Mae @ Rainydayinmay

Beauty…

Published on August 12, 2011January 17, 2013 by Mae @ Rainydayinmay6 Comments

It’s been awhile, but I want to get back into regularly participating in Five Minute Friday… Today’s theme is Beauty…

GO-

It is not in these early morning hours that I expect to think on such things… Such things as beautiful ones. Every night, when I close my eyes, I expect the morning to find me feeling sorry for self- who am I kidding, feeling selfish really… But something about the stillness, the quiet, the air…

something about the cool floor beneath sole, the cold cup encompassing warm drink.

I can’t help but feel it, think it, see it.

Believe it.

Beauty.

Beauty in uncombed messy bun and freshly scrubbed skin.

Beauty in bed headed child, stretching and padding her way to the breakfast table.

Beauty in morning husband kisses, beautiful daughter smiles, silly dog impatience.

Cracking eggs, toasting breads, scrubbing pans.

Beautiful because it’s real.

I belong.

The sun rises and greets the day in a way both stunning and genuine.

I try to absorb and remember the moments, the feeling, the glory.

Beautiful.

Even in the earliest of mornings, life is beauty.

I am beautiful.

STOP.

Third time is most definitely not a charm…

Published on August 12, 2011January 17, 2013 by Mae @ Rainydayinmay10 Comments

Maybe I am becoming an old reader.

Three books this summer, and as far as I’m concerned- three let downs.

While there were aspects of the first book that I enjoyed, it has been completely down hill ever since.

This month’s book was Distant Shores by Kristin Hannah.

*sigh*

When I chose this book, which was (I’d like to point out) a highly recommended book club selection- I was sure that the bad book streak had taken a turn for the better. Then when a few friends raved about how much they loved Kristin Hannah, I was even more certain.

Que disappointment…

Bottom line, I don’t love the story. I felt like I was watching a very poorly scripted melodrama be even more poorly acted out. I didn’t feel like the dialogue or actions were genuine with the characters, except for maybe a handful of times. And although I am not at all a prude, I felt like the beginning worked too hard to paint them as respectable people and then- as the story line progressed, forced crass vulgarities into their characters in crude ways which did not fit.

By the time I had reached the half way point, I felt like I had read the same situation, with forty different details, over and over again. Conversations were always the same. Nothing fit. It was like a thrift store puzzle box containing pieces to twelve different images. And worst of all, there were multiple times when I felt like the author was writing this story as though the reader was just an idiot who could not think for themselves…

There were, (i felt) weird inconsistancies. For instance, because it’s a third person point of view, it was weird to me that the author chose to refer to her father as daddy. Daddy came out to great her. Daddy this, daddy that. It felt very first person. Lots and lots of little things like that annoyed me. So many melodramatic thoughts followed by interactions that, again- I felt, did not line up.

Being half of a reconciled marriage, and knowing the book would head in that direction, I really wanted to identify with it. I wanted to relate but I couldn’t. And while all of these details and instances painted Jack as the selfish husband, Birdie wasn’t any less of a selfish wife. Sure, she’d lost her identity but as her best friend pointed out VERY early on- that had everything to do with her and it wasn’t anyone else’s fault. Yet, she continued to try and convict Jack for that. Her life, her Jack centric life, had been designed by her. She did that. Birdie also chose to see Jack, ignore his feelings, punish him by being complacent. Honestly can not list every way in which this book annoyed me.

Before I get any criticism for not being sympathetic to the wife and mother plight, let me point out that I am a wife and mother. In fact, after only 5 short years of marriage, when we divorced, my world was so wrapped up in my husband that I truly felt stripped of anything real when he left me. I had nothing. No passion, no personality. No nothing. We do that to ourselves. Sure, we can get busy in child raising and meal fixing that we lose sight of things… BUT we choose to ignore, choose to be lazy rather than nurture ourselves… We choose. It doesn’t have to be that way…

So yeah… curious to hear your thoughts…

Dilly, Dilly…

Published on August 11, 2011January 17, 2013 by Mae @ Rainydayinmay3 Comments

Finally… Finally the lavender is behind us.

