good reviews on Amazon and I was looking for something new to inspire me.

Here's what I found:

1. These exercises are deceptively simple and incredibly hard.

2. I am in terrible shape.

3. I know that, after doing this workout a couple of times per week, I will, in time, get better.

And that's what makes me want to keep doing it.

You can modify some of the exercises (and take breaks so you can keep going)

but eventually, you just have to dig in and breathe through the pain

(because, oh yes, There is pain. Lots of it.)

And now let's talk briefly of our host, Mary Helen Bowers,

Some people may find her incredibly annoying

but for some reason,

I love her.

She makes it all seem so reasonable.

To suffer through.

She has a light, voice that I think is what fairies might sound like. 

She's repetitive but encouraging.

I never cursed her.

Not even once.

So there you have it. 

I don't know that I will have a ballet beautiful body at the finish line

but maybe it will help keep my childhood dreams alive

(or at lease resuscitate them a little.)

sad cat diary

have you seen this?

maybe it's only funny to cat people

so if you're not one of those, then

maybe give it a pass.

all that you can't leave behind

I've been posting pretty regularly these days

but I haven't really been saying a whole lot.

I've been working through a few things over the past few weeks.

I have a tendency to fight with myself

to do one thing

and then chastise myself for choosing that thing over another.

But as I said,

I've been working through things.

I've been asking myself

"What do I want?"

This has been a crippling question for me throughout my life

and I think it's largely because I have often felt

like everything was out of my control

thus rendering my dreams

moot.

But here's where I'm at with this

at least for now.

What I want

is to be content

with where I am

and what I am doing.

Sounds like a grand statement, no?

But what I mean is - 

if I'm enjoying a book on the patio

with lemonade nearby

and the sun warming my legs

then I want my brain to settle in that place

and feel content

knowing that I am where I want to be.

I always feel like I'm racing

but never getting anything done.

I need to know it's ok to stop

(or not)

and that the world will keep on turning

and whatever I don't choose

will probably still be there for me

when I'm ready for it.

you've got mail

everyone loves getting mail

but no one sends anything worth reading anymore.

via

embarrassing bodies

Have you seen Embarrassing Bodies?

It's a show from England where a crew of doctors
encourage people to visit their traveling health clinic
and bring forward their most embarrassing/scary/hideous ailments.

And oh, they do.

And they show it all.
All of the ins and outs, so to speak.
It's quite something.

The thing that amazes me is that the patients go from being completely ashamed of their
rashes / weird growths / fears of STDs, etc.
to bearing it all on (inter)national television!
(Seriously - don't watch this one with the kids.)

Don't get me wrong - I don't think there's anything wrong with it
they are encouraging people to shed their fears and come forward before things get really bad
or to alleviate their worries
and telling them that there is nothing they haven't seen.
Nothing to be ashamed of.
It's all just bodies.
Medicine
and hopefully,
better health.
I just think it's incredible that they describe how embarrassed they are
and then pull it out to have it probed.

Only the British could do this.


You can watch full episodes on YouTube
(if you dare.)