Farewell 2008

Wow, its amazing what you can run into on the internet. Some odd and not too relevant, but once in awhile, something grabs you. For some reason, I ran into this Noah Kalina YouTube video and it is amazing. Check out his blog. And definitely check out the YouTube video of his self-portrait a day for 6 years. There's a link on his blog, obviously.

People are amazing.

When you go to YouTube, which I've never really done much, or, at all really. And I have NO idea how I ended up viewing this music video completely choreographed on treadmills. But, once I started watching, I couldn't stop. Let me know if you have the same problem.

My book of the year: Hands down - Eat Pray, Love

My movie of the year: The Lives of Others. Yep, that's it. I'm not a big movie person. We rarely go to the theater. I don't think I was in a theater once in 2008. So, I'm not the best critic, but this movie, of all the movies I saw this year, by far the best.

My blog of the year: The Pioneer Woman. I've made more recipes from her site than from, I think, any other site. And that's definitely true for at least 2008. Not a vegan or vegetarian site, but, there's lots you can do to modify recipes if that's where you are. Check her out. She not only has recipes, but photography. That's how I first found her site, because of the photography.

My photo of the year: A photo of Mt. Hood, Oregon, that I took early on the morning of March 3, 2008. You've seen it before, just cropped. This version is straight out of camera (SOOC). I've cropped this thing so many different times (click here for my favorite version) and printed it and set it as my desktop and given versions of it away and been quite proud (that was weird to say) of this photo. It's just a visual that appeals to me.

My recipe of the year: Island Chicken & Rice. As I scrolled through the recipes I deemed bloggable, I kept thinking, oooh, chocolate chip cookies, or oh my, the pasta with chicken or, oh that's right, pumpkin bars. But I got to Island Chicken & Rice and actually went no further. I've made a version of this recipe over and over since May when I first made it and Yum!

My product of the year: SoyaToo's SoyWhip. Mmmm, mmmm, delicious. For those of us who are non dairy eaters that is. Although I really do think that dairy eaters could find the love too, if they so desired. I pretty much only eat it on Jello, well, because, Jello, for me, just needs some help and when I'm looking for a low calorie, low carb sweet treat, Jello with the SoyWhip, just hits the spot. That's me. I have eaten it on pumpkin pie too, oh, yeah, yum.

My wish for the coming year: Well, happiness and joy for me and Mister and Harley and everyone we know and all the people we don't know. Happiness and Joy. Any form in any small or large amount on any day. I'm going to look for it, seek it out, dwell on and in it and do my best to share and spread them around. Starting with You. I wish Happiness and Joy for You, my reader, in the coming year(s).

Now go, stretch your creative muscles and your happy and joy muscles. I'm going to try and see what happens.

Happy New Year to all.

Prune / Date Cake

I made the Pioneer Woman's Granny's Prune Cake, per her prompting.

I highly recommend it.

Highly.

I did make a few substitutions: I used 1/2 prunes and 1/2 dates, and I substituted non-dairy buttermilk (1 cup soy milk mixed with 1 Tbsp vinegar) and EarthBalance for the butter.

If you make this recipe, please, please watch the icing constantly, even if you don't have to stir it. When I made the icing, I turned my back for just a second, or two, and it boiled all over my stove.

Also, I poured the icing on just as soon as the cake came out of the oven. I don't think I had boiled it quite long enough for it was very thin and hot and a large percentage of it ran down the sides between the cake and the cake pan resulting in the bottom of the cake, on the edges, being soggy on the bottom. It had great flavor, but was a bit odd in texture. BUT, the middle of the cake where the bottom hadn't been saturated on the bottom by the icing, was REALLY VERY good.

I will definitely make this again, with the modifications and cooking time for the icing and hopefully get it completely right next time. Oh, and I also wouldn't tell anyone it has prunes in it. I told everyone who asked that it was prune cake and pretty much across the board, people gave me a look like I was nutz. It doesn't taste anything like prunes. Its just moist and sweet and holiday-like due to the spices.

Mmmm, I wish I had some right now.

