Well into summer-- 97 today.
I tended monster pumpkin vine an' tomatoes early in the day.
Intelligent folks behave opposite mad dawgs an' Englishmen.
They stand at the sink drinkin' iced tea an lookin' out at the shimmery heat.They read. They see movies. Rock on the porch an discuss movies an' books. (well pollyticks too, but is thar' anything new to say on that ? Sure--see BACKporch tomorrow.)
At the Nighttime Bookclub last night we feasted on homemade guacamole, homemade vichyssoise, smoked salmon an' caviar, an' strawberry panna cotta. A step up from our usual olives and nuts. I'se real real sorry y'all could not be thar'. It was sublime (hearin' this La DivaC?) We doan do it this grand every month--we's celebratin' our longevity despite havin' a diversity of political/ philosophical positions that we cling to like barnacles on a ship.
The movie to see next is the Herzog documentary on Cave Art--a 3 D movie too--an' the word is this cavern in France is the oldest known cave art--30,000 BC. but the BIG deal is that it depicts lions and hyenas an' rhinos--thangs that doan live in France no more, thas' fer sure.
Of course we got into a big yak over the pollyticks of closing the cave off--nobody can go in. French say it will degrade the paintings to let in people. They plan to seal it and prohibit entry so seein' this documentary is the last look humans is gonna git---well, regular humans. The select 10-12 people on earth whose archeology creds is god-like will be allowed in to study the cave art. The human mung (you an' me) have "breath that destroys" the paintings due to our CO2 exhales. So we ain't never gonna see inside, but, Frenchmen, do not despair! Y'all git pay fer keepin' it locked away cause yore tax euros will see to that. See? now youse part of the Cave Preservation Society. The Cave. Preserved. So preserved no one will ever see it. But it will be there. Not seen, but, you know, "there." For what? Why to be "there" unharmed and preserved.
This book club doan read no trash.
The DayTime Bookclub reads some "current" books. Some good, some trash. (what do yore bookclubs read??)
Any of y'all read The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake?
Not spoilin' thangs none by tellin' that the story line is girl who cain't eat much food cause she can taste the emotions (anger, despair) of whoever made the food. An exploration of the hidden emotional life of the people in our orbit. Aimee Bender's book is "magic realism". Oh.
They also discussed The Help author bein' sued by the help. I doan know the whys an' wherefores of the lawsuit, but the discussion moved on to how Andrew Wyeth "owed" some of his moola to Christina, too--like the help is demandin' of The Help author--Why?
because she was the one who "made" him (Christina's World above) by providin' inspiration for one of his famous paintings.
Well mah gracious. If an artist/ writer/ musician/ comedian makes money when they produce a book/ song/ painting/ routine from some event or person, they now owe a kickback to the subject? Not by mah accountin' --the subject din't do nothin' to turn the everyday self or event into a zillion seller artistic expression. Christina din't paint, she jes' went about her day, Wyeth memorialized it. Is she "due" some of his success?
What say ye?
Mah new read is Doc. A "faction" account of Doc Holliday's life:
"... dusty myths back to life in a deeply sympathetic, aggressively researched and wonderfully entertaining story. (More here)
I'se stealin' a few hours in the worst of the heat to sit an' read--lookin' out on the cool hued hydrangea bed. How does y'all beat the heat?
11 comments:
A friend recommended the lemon cake book to me because of my own synesthesia, but my Mount To Be Read is so high right now, I'm leery of adding anything to it.
I swear. I fear where our growing itch to litigate for every little thing thing will lead us. Perhaps to our own caves, where no one creates, much less looks at, art anymore.
You know, on the cave tour I took in the Black Hills, they quoted some startling statistics (which of course I don’t recall) about what they find when they “clean” the cave in the winter. A staggering amount of things like lint and human hair. And that cave doesn’t even have fancy – er, archeologically significant paintings. But it does make you wonder what the point of preservation is if no one can see them . . .
Hmmm as to that litigation by “the help.” In the novel, didn’t the protagonist try to share some of her original meager earnings with the women she wrote about? Of course, that would have been long before the book was to be made into a movie and could have been fictionalized . . .
The Lemon Cake book sounds intriguing, although I have been sadly neglectful of my own mountain of books as well as my office book club. But your menu last sounds mighty fine :)
Stay cool, Aunty.
xoxo, eggy
How do I beat the heat?
bwahahahhahahahahha.
No heat here, Aunty! But, I just finished THE HELP and loved it. I've not heard of The Lemon Cake but I'm in the need of a new book so I may pick up a copy or see if Mister Boxer will give up an audio book credit and download for it. Right now, I'm listening to MILDRED PIERCE. Written by James M. McCain and recently made into a very good HBO movie. I just finished listening to Tina Fey's BOSSY PANTS and enjoyed the audiio because she read it.
Back to the heat..... no heat... but we're back to the Island for our last weekend and the temperature is always a few degrees cooler there.
As for the lawsuit.... pfffft.
I can't read anymore and I haven't seen a movie in decades. I try to beat the heat via dietery practices.
Don't know if Moi has let loose of the French cave book yet, but judging by Moi's comment here, I guess not.
Heard Herzog interviewed on NPR about his movie. Conditions of making the movie were quite interesting. Hard to believe he pulled it off, esp. in 3-D. Had to design a lot of his own equipment to make it work, and could only shoot a few hours a day. I got the feeling that most of the film is first-and-only takes.
If you ever get the book from Moi, I hope you enjoy it. Frankly, it left me scratching my head a bit (and frustrated for book production reasons). I don't know at what point people are seeing what's actually there vs. what they hope is there. Kinda like overwrought LitCrit or spotting a vision of the Blessed Virgin in a tortilla.
