Living out in the woods, I delight in the ephemeral nature of and variety of mushrooms that abound. They push forth with determination and are gone almost before I can go fetch a camera. On my list to learn more about them and identify them.
Same tree now, as seen from opposite end.
It has been fascinating watching its decay and observing all the life that this dead tree has supported.
I have a confession. I’ve never read any Daphne du Maurier. I plan to remedy this soon. She concocts impressive plots and they’ve been made into legendary films.
Saw Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds (1963) as a kid of course; fabulous.
Don’t Look Now (1974) with Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie, well, wow. A fine example of how parents had no idea what we kids were watching. I saw it as a young teen and it scared me silly. It remains one of the weirdest movies that I like. Haunting. Dreamlike. Creepy. I recently got the book, but haven’t gotten to it yet. Eager to know how true to the book the film was. It’s high on the to-read-next-pile.
Rebecca (1940) with Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine, and a small part by George Sanders who is so much fun to dislike. Also a Hitchcock classic. Perfection.
But last night, watched My Cousin Rachel for the first time. Had never heard of it! How is that possible? Wowee. In the gothic tradition of Rebecca, but directed by David O. Selznick, it should stand firmly with the greats, Rebecca (1940; Wuthering Heights (1939); Laura (1944) Clifton Webb, Dana Andrews, Gene Tierney; and Gaslight (1944) Ingrid Bergman, Joseph Cotton, Charles Boyer.
The plot is simple enough: a young man (Richard Burton) is raised by his devoted uncle, Ambrose Ashley. His uncle leaves for Italy, but does not return as planned, instead, he marries a distant cousin and remains in Italy. Not long after, the nephew receives two letters indicating that the uncle is unwell and suggests that his wife is killing him. The nephew packs off to Italy only to arrive too late, the uncle has just died and his wife has vacated their home.
It’s all very suspicious. The nephew vows to get revenge. All seems straightforward until he meets his cousin Rachel; she is not at all the gold-digging viper he imagined.
Or is she?
Don’t want to give too much away. This film grabbed me and kept me guessing. Just love it!
And check out how young Richard Burton was! “Introducing Richard Burton!”
The stunning film is in black and white. The cinematography is gorgeous. The acting is superb–and it really was acting, as they seem to have convincing chemistry when in real life Burton had issues with his prima donna leading lady.
Check out the trailer!
https://www.imdb.com/video/vi2525217561/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_4
As with all films it seems, there has been a remake and even a TV mini series. Can’t speak to them; haven’t seen them. Well worth a gander at this original. Atmospheric, and I’ve heard, Burton portrayed a more refined Philip than Daphne du Maurier created. Not surprising.
I stumbled on this film at the library recently. Had never heard of it. Perhaps it’s a little slow for today’s standards, and reviews are luke warm, but if you like Hitchcock films, or films from the 60s and 70s in general, this is well worth a look-see. I enjoyed Dame Elizabeth Taylor in this.
A stormy night. Ellen looks out at the decrepit windows of the house next door. The shutters are closed but perhaps one is banging. In a flash of lightning, she sees a bloody body sitting in a chair by the window. She screams and calls for her husband, but of course, by the time he looks out, he sees nothing but the decrepit and closed shutters. She insists that they must call the police. As you might expect, the police arrive, search the house, find nothing. And so begins with what seems to be yet-another-wife-being-gaslit story which may lead you to lose patience with it… yeah, yeah, yeah, okay, either the creepy neighbor dude is up to something, or the husband is gaslighting her. Fine. We get it. Let’s move on.
Oh, it will get on with it! Have a little patience. The ending is worth it.
This was Elizbeth Taylor’s only performance in a “horror” movie. It’s pretty tame for a horror film, but it does qualify. I’d consider it giallo-esque, but then I’ve been deep diving into gialli lately. (Giallo = Italian mystery/slasher film)
Night Watch was based on a play by Lucille Fletcher, who also wrote Sorry, Wrong Number.
It’s Christmastime in North Central Florida which means temperatures vary in a day like seasons– wintery in the morning and summery by mid-day.
Haint wants to go to the beach–take a break from running her retreat. Relax. Instead, merry mayhem comes for her like an avalanche. Her retreat fills to capacity with friends and strangers.