Well, I don't have a cake picture, so here's one of me and my favorite brother. He's smiling whilst sitting in a bucket and I must be wondering when it will be my turn in the bucket. How wonderful to be small enough to fit into a bucket. Weren't the '70's great! We had a bucket and made the most of it. I don't know that most kids these days would find the fun in it.

Anyway...

Just Watched: Atonement

It was a wonderful, long weekend. We did a whole lot of not much. We'd had lots of snow and then we had the big melt down which was in the form of rain. Lots of rain. Still raining. So, we ended up watching more movies than we normally do. This isn't a movie we chose, but one Mister's mom had and we all watched it together, not really knowing what we were in for. Its the story of a child's accidental witness of something she misunderstands and her subsequent overreaction to the event and the repercussions that follow. With James McAvoy, Keira Knightley and a short appearance by Vanessa Redgrave, it was a moving cast of characters. One small indiscretion that irrevocably changes the lives of so many. It makes one think about ones own life and the little turns and twists. Things could have been so different. Or could they, depending on your beliefs, fate, destiny, etc. Wow, overwhelming and a bit depressing. I don't know what the intent was, but that was what I walked away with.

Just Watched: Georgia Rule

Hmmm, well it was sold to me as 'not a chick flick'. I think it was a chick flick. Not my normal genre. Jane Fonda was good. Ms. Lohan was annoying. Which I get, she was supposed to be annoying. And the mother figure, annoying. Yes, yes again, I get they were supposed to be annoying. A bit too formula for me. Others liked it just fine. I could have lived without it.

Just Read: A Veil of Roses

Author: Laura Fitzgerald

As I start: Here's another book I would not pick up of my own volition. It came to me from the same source as the Persian Pickle Club, which I ended up liking. So, my hopes for this one are a bit higher than when it was first handed to me.

During: Its not as fluffy a read as I thought it was going to be. Don't get me wrong, its not War and Peace or Shakespeare but it is meaningful and thoughtful and has a message something like hope. There is love and pain and a sort of behind the scenes look at the women of Iran and their inner lives. The ones they live at home and in their hearts. Its not one we, as westerners, probably get a chance to see much. We see the women, who we deem oppressed (and so do they, I would at least presume a large percentage of them anyway) with their hejabs covering their faces and downcast eyes and we (Americans) can't fathom the lack of freedoms. At least I can't. Tami, the main character in this book, comes to America on a three month visa to find a husband and thus escape Iran. But she's a bit conflicted because, well, Iran is her home country and it does have its beauty, not to mention her family and friends. So, I'm about half way through and liking it.

Done: I thought this book was just ok. I get what I think the author was trying to tell us, we have freedoms that so many women don't and we should really treasure them. But the foreshadowing was a bit too blatant and the ending was rushed and not what I wanted it to be. I mean it is a Hollywood happy ending and I don't really want unhappiness, even for characters in books, but I guess I want it to be less obvious. I mean, my happy outcomes are rarely that obvious. In fact, I sometimes have to look back a long way to find the root of some little event.

Oy! I've digressed way too far.

The book was, okay, not great. But, it did make me fall asleep each night, so that's a good thing. Right?!

Just Watched: Capricorn I

Never really something I'd thought about until a year or three ago, not too long after the September 11, but after that, there were many conspiracy theory stories going around about that. Did you get any of that? I presume most people did, especially those connected to the internet. I didn't and now that I have heard about them, I just can't get on board. Its too sinister for my fragile mind. But, when it comes to the moon landing hoax, I'm more interested. That may be because it really didn't happen at a time in my life when I was aware of, well, much of anything. I was like one year old in 1969.

Anyway, I don't remember where I was reading, but the person / website cited NASA documents which had been released and television footage etc documenting the number of photos taken on that initial landing. The person / website then, again with NASA documented information, described how the moon landing was plainly physically impossible for the astronauts at the time with the technology at the time to take the quantity of photos which were all amazingly clear and focused and dead on for targeting the subject of the photo. Never mind that the camera was built into the chest of the space suits and the space suit and gloves were bulky and difficult to maneuver in and well, it went on and on.