In my court of law, Christina is found in contempt.
Cave book is about a third of the way down Mt. To Be Read. I'd be happy to send it along immediately, though, Aunty; then you can send it back when you're finished.
I beat the heat by swimming. And drinking Fresca.
Moi!
Youse got mighty heat over thar'--hope the claim of low humidity is true.
Doan add nuthin' to yore stash--it tempts one to rush--then the readin' ain't no luxurious "leisure" experience.
As fer sendin' the Cave book, ain't ya a dear sweet thang to share it!! Sigh...may I await yore own review as mah stack is also tall (downstairs) and taller (upstairs).
Eggy,
Yep, I git that we cain't trash the caves--I does see that point. But what I cain't see is why we "preserve" thangs that no normal citizen will ever git to see? Great swaths of land, millions of square miles of "Preserve" that only the eco-experts and congressmen may tread? Uh, doan that smack of "Look, peons, YOU will be taxed to pay for the land an' its upkeep so WE chosen few can use it as our personal playground." Ain't buyin' the "preserve" thang. Controlled access so that only a reasonable number of visitors at a time? sure. Control of what can and cannot be taken into a Preserve? Sure. But to "preserve" for no one to ever see? makes zip sense.
Boxer-Babe!
Why Sugar Pie, youse very fortunate. MErcy, but ya tempt me to go a wanderin' up thataway. I ain't heard of Bossy Pants but will look it up forthwith. Audio credits? Enjoy your Island Daze!!
Troll?!
You cain't read anymore? Why? Eye troubles? no time? hate to read?
Dietary practices huh? Well, thas what the Nighttime Book Club done--it were a cold supper start to finish.
BTW, Uncle hada dietary heat practice too--an' it landed him in the Emergency room thinkin' he wuz on verge of a heart attack. Word of warnin':
when ya's down to yore huntin' camp, an out in the sun workin' on yore ole' fishin boat's hull, an ya git hot an thirsty, doan go in to the cabin an quaff down a quart jar of pickle juice. Ya might think youse replacing the salt ya sweat out, but what ya' really do is drive all the potassium out an' send yore electrolytes bouncing around, freakin' yore heart rhythm to panic mode.
Doan tell Uncle I told this story on him.
Czar!
Wow--that NPR on Herzog? sorry I missed that. Sounds intriguing. I is plannin' to see the movie, are y'all goin' too?
Ain't moi sweet to share the Cave book? I look forward to her review of it.
On Christina, I should clarify, that it ain't Christina who wanted to sue, but people near by who thought she oughta git some of the goodie from Wyeth's success. She were a polio victim an' crawled ever'where. They felt he took advantage of her. But truth is Wyeth adn his wife bought her a wheelchair which she refused to use an' the three of 'em became friends. The idea of a lawsuit wuz the scheme of others. On The Help, the woman who feels "used" is suing on her own behalf.
But I'se releived to know that ya' doan think the subject of art is entitled to the success the artists may have. Imagine if every person who ever sat for a paintere demanded their "share" of the success--why? It ain't their talent that made the art. I'd tell 'em in a lfash, hey, youse free to sit in front of a mirror an paint yore ownself an git yore own success train rollin'. Plain truth is folks that doan make art, doan write, doan compose music, they have no clue what it takes to be creatively productive. NO CLUE.
(rant over)
Moi!
Again thanky fer the offer of the book--an finally yore prize is on the way. Fresca? Ain't heered of no folks in the ER over heart rhythms from drinkin' Fresca. Drink on.
Preposterous!
Greed gone wild!
Self importance elevated to a disease.
They call it " being French"
That book club repast sounded pretty fine to me. I am a tad, just a tad, jealous about those fine BLUE hydrangeas you gaze upon from your Porch. But not enough to pour pickle juice down your throat.
i havent read a book in ages, however i did read some of the essays in the book what the dog saw by malcomn gladwell (?). there was a great piece on the nature of complexity and that problems werent solved by ever increasing layers of complexity. the case illustration was Enron and how the CFO did not even understand the structure. I cannot tell you how many novels i have abandoned.
fishy is on the right track. everybody thinks whatever they do is so precious. "i exist, therefore, i deserve"
thank goodness, dogs birds and plants cant sue me for the $122.67 I am worth.
Good afternoon Aunty Belle,
There are ways of isolating the public from the atmosphere in the cave without destroying it. The question is, is it worth the cost. Are there enough people that have interest? Most will be happy with the movie and their 3-D glasses souvenir.
I believe your accounting is correct. Did the couple in the picture, kissing in Time Square while celebrating the end of WW 2 deserved compensation, I think not. Yet without their presence the shot would not have been memorable.
If I'm not reading something technical, it's usually historical. Generally our revolution and earlier.
As far as the heat. Long hours underwater do a pretty good job. Although I've truly grown to dislike the heat. I would rather it be cold and put more clothes on to stay warm, than to get to the point of not being able to take enough off, to stay cool.
Hi Aunty, your summertime book club fare sounds divine and refreshing! Panna cotta is a great summertime dessert, been thinking of making some out of the bag of mangoes I have.
I'm STILL reading the same pile of books from six months ago...shame. But I spend so much time writing, creating recipes, videos and magazines and cookbooks...by the end of a night when I have time to read a book for fun, I'm tired! So, I read snippets. Need a nice long plane ride or a proper holiday to read a good book.
And no person that sits for an artist or is the subject should be compensated by the sales unless that was agreed upon before hand. They are the muse, the inspiration, not the creator, the whole idea is simply ridiculous.
WE cool off in the pool and with an icy, fruity cocktail! Stay cool, Aunty!
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