Sounds like...

 

So the other day, Bear was on the phone with some customer service person or other - a woman - and he had her on speaker phone, which means I could hear both sides of the conversation.

I was sitting at my computer desk, just a few feet away, working on something or just tooling around online, can't remember what.  The thing is, I wasn't really paying too much attention to his phone call, until my mind started doing that "ping" thing every time the woman spoke.

Then I started listening to her - not what she was saying as much as the way she sounded... and then I realized.  She sounded just like Wendy Torrance (played by Shelly Duvall) in "The Shining"!

When she's not screaming and running, Wendy has a very distinctive, slightly-southern-sounding accent.  Her unique voice modulation can most easily be heard during her conversations with the doctor in the apartment after Danny has been seen...

...and also when chef Dick Halloran is showing Wendy and Danny around the massive kitchens and food storage areas of the Overlook Hotel.

She has a way of speaking and then laughing softly.  This customer service woman was giving me the prickles on the back of the neck with how much she sounded like Wendy.

Finally, when the phone call was winding down, I wandered over and butted in on the conversation.  I told her who her voice reminded me of, and she said she hadn't seen "The Shining" in a long time, but would have to watch it again and listen to Wendy.

Super uncanny, that.  I mean, it was days ago, and I'm still thinking about it.  Now I'm jonesing to watch the film again...

Okay, now I'm really pissed off.

 

Not long ago, I did a post on the still life / vanitas paintings of old, and mentioned that one of my favorite artists of this genre was Pieter Claesz.

Imagine my excitement when I found out that the Metropolitan Museum of Art right here in NYC has the above painting by Pieter Claesz!!!

Immediately my mind raced, and I started making plans with Bear to go into the city and see it firsthand, then stop somewhere special to eat, make an adventure of it...

Today, I went back onto the MMA website, because that's what I do when I'm making plans, I haunt the websites of the places and things I want to see... and there I saw, underneath the listing for this painting, the following words:

"Not on display."

I am CRUSHED.  They have it!  They have it there!!  And they're not showing it!?!?!?!?  What is going on, people?

Of course I wrote an email to the museum staff right away, asking why it's not on display, and when it might return to being on display....

I'm certainly not going to pay fifty bucks (or is it $75 now?) to take the train into and out of the city, fight crowds, and walk my feet off, to NOT be able to see the one painting among all the thousands they have there that I'm so excited to see!

RATS.

The Days of Wine and Languor

 

This summer is a strange one, or it just feels that way.  Almost no rain, so I'm running like a fool, back and forth with the hose and sprinkler, trying to keep everything alive.

Even though the cottage is air-conditioned and I know it, I can sense the heat outside and it makes me feel languorous and couch-drapey.

Happily, I have not yet reached the stage where my reflection in the mirror looks like someone else, but I do get the feeling that all the edges have softened when the air is heavy and humid.

Of course I have to go to work, but if I had my druthers, I'd just lie around looking at my favorite paintings...

... listening to Brandon Acker playing the lute...

...writing letters...

 

The truth is, I spend most of the summer waiting for autumn (my favorite time of year).  That's when it's cool enough to get out and do things without dissolving into a puddle of sweat or getting sunburned.  When the days are warm but the nights are cool enough for jackets and crackling fires.

As it turns out, women through the ages have felt the same way about summer that I do, if the paintings are to be believed:

Marcheline Gets Personal for a Hot Second

 

Most of the time I write a post here I'm being snarky, or posting photos of a project, or whatever.  I don't often delve into deeply personal stuff.  For whatever reason, I have decided to stray from that path for a hot second.  Then I'll go back to being a snarky eejit.

I recently wrote someone a letter, and I think that what I said really encompasses some important things that maybe someone else who reads this blog might need to see in print.  

I don't know this, I just think maybe someone else might be at the same point in their life, and needs encouragement.  Or maybe someone will read this who figured it out a long time ago, and they can just say "Yep.", either to themselves, or to me in the comments.

