I'm still really busy, between Christmas visiting, work, and prep for New Years. Adding a wrinkle which I didn't need, I'm just coming off of a two day migraine which has left me far behind where I should be. So my reading/watching/blogging has also been on hold for the most part. Due to that, I'm just whipping off a quick post about a new t-shirt I just got. Not as a gift; I actually was purchasing a novelty tee for one of my sisters at RedBubble and couldn't resist picking up this one for myself. It is, of course, an image taken from one of my favourite comedies of all time His Girl Friday (1940) starring obviously, the wonderful Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell. This illustration of them is quite delightfully accurate, right down to the dimple in Grant's chin.
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Christmas baking continued with some pumpkin chip loaves to give away... Sigh... pulled pork for one. I had made a crock pot of pulled pork and biscuits to take along to my sister's annual It's A Wonderful Life watch party but there was a storm on Friday which necessitated the party being cancelled. However, my brother and his wife always host a Christmas Eve drop-in after our respective church services, so I toook some of the pulled pork to that, as well as some of my cookies and a loaf. I've also made some cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning; we always have a big breakfast, though it was a quick one this year since it was Sunday and we had to leave for the morning service, hence making the rolls ahead of time. I was on sweet potato casserole duty for Christmas dinner, which we had after church on Sunday: I made apple pie for dessert: I made a strawberry/orange trifle, too. Christmas Day was a wonderful time with family, as was Boxing Day. Then it was back to work, though I have a few days off around New Years which is a good thing, since our big family get together is New Years Day, and we also have a games night on New Years Eve. So there's more food preparation to be done. “The earth has grown old with its burden of care, but at Christmas it always is young, the heart of the jewel burns lustrous and fair, and its soul full of music breaks the air, when the song of angels is sung.” – Phillips Brooks I will, of course, be returning to reviews as soon as the Christmas craziness is over; I need to finish the one for King Solomon's Mines, as well as Rings of Power, and review a couple of my latest reads. Also, over the last couple of nights, I've started watching the new Jack Ryan series. More on that later.
We recently watched Mickey's Christmas Carol, Disney's animated retelling of Charles Dickens' 1843 work, with two young nieces. It was first released in 1983 when Disney was still capable of producing quality entertainment for kids, so it's a straight-up retelling without Tiny Tim being non-binary or Fezziwig being denounced as a toxic representative of the patriarchy. This is actually a pretty good adaptation of A Christmas Carol with good match-ups of Disney animated characters with the various roles in the story; Scrooge McDuck is, of course a no brainer for Ebenezer Scrooge and Mickey is an obvious choice for Bob Cratchit. One of my favourite and not so obvious casting choices was the character of Black Pete as a menacing and gleefully malicious Ghost of Christmas Future. Though my four year old niece was rather spooked by him and had to get up and sit on her Mum's lap for the duration of his time on the screen. It also has some pretty humorous lines in it; I always laugh when Scrooge says that Marley left him money to pay for his headstone, and he had him buried at sea. It's also short, clocking in at about half an hour, so doesn't require much of a time investment for parents who have young children with early bedtimes. All in all, not my favourite adaptation by any stretch, but a good introduction for children to this classic tale. A better adaptation is 1992's The Muppet Christmas Carol, starring Michael Caine as Scrooge. We recently watched this as well. Unlikely as it seems, this film manages to successfully mesh together puppets, people, slapstick humour, and genuine pathos, producing a movie which truly expresses the message of the original work. A lot of the credit for this belongs to the puppeteers who so adeptly manage to convey human emotion through their muppet characters and of course Michael Caine, who plays Scrooge as if he were appearing in a West End production, not co-starring with a fabric frog. It also doesn't hurt that the music score is great. Speaking of which, we always watch this on an old VHS tape we have, because it's the only version which has The Love Is Gone in it, the song which was stupidly cut for the theatrical release. This was a bizarre misstep, because anyone with an understanding of narrative structure can see that excluding this song messes it up. The song is sung by Belle, the fiancee whom Ebenezer leaves behind in his obsession with riches. Then, at the end, it is reprised by Scrooge himself, only now as The Love We Found, completing the thought. But of course, to those who watch the cut version, this reprise seems to spring from nowhere and packs no emotional punch, not showing that Scrooge has now received the love which he once scornfully rejected. Also, the cut leaves a rather abrupt and unsatisfying end to that scene in Scrooge's past, though maybe that wouldn't be noticed as much if the viewer hadn't seen the uncut version previously. In any case, watch the original version with The Love Is Gone if at all possible; I understand that Disney+ released it this year on their streaming service, though of course I never recommend subscribing considering what