Chantal avant NFL

We don’t have cable.  Which means my American husband does not get to watch a whole heck of alot of football.  But THIS weekend, CTV is broadcasting 2 games Saturday, 2 games Sunday.  Mr. C explains it’s the playoffs, you see.  I understand playoffs.  The NHL holds an 8-week-long playoff season.  The NFL playoffs seem kind of short by comparison.  However, it’s not how long you can go, it’s what you do with the time you’re given that counts.   Yes, you can infer from that whatever your mind conjures up.

Mr. C asked me what will I be doing while he’s watching the double-headers.  Oh.  Guess I should occupy myself.  I was counting on spending some time with Mr. C, being as the kids are at their dad’s this weekend.  But ok, we can compromise.  We’ll run errands in the morning & I’ll keep myself busy the rest of the time.  What to do, what to do……take down Christmas decorations.  Read on the treadmill. Vacuum.  Watch a movie. 

Yes!  Watch a movie that Mr. C would probably prefer NOT to watch with me.   I cozy up on the bed with a blanket and some tea & settle in to watch “Coco avant Chanel” with Audrey Tautou.

I usually only watch French films in French without subtitles when I’m alone, which isn’t very often (not that I’m complaining), so this was a treat.  And I was not disappointed.  Gabrielle Coco Chanel was a true pioneer in how she navigated through life as an orphan at the turn of the century, struggling to make ends meet as a seamstress by day & cabaret singer by night.  She becomes a cynical self-assured young woman, who detests society’s shackles placed on women at that time, yet understands that in order for her to achieve any kind of dream she may have outside of a marriage of convenience, she must submit to being a kept woman.  Jaded and stern and oh-so-serious, she shuns love and doesn’t believe in its possibility for her or for any woman.   Until she meets Arthur Capel.  

The scenery is great in this film, the dialogue is sharp, funny, poignant.  But most of all, most of all, it’s the scenes with Coco and Arthur.   I’m a romantic, I know, but there aren’t alot of romantic movies that I find can really sweep me away.  This one did.  

You want passion?  Check out Coco & Arthur in the backseat of his car on the beach in Deauville. 

How about romance?  Put on your waltzing shoes as Coco stands out in her little black dress, glowing in the arms of Arthur, who is one of the most dashing romantic characters I’ve ever seen as they twirl around the dance floor of the casino.  

You want to see how a man looks when he’s falling in love?  This is the film for you. 

How about the gallantry and civility that two men pursuing the same woman show each other?  It’s all there. 

Throughout the film, her style is evident and is practically a character on its own; she seems to have been very much a woman of simplicity and a great believer that reserve is the best aphrodisiac (“A woman is closest to being naked when she is well-dressed.”) 

For me, this film was as if I was witnessing a woman’s grand passion finally being awakened only to have  it yanked away.  We see how she channelled her passion for living into the empire that became Chanel.   We never know what we are capable of accomplishing until we experience life and live all that is given to us, even in tragedy. 

In difficult circumstances throughout her early life, Gabrielle Coco Chanel did not submit to the dire circumstances that presented themselves to her.  She did not succumb (at least not for long) to possible defeat.  When fired from her singing gig, she snagged costumes on her way out in order to have something to wear at the next (then unknown) audition.  When her sister left her to live with a baron (which must have felt like sheer abandonment), Gabrielle Coco Chanel plucked her courage and presented herself at her future benefactor’s estate, tacitly accepting the role of mistress.  When she was faced with marrying for convenience, she took the as-yet-rarely-ever-done-by-a-woman decision of striking out ”to make my own fortune” with a hat shop in Paris.  When life dealt her the ultimate blow of depriving her of the love that grounded her, she let her soul flourish amid textiles and scissors, imagination and determination, resulting in the emergence of la maison Chanel.

 I may not have a little black dress, my perfume collection is but one lonely little flask, I may only dream of ever wearing the classic Chanel suit.   But I AM French, and as Mademoiselle Chanel said:  “There is no time for cut-and-dried monotony.  There is time for work.  And time for love.  That leaves no other time.”  

There is a time for football, and there is a time for love.

Dear Reader, the second NFL  double-header is almost over.  I’m glad that Mr. C has had time to watch something he clearly loves ……it’s evident by the way he talks to the TV downstairs, cheering when the going is good, muttering his disapproval when the going is not so good.  But now  I think Mr. C will be the happy recipient of a French lesson…..

Bonsoir,

Chantal xoxo

2010 in review

Considering I didn’t do a lot of writing here in 2010, these stats gave me a nice warm fuzzy.  And thanks, WordPress, for showing me that the big picture is as important as the brushstrokes:

The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health:

The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads Fresher than ever.

Crunchy numbers

A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 9,800 times in 2010. That’s about 24 full 747s.

In 2010, there were 5 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 187 posts. There were 5 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 685kb.

The busiest day of the year was October 9th with 58 views. The most popular post that day was Thank You and Goodnight.

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were blogsurfer.us, facebook.com, search.aol.com, advantagesofmutualrespectandfairplay.com, and bigextracash.com.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for philippe claudel, john lennon, empty stage, three fairies, and wolf cub.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

1

Thank You and Goodnight November 2009
10 comments

2

A Film (Or Two) A Day…. October 2008
2 comments

3

A New Wind Blowing October 2008
4 comments

4

Wolf Cub, Do Your Best March 2009
2 comments

5

The Ideal Life, according to Mark Twain September 2007
4 comments

Thank you to WordPress for giving me the coolest place in cyberspace to write.    And thank YOU, dear Reader…..no man is an island, and no woman can live without chocolate.   You are the chocolate in my writing as I navigate to the mainland. 