October began with early morning hints of cooler weather to come. This got me to thinking of chili.
(You can skip the turkey and make this a vegetarian dish if you like.)
My three essential kitchen appliances are:
1) the coffee pot
2) the rice cooker
3) the slow cooker (I have two, large and small)
For the record, I’m an intuitive cook, which means I really stink at following step-by-step instructions of any kind. I love simple and easy and failproof. This is all that. Tasty and easy. If you can open a can, you can make this. No, it’s not haute cuisine, but you can prep it and walk away then come home later to a bowl of tasty, comfort food.
You can use whatever veggies you like, whatever spices you prefer. Here’s what I used:
1 package of ground turkey
1 carton of vegetable broth
1/2 can of black beans
1 whole can (small) red beans
1 package of frozen Italian vegetables (cauliflower, zucchini, carrots, Italian green beans)
1 small can white corn (drain water before adding)
1 small can diced tomatoes with cilantro and green chilies
1/2 Butternut squash
oregano
a garlic powder blend to season or two cloves chopped garlic
Can serve solo or with rice, bread, crackers, couscous.
I put the ground turkey in the bottom and poured in the vegetable broth and turned the cooker on high. Chopped the butternut squash in half, cubed one half, saved the other for another time. Added cubed squash. Added all other ingredients, seasoned with a garlic powder blend and oregano.
Allow to cook for 8 hours.
The first meal, we ate the chili with crackers; for a bit of variety, I made Israeli couscous seasoned with garlic and served the chili on the couscous. That worked out well for flavor and texture.
Walking a Basset isn’t like walking other dogs. You can’t assume that a “walk” will take a certain amount of time, because a walk has many phases beginning with motivation. Once the dog has agreed to go outside, the process beings. There will be at least one cycle of the following in no particular order:
What’s my motivation here?
1) sniffing
I’m on a mission. I’m a stick wrangler.
2)wandering in just about any direction that is not forward-moving
3) sprinting
4) resting
5) rolling
6) flat Basset: “I’m done! You ask too much! Cannot go another step! Legs paralyzed!”
7) play
8) dropping anchor –staying upright but driving invisible pylons deep into the ground below the front paws while shifting most of the weight to the back. If done adeptly, may pop out of collar or harness.
They are insanely cute, funny, sweet, and smart. But walking a Basset is an exercise in patience. This is not the dog for everyone. But if you have patience, it’s worth it.
Rated R for language.
Three tabloid journalists, Darius, Arnau, and Jeff, set out to investigate the author of this mysterious ad in the paper. Time travel? Is this a joke or the ravings of some crackpot? By staking out the post office box a respondent should reply to, they soon find Kenneth. He doesn’t seem that weird, in fact, he seems like an okay guy. It is quickly decided that Darius is the most likely of the three to gain his confidence.
Won’t tell you more, but this is high on my list of all-time favorite films for various reasons– terrific acting, quirky plot, setting, and mostly heart. This film has a lot of heart and chemistry, between the three investigators, and between Darius and Kenneth. Funny and moving, it managing to rehash the old girl-meets-boy story in a refreshingly original package.
Makes you want to read the want ads to find that special call for a partner…
Looking for a feel good movie? This is it.
Quick comment. You know how sometimes there’s just a special moment in a film that blows you away? This film has one. It’s so simple, so minor, and yet so amazing. When Darius “meets” Kenneth in the grocery store, she knows she has to hook him or she’ll lose him. She holds his gaze with her riveting, large eyes, while putting a can on a display shelf over her head. Plaza must have practiced this a few times, it sure doesn’t look easy to do. Impressive. Memorable. It works. He’s hooked. So are we. I was tempted to put a link to the trailer, but decided no, just go for it. The less you know the better. Just get the popcorn and hit play.
Favorite line: Kenneth: “That was before I got skills.”
I will say up front that this film is rated R for bloody images and violent content, so viewer discretion is advised. These days, it seems, kids see stuff far more graphic than this, but there are a few scenes that might be questionable.