they've been up to lately. Related Posts:We had our Secret Santa gift exchange at work; this is what I got- a really cute nativity scene made mostly with felt and buttons: And also this Christmas ornament with a Jane Austen quote on it... obviously my secret Santa knows what I like. “ I wish you a cheerful and at times even a Merry Christmas.” — Jane Austen I've started my Christmas baking, with several dozen cookies: Rather randomly, here's pics of a couple of my ornaments which I put on the family tree last Sunday at the homestead: Speaking of Jane Austen, one of my nephews has been assigned Pride & Prejudice to read over the Christmas break. I foresee a viewing of the 1995 miniseries in the near future. “I sincerely hope your Christmas...may abound in the gaieties which the season generally brings…” ― Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice Related Posts:We're entering the backstretch now, and I'm trying to finish up my crafting so I can start in on my baking. One of my sisters asked me to make new stockings for her kids, so I sewed those up last week: I finished these socks a while ago, and am using them as part of a gift: I finished this market bag last week too, and it's part of my gift for one of my sisters: I'm taking part in a Secret Santa gift exchange at work; I knit this cat ornament for part of the gift, and am putting it with a box of chocolates to give. I also sewed this little Scotty dog ornament which I'm putting on my Mum's Christmas gift: Yesterday afternoon a bunch of us went down to the homestead for family dinner, followed by tree decorating: My parents' cat was taking quite a bit of interest in the progression of the tree... I have a feeling this may end badly. In the evening after this was my church's Sunday School Christmas concert, which was a good time: a number of my nephews and nieces were involved and did really well. My almost-three year old niece was in the children's choir and appeared to be labouring under the impression that it was a competition of some sort, judging by the way she bellowed out the lyrics of Away In A Manger and Jesus Loves Me . If it had been, she definitely would have won the prize for volume, if not melody. So that's what I'm up to at the moment. I have lots of Christmas stuff going on this week, so most other things have been put on hold at the moment. I'll update in a couple of days... I may be in a panic by then, if I haven't got enough done. Related Posts:Handel's Messiah performed by Symphony Nova Scotia took place last night and was, of course, amazing and uplifting. I sat with two of my sisters, one whose husband was singing in the choir. Another sister and her husband were seated elsewhere in the auditorium, because they had decided later than us that they were going to go, and by then couldn't get seats near us. We also ran into one of our cousins, her husband and kids in the foyer after the program was over, so the family was quite well represented. The production was very well done, though the sound was a little muffled due to the fact that all of the singers were forced to wear masks- an absolutely ridiculous thing which all local choral groups are still doing, which is why I haven't returned to my choir. The choir and strings had to be masked, while the soloists, conductor, and brass and wind instrumentalists were unmasked. Also, the singers were all hanging around together pre- and post-performance sans masks, and just slapping them on when they were on stage. It's all theater-literally. But enough of that *takes deep breath and thinks Christmas-y thoughts*. The soloists were by and large very good, with the alto soloist being the real standout- and I'm not just saying that because I'm an alto: she really was incredibly good. My one quibble is that the tenor soloist was too quiet; sometimes on high notes he would really lose volume almost like he was unsure of his notes, though he was always on key. But it was a bit disappointing in when first tenor solo- Comfort Ye My People- sounded quiet and unsure, almost like a question instead of an emphatic statement. For an example of how it's supposed to sound, check out the first post I've linked to below. Other than a lack of volume, however, he was fine. Every other time I've gone to Messiah, I've been in the front part of the balcony where the view has always been great. This year we were seated on the main floor, which was an interesting change. It would have been fine except the person sitting in front of me was really tall and, even with the floor slanting down to the stage, my 5 ft. 1 self couldn't see unless I had my head cocked to either one side or the other, depending on which side of the stage I wanted to see. Short people problems. The conductor seemed very good; my brother-in-law was very impressed with his direction. Though I did roll my eyes a little at his introductory speech at the beginning of the concert... he said something to the effect that Messiah told the story of Jesus Christ, but "more importantly" it was a message of peace to the world. But that was just my Baptist sensibilities kicking in- and eye rolling isn't so bad: I already had had my sister jab her elbow in my side because I audibly let out an impatient sigh at the "unceded Mi'kmaq territory" land acknowledgement spiel they started off the evening with. I'd be willing to pay more for my tickets to events if we could dispense with the useless and meaningless virtue signaling which inevitably ensues. *Takes deep breath and thinks Christmas-y thoughts*. All in all, though, it was a lovely evening; Handel's Messiah is a beautiful work full of breathtaking moments. I just love it. This is Worthy Is The Lamb & the Amen Chorus; they're just amazing... the only