Love,

Chantal xoxoxo

P.S.  A most special thank you to Mr. C, at Advantages of Mutual Respect and Fair Play, who is my top referrer of readers.     Among other things  

A Fall Reading List For You

A word to you, dear reader:  I had included the links to all the books listed below in my original posting, but somehow the gremlins got in and the links did not work properly.  I’ve disabled the links for now, and I’ll try and fix them asap for you, so please return here if you’re interested.  Thank you, and so sorry for this.  (Really, I want to swear like a sailor and scream like a banshee, but I will refrain). 

I’ve been doing alot of reading, and realized that I have not posted about what I’ve read in a very long time.   Every day is a good day to read, but in the Fall, I start wanting to read even more.  

I recently attended an information night at my daughter’s new school (she’s in grade 7, Lord help me), where the teachers presented their curriculum for the year, and I was duly impressed with their enthusiasm and desire to teach children in that age group.  I could never be a teacher, so to me, anyone who chooses to do this of their own volition, who holds the education of children over and above their desire for advancement or to make money, has my respect.    

That night, G’s French teacher presented her material, but before she did, she began by saying that someone who reads every day holds the keys to not only understanding  themselves, others, and the world, but to learning  how to learn.   Which is very important for a teacher facing a classroom every day;  children who don’t read have a harder time learning, and eventually become adults who don’t read and can’t stay focused. 

I’m fortunate that my mother gave me this gift of reading from the time I could flip the pages of the books lining our bookcase, and thankfully P & G have inherited this same love-for-reading gene, in spite of the attention-grabbing computer and video game worlds.   I can’t imagine not reading, and next to music, reading and writing are my most favourite activities. 

Ever notice how you can tell that you’re having a conversation with a book reader  as opposed to someone who rarely reads anything more than traffic signs?   Formal education, social status,  home environment,  physical health, family……all those things are moot when it comes to talking with someone who reads on a regular basis.    I’ve tread very shallow waters talking with university graduates with great family connections, big important careers, fabulous wardrobes, perfect nails and fancy licence-plated vehicles that cost more than my yearly salary.   I can tell they don’t read (much) because the mutual interest goes no further than what’s on the outside.   The conversation quickly becomes vacuous, and eventually all about them. 

But I have done some amazing deep-water diving, talking with readers from all walks of life, who have some or  little or no formal education, family lives that are less than stellar and usually turbulent, who are unemployed or toiling at a day job while nursing that passion that burns inside of them, be it playing in a band or moonlighting as a chef, or just trying their best to be their best.   I think of the richness that has been added to my life by knowing people who were illiterate, people who would love nothing more than to be able to read but who’s circumstances have prevented them; these people give so much grace and wisdom to those around them.     There’s much to be said for not judging a book by its cover, or its past, present, and future……

People who read formulate opinions and are able to consider others’ thoughts with a little more equilibrium.  People who read can express themselves in ways that build their confidence, which comes in real handy for those who are shy.    People who read can talk about a variety of things with others, they have the opportunity to dream and let their thoughts take flight with what they’ve read.   They are stimulated  spiritually and mentally.   Not only that, but a reader’s brain undergoes all these great synapses that allows them to stay focused, to pay attention, which is important for children and adults alike.   People who read learn patience, learn how to connect ideas, they learn to take their time to learn.     

Now before there’s an uproar over the value of someone who reads over someone who doesn’t, let me clarify that someone who doesn’t read is not someone who can’t read.   Someone who can’t read probably has more skills and a finer-tuned mind than someone who can read but chooses not to.  What a waste.   I guess I can’t imagine what it would be like to be quite capable of reading, but of not being interested, of not having that fire lit inside. 

The next time you’re reading, or you see someone reading, don’t make the mistake of thinking that reading is a passive, non-engaging, anti-social activity.  There’s alot more going on than what you see, and the benefits to humanity that come from the simple act of reading are endless.  Think about that while you have a look-see at books I’ve loved reading in the past few months. 

 

Oryx and Crake  by Margaret Atwood

A gift from Mr. C., which we brought with us for Ms. Atwood’s personal autograph when we met her last November.  A thrill of a lifetime for me (thank you, Mr. C.) .  I devoured this story, and was not disappointed.

Why Do I Love These People?   by Po Bronson

This book has the capacity to renew your belief in the power of family.   Each story in this book was touching and had something in it to which I could relate.  It’s the kind of book you want to buy for everyone you know.

Night Gardening  by E.L.Swann

I know, it’s a romance.  But it’s not your ordinary romance.  It’s way more sensuous, without being ever being trashy or silly.  I think I found this book at the library book sale, and I liked the cover.  I was surprised by the central characters, who are not your typical main romance characters.   It’s a beautiful, very sensual story of two older and wiser people…..there should be more stories like this.

 

Listening Is an Act of Love : A Celebration of American Life from the StoryCorps Project

Another gift from my sweet Mr. C.  I took this book along with me when the children & I visited PEI in July 2008, to have a reminder of my husband who was still living in Florida at the time.  I would read it at night in the  little by-the-sea cottage that I had rented for the week, while the kids slept,  and I’ve re-read it since then.   Surround yourself with good things, I say.  This book  will be dog-eared, I’m sure….. it already has tea stains on it.  A sign of being loved.   