I started to have my doubts. I mean, I've never really been a believer in most of what our government has to say on topics much less that they could ever begin to tell us, the tax paying public the whole truth. Yes, yes, I know there are reasons for all the secrecy and slight of hand. In truth, I probably don't want to know what all our government has done or is doing. They don't say ignorance is bliss for no reason.

All you have to do is Google moon land hoax or some version of it and you'll find tons of interesting reading. I'm not trying to convince you of anything and no matter what your thought on the topic, it is interesting reading, if nothing else.

Anyway, since all the conspiracty shtuff, I was told about Capricorn I, the movie and hence rented it. It was filmed in the early/late 1970's and is a pretty cheesy story about a faked Mars landing. I guess at some point in time, it was quite controversial due to its obvious finger pointing at the Apollo moon missions. The acting is, well, 1970's and we actually fast forwarded through some of the drawn out portions of not that interesting stuff, and the ending was lack luster and brought up too many unanswered questions. Which from a movie that was pretty kitschy (spelling help there please?) doesn't make much sense. Why would we have questions. Doesn't matter, its just my blog and I write about the movies we watch, the good, the bad and the kitschy.

Oh, here's some links if you are bored. One Two Three

Go! Watch movies, have fun, report back, I'd love to hear what you are watching and liking and not liking and all manner of things.

Merry Christmas

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Luke 2:8-14

"

Bonus Photos

From the roof of my building, yesterday morning.

The photos don't really do it justice, its beautiful.

Merry Christmas to all!

'Twas the night of all nights

I know we've all heard this over and over, but I really and truly love the sing-songy rhymy thrill of it. It always takes me back to being a little kid and just knowing Santa would be there, on the roof top, or in the yard...soon, soon. Of course, me being the morning person I am, I could never stay up very late trying to wait for Santa's arrival, but the amazement and the mystery and the joy of it all is something I long for in my everyday life. So, this time of year, this day in particular, I put on my perverbial footed pajamas, curl up with my virtual teddy bear and read it again and again and just know that magic can happen, if only we just believe. Enjoy and have a wonderful Christmas Eve.

Clement Clarke Moore - 1779 - 1863

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds, While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads. And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap, Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter. Away to the window I flew like a flash, Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below. When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick, I knew in a moment it must be St Nick. More rapid than eagles his coursers they came, And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen! On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen! To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall! Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky. So up to the house-top the coursers they flew, With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof The prancing and pawing of each little hoof. As I drew in my head, and was turning around, Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot, And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot. A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back, And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry! His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry! His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath. He had a broad face and a little round belly, That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf, And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself! A wink of his eye and a twist of his head, Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk. And laying his finger aside of his nose, And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, And away they all flew like the down of a thistle. But I heard him exclaim, 'ere he drove out of sight, "Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

Oh the weather outside is frightful...

but the fire is so delightful...

And I hope ya'll are bundled up snug as a bug. We are. I love the snow *so* very much. We've been out in it every day. Its great. I could live in a place that it snowed like this for months at a time. I'm sure if I did I'd have a different attitude about it.

Well, I'm enjoying it for now and that's really what matters.

I hope everyone is enjoying their weather, no matter what that weather is.

Welcome to Monday

The first two photos of the deck at my office are from, hmmm, must have been last Friday. It was last week at some time.

Isn't that just the loveliest light dusting of snow. It had been deeper, but it had mostly melted then it snowed again. You can sort of get that from the deeper snow on the left and the sprinkling on the right.

These next photos are from this morning. Same deck, same "step shaped" sculpture, but this time, there's a good 10 - 12 inches of snow built up.

And still snowing. I just *love* this. Its so much fun to drive to work or to the grocery or the gas station or whereever and have everything, covered in a sweet, white layer of snowy goodness.

I had a difficult time getting the deck door open because its really several inches of snow with a 1/4 inch layer of ice on top with another many inches of snow on top of that.