downside is that hearing them means that Messiah is coming to an end. Related Posts:My sister recently got a new kitten which she named Perchik, after the character in Fiddler on the Roof. One can only hope that he's not a radical Marxist like the original Perchik. My sister's other cat, Mr. Tumnus, is not particularly pleased by the arrival of the young interloper. He is currently skulking around sullenly, refusing to look at Perchik. He may just have suspicions about his politics. Fiddler On the Roof is one of my sister's favourite musicals, as it is mine; hence the kitten's name. In fact, last Christmas I gave her a book of piano music for all the songs from Fiddler. Here's the introduction of Perchik in the film version: Related Posts:My nephews' home school co-op had their Christmas recital on Saturday night which was a really good time. This is a picture of one of my nephews, who is in his second year of piano lessons, playing a duet, Polovtsian Dance (Alexander Borodin, Prince Igor) with his teacher (parent of a couple of the other homeschool kids). He did an excellent job. The eldest of the nephews recited Shakespeare's poem Winter ( from Love's Labour's Lost) Winter When icicles hang by the wall, And Dick the shepherd blows his nail, And Tom bears logs into the hall, And milk comes frozen home in pail, When blood is nipp’d and ways be foul, Then nightly sings the staring owl, Tu-whit; Tu-who, a merry note, While greasy Joan doth keel the pot. When all aloud the wind doth blow, And coughing drowns the parson’s saw, And birds sit brooding in the snow, And Marion’s nose looks red and raw, When roasted crabs hiss in the bowl, Then nightly sings the staring owl, Tu-whit; Tu-who, a merry note, While greasy Joan doth keel the pot. William Shakespeare The youngest nephew (of four) recited a poem called The Snowman, while dressed in a top hat and carrying a carrot nose (he later ate the carrot). I'm not sure where that one was from, and the author was unknown, so I can't reproduce it here. Nephew number three recited Seal Lullaby by Rudyard Kipling: Seal Lullaby Oh! hush thee, my baby, the night is behind us, And black are the waters that sparkled so green. The moon, o'er the combers, looks downward to find us At rest in the hollows that rustle between. Where billow meets billow, there soft be thy pillow; Ah, weary wee flipperling, curl at thy ease! The storm shall not wake thee, nor shark overtake thee, Asleep in the arms of the slow-swinging seas. The two older nephews also sang a duet: a Latin Christmas carol entitled Gaudete which is thought to have been written in the 16th century; it appears in Piae Cantiones, a collection of sacred songs published in 1582. Only the verses appear in that work, though; it is typically sung to a tune which was a standard in liturgical books of the time, and predates the lyrics. The nephews also participated in a couple of group songs, including one of my favourite Christmas hymns In The Bleak Midwinter by Christina Rossetti: All of the children did so well, and had obviously put a lot of time and effort into making the evening a special one. Oh, and a few of the other children sang Matthew's Begats by Andrew Peterson, from Behold the Lamb of God which is my favourite contemporary Christmas album. The co-op also worked very hard this fall, making craft projects which they subsequently sold at a couple of local Christmas craft markets. They brought what they had left over to the recital to sell, and everything went rapidly. I hadn't known this was happening and only had a little cash on me- which was all they could take- but managed to snag a couple of items: a sea glass suncatcher and a coaster- not bad, for $6.50. I didn't know this when I bought it, but it turns out the sea glass crab was made by one of my nephews. Between the two markets and the recital night, the co-op made enough profit from their craft sales to buy a scroll saw for their workshop (in the garage of one of the families). So all in all, a really fun night of great performances- and good food: they served coffee, tea, and hot chocolate as well as cookies and squares in the foyer afterwards- always a good way to end an evening. I really do love all the concerts which occur this time of year. Next on my event agenda: Handel's Messiah by the Nova Scotia Symphony this coming Friday night; One of my brothers-in-law is singing in it. Related Posts:The primary storyline is that of Galadriel's Javert-like hunt for Sauron. Galadriel is of course the royal elf who most are familiar with from The Lord of the Rings- the novels or movies, or both. This show takes place long before the time period in Middle Earth during which those take place, as described in Tolkien's Unfinished Tales and The Silmarillion. As I previously mentioned, I haven't read either of those but not to worry: it doesn't appear that the writers of Rings of Power spent much time perusing their pages either. In any case, according to this episode, Sauron killed Galadriel's brother after which she takes up his sword and vows to find and kill Sauron. She's been obsessively chasing him around Middle Earth for hundreds of years and has as yet been unsuccessful in tracking him down. Despite obsessively seeking him for centuries over hill and dale, R of P would have us believe that she's also "commander of the northern armies" which is apparently a casual job she can pick up whenever she decides to take a break from Sauron hunting. The show writers appear to know even less about how a military functions than they do about hunting. We're introduced to Galadriel in a flashback to her childhood- narrated at length by adult Galadriel- when some other elf children are mean to her, throwing rocks at an origami paper