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November 29, 2006
Assorted Recommendations
*We've seen two terrific movies over the last week:
An old one--You Can't Take It With You, with Jimmy Stewart (my favorite actor of all time!), hilarious and sweet.
And a recent one, Children of Heaven, directed by Majid Majidi. Years ago, I saw his movie Colors of Paradise, a heartbreaking but luminous film about the way that a blind boy experiences the world. Children of Heaven told a simple story--an Iranian brother and sister have to share one pair of sneakers between them--in a profoundly moving way. It captures a child's point of view in a way that reminds me a bit of Ponette. The two children are incredible actors, innocent but performing with shattering intensity.
*And we just rented a wonderful film from Netflix, Joyeux Noel. We saw it last year in one of Pittsburgh's fabulous itty-bitty theaters that features independent and foreign films. It's based on a true story of a very short ceasefire on the first Christmas Eve of WWI. It's one of the best war films I've ever seen, right up there with Life is Beautiful and Jean (son of the Impressionist) Renoir's La grand illusion
Posted by Tim and Jo at 7:37 PM | Comments (0)
November 28, 2006
Remembrance of Toys Past
We spent Thanksgiving with Tim's family this year. Thursday was the big family celebration (over thirty people), and Friday was our tour of duty, visiting all the fun people we didn't get to see on Thanksgiving day itself.
There was a big surprise at Aunt Martha's house. When Tim's mom died about ten years back, and his dad moved back in with his own mother, much of the household stuff was thrown away. Unknown to us, Aunt Martha rescued some boxes of Tim's childhood toys, and kept them all these years.
I felt like I had been transported back into little Timmy's world.
"Only the opener of Tutenkamen's tomb would know how she felt.”--Amelie
First, we dug through his key chain collection. He had everything from dinosaurs to Rubix cubes to Snoopy and Smurfs.
Then we found other treasures, like
A bit before my time, his Riviton set. My reaction, "What? It doesn't need batteries?!?"
And the most special thing, Tim's baby blanket, quilted by his Aunt Helen and embroidered by his mom.
Posted by Tim and Jo at 10:12 AM | Comments (2)
November 17, 2006
fun recipe, fun website
This has made our house smell good all day.
And this site cracks me up every time I see it. I had a unique style as a child, perhaps related to the years of homeschooling? I would walk around in inside out sweaters (maybe I liked the pattern better from the inside), and occasionally parade around with an elastic belt wrapped around my head (Indian princess? Hippy child? Not sure what I was thinking with that one).
Posted by Tim and Jo at 4:49 PM | Comments (0)
I *heart* library book sales
I popped by our little library--two blocks down the street from us--to dig through their book sale.
I found an unusual CD that I used to have (it had been broken in a friend's car accident). This is by far the coolest choral CD I've ever owned.
I found a book for my dissertation.
I found a DVD of Handel's Water Music, with recreations of authentic Baroque dances (thrilling the music appreciation teacher inside of me).
I found a couple of Christmas presents.
I found a cookbook on herbs and spices, with historical introductions to each spice, and recipes following.
I found a couple of homeschooling families--one mother who was keeping her eye out for books for her daughter. Another mother brought in her several kids, talking with them as she prepared to let them loose, like hounds on the scent of their quarry. It brought back memories from many years ago of my own somewhat eccentric education, the curriculum formed from a pastiche of materials--oftentimes stumbled on at library book sales and the like. I confess that I came out wanting to have kids so that I can educate them through library book sales.
Now back to the dissertation...
Posted by Tim and Jo at 2:22 PM | Comments (1)
November 14, 2006
Further Adventures of Squirrel Nutkin
After this, Squirrel Nutkin was rather put out at the discourteous invasion of his privacy. The tapping and the peeking and the flashing lights. Assai!!
Checking the window a couple days later, we found this:
He had ripped the leaves off of the ivy vines, and woven them together to create an impenetrable wall between us.
Now when we tap on the window, we just see a little tail swishing annoyedly.
A few days later, he came to our dining room window, perhaps as a gesture of reconciliation. He gazed in at the window, making little sniffy faces as I put my hand on the window opposite his paw. This pseudo-handshake expressed our mutual goodwill toward each other, as well as the desire to continue our acquaintance.
Wishing to further restore neighborly relations, the following peace offering has been given.
Judging by the rapidity in which this offering was disposed, as well as subequent peeps into the window, there has been a full restoration of amiability on all sides.
The moral?
Ivy fences make good neighbors.
Posted by Tim and Jo at 11:02 AM | Comments (0)
November 3, 2006
Flower Children
I've been working on crocheting an afghan for over a year now. It frequently gets set aside for other big projects--like the dissertation. But I'm nearly finished with the first stage, making billions of hexagons.
The pattern is called Grandmother's Flower Garden.
Here are my little hexagons, all lined up in a row.
Then they'll become flowers.
Then they'll aquire a background.
Then they'll find other little flower friends, and be "joined together" in a community called The Afghan.
Posted by Tim and Jo at 3:09 PM | Comments (2)
Crockpots and Fugues
I've found a new approach to cooking lately. I've gradually come to see recipes (at least for cooking--nervous about the changing the chemistry of baking) as process not form. Reminds me of a counterpoint class I took and one that I thankfully was able to avoid. The one I didn't take taught writing fugues as (1) take a previously written theme (2) follow rule x + y + z +...to (3)come up with the perfect psuedo-Baroque cookie cutter fugue. And if you follow the rules right, everyone will come up with the same fugue. Shudder. The other (thank you Dr. Steele!) taught fugue as a process, a way of creatively exploring melodies.
Anyway, back on topic, here's what I "composed" this morning in my crockpot.
Chicken Enchilada Chili
Layer
1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 can cannellini beans (ditto)
2-3 chicken breasts
1 large can kidney beans
1 large onion, large dice
2 red and/or green bell peppers, large dice
1 large can tomatoes in puree mixed with 1 packet enchilada mix,
[OR 1 regular (16 oz.) can of tomatoes mixed with one can of enchilada sauce] mixed with 4 minced cloves of garlic (or to taste), 1 tblsp. cumin, 1/2-1 tsp. powdered chipotle pepper, 2 tsp. paprika, 2 tsp. coriander
1 bottle of beer, or 1 cup chicken broth
Cook about 8 hours on low. Shred chicken breasts and mix in.
I'm hoping we'll have some leftovers to make real enchiladas with.
Posted by Tim and Jo at 1:01 PM | Comments (0)
A rare feeling
Words are sweet this morning and yield themselves to my plucking fingers.
Hope it continues!
Posted by Tim and Jo at 12:46 PM | Comments (0)