Here it is:

"The things that keep going around in my head are like this... I mind my own business, I work a full-time job that is stressful, I have a lot of things that I need to do around here, with the house and the gardens, and I take care of animals... I don't act aggressively toward anyone in my family, I don't call them to tell them upsetting things, I don't insult anyone or treat people badly - and yet somehow I always end up with people either doing that to me, or being angry with me, or trying to make me feel as if I've fallen short in some way. 

 Basically, I'm tired of it. I'm going to be 56 years old this December, and I've just reached that point in my life where I don't think it's wrong to want what pleases me. 

 I want a quiet life. 

 I want peacefulness. 

 I want beauty. 

 Art. 

 Music. 

 Books. 

 Writing. 

 I have come to the point where if people involve themselves in my life and they are fractious, grating, offensive, or irritating, I will peacefully remove myself from the situation. I don't wish anyone any harm, I just want people to leave me alone if they can't be pleasant and kind. 

 Of course, this is not to say that I won't talk to someone if they need my help. If they need to talk to me about their problems, or anything that I can help with, of course I realize that life is not all kitties and puppies, and things must be dealt with. I'm always open to that. 

 But aggressive political and personal agendas are just not my cup of tea, and I guess I've just come to the place in my life where I have realized that I don't owe anyone the sacrifice of my peace of mind. 

 I am not chasing people down if they don't call me. If they have something good to tell me, they have my phone number or email address. If I have something to say to them, I will call them. If they want to piss someone off, they can just call someone else. 

 I'm not laying down ultimatums, or taking action against anyone. I'm just being quiet, and peaceful, and staying away from situations that disrupt my groove. 

 Know what I mean?"

Marcheline just saw a new (2021) movie, and IT WAS SO GOOD!!! (Actually, it was delicious!)

 Because I am such a movie addict, when I fall across a really good one I just have to tell everyone that I know and love (or even slightly like) about it.  Because telling other people about it is like reliving the first viewing myself, only better, because I see even more cool stuff about it.

(Deep breath) - So... I present:

Otherwise known as:

Because yes, this is a French movie... but the French is lovely and soft on the ears (it's country French, not city French, if you know what I mean), and the subtitles are very large and clear and easy to read, and exceptionally well done, I might add.

This is one of those rare movies that has no rumpy-pumpy, no recreational drugs, and no serial killers, and is STILL a really great romp.  There is (obviously) a lot of delicious food, so don't watch it on an empty stomach.  Definitely make a huge bowl of popcorn, or order some pizza and wings, or lay out a big cheeseboard and crackers for this one.  It's worth it!

You can watch this with your kids, your special someone, or your grandmother - or no one at all.  No need to cover any ears or eyes.  A real rarity these days!  (Not that I'm a prude - I watch all the raunchy movies too, but I wouldn't suggest most of them to people who have kids, etc.)  I suppose what I mean is, with 4 out of 5 movies blowing everything up every five seconds, it's such a relaxing experience to see a film that soothes you and leaves you happy (and hungry).

There's intrigue, stubbornness, unfairness, revenge, bad guys, good guys, and some pretty darn good plot twists, as well.  There's even an homage to still-life paintings (squeeeee!).  You just have to see it.  

I suppose I was destined to love it, because the main character is a big-hearted guy with a beard, and he gets called "a bear" (and I am lucky enough to live with one of those!)...

My job here is done.

You're welcome, in advance.

PS: Wait until all the closing credits are over, because there's an easter egg at the end that is SO worth it!  

Sometimes, life is just like

 

Vanitas, Vanitatum, Et Omnia Vanitas...

 

A little while ago, I blogged about how hard I have fallen for the still life and vanitas paintings of the 1500s and 1600s.  Being the type of person who never thinks enough is actually enough, I decided to rummage around my house and see if I could come up with enough to do a photography project whereby I create my own vanitas tableaux.

I started at 8AM and worked straight through until nearly 10:30PM... and here is a sampling of the results (click to see large versions):

What do you think?