Weekend Catch-Up

Happy Labor Day!

So far our Labor Day weekend has been quiet, calm, and uneventful, as expected. As with other holidays, we stayed home, preferring the quiet our property affords us to the hustle and bustle of the tourist traffic.

Yesterday, for whatever reason Lewis and Clark, and the history of our State name was on my mind, so I neglected to give my usual movie review. So, a day late but, since it is a long weekend for most, hopefully not too late, I'll do it now!

Saturday Night At The Movies

This week's featured event was Nanny McPhee,starring Emma Thompson and Colin Firth, and featuring another favorite actress, Angela Lansbury. This was a movie we had seen in the racks at the Library many times, but for some reason had passed over. Not sure why, but it seems those are the ones that end up being the most entertaining for us. This film was no exception. At first I was a bit put off by the comparison made on the container, "The new Mary Poppins". Certainly nothing could ever replace that classic from my youth! By the end of the movie, my opinion hadn't changed, but I did have to admit, it came close.

The children portrayed in this film were more unruly than the two in Mary Poppins, and there were more of them. Perhaps the ones in Mary Poppins would've been more rambunctious as well if their numbers had been larger? Both films portrayed some magical moments, but while the older film incorporated the magic into fun and frolic, for the most part the newer version's magic was utilized as a tool to keep the kids in line. There were definitely some laughs to be had from it's use in the second though, and lessons to be learned. Both Nathan and Lindsay enjoyed the film, although Nathan thought the ending a bit mushy. At 11 years of age, "Almost a teenager!" romance is considered a bit "yucky". That's fine with me. I'm rather hoping he'll hold on to that notion for awhile! ;-)

Pa and I weren't so taken with our choice of movies for the evening. We really couldn't find any complaint abut it though, it just wasn't quite what we had in mind. Since I can find neither fault nor praise for it, I'll review a movie we watched earlier in the week instead. Martian Child, starring John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Bobby Coleman, and costarring an actor I enjoy, and you may recognize from "West Wing", Richard Schiff, was enjoyed by both of us. It is a story about a boy who had been abandoned by his parents, withdrawn and spending his days in a box, and the widower who took him in, resulting in multiple rather unique challenges for all involved. It is a story of love and acceptance, perhaps even honoring differences. It was at once humorous and touching, and provided a valuable lesson no matter your age. Due to subject matter which may be confusing, or even troubling for younger children, I would not recommend this film for family viewing, but I do not recall any of the usual things that would normally warrant a PG13 or R rating.

Dining In

Saturday night is rapidly becoming bean night at our house. This week was no exception. As previously mentioned, I chose to experiment with a version of Bean and Bacon Soup this week. It turned out quite good, but not quite perfect. I'll be making a few changes next time I make it, and hopefully will find it good enough to post the recipe at that time. Last night Pa fixed dinner. He prepared pork chops, marinated then grilled outside with the addition of some fresh alder twigs. The result was a wonderful smoky flavored sensation that I am still relishing. This evening Pa is playing chef again. This time he plans to do chicken on the grill. I need to put my thinking cap on and come up with a yummy side or two to go with it. This will be a holiday meal after all!

A happy Labor Day to all, and Prayers for the safety of all those in Gustav's path!