This is one of my favorite movies. They made a TV series out of it, and I haven’t seen that yet. It’s on my list. The premise to this mockumentary is that a film crew was granted access to interview a group of vampires who share a flat in New Zealand–reality television with the undead. It’s hilarious! They don’t really get along all that well. They have the same mundane problems that college roomies do: there’s always someone who leaves a mess, doesn’t pay rent on time, won’t cooperate with flat rules. Then there are other problems, such as, how do you get dressed for a fancy party when you can’t see your own reflection? And then there’s that annoying gang of werewolves to deal with. (Know how to distract them? Throw a stick!) There’s an ancient vampire named Petyr in the basement who looks pretty corpsey and doesn’t speak. Viago, the most agreeable of the bunch, is in charge of feeding him. It seems Petyr might eat Viago if he’s not careful.
Co-written and co-directed by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi, this film is fresh, clever, and thoroughly entertaining. Taika as Viago is the pleaser, the one who wants to keep harmony and maintain a clean, respectable flat. Jemaine as Vladislav, self-described as “dead, but delicious” is charming but his love life is in shambles and he is tormented by “The Beast”–not who you might think. No need to wait until October to see it, though it’s a great way to start the spooky season. Even if you aren’t into vampires, you should expect to sink your teeth into this film.
Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 96/100!
Here is a link to the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAZEWtyhpes
So, I’m having one of those nothing-going-right days, and feeling pretty darned bleak about the state of the world today. Thought I’d take advantage of the tropical depression and take my aggressions out on some coral ardisia sprouting up in the woods. Got the bug spray, gloves, shovel, heavy-duty trash bags and set off. Dug up one big mama of an ardisia that had deep roots and tiny baby pups all around. Felt good to dig that up.
And then there was this repeated stinging sensation on my leg. Whipped my pants down and could not find the culprit. Shook them out. Pulled them back up.
Ouch! Another sting, higher up. Did the pants on the ground and the sweeping and the shaking. Didn’t find the culprit. I recognize the sting. I know who it was. According to a webpage called Green Pest Services Florida Ant Identification Guide (link below for full article), our culprit is the twig ant:
“The Mexican Twig Ant (Pseudomyrmex gracilis) sometimes referred to as an Oak Ant or Tree Ant, is a relatively minor pest on the Treasure Coast because they rarely come into homes. They are however quite numerous and common around homes and in commercial landscapes. These long thin ants are orange and black and typically found as single individuals. A sharp eye can spot one almost anywhere outdoors in South Florida. They prefer to live in trees and hedges and use their painful sting to defend their territory. Anyone having to do any tree trimming or landscaping runs the risk of becoming acquainted with this ants defense mechanism.”
Funny how it says a sharp eye can spot them. This is probably true. I don’t have sharp eyes. I only find them when I’m madly hunting through my clothing. I never see them in trees. If you live in a residential area in Florida with lawn service and pest control, you probably won’t encounter these demons. I live out in the woods and get to enjoy nature to its fullest: the ticks, mosquitoes, chiggers, and twig ants. It makes me feel better to read that they bite “defending their territory”. I thought it was just random sadistic pleasure, honestly. I have yet to invite one of these things into my wardrobe. But to be fair, perhaps I missed some frantic waving “No, go back! Get away!” from a tree branch.
I dunno. I don’t like them. I came inside, put some salve on and sat down to write this.
May your day be blessed and twig ant free.
Here’s the link to the full Florida Ants Identification Guide I mentioned:
What is Haint Blue?
Haint Blue is a color spectrum ranging from pale blue, to slate blue and even periwinkle.
Yup! My nickname is a paint color. I was born Helena Bluszczski but the nurse in the South Carolina hospital preemie ward saw that I was an albino and, well, no one could pronounce Bluszczski… so since I looked like a “haint” (ghost), I became Haint Blue. My brother Iggy took to calling himself Iggy Blue, but as far as I know, that’s NOT a color. Yet.
Here are some links to some videos about Haint Blue:
“The Story of Haint Blue” by This is Alabama https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=im4qkbMjazU
Here’s a cool little video of porch paint colors in varieties of Haint Blue. I like most of them. Blue Allure, Dix Blue are good. Icy Moon Drops is my favorite. Hey, who gets the cool jobs of naming paint colors anyway? I want that gig.
“Prettiest Shades of Haint Blue for Your Porch” by Southern Living https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6vBGTHoHDE
Haint's Retreat 