I have one of those jobs where it really doesn't matter what the weather is doing outside or whether the city is flooding or whether there is an earthquake rocking the neighborhoods, I have to be at work. Too many ridiculous and down right silly reasons to go into. Just know that. So, yesterday, Mister and I de-iced my Jeep from its layer of 1/4 - 1/2 inches of ice. Literally a Jeep encased in ice. Amazing to see. It took Mister and his mother and me about 1/2 hour with the car running to get enough ice off the glass surfaces so I could drive it to pick up some necessary things. You know bread and eggs. I wanted to drive around to see what I was going to be up against in the morning. I have some photos of icy plants and stuff, but not with me. I'll post some of those tomorrow, maybe, if I remember. Anyway, de-icing the Jeep because I knew I had to come to work this morning and didn't want to have to do the de-icing in the dark at 6:00AM. We then put on a car cover to keep more snow and ice off the windshield. This morning, there was another good 4 - 6 inches of snow on top of the car cover. I'm so glad Mister's mom let me borrow her extra car cover. Everything is covered in a fresh, new, deep layer of snow. So pretty.

PS - Update. Its now 8:00AM and I am the ONLY person in my building. I know this because the elevator is still sitting here on the 6th floor from when I got off of it.

Anyway, that's my tale of excitement for the day. It will probably keep going throughout the week. We just don't get weather like this for weeks at a time. Did I mention I happen to love it!

The Lucy Bracelet

Now before you start thinking whatever you are thinking, it just a coincidence that the bracelet has the same name as I do. A happy coincidence, but a coincidence nonetheless.

I've come across these Lucy bracelets over the last few days on the blogs I read and decided I must have one. The message of affirmation on these bracelets is It is amazing what one woman and her friends can do. I fully subscribe to that sentiment. I've felt, for a long time, that there is very little I can do as an individual. I'm not a salesman in any way, shape or form. I couldn't sell a parka to a freezing person. I'd most likely just give it to them along with my coffee. That's just me. I know there are so many people out there who are influential by just walking into the room. That's just not me. But, I do believe as a part of a larger whole, my individualism can be great. I vote. That's the first (and one of the most important) thing I believe I can do as a part of a whole. For me its the whole snowflake comparison. One snowflake isn't going to do much damage, but add them together and they can bring down trees and powerlines and well, you get my meaning. So, in addition to the affirmation on the bracelet, its offered by a group who have been doing good things for orphans for a long time and I am interested in being supportive in the little ways that I can.

The Lucy bracelet celebrates the power of the human spirit to respond in love despite surviving the cruelest indignities; the amazing things one woman can do when she rallies her friends; the legacy of Lucy Goode Brooks and FRIENDS.

You may decide the same thing, you may not. The artist lives here in my town, or very near to it anyway. She has a booth at the local Saturday Market, which I intend to visit soon. I even talked with her on the phone, she's such a lovely woman. I emailed her with a question and she responded to me, like within the hour. She couldn't answer my question in the email, so suggested I call her. How nice is that!??! Needless to say I was impressed with her willingness to respond to an unknown person. I've sent email to unknown artists etc in the past and just never gotten any kind of response at all and once I got a response something like six months later. By then, I was obviously over whatever I had originally wanted. Anyway. Check out her website SaucyJewelry. There's all manner of really pretty and fun stuff there, pendants, rings, bracelets, etc.

Its always nice to find something pretty for yourself and for me, the affirmation braclets are right up my alley right now in my life. By way of affirmation, which we all can use in our heads and hearts...

A note especially for You, my reader during this holiday season:

I am thinking of You, You should never give up, and I believe in You

I hope you feel it, even if only a bit, and that you pass it on just once to someone who you may not even know needs it on this day.

On being inspired

Go to Jen Lemen dot com. Read about her amazing journey to help out one woman and her family from Rwanda. It will simultaneously break and heal your heart. It did mine. Its not just her Rwanda adventure, but all her writing exudes a willingness to open herself up, reveal the messy parts in addition to the sweet, warm, pretty parts. I am a bit envious of the faith it takes to do the more difficult of those, the divulging of the cluttery parts of ourselves. I don't have that much bravery when it comes to opening up. I explore many blogs and websites of brave women superheroes nearly every day. You can check them out for yourself, they are mostly listed on the sidebar. They buoy me up and give me bits of strength and remind me to be, really BE.

