Snow in St. John's harbour.
She's early and it may be temporary. I had to cancel long made plans to stay overnight in the country. Daughter stayed last night as she had medical appointments running into late yesterday. She said her MRI at 8.15 PM at the hospital was a doddle. It was so quiet just the cleaning staff and a few others like herself and no waiting.
I told her I'd been unwell on Thursday so cancelled my Joanna who does the cleaning so therefore the kitchen floor wasn't up to Joanna's standards. Her response:
"When did we ever care about kitchen floors, mum, that's why we had dogs!"
"I raised you perfectly, darling," I responded.
So today, I'd been thinking about this blog post I'd written on a relationship I had at work years ago between a holocaust survivor and myself, at that point a practising RC. I thought it could be expanded and fictionalized into a play or a short story/novella, so I began working on that and was glad of the time that became available tonight.
There is snow outside and it is peaceful and quiet. A good time for writing.
I took a break and watched a muddle of a film, Certain Women trying to make sense of it. Couldn't. A waste of an extremely good cast with appalling continuity and much silent driving, often obviously on a set. Much horse action which was lovely and a galloping yippy dog, but all this did not a good movie make. Pointless drivel. Yeah, I'm harsh but I thought there might be a tiny payoff at the end but no sirree bob.
And oh yeah, our book made the front page of a local newspaper.
Friday night, chez Wisewebwoman.
Thank you. I have read all six parts to your tale and am very, very moved.
ReplyDeleteMy father was a German Jew. He could never talk about his experiences (though he escaped the death camps). We suspect his family did not.
I was also close friends with a co-worker's mother at one point who had lost her children and husband to the death camps but met someone there, also grief stricken and they subsequently found each other in Toronto and married and had twins in their forties, one of whom was my co-worker. Shed said to me: "you Irish understand the holocaust, right? You also had the genocide of your peoples." She was a wonderful cook and artist and I loved her. She always wore the tattoo of her incarceration for all to see but could never speak of the horrors.
DeleteIt's multi generational as I witnessed in my own family. No one spoke of "The Famine" which was the Irish horror story - a deliberate extermination.
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Winter is late here as unseasonal rains have kept the temperatures high. It is only since yesterday that the normal November temperatures have set in. No, we won't have snow but, very bracing cold weather particularly in the nights. Day time will be nice sunny and warm.
ReplyDeleteI hope you have heating Ramana, or do you, see how little I know about day to day life and utilities in Pune.
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We do not need heating. It does not get that cold. The lowest it ever gets is around 7 Degrees Cel. That too just for a few nights. There are people who cannot tolerate even that and they usually use portable electrice heaters. https://www.amazon.in/Orpat-ORH-1410-1000-Radiant-Heater/dp/B00PE2URIE/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1543147362&sr=8-15&keywords=portable+electric+room+heater
DeleteThanks for explaining your day to day living Ramana, I am always curious about how others live in other climates. I find myself fortunate here in that with outrageous power rates, the tenant beneath my apartment keeps her heat so high it heats my apartment so I don't turn my heating on.
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What a gorgeous photograph, WWW! And what I treat I just had reading all 6 episodes about Mr Geoffrey - I had read the first episode back in the day, but had missed the following 5! So good!
ReplyDeleteWe saw "Certain Women" some weeks ago. We too thought it a poor use of some good actors. Sometimes films using a mix of separate stories work - but this one didn't, we thought. Last night we watched two movies from the 1970s "Klute" (Jane Fonda/Donald Sutherland) and "The Goodbye Girl" (Marsha Mason and Richard Dreyfuss) - had seen them many moons ago, but didn't recall much detail. They were both immeasurably better than most of the stuff being churned out nowadays.
I remember enjoying Klute and The Goodbye Girl back in the day must rewatch some oldies but goodies.
DeleteI was surprised at the ratings and awards Certain Women received. The love story of the two women was so underdeveloped and so unsatisfying.
Thanks for your kind words on the story.
I am hoping to include it on my own anthology of my stories.
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It's frustrating when a film turns out to be such a mishandled mess you think, I could have done better than that. It's especially baffling when as you say it's won umpteen awards and plaudits and you wonder, Did they see the same film as I did?
ReplyDeleteExactly, I kept hoping all those awards were not because of the (nearly)all female cast and crew, what I call "Mercy Awards". Condescending and patronising.
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-St. John's looks like an absolutely gorgeous place.
ReplyDelete-The Graham Norton show is hilarious, one of the best talk shows there is. It makes me HOOT! I never did think there was such a thing as a Canadian accent till he got a Canadian in the "red chair" and I recognized it before the person said where s/he (forget now) came from. This was a surprise because he gets more Americans in that chair and I didn't assume it was one of them. Still, don't ask me to put a finger on what the Canadian accent is like; I couldn't tell you.
-I just re-read all six parts of your story and oh yes, that man and that relationship will stay with me. I don't know much about what makes a good play, but can imagine it as the basis for a film, for sure.
-I watched Certain Women too and found it disappointing, but maybe that's because short stories rarely satisfy me. If the characters are interesting, I always want more than a short story gives, and I'm not much different when it comes to full-length films as far as that goes. Maybe that's why I like reading blogs so much ... they keep on going so I don't have to say goodbye to people I've come to care about!
-Did the newspaper print a review? or just a notice of publication? It would make a good Christmas gift, especially for Newfoundlanders.
-Kate
I think there is a Canadian accent as I could detect it when I came here first, almost flat, unlike my lilting own. The "eh" was particularly standoutish, I have now taken it for my very blessed own.
ReplyDeleteThe paper went nuts and printed a long article and a photo I had sent in of the launch. Long you say? It spilleth over from the first, yeah unto the 4th page.
Into second printing. I am thrilled.
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I want to read that review! -Kate
ReplyDeleteIt's not online Kate much to my chagrin. And I only have very few hard copies :(
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Well ... poo poo pee doo!
DeleteHm. Take pics and post? Not ideal, I know. Just a thought.
-Kate
I tried and others did, it's not optimal but for you m'dear I'll try again, I think I have your email as anonymity.....
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Well, congrats on the book being on the front page. I hope you feel better soon.
ReplyDeleteThank you Gigi!
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Good to hear the book is moving so well. Ah winter, I know it well. That winter image would make an ideal notecard or postcard. Kim in PA
ReplyDeleteYes, I think with better (moon?) light the colours might pop a little better.
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I was unfamiliar with your story from the past. How moving. Yes, people come into our lives and their presence makes us stop and appreciate that time together. Thank you for your blog.
ReplyDeleteThank you Judi for those kind words.
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Brrr. But beautiful.
ReplyDeleteClean floors aren't the point, for sure.
And thanks for the heads up about "Certain Women." I have in in my Netflix queue but it sounds like I needn't bother watching it.
I read about Mr Geoffrey. I don't think such a story can be expressed in a play but maybe I'm wrong...after all you expressed it in blog posts.
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