My family is incredibly grateful…

We were finding little lavender buds, crunchy, everywhere. And though the house smelled completely amazing, I am glad the drying season is passed us.

Have you ever taken on the task of such a thing?

I had bought a bundle, once, from the Farmer’s Market for the soul purpose of drying to put in saches and body scrubs. But one little bundle was nothing compared to a basket full.

Nine times my dehydrator was beyond overflowing of these beautiful stems. yes, NINE.

And when the seventh load revealed that we still had half a basket, I went to bundling them and hanging them throughout the house. By beds, on doors, strung across doorways… it was lavender central.

Everyone’s help was eventually enlisted in destemming the dried buds. My finger tips were cut up and bruised.

I think poor Chw thought it would never end.

Anyone who knows him, knows just how anal he is about the carpet. He and our dyson were having lots of bonding time for sure…

Though Gen and I got into a good daily routine of drying, destemming and cleaning up- only to start again, the weary expressions of everyone looked much like this, near the end of the process…

So glad it’s over.

SO abundantly grateful for the lavender.

Will I repeat the process next year? Absolutely!

All American Me…

Published on August 10, 2011January 17, 2013 by Mae @ Rainydayinmay6 Comments

Good morning!
Not a horrible thing to start a morning off, is it? This night owl turned early morning riser, (not always by choice) has developed a theory… If more people woke up to things as stunningly beautiful as this, the world might be more filled with early a.m. smiles…

See?!?!? I am doing it! By this time, (when i poured my first cup of coffee) I had already washed my face, started a load of towels to hang on the line, and preheated my oven. I am sure you are reading this and going “wow, great, yay for you… now tell me sometime worthwhile…”

Well, this is a HUGE accomplishment for me…

But this helps…

And between us, I guess i should fess up that it’s decaf. It isn’t even “real” coffee… but psychologically, the taste of coffee associates “morning” for me. And honestly, I am wide awake after I wash my face. Nothing feels as great as that!

Which reminds me, remember when I was telling you that we here at Chez’ Wagner were in hot debate over a certain coffee pot purchase? Well, we decided, {FINALLY} over the weekend- and thanks to Amazon’s amazing prices- this baby arrived yesterday:

Happiness for the coffee drinkers (Amanda and I), for the tea drinkers (all of us), and for the cocoa drinkers (Chw and Gen)…

This morning, at five thirty, there I was… Just sipping coffee, baking cinnamon bowls for my beautiful family to fill with yogurt, fresh granola and sliced strawberries. I was stirring juice and just happily content. Gen had about half an hour to sleep and Chw and Amanda were on their early morning bike ride.

I felt so “all american”. So Suburban normal.

Well, except for the fact that neither one of those are synonymous with “happily content”, but whatever…

The older I get, the more I really do buy into the belief that it is the little things that matter most. The precious moments hidden under the throw rug of average times. The mornings. The evenings.

And there is no denying that it doesn’t get more American than an evening of this-

except, I have to remind myself, for the whole happily content thing. And you know, that’s actually pretty sad. As was one of the movies Chw and I watched. (Biutiful) And it is wayyy too early for sadness…

oh yeah, and P.S. those home canned pickles are remarkably awesome! :) {But probably NOT at 5:30 in the morning. I am not that great in the mornings.}

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Humor me, please…

Published on August 9, 2011 by Mae @ Rainydayinmay2 Comments

Anyone who has been around here for any length of time knows that I am a movie LOVER. I accentuate the word lover because somehow even all capped out like that, it doesn’t really convey just how involved in films i get. I don’t stalk celebrities or subscribe to their gossip so my obsession isn’t quite on that level. Actually, though I grew up in a movie obsessed family (and PROUD of it!), it was going to work writing in the entertainment industry back in ’03 that really made me take a deeper notice. Before that point in time I did get all star flustered and cry tragically when people like Tom and Nicole- these larger than life icons- got divorced.