You’re In Canada Now….. A Memoir Of Sorts   by Susan Musgrave

Another twice-read book……Susan Musgrave is one of Canada’s poets and so far, her life has been veeeerrrryyyy interesting. 

Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin

I found this book at the library book sale, read it in two days, then discovered it was a teen fiction.  I don’t know why that mattered, and actually, it doesn’t.  And I’m sorry to admit that, had I known beforehand that it was a teen fiction, I never would have probably picked it up, let alone read it.   So much for not judging a book by its cover, or in this case, its gendre (I think the reason I took it WAS because of its cover!) The story is thought-provoking, the characters endearing, and I would probably read other of Ms. Zevin’s books.

 

Longing  by J.D. Landis

This was one of those $2.00 bargain books at Chapters (which they don’t have anymore….that store really has changed over the past few months…..it’s not so much fun to go there anymore, but that’s another story for another day).  The story intrigued me, and when I began to read it, my intrigue continued to grow.  This is a book that makes you want to learn more and more about what  you’re reading, about the characters (in this case Schumann & Wieke), about the historical places and events that were going on, it makes you want to seek out their classical compositions and find performances of their work on YouTube.  This is a book that you underline passages, because they are so well-written, or they have struck that C chord in your heart.  I will have to re-read this book a second time, but much slower.  The first time, I was reading it through, anxious and wanting to know what was going to happen next.  It was like eating all the chocolates that I could in one sitting, and knowing they tasted good and sweet, but not really getting the chocolate high, you know?  The next time I read this book, I will savour it and take my time to research the historical characters as I come upon them in the book, so that I can have a better context.    

How To Lose Friends & Alienate People:  A Memoir  by Toby Young

OMG! OMG! OMG!  Read the book then see the movie, like Mr. C. did, or see the movie then read the book, like I did.  But do both.  This was a hilarious read, and much deeper and thought-provoking than I thought it would be, after seeing the movie.   Despite all that he says and does, in the end I was cheering for him.  I’m looking forward to reading his next one. 

The Weight of Water  by Anita Shreve

A dramatic account of an historical event on the U.S. east coast, this author has magically woven a very different past and present into a story where crossroads are reached and to continue the journey requires courage and trust. 

 

Homer & Langley  by E.L.Doctorow

Holy moly, what a discovery I’ve made!  When I saw this new book in the New Arrivals section at the library, I quickly nabbed it.  Hot off the presses!   And I was not sorry.  The story itself is fascinating, but I’ll let you read the book and its reviews.   Go on Wikipedia and search for the Collyer Brothers AFTER you’ve read the book.   What entranced me was  E.L. Doctorow’s writing style.  He is an American treasure who  transforms words into works of art.  This was a book where not only did I lose myself in the story, but I found myself reading and re-reading passages because of  the sheer beauty and genius of this writer.     And imagine my delight when I was looking at the book titles in our bookcase at home, and came across E.L. Doctorow’s Sweet Land Stories!  I must have got this book somewhere along the way and shelved it for a rainy day……Ah, would you look at that, it’s raining……

To you, dear reader,  I thank you for taking time out of your day to read my thoughts on reading, and I hope these book recommendations will give you hours of enjoyment and lead you to other writings that bring goodness to your life.  See?  That’s another, lesser-known benefit of reading:  someone is thankful you read their stuff.  

Love,

Chantal

A Little Rx

It’s OK!  Don’t panic!  You’re in the right place!  It’s still me, at Ain’t Life Strange…..I just mixed up the colours a little.

Being as I spend alot of time staring at a computer screen at work, I fiddled with the colours on my monitor a long time ago to come up with a combination that was soothing to my eyes.  Most of my co-workers  have the black background  with coloured writing, either red or blue or even hot pink!  I always found those combinations to be too bright, so I found that a medium grey background with white and black writing worked the best for me.  Because we sometimes move around alot, I got wise and wrote down the colour combinations so that I don’t have to waste time fiddling with the colours on my computer every time I move (if only I could remember where I put that paper…..) 

The most frequent comment I get when people see my screen is :  “How can you see that?  Don’t your eyes hurt?”  I’ve come up with “It works for me!   Now whaddaya want?”.  Ok, maybe I don’t really say whaddaya want…….  But I really like my choice of colours on my computer, especially that they don’t make my eyes tired.

So today, I’m reading this snippet in Zoomer magazine:

CONVENTIONAL, SQUINT-INDUCING LOOSE-LEAF PAPER HAS MET ITS MATCH.

Whitelines, the brainchild of Swedish designer Olof Hansson, is a carbon-neutral collection of writing paper and note pads that puts white lines against a grey background, erasing the perceptional stress that can occur on eyes when dark lines appear on a gleaming white background.  Hansson’s eco-minded masterwork translates into low CO2 emissions and line-free photocopies, making whatever you write and draw easier on the eyes — and the environnment.               Jessica Green  -  Zoomer magazine, June 2009

AHA!  White lines against a grey background…..just like my easy-on-the-eyes computer screen!  I was gratified to read that a very cool and hip designer, from Sweden no less, put this great idea to good use.  Now when people go ugh at my screen, I can tell them, Hey, Olof thinks this idea is so cool, he applied it to writing paper and now markets his Whitelines with great success.  So if it’s good enough for Mr. Hansson, innovator and designer, it’s good enough for me. 