boat she's made and sinking it. She responds by leaping upon one of the boys, knocking him down and punching him. I get the feeling that the show is signalling a couple of messages about Galadriel: 1) she will invariably best any male she comes against in physical combat and 2) when she attacks or abuses others, it will always be because she was herself treated badly, or goaded into it in some way. Galadriel cannot be wrong; she can only be wronged. Nothing which occurs in episode one gives me reason to doubt this hypothesis. Galadriel's older brother Finrod stops her from pounding the other kid and then imparts words of wisdom to her, except they actually don't mean anything.: F: "Do you know why a ship floats and a stone cannot? Because the stone sees only downward; the darkness of the water is vast and irresistible. The ship feels the darkness as well, striving moment by moment to master her and pull her under. But the ship has a secret. For unlike the stone, her gaze is not downward but up, fixed upon the light that guides her, whispering of grander things than darkness ever knew." G: "But sometimes the lights shine just as brightly reflected in the water as they do in the sky. It's hard to say which way is up and which way is down. How am I to know which lights to follow?" F: "Sometimes we cannot know until we have touched the darkness." Now, I love clever, well-written dialogue and am willing to forgive a show or movie which contains it quite a lot- wooden acting, poor special effects, even some questionable plot points- but this ain't it. This is needlessly convoluted and frankly, fatuous nonsense. Finrod's rhetorical question is ridiculous; a stone does not sink because it's looking downwards and attracted to darkness. Likewise, a ship does not float because it is "looking" at the light. But let's pretend for a moment that his metaphor- if that's what it's supposed to be- makes some sort of logical sense; when Galadriel asks how she can know which lights to follow, he tells her that sometimes you have to touch the darkness before you can know which way is up. If this reply is supposed to complete his previous thought, what Finrod is saying is that, in order to float, you first have to sink... this metaphor becomes more and more tortured as we go along. Boats actually float much better if they haven't sunk first, and I know from personal experience. As a child I took a boating safety course during which we were required to paddle a canoe out to the middle of the lake and then fill it with water up to the gunwhales, causing it to sink to surface level (canoes contain air pockets so can't completely sink). Then we- the kids in the canoe- were to get out, arrange ourselves on either side of the canoe, and vigorously see-saw the sides up and down until we got enough water out to refloat the boat. The problem was, we couldn't do it; I suspect none of us were at the time big/strong enough to push down hard enough while treading water, to accomplish the task. Instead, we ended up swimming to a nearby small island, dragging the swamped canoe with us to where, once we could stand on the bottom, we turned the canoe over and dumped out all the water before paddling sheepishly back to shore. All this to say that the dialogue here, like so much of what is said and done in this episode, means nothing and doesn't work on any level. You know where you can find a successful rhetorical question? In the movie Batman Begins: "Why Do We Fall, Bruce? So We Can Learn To Pick Ourselves Up." Succinct, to the point, and makes perfect sense. Unlike any conversation in this show. Then too, we have this scintillating conversation between Galadriel and Elrond: G: "You Have Not Seen What I Have Seen." E: "I’ve Seen My Share." G: "You Have Not Seen What I Have Seen." Amazing! It's like Aristophanes, Shakespeare, and Bernard Shaw all rolled into one. Leaving aside- for the moment- Galadriel's monumental arrogance, this dialogue is just ghastly. In fact, most of the dialogue in this episode is awful. Tolkien's elves tend to speak in a rather old world, slightly formal way. The elves in The Rings of Power sound well, modern, for lack of a better term. Galadriel often sounds like a sulky, grievance-mongering millennial, Elrond is the epitome of the term "metrosexual" and when Finrod is going on with all that light and darkness/floating and sinking claptrap, he sounds like some smarmy self-help guru. I half expected him to pull out a bottle of essential oils and start talking about self-care and learning to love yourself as you are. This isn't even addressing the way everyone looks- hair cut short and perfectly coiffed and styled... Elrond looks like he's ready for a L'Oriel commercial, not any kind of serious action. But more on that in my next post, for now let's just stick with the writing which, story-wise and dialogue-wise, is very badly done. And really, there's no excuse for this: with the excessive amounts of money they spent, they could certainly afford to hire good writers. And they're using- allegedly- source material by a writer who was famed as a linguist, to the point that he wrote whole languages to lend a sense of realism to his novels. These people couldn't manage to find examples to follow of how his characters were supposed to sound and act? They only possible explanation is that they didn't care about being true to Tolkien, either in the letter or spirit of his writing- or worse, thought that they knew better than he did. In my third- and final- post on this episode of The Rings of Power, I'll discuss the rest of the plot and why none of the characters- especially Galadriel- are compelling in any way. Related Posts: |
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