Along my film maturing journey thought, I had the privilege of meeting, interviewing and just chatting with actors, producers and the like. My perspective of them obviously changed, as anyone’s would. It humanized them, and rightly so, as they are, well- human…

Anyway, bottom line= I LOVE MOVIES!

So, even though quite a few of my readers don’t give a hoot about film, (*gasp*, i can’t imagine!) I figured it was high time I do a post about them, and the one’s I’ve seen fairly recently and what I felt about them. And then, even if my uncertain movie watching readers feel inspired to run down to the Redbox, they can say to themselves, “Well, that rainy day blog girl really didn’t like this one…” and I can feel good for sparing someone from 2 hours of bad movie torture…

Still in theaters, as of today:

Crazy, Stupid, Love {****1/2} i have already mentioned loving this movie, on this blog, so i won’t go there again, but really- i love it… It’s my favorite movie, so far, this year.

Bad Teacher {1/2} this one went on my worst movie list. horrible.

Bridesmaids {****} Seriously funny. Albeit raunchy funny, funny none the less… Great comedic writing.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 {****} :) with a little :( too…

Kung Fu Panda 2 {****1/2} Melted my heart… being an adoptive mom and seeing the struggles kids, mine especially, have had- this movie just warmed me. A lot.

Monte Carlo {***1/2} for a tween/teen girls movie, I thought it was actually pretty refreshing and great!

Super 8 {****1/2}I am not an alien movie/sci-fi film fan, AT ALL. My husband, however, is. On the rare occasion I am dragged, nearly kicking and screaming, to such movies. This one, I adored. Brilliant writing, great special effects. The focus was so intent on the characters. Subtlety was strong and spot on. Lovely little movie!

Water for Elephants {***1/2} Being a big lover of the book, the movie disappointed some. Though, where it lacked in story and time to tell the story, it made up for in descent acting efforts. Best of all, it was so beautiful to look at. (And no, I’m not talking about Rob… I actually mean the beautiful circus imagery.)

X-Men first class {***} ok. you know how I mentioned my distaste for Sci-Fi? Well, the only real exception to that is SOME of the Marvel comic movies. (only some.) I really enjoyed this movie. I loved it, in fact. I would have likely given 4 and 1/2 in rating, (and not only because i have a top secret crush on James MacAvoy) but my sci-fi loving husband (ever the opportunist) brought me home and decided we should watch the first X-Men. The inconcistancies in the story really ruined it for me…

Quick DVD stuff:

Biutiful {***} lovely cinematography. Completely depressing.

Soul Surfer {****} inspiring.

The Adjustment Bureau {****} thought provoking, good action. Fun to talk about.

Source Code {***} average

Unknown {**1/2} Disappointment. Expected more.

Limitless {****} GREAT movie! Thought provoking, ending debatable, well paced…

Take Me Home Tonight {**} Immature, and not in a good- this movie is about high school/college stuff way…

Arthur {***1/2} Adored this movie! Heartwarming and redemptive… but, NOT a family movie.

Beastly {***1/2} Not a flawless production, but i really did like it a lot.

Blue Valentine {****} Holy crap. Intense. Tragic. Often uncomfortable.

Company Men {****1/2} LOVELY! inspiring, uplifting and REALLY well made!

Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2 {****} Cute!

Gnomeo and Juliet {**} um, pass???

I am Number 4 {****} Another Sci-Fi movie I went to kicking and screaming. LOVED it! Soooo good!

Just Go With It {****} I laughed out loud, a lot. Typical Adam Sandler movie with a tad bit better humor and really good script!

King’s Speech {*****} LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE. Perfect… The end.

No Strings Attached {*1/2} While there were a few parts i laughed at, this movie was just too much. I am not a prude, but there are things that seriously DO NOT need to be put on film…

Rango {**} The rating of two is only because the animation is so realistic. Seriously.

Red Riding Hood {*} Also a contender for the worst movie list. Blech! Rating of 1 because i liked the red cloak.

True Grit {****} It’s been decades since I’ve seen the original, though I have to confess it’s been sitting on our Tivo for months. At any rate, i really loved this movie…