So I got to thinking about you, faithful blog reader.  How are your eyes?  When you read my blog, were your eyes getting tired from reading the black writing on the harsh white background?  Did you have to squint after a while just to get through my latest post?  I’m assuming that if your eyes did get tired, it wasn’t  because of my writing.   (It’s not, is it?) 

I’ve had the same blog theme since I started writing here two years ago, now.   I’ve checked out other themes, but I always came back to the same one, white background, pink outlines, with the pen at the top.  Simple, clean, leaving more room to focus on the writing.  But after reading about Whitelines today, I thought maybe Ain’t Life Strange could stand a little change, and maybe I could ease the strain on your eyes while I was at it.  So I found this new theme that has a similar layout to my old theme, because I like change, but not too much.   The colours are a little bold, red and black and grey are all power colours, which don’t really describe me…..I would’ve liked the red header to be a soft pink or a nice light olive green, or maybe a peaceful blue like the domes of Santorini, Greece.   But the white writing on the grey background should mean less eye strain. 

I’m going to keep this theme for a little while, see how it goes.    I like it more than I dislike it, but I’m also wanting to know what you think.   Don’t be shy.  Don’t hold back.   If you hate it, you hate it.  You can tell me.  I can take it.  No, really, I can take it.   I know I’m sensitive and you know I’m sensitive, and being sensitive means that I can take anything you can dish out.  After I’ve cried.

I’m KIDDING!!!!!!

Life is good. 

Love,

Chantal xoxoxox

Skål!

 Way back in 1990, almost 20 years ago now, my first husband and I took the one and only trip we would ever take  together in our entire 17-year marriage (a weekend in Montreal 5 years after the birth of our kids doesn’t count).  I know that sounds like a sad commentary on the state of our marriage, and it is.   In retrospect, our lack of taking time to be alone together was a contributor to our eventual disintegration as a couple.  That, and many other factors, of course.   A marriage of nearly two decades doesn’t fail on one issue only, just as an enduring marriage doesn’t hinge on one aspect.  There are many spokes to the wheel of love, and it takes two to keep it turning.

So back in 1990, the  Meech Lake Accord was on its way to defeat,   the Oka crisis was unfolding,  The Tragically Hip won a Juno for Most Promising Group, going on to become one of Canada’s most influential bands,  the Hubble Space Telescope was launched, leading to important breakthroughs in astrophysics.    And M & I were flying to Stockholm, Sweden for three weeks of discovering a new country.    I had always wanted to visit a Scandinavian country, and to his credit, M was game to go anywhere I chose.  So we saved our money, planned our itinerary, including a side trip Baltic Sea cruise to Leningrad (before it became St.Petersburg again) and set off on our adventure.

It was an amazing trip,  my first time flying, a learning experience in self-sufficiency, and an awakening to how big, beautiful, wonderful and small our world is.  We met Swedes  (the most healthy-looking and attractive people on this planet that I’ve ever seen, from the youngest baby to the oldest grandpa);  our trip was coloured with their warmth and humour.  We befriended Polish immigrants who worked at the student residence where we were staying, and we enjoyed many late nights being regaled with stories from their country and served extra helpings  on our dinner plates of the most delicious Swedish meatballs I’ve ever had.  On our last morning, we had to leave early, before the breakfast canteen opened, but to our surprise, our Polish friends had prepared a huge breakfast tray for us, with way more food than the usual yogurt and cereal!  

We met the friendliest Americans from OshKosh, Wisconsin, from California, from New York.  Some of them we met while in Stockholm, some we met on the cruise to Leningrad.   On the ship, Fred and Winnie, a couple in their 80′s from New York who were seasoned world travellers, took us under their wing and were delighted that the youngest couple and the oldest couple on the cruise were at the same dinner-table.  We were pretty smitten with them, too, and felt very protective of them when our group ventured into Leningrad for an evening at the circus; Fred and Winnie were immediately surrounded by young Russians wanting to exchange cigarettes, but M & I worried for nothing…Fred and Winnie were prepared with a shopping bag of chocolates and American flag pins that they doled out to the boys while never breaking their stride on their way to board the bus to take us back to the ship. 

We met a German Mercedes-Benz dealer on that cruise, whom we avoided after our first encounter, convinced he was a spy or smuggler or dealt in some type of illegal activity.   A little  overactive imagination while travelling is a good thing sometimes.

We walked everywhere we could in Stockholm, we got lost on the bus (we weren’t really lost, M was getting upset, but I just told him “Hey, if we stay on it, eventually the bus will return to where we got on, and then we won’t be lost anymore”).    One morning on the bus ride from our residence to the centre of the city, I saw a woman across the aisle from me who had a lidded basket on her arm, and out popped the head of a sweet little dog!  I was amazed that animals were  allowed on public transport.  

Another day, with our overactive imaginations in high gear,  we thought we were being tailed by someone on our way to the Toy Museum and tried out our evasion techniques (but we weren’t really being tailed…..at least that’s what we told ourselves).   We drank strong coffee that cost $2.00 for a teeny tiny cup in outdoor cafés, we marveled at the cleanliness of a city with nearly 2 million residents.   Walking with our trusty map (which we forgot on a park bench somewhere on our very last day),  we quickly learned the main streets and spent our days wandering and discovering this beautiful city.   We visited the island of Djurgarden twice,  the Skansen museum, and the very impressive Vasa Museum with its fully restored 17th century Vasa Ship that sunk on its maiden voyage.    Stockholm Palace was grand, and watching the changing of the guard was something else.  During our tours of all the museums, during our walks along the cobblestone streets and alleys lined with centuries-old buildings, I came to realize how new my country was in comparison, how here in Canada we don’t have this identity steeped in thousands of years of history.  We cruised the archipelago, we visited the Nordiska  museum, we went to the Museum of Modern Art.    Our newly-bought 35mm camera came in handy and we  took a gazillion pictures.  Which brings me to the point of this whole post.