I long to be an amazing woman in my own right. I'm not looking for pats on the back from anyone, I'm turning inward looking for the good bits and pieces for and from my altruistic self. I know I've got more to give, I just don't know for sure how to access it, I guess.

Well, I guess this journey begins anew today as it did yesterday and will again tomorrow. That's good, right?

Christmas Cat

These really are not the best photos, but I was working with a cat as subject and had to work fast. Not unlike what I imagine working with children must be like. Only with children, maybe, you can make them sit there on the spot longer than an animal.

Harley sat there in front of the Christmas tree for nearly 10 minutes, which is probably a lifetime in cat minutes, while I snapped away and kneeled down and focused and set the auto timer.

In that last shot of Harley, Mister walked in. Harely loves his Mister, dotes on him, follows him around and plays like a puppy. Hide-n-seek I think would be his favorite. He also likes to sit on the top step of the basement stairs and paw at Mister as he goes by. I don't think Harley ever even puts out his claws, he just wants the attention.

Oh, I wasn't going to post these of the ornaments, but, what they hey. In my mind these would be fun, sparkly, bright and colorful shots, I just didn't and don't have the energy or ambition to get out the tri-pod to make them actually in focus. I also don't have the photoshop skills to edit them to make them what I want them to look like. I should take a class. Most of my photos as SOOC (straight out of the camera). In todays digital age where everyone and their sister has a digital camera, a compute and the software to edit and 'fix' photos, SOOC isnt' the norm. I prefer it myself. Seems anyone can take an ordinary photo and Photoshop it into a master piece. Well, I guess everyone but me that is. I prefer to try to get the shot in the camera. Maybe that's why I'm not a professional and have to have disclaimers about my photos on my own blog. (Onward, I've spiraled here for a moment.) So, squint your eyes and pretend you don't have on your glasses or your contact lenses and you'll maybe see the "pretty" that I see.

Pretend the lighting is soft and diffused and glowy rather than just dim. I found these vintage recreation Christmas bulbs this year and *love* them. My parents have one of these, originals of course from years ago, left from all their years of Christmases. As a child, it was always my favorite ornament. I liked the stripes and even as a kid I was always a bit too sentimental for my own good. I always felt a bit sad for the last lonely ornament in the box. Missing its partner ornaments, wondering when its time to fall to the floor and shatter or just be found one December evening in the packing boxes, broken to bits without anyone knowing why or how it had gotten that way.

I told you I was a bit more nostalgic than the ordinary girl. OY!

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Ok, because I'm... well, anal was the word that comes to mind but doesn't sound like I want it to, maybe I'm focused (not in a photography sense, but a general sense) no, maybe its because I'm obsessive (yes, that's it) here are some edited ornaments. Better? I'm not so sure, but, the attempt was made, so there you go.

Happy Wednesday to all.

Morning - Third of December (well, sort of)

I realized late last week that I hadn't posted my Dec 3 "morning" shot. I hadn't done it because I was out of the office all that week. It completely slipped my mind. I am sure that had I remembered, I would have snuck downtown in the wee hours of the morning and taken the shot just to keep the integrity of the project and to keep you, my reader, updated. Anyway... so last week, I think it must have been Friday, I took the top photo. The bottom photo is from Monday morning. What a difference a weekend makes. I don't know what its like where you are, but we are having the most wonderful snow and the less wonderful ice. It started Friday night just a bit of flurries. Then Saturday afternoon, in a few places around the city a strangely fierce but quick snow shower that lasted maybe minutes then melted away. But Sunday, we woke to snow on the ground and it proceeded to be snowy and beautiful all day. At our house, we had 4ish inches.

