Happy Holidays

December!

This odd year seems to have flown by and suddenly Christmas is almost here. I hope you are a whole lot more organised than I am. I can’t blame the pandemic though, I’m the same each year and very jealous of the people who finish their shopping early and have decorations up and meals planned in advance.

I do a lot of reading after Christmas and in January, but I tend towards movies and television in December. That said, I have been watching a lot of Homeland in the evening throughout all the lockdowns (it’s my absolute favourite. I watch it over and over and am very upset that Netflix are taking it down on December 31st). Do you like reading books you’ve loved and watching shows/films you’ve adored, again?  I know I do. There’s a comfort to be had in that, I think. Anyway, I am considering adding a new section to my website so I can pour over whatever I’m obsessing about and pull apart plots and such (first up Homeland haha).

I also watched the Pixar movie ‘Inside Out’ and thought it was incredible—the characters are the emotions of a young girl and it offered lots of food for thought. Sadness was so cute. Mind you, it was a bit dark so I’m not sure it would be suitable for young children, but I thoroughly recommend it.

My daughter came for a visit and we went on a day trip to Sorrento and had fish and chips by the beach then fed the greedy seagulls. I mentioned that Nanny’s (my mum’s) favourite movie was filmed here and that sent us on a quest to watch it.

‘On the Beach’ – the 1959 black and white version.

There is also a made for TV 2000 version, but I really wanted the original.

It starred, wait for it….

Gregory Peck (swoon, he was *such* a hero in this and drop dead gorgeous)

Anthony Perkins (he was nothing like Norman Bates—played a nice guy)

Ava Gardner (so *naturally* beautiful and a bit of a bad-girl heroine )

Fred Astaire (certainly not singing and dancing in this!)

It’s set in a post-apocalyptic Australia, with a dark romance threaded throughout. It was wonderful to watch an old movie with such an incredible cast. It came on the television when I was little and my mum, who had seen it years before at the pictures/movies said it was her favourite and so she sat down to watch, only this time with neurotic Carol there. I didn’t understand what was happening and why everyone was sad when they were all so pretty and at a party. I can actually recall the scene on the screen when I asked why they were scared.  Mum said they were just concerned about the wind that was on its way! That was one way of putting it hahaha. It really was dark, sultry, moody and everything an old movie should be. The only annoying thing was the constant Waltzing Matilda music – we do have other songs here! Aside from that it was as many gold stars as I can give it.

Given the time of the year I also have to watch The Wizard of Oz and Love Actually in the next few weeks. I shall squeeze in some Homeland before Netflix does the dastardly deed and removes it.

I hope you are keeping as safe and as well as is possible and, even if you can’t get together over the festive period, are able to be in contact in some way with the people you hold dear.

Thank goodness for books, movies, chocolate and cheese – it would be a whole lot more difficult without them.

Happy Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Happy Holidays to all.

Sending love

Cxxxx