When I separated, I made sure to take all the photo albums and pictures with me.  I sifted through them all afterwards, giving M his pictures and those of him and the kids, and of course all the pictures of the kids that we had double prints of.  But the pictures and souvenirs of our trip to Sweden, I kept those.   I don’t know why I needed to hang on to them, but I did.   I haven’t looked at them since I moved out, which has been almost 5 years ago now.

If you have a look-see on my sidebar, (yep, right there on the right), there’s  a link to Archerfoto, which is the website of one of THE primo photographers whose work leaves me dreaming.   Her photographs of buildings, nature, people, streets, animals, they ALL pull me into their world.  I know diddly-squat about taking pictures except point & shoot, but I’m amazed at all I’ve learned just staring at her wondrous photos that she has on her website.  I have to hold back on commenting on every one, lest she thinks I’m some obsessed fan, but I swear, every single photograph that she puts up there elicits a reaction from me, there’s a story in each one of them being written out in my head as I contemplate them.    And you can tell alot about a person’s creativity, quality of workmanship,  and level of skill by the comments of photographers and non-photographers alike.  I visit her site daily, eager for the new photo, but just as grateful to browse and locate my favourites.

So when she came out with this new site  to display more of her unique and beautiful work, I was excited at the prospect of losing myself in her world, of  stopping to figuratively smell the roses (and the tulips), and especially of being inspired in my own creative writing.  Because that’s what gifted artists do, they inspire the rest of us to imagine and dream and create.

I know, I know, I’m getting to the point of this whole post now.  I clicked on her new site, Amy Archer Photography, and I scroll the galleries, wondering which one to open first.   The title “Family In Sweden” catches my eye; as I slowly cycle through this “family album”, I’m floored by how I’m transported right back, nearly 20 years ago, to Stockholm, to the colours, the cooling dark green of the foliage, the building facades, the sunlight reflecting off waterways, bathing the city in warm liquid gold.  I’m back in Djurgarden, feeling the cool June breeze.  I can smell the highly-polished scents of the museums enveloping the murmuring of tourists, I’m sitting again at the open-air restaurant in the middle of the city by the life-size chess game with the soft wind blowing clouds to hide the sun, momentarily turning the brightness into muted tones of shade and coolness.  Kind of like the Swedes, bright and cool. 

Through the sharing of her pictures, Amy has allowed me to connect to a time when I lived  a special dream of visiting a country that I had longed to see since I was a young girl.  I was a soulfully sad girl back then who grew into a soulfully sad but content woman, and I seemed to identify with Swedes for some reason, admiring their clean living, their social structure, their industriousness and inventiveness, their soulful sadness that seemed as ingrained in them as it was in me.  Since then, I’ve discovered that soulful sadness underpins warmth and joy, and that we are complex humans, no matter where we come from. 

And maybe that’s what Amy’s pictures give me, a sense of warmth and joy in their tranquility, in their reflectiveness.  That even in something that brings me sadness and melancholy, and makes me feel that I’m still in mourning for a marriage failed, I’m renewed and continue healing.  

I discover a deeper self, one who brings much to the life of her children.

I uncover the womanloverfriend I have become for my Mr. C., who helps me keep the wheel of love turning.  

Most of all, I recover the young girl with dreams of writing and living a simple life. 

Thank you, Amy…..you are a gift. 

Love,

Chantal xoxoxox

A Film (Or Two) A Day….

A few weeks ago, our city hosted its 20th international film festival, and this year, I attended 5 screenings.  Last year, I stood in the rush line to see A Sunday at the Pool in Kigali…..You show up 10 minutes before showtime, you buy a ticket, and you stand in line, hoping that the usher will come out and say that you can go in.   That was my first time at the film festival (I know, how embarrassing…..I’ve lived here most of my life, and I had never attended before.  It’s like living in New York and never having gone to Central Park).  I guess the reason I never went before was that I didn’t know how film festivals worked, I wasn’t sure how you went about seeing the films you wanted.   But last year, when I saw that A Sunday in Kigali was having one showing, I found out that you could just buy one rush ticket, and hope you got in.  So I bought my ticket, and I was one of 6 or 7 people who were able to get in after the savvy passholders.  I had to sit in the second row, but I didn’t care.  The film was powerful and made even more so by the fact that I was so close to the screen. 

THIS year, I thought I’d wade out a little more in festival waters.  I checked out the festival’s booklet that  listed the 80+ films that were showing, I picked out the ones I really wanted to see, and as they were showing on the weekend that the kids were with their father, I bought myself a passbook to see those 5 films, and had the best time ever.  Some people really get into this whole film festival and take a week’s vacation time, attending as many as two or three films per day in eight days.   That’s hardcore filmfesting, which would be too much for me….after a while, I would think that the films just become a blur, one running into the next.  Plus I’d get pancake-butt.  

The film synopses below are what was published in the film festival booklet.  The italics are my own observations. 

LET HIM BE (Peter McNamee, 2008) 
Abracadabra Productions
Cast: Kathleen Munroe, Sean Clement, Mark Staycer, Graham Wignall

LET HIM BE is the story of two undergrad students Tim Bennett (Clement) and Kathleen Joyce (Munroe) who discover, a long thought to be dead rock icon living in a remote part of Northern Ontario. It all begins when Tim discovers a clip of an old man playing guitar on a tape found jammed inside an old video camera his father gave him. The man in the video is older now but the resemblance to John Lennon is uncanny. Could it be him? It’s an absurd idea and one that Tim might have pushed aside were it not for the fact that the man also sounds so much like him. Was it possible that Lennon survived the assassination? Tim, along with the help of the sceptical Kathleen, decides to document the whole story as they set out on a remarkable journey of discovery.

As a huge John Lennon fan, this was my first choice, and the first film I saw.  The producer, Peter McNamee was there to answer questions after the film, and he was so passionate about what he and his team created that he got all choked up!  I loved that you could get a bigger sense of what goes into making a film, rather than just watching it and leaving or going on to the next film.  This was the worldwide premiere of the film, so everyone was feeling pretty special to have been there.  Apparently, it’ll be out on DVD, so watch out for it.  I give this film a 5-star rating, for the original music, the storyline which is unique, for the constant double-takes that you do, and for the elements of surprise.  Needless to say, this film was an experience.  I left the theatre and drove home in a state of wonder…..just imagine.  

Only
Ingrid Veninger & Simon Reynolds
Canada, 2008
73 Minutes
pUNK Films
Cast: Elena Hudgins Lyle, Jacob Switzer

 

The first feature film from Canadian directors Ingrid Veninger and Simon Reynolds, ONLY is a glimpse into the heightened impressions and dreams of two unlikely 12-year olds. Daniel (Switzer) lives in a motel managed by his parents in Northern Ontario. People come and people go — Daniel hardly notices. Until one day a girl arrives and changes his world. Over the course of a single day, they venture on a journey, exploring deep secrets, dark fears, and first love in a pure and powerful meeting of young hearts and minds.

This was a quiet, contemplative film that captures the isolation felt at that age.  I thought back to when I was 13 and had met a boy while visiting my sister at a campsite.  He was leaving that night, so we spent the day together jumping off the underside of the bridge into the river, walking in the forest and exploring the shoreline.  His name was Mike and he lived about an hour away from me.   We exchanged phone numbers and sweet kisses.   We  called each other in the week that followed, and the next week, his father drove him to my father’s store, and we took the bus with a few of my friends to go see a movie.  I remember thinking that this was not the boy I remembered a week before; he seemed like a little boy, not as cool in his wide-cuffed jeans and with his blond hair parted on the side and carefully combed.  I pretty much ignored him during the movie, and afterwards, I remember waiting for his ride with him on the steps of my dad’s store, anxious for him to be gone.  He was very polite and kind, he smiled alot, and was probably nervous…..and I treated him like he was beneath me.  To this day, I feel ashamed at my behaviour towards that sweet boy.  So Mike F., wherever you may be,  I apologize for having treated you so bad.  Thank you for spending that magical summer day with me.  The fact that I still remember it is a testimony to how nice of a kid you were.  

One Week
Michael McGowan
Canada, 2008
94 Minutes
Mongrel Media
Cast: Joshua Jackson, Liane Balaban

Ben Tyler (Jackson), a man in his mid-twenties, has been diagnosed with a virulent cancer. He has only a 10% chance of survival. Though it is imperative that he begin treatment immediately, Ben instead takes off on a road trip on an impulsively purchased motorcycle. What starts off as an ill-defined attempt to escape soon morphs into a cross-country odyssey from Toronto to Tofino, British Columbia. Against the immensity of the Canadian landscape and the enormity of his recent diagnosis, Ben re-examines his life. Samantha (Balaban), his fiancée, thinks the trip is reckless and refuses to accompany him, and Ben gradually comes to realize that something is lacking in their relationship that he has never before confronted. After a 4,000 kilometre journey, Ben has run out of west. Undeniably sick, he is unsure which way to turn.

This was a quintessential Canadian film…..as it was a gala presentation on the Saturday night, the producer, Michael McGowan, was there to answer questions afterwards.  Listening to the Q&A,  I was thinking that this film is a love letter to Canada.  And what does the producer say as he’s summing up his reasons for making this film?  That with this road trip journey, he wanted this to be a love letter to Canada, hence all the landmarks and music and nods to Canadianisms.  It was all there, all that makes Canadians Canadian:  funny, smart, sexy, impulsive enough but not too much, caring, loving, generous, yes polite, and yes sometimes we get ticked off.  We live, work, dream, play and die in one of the most beautiful countries in the world.  I loved all of this film, the acting, the story, the narration, the music…..the Stanley Cup!  What stays with me, however, is when the woman Ben meets in the B.C. forest begins to strum her guitar as they sit by a campfire, and she sings “Un Canadien errant”….. Ben sings along with her, as he remembers his mother singing that song to him every night as she tucked him in.  “Un Canadien errant” , a classic French-Canadian song from the 1800s, was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2007 .  Its lyrics are sad, its melody haunting and poignant……..as I sang along with the actors on the big screen, I got all choked up with pride and memories of my own. 

