la mome

With sh*t like G.I Joe and Transformers 2 making the world of entertainment seem like all is lost in the cinema, I have been getting more involved in renting the not-so-Hollywood types for something new and possibly inspiring. It's very rare that you'll catch me saying much about a movie other than what I thought of it visually and/or artistically, but to my surprise I was left speechless.


The movie was La Mome - aka La Vie En Rose - the life story of French singer Edith Piaf. I can't really begin to describe what I felt about it because it carries so many emotions throughout. The acting was beyond exquisite, appropriately played by Marion Cotillard, illustrating The Little Sparrow as she was once known; delicate and phenomenal with expression. Simply amazing.

Non, je ne regrette rien.

inagaddadavida

Have I mentioned how much I love my garden? My zucchini is still growing strong, I picked my first tomato, and my peas are making me impatient (they're my favorite.) The only thing that was lost, in the early June frost that we had, was my potted Dwarf Sunflower. C'est la vie. Everything else is doing just great.

under the bed

What were you afraid of as a kid and why? is a question I was asked not too long ago, and it might be more appropriate to rephrase that question and ask what wasn't I afraid of as a kid. I've already covered the pool sharks story and more recently the dirty foot obsession, but for actual under-the-bed fears as a little one... well, it was pretty random. While most kids were hip with the trends, fighting to keep their eyes open against the threats of the closet dwelling Boogie Man, I was afraid of Peter and the Wolf under my bed.

I did say random.


Peter and the Wolf, a story by a Russian composer named Sergei Prokofiev, was originally introduced to me in a (Disney) Silly Symphonies animated short. With each character represented by a specific musical instrument to depict their personality and a story told with very little dialogue, it wasn't much of a wonder why I was both fascinated by the storytelling and petrified of it at the same time. It was hearing the sound of the french horn, which represents the wolf, that made me want to run and hide under the blankets for shelter. How is it that a blanket would even protect one from a hungry wolf, I'm not sure. However, this instance left perfect timing for my sister to come and jump on me in the middle of the night, snarling and growling as I shrieked for mom to come and look once more for assurance that Peter and the Wolf were not seeking residence in my bedroom for entertainment.

The only thing that I can add to this story to make it even more humorous is that we should all bear in mind that at this time I had a waterbed. I didn't even have an "under the bed" other than the 8x8 inch gap between wall and base. Oh yes, I did say random didn't I?

write hand

I feel so bad that I haven't posted in a while, but I'm actually trying to think of more interesting things to write. I got some wonderful feedback about my foot phobia story, and so from that I'm trying to be more adventurous with my writing. It's something I've always enjoyed, writing, and something I've been often complimented on. I just never really took it seriously. Me? Not take myself seriously? Nev-er.


One of the things I've been working on taking myself seriously in is writing (and illustrating) children's books, as storytelling has always excited me. The hardest part, I find, is where to begin. To ease myself out of my shell, I'm challenging myself as exercise to write more often. And so, my next post will be about what monster I was afraid of as a kid, and why.

* And hey, if you have any topics/ideas that you'd like me to write about.. throw them my way.

happy birthday

Forgive the quality of this photo. It's actually a screen shot from an 8mm film of my grandma when she was young. This picture warms my heart in so many ways as I find it incredibly cool that she was artistic, that she chose to paint a picture of a pin-up, and I can still remember that modest grin.

Today would have been her 81st birthday.