The unfortunate part about snow and ice is that many (not all) drivers underestimate the slickness and the sloggyness and have a tendency to try to drive just like it was sunny, clear and 75 degreess outside. It creates messes on the highways. Since there were so many accidents in and around the city, ODOT declared on Sunday afternoon that if you didn't have chains on your vehicle, you were not allowed on the freeways. Several of the freeways were closed due to accidents anyway.

blah blah blah

I love the snow and everything about it. The quiet is brings to an entire city, the whiteness, the way it clears the air, the way cars sound when the drive in it, driving in it, playing in it, watching Harley wonder why the ground is so flippin' cold and wet. Well, it just goes on and on.

I have more pics, but not on me. I'll try to remember to put them up later in the week.

Left photo by my new sister-in-law Theresa. It includes alien kitty K-2, best bro Moses and Lexy the beautiful and fluffy. Photo on the right from yesterday's post.

I am told that the cookies on the right, came before the alien kitty on the left. Coincidence or fate? You decide.

Christmas Cookies

Photo by Moses, my bro. My best brother Moses made Christmas cookies with his new wife and sent me this lovely photo. Just wanted to share in the happy.

If you send me a photo, maybe I'll post it too! Wouldn't that be fun. Well, at least for me it would be.

Anyway...

Just Read: The Persian Pickle Club

Author: Sandra Dallas

As I start the book: Not a book I'd normally pick up. The cover doesn't grab me. Yes, if I haven't heard about a book I will judge it by its cover. It was read and recommended by a couple girlfriends and its relatively short, so I'm giving it a go. I've read one chapter at this point and its fine. Its a depression era story and I'm having a morbid curiosity about the depression era given the current status of our nation. Needless to say, its caught my attention. We'll see. During: Its a nice story, light, time filling, something to make my eyes droopy when I climb into bed and am not quite tired.

Done: Well, I ended up liking this book. Its not a thriller with tons of action, although it does have a tense moment or two. Its about friendship between women and how important it is and what it can mean, even in rough times. Its about how women can come together and make a difference and support each other and be there for each other and create or change lives.

My lesson: We women are a force to be reckoned with. I am so fortunate to be in this country where I can voice my opinion and wear the clothing I want and go where I want and talk to anyone and write this blog. I am nurturing a bit of hope in myself and a smidge more compassion and, and, and... I'm searching. And am finding little bits of encouragement in the least likely places, such as this non-descript, little fluffy novel I didn't particularly want to read. There is hope.

I would recommend this light, little read that, if you want, can make you think.

To be seen soon: Wicked

I am so excited!! I've got tickets to see WICKED in April. The last time it was here in the northwest, tickets sold out before I could get them. This time, I was a bit more prepared, I had someone else get them for me! I'm telling you, its all in who you know.

Have you read any Gregory Maguire? Wicked was the first I read and remains my favorite, but I've also read and enjoyed, Son of a Witch and Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister I have A Lion Among Men on my to read list. I like the alternate view from which Maguire sees things. There's always at least two sides to any story and each side truly (usually) thinks they are on the side of good and right. If you haven't read any of his stuff, I recommend it.

Just Watched: Wall-E

Fun. A social commentary in animation form.

Just Watched: Divided We Fall

Don't ask me how I ended up with this movie on my queue, I have no idea. We do Netflix. I'll go on there looking for some movies, check out reviews, check out the recommendations, check out what my friends are watching and maybe I'll be in to a certain actor and queue a string of their movies. You know how it works. I have something like 100+ movies on my list. Some of them have been there for a very, very long time. Some only sit there for a day or a week until they are moved to the top of my list. It all just really depends on my mood that day, you know. But, I do leave all the movies I add to the list, on the list. I figure even if I don't remember why its on my list, I must have put it there for a good reason, hence, Divided We Fall. A Czech film.

It was rated as a comedy. Its set in WWII. The movie does have comedic moments amidst all the horror that was WWII. It moves a bit slow and I was indeed annoyed with the characters that I was supposed to be annoyed with. Mister and I squirmed a bit and even contemplated, if only for 3 seconds, not finishing the movie. I am so very glad we did. Even though it took until the very end of the movie, it was heartfelt and moving and real (I would presume) and a social commentary on the lives we should be living today.

I do recommend it. Notice, it is subtitled, if you're squeemish about those kinds of things.