 Surfwise
Doug Pray
USA, 2007
93 Minutes
Maximum Films

SURFWISE follows the odyssey of 85-year-old, legendary surfer Dr. Dorian ‘Doc’ Paskowitz, his wife Juliette, and their nine children—all of whom were home-schooled on the beaches of Southern California, Hawaii, Mexico and Israel. They surfed every day of their lives, and were forced to adhere to a strict diet and lifestyle by their passionate and demanding, health-conscious father. In the mid-1950s Dorian Paskowitz was a successful doctor living in the territory of Hawaii, until two devastating divorces and the realization that he had no interest in money or status caused him to completely upend his life. Dorian dropped his practice and traveled to Israel for a year where he lived among the Bedouins. Returning to the States, he met his wife Juliette, and the rest was history. SURFWISE is the story of a man who pursued his dreams and dragged his family along for the wild ride. 

If you ever get a chance to see this documentary, RUN TO IT,  DON’T WALK!   You think you’ve got Doc Paskowitz figured out, then BAM!  Another element is thrown in, and what you thought 2 minutes ago is no longer valid.  Highly entertaining, very thought-provoking, especially about leaving the rat race, being true to your beliefs, candid thoughts about marriage, sexuality, family, children’s education, living life on your own terms.  You’re left with much food for thought about the impact parents have on their children, the consequences of and fallout from veering off too far, and the power of love and forgiveness.   

Il y a longtemps que je t’aime (I’ve Loved You So Long)
Philippe Claudel
France, 2008
115 Minutes
Mongrel Media
Cast: Kristen Scott Thomas, Elsa Zylberstein

Juliette (Scott Thomas) has been estranged from her family for 15 years. Although life once violently separated them, Lea (Zylberstein), her younger sister, takes her into her home which she shares with her husband Luc, his father, and their little girls. I’VE LOVED YOU SO LONG is a film about the strength of women, their capacity to shine forth, reconstruct themselves and be reborn. A story about our secrets, about confinement, about the isolation we all share.

Kristen Scott Thomas is my new favourite actor.  I saw her in the  Horse Whisperer, and found her to be good, but not so good that I would want to see her in another movie.  And so what happened was that I avoided Kristen Scott Thomas movies, which is what I do when I’m not fond of a certain actor.  I know that sounds juvenile, however with the plethora of films out there, I figure why waste my time on films with actors I don’t like?  And it’s not that I disliked Kristen Scott Thomas, I just never warmed up to her.  In this film, her character is not one that you would warm up to.  And yet…..The film itself is one of nuances and layers, much is expressed in small movements and gestures, facial expressions convey more in seconds than five-minute speeches ever could.  Even the settings and especially the garments worn by the actors, the drab colours and patterns,  are all instrumental in linking the melancholy and underlying frailty of each character with their surroundings.  The role of  Juliette could not have been an easy one to play…. Kristen Scott Thomas keeps her character cloaked in self-preservation, and by seeking that courage within herself and through others, she gently brings Juliette’s struggles and pain into the light.   Yes, I cried (quietly) at this one, too. 

When I selected the films I thought would interest me,  they seemed unconnected, and yet, oddly enough, each had that common theme of living in the moment, doing what you need to do right now to live fully, not letting the past swallow you up.  

Love,

Chantal xoxoxox

P.S. If you’re in Vancouver, some of these are showing at the International Film Festival that’s going on this week.

A Little Movie Magic

Is it raining (again) in your part of the world tonight?  Nothing good on TV (that’s an oxymoron if I ever heard one)?  The Olympics aren’t your thing?  Well, here are a few films that I’ve watched recently that might help to while away an otherwise boring evening…..

Enduring Love was a great thinking-person’s thriller.   The cinematic shots are quite spectacular, becoming part of the enthralling story.   Daniel Craig is terrific, and Rhys Ifans…holy mack.  It’s an intense movie, based on the book by Ian McEwan, which I’ll be on the lookout for.   I didn’t read alot about this movie before watching it, which is how I like to watch movies.  I just let the story unfold and I find I get much more enjoyment out of the whole deal. 

 

Reservation Road had great actors, all of them my favourites.  Joaquin Phoenix, who was cheated out of an award for Walk the Line, continues to play a powerful role in this movie.  The given synopsis does not provide much of what the movie is about, which is a good thing.  I was crying in the first 5 minutes.

After The Wedding is not an action movie, but its power is felt just as strongly.   The characters are complex and fascinating, you feel an attachment with each one.  They might not always be likeable, yet you want to get to know them, you actually care what happens to them.  The plot and storyline are more than what they appear at first.  I’m still thinking about it, nearly a week after seeing it.  This was a great film, worthy of its Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film.  The lead actor is Mads Mikkelsen, who was in Casino Royale with Daniel Craig….hmm there’s a pattern here…anyhow, this guy reminds me alot of my husband, who is an American of Danish descent.  From the first shots of the actor on the screen, I was struck by the similarities with my true companion, his walk, the way he carried himself, his tallness, his cheekbones, his eyes,  his mouth….ok, I’ll stop now.   I can hear my sweetie saying “Oh, balderdash!” as he reads this, but being in a long-distance marriage makes me a little crazy sometimes….sigh.

The Band’s Visit is quiet, charming, funny, and hopeful.  The premise is an Egyptian police band stranded in an Israeli town (a very small Israeli town).  Initially I was expecting rhetoric and stereotypes, and maybe some political commentary thrown in,  but this is not what this film is about.   Simple storytelling charm, which is what makes movies great.  

This particular selection may not be everyone’s bag of peanuts, but it’s good sometimes to try something new and different.  So get into your comfy-cozy clothes, pop some popcorn, put your feet up, and escape the rain (or the Olympics).  And if you have any favourites to pass along, feel free to leave them in the comments.    

Love,

Chantal xoxoxoxo

Big Wisdom in Short Pants

I love quotations, books on quotations, quotation websites, I love adding a pertinent quotation to a card I’m signing, I admire people who can quote quotations in conversation.   Quotations are like big wisdom in short pants, inspiration in just a sentence or two.  So I was happy when Sorrow tagged me with a request to provide my favourite quotes.   I think, like most people, I have many quotes that I love, and whittling them down to a few made me feel I was discarding unwanted children or something.   But I’m over that.    
 

“Think deeply, speak gently, love much, laugh aloud, work hard, give freely, and be kind.” Unknown

“You can lose the essence by detailing alot of extraneous things.”  Andrew Wyeth

“When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth, you are weeping for that which has been your delight.”  Kahlil Gibran

“I believe that what woman resents is not so much giving herself in pieces as giving herself purposelessly.” Anne Morrow Lindbergh

“The world today does not understand, in either man or woman, the need to be alone.”        Anne Morrow Lindbergh

If you have quotations of your own that you want to share, whether they be simple, profound, sentimental, please feel free to leave them as a comment.  Your thoughts and comments are always like a gift to me. 

Love,

Chantal xoxoxoxo  

 

 

Medicines of the Soul

When you read a book, what do you expect to get out of it?  Losing yourself for a little while in another world?  Gaining insight into another’s perspective?  How about augmenting your vocabulary, or finding out about something previously unknown to you?  Probably all of the above.  One thing reading certainly does is create space in your mind for empathy, whether you’re conscious of it or not.  I think it’s difficult to be a reader and be close-minded to others, or to new ideas or concepts.    By reading, not only are you opening up a whole new world with each book you crack open, but you are opening yourself up to a whole new experience, and then relating that experience to your daily life.   The relationship between the human soul (where the mind and heart reside) and books (writing and reading of) is very much a co-evolutionary process, even if a book is not alive in the sense of undergoing biological evolution.   But each influences the other, the book influences the soul, the soul influences the book by guiding the human to have experiences that create and inspire more writing of books.  Each exerts pressures on the other, and so affecting each other’s evolution.

 

I’ve finished reading Diary of A Bad Year, by J.M. Coetzee.  This book has been one of the most unique reading experiences I’ve ever had.   J.M. Coetzee is a new discovery of mine, and again, I’m left scratching my head, wondering where I’ve been all these years.   He’s a prolific writer, and you can read more about him here. I have yet to read his other works, but I look forward to it.   In the meantime, Diary of A Bad Year is in a class of its own.    

Understanding.  Empathy.  Walking a mile in someone else’s shoes.  Sometimes, I have no idea why I was drawn to pick up a book until I get to the end of the story.  In the case of Let The Northern Lights Erase Your Name, by Vendela Vida, I didn’t have to wait til the end.   You would think that after years of reading, that I’d get a little jaded, but I don’t…..I’m often surprised at the meaning and parallels to my own life that I’m able to draw from such vast arrays of stories.  Do you do this when you read, too?  Do you start out a book, thinking general thoughts, then as you go along, the writing is so excellent that you start nodding in recognition at the emotions and events in the lives of the characters?  The author triggers in you things you may have forgotten, or things you wish you could remember more clearly.  You may be left with deeper longings than when you started, that’s a result of co-evolution.  The rewards of searching your soul by being present to what you’re reading, to let the meanings come to you rather than searching them out, is as effective (and cheaper) than therapy. 

Love,

Chantal xoxoxo

P.S.:  Harper Perennial has a feature with their paperbacks called “P.S.  Insights, Interviews, and More” at the end of the book.  These 16 extra pages contain an interview with the author, as well as the author’s book recommendations. 

P.S.S.:  Diary of a Bad Year and Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name updated in The Ideal Life According to Mark Twain page. 

 

 

 

 

Huston, We Have Lift-Off

Nancy Huston is my favourite writer, hands down.  Although Margaret Atwood comes a close second.   Maybe they’re tied for first.   Anyhow, I’ve just gobbled up the latest of Huston’s books,  Fault Lines.   In fact, I gobbled it twice:  when I reached the end, I wanted it to go on, and I was so taken and astounded by her power of weaving this story that I returned to the beginning and read it all over again, with a new perspective.  

I’m not saying anything about the story subject of Fault Lines, I don’t want to spoil it.  I’m not saying anything about the remarkable talent Huston has for drawing you into the story and keeping you there…..ok, I guess I just did.  Reading her novels is like hearing echoes of your past.  Or of your present.  You’ll be carrying on in your daily life, doing dishes, driving to work, playing with your kids, then whoops, you find yourself thinking of a certain character, or a particular event you’ve read in one of her books and you can’t wait to sink back into it to discover the affinity you share, or to explore the aversion you sense rising inside of you.  

Now, this is not chick lit.   Nor will you find a big ugly “Opr*h’s Pick” sticker on Nancy Huston’s books.  (I apologize to all Opr*h lovers out there, I am not one of you.  While I’m at it, I’m not a W*l-M*rt hugger either.  Sorry).  

Nancy Huston’s novels are dark and reveal things of human beings that we know are there, but that we don’t always talk about.   Human revelations.    The emotions felt for the characters, especially in Fault Lines, swing from empathy to antipathy and back again.  Much like our own feelings toward ourselves. 

Her greatest appeal for me is how she tells her stories with a respect for the reader’s intelligence.  

Along with Fault Lines,  I’ve listed other books of Nancy Huston that I’ve read, in my page “The Ideal Life